Some things just need to be said...

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Ujjal's Ted-E Bear to be auctioned


Ok here it is. Pictured below with yours truly is the official mascot from the Ujjal NDP leadership contest. Yes if you were there, you saw all the Ujjal supporters in their green t-shirts with the green U.

The mascot had a special t-shirt made as well, a campaign that spared no expense for sure.

I have had Ted E Bear since then. He was mine before the leadership, then he wanted to go to convention too. No before you ask, he did not have a voting credential. He was staff.

Now it seems this bear comes up in conversations from time to time in NDP circles, usually those that were part of Ujjal's campaign team. Some of you may have forgotten about him. He was in on all the inside stuff, he knows things that he may share if you give him a nice home. Only Remi was closer to Ujjal than Ted E Bear during the leadership and we know she won't talk.

Ted E Bear will now go to the highest bidder. The money of course will go to the Kelowna Federal NDP. I have resigned as local president and in cleaning out some stuff have offered TED E Bear for auction. Anyone out there that wants him can have him now if they send me a big enough cheque.

Now any good Liberal out there that would like to have Ujjal's good luck Bear can, just send a bigger cheque. Imagine Ujjal's face when you get to liberate the bear that brought him to power. You will be in Ujjal's good books forever. Even Ujjal can send a cheque. Bob Rae maybe interested too.

Now not leave the Conservatives out, think up a bigger number than the Liberals, and you too could have him. So should any of you be talking to Ujjal or Liberal's wanting to climb the political ladder or Conservatives wishing to have another join their party, let them know.

Interested? Send me an email with your bid.

He will be handed over to the Kelowna Federal NDP on May 1, 2006 for auction at their convienance unless you want him bad enough, remember he was closer to Ujjal than any other bear, mascot or person (except Remi). Tell me how much before then and if it is the best looking cheque at the end of May you get him. I will put weekly updates here on the latest bid so you know how much is enough.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Glen Clark - moonlighting as a Ferry Captain?


News of the BC Ferries Queen of the North sinking struck like a lightning bolt. I have taken this ship many times, down BC's coast to Port Hardy. Some sailings are rough but always it safely made port. It is an old vessal for sure yet it has served so well and likely could have continued to do so if it were not for striking a rock.

Now half jockingly I asked some friends over coffee at Tim Horton's this morning how long they thought it would be before Gordon Campbell, our Premier took to blaming the NDP and Glen Clark for this. It did not take long as the Gazetteer points out on his blog today.

At some point it starts to get a little dull. Campbell could have stuck to the facts as we know so far. The ship ran aground and then sunk. It is terrible but luckily the crew managed to get everyone off safely and the people of Hartley's Bay proved again our faith in people is not unwarranted.

Campbell did not stick to this. Somehow the NDP brought about this event. Almost six years from taking over from the NDP and seven plus years since Glen Clark last sat at the cabinet table, Campbell is spinning his story. Imagine if it rains in Prince Rupert during the Premier's photo opportunity, that would be Glen Clark's fault and by his extentiona sign of God's wrath on BC for supporting the NDP. I mean its only a bunch of Ferries that support them right. Just ask Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

al-Qaeda, Diapers and Beer and the Canadian connection

al-Qaeda, Diapers and Beer and the Canadian connection.

It seems that a Canadian with a dodgey past is in some hot water because of an invention that can be used for all kinds of activities including some illegal applications.

Rencode is an invention by a Canadian man who had a tough time in school and even spent some time in jail for having some part in the design and placement of pipe bomb in a drug dealers car.

Rob Cattral as reported in the Globe and Mail is in trouble as his device has been used for shady purposes, ie to create illegal credit cards. His invention has been or is used by all sorts of folks, people that run gym clubs to the State of California's Department of Agriculture.

The invention reads and stores data that then can be used to keep track of information such as sales, receipts, product movement etc. The retail industry uses it a lot. They track what you buy, who bought it and what else you bought. So every time you come into one of their stores they can track what you bought, what time you bought it and can then see if there is any habits you have.

The al-Qaeda connection has to do with the making of credit cards that are fraudulent. Some guy came into Rob's business, Canadian Bar Code and Plastic Card Supply Inc. and bought one of these devices. This of course means to the authorities that bad boy Rob, he has a record after all must have known this was happening and as a result, is guilty of knowingly supplies the tools of the illegal trade.

Now that's not the scariest bit of information to be uncovered here. Not by a long shot, people buy guns for bad purposes, and we know gun manufacturers and retailors know this . That hasn't made them criminals yet.

The real scarey information is the ability to steal your privacy. Companies are doing it all the time. The best example to date is this.

When men purchase diapers for the kids, they are likely to pick up a case of beer too. Now thats cool information and I don't know if they start out to buy beer and then say oh yeah, should get some diapers too. Or they set out to buy diapers and then decide to get some beer.

I am curious though, it makes me wonder

Do Dad's that buy Huggies prefer lager and Pamper Dad's get pilsner? And do people that choose Genuine Draft pick up a store brand nappy or Luvs? I guess it Depends on the Dad.

Seriously though this is just the thin edge of a wedge that has many, including the Canadian and American government's wanting to know more about us and to do that they want to give us all little plastic cards to carry. The private sector already does this and its likely the bad boy the police are after, Rob, may have given them the tools to track all of us. Now if that doesn't make you wet your pants ...

Stephen says "I'm the boss of you"

We have to stay in Afghanistan according to Stephen. He says it doesn’t matter if we never talked about it before. He says he's the boss of us and that’s what we have too do.

We have to be good kids and stay till Uncle George says we can go home. I haven’t met this Uncle George but the whole family keeps bringing him up. I did find this picture of him over at Rick Mercer’s blog that Mark took. It must be playtime cause Uncle George is dressed up as the Lone Ranger and Stephen is Tonto. There's lots of Stephen pictures like this one.

Do any of you remember how happy Uncle George was when we joined his excellent adventure to Haliburton Afghanistan? He wasn’t too thrilled when we asked for a ride as he figured by now we would have a reliable car with enough room for all of us. He did give our folks a ride then got mad when we said we can’t make it to Haliburton's second adventure, the one in Iraq. Uncle George can be a little snarky.

So to help quiet down Uncle George we sent more people to Afghanistan, this time we used a bunch of littler cars and we got everyone over there. In the mean time Uncle George wants to build a shooting range in the sky over top of us and he gets mad again when we say we don't think that's safe. Mom says he has a short temper from the days when he was a kid and had a teacher named Dick.

Anyway Uncle George was still pretty ticked so Stephen told him he would think about the shooting range again and maybe we could let him do some practice shooting as long as it was over Saskatchewan. Stephen thinks Saskatchewan is just ugly, not pretty like Alberta.

Ujjal says we should talk about Afghanistan and stuff but we shouldn't leave even after we talk and Jack says we should talk and then maybe come home. Uncle George doesn’t like Jack that’s for sure.

So now we don’t know what’s up. Stephen went to Afghanistan and checked it out, though he wouldn't tell us he was going ahead of time cause he was worried we would ask him to bring our brother or sister back home and he didn't have enough room. We do need a bigger car, maybe a minivan would be better right? That way we could all go where we want and leave when we want.

Me, I just think Uncle George gets away with a lot and Stephen should just tell him to grow up. Dad says Stephen won’t do that cause he wants some of the toys Uncle George has, at least better ones than we got from Uncle Tony cause they sink in the bathtub when he plays with them.

Stephen decided to put Gordon in charge of going to the toy store to get better toys cause he said Gordon knows all the toy sellers better than anyone. David wants some of those toys too so he told Stephen he was only pretending not to like him. He’s kinda like Belinda who got mad at Stephen and went to sit beside Paul. Only David doesn't care who he sits with. Mom says your friends tell other people what kind of person you are. I don’t think David should be hanging out with those guys. I sure hope Jack doesn’t spend too much time with them. I like Jack cause he tells Uncle George, "Your not the boss of me!"

Friday, March 17, 2006

Raskin quote provides hope


"Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You didn't place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible." Jamie Raskin, testifying Wednesday, March 1, 2006 before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in response to a question from Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs about whether marriage discrimination against gay people is required by "God's Law."

There in lies the problem in the United States today and the fear among many Canadians in the face of a Conservative government that remains steadfast in its opposition to gay marriage.James Raskin is an unusual Democrat today. He is speaking out as a politician should. He has in a few words managed to move the debate from that of the morality as framed by some Christian leaders and onto what we elect politicians to do. In the USA people expect them to uphold the constitution.

The USA was formed in part by people that wanted to escape religious persecution. So after a tea party in Boston some people wrote a consititution for a new country. Two of the premisis of the new country's constitution were to be free to practice your own religion and all people were equal. Of course this did not apply to blacks, aboriginals or women and may I suggest wicca's were not considered religious enough.

Raskin has reminded us of the rules. If elected he will take the constitution seriously. Overnight he has become a hero in the gay community. Raskin is not gay, he is married and has three children and by speaking out against amendments to ban same-sex marriages, he is challenging other Democrats to speak out too, even when it could mean you become public enemy number one among certain well-funded christian groups.

In America a politicians first responsibility is to uphold American law as Raskin's statement points out. It is not to implement "god's law" and certainly not to implement it according to Jerry Falwell or James Dobson and Pat Robertson.

James Raskin is running in the Democrat Primary for State Senate District 20 in Maryland.

This Sunday here in the heartlands read more on the assault led by the Christian Right on the American Constitution.

Thanks to Rob Cottingham, speech writer and blogger for the quote tip.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Support workers taking McDonalds to court

New Zealand: Support workers taking McDonalds to court

Minimum wage fast food workers in Aotearoa/New Zealand have been taking on some of the world's largest fast food brands as a part of their SupersizeMyPay.Com campaign. Workers held the worlds first ever Starbucks strike and have taken industrial action at KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonald's and a fast food call centre.

McDonald's, represented by Teesdale Associates who successfully busted the fast food unions in the 90's, have undermined bargaining from day one in an attempt to break the small community union. The company threatened to give a pay raise to non-union members only before backing down after legal charges were filed against them. Unite union is taking McDonald's to court for unlawfully undermining bargaining and discrimination against union members.

Want to help these workers? Go here then.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Top 40 if the South won

Hit Songs of the 1970s and '80s If the South Had Won the Civil War

Ivory and Ivory

You Really Want to Hurt Me

The Devil Went Up to New Hampshire

Hotel Arkansas

We Started the Fire


I found this list via a link at The Tyee.

The site has many similar lists including this one...

Activities That Might Prove More Practical Than Cleaning My Gas Mask Once a
Month as the Army Suggests

Welding additional armor plating to the underside of my Humvee

Registering to absentee vote in the event that my tour gets extended

Writing my increasingly distraught mother a letter

Do it yourself says South Dakota

Now I really don't know how I feel about this but I am going to post the link to you anyway. The Government oif South Dakota has decided to ban the right to abortions in that State despite federal laws to the contrary. This will of course mean many court challenges along the way. Still in the interim as the lawyers, mostly men battle it out in court, women will be left with no access to abortion in South Dakota.

Even if we can say the State cannot do this, doctors will be refusing to provide abortions to anyone. They will be worried about the possible ramifications to their practice and even jail and large fines if the State were to win in court.

Many of us have heard and seen the evidence, women denied access to abortion went to back alleys, used coat hangers and similar devices, took poisons, saw men that took little care as they used filthy equipment in their gross attempts to abort a pregnancy. So many died or were injured as the bleed internally or suffered with infections, infections and bleeding that often led to death. I can't say it any more direct than that.


The Canadian Medical Association Journal reported Abortion-related deaths accounted for more than one in every four maternal deaths during the 1950s. Women in Canada with the means - 400 to $500 cost made trips to Havana, Cuba. Throughout the 1950s, illegal abortions in Canada were common and dangerous. - see No Choice

In most of the world access to an abortion is covered by state health care. In some cases that is true in parts of the USA. In South Dakota common sense has succumbed to bastions of male dominance, government and religion, to force their will on women. I know this is a hot topic and one that has ardent and sometimes just ugly folks on both sides of the discussion. I don't see what the new law in South Dakota will do to prevent aborted pregnancies. Women with means will travel to jurisdictions where they are legal or pay the huge financial price asked by Doctors willing to risk their practice for a high enough fee. Others will have to stay and revert to the 1950's to achieve what is legal in most of the world.

"The hot burning began to descend from its peak. He sat back on his heels and discussed the odds on today’s races with Clacking Heels. And I lay there, stripped from the waist down, the most private and sacred parts of my body exposed to two absolute strangers in the glare of movie-set lighting, waiting for them to assault me further. My fists clenched and unclenched as I strove for calm and balance. Her hand rested lightly on my shoulder as she knelt by my side, talking about the fourth race. I felt helplessly trapped." - see No Choice

Are we willing to reverse things? How many women are going to die? It could be your daughter, your mother, your sister, your friend, your girl friend. Now I have to add that I would not be one to counsel someone to have an abortion, then again I am not the one that is pregnant. Most women know the consequences of such an event and I leave it to them to take the route they feel required.

"I heard the rattle of glass and metal against the sides of the tray, reminiscent
of a gynaecologist’s or dentist’s office. I lifted my head to see that was going on. An enormous hypodermic needle flashed between the dazzling lights. I braced myself. It came ... sharp, searing, pointed pain somewhere down there, once and then again. I gasped with startled surprise and pain. An unbidden cry flew from my lips."
- Marie, Vancouver 1951

The link below will provide women with information they can use should they be denied access to a doctor assisted abortion. Again I do not do this lightly. If women are going to be at risk, then it is incumbant on the rest of us to help reduce that risk.

The site has a disclaimer and I repeat that disclaimer here. Be careful with what you find on the internet. Do your research. I am not a Doctor nor do I know how anything about the procedure. If you have or can have access to a doctor, then use that access, its safer and smarter.

DISCLAIMER: I am posting this as information only. Whether anyone chooses to act upon this information is their own concern. I believe in the free exchange of information and ideas. I believe this information has been kept from women for too long, and there is no reason they should not know about a procedure being performed on their own body, and no reason women should be kept in the dark about how to perform it -- especially if someone they know is having their health jeopardized by this law.

Molly Saves the Day

, Politics, Supreme Court, Reproductive Rights, ,

Monday, March 13, 2006

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today:

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing UN resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense.

A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness, and you need our prayers for your recovery.

You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft could tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

Feel free to pass this on.

Friends don't let friends vote Republican.


I was sent this via a yahoo group I belong too, I did not write this though have permission to post!

Friday, March 10, 2006

CNN misleading headline, way misleading!



Dems Indicted; Clinton, Kerry Targeted

Oh my have the Dems done something really stupid? How could this happen?

Nothing has happened other than CNN playing fast and loose with its editorial efforts in the newsroom...

You just know that something is wrong with this headline. One would expect from reading the headline that Clinton (which one) and Kerry were indicted for some wrong doing, maybe even criminal wrong doing.

CNN made up the headline rejecting the AP header that was "GOP Chairman to Single Out Kerry, Clinton."

One has to wonder what the CNN was trying to say here. The story is really about the Republicans efforts to frame the next election and has nothing to do with indictments of Clinton and Kerry because there are none!

I see that CNN has changed the headline now!

From Talking Points Memo



, Politics, News,

Houseboat charges in Kelowna

June 9, 2005 a houseboat capsized on Okanagan Lake. It occurred in calm water after just leaving the dock in Kelowna. The boat had over sixty people on board, likely twice as many as it was licensed for. Camille Fry, 20 years old died in the mishap.

Link: Video of Houseboat sinking (Castanet link)

Today we learn that a male, 27 years old is facing several charges in the fatal capsizing of a houseboat on Okanagan Lake last year. The young man is facing charges of criminal negligence causing death, dangerous operation of a vessel causing death, criminal negligence causing bodily harm to three victims, and dangerous operation of a vessel causing bodily harm.

Water safety has never really been a high priority for authorities or the general community much along the same lines as use of ATV's and snow mobiles have also been seen as a low priority. Let's hope that we go beyond just placing of blame on this young man and look at the bigger issues in order to bring about some good with the loss of a young woman.

See: June 9, 2005 Young life lost after Kelowna boat accident

and Castanet's report: Houseboat Capsizes On Okanagan Lake

Thursday, March 09, 2006

KGH in Kelowna not up to the task

Today in the Kelowna Courier the Kelowna General Hospital Administrator is quoted as saying the hospital was over capacity and they have issued *3 Code Purples since January. Hospital issued three Code Purples Monday and Tuesday this week according to sources in the Hospital.

My sources inside KGH state the hospital was 82 patients over capacity this Tuesday while the administrator told the Courier they were 45 beds over capacity. I suspect he is so use to the 30 people being in hallways that he now considers hallway beds part of the capacity of KGH.

The administrator does go on to confirm the facts I pointed to yesterday on Politics in BC.
"It's a major challenge because our population in the Central Okanagan has grown by 6,000 in the last two years. It’s not just a community hospital – it’s a major referral centre (for the Southern Interior)," hospital administrator Rick Riley said Wednesday. “It’s busier, and the hospital hasn’t enlarged in that time, so it’s a challenge."- Kelowna Courier, March 9, 2006

It seems the only people not aware the Okanagan was growing were the people involved in Health Planning. If they were aware of this wouldn't a reasonable person be demanding more beds for the hospital? No the Interior Health Authority (IHA), having already closed beds in most every other hospital in the Interior has been pretty silent on this issue in public.

Has the IHA been telling the Minister of Health of this problem. If so why has nothing been done? Why were beds closed in other areas of the Southern interior when the IHA knew that the Okanagan was growing, that these patients would have to get treatment in Kelowna because there were no beds in their community?

Its no wonder the Liberals ditched the underperforming Ministry of Health Planning and local MLA Sindi Hawkins from Cabinet. Now we know, planning was just a buzz word.

* Code purple is a term used when admin staff are directed to empty hospital beds of any non urgent patients to make room for more critical cases. Who makes up the patients "evicted" during code purple? They are those that have just had surgery, people in hospital for observation, those awaiting surgery.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

CODE Purple

Health care is getting worse here in the Okanagan. The Kelowna General Hospital is possibly the last place you want to be if you are in need of emergency care.

Code purple, a term used when admin staff are directed to empty hospital beds of any non urgent patients to make room for more critical cases. Who makes up the patients "evicted" during code purple? They are those that have just had surgery, people in hospital for observation, those awaiting surgery.

This past few days are among the worst in what KGH Acting Chief of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Mike Ertel has seen in the last 8 months. CBC reported today that the hospital today had 400 patients with only 330 beds. I have it from a source inside KGH tonight that the hospital has 412 patients and that is a record number.

82 patients over capacity. During the provincial election it came to light the hallways in KGH were numbered so emergency staff could find patients once they were deposited in the hallways. Surprising to me was the total disinterest local media took in this situation.

A rally held to draw attention to the situation May 1, 2005 with over 400 people in attendance outside KGH failed to attract a single media report.

One editorial during the election in the town's paper actually addressed the issue. That was pretty much it despite this riding having been home to the Cabinet Minister responsible for ensuring BC's Health Care system was prepared for this.

Nicki Hokazono NDP candidate made several attempts to make the conditions at KGH public including this discussion and meeting with Health Care economist Richard Neal (Photo: Hokazono discusses KGH with Neal). Neal pointed to the added costs of keeping seniors in expensive acute care beds vs proper long term care beds and attributed the loss of those beds to the crisis at KGH.

Sindi Hawkins was the Minister of Health Planning and it seems she not only failed to deliver a provincial planning system, she couldn't even deliver to her home riding.

What has caused this problem in Kelowna? Much of it can be attributed to hospital closures and bed cuts throughout the Interior. KGH became a Regional Hospital without the corresponding increase in beds and staffing. That coupled with a loss of some 800 long term care beds in the region has increased the pressures on KGH.

It has become so bad that some people waiting for loved ones to get into a long term care bed have actually called emergency when their loved one is ill and they are left at emergency. The hospital then has to cope with a frail senior without a bed to put them into. At anyone time KGH has 30 to 50 seniors waiting for long term care.

There can be no better example of the Campbell government's complete failure to deliver on improving health care. Much of the problem can be traced in large part to the closure of long term care beds with no relief in sight.

On Monday and Tuesday this week people requiring emergency care arrived by ambulance only to find themselves left in the ambulance to wait for room to be made available in the emergency hallways. Yes the hallways and not the emergency room.

KGH has faced situations in the last year where people requiring care within 15 minutes, usually heart involved cases have not been seen for as long as 30 or more minutes. As most of us know in the case of heart or stroke related emergencies the need for emergency treatment is vital. The sooner they are seen the less severe the consequences of a heart attack or stroke will be.

Our hospital, our community, our seniors are being let down by the Gordon Campbell government big time and it appears someone will die as the the Liberals practice their version of inventory control. That is what happens when your priority is cost cutting and you ignore the fact you are dealing with people, many of them seniors.

The problem here in Kelowna has been getting worse, I expect the Interior Health Authority (IHA) has made the situation known to the Premier and the Minister of Health. I say I expect they have as that would be the minimum level of action one would take. That being the case, the Liberal government's failure to act is even worse and perhaps the IHA CEO learned from the Fraser Valley experience when its CEO was fired for confirming publicly there was a serious problem at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Speak up and you will lose you job.

I am happy a Doctor has finally decided to speak up. Just where the heck have they been for the last year. They have known and seen the problem worsen day by day. I guess it is better late thasn never. It is only through pure luck that no one has died to date. Who will be the person that is sacrificed on the alter of cost savings in order that the rest of us will benefit from the resulting media storm forcing the government to act.

Canada defeats USA in Baseball Classic

I don't usually do sports here, but this is big and it was exciting to watch.

The '06 Baseball Classic is underway in Phoenix.

Canada's pitchers saved the day along withj some good offence early in the game that gave them a 8 - 0 lead before the USA team put together a 6 run inning late in the game. The North remains Strong!

Hot dang!


PHOENIX -- Less than 24 hours after nearly falling to an unheralded South Africa team, Canada made some serious waves in the World Baseball Classic's Pool B by beating Team USA, 8-6, on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field. More here ...

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

I won't play with you!

I hate to harp on this as so many bloggers are already at it. But Stephen Harper was the guy that was screaming at the ethics commissioner to do his job when Harper was the opposition leader. Now the Harper Government is saying they won't cooperate with the ethics commissioner. Imagine, just for a second what we would hear from Harper if former Prime Minister Martin said that.

Name one politically astute Canadian that really, honestly believes that Emerson deceided to leave the Liberal party without the enticement of a cabinet post. Oh they may not have come right out and said leave the Liberals and join us and we will put you in cabinet. No they surely would not be that dumb. They did however do what the Liberals have done for ages, a flick of the wrist, a nudge, and a come hither look, that says all it has too.

Emerson is a Cabinet Minister, he is a Conservative MP, reading the transition documents prepared by the government he left. You have to wonder why he needed a briefing.

The ethics Harper campaigned on to bring an end to, to stop the abuse of power, have to wait until Harper has abused as much power as he can before he must operate on an ethical playing field he so ardently demanded the Liberals play on.

Monkey see, Monkey do.

America, racing back to the inquisition.

Never mind that this isn't going to hold up, and it's really just a blatant attack on Roe v. Wade by anti-choice, pro-forced-pregnancy forces; when has something as simple as legal precedent or a logical reason for things ever stopped anyone? - Moron's.org


The South Dakota Governor has done something few have tried recently. He has decided that women have no right to abortion in South Dakota. It should not matter here if you are for or against abortion. The law is the law and South Dakota Governor has decided he and his select lawmakers, mostly male, are above such laws.

What's next, spying on citizens? Oh my god, maybe he can get away with this...

America, where round is now flat.

Money Money

Is there anything of ours that this bunch wouldn't sell for money?

That's the question The Gazetteer asks on his blog after news the BC Liberal Government sold off used computer data tapes for $300.00. Now that might be okay to do... if the content has been erased prior to sale. It wasn't. Just maybe the government should consider safely disposing such data rather than trying to grab a few extra bucks at our expense.

Personal data of BC citizens the government collects has to stay in Government hands. It appears the only data this Liberal government won't sell off or make public is that of public private partnerships it enters into on our behalf in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Think I am making it up, try to get the details on the William R Bennett Bridge in Kelowna where we are forking over close to 200 million tax dollars or the Abbotsford Hospital project expected to be over 100 milion. It doesn't stop with these partnerships, look at the BC rail sale to CN Rail based out of Chicago. We are still waiting for the Government to tell us what the deal is and what about BC Ferries, once a crown corporation now a private company? We know very little about their operations, yet we are on the hook for this company.

It gets worse when you hear what has been going on with the contracted MSP services with Accenture. The company has repeatedly failed to deliver and we know nothing of the contract details. That is just plain wrong.

This may sound like a broken record to some of you, certainly the main stream media thinks so, Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals promised the most open and accountable government in Canada. They have not only failed, they have reversed the trend to open and accountable government begun under the NDP in 1990's.

Say what you will about the NDP, it was them that brought in Hansard in BC in 1972, question period, and Freedom of Information to name a few initiatives protecting our privacy and opened government up to scrutiny.

Now clearly the Cabinet Minister's did not say hey here is some data we can a few bucks for. What they are guilty of however is placing a low priority on privacy, your privacy, note that they have been protecting their own, its just yours and mine they have no trouble sharing.