Look who's back in the news

Another alumnus of Ontario's fuzzy-bunny "catch and release" program...

Francis was convicted in the shooting death of Georgina "Vivi" Leimonis, in what became known as the Just Desserts murder on April 5, 1994 in Toronto.

A jury found him guilty of manslaughter and robbery after a trial that heard Francis had beaten patrons during the robbery of the cafe.

Leimonis, 23, died after being shot by Lawrence Augustus "Brown Man" Brown during the robbery.

Say, whatever happened to this guy's banger buddies?

Brown is currently serving a life prison sentence after being found guilty of first-degree murder.

A third man charged in the cafe slaying, O'Neil Grant, was acquitted. He was deported to Jamaica, where he was shot to death in November 2007.

Just something to think about... the next time Jack and Steffi start squawking about the Conservatives "Get Tough on Crime" bill.

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FROM THE COMMENTS:

"Latimer has to fight like a dog to get out because special interest groups are afraid it will send a shiver thru the disabled community."

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CTV...

Is gonna lose their "lefty decoder ring" over this one...

"At least we're learning which bunch of rubes is being fooled."

"Coming next -- an Obama adviser tells the Iraqi government not to pay attention to his troop-withdrawal talk?"

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You know what they say...

No good deed... goes unpunished.

-- TORONTO -- Members of the city's Hispanic community say they feel betrayed after rallying to raise $37,000 to buy prosthetic arms for a local talk radio host who has been charged with smuggling $300,000 in heroin through Pearson airport.

"We feel suffering and pain of being betrayed," Valladares said. "The community opened our hearts and pockets to help him."

You feel betrayed?

Canada gave this guy a home.

Maybe next time, instead of simply looking inward, "the community" could consider making a donation to, say... Sick Kids Hospital?

You know... a sort of contribution to multi-culturalism.

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RELATED: In other big city news

The lifeless body of 51-year-old Felicia Hosany, which was discovered around 9 p.m. by her husband, Rafick, in the bathroom of the couple's Wilson Heights Blvd. store, was bound in duct tape.

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Yeah, Ghazi... I know

What's a few thousand rockets between friends?

-- Jerusalem -- "So I think Israel tries to make Gaza sink in the ocean of blood and tears and suffering," said Hamas official Ghazi Hamad. "And maybe it tried to impose some collective punishment against the Palestinian people."

Of course, there's no "right response" here.

Hamas is obviously looking to provoke disproportionate Israeli retaliation... and it's starting to look like they'll get their wish.

And if that kills innocent civilians... so what... they're all goin' to paradise anyway.

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UPDATE: Hamas gets its wish

It's all good, right Ghazi?

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RELATED: Darcey's ongoing dance with Khalil Jeha

"if anyting happens to me this site here will b in charge of that cause i hav no enimeas ecept you guys and trust me i will b seeing you in court darcey you dont think i hav money for a lawyer i wipe my ass with 100$ bills"

I don't know, Bobo... from the pictures I've seen so far... I doubt your hand can get anywhere in the vicinity.

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Thar's gold...

On that thar hill.

-- OTTAWA -- Members of Parliament are set to edge further into the top one per cent of Canadian income-earners with a $4,600 pay hike April 1 that will take their minimum salaries to $155,400 annually.

That's a lotta scratch for a 27 week work year.

"Being elected to Parliament is better than winning the lottery," said John Williamson, national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. "The pay is already extravagant and it's been like that for a number of years now."

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George Smitherman backs down

Says he's very, very sorry... for talkin', well... all that shit...

Ontario's health minister has apologized for suggesting he might wear an adult diaper in an effort to understand the plight of incontinent nursing-home residents.

"If people were offended or think that I shouldn't have raised those comments, I do apologize."

Perhaps Georgie was feeling a little sheepish... at the outrageous suggestion that he actually look at solving this problem... as opposed to turning it into an episode of Jerry Springer...

Conservative Opposition leader John Tory Thursday demanded an apology from Smitherman, saying the minister should come forward with an action plan on long-term care within the next two weeks in order to make up for his alleged irreverence.

Even Georgie's fearless leader couldn't get behind this one.

Premier Dalton McGuinty was quiet on the issue Thursday after saying a day earlier that the issue was a matter of "human dignity" and not a subject of jest.

Remember... friends don't let friends vote Liberal.

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Panache

"When asked if he had 'referred to Jesse Jackson as an ignoramus,' Buckley said, 'If I didn't, I should have.'"

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Uh, Jason... you're doing it again

Another big expose of alleged, unseemly activity by Sherlock Cherniak... who, I would have thought, was still in terrible pain from stepping on his own dick just the other day...

"Harper knew over two-years ago", blares Cherniak's headline.

"I suspect Mr. Harper will learn very quickly that it is better to call in the RCMP when you learn of such allegations. Otherwise, the story is bound to get worse."

So Jason... let me see if I get your, uh... drift. You have, one - absolute knowledge, and presumably some evidence of a crime being committed... and two - absolute knowledge, and presumably additional evidence of a cover-up of same... by Stephen Harper.

Well, I think in fairness to the PM, we should maybe get his version of this sordid tale, huh?

“This story was raised with me two and a half years ago. I looked into it. There is absolutely no truth in it,” Mr. Harper told the House of Commons during a raucous session of Question Period.

“The officials who were at the meeting have been very clear about what transpired ... Chuck Cadman himself, on national television, the day of that historic vote, also indicated that the story is not true.”

By the way, Jason... how's that other thing coming, anyway?

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FROM THE COMMENTS:

This is so cute... Jason has a groupie...

"Losers! Losers! Losers! The truly sad part of it all is that Dion will be our next PM and it's YOUR (next literally you) fault."
- Stuart Vopni, Toronto, Ontario

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LAST WORD: Let's try using "Occam's Razor".

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Doing life...

On the "installment plan".

-- KINGSTON -- A 20-year-old Kingston man who left his probation papers at the scene of his latest crime will have six months to consider whether he's chosen the right career path.

Andrew D. Oatway pleaded guilty in Kingston's Ontario Court of Justice to a Jan. 25 break-in and theft from Dino's Barber Shop, two violations of the probation he received Nov. 16 for an earlier break-in and possession of marijuana.

Oatway's defence lawyer, Dan Scully, asked for some leniency for his client, noting his relative youth. He told Masse that Oatway became a father in January and expressed some hope his client will turn his life around.

"Obviously, he's not very good at this."

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Predatorus Interruptus

Well, boys... that's the way the jihad crumbles...

-- PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb. 28 -- A missile strike on a suspected Taliban safe house in a remote tribal area of northwest Pakistan killed at least 10 people early Thursday, according to residents and local officials.

Ain't technology a wonderful thing?

The attack targeted a home in Kaloosha village in volatile South Waziristan, near the Afghan border. Kaloosha has long been considered a stronghold of foreign and local fighters with ties to al-Qaeda.

The village was home to Nek Mohammed Wazir, a commander who was killed in an apparent missile strike in June 2004 after supplying shelter to hundreds of al-Qaeda fighters following the start of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

It appears as though U.S forces have managed to insert sufficient reconnaissance assets into the purportedly impenetrable "tribal lands"... to light up high-value targets for their Predator program. I'm guessin' that's gonna make for some sleepless nights in Osamaville.

The attack, less than 20 miles from the Afghan border, marked the second targeted missile strike in a month in the rugged mountainous region, a key battleground in Pakistan's fight with the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Thirteen people, including top al-Qaeda lieutenant Abu Laith al-Libi, were killed Jan. 28 in an airstrike in the village of Khushali Torikhel in North Waziristan.

It's also gonna sow some dissension, as the Taliban try to figure out which of their compatriots might've narc'd them out to the Great Satan.

Yessiree... definitely a win-win development.

Hey, Timmy... where is your god now?

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They also serve...

Who only stand and yap...

I hear talk from the NDP and the Bloc saying that we need to get our troops out of there. Yet, these very parties are the ones who claim to represent women. They claim to represent children, the marginalized, the poor and the disabled. However, if we withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, what will Afghans be left with?

They will be living in fear of the Taliban.

Make no mistake about it. If the Taliban return to Afghanistan, it will be an international chaotic situation. Have we not learned our lessons from Rwanda? We need to provide the Afghans with the resources necessary to provide for their own security.

I am very encouraged by the position that our government has taken and the courage that our government and the Prime Minister have shown in stepping up to the plate and saying that we will not abandon Afghanistan.

Read the whole thing.

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Looks like every one...

Of Dalton McSlippery's cabinet ministers... is wearing those adult diapers.

-- TORONTO -- Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant is marking the second-year anniversary of the Six Nations occupation in Caledonia with a series of messages on YouTube.

In the amateur video messages, shot in various locations around the southwestern Ontario town, Mr. Bryant pleads for patience and understanding.

Hey, Mikey... how about a little less show-business... and a little more action?

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I have just one question...

Where's my "We're Adaptable" t-shirt?

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Walk softly and carry...

A BIG SHTICK...

“Every Liberal in the chamber will be voting against the budget,” Mr. Dion told his caucus Wednesday.

Of course... there's just one small caveat.

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They do say it's very important...

For seniors to stay active...

Wong was arrested last Wednesday at a condo building in Richmond Hill. His mother, Hong Wen Wang, 75, was arrested in December at a home on Thoroughbred Way, Markham.

All are charged with production of a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of stolen property and weapons charges.

It's like I always say... "Register Grannies... not guns."

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Oh, Jason...

Not again...

Well, I tried.

**********

POSTSCRIPT: And, of course, there's this...

"Too bad the apology doesn't take the time to mention who is still lurking in the halls of parliament, looking for an opportunity to send out personal information of any Conservative who looks vulnerable."

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Hey, Georgie... what's next...

An in-depth investigation of internet porn?

-- TORONTO -- Health Minister George Smitherman says he's “seriously considering” wearing an adult diaper to see if it's adequate for Ontario seniors.

He was responding to complaints that Ontario seniors are wearing soiled diapers for hours on end because nursing homes in the province aren't meeting proper standards of care.

Maybe he could look into safe-injection sites while he's at it.

Remember George... only take as much as you need... not as much as you want.

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RELATED: Forget about Taliban prisoners...

"Dalton McGuinty is complicit in torturing your granny..."

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LAST WORD: I just don't get it...

Is this one of those "priorities" the Fiberals just can't figure out?

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False alarm... everybody settle down

Turns out it wasn't Lloyd after all.

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In other CTV news...

"The Gospel... according to Fife."

I've gotta say, Steffi... that sounds a little extreme. Have you talked this one over with Iggy and Commie Bob?

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Yeah, Dalton... you're so right

We sure wouldn't want any government input, or oversight... of something like this...

Egyptian-born Mahmoud Jaballah came to Canada in 1996 on a false Saudi passport and claimed refugee status.

Along with his wife Husnah Al-Mashtoul they founded and ran the Um Al-Qura Islamic school located in Scarborough, Ontario which still remains open and is apparently approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education as a private school.

Oh yeah... one other small detail...

He was released seven months later but was arrested again under a new security certificate because it was found that his fingerprints matched those of Egyptian Islamic Jihad leader Mahmoud Said that were released by Interpol.

Read the whole thing at the Broom.

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FROM THE COMMENTS:

"If you want to volunteer to help at playschool you need a police check done. You don't need to if you're starting a private school?"

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UPDATE: Looks like Um Al-Qura's website is down

Commentary on the web suggests they may have decided to proof it a little more...

"Toronto school founded by terrorist Mahmoud Jaballah doesn't teach hate."

"No, it teaches the foreign language known as "Frinch." And "english grammer". And "histories"."

Hang on... there's apparently a mirror site on Angelfire where you can check out their "mission statment".

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RELATED: Funny how that works doesn't work

Considering the gravity of the July 21 bombings, you'd think a story of BBC complicity in protecting wanted terrorists would find a spot much higher on the international news food chain.

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Live and DON'T learn

Not to be overly nitpicky here, but... all the family pets fall victim to predation... it might be time to pack up and find a nicer place to live...

A Kuranda couple fears for their children's safety after a 5m python devoured their dog in front of them, just weeks after other snakes killed their cat and guinea pig.

Daniel Peric said he now would not leave his two children, aged five and seven, alone in any part of the house, after the "enormous" python ate his silky terrier-cross chihuahua about 9pm on Monday.

And it's not like they didn't have any sort of prior warning.

Mr Peric said in the weeks before, the family had found their cat's body, which looked like something had attempted to swallow it and on Sunday a smaller python had eaten their pet guinea pig.

"When it happens once, you think it's a one-off, but last night I thought "this is serious."

This puts me in mind of all the people who, despite simple common sense AND all previous experience, choose to live on a flood plain, fault line... or the infamous tornado belts we all see on the nightly news.

All that comes to mind is, "Darwin was right."

(via natnews)

I'm not much on religion...

But this one cries out for a biblical quote... you know... something about "reaping what you sow..."

A shopkeeper from Lancashire has been told he will not face a murder charge after a man who tried to rob him was stabbed to death with his own knife.

Liam Kilroe, 25, from Billinge, near St Helens, Merseyside, was wanted by police when he was killed in Skelmersdale on 17 February.

Yup... it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy...

Kilroe, who had previous convictions for assault and robbery, died from a single stab wound to the chest after smashing the window of the car Mr Singh was sitting in and trying to mug him.

So it looks like there's hope for the British judicial system after all.

"While this case does not concern a householder defending themselves against an intruder, it has very similar considerations.

"The CPS understands that anxiety may sometimes be felt by innocent members of the public if they are obliged to defend themselves from attack.

"The Director of Public Prosecutions is determined to ensure that those who use reasonable force in defending themselves will enjoy the full protection of the law - they will not be prosecuted."

Only it doesn't go far enough.

Tony Singh deserves a medal.

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FROM THE COMMENTS:

"liam was not short of money so we as a family know he was not comitting(sic) a robery(sic)."

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Mount Cherniak erupts yet again

"I'm still working on the proof... but I'm gonna spew all this defamatory shit anyway..."

"I must also stress that I am not accusing the Conservative Party of some sort of anti-Estonian bias."

Well, Jason... that's a relief, but really... is that what they taught you about "evidentiary issues" at the Outer Mongolian Law School?

I guess "de troot is de troot", huh?

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UPDATE: Houston... we have a problem...

Cherniak asks: What are the Conservatives going to do about this?

Umm, let's see: hire Mr. Erikson a lawyer, and file a libel claim?

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MORE 'GREAT MOMENTS' IN CHERNIAK:

Surely you remember... "I'm not really saying... that Olivia Chow is a dirty cheater..."

"The rumour around TO (Let me be very clear; I am not suggesting that the rumour is true. I am only stating that it is out there.) is that Olivia Chow won because NDP supporters from across the city voted early and often at different polling stations in Trinity-Spadina."

Or how about this classic, incisive analysis...

"Did I call Stephen Harper an "asshole"? Yes I did. If you don't think it is proper to call the Prime Minister an "asshole" out of respect for the office, then surely you also agree that an asshole shouldn't be in the office in the first place."

Shameless, self-promoting Sherlock Cherniak... the Gomer Pyle of the virulent lefto-sphere.

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Our very limited attention span...

May very well be the death of us...

On Feb. 26, 1993, a bomb exploded in the garage of New York's World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

Unfortunately, shortly after that grim event... we forgot all about these "busy little beavers"... with the result that eight years later, some 3,000 innocent victims paid a devastating price.

And so, on this grim anniversary, it might be a useful exercise to turn off "Entertainment Tonight" and be a little more aware of current events...

Mr Ahmadinejad has said no amount of UN sanctions will deter Tehran from its nuclear path.

"If they want to continue with that path of sanctions, we will not be harmed. They can issue resolutions for 100 years," he said in a televised interview on Saturday.

Iranian nukes, huh? Nah, that ain't got nuthin' to do with us.

I bet that's what they were thinking 15 years ago today... and on September 11, 2001.

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Eight hours to see a doctor...

In the local hospital emergency room... but the good news in Ontario... for murderers anyway... is that Dalton's got your back...

Andre Marin also faults Legal Aid Ontario for a culture in which no one seems to care about taxpayer dollars.

More than $1 million in taxpayer dollars went to pay for seven different lawyers for Wills, who was able to get legal aid from the province by divesting himself of his assets.

Wills, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2002 death of his long-time lover Linda Mariani, 40.

Friends don't let friends vote Liberal.

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Music to my ears

"You gotta know when to hold 'em... know when to fold 'em..."

Punch line...

Some Liberal senators vowed at the time to ignore the warning.

That sounds so familiar.

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Six Unimportant Things

I've been tagged by Blazing Cat Fur.

Okay... I'll play.

Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.

1. I couldn't eat a raisin to save my life

2. When I'm alone, I talk to the rabbit

3. On warm sunny days, I miss having a motorcycle

4. If I could redo school, this time I'd pay attention

5. My wife got all the patience in this family

6. I wish I could do a backflip

**********

Now, let's see...

1. joanne
2. clive
3. kateland - oops, sda got to her first
4. mitch
5. victor - damn, somebody snagged him too
6. stephen - although i bet he's just too busy

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Geez, Darcey...

I'm a little concerned... I mean... "Where are you gonna get a harpoon, on such short notice?"

-- "sereousle u hav noooo fuckn clue what you got your self into get anybody u want no one is gonna stop me from kickn the fuck out of you tell the whole world i dont give a fuck if i go to jail or not any more you pushed me around too far n im fed up with this bs and this talking u guys are doin about me like i said google up the last name jeha and tell me wat u get buddy wat ur in olds thats wat 45 min away from me i dont care ill drive down ther just to prove to u that i aint all talk" --

Wait a sec... is that the banjo music from "Deliverance"? And what the hell warm, bloody, pulsating thing... is that crazy Metis guy eating?
**********

UPDATE: Yikers, Moby... you're right

Look what happens when I google the name Jeha.

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Who are they giving this test to?

A bunch of 8 year-old kids?

SIZING UP CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE

Here are sample statements used to measure cultural intelligence.

Subjects are asked whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree.

A) I am good at understanding other people's feelings.

B) I accept delays without becoming upset.

C) Ordinarily, I am very calm and relaxed in conversations with a person from a different culture.

D) I become anxious when I cannot find out what is coming next.

E) Before criticizing somebody from another culture, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their place.

F) I always notice when someone is in trouble.

With the exception of statement D, strong agreement indicates higher cultural intelligence.

Apparently... this amazing "cultural barometer" was put together by an international research team led by Simon Fraser University.

Okay... now I get it.

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RELATED: Here's a question that didn't get on the test...

Who, in their right mind, refers to a cold-blooded murderer... like he's a character from a children's book?

-- VANCOUVER -- A colourful admitted drug dealer who was a key Air India defence witness for Ripudaman Singh Malik will appear in a B.C. provincial court this morning to face a first-degree murder charge.

Raminder Singh (Mindy) Bhandher, whose father, Balwant, remains a suspect in the 1985 terrorist bombing, allegedly entered the condo of a female friend on Jan. 28 and gunned down Tejvir Singh (Sunny) Bains, her young lover.

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Sure, let's repatriate Omar Khadr

Right back to his chosen country of Holy Jihad...

Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc said the Khadr family may be thought of as "synonymous with terrorism," and that makes it a difficult case.

Difficult, Dominic?

Only for the party that sprung his terrorist Daddy out of a Pakistani jail.

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DADDY DEAREST: Who was Ahmad Saeed Khadr?

Born on March 1, 1948, in Cairo, Egypt,Khadr was a very well connected Islamist extremist prior to his death during a firefight with Pakistani security forces in October 2003. Both Khadr and his residence on Khartoum Avenue, Scarborough, have been linked to extremists in Canada.

Khadr first became involved in terrorism when he used his position at two different charities to funnel money to Al Qaeda allegedly to finance terrorist operations.

Initially, while working with Human Concern International (HCI), Khadr used the money collected, including some $325,000 provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), allegedly to fund Al Qaeda operations, including the bombing of the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan in 1995, which was ordered by Ayman Al Zawahiri.

Khadr was arrested by Pakistan authorities for his role in the bombing, but was later released without charges on the request of then Prime-Minister Jean Chrétien.

Friends don't let friends vote Liberal.

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They are Stardust

I dreamed I saw the bombers...
Riding shotgun in the sky...
Turning into butterflies...
Above our nation

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BONUS RIFF: Secret Jihadi plan unveiled

"First... we kill all the really smart, good looking people."

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LAST WORD: Yup... just like the Mahatma

Jamal al-Khoudary the Palestinian independent lawmaker who organized the protest says it was meant to send a signal of non-violent resistance to Israel's actions.

Uh, Jamal... over here...

Palestinian rocket fire from Gaza severely injured a ten-year-old boy in Sderot on Monday.

Allah must be so proud.

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Save us...

Oh, wonderful Daddy...

"So we don’t have to work to improve our souls. Our broken souls can be fixed — by our voting for Barack Obama.

We don’t have to fight or sacrifice to help our country. Our uninvolved and uninformed lives can be changed — by our choosing Barack Obama."

"America can become a nation to be proud of — by letting ourselves be led by Barack Obama."

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"Oh, Lucy... joo got some 'splainin to do"

I just can't get the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for" outta my head.

"Warman might think that this is another episode of him shooting fish in a barrel. But that’s probably what poor Shirlene McGovern thought, too – I was just another politically incorrect chump to rough up."

"I don’t think I’m going to be like the easy pickings that Warman is used to fighting. While my top gun lawyers are taking care of business in the court of law, I’ll be working vigorously in the court of public opinion."

Oh, oh, slick... looks like you just woke the tiger. And I bet your former friends at the Human Rights Commission are gonna be thrilled with this thing too.

"I’ll ensure that every legal document, every piece of interesting testimony, every embarrassing admission I exact from Warman and the human rights commission will be shown to the whole world."

"Unlike human rights commissions, where only the victim of the complaint is grilled, defamation lawsuits are two-way streets."

"It’s Warman who’s going to be famous."

You go, Ezra.

**********

RELATED:

Who is the undisputed genius behind, "Operation Kick Myself in the Balls"?

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Lululululululululululu!!!

Anybody catch the world's first global internet fatwa?

-- PAKISTAN -- Pakistan's attempts to block access to YouTube has been blamed for an almost global blackout of the video website for more than an hour on Sunday.

Pakistan ordered internet service providers to block the site because of content deemed offensive to Islam.

The BBC News website's technology editor, Darren Waters, says that to block Pakistan's citizens from accessing YouTube it is believed Pakistan Telecom "hijacked" the web server address of the popular video site.

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"Federal carbon tax proposed"

I see the freakin' headline and my first thought is... Stephen Harper's had a stroke!!!

Turns out though, it's just the pinko media playing parlour games again...

OTTAWA - A carbon tax of $30 a tonne, three times higher than the tax announced last week by the B.C. government, would be part of Tuesday's federal budget if the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives had its way.

And who exactly is the CCPA?

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is a union-funded "research institute" that has released a series of reports attacking the BC Liberal government.

NDP-Funded: The CCPA received over $400,000 in taxpayer money from the NDP between 1993 and 2001.

* The CCPA received a $200,000 grant from the NDP government just 18 days before the NDP called the 2001 election – for a 5-year study of "inequality" and "social justice."

* The CCPA received another $200,000 over 8 years (1993 through 2000) from the NDP government for subscriptions, etc. Even ICBC put up $24,000 for CCPA publications.

So, in actual fact... the headline should have read... "'NDP taxpayer-funded Shill' talkin' through their Ass, yet again."

Gotta love that MSM.

(h/t reader maureen)

Toronto's latest murder

A mother has been charged with murdering her infant daughter after the youngster was found dead in the family's downtown Toronto home Saturday night.

Xin Lei Huang, who was just 40 days old, was found dead in a Manning Ave. home, near Bathurst St. and Queen St. W., where paramedics were responding to a call for a baby not breathing just before 9 p.m., Toronto Police homicide Det.-Sgt. Gary Grinton said Sunday.

**********

UPDATE: Oops... spoke too soon

Three neighbours fighting about their dogs escalated into a man taking several knife wounds in the back early yesterday, police say.

This is just one tale from a weekend of violent mayhem around the GTA that left three people dead and several others seriously injured.

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LAST WORD: Speaking of murder

*

Out with the old...

In with Mr. Liverspots.

*

More rewards for the faithful

Once again... the capricious, unknowable "Will of Allah".

-- BAGHDAD -- A suicide bomber struck Shiite pilgrims as they were resting Sunday during a days-long walk to a Shiite shrine, killing at least 25 people and wounding 35.

Earlier, extremists attacked another group of pilgrims in the predominantly Sunni Baghdad neighbourhood of Dora, killing three and wounding 36, police said.

The attacks heightened tension around Arbaeen, when millions of pilgrims descend on Karbala, about 70 kilometres south of the capital.

Now, I thought I knew a thing or two about Islam.

Like, for instance, if you die fighting the dirty infidel... you go straight to the head of the Nirvana chorus line.

So can someone tell me, what's the deal on killing fellow Muslims... who, better yet... are making a religious pilgrimage?

What's up with that?

**********

RELATED: So much hatred... so little time

Finally, consider this: Muslims are angrily at war with Buddhists in East Asia. Muslims are enraged with Animists in Africa. Of course, none of this approaches the sheer hatred that Muslims bear towards Hindus in the South Asia peninsula.

And this foaming hatred blanches compared to the white-hot fury Muslims feel for the Christian American Crusaders. And this fury is but a candle to the incandescent, boiling, supernova of murder they feel toward the Jews."

Does anyone beside me detect a pattern here?

You know, my Dad told me once, "Bill, if more than three people in your life are utter, total assholes, then maybe it is you."

*

Well, because...

The little man who lives in his pocket... says we have to.

-- TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the United States and its allies Saturday to “apologize” for accusing Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a day after the UN nuclear watchdog released its latest report on Iran.

Mr. Ahmadinejad said the International Atomic Energy Agency report vindicated Iran, and he warned that Tehran would take unspecified “decisive reciprocal measures” against any country that imposed additional sanctions against Iran.

There's only one problem with the Madman's statement about the IAEA.

It's simply not true.

Now I know Islam says it's okay to lie to the infidels, but puh-leese... we're entering Magic Kingdom territory here.

The 11-page IAEA report obtained by The Associated Press said Iran “has not suspended its enrichment-related activities.”

Instead, said the report, Iran “started the development of new-generation centrifuges” – an expansion of enrichment – and continued working on heavy-water nuclear facilities. When finished, Iran could cull them for plutonium, a possible fissile payload in nuclear warheads.

Iran should just come out and say, "Screw you, we want the bomb... and if you mess with us, you'll have 6 dollar no-lead by next Tuesday."

Have a little backbone, Mahmoud you big brute... let's see what you've got.

**********

And yes... once again... I am linked by witty and wise Canadian Cynic.

The puerile, profane toddler who brought us such gems as...
It just saddens me that CC isn't getting the recognition he so richly deserves.

**********

LAST WORD:

Charles Johnson does not sit down and write five essays a day on why he thinks Radical Islam is a deranged and poisonous and growing Death Cult.

Charles simply links to newspaper articles, usually from Arab and Islamist sources like Arab News and Reuters, that show without question that Radical Islam is calling, daily and nightly, for the destruction of the West, the murder, enslavement or conversion of its citizens, and the establishment of a world-wide Caliphate where Shariah -– Islamic Law -– is the only law.

This is not his opinion. This is not the opinion of Western editorial writers.

This is a filter (and of course it’s a filter -– that’s why it is useful) that looks at Islamist thinking and behavior daily and shows what Islamists are saying and doing in their own words.

(via sda)

I'm sitting here watching...

All the crowing and moaning in the media and the blogosphere... about John Tory taking a mere two thirds of the leadership vote... and I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

Does anybody imagine, in their wildest dreams, that Stephane Dion would come anywhere close to that particular number if his alleged "leadership" were up for review?

The fact that Tory did this well, despite an organised campaign to unseat him, speaks, at minimum, to Tory's organisational skills.

I especially love the "fair and balanced opinion" the Globe got from Uber-Dipper Peter Kormos...

“Once again, they're left hanging. Mr. Tory has got to decide very, very quickly,” he added. “Otherwise, he risks squandering the support he does have.”

I mean, good grief... even Taliban Jack doesn't give a fig for whatever nonsense-of-the-day Kormos is invariably spouting.

The obvious argument here is over Tory's conservative credentials, but I sure don't see anybody with any sort of credibility stepping up and issuing a challenge.

Maybe everybody should step back and take a couple of deep breaths here... and perhaps we can try to have a reasonable discussion.

It doesn't seem like so much to ask.

*

Note to Mayor David Miller...

Remember to alert the Toronto Fire Department AND the Emergency Task Force...

Serbian Canadians plan to take to the streets of several cities over the next couple of weekends to protest Kosovo's move to declare independence from Serbia.

Nick Giacobbe, a spokesman for the American consulate, says officials have been in touch with the Mounties and Toronto police about protecting the legation, which he says is the responsibility of the RCMP.

But he admits the consulate is concerned, noting that back in 1999 during a Serbian protest, demonstrators threw a Molotov cocktail into the consulate building in Toronto, and Giacobbe says that was a learning experience.

*

Canadian military renews call...

For more "ass in the grass"...

"If countries like Germany and France were not so afraid of committing forces, this problem would be solved readily," Major Richard Moffet, deputy commander of Canada's battle group, said in an interview.

Maybe Turkey could spare a few bodies...

A senior Turkish military source told Reuters two brigades made up of around 8,000 troops are taking part, though Iraqi officials and a senior officer with coalition forces in Baghdad suggested the number was no more than a "few hundred".

*

Remember when you were a kid...

And people were being shot to death all over the place?

Yeah... me neither.

The murder victim, in his mid-20s, was found on his back bleeding from the neck in the family room of the mid-50s bungalow on the corner of Golfhaven and Mossbank Drs.

"My wife said she saw up to seven guys run out and get into two cars and drive away towards Lawrence Ave."

Several shell casings were reported to have been found near the body, suggesting a semi-automatic firearm.

**********

UPDATE: Latest murder victim id'd

Police were called to a house on Golfhaven Dr., in the Markham Rd. and Lawrence Ave. E. area, around 9:40 p.m., where they found 21-year-old Jonathan Rodrigues shot dead.

**********

LAST WORD: Truly... that's shocking

While police wouldn't say how or why Rodrigues was known to them, a man by the same name who would be 21 years old now and is also from Scarborough was arrested three years ago by Toronto Police in a massive drug bust worth $1 million.

*

Take a pill, huh?

Her decorators and caterers also transformed rooms in her San Francisco Bay-area home into a "Betty Ford Clinic," where guests snacked on cookies shaped like Valium pills and Prozac capsules, and "Dick Cheney's Hunting Lounge," adorned with fake taxidermic human heads and staffed with waiters serving quail.

In addition to her jabs at Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush, she ribbed Clinton supporters by bringing in a Bill Clinton impersonator who mingled with guests dressed in a pair of boxer shorts.

The event, which raised $600,000 (U.S.), was a massive hit with guests, Ms. Manus-Salzman said. And despite the high-society attendance, no one complained of being offended by the evening's risqué humour.

**********

RELATED: Speaking of political correctness...

Preserve all the esoteric culture you desire... just don't be sending me the bill...

"Since the aim of language is communication, efforts by government to artificially preserve languages which would otherwise disappear in the larger linguistic sea in which they exist are effectively efforts to thwart communication and preserve divisions which would otherwise be more likely to disappear."

"Unscrupulous politicians may exploit such divisions to gain political advantage, but this does not equal an overall gain for the population as a whole."

*

Hang 'em high

I can't get over what passes for jurisprudence in Bin-Laden's old neighbourhood...

Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca.

The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported.

Perhaps I'd feel differently if I was the father of a teenage girl... but call me wacky... this just feels wrong.

Wasn't it the NDP who was supporting the implementation of Shariah in Ontario?

A report from former NDP attorney general Marion Boyd recommended the province allow and regulate Shariah arbitrations much the same way it does Christian and Jewish tribunals, setting off a firestorm of protests.

Where are they on this one?

(p.s. -- Don't worry, the Jews got told too.)

**********

RELATED: Hey, Jacko... about that Darfur thing...

How would digging a few wells make this right?

"Every week, we have to face these kinds of events where the trucks are stopped by roadblocks - people, bandits, armed people who ask for money - take the trucks, take sometimes also the drivers," she said.

"It has been going on for many months now. Often the drivers are sent back and sometimes the food is stolen. Sometimes they even attack trucks without any food because they take the trucks."

I'm sorry Yoko... this ain't about "Imagination."

The stark reality is... this is just another third world "peace through superior firepower" kind of deal.

Just like Afghanistan.

*

Michelle Obama's Ivory Tower

Is this what all the secrecy was about?

To research her thesis, the future Mrs. Obama sent an 18-question survey to a sampling of 400 black Princeton graduates, requesting the respondents define the amount of time and "comfort" level spent interacting with blacks and whites before they attended the school, as well as during and after their University years.

Politico has the whole thesis.

**********

RELATED: Liar, liar

OBAMA: You know, I’ve heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon — supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon. Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq.

Yeah, sure... that could happen, huh?

Just to be sure though... let's ask an actual soldier...

He is either so full of it or he’s not smart enough to question a bogus story. I was a Captain in the USMC and a combat vet.

First off, Captains are not in charge of “platoons”, Lieutenants are. Captains are in command of a Company. Three platoons make up a company.

Secondly, I have no idea how a unit that size would be “chopped” and redirected to another country while sending another part to a different country. Personnel are not commodities in the way he refers to them.

(h/t ffof)

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

"Nope, I am afraid that unfortunately for Mr. Tapper and indirectly Mr. Obama this story is so much Bunkum."

H. Evers
LTC Armor (ret)
1975 to 2005

**********

LAST WORD: The Wonderful World of Obama

*

C'mon Jason...

Anybody can "freak out their ex"... it takes a real artiste to freak out every single member of their entire extended family.

*

The Harper government...

Is shining a pretty bright light on homegrown terror...

The case against a group of Canadian prisoners sometimes referred to as “the secret trial five” isn't as secret as it used to be.

Ottawa yesterday unveiled a string of more specific allegations against five terror suspects, detailing, for example, how one suspect called the satellite phone of al-Qaeda's second-in-command and how another was in charge of a group of training camp recruits in Afghanistan.

And the facts coming to light are unsettling indeed.

Syrian Hassan Almrei, an alleged document forger, was involved in a bizarre incident at Toronto's Pearson Airport in September, 1999. It's alleged that Mr. Almrei gained access to a restricted area.

“Almrei and the five individuals appeared to have access cards and codes for a restricted access building on the [Pearson] grounds,” the documents state.

Egyptian Mahmoud Jaballah, long alleged to be a communications conduit for terrorist cells involved in the 1998 African embassy bombings, is now said to have “communicated closely” with Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda No. 2.

Read the whole thing.

**********

UPDATE: More on this at DMB

As you read keep in mind the political connections as well. Jack Layton and members of the NDP Party have consistently provided material support for the Secret Five. They've signed petitions and lobbied on their behalf.

They helped to crush provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act and pushed to eliminate security certificates.

Some of their members even went so far as to introduce a resolution at their 2006 convention that Canadian troops were terrorists.

**********

ONE LAST NOTE:

Guess who else is all broken up about these poor lost souls being victimised "by the man"?

And it's CTV for the defense...

"They're simply allegations," Matthew Behrens, an activist with Campaign to Stop Secret Trials, told CTV News. "They might as well be saying these guys are from Mars, because there's no evidence to back it up."

Big surprise, huh?

*

You really wanna know...

Why aboriginal negotiations are... 'always in the shitter'... so to speak?

On Jan. 30, two plainclothes officers with the OPP's Major Event Liaison Team arrived at the Thurlow Aggregates quarry on Deseronto Road and asked to speak with protest organizers.

They were told to return to the site after dark - around 8 p.m. - for a meeting with "elders", according to police.

Speaking to The Intelligencer shortly after the incident, Sgt. Kristine Rae, spokeswoman for Eastern Region OPP headquarters, said when the officers approached they were "confronted by some of the people in attendance and assaulted."

Must be some kind of "root causes" thing, huh?

There was the same sort of anarchy down in Caledonia. Try as he might, even native apologist cum negotiator David Peterson couldn't really paint the process in a flattering light.

“There's a constant dynamic inside the place; it's like a swirling cauldron,” said David Peterson, the former Ontario premier who negotiated the removal of the blockade of two main roads in Caledonia.

“Nobody answers to anybody. They all answer to each other."

Yeah... that's gonna work.

**********

LAST WORD: A bottomless pit of malfeasance

"Why does the phrase, 'Fuck up a two car funeral'... keep coming to mind?"

*

That might work...

Out here in the sticks, but tell me... "Do the teachers in Toronto get a 'kevlar allowance'?"

"Students actually enjoy being here. It's a positive experience for them."

This is the new look for school suspensions that went into effect Feb. 1 across Ontario, as a kinder, gentler code of discipline that emphasizes prevention.

Good grief.

*

Remember the recent stories...

About the McSlippery government's billion dollars in cost overruns... to build Ontario hospitals?

Quinte Health Care may have paid at least $2 million more than necessary for its new MRI machine and installation costs, says a Belleville businessman who deals in the imaging machines.

Maybe having an open, competitive bidding process would save the taxpayers a little pocket change.

Syed Haider, who has set up and is a partner in eight MRI clinics in Canada and the United States, said if the bidding for an MRI was open to any firm, rather than just one company, there would have been substantial savings.

"I didn't think they got a very good deal at all," Haider said, adding the corporation should have opened the bidding to "public tender."

"There should have been some kind of open process."

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

"Oh there is an open process alright, it's called 'our wallets'."

*

Brave new programming... at the CBC

Screw constitutional democracy... apparently, the next step is to hire some mercenaries...

General Koreshi: "I would like to ask you, if media starts a campaign, in your country, against your President or Prime Minister, will he just get up and leave?"

**********

LAST WORD: That's the way... uh-huh, uh-huh...

"We interrupt this report on the last remaining meter of Arctic sea ice to bring you live footage of Britney Spears' entourage leaving the hospital ... John, you're in the helicopter, what can you tell us?"

*

Let's just hope...

Curly, Larry and Steffi have their thinking caps on...

-- OTTAWA -- Parliament should give "overwhelming" support to an extension of Canada's mission in Afghanistan or risk the wrath of an enemy that strikes at weakness, the country's top soldier said Friday.

He warned that the Taliban are watching the political debate in Canada for signs of weakness.

And enough of that peacekeeping argle-bargle... let's take it to these jihadi donkeyheads.

Gen. Hillier said his troops need a robust mandate that goes beyond self-defence and allows them to go out and find insurgents.

In the 1990s in Bosnia, he said, UN troops were limited to self-defence and often couldn't intervene against ethnic cleansing.

If self-defence is the first priority, then why not just stay home?

There's a good question.

**********

Welcome... yet again... readers of proud patriot Canadian Cynic.

CC thinks I'm being a little too hard on the Taliban.

Of course, that's really no surprise... remember Canadian Cynic's message to Wanda Watkins, whose son Lane was killed in Afghanistan?

"With all due respect, Wanda, fuck you and your grief. It's not the job of the rest of Canada to continue to let its soldiers die just so you can sleep better at night."

A very proud moment in CC's puerile, profanity laced existence.

Of course, his disdain isn't limited to grieving mothers... there's also this little gem...

Hey, CC... got any good abortion jokes?

*

"Give me the heat, bro."

More mindless, fuzzy-bunny pap from the Big Smoke...

Zekarias, who has no previous criminal convictions, was supported in court yesterday by 15 family members and friends, many with professional careers. They said they are willing to act as sureties for him, stressing he's "not a danger to society."

I'm guessing the family and friends of the man he shot in the head... might disagree.

Awet Zekarias ordered his friend Edward Paredes to exact his revenge against the bouncers who had hurled him out the doors of the Brass Rail Tavern two minutes before innocent bystander John O'Keefe walked into the path of the merciless bullet, court heard yesterday.

Thank goodness though, for the wisdom of defense lawyers...

"This is tragedy of monumental proportions, but my client comes from an excellent family and an excellent background," his lawyer, Howard Goldkind, said. "He has a full-time job (at a roti shop), always lived with his parents and this is an isolated incident."

Well, Howard... that's not exactly how this works.

Even in Dalton McSlippery's Ontario... your first murder 'isn't usually' deductible.

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

"Yeah, 'the BULLET' was merciless."

"Put the bullet in jail."

*

Looks like Mooky...

Is not completely kooky...

Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has ordered the renewal of the ceasefire his powerful militia has been observing for the past six months.

He announced in August that his Mehdi Army would not attack rival armed groups or American forces in Iraq.

**********

RELATED: More good news... from Pakistan

In the last provincial elections in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, a coalition of Islamist parties - many sympathetic to the Taliban - swept into power, causing many observers to worry about a growing Islamist political force.

This week, however, the Islamist coalition called the MMA lost its majority, winning just 10 of the 96 contested seats in the provincial assembly.

*

Hey, Poverty Boy...

I've got a room for you... at the Crowbar Motel.

-- VANCOUVER -- Anti-poverty activists have vandalized the inside of the Vancouver constituency office of B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.

David Cunningham of the Anti-Poverty Committee says paint in the Olympic colours was splashed inside the office to protest against the 2010 Games and the lack of social housing.

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

All these years of trudging off to work and forking over thousands of tax dollars we've been working the system wrong, dead wrong...who knew?...a tin of paint, a bit of protesting and viola!...problem(s) solved.

*

How about we delegate the NDP...

To make sure these unfortunate fellows... get all their "charter rights"...

-- KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- A “terrorist cell” responsible for three deadly bombings in Kandahar province that killed more than 100 people and wounded scores more has been brought down in Kandahar, the province's governor said Thursday.

Ten people have been arrested and more arrests are likely, Gov. Asadullah Khalid said.

And there's more good news...

Meanwhile, Afghan and NATO-led troops killed a regional Taliban commander and his associate in southern Afghanistan, officials said Thursday.

Joint NATO-Afghan forces killed commander Mullah Abdul Matin and Mullah Karim Agha in the southern province Helmand on Monday, the alliance said in a statement.

NATO said Mr. Matin and Mr. Agha were responsible for a number of suicide-bombing missions in Helmand, the world's largest opium-poppy producing region.

The Taliban did not immediately confirm the deaths.

*

A SICKO roadmap

A detailed map highlighting the world's hotspots for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) has been released.

Researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and the US-based University of Georgia and Columbia University's Earth Institute analysed 335 emerging diseases from 1940 to 2004.

They then used computer models to see if the outbreaks correlated with human population density or changes, latitude, rainfall or wildlife biodiversity.

Finally, the data was plotted on to maps to reveal the "hotspots" around the globe.

**********

RELATED: A shot in the dark?

-- WASHINGTON -- Next year's flu vaccine is getting a complete overhaul to provide protection against three new and different influenza strains -- hopefully better protection than this year's version.

It's a highly unusual move: Seldom are more than one or two strains swapped out from one year to the next.

Now the question is whether vaccine manufacturers can make such a big change in time to produce more than 100 million doses by the fall.

*

You might as well try...

To reason with a cat.

-- BELGRADE -- Serb rioters set fire to an office inside the U.S. Embassy Thursday and police clashed with protesters outside other embassy buildings after a large demonstration against Kosovo's declaration of independence.

Who are these people?

**********

UPDATE: CBC reporting 1 dead... inside U.S. embassy

"The body was found at the part of the building set on fire by the protesters," embassy spokeswoman Rian Harris told the Associated Press.

*

QOTD

"Do they even make kneepads that size?"

*

Thank goodness for wood heat

Of course... not everybody has that option...

Since 2003, the average gas bill for British Gas customers has risen by 76.7% to £653, according to consumer group Energywatch.

Electricity bills have risen by 74.3%, to £413.

Here at the Halls... we heat almost exclusively with wood. There's a 20 acre patch of mixed bush out back, that hopefully, will take care of our needs... well into the future.

I suppose people in most places don't have that option.

I find not being locked into Consumers Gas, or even the municipal water system for that matter, well... comforting. On the rare occasions we venture into the city, it's difficult to say whether we're more appalled by the brown haze over the city... or the chlorine in the drinking water.

I suppose the point I'm making is that "every refuge has it's price."

And even though living out here in the sticks can be a bit of a grind... gathering the years firewood, for example... it's a price worth paying.

Nothing too terribly profound... I'm just sayin'.

*

The future's so bright...

He's gotta wear shades, er... aboriginal coloured glasses...

-- CALEDONIA -- If Sam Gualtieri had died when he was attacked by a pack of goons last year, would Premier Dalton McGuinty have come down for his funeral?

That was the main question people here asked yesterday.

Another: If Gualtieri had become Caledonia's Dudley George, would McGuinty have called a multimillion-dollar inquiry to get to the bottom of it?

We may never know the answers since the people of Caledonia have never been able to pose any questions to our fearful leader.

Funny how that works, huh?

*

Does Dion really want...

To get up on the porch... and play with the big dogs?

-- OTTAWA -- The Conservative minority government will move Thursday to unveil a new motion on extending the mission in Afghanistan in a bid to close a compromise deal with the opposition Liberals that would allow Canadian soldiers to stay another two years, sources say.

The new motion is expected to spell out more clearly that the government intends to end the mission in Kandahar in 2011, and include some efforts to bridge Liberal demands – but the details may be key to a deal.

And, make no mistake, the clock is ticking here...

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to outline the new proposal in a speech Thursday to the Conference of Defence Associations in Ottawa.

The government has set two days for debate on Afghanistan starting Monday, and the motion must be issued by Thursday.

C'mon Steffi... go big, or go home.

*

Feed your head

And if you go chasing rabbits...
And you know you're going to fall...
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar...
Has given you the call

-- OTTAWA -- CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion was pushing for an election Tuesday, and was considering voting down the federal budget in March.

"He happens to believe that if Canadians see him in an election campaign, they'll like him and elect him as prime minister," said Fife.

"Of course, Liberal MPs have a different view of that. They believe that the party will get slaughtered in an election campaign, so they're telling him to please hold off and wait until it looks advantageous for the Liberal party to actually win."

*

Horsemen of the Allahpocalypse

Who says Islam is a severe, uncompromising, inflexible religion?

-- KABUL -- U.S.-led coalition and Afghan troops detained 22 suspected insurgents and discovered nearly a half-tonne of heroin during separate operations in southern Afghanistan, the coalition said.

The joint forces detained 11 suspected insurgents Wednesday and discovered 450 kilograms of heroin north of the town Musa Qala in Helmand province, the coalition said in a statement. A large weapons cache and a heroin-processing lab were destroyed during the operation, it said.

You've got to hand it to these guys... poisoning the infidels and scoring megabucks off it... at the same time.

Officials estimate up to 40 per cent of the proceeds from the drug trade are used to fund the insurgency.

Sheer genius.

*

And there's a flag on the play...

That'll be 15 yards, er... death... for unnecessary kindness...

BALAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Video provided to CNN shows an al Qaeda in Iraq firing squad executing one-time allies -- fellow Sunni extremists -- who were not loyal enough to the terror organization, coalition military analysts said.

*

The road to wholesale slaughter...

Is apparently paved with good intentions too...

Baty said the psychiatrist prescribed the medications, a fact that made her so “nervous” that she tried to persuade him to stop taking one of the drugs.

She said he had stopped taking the antidepressant three weeks before the Valentine’s Day rampage on NIU’s campus, which left five students dead and 16 wounded.

He then fatally turned a gun on himself.

No word... strangely enough... on where Ms. Baty acquired her own vast "medical expertise".

Anyway... didn't we just do this one?

You have to start flagging people with mental illness... and make sure someone is personally responsible for ensuring they take their meds... or turning them in to the authorities for refusing to do so.

It truly is that simple.

*

Hey, Yasser...

Not that I want to harsh your mellow, dude... but if you do this... where exactly are you gonna get all your food, fuel and electricity?

"A senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says Palestinians should follow the example of Kosovo and unilaterally declare independence."

I know, I know... I'm such a downer.

**********

RELATED: Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Say, that wouldn't be the same Canadian Arab Federation that, at the last Liberal leadership convention, smeared Bob Rae because his wife was Jewish?

Or the same Canadian Arab Federation that denounced Gerard Kennedy when he criticized the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah?

The same Canadian Arab Federation that supports boycotts against Jewish businesses in Canada?

*

Alright... it's Fidel-a-thon!

I mean... who can really ever get enough obsequious, left-licking tripe?

*

Apparently 12 to 17 year-olds...

Don't want to have anything to do with... the Fiberal's Farmer Bob Rifle Registry...

The rate of young people aged 12 to 17 accused of a firearm-related offence rose 32 per cent between 2002 and 2006, the Statscan study said. In 2006, 1,287 youths were accused of a violent offence involving a gun.

Released Wednesday, the report also found Vancouver had the highest rate of violent crimes involving guns on a per capita basis in 2006 among all cities, followed by Winnipeg and Toronto.

Does this mean we get our 2 billion dollars back?

**********

RELATED: Speaking of Fiberal smoke & mirrors

Hey, Dalton... for a second there, you had me goin'...

Drunk drivers in Ontario could lose their cars, trucks, motorcycles or snowmobiles under a new provincial law that takes effect today.

It allows the courts to impound a vehicle involved in a drinking and driving offence if it was also owned or driven by someone whose licence was suspended for drinking and driving at least twice in the last 10 years.

The vehicle can then be sold, and any victims of the drunk driving incident can apply for compensation from the proceeds.

But, of course, they don't really mean it...

The courts can also release the car if the owner agrees to install an ignition lock that forces the driver to pass a breath test, or agrees the people convicted of drunk driving will not have access to the vehicle.

Thus spake the dumbass, fuzzy-bunny left... the party of "live and don't learn."

*

Worth the work

If citizenship in a democratic country is a precious commodity... why shouldn't prospective immigrants be prepared to show... that they really appreciate the prize?

You know... like my parents did.

Unveiling the proposals, Ms Smith said reforming how people become citizens was the unfinished business of the UK's migration system. She said that future migrants would need to "earn" citizenship.

This scraps the current system which allows people to apply for naturalisation on the basis of how long they have lived in the UK.

In the future, she said, they would be encouraged to "move on" through a system that leads to citizenship - or choose ultimately to leave the country.

This package also includes provisions to get rid of criminals who choose to leech off the largesse of society... something we desperately need to implement here in Canada... unless our unwitting goal is to create and subsidise a significant permanent underclass on the fringes of society.

"This is a country of liberty and tolerance, opportunity and diversity. These values are reinforced by the expectation that all who live here should learn our language, play by the rules, obey the law and contribute to the economy."

Sounds like a plan to me.

**********

RELATED: Need an example?

See, here in Canada... we don't dance around dead bodies... and WE DO co-operate with the police...

It appears Tristan Wright was assassinated in front of dozens of people outside a weekend house party in northeast Scarborough.

But Toronto Police investigators are having a tough time convincing witnesses to come forward to help them catch the 23-year-old's killer, possibly because of the "Stop Snitchin' " campaign that is so prevalent in hip-hop culture these days.

He said the all-night party was still "active" and there were lots of cars on the street Sunday morning when police arrived at 8 Dunsfold Dr. -- near Neilson and Finch Aves. -- and found Wright shot to death outside.

*

Curiosity, Big Brain, Insatiable Hunger...

I'd say that more than qualifies us as top predator...

"In the absence of any concrete action by the shipping industry, I would like to make a modest proposal."

Hey, fishbreath... it's clobberin' time.

*

The Leftbot Dictionary

See... I'd call this less of "a protest"... than an act of war...

-- KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Kosovo -- Serbs set off sporadic explosions and torched checkpoints between Serbia and Kosovo on Tuesday to protest Kosovo's declaration of independence and international recognition of the new nation.

And please, Jacko, Steffi... no more airy-fairy argle-bargle about underarmed, blue helmeted peacekeepers.

Two border crossings in northern Kosovo, staffed by UN and Kosovo's multiethnic police and customs service, were set ablaze by Kosovo Serbs who want them removed as a symbol of their desire to rejoin Serbia.

So go in there and kick ass and take names... like Afghanistan...or send these boys home to their families. They need soldiers here, not overwhelmed and out-gunned babysitters.

**********

SURPRISE: Yet another link from Canadian Cynic...

Hey, CC... not tossing in the "N Word" today... what's up with that?

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

tell us again, crabby... "why are you on board with cc's disgusting rant attacking the mother of a dead canadian soldier?"

**********

LAST WORD: Kabul or Kosovo

I know which one I'd choose.

*

A penny saved...

Once again, the freaky, capricious "Will of Allah"...

Dulmatin is accused of being a member of the Indonesian Islamist group Jemaah Islamiyah. He is wanted for the 2002 bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali that killed more than 200 people - Asia's worst terrorist attack.

The United States has offered a $10 million reward for his capture.

Well... let's just chuck that into the Bin-Laden pot.

**********

RELATED: Pay me now, or pay me later

“I prefer these small and morally ambiguous wars to the big morally black-and-white wars,” he said to me later. “It would be nice if we had more support back home like we did during World War II."

"If a bunch of unpopular small wars prevent another popular big war, I'll take ’em.”

*

Why waste money...

On attack ads... I say we just let silly Steffi... do all the heavy lifting...

During a stop in Quebec City Monday, he acknowledged he won't get what he wants in the budget and appeared to lower the bar for what he'd accept, saying he might let it pass if it's “not too harmful” for the economy.

“It won't be a Liberal budget. Unfortunately, the ideas I have put forward won't be in the budget,” Mr. Dion said of the looming fiscal plan.

Does this guy ever listen to himself?

Iggy must be lickin' his chops.

*

That outraged, screechy disturbance...

In the background... is the fuzzy-bunny lunatic left... losing what's left of its over-poached collective mind...

"Grocery chain tries to tackle $1-billion problem of disappearing goods with criminal background checks on prospective employees."

The horror.

**********

NOTE: The real "good stuff" is in the comments.

*

Q: Why was Jane Creba's murder...

Such a standout event?

-- A: -- She didn't have a criminal record...

He beat a murder rap nearly five years ago but Andre Harrisingh's time ran out early yesterday morning when a gunman ended his life outside a Brampton nightclub.

Ever notice how many GTA area homicides involve "victims" who just happen to have been previously involved in murder and other extremely violent crimes?

Peel police are revealing little about what appears to have been a targeted killing – or whether the death was gang-related.

Oops, I forgot... we're not allowed to talk about that.

And while we're at it... speaking of the "Cone of Silence".

*

It was horrifying...

"At first to see that wound. Now that it’s healing, it’s merely disgusting."

*

Speaking of...

More social workers...

A curious thing happened to one of my psychiatric residents not long ago. One of his patients caught him off guard with a challenging question: “Have you ever been in psychotherapy yourself?”

It was an interesting question, and it made me wonder whether one could be a good therapist without having been in psychotherapy.

If the answer was no, it would appear to be at odds with what we do in the rest of medical practice.

**********

RELATED: Speaking of therapy...

I hear there's an outbreak of "Obama Comedown Syndrome"

*

Musharraf tanks...

And the real wheeling and dealing begins in earnest...

As the result becomes clear Tuesday, negotiations over the formation of a coalition government will begin in earnest. The Peoples Party and Mr. Sharif's party had, in the past, been bitter enemies and even now, their agendas do not mesh well.

The Peoples Party has not been so strident on reinstating the judges and impeaching the President. They would also need to agree on a candidate for the role of prime minister, who runs the government under Pakistan's constitution.

*

Reader Sigmund Crabgrass...

Was asking... who is "Canadian Cecilia"?

Well Siggy, here's your answer... puerile, profane and an unashamed racist to boot.

His friends... must be so proud.

**********

RELATED: CC linked to me twice last night...

Check out the comments last night where someone spoofs Ezra Levant's identity, and curiously, uses "the exact words" CC uses in the post above...

"So it's ironic, in a dead nigger way."

Posted by E. Levant to halls of macadamia at 9:20 PM, February 18, 2008

The caring, compassionate left... what a bunch of busy little beavers.

Today's CC opus is titled... "Another slow Jews day".

Despite this, much like "Lucy" Warman... CC tells us he's actually a hero.

I'm not sure how that works though... under CC's leftbot rules... I guess we're not supposed to talk about this either...

"The estranged parents of a tiny baby were facing charges late last night after the child was found abandoned on a snowbank in a North York parking lot."

**********

LAST WORD: Because it's what they do...

"When you’ve got profitable hate-speech cases to prosecute, why wait for some unemployed conspiracy theorist to start raving against immigrants when you can just manufacture the evidence yourself?"

*

Infamous Queen Shirlene

Noted HRC Sockpuppet...goes down for the count...

"The human rights commission advised my lawyer that McGovern quit because of the public backlash against the commission -- and against her in particular. In other words, she didn't like being called a censor in the blogosphere."

This bit here, though... is what they call the "money shot"...

"As I wrote in the Globe last month, at my interrogation, McGovern wanted to make small talk and shake my hand."

"I upset her by not being complicit in my own prosecution."

"I'm not sympathetic. I believe that any government bureaucrat who makes a living interrogating citizens about their political beliefs ought to be held in public contempt."

Hey, baby... you're not paranoid -- the whole world -- IS watching...

What we see here is a petty bureaucratic tyrant who knows that the accusation alone is enough to find the defendant guilty, and that the whole procedure, as she understands it, is a waste of breath.

She knows she’s not obligated to listen to a word the defendant says. It’s all she can do to restrain herself from cutting out paper dolls while Levant speaks.

And the big karmic wheel continues to turn.

*

Remember Dan Hill?

Back in the late 70's, my then-girlfriend was a huge fan and I got dragged along to many of his concerts... well, it turns out the man doesn't just write songs...

"Over the last year and a half, three young adults who have set foot in my house, in the well-to-do, tree-lined Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto, have been murdered."

"All black, all by gunshot, all in Toronto."

Well worth the read.

**********

NOTE:

Hill's referring here, among others, to Eric Boateng.

One nasty customer... just like Canadian Cynic.

**********

DISSENTING OPINION:

Of course, some time within living memory, we'd have all recognized the teens' behaviour as "trespassing" and excused (even lauded) Hill for eventually going Straw Dogs on their asses, sparing his family and the rest of us any further trouble from these incorrigibles.

**********

WELCOME, YET AGAIN, READERS OF NOTED HUMANITARIAN CANADIAN CYNIC

Yes, yes, CC... we all know how kind & compassionate you are. Say, while we're at it... let's revisit your pet theory about those dastardly, evil Jews.

Hey... we could always get a second opinion from your "fellow cynic"... the mysterious "sjwalter".

And, of course, there's CC's magnum opus...

Remember Canadian Cynic's message to Wanda Watkins, whose son Lane was killed in Afghanistan?

"With all due respect, Wanda, fuck you and your grief. It's not the job of the rest of Canada to continue to let its soldiers die just so you can sleep better at night."

And, CC... bombarding my comment threads with dozens of stupid trolls... who exactly is that gonna impress?
I'm thinkin'... you might wanna tweak those meds again.
BOO!!!

*

Just when you think...

You've got the world by the ass in a downhill shove...

"This is the biggest tragedy in Spitfire history," said team vice-president and general manager Warren Rychel. "Words alone cannot describe our pain at this time."

Apparently, it really does come down to death and taxes.

*

It's time to send him back...

"To Germany from where he comes -- You want to know his original name - it ends with Frankenstein."

Good grief.

*

Another Taliban screwup...

Sends dozens of Muslims to unscheduled hookup with Allah.

-- KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Four soldiers were wounded during a suicide attack near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan that killed 38 civilians and wounded dozens more.

Military spokesman Lieutenant-Commander Pierre Babinsky sadi three of the wounded Canadian soldiers have already been released, but that one will remain in the hospital for observation.

Of course... the jihadis are spinning this as "striking a mighty blow" for Islam...

The Taliban said through spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi that it was responsible. When asked about the large number of civilian casualties, Mr. Ahmadi contended that 10 foreign soldiers and “a large number of police” had been killed.

Hey, Steffi... you still going with "Plan B"?

I can't wait to see you and Jacko Bin-Layton... negotiate peace with these guys.

*

Will and Grace notwithstanding...

Nobody seems to be having a gay old time.

-- BRITISH COLUMBIA -- An Abbotsford Anglican congregation on Sunday became the second local congregation in a week to split from the diocese of Vancouver-area Bishop Michael Ingham in a nation-wide pattern reflecting fundamental rifts in the church.

About a dozen Canadian Anglican congregations are poised to hold similar votes, including two more in Vancouver, while two Ottawa churches voted to leave their diocese over the last week.

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

"Come to think of it, that pretty much explains why I stopped going. I could get as much out of staying home on a Sunday morning and reading the Toronto Star editoral page as I could out of going to church."

"Only, with the former, I could sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, and yell my objections out loud."

*

CTV.... the Comedy Channel

"History shows that it's Conservatives who run big, fat, juicy deficits, and it's Liberals like Jean Chretien, Dalton McGuinty and soon, Stephane Dion, are left to clean up the mess."

That's funny... I could have sworn it was legendary fiberal... Saint Pierre Trudeau... who truly cooked Canada's goose...

"Over 16 years with Trudeau as prime minister, Canada's national debt skyrocketed by 1,200 per cent, from $17 billion to more than $200 billion."

*

Possible VP candidate...

Has a Canadian connection...

With U.S. Senator John McCain having all but nailed down the Republican Party's presidential nomination, the search for a possible vice presidential running mate is in full swing.

One possible name on the short list is bound to knock the Democrats' historic presidential campaign for a loop.

*

Just another sunny day...

In David Miller's socialist paradise...

"The next thing I hear is two cops screaming, `Put down the knife, put down the knife! "I hear four shots, turn around, and the guy just dropped like a bag of hammers."

And Scarberia wants in...

One man is dead after an early morning shooting in the Finch Ave. and Neilson Rd. area. Emergency crews were called to Dunsfold Dr. - near Finch Ave. E. and Neilson Rd. - sometime after 6 a.m.

And right next door...

-- BRAMPTON -- A 26-year-old Malton man was shot dead outside a nightclub this morning.

Andre Alexander Harrisingh was the man found on a parking lot outside Trilogy Night Club around 2:20 a.m. He was rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead.

**********

PERSONAL NOTE:

I was actually in "The Devil's Armpit" yesterday... retrieving Mrs. Neo... who had taken the train in the previous day, to do book sales and other assorted errands.

The highlight of my day was when a Chinese gentleman... apparently confused about the size of his shiny, new black Mercedes... banged into my parked vehicle from behind.

I have to confess, I lost it a little bit... not because of any damage to my vehicle (he hit the trailer ball)... but because of this guy's idiotic attempt to pretend that nothing had happened. I looked up right after the bump... to see Mr. X sitting behind the wheel of his vehicle... studiously examining his crotch.

Needless, to say... I got out of my car and took it to Mr. Oblivious.

Here's a "melting pot" tip, my friend... you run into someone with your car - the appropriate action - in Canada, anyway, is to, one... get out of your car and apologise, and two... see what damage you've inflicted to the other car/person.

After I started getting some attitude... I asked my new friend if he would prefer if I just called the cops.

Mr. O. belligerently replied that I should do just that... but strangely enough... as I returned to my vehicle, he suddenly decided he had to be somewhere else.

On a more positive note... at least I didn't get stabbed.

Toronto... geezus.

**********

RELATED: Look away, look away...

I guess if "you don't see it"... it's not a problem...

"In this city, rats are a huge problem. It's a city problem, not a restaurant problem. I don't think the city has a plan to fight the rat problem."

**********

LAST WORD: Welcome readers of Canadian Cecilia

Today CC claims that I "get a chuckle over dead people."

That's some chutzpah from the poster boy for the intellectual, caring left.

Remember Canadian Cecilia's message to Wanda Watkins, whose son Lane was killed in Afghanistan?

"With all due respect, Wanda, fuck you and your grief. It's not the job of the rest of Canada to continue to let its soldiers die just so you can sleep better at night."

Of course... CC has always been a real lady's man.

*

What's the difference between...

Sacred, noble jihad... and mass murder?

At least 80 people have been killed in a suicide bombing outside the Afghan city of Kandahar - in what appears to be the deadliest attack since 2001.

I guess you'll have to ask Allah.

**********

RELATED: Religion of itty-bitty pieces

-- ISLAMABAD -- A suicide bomber rammed a car packed with explosives into a crowd after a political rally, killing 37 people and heightening fears of more violence during tomorrow's parliamentary elections.

Woo-hoo... another big score for the "Religion of Peace".

**********

LAST WORD: It's not rioting... it's unrest

Eleven people were arrested on suspicion of vandalizing and torching schools, cars and garbage containers, with 25 small fires burning overnight, police said.

The unrest - largely in immigrant neighborhoods - has spread through Copenhagen and across Denmark.

*

A nice gig...

If you can get it...

Enbridge is set to charge its Ontario customers a new fee to help pay the costs of an out-of-court settlement.

In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled against the gas company -- for charging unfair fees.

*

Your Imam-ship?

Shouldn't these guys maybe stop doing it because... well... it's wrong?

-- Copenhagen -- Imam Mostafa Chendid of the Islamic Faith Community Centre urged youth to calm down and stop the burning of cars and property, saying it was hurting the image of Islam.

**********

RELATED: Please stand by for CSI Damascus

Syria has said it will soon present "irrefutable" proof of who was behind the killing of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in the capital, Damascus.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem would not discuss the ongoing investigation, but insisted the world would "soon hear the results of this mighty effort".

**********

LAST WORD: Too late... they're already here

The 10 unnamed suspects – nine of whom are Canadians or immigrants to Canada – have been at the centre of a legal fight that was a closely guarded court secret.

Last April, Judge Blanchard had approved warrants that allowed CSIS to eavesdrop and conduct searches against the 10 targets while they were in Canada.

“All subjects of investigation, except for one, are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or refugees.”

*

Once again...

The freaky, unpredictable Will of Allah...

A top Palestinian militant and seven other people have been killed in an explosion in the Gaza Strip. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the cause of the blast is unclear.

While Israel has vowed to target the leadership of militant groups in response to daily rocket attacks from Gaza, the Israeli army says it was not involved in the incident.

Witnesses saw rocket parts at the scene, indicating that explosives in the house might have blown up by accident.

Building explosive devices in the rec-room, huh?

Obviously not the shiniest blasting cap in the toolbox.

*

Add another name...

To the Axis of Weasel...

In our meeting, Soharwardy denied his own column. "I never asked to bring sharia in Canada," he now insists.

*

So, there's a local doctor...

Who blew his brains out for seven years, trying to immigrate to Ontario from England... what, pray tell, is the moral of that story?

Mumtaz Ali, of the Canadian Association of Muslims, said he conducted a telephone marriage between a student in Toronto and his about-to-be wife in India.

The vow takes less than five minutes and a dowry is exchanged to seal the ceremony, Ali said.

A marriage certificate was obtained and the student was able to sponsor his wife to Canada, he said.

*

This is Journalism? Really?

First they hit you with the teaser on the Globe webpage...

"Former University of Illinois student's deadly rampage baffles many who knew him."

Of course... you get into the actual article and there's this...

"University Police Chief Donald Grady said, without giving details, that Mr. Kazmierczak had become erratic in the past two weeks after he had stopped taking his medication."

It won't stop the loony left from screaming about big, bad guns... but the actual headline here should be... "Mental Patient Murders Five".

And enough happy horseshit about more social workers.

You have to start flagging people with mental illness... and make sure someone is personally responsible for ensuring they take their meds... or turning them in to the authorities for refusing to do so.

It truly is that simple.

Or accept that you will see more homicides and, of course, many more suicides.

And before you leftards start screaming about "civil rights"... you need to go talk to the families of the five innocent victims here.

I dare you.

*

Need another hot stock tip?

Better get your broker on the horn, if you wanna get in on the, er... ground floor of, well... HOOKERS R' US.

*

Our Premier...

"Which Art in Ontario... Diversity be thy name"

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS: McGuinty supporters rally round

"I believe that most Ontarians, whether they profess religion or follow no religion at all, would agree with me that the Lord's Prayer should be replaced, not by another prayer, but with an inclusive and purposeful pledge-to-serve."

Dr. Mohamed Elmasry, National President,The Canadian Islamic Congress

The gospel according to Strangle-Me Elmo.

*

That's exactly how my kid feels...

About his XBOX...

"The CAVE is a time machine," Prof. Dawson said.

"We're creating a virtual past, but it's a past ... I like to think it's the next best thing to actually being there in the high Arctic 700 years ago."

*

"Who cares?", Mr. Badesha said.

"Everybody ends up dead anyway. People die in cars too. In life, you have to take risks, no matter what."

*

Ready, willing and able...

To do "whatever" they have to do...

"One senior member of parliament said to me, either we're going to get Dion to change his mind or maybe we're going to have to push him off the ledge."

Oh, that Steffi... making friends, wherever he goes.

**********

RELATED: Time for another treatment?

"Fortunately, like all Liberal candidates, Dion carries around a litre of Jean Chretien's blood for emergency spine-stiffening situations."

*

Nope... it's not Salem in 1692

This is the benevolent face of Islamic justice...

Human Rights Watch has appealed to Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of a woman convicted of witchcraft.

In a letter to King Abdullah, the rights group described the trial and conviction of Fawza Falih as a miscarriage of justice. The illiterate woman was detained by religious police in 2005 and allegedly beaten and forced to fingerprint a confession that she could not read.

Among her accusers was a man who alleged she made him impotent.

Well, what more do you really need... let's string 'er up.

**********

UPDATE: And while they're at it...

Gunmen have attacked the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Gaza City and blown up its library, burning thousands of books, its director says.

It's important to slay ALL your enemies.

**********

LAST WORD: Here we go again...

-- COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Rioting youths set fire to cars and trash bins and hurled rocks at police overnight as a spate of vandalism continued in Copenhagen and other Danish cities.

Nine youths were arrested in the capital after a fifth consecutive night of unrest, mostly in immigrant neighbourhoods.

More cartoon wars.

*

Ugly, pathetic...

And totally predictable.

**********

UPDATE: Yup... totally predictable

More monsters under Warren's bed... time to declare another jihad.

**********

UPDATE2: Feeling Warren's pain...

Scott Tribe is upset that evil Kathy Shaidle and monstrous Kate McMillan have both had op-eds in the National Post this week.

Which is pretty rich, considering he doesn't have a problem breaking bread with this piece of crap.

Hey, Scott... what's up with that?

**********

LAST WORD: Hey, Special K...

You kiss your kids with that mouth?

"Given the e-mails he sends, Warren is in no position to complain about those he receives, and I can assure him, given my own healthy accumulation of death threats, that even in Canada he'll have a hard job persuading the coppers to take Mr Bucket's e-mail seriously."

*

Hassan Nasrallah nominates self...

For Ten Most Wanted Dead-or-Alive Dickheads of 2008.

Now, try to imagine...

If this were something like ebola... or human-to-human transmission of bird flu... because, make no mistake, my friends... it's only a matter of time.

And we're nowhere near ready for it.

*

Anybody else have a problem...

With all that airy-fairy argle-bargle on their childrens' report cards?

Time was that a fifth grader’s greatest concern about gym was whether he or she would be picked last for the kickball team.

Now, in schools in Hartford, that 10-year-old would-be athlete is being graded on how he or she “establishes and maintains a healthy lifestyle by avoiding risk-taking behavior.”

Not surprisingly, the language was produced by a committee.

It just seems to me that a lot of the convoluted commentary on report cards these days is a smokescreen to avoid singling out underachievers or "hurting anyone's feelings."

My take on this, as regards report cards anyway, is that less is definitely more. We should pare this down to... "Is my kid "getting it"... and if he or she isn't... how do we fix that?"

Wouldn't this whole "once upon a time" thing be better handled in face-to-face parent teacher interviews, where there would be an actual two-way conversation?

Anybody can make things more windy, twisty and complicated. The real art is paring a process down to it's essential components.

It just seems we don't do that anymore.

**********

LAST WORD: Kate's got an interesting idea...

It would push back the powerful "if it saves one child" lobby, along with their toboggan helmet police, school lunch analysts, anti-bullying program directors, and playground equipment removal teams.

A half million 20-somethings would emerge from their parents' basements, if only to search for food.

In time, we might even relearn the survival skills of our ancestors -- how to hang up a phone, to expect imperfection, to mind one's own business.

*

What sort of person...

Runs down a teenager with their car... and then speeds off into the night?

-- TORONTO -- More than five years after a hit-and-run driver left 16-year-old Matthew Bobbett dying in a ditch "like roadkill" at the side of a highway, OPP investigators have charged a Scarborough man based on DNA.

OPP investigators told the grief-stricken father that three cars were travelling south on Hwy. 48 towards the boys.

The second car pulled out into the northbound lanes to pass the first. At the same time the third vehicle -- a blue convertible Ford Mustang -- veered all the way over to the far shoulder to pass the other two vehicles, which by now were travelling beside each other.

Omar Sharef Hassan, 29, was arrested yesterday after turning himself in. He is charged with criminal negligence causing death and failure to stop at the scene of an accident. He was released on $100,000 bail.

Disgusting.

**********

LAST WORD: Welcome readers of Canadian Cecilia

It's always nice to be linked to... yet again... by the poster boy for the intellectual, caring left.

Remember Canadian Cecilia's message to Wanda Watkins, whose son Lane was killed in Afghanistan?

"With all due respect, Wanda, fuck you and your grief. It's not the job of the rest of Canada to continue to let its soldiers die just so you can sleep better at night."

Of course... CC has always been a real lady's man.

This time little CC tries to equate police officers performing their jobs... with a scummer who runs down a teenage boy with a car and leaves him to die.

Yeah, you moron... that makes sense.

*

Sorry guys, I'm with Kathy on this...

There's playing the game... and there's selling your soul...

It's "thought crime" meets "future crime," but without the cool flying cars you'd at least get in a dystopian sci-fi flick.

If "asked about the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) and its processes," the memo advises, "refer [the] letter writer to the CHRC's website."

Sounds like that twist ending to many a horror film, when the lone survivor is finally "rescued" -- and driven right back to the zombie compound.

Gotta confess... I'm more than a little disappointed here.

*

Something you'll never hear...

While Premier McSlippery and the fuzzy-bunny Fiberals are calling the shots...

-- TORONTO -- The Liberal government needs to restore respect for the rule of law in Caledonia, Ontario's Opposition Leader said Wednesday as the southern Ontario town prepares to mark the two-year anniversary of a bitter and divisive aboriginal occupation.

John Tory cited the growth of the illegal cigarette industry, the struggles of developers on the Grand River and the spread of native blockades across Ontario as proof that lawlessness has become rampant throughout the First Nations community at large.

Of course it's only fair to get a rebuttal from the Slippery One himself...

A new standalone Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and a new agreement on gaming revenues ratified last week are all part of a Liberal plan to “gain more and more moral authority” with the First Nations community, Mr. McGuinty said.

By “depositing on an ongoing basis a lot of political capital in the bank,” the government will develop the clout it needs to say “we don't do business like that in Ontario” when aboriginal communities seek to make gains through controversial means, he said.

So there you have it... peace through "moral authority" and "political capital".

Courtesy of Dalton "Bend over and grab your ankles" McGuinty.

*

Bring the rain, you jihadi freaks...

'Cos we're finished turnin' the other cheek.

"The five newspapers — Jyllands-Posten, Politiken, Berlingske Tidende, BT and Ekstra Bladet — on Wednesday republished Mr. Westergaard's cartoon, which depicts the founder of Islam with a bomb in his turban."

**********

RELATED: In other Islam-related news...

My name is Syed Soharwardy. You may have seen my name recently in newspaper articles and web logs written by Ezra Levant...

What basis does Ezra have for stating that I am a "misogynist radical?"

Well, Syed... funny you should ask.

"In the case of Soharwardy, it appears that he himself is the subject of a human rights complaint -- for discrimination against women. There's a shocker."

"It was filed with the Edmonton and Ottawa offices of the Canadian Human Rights Commission."

*

Be still my beating heart...

"We believe that, without minimizing the seriousness of the police officer's conduct or in any way condoning it, it was open to the trial judge to find that reasonable members of the community could well conclude that the exclusion of 77 pounds of cocaine, with a street value of several millions of dollars, and the potential to cause serious grief and misery to many, would bring the administration of justice into greater disrepute than would its admission."

(h/t reader rich)

What would...

A Supreme Court Justice say...

“Is it really so easy,” he said, “to determine that smacking someone in the face to determine where he has hidden the bomb that is about to blow up Los Angeles is prohibited in the Constitution?”

“It would be absurd to say you couldn’t do that,” the justice said. “And once you acknowledge that, we’re into a different game."

"How close does the threat have to be? And how severe can the infliction of pain be?"

**********

LAST WORD: Speaking of 'pennies from heaven...'

Hezbollah's al Manar Television announced its top foreign intelligence agent, Imad Mughniyeh, was killed in a car bomb explosion in Damascus, accusing Israel of masterminding the attack. Israel denies responsibility.

*

The phrase...

"Could screw up a two-car funeral"... comes to mind.

-- DESERONTO -- Four people escaped with minimal injuries in a fire at the scene of a native occupation on the northern outskirts of town here this week.

According to protester Shawn Brant, who initially led the occupation last March, the building was used as a cookhouse by natives occupying the quarry.

Tyendinaga Township firefighters initially dispatched to the scene were turned away, Brant added, only because they arrived with a "convoy of OPP (vehicles) that raised a number of eyebrows ... in large numbers. More than you would expect for a small structure fire."

Well, Shawn... perhaps it would... if it were true.

An OPP spokeswoman, however, painted a different scenario when asked about the police agency's response to the fire.

"There was a police cruiser that responded to a call," Sgt. Kristine Rae told The Intelligencer. The lone cruiser, she said, "cleared the scene when it was told it was no longer required."

No wonder all these aboriginal negotiations have been bogged down for years.

Everything seems to start with, "Once upon a time..."

*

The never-ending fallout...

From Dalton McGuinty's "catch and release" program...

A vehicle stop in North York led to seizure of a loaded gun and the arrest of three young men, including a teenager who was wounded in the high-profile Boxing Day gun battle that claimed the life of 15-year-old Jane Creba.

Dwight Roache, 25, Kevin Smith, 23, and Jevoy Johnson, 18, all of Toronto, are charged with various weapons offences.

But remember... the gun made them do it.

*

You spew enough happy horse crap...

You think you'd be a little smoother than Boris Badenoff...

"When an auditorium full of university students vigorously applauds a reckless and brutal ideal that is at the core of totalitarianism, we may soon face a problem much more serious than a couple of degrees Celsius in one direction or the other."

Then again... perhaps you just have to play to the level of your audience.

*

Well, Syed...

Hope is cheap... indulge yourself...

"I hope people see this as a positive action, that it will create better feelings between Muslims and all Canadians."

Just a minute, my friend... I don't think you understand how these things work.

"For two years, this corrupt, radical imam has hunted me using the resources of the taxpayers of Alberta for the "thought crime" of publishing a cartoon he didn't like."

"I had a preliminary discussion with my lawyer today."

"My aim is to file an abuse of process claim in the Court of Queen's Bench within the month."

It's payback time.

*

New Liberal Party motto...

""FLEE, FLEE... RUN AWAY!!!"

In their absence, the motion passed easily, 172-27.

Hey, Steffi... maybe you shouldn't bother taking off your sneakers...

"I have heard that the Prime Minister might consider a vote on Afghanistan before the budget."

"I hope it's not true. It cannot be true. It would be completely irresponsible."

Stef, Stef... settle down... deep breaths...

If it's too hard... you can just run away again.

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

According to some posters: "Its okay for an unelected body of bootlickers to hold up legislation forever but its not okay for an elected body to pass laws."

**********

LAST WORD: Just one more hurdle...

“The Canadian people through their elected representatives have spoken,” said Peter Van Loan, the government House leader.

“They want the Tackling Violent Crime Act passed and they want it passed now.”

The Tories still say that if the Liberal-dominated Senate doesn’t pass the crime bill by the end of the month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is prepared to ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election.

It deals with issues such as violent and gun crimes, dangerous offenders and raising the age of sexual consent to 16 from 14.

*

Just think about it for a minute...

Are these really the guys you'd choose to have running your country?

-- OTTAWA -- "Everyone's in crisis because they're all picking away at their BlackBerrys and nothing's happening," Garth Turner, a member of the Canadian Parliament, said during a caucus meeting. "It's almost like cutting the phone cables or a total collapse in telegraph lines a century ago."

"It just isolates people in a way that's quite phenomenal."

Well, Garth... I'm thinkin' "isolates" may not be the most applicable word here.

Please remember folks... friends don't let friends vote Liberal.

*

This could be an idea...

Whose time has arrived...

"QuestionWire is being developed to enable anyone to ask questions of Canada's newsmakers with the results posted for all to see - it's like an online news conference with every person and every newsmaker in attendance."

Give 'er a whirl.

*

That Neville Chamberlain thing...

How's that been workin' for ya?

City officials are nervously monitoring another round in the past week of native protest actions at Brantford development sites over unresolved land claims.

But other than huddle with officials from other levels of government and voice their concerns about the growing effect of demonstrations on Brantford's local development industry, they are holding to the position that the law is a matter for the police to enforce.

Native representatives told the developers they had to get approval for their projects from the Haudenoshaunee Development Institute, which could include their having to pay fees and sign papers recognizing the institute's authority.

Call me wacky... but maybe spineless appeasement isn't your best strategy here.

That the level of frustration in the development community is rising was demonstrated in the open session where Danny Bawa, a representative of the company building the Hampton, was a delegation on an entirely different matter.

In response to several questions, Bawa conceded the company's hope to finish construction in October depends a lot on whether there are any more protests.

When Coun. Dan McCreary asked Bawa if he called police in either action, the developer said he didn't, in the interests of not inflaming the situation further.

Baby... bathwater... game, set and match.

Good grief.

**********

RELATED: Speaking of appeasers...

The Toronto District School Board says, "Screw you... we're gonna do it anyway."

"Overwhelming public opposition to plans for an Afrocentric alternative school will not deter the Toronto District School Board from pressing ahead with the project, according to board chair John Campbell."

"An Angus Reid poll released Saturday reported 79 per cent of respondents across Ontario oppose creating the school, and 59 per cent are strongly opposed. Of the 15 per cent in favour of the school, only 3 per cent offered strong support."

Outside Toronto itself... the numbers tilt even further.

Opposition is even greater in the GTA, though the regional numbers have a higher margin of error. In the 905 area, support for the school sits at just 11 per cent, compared with 85 per cent against it.

Across Ontario, equally lopsided numbers of people said they see the plan as a form of segregation and would oppose any ethnically focused school.

Trust me, there's gonna be some blowback here.

**********

LAST WORD: How about we bring back the word... "retarded"?

(via ffof)

Of Mice and Men...

And muscles...

One of the great unanswered questions in physiology is why muscles get tired. The experience is universal, common to creatures that have muscles, but the answer has been elusive until now.

Scientists at Columbia say they have not only come up with an answer, but have also devised, for mice, an experimental drug that can revive the animals and let them keep running long after they would normally flop down in exhaustion.

I've gotta get me some of this stuff.

*

Don't squeak me, bro!

Ah, those socially progressive Brit-bots... what will they decide to whine about next?

A high-pitched device used to disperse teenagers is being challenged by campaigners, who say it is not a fair way to treat young people.

The devices have proved popular with councils and police who use them to disperse groups of youths engaged in anti-social behaviour.

Wouldn't this be the perfect time to chuck in an irrelevant, over the top, racially-charged analogy?

"What type of society uses a low-level sonic weapon on its children? Imagine the outcry if a device was introduced that caused blanket discomfort to people of one race or gender, rather than to our kids," she said.

Mission accomplished.

*

Very 'Special K'

Wouldn't this just be the textbook definition of irony?

"Lethbridge and company whipped things up enough until the Presslers were called Nazis on TV. Then they sued. And they won close to $100,000, an amount increased on appeal."

"If I was a blogger or anyone else called a Nazi by Kinsella or Warman simply because I had conservative or even rude (or even racist) opinions, I'd be tempted to put those accusers to the test to prove it in defamation court."

*

The beat goes on...

TICK...

Dion emerged from a caucus meeting Monday night saying his party remains firm and united on its Afghanistan position.

TOCK...

Some Liberal MPs have expressed qualms about Dion's position.

Nova Scotia MP Robert Thibault, for instance, said Monday he hopes a compromise can be found between the Dion and Manley positions...

*

Wait a minute...

-- TORONTO -- Research In Motion Ltd.'s ubiquitous BlackBerry experienced a “critical severity outage” on Monday afternoon that left users stranded without wireless e-mail access, its maker said.

RIM notified its clients of the outage IN AN EMAIL.

And details are slowly... sort of... starting to emerge from the darkness.

RIM's biggest advantage over its competitors is its system of Network Operating Centres, which provide a direct link between the company and the BlackBerry Enterprise Software that organizations install on their servers to connect and run individual devices.

While NOC failures are rare, when one goes down, thousands of customers are left with lifeless BlackBerrys. Analysts speculated that at least two NOCs failed yesterday, causing the outage.

*

Some folks go to Disneyland...

Sam and Peter decided to try something different.

This oughta be interesting...

When I review our to do list of things to be done before out trip, it sometimes seems more daunting than the trip itself. It doesn’t help, of course, that Sam is soon off to Afghanistan and I am jamming to finish up my dissertation.

But half of the adventure is in the preparation and the other half is in figuring out how to handle what you forgot to prepare for.

*

Bring me the head...

Of Saint David Suzuki...

Most prior studies have found that substituting biofuels for gasoline will reduce greenhouse gases because biofuels sequester carbon through the growth of the feedstock.

These analyses have failed to count the carbon emissions that occur as farmers worldwide respond to higher prices and convert forest and grassland to new cropland to replace the grain (or cropland) diverted to biofuels.

Using a worldwide agricultural model to estimate emissions from land use change, we found that corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20% savings, nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years.

I know, I know... what do those dumbsticks from the AAAS know anyway?

*

Stuff you'll never see on the CBC...

Episode 407:

i spent my christmas holidays covered in ash from the mortar fire and the IED’s, sleeping under a dirty rug i found in the house. everyone was sleeping way to close for comfort just to stay warm. anyways, a family was there and they obviously didnt want us there. at least at first. the daughters were very sick so our corpsman treated them. they didnt have electricity so we got them a generator for power, they were cold so we got them gas heaters, we got them food and water and then we gave them $500. by the end of the week long visit with them we were drinking tea with them. when we left we cleaned their house better than it was when we got there. i even have pictures with the family. they told us that they liked marines and they would help us as much as they could and they gave us some information on the insurgents in the area. we ended up catching a HUGE target down the road from there house because of it.

(via belmont club)

*

Episode 408:

While Woolas has raised the question of birth defects, the most serious concern is that cousin marriage blocks assimilation. (I show how in "Assimilation Studies" and "Assimilation Studies, Part II.")

That is why cousin marriage poses a genuine threat to Britain’s survival as a nation.

The most spectacular example is today’s report that surveillance planes in Afghanistan have picked up the voices of Taliban fighters speaking in, for example, Bradford accents.

Bradford is a virtual "reverse colony" within Britain, a city that has for all practical purposes transformed into a section of Pakistan.

(h/t sda)

**********

BREAKING: Whose side is he on, anyway?

Once again... the freaky, unpredictable "Will of Allah".

Mansoor Dadullah, the brother of slain Taliban military commander Mullah Dadullah, and five others were challenged by security forces as they crossed from Afghanistan into Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan. They refused to stop and opened fire, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas.

"Security personnel returned fire. As a result all of them sustained injuries and all of them were captured," Abbas said. "Dadullah was arrested alive but he is critically wounded."

*

QOTD via DMB

"For a guy who hates oil and gas so much, he sure uses a lot of it."

*

If only we had Sharia Law...

This would never have happened...

The five accused have been jointly charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of proceeds of crime and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The men were identified by police as:

* Abdulaziz Abdullah, 21, of Calgary.
* Yusuf Ibrahim, 20, of Ottawa.
* Hussein Mohammad, 21, of Ottawa.
* Mohamed Najdi, 20, of Ottawa.
* Ahmed Zalal, 21, of Ottawa.

**********

YUP, HE'S BACK:

Welcome, once again, readers of "Canadian Cecilia"

"Yes, it's just another bunch of homicidal Conservatives, driven by their atrocious political beliefs..."

It always warms my heart to be able to share my thoughts with readers of the leftosphere's premier purveyor of bile and profanity.

Please make sure you let CC know how impressed you are... with his most infamous moment in the sun.

*

C'mon Jacko... pony up

Will the NDP be setting up a defense fund for these unfortunate fellows?

-- SHA WALI KOT, Afghanistan -- Four Afghans have been detained after a roadside bomb was detonated shortly after a Canadian convoy passed by.

Officials say local villagers flagged down Afghan police and pointed out the bomb shortly before it detonated.

Police say at least one man's hands tested positive for explosives and all four will be sent to prison in Kandahar city for further investigation.

**********

RELATED: Let's listen to General Commie Bob...

He knows a thing or two about blitzkreig... it sure didn't take him any six years to obliterate Ontario's economy.

Canada's mission in Afghanistan must shift its focus to training and development if it is to be a success, says Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae.

Rae, who hopes to win a seat as an MP in the riding of Toronto Centre, said Canada's military focus simply isn't working.

Of course... not everybody agrees.

*

Rizzo-speak

Personally fund, huh... that's a new one...

Toronto Catholic Trustee Christine Nunziata wasn't the only board member writing cheques to pay back the board for taxpayer-funded credit card charges just before their expenses were made public last month.

Trustee Maria Rizzo wrote the Toronto District Catholic School Board three money orders totaling $3,873.86 on Jan. 23, according to documents made public Jan. 31.

In two memos to education director Kevin Kobus dated Jan. 28, Rizzo states she is reimbursing the board $2,283.79 "for expenses related to board business that I would like to personally fund," and $1,292.53 and $297.54 for "reimbursement for board expenses."

Rizzo declined an interview request last night.

*

Let the feeding frenzy begin

Jack, who has asked that his full identity not be revealed at this time, approached The Globe and Mail on Friday after the newspaper ran an article about the possible existence of a John F. Kennedy love child living in Vancouver.

“The story was out and I thought that it might be best to approach you directly rather than have people make guesses, assumptions.”

*

Now, if you're the obit guy...

At the Kabul Star... what the hell do you do with this?

-- KABUL, Afghanistan -- A bomb killed a militant mullah and two of his children when it exploded prematurely in their southern Afghanistan home, a police chief said Monday.

It's not like even the most devout jihadi can put this one on George Bush...

Mullah Abdul Wasay was tinkering with the explosives at his home Saturday night in Helmand province when they blew up, said provincial police chief Mohammad Hussein Andiwal. Wasay's wife and daughter also were seriously wounded, he said.

The freaky, unknowable "Will of Allah".

*

This was certainly not...

Their Finest Hour.

British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record – or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.

The controversial clause has been inserted into athletes' contracts for the first time and forbids them from making any political comment about countries staging the Olympic Games.

Of course, not everyone is so quick to get out their political kneepads...

The BOA is taking a far more stringent stance than authorities in other countries. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said: “What we will be saying to the athletes is that it's best to concentrate on your competitions.

“But they're entitled to have their opinions and express them. They're free to speak.”

(h/t Gerry Nicholls)

Somebody remind me...

Where was it... that Jack Bin-Layton wanted to send all the Canadian troops?

-- GENEVA -- Up to 12,000 “terrified” refugees from Sudan's Darfur region have fled across the border to neighbouring Chad after the latest air strikes by the Sudanese military and thousands more may be on their way, the U.N. refugee agency said Sunday.

To get them out of harms way... right Jacko?

*

With great power...

Comes great plus-sized lingerie...

Last December, the school board forced Nunziata to repay inappropriate expenses she charged to her trustee credit card including a $816 vacation to Cuba, a $575 purchase at Tiffany and Co. and a $186 bill for an online purchase from a plus-sized store in the U.S., Lane Bryant, which specializes in lingerie.

Nunziata isn't alone.

Several of her fellow trustees expensed restaurant bills along with tickets to Blue Jays games and Caribana -- at a time when the board faces a deficit.

*

There is absolutely no substitute...

For strong, decisive leadership...

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion dropped another strong hint his party would be prepared to trigger an election by voting against the forthcoming Conservative budget.

"If the budget is wrong for the country, we'll not support this budget."

Sure, you, uh... will not.

**********

UPDATE: Libs offer huge concession on Af'stan

Canadian troops will be allowed to shoot back if attacked...

-- OTTAWA -- Rules of engagement allowing self-defence by Canadian forces in the event of attack during training of Afghan army or police or during security duties will be made "crystal clear," Bryon Wilfert, the Liberals' associate foreign affairs critic, said in an interview with Canwest News Service Sunday.

Hey... do you think it is easy to be a warmonger?

*

A glimmer of hope...

In the blood-soaked Middle East...

An Egyptian court has ruled the government must recognize the right of Christians who had converted to Islam to return to their old faith.

Democracy, rule of law, common human decency... all the things those nasty Conservatives believe are worth fighting for...

The Supreme Administrative Court ruled Saturday in the case of 12 former Coptic Christians. After converting to Islam, they had been prevented from returning to Christianity on the grounds that Islamic law would consider it an abandonment of the faith.

*

Like the old song goes...

"You're nobody... 'til somebody loves... errrr... sues you."

And speaking of loony lawyers.

**********

RELATED: Is this the real reason...

That Special K took his ball and went home?

"Because of concerns about the accuracy of some of Kinsella's writing, he is not longer allowed to write about me in the Post. Kinsella has had one entire rant pulled, and two others redacted, to comply with this."

*

See, this is sorta like free speech...

Living your life fully... sometimes has unforseen and upsetting consequences... but nobody who believes... I mean really believes... in democracy is gonna tell you that it's now verboten.

-- HUNTSVILLE, Ont. -- A late-night snowmobile outing ended tragically Saturday for two people near a central Ontario community as their craft went through the ice of Lake of Bays.

The Ontario Provincial Police dive team recovered the bodies of two males from the lake Saturday, police said in a release.

The point I suppose, is that I choose, for the most part... to make my own choices about my own life.

There are exceptions, of course.

Your right to flail your fists around... ends at the tip of my nose. You don't have a right to drive your Viper at 200 kmh on a public highway, or shoot somebody you imagine insulted you.

In the main though, I believe that Steffi and the nanny-state leftbots should keep their interfering noses outta my business.

I reserve the right to live my own life.

*

Stand and deliver

"Development and security go hand in hand," MacKay told the crowd in his home province. "Without security, there can be no humanitarian aid or assistance, no reconstruction, no democratic development."

"To suggest, as some have, that we can do one without the other is nothing short of pure folly and, in fact, it's dangerous."

**********

STUFF LIBERALS IGNORE:

"Improvements in medical care since the Taliban fell five years ago have led to a marked decrease in Afghanistan's infant mortality rates - 40,000 fewer infant deaths a year."

*

If only...

We could all be as principled as Steffi... and the Fiberals.

*

See, it's all relative

One man's trash...

Pressure has mounted on the Archbishop of Canterbury after his comments about Islamic Sharia law were criticised by his predecessor, Lord Carey.

"His conclusion that Britain will eventually have to concede some place in law for aspects of Sharia is a view I cannot share. There can be no exceptions to the laws of our land which have been so painfully honed by the struggle for democracy and human rights."

"His acceptance of some Muslim laws within British law would be disastrous for the nation."

Is another man's treasure...

The Muslim Council of Britain welcomed his "thoughtful intervention" on the discussion of the place of Islam and Muslims in modern Britain.

*

Calling Julian Falconer

Dammit, if only we had a few more... social workers...

Three men are expected to survive after being stabbed outside The Guvernment nightclub early this morning. The incident happened in a parking lot near the club around 2:20 a.m., near Queen Quay E. and lower Jarvis St.

"Cos obviously... these poor neglected boys... just need a sympathetic ear and a dash of self-respect.

The alternation began around 2:20 a.m. when a young man made a disparaging comment about a woman who was leaving the club. The woman's male friends then began hurling homophobic insults at the first man and his friends.

Yessiree... these poor waifs are just misunderstood. That's what everybody says, right?

I just don't get it.

Why is it... that even though we get a couple of shootings or stabbings in Toronto every week... no one wants to talk about the sociopaths who pull triggers, or pull knives?

You see Mayor David Miller and Premier McSlippery screaming about "banning guns"... like they were falling from the skies and killing innocent bystanders... but no one talks about the assailants themselves.

Remember when you were young... and kids were roaming around in wolf packs shooting and stabbing each other... at the slightest provocation?

Yeah... me neither.

**********

RELATED: Purple Alert!

Well well well... thanks for the advice "Wendy Drummond of the Toronto police service".

How should women take care?

**********

LAST WORD: The Scarberia biathlon...

Basketball and ballistics.

A 21-year-old man who was shot following a late-night game of basketball at a Scarborough arena Saturday is expected to recover. The injured man fled the parking lot of the arena — formally known as Mid Scarborough — and apparently attempted to drive himself to hospital.

The gunman is described as black, 18 to 22 years old, about 6-foot, with a skinny face, wearing a black hat and blue jacket.

*

Don't forget...

You're gonna be playing by China Rules.

-- COLORADO SPRINGS -- When a caterer working for the United States Olympic Committee went to a supermarket in China last year, he encountered a piece of chicken — half of a breast — that measured 14 inches.

"Enough to feed a family of eight," said Frank Puleo, a caterer from Staten Island who has traveled to China to handle food-related issues. "We had it tested and it was so full of steroids that we never could have given it to athletes."

"They all would have tested positive."

*

This is Steffi-speak for...

'Beat me, whip me... make me write hot cheques...'

"Mr. Dion said his party "is never afraid" of an election, but that his priority was to make Parliament work."

**********

LATEST WORD: BLINK

War is bad... and Stephen Harper is still evil incarnate, but...

"I would much prefer to find an agreement on the future of the mission, and I will work for that," Mr. Dion said in an interview with the Victoria Times Colonist.

*

The Gift...

That keeps on giving.

-- VANCOUVER -- The Liberal Party has no intention of advocating the legalization of cannabis but Stéphane Dion made it clear Friday that under a Liberal government, other Canadian cities could see safe injection sites like the one in Vancouver.

**********

RELATED: Time to choose sides...

An Edmonton crackhead was convicted yesterday of kidnapping a city teen at knifepoint and raping her in a secluded area after a judge rejected the man's evidence.

Edward Wayne Belter, 46, had denied abducting and sexually assaulting the 17-year-old girl and claimed she had simply been on the raw end of a sex-for-crack deal.

Graesser also rejected the evidence of defence witness Blair Schmidt, who, like Belter, is a drug-addicted criminal.

Steffi... I just can't wait to read your "white paper"... on legalising prostitution.

**********

LAST WORD: A reading from the gospel of Cherniak

"I’d be interested in the current Catholic take on the necessity of slaughtering the heathens."

*

Apparently it ain't all...

Windmills and tulips.

-- THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The Dutch cabinet said Friday it wants to ban burkas from all schools and prevent government employees from wearing the head-to-toe Islamic robes, but said it was impossible to outlaw them altogether.

In a policy letter to parliament, the cabinet said it would send a proposal to legislators within a few months on banning burkas in schools and said it would push government offices to forbid the garment in their staff dress regulations.

**********

UPDATE: Of course, it may already be too late.

**********

RELATED: Perhaps the English...

Need to come up with something more logical than... "Resistance is Futile."

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had better hope shariah law never takes hold in Britain, otherwise, as the leader of an infidel faith, he'll be among the first to be flayed alive in Ayatollah Khomeini Public Assemblage Area (formerly Trafalgar Square).

*

Pony up, you weenies

Hey Steffi, you can run... but you can't hide...

-- OTTAWA -- The Conservative government introduced a motion Friday to extend Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan and immediately declared it a confidence matter — a move that sets the stage for a showdown with the Liberals and a possible spring election.

"It requires other parties to make a simple decision," said Mr. Van Loan. "Either you support the military mission in Afghanistan or you don't."

Whatever beef you might have with Prime Minister Stephen Harper... unlike some other unnamed leaders of the opposition i can think of... he's sure not afraid to make the tough calls.

Mind you, it's not all bad news for all the Fiberals... Iggy must be dancing on his desk... at the thought of his not-so-beloved leader taking another kick in the teeth.

**********

LAST WORD: The Tao of Warren

"It’s a good report, but so what. This is politics. If you have to throw John Manley and a couple MPs overboard to win an election, you do it."

"That's my position, and I'm sticking to it. (Until I don't.)"

Ah, yes... those lovely Fiberal core values.

*

McSlippery Liberals to reinforce...

Their strategic and oh-so-politically correct... "Bend over and grab your ankles" social policies...

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant has made a deal with First Nations communities to give them a $3-billion slice of the province's lucrative lottery and gaming revenues over 25 years.

"It involves an initial boost and it also signals a new direction," Bryant said.

"We have avoided fighting each other in the courts."

Or anyplace else, apparently.

Because that totally unaccountable "welfare handout" thing... has been working out so well.

Good grief.

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

"And the best part is he won't have to raise our taxes to provide this support to our aboriginal people. Instead, McGuinty will implement a small "aboriginal support premium" on our tax return."

*

You control the heights...

You control the terrain...

“It was always said that the children are the ones that run that school,” she said, “so it was very shocking all the changes he put in place, that they actually went along with it.”

Students agree, if sometimes grudgingly, that the school is now a different place.

“It’s like they figured out our game,” groused Brian Roman, 15, an eighth grader with a ponytail.

You can fight for the public school system... or, like Toronto... you can fall back on segregation.

Choose wisely.

*

Apparently nobody was watching...

While Sharia slipped in the back door...

"Polygamy is a regular part of life for many Muslims," Ali said yesterday.

"Ontario recognizes religious marriages for Muslims and others."

Hey, Premier McSlippery... what's up with that?

**********

RELATED: Ask an Islamic country

We fund polygamy... but these guys have a problem with Islamic headscarves.

The ban — a relic of the aggressive secularism enforced by modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk — can be repealed only by a constitutional amendment.

What's the moral of the story here?

**********

LAST WORD: Sorry... that's just not enough

Ali said Muslims now want the polygamous marriages to be recognized under federal immigration laws so they can legally sponsor their wives here.

*

This compulsive serial self-Googler...

May finally be one toke over the line...

"The Wicked Witches of the West and East - plus their Muslim-loathing Winged Monkeys, and the Freespeech Martyrs Brigade, Levant and Steyn - have also devoted lots and lots of space to it, in some cases sneering that I am a pedophile, that I made it all up, that I am a Nazi, and so on."

I don't wanna harsh your mellow Special K... but it sounds like you're straying into "Lucy" Warman territory here.

"Immodestly, all of this suggests to me that the things I have been writing on this web site about racism, anti-Semitism and human rights have perhaps had an impact."

Or maybe Warren... you just need to take a couple weeks in Cancun... snag some rays... loll around on the beach?

'Cos you're sounding a little stressed out here, bro.

**********

LAST WORD: Why he's called Special K...

Rumour has it... he got his law degree from a cereal box.

"I contacted Kinsella to advise him that I was legal counsel for Blazing Catfur. I didn't expect what came next."

"First, Kinsella demanded to know if I was licensed to practise law in Ontario. I thought it was a trick question: all Canadian lawyers now have the right to practise law across the country."

"I thought Kinsella was just joking around, but he wasn't -- he genuinely didn't know that, and he told me he was going to immediately (it was Sunday night, if I recall) write a letter to the Law Society to put a stop to my shenanigans!"

*

There's just one small problem...

With the Bin-Layton "Save the World" pipedream... it doesn't look like anybody really wants to be saved...

"It is most regrettable that... peacekeepers cannot be allowed to maintain peace."

*

Maybe he just wanted...

To have his 15 centimetres of fame...

"We all had a bit of a laugh when we saw the thing," said Christian Kropp, presiding judge at the court in the eastern town of Sondershausen.

The man did not explain his motive but expressed remorse for the photo, Kropp said. He was fined 150 euros ($220) for distributing pornographic material.

*

Like, for instance... stoning

"There are ways of looking at marital disputes, for example, which provide an alternative to the divorce courts as we understand them."

"In some cultural and religious settings they would seem more appropriate."

Culturally appropriate resolution?

Sure... let's ask Aqsa Parvez.

*

You decide to go...

Mano a mano with the local constabulary... you're not on my list of social acquaintances anyway...

-- EDMONTON -- A judge has ruled that a massive overdose of cocaine was the cause of death for an Edmonton man who died after being stunned by police Tasers.

Provincial court Judge F.A. Day, who conducted the fatality inquiry into the case, found that Fiacco had five times the lethal level of cocaine in his system, and it caused his heart to fail.

Oh, yeah... I can't wait for Canadian Cecilia to do her mandatory defence... of the socially and chemically aggrieved.

Because we're all gawd's children... and dammit... CC cares about every last one of us.

*

In this time of war...

"I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror".

*

HE IS RISEN

No, not that guy... I'm talking about Pingu...

I know there are parents out there whose toddlers never watch a minute of TV. I admire their purity and salute them as they sip nectar from a glass slipper on Mount Olympus.

But my own parenting, and that of most people I know, takes place in a somewhat dimmer zone, the grubby lair of "Whatever Works".

*

That's funny...

There's absolutely no mention of Jean Chretien intervening... to get Ahmed Said Khadr's late terrorist ass... freed from a Pakistani prison.

After living unhappily in Canada — which the writer calls "a dirty swamp" — for 10 years, Khadr returned to Pakistan during the mid-1980s. While there, he worked for a Canadian government-backed charity called Human Concern International, says the account.

Khadr later formed his own charity, returning to Canada from time to time to collect money for the Afghan jihad against the Soviets.

In 1992 he stepped on a landmine, paralyzing a hand and a foot, and returned to Canada for one year for medical care and to recuperate.

So, objectively... this was actually just another case of state-subsidized terror.

Nice work if you can get it.

**********

FROM THE COMMENTS:

Imagine if you will: teenaged white kids are caught up in some skinhead group. Their parents are neo-nazis as well. Dad and the boys head out to Zimbabwe to fight Mugabe. Dad is killed, and the boyos are wounded and captured.

How many Toronto Star editorials would be written to get the kids back to Canada?

**********

RELATED: Live and don't learn... that's us

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