Sunday, January 29, 2006

Alicia Ross Remembered...
Jennifer Teague's Killer(s)
Still On The Run

Two young ladies. Two horrific crimes. Two different outcomes.

  • Alicia Ross is remembered by family and friends at aliciaross.ca.

    The site features eulogies, pictures and stories on a life cut way too short.

    Of course, Sean Hine is missing from the final picture.

    He is mentioned. Once.

    Later that evening, I said goodnight to my Alicia at about 11 pm in the family basement. We laughed. She had spent the evening with her boyfriend, Sean, playing pool and burning CDs. He said goodnight to her on our front lawn at about midnight. Neither of us would ever see her again.

    On the morning of August 17th, Sean called 911 to report Alicia missing. He'd tried to reach her the night before when he got home — no response from her cell phone. No response again in the morning. She hadn't shown up for work. He then contacted my husband and I, and we rushed home to find the street covered with York Region Police cars, and the house filled with police officers — all looking for Alicia. In Alicia's room were her cell phone, her purse, her cigarettes, her keys. Her bed had not been slept in. Her laundry lay folded, ready to be put away. Her ring was by the bathroom sink — she'd washed for bed. Her car was in the driveway — she'd never gone to work. The backyard was strewn with Alicia's shoes, a glass, a cigarette, and the back yard gate had been left open. A sickness fell over us.
    Considering that he was one amongst the many who loved her, he should've put his "2¢" into the memorial, but either he was not allowed to, didn't do it, too distraught to do it... we may never know.

    Maybe he will be welcomed back to the fold, at least for once.

    I still have my suspicions about Hine. Maybe he'll eventually come clean.

    But then again...


  • It's been a while since Jennifer Teague was laid to rest.

    Unfortunately, unlike Alicia, the person(s) who took Jennifer's life still couldn't be found.

    Somone out there must have a conscience, or at least something resembling one.

    Right about now, police are still hunting, and they desperately need your help.

    You can email them at infojennifer@ottawapolice.ca, or call them at (613) 236-1222, ext. 5477.

    Confidentiality will be guaranteed.

    If you're a witness, it's only a crime if you do nothing to help bring about justice.

    If you're afraid that you might be a suspect, it doesn't hurt to come clean.

    And if you really did the crime, call a lawyer and pray that the police get you before someone else does.

    Whatever you do, for sake of closure, do it for the ones Jennifer left behind.
What can I say? 'nuff said.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

WTF, Eh?
The 'Bec

(Brought to you by "YouTube".)

For those who can't feel "The OC", check this out...



Enjoy, eh?

Friday, January 27, 2006

"...And muthafuckas act
like they forgot about Dray."

They still remember me, even after all these months away from the dockyard.

I still ask about what's happening on the MCDVs, and some of the stories are quite interesting.

Like a drug bust on the Saskatoon out West - confirm or deny?

But what am I to do? Beacause of diabetes - and a few other issues known only to the closest and dearest - I can't go out to sea anymore.

Everytime I think about this fact, there would be this madman's mix of emotions - bitterness, elation, sadness, confusion. But working on a warship with excessive baggage and issues can endanger an operation, and being the empathetic entity that I am, I rationalise this mixed blessing-curse.

If it weren't for my diabetes (and the accompanying "Why Me" mentality) and persistent seasickness, if it weren't for my demons and the accompanying elephants, would my career on the MCDVs have been different? I don't know; nobody else would want to speculate.

But in a couple of days, I'll be moving out of St. Laurent Block at Windsor Park. Five years of accumulated stuff, memories, games, treasures that I modestly hid away for future considerations, and junk that I kept "just in case" are being packed, categorised, unpacked and repacked to maximise space in the huge totes, suitcases and boxes.

Many people say that it's easy to pack and hard to unpack. For me, the two opposing acts are equally demanding, especially for 1 person with too few friends and acquaintances. If I were back in Ontario, at least I could bribe a bud to lend me a hand, but here in Halifax, I still consider myself as the friendly stranger, as every day in this very small city looks different and new.

I tried looking that same vibe back in Thornhill, in Toronto, but each day looked the same - more traffic, more noise, more condos, more stupid shootings, more etc.

On the 1st of February, I'll be relocating to a nice little 1-bedroom in Dartmouth. There is a small issue with the furnishings, but nothing that the good old "Buy and Sell" cannot solve. And thank Lucifer that there's a Sobey's, a drugstore and a pizzaria not too far away.

So don't be too surprised if there will be a few changes in the blog and the website. There will be just a many changes in my life. The attitude, though, well...

Stay tuned.

PS: belated big-up to Tej, a.k.a. DJ Slide, King-pimp of the Sunday night Junglist scene at the Kabin. Keep the fires going.

Extra belated big-up to Andy, a.k.a. MC L.A. Pick 'em up - knock 'em down... now you're legal enough to buy smokes and booze, M'son. Respect, Everywhere.

No Offence, Ambassador Wilkins:
But They're Our Arctic Waters!

With the election of a brand new Tory government, Steve-O made it very clear that our sovereignty and our defence of it are priorities.

Speaking at a news conference, the PM-elect touched on a few things that will affect me and my fellow Canadians, in spite of a slim-minority government. One of the more nagging points faced by all politicians is one about Actic sovereignty and who lays claim to these waters.

Correct me if I'm wrong: Canada has traditionally maintained a 12-mile territorial claim around it's coast, and a 200-mile economic interest zone on top of that. The Northwest Passage weaves through our Arctic islands, and as these waters become more available, more ships and other interested parties will try to exploit it.

Ambassador Wilkins claims that these waters are neutral, but if that were to be true, then to whom do these islands belong, eh?

Wouldn't that fact compromise our sovereignty and our security? Being in neutral waters would bring the potential for abuse and mayhem, not to mention potential ecological complications, right?

Here's what Steve-O said about the issue:

(in French): If I can comment yesterday on some comments from the U.S. ambassador about our plans for the sovereignty of our Arctic. I am clear, our party was clear during electoral campaign. The United States defends its sovereignty. It's the intention of our government to defend our sovereignty. We have plans for National Defence. We have a mandate from the Canadian people and I hope, the House of Commons, and it's our intention to follow that mandate. We're getting our mandate from the Canadian population and not from the ambassador of the United States.

(in English): And I will say the same thing in English which, as I say, I noticed yesterday in the papers comments by the Ambassador the United States on Arctic sovereignty. As you know, I was very clear about this in the election campaign. The United States defends its sovereignty. The Canadian government will defend our sovereignty. I've been very clear in the campaign that we have significant plans for National Defence and for defence of our sovereignty including Arctic sovereignty. We believe we have a mandate for those from the Canadian people and we hope to have it as well from the House of Commons but it is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the Ambassador of the United States. (emphasis mine) Thank you.
Well... it's a good start.

Maybe a nice little toll system can solve the problem - ships that pay up and follow the rules can transit these waters - a bit like the St. Lawrence Seaway, but a little more expensive - and we can pay off the debt and fund for better medicare and daycare.

But for now, we own these waters.

Got a problem? See you in court.

Check out
these peeps!
AGWN/Steve Janke, KerPlonka

More Work For Us In Afghanistan

Big-Up to...

The Jawa Report

BOH!
Even with the eventual addition of more CF troops in Kandahar, those pesky Talibans are more than ready enough to stir some pretty heavy Scheiße for the next little while.

The latest outrage involved the firebombing of a girl's school, and along with a suicide bombing that claimed a life of a diplomat and seriously injured 3 CF soldiers, the road to peace and good order in the region will have some big potholes to fill.

Now, send in the JTF, eh?

Check out
this peep!
Interested-Participant

To All You Zombies Who Have Received A Trackback...

Some of you were wondering why, in spite of my trackbacks, you were not getting more traffic than you should.

Fear not! From this point on, this will show up on some of my future postings...

Check out
these peeps!
Winamp, Anti-music,
Debbie Schlussel

This will show up on posts that I have initiated on my own volition, rather than posts that were based on, or inspired by, other blogs.

Those who inspire me still get the big-ups. It's just that sometimes I'm too lazy to add to some threads on the same topic, so I occasionally abuse that trackback priviledge.

So... there you go. (Right back atcha, Brian.)

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Oy Vey:
Hamas Wins Pali© Vote

A party winning an election fair-and-square is one thing.

A party that preaches genocide, suicide bombing and oppressive religious hegemony winning it is another.

To many - myself included - Hamas is a terrorist group responsible for murders within Eretz Israel. Dealing with them as criminals was easy. Things will get worse when they take control of the so-called "Palestinian Authority"™ ruling the descendants of Ottoman-era settlers (read: invaders and ethnic cleansers).

To his credit as first-time PM, Steve-O breaks it down...
Asked about the issue during his first news conference since winning Monday's election, Harper said he supports Israel.

"For a nation to be truly democratic, that nation must renounce terrorism," he said.
Not much, but it's a start, eh?

Sadly, they Palestinians© were voting out a corrupted Fatah regime in favour of the lesser, more austere Hamas. But the aims seem to be the same: KILL THE DAMJOOZ!

Don't believe me? Read this - the best tyrants create effective generations of automatons, and the Palis© have wound up both screwing logic and getting screwed in the process.

Hold on to your hats.

Check out
these peeps!
Memento Moron, Michelle Malkin,
The Rott, Ace of Spades,
Oblogatory Anecdotes

In Damn Good Company!

Steve-O starts getting his shizzle 2-gether.

Jack-Olivia (as the husband-wife entity shall be dubbed, henceforth) make moving plans.

Gi-Gi? Who the heck cares!

And poor, widdle Paulyanna is contemplating going on a cruise, preferrably on one of his own Liberian-registered steamships.

But I have a few things on my plate... packing up for the big move to the Darkside (a.k.a. Dartmouth, NS); selling off the car; getting a new job; buying "new" furniture and electronics; and finding yet another way to take over the world!

But in the meantime, check on the left hand side and look for the "Blogging Tories" blogroll.

The dreaded Captain Ed's there.

So are Small Dead Animals and AGWN.

And at the bottom, the latest addition to the roll.

Click away and discover what it means to be True Blue.

Meanwhile... I've Googled "pork soup", for those who might be interested, eh?

'night.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Erection 2006:
A Pyrrhic Victory For All Canadians

Around the blogosphere, everyone's feeling optimistic about the overthrow of the hated Grit-tatorship.

LGF-ers have shown some optimism, saying that that the Tory minority is a step in the right direction, a statement that with which I have no problem agreeing.

The Toronto Sun's Peter Worthington waxed poetic about Steve-O's victory over Paulyanna, stating:
It was an historic election in several ways -- not only for the length and acrimony of the campaign (and a winter campaign at that), but as someone noted, Stephen Harper learned from history, and Paul Martin is now history.
But before we break out the champagne glasses, I'd love to make it perfectly clear that another election may be over the horizon.

The Tories had to win at least 155 seats to have a majority, therefore giving them a proper mandate to govern. Because they are currently outnumbered 184-124, they will have to do either one of three options...

  1. stick to their guns and go down in flames;

  2. make minor adjustments to their policies while courting the other parties, then go down in flames; or

  3. throw out a few of their policies to make them palatable to the other parties, then go down in flames.
Not a very good scenario, is it?

If Steve-O wants to survive his Freshman Year at Parliament, he will have to resort to some pretty slick cloak-and-dagger moves to get the Grits, Jack-livia (formerly "Jack-O") and G-Dogg over to side long enough to effect the necessary changes after 12 years of misrule and corruption. If he's not careful, he too will be history.

With all due respect: in the end, we are the real losers.

Monday, January 23, 2006

Erection 2006:
The Semi-Live Results Blog.

(All times AST.)

You've all cast your ballots now, haven't you?

Of course you did.

Throughout the night, I'll be watching the tv awaiting the results.

Well... at least once every hour.

This should be fun, provided that we don't get stuck with another freaking minority government.

I hate minority governments - all posturing but no resolve.

A small caveat: this may not be as accurate as you might expect. I'm watching CTV/ATV for the results, and so far they've been doing projections on various candidates. So if some of the numbers that I will be spewing out seem out of whack, it's not necessarily my fault. Honest.

20:35 They're starting to count the ballots in the Maritimes. And right about now, the Tories are leading the Grits 5-4. No Laytonites, yet.

22:22 Some of you surfers might recall a Chinese Cultural Revolution epic called "The East Is Red" (which, incidentally, is also the name for a martial arts movie, but I may be wrong).

Well, in this election, this rings true. Virtually most of the Maritimes have gone Grit, as they have almost always done since the days of Laurier and Mackenzie King. Considering that Maritimers are mainly rural and supportive of charismatic local personalities, this may explain ex-Tory Scott Brison's re-election in the Kings-Hants riding.

At this time: Lib 19 - Con 11 - NDP 3

23:10 So far... so good... so what? Global Television is projecting a Tory majority while CTV is predicting a Tory minority which, in spite of the nice-sounding flow, might suck to those who want real change.

Somehow, lifelong Grits would still vote Liberal - a case of "my Party - right, wrong or whatever" - which means that in the next election campaign, the Tories will have to resort to hiring members of the old KGB disinformation section to convert the stalwarts. For now, many fingers will have to be crossed for wins in Ontario and the West.

Right about now: Con 98 - Lib 86 - BQ 49 - NDP 22 - Ind 1

23:40 Plus ça change? In the last election, the Bloc Québecois owned la belle province in wake of AdScam relevations. Now they're doing roughly the same thing, except that the real opposition might be in form of the Tories, who have made a bit of a comeback since '94 when they got pwned in the worse possible way. Currently, there has been talk about the future of Paulyanna's Party leadership. But in spite of rumours leading to possible resignation, PM seems to be hanging on.

And - horrors of freaking horrors! - BS has gotten her pwetty little self re-elected in Newmarket-Aurora with a 1200+ vote lead. Note to voters there: SHE'S NOT PARIS HILTON! Sheesh! It seems that after the big flip-flop, the people are still hooked on Pork. Where's the BBQ sauce?

And to make matters even more stupid, controversial Grit candidate Michael Ignatieff, who has spent most of his life out of the country than in, has won (so-far) his riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore over Tory contender John Capobianco by 1200 votes. Note to future Tory contenders: the better the resume, the better your chances. Iggy has been touted to be the next Grit leader, and a win like this could set him up for that possibility. To be continued...

Right about now: Con 122 - Lib 102 - BQ 50 - NDP 30 - Ind 1.
And still not a shot of Green in sight. sigh...

23:56 Big-ups to the dreaded Ed Morrisey (who is very un-related to another Morrisey, but, like his namesake, he can probably mope with the best), who's liveblogging this sucker as I write this.

And am I seeing things, or is CTV's venerable Lloyd Robertson being a bit chipper for the occasion? The net's coverage is a little more exciting than Global and the CBC, with an intersting rogue's gallery of a pundit panel that includes ex-Grit minister and ex-Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin tossing analyses and synopses of electoral performance. I nearly went into a coma with Global's response, while the CBC is just - well, like the CBC of old (read: they don't like Tories).

And as much as I don't like the NDP (they gave the Liberals all of their good ideas, eh?), I'm pulling for Olivia Chow over the dreaded Grit incumbent Tony Ianno. It would be nice to see Chow united with her hubby, Jack-O. So what if there's a "Lady MacBeth" bent in thsi story - I'm a sucker for romanticism.

Right about now: Con 123 - Lib 103 - BQ 50 - NDP 31 - Ind 1
F---! Another minority! I hate that.

Tuesday morning, 00:30 BS bigs-up the Pork-loving voters in Newmarket-Aurora for sending her back to Parliament Hill, saying that she loves them all. The topper is her big-up on her father for being an inspirattion for all those years. There's no doubt where her bread has been buttered when she declares that Paul Martin is a leader with a global vision. Maybe if she offered him a better set of reading glasses and a few extra trips to the optometrist, maybe Paulyanna can have a better view, but that's has been flogged to many times.

And I swear to Lucifer, she looks like a frumped-up Martha Stewart. Sorry about the Paris Hilton analogy.

And, as a major WTF, Grit incumbent Susan Kadis has held on her Thornhill seat over Tory Anthony Reale. She's a nice lady, but her party sucks. On the upside, Green candidate Lloyd Helferty will now have time to buy a better sports jacket. And tie. As for Progressive Canadian contender Mark Abramowitz, he should be able to come up with a decent suit and tie just in time for the 2010 campaign. Chances are that I'll be casting my Thornhill ballot at that time.

BTW - Olivia has won her seat. Hubby will be very happy. His moustache will (insert crude, deviant sexual situation here)!

Right about now: Con 122 - Lib 105 - BQ 50 - NDP 30 - Ind 1
I am starting to hate the future already.

01:11 Paulyanna addresses the masses, stating that he called Steve-O to concede defeat and congratulating him on a good, hard-fought campaign. Even though he's had his arse served back to him in Québec, Paulyanna still remains cheerful and optimistic since the Grits have 102 seats. Will they support the government? Will they overthrow them? Who knows? But one thing for certain: he tells the throng that they will not force yet another election and will step down from the leadership. He finishes by thanking the supporters for their hard work and his family of their love. It's an end of a very short era. Poor Paulyanna. At least, he has done "The Right Thing" with class and much respect for friends and rivals alike. He leaves a much diminished and divided party, and sooner or later, the contenders and pretenders to the Red Throne will sharpen their claws and their wits. Will Iggy jump in? Is BS up to the task? This should be very interesting.

Right about now: Con 125 - Lib 102 - BQ 51 - NDP 29 - Ind 1
Welcome to the Big Suck.

02:00 Well... it appears to be a given.

Right about now: Con 124 - Lib 103 - BQ 51 - NDP 29 - Ind 1

I'm off to bed. At least the Grits are out of office, but we're not out of the woods. Not even halfway.

Who's the Independant dude in the picture? It turns out to be Québec's premier nutbar radio personality André Arthur, who would make Howard Stern look like Pat Robertson on a bad hair day.

But in terms of good guys vs. bad guys, you'd get something like this...

Tories 124 - The Bad Guys 184

Uh oh. Break out those barf bags. This ride is going to be very rough. I'm off to bed. Goodnight.

Erection 2006:
Blue, Red Or Orange?

Pork can be good.

In Canada.

But it can also be addictive.

Paulyanna is promising lots of Pork.

For those who vote Liberal.

In Toronto.

He said that Steve-O eats kittens and babies for breakfast.

He even made ads.

Attack ads.

On television.

In Prime Time.

All falsehoods and exaggerations.

Only the gullible will believe them.

I'm not making this up.

Choose your Canada. Vote for anyone but Martin.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Erection 2006:
Why Paulyanna Must Go!

Just read the link.

Then make the call.

Friday, January 20, 2006

Here We Go Again...
The Story Of
Haleigh Poutre

Big-Up to...

Michelle Malkin.

BOH!
Last year, it was all about Terri Schiavo.

This year, Michelle Malkin stumbled on a sadder story about an 11-year-old allegedly beaten and burned by her stepdad.

Like Terri, she's on life support in a persistent vegetative state.

Like Terri, she is at the centre of controversy whether she should be allowed to live.

Like Terri, there is a tug-of-war brewing between 2 opposing parties: her stepdad wants her to live; the doctors at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, aren't quite sure.

This debate between optimists and pessimists will surely go on as long as Haleigh has a pulse. But Michelle has this nice little blurb to say...
When the state condemns a convicted murderer to die, Hollywood celebrities trip all over themselves to protest.

Where are the Tinseltown activists who will rally to protect a truly innocent life?

Haleigh may not have been a founding member of a street gang, convicted of capital murder or an author of children's books (with a help of a ghost-writer), but she still deserves a chance.

Expect the blogosphere to heat up over this case.

Erection 2006: Y-2-Dray Visits...
THE COMMIES
(you mean they're still around?)

Who: The Communist Party of Canada

What: they're Communists.

Why: "Canada's future is socialism!"
(Psst... the NDP just called: they want their slogan back!)

Wet dreams:
In a socialist Canada, the principal means of producing and distributing wealth will be the common property of society as a whole. The exploitation of labour will be abolished. Ecological degradation will be stopped, and a planned approach to the relationship of human life with the natural environment will be implemented. Want, poverty, insecurity and discrimination, rooted in capitalist exploitation, will be ended. Socialism will finally realize a new society based on solidarity, equality and emancipation.

As it develops, socialism will provide the real basis for communism, a classless society, in which for the first time in history, the free all-round development of each individual can be the condition for the development of all.

The aim of the Communist Party of Canada is to establish a socialist and, ultimately, a communist society in Canada. The party stands for the victory of socialism throughout the world.
I did say that it was a wet dream, right?

Eye-opening revelation:
Canada is an imperialist country – a highly developed monopoly capitalist state. Canada has the highest level of foreign ownership amongst the imperialist countries, but it is neither a colony nor a semi-colony. Canadian-based transnationals participate in the exploitation of working people in other countries, and Canada is subject to the intrinsic contradictions of global capitalism.
I'd sure love to see our imperial holdings. Weren't we supposed to own the Turks and Caicos waaay baaack in the daaay? Hmmm...

Anyways, read on and laugh.

Erection 2006:
The Zen Sight Of
One Hand Clapping

Here I am, looking for a job, enduring pogey, recovering from a nice long talk with Sis, and the wheels of campaign agitprop keep grinding and grinding, blah blah blah blah blah.

It's enough to make a mild-mannered proletarian go postal at the sight of Liberal Zen Disinformation Spots that permeate Canuck airwaves.

The words come out like fractured grade-school haiku, underlying the evil that is Stephen Harper. Since the Fibbing Libs couldn't find anything bad to say about Steve-O's policies, they decided to go after his personality - or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof, since he's too darn nice to be viewed as a quasi-clerico-fascist demagogue.

But to appreciate the essence of Canadian electoral agitprop, one should be able to witness it. Aside from the Grit-ty attack haikus (those ending with the "Choose your Canada" mantra), the Tories take a good swift kick at the shortcomings made by Paulyanna's party, while the NDP use a bit of humour to make their point. The Blokes That Want To Break Up The Country have their own ads that hide the fact that their raison d'être is to break up the country. Heureusement, the ROC is spared the saccharine treatment. Malheureusement, the Québecois are led to think that the Blokes are an offshoot of Jack-O's Not-so-new Democratic Party, who somewhat share these very same values without the potetential for high treason.

Interestingly, of the 4 established "Federal" parties (yes, the Blokes are a "Federal" entity: that's the price of having a pluralistic democracy, eh?), only 2 - the Grits and the NDP - offer ads in languages other than English and French. Yet the message is the same: vote for us and your lives will be better. The recent Grit ad showed Paulyanna stating that even though they had been found liable for AdScam and other scandals, the Liberals are still Canada's Party. Sadly, because of all the shortcomings, mudslinging and botched opportunities, Paulyanna has wound up dealing with more more work and damage control than what he had before the campaign! Which is why the oucome may have more of a Blue-Orange tint rather than a Reddish hue. Until then, the slaggings, innuendoes and finger-pointings will continue on Canada's airwaves.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Back In The Bowels Of Hali...

After almost a month in the Old Country (a.k.a. Thornhill, ON), I'm back in Halifax getting ready to move out of St. Laurent Block, Windsor Park.

Since I'm in-between careers, I have to spend a little extra time looking for work. Add to the fact that I have to find decent furnishings for my crib and food for the fridge, and you have one busy camper.

I've noticed that in my absence there were those who have posted comments on quite a few of my postings. If they didn't show up soon enough, it's because they were pending moderation through Haloscan and I couldn't remember the password to its site - I was on vacation after all, and my brain acted accordingly. I will be picking through them, so don't be too surprised if one of the posted comments becomes another post (heh heh heh)!

Aside from the Boxing Day shooting, silly Grit attack ads, excessive overindulgence at the China Buffet King, and ringing ears from Empire's 1Sound party at the late, lamented System Soundbar (big ups, Ryan), my holiday was good. I haven't relapsed, thank G-d (FTWK), and those 12 Steps have kept my head together, especially when I'm dealing with relatives, friends and old haunts.

Anyways, just to let you know, I've cast my vote in advance - Elections Canada still has me pegged as a Thornhill resident, so I figured that change is due. Despite all the good intentions displayed by the incumbent (and those pansy-assed Paulyanna attack ads), I voted... accordingly.

To all my fellow Canadians, do the right thing Jan. 23. I'll be waiting.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Erection 2006: The Okay Debate,
Last Night In Thornhill, And
Paul-luting The Campaign

So many things to say - so little time.

So let's get started with Monday's English-language debate between the 4 contenders. In a nutshell...

  • Paulyanna lost his cool when confronted with allegations that he registered his Canada Steamship fleet with other nations so he could pay less taxes and insurance, thus making him look less patriotic than what he claimed to be in campaign ads;

  • Jack-O Layton appeared pretty calm at the start, occasionally pointing out defects in his opponents' arguments without resorting to crypto-Marxist blathering. But towards the end, he started to conclude his answers by begging the audience to elect his party. A good performance spoiled by excessive begging;

  • Gigli the Separatiste tried to put on the face of a federal candidate to virtually no avail, therefore looking a little lost in the scuffle. He did, however, score some hits on Paulyanna by attacking the definition of a "nation". Everything else sounded like a carbon-copy of the NDP platform. Useless in a Federal debate

  • Steve-O was cool. Maybe just too cool. Even when his patriotism was questioned by Paulyanna, he remain calm. When he was accused of trying to kill all the social programs, bankrupt the country with useless promises and promote felixophagy amongst preschoolers (I made that one up - that's the eating of cats), the man did not snap, not even once. Methinks that the enemy would have to sink a bit low to defeat him, but that's another story, eh?
On Wednesday, I went to an all-candidates meeting at the Thornhill Community Centre Library to see representatives from 5 political parties in the federal riding (electoral district) of Thornhill explain their presences and parrot whatever their masters have cooked-up. It was a meet-and-greet affair punctuated by a spirited Q & A session. Most of the pointed questions seemed to be tossed in the general direction of the local challenger, former Town of Vaughan councillor and Conservative Party candidate Anthony Reale, especially those regarding women's and reproductive rights. Liberal Party incumbent Susan Kadis was not immune to barbs tossed her way with regards to her boss's scandals and ineptitude. The most articulate of the bunch was the NDP's contender, Simon Strelchik, whose soul-patch would make a great complement to Jack-O's 'stache if he gets elected, which would be almost never since the riding usually swung between Grit and Tory. Standout of the evening: Green Party's Lloyd Helferty's fashion sense in wearing a green sportscoat - very representative.

Anyways, after all the fuss, the Fiberals came out fighting with their own, catty attack ads against Steve-O, accusing him of being a right-wing demagogue and a warmonger willing to impose martial law on his own Fellow Canadians (even though their ideological guiding spirit, Pierre Elliot Trudeau pulled that very stunt during the October Crisis of 1970). No debate about issues, but a lot more accusations of felixophagy got tossed around. Compare the whining and caterwauling with the ads that the Tories made about poor little Paulyanna. Expect worse things to come from the 2 real contenders as the campaign reaches the proverbial home-strech.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Lou Rawls, RIP -
Where Have All The Crooners Gone?


Respect - Lou Rawls,
1935-2006

There aren't too many smooth operators left in the world of music these days.

Forget Diddy/Sean Combs/Puff Daddy/Whatever. Michael Bublé is too much of a Sinatra copycat - and if it were not for his performance at Caroline Mulroney's wedding (she being the daughter of a certain ex-PM), he would've remained as another lounge-lizard poseur. And R Kelly is too damn creepy nowadays - video or no video.

Nobody could touch Lou Rawls. Of course, Frank Sinatra was above everyone else in the Old School department, Mob connections and beatdowns notwithstanding, but for me, Lou's hit "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" ranks up there with Barry White's "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" as prime Chickie-Bait.
(...)You'll never find another love like mine
Someone who needs you like I do
You'll never see what you've found in me
You'll keep searching and searching your whole life through

Whoa, I don't wish you no bad luck, baby
But there's no ifs and buts or maybes

(You're gonna) You're gonna miss (miss my lovin')
You're gonna miss my lovin' (you're gonna miss my lovin')
I know you're gonna my lovin' (you're gonna miss my lovin')
You're gonna miss, you're gonna miss my lo-o-ove
We're gonna miss Lou. My condolences to all the ones left behind.

Respect.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Erection 2006:
Don't Get Too Comfy,
Steve-O

For the first time since the start of campaigning, the Tories have gained a bit of a lead in the polls.

Of course, if you believe in every poll, you'd believe anything. And Steve-O is in danger of contracting the bane of every aspiring politico: COMPLACENCY.

In the latest IPSOS-REID poll, the Tories lead the Grits 35 to 31 - pretty damn slim for such a horse race. The NDP - who may or may not hold the key to power - trails with 18, the Bloc with 12 and the Greens (potential spoilers?) with 5.

What do these numbers mean? Absolutely nada!

One must take into consideration that the 416/905 area code, due to Trudeau-era immigrants and powerbrokers, has a tendancy to vote for the best Pork providers, hence the continuing possibility of an unbroken Grit hegemony, scandals and recent demands for changes notwithstanding. And just a couple of hours ago, the Paulyanna Crew countered the Tories' attack ads with one of their own - you could vote for Paul Canada or you could go for Steve BusHitler. Vote for peace or vote for involvement in Iraq (Steve-O said that he won't send us there: what Green are the Grits smoking, Man?). Blah blah blah - the ad is like their ass-kiss promos: too cute for words.

This means that the Tories should do a slight change in strategy for their attacks. Too much navel-gazing on the scandals and corruptions will tire out potential voters, who might have to resort to "strategic voting" to keep out "scaremongering" Tories and possibly bring back Yet Another Minority Government™. This is something that Steve-O should've had on mind while in London, ON, saying...
"We're going to paint this whole region Tory blue on Jan. 23," he told the eight-riding rally. "This election will mark . . . the start of a bright new future for this great city and (Canada)."
Careful now, Steve-O. It's still a little too early to break out the party hats. Plus, you're in Ontario, you Meatball, where Pork is considered a staple, along with Palm Grease, Back Scratches and Brown Noses. Not to mention the occasional Pie in the Sky.

He did warn the Party Faithful about the pitfalls of overconfidence, in spite of his childlike enthusiasm...
Predictions about the outcome of the vote have been strictly taboo with the Conservative leader and his advisors, as they fear a repeat of the 2004 election, when Harper started musing about forming a majority government as the Tories surged ahead in the polls about midway through the early-summer campaign.

His hopes were dashed as voters returned the Liberals to power, albeit in a precarious minority position.

It has only been in the last few days as a handful of public opinion surveys have put the Conservatives in front that Harper has been willing to even publicly broach the subject of forming a minority government of his own.

Even with his reluctant assertion, he cautioned supporters Friday not to become overconfident.

"We have a long way to go," he said. "Don't trust the polls. Don't start counting seats."
If anyone could remember, the Grits were in the midst of a certain scandal in the Last Election, yet due to a good dose of conspiracy scaremongering - well, you get the picture.

But, this time, the Tories should have their act together if they really want to unseat the Gritty Hegemony. Sprinkle some incompetance, inactivity and inconsistency along with corruption charges in the attack ads, and the masses should vote accordingly.

Otherwise, we'll be stuck with yet another Paulyanna Minority.

Alicia Ross: Daniel Sylvester,
Sean Hine, And
Some Great Unanswerable Questions

After all this time.

After all this effort.

After all the tears and hopes and dreams.

Yellow ribbons tied on trees, now faded due to the elements that have passed through many times since Alicia went missing.

And, in the midst of the High Holy Days, Alicia Ross was finally laid to rest.

When Daniel Sylvester turned himself in for Alicia's murder, I wanted to tear him apart online for dashing my hopes for her safe return. A piece of human refuse who somehow had mustered some balls to go forward to the police and confess his sin. To take the police to two locations that held whatever was left of Alicia. A poor, pathetic excuse for a human being who should do the rest of us fellow beings a favour and kill himself.

But why should I compound a poor, misbegotten and miguided little fucker's grief and confusion? After all, he threw himself at the mercy of Lady Justice because some other person may be wrongly accused and convicted of such an evil, senseless crime. And he, through his family, showed remorse.

But the worst part was that Alicia's disappearance had left an indelible mark on those she had touched with her presence.

And yes, if it were up to me, I prefer that Daniel pay for that loss with his life, regardless of intent - you either killed the person or not. Too simple.

And during the month prior to the confession, there were people working frantically to rescue or recover Alicia. I have issued 2 separate alerts on this blog, begging her to call home, or at least show up. Because people missed her.

Her mother missed her. Her friends missed her.

And Sean Hine missed her.

You may ask yourself: "Who is this Sean Hine, and what is he doing in the same blog topic as Daniel Sylvester?"

Quite simply, Sean Hine was Alicia's boyfriend. The last person she saw before she disappeared into the night, once and for all.
For the first couple of weeks after Alicia's disappearance, Sean was considered a person of interest to the police. He had been questioned so many times about his relationship to her, his alibis, and it seemed that the pressure was so unbearable. A drunk driving incident didn't make matters any better: it only made the 5-0's a little more suspcious that they have another Scott Peterson situation on their hands.

To make a painfully long story short, the police dropped Hine as a suspect and the trail started going cold.

Until Daniel Sylvester arrived with lawyer in tow.

The press, having painted Hine as a potential suspect, did a mea culpa. The Toronto Sun's Mike Strobel summed it up in his article...

Sean Hine, 29, now mourns his girlfriend, Alicia Ross, 25.

Admit it. You figured he did it. Same for every doughnut shop and newsroom in the GTA.

How many times have we seen it?

The Canada Free Press's Arthur Weinreb praised Strobel's article with this quote...

The media, including Burnett, could not really be faulted for thinking that Hine had been guilty of killing his girlfriend. Most people didn’t need the media to help them think that the boyfriend and last person to see Ross did it. But the immediate apology for Hine for being obviously mistaken was a class act. Too often when the media does get it wrong, they simply go on as if nothing has happened. The mainstream media that salivate at the thought of catching others in mistakes rarely look at themselves when they make a mistake. Burnett’s apology was a refreshing change.
After Alicia remains were properly identified, her family made arrangements for her funeral and burial. According to Jewish tradition, she had to be interred within 24 hours of identification.

Sadly, Sean Hine wasn't welcomed to her funeral. According to Alicia's mom, Sharon Fortis, he wasn't very co-operative with the police and didn't do too much to help the family in finding Alicia. Obviously, Sean Hine would stand up and proclaim his love for Alicia, right?

But right about now, he's been silent. He did protest his innocence during Alicia's search, and his sadness over Sharon's snub prior to her funeral, but something is telling me that Sean Hine is trying to hide something.

Why am I still so suspicious about this guy? Imagine the coincidence regarding Alicia's disappearance happening right after Sean said "good-bye" to her.

Consider Daniel's confession about how fast the murder occurred.

Consider Alicia's eventual dismemberment and dispersal.

I was actually amused by this paragraph from the Canada Free Press...
Fortis’ anger at Hine, to the point of refusing to allow him to attend her daughter’s funeral seems to be irrational. Sean Hine was not only forced to deal with the grief that resulted when his girlfriend disappeared without a trace but also had to face the reality that, whether the police used the word or not, he was the prime suspect in a criminal act. Hine told the media that he feared not just being arrested but being wrongly convicted of a crime that he did not commit, a feeling that could hardly be described as exaggerated. Who knows what would have happened had the neighbour not confessed and the police were pressured to solve Alicia’s disappearance. Hine can be excused for not acting in a way that Sharon Fortis and her family thought to be appropriate.
Well, either this man was both distraught and paranoid, was really disliked by Sharon Fortis all along, was a complete wuss, was dumber than a bag of bricks or was being very evasive. I wouldn't know what was going through his mind, but he should've gotten his head together, called a lawyer and worked with everyone to find Alicia and clear his name all at once. At this point, my sympathy for Hine had evaporated quite a bit.

So what is going through the heads of Daniel Sylvester, Sharon Fortis and Sean Hine? What kind of future are they thinking right now? Why did Daniel do what he did? Why is Sean staying more silent than what's expected from a grieving lover? What is the real story here?

Maybe Sean Hine should at least speak up and come clean. Nothing more. Nothing less. At least a considerable amount of closure for everyone.

And maybe, I'll finally forgive him, and apologise.

Hometown Diary:
Hungover Thoughts At The
Dawning Of 2006

Okay... so I didn't party on the 31st. I managed to get a nasty cold on Thursday, received friends on Friday while hacking out my entire respiratory system and took enough Buckley's Mixture to humble all the inmates at Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay. The cough syrup is the most vile thing ever concocted by a Canadian (or any other human being, for that matter), but it kept me from being confined to bed and ensured that I talked for longer periods of time between seizures.

I've never experienced such worse timing for a long time, but since this is modern-day Southern Ontario, swarms of bugs at this time of year are the norm. More people equals more problems, and I've managed to catch one of them. As a result, a NYE get-together was forfeited, I get pissed off at the world and Mr. Buckley gets a few dollars richer. Thank me.

I am still working on the list of 2005 grievances. Given the limitations of web time and personal funds, I probably won't get that done until the end of this month. There are too many players that passed through my own private annus horribilis, and at this point I have better things to complain about.

For example, the Boxing Day shooting that I've mentioned in the last post would've never been publicised if the young victim were either a) a young black male; b) an elderly black male; c) a young black female; d) an elderly black female; e) anyone who might be of a "visible minority"; f) a cop; or g) anyone with a non-European name. If it took the death of a 15-year-old "bright light" to mobilize an entire city against "gun violence" (read: terrorism), then we have a serious problem here, kids. All the other young, dumb idiots who wound up meeting their Maker sooner than their due date get nothing more than a sigh and a shrug. A kid shot dead at a friend's funeral raised a few howls of disgust before getting passed off as another grim statistic of gun-crazy stupidity. Liberal politicians pass the blame off on the Yanquis (you may never know - the CIA, Feemasons and International Jewelry have gotten away with worse), poverty, the lack of after-school programs and deprivations of hugs, kisses and whores, but never on the failure of out-of-touch educational paradigms and a justice system hell-bent on loving the prisoner to redemption. And since this is Election Time, you can bet that the wave of auto-prostitution posing as campaigning will milk the issue for what it's worth.

Which brings me to the upcoming Federal election: what's up with this scandal involving this Ralph Goodale dude? Another AdScam in the making? Shall we call Mr. John Gomery to the rescue to place the blame on anyone other than Ralph Goodale? Can anyone sense a conspiracy by the Opposition, NDP or BQ, or are we just too jittery because we know that the Liberals will get Yet Another Mandate, no matter what? Paulyanna is standing by his man - if he could get away with murder, maybe Ralphie-boy will receive the OJ Simpson treatment as well. This is yet one more Can-scandal that certain portions of the blogosphere will cover.

Ahhh yes. The blogosphere - receptacle of perception and debate which screams "THIS IS MY TRUTH - SHOW ME YOURS" before degenerating into finger-pointing, innuendo and invective. I actually love it so much that I've manage to neglect my website, along with my domain. Whether I should move all my stuff to somewhere safer is another issue for another time. But the one thing that sets me off about blogging is that quite a few of them preach to the choir. For every Matthew Good, LGF and Michelle Malkin stating an argument, there are many who prefer to be panderers than missionaries. I am sick of the argument that people will find the truth out for themselves, that they will experience epiphany on their own. THIS IS WAR! A PHILOSPOPHICAL JIHAD! AN ETERNAL BATTLE FOR THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF SENTIENT SOULS! If bloggers don't start to educate and indoctrinate the porous, malleable minds of the casual lurker, then the Terrorists of Ignorance and Denial will win. The more bloggers on the Left and the Right pound their chests and rattle their sabres, the less relevant, inspirational and convincing they become. And they say that we are nuts, eh?

But thank G-d that I have my health and sanity. This old dog will be learning new dirty tricks in '06 and there's no way that anyone can stop my march to World Domination. Yes, Munchkins... I may go off the handle once in a while, and I might even utter an archaic, evil, vulgar curse or two against my enemies, both real and perceived, but it's mainly because I care a lot, and I hope that you, the impressionable surfers, will embark with me on this mad journey.

And in the end, Paul Martin will be PWNED! Thank me.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

The Myth Of
Palestinian™ "Genius":
The Eating Of Their Own Saviours

Don't you just love it when Palestinians™ assert their authority? When they try to show some gratitude towards the Izzy-raelis for the fine real-estate bestowed unto them?

It's all about love and bullets, and Captain Ed knows how the self-styled "Chosen People©" conduct themselves...
After having their daughter give her life in a misguided attempt to assist Palestinians in keeping their weapon-transit tunnels open, Rachel Corrie's parents might have labored under a perception that the Palestinians might have some gratitude for their sacrifice ... or at least prove themselves worthy of her death on their behalf. Instead, to show just how civilized they can act when they have their own territory, members of the ruling Fatah faction tried to kidnap the Corries as they also blew up part of the Gaza-Sinai border, killing two guards(...)
How sweet. Rachel Corrie, the idealistic Yanquette who went to help the Palestinians™ only to wind up as roadkill under a Caterpillar, is considered a shahidah by the pseudo-nationalists. It's fully obvious that the assailants felt that she might be lonely up in Paradise©, considering that she's stuck with 72 virgins and she's (reportedly) not a dyke.

Read the Captain's report, then discuss.