theloniusfleabag

"Television is the opiate of the masses"....Calvin (&Hobbes)...by Bill Watterson, I believe. It is good to hear that 'entertainment' is going both ways, I remember some awfully funny and entertaining stuff that was Canadian Made. However, that being said, I watch little or no television whatsoever. It is just people 'playing house' or charades, but garnering huge salaries to do so. One of my pet peeves is having a shortage of doctors in Canada, while pretending to be a doctor on television will earn exponentially more. My friends, co workers and customers are often funnier than any sitcom, and I would rather watch the honest, youthful exuberance of my neighbour's children 'playing house' than obscenely overpaid, self-absorbed actors doing the same thing.

Dear Shakeyhands, I, for one, am very disappointed. I find it silly that he would exonerate Martin yet blame Chretien. If Martin didn't know 'why' the expenditures were taking place, he was still in charge of 'how, when, where and to whom'. If Maritn knew none of these things, then he was the 'world's most incompetent boob'. Or, everyone submitted testimony to 'protect the hand that feeds them' ( at Nurmberg, Speer wrote in his journals that the unwritten motto amongst the accused Nazi leaders was 'incriminate the absent'), the incumbent PM, P.M.

Dear Argus, Technically, there are Jews everywhere, they are not 'all in one place'. So, theoretically, calling for the elimination of Israel is not the same as calling for the elimination of the world's Jewry. In fact, Israel could be 'eliminated' without a single loss of life, were it to be a truly democratic nation, as the Jews are the smallest group of 'Semites' in the region. I harbour no illusion that any such move to disband/eliminate the State of Israel would be peaceful, by any stretch, but Israel would abandon democracy if it indeed became a threat.

Dear August1991, Yes, they have the means. However, they would have to fly over Iraq, making it look as though the US was in collusion, whether or not they were.from... http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/iran.htm

Dear PocketRocket, Canada evidently did have nuclear weapons at one time. When I was younger, someone told me that we 'always had one up in the air'. Wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but...from... http://www.user.dccnet.com/welcomewoods/Nu...clearwater.html However, as Argus states, much different reasons for procurement and much different parameters for deployment would be noted between Canada and Iran today.

Dear RB, I am afraid I don't understand what point you are trying to make.

Dear BHS, Are you kidding!? Haven't you heard how dangerous that stuff is? They have to put warnings on it... "Caution: Hot"...(Do Not Consume Near Exposed Testicles). Actually, after working in restaurants for years, I learned that improperly maintained equipment (such as a proper cleaning regimen) can 'taint' such things as coffee. (The 'spreader', or water dispersal unit above the coffee grind basket must be cleaned regularly or the coffee will taste bitter over time)

My wife thought she was adorable. I thought she was plastered. Still, the 'press gallery dinner' isn't an important event as far as 'Governing' goes (either for the feds or for the GG), more like a celebrity roast. RB, that speech was written for her by a gov't speech writer. They made reference to the fact in one of the accompanying videos (about pundits giving their views on the speech).

Dear RB, I do believe that 'knowingly having unprotected sex while HIV+' is a criminal offence. The police did have a legitimate reason to make the information public. They could, ostensibly, prevent further 'criminal acts', and potentially save a life.

Dear RB, It seems that 'all followers' can wear it, though I'll bet not all of them do. Incidentally, from the Sikh homepage, I was invited to one of these community meals by a friend. I didn't get the chance to go, but next time I see him, I'll be sure to ask about it. I love food, especially Asian. (Except for that horrid Russian 'boiled chicken'. )

Dear BHS, Any CIA 'operative' is 'classified'. That status even includes the number of people working for the CIA, and it's budget. Mr. Turd Blossom (Karl Rove) isn't clear of the stink yet... from... http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/rove_affair/

Dera PSingh, Boxcutters are for cutting boxes, but 19 guys ruined it for everyone. If it were 'First Nations peoples' carrying daggers as ceremonial objects, I am sure that they would have their freedoms curtailed too. Nail clippers? I am sure everyone has heard this one..."Did you hear about the old woman that had her knitting needles confiscated on a recent flight? They thought she might try to knit an 'Afghan"... Seriously, though, not many followers of Guru Nanak are militant, and Sikhism is an inclusive, rather than exclusive or 'dominance-minded' religion, as far as I have seen. I have met a few Sikhs, almost all of them really nice people (and good Canadians!) but the few can always ruin it for the majority.

Dear kimmy, Perhaps you forgot something. Saddam maintained 'law&order', but was no longer US-friendly.

Dear Argus, China is rewarded for these brutal measures. Remember the US' actions after Tianemen Square? Sanctions were quickly replaced by rewards for 'crushing democracy'.

Dear Yaro, Indeed, we have pretty much everything needed to be self-sufficient. Heaven forfend that we should be cut off from our supply of Montel Williams and Geraldo.

Dear cgarrett, I echo Black Dog's and August1991's take on the article. Simplest definition of conservatism..."Laissez faire economy". Then some (or many) like to add "with 'old style religious values' guiding each transaction". Then, it is possible to spin off into the wacky world outlined in the article, but not all conservatives can be painted (or is that 'tarred and feathered'?) with such an immense brush.

Dear BHS, My reply was meant to call attention to your previous posts; that you denied any wrongdoing took place, and that you suggested Wilson himself was the source of the leak. Perhaps my comment is premature, as Rove has not been indicted (yet?), though Shady also has jumped the gun by trying to exonerate him before the information is on the table.

Dear August1991, Indeed, although they seem to work backwards through the problems. (I read "Ask the Rabbi" from Arutz Sheva often)"Never put a stumbling block before the blind" is an oft quoted phrase amongst moralizing Jews. Meaning, always consider the moral implications of how your own actions will influence the actions of others. The 'more sophisticated criteria' usually means the bastardized 'religious text version' of the original message put out by those religions. As I say, the 'bourgoise's opinion on the matter is irrelevant, and has no bearing on your action. It comes back to the debate Hugo and I once had over 'what is a 'right'. In the 'free enterprise' system, 'equitable' is an impossibility, therefore 'fairness' implies a choice on a moral level. Morality itself has no place in the business world, except when seen as a 'tactic'. I do believe I clearly seperated the two, though with... 'Fair' is truly a 'loaded word', as it exists no more so than a 'right'.

Dear BHS, To each their own...I find Starbuck's coffee to be so bitter it tastes like they use iron tailings and gunpowder in the grinds. The only reason it enjoys 'cult status' is that it is 8 dollars a cup...Mind you, some people like liver, too.

Dear Shady, And then, Your answer? Not that Rove is expected to literally hang...but perhaps BHS will share some of his 'crow' with you...

Dear August1991, All is not quite so rosy. There are hard-line extremists in Israel too, though probably not as many as elsewhere. Uzi Landau comes to mind, and Binyamin Netanyahu enjoys wide support. You are right here, though. What sometimes passes for parlimentary debate in the Knesset would be open and high treason in some countries.However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has just presented himself as a far greater 'threat to stability in the region' (the only wording in any UN resolutions regarding Iraq that could have been twisted into 'legitimacy' for the invasion of Iraq) than Saddam had, or was capable of,. in the ten or so years before the invasion of Iraq. As to the US being 'stuck in iraq', I am not so sure. A Indian (east) friend of mine told me long ago what the US ploy in Iraq was, based on an old Indian proverb. (I have posted it before, but cannot remember what thread it was on). "Dropping a bucket of popcorn amidst the monkeys", was how he put it. Then, you are free to move on.

Just looking over the thread, and found some interesting stuff... Neat!

Dear kimmy, I am afraid Black Dog is correct. Hamid Karzai is disparagingly known as 'the mayor of Kabul' because his power does not extend outside the city. Same with Allawi, neither of them would live out the week if not for foreign military presence. Here, I disagree with Black Dog. The US intends to stay indefinitely. Not in it's current form, but the 'enduring bases' program means that they do not intend to leave, ever.

Speaking of 'going way back', these guys were involved in a little more than I thought. From "The Commanders", by Bob Woodward pg 35 (a good book but with a couple of glaring omissions), Looks like Bush Sr., Rumsfeld and Cheney all met while under Nixon/Ford Admins.from... http://www.consortiumnews.com/2000/081400a4.html

Dear err, Well done. I do recall your comments, but did not realize I quoted them verbatim. The only thing I would challenge is the term 'small', and argue that it is quite a large percentage. Reforms were made to the EI system when the abuses became overwhelming. I think the same can be done for 'welfare'. The only way to save it from extinction is to reform it. Probably. However, what I mean is that I see the worst abuses of welfare. There are plenty of 'social service' enterprises around there, which provide free beds, free meals,...and free money. 'Welfare' cheques go straight to booze or crack. Social services should be called 'the great enablers', as they provide no incentive to change.