oreodontist

Curioser and curioser. On one hand give incentives for the manufacturing of V8 gas guzzlers and on the other hand.... This 'care' about the environment is a bogus as Bush claiming to have a brain.

It's beyond the rational. It's almost impossible for Albertans to get E.I. because of the high demand for labour. E.I. is just another transfer of wealth from have provinces to mostly Quebec. E.I. has not been an unemployment insurance for the last 40 years...it's a fund less concerned every year with being a safety net for those unemployed and more and more bucket of money to fund regional programs. Fortunately greater numbers of young people, even many Francophones, are now going to Alberta and elsewhere where the opportunities are.

Yes, there are shits on the left and shits on the right. As An albertan I'm just glad Trudeau is a dead shit.

No idea what a site com is. Perhaps some Internet.... Bottom line: I don't care how crappy a show is as long as my taxes aren't paying for it. We go to the library and sign out DVDs of a lot of 70's and earlier shows. The 'periodness' of them is fun to watch...cars, clothing, technology and so on.

'Revealing' Bush's idiotness is like shooting fish in a barrel. Too easy. Bush is an ass...a stupid ass...a stupid incompetent ass. Bush jokes are no longer fun or funny....like watching one more pie thrown by a clown...or listening to stale routines by the Canadian Air Farce. "Me no laugh no more". Bush is like a piece of shit you step on and can't get it off your shoe.

I was a big CBC supporter up until the late 1980's or so. It played an important role in Canada before the multi-station universe, the Internet, etc. Today? The CBC has outlived its purpose. The ratings are in the toilet and the programs that do get decent numbers (Hockey) don't need government broadcasting. I prefer the PBS and NPR model and, if it collapses because of lack of funds, then the people have spoken.

What ould happen? Why would any gas station sell gas and lose 25 cents a liter? Why would traders pay world prices and then sell to refineries for less than they paid? A trader purchasing Aramco oil for an Ontario refinery isn't going to get a drop for 1.10 a barrel when the other 50 traders on the international market are offering 1.30 What would happen? No gas.

Not true. The children of a second or third wife have as much rights as any child born within a legally recognized marriage. The rights of illegitimate children are identical to those of legitimate children in all Canadian provinces.

I don't care if someones wants to marry their pet hamster... hamster of the same sex...or even 3 of them. The B.C. justice system has not pursued polygamy cases because the laws aginst polygamy are probably not valid. There are bigger fish to fry and drawn out court challenges that will end on the side of the defendants are a waste of tax dollars. It's revealing that folks on the right (of which I share many economic views) are so quick to insist the state get involved in personal matters and expend resources on rooting out perceived 'evil'. 'The law' should be upheld....blah, blah,...but when 'the law' is against their moral values, such as same sex marriage, then it's the government sticking it's nose where it doesn't belong.

Richardson may be Secretary of State. Obama needs a non-ideological strong white male from one of the big states...I say it'll be a big 'Clinton' supporter to appease some of that crowd. I'll guess it'll be the Governor of Pennsylvania: Ed Rendell. Obama's VP choice is more politically important to him than John McCain's (probably Romney as VP)...whereas the irony is that McCain is more likely to drop dead or be incapacitated.

Topaz is known for making things up. I don't say she does it on purpose but she has little perspective of opinion vs reality. Sort of like the gossip queen in the office who over hears some snippet and gets it all twisted. Don't hold your breath waiting for this 'mistake' ...and the 'exemption' bill. (via the generalized 'they' It's part of her defensive mechanism coping with the real world.

Ha! Ha! Completely unrelated but along the same lines. I spent a year working in Nova Scotia a couple decades ago. Like all cities, Halifax had the routine debate. about legalizing prostitition, setting up a licensed red light district, etc. Some wanted a plebiscite decided by the people. The 'progressive' folks were for it. Then one of the seasoned councillors made the proposal that if the vote was 'yes' then whichever district of Halifax had the highest percent of 'yes' would have the privilege of having the red light district in their neighborhood...needless to say support dropped dramatically and the idea was shelved.

I'm glad I live in Alberta where nobody gives a crap about the language on signs, the tongue of Federal civil servants, etc. After spending a few years is Quebec going to university, I overdosed on language issues and quite frankly I don't give a horse's ass what language is on a sign or what language is sung at a hockey game. As a French Canadian, I've never met anyone who didn't know what 'Exit' meant over a door at the Calgary Airport and therefore needed an acompanying 'Sortie'. The more languages and diversity the better. The world is drifting towards a Walmartish populist culture with all the idiversity of a blank sheet of paper. Last week our Superstores started puting up store hours and some signs in Chinese. Doesn't bug me that grandma Chan can now tell a turnip from a rutabaga...it won't stop her grandson from doing fine in our culture. Both my MLA and city counsilor are 2nd generation orientals who are as Canadian as anyone else. The focus on language, national borders and so on will diminish as new generations grow up with the worldwide web. Languages and their use will evolve with more interactive technologies.

My solution for North America is to merge Canada, the USA and Mexico. The Queen can be the Constitutional monarch and the official language can be Spanish on Mondays, English on Tuesdays, etc. French will the official language on Full Moons. On the national holiday....June 3 (an averging out of July 1st, July 4th and May 5th) the new flag featuring a hockey stick, a football and a soccer ball will be raised.....all citizens will sing Kumbaya , the new official anthem (in the language of that day) and play fun games like pin the tail on the donkey and three-legged races.... everyone wins and everyone gets a prize. Not sure about the name of the currency yet but it can feature the Queen wearing a sombrero and holding a baseball bat on one side and three little children holding hands on the other.

It works for most people. Works for me, my friends, and with any business functions I attend. Unlike yourself who is not deterred, I can't say I know anyone who shrugs off the cost or stigma of a drunk driving offense. It's a big black mark on ones character, insurance, etc. The 'deterrent' is very much there but, as Chuck states, folks who are habitual offenders have other issues such as alcoholism, drug addictions and so on.

True. 'Economic power', however, is a bit elusive these days with the international flow of money in capital markets. It's really hard to judge how much actual influence on the world economy takes place within a particular country....and especially if judged by what the governmnet of that country can do. The USA is THE world economic superpower with China catching up. The U.S. government has few tools other than money supply adjustments and tinkering here and there. Trade measures impact the world but they are more long term in implementing and consequences of them are difficult to isolate and assess. China, being an authoritarian state, has more power concentrated in leaders and might have more sway over future economic trends. In some ways the EEC is an superpower at the macro level of impacting the world economy but it is even more restricted in action than the USA.

The PQ? It's also the position of every provincial party in Quebec and both the Federal Liberal and Conservative Parties....Quebec is not divisable..EVER... As stated, feel free to start a party to the contrary, run in Quebec and promise to divide Quebec...no one is stopping you.

No, as a French Canadian, I have no desire to kick Quebec out of Canada. But, if my relatives in the Gaspesie of Quebec and elsewhere in the province want to leave, then so be it. Countries come and countries go. If you think the natives of Quebec have some special say in the fate of Quebec then make that argument to the Federal Liberals and Conservatives.... but of who said they would respect Quebec leaving as a unit with a 60% 'yes' vote. The Quebec Liberal party says that Quebec is not divasable as have the PQ and the ADQ. You can start a movement to present an alternative to keeps parts of Quebec in Canada but I don't know how you'll convince Quebecers....but go ahead. As an Albertan, however, I will support Quebec leaving as a complete entity if the time ever comes and the 'Quebec issue' no longer tops the agenda for Canada. As Argus writes "I am perfectly okay with them leaving. In fact, I encourage it." I doubt if most Canadians 'encourage it' but most would perfectly fine with a democratic 'Yes' vote for independence.

?????? Where did I say that? I pointed out the reality of the view of the majority of Quebecers including the provincial and federal parties. Whether or not a region in Quebec can be 'morally justified' leaving the province is a different issue. In the 'reality' of Quebec it is not going to happen. Quebecers can also make an argument for taking Labrador with them...but it isn't part of any realistic scenario. Won't happen. If Quebecers vote in a democratic manner to be independent then that's fine with me. If YOU want to start organizing some region of Quebec to stay part of Canada then go ahead. As long as it's done in a democratic manner then good luck to you. however, I as an Albertan, will not support such a movement. I don't want any part of Quebec staying within Canada. I don't want or need the hastle or have any desire to keep a thorn in our political side and a 'taking' hand in our pockets. Quebec nationlaists find the Canadian nationalists outside of Quebec as amusing. 'We love you....we want you tQ part of Canada...let's all hug'....then, in contrast, " but if you leave then you'll be sorry because blah, blah, blah,...." Not unlike a personal relationship in which one claims to really care about the welfare of the other person but, when he or she walks out the door, hopes they fall flat on their face....'you'll be sorry'. Quebecers can chose their fate. I don't want to bribe, threaten, or anything else to keep them part of Canada, If they chose to stay then that's a positive, but if not, then I hope they do well and and we can get on with making the rest of Canada a great country. As an Albertan I certainly don't want ant residual Quebec issue dominating our agenda but, if you want it, then the majority rule should set policy in a democracy.

Not so. I lived a few years in Quebec and, unlike the rest of Canada, Quebec nationalists don't cow tail to the native population. Quebec nationalists quite frankly don't give a damn what natives think outside of their one man one vote. Natives in Quebec are 'Anglophones' and won't trump democratic aspirations of the majority of Quebecers. Nationalists in Quebec actually welcome native push back as it becomes a rally point. This is why any talk of a partitioning of Quebec is rejected not just outright by nationalists but EVERY member of Mulroney's and Chretien's cabinet ministers from Quebec. The non divisionabilty of Quebec is a plank of the Quebec Liberal Party AND the Federal Liberal Party in Quebec. Harper would NEVER say Quebec is divisible or he would win zip zip seats in Quebec. I doubt many Canadians outside of Quebec would want to start some type of civil war or Northern Ireland type situation if Quebecers want to be independent. At least I don't fathom any from here in a\Aberta caring that much....it would be more a response of 'then leave and don't forget to shut the doo behind you'. Most would have no desire to start another two centuries of Quebec issu dominating the Canadian agenda. I'm surprised even folks in Ontario would want to keep an acre of Quebec and have a thorn in the thumb 'forever'. I suspect it would be also largely an attitude of 'good riddance'.

Quebecers will decide. Fortunately 'nationalism' and borders will become less important as a new generation logs on to the world wide web and the 'sense of community' shifts from a geographic base to one of common interest. I have a nephew who grew up in Australia and a niece who grew up in Quebec and neither feels more bound to those political entities than other places they have lived. They tend to follow work opportunities and frinds more so than being confined by some national border. Perhaps they are the minority but more of this is also occuring in Europe where borders are less relevent than ever. With the exception of the Muslim world, 50 years from now kids might look back on nation states with the amusement we look the religious fault lines that once defined Europe.

More rambling hysterics.

Quebecers might like a say in breaking their provinces into two provinces. It certainlty would not be 'ideal' for them. the Quebec nation is much more than a political institution to be efficiently squeezed into a polyanish political system. Political systems should serve the social and national aspirations and not the other way around. Nobody is going to break up Quebec into two provinces and, if that fantasy ever did come true...which ever 'province' did not include Montreal would very shortly be an independent country.

Hisself: "And if you were Steven Harper, who has a tendency to look like he might support George Bush and the Republican Party, what might your choice be?" Probably the most left leaning liberal possible. Bush in the White House is a thorn in Harper's ass. His principal obstacle to greater success in the last couple elections was his perceived right wing agenda and being 'too close' to neocon thinking....otherwise 'we can't trust the guy and his merry band of Reformers'. Harper can have closer relations with a Democrat in the Presidency than a Republican without having to constantly show he's not anyone's go-boy.

It's great there being an American election this year. The races for party nominee and the Presidential race are a heck more interesting than the Stanley (yawn) Cup playoffs. As for no choice? there has rarely been such a choice of two different nominees as Obama and McCain. Also, a long time since such a huge difference on the handling of a war (not since McGovern and Nixon). This is exciting stuff. If someone doesn't find it interesting, then there's a thousand other things on TV and billion internet websites.