Shwa

Then why are the so-called "pro-lifers" not as up in arms when it comes to having organs removed? By "definition" a kidney is "alive" and they kill it when they remove it. Where's the uproar over that?

Let's be frank - Hardner has been angling for this job since he got here with his Mr. Nice Guy act and his damned reasonableness and facilitatory behaviour and stuff. However, he's been known to take a shot or two. If we are looking for a ringer we don't have one. But Hardner is the best of the lot for what the job entails - he has a measure of self restraint on most occasions. (Honourable mention to GhostHacked) As for the rest, well the place would quickly becoming BORING if we had to put the restraints on BM, Kimmy and TB et al.

Do you watch or play any sports at all?

But there is no guarantee that disaster is around the corner either. So I find the tone of the article to be self-defeating hyperbolic that turns people off to actually chipping in. They would halt exports? But they would deal with it. I mean, dustbowl, it's not like the Yanks don't have plenty of experience, know-how and strategy. Sure there are factors to be mitigated. But it comes down to opposing sides not seeing the middle. We have the Hell scenario and the Heaven scenario when history really shows us we fall somewhere into the middle. I am not saying that food policies need to change, and they are - especially with the recognition that obesity - the overabundance of food - is a problem. So? So will we. Something that hasn't gone unnoticed I'm sure. Remember, the might of the US can be turned - and often has - to address internal matters as well. Yes, and hopefully - just hopefully - their populace will turn to where it benefits them the most. They have to eat. We got the food and they lack the ability to just take it. They go up, the have-nots have less, they struggle. You know WIP, the greatest facilitator peace and stability might just be foodstuffs. Yes they will be, I don't doubt that and we'll deal with it, like we always have. Now, I grant that we might be on a precipice of disaster, but I don't see it that way. We are a resilient bunch, we have adapted ourselves to a great variation of environment and circumstance. And as much as we are facing the lack of normality, well, it has always been that hasn't it? In the long view I mean?

Gimme a break. The Native Americans were not "the first Americans" in any sense or shape of the phrase. Seriously B-C, what were you thinking? In fact, despite the fact that "many Native Americans are hard core patriots" many more of them had to endure outrageous hardship and suffering to arrive at their patriotism. Remember Wounded Knee. Both of them...

Which is an interesting touchpoint. Can the force of logic - the cold hard calculus of reason - profoundly change a person's outlook or do they retreat further into that warped world? I don't think there is anything wrong with the discussion and reasoned responses to contentious ideas. But sometimes arguing with an addict is completely useless I suppose.

Really? I thought I saw something in Le Devoir and Radio-Canada. Must have been a mistake.

Prayer, because that is what they want as a community. We can say, that to us prayer and the odd symbol of religion is unimportant in a city council meeting. We might think it is irrational, but to them it is perfectly rational. Perhaps for some of them it is a comforting and orienting bit of language that ties them to their tradition and sense of place and importance. But do we have the right - or better put - should the province have the right to mandate that sort of thing to a municipality on the basis of a single complaint? I would figure that if that community decided they didn't want the prayer or the symbols, there is a fair and democratic way to deal with the issue based on this wishes of the community.

Very interesting August - it wasn't enough for you to repeatedly state that this issue wouldn't gain traction with voters in the other thread, now you start another. So are you saying that Le Devoir and Radio-Canada are not reporting on this petit affair?

Well, let's take a look at what you are saying: So were you misinformed that his opinion was fact? It doesn't appear to be that way. Are you aware of others - some sort of poor innocent majority - that had mistaken his opinion for fact? Or was it just opinion, presented as opinion, and nothing more. Methinks you doth protest too much.

Come on, the only sensible view is that Mr. Canada is our own resident 'Steven Colbert' clone. Seriously, when viewed in this way, his posts are hiliarious! The Mr. Canada Rapport. Or MC Rapper for short.

I understand the over-reaction and religious laws are still used for plenty of disputes. I think the distinction here is that the City Council is refusing to abide by the rules since they can effectively overrule the mayor; that is, the mayor ain't in it on his own. What if Wilno town council had someone recite something in *gasp* Polish? But "what if" right? What if, along with a small prayer, Brampton or Mississauga recited a 20 second Muslim prayer? Do you see a slippery slope? Perhaps. But I am sensing something else here.

Pfffft. What do you know about "our country? You're just an immigrant. Quit trying to turn our beautiful nation into the hell-hole you came from. What, a titch too harsh for you?

So what was the "misinformation" part?

Interesting story from the Globe. I caught attention of this listening to talk radio this afternoon on 1010 in TO. Saguenay mayor rejects edict banning crucifix, prayer I am really having a hard time understanding how someone's "freedom of conscience" is impeded by a small nod to some well-known cultural symbols and a prayer. The fact that this city council was imposed upon by a provincial body while the town itself deems the symbols and prayer appropriate raises some interesting questions about freedom of expression. It ought to work both ways...

Agreed and hopefully the two governments are working on such an agreement in the background because it seems Bangladesh isn't inclined to let the guy off the hook publically. It would be like overruling their own judiciary, that would be iffy since they have already convicted others for the same crime...

Who cares whether they deny "funding to a religious group?" Perhaps the religious groups themselves that have formed Kairos, and perhaps all their members: Anglican Church of Canada Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Canadian Religious Conference Christian Reformed Church in North America Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Mennonite Central Committee of Canada The Presbyterian Church in Canada The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) United Church of Canada Now if I were looking at all the groups that participate in KAIROS, and I was a politician, I might be very careful about what I say or who I deny funding for - even IF they espouse foreign policies different from mine, EVEN IF I happen to disagree with some things they say. Anglicans, Catholics, Uniteds, Presbyterians et al form a significant block of voters and while some of them may be staunch right wing neocons, likely most of them are in the centre and might take something like this a repudiation of their faith. Hey, they are taxpayers too and if they see other smaller non-Christian "religious groups" getting government funding when they have been cut off, you can be sure it will make the rounds within church memberships.

Hilarious column from Thomas Walkom from the Star. It won't be long before he is writing ads for the Liberals obviously, but some of his comments are right on the money. Walkom: Oda's attempt to mislead is part of Tory strategy Enjoy! Obviously Tom lurks this board. LOFL!

Gosh Betsy, even as a person with such a wide, encompassing faith, your world seems so very small and narrow. I pity that.

So are you advocating for workfare or just ship everyone to Calgary to work the malls and McDonaldses? So you ship all "these people" to work out of town, who looks after their kids? The government in subsidized daycare?

I don't want to downplay people going hungry and if you are wondering who will decide who feeds them, well, you are. However, the problem with information like this is that it appears to be hyperbole and that seriously hampers the effort to get some global standard of living because the haves simply find this sort of stuff hard to believe, especially when you predict doom and gloom for the US (and Canada). But it's still a surplus right? There is so much corn produced in the US that it would take a small tweak here and there to produce great surpluses. However, potatoes are a better food. That stat alone, is practically meaningless. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize#Production - the US produces 40%. Time to rake in some profits. That may sound heartless, but when other governments see fit to spend their money on other things rather than food, well, there are decisions to be made. And who is hoarding? Would that have something to do with it? I have no idea what this means in a practical sense. So they are going to have to increase their imports and deal with it, just like any other country that has experienced production shortfalls. See #7. Russia is dealing with it. All this tells me is that Russians are smart. But there is no hint of panic to the degree that the people will overthrow the government. If I understand things correctly, Russia is also fairly wealthy. They have oil to trade. China is preparing, smart people. That is what governments should be doing. Ka-ching! Do you think this might have something to do with the rising cost of corn? This is the problem. However, until people are willing to rise up and do something about it and demand change to the priorities of their governments, any relief efforts will be spot efforts. There should be a minimum standard of living in a global economy, but we are neither here nor there. Now, the problem with citing a statistic like this is that it does not account for population explosions where they cannot be afforded. Is there a problem with letting the Chinese people deal with this themselves? They dealt with the melamine in their infant formula. Fear mongering. Nothing more. Major global famine? Like getting hit with an asteroid? Yeah, yeah, disaster, disaster, gnashing of teeth, rapture. Fear mongering that does NOTHING to improve the situation. They SHOULD be importing their food, that's what they are supposed to be doing. At least they have the wealth to be able to do that. But they would be better off trying to grow potatoes. Maybe. But I have yet to see where we lack enough food to feed the world and that is the problem. And it isn't lost on me every week when I put the garbage out. There are tweaks and efficiencies that need to be gained, but unless a country's priorities are shifted to feed their populace and efforts make to control the population where required, I am not inclined to feel guilty or feaful. You do.

Interesting story from the Star: Convicted assassin living freely in Etobicoke So the guy offs the president of Bangladesh in 1975 and when it comes time to pay he buggers off to Toronto. We don't deport criminals who are facing the death penalty, I get that. He has already been ordered out of the country. Can't we send him to France or something?

Yes, yes I did; and likely you were too lazy to read or too dense to understand. I am thinking dense: And you are a real champion of the empty strawman Loonbox. Nice try. Now loosen those hockey helmet straps and get on down the hall...

Peculiar indeed! LOFL! Here is the link to I'll be at the Gay Pride Parade 2010 Will You? No offence Mr. Canada, but it is a hilarious thread! Andyou it's going to be when the first line is this:

An even specialer sort of intellect to think that the reference was a comparison between Egypt and Bev Oda. The reference was to Twitter and it's ability to inform and give issues immediate traction. If you missed that, you may want to loosen the straps on your hockey helmet.