ZenOps

Its been upgraded to a criminal investigation as of yesterday. http://www.globalregina.com/money/Criminal+investigation+launched+into+massive+mortgage+fraud+case/3024763/story.html Thats not to say that he is accused of anything criminal, yet.

Why would the PM punish Shory? Thats not the PM's job. Its a job for the criminal courts to determine guilt or innocence. If anything - I see it more like a coach and the team. You can only blame the players so much, even when they do stupid things and make bad plays, eventually though - you do have to lay some blame on the coach. In which case the PM should be punished if Shory is found guilty.

I believe the US has restrictions on military goods, but its definitely not illegal. The nation that trades the most military goods (legally and illegally) is of course the US. The US does also trade biological weaponry to other select countries (more often corporations) But no, they aren't allowed to send it via normal postal outlets of course. Courier only, Fedex has provisions for handling explosives and armaments. There are approximately 70 million handguns in the US.

Its a political time bomb. No matter what side you take, you are going to come out of it waist deep in poop. So its better to just leave it to some idiot who doesn't understand politics. Its like taking a strong stance on abortion - no matter which side you take - you are going to get booed off the platform.

And that is wrong? Yeesh, I must be out of the loop. Even analysts that talk about stocks must have the disclaimer that they "do or don't" own the stocks that they are pumping (endorsing) or dumping (chastizing). Noone ever said that they couldn't pump though. If you are going to get them on that, you have to say that Bush and Halliburton are the same.

Yes it was the husband Jaffer that handed out the outdated business cards and is accused of lobbying outside the bounds of what they consider acceptable. I guess that means shes automatically liable under Christian law... But remember Jaffer *is* Muslim, the first muslim ever to hold a MP position. Never understood it myself - Eva Braun should be just as liable as Hitler then? What about a son/daughter in politics? Cross lobbying happens all the time - Mayors usually get consensus and approval from local MP's, MLA's, before running. Kind of a stupid "law" IMO its more of a fraternity guideline. I mean technically, you aren't allowed to fart or burp in government either, lol.

Hey - Inappropriate lobbying as defined by who? Passing out a business card at an inappropriate place? Who decides what is appropriate and inappropriate. I give out my cheap business card to anyone anywhere, friends, family, distant relations, enemies, casual people off the street, bums, dogs... The simple fact is that the party has determined "They don't like" certain people because "they don't like what they are doing" and got rid of them by mostly destroying their reputation - Which this government does not seem to see as unethical. The level of inappropriateness is for a judge to decide, not King Harper. King Harper would probably throw her out for wearing hot pants too I bet.

Its a sad, sad day when a democratically elected official can be thrown out of their position by their own party for no solid reason. I mean, if she ate babies or something - that would be reason. But as is right now - many do see this as a travesty of democracy. King Harper is back on his throne, throwing down Judical and Executive powers (which technically, many say the PM or the Conservative party does not have, just legislative) Throwing out Helena - I will say is almost bordering on illegal. You can't just fire someone without giving them a reason as to why they are being fired. If she was wearing mini-skirts hiring male hookers and doing blow, that would be a reason at least.

Hey, she admits to trying marijuanna at 14. Tried to inhale, but coughed - which is a *very* very typical first reaction to trying to inhale pot. Thats pretty honest. I think its just the PC party playing hardball against Jaffer - the *only* Conservative (formerly Reform) MP to lose a seat in Alberta (to New Democrat Linda Duncan) in practically decades. That he hung around parliament after he lost the seat - probably pissed them off no amount.

This is why in general - the legeslative process should never be mixed with the judicial process. It is once again - anti democratic, much like the Jaffer/Geurgis, and of course the entire idea of a minority proroguement. Really though - Marc is going to have a much better time with Obama than Bush though. The "war on drugs" is long long over. The war to "be able to make the minimum payment on your mortgage" far outshadows it. Canada did collect taxes on Marcs "business" though.

Its definitely a Canadian way to be. Luxurious spending accounts are not really a Canadian thing. Warren Buffet in the US is an exception to the rule - He still loves $3 hamburgers (and so do I)

Brits own our asses now that we are once again in a "prorogued failed democracy". There is actually nothing to talk about in Federal Canadian politics - because they all decided to go on self proclaimed paid holiday. So you might as well talk about the weather - cuz the government will not be doing anything other than sitting with their thumbs up their butts until March.

Y'know, I hate to admit but it is possible. Canada was actually hit by an earthquake induced by nuclear weaponry back in the 1950's (Yes, it actually happened.) Every underground nuclear bomb creates an earthquake. An Oceanic nuke placed on a fault line would have most of the radioactive signature absorb and then quickly dissipate into the ocean. Some of the more notable earthquakes induced by nuclear explosion: Russia Tsar Bomb (open air) 7.1 North Korea (underground) 4.2 http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0012035 http://ansard.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/earthquake-and-nuclear-tests.pdf I am totally disheartened at the level of research, and the protective bubble that Canadian schoolkids are put under nowadays.

Means absolutely nothing, Harper has utterly failed. Are they even allowed to have such an economic policy when government is not together? Unless I'm not mistaken - Harper is not our king, he does not have divine providence over such decisions. All that matters is that the US media will be playing "Buy US" 24/7, which will completely override any national agreements just in sheer free market consumer dollars. "Honda" Nope "Buy US".

A chicken in every pot - worked. A house for everyone to put their chicken and pot in - might have worked, but was too big a leap.

They don't *have* to run them at full speed. Besides - they only run at 18,000 km/h at maximum - air pressure, density and moisture at sea level will quickly slow them to 600km/h in the descent. http://www.buzzhumor.com/videos/11603/Mythbusters_Bullet_Proof_Water_Test A foot of equivalent water density is extremely effective at slowing any object. IE: A bullet will lose much of its speed and become non-lethal in a *relatively* short distance. The M51 is interesting, in that it is tipped with a radio scattering extended nose (to avoid radar) which is a huge improvement over the M45, which uses absorption technology more like a stealth bomber. Stealth technology of course being old technology already. If they were testing the scattering tech, they probably slowed the missle to as slow as possible to determine how good the scattering technology is. The last time the French launched an ICBM internationally was a M45 to French Guyana (South America) in 2004. There is also an interesting history there with the Brits too. Give it about 8 years or so. North Korea should be launching missiles to the shore of California by then... And believe it or not - I don't believe the US would be North Koreas prime target - Kim Jong Il hates Imperialists just as much. It really doesn't matter who launches. Nuke the Whales!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQSUwRG3tzo It might be prudent, for a newfie anyhow. IMO - My guess... France launched an extremely low altitude (not high arc) very very high speed missle to see if Canadas aging radar system could pick it up. The US's missle defense test failed - because the radar had difficulty tracking the high speed missile (so the official story goes) A missle flying a thousand feet or lower, which you can do with new 2010 technology missle based on solid rocket fuel propellant (or a guided Tomahawk) should be able to fly under the radar. Equally - a missle flying at 18,000 km/h - can actually evade a radar in pure speed waiting for the "second" pass if still based on the old rotation type of detector. There are only so many places in the world you can test launch a 10,000 km range missile without raising a complete shitstorm. Northern Canada is one of them. The South pole is probably the other.

You must remember - this is about 24 hours before Obamas visit. Personally I just think it was a Russian test of how much the US would extend their influence and preparedness to fulfill their obligation under NORAD, where the US and Canada act as a single defensive force against an agressor. Obviously - NORAD means nothing... And a side note as to the ICBM's that France launched over Newfoundland. They are SLBM M51 class - meaning capable of Mach 15 (18,000 km/hour) Pretty impressive top of the line nuke launchers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Upheaval I think the French will probably launch one over Eastern Canada every so often just to remind people of history.

Its a sign of increasing sympathy to the Christian faith. And yes, he did piss off the French. Rob Anders would be proud. Ever since everyone at the global warming carbon summit bailed and went to the Danish Kings estate for dinner instead (in Christianborg palace of course) Canada has been on better ties with certain solidly not neutral religious groups. What Canada needs right now - is more military support from outside of the US and Britain if we hope to achieve more independance. Running to the Christian faith at this point in time is much like any individual running to any church in time of need. Not that I necessarily agree with it, but there you have it. Personally I would see it as no different than Harper running to China to ask for military support (but he does not seem the man to be able to make a racial leap of faith, much like Rob Anders.) Now - The Pope could care less. The Pope actually wants more tolerance in the world and a spreading of all faiths or even no faith, because he realizes that past a certain point - stability requires glue not oil and nukes know no faith. You can't poke someone in the arm and make them change faith, eventually it always ends up in a nuke fight. That the French submarine "Le Terrible" launched ICBM's at Newfoundland - should be a warning sign to everyone in Canada that they have no clue how much Harper is consolidating power, taking sides and making enemies. I think that when the Russians flew the TU-95 nuke bomber into Canadian airspace during Obamas first visit - It really rattled Harpers cage. That we recieved no air support from the US, requiring our own aging CF-18's to shoo them off - probably rattled him even more.

Good. "The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching, and will give us the experience for the attack on Halifax, the next and final expulsion of England from the American continent." - Thomas Jefferson 1812. America fought for independance, Canada fought against independance.

You can't get american oil labour into Canada. Texans can't stand the cold, and they are already making millions in their own oilfields. If you park them behind a desk and pay them mid-triple thousand digits then yes you can snag a few, but definitely noone who will actually put the pipes together. And its not like Canada sold all of the tarsands to China, I think its about 0.1% at most (of the at least two trillion barrels of recoverable oil with todays technology) This is not counting the recoverable barrels if someone should enhance the recovery techniques in the future, or finds a new deposit somewhere. Tarsands are still seen as a very immature source of oil. If anything - its a backup of a backup to buy up tarsands instead of conventional oil. The Samsung solar panel deal with Canada is much more interesting and far more progressive (and politically correct) http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/22/ontario-and-samsung-seal-6-7-billion-renewable-energy-deal/

Its not that hard to believe IMO. In Canada we are not actually totally sure exactly how many natives there are in the country - nevermind immigrants. I believe statscan estimates an extra 160,000 natives that are not registered and not even censused (born without any knowledge to the Canadian government) "Statistics Canada: In 1996 there were approximately 461 500 registered (status) Indians, 92 780 nonstatus Indians, 210 190 Métis and 41 080 Inuit, for a total population of 799 010, or approximately 3% of Canada's population. While generally accurate, these figures are based on only a 20% sample of the Canadian population rather than a complete census. Moreover, these figures have been adjusted for incomplete enumeration of Indian reserves/settlements and for census undercoverage." Don't fool yourself - keeping track of everyone in Canada is near impossible due to terrain and weather issues. The USA just has no clue what its like up here in the North. If there was a concerted effort - we could probably register another 200,000 natives by 2020, but the last 100,000 would be the most difficult as they are probably the most paranoid (and rightfully so) of being on somebodies "to conquer list" Previously - the Natives only had to worry about being on the British and French "To conquer list". Now they also have to worry about being on the Tamil and Asiatic to conquer list. Canada as determined by British and French occupation - is really moslty the 9 degrees of latitude from the Canadian border.

Anyone hear Obama address the nation? Seems like hes going to crackdown on illegal immigration. But hes also pledging *completely* pulling out of all current wars. The generals did not look happy at all. Interesting policies.

If you can get Prince William to defect to Canada - it just might be possible. Otherwise the only way someone from Canada will get to be on the back of the coins - is to get full independance. Of which I've mentioned before - we simply do not have the military strength to do (Not that we would probably have to fight the British to attain independance, but we would have to be able to protect ourselves from the other sovereign nations of the world) Were much in the same boat as Tibet in that manner. If Tibet ever ousted China - you can be assured there would be a dozen european nations looking to subjugate.

Well.. Canadian currency is fairly safe as long as Queen Elizabeth II is on the back of our coinage. I fear for our dollar however - the day we decide to put Charles on the back. IMO, much like using Tiger Woods to "champion" a corporation, public perception has a huge impact on perceived value. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BS38I20091229 IMO - Charles is already long past Tiger Woods in terms of lost public appeal. However - I am completely inclined to agree with and champion an engraving of the British Crown on the back of our coinage if necessary.