PocketRocket

And this post was meant to do what??? Antagonize people??? Of course the East-Indian shrink my ex-wife sees is a good example of this kind of cab-driver-multiculturalism, isn't he??? My family doctor, educated in Italy, would be another good example. The Chinese-born ex-mayor of Sudbury (he was mayor for about 8 years) is another example. Another Chinese-born woman came second in the polls during a recent municiple election here. Yup, ALL the immigrants, no matter how well-educated and hard-working, become cab drivers Maybe it's because we believe in equality and inclusion for all law-abiding people. Our military is nowhere near as strong as some, but we have certainly made significant contributions in the past, and will again. If we were, as you imply, insignificant, then why was Bush so upset that we didn't send troops to Iraq??? I think "hate" is too strong a word. I personally have no problem whatsoever with Americans, however, that does not mean that I cannot disagree with her government's policies. It also does not mean that I cannot acknowledge some of the characteristics of Americans in general, ie; general lack of knowledge, or concern, about Canada. But we are a GOOD joke, and EVERYONE loves a good joke. Don't you???

MONTY: I tried it. Typed in www.winnipegpolice.ca ,and was taken to the same site. Gotta admit it, you're right. The guy is exercising some pretty scumbag behaviour.

Gonna sell tickets??? Lots of people here would pay good money to watch A young lady of my acquaintance carries one of those miniature cans of spray-paint in her purse. Her husband had used a small drill-bit to enlarge the spray-hole so the paint would spray farther, in a thicker stream. She had to use it once. Not only did it effectively blind the guy for a few minutes (not to mention causing considerable pain), but when police showed up at his door a few hours later, he was still trying to wash the paint out of his hair and eyebrows. There are alternatives to mace and pepper spray if one is creative.

Indeed. In fact, after watching a few episodes of Rick Mercer's "Talking To Americans", it's apparent that a lot of them don't even know where we are. Heh heh. I still recall the one where a woman was being asked if she thinks it's a bad thing that most Canadian kids don't know the names of the Canadian "state" capitals, and while she pondered the question, her son, a kid about 8 years old, said "Hey, wait a minute, Canada has provinces, not states". Or what about the Seal hunting in Saskatchewan??? Heh heh. "Would you climb on top of Peter Mann's Bridge to protest the Saskatchewan seal hunt???". Or Canada's new $5.00 wooden coin. "Congratulations, Canada, on your first woody". Or how about "Congratulations, Canada, on preserving your national igloo". Bloody college professors making fools of themselves offering truly earnest opinions of totally, ludicrously, foolish, non-existent situations in Canada. Even GWB was recorded expressing his happiness that "Prime Minister Poutine" was behind him in his first election. How can you run for president of the USA when you don't even know the name of the elected leader of your immediate neighbour??? And the American public, when informed of this fact, didn't care any more than George did. The simple fact is that the vast majority of Americans neither know nor care anything about Canada.

And yet, for all our "bashing" of the USA, we were prepared to send aid to New Orleans, but it was turned down. And for all our bashing, we sent aid immediately after 9/11. And last year (year before???), we sent firefighters. And we will continue to send or offer aid during any crisis in which America may need the help of a friend. Friends CAN criticize each other, and yet still be friends, ready to stand and help each other in time of need. As for PMPM using the USA in his campaign, it's called politics, people. You use the tools available to you. Harper himself said the American ambassador was out of line with his comments, which impressed me, but then he took the opportunity to take a cheap shot at at Martin about "calling names, but not packing a punch" (talk about your schoolyard rhetoric), which immediately un-impressed me. Too bad. I'd love to see Martin gone, but every time Harper says something that makes me think "maybe he's okay", he follows it within days, or sometimes even seconds, with something that makes him sound like a whiny kid, or, alternatively, a very angry man.

Well, seeing as this thread started out being about BMD, I'll simply address that issue and leave the partisan bickering to the rest of you. Speaking of BMD's, has the USA had even a single successful test yet??? As of last spring, their batting average was 0-3 in rigged tests that should have been a cakewalk for the system. Personally, I don't like the idea of having misslies fired over my head to chase other missiles fired over my head, knowing full well that the second set of missiles has not completed a successful test, and could decide arbitrarily to land pretty well anywhere it chooses. Presumably the first set of missles would be aimed at a static ground target, and considering normal ballistic missiles have a proven track record for accuracy, odds are that it'll at least go off when and where intended. Odds are also pretty high that the missile would be aimed at the USA, not Canada for the simple reason that Canada poses no threat to any7 nuclear power. The USA on the other hand...... No, IMHO, Bush can have his newest military tinkertoy all to himself. As long as the USA is the sole superpower, and considers herself to be threatened by other powers, it is in her best interest to protect both Canada and Mexico, and in so doing, keep her enemies beyond arm's-length.

I think she's come to enjoy her new "celebrity" status. She's turned into a very twisted woman. Y'know, I think when she began all this, she was probably quite sincere and earnest, but she's really turning into a nutcase.

Also from the article BlackDog cited....... Tell us!!! Tell us!!! Yeah, but that might use up some of the money earmarked for ad campaigns telling people how great this war is and how great Bush is for starting it. Well, gotta feed all those other poor starving millionaire politicians who are "behind" the war effort, even if they're 15,000 miles behind it. Well, that would divert money, too, money that is urgently needed by Haliburton. Besides, if there actually IS another attack, it would really show the country that Bush is right about the US being constantly threatened. Well, if congress REALLY knows what's going on, they might not support the war effort. Come to think of it, if they REALLY knew the REAL status of Saddam's WMD collection (none to speak of), they probably never would have approved the war in the first place. Damn. Gotta keep them in the dark. Well now, we can't have a standardized agreement for the treatment of prisoners, because then we'd have to live up to it. But on the up side, we DO have all those nifty new color-coded terror-alert announcements to keep the peons frightened into line whenever it might look like they're getting a bit uppity. "More protesters, Mr. President" "Better call an orange-alert, Karl"

Does she have anything for the anti-hypocrisy crowd??? How about the anti-liar crowd, or the anti-bad-intelligence crowd???

I got a kick out of this..... It details a group called "Protest Warriors", right-wingers who attend left-wing rallies to try stir up sh!t. One of them made a sign which read "Except for Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, War Has Never Solved Anything". Let's see now, slavery is still quite alive and well, it's just living in other places. Although a lot of immigrants, some legal, some not, have indentured themselves to plantations in Florida, which is tantamount to being a slave-laborer. Nazism has ended??? Hmmm. Type "Nazism" into Google and you'll find about 50 or more nazi-promoting websites. Nazism isn't dead, it's simply gone underground. Hopefully it'll stay there. Fascism??? Still plenty of that around. Saddam's gone, but there are still plenty more like him in plenty of countries, treating their own population in a brutally sadistic manner. As for Communism, I am assuming the anti-protest-protester is referring to the fall of Communism in Russia. After all, there were never any other serious "Commie threats". Well, war didn't solve Russia's communist "problem", economics did. So, the sign, while funny, and useful in achieving its goal of irritating the real protesters, was wholly inaccurate. I must say, though, that I found the guys' approach refreshingly original. I wish I had been there to see some of the reactions first-hand.

This is becoming an entire thread about how people perceive themselves, and those around them. For people who are taken in by the media's portrayal of "ideal" men and/or women, it simply shows a weakness of self-image and independant thought. If you know who and what you are, and are comfortable with that self-image, then the media bombardment cannot affect you. Sadly, those most affected are kids who have not yet developed their self-image, and are exploring themselves and their world trying to figure out who and what they are. Fortunately, most kids these days are media-savvy enough to realize that what they see on TV is not the real world. As for women stepping into high-profile professions, I say more power to them.

Ah well, back to the main topic; Harper seems to be catching on a bit. This letter was well-penned and articulate. He says his piece like a statesman, without any whining, wingeing (been a while since we've seen that word) or finger-pointing, while at the same time still getting across his point about no WMD's and faulty intelligence (is there any other kind??). I also heard him say something on CBC radio the other day that sounded intelligent and well-reasoned. And just when I thought he was hopeless. Hell, if he keeps this up I may have to vote for him.

So "Young Liberals of Canada" (or whatever they're called) step up to the plate with a letter-writing campaign. Interestingly enough, I got this little tidbit in my e-mail this morning. It seems harmless enough, and on its surface appears to be written as a gag, but coming at this time is no coincidence. Someone is trying to get a message out. It IS funny, though. MONTY should especially enjoy this...... Gee, seeing as how this little joke attacks everyone the Tories are against, I wonder if it too was written by an "average Canadian".

I don't see this thread as being so much about day-care costs or needs, as being about the Liberal "popcorn" commenys. I first heard these last night. Was not at all impressed. That an MP would say such a thing is truly vile. Besides, I prefer nachos with a nice cheese dip

Isn't this politics??? Isn't strategy a key element??? Letter-writing campaigns are hardly a new thing, and where better to start them than with party members??? But this line killed me...... What is the author saying here??? Are they "above average" Canadians???? Below average??? The way the wording is slanted, you'd think this was a communist conspiracy and the writer one of Joe McCarthy's hacks. And people complain about a left-leaning media, and then post this???? Just goes to show, the MSM leans whatever way the wind happens to blow.

MONTY: First off, thanks for the quote from the article. I recall that passage now. You know, if the cops HAD given him a sincere-sounding apology, and maybe dropped him off at home (a short distance if he was "running" it), and maybe even *gasp* a quick explanation with platitudes like "You can't be too careful in trying to protect the public", the guy would probably have been completey mollified. Public relations is part of policing, too. Actually, I can recall some pretty damned cold nights coming a lot earlier in the year than November. Consider too that if he's from Toronto or Vancouver, he may not have been appropriately dressed or acclimatized. You may be right, but handcuffs, and then no apology seems a tad ignorant to me. I mean how hard is it to say "Sorry, sir, it appears we were mistaken and you are not the person we're looking for" ??? This is, after all, a political forum, where often someone's use of words is called into question, so we should all be aware of how important the right words at the right time can be. Agreed. Wholeheartedly. Is there any other kind???

Out shopping for a more fuel-efficient car

Here's the way I see this. Imagine this scenario...... There's a vicious turf-war between two street gangs. One night it excalates to the point where the police cordon off several blocks. People are prevented from entering, and told the danger that is raging within. Somebody sneaks past the police cordon. They get hurt. They then say it's the fault of ONE of the gangs, but not the gang that attacked them. Well, duh!!!!! Another twist..... An amusement park is closed down. Signs are posted "Do not enter!!!!! Danger!!!! Area unsafe!!!!" Someone sneaks in, turns on the electricity, and decides to try out the rides, which are old and delapitated. The ferris-wheel breaks, and the joy-riders are hurt. They blame the ferris-wheel manufacturer. Well, duh again!!!!! When you've been warned by your own government, and the world community, and the USA, and Great Britain, and just about everyone under the sun, to stay OUT of Iraq because THERE'S A BLOODY WAR GOING ON and the insurgents are KNOWN FOR KIDNAPPING INDESCRIMINATELY, and then you decide to go on in anyway, WITHOUT any special military protection...... Well, freakin' DUH!!!!! They want to know whose fault it is that they're in serious trouble???? Send them a mirror!!!!!

THAT'S IT !!!!! THAT'S IT !!!!! The new and official Kimmy-party slogan

Personally, I think they're wrong in both cases. Pot, legalize it, and license its sale. Handguns, legalize them, but they must be registered, and maintain, and enforce, our current ban on carrying.

This part made me chuckle..... You make it sound like women don't like or want sex. Sorry to say, but if women did NOT enjoy sex as much as, or even maybe more than men, then the species would probably have died out long ago. You also write from a viewpoint that supports a National Lampoon type of thought pattern. I thinks maybe you've been watching too many reruns of Frat House movies. Yeah, some guys go to college and it's all "party time". But some girls do the same. Being involved in the entertainment industry for ovewr 20 years, I have had many engagements in colleges and universities, and have seen females come out in equal numbers to males and get falling-down-drunk in college pubs, concerts, etcetera. "Party time" is no longer a male-dominated phenomenon on campus.

HASAN: It's truly difficult to talk about Islam without addressing the current political climate and recent events. There seem to be some extremists who are trying to set all of Islam at war with the rest of the world. They are meeting with mixed success. They have managed to convince many that Islam itself is responsible for many of the evils we see occurring on a regular basis. But we'll leave that for now. You say that..... This state of affairs has not come about intentionally. It's simply a case of how history unfolded. The Middle East, where Islam is predominantly based, has been later in acquiring technology than some of the western nations. But the same can be said for many parts of the far-east, Afrika, South America, Eastern Europe, etcetera. And yet none of these have fostered terror groups like Al-Qaeda which have spread out to have bases world-wide. My tendency is to place partial blame for the current political climate on both the technological imbalance, and the uneven distribution of riches. After all, if someone is wealthy and content, it's makes it hard (not impossible) to foster radical thoughts. Equally, it seems the richer someone is, the less likely he/she is to turn to God or Allah for help, as the person already has everything he/she needs. A poor society is always more likely to rebel against whatever it is that society sees as an oppressive power. With the huge Hollywood-generated cultural influx many of these poorer countries are experiencing, a lot of it at odds with their own religious beliefs, it's far more easy for radical elements to point and say "There is the poison that is threatening our way of life". I am not saying any of this is right or justifiable, simply trying to look at it from every possible angle.

For me, this is incorrect on a couple levels. First, when GWB began this little crusade, he was NOT using the word "Liberate", rather it was all about "Saddam's got WMD's, we know he's got 'em, and we're going in to get 'em". The whole "Operation Iraqi Freedom" phrase wasn't even coined until the main fighting was mostly wound up. No, back then it was "War on Iraq", nothing about liberating her oppressed people. That came MUCH later, when GW needed a fresh spin to keep up approval ratings on the war. Second, I don't think too many Canadians are hoping for the US to have any great military failures, no matter how much noise you hear from a few on the extreme left. Our countries are simply tied too closely for any of us to wish for any serious harm to come on America. *AHEM*. I think Hitler's Germany was a hell of a lot bigger threat to Canada than Iraq could ever hope to be, even in Saddam's wildest dreams. It was also, believe it or not, a DIRECT threat to England. What you might call an "Imminent threat". Hardly at all like the situation with Iraq, who was a threat to no-one, except perhaps Kuwait. Consider too that England is also the "Mother country" of the USA, even though the US has long since loosened her ties with Britain far beyond what Canada has done. That considered, how quick was the USA to jump into the war in Europe in WWII, in which her allies were being DIRECTLY ATTACKED??? Not very. She did, however, make a tidy profit selling arms to England, and also Russia, during WWII before deciding to join in the ETO. "USA. Arms supplier to the world since 1939". Now there's a tag-line. Maybe Blair was wearing a different shade of sunglasses than Canadians were. As for "needed to be fought", well hell, about half the people in the USA, and the same in Britain disagree with you, despite the constant exhortations from their respective governments that this "needed" to be done, and, in the USA in particular, virtually unlimited support from the MSM for about the first 2 years of the war. Who the hell cares what Blair thinks of Canada??? We are not Blair's lapdog, although that word HAS been used to describe Blair himself. Not by me, however. And don't worry, MONTY, I do indeed forgive you for your shameless stance

Hi, MOD-AM, and thanks for the concern, but I can't be said to be "upset". Nothing about this has me in a lather, I'm simply pointing out that some people only see things from one side, and refuse to even try look at it from a different angle. That post was to simply point out a few examples wherein the USA is blaming Canada for things that are not her fault, and thereby show that the finger pointing happens on both sides of the border, and is not exclusively a Canadian, or Liberal, thing.

Uh, guys, I do believe from the tenor of her (???) post that she is from somewhere is Europe.