overthere

"And just again have a look at a map, if you in fact know how to read them and look at the difference in the type of geography each covers. Let's see, across the prairies or over the mountains that are known to be prone to earthquakes, and into country that noone knows how a spill recovery team will get to. And then look at the water courses potentially impacted. It's not hard to figure out which is safer. And even easier. Eastbound a bunch of the pipe is already there." West bound too: KInder Morgan has been running the Trans Mountain pipeline from AB to Burnaby for over half a century. That is in fact over the mountains, a whole bunch of them. I'm not sure why Gateway ever went via Kitimat. Why not Prince Rupert? They have a good port, close to the open ocean, and there are two existing right of ways(road and rail). It is further but not that much further.

Pretty bad road trip. OK, it was worse than that....they weren't even close for most of the games. The true Jays are not the team that won so many recently, and they aren't the team that stunk the joint out more recently- they are somewhere in between... and unless they get some pitching their tenure in first place will be long gone soon.

Mulcair would sell his own nuts to just once be in a position to make any decision that mattered, much less a hard decision.

Quebec is the kid who steals stuff from everybodys locker and then plays the race card when caught.

Wynne needs a major bogeyman urgently, and Harper will fit the bill. All of Ontarios woes are his fault. Unless she cuts expenses dramatically, Ontarians will be paying much higher personal taxes and user fees. Probably get both anyway.

Both sides? You are operating under the idea that the federal government is responsible for building the pipeline. They aren't.

So you support the steamrolling of the rights of indigenous people for your interpretation of 'the greater good'? You may have a career in the communications at Enbridge in your future. My point is that all energy production has serious costs, and that includes hydro power. . How would you feel about a big dam on the Speed River? Ontario Hydro may help you with some of your losses. Maybe.

No,not The West, just BC. Gas is more expensive in BC than it is anywhere in the west, since you introduced the carbon tax a few years ago.

Good post. I'd add that there is something more basic at work, something that is part of our DNA: tribalism. We are pack animals. 'Commonality' is our safety net. and has been an evolutionary aid that aids our survival. Sports supporters, nationalism, religion, internet forums ..... all our many many social constructs serve to keep out the darjness beyond the ring of light from the campfire.

Stannis has plenty of determination. What he lacked was money and manpower. The Iron Bank sorted the first part, and lookie here- an entire horde looking for a new role.....

Does that mean that BC will stop mining billions of dollars of coal and cancel all the natural gas projects soon. to demonstrate their actual commitment to a clean environment?

One of the surprising things about India is how there are large chunks of land that are obviously very fertile and productive. The Punjab area is one of those. Kerala too, Australia has more arable land than Canada? MOstly Oz has thin strips of coastal land that are productive, the center is pretty much a gravel parking lot.

The NDP used to wanrt PR, but only when it worked for them i terms of seats in legislative bodies. Several years back I reviewed all the NDP provincial and federal official websites to see their views on PR. They were all in favour(though one Maritime site had no commentary on PR and one proivince did not have a site at the time, forget which one)- with a couple of notable exceptions. At the time , Sask and MB both had NDP governments. In Manitoba, they vaguely supported reviewing other forms of govt but did not mention PR specifically. Review of previous election results indicated there would be little change in MB if they'd had PR then. In SK, their site made no mention at all of PR or any alternative. If they'd had PR in SK then, the NDP would have out of power. Politics are much the same anywhere, pragmatism takes precendence over principle.

Speaking of mantras, I wonder if the NDP used any Montreal ad agencies in the preparation or distribution of their mail? They are probably still underemployed.

Clearly Boris was assassinated by the CIA on the spot for his anti-American rhetoric

I was a bit surporised that Arya let the Hound die badly. Their relationship seemed to be more love than hate lately. A factor of 8 compared to what? Modern societies like ours or 15th century Europe? I don't see a discrepancy with the population given the limited amount of arable land, complete lack of efficient transportartion beyond frequently pirated ships, ground transport by carts, frequent wars, plagues, predatory leadership, and primitive agricultural practice. And hungry dragons.

How long until the size of Ontarios debt, and apparent unwillingness to act on it except by spending more money they don't have, causes the ratings agencies to cut the provinces creditworthiness down, and make the bad situation into something very serious?

Great solution if: there are hydro opportunities available; and you don't live upstream, downstream or anywhere in the area that will be flooded and otherwise devastated by the gross manipulation of major ecosystems. Ask the 100 million Chinese forcibly relocated recently. Ask the First Nations of James Bay how they like it.

I know a guy who investigates claims for the WCB (Workers Compensation Board) in Alberta. He was a city detective for many years previously until he retired after 25 or 30 years service. He does do surreptitious surveillance in many of the cases assigned to him, The only claims they bother with in his area are those that involve plenty o'money, like lifetime pension claims, permanent disability with no possibility of retraining, things like that. He tells me that he has no pressure to get any particualr result, everything he reports has to withstand scrutiny from both sides. Like his work as a cop, he does not reach conclusions or render judgements, just gathers evidence and lets others make decisions based on that.

That is simply not true. North Korea has been officially at war with South Korea for over 60 years, and acts belligerently to nearly everybody, and is so militarized that its people routinely starve. Pakistan has been in a hot/cold war with India since partition in 1947, with bullets routinely exchanged in Kashmir including right now. They've also had what amounts to a civil war going on for decades(not even counting their own partition into Pakistan and Bangladesh. They've been deeply involved through their military and secret services with keeping Afghanistan unstable for decades. Iran has been shit stirring everywhere since their own revolution in the late 70s, including their direct and massive support of proxy states in Syria and Lebanon and endless war in both places, largely directed against Israel. You also overlook the war between Iraq and Iran in the eartly 80s, when about 8 million people died. 8 million. In the meantime . lets look at Israels actual neighbours.... Egypt : at peace with Israel for decades, after realizing they could not defeat Israel jointly or sparately depsite attacking Israel without provoication a few times. Jordan: at peace with Israel for decades. Lebanon: Syrian\Iranian\Russian proxy that was completely devastated as an independent state by 15 years of civil war funded and promted by their proxy masters. The country is effectively run by Syria and her masters for almost 25 years now, and overtly since the Syrian occupation of Lebanon in 1998. Syria: focal point of Irans well funded effort to destroy Israel and kill every Jew. Run by a loon who will stop at nothing to stay in power, and actively supported by the Iran funded Hezbollah in fighting rebel groups.

BRazil has other motives than profit for hosting both the World Cup and the Summer Olympics: Number One and Two in terms of greatest and most prestigious international events. It's a coming out party for a nation that wants to join the global first rank of economies, and wants to be seen to join.

I agree with the bulk of your post but not with your examples of Hiroshima etc. in this: The outbreak of all out war in 1939 required a huge mobilization of men and a national refocus of industry for Canada and all her Allies. Demonizing the Germans and Japanese was not difficult since they were seen as aggressors, and did indeed conduct some horrific atrocities early in and before the war. There was certainly an element of racism in recruitment, but it was really not that big an element. In Canada, two things drew young men to enlist. One was the common theme found in many wars- "all my friends are going on a grand adventure in foreign lands on a noble mission and I will too"(keeping in mind that 1939 was a time when very few people ever ventured far from home in their lives). The other reason was more prosaic. When war broke out Canada was just barely emerging from nearly a decade of economic meltdown and jobs were still hard to come by. Joing the army gave you three squares and a roof, and more importantly relived your family of the strain of providing them. The stated reason fro bombing Japan with atomic weapons was that it would end the war without invading Japan and thereby save hundreds of thousands of Allied(mostly Americans, since they carried the vast bulk of action in the Pacific War). It would also save the lives of millions of Japanese civilians. I think that was true, the Japanese amply demonstrated that were impacable fierce warriors that would willingly fight to the last person, and that included the civilian population. An appeal to 'slant eyed yellow menace' was not necessary to motivate anybody by that point.

Good post. I'd move the age of testing to perhaps 75 and make seniors get it every year. All of us are operating a lethal weapon when we get behind the wheel after all. Many older drivers are unaware that their capacities to drive safely are severely diminished as they age. There is also the fact that most of us do not want to know and refuse to acknowledge that we are less capable behind the wheel. Getting old is a series of humiliations large and small. Loss of driving ranks up their with the largest, since it means a change in lifestyle and a major loss of mobility. I don't support restricted licenses, either you can do it or you cannot.

You had a comment on a disconnect between population and size of Westeros. My post pointed out there is none, given the limited amount of arable land. Did that make you angry for some reason?

Be careful what you wish for.......do you know how the health care system works in France? Did you know that you pay a cash fee every time you visit a physician? I know this because my brother lived in France for nearly 20 years and I drove his kids to some appointments, cash in fist. Why do you want to penalize users of health care in Canada?