Arafat

From this week's Bleat at Lileks:

There's nothing I can add to that...

via Just Between Us Girls.

With Friends like these

I think that the next election won't have so many celebrity endorsers. I mean you just can't count on the effects that spoiled rich pampered superstars will have on your campaign:

Woops. Name me a recent Springsteen hit. I find that the more involved in partisan politics an artist becomes, the more their career is likely to implode under their increasing pomposity. Does anyone care about Janeane Garofalo anymore? I used to think she was good and funny. I don't really miss her now that she's isolated herself on Air America, preaching to the converted moonbats about how evil everyone who doesn't agree with the left is.

She did herself in.

I wonder if knowing that Bin Laden's favourite movie is Fahrenheit 911 struck at any Grinch-like remnant of decency in Michael Moore's heart...I wouldn't put money on it, but in all fairness it has to disturb you to be the favourite movie-maker of mass-murdering terrorists everywhere...

I think the next Democratic candidate should choose their celebrities more carefully.

Of course, I'm speaking as if Kerry's already lost...which hasn't happened...yet.

UPDATE OCT 31: Reader, friend, sometimes sparring partner Greg writes in the comments:

From the transcript on Drudge (I'm not sure how long the link will last):

From this we can infer that:

1. Bin Laden saw the movie.
2. Bin Laden will use context from the movie to attack his enemies.
3. Michael Moore has provided OBL with ideas to incorporate in his own speeches, furthering OBL's ability to influence.
4. OBL views the movie as reinforcing his position.

I fatuously referred to it as his "favourite movie" when more carefully I should have referred to him finding it useful in his cause. I'm pretty sure that Bin Laden didn't hate it but I have no special personal knowledge of what's in Bin Laden's "Creepy Cave Video Hits."

Thanks for pointing this out Greg! It so changes the weight of my argument!

Sometimes I despair

...over the direction this country has taken.

Shut up.

Canada is like a beat up dog the perks up and wags its tail the second master says something not cruel or not condescending. We had some pride before, sometime way back, I seem to remember...

Geez, that's a blinding glimpse of the obvious, isn't it? I like the way "Albertans" has been tossed in there along with the other two pariahs of "Canadian Values"...

The thing about John Kerry, my fellow Canadians, is that he won't be OUR friend and savior: all his railing about the "outsourcing of America" - who do you think he's referring to? And do you REALLY think that we'll escape the protectionist wrath if Kerry is the next president?

Hate Bush all you like- we don't get to choose the American president up here. But take your blinders off when it comes to John Forbes Kennedy.

Super Villain

I asked Rue what I'd be like as a "Super-Villain"

I guess it was watching X-men 2 one too many times.

Instead of answering she took out her note pad and went away for a few minutes. When she returned she flipped open the pad and presented me with:

I quite like it.

All I have to do is determine what super power I will make the world tremble with...

I'm thinking death beams from the pointy top of the helmet, and mind-control, of course.

Any other suggestions?

Exam

If someone had told me when I graduated high school that almost twenty years later I would still be writing exams, I would've shot him...if I had a gun that is.

Last Thursday I wrote what is hopefully my last exam for my accounting designation. What was weird was that the thing that gave me the most difficulty was writing for four hours straight. My arm just about gave out as in my day-to-day work I spend most of my time at the computer. Who the hell writes anything anymore?

In four to six weeks I'll know the results and if I'll have to write the damn thing again. If When I pass it'll be another two years of case studies and group projects - I hate group projects...

Red Ensign Standard #7

is up at myrick this week.

Much bloggy goodness ensues!

Hey, TiVo! Suggest this!

THIS BLOG HAS JUST BEEN POCUSED!*

Muhuhuhuhahahaha....

Nachos

My bad. I should have given a little more detail. This is a Futurama reference. Bender discovers how different he would be if he were human in the Season 4 episode Anthology of Interest II

"You like grilled cheese?"

*Meaning that, I, Rue have broken in to post on the Kraut!

I tried

I tried to keep my posting out of the election for awhile, as I was courting blogger burnout. Meanwhile Ghost of a Flea keeps churning out delicious links like this one.

It's funny. Looking back at what I've written over the last couple of months I've decided that I've not so much pro-Bush as I am anti-Kerry, which is the exact polar opposite of the average Democratic voter, who is not so much pro-Kerry (hold your nose and vote), but rabidly anti-Bush.

Too bad I'm Canadian and don't get to vote.

Oh and the quoted part above is not the best zinger in the article - this is:

Ouch, baby, ouch.

So I'm the Bad Guy

See, here's the thing...

Many people blog for many different reasons. I do it to vent, let off steam, say things online that need to be said without starting arguments with people I know - KNOW! will never ever change their positions.

When people I knew in the real world learned about this site I had mixed feelings: hey I want this stuff to be read - why else would I put it on the net? However, a lot of the stuff I write is personal and I don't want to have to explain my site content every time I have a drink with somebody I know, or have someone start griping if I didn't report their words exactly the way they thought that they had said them. Everyone will always interpret an event based on their point of view and usually remember things to their advantage - that's human nature.

And that's why I don't sign my last name to every post, the way many bloggers do. A little bit of privacy (and my last name is quite distinctive) can go a long way in helping me attempt to write. And it also helps me to try and seperate me online from me offline, if there is any true seperation.

So a month ago I vented, as I felt I had been sucker-punched in public about my personal finances, a topic I consider more private than sex, politics and religion put together.

I knew the person mentioned would see it.

I knew the person mentioned would probably not like it.

But hey, at least it's better than causing a scene at his house in front of his other friends, and honestly, this space is mine and mine alone to vent. I pay the bills, this isn't public property.

I don't have to be fair.

I don't have to be balanced.

I don't have to give equal time to opposing viewpoints (though it's fun to do so.)

My friend decided that he objected to my post. And has decided that I'm not worth talking to. In a response to one of my emails wanting to go for a drink, he asked if my motivation was to "get more fodder for your blog" and talked about how "busy" he was. I haven't heard from him since. So much for 12 years of friendship. And in his mind he thinks I'm the bad guy for calling him on his nosy bullshit.

So be it.

Message received and right back at ya, pal.

You crossed the line first. I'll not censor myself just because you're pissed off that you come off in a non-flattering light. Maybe if you'd keep your nose out of other people's business, it wouldn't get chopped off.

As for you being fodder for this blog, sorry pal, but you're just not that interesting after this post.

Stifling dissent

Whining Chretienite puppet master Warren Kinsella's been threatening bloggers with lawsuits.

Guess it helps to be a lawyer with lotsa time on his hands. I'd link to his blog, but then I don't want to have to lawyer up.

I want...

...one of these.

I haven't been sailing much at all these last few years. That will have to be fixed for 2005.

The Committee on un-Canadian Activities

Shrill Toronto Star Columnist Linda McQuaig whines about us evil Canada haters:

Hold on, it gets better.

Oh no! Invoke those nasty evil Americans! Because, of course, anyone who criticises the way Canadians do things must be wanting to throw Canada to the Yankee dogs and become the 51st state. It only stands to reason that there are only two choices on how to do things: The American way and the absolutely perfect way that Canada does absolutely everything beyond reproach. I'm being sarcastic in case anyone doesn't get it...

The Red Ensign Brigade's power grows by leaps and bounds.

In answer to lefty-Linda's remark above I'll let you judge whether we're in decline by referring to the quote in my sidebar:

But, of course it's destructive to criticize, according to McQuaig:

Because if we pointed out that Canada's current government has screwed our athletes, screwed our military, screwed the provinces, screwed our citizens by excessively taxing them and running huge unnecessary surplusses under the guise of "fiscal prudence" with government MP's falling all over each other trying to spend our money - well, we must necessarily HATE Canada.

Because in McQuaig's mind, all the good that Canada has done in the world: fighting for freedom, carving out a modern nation out of the wilderness, being in the forefront of international affairs by putting ourselves on the line time and time again - in a word everything that we used to be able to do but can't anymore - is meaningless as long as we have our cherished universal healthcare.

Anyone who disagrees doesn't just have a different opinion - if we don't conform to the big government, Mommy/Federal Government knows best attitude that's being rammed down our throats courtesy of "enlightened" commentators like Ms McQuaig - well we're so...un-Canadian.

I'm wondering when the "special commitees" will be organized. Of course Ms. McQuaig sees herself as the arbiter of what is and isn't an acceptable Canadian value. From her pictures online current fashionable hairstyles don't appear to be one of them.

Hey, at least we've gotten some attention here...

Parliamentary High Theatre

Andrew Coyne's back from a prolonged absence from Blogland. (So long was his absence that I've deleted him from my blogroll. Gotta rectify that.)

His latest take on the government shell game leads me to believe that the "Harper is evil" conceit of the media is at it again. The government was at no point in any danger, but of course those nasty Conservatives are again being portrayed as troublemakers who want to take us to the polls yet again.

So why the big play in the media, when we have death and damage to our "new" submarine HMCS Chicoutimi? I sense the Liberal-friendly media at work, yet again, after months of post-election boredom - and Martin doing some savvy press manipulation.

And this crap pushed the Chicoutimi off the front page.

Men Who Would Be King

Something occured to me while watching the second debate between Bush and Kerry.

Kerry is the guy that I wanted to be growing up: smooth, uber-rich, popular, with a seeming entitlement to the crown, and a way with words that makes you think that he knows what he's talking about. It's almost hypnotic, until you actually realize that he's an empty suit.

Bush was the guy I didn't want to be: incoherent, uber-rich, popular, an old boy's network get out of jail free card, and an advanced case of frat-boy gladhanding and down-home platitudes. In the election of 2000, before 9-11, I thought that this guy was definitely the wrong choice.

I was wrong.

I've read a lot of the left-leaning blogs claim that Kerry again won last night: they're wrong.

Darling wife Rue noted while we watched: "It's like sombody put his batteries in, or something. He's a different guy this time."

Again the style versus substance argument comes up. Like most of those guys I envied in high school, Kerry's hit a plateau. He's about to join the the ghosts of Democratic failure: McGovern, Mondale and Dukakis. He'll be trotted out with them for the 10 minutes of shame when Hillary accepts the '08 nomination. Why? Because Democrats thought all they needed was someone who looked good and spoke well. What substantively different will Kerry do? Two debates and we still don't know because I don't think his party or his handlers even thought of the question. Their only goal appears to be "Beat Bush." And they'll again be wringing their hands, beating their heads against the wall screeching "why, why, WHY!?" again when November 3rd roles around.

An energized, almost coherent Bush, with tons of actual real substantive policy behind him will kill slick Mr. Flip-Flop in the polls. Because Mr. Flip-Flop really doesn't stand for anything, other than the acquisition of his own personal power.

And it's hard to believe someone who'll tell you ANYTHING you want to hear in order to get it.

Red Ensign Standard #6

is up at Taylor and Company this week...

And Chris Taylor kicks my butt when it comes to formatting the entries.

Some interesting stuff among the group this week.

There's almost enough material bi-weekly for an online magazine...Eh, Nick?

Satellite Radio, Baby

I've lived with my satellite radio for almost 6 months now and there's no way IN HELL that I'm EVER going to give it up.

But, you say, it's just RADIO. What the hell could possibly be so damn good about it that you pony up $12.99 American Dollars every damn month for it?

• Jerry Doyle
• Laura Ingraham
• Sean Hannity
• Fox News which my political overlords have deemed too dangerous for me to listen to.

When I need to cleanse the palate of right wing ribaldry I check out Air America and various other left leaning shows for a mirror into the corrupted soul of American "liberalism." I use quotes because I believe that the classical liberalism of the early 20th century shouldn't be thrown out with gnarled distorted version that trots around today.

But I digress.

Why is satellite better? No commercials on the music channels, every variation of music style, news, talk, sports (every damn NFL game broadcast, it would've been hockey too, but...)

You want to know why this isn't some passing fad?

Howard Stern goes there in 2006.

What satellite radio needs to be profitable is stars that people will want to listen to, rather than just background noise for a drive.

Love him or hate him, Stern is a star.

Used Sub

Can it get any worse for Canada's Navy?

Hopefully it was still under warranty...

In all seriousness, I hope for the best for the brave crew, who, like most of our armed forces, have to make due with old, dilapidated, and now not-so gently used equipment.

You aren't gonna leave me are you Ash?

You are an Evil Dead Zombie. The spirits of the
dead took over your body in a lonely cabin, and
now it's your job to kick some Ash ass. Sadly,
while you'll succeed in beating the bejeezus
out of Ash repeatedly, he will ultimately wipe
you from existence. You can only be killed by
bodily dismemberment.


What kind of Zombie are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


via the Flea

Employment

I start my new job tomorrow. My commute is about the same as it was in Toronto, but the view is a hell of a lot better.

Maybe Bligh wasn't so bad...

Rape a 'way of life' on Pitcairn

Forget the romance of the films. This is the sad legacy of that act of mutiny more than two centuries ago. How many tahitian women do you think went along with the original mutineers willingly?