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Progressive Bloggers

OMG Is this a joke? (Take off, eh?)

Posted: October 7th, 2020, 9:23am MST

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This can't be real can it?This has to be some sort of bizarre joke right?Of course, in a government where central messaging control is religion, it is all purely coincidental that the feds' latest marketing mascot is a white guy with a helmet-head hairdo and the same name as George Bush's favourite moniker for our PM. And the timing... I'm speechless. Was this really supposed to help attract tourists to Canada?On the page featuring Victoria, for instance, there's a picture of Steve in a wetsuit, looking oh-so-Stockwell Day, and talking about sea kayaking around the blue-hair capital of the universe. Steve "tips his hat to Calgary" in an urban cowboy outfit, which at least looks a lot better on a bobblehead than the PM's famous vest get-up for the Stampede. Notably, a third of the page is devoted to the Calgarian inventor of the Bloody Caesar cocktail. Wow.
Women's Rights in the Canadian Federal Election (A Canadian Lefty in Occupied Land)

Posted: September 26th, 2020, 9:22am MST

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Hey kids, pardon my scarcity over the last week and a bit...I may find the energy to write something non-trivial later tonight or I may not. In the meantime, here is a release about a national day of action in defense of women's rights in the context of the current election campaign, which will take place on September 28:ELECTION 2008-"Don't Play With Women's Rights" Says a Non-Partisan Coalition of AdvocatesSeptember 28 will be the National Day of Action across CanadaOTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 25, 2008) - In Ottawa today, a non-partisan coalition of advocates for sexual and reproductive rights, including unions and women's organizations, held a press conference to demand that political parties and future MPs clearly state their support of women's right to choose, and their commitment to ensure access to public abortion services everywhere in Canada. Before Parliament was dissolved, a number of Private Members' Bills and were introduced that would have chipped away at…
The ZENN Will Make It's Canadian Debut on Oct. 4th (ECO-CAN News)

Posted: September 16th, 2020, 9:21am MST

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NEWS RELEASE ZENN Motor Company Inc. Toronto, Ontario, Canada (TSXV: ZNN) THE ZENN WILL MAKE ITS CANADIAN DEBUT ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 2008 IN SAINT-JEROME, QUÃBEC Toronto, Ontario â September 16, 2008â ZENN Motor Company Inc. (âZMCâ or âthe Companyâ) is pleased to announce the Canadian debut of its all-electric ZENN in the province of QuÃ©bec. Following the announcement by Transport Minister Julie Boulet of a three year province-wide pilot project enabling the sale of low-speed vehicles (LSVs), ZMC has obtained a Retailer license to enable direct customer sales from its factory in Saint-JÃ©rÃ´me, QuÃ©bec. To celebrate its Canadian debut, ZENN Motor Company is hosting a launch event for the made-in-QuÃ©bec, zero-emission, no-noise ZENN at its Saint-Jerome manufacturing facility on Saturday, October 4th. All prospective consumers who signed up for ZMCâs waiting list via its website will be invited to test drive the ZENN,…
Zinn: US 'in need of rebellion' (Where The Blog Has No Name)

Posted: September 14th, 2020, 9:21am MST

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Al Jazeera speaks to Howard Zinn, the author, American historian, social critic and activist, about how the Iraq war damaged attitudes towards the US and why the US "empire" is close to collapse. Q: Where is the United States heading...
Zinn: US 'in need of rebellion' (Where The Blog Has No Name)

Posted: September 14th, 2020, 9:21am MST

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Al Jazeera speaks to Howard Zinn, the author, American historian, social critic and activist, about how the Iraq war damaged attitudes towards the US and why the US "empire" is close to collapse. Q: Where is the United States heading...
GOP and Troopergate (Unrepentant Old Hippie)

Posted: September 4th, 2020, 9:20am MST

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Is the GOP worried about Troopergate turning into an October Surprise?:"The Alaska state senator running an investigation of Gov. Palin says the McCain campaign is using stall tactics to prevent him from releasing his final report by Oct. 31, four days before the November election. "It's likely to be damaging to the Governor's administration," said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat, appointed the project manager for a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired. Palin, who has denied any wrongdoing and has said she has nothing to hide, hired private lawyers on Saturday, the day after Sen. McCain announced her as his running mate." (emphasis mine)Again, why her? Could they not have found someone without so much baggage?This speaks horrifying volumes about McCain -- not only his judgment, but his malleability and inability to stand up to the…
GOP and Troopergate (Unrepentant Old Hippie)

Posted: September 4th, 2020, 9:20am MST

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Is the GOP worried about Troopergate turning into an October Surprise?:"The Alaska state senator running an investigation of Gov. Palin says the McCain campaign is using stall tactics to prevent him from releasing his final report by Oct. 31, four days before the November election. "It's likely to be damaging to the Governor's administration," said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat, appointed the project manager for a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired. Palin, who has denied any wrongdoing and has said she has nothing to hide, hired private lawyers on Saturday, the day after Sen. McCain announced her as his running mate." (emphasis mine)Again, why her? Could they not have found someone without so much baggage?This speaks horrifying volumes about McCain -- not only his judgment, but his malleability and inability to stand up to the…
GOP and Troopergate (Unrepentant Old Hippie)

Posted: September 3rd, 2020, 9:20am MST

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Is the GOP worried about Troopergate turning into an October Surprise?:"The Alaska state senator running an investigation of Gov. Palin says the McCain campaign is using stall tactics to prevent him from releasing his final report by Oct. 31, four days before the November election. "It's likely to be damaging to the Governor's administration," said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat, appointed the project manager for a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired. Palin, who has denied any wrongdoing and has said she has nothing to hide, hired private lawyers on Saturday, the day after Sen. McCain announced her as his running mate." (emphasis mine)Again, why her? Could they not have found someone without so much baggage?This speaks horrifying volumes about McCain -- not only his judgment, but his malleability and inability to stand up to the…
(Mollys Blog)

Posted: August 10th, 2020, 9:18am MST

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CANADIAN LABOUR-MANITOBA:BIKES FOR FARM WORKERS: As Molly reported earlier on this blog the UFCW Union recently won the first recognition of a farm workers' union in Canada, and it happened here in Manitoba. The migrant workers, located in Portage La Prairie, still have many difficulties, however, as the following item from the Manitoba Federation of Labour website makes clear. If you live here in Manitoba help out if you can..................................Bikes for Farm Workers:UFCW Local 832 recently ratified a first collective agreement with the migrant agricultural workers at Mayfair Farms in Portage La Prairie. They are a group of approximately 50 seasonal farm workers from Mexico who come to Manitoba each year to work in the vegetable fields sending money home to improve the lives of their families. Local 832 is trying to assist these people in more ways than just protecting their new rights in the workplace. They are also trying to assist them with their…
Commander In Chief test (A Creative Revolution)

Posted: July 30th, 2020, 9:17am MST

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How does John McCain fare in the Commander In Chief test? See for yourself: Even if you're not a fan of Obama, you've got to admit that damage control alone is a compelling reason to vote for him. That and not having a total doofus for POTUS for another four years. *from the comments at youtube: KruspeFish (1 week ago) John McCain would have to do a slam dunk off a trampoline over Ted Kennedy to beat that. Come on, Mr. McCain, we're waiting! Gooooo Obama!
Military won't obey Conservatives either (Greg's DTK)

Posted: July 7th, 2020, 9:15am MST

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Whom does our military obey?Ideally, the military is under the control of the people. This is a central, mandatory rule of democracy. We can't have an autocratic military leadership. Either it takes orders from us, or it ceases to exist. Period.We found out that this isn't quite true, of course, when the military brass disobeyed our desires and sent our soldiers in to Iraq in support of the U.S. military invasion. (It was billed as a training mission, but this is mere camouflage).One of the themes of Linda McQuaig's "Holding the Bully's Coat" is that the military brass have too much power to decide their own missions. When the Wall came down and the Soviet Union fell, the Liberal government decided to change the purpose of our military to make it the greatest peacekeeping force, and have the premiere peacekeeping training facility, in the world. The military objected and used its "think tanks" to lobby the media and government so it could continue to have all the fancy…
Guelph - Awaiting the by-election call (Pample the Moose)

Posted: June 25th, 2020, 9:14am MST

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With Brenda Chamberlain's resignation, we are currently without a Member of Parliament in Guelph. The by-election hasn't been called yet, but the campaign has certainly begun. All the local papers are filled with ads for the various candidates. I've received flyers for the Liberal and Green candidates and I've seen ads for fundraisers and talks for the NDP. And just now, I received a phone call asking whether I'd consider voting for the Conservative candidate. In case you're wondering, I politely said no to the volunteer, rather than saying that I'd rather chew off my own leg.If I were Stephen Harper, I'd get cracking on calling that by-election. The university is out for the summer, and I rather suspect that his candidate will not benefit from having the student vote in town, particularly if the NDP decides to engage in another all-out campaign blitz like they did in Outremont. Of course, he's not really one to care about filling vacant seats in Parliament, as attested…

Blogging Dippers Feed

No Title Here (I really am a lucky guy)

Posted: October 10th, 2010, 1:48pm MST

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I'm still alive but I'm over here ... Oreo Cookie Blues .... see ya...

Progressive Bloggers

"It's just a flesh wound ..." (Peace, order and good government, eh?)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:47am MST

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John McCain in prepared remarks to be delivered today: "We've got them just where we want them." And that line comes as the climax to a recital of disasters and failures, some of them McCain's own, a terrible downer of a speech throughout. After I stopped laughing and thought of Monty Python, I also started thinking of figures like General Custer, but TPM tells me that Instaputz got there first. I wonder why it is that Obama and Biden can talk about the things that are really hurting people and yet lift their crowds up, while that speech of McCain's just reads like more clanking chains being wrapped about his ankles....
Can you spare 15 minutes to help build a democraticÂ Canada? (Canadian Dimension Blog)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:44am MST

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On Tuesday, we cast our ballots. Time is short, but we can still rally a lot more support for electoral reform in the coming days, if we all act together. Below is a list of six actions. Each would take no more than 15 minutes. Can you pick just one action and do it in the coming [...]
Cheating the system.... (A Creative Revolution)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:42am MST

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Bill Maher, Get out and vote. Republicans will cheat. A methodology of cheating: Disinfranchising voters....
Jack Layton Continues to Ignore Toronto Danforth (John Laforet's Blog)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:35am MST

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So Jack Layton has decided to spend his final day of the campaign running around the GTA trashing the Liberal Party and encouraging progressives to vote for the forth party. Here are the facts. Jack is third place in most GTA ridings, and has no chance of forming government or picking up most of the [...]
Gay conservative Loses Cool . . . . (The Galloping Beaver)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:35am MST

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Ricky at Queer Thoughts posted our local Vancouver Centre's conservative candidate's melt-down at the queer debate last week.Watch the video.Attending it as I did, it was an uncomfortable portion of the debate. Speaking to other gay constituents later, the feeling was common. We were embarrassed for his actions and confused as to why any self-respecting homosexual could support a conservative government, much less run as a candidate for that party . . . . .
Tory MP Calls Abortion "A Crime!" (Bowie's Blog)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:28am MST

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So THAT'S why Stephen Harper doesn't let his caucus speak. I get it now. It's because they'd say what they think! h/t Miranda Hussey for finding this one.This speaks directly to why Canadians fear the Harper majority. If he had 155 seats, his base would expect him to take action on issues like this - issues that speak to the extreme right-wing grassroots of the Reform-Alliance movement. When we vote tomorrow, let's make sure he doesn't get it.
Gay conservative Loses Cool . . . . (Moved to Vancouver)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:23am MST

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Ricky at Queer Thoughts posted our local Vancouver Centre's conservative candidate's melt-down at the queer debate last week.Watch the video.Attending it as I did, it was an uncomfortable portion of the debate. Speaking to other gay constituents later, the feeling was common. We were embarrassed for his actions and confused as to why any self-respecting homosexual could support a conservative government, much less run as a candidate for that party . . . . .Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers
Hear, hear (Accidental Deliberations)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:20am MST

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Dr. Dawg puts together what looks to be pretty much the ideal editorial endorsement for the New Democrats. Go read - and even more importantly, compare the positive reasons for voting NDP to the negative ones on tap in most of the corporate media's grudging endorsements so far.

Liblogs

For a richer, fairer, greener Canada, we must elect a Liberal government (Liberal Party of Canada 2008 RSS News Feed )

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:20am MST

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LONGUEUIL Canadians face a stark choice between two visions of Canada: the narrow-minded, do-nothing approach of the Conservative Party or the generous progressive vision of the Liberal Party, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said today.
Pour un Canada plus prospère, plus juste, plus vert, nous devons élire un gouvernement libéral (Parti libéral du Canada 2008 Flux RSS )

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:20am MST

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LONGUEUIL Les Canadiens font face à un choix clair entre deux visions du Canada : l'approche simpliste de laissez-faire du Parti conservateur, ou la vision progressiste et généreuse du Parti libéral. C'est ce que le chef libéral Stéphane Dion a affirmé aujourd'hui.

Progressive Bloggers

Hornswoggled Revisited (A Creative Revolution)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:15am MST

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File under: Where the #&@$&# has our media been for the past two years. Saw this little 2:45 report on Global TV yesterday evening on one of those rare occasions that I've even had Teh Tee Vee on, let alone surfing past GlobalCannedWaste. Watching this I experienced a tsunami of deja vu. read more
Dean Del Mastro Suggests Conservatives will Change the Law on Abortion (A View From the Left)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:12am MST

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Thanks to a reader for alerting me to this YouTube clip where Peterborough Conservative incumbent, speaking at a pro-life rally, talks about how he is certain that Canada's abortion laws will be changed. Take a look for yourself:Is this what we want in Ottawa?
Harper Helped Bush Money Launder Softwood Duties (Cyberwanderer's Blog)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:07am MST

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Prior to Harper assuming the position of Prime Minister, Paul Martin was fighting hard with U.S. on softwood lumber duties that U.S. illegally collected from us. The case was before the court and Martin was confident we will win. When Harper assumed power, he quickly ended the case against U.S. by summarily making a deal [...]
Happy Thanksgiving From The Snowbelt - (Buckdog)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:07am MST

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Leftdog's front yard ... 10:00 am - Thanksgiving Day - October 13, 2008 - Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada......where the hell did I leave my shovel ...?

Blogging Alliance of Non-Partisan Canadians RSS Feed

Thanksgiving dinner and another great apple crisp recipea peek inside the fishbowl

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:05am MST by andrea

Tags: Food and Recipes [edit]

Looking for a great (and easy) Thanksgiving dinner? Need some recipes? Look no further.

Progressive Bloggers

Pwning economists (The Galloping Beaver)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:04am MST

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Taleb launches:(h/t John Robb)
âLabour unionsâ and the status quo (Toban Black)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:01am MST

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— Carl Finamore on ‘union’ institutions in the United States - “Never before has the half-century decline of American labor revealed itself more clearly than in the last several weeks. Largely relegated to the sidelines, national union officials are making little effort to interject independent working-class solutions into the current debate of how to resolve the enormous social [...]

Blogging Alliance of Non-Partisan Canadians RSS Feed

Roundup: 05-12 October 2008Mike's Blawg

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 9:00am MST by Mike

Tags: Roundup [edit]

Today is a holiday, so brief update. 31 items worked on, a fair bit to do with our Blade Center and the cluster running on it. A prof had a student give him some files on a USB key, which promptly set off his installation of NAV; it saw the problems, but didn't clean them. Much badness is likely to ensue - antivirus sometimes just isn't sufficient.

95 open items (17 wishlist), 7 stalled.

All work tracked for last week, starting:
2008-10-06
mpatters Infrastructure 0.67
mpatters Research 25.83

Progressive Bloggers

Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here! (Buckdog)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:58am MST

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They say that there is a sign over the entrance to Hades ... upon it is written" 'Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter' HERE!
Tout le monde en parle...parfois (Accidental Deliberations)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:57am MST

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By all indications, Jack Layton's appearance on Tout le monde en parle seems to have gone extremely well. See Charles' comments on a previous post, as well as French coverage from Carl at democraticSPACE and one entertainment source.But it's certainly worth noting the difference in coverage between Layton's appearance and that of Stephane Dion earlier this campaign. While the reviews weren't positive for the most part, Dion's time on the show received at least some mention in media ranging from Macleans blogs to the Globe and Mail to the Star to Canoe. One would think that the show would be no less "wildly popular" - and thus relevant to the campaign - with Layton appearing rather than Dion. And indeed it would seem to make for a particularly important contrast if Layton put up a strong showing in a setting where Dion left the audience cold.But for now, it looks far too doubtful that Layton's appearance will receive anything close to the attention given to Dion for doing exactly…
Dr.Dawg endorses the NDP (Dawg's Blawg)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:54am MST

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[If anonymous editorialists can get away with this stuff, my last-minute endorsement is just as authoritative and probably will be just as effective --DD]The only serious choice for electors on Tuesday is Jack Layton's NDP. We (that's the royal "we": Marie Ãve is on her own here) say this after considerable soul-searching and a critical examination of what each party has to offer. Given that we're smarter than the Ottawa Citizen and the Globe and Mail, more principled than the Toronto Star, and a lot nicer than the National Post, we expect that our endorsement will have a serious reception.It's not that we believe that Jack Layton is the perfect leader. He sometimes appears too interested in scoring debating points, and at other times the "light and lively" label might, with some reason, be applied. But knowing Jack as we do, we would indeed buy a used car from this man, and drive it with confidence down the highway of the future.True, he has not been tested with the…

Blogging Alliance of Non-Partisan Canadians RSS Feed

Dr.Dawg endorses the NDPDawg's Blawg

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:54am MST by Dr.Dawg

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[If anonymous editorialists can get away with this stuff, my last-minute endorsement is just as authoritative and probably will be just as effective --DD]

The only serious choice for electors on Tuesday is Jack Layton's NDP. We (that's the royal "we": Marie Ève is on her own here) say this after considerable soul-searching and a critical examination of what each party has to offer. Given that we're smarter than the Ottawa Citizen and the Globe and Mail, more principled than the Toronto Star, and a lot nicer than the National Post, we expect that our endorsement will have a serious reception.

It's not that we believe that Jack Layton is the perfect leader. He sometimes appears too interested in scoring debating points, and at other times the "light and lively" label might, with some reason, be applied. But knowing Jack as we do, we would indeed buy a used car from this man, and drive it with confidence down the highway of the future.

True, he has not been tested with the responsibilities of government, except at the municipal level. But we can think of another candidate in another election campaign in another country who has similar experience, and is considered to be a serious contender for the second and even the top office in the land. Lack of government experience should never--repeat, never--be a bar to high office. Indeed, such experience can be a positive disadvantage: the wiles and tricks of governmental back-room dealings have poisoned the political culture of the established parties in Canada, and, when allowed to erupt into public consciousness, have offended the nation.

Jack brings a seasoned career as an MP to the table, and candidates who, by and large, are no worse than the candidates of other parties. For every slur about alleged "Islamists" or "truthers" flung at individual NDP candidates, too often without any foundation at all, the NDP could point to the extremist connections of, for example, Conservative hopeful Peter Kent and the far-right Coalition for Canadian Democracies, in which he holds executive office. Provincially, NDP governments have ruled responsibly, and--with the notable exception of a certain now-Liberal candidate--have handled the financial side of the job with prudence, without tearing up labour union contracts to do so.

More importantly, however, the NDP has a human face, and it isn't ashamed to show it. The Conservative Party tries to appeal to the inner stockbroker; the Greens court small entrepreneurs who want a different type of conservatism. The Bloc makes its pitch to narrow regional interests that the québécois themselves have long outgrown, and the Liberals chat up anyone who's listening. Only the NDP actually stands consistently for people--ordinary, working people and their families.

Whether this includes bolstering health care by hiring more doctors and nurses and investing in cancer research, or offering a Child Benefit and a children's nutritional plan to hard-pressed working households, or investing in social housing, or protecting the environment with measures that are easily understandable and will work, the NDP has a detailed, well-thought-out platform.

The NDP stands foursquare against so-called "social conservatism" and the smoldering bigotry in some Canadian backwaters that has been fanned into flame by the Harper conservatives. The latter want small, non-intrusive government--unless it comes to women's reproductive choice and people with a non-heterosexual orientation. They want everyone who comes to live in Canada to be just like them--a frankly horrifying prospect. The NDP recognizes the importance and the desirability of immigration and diversity, and believes that every citizen of this country, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity, is a first-class citizen.

The NDP will also put some substance behind Harper's empty and self-serving "apology" to our First Nations, with a comprehensive plan to invest in aboriginal and Métis education, health, and skills training. And it will put an end to Canada's shame on the international stage by signing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In foreign policy, Canada will chart an independent course, not merely wait for signals from the White House. In the Middle East, the NDP will work for solutions, rather than turning Canada into a blind adherent for one side of that many-sided conflict. As for our foreign military adventures, which even Stephen Harper has by now thought better about, the NDP will return our military to peacekeeping roles and defending our sovereignty in the Arctic.

But more important than any of these specifics is vision. The NDP is only party that looks forward--not backward like the Conservatives and the Bloc, not nervously everywhere like the Liberals, and not merely with a focus on the environment, as important as that is, like the Greens.

It's not that the NDP has a completely unclouded view of what is to come--but that's to be welcomed. We have had our fill of blueprints and grand schemes over the past century. Nor, if the NDP comes to power, can we be certain that it, too, will avoid opportunistic betrayals of people and principles, as the Bob Rae government in Ontario so amply demonstrated. Rather, the NDP offers us hope--possibilities for ordinary citizens to be heard, be involved and be effective.

The NDP will modernize our electoral system so that every vote counts. It will abolish that expensive house of patronage known as the Senate. It will implement legislation to force would-be floor-crossers in the House of Commons to resign first and run in a by-election. It will look for a non-confrontational, cooperative partnership between the federal government and the provinces and territories.

The NDP will also make government more accountable--by strengthening the Access to Information Act, enforcing the abandoned provisions of the Accountability Act, and establishing rules and guidelines for ethical behaviour by government, parties and politicians.

In a time of economic crisis and a worsening democratic deficit, we do not need more of what we've had for two years--autocratic micromanaging, secrecy, attacks on independent government watchdogs, and an ideological agenda borrowed from the extremist wing of the US Republican Party. Nor do we need the "what do we do now?" approach of the Liberals, never seeking solutions on behalf of Canadians as a whole, but looking only and always for advantage and power for itself. The NDP has a more workable and effective environmental platform than the Green Party, and a more inclusive view of Canada than the insular and out-of-date Bloc Québécois.

The NDP is not all things to all people, and it does not offer either a perfect leader or perfect policies. But Jack Layton and his team can be trusted to get the big things right. In the midst of current global uncertainty we need not only strong and thoughtful leadership, but the ability to empathize with the Canadian public--and to listen. We need, in other words, a humane approach as well as a hard-headed one. Only the NDP offers both of these qualities to an alienated electorate. Tomorrow, vote not just for change, but for change that could make a difference.

Progressive Bloggers

Election Eve post from Guelph (Pample the Moose)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:47am MST

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It seems like the campaigning has been going on for months, and I'm fed up with it. The fact that here in Guelph we went from a seven-week by-election campaign straight into the main campaign hasn't helped. Nor has the fact that it has been such an uninspiring campaign season. None of the four major contenders in Ontario has lit a fire under me with their vision for the country. I'm tired of watching the nonstop barrage of polls. And there is something daunting about the prospect of another two or three years of minority government, with an imminent election call continuing to hang over us like a sword of Damocles. All of this is a rather feeble explanation for my poor blogging performance over the past few months.All that whining aside, I regularly participate in an election pool with friends who are respectively Liberal, NDP and Green supporters. The pot goes to whoever predicts the most individual riding results correctly. I just filled out my answers today, and was…

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Election Eve post from GuelphPample the Moose

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:47am MST by Matt

Tags: reform electoral [edit]

It seems like the campaigning has been going on for months, and I'm fed up with it. The fact that here in Guelph we went from a seven-week by-election campaign straight into the main campaign hasn't helped. Nor has the fact that it has been such an uninspiring campaign season. None of the four major contenders in Ontario has lit a fire under me with their vision for the country. I'm tired of watching the nonstop barrage of polls. And there is something daunting about the prospect of another two or three years of minority government, with an imminent election call continuing to hang over us like a sword of Damocles. All of this is a rather feeble explanation for my poor blogging performance over the past few months.

All that whining aside, I regularly participate in an election pool with friends who are respectively Liberal, NDP and Green supporters. The pot goes to whoever predicts the most individual riding results correctly. I just filled out my answers today, and was rather relieved to come up with a result that doesn't produce a Conservative majority - and I tend to be pessimistic about whether the better angels or worst demons will win out with voters on election day. For what it's worth, I currently have the Liberals losing about 8-10 seats, with the Conservatives and NDP splitting the spoils.

My local riding is actually the hardest one for me to predict. It has been a very long, very tightly fought race here in Guelph. Although I think it will ultimately come down to a couple of thousand (or even a few hundred) votes separating the Liberals and the Conservatives (although I'm not certain which one comes out on top), I will not be surprised if all four major parties snag 20% of the vote each. The Greens have probably run the most active of the four campaigns - I can't move without tripping over one of their signs, or running into Mike Nagy's volunteers around town. I think that their support is probably going to hold through election day, particularly since the students are back. The big question is how many NDP supporters will stick with Tom King, with the party polling well across the country, and how many will bolt to the Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote once in the polling booth to block Conservative Gloria Kovach. It's quite clear that as a whole, Guelph is leaning to the left. But this will be a nasty split of the vote. It all speaks to the need for some form of electoral reform in the direction of proportional representation, a single transferable vote, or a mixed member system, as Fair Vote Canada has been advocating.

While it makes me ill to think that Stephen Harper's Conservatives could sneak out a majority win with 34-35% of the total national vote, I don't think that the solution is for everyone to blindly attempt strategic voting (although if you're thinking of this, please consult Democratic Space's Guide), or simply to throw their votes to the Liberals. As long as Canadians keep doing this, it will simply reinforce the argument that our electoral system is functional. It clearly isn't, and unfortunately it might take a few more elections where a party like the Greens win 8-10% of the vote, but fail to win a single seat in the House of Commons, before voters wake up and realize that change is necessary, and actually support a referendum vote on a new system.

Whatever your political leanings are, please vote tomorrow! Apathy only reinforces the existing problems with our political system.
Not registered to vote? Do it at the polls!Canadian Freebies, Coupons, Contests, Shopping Deals & Free Stuff Canada

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:43am MST by Jim Squires

Tags: Canada Other [edit]
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, you’re likely aware that the Canadian federal election is being held tomorrow. If you haven’t recieved your voter card in the mail and haven’t taken the steps to make sure you’re registered, you can still vote provided you bring any of the following;
- Government-issued photo ID with an address (but not a passport).
- Two pieces of ID without a photo, as long as one has your address. These can be bills, a health card or a library card.
- Another registered voter from your district who will vouch for you under oath.
Not sure where to vote? Visit Elections Canada and pop in your postal code.

Happy voting day, everyone!

Progressive Bloggers

NANOS ON THE NUMBERS - NUMBERS AND GRAPH UPDATE (The Wingnuterer)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:41am MST

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The update will be delayed today since I am out with family. Will post the info when I get home tonight.

Liblogs

NANOS ON THE NUMBERS - NUMBERS AND GRAPH UPDATE (The Wingnuterer )

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:41am MST

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The update will be delayed today since I am out with family. Will post the info when I get home tonight.

Blogging Alliance of Non-Partisan Canadians RSS Feed

Blue has always been one of my better coloursThe Last Amazon

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:40am MST by Kateland, aka TZH

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I read this Arutz Sheva report with some amusement. Apparently, the Zionist Freedom Alliance has been accused of ‘cultural theft’ by the Palestinian authority. Who knew there was a Zionist Freedom Alliance? This is what I miss not being on a university campus - so many groups…so little time to join. No matter as I am officially holding out joining any grass roots movements until the Zionist Libertarian Federation comes into existence.
(IsraelNN.com) The PA has added the alleged theft and distortion of the keffiyeh to its growing list of accusations against the Jewish State, where the scarf is available in blue and white. Maha As-Saqa, director of a PA cultural center, charged Israel with the "robbery of Palestinian heritage."

She explained to the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency that the headscarf, popularized by PLO terrorist chief Yasser Arafat's black-and-white checkered keffiyeh, is a symbol of "revolutionaries" all over the world. It is "being stolen by Israelis and distorted by others in a way that harms its status," he charged.

One Jewish organization known for using the blue and white keffiyeh on American college campuses is the Zionist Freedom Alliance. “For us this is a symbol of Jewish liberation,” says ZFA leader Yehuda HaKohen. “Historically speaking, the keffiyeh is not the exclusive property of the Arab nation. In ancient times it was worn by all Middle Eastern peoples, including the Hebrews. In fact, the only reason our people stopped wearing the turban was because of Arab oppression during the rise of Islam, when Jews were assigned the inferior status of dhimmis under Islamic rule. The Israeli keffiyeh not only sends the message that we are an indigenous people to the region but it also expresses our refusal to allow outside oppressors to dictate our culture.”

As-Saga displayed for the news agency's reporters one headscarf with the blue and white colors of the Jewish state and another with an embroidered Jewish Star of David. She also blamed PA tourism officials for allowing the sale of colored multicolored headscarves sold to tourists in Bethlehem. The cultural director suggested that lawsuits be filed against Israel for "cultural theft."

All I can say to As-Saga is welcome to my world. Any one know where can I get the ZFA scarf ?

Progressive Bloggers

Up is down, war is peace... (Unrepentant Old Hippie)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:37am MST

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... and Sarah Palin has been cleared of any legal wrongdoing. It's already common knowledge that Palin lies a lot, but now she's wandering into serious DSM-IV territory. Taste the crazy:"It's fair to say that Trooper-Gate hasn't exactly burnished Sarah Palin's reputation for honesty. And in a conference call she gave Saturday to respond to the legislature's report on the affair released Friday night, that reputation took another hit. Palin opened her remarks by declaring:I'm very very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing ... any hint of any kind of unethical activity there.But of course, it's simply untrue that the report cleared Palin of legal wrongdoing or unethical activity." (emphasis mine)Can you say "narcissistic personality disorder"? How about "fucked up"?
Back in - de retour Ã - zurÃ¼ck in Marburg (Matthias de Marburg à Québec)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:28am MST

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I finally got back to Marburg yesterday night and I already had my first university courses today. This semester will be very busy but I hope to be able to update my blog regularly as I did most of the time for quite a while now.Depuis hier soir je suis de retour Ã Marburg. Aujourd'hui j'ai dÃ©jÃ repris les cours et ca semble devenir un semestre pas mal chargÃ©. Je vais toutefois essayer d'actualiser mon blogue rÃ©guliÃ¨rement comme je l'ai fait la plupart du temps des derniers mois.Seit gestern nacht bin ich endlich wieder in Marburg und habe bereits die ersten Veranstaltungen des neuen Semesters hinter mir und erfreulicherweise gleich Henning in der Mensa getroffen und die Gelegenheit beim Schopf gepackt, um mich einen guten Moment mit ihm zu unterhalten. Das Semester wird wohl sehr anstrengend bei all den Scheinen, die ich machen mÃ¶chte, aber ich werde versuchen, weiterhin regelmÃ¤Ãig zu bloggen. Seid aber nicht enttÃ¤uscht, falls es zwischendurch nicht wie gewohnt…
Wendy Yuanâs Policy Emptiness is Bad for Vancouver-Kingsway (Politics, Re-Spun)

Posted: October 13th, 2008, 8:27am MST

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A vote for the NDP and Don Davies is a vote for progress, humanity and real political representation in Vancouver-Kingsway. A vote for the Liberals and Wendy Yuan is a vote for the federal Liberal party “brand”, elitist

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