Dion Needs to Find a Posture

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
You know, I've often been of the opinion that if you don't really have the courage of your convictions, or for that matter, any convictions -- you keep a low profile and keep your mouth shut. That likely came about from my late father often commenting about keeping ones mouth shut rather than opening it and proving yourself the fool.

These days, Dion and some other Liberals are doing a real good job of proving the wisdom of that advice. This behaviour of mouthing to the media and anyone who will listen that the Harper Conservatives are the 'worse' government ever for whatever soapbox of the day topic and then either walking out or failing to even show up to defeat them is utter spineless crap. -- read more

We Will Remember Him

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Trp Michael Yuki Hayakaze – Afghanistan March 2, 2008

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays

Treatment of Sub Crew Review Ordered

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Minister of Veterans Affairs Greg Thompson has ordered a review of the treatment the crew of the ill-fated HMCS Chicoutimi has received since the fire on board the submarine in 2004. Since the incident of the 56 crew on board roughly half are either about to or have left the military due to medical reasons. Most of those are struggling to get pension entitlements.

It appears that so called experts are arguing over what could have been present to have caused a cluster of illness amongst the crew. I don't know, 5 days in a partially burned out sub would be bound to harbour potential medical time bombs. That should be a bit of a no brainer. When our service men and women get placed in hazardous conditions the benefit of the doubt should go to them and the last thing they should have to do is battle for benefits. -- read more

Shadows Has A New Look

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
You may have noticed that Out of the Shadows has taken on a new look. This is the first of my sites to receive this update. I'll be working on my other sites as I have time. Please feel free to leave your comments on how you like (or not) the new look.

Also, I've added a subscription feature so you can sign up to receive my postings via email.-- have a look

Yet Another Storm

Posted on: Ides of May
I’m writing the original version of this post by hand today. You know, using the old fashion stuff — pen and paper. I managed to leave the power cord for my laptop at work last night and while I have a desktop system, it likes to shut itself off on a regular basis. If I write and then transcribe I make better use of computer time.

Normally, doing something like leaving the power cord behind would have prompted me to turn round and go back for it. That may have proved foolhardy last night knowing that another winter storm was bearing down on us in southern Ontario. Actually, I should say, bearing UP on us as it is coming out of the US. And you Americans think we send you the cold weather! -- read more

Latimer on Parole -- Finally

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Robert Latimer was convicted in 1994 of killing his daughter who was born with severe cerebral palsy. Latimer claimed that his actions were a mercy killing, that he was sparing his daughter any more pain. The case sparked a debate about mercy killing across the country.

He was convicted of second degree murder with the jury recommending that her serve only one year instead of the minimum of ten called for under law. The judge granted a constitutional exemption and sentenced him to two year, a decision overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada, which applied the minimum ten year term. He was denied parole in December on the basis that he had not show 'sufficient remorse' for his actions. -- read more

Obama's Life Expectancy

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Yeah, I really did write that title. As I've watched with some curiosity as Obama gained steam in his bid to become US President, actually the first black President, the thought has crossed my mind to wonder how long he'd be allowed to live during the quest. Face it, our American neighbours to the south do have a bit of a history in that regard.

It's a question I have been loath to ask. It has been a generation or two since someone assassinated a prominent political leader in the US. It is possible that attitudes down there have changed and even the hard core revolutionary types can figure ways to fight other than through political murder. After all, Bush managed to get through his two terms without anyone taking a shot at him. -- read more

Tory Staying as Provincial PC Leader -- Damn!

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
At the provincial Conservatives convention in London this week their leader, John Tory, received 66.9% support of the voting delegates. It is the same amount of support that Joe Clark received almost 20 years ago. Clark was decisive enough to decide that 2/3 wasn't a clear vote of support and immediately triggered a leadership race that eventually saw him depart as leader of the federal Conservatives.

Not Tory, who couldn't even manage to win his own seat in the last election, he announced first he'd have to think about it and then that he was staying. That says a lot about his style of leadership, he has displayed a dithering style so often that for him to be decisive and actually mean it would likely shock people. -- read more

Hillier Calls for Clarity ASAP

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Apparently I wasn't really making a broad leap earlier this week when I speculated that the three suicide bombings in Kandahar province, one clearly targeting Canadians, may be as much about the Taliban terrorizing and killing as it was about them trying to influence politics back here in Canada:

I suspect that the timing is not coincidental. In addition to unnerving the Afghans and generating questions in their mind if they are better under the Taliban or the Afghan and international forces the Taliban is not unaware of the debate here in Canada on the future of Canada's role in Afghanistan.

Making a similar connection yesterday Canada's top soldier, -- read more

Finally, Some Non-Partisan Action

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Looks as though Harper is determined enough to have the mission in Afghanistan continue that he was willing to meet Dion more than half-way in order to come up with a motion that would pass the House.

The government yesterday revised the motion on the mission to include most of the language that the Liberal counter-motion the week before included. There is one main which is, instead of the mission in Afghanistan ending February 2011 it would end in July 2011 with a full redeployment by the end of December. The motion doesn't specify that the troops will be completely out of Afghanistan, just that they will be moved out of Kandahar province. It also doesn't rule out combat action after February 2009 which the Liberals had originally demanded. -- read more

American Politics

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
I don't normally pay much attention to American politics. I get a bit tired of it being spread all over Canadian media while our politics rarely grace the papers or airwaves in the US. I guess you could say I have a bit of a tit for tat attitude toward their politics. I have to admit though, this race between Clinton and Obama has caught my attention to a degree. -- read more

Canadians Need to Speak Up!

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Charles Roach's ongoing objection to swearing an oath to the Crown aka Her Majesty to be a Canadian citizen lands in the Ontario Court of Appeal today. Roach, a lawyer, is trying to move a class action suit forward to have the swearing of the oath to the Queen declared unconstitutional.

The Trinidad born Roach has waged this battle for many years. Back in 1987 he fought against the oath when the Law Society of Upper Canada required all lawyers to be Canadian citizens and that is part of the swearing in of a new Canadian. He likens asking blacks to swear an oath to the Queen to asking Jews to swear an oath to Hitler. -- read more

Computers, Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em!

Posted on: Ides of May
Well, it does appear that once again there has been a gap in postings. In the interim, I have been rebuilding the hard drive on my laptop as I had to replace it. What a bloody pain installing the software all over again! Remembering all those must have pieces of software that were on the original drive is damn hard.

Then, when it appeared that I had almost reached the end of the job, my internet satellite connection decided that it wanted to mess up. See, around the time that I was busy rebuilding the drive we had some nasty winter weather which involved some very high winds. My house is rather heavily insulated so, it takes a lot to actually cause me to hear the wind in the house. This time, the wind was heavy enough that Dawn, my cheeky young cat, was spooked by it. -- read more

Time Marches On For Castro

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
In a surprising nod to the march of time, Fidel Castro resigned as President of Cuba yesterday. Castro and Cuba have just always been in my life. I was just four months old when he wrested power and became dictator of the island.

Aligning his country with the Soviet bloc, Castro stood up to anything the US, and in particular the American CIA, threw at him. Of course, that was in the days before the fall of the Soviets and the era of making up excuses to invade countries to topple their leaders. Castro might not have fared well in today's world climate. -- read more

Violent Surge in Kandahar

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
On Sunday a suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of a dog fight event just outside Kandahar city killing about 100 people, including the anti-Taliban police chief of Kandahar province. The Taliban denied any responsibility for the attack, yeah right. The governor of Kandahar claims he warned the police chief several times that he was in danger but he was ignored.

On Monday, a suicide bomber apparently targeted a Canadian military convoy in Spin Boldak a busy town near the Afghan / Pakistan border. Four Canadian soldiers were slightly injured and about 38 Afghan civilians were killed. The Taliban claimed responsibility and at the same time claimed that no civilians were killed, just security forces. -- read more