Ignatieff Slams MIA Prime Minister

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Ignatieff went after the Prime Minister’s absence from both the House and the public scene when it comes to the economy and the value of the economic stimulus contained in the budget. I watched Obama’s press conference last night and found it refreshing to see a politician speaking very frankly about the state of the economy and how he wanted to see it dealt with.

Yes, I know, he was trying to sell a stimulus package which is receiving largely partisan opposition. It was refreshing to hear that opposition being framed not just as partisan game playing but asking the questions and laying out guidelines for what he sees as necessary for the good of the people and the economy and where there is room for bipartisan cooperation and what wont gain traction with him.

The major difference between the leadership of the two countries is that in the US, the leaders recognized and faced the fact that the economy was sliding towards and over the edge while in Canada, the Opposition parties were sounding the alarm while the government was busy telling us that if a recession was going to happen, it would have already taken place.-- read more

Australia Bush Fires Kill Record Number

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
It’s hard to believe the utter devastation that bush fires in the state of Victoria in Australia has wrought. Almost 800 homes have been destroyed, countless vehicles and other structures, animals and upwards of 160 people and rising have lost their lives. Another 80 are in hospital. Almost 1300 square miles destroyed by raging fires that some describe as sounding like 5 or 6 airliners landing at once.

What is even more mind boggling is that it is believed that some of the estimated 400 fires were deliberately set. According to one report I found, at least two suspects are in custody. Between the drought that Australia has suffered with for months and record hot temperatures, it would take someone with a serious lack of gray matter between the ears to even thinking of striking a flame.-- read more

Monday Again Already?

Posted on: Ides of May
Man, it is hard to believe that another week has flown by again. Last week was busy though. The Legion Executive meeting was on Tuesday evening, I just barely made it in from Oshawa to chair that. Thankfully it wasn’t a long meeting.

Wednesday I spent most of the day cooking the meat for Friday night’s Roast Beef dinner at the branch. The roasts were about 25lbs each. I figured about 4 - 4.5 hours to get them done, putting them on at about 9:30 figuring on getting them out around 1pm and having time to slip into Cobourg to do some errands.

At noon the meat thermometer barely moved, so, I headed into Cobourg and did my errands. Back by 3pm, the roasts were done. All of Friday was spent at the branch helping to prepare the rest of the dinner. Back around 6am on Saturday to get breakfast for about 35 people underway. -- read more

Palin Finds Bloggers “Pathetic”

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Sarah Palin, the failed American Vice-Presidential candidate, rails against “anonymous, pathetic bloggers” in an about to be released interview with Esquire magazine. In general she thinks that the media coverage of her was unfair.

From what I saw of the media coverage, I thought they were being as fair as they could to her. When someone is basically dumb and then produces behaviour to prove it, the media could have had a field day, but for the most part, they were pretty respectful. -- read more

Ignatieff Allows Protest Vote

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
In the first test of his leadership, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has allowed a protest vote from six Newfoundland MPs. He’s drawn some criticism for having done so but since some of the sources are hacks like Tom Flanagan, a buddy of Harper, I don’t put a lot of stock in the criticism.

For some, the question is how can this be a one time exception? What happens next time Danny Williams brings pressure to bear?

If Ignatieff wants to set himself out as a reasoned alternative to Harper, he might want to rethink the ‘one time’ concept. He may want to giving some serious consideration to serving notice on Harper that punitive moves on any region of this country will resulting in him allowing protest votes from Liberal MPs in that region. -- read more

Cooler Heads Need to Prevail in Trade Issues

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
OK, so US lawmakers have slipped in some “buy American” provisions into the stimulus bill that President Obama is trying to get passed into law. I expect that the people who had those provisions put into the package had the best of intentions towards the thousands (millions?) of Americans currently seeking work or on the verge of losing jobs.

In many ways the policy makes a lot of sense, when the people closest to you are hurting, why wouldn’t you want to move to give them a hand up? In fact, it is a bit hard to believe that any government wouldn’t have that approach as a first line of purchasing, buying from domestic sources if at all possible or even if it might cost the taxpayer a bit more in the long run. After all those firms don’t only pay taxes, they employ people who pay taxes. -- read more

Making Something New Again

Posted on: Ides of May
Monday was a pretty productive day for me. I was able to spend most of the day finishing off tweaking the new look for this blog and then revamped It’s All About Money for a relaunch. There are still a few tweaks but then doesn’t any blog need a few tweaks. Right now, it is more important for me to get content into it.

While Ides of May (this blog) is where I right more personal material, It’s All About Money is where I share the online experience, specifically about online marketing. I have three other blogs that I’m planning on revamping and relaunching in the coming weeks. Yeah, I know, I have to be nuts -- read more

The Sun Shines Today — finally

Posted on: Ides of May
Well, at the moment, the sun is out shining brightly. That is much nicer than what has been going on for what seems like the last week. Last Wednesday we had about a foot of snow in an all day snow fall.

Thursday we were supposed to get some ‘flurries’ which turned into about another foot of snow. Friday started off with flurries, just long enough to force me to cancel plans to attend a funeral and then settled down. Saturday more flurries brought another 6-7″ of the damn white stuff.

So far this winter, we’re only two months into it, we’ve had more snow than we had all of last winter and that was considered to be a high amount. February is not known for being light on snow. So, we have February and March to get through. -- read more

Conviction for Aiding Mountie Killer

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
The friday headline refers to ‘harsh’ sentences being meted out to two men convicted of aiding James Roszko in the murder of four RCMP officers in Mayerthorpe, Alberta in 2004. I’d hardly call the sentences harsh.

The two men, related by marriage, provided Roszko a gun and a ride that took him back to his farm and allowed him to murder the four RCMP officers who were guarding it. They knew he was a cop hater, they knew he was violent, they claim he bullied them into helping. -- read more

We Shall Remember Sapper Greenfield

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:

Sapper Sean David Greenfield - Afghanistan January 31, 2009

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays

Actions Mightier Than Military Might

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Remember earlier last November the savage attack on school girls in Afghanistan as they made their way to school? Men on motorcycles sprayed acid on the girls as they walked to school, seriously hurting one of them. It is believed that the attack was launched by the Taliban in an effort to stop girls from attending school.

Since then eight men have been rounded up and at least one of them has confessed. The attack sparked outrage in Afghanistan and around the world for the viciousness. In the days following the attack attendance at schools, especially for girls fell off. The young girl who was so badly injured spoke out that she was determined to return to school, that the attack was not going to stop her. -- read more

My Canada includes “O Canada”

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
The principal at the Belleisle Elementary School in Springfield, New Brunswick pulled the daily singing of “O Canada” at the start of the 2007 school year. This has recently come to light as the result of a letter to a local paper. Many, if not most of the parents, were unaware of the decision by Erik Millet.

He claims that a couple of parents complained and in the spirit of accommodation and inclusiveness, he cancelled the singing for everyone. They do still sing the anthem at school assemblies. He hasn’t divulged why the alleged parents complained which has led to considerable speculation by people commenting on news stories of the controversy. -- read more

Layton Kills Coalition

Posted on: Out of The Shadows
The coalition between the Liberals and NDP with the support of the Bloc is dead, killed by Layton. Layton’s behaviour leading up to and since the budget was delivered to the House has done nothing except prove what Harper’s Conservatives claimed that he was after, a power grab. For the Liberals to quickly fall in line behind Layton’s desires would be political suicide.

The difference between Ignatieff’s Liberals and Layton’s NDP is that they have and can form a government. Layton can only get there on the backs of the Liberals and he knows it. Had he truly been wanting to do what was right for the Canadian people, he’d have kept his mouth shut prior to the budget and taken a wait and see approach. -- read more

Government Will Survive

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Well the budget has been read, what hadn’t already been ‘leaked’ is now known. Ignatieff and his caucuse has had time to review it and made the call on if the government will stand, for now.

From what I saw of the tax cuts, they have hit some areas where tax relief should be like low income earners and seniors. The cuts for the middle income people was more about Conservative idealogy and vote buying than any true benefit. While middle income earners will save a bit (and I do mean a bit) on their income taxes each year, that collective ‘bit’ will mean we stay in deficit longer. -- read more

The Gaza Debate

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
You know, I’ve watched this situation in the Gaza strip going on. I can be some what detached from it all as I don’t have any direct connection to either side of the conflict other than it being in the area of the Holy Land which is where the roots of my own faith are.

I don’t even begin to understand all that goes on there other than the emnity and hatred on both sides runs deep. I expect that just as there are those on both sides of the divide who believe the other side is absolutely the agressors there are those of goodwill who mere want to live their lives in peace. -- read more