Sunday, August 31, 2014
I warned you the Harper pricks were going to attack seniors
Harper’s government targeting poor seniors on guaranteed income
Halifax, NS (RPRN) 08/27/14 — Under proposed changes to prescribed annuity taxation, Canadian poor seniors will pay a lot more taxes. These changes are hidden in the proposal for changes in the exemption test of life policies modifying Subsection 300(2) of the Income Tax Regulations. Under current regulations, the taxable income portion of a prescribed annuity is determined using the 1971 Individual Mortality table. The Financial Services Consumer Alliance (FSCA) has discovered that after December 2015, the new regulations would require that insurers use the Annuity 2000 Basic Mortality table.
What does this all mean?
It means that the taxable portion of new annuity payments will increase as a result of this change. Particularly affected will be older and poor seniors on guaranteed income. “This is the equivalent of taxing the life expectancy of an individual,” stated Richard Proteau, President of FSCA. “These mortality tables represent the aggregate of the life expectancies for the whole Canadian population but inequalities are increasing in the Canadian society and this means that a rich senior can expect to live 5 years longer than a poor senior.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/rich-v-poor-the-lives-we-can-expect-from-our-income/article793139/
http://rushprnews.com/2014/08/27/harpers-government-targeting-poor-seniors-on-guaranteed-income
Halifax, NS (RPRN) 08/27/14 — Under proposed changes to prescribed annuity taxation, Canadian poor seniors will pay a lot more taxes. These changes are hidden in the proposal for changes in the exemption test of life policies modifying Subsection 300(2) of the Income Tax Regulations. Under current regulations, the taxable income portion of a prescribed annuity is determined using the 1971 Individual Mortality table. The Financial Services Consumer Alliance (FSCA) has discovered that after December 2015, the new regulations would require that insurers use the Annuity 2000 Basic Mortality table.
What does this all mean?
It means that the taxable portion of new annuity payments will increase as a result of this change. Particularly affected will be older and poor seniors on guaranteed income. “This is the equivalent of taxing the life expectancy of an individual,” stated Richard Proteau, President of FSCA. “These mortality tables represent the aggregate of the life expectancies for the whole Canadian population but inequalities are increasing in the Canadian society and this means that a rich senior can expect to live 5 years longer than a poor senior.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/rich-v-poor-the-lives-we-can-expect-from-our-income/article793139/
http://rushprnews.com/2014/08/27/harpers-government-targeting-poor-seniors-on-guaranteed-income
Bear Quints
Bear Quints - once in a lifetime photo
Black bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2007, in northern New Hampshire ,
a black bear sow gave birth to five
healthy young. There were two or three reports of sows with as many as 4
cubs, but five was, and is, very extraordinary. The photographer learned
of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set a goal of
photographing all five cubs with their mom - no matter how much time and
effort was involved. He knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular
basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a
day, seven days a week, for more than six weeks, he had that
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them. He used the
equivalent of a very fast film speed on his digital camera. The print is
properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they
were in a studio for a family portrait.
healthy young. There were two or three reports of sows with as many as 4
cubs, but five was, and is, very extraordinary. The photographer learned
of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set a goal of
photographing all five cubs with their mom - no matter how much time and
effort was involved. He knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular
basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a
day, seven days a week, for more than six weeks, he had that
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them. He used the
equivalent of a very fast film speed on his digital camera. The print is
properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they
were in a studio for a family portrait.
The photographer stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, he found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK. The photographer stayed away from the bears because he was concerned that they might become habituated to him, or to people in general, and treat them as approachable friends. This could easily become dangerous for both man and animal.
After
Halloween, no further reports and could only hope the bears survived
until they hibernated. This spring, just before the snow disappeared,
all six bears came out of their den and wandered all over the same
familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007.
Halloween, no further reports and could only hope the bears survived
until they hibernated. This spring, just before the snow disappeared,
all six bears came out of their den and wandered all over the same
familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007.
The
photographer saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking
another family portrait, a highly improbable second once-in-a-lifetime
photograph.
On
April 25, 2008, he achieved his dream.
photographer saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking
another family portrait, a highly improbable second once-in-a-lifetime
photograph.
On
April 25, 2008, he achieved his dream.
When something as magical as this happens between man and animal, Native
Americans say, "We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow." And
so it is with humility and great pleasure that I share these
exhilarating photos with you. Do pass them on!
Americans say, "We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow." And
so it is with humility and great pleasure that I share these
exhilarating photos with you. Do pass them on!
Thanks Norman
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Saturday, August 30, 2014
Everything Harper does is an "affront to democracy"
Canada-EU trade deal threatened by EU lawmakers
European concerns over environment, sovereignty may sink deal
The agreement with Canada, a draft of which was seen by Reuters, could increase bilateral trade by one fifth to $37 billion (26 billion euros).
But European consumer and environmental groups say a mechanism in the accord would allow multinationals to bully the EU's 28 governments into doing their bidding regardless of environmental, labour and food laws and would set a bad precedent for the planned EU-U.S. trade pact.
The European Parliament must ratify both the Canada and the U.S. pacts. Since elections in May, the rise of nationalist, Eurosceptic parties in the legislature, many of them opposed to globalization, have complicated the EU's free-trade ambitions.
"The Greens will fight hard to get a majority in the parliament against (the EU-Canada deal)," said Claude Turmes of the Green group, echoing concerns from others in the European Parliament, including the Socialist bloc.
Deal an "affront to democracy"
Tiziana Beghin, an EU lawmaker from Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement who sits on the parliament's influential trade committee, called the EU-Canada deal an "affront to democracy"."Giving corporations the right to sue governments for loss of anticipated profit would be ridiculous if it were not so dangerous," she told Reuters.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/business/story/1.2749320
Biscuits ......
An admiral visits one of the ships under his command. While eating morning tea with the crew he was impressed to see the naval insignia stamped on every biscuit.
He went to the cook to ask how this feat was done, so it could be used on other ships under his command.
The cook replied, "well Admiral, after each one is cut out I just slap it here against my belt buckle which bears the insignia."
Horrified the Admiral exclaims "well that's very un-hygenic!"
The cook shrugs and replies "well if you feel that way sir, I suggest you steer well clear of the donuts."
Thanks Heidi
He went to the cook to ask how this feat was done, so it could be used on other ships under his command.
The cook replied, "well Admiral, after each one is cut out I just slap it here against my belt buckle which bears the insignia."
Horrified the Admiral exclaims "well that's very un-hygenic!"
The cook shrugs and replies "well if you feel that way sir, I suggest you steer well clear of the donuts."
Thanks Heidi
Little did they know then
Some of your followers will find this both amusing and telling.
Thanks Ed.... it is way over the heads of my conservative readers
Thanks Ed.... it is way over the heads of my conservative readers
Hello from Europe
Les Diablerets , Switzerland. Glacier 3000. Summer skiing anyone? Natural glacier at 3000mtrs.
Thanks Ivan
Friday, August 29, 2014
Harper has abandoned medicare
Council of the Federation: Health Care at Stake at Premiers’ Meeting, but Free Trade Agreements Could Also Undermine Public Health Care
After a poll by Nanos Research, sponsored by the Canadian Health Coalition, showed that 65 per cent of Canadians want the premiers to oppose Harper’s funding changes to health care, the Council of Canadians urges the premiers to push Harper to save and strengthen public health care.
In particular, the Council of Canadians asks our provincial leaders to renew the health accord, implement pharmacare, and protect health care from the EU-Canada free trade agreement.
Renew the Health Accord
The premiers need to push Harper to renew the health care accord. Currently, public health care faces a $36 billion cut over ten years by the Harper government.
“Like the majority of Canadians, we deplore the Harper government's refusal to renew the health accord,” says Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians’ national chairperson. “This will reduce federal transfers to the provinces substantially. It will make it impossible for provinces to maintain health care. Most Canadians can see the writing on the wall: this is the makings of a two-tiered system.”
Read more: http://www.canadians.org/media/council-federation-health-care-stake-premiers%E2%80%99-meeting-free-trade-agreements-could-also
After a poll by Nanos Research, sponsored by the Canadian Health Coalition, showed that 65 per cent of Canadians want the premiers to oppose Harper’s funding changes to health care, the Council of Canadians urges the premiers to push Harper to save and strengthen public health care.
In particular, the Council of Canadians asks our provincial leaders to renew the health accord, implement pharmacare, and protect health care from the EU-Canada free trade agreement.
Renew the Health Accord
The premiers need to push Harper to renew the health care accord. Currently, public health care faces a $36 billion cut over ten years by the Harper government.
“Like the majority of Canadians, we deplore the Harper government's refusal to renew the health accord,” says Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians’ national chairperson. “This will reduce federal transfers to the provinces substantially. It will make it impossible for provinces to maintain health care. Most Canadians can see the writing on the wall: this is the makings of a two-tiered system.”
Read more: http://www.canadians.org/media/council-federation-health-care-stake-premiers%E2%80%99-meeting-free-trade-agreements-could-also
Harper: A sociopaths view of sociology
The ideological roots of Stephen Harper’s vendetta against sociology
Harper’s seemingly bizarre beef with sociology is actually an ideological attempt to prevent us from being able to identify, and tackle, our structural injustices.
Stephen Harper really seems to have it out for sociology. In 2013, in response to an alleged plot against a VIA train, Harper remarked that we should not “commit sociology,” but pursue an anti-crime approach. And last week, in response to the death of Tina Fontaine, Harper argued that an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women is not needed, because this is not a “ sociological phenomenon ” but simply a series of individual crimes.
Harper’s seemingly bizarre beef with sociology is actually an ideological attempt to prevent us from being able to identify, and tackle, our structural injustices.
Stephen Harper really seems to have it out for sociology. In 2013, in response to an alleged plot against a VIA train, Harper remarked that we should not “commit sociology,” but pursue an anti-crime approach. And last week, in response to the death of Tina Fontaine, Harper argued that an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women is not needed, because this is not a “ sociological phenomenon ” but simply a series of individual crimes.
Of course, not only is all crime a sociological phenomenon , but also without a broader sociological analysis we can’t begin to understand why the rates of missing and murdered indigenous women are tragically high compared to non-indigenous women. Furthermore, it’s clear that if rates of violence against non-indigenous women climbed as high as those of indigenous women, this government (even with its woeful record on women’s issues) would be more likely to announce not only a public inquiry but a full-scale national strategy. (This double-standard in how we value human lives is what sociologists call “racism.”)
Read more: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/08/26/the_ideological_roots_of_stephen_harpers_vendetta_against_sociology.html
Read more: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/08/26/the_ideological_roots_of_stephen_harpers_vendetta_against_sociology.html
My POV
When it comes to Canada's indigenous people I am disappointed in my fellow Canadians including my friends and relatives and their attitude that .... we owe them nothing....
We insist they assimilate, but refuse to recognize their differences
We insist that they manage their own communities, but refuse to educate them on how to do it.
We insist they elevate their education but refuse to fund it adequately.
Neo-Conservatives as well as my fellow Canadians insist that we have done more than enough for the indigenous peoples of Canada then turn our backs and do nothing to ensure they have the tools to be self-sufficient.
Give them education.... give them respect...... restore their honour and we will see a people that will lead us in the preservation of our waters, our land and give Canada renewed hope in our future.
They are a people who understand economics and corporate values based on the preservation of the environment..... they believe there is a balance... do you?
We insist they assimilate, but refuse to recognize their differences
We insist that they manage their own communities, but refuse to educate them on how to do it.
We insist they elevate their education but refuse to fund it adequately.
Neo-Conservatives as well as my fellow Canadians insist that we have done more than enough for the indigenous peoples of Canada then turn our backs and do nothing to ensure they have the tools to be self-sufficient.
Give them education.... give them respect...... restore their honour and we will see a people that will lead us in the preservation of our waters, our land and give Canada renewed hope in our future.
They are a people who understand economics and corporate values based on the preservation of the environment..... they believe there is a balance... do you?
Hello from Europe
At the medieval town of Yviore, France. Ranked one the 30 top towns to visit in France.
Thanks Ivan
Home on Tuesday next. 2nd golf season starts. Here the price of a round of golf is $150+ euro.
Thanks Ivan
Very clever ideas that might come in handy
Several of these I already use, others will adopt. Clever and useful.
Olivia
Thanks Pat H
D-Day photos, then and now
This one is really, really interesting…
Click on each photo (EXCEPT the first one), each time you click on the photo it fades from then to now…if you keep clicking back and forth you can see the remaining buildings are unchanged…it’s really amazing
Thursday, August 28, 2014
The Globe and Mail - Robert Bateman
Why I Am A 21st Century Conservative
Painter Robert Bateman Takes On The Meaning of Real Conservative Values
Globe & Mail
Saturday, December 13, 2003
Page A21
By ROBERT BATEMAN
I am a conservative. This is why I deeply resent the neo-conservatives who are not conservatives at all. They are the opposite: radicals who are destroying cherished institutions and wreaking havoc on our human heritage as well as our natural heritage.
I do not consider destroyers to be conservative.
So many cherished institutions have been built with great care and dedication through the decades by well-trained people with good hearts. These are being smashed and weakened in great haste by politicians and ideologues who do not even understand what they destroy. Creation is long and difficult; destruction is quick.
Institutions such as railways, medicare, electrical power production and delivery, environmental protection, social services, schools and many other government agencies are being attacked, weakened and even privatized. These aspects of society are useful and helpful and are there for the common good. Their destruction is done with the aim of cutting taxes and reducing government. Yet many thinkers, such as Lord Richard Layard, professor emeritus at the London School of Economics, argue that taxation is a good thing for creating a state of balance between work and life.
Neo-conservatives seem to care more about the individual than the common good; indeed, the cult of the individual has grown into an ideology. Now we are faced with the foolish idea that a corporation should be regarded legally as "a person."
In reality, a corporation is simply a pile of money to which a number of persons have sold their moral allegiance. The slogan of most of these entities is "make too cheap and sell too high."
With few exceptions, there is little obligation among such corporate "persons" to ideas of public place or public good.
In "In the Presence of Fear: Three Essays for a Changed World", his excellent book written after 9/11, Wendell Berry observes, "Corporations make the assumption that stable and preserving relationships among people, places and things do not matter and are of no worth." And "that there is no conflict between self-interest and public service."
This seems to be the philosophy of the neo-conservatives.
True conservatives should believe in, and practise, conservation. One would expect them to act as good stewards to preserve and protect the natural world. Perhaps the most striking and alarming aspects of neo-conservatives are not only their neglect of stewardship but their vigorous attacks on protection and preservation. They seem to regard natural scientists as enemies whose work should be ignored and whose careers should be eliminated.
Their desire to be rid of regulations and regulators puts them more in line with anarchists than true conservatives.
It seems to me, as a conservative, that the family and family values would be worth preserving. A couple of decades ago then U.S. vice-president Dan Quayle was decrying the decline of family values in America. I agreed with him about the decline; I thought his critique applied to Canada as well.
Mr. Quayle and the other neo-conservatives blamed overly permissive liberal ideas. There may be some truth to this. But to me, the main blame falls in the lap of profit-seekers who portion up human society into age-based market targets. Their advertising programs divide and conquer the minds of children and teenagers using greed, envy, lust and fascination with violence to sell products.
Family values too often come from the television set rather than the actual and extended family.
Merchants of Cool design youth to be alienated. If you preach salvation through shopping instead of salvation through service, the sense of community is weakened and even destroyed.
Yet, neo-conservatives seem to have no problem with this state of affairs. They claim one can't interfere with the freedom to make profit. This has also lead to the disruption and even destruction of meaningful work.
In his 1973 bestseller, Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, the German-born British economist E.F. Schumacher wrote, "Next to the family, work and the relationships established by work [are] the true foundation of society. If these foundations are unsound, how can society be sound?"
Subsidized, industrial farming has decimated family farms and rural communities. Subsidized, industrial fishing has closed down entire fishing communities and brought many fish stocks to the brink of extinction. Subsidized, industrial forestry has ruined many small logging communities. And these three industrial "F's" have devastated wild nature at every turn.
The horrible irony is, much of this destruction of human communities and natural ecosystems has been paid for by taxpayers -- you and me.
Neo-conservatives never seem to complain about our taxes being wasted in this manner, though they do whine about taxes going to help social programs and a civil society. The cost of corporate welfare amounts to many times that of social welfare. It is not a question of fiscal responsibility, it is a question of ideology.
Media analyst Marshall McLuhan spoke of how the technological revolution of recent decades has produced a maelstrom of bewildering forces that are neither completely understandable nor predictable, but bring with them stress, depression, addiction and other negative side effects. A true conservative would strive to alleviate these problems; the neo-conservatives seem to encourage the maelstrom to become bigger and even faster.
In many recent elections, I've heard only one main message from all the major parties, whether they called themselves Liberal or Conservative or Alliance, or in America, Democrat or Republican. The message is, "Vote for me, I will cut your taxes and put more money in your own pocket." Then the implication is, "You can go to the mall and buy more stuff."
In other words, we will achieve salvation through shopping or salvation through selfishness.
We seldom hear messages such as the one John F. Kennedy gave at his inauguration:" Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Of course, everyone wants lower taxes; we all have a natural sense of selfishness and greed. But taxes are the price we pay for civilization. If you do not like government and taxes, try Somalia.
Although I am a conservative I do not claim that being a conservative is virtuous. My point is that those who are in favour of rapid change and destruction of institutions can in no way be called conservative.
We are not against conservatives. We are against freaks.
Painter Robert Bateman Takes On The Meaning of Real Conservative Values
Globe & Mail
Saturday, December 13, 2003
Page A21
By ROBERT BATEMAN
I am a conservative. This is why I deeply resent the neo-conservatives who are not conservatives at all. They are the opposite: radicals who are destroying cherished institutions and wreaking havoc on our human heritage as well as our natural heritage.
I do not consider destroyers to be conservative.
So many cherished institutions have been built with great care and dedication through the decades by well-trained people with good hearts. These are being smashed and weakened in great haste by politicians and ideologues who do not even understand what they destroy. Creation is long and difficult; destruction is quick.
Institutions such as railways, medicare, electrical power production and delivery, environmental protection, social services, schools and many other government agencies are being attacked, weakened and even privatized. These aspects of society are useful and helpful and are there for the common good. Their destruction is done with the aim of cutting taxes and reducing government. Yet many thinkers, such as Lord Richard Layard, professor emeritus at the London School of Economics, argue that taxation is a good thing for creating a state of balance between work and life.
Neo-conservatives seem to care more about the individual than the common good; indeed, the cult of the individual has grown into an ideology. Now we are faced with the foolish idea that a corporation should be regarded legally as "a person."
In reality, a corporation is simply a pile of money to which a number of persons have sold their moral allegiance. The slogan of most of these entities is "make too cheap and sell too high."
With few exceptions, there is little obligation among such corporate "persons" to ideas of public place or public good.
In "In the Presence of Fear: Three Essays for a Changed World", his excellent book written after 9/11, Wendell Berry observes, "Corporations make the assumption that stable and preserving relationships among people, places and things do not matter and are of no worth." And "that there is no conflict between self-interest and public service."
This seems to be the philosophy of the neo-conservatives.
True conservatives should believe in, and practise, conservation. One would expect them to act as good stewards to preserve and protect the natural world. Perhaps the most striking and alarming aspects of neo-conservatives are not only their neglect of stewardship but their vigorous attacks on protection and preservation. They seem to regard natural scientists as enemies whose work should be ignored and whose careers should be eliminated.
Their desire to be rid of regulations and regulators puts them more in line with anarchists than true conservatives.
It seems to me, as a conservative, that the family and family values would be worth preserving. A couple of decades ago then U.S. vice-president Dan Quayle was decrying the decline of family values in America. I agreed with him about the decline; I thought his critique applied to Canada as well.
Mr. Quayle and the other neo-conservatives blamed overly permissive liberal ideas. There may be some truth to this. But to me, the main blame falls in the lap of profit-seekers who portion up human society into age-based market targets. Their advertising programs divide and conquer the minds of children and teenagers using greed, envy, lust and fascination with violence to sell products.
Family values too often come from the television set rather than the actual and extended family.
Merchants of Cool design youth to be alienated. If you preach salvation through shopping instead of salvation through service, the sense of community is weakened and even destroyed.
Yet, neo-conservatives seem to have no problem with this state of affairs. They claim one can't interfere with the freedom to make profit. This has also lead to the disruption and even destruction of meaningful work.
In his 1973 bestseller, Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, the German-born British economist E.F. Schumacher wrote, "Next to the family, work and the relationships established by work [are] the true foundation of society. If these foundations are unsound, how can society be sound?"
Subsidized, industrial farming has decimated family farms and rural communities. Subsidized, industrial fishing has closed down entire fishing communities and brought many fish stocks to the brink of extinction. Subsidized, industrial forestry has ruined many small logging communities. And these three industrial "F's" have devastated wild nature at every turn.
The horrible irony is, much of this destruction of human communities and natural ecosystems has been paid for by taxpayers -- you and me.
Neo-conservatives never seem to complain about our taxes being wasted in this manner, though they do whine about taxes going to help social programs and a civil society. The cost of corporate welfare amounts to many times that of social welfare. It is not a question of fiscal responsibility, it is a question of ideology.
Media analyst Marshall McLuhan spoke of how the technological revolution of recent decades has produced a maelstrom of bewildering forces that are neither completely understandable nor predictable, but bring with them stress, depression, addiction and other negative side effects. A true conservative would strive to alleviate these problems; the neo-conservatives seem to encourage the maelstrom to become bigger and even faster.
In many recent elections, I've heard only one main message from all the major parties, whether they called themselves Liberal or Conservative or Alliance, or in America, Democrat or Republican. The message is, "Vote for me, I will cut your taxes and put more money in your own pocket." Then the implication is, "You can go to the mall and buy more stuff."
In other words, we will achieve salvation through shopping or salvation through selfishness.
We seldom hear messages such as the one John F. Kennedy gave at his inauguration:" Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Of course, everyone wants lower taxes; we all have a natural sense of selfishness and greed. But taxes are the price we pay for civilization. If you do not like government and taxes, try Somalia.
Although I am a conservative I do not claim that being a conservative is virtuous. My point is that those who are in favour of rapid change and destruction of institutions can in no way be called conservative.
We are not against conservatives. We are against freaks.
Mallick strikes back
Award-winning Toronto Star columnist Heather Mallick hit back against the Conservative Party's angry criticism of her recent column in a fundraising pitch to supporters.
In an email with the subject line, "Just disgusting", Conservative Party political operations director Fred DeLorey wrote to supporters earlier today:
"I say Mr. Harper lacks a sense of moral responsibility: to women, to Canadians who'll be hit by climate change, to aboriginal people, to refugee claimants who need a doctor, to many immigrants and non-whites, to colleagues who may disagree with him," she told The Vancouver Observer. "He lacks a moral conscience when he comes to people he dislikes or distrusts. And that's the definition of a sociopath."
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/toronto-stars-heather-mallick-blasts-conservatives-paranoid-comments-about-her-column#comment-261727
In an email with the subject line, "Just disgusting", Conservative Party political operations director Fred DeLorey wrote to supporters earlier today:
This morning, I picked up a paper to read with my morning coffee.Mallick defended the Star's inclusiveness, as well as her choice of wording in her August 24 column, "Why voters like Justin Trudeau". In the piece, she praised the Liberal Party leader while sharply condemning some of the prime minister's actions, such as refusing an inquiry into missing and murdered women and "demonizing" scientists.
You won’t believe what I found inside.
I discovered a 740-word column by the Toronto Star’s Heather Mallick, full of disgusting personal attacks on the Prime Minister.
I won’t go into detail, but it included the word “sociopathic.” Not even trying to hide her bias, Mallick ends her column hoping that when it comes to Conservative majority, "next year it will be over."
This was too far… even for the Liberal cheerleading Toronto Star.
"I say Mr. Harper lacks a sense of moral responsibility: to women, to Canadians who'll be hit by climate change, to aboriginal people, to refugee claimants who need a doctor, to many immigrants and non-whites, to colleagues who may disagree with him," she told The Vancouver Observer. "He lacks a moral conscience when he comes to people he dislikes or distrusts. And that's the definition of a sociopath."
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/toronto-stars-heather-mallick-blasts-conservatives-paranoid-comments-about-her-column#comment-261727
Fostering hatered
Bill C-304: Hate Speech Clause's Repeal Gives White Supremacists Rare Moment Of Glee
A Conservative private members’ bill that repeals part of Canada’s hate speech laws has passed the House of Commons with scant media attention, and even less commentary. But it's being cheered by many Canadian conservatives as a victory for freedom of speech. And it's being cheered most vocally by another group: White supremacists.
Bill C-304, introduced by Conservative backbencher Brian Storseth, repeals Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which bans hate speech transmitted over the Internet or by telephone. It passed third reading in the House of Commons on Thursday and is now headed to the Senate.
“This is a huge victory for freedom in Canada,” a poster calling him or herself “CanadaFirst” posted on the website of StormFront, a notorious white supremacist group. “However, we still have other unjust Zionist ‘hate’ laws that need to go.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/06/08/bill-c-304-hate-speech-tories_n_1581437.html
A Conservative private members’ bill that repeals part of Canada’s hate speech laws has passed the House of Commons with scant media attention, and even less commentary. But it's being cheered by many Canadian conservatives as a victory for freedom of speech. And it's being cheered most vocally by another group: White supremacists.
Bill C-304, introduced by Conservative backbencher Brian Storseth, repeals Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which bans hate speech transmitted over the Internet or by telephone. It passed third reading in the House of Commons on Thursday and is now headed to the Senate.
“This is a huge victory for freedom in Canada,” a poster calling him or herself “CanadaFirst” posted on the website of StormFront, a notorious white supremacist group. “However, we still have other unjust Zionist ‘hate’ laws that need to go.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/06/08/bill-c-304-hate-speech-tories_n_1581437.html
Now you know
When people ask what you learned today ...... Manure... An interesting fact Manure : In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before the invention of commercial fertilizers, so large shipments of manure were quite common.
It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, not only did it become heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by product is methane gas of course. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen.
Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came
below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!
Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening
After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the instruction ' Stow high in transit ' on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.
Thus evolved the term ' S.H.I.T ' , (Stow High In Transit) which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.
You probably did not know the true history of this word.
Neither did I.
I had always thought it was a golf term
Thanks Heidi
It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, not only did it become heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by product is methane gas of course. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen.
Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came
Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening
After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the instruction ' Stow high in transit ' on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.
You probably did not know the true history of this word.
Neither did I.
I had always thought it was a golf term
Thanks Heidi
Bird Identification - Enough said!
I may not be great at bird identification but I do know
that there are four females and one male!!
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Shafting the working class
Unemployed? Good luck getting EI as eligibility hits all-time low
"Just 36.6% of unemployed workers are receiving Employment Insurance -- an all-time low in Canada, according to the latest government statistics.
The new milestone, calculated by comparing the number of regular EI beneficiaries in the latest Statistics Canada report with the number of unemployed workers from the Labour Force Survey, follows a series of policy changes over the last two decades that have made acc...ess to benefits increasingly difficult."
"Just 36.6% of unemployed workers are receiving Employment Insurance -- an all-time low in Canada, according to the latest government statistics.
The new milestone, calculated by comparing the number of regular EI beneficiaries in the latest Statistics Canada report with the number of unemployed workers from the Labour Force Survey, follows a series of policy changes over the last two decades that have made acc...ess to benefits increasingly difficult."
http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/unemployed-good-luck-getting-ei-eligibility-hits-all-time-low-0
I don't know about you but I find it very offensive and questionable as to why the Conservative government would insist that employees pay premiums toward UI then make it extremely difficult to qualify for a program that you paid into.
What are the Harper seals doing with the overage. Are they using it to finance corporations? Or are they buying down their bungled deficit?
The over 50 crowd should be living in fear of the Reform-a-Cons subjecting them to a means test when they apply for their pensions while the younger workers will find that they are required to go to corporate insurers for their medical insurance.
I don't know about you but I find it very offensive and questionable as to why the Conservative government would insist that employees pay premiums toward UI then make it extremely difficult to qualify for a program that you paid into.
What are the Harper seals doing with the overage. Are they using it to finance corporations? Or are they buying down their bungled deficit?
The over 50 crowd should be living in fear of the Reform-a-Cons subjecting them to a means test when they apply for their pensions while the younger workers will find that they are required to go to corporate insurers for their medical insurance.
Stop the "Bullshit Emails about Refugees and Income Assistance"
Have you heard rumours that refugees in Canada receive greater assistance from the government than pensioners?
For several years, a persistent chain email has been circulating claiming that refugees receive significantly more money in income assistance than Canadians collecting a pension. The information, which is based on a letter published in the Toronto Star, is false.
Refugees come to Canada in different ways, but no matter the category, refugees receive very limited income assistance from the government.
The true picture is that:
Read more: https://ccrweb.ca/refassistrebut.html
For several years, a persistent chain email has been circulating claiming that refugees receive significantly more money in income assistance than Canadians collecting a pension. The information, which is based on a letter published in the Toronto Star, is false.
Refugees come to Canada in different ways, but no matter the category, refugees receive very limited income assistance from the government.
The true picture is that:
Read more: https://ccrweb.ca/refassistrebut.html
She Was Calling To Thank A Fan,
She Was Calling To Thank A Fan, But She Got Much More Than She Bargained For! | SF Globe
Thanks Norman
Bongani
Boss: "Bongani, do you believe in Life after Death?"
Bongani: "Ack-tually, no, Sir!"
Boss: "Why not?"
Bongani: "Well, basickully, dêr is no proof that it ack-tually exists, Boss."
Boss: "Well, there is proof now."
Bongani: "Hai-bo! Seri-aaass?"
Boss: "Yes absolutely. After you left early yesterday to go
Bongani: "Ack-tually, no, Sir!"
Boss: "Why not?"
Bongani: "Well, basickully, dêr is no proof that it ack-tually exists, Boss."
Boss: "Well, there is proof now."
Bongani: "Hai-bo! Seri-aaass?"
Boss: "Yes absolutely. After you left early yesterday to go
to your brother's funeral, he came here looking for you."
Bongani: "Eeisssshhhh...."
Bongani: "Eeisssshhhh...."
Thanks Heidi
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Sunken Hazard - NWF Dives underwater Mackinac Pipelines
First-Ever Footage of Aging Tar Sands Pipelines Beneath Great Lakes
This past July, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) conducted a diving expedition to obtain footage of aging oil pipelines strung across one of the most sensitive locations in the Great Lakes, and possibly the world: the Straits of Mackinac. Footage of these pipelines has never been released to the public until now.
Read more: http://ecowatch.com/2013/10/15/footage-of-tar-sands-pipelines-beneath-great-lakes/
A HARD LOOK AT MR. HARPER'S ECONOMIC RECORD
When the next federal election rolls around, likely next spring, Stephen Harper says he wants to campaign on his economic record. Well bring it on.
That record is highlighted by some spectacular failures.
Military procurement is one of them -- specifically the proposed acquisition of F-35 stealth fighter jets to replace Canada's aging CF-18s. The botched process started in 2006 and is still nowhere near completion. The plane isn't even operational and costs have ballooned from $9-billion to close to $50-billion. The Parliamentary Budget Officer and the Auditor General have depicted the management of this file as both incompetent and deceitful.
The Temporary Foreign Workers Program is another big Harper government screw-up. That program operated with decent success for more than 30 years until the Conservatives messed it up with glaring instances of sloppy administration, lax enforcement, depressed wages, displaced Canadian workers and mistreated foreigners. The government's proposed corrections have infuriated both employers and employees, both domestic and foreign.
Another example of the Harper regime failing to get big economic things right is pipelines. A fundamental role of the Government of Canada is to open up markets abroad for Canadian resources and help create responsible and sustainable ways to get those resources to those markets. In the case of western Canadian energy products, we're suffering multi-billion dollar price penalties every year because Mr. Harper has failed to move the yardsticks a single inch forward on any major pipeline project since he first took power nearly nine years ago.
He also failed on western grain handling and transportation. The grain system Mr. Harper imposed didn't have enough capacity, nor any surge capability, nor any provision for adverse circumstances (like bad weather). There was no coordination, no transparency, no accountability, no competition, and no realistic legal recourse for captive shippers. Millions of tonnes of grain got stranded.
Frustrated global customers just walked away. Mr. Harper's system cost farmers something over $5-billion last year.
On trade policy more generally, the Conservatives boast about the number of trade deals they're working on. But only six are fully concluded and implemented, and together they represent just 2% of global GDP. The bigger ones are the better part of a decade away from fruition. And there remains a big difference between just signing deals and actually increasing the trade that gets done. For most of Mr. Harper's term, Canada has suffered large trade deficits, a situation the Bank of Canada has described as a "serial disappointment".
On fiscal management, in 2006 Mr. Harper inherited a decade of balanced budgets with annual surpluses of some $13-billion and financial flexibility over the ensuing five years projected at close to $100-billion. But in less than three years, he blew this country's fiscal security. He overspent by three times the rate of inflation and eliminated all the contingency reserves and prudence factors that had protected Canada against unforeseen trouble. Thus, Mr. Harper put us back into the red again BEFORE, not because of, the recession that arrived in late 2008.
That reckless mismanagement caused the burden of the recession to be much greater than it needed to be. More that $160-billion in new federal debt -- Harper debt -- was created. That's close to $20,000 in new Harper debt for every Canadian family.
At the bottom line, close to 240,000 more Canadians are out of a job and looking for work today than before the recession. Five years on, Canada's economy remains weak and uncertain. Stephen Harper has produced the poorest economic growth results of any Prime Minister since R.B. Bennett in the 1930's.
Yes, bring it on. It would be a pleasure to campaign on Mr. Harper's economic record.
Military procurement is one of them -- specifically the proposed acquisition of F-35 stealth fighter jets to replace Canada's aging CF-18s. The botched process started in 2006 and is still nowhere near completion. The plane isn't even operational and costs have ballooned from $9-billion to close to $50-billion. The Parliamentary Budget Officer and the Auditor General have depicted the management of this file as both incompetent and deceitful.
The Temporary Foreign Workers Program is another big Harper government screw-up. That program operated with decent success for more than 30 years until the Conservatives messed it up with glaring instances of sloppy administration, lax enforcement, depressed wages, displaced Canadian workers and mistreated foreigners. The government's proposed corrections have infuriated both employers and employees, both domestic and foreign.
Another example of the Harper regime failing to get big economic things right is pipelines. A fundamental role of the Government of Canada is to open up markets abroad for Canadian resources and help create responsible and sustainable ways to get those resources to those markets. In the case of western Canadian energy products, we're suffering multi-billion dollar price penalties every year because Mr. Harper has failed to move the yardsticks a single inch forward on any major pipeline project since he first took power nearly nine years ago.
He also failed on western grain handling and transportation. The grain system Mr. Harper imposed didn't have enough capacity, nor any surge capability, nor any provision for adverse circumstances (like bad weather). There was no coordination, no transparency, no accountability, no competition, and no realistic legal recourse for captive shippers. Millions of tonnes of grain got stranded.
Frustrated global customers just walked away. Mr. Harper's system cost farmers something over $5-billion last year.
On trade policy more generally, the Conservatives boast about the number of trade deals they're working on. But only six are fully concluded and implemented, and together they represent just 2% of global GDP. The bigger ones are the better part of a decade away from fruition. And there remains a big difference between just signing deals and actually increasing the trade that gets done. For most of Mr. Harper's term, Canada has suffered large trade deficits, a situation the Bank of Canada has described as a "serial disappointment".
On fiscal management, in 2006 Mr. Harper inherited a decade of balanced budgets with annual surpluses of some $13-billion and financial flexibility over the ensuing five years projected at close to $100-billion. But in less than three years, he blew this country's fiscal security. He overspent by three times the rate of inflation and eliminated all the contingency reserves and prudence factors that had protected Canada against unforeseen trouble. Thus, Mr. Harper put us back into the red again BEFORE, not because of, the recession that arrived in late 2008.
That reckless mismanagement caused the burden of the recession to be much greater than it needed to be. More that $160-billion in new federal debt -- Harper debt -- was created. That's close to $20,000 in new Harper debt for every Canadian family.
At the bottom line, close to 240,000 more Canadians are out of a job and looking for work today than before the recession. Five years on, Canada's economy remains weak and uncertain. Stephen Harper has produced the poorest economic growth results of any Prime Minister since R.B. Bennett in the 1930's.
Yes, bring it on. It would be a pleasure to campaign on Mr. Harper's economic record.
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