Stephen Harper has taken yet another step towards being the worst prime minister in our country’s history. Mr. Harper has appointed eight new puppets in the senate, one the illiterate hockey coach Jacque Demers, another the husband of a cabinet member, and he stands to appoint more later this year. For someone who holds the position that senators should be elected, he sure seems to enjoy appointing them.
This is a significant story because the huge omnibus crime bill that has passed in parliament, and is waiting on the senate’s to-do list, has been under serious scrutiny from those of us who have actually looked at it.
The bill includes what died previously in parliament as bill c-15, which brings in mandatory minimum sentences of 6 months for growing as little as 5 marijuana plants. This is at a time when most US states are repealing mandatory minimums for drug crimes. Governor David Patterson of New York has said that: “few initiatives have failed as badly and for as long as the Rockefeller Drug Laws [mandatory minimums for drug possession]”.
This bill also includes provisions that would give police the authority to take bodily fluid samples from a driver who appears to be high. However, there is no test that can reliably determine if a driver is stoned. The only test available gives false positives and can only tell if the person has smoked marijuana in the past month, not if they were stoned while driving. This means a lot of innocent people will be locked up, costing you, the taxpayer, millions every year.
The Canadian Criminal Justice Association(CCJA) has declared these provisions unconstitutional as they violate one’s charter rights to privacy and security of person. Imagine that, something about police officers randomly pulling people over, and forcibly taking bodily fluids for no reason, seems slightly authoritarian. Because of the CCJA’s objection, our prime minister is stacking the senate with people who will vote the way he tells them to. Forget the ‘Triple E’ senate, he is working on the ‘Triple I’ senate: Ignorant, Incompetent, and Immoral.
It has been a source of national pride for a long time that we have more sensible laws than the US, however there are now 13 states with more lenient drug laws than Canada. This is a dark time in our country’s history. This is change I can’t believe.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
A vow
I will complete a work of short fiction by this time next week.
I will use the techniques outlined in "The Surrealist Manifesto" as well as those offered to us by the great Salvador Dali.
"The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."
"The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant."
"What is a television apparatus to man, who has only to shut his eyes to see the most inaccessible regions of the seen and the never seen, who has only to imagine in order to pierce through walls and cause all the planetary Baghdads of his dreams to rise from the dust."
"It is good taste, and good taste alone, that possesses the power to sterilize and is always the first handicap to any creative functioning."
"Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision."
"One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams."
- Salvador Dali
I will use the techniques outlined in "The Surrealist Manifesto" as well as those offered to us by the great Salvador Dali.
"The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."
"The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant."
"What is a television apparatus to man, who has only to shut his eyes to see the most inaccessible regions of the seen and the never seen, who has only to imagine in order to pierce through walls and cause all the planetary Baghdads of his dreams to rise from the dust."
"It is good taste, and good taste alone, that possesses the power to sterilize and is always the first handicap to any creative functioning."
"Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision."
"One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams."
- Salvador Dali
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Quote of the day
You no doubt have heard this quote but I was re-reading Marx's critique of Hegel's 'Philosophy of Right" and can't help but marvel at Marx's command of language. Most people butcher this quote, and only include the last part. In context, it is far more powerful.
"Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions."
-Karl Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right
"Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions."
-Karl Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Just a note...
Islam is not a race.
Criticizing mainstream tenets of Islam does not mean that you wish a "war against muslims".
Not all religions are the same. Some are more dangerous than others.
For example, in the 1930's, the Roman Catholic church was far more dangerous to civilization than Islam. The Roman Catholic church supported the Nazi regime in Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Franco's Spain, as well as fascist regimes in South America. Each religion takes it's turn to threaten the survival of mankind.
This time it is Islams turn. All religions are equally false, yet not all religions are equally dangerous at all times. Roman Catholics do not kidnap reporters, riot, threaten novelists and news organizations, or burn down buildings. To recognize that all religions are different is not racism. And to throw this bs at me, and attempting to pass a charge of racism that is unfounded as a serious argument only shows the weakness of your mental capabilities.
When human beings forsake their thinking minds, and accept the dogma of faith over the process of reason, there is no measuring the body count or the damage that can come of this. The problem is religion. Not economic opportunity.
When the right can't argue logically they claim their opponents are unpatriotic. When the left can't argue logically they argue that their opponents are racists. How about just sifting through the evidence and engaging in the dialectic?
Pacifism is no reason to not recognize the truth.
Criticizing mainstream tenets of Islam does not mean that you wish a "war against muslims".
Not all religions are the same. Some are more dangerous than others.
For example, in the 1930's, the Roman Catholic church was far more dangerous to civilization than Islam. The Roman Catholic church supported the Nazi regime in Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Franco's Spain, as well as fascist regimes in South America. Each religion takes it's turn to threaten the survival of mankind.
This time it is Islams turn. All religions are equally false, yet not all religions are equally dangerous at all times. Roman Catholics do not kidnap reporters, riot, threaten novelists and news organizations, or burn down buildings. To recognize that all religions are different is not racism. And to throw this bs at me, and attempting to pass a charge of racism that is unfounded as a serious argument only shows the weakness of your mental capabilities.
When human beings forsake their thinking minds, and accept the dogma of faith over the process of reason, there is no measuring the body count or the damage that can come of this. The problem is religion. Not economic opportunity.
When the right can't argue logically they claim their opponents are unpatriotic. When the left can't argue logically they argue that their opponents are racists. How about just sifting through the evidence and engaging in the dialectic?
Pacifism is no reason to not recognize the truth.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
How Religion Poisons Everything
So Mike Huckabee, who in last years Republican debate said of the seperation of church and state:
"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And thats what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than trying to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family."
Takes your breath away don't it?
On a religious extremist-sponsored trip to the west bank Mr. Huckabee went to the right of the democrats, republicans, US public, UN, the entire international community, and even conservative Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and declared a two state solution "unrealistic".
Anyone saying this is simply a territorial dispute, and that religion does not cause unnecessary violence and tribalism is WRONG. Huckabee, following in the digusting tradition of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and other inflammatory Jesus freaks, is continuing to drive a wedge between Israelis and Palestinians in order to ensure that the Jews are all in Israel when Jesus comes back. Of course, when he does come back, he will kill them all and send them screaming and crying into hell. Mike Huckabee, the blood is on your hands.
"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And thats what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than trying to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family."
Takes your breath away don't it?
On a religious extremist-sponsored trip to the west bank Mr. Huckabee went to the right of the democrats, republicans, US public, UN, the entire international community, and even conservative Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and declared a two state solution "unrealistic".
Anyone saying this is simply a territorial dispute, and that religion does not cause unnecessary violence and tribalism is WRONG. Huckabee, following in the digusting tradition of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and other inflammatory Jesus freaks, is continuing to drive a wedge between Israelis and Palestinians in order to ensure that the Jews are all in Israel when Jesus comes back. Of course, when he does come back, he will kill them all and send them screaming and crying into hell. Mike Huckabee, the blood is on your hands.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Today in the mail..
So I received my copy of 'Letters to a Young Contrarian' by Christopher Hitchens today. I am highly excited about this book. I can't get enough of his writing or debates, whether political or religious.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
It was a good day...
Ladies and gentlemen...it has happened. Michael Vick has signed with an NFL team.
Now throughout this saga I have mused on whether or not my Eagles could use Vick, since 2nd round pick Kevin Kolb out of Houston has been absolutely terrible in relief of Donovan McNabb.
Well...Guess who Vick signed a two year deal with?
So the Eagles have 3 big play, deep threat receivers, 2 running backs who are both excellent receivers, and now they have the single most athetic QB in history to use as both a backup and a weapon.
The best part of this though is that when those terrorist supporting, arsonist and murderer funding, "eating chicken is morally equivalent to the holocaust" propagandizing MORONS at PETA will have to deal with the drunkest, meanest, most violent fans in the NFL.
Just try it PETA. I dare you.
Now throughout this saga I have mused on whether or not my Eagles could use Vick, since 2nd round pick Kevin Kolb out of Houston has been absolutely terrible in relief of Donovan McNabb.
Well...Guess who Vick signed a two year deal with?
So the Eagles have 3 big play, deep threat receivers, 2 running backs who are both excellent receivers, and now they have the single most athetic QB in history to use as both a backup and a weapon.
The best part of this though is that when those terrorist supporting, arsonist and murderer funding, "eating chicken is morally equivalent to the holocaust" propagandizing MORONS at PETA will have to deal with the drunkest, meanest, most violent fans in the NFL.
Just try it PETA. I dare you.
Friday, August 7, 2009
What the world would look like if we listened to the anti-war left
-Saddam Hussein would have annexed Kuwait in 1991 and would now be in possession of a vast weapons arsenal, possibly including the threat of nuclear arms through which he could blackmail the entire region
-Saddam Hussein and his thugs would still own Iraq and it's oppressed masses, and he would be their supreme dictator, as opposed to six feet under, where he is now and where he belongs.
-This means that a significant amount of the worlds oil would be under Saddams control.
-The people of Kurdistan as well as their peoples resistance would be still under threat of genocide from Hussein
-The Taliban would still be in control of Afghanistan
-Osama Bin Laden would still be their most welcome guest, kicking back and relaxing in his safe haven, Taliban controlled Afghanistan.
-Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia would be pursuing war with Iraq to do overthrow Saddam and take their respective areas and resources that they desire. The Kurds would be not only under threat from the man who committed a genocide against them, Saddam Hussein, but they would be threatened by the invading powers.
-The pro-western election results around the middle east, first in Lebanon and then in Iran, would likely not have taken place. This is partially due to President Obama, and partially due to the fact that a democratic and somewhat stable Iraq is now a reality.
As Christopher Hitchens stated in his debate with that despicable, disgusting fool George Galloway: "If I had the political record that the anti-war left had, I would be VERY modest"
-Saddam Hussein and his thugs would still own Iraq and it's oppressed masses, and he would be their supreme dictator, as opposed to six feet under, where he is now and where he belongs.
-This means that a significant amount of the worlds oil would be under Saddams control.
-The people of Kurdistan as well as their peoples resistance would be still under threat of genocide from Hussein
-The Taliban would still be in control of Afghanistan
-Osama Bin Laden would still be their most welcome guest, kicking back and relaxing in his safe haven, Taliban controlled Afghanistan.
-Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia would be pursuing war with Iraq to do overthrow Saddam and take their respective areas and resources that they desire. The Kurds would be not only under threat from the man who committed a genocide against them, Saddam Hussein, but they would be threatened by the invading powers.
-The pro-western election results around the middle east, first in Lebanon and then in Iran, would likely not have taken place. This is partially due to President Obama, and partially due to the fact that a democratic and somewhat stable Iraq is now a reality.
As Christopher Hitchens stated in his debate with that despicable, disgusting fool George Galloway: "If I had the political record that the anti-war left had, I would be VERY modest"
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Eagles '09 Season Preview
Yahoo! Sports Predicts an 11-5 season from my Eagles
I think this is exactly where they will be. I LOVE what they did this offseason. Picked up 2 pro-bowl calibre tackles that are nearly a decade younger than the guys they replace, drafted a receiver in the 1st round who has legit deep threat speed, a 2nd round running back...the only thing they are missing is a power runner.
I love this team...dare I say this is their year?
I think this is exactly where they will be. I LOVE what they did this offseason. Picked up 2 pro-bowl calibre tackles that are nearly a decade younger than the guys they replace, drafted a receiver in the 1st round who has legit deep threat speed, a 2nd round running back...the only thing they are missing is a power runner.
I love this team...dare I say this is their year?
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