Spot on
Saturday, October 28, 2006 | 0 comments »
Dead reckoning
http://www.theindependent.ca/article.asp?AID=1251&ATID=5
By Ryan Cleary (St. John's)
The Independent
Friday, October 20, 2006
If The Independent is off Danny Williams’ Christmas-card list, The Globe and Mail must be mud beneath his feet. The paper’s dirt to me, but then I still read Canada’s “national newspaper” every day, for no other reason than to know the mind of the mortal enemy. It’s not so much that The Globe is a rag; it certainly comes across as a cut above the rest (Rex Murphy isn’t hard to look at either, from this angle, and when the light is right), but The Globe is no friend to Newfoundland and Labrador.
A newspaper is supposed to be a reflection of the people and place. In that case, upper Canadians, as reflected in the pages of The Globe, are sleeveens of the highest order, a few notches below the average skeet. Arrogant, smug, condescending bastards, more like it.
Nothing personal, of course. I write that in the same clever, witty way that Margaret Wente hammered home a point about us a while ago. The outports are a “vast and scenic welfare ghetto” the same way that Ontario is a vast and life-sucking siphon, from the have-not to the have. Danny Williams is “more popular than God” the same way that a central Canadian is God.
On Wednesday, The Globe’s lead editorial was headlined, Reckoning with Danny Williams. The paper called Danny a “bully” for taking on Big Oil. That’s the same Big Oil that bloats itself on billions of dollars a year in oil from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and the same province that barely limps along on stick-thin economic legs.
Bully about sums it up.
If you believe The Globe, Big Oil didn’t pull out of Hebron talks with Danny Dearest, so much as check into a shelter for victims of boardroom abuse.
Danny and the rest of us who didn’t have the sense to U-Haul it out of here long ago have a tendency to get uppity every now and then, and must be put in our Canadian place, a responsibility eagerly carried out by The Globe.
Quote from the paper’s editorial: “His (Danny’s) orchestrated outrage over the perceived mistreatment of Newfoundland failed to budge battle-hardened oil executives who are used to dealing with tinpot dictatorships that like to change the rules after the contracts are signed.”
Ouch. Only the negotiations were still going on when ExxonMobil took its marbles and went home to sook. There were no rules to change; they were in the process of being drawn up. Danny also went off on Stephen Harper last week in Gander, which The Globe described as “near-hysterical verbal assaults.”
Ottawa must see us coming. We’re so caught up in trying to keep a grip on the $2 billion in Atlantic Accord money we won last year that we can’t make headway on anything else. (A conspiracy theorist would see that as a devious mainland plot.)
Nothing will get done on the federal/provincial front as long as we’re kept busy chasing our own tail. Danny will probably spend between now and the New Year ensuring we maintain our ability to tread water. The premier may be a scrapper, but that’s not much good when his swings don’t connect.
Win, lose, or trash talk all day, Danny has his cheerleaders, Townie backbencher Shawn Skinner being chief pompom swinger. Skinner ripped into Liberal leader Gerry Reid on CBC Television this week for not standing behind the premier and the people of the province in the latest skirmish with Ottawa. Reid says the premier’s controversial style may be hurting the province.
“Danny is the way and the light,” Skinner seemed to say, hunched over slightly from the hand up his puppet hole. “Ours is not to question why or how high, but to nod furiously when the premier’s lips move so that we’ll eventually get in cabinet one day and worship at his feet.”
Danny had better watch how he spends his considerable political capital — the premier lost the Max Ruelokke round, Hebron’s on hold, and the federal government seems to be cutting every service in Newfoundland and Labrador that’s not nailed to the deck. Quebec also got a big fat apology this week from Danny (for a moment, I thought the Premier had been taken over by the body snatcher that is the plant on the new government logo, but then, for your information, he’s still not taking to The Independent, so he’s still his old self).
The premier keeps warning of dire consequences but he had better be prepared to eventually show his “or-else” card, because his bluff will be called, his reputation tested in an guaranteed showdown. Danny must also keep his eye on the ball in terms of what he’s after.
Winning the Atlantic Accord a second time does not count as a second victory.
Danny faces a fight every which way he turns, on every front, in every corner of his kingdom — the fisheries, energy, oil and gas … at the same time, he seems to be missing an overall game plan (his rural/fisheries playbook is non-existent). The Independent has spent the past six weeks reexamining the Terms of Union, coming up with ways to rework and update the marriage vows so that they work better for us. Mainland Canada must be made to see that Newfoundland and Labrador doesn’t fed bash for the sake of fed bashing. The rest of Canada must be made to see that we have legitimate wants and needs that must be met — for our sake, and the future of the country itself.
Maybe The Independent shouldn’t have stopped at provincewide circulation. Maybe we should have gone national.
ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
By Ryan Cleary (St. John's)
The Independent
Friday, October 20, 2006
If The Independent is off Danny Williams’ Christmas-card list, The Globe and Mail must be mud beneath his feet. The paper’s dirt to me, but then I still read Canada’s “national newspaper” every day, for no other reason than to know the mind of the mortal enemy. It’s not so much that The Globe is a rag; it certainly comes across as a cut above the rest (Rex Murphy isn’t hard to look at either, from this angle, and when the light is right), but The Globe is no friend to Newfoundland and Labrador.
A newspaper is supposed to be a reflection of the people and place. In that case, upper Canadians, as reflected in the pages of The Globe, are sleeveens of the highest order, a few notches below the average skeet. Arrogant, smug, condescending bastards, more like it.
Nothing personal, of course. I write that in the same clever, witty way that Margaret Wente hammered home a point about us a while ago. The outports are a “vast and scenic welfare ghetto” the same way that Ontario is a vast and life-sucking siphon, from the have-not to the have. Danny Williams is “more popular than God” the same way that a central Canadian is God.
On Wednesday, The Globe’s lead editorial was headlined, Reckoning with Danny Williams. The paper called Danny a “bully” for taking on Big Oil. That’s the same Big Oil that bloats itself on billions of dollars a year in oil from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and the same province that barely limps along on stick-thin economic legs.
Bully about sums it up.
If you believe The Globe, Big Oil didn’t pull out of Hebron talks with Danny Dearest, so much as check into a shelter for victims of boardroom abuse.
Danny and the rest of us who didn’t have the sense to U-Haul it out of here long ago have a tendency to get uppity every now and then, and must be put in our Canadian place, a responsibility eagerly carried out by The Globe.
Quote from the paper’s editorial: “His (Danny’s) orchestrated outrage over the perceived mistreatment of Newfoundland failed to budge battle-hardened oil executives who are used to dealing with tinpot dictatorships that like to change the rules after the contracts are signed.”
Ouch. Only the negotiations were still going on when ExxonMobil took its marbles and went home to sook. There were no rules to change; they were in the process of being drawn up. Danny also went off on Stephen Harper last week in Gander, which The Globe described as “near-hysterical verbal assaults.”
Ottawa must see us coming. We’re so caught up in trying to keep a grip on the $2 billion in Atlantic Accord money we won last year that we can’t make headway on anything else. (A conspiracy theorist would see that as a devious mainland plot.)
Nothing will get done on the federal/provincial front as long as we’re kept busy chasing our own tail. Danny will probably spend between now and the New Year ensuring we maintain our ability to tread water. The premier may be a scrapper, but that’s not much good when his swings don’t connect.
Win, lose, or trash talk all day, Danny has his cheerleaders, Townie backbencher Shawn Skinner being chief pompom swinger. Skinner ripped into Liberal leader Gerry Reid on CBC Television this week for not standing behind the premier and the people of the province in the latest skirmish with Ottawa. Reid says the premier’s controversial style may be hurting the province.
“Danny is the way and the light,” Skinner seemed to say, hunched over slightly from the hand up his puppet hole. “Ours is not to question why or how high, but to nod furiously when the premier’s lips move so that we’ll eventually get in cabinet one day and worship at his feet.”
Danny had better watch how he spends his considerable political capital — the premier lost the Max Ruelokke round, Hebron’s on hold, and the federal government seems to be cutting every service in Newfoundland and Labrador that’s not nailed to the deck. Quebec also got a big fat apology this week from Danny (for a moment, I thought the Premier had been taken over by the body snatcher that is the plant on the new government logo, but then, for your information, he’s still not taking to The Independent, so he’s still his old self).
The premier keeps warning of dire consequences but he had better be prepared to eventually show his “or-else” card, because his bluff will be called, his reputation tested in an guaranteed showdown. Danny must also keep his eye on the ball in terms of what he’s after.
Winning the Atlantic Accord a second time does not count as a second victory.
Danny faces a fight every which way he turns, on every front, in every corner of his kingdom — the fisheries, energy, oil and gas … at the same time, he seems to be missing an overall game plan (his rural/fisheries playbook is non-existent). The Independent has spent the past six weeks reexamining the Terms of Union, coming up with ways to rework and update the marriage vows so that they work better for us. Mainland Canada must be made to see that Newfoundland and Labrador doesn’t fed bash for the sake of fed bashing. The rest of Canada must be made to see that we have legitimate wants and needs that must be met — for our sake, and the future of the country itself.
Maybe The Independent shouldn’t have stopped at provincewide circulation. Maybe we should have gone national.
ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
I pay a yearly tax to work in another country, why are you so special?
Friday, October 27, 2006 | 0 comments »
Flight time from St. John's to Toronto = 3.5 hours
Flight time from Toronto to Shanghai = 18 hours
Total cost of flying an immigrant from Newfoundland to China on Air Canada = $1156
Value of sending a free loader begging for $20,000 that his sorry ass doesn't deserve = PRICELESS
Flight time from Toronto to Shanghai = 18 hours
Total cost of flying an immigrant from Newfoundland to China on Air Canada = $1156
Value of sending a free loader begging for $20,000 that his sorry ass doesn't deserve = PRICELESS
Riding Dirty
Thursday, October 26, 2006 | 0 comments »
Area man charged with bestiality
Tuesday, October 24, 2006 By TIM YOUNKMANTIMES WRITER
A 44-year-old Saginaw man remains jailed today on charges of bestiality after he was seen engaged in sexual acts with a dead dog, Michigan State Police troopers said.
Ronald Kuch was arrested after police searched the area of Midland and Carter roads Friday for a man who ran away from a Bay County Animal Control officer. The entire incident was within view of a nearby day care center.
At his arraignment on Monday, Kuch demanded a preliminary examination in Bay County District Court. District Judge Craig Alston ordered him to remain jailed in lieu of $500,000 bond pending a hearing on the evidence Nov. 6.
You may or may not remeber my good friend Samantha, she is a white female born in 1981 and owns at least 210 horses! In case you have forgotten, I added a link from our first encounter with Samantha
A group of my buddys went to an Iron Madien concert last week and believe it or not they bumped into Samantha in the parking lot again! I bet you will see Samantha at every 70's and 80's concert in the city, chances are she only gets taken out for such events.
A group of my buddys went to an Iron Madien concert last week and believe it or not they bumped into Samantha in the parking lot again! I bet you will see Samantha at every 70's and 80's concert in the city, chances are she only gets taken out for such events.
I finally got around to booking a flight to Calgary today and I will be celebrating the Yankee Thanksgiving in Alberta from Wednesday - Monday (November 22 - 27).
My first trip to Calgary was around the same time last year and I fell in love with the city and surronding area immediately (I included several photos below from last year). There are not too many places in this world that offer such a vibrant city and untamed wildneress within minutes of each other.
There will be lots of time for skiing, downtown-boozing, hiking, sightseeing and of course testing out the job market as this is one city that I would defiently like to call home.
"...the number of Iraqis killed violently during the war ranges from 426,369 to 793,663"
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqdead11oct11,1,3777236.story?coll=la-headlines-world
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqdead11oct11,1,3777236.story?coll=la-headlines-world
A couple of people have sent this to me lately, great way to kill sometime and smile
http://www.saab-stuff.com/pop.swf
http://www.saab-stuff.com/pop.swf
I enjoyed hamburgers, hot wings and beer on my Thanksgiving yesterday, never really cared much about that holiday. Interesting article here on the start of Thanksgiving in North America, like many things on this continent, it’s origins are in Newfoundland, funny how the USA and Canada have a way of changing their history books…
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_4228.aspx
Why Is Canadian And U.S. Thanksgiving On Different Days?
Monday October 9, 2006
We celebrate Christmas and New Year's on the same day.
Our Labour Day's the same, too.
And even our birthdays are extremely close - July 1st and July 4th.
So why does Canada celebrate Thanksgiving so far ahead of the U.S.?
The common wisdom seems to be that because we're so much farther north, our harvest days arrive earlier, and so we give thanks a lot sooner - although it's hard to be grateful for an earlier winter.
Whatever the truth, there's one fact history can't deny - Canada has been celebrating the holiday a lot longer than our southern neighbours.
Thanksgiving in Canada actually goes back to 1578 in Newfoundland, when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony of gratitude for surviving the journey from Europe.
Americans, led by the Puritans and the Mayflower, didn't begin their annual tradition until 1621 - 43 years later.
But the first official Canuck day of thanks actually started in - of all months - April of 1872, as a grateful nation celebrated the recovery of King Edward VII from an illness.
Our next turkey time came seven years later, and this time it was in November!
It stayed that way until 1899, when it moved to a Thursday in October. And talk about an unstable holiday.
In 1901 and 1904, it was on a Thursday in November.
Between 1908 and 1921, it was moved to a Monday in October.
And from 1922 to 1930, it was actually celebrated on what is now Remembrance Day - November 11th!
In fact, Canada didn't actually settle on a true Thanksgiving Day until 1957, when Parliament finally fixed the date as the second Monday in October, where it remains now, giving us the final long weekend of the season.
Now that's something to truly be thankful for.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_4228.aspx
Why Is Canadian And U.S. Thanksgiving On Different Days?
Monday October 9, 2006
We celebrate Christmas and New Year's on the same day.
Our Labour Day's the same, too.
And even our birthdays are extremely close - July 1st and July 4th.
So why does Canada celebrate Thanksgiving so far ahead of the U.S.?
The common wisdom seems to be that because we're so much farther north, our harvest days arrive earlier, and so we give thanks a lot sooner - although it's hard to be grateful for an earlier winter.
Whatever the truth, there's one fact history can't deny - Canada has been celebrating the holiday a lot longer than our southern neighbours.
Thanksgiving in Canada actually goes back to 1578 in Newfoundland, when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony of gratitude for surviving the journey from Europe.
Americans, led by the Puritans and the Mayflower, didn't begin their annual tradition until 1621 - 43 years later.
But the first official Canuck day of thanks actually started in - of all months - April of 1872, as a grateful nation celebrated the recovery of King Edward VII from an illness.
Our next turkey time came seven years later, and this time it was in November!
It stayed that way until 1899, when it moved to a Thursday in October. And talk about an unstable holiday.
In 1901 and 1904, it was on a Thursday in November.
Between 1908 and 1921, it was moved to a Monday in October.
And from 1922 to 1930, it was actually celebrated on what is now Remembrance Day - November 11th!
In fact, Canada didn't actually settle on a true Thanksgiving Day until 1957, when Parliament finally fixed the date as the second Monday in October, where it remains now, giving us the final long weekend of the season.
Now that's something to truly be thankful for.
Your long lost friend
Thursday, October 05, 2006 | 0 comments »
This has to be the longest time I have gone without posting since I have started this Blog. My life has been hectic lately – well, more hectic than usual. It is hard to find the time to sit and write something when you are bouncing all over the place. To be honest, I don’t have much to say now either, so piss off.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
