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Blogging
Ottawa Blogger Gathering – "Like Conclave … But With Beer"
Mark your calendars. After such a long stretch between Ottawa Blogger gatherings, we have tentatively set the next gathering and the details are below.
Date: Saturday August 22nd
Time: 1pm start (end time is up to you)
Location: Mexicali Rosa’s at Dow’s Lake Pavillion – 1001 Queen Elizabeth Drive. Ottawa, Ontario.
Parking: Pay Lot available across the street
All bloggers and friends of bloggers welcome. We encourage everyone to help promote the event on their blog. There is also a facebook group which you can RSVP with. The address for this group is accessible by Clicking Here.
Map To Location:
The Manning Centre Puts On a Great Show
The past three days, I had the honour of attending the Manning Centre for Building Democracy’s Networking 2008 Conference here in Ottawa.
The three days started off with a wonderful reception at the National Arts Centre on Thursday evening at which I got to run into fellow blogger Dr. Roy Eappan and BT co-founder Stephen Taylor in addition to getting to share a few words with our Prime Minister. Throughout the evening I managed to say hello and talk to about a dozen MPs who were all gracious and open to some good political banter.
Friday and Saturday were day long sessions with some fantastic speakers.
The sessions included an introduction to rising Conservative Stars presented by Ralph Klein and Bernard Lord, A strategy session on winning close elections presented by Tony Clement, a panel session on what the Conservative movement should do about healthcare featuring past Ontario premiere Mike Harris, Dr. Brian Day (CMA president) and Joanne Marcotte of the ADQ. (Mike Harris kicked some ass here with his views). Friday ended with a discussion on the subject of Euthanasia presented by Dr. Margaret Somerville.
Saturday was simply a great day . It started with a wonderfully lighthearted view of politics from New Zealand perspective from Richard Prebble. During his question and answer period he had everyone in stitches when asked how New Zealand got rid of the sacred cow of farm subsidies and he replied “The best way to kill a sacred cow is to simply shoot it.” This session was in conjunction with a speech from Aussie strategist and pollster Mark Textor.
The late morning session saw BT co-founder Stephen Taylor talk on blogging and social networking and how useful blogs are becoming. Mr. Taylor managed to boost my ego BIGtime by showing a clip of my Peter Van Loan score on Ken Dryden. It was especially nice to have the crowd laugh in unison at the appearance of the name OfficiallyScrewed.com. (Thanks Stephen!!)
The next to last session was one I had seen much of before at the Leadership Institute sessions but it was full of great ideas on campaigning from some key minds in the conservative movement in Canada. Michael Davis, head of RMG, Richard Ciano of the Conservative Campaign University, Devin Iverson, veteran campaigner and Mark Spiro, principal with Crestview Public Affairs all had great insight which someone like me absorbed like a sponge.
The final session was simply a wonderful speech by past Nova Scotia premiere John Hamm. Mr. Hamm is promoting the 250th anniversary (this year) of democracy in North America. The very first of which was in Nova Scota in 1758. The goal is to engage as many young people to take part in politics and I encourage you to share politics with the youth of today. You can find out more via the website www.democracy250.ca .
The Manning Centre and their co-ordinators did a great job. The event was well scheduled, not rushed, very educational and the food at the Congress Centre was great for a conference. Kudos to everyone involved. I will most certainly be attending future events.
ADDENDUM: I was also lucky enough to get a photo taken of myself with the Prime Minister and autographed copies of Tom Flanagan’s book “Harper’s Team” and Preston Manning’s “Think Big”.
Blogging Tory Weirdness
I had the pleasure of, once again, passing by the Conservative Party of Canada HQ in downtown Ottawa this past week. It happened to be on Stephen Taylor`s birthday (Thursday) and I saw this and just had to snap a cell phone shot.
Does anyone else find it weird that the tailor located on the main floor of the CPC building is called Stephano Tailor or is it just me?
Just one of those weird things you notice I guess.
Ottawa Bloggers Meet At Mexi's November 3rd
Well, it’s that time again. For those of you out there in the Ottawa area, the next Ottawa blogger get together is happening on Saturday November 3rd, at Mexicali Rosa’s at Dow’s Lake.
The address is 1001 Queen Elizabeth Drive.
The time is 730pm(ish)
Please feel free to share this with any other Ottawa Bloggers you feel might want to join in on the fun, lighthearted evening. (All political party bloggers welcome … Dippers and Libs, we don’t bite!!)
Time To Get Back In The Game
I have sat by too long watching as bleeding hearts rip our nation to shreds for the sake of personal gain.
*Axe hit*
I have listened to far too many lefties spread propaganda about issues that favour their own agendas of make work programs
*Axe hit*
I have watched too many City of Ottawa vehicles get first class treatment at the high end carwash in this city on my tax dollar.
*Axe hit*
I have listened to No Balls McShifty attempt to buy my Provincial vote this coming Ontario election with my own money after doing nothing with the extra money he took from me after he got elected last time around.
*Axe hit*
I think I have been officiallyscrewed too many times and I am losing my sense of being a hard working Canadian.
Heeeeeeereeeeeeee’s Mulder……
It's Not All That Bad When You Can't Blog Consistently
Well, I have recently discovered a few interesting things that I CAN do (and a few I can’t):
1) I can still attend a blogger gathering in Ottawa and enjoy political banter with Victor (PhantomObserver), Clive (DoggerelParty), Jordan (Clear Conservative Thought) and Jordan’s friend Vanessa as I did last night.
2) I can still post my Smackdowns as they are pretty clearly part of the public record.
3) I can still do book reviews and as a matter of fact, I just finished reading Lowell Green’s How the granola-crunching, tree-hugging thug huggers are wrecking our country!
Lowell was even nice enough to dedicate my book with the words “To Steve at Officiallyscrewed.com. Keep up the good work Steve. Lowell Green”. Truly an inspiration and a big reason so many ridings in Eastern Ontario vote Tory blue. Thank you Lowell.
4) I can continue to promote the good solid values of the CPC that I agree with.
5) I still can’t figure out how to set up the site to manage the three guest bloggers who have stepped forward to keep OfficiallyScrewed.com alive … but I will so bear with me Mac, Matt and W.
6) I can still slag on the CBC (although I will refrain from doing so while playoff hockey is on)
I guess this is my way of saying I am not totally gone, nor are my Smackdowns!! If the sidekick to an American Icon (Peace Moonbeam) can make his way to my site and whimper at my announced hiatus, then I know I need to continue to blog, even if it is sporadic.
Buddy Can You Spare A Blog Post?
This is a very hard thing to announce, but due to a commitment I recently made to the political process, I will be stepping away from blogging. The situation is definitely temporary, but it may be an extended period of time. (at least 9 months and no I am not pregnant).
I am looking for guest bloggers who may help keep the site fresh and active over the coming months, and I will be sharing my video layout with a friend of mine so he can continue the tradition of the Video Smackdowns. I think showing the world some of what goes on in Question Period is important.
If you feel you would like to help out by being a monthly guest blogger and cross posting here at OfficiallyScrewed.com, I would be glad to consider you. Just drop me an email at webmaster@officiallyscrewed.com and I will do what I can to eithersplit up the time in some appropriate manner, or arrange for multiple guest bloggers.
Please include your current blog name and URL, a contact email, a nickname you want to post under (preferably the name you use on your blog).
It really is leaving a pit in my stomach to step away from writing for even a few days, let alone several months. I will still provide the back end support on the site with things like the poll, graphics, links and the Ottawa Valley Blogroll, but my writing needs to hop into the backseat.
Sometimes Life Just Smiles On You…
… and those are the days you feel light in your step and walk around whistling and making everyone at work despise you for being in a good mood.
Sunday I was out all day as my daughter was competing in a local invitational tournament I was emcee-ing. Now for those who remember, Cookie finished 17th of 17 at provincials two years ago. And last year she moved up to 7th out of 13 in her age group.
Well at this local invitational, there were 8 ladies in her age group which is about half the total competition for the provincials in a couple of months. Cookie ended up taking a bronze in her free routine, a 5th place in her ball routine and she nailed her ribbon routine for the gold, taking a silver overall and another silver with her duo partner.
This all bodes well for a great showing at this years provincials.
Then I come home Monday night and hear that Charles Adler is not going to sue me for using his voice in a Smackdown!! (phew!!) In fact, I hear he gave me some compliments on the air which I am ecstatic and very appreciative of. Mr. Adler is a well known and well respected sanity check expert calling people out on all types of issues where a sanity check is needed. I took the liberty of cropping the compliments he gave me and turning them into an MP3 you can listen to below.
Smackdown – KerPlonka Lands One On Chin Of Rob Edger (And Paints Another Face On Stephane Dion)
In an assessment of Stephane Dion’s call for aid to help minority’s deal with hate crimes, Jarrett Plonka does a find job dismantling the argument and pointing out numerous flaws with various Liberal’s positions on this matter. But what gave me a smile was his reply to a comment from Stephane Dion’s Blog Campaign Co-Chair, Rob Edger.
Rob Edger: What’s your alternative?
Jarrett: Basically, either treat all these so-called “hate crimes” as leniently as we do with “normal crimes,” or treat all “normal crimes” with the fire and brimstone with which we appear to want to treat “hate crimes”.
Jarrett is wise beyond his years and disarms the question quite handily. He goes on:
I know which one I’d choose in an instant. The decision is harder for the Cotlerites to whom I referred, who have to balance their desire to have that progressive society while reconciling some of the internal contradictions (including a few that I outlined) that notion presents.
I know which one I would choose too Jarrett.