Wait 30 Minutes After Eating Before Reading This…

…Because you are about to go off the deep-end.

Randall Denley in the Ottawa Citizen is reporting about $2.3 Million being spent on a boat transport system to haul boats around the Chat’s Falls at Fitzroy Harbour. For those who aren’t sure what I mean, a boat transport system they are talking about would entail hauling a boat out of the water on one side, and driving it up past the falls and dropping it in on the other side. (or vice versa). i.e. a couple of boat launches and a transport. The cost to the boater? $50 per trip and 24 hours notice.

The Municipality put in $350,000 and the rest was put up by the Province, the Federal Government and Ontario Power Generation.

The service would be in effect from June to September. There are several of these types of services up river and last year the total count of boats hauled in the whole system was a whopping 233 boats.

The net benefit to boaters? 50 extra km of river upstream when there are 500km of river open to them already.

How officially screwed are we taxpayers getting on this one? I would love to know who has cottages on the land which they build the two boat launches.

RIM Fights Back – Creator Of Crackberry Blackberry Creates Workaround

And the scales tip…..

Research In Motion, the creator of the infamous Blackberry and supporting “always on” technologies has turned the tables on NTP, Inc.

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today provided an update in the patent litigation between RIM and NTP, Inc. (“NTP”). RIM has developed and tested software workaround designs for all BlackBerry® handsets operating on converged voice/data networks in the United States. Although there is no injunction order in place, and RIM believes it has strong legal and factual arguments opposing an injunction, RIM has developed these software workaround designs as a contingency to allow BlackBerry service to continue should the court implement an injunction in the current litigation involving the NTP patents.

This is exactly the way a perfect capitalist society should operate. RIM has built a new mousetrap to ensure customers are not let down and probably saved themselves Billions in royalty payments to NTP. Good old Canadian technology. You have to be proud of this company’s reputation in the world.

The whole article gets pretty legal and technical, but worth a gander for American Blackberry owners. There is no changes yet, but there is still some dispute over the transition period. NTP wants a 30 day one, and RIM has said this is too short. This may determine when users need to go get the latest software upload. You might want to bookmark the following link.

Blackberry Workaround Site

This Is The Daycare The NDP and Liberals Want?

Hey Libs and Dippers, there is NO WAY you can defend this. Even trying would be ludicrous.

It was a beautiful winter day to spend outdoors for the children at Le Petit Bourg daycare centre. For most of them, it probably felt a lot warmer than the -2 recorded that day in Quebec City, even with the slight breeze that grazed their faces.

But the decision to leave 13-month-old Ludovick outdoors to nap for almost four hours has called into question the judgment of the daycare workers who thought it best to let the boy sleep, cuddled in a plastic car seat, rather than awaken him to take him indoors.

Bullet facts

-It was January 20th
-It was negative 2 Celsius outside
-Le Petit Bourg, left a 13 month old outside to nap for 4 hours

It seems the public childcare system is treating our children as well as our healthcare system treats our sick.

Why am I not surprised.

(h/t to Spiderman’s Web.)

Will Peaceful Muslim's Stand Up?

Today, in Canada, terrorism has reared its’ ugly head. St. Mary’s University professor Peter March was one who was standing up for the freedom of speech and intended to discuss the Mohammad depicting cartoons with his students. But he is now rethinking his decision after his home was visited by five men.

The indication on CTV Newsnet is that he was threatened.

This is truly a sad day in our country. At this time, I would like to post a poem. It is by Maurice Ogden, and it is entitled Hangman. I urge you to read it through to the end. This poem was studied in one of my grade school classes. It carries a very strong message.

1.
Into our town the Hangman came.
Smelling of gold and blood and flame
and he paced our bricks with a diffident air
and built his frame on the courthouse square

The scaffold stood by the courthouse side,
Only as wide as the door was wide;
A frame as tall, or little more,
Than the capping sill of the courthouse door

And we wondered, whenever we had the time.
Who the criminal, what the crime.
That Hangman judged with the yellow twist
of knotted hemp in his busy fist.

And innocent though we were, with dread,
We passed those eyes of buckshot lead:
Till one cried: “Hangman, who is he
For whom you raise the gallows-tree?”

Then a twinkle grew in the buckshot eye,
And he gave us a riddle instead of reply:
“He who serves me best,” said he,
“Shall earn the rope on the gallows-tree.”

And he stepped down. and laid his hand
On a man who came from another land
And we breathed again, for another’s grief
At the Hangman’s hand was our relief

And the gallows-frame on the courthouse lawn
By tomorrow’s sun would be struck and gone.
So we gave him way, and no one spoke.
Out of respect for his Hangman’s cloak.

2.
The next day’s sun looked mildly down
On roof and street in our quiet town
And stark and black in the morning air,
The gallows-tree on the courthouse square.

And the Hangman stood at his usual stand
With the yellow hemp in his busy hand;
With his buckshot eye and his jaw like a pike
And his air so knowing and business like.

And we cried, “Hangman, have you not done
Yesterday. with the alien one?”
Then we fell silent, and stood amazed,
“Oh, not for him was the gallows raised.”

He laughed a laugh as he looked at us:
“…Did you think I’d gone to all this fuss
To hang one man? That’s a thing I do
To stretch a rope when the rope is new.”

Then one cried “Murder!” One cried “Shame!”
And into our midst the Hangman came
To that man’s place. “Do you hold,” said he,
“with him that was meant for the gallows-tree?”

And he laid his hand on that one’s arm.
And we shrank back in quick alarm,
And we gave him way, and no one spoke
Out of fear of his Hangman’s cloak.

That night we saw with dread surprise
The Hangman’s scaffold had grown in size.
Fed by the blood beneath the chute
The gallows-tree had taken root;

Now as wide, or a little more,
Than the steps that led to the courthouse door,
As tall as the writing, or nearly as tall,
Halfway up on the courthouse wall.

3.
The third he took-we had all heard tell
Was a user and infidel, and
“What,” said the Hangman “have you to do
With the gallows-bound, and he a Jew?”

And we cried out, “Is this one he
Who has served you well and faithfully?”
The Hangman smiled: “It’s a clever scheme
to try the strength of the gallows-beam.”

The fourth man’s dark, accusing song
Had scratched out comfort hard and long;
And what concern, he gave us back.
“Have you for the doomed–the doomed and black?”

The fifth. The sixth. And we cried again,
“Hangman, Hangman, is this the last?”
“It’s a trick,” he said. “that we hangmen know
For easing the trap when the trap springs slow.””

And so we ceased, and asked no more,
As the Hangman tallied his bloody score:
And sun by sun, and night by night,
The gallows grew to monstrous height.

The wings of the scaffold opened wide
Till they covered the square from side to side:
And the monster cross-beam, looking down.
Cast its shadow across the town.

4.
Then through the town the Hangman came
And called in the empty streets my name-
And I looked at the gallows soaring tall
And thought, “There is no one left at all

For hanging.” And so he calls to me
To help pull down the gallows-tree.
And I went out with right good hope
To the Hangman’s tree and the Hangman’s rope.

He smiled at me as I came down
To the courthouse square through the silent town.
And supple and stretched in his busy hand
Was the yellow twist of the strand.

And he whistled his tune as he tried the trap
And it sprang down with a ready snap
And then with a smile of awful command
He laid his hand upon my hand.

“You tricked me. Hangman!,” I shouted then.
“That your scaffold was built for other men…
And I no henchman of yours,” I cried,
“You lied to me. Hangman. foully lied!”

Then a twinkle grew in the buckshot eye,
“Lied to you? Tricked you?” he said. “Not I.
For I answered straight and I told you true”
The scaffold was raised for none but you.

For who has served me more faithfully
Then you with your coward’s hope?” said he,
“And where are the others that might have stood
Side by your side in the common good?,”

“Dead,” I whispered, and sadly
“Murdered,” the Hangman corrected me:
“First the alien, then the Jew…
I did no more than you let me do.”

Beneath the beam that blocked the sky.
None had stood so alone as I
And the Hangman strapped me, and no voice there
Cried “Stay!” for me in the empty square.

How does this poem tie in? The terrorists defending their actions in the name of Allah and Mohammad first went after the Jews in Israel, then came the Christian based American Devil Dogs. When will it stop? I say to peaceful Muslims out there, now is the time for you to speak up. It may not happen in your lifetime, but rest assured, they will eventually come for you too.

What Do The Dippers Have Planned?

Yesterday on Mike Duffy’s Countdown, Mike alluded to a big NDP announcement today. I got the impression he was hinting at the Dippers holding a gun to Harper’s head on childcare for their support.

If he’s right, I think it would be less of a gun and more of an opportunistic move on Layton’s part.

Jack knows Quebecers would likely welcome the additional $1200 a year instead of daycare spaces, and this would be a good way for him to head off the Bloc at the pass and reach Harper first. Provided Milliken wins the Speaker of the House, the Emerson defection gives the NDP/Tory voting block a majority to pass motions.

This means the Tories can work with any one party to pass motions and the NDP will want to be that party. It would give them the clout Jack harped on all election campaign. More NDP MP’s means we can get more done was their rallying cry. In reality, he only needed enough to form a majority with the Tories, which he now has.

Keep your eyes on the NDP news releases today and, in particular, Olivia Chow.

Canadian Khadr Charged In The U.S. For Plotting To Murder Americans And Weapons Charges

When I was 22, I was stuck between two post secondary educations, trying to figure out what to do with my life. Others, have their lives already planned out by their families.

Allegedly, Abdulla Khadr, the 24 yr old member of the infamous Khadr family was formally charged yesterday in a series of charges.

The indictment alleges that Khadr helped his late father, Egyptian-born Canadian Ahmed Said Khadr, by buying weapons during a five-month period in 2003 for planned attacks against U.S. forces in the border area of Afghanistan near Shagai, Pakistan.

The grand jury says he bought ammunition for machine-guns, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets, mortar rounds and containers of hydrogen peroxide for use in making mines.

Khadr distributed the munitions to al-Qaida fighters and continued buying efforts after his father was killed by Pakistani forces in October 2003, says the indictment. It also contends that he tried to purchase missiles from a Pakistani in 2004

All I have to say is it’s about time. If the Americans want him, I say ship him off. The sooner the better.

Auditor General Expenses Are Impeccable

After hearing about all the negative expense reports out there. Volpe’s pizza, Dingwall’s pack of gum, etc., it is really refreshing to see an expense report like this.

Sheila Fraser and her crew are a responsible bunch when it comes to the way they spend our tax dollars. Here are a few examples.

1) Sheila spent a paltry $818.34 CDN on a 5 night stay in Oslo, Norway. Oslo, in case you did not hear, was crowned the world’s costliest city. $160 CDN a night was a steal.

2) Meals over a 5 day span was a total of $76.90. How refreshing compared to the $138 Volpe spent on a pizza lunch or worse, the $1000 limo ride from Toronto to Buffalo.

I am sure many Canadians may find something in here to nitpick over, but having worked in a travel oriented field (sales), I can assure you, at these prices, they were staying at your average hotel like a Courtyard or a Holiday Inn. These weren’t no Chateau Frontenacs.

A budget increase for the OAG is one expense I can fully support. They will save us far more than would be invested. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Tories Aim To Fix Age Of Sexual Consent Issue

Vic Toews, our new Minister of Justice, immediately announced intentions of the new government to raise the age of sexual consent to 16, from the current age of 14.

This is great news to all parents out there. It may not make handling our youngsters any easier, but it will make many who abused the law in the past think twice when approaching youth.

At the time of posting this, the Canwest-Global poll which asks “Do you agree that the age of sexual consent should be raised to be older than 14?” the response was incredibly in favour of raising the age. 91.59% of respondants feel the age should be raised.

If this legislation doesn’t pass, there are going to be a lot of happy child molesters out there, and a lot of pissed off Canadians.

Nortels Woes Appear To Be Over After Out Of Court Settlements

(disclosure) I own some Nortel stock.

For those of you out there who own or have owned Nortel stock, I think the worst is finally over. The company has it’s books back on track, and today we find out they have settled the two class action lawsuits for the tidy sum of $2.5 Billion. This is a big hit to the telecom/datacom giant, but should finally end the non business related worries.

How the markets take them and their products is all up to them. At least now their value will be riding the supply demand curves and not the legal curve balls.

Harper's Words On Senate Reform

Lo and Behold, Stephen Harper’s words on the CBC, responding to a name I know I have seen in the blogosphere somewhere.

Jonathan Champagne: My name is Jonathan Champagne. I’m from Thornhill, Ontario, and a student at Wilfrid Laurier University. Mr. Harper, you’ve been known to advocate for smaller governments and more responsibilities to the provinces. So please tell me, how does this make for a stronger Canada?

Stephen Harper: Well, what I’ve specifically advocated for in this election are two things. First of all, that the federal government give more of its enormous and growing surpluses back to not just lower levels of government, but also to the ordinary people who paid for these surpluses in the first place through overtaxation.

What we propose specifically with federal/provincial arrangements are a couple of things. First of all, that we will respect provincial jurisdiction, and, in particular, try and deal with the fact that the provincial governments do have some authority in the implementation of treaties and in international affairs where they affect provincial jurisdiction.

So we’re asking — we’re going to work with the Council of the Federation to come up with a formal mechanism for provinces to have more of an input into the Canadian position during international treaty negotiations. And we’re also, of course, saying that we’re willing invite Quebec, which has requested to have a role in UNESCO. We’re going to invite them to have a role in UNESCO, similar to the role Quebec now plays in the Francophonie. That’s how we’re going to deal at this moment with trying to respect provincial jurisdiction, work better with the provinces. The other thing I want to do is, you know, I’m a long-time advocate of Senate reform which we’re going to start through an electoral process. One of the things the Senate is supposed to do and what the upper house does in most federations is provide a forum for regional representation in the national government, and I think one of the ways you strengthen the federal government in a large country like Canada is making sure that that government itself better reflects the regional nature of the country.

(emphasis mine)

So there you have it. The whole point of his Senate reform is to give better representation across the country. Why did he appoint Fortier? To give better representation across the country. Flawlessly consistent.