Conservative Rule one, Never tell the truth

Who failed to see this one coming?

Gordon Landon the Conservative candidate for Markham-Unionville has been dumped by the party just days after admitting twice that Markham would get no stimulus money as long as it was a Liberal seat.

Landon stepped down yesterday after being asked(told/forced/threatened)by the party for the capital crime of being honest. It's not even a case that the Conservatives can claim Landon is simply mistaken since the numbers prove the vast majority of funded projects are in Conservative ridings.

Landon's comments "it's hard for me to bow to a lot of structure and having everything approved by Ottawa," and "I didn't follow Conservative policy in terms of getting permission to go on that TV show and I made a comment on that show that was an embarrassment to some members of the Conservative party."

Did no one tell this guy he had to check his scruples and free will at the door?

What really pisses me off is the idea that candidates need party permission to talk to the voters proving that its pure fantasy to believe they work for the people.Recommend this Post

Stimulus is bearing fruit

Liberals tell us that only 12% of the stimulus money is flowing

Meanwhile Harper claims 90% of stimulus is flowing and bearing fruit.

That seems like one hell of a big difference, so just what does a promise of funding really mean to the Conservaties?

"The cheque is in the mail" or maybe those vague promises of loan repayment by dead beat family members. It might even mean "we jotted it down on cocktail napkin somewhere around here"

Personally I'm sure it means, "We'll keep claiming you'll get that money but never actually deliver in the hopes we get a majority in time to cancel the projects"

The only thing we can know for sure thanks to the Gordon Landon's admission last week that only Tory ridings will get any cash;
the fruit is rotten to the core just like the bastards tending the garden

.Recommend this Post

Climate Refugees, and so it Begins

The 1,700 residents of the Carteret Islands (part of Papua New Guinea) have gained the unwelcome distinction of being the first reported climate refugees created by rising sea levels.

So officially this crisis is not in the future anymore, it's here, it's now. It does not matter if Man, the Sun or a Burning Bush caused the problem we have to deal with it.

So WTF are we going to do about it?

Deniers have said it's either not happening or it's not our fault and not our problem. The few that admit it's happening but "natural' say we simply must adapt to the changes.

So tell me little wingnuts, are refugees also not our problem?

Should they just adapt to floating all day and drinking salt water?

.Recommend this Post

A renewal in canning and stealth doomers

A recent Globe article high lighted the return of the canner, those intrepid folks who actually care enough about their food to do their own processing and preserving.

"The new breed of canner is driven by politics as much as practicality. A desire to eat locally and regain control over what goes into our food is fuelling a resurgence in farmers' markets and backyard kitchen gardens. Many see canning as a necessary step toward having year-round access to produce from their own region"

I admit that a portion of these people are simply foodies who wish to make their own distinct high quality food. Some of these folks are also recent converts to the local food movements like the 100 mile diet a useful and noble endeavour. Still others may be concerned about the health effects of eating genetically modified fruit and vegetables grown in China, sprayed with pesticides, adulterated with preservatives and sealed in a nice BPA lined can. Yummy!

What this article does not mention is that many of this new wave of canning enthusiasts are people preparing for the worst to happen. Peak oilers and their peak food brethren, those who fear a depression and unemployment and people who understand that a severe flu season could impair just in time food delivery systems all have sound reasons for taking food security into their own hands.

Now I understand this piece is from the food and wine section and I should not expect in depth journalism but would it be too much to ask that they at least throw the issue of food security a bone? Of course it's also quite possible that some of the people researched for the story simply lied about why they have started canning, these are people I call stealth doomers.

I know a number of these stealth doomers and if asked why? in a public environment will probably say "oh it's just a hobby", " I like to cook", "it tastes better". In reality they worry about the stigma that prepared or cautious people receive in our "live for the moment" society. The stories change drastically when you get them alone or in a small group of like minded people and you soon find out who has bags of rice under the bed, a solar oven or Berkeley water filter in the basement or even a gun in the attic, yet often their families and friends don't know about their preparations.

I remember a post from one lady saying she was afraid of having a guest stay over in her 2 bedroom apartment because if they oppened the guest closet they would find it filled with survival supplies. I'm not sure if it was fear of being mocked or fear of being robbed during an emergency.

Stealth doomers or not it's great news that people are canning again even if they are just making chutney. Just a year or two ago Bernardin Canada had proposed killing the Mason Jar line because canning was dying off and it was losing money for the company. Had this new wave of enthusiasts not arisen the jars would have been discontinued for sure and eventually the lids and seals may have ceased production.

Besides, chutney, salsa, relishes etc. are all good small batch preserves on which to hone your skills and when peak oil does begin to limit our variety of foods people will find that tasty condiments go a long way in limiting food monotony.

In our house gardening, gleaning, freezing, canning and seed saving have all been part of this years food security effort and I tell everybody exactly why I'm doing it. Doomers should open up more and encourage others to do the same, that way there will be less people at your door begging for chutney should/when the hard times come.Recommend this Post

Make an easy $100k, Prove Obama has the right to be President

There is still a fair bit of fuss going on about the birth status of Prez Obama, as LaDaro posts this morning.

A goodly number of these anti Obama wingnut’s don’t believe the Hawaiian certificate of live birth is valid enough proof because it’s the less acceptable short form rather than the longer full birth certificate. The argument being that if this short form is not good enough identification to use on a passport (which it apparently isn't), it certainly can't be good enough to support his right to rule.

Other’s Obama critics claim that the reported dual citizen status of his birth father or Obama’s own possible dual citizenship in Indonesia invalidate his claim on the white house. His apparently senile granny who claimed he WAS born in Kenya certainly did not help the cause.

Here’s an entire archive of articles questioning his status if you’re a glutton for punishment.

Despite an unanimous resolution by the House of Representatives stating that Obama is "natural born" some of these guys just won't give up. Jason Hommel a silver analyst, who constantly mixes his hard money advocacy with libertarianism and scripture is actually offering $100k for anybody who can definitively prove Obama’s “natural born’ status

Since Obama is inviting people up to the White House to have a beer and discuss their differences I hope he digs up the definitive proof, calls up Hommel and tells him drop by and bring his cheque book. Even better tell him to bring the $100k in silver.

.Recommend this Post

Coke plans to market Fizzy Milk

Take some quantity of milk, add sparkling water, fruit juice, a heap of sugar and something to keep it from spoiling unrefrigerated for several months and you've got Coke's newest beverage VIO, which they appear to be marketing as something healthy and natural.



This VIO is currently being tested in NY natural food stores and have no doubt that dumb ass people will be pouring this crap into their kids thinking that it's a reasonable alternative to milk for their sugar addicted children. An 8oz container can of Citrus Burst, Peach Mango, Tropical Colada or Very Berry sports a very cola like 26 grams of sugar yet has only a bit of vitamin C, Calcium and less than 1/8 the protein of real milk.

If they want to sell this shit that's their business but if they dare to market this as a health drink as it looks like they are doing in their tests, there should be outrage. What's next energy milk with ephedra and caffeine?Recommend this Post

I've been shot by Google Street View

While I don't mind them snapping the town I'm not sure I want to be immortalized schlepping around for the next couple of years even if they do blur the faces.



The second pic reminds me that I need to spend a day shooting and posting the license plates of all the assholes around here that run that stop sign every day.Recommend this Post