Blue Like You

Archive for December, 2007

Finally!

Someone is actually listening to the people who pay their salaries.

Happy New Year!

Darcey has a fascinating discussion going on at DMB about so-called ‘Honour Killings’.

Author Ellen R. Sheeley has left a comment that is well worth the read:

Imam Shakir is being disingenuous and playing to the cultural/moral relativists, of which there seem to be plenty.

Aqsa Parvez’s death was an “honor” killing, and “honor” killings will never be properly addressed if people aren’t even willing to admit to what they are. They are a form of domestic violence, but a very specific form, with different roots, different triggers, different modus operandi, and different ways of preventing them…

I am planning to pick up this thread sometime in the near future, since these issues now appear to be affecting Canada.

Arthur Weinreb of CFP nails it - John Tory: Why is it even a question? (H/T Draftaleader.com):

..Since the NDP do not have much chance of taking power and the Tories don’t seem to really want it, perhaps we could just designate Dalton “Premier for Life”. And the money that would be saved from future elections could be used to change more logos and start a war against Big Macs and other fast foods…

Ouch!

There is so much to read and absorb about Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, that it is difficult at this point to draw any conclusions or make any comments that wouldn’t appear trite.

Personally, I am shocked and saddened by the murder of this very courageous woman, but I do find myself drawn to the question about whether or not true democracy is a viable and realistic goal in a country such as Pakistan.

This debate has been addressed by Jack’s Newswatch, George Jonas and Peter Worthington among others.

How can democracy exist among the chaotic turbulence of such strong extremist factions within the country itself? Military rule may be the only path to temporary stability. Ironically, as Jonas pointed out, it was the pressure of the U.S. to end Musharraf’s emergency measures that may have contributed directly or indirectly to Bhutto’s assassination:

…Pressuring Pakistan to act out America’s fascination with democracy is minimally naive. So is forcing Musharraf, who perches precariously at the edge of a precipice, to audition for a speaking part in a psychodrama called “elections” that Western liberals believe are therapeutically efficacious against every conceivable malady in the body politic. Democracy is strong medicine, every bit as miraculous as penicillin, but some cultures, like some patients, are allergic to it. The best medicine won’t help allergic patients, and sometimes it might kill them…

What are the answers? Hard to say.

But holding up Western democracy as a panacea to the world’s woes may not be a realistic solution.

At best, it is arrogantly simplistic and fails to adequately deal with the insidious cultural and religious realities.

What could possibly lure me from the peaceful exhaustion of my Christmas blogging hiatus? It would have to be something big. And in fact it is.

Today’s Record editorial pillories Dalton McGuinty for his stubborn, dictatorial, bone-headed refusal to even consider the possibility of listening to the committee which he promised would be allowed to review the hated health tax (which as you know primarily goes to general revenues).

Ah, but the scathing tone of the Liberal-bootlicking Record’s rebuke is music to my ears. Remember now. This is one of the Liberal party’s MSM lemming minions.

Finally they start to see the picture we were warning about:

“This is a terrible, cynical and infuriating position for the leader of Ontario to adopt. It reduces the pending probe of the health tax by the finance and economic affairs committee to a farce…”

“What a load of hooey…” (Well, it is a family paper).

“But if that reasoning made sense in 2004, it is absurd today . . . That tsunami of new cash has obliterated the government’s deficit and left it blissfully floating on a sea of tax revenue .”

Very poetic!

The editorial ends with this:

“By proceeding with the review, McGuinty will certainly keep a promise. But if his autocratic dictates make the review worthless, the promise he has kept will be worthless, too.“

Gee, ya think?

Lots of news stories to distract you from your last-minute Christmas shopping. In fact, let’s start with this one:

The Post has a great piece on the ‘open 24 hours’ craze that seems to be intensifying as the big day approaches - Shopping at 4 a.m. appeals to those leading hectic lives.

Why do we do this? The other day the ladies in my workout class were discussing all the demands we face this time of year. One said she couldn’t sleep the other night, so she got up in the middle of the night and wrote out all her Christmas cards!

Do we put this burden on ourselves? It seems that women are usually the Christmas directors in each family. Why do we assume these expectations?

One of my favourite authors, Ed Hallowell, is quoted in the above-noted article:

“It’s good news and bad news, in general, about modern life. The good news is we can do so much; the bad news is we can do so much,” said Dr. Hallowell, also the author of CrazyBusy: Strategies for Coping in a World Gone ADD. “If you have no boundaries, take every message, take every call, go to every store, go through every opportunity, you run yourself ragged and so you see people becoming crazy busy.”

People must protect themselves from ceaseless demands on their time and attention as the ever-elusive work-life-balance comes under siege by retailers.

“It becomes crucial to prioritize. Otherwise you become the victim of your own enthusiasm and you end up trying to do too much. You make yourself too available and then nothing is fun.”

Related article - Last-minute shoppers can blame technology.

Well, if you crave even more distraction, check out these links:

Great Letter to the Editor here in the Post - Showing our PM in a bad light. The CBC-Liberal conspiracy theory is advanced. Check out the Black Rod too.
-Also: CBC news coverage a bit of a charade - Lorne Gunter.

Stephen Taylor - CBC responds to Doug Finley.

John Ivison - Dion’s poverty plan could cost economy:

…However, an internal government analysis of Mr. Dion’s spending plans, obtained by the National Post, suggests that when Canadians take a closer look at what the Liberals are proposing, they may decide the country can ill afford to be run by a man one of his Liberal leadership rivals once confided “couldn’t balance a cheque book.”

In other news, the outrage over the pathetic sentence given to the pedophile-Internet-porn-father seems to have finally caught the attention of the powers that be - Crown to review pedophile dad’s ’slap on the wrist‘. Both levels of government need to get on board here. When even liberals are outraged, then something is very, very wrong.

Why is our society so anti-children?

Related: Battle lines drawn on crime - Michael Harris.

And Lottogate continues - The OLG? Quit kidding around - David Menzies.

“Frosty the Snowman” has replaced “Silver Bells”.

See? Don’t give up.

We can make a difference.

The murder of Hunter Brown and subsequent arrest of Trevor Lapierre underscores the desperate need for more mental health funding.

In today’s Record (Families of people with mental illness often have little influence over care), Christiane Sadeler, executive Director of the Community Safety & Crime Prevention Council states:

…it’s clear that Lapierre is “a very troubled young man. I must admit I was a little puzzled to see he was discharged,” she said.

She said when mental health legislation was changed, community supports were to be put in place. “I would claim there is not nearly enough,” she said.

Of course, we all know by now that most of our so-called health tax goes to general revenues.

Sadeler also critiques our legal system as it pertains to the mentally ill:

“Families are in a difficult position because of the current mental health legislation,” she said. “They can encourage and support, but they have no capacity to have someone detained.”

She said the original intent of changes made more than a decade ago to the Mental Health Act was “to ensure over-containment of people with mental health issues doesn’t happen.

“Maybe the legislation, in some cases goes, beyond what was originally intended.”

Where is Dalton McGuinty’s voice in all this?

The complex protocol required for admission to an acute psychiatric unit is also detailed in the article. An accompanying piece shows how much police time goes into dealing with the mentally ill.

Clearly, something needs to be done to improve the system in terms of funding for beds and community support, as well as possibly another look into revamping the Ontario Mental Health Act to facilitate the process for getting help for people who are so troubled and irrational that they don’t realize how badly they need mental health care.

I know we’re all busy getting ready for Christmas, but please take a minute to read L. Ian Macdonald’s piece in the Post today - Look Who’s Talking (En Anglais).

Great update on CBC-Gate and a bonus Pablo Rodriguez smackdown!

Oh, and he gets a shot in at Paul Szabo too.

Nice way to relax after a long night of wrapping.

Just a four year sentence - for this????

Friday Update: Post - Father who abused daughter, live on the Internet, gets four years.

This one is very revealing - ‘Disgusting’ sentence for abusive father.

Paul Gillespie, the chief executive of Kids Internet Safety Alliance, said the sentence should have been closer to 10 to 20 years, not four.

“I think this sentence is absolutely disgusting,” he said. “The fact that in the real time he will probably be out of custody in less than 12 months is something that even by Canadian standards is absolutely disgraceful.”

CBC - 4-year sentence for online sexual abuser a ’slap on the wrist’: Tory.

TABaker - Not enough.

Unambig - 34 Months In Jail For Raping His Daughter Live On Internet?

Christie Blatchford - Child Porn. Why don’t the punishments fit the crime? Via Dr. Roy.