'Blogs Making a Difference'

So there's a headline (not there anymore) on Bourque.org that says something to the effect of 'bloggers are increasingly replacing biased journalists' as a trusted news source. Finding that premise to be rather amusing, I clicked through on the link, only to find that it didn't lead to an article explaining why bloggers are replacing journalists. Rather, it led to a page with Bourque's list of 'Blogs Making a Difference'.

My initial reaction was 'blah, who cares?'. I mean really, does anyone consult this list to find to who the ultra-bloggers are? And do these blogs really Make a Difference? And then I saw it. I couldn't believe my eyes. There in the right-hand column, 18 down, between Rick Mercer and the Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe Blogger:
Oh. My. God. There it is. The Middle Winger. It's official. Your humble blogger is Making a Difference. You wouldn't know it from the number of posts. You wouldn't know it from the number of commenters. But there it is! No less a source than Pierre Bourque himself has declared my blog as a Difference-Maker. Of course this creates a whole new dilemma:

Now that I'm Making a Difference, am I going to have to post on a regular basis?

The hotel rooms are saved for German businessmen with envelopes full of thousand-dollar bills

From Reuters:

"When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to explain in a year-end interview why he'd met the Dalai Lama in his Ottawa office, it was clear he wanted to show respect for the exiled Tibetan leader.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite come out that way.
"I met the Dalai Lama in my office but I meet everyone in my office. I don't know why I would sneak off to a hotel room just to meet the Dalai Lama. You know, he's not a call girl," Harper told OMNI television.


Thanks for clearing that up for us Stevie.

Warren Kinsella is a joke.

From warrenkinsella .com

"The Toronto Sun's Lorrie Goldstein has a fun Christmas wish column in his paper today - with one "wish" that is serious. Considering that I made the same point in a speech to the Canada Israel Committee earlier this week, and last night at the book launch at the National Archives, I wanted to post Lorrie's words here. They are very timely:"I want Canadian and especially Quebec politicians to stop pandering to racism and end all the scapegoating of and fearmongering about minorities. I want leaders who bring us together, not drive us apart."

This is too funny, coming from the guy who helped Dalton McGuinty's Liberals win the election by pandering to racism and through the scapegoating of and fearmongering about minorities.
Words cannot begin to express what a pompous, self-righteous, hypocrite this guy Kinsella is.

Where were we?

"Canada's back -- not because of new rhetoric or electoral promises, but because we are rebuilding our capabilities"

Stephen Harper before the Council on Foreign Affairs this week

Am I the only one wondering just where exactly Stephen Harper thinks we were? Apparently, Canada’s been sitting on the sidelines, contributing nothing, rendered obscure and irrelevant lo these many years waiting for the Canadian Moses, Stephen Harper to lead us out of the wilderness. That’s the message that Stephen Harper takes abroad. That’s the impression that is left on the minds of foreign leaders, businessmen, dignitaries, and international media. That’s the message that those same people take back to their own countries, if they are foolish enough to believe it.

The truth of the matter is that Canada was never gone. Throughout the past 20 years, and indeed since 1867, Canada’s contributions to the world, in all sorts of fields, have been nothing short of amazing when one considers our size and relative youth. For anyone to deny this simply makes no sense. For our Prime Minister to say that we’ve been absent from the world stage, or even worse that we’ve neglected to carry our weight on a global scale is staggering, and offensive. The fact that he takes this message around the world is absolutely disgusting.

We were never gone. I was going to put together a brief list of Canadian accomplishments over the past 20 years, but then I remembered that there’s no such thing as a brief list of Canadian accomplishments. The truth is this: Canada takes a back seat to no one. Never has, never will. In war and in peace, Canada has always been on the side of good, and has always been on the front lines. Not a week goes by, that we don’t read about Canadian research that is having a tremendous global impact, whether in medicine, electronics, the environment, you name it.

We continue to be a shining example to other nations, many of them new democracies. We aren’t perfect, not by a mile, but we constantly try to improve as a nation, as a place for people to live. We settle our disputes peacefully and according to the rule of law. That’s why people are desperate to move here. If Canada was somehow missing, as Stephen Harper likes to tell people, well the message never got to the tens of thousands of new Canadians that have come to Canada in the last decade alone.

On the international stage, we have done what we have always done: tried to lead by example, and to bring opposing sides together peacefully. Our soldiers have been around the world helping to keep the peace, oftentimes trying to invent it. While we haven’t always succeeded, there can be no question that Canada has always offered whatever it could, wherever it was needed.

This is not meant to be an exercise in patriotic chest thumping. Rather, it’s an expression of shock and disgust at our Prime Minister, the man who is supposed to represent us. His comments this week about Canada being ‘back’ were lies plain and simple, told to inflate his own reputation, but told at the expense of the country’s he’s supposed to lead. I’m used to politicians telling lies to suit their narrative, but to do so at the expense of Canada’s reputation is reprehensible. For those lies to be told by our Prime Minister, at an international forum no less is beyond the pale. And the worst part is that he speaks not as Stephen Harper, politician, but as Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada. He represents us on the international stage, and his words are supposed to represent us as well.

Allow me to say this: Stephen Harper does not represent me, and I am absolutely disgusted at his cheap lies. Canada is not back. Canada was never gone.

This really ticked me off.

We are all entitled to our own opinion, but we are not entitled to our own facts. I’m not sure who said those words first, but Geoff Matthews would do well to print out, frame, and keep them in sight whenever he sits down to write a column for the Ottawa Sun.

In his April 26 column, Matthews was so obsessed with attacking the “smug” Liberal and NDP Leaders that he made facts up to suit his opinion. He writes:

“Layton, Dion and Ignatieff have been frothing for the cameras over the alleged mistreatment of a handful of Taliban prisoners who they say have been roughed up by Afghan jailers.

Who told our politicians the prisoners had suffered abuse? Why, the Taliban members themselves, once they had been turned loose. Were there any independent witnesses to corroborate their tales? Er, no.

Didn't matter to Layton et al, however. After all, why shouldn't they believe a few members of an armed resistance group whose members think nothing of blowing up innocent civilians to make their point? “

Sadly for Mr. Matthews, the facts not only don’t support his statement, they fly right in the face of it.

The truth is the reports of mistreatment of prisoners are not coming from “the Taliban members themselves”. It was the U.S. State Department that said Afghani security authorities “committed extrajudicial killings and torture”. It’s a Canadian UN Human Rights Commissioner who is sounding the alarm about the Afghani National Security Directorate. Finally, and devastatingly for Geoff Matthews, it is our Canadian Foreign Affairs Department who said, in a report our New Government of Canada has tried desperately to first hide, then whitewash:

“Executions, disappearances, torture and detention without trial are all too common.”

Now where on Earth could I have read such things? Why in the Ottawa Sun! Right next to Mr. Matthews’ column, in fact. Greg Weston, on the same page, went to the trouble of explaining exactly what the Afghani prisoner abuse story is, and more importantly, what the facts are. It’s a shame Geoff Matthews couldn’t go to the trouble of reading Weston’s column before writing his own. It’s double the shame when you consider that at the end of Matthews’ column, we learn that he is the comment editor! I can only imagine the humiliation of being exposed as a factually challenged hack by another writer on the same page. When you’re supposed to be the editor of that page, well that’s just gotta hurt.

I would suggest that Geoff Matthews should work on basing his opinion on the facts, rather than basing the ‘facts’ on his opinion. God knows there’s enough real self-serving behaviour and posturing in Parliament that he shouldn’t have to make things up. Barring that, Matthews should perhaps read the material he’s supposed to edit before it hits the press. He could learn a thing or two from that Weston guy. God knows I have.

They're only in it for the money.

I’ve been meaning to write about the nice fat pay raise my Ontario MPPs are giving themselves, but I’ve been having a hard time collecting my thoughts.

For any reader who might stumble upon this blog and wonder what the hell I’m talking about, here’s the nickel version: 2 weeks before Christmas, our Ontario Legislature is ramming through a 25% salary increase. Their justification for this is that they’re trying to close the gap between themselves and their counterparts in Ottawa in order to continue to be able to attract the best candidates, to prevent the poaching of MPPs by federal parties offering them the opportunity to run in the federal campaign, and also because the pittance our MPPs are struggling to get by on (88 grand) just doesn’t compare to what they could be making outside of Queen’s Park.

So like I said, I’ve been meaning to write about this for about a week now, but there’s just so many angles to this that I don’t know where to start. I could mention the large and embarrassing number of families trying to get by on less than what our MPPs are giving themselves as a raise. I could bring up several places where the money could be better spent (food banks for instance). I could also ponder how curious it is that with no shortage of pressing issues to be dealt with, it’s a pay raise that is keeping our MPPs from going home for the holidays. Really, there’s a ton of reasons for my disgust over this, but I’m going to try and stick to our Premier’s reasons for why this pay raise makes sense and offer a rebuttal of sorts.

One argument is that if their pay doesn’t go up to the tune of 22 thousand bucks, our MPPs will jump ship and run federally. To this, I say "Really?" Does anyone really think that our MPPs are just a moment away from running federally when the federal parties already have candidates and MPs in place? I’m sure there are a couple of bright lights at Queens Park that are being groomed for bigger and better things, but for the most part, I don’t see the federal parties throwing their existing and established lineup overboard en masse in order to bring in a bunch of rookies from Queens Park. And really if the MPPs did resign as one and decide to run federally, how bad would that be? One immediate benefit would be the dogfight between the Brothers McGuinty over who gets to run in Ottawa-South and keep their face in the trough. Either way, it would lead to at least one McGuinty having to give up their silver spoon and live in the real world, and that’s a win in my book.

But what does this argument say about our MPPs? Think about that for a second: During the election campaigns, the candidates take turns coming to your house to tell you how they’re campaigning out of a sincere interest in Ontario’s future and well-being. They talk about their commitment to the province and their desire to make a better Ontario. Then they get elected and suddenly, the voters are being threatened with widespread defections if we don’t bend over, bite the pillow, and give ‘em their 25 percent, 22 thousand dollar raise. So tell me, where did their commitment to public service go? Was it ever there in the first place, or were they only in it for the money all along? There’s one question I’d like to ask Dalton McGuinty (if only ordinary citizens were allowed to speak directly with the Premier) regarding this whole ‘farm team for the feds’ argument: If an MPP ever decided to jump ship and run federally because he didn’t make as much money as an MP, would anyone vote for this candidate? Seriously, would you vote for a candidate who’s essentially saying that he’s only in it for the money and that he’ll run for whatever office pays the most?

Then there’s the argument about needing the raise in order to attract the best candidates. I’ve always believed that a person runs for office out of a desire to serve their communities, make their world a better place, all that warm and fuzzy stuff. Turns out that’s not it at all. The only thing keeping our MPPs working for us is the salary. And it’s been made very clear that if they don’t get their raise, they’ll walk. Remember this the next time your local MPP comes around asking for your vote. Everything he or she says between "Hello" and "Thanks for your time" is nothing but a lie, told in order to get the electorate to vote for them. Don’t ever forget: you’re stupid, and aren’t worthy of the truth.

Finally, there’s that old "MPPs could make more money in the private sector" argument. Well what’s stopping them? Honestly, if the MPPs life is so miserable and not worth almost 90 thousand dollars a year, why don’t they get out of government and go back to making their millions and millions in the private sector? It’s not like there’s a shortage of capable people who could serve as MPPs AND be happy with 90 grand to start, along with expense accounts, office budgets, and committee bonuses. Our current MPPs were perfectly happy with that compensation package when they were running up and down the streets telling anyone who’d listen about how much of an honour and privilege it would be to serve at Queen’s Park, never mentioning salary as a reason for their civic-mindedness. Now all of a sudden, these MPPs are saying that they need a 25%, 22 thousand dollar raise, or else we run the risk of losing them and all their wonderful efforts on our behalf to the public sector. To be honest, I’d be curious to see what some of our MPPs would get out here in the real world. Perhaps we should call them on it and make them show us the hundreds of job offers they receive, each one promising salaries in the millions. I’m sure there are MPPs who would do better for themselves in the private sector, but I’m just as sure that those MPPs are in the minority. The majority would be hard pressed to make 3 quarters of their salary in the private sector. If a business owner was approached by an employee, and told that he’d better give him a huge raise or he’s leaving to accept a better offer, wouldn’t the business owner at least want to make sure the competing offer actually existed? Well when it comes to our Premier and his MPPs, we’re supposed to just take their word that there’s this huge demand for politicians in the private sector. Whatever.

Like I said, there are countless reasons why this pay raise stinks. The justifications being given for the raise are just the smelliest. We could talk about putting the money into social programs, crime fighting, infrastructure, tax cuts, literally dozens of places where that money would better serve us. But none of those reasons matter. Our MPPs have decided that more than anything else in the province, they deserve our money. And they’re gonna take it. Whether we like it or not.

Note: When I first wrote this, I mentioned that MPPs have the 'gold plated-est of pensions'. I was mistaken. Turns out they don't get a pension, but they're allowed to double their RRSP contributions to 10% of their salaries. My apologies to all of our Ontario MPPs. They're still out of touch, selfish, cold-hearted, and have no respect for the electorate, but at least once they get kicked out of Queen's Park, we're not paying for them to be out of touch, selfish, cold-hearted and disrespectful. Once again, my sincere apologies.

I am Canadian.

So it turns out I’m not fit to serve as Prime Minister. Or even as a lowly MP. I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone who’s spoken to me for more than 30 seconds, but it’s the reason I’m not fit that’s got me in a bit of a snit. I was born in Canada, raised in Canada, educated and employed in Canada too. I’ve paid all my taxes in Canada to Canadian governments. I know the words to ‘O Canada’ in both official languages (did I mention I’m fluent in both of ‘em, too?), as well as the official bilingual version. I’ve lived in Canada my whole life, never leaving the country for more 6 weeks (and that was 20 years ago!). I won’t shop at Wal-Mart (preferring Zellers – it’s Canadian), and my paper cup says Tim Horton’s (only because it’s hard to find a Second Cup drive-thru). I love the Senators , Habs, and Rush (April Wine’s another story) and I’ve never been arrested (much less convicted of anything). So by now you must be wondering just what the hell (besides my attitude and propensity for cursing) could render me unfit to serve my country as a member of Parliament?

My dual citizenship, that’s what. You see, a few years ago, I decided to apply for Spanish citizenship. My family’s Spanish (I’m of the first generation lucky enough to be born in Canada). My dad came to Canada in the mid 50’s because Spain was a toilet back in those days, run by an embarrassment of a dictator. There weren’t any good jobs, and people were starving. My dad got a line on an opportunity to move to Canada, so knowing nothing about winter and lots about starving, he packed up and crossed the Atlantic to start a new life for his wife, daughter and extended family that he’d left behind while he set things up over here. Fast forward 20 years or so, and we’re all set up comfortably. Dad’s got a career, mom’s got food in the fridge, and sis has 3 siblings. Life’s good. And it’s ALL THANKS TO CANADA. You’ll have to forgive the caps, but capital letters is a good approximation of the importance my mom and dad placed on that statement. Everything we have is thanks to the opportunity Canada gave us. Our home, clothing, food, car, cottage, education, health care, all of it. Thanks to this awesome country that saw fit to welcome my family with open arms. To this day, my dad will not put up with anyone talking poorly of Canada. It’s a very good way to make him yell and turn his face red. Even now that he’s retired and moved back to Spain (the dictator’s dead, and there’s food a-plenty), my dad is a very proud Canadian, as he insists my entire family should be.

So why the dual citizenship? Well it’s for 2 reasons: First, it’s out of respect for my culture and heritage. My parents raised us as Spanish-Canadians. Before I started school, I was already reading and speaking in Spanish. We ate Spanish food (as well as Canadian) at home. Our holidays were a mash-up of Canadian and Spanish traditions, we vacationed in Spain. I’ve always identified very strongly with both my Canadian identity and my Spanish heritage and it’s important to me that my future kids know where their history is and that they’re Spanish as well as Canadian. The passing of my mother and the fact that my father’s getting older and may not live to see my kids (at the pace I’m going) were 2 factors that made me really think about my heritage, how much it means to me and how important it is for me to pass it on to my children. And as the older generation slowly but certainly passes away, the direct links to my ancestral homeland become fewer and fewer. So I sought to reinforce those links by becoming a Spanish citizen.

The other reason is a matter of practicality. Spanish citizenship is European citizenship, and having that, I can work anywhere in Europe. No jumping through hoops (well not as many). While I currently have no plans to leave Canada, it seems common sense to keep as many doors open as possible. If I were to be given an incredible job opportunity in Europe, it’d be nice to know that I can accept and pursue it without having to go through all sorts of immigration hassles.

So that’s all there is to it. There’s no nefarious plot. No secret loathing of Canada. I’m not spying for anyone. Culture and opportunity. The only 2 reasons I have dual citizenship. No big deal? Not so fast.

Seems we have a new Liberal leader, and he’s not the guy the Tories were expecting to win the leadership. The Conservatives were all set with their planned attacks for Michael Ignatieff or Bob Rae, but they didn’t have anything they could really nail Stephane Dion with. So Ezra Levant, as big a steaming turd disguised as a human being as you’ll ever find, went to work. Without anything of real substance to nail him on, Ezra focused in on the fact that Dion has dual French/Canadian citizenship. And the media decided that without anything else to question him over, they’d also pursue the dual citizenship storyline. Apparently, if you have dual citizenship, you’re not sufficiently loyal to Canada and are plotting to somehow destroy the country from within. The NDP have, in their constant battle for airtime and attention, decided to jump on and question Mr. Dion as well. And much to my chagrin, Mr. Dion has said that if it’s a problem, he’ll renounce his French citizenship. What he should have said was “I’m Canadian first and always, and anyone who says that my dual citizenship compromises me and my ability to serve Canada is nothing but an ignorant xenophobe.” Case closed.

So for the past few days, I’ve been seeing the attacks, and the snide remarks all over the web and in the papers. I take them personally because I love Canada, and for someone who’s never even met me to say otherwise for no other reason than because I have a Spanish passport is disgusting beyond words. I’m Canadian. I love Canada. I shouldn’t have to say that, but lately, a few ignorant shit-disturbers have made it necessary for me to state that for all to see. For all of you who say that I shouldn’t have dual citizenship, Well I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I take pride in my heritage and culture. I’m sorry that my family hasn’t been here for 200 years. I’m sorry that I decided to do what I could to give myself as many options for my future as I could. But I’m not sorry for having 2 passports. And I never will be. For those of you who say that I’m somehow not fit to serve in Parliament, well you’re wrong. I’m Canadian. With all the rights, responsibilities and privileges that go with that. And it’s my right to serve my country in Parliament if I so choose. And to those who would take that right from me, and this means you Ezra Levant, well I’d like to see you try. C’mon. Say it to my face. I dare you.

And for the NDPers and tories who have played along with this shameful farce? Shame on you for disgracing parliament with this hateful, xenophobic line of attack. Have you no decency? Especially the NDP, who for a long time have had the support of immigrants and dual-citizens to thank for their few accomplishments. I will never, ever vote NDP or Conservative. Not now that they’ve made me feel a second-class citizen in my own country. And if a law is ever passed that would take away my dual citizenship, or prevent me from enjoying the rights and freedoms promised to all Canadians, well it’ll be the Canadian passport that I’ll hand in. I won’t need it as the Canada I know and love will have ceased to exist, replaced by a suspicious, xenophobic, closed minded ignorant imitation of Canada. One which I’d be embarassed to be a citizen of.

Well look who's here!

So I've decided that rather than constantly bombarding friends and message boards with emails and postings, I'll just make this a clearing house for all the random junk I find all over the internets and all the random junk that goes through my wee l'il brain.

What kind of junk? Well frig, I dunno... I guess we'll see... For now it'll be lots of links, starting with my regulars, followed quickly by every bright shiny thing that catches my eye... I'll also be posting my random thoughts (because everyone knows that once you have a blog, your opinion officially matters) on everything from sports to politics to movies, comic books, video games... The same stuff everyone else posts shit about.

I guess if we're gonna sum it all up, the idea is: Hey everyone, look at me!!! Everyone stop and notice me!!! NOW!!! I MEAN IT!!!

Or perhaps not. Probably not. But for those of you who bother to show up more than once, have fun, don't take anything too seriously, and feel free to post comments ( remembering of course that it's my blog so I'm always right, unless I'm wrong).

Cheers!
Dave