Monday, March 31, 2008

Dion's Leadership Weak Because of Michael Ignatieff & Rogue Unicorns

The Dion people are starting to get the fear. After a number of Quebecois Grits took shots at him last week, the Liberal "leader" is beginning to feel the fault lines in his support crack into chasms of dissent. And so, as we all knew would happen eventually, the Dion faction is beginning to ask that one really tough question: is it somehow possible to blame this on Michael Ignatieff?

The answer? Yes. Yes, it is.

For starters, Michael Ignatieff's always had those shifty eyes. They're really the eyes of a Dipper, don't you think? Plus, did you ever read "The Lesser Evil"? In his moments of lucidity he sounded like one of those filthy Tories. I'll bet he's working for them. I mean, what's harder to believe? A Liberal completely changed their convictions to win an election or Ignatieff's an undercover agent?

But seriously, folks. It's the rogue unicorns too. Deadly sharp horns.

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Cell Phones Unhealthier Than Cigarettes?

That's right. It might be time to drop that Samsung and grab yourself some Marlboros. Or, at least according to one study.

FN:

A study by an award-winning cancer expert shows that cell phone use could kill more people than smoking, it is reported.

According to the U.K.'s Independent newspaper, the study, headed by Dr. Vini Khurana, shows that there is a growing body of evidence that using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer.

Khurana — one of the world's top neurosurgeons — based his assessment on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide. That is three times higher than people who smoke. Smoking kills some five million globally each year.

He warned that people should avoid using handsets whenever possible and called on the phone industry to make them safer. France and Germany have already warned against the use of mobile phones, especially by children, it is reported.

The study is said to be the most damning indictment of cell phone use. According to the Independent, cancers take at least 10 years to develop, which has influenced earlier cancer studies showing relative safety when using cell phones.


Just friggin' perfect. I'm well on my way to brain cancer if this study has any truth to it.

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Controversial Geert Wilders Film "Fitna" Posted Online

Geert Wilders has posted his highly controversial film "Fitna" online. Strong content warning. There are scenes of very serious violence. We're talking beheadings. Definitely not safe for work.

Check out what all the buzz is about. Follow the link.

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Saturday, March 22, 2008

Sarkozy Steps Up: 1,000 Additional French Troops To Afghanistan

What is this strange and unfamiliar feeling I'm having? Could it be respect ... for France?! My world has been turned upside down.

This is really good news. France plans to pony up over 1,000 additional troops for eastern Afghanistan, meaning the requirements set out in the Manley Report are almost completely satisfied based on their contributions alone.

CNN:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to announce that France will send 1,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, a British newspaper reported Saturday.

The Times cited unnamed senior ministers as saying Sarkozy wants to demonstrate his commitment to the NATO alliance's Afghan mission during his two-day visit to London next week, which begins Friday.

One minister was quoted as saying that Britain's Defense Ministry had made a working assumption Sarkozy would announce that "slightly more than 1,000 troops" are to be deployed to eastern Afghanistan.


The monumental failure of so many NATO allied countries (most notably Germany, Italy, and Spain) to show any kind of commitment to bringing democracy to Afghanistan is demoralizing. But France has really stepped up here. This will revitalize the mission and should also take some pressure off Harper who has a lot at stake politically in the Afghanistan mission. Good on you, Sarkozy.

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Friday, March 21, 2008

"Barack Obama Is A Long-Legged Mack Daddy & An Emissary Of The Devil"

Jesus. Freakin'. Christ.

Do I smell a preacher war? The Honourable James David "Mack Daddy" Manning vs. Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I'd buy the pay-per-view for that.

This guy is spittin' crazy. Watch the video. It'll definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.



H/t Ace

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Spitzer To Attend Therapy For Sex Addiction?

It wasn't his fault at all. Don't you see? He has a sex addiction.

NY Post:

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer has gone into therapy in the wake of the hooker scandal that swept him out of office, a Spitzer insider told The Post yesterday.

As part of the therapy, Spitzer will explore whether he has an addiction to sex, the source said.

...


Since then, it has emerged he has had a jones for pricey professional girls going back as far as a decade, and hooked up with "Kristen" - the nom-de-sack of 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupre - several times prior to getting nabbed on tape, sources have said.

Experts say this type of behavior exhibits classic signs of sexual addiction.

"If it becomes an overwhelming urge to the detriment of your professional and familial relationships - if it starts to screw up your life - that is addictive behavior," said Dr. Jeffrey Gardere, a clinical psychologist.

"Someone who displays this sort of behavior could be classified as having a sexual addiction."


Yes. I suppose he could be classified as a sex addict. Or, alternatively, he could be classified as an idiot who made bad decisions and has a healthy sex drive.

Give me a break, Spitzy.

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UN Spending Balloons: Organization Still Useless

... and anti-Semitic.

The UN has just requested $1.1 billion in extra funds from their top donors, which qualifies as a 25% increase in their budget. The world remains baffled as to what they do with the money they currently have besides host anti-Semitic conferences under the guise of the "fight against racism" and argue over the semantics of the word "genocide" while time and again proving themselves ineffective and soft on tyrants.

Some highlights of where this windfall will go:

1. Renovate UN offices in New York

2. Fund a 2009 racist anti-racism conference

3. Continue to prop up the anti-Israeli "Human Rights Council" in Geneva

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Christopher Hitchens: Men Only Run For Office To Get Laid

Well, it's a reasonable enough thesis. He uses Spitzer as the case in point but Billy Jeff and JFK make their way in there as well. Mild content warning. Just a little strong language.

Village Voice:

Eliot Spitzer missed one question on his SAT. He missed none on his law-school admissions test. He went to Princeton, Harvard Law. This was a guy who could not only understand securities fraud but could prosecute it, too, often under arcane laws that nobody had looked up since Prohibition. In other words, he was a bright dude.

So what in the wide world was Eliot Spitzer thinking?

"Oh, that's easy," Christopher Hitchens said from his Washington apartment last week, as word of Spitzer's morning resignation buzz-sawed through the Beltway.

...

"You wouldn't be doing any of this if one of the objectives was not to increase the amount of pussy that was available to you. That is what you do," Hitch says. "You don't do it to be, ah, the most approval-rated governor of New York, for fuck's sake."


So that's why Stephane Dion won't step down as Liberal leader. His own party hates him, he's frighteningly inept as a politician, but power is sexy and he isn't ready to stop living the dream quite yet.

During the 1992 presidential primary season, Hitchens pointed out, the day that Bill Clinton won the endorsement of the Democratic Leadership Council—"which, in fact, meant it was overwhelmingly probable he would be the nominee" was the very day he hit on Paula Jones.

"He said, 'Wait—I could be the next president of the United States. Now, where's the next cutie? Because I need that now, much more than I did 10 minutes ago,' " Hitchens speculated.

And likewise with JFK: "With Kennedy, it's really all over the guy for everyone to see," Hitchens said. "From dawn till dusk, from soup to nuts, from everything he does to the last day he dies: 'I do this to get laid.' "


I'd be relieved if the darkest motivation our politicians have for entering politics is increasing their likelihood of getting laid. There's something really ugly about the pursuit of power for power's sake. But the pursuit of sex? Well, that's a little more understandable.

Hithcens added:

Returning to Spitzer, he added that the man's moral grandstanding and bullish style of governance should have been a dead giveaway to his boudoir habits: "What's the point of all this if I don't get an orgasm now? What's the point of being an alpha male?

"Anyone who doesn't get this," he concluded, "doesn't know diddly-squat."


The man talks sense.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Wishful Thinking & Imaginary Craziness

Remember the good old days when politicians would shamelessly exploit children who had no idea what they were saying? Yeah, me neither.



That one kid can't even pronounced Barack's name but he's deadly worried about energy independence. Talk about exploitative.

H/t Kate

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Monday, March 17, 2008

Requiescat In Pace: Sgt. Jason Boyes

Thank you for your service, Jason Boyes.

CTV:

Sgt. Jason Boyes of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., was killed after he stepped on an explosive device.

The 32-year-old was born in Napanee, Ont. (earlier reports had him from Lynn Lake, Man.). He is the first Canadian to be killed while on foot patrol in nearly a year.

"We are devastated by this news. Jason loved his job, he loved the military, and his fellow soldiers loved him back. His world was his daughter, Mackenzie, his wife, Alison, his dogs and his family," Boyes' family said in a statement distributed by the military.

"This was his third tour in Afghanistan. We have always, and still do, support this mission."


My thoughts and best wishes go out to Sgt. Boyes's family, especially his daughter Mackenzie and wife Alison. Sgt. Boyes is a Canadian hero and his sacrifice will not soon be forgotten.

I'll let Guy Laroche have the last word:

"He answered the call of duty one last time in Afghanistan. We will honour his memory, his dedication, and his desire to make a difference in a country that has lost hope that one day its children will grow up to know the real sense of the words 'peace' and 'freedom.'"

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Saturday, March 15, 2008

Hillary Clinton: Isn't It Time To Stop Wearing Pantsuits?

This is both adorable and hilarious. You rarely see that combination anymore so I figured it was a must-link. Check 'er out.



H/t Cake or Death

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Saturday Stupid: "Hi, You've Reached The Cloak, Lifelong Fighter Of The International Communist Conspiracy"

Looking to kill a few minutes on this fine Saturday afternoon? Good, this should help. A short comedy cartoon centered on The Cloak, private investigator and life-long fighter of the International Communist Conspiracy, who, with a little help from the disembodied head of film noire star Robert Mitchum, battles the corrosive influence of Communism wherever he may find it.

It's funny in a really quirky kind of way. At least, I think it's funny. It's had some fairly mixed reviews from my friends; some love it and some definitely do not get it. If you've ever seen Harvey Birdman and didn't hate it you should like this.

A small taste:

The Cloak: Your name's Yurik? Is that a Russian name?

Yurik: No.

The Cloak: Good. Because, between you and me, the Ruskies need a good kick in the balls. Right in the testicles, the source of their Commie power.


There are some hilarious one-liners throughout. Give it a chance. It's run-time is 10:31:

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Conrad Black Appeal Filed, Cites Lack Of Evidence

There's no reason whatsoever to think the appeal is going to produce any kind of positive outcome for Lord Black but it's fun to dream, no?

Via CBC:

Lawyers for Conrad Black have appealed his conviction for obstruction and fraud, arguing that U.S. prosecutors failed to prove their case against the former press baron.

The appeal, which was filed in Chicago, contends that the government didn't generate enough evidence to prove Black defrauded anyone or attempted to hide documents.

...

An appeal hearing could begin in June. If the appeal fails, Black will have to complete at least 85 per cent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.


If and when the appeal fails, Black will be forced to serve 85% of his sentence before applying for parole, which some quick math shows to be about 5 years, six months, and a week. Or approximately three books about US presidents.

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Obama Campaign Spokesman: "Fighting For Peace Is Like Raping For Virginity"

Well, that might be a little unfair. It wasn't an Obama campaign spokesman, per se. Just Barack's political and spiritual adviser Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But he's left the campaign now so we should stop asking questions about Obama's 20-year affiliation with the Trinity Church, right? Right?

So here's the situation. Obama's church turns out to be a seething cesspool of racism and anti-American hate. Barack's been attending Rev. Wright's sermons for almost two decades but he claims he's completely surprised by all these revelations about Wright's radicalism. He couldn't have known! He was absent on the day the sermon was about FDR's complicity in the Pearl Harbour bombing. And who could forget his stirring "God Damn America" sermon. He missed that one too.

Rev. Wright has been attached to the Obama campaign since the beginning, providing spiritual and political advisement. The fact that he's left the campaign does nothing to quash the legitimate worries people are begin to develop.

Here's a nice little compilation of Rev. Wright's most vituperative moments:


Link: sevenload.com

But, even after 20 years of association with the church, he had no clue that Rev. Wright had these detestable ideas? He didn't hear a single hateful word spoken against America and the white oppressors? Well, fine. Did he at least read it on the church bulletin?

A comment over at The News Buckit covers it:

Listening to this guy for 20 years and then saying you don't agree with what he says is like buying tickets and attending Lakers games for 20 years and then saying you're not really a fan.


But if he's left the campaign then I guess we'd better just forget about it.

Jeremiah Wright's presence in his campaign was a ticking time-bomb. Questions were asked about him from day one but the extent of his racism has only surfaced over the past week. Talk about your rookie campaign mistakes. I think "make sure none of your advisers are fire-breathing racists" is right up there at the top of the Things To Do Before Running For President checklist.

And Ace favours us with a little prediction:

An angry Michelle Obama gets away from the PR lockdown she's under in the next couple of the days and says something even more damaging to Obama in attempting to help him.

Something like defending Wright, or stating that it's normal to say the sorts of things he does, or attacking the white establishment for cutting a black man down just as he's about to succeed.

Something.

Free Michelle Obama! Free Michelle Obama!


H/t Ace & Hot Air

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Friday, March 14, 2008

Have You Ever Been In Pain?

No, I mean real pain. Not "ouch, I just stubbed my toe" or "my arm has been detached by a bear" pain. I mean true, honest-to-goodness, down to your soul, torment and agony.

Steel yourselves, friends. I guarantee this will be the most unpleasant experience of your lives.



I made it all the way to 37 seconds. That definitely gives me bragging rights. Anybody get further than that?

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A Rolling Stone Gathers No ... Unbiased Media Attention

Um. Main Stream Media? We need to talk.

I mean, come on!

This whole media bias thing was cute at first. You'd publish a picture of Barack looking serious and scholarly next to a picture of Hillary apparently preparing to digest her young and we would let it fly. Us folks on the right aren't The Ice Queen's biggest fans either so we rationalized "the enemy of my enemy..." But no, Main Stream Media, it's gone too far. Have you lost all sense of subtlety? He looks like he's about to take off and save Metropolis from Doomsday in this picture.

Look, I'll make you a deal. Next to every messianic picture of Barack Obama, attach this little caveat: "Warning: Candidate Not As Desirable As May Appear." Have we got ourselves a deal? Fantastic.

It was just great talking to you.

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Monday, March 10, 2008

Breaking: NY Governor Elliot Spitzer Linked With Prostitution Ring, Criminal Charges Pending

This man just committed political suicide. It was no piddling little prostitution ring either. Apparently a night with one of these girls costs you about $6,000. Was it worth it, Spitzy?

Kate has some details and snarks off a bit about the drivers licenses for illegal immigrants fiasco. It's safe to say she won't be missing him.

And, as always, insight and ridicule from the magnificent morons at Ace of Spades.

Rumours are beginning to circulate of his impending resignation. He's already admitted he was involved in the ring and has apologized to his family and the public at large so I would guess he's done like dinner.

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Will The Real Kurt Westergaard Please Stand Up?

Jaunty little piece from Gateway Pundit (incredible blog by the by, definitely gets the Canadian Republic Stamp o' Approval).

You see, this is the problem with ethnic homogeneity. You want to murder the creator of a cartoon that mocks the prophet of your religion, but everyone in the damn country has the same name. So there's nothing for it but to call and threaten them all, I suppose.

Kurt Westergaard is the Danish cartoonist who drew the now famous cartoon of "Mohammad the bomb" that was published in Jyllands-Posten.

Westergaard has been living under police protection since Islamists started rioting and killing people over the 12 cartoons. On February 12, 2008, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service PET announced the arrest of three Islamists - two Tunisians and one Dane of Moroccan origin - alleged to have been planning the murder of Westergaard.

But, Kurt Westergaard is not the only Kurt Westergaard in Denmark. In fact there are actually 81 other Kurt Westergaard's in Denmark.

One of those non-cartoonist Kurt Westergaard's [sic] has also been receiving death threats. In fact, he has received several death threats. And, his wife and 3 children are also getting calls. The Islamists promise that they will murder him and kidnap his children. Nice.

But, they have the wrong Kurt Westergaard. So now Kurt Westergaard #2 is also living under police protection.


My best wishes go out to all 82 Kurt Westergaards in Denmark. Don't worry, they probably can't get all of you.

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Court: Perjury Fine If Done To Preserve Honour

Fascinating. And a stunning legal precedent to boot.

Here are the bare facts of the case: a woman was charged for giving false testimony after being caught lying about having lent her cellphone to a lover. In response, the Italian Court of Appeal has ruled that "bending the truth was justified to conceal extra-marital relationships."

The woman who brought the appeal was from Porto Ercole on the Tuscany coast, and named only as Carla.

She had lent her telephone to her secret lover, Giovanni, who then used it to call Carla's estranged husband, Vincenzo, and insult him.

Giovanni, the lover, was convicted of abusive behaviour in a local court, and Carla convicted as an accessory.


Well, geez. Giovanni's just the best secret lover ever.

But the Court of Cassation found that having a lover was a circumstance that damaged the honour of the person among family and friends.

Lying about it, therefore, was permitted, even in a judicial investigation.

It is not yet clear whether the ruling might also apply to men who have secret mistresses.


This isn't the first we've heard of these zany Italian justices. Awhile back this same court ruled that women could not be considered "raped" if they were wearing tight jeans at the time of the incident since jeans these days are difficult to get off and the complicated process of their removal implies consent.

So let's see how Italy's doing. Rape? Legal. Perjury? Legal. Nah, they're doing fine.

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The Media Snowjob On Global Warming

Larry calls our attention to a fine article from The National Post about abusive global warming zealots and the MSM's past unwillingness to confront the societal bias towards the gorepocalypse.

Article at the link.

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Friday, March 7, 2008

Ron Paul: "We Are Likely To See The Disintegration Of The American Empire"

Take a bow, Congressman Paul.

Here's his drop-out speech cum call for revolution. It's funny. He says so many of the right things that an unwary conservative or libertarian could almost fall for his spiel. But, no. I've been burned too many times before to be tricked by this hippie of the right. Isolationist foreign policy was all well and good in the 19th century, Congressman, but our enemies have nuclear bombs and military aircrafts now.



Good luck with your revolution, buddy.

H/t Hot Air

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What Lies Beneath: The Authoritarianism Of Global Warming Activism

I'm sure that most who subscribe to the theory of anthropogenic global warming do so with the best of intentions. A lot of people seem pretty sure about it. Besides, with politicians and pundits insisting that the “science is settled,” expressing skepticism has become unpleasant. In the best of cases, the failure to fall in line is greeted with sanctimonious incredulity and, as a norm, with accusations of greed, selfishness, and heresy. That’s the thing about settled science; once you close the book on intellectual discourse you close your mind to other opinions or theories. And then you get the Spanish Inquisition. Or contemporary Iran.

Well, regardless of the standard, these global warming activists do not have the best of intentions. Authors David Shearman and Joseph Wayne Smith have published a book revealingly titled “The Climate Change Challenge & The Failure of Democracy.” You’ll never guess what the book’s thesis is.

The authors stand with Al Gore and his legion of disciples who see anthropogenic global warming as the greatest crisis to have ever faced humanity. Extinction is where we’re headed if a change isn’t made soon, they insist. Alright, we're still in familiar apocalypse territory. But, hold on, because we’re about to dive face-first into the real crazy.

Shearman argues that the climate change crisis is the most pressing problem facing humanity today and that the modern liberal-democratic state, in light of its “flaws and contradictions,” is not equipped to deal with the threat. But wait, Shearman and Smith have a solution! Since Western liberal democracies – e.g. the “institutions, laws, and the markets and corporations that provide its sustenance” – are not capable of confronting the problem head on, it is incumbent upon rational and progressive citizens to call for the implementation of authoritarian governments to replace our democracies and do what is necessary to fix the AGW problem. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in. Okay, moment over. Are you shocked? Betrayed?

I have a friend whose husband just cheated on her. When she found out she was understandably devastated and professed to be surprised. But, after a bit of time had passed, she admitted that she wasn’t actually all that shocked. He had always been overly flirty and would sometimes take it too far. This pretty much runs parallel to my reaction to the Shearman book. The anthropogenic global warming movement is cloaked in good intentions but it is difficult to forget Henry Louis Mencken’s words: “The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it.” Even the "moderate" solutions proposed to deal with AGW involve impracticable levels of economic control by the government and a stranglehold on industry. Although I know that most AGW true-believers are well-meaning, on some level I've always been of the opinion that some of them flirt with authoritarianism far more than is healthy and that it was only a matter of time before they cheated of democracy. Um. Yes. Don't worry, the analogy is over now.

Now for the obligatory caveat: “Of course most global warming activists don’t want to replace our liberal democracies with dictatorships.” But, if nothing else, the Shearman book does us a favour by demonstrating where "solutions" for global warming would take us. Not directly into despotism but certainly on the road towards it. At the end of the day, the science is not settled on anthropogenic global warming and the debate is far from over. But even if climate change proves to be a catastrophic problem for humanity, strangling our economies and plunging the civilized world into dictatorship would be catastrophic too.

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Monday, March 3, 2008

Link Dump & Open Thread

My posting is going to be pretty light this week. I've been extraordinarily busy over the past few weeks but things are getting even worse this week (but then much better next week). So, in the interest of keeping you fine ladies and gentlemen amused, I'm dumping a bunch of my favourite articles, videos, etc. from the past week into one post. If anyone has something interesting they'd like to share, mention it in the comments and I'll update the post if it's interesting.

Canadian musician Jeff Healey died of cancer yesterday.

Stephen Taylor has been keeping us up to date on the so-called CadScam scandal and Harper's delightful response this morning.

A dubious article claiming that blogging is good for your health.

An Obama SNL cartoon featuring Jessie Jackson. I don't know why I keep linking SNL clips. This one's alright though:



A little war technology video:



And, finally, a little humour from the good folks at Cracked. It's scientology themed.



Hat tips: Ace, Allah

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Sunday, March 2, 2008

Requiescat In Pace: Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze

Statement from the Prime Minister's office:

"I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, who died today in Kandahar Province in the line of duty. His sacrifice will long be remembered.

"The people of Canada will remember that Trooper Hayakaze’s sacrifice was not in vain; that he laid

down his life for the safety of citizens in both Canada and Afghanistan.

The brave men and women of the Canadian Forces who represent us in Afghanistan are a source of pride for all Canadians. Their commitment and dedication to this mission continues to inspire the nation.

The Government of Canada recognizes the difficult work being done by the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan to make the world a safer place and to protect and promote Canadian interests and values on the global stage. The country is indebted to these brave men and women for their continued efforts and sacrifice.”

Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze was a member of Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), based out of Edmonton, Alberta.


I was recently reminded of a superbowl commercial of old. I think I'll take this opportunity to post it.



Requiescat In Pace, Michael Hayakaze. Thank you for your service.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008

Spanish Magic: 10 Cops, One Hostage-Taker & Two Complete Front Flips

[Alright, this is take two. Blogger's been acting up all week so hopefully it'll actually post this time]

Justice. Sometimes, it hurts.



Via Stop The ACLU



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Teh Supreme Awesome: Iron Man Edition

Robert Downy Jr. holds much more promise than I had thought. I will absolutely be seeing this movie as soon as it comes out.



"Let's face it. This isn't the worst thing you've ever caught me doing."



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