Regret to inform...

I am posting to inform you that Red Canuck passed away on October 13, 2009, in Vancouver. He had added me as a contributor to his blog as he started his terminal decline so that I may communicate with his readers after his death. He died peacefully, surrounded by his family.

In addition to being an excellent physician, and an excellent man, he was my big brother and best friend. Navigating through life without his wisdom and expert counsel is an inconceivable task, but one which I now have to face. He once told me how fascinated he was by the nature of the online community. Although he knew many of you only through cyberspace, he gained a sense of some of your personalities and was deeply touched by the comments left on his last post.

RC blogged anonymously because he felt it would be unprofessional for his patients to be made aware of his political opinions and observations. Although that is obviously no longer a consideration, I will respect his view and not write his name here. As many who follow this blog know his identity, I would still like to mention his request that you not send flowers. He preferred that in lieu of flowers, well wishers consider contributing to cancer research.

RC's blog showcased his belief in progress through humanism, rational thinking, and the scientific method. Perhaps one day science will offer us a world in which even the most aggressive cancers cannot deprive us of such a sharp wit and keen intellect. Red Canuck, you enriched the lives of all who knew you. Rest in Peace.

Good Night, And Good Luck

Some of you who have followed this humble blog since its inception may have known that I was lucky enough to have survived a run-in with cancer a few years ago. Although I won that little battle back then, it appears I have lost the war. Cancer is a rather merciless predator, and despite the best efforts of a wonderful group of colleagues, it has returned. This time, I am told, it is terminal.

It has been a wonderful trip, filled with joyous memories, painful tears, and the brilliant heartache that comes from a life of boundless experience. I have lived only 35 years, but I have lived them well. And so I have no regrets, but that I couldn't longer and better know the girl I love - my miss giraffe.

To friends and foes in this odd little "blog world", I wish you nothing but success and good health. And I remind you that, despite whatever small differences we might have, we are all sailors on this same raft.

Good night, and good luck.

UPDATE: Thank you so much to all who have written such kind words in the comments and on their blogs. It reaffirms my faith in humanity that such generosity of spirit can be found amongst people who have never even met each other. Your thoughts and prayers have touched me deeply and are much appreciated. I would be remiss if I did not give a special thank you to my colleagues and to the hematology/oncology staff who have worked tirelessly on my behalf. Finally, please drop by the Canadian Cancer Society webpage and donate if you can. Research today is the cure of tomorrow. And, even more importantly, please consider adding your name to the Bone Marrow Donor Registry...it costs nothing, and you could quite literally give someone the gift of life.

Keep Smiling!

A Few Tears Ago...

Well, Dr Roy is at it again. The man whose blog is a full-time shrine to Oberbefehlsleiter Harper is concerned that Jon Stewart is a little too partisan. And he takes care to let us know that he doesn't find Stewart all that funny. Shocking, that. Presumably, he prefers the comedy stylings of washed-up 80's SNL reject Dennis Miller. If you're reading, Roy, here are a few observations:

• It's Breitbart, dude, not "Breibart". If you're going to cite a source, no matter how rancid, do them the courtesy of spelling their name correctly.
• "That holly wood is very liberal is no surprise". Hollywood, the town, is a single word that starts with a capital H. Holly Wood is a porn star. She may well be liberal, but I really wouldn't know.
• "It's hilarious that stewart said he wanted more civility in public discourse , when his show is just an obamessiah worshipping anti GOP commercial." OK, Roy. Let me explain this to you. Stewart is a comedian. He doesn't claim to be a political pundit, and he regularly refers to TDS as a "fake news show". It's his job to be irreverent. So there is no hypocrisy or contradiction for him to suggest that those people who claim to be pundits, demonstrate some civility rather than just yelling talking points at each other. Secondly, I doubt you have any problems with execrable hacks like Hannity, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly running hyper-partisan GOP-worshipping, anti-Democrat commercials, do you? And lastly, Stewart pokes fun at idiots on both sides of the political spectrum. It's not his fault that most idiots gravitate to the GOP.
• Read my lips: "S-P-E-L-L-C-H-E-C-K-E-R". That is all.
  

The Base Is Not Amused

Wingnut.

Gunnutz.

Oh my. What will happen when the Gunnut Base loses patience with the Wingnut Government? Grab some popcorn and find out!

Limbaugh: Gordon Brown Will Get Anal Poisoning

Sweet mother of God. Certified whackjob and unofficial leader of the GOP, Rush Limbaugh, mused on air that President Obama might give British PM Gordon Brown "anal poisoning". Now this is a diagnosis with which I'm not too familiar, but the image alone is more than disturbing. Also, what the hell does it even mean?



Limbaugh: “But the slobbering [over Barack Obama], the slobbering… this guy, folks I’m telling ya, if he keeps this up throughout the G20, Gordon Brown will come down with anal poisoning and may die from it.”

That will surely be an entertaining 911 call. But honestly, is Rush Limbaugh really the person upon whom the Republican party wants to rebuild? If so, Democrats can rest easy.

Senator Duffy Gives Speech, Stuffs Face

In case you've been wondering what Senator Fatty McDildo's been up to lately, he's been out earning his public salary by shilling for small town jerkwater Conservative candidates - that's what!

“I think senators work harder than we journalists ever gave them credit for,” he said, chuckling.

We journalists? Ho ho ho ho, that lardy clown, pretending he used to be a journalist, when we all know he was actually a comedian! Back then, he used to make funny jokes like this:

"I said 'I'm not much of a partisan.' [Duffy] said 'We've got lots of partisans, we don't need any more partisans"

But that was back when times were simple, men were men, and trans-fats were all the rage. Nowadays, the good Senator Duffy is being paid by Joe Q Taxpayer, and is rolling himself from town to town spreading non-partisan messages like this:

“The Conservative Party is not your grandfather’s party, it is the party that will take Canada into the future — you have many achievements to be proud of. [...] "What kind of work do I think Michael Ignatieff is doing? He works very hard and he is doing the work of three people — Larry, Moe and Curly,” said Duffy in a series of rapid-fire jokes. “What is the difference between a member of the NDP and a Liberal? About $500 of suit material,” went another.

Ha ha ha ha! Zinnng! Curiously, that's also the difference between Duffy and a normal-sized human being. But I digress. The point is that (pound for pound) Mike Duffy is the funniest Senator in Canada.

More Conservative Lies

Usually, when you're marginally qualified and abysmally incompetent at doing something, you don't go around publicizing it. For instance, Paris Hilton has appeared in B-movies such as House of Wax and Bottoms Up, but even she would scarcely call herself an actress. That's why it is amazing to me that Stephen Harper continues to refer to himself as an "economist". The man has been absolutely and unequivocally WRONG about every single opinion he's delivered on the state of the Canadian economy since last fall. So it was no big surprise today to find out that his January economic forecast was...wait for it...WRONG.

Canada's federal budget watchdog warned MPs yesterday that the worsening recession has rendered the Harper government's January economic forecasts obsolete, predicting Ottawa will slide $10-billion deeper into deficit over the next 24 months with near-record levels of red ink ahead.

Ouch. And that's coming from the guy who the Conservatives appointed to be the Parliamentary Budget Officer! The response was typically idiotic.

Conservative MP Mike Wallace said Mr. Page shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion and urged more focus on good news. “I believe part of the issue facing Canada and the world is we need some of the positive stuff.[...]I myself purchased two cars these past two weeks. I am doing my share."

What the fuck? How totally out of touch is this whackjob? Hey Mike, I'm sure your out-of-work pensionless constituents in Burlington will be plum fucking thrilled to hear that you just bought two new cars, you brainless douchebag. Hell, that kind of news alone might just fix our whole economy, dontcha think?

BONUS TRACK: MORE CONSERVATIVE "ACCOUNTABILITY"

On Wednesday [Page] told MPs that he's also having difficulty getting the federal Finance Department to provide him the raw financial data he needs for his analysis and forecasting.
Tory MPs defended withholding some documents, saying they've obtained a legal opinion that the confidentiality of Harper cabinet deliberations could be compromised by giving them to the office.

Supporting The Troops; SDA Style

Over at Kate's Sociopathic Social Club, the same assorted armchair commandos who were glad to label fellow Canadians as "Taliban supporters" a while back are having a hard time getting too worked up about Fox's Greg Gutfeld's thoughtless and decidedly un-funny mockery of our Armed Forces.

One commenter, "Phil", who describes himself as a serving member of the Forces tries to interject some personal perspective.

As another serving member, an infantry corporal no less, who's lost many friends overseas, I can tell you that I'm not a person who makes insulting jokes about Americans. I'm not a clown who would vote for funding cuts to the CF. I'm not from Toronto, and I don't live in Toronto. And I do have the nerve to bitch and complain and in fact, be disgusted at the Fox talking-heads. Have you risked your life under fire to bail out American troops? If you have then I'm guessing from your comment that you have a couple of screws loose. If you haven't, then maybe you should talk to some of our lads who have. They'll sort you out right quick. To Kate: If you have never had to put your arm around a grieving father who had his son blown up with only melted and charred plastic pieces of his tactical vest left around a burning LAV, then you could never understand how incredibly despicable and hurtful these comments could be. I pray that you may some day gain some sensitivity.[...]And yes, I have indeed watched the show before, and I have indeed watched Fox News before. I'll lighten up when I feel it's necessary. Now's not the time. I guess I'm with the liberals on this one. Proud to be agreeing with them on this matter.

The response from compassionate conservative "Alex" comes quickly:

Nice appeal to emotion, Phil. Very touching. I shed a tear, I really did.[...] I'll sacrifice a goat that you may some day grow a pair. I'm not sure how you managed to stay in the infantry long enough to get your second hook, if this is the kind of shit that gets under your skin.

Now "Alex" may sound like a disrespectful asshole, but he probably has a yellow ribbon stuck to the back of his pickup truck. So I guess his troop-supportin' credentials are up to snuff. Stephen Taylor must be proud.

Awwww.....

Well, that's a shame.

Accountability? Never Heard of It...

According to the CPC Lexicon:

Transparency = "pathological hyperpartisan smearmongering"

MPs usually use these statements, called Standing Order 31s, to pay tribute to someone or an event in their riding. But Peterborough Tory MP Dean Del Mastro asked in his Feb. 25 statement: "Why does the Liberal Leader love to flip-flop? When will the Liberals find real leadership?"

Good question, Dean! Here's another. Why should anyone be forced to endure character assassination from a former used car salesman who looks like he ate his last ten customers?

According to the CPC Lexicon:

Accountability = Fuck you!

The Tories promised in their 2006 campaign to set up a "parliamentary budget authority" that would ensure honest budgeting.[...]But Mr. Page's office has been dogged by pressures that could cut its profile. Ottawa has failed to deliver the full $2.8-million in promised funding, giving him less than two-thirds of that.[...]He's also chafing at the Tories' decision to make his office report to a bureaucrat - the Parliamentary Librarian - instead of directly to MPs and senators.

Sounds we should probably pre-appoint someone to oversee the inevitable federal inquiry into where all the stimulus money went...you know, just to get the ball rolling.

Okaaaay....

I'm all for modern art, but this is just weird.

After Yves Klein’s exhibition at the Iris Clert gallery in 1958, the empty space became a recurrent artistic theme. This chronological exhibition brings together reconstructions of nine empty exhibitions, from Art & Language in 1966 to Roman Ondák en 2006.

Cost of entry to wander around and, um, "view" the empty galleries? 12 Euros (about $20 CAD).
Chacun son goût, I suppose.

Taliban Steve

Tories warm to Taliban talks

Uh-oh. I guess now we can expect apologies from Asshole, Dicksmack, Jerkwad, Fucko, Racist Ho, and all the other dimwitted Blogging Tories who happily labelled Jack Layton as "Taliban Jack" when he suggested doing the same back in 2006. Or perhaps they can start calling the PM "Taliban Steve". Either way.

Reason Over Ideology

President Obama has signed an executive order to reverse the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, reversing 8 years of regressive policy under the Bush administration. Watching Obama's speech, I was struck by his respect for the value of scientific research, and his commitment to protect it from the muzzle of religious doctrine.

"Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident," Obama said in a ceremony Monday. "They result from painstaking and costly research — from years of lonely trial and error, much of which never bears fruit — and from a government willing to support that work," he said.

After nearly a decade of suffering through Bush's theocracy, Americans can finally look forward to an era of decisions based on facts and reason, not ideology. As expected, the God-squad propagandists are not amused (yawn...)

Again With The dr roy...

It's the weekend, and I didn't feel like taxing my brain too much. So I cruised over to the lowest common denominator of Blogging Tory idiocy, the mudfortunate dr roy. As usual, the good doctor didn't fail to disappoint.

Leaving aside for the moment dr roy's juvenile writing style, chronic misspellings, and general assault on the English language, his overall "premise" of a Democrat hidden agenda was addressed and dismissed adroitly by Bill Maher and his guest Cory Booker on Friday night's episode of RealTime.

Maher: "Do you think there's any truth to what the Republicans are saying that the Democrats are taking advantage of this crisis to put forth their agenda? Now that's what Republicans think because when 9/11 happened, of course that's what they did; they took advantage of a crisis to put forth their agenda. So they think 'Well, this must be how everybody operates, because that's what we do!.'"

For Booker's response, scroll to 5:24 in the video.



And Roy, "tobamessiah"? Seriously?? Have you just stopped trying? Dude, get yourself a spell checker. Your blog will still suck, but at least it'll be intelligible.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong...

...with Deficit Jim getting a 3 billion dollar cheque to do with as he pleases?

As an aside, I wonder if it troubles folks in the Wingnut world that their former Reformers are now advocates for handing out billions of taxpayer dollars without oversight or public accountability. Just askin'.

Harpama

"They really, at a basic level, have quite a bit in common," Harper spokesman Kory Teneycke told The Canadian Press, pointing out that both come from "outside the political establishment."

Obama is a young, charismatic, energetic and genuine young leader who has captured the imagination of his country and the world by embodying the virtues of reason, intellect and bipartisanship.

Harper is a fat, dorky, boring political opportunist who has failed to win a majority government despite non-existent opposition, stood in the way of international climate change initiatives, denied economic problems as late as last November, and displayed a hyper-partisan streak so pathological it nearly sank his own government.

Yeah, Kory, they're virtually twins.

End Of The Line?

A new report suggests that American automaker GM is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing as its deadline to submit a restructuring and viability plan draws near. GM has already received nearly 10 billion dollars in bailout money.

GM has already announced plans to cut 10,000 salaried workers worldwide, or 14 per cent of its staff, impose pay cuts for most remaining white-collar U.S. workers and has offered buyouts to its 62,000 U.S. workers represented by the UAW.

GM's CEO Rick Wagoner, perhaps sensing that times are tough, recently took a voluntary pay reduction to $1. This brave move has forced him to survive on the remnants of his 2007 compensation of 15.7 million dollars, a 64% increase which he earned for steering his company into a record 39 billion dollar net loss that same year. One wonders how such a profoundly ill industry has managed to survive even this long.

Bonus: Here's The Onion's take.

Norm Coleman and the Art of Douchebaggery

One can only marvel at the shameless hypocrisy of Norm Coleman. Back in November, when he thought he was leading the Minnesota senate race by 475 votes, Coleman urged his Democratic opponent Al Franken to concede.

"It's up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to conduct," Coleman said, telling reporters he would "step back" if he were in Franken's position.

Sadly for Coleman, an automatic recount confirmed Franken as the narrow winner, after which he developed a curious case of amnesia for his own advice. Today Coleman's legal challenge to Franken's win entered it's 10th day. He has paid his lawyers nearly $190,000 so far. He may try to subpoena all 11,000 rejected ballots for judges to review. And why is he doing all of this?

[Coleman] told a conservative radio audience that “God wants me to serve".

O-kaaaaay. Yet for all his desperate stonewalling, he may be falling even further behind. All of which begs the question: Why does God hate Norm Coleman?

Obama Hates America

In a move bound to enrage Pennsylvania bitters and Joe Sam the plumber tax cheat war correspondent douchebag, President Obama has backed away from "Buy American" provisions in his economic stimulus bill. Perhaps realizing that a widespread trade war over such a measure would likely damage the American economy and prolong the global economic downturn, Obama today took a step away from protectionist policies.

Mr. Obama said any parts of the bill that could spark retaliation from U.S. allies should be removed. [...] “I think it would be a mistake ... at a time when worldwide trade is declining for us to start sending a message that somehow we're just looking after ourselves and not concerned with world trade,” Mr. Obama said on the Fox television network.

Somewhere, Lou Dobbs is weeping softly.

And They're Back

After a remarkably short and relatively conciliatory Throne Speech, Deficit Steve laid down a prelude to tomorrow's budget announcement. The same ship of fools who in October were forecasting 5 years of surpluses (because who could possibly have predicted a looming recession?) are now confirming a big deficit. Although the Conservatives have been doing their very best to leak their entire budget before budget day, the devil will be in the details, and the details will be out tomorrow.

Iggy and Duceppe have indicated that they will wait until they see the fine print of the budget before deciding on whether or not it merits their support. If the tone of today's Throne Speech is any indicator, the budget will likely contain enough elements to placate Ignatieff. Personally, I think this is a smart move. The Conservatives will never offer a more conciliatory budget, the Liberals need time to heal and regrow the party, and if a deficit is inevitable, let Harper wear it himself.

And in a curious nod to his own political irrelevance, Jack Layton has already announced that he and the NDP will be voting against a budget they have not yet seen. Bravo.

After the downright "regal" inauguration of Obama, it was a little disheartening to see our parliament resume with Deficit Steve and his cadre of grossly incompetent ministers. But hey, at least they're working again.

Their Guy, Our Guy

'Nuff said.

Praying For Obama To Fail

Amidst all of the celebrations surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration, there are a few yahoos offering a dissenting opinion. Enter Joseph Farah. When he's not busy grooming his 80's porn star moustache, Farah oversees the intellectual sinkhole called WorldNetDaily.

When the rule of men conflicts with the commands of God, the Bible leaves no doubt about where we should stand. That's why I do not hesitate today in calling on godly Americans to pray that Barack Hussein Obama fail in his efforts to change our country from one anchored on self-governance and constitutional republicanism to one based on the raw and unlimited power of the central state.

Think he's done being an asshole? Think again.

I want Obama to fail because his agenda is 100 percent at odds with God's. Pretending it is not simply makes a mockery of God's straightforward Commandments.

The WorldNetDaily: It's what you read when your age exceeds your IQ.

Ricardo Montalban R.I.P.

Today came the sad news that Ricardo Montalban has died. The 88 year old actor was best known for his roles as Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island, and of course Khan on Star Trek. According to the LA Times, Montalban succumbed to "complications related to old age", which strikes me as rather curious phraseology. In any case, here for your viewing pleasure, are some of his timeless performances.

There's Probably No God...

Comedy writer Ariane Sherine, Richard Dawkins and the British Humanist Association have breathed fresh air into the London public transit system by organizing a donor funded campaign to plaster public buses with the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."


Of course, with every breath of fresh air comes a whiff of stupid. Enter Stephen Green, national director of Christian Voice, who uses said voice to object to the ads on the grounds that they lack supporting evidence. Seriously.

"There is plenty of evidence for God, from people's personal experience, to the complexity, interdependence, beauty and design of the natural world. But there is scant evidence on the other side, so I think the advertisers are really going to struggle to show their claim is not an exaggeration or inaccurate..."

Wow. I don't know if there's a God or not, but if he exists, Stephen Green must surely be his dumbest creation.

RMR: Commemorative Tony Clement Gravy Boat

Celebrate the spirit of ineffectiveness! (h/t Mo)

Another Day, Another Lie

Would you buy a car from these two guys? If you did, it would almost certainly be an oil-burning gas guzzler. Over the past few years, the Conservatives have embarrassed Canada repeatedly on the international stage when it comes to their record on the environment.

Rona Ambrose - STEEEERIKE ONE!

John Baird - STEEEERIKE TWO!!

Lawrence Cannon - here's the wind-up....

We made a commitment to implement fuel consumption regulations for the 2011 model year that are benchmarked against a stringent, dominant North American standard, and we are keeping our word," Mr. Cannon said on Jan. 17, 2008.

And the pitch....

The federal government appears to have missed a key legislated benchmark to bring in new fuel-efficiency standards that will help Canada reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Moreover, the failure of the federal government to meet the deadline could end up costing the beleaguered auto industry money and lost jobs.

STEEEEEEEEEEERIKE THREE!!!!!!

Another promise made, another promise broken. But hey, at least they're open and accountable, right?

After the October election, Mr. Cannon was replaced by John Baird, who moved over from the environment portfolio. A spokesman for Mr. Baird said yesterday that Environment Canada was now the lead department on the file. Environment Minister Jim Prentice was not immediately available to comment.