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.