Monday, November 9, 2009

Ft. Hood terrorist attempted to contact Al Qaeda.

Any doubts that the Ft. Hood shooter was a terrorist should be lifted with the knowledge that he attempted to contact Al Qaeda.

Alleged Ft. Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan tried to contact men linked to al-Qaeda, ABC News reported on Monday, quoting two officials with access to classified case papers.

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"We would frequently say he was a Muslim first and an American second," a military doctor who had studied with Hasan told ABC. "And we questioned how somebody could take an oath of office … and have that type of conflict."


The man was a violent Islamist who believed in bringing Islamic control over the West. He is a terrorist, plain and simple.

Obama gives communism a thumbs up.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, one of the most glorious days in recent history. That day marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union, the Evil Empire. Today is a day to be celebrated and remembered.

But Obama doesn't think so.

President Obama squeezed in a trip to Copenhagen last month to lobby, unsuccessfully, for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. He plans to travel to Oslo next month to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, an award that even Obama has said he does not deserve. And this coming week, he sets out on a weeklong tour of Asia.

But the president does not plan to travel to Germany to attend the 20th anniversary celebration Monday of the fall of the Berlin Wall, drawing heated criticism from those who say he's ignoring a shining triumph of American-inspired democracy.

"A tragedy," is how former House Speaker Newt Gingrich described Obama's absence.

Some question whether the decision not to go was a nod to Russia, with which the Obama administration is trying to mend relations, or just another attempt to play down the perception of the United States as an exceptional superpower.

For its part, the administration is citing a scheduling conflict. The White House says the president simply does not have the time to go, with the trip to Asia starting Wednesday.

"Obviously we have a lot to work on here and we have commitments for an upcoming Asia trip," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday, noting that a "very senior delegation" of U.S. officials would attend.

That delegation is led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who traveled to Berlin Sunday ahead of the festivities -- the first stop for the secretary on a trip through Europe and Asia.


Obama, as the leader of the free world, has an obligation to be there. Refusing to show up is snubbing all those who fought and fight for freedom.

Stephen Harper, as the leader of Canada, should also be there, and I will be disappointed if he isn't.

Public health bill stalls at the Senate.

The public health bill has no where to go in the Senate, and likely won't be passed this year.

The glow from a health care triumph faded quickly for President Barack Obama on Sunday as Democrats realized the bill they fought so hard to pass in the House has nowhere to go in the Senate.

Speaking from the Rose Garden about 14 hours after the late Saturday vote, Obama urged senators to be like runners on a relay team and "take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people."

The problem is that the Senate won't run with it. The government health insurance plan included in the House bill is unacceptable to a few Democratic moderates who hold the balance of power in the Senate.

If a government plan is part of the deal, "as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote," said Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent whose vote Democrats need to overcome GOP filibusters.

"The House bill is dead on arrival in the Senate," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said dismissively.

Democrats did not line up to challenge him. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has yet to schedule floor debate and hinted last week that senators may not be able to finish health care this year.


If there is a long enough delay, the 2010 election will lead to many Democrats losing their jobs and a lot of growth in Republican power.

Sunday was Aboriginal Veterans Day.

Sunday, November 8th, officially commemorated Aboriginal Veterans Day in Manitoba.

A day for Aboriginal Veterans only.

Excuse me for being offended.

On Remembrance Day, we honour all of our soldiers, veterans and active duty, alive and dead, regardless of race or religion. A special day for those of Aboriginal descent implies that they were somehow better than the other soldiers who fought, fight, bleed and die.

They aren't better, and I'm insulted that the provincial government would give Aboriginal veterans their own day. They fought just as hard as everyone else, but there is nothing special about their ancestry.

UN throws out pro-Israel lawyer.

A pro-Israel lawyer was forcibly removed from the United Nations.

Guards ejected an accredited Canadian commentator from the United Nations after she denounced a controversial report that focuses heavily on alleged Israeli war crimes.

Anne Bayefsky, a York University political science professor, offered the only pro-Israel commentary on Thursday night at a microphone outside the General Assembly hall following remarks by its Libyan president, Ali Treki, and the chief Palestinian official at the United Nations, Riyad Mansour.

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Ms. Bayefsky said four guards confiscated two UN passes the organization had issued to her as director of Touro Law Center's Institute on Human Rights and The Holocaust, and removed her from the building after questioning her.

"I am quite sure that if I had congratulated the United Nations, no one would have said anything," said Ms. Bayefsky, who was unable to get her credentials reinstated after spending more than two hours drafting a request at the UN last night.

UN-based blogger Matt Lee said Mr. Mansour, after being told a "pro-Israel non-governmental organization" had spoken at the microphone, asked: "Did we capture them?"

Mr. Lee said he spoke with Mr. Mansour after the guards had led Ms. Bayefsky away, and security officials were unable to confirm last night whether they had acted of their own accord, or in response to a complaint.

Mr. Treki's spokesman, Jean Victor Nkolo, said Ms. Bayefsky was "not authorized at all" to use the mike.

"This is a stakeout for member states and for the General Assembly," he said. "NGOs and private individuals have nothing to do there. Period."

Mr. Nkolo dismissed suggestions Ms. Bayefsky would have felt free to approach the microphone on grounds that other similarly accredited organizations have done so in the past.


At first glance, it appears perfectly plausible that Ms. Bayefsky was thrown out for using the microphone without permission, but, this is not the true case.

Human Rights Watch's Steve Crawshaw spoke there in 2007 as he complimented the assembly on a widely cheered human rights decision, Mr. Lee's innercitypress.com Website notes. Actress Mia Farrow, an activist against Sudanese actions in Darfur, also spoke at a microphone generally used by diplomats, addressing reporters outside the UN Security Council this year.

Ms. Bayesfky herself had previously spoken at the microphone following the UN's Human Rights council elections, without incident.


While there is no sure fire proof of it, my suspicions are that Ms. Bayesfky was removed for speaking against the racist resolution. I think that Canada should pull out of the United Nations. We should not be members to such a corrupt and openly racist organization.

Racism in the medical system?

According to a study done in our medical system, Aboriginal Canadians are less likely to receive kidney transplants and advanced care.

Peter Nakogee knows the chances are not good for aboriginals seeking transplants in Canada, but the gregarious father of four has reason to celebrate.

The former mayor of a small Cree community on James Bay has finally made it onto a national waiting list. As of this week, Mr. Nakogee is in line for a new kidney that could not only transform his life, but show it's possible to overcome what some consider a racial divide in Canada's health-care system.

The disparities in the medical treatment received by First Nations people compared to other Canadians have attracted growing national and international attention. The latest study says aboriginal people are only one-third as likely to get a kidney transplant as Caucasian Canadians, even though they have more than twice the rate of kidney failure.

"If you're a poorly educated person on dialysis, it doesn't matter if you're here in Moose Factory or living in downtown Winnipeg, you don't get the same level of access," says Dr. Karen Yeates of Queen's University in Kingston,Ont., on one of her frequent trips to James Bay, where she oversees the dialysis unit in Moose Factory, roughly 900 kilometres north of Toronto.

She's the lead author of a new study, done with colleagues from Harvard Medical School and several other universities, that suggests aboriginals get transplants at just 34% the rate of Caucasian Canadians.


Is this really evidence of racism, though? The study certainly points out that you are less likely to get a transplant or advanced care if you are Aboriginal, but that doesn't take into context any other reasons. There doesn't appear to be any evidence that the study is taking individual medical cases into account.

Recent research shows the disparities begin long before people's kidneys fail. Aboriginal people are admitted to Canadian hospitals with severe kidney problems at almost twice the rate of non-aboriginals, many of them never having received specialized care that might have helped save their kidneys in the first place.


All this study does is show us who gets medical care based on skin colour. It does not take into consideration whether or not these people seek care prior to the kidney problems becoming severe.

Canada's Cree people have some of the highest rates of kidney disease and failure in the world, much of it linked to diabetes, obesity and poor preventive care.


Is it perhaps possible that these people are more likely to have diabetes and obesity than people of European descent?

A study in 2003 found that Aboriginal Canadians have a lower life expectancy, were less likely to be educated, and had much higher rates of diabetes and other diseases.

I think what is more likely here is that the Aboriginals are not considered for transplants because they don't qualify based on medical conditions.

That being said, we need to find ways to help the Aboriginal people escape the cycle of poverty, by providing them with the tools to succeed. But constantly handing out money isn't doing anything, and needs to end. The institutionalized racism of the reserve system needs to be destroyed, or the Aboriginals will continue to remain in poverty.

A warning from a Canadian commander in Afghanistan.

A Canadian commander has issued a warning to the Afghan government.

Western patience with Afghanistan's political class was wearing so dangerously thin that coalition forces might quit the country if the situation regarding governance and corruption did not soon change radically for the better.

That was Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance's stark warning to leaders in Panjwaii and Zhari districts during one of his last battlefield tours before the end of his 10-month command, which is only days away.

"The international community is going to demand honesty, integrity and good performance from all levels of government or we won't stay," Canada's top commander in Afghanistan said at one of several meetings he held last week in two of the notoriously volatile districts west of Kandahar City.

"We have lost too many soldiers and spent too much of our people's money to stay if there is not honest co-operation.

"Our public accepts us here and is deciding right now whether we will stay. Canadians, Americans, the British -- everyone is wondering whether it is worth it to stay."

Brig.-Gen. Vance's words were little different than those delivered to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government recently by senior U.S. political leaders and by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

However, his message had a special resonance in Panjwaii and Zhari, where more than 100 Canadians have been killed since 2006.


The real problem we have is our refusal to use total war against our enemies. This theory of limited warfare has cost us greatly, and only plays into the hands of the Taliban.

In total war, civilians will die. But without it, more civilians will die, used as tools by the Taliban. We need to be pushing the enemy out, as hard and as fast as we can. We need to push into Pakistan, and eliminate all Taliban opposition, not just rely on limited air strikes.

Going to Burger King saved me money.

Who would have thought that going to Burger King would save me money? Yet, that is exactly what just happened. I was debating between going out to grab a burger and some onion rings, and cleaning up my kitchen and doing some cooking. Good thing I chose to go for the burger, because as I left my apartment, a tow truck was just backing up to take my truck away. I spend less money on gas and fast food than I would have had I stayed home and ended up going to the impound and getting my truck back.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

The fallacy of the Dark Ages.

Many people believe that had the Dark Ages not occurred, our technology level would be vastly superior to what it is now. I think this is a ridiculous fallacy.

While it is true that technology became stagnant during the Dark Ages, I don't think you can blame this on the religious intolerance of the time. During the Dark Ages, the technology of the Romans and Greeks was all held by the Arabs, who were much more tolerant then than they are today. Some scientific and medical advances were made in the Arab world, yet during the 1000 years of the European Dark Age, no significant technological advances were made in the Arab world, who were going through a Renaissance.

The only way to believe that the European Dark Ages truly caused the death of technological growth is to assume that the Arabs were not intelligent enough to advance technology, even though they did make some advances. The fact is, humanity as a whole had a relatively stagnant technology level for thousands of years, something that the Dark Ages did not cause. What caused this stagnation is unknown, but it certainly was not religion.

Public health care bill passes in American House, moves on to Senate.

In a massive blow to freedom in America, the public health care bill has narrowly passed in the House.

In a victory for President Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation Saturday night to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.

The 220-215 vote cleared the way for the Senate to begin a long-delayed debate on the issue that has come to overshadow all others in Congress.

A triumphant Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened the legislation to the passage of Social Security in 1935 and Medicare 30 years later -- and Obama issued a statement saying, "I look forward to signing it into law by the end of the year."

"It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it," said Rep. John Dingell, the 83-year-old Michigan lawmaker who has introduced national health insurance in every Congress since succeeding his father in 1955.

In the run-up to a final vote, conservatives from the two political parties joined forces to impose tough new restrictions on abortion coverage in insurance policies to be sold to many individuals and small groups. They prevailed on a roll call of 240-194.

Ironically, that only solidified support for the legislation, clearing the way for conservative Democrats to vote for it.

The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide federal subsidies to those who otherwise could not afford it. Large companies would have to offer coverage to their employees. Both consumers and companies would be slapped with penalties if they defied the government's mandates.

Insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions would be banned, and insurers would no longer be able to charge higher premiums on the basis of gender or medical history. In a further slap, the industry would lose its exemption from federal antitrust restrictions on price fixing and market allocation.


There are provisions in this bill that could cause people to go to jail. This is a massive blow against freedom in the Western world.

Happily, the Senate isn't looking as cooperative.

I name my pets after politicians.

Its kind of funny, but I name my pets after politicians, based on their personality. Currently, I have a fish that needs naming. I have a male and two females. The male is an asshole, so I named him Jean Chretien. One of the females is an attention seeker, has blue and black stripes, but has some green on her as well... I called her Elizabeth May. The second female has blue and black stripes, and is also an attention seeker. These fish are from Africa... not sure what to name the last one, though... Any ideas?

Saturday, November 7, 2009

When will the Liberals grow up?

"When will the Liberals grow up? When they run out of rhetoric..."
-Mac from Blogging Tories.

"When toddlers quit having tantrums. Except even toddlers behave better than these bozos."
-Bec from the comments.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Canada votes against the Goldstone report.

In a defeat for equality, the Goldstone report was endorsed in the UN. But, in a victory for equality, Canada remained true to Israel and voted against the endorsement.

The UN General Assembly approved on Thursday an Arab-backed resolution endorsing the Goldstone Report, paving the way for the matter to be sent to the Security Council.

A total of 114 nations voted in favor of the resolution and 18 voted against it, with 44 members abstaining.

Israel and the US voted against the decision, as did Germany, Holland, Canada, Australia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Panama, Poland, Slovakia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine and several other nations.

Most EU states abstained, but Ireland, Switzerland, Malta, Cyprus and Slovenia voted in favor of the report.


The Goldstone report unfairly targets Israel and doesn't take into consideration the type of war Israel is forced to fight. Terrorists hide behind civilians, and Israel often risks the lives of their own soldiers and citizens in an attempt to not hurt those civilians.

But you can't let facts get in the way of hatred.

Final vote on public health care in America may be delayed.

The final vote on public health care in the US may end up being delayed, as the Democrats admit that they don't have the necessary number of votes.

A vote on House health care legislation may face a delay as Democratic leaders admitted Friday they don't have the support of 218 Caucus members, but any changes in the legislation to appease wavering members could force Speaker Nancy Pelosi to break a pledge to post the final bill online for 72 hours before lawmakers vote.

The House was expected to vote on the bill as early as Saturday, but Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said Friday morning that the vote could slip to Sunday or early next week because Democratic leaders haven't secured the 218 votes needed for passage. Republicans are unanimously opposed to the sweeping legislation.


Let's hope its a crash and burn.

Israel threatens strike against Iran.

In response to finding out the Iran does indeed already have nuclear weapons, Israel is threatening a military strike.

Israel is not bluffing when it warns that all options are still on the table and that it may strike Iranian nuclear facilities, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said in an interview with the British Sky television channel on Friday.

"The one who's bluffing is Iran, which is trying to play with cards they don't have," Ayalon reportedly said.

The deputy minister's interview came a day after the Guardian reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has demanded that Iran explain evidence that it has experimented with advanced nuclear warhead technology.

"All the bravado that we see and the testing and the very dangerous and harsh rhetoric is hiding a lot of weaknesses," Ayalon explained.


This is the time when Canadians need to unite in support for Israel. We cannot stand idly by. Israel is our ally, a free nation that seeks peace and equality. Unite for Israel. Unite for hope. Unite for freedom.

Iran tested a nuclear warhead.

Iran has, in fact, tested nuclear warheads.

The UN's nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design, the Guardian has learned.

The very existence of the technology, known as a "two-point implosion" device, is officially secret in both the US and Britain, but according to previously unpublished documentation in a dossier compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iranian scientists may have tested high-explosive components of the design. The development was today described by nuclear experts as "breathtaking" and has added urgency to the effort to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis.

The sophisticated technology, once mastered, allows for the production of smaller and simpler warheads than older models. It reduces the diameter of a warhead and makes it easier to put a nuclear warhead on a missile.

Documentation referring to experiments testing a two-point detonation design are part of the evidence of nuclear weaponisation gathered by the IAEA and presented to Iran for its response.

The dossier, titled "Possible Military Dimensions of Iran's Nuclear Program", is drawn in part from reports submitted to it by western intelligence agencies.


Iran has nuclear weapons capability. Diplomacy has failed. Now is the time for action. Now is the time for war.

Muslim terrorist kills 13, wounds 30 at Ft. Hood.

A Muslim terrorist, someone who hid in the US army, welcomed with open arms despite his religion, has killed 13 soldiers and wounded more than 30 others.

The death toll from a horrific shooting on a U.S. army base has risen to 13 after one of the wounded died from their injuries overnight.

Investigators allege that on Thursday afternoon trained military psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, opened fire at the Army's Fort Hood, Tx. post.

It was originally reported that Hasan had died after being shot several times by a police officer in the milieu that ensued after the shooting. However, late Thursday a base spokesperson said Hasan was alive in hospital, in stable condition.

It was reported Friday morning that soldiers who witnessed the shooting heart the gunman shout "Allahu Akbar!" -- an Arabic phrase for "God is great!" -- before opening fire.

However, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said officials had not yet confirmed that Hasan, a devout Muslim, made the comment before the rampage Thursday.

Initial reports said 12 people were killed and 32 wounded. CNN's Samantha Hayes said Friday morning that another person had died overnight.

"We had some unfortunate news this morning that there is a 13th fatality and more than 30 injured in what is being described as the worst mass shooting on a U.S. army base ever," Hayes told CTV's Canada AM.


This man was welcomed into the US army equally, and treated equally, and still he was driven to murder. How can there be any doubts that there is a problem with the Muslim religion?

Green beliefs given the same protections as religion in UK.

Green beliefs are now given the same protections as religions ones in the UK.

Environmental beliefs are worthy of the same protection as religion in matters of workplace discrimination, a judge has ruled in Britain.

The landmark decision, which upheld a previous employment tribunal judgment, means that workers who are victimized because of their green beliefs may have the right to bring compensation claims against their employer.

"If a person can establish that he holds a philosophical belief which is based on science, as opposed, for example, to religion, then there is no reason to disqualify it from protection," Mr. Justice Michael Burton, who presided over the appeal, said in his Oct. 7 decision.


All this does for us who realize that "Global Warming" is a massive hoax designed to bring socialism to the world is give us more ammunition when we claim that "Global Warming" is nothing but a religion.

American unemployment still on the rise, despite end of recession.

Unemployment south of the border has hit 10.2%, most likely because of the massive spending increases.

U.S. employers cut a deeper-than-expected 190,000 jobs in October, government data showed on Friday, driving the unemployment rate to 10.2%, the highest in 26-1/2 years.

The Labor Department said the unemployment rate was the highest since April 1983 and October's non-farm payrolls loss was the smallest since August last year. It revised job losses for August and September to show 91,000 fewer jobs lost than previously reported.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected payrolls to drop by 175,000 and the jobless rate to edge up to 9.9% from 9.8% in September.

The labor market is being watched for signs whether the economic recovery that started in the third quarter can be sustained without government support. The economy grew at a 3.5% annualized rate in the July-September period, probably ending the most painful U.S. recession in 70 years.


The massive spending in the USA deepened the recession, and when the time comes to pay the bill, there will be another recession. This out of control spending also caused unemployment to go as high as it did. If instead the US Feds had cut taxes, the recession would have ended a long time ago, and job losses would have turned around.

But that just makes to much sense for a lefty to understand.

Unemployment up.

Unemployment increased last month.

Canada unexpectedly lost 43,200 jobs in October, Statistics Canada said Friday, as the economy struggled to exit the first recession since the early 1990s.

The surprise decline came after two straight months of gains. The unemployment rate rose to 8.6% in October from 8.4% in September.

Most of last month's job losses were in the retail and wholesale trade sectors, Statistics Canada said.

"Part-time work dropped by 60,000 in October, the second consecutive month of large declines," the federal agency said. "At the same time, full-time employment increased slightly, adding to the large full-time gain from the previous month."

Many economists had expected 10,000 jobs would be added in October, but forecast the unemployment rate would rise to between 8.5 and 8.6%.


The Feds need to cut taxes. That will give the companies more spending money, which will lead to increased production and more jobs.