Log Driver's Waltz

The writing's on the wall

"...the tribute to Jack Layton in Nathan Phillips Square, outside Toronto's City Hall, has exploded. Tens of thousands of chalk messages now cover the entire floor of the Square and all of its walls. I've never seen any out-pouring of grief like this for anyone in Toronto before..."

If there's one thing the Pinkos know, it's graffiti, eh Robbie?

Read more here.

RIP Jack Layton

Elections Canada probing hoax calls to voters

Elections Canada has launched an investigation into an election day telephone hoax designed to prevent voters from reaching the polls in three ridings in Ontario.

CBC News has obtained a copy of a fraudulent automated telephone message reported in Guelph, Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo telling people their polling locations had moved.

"This is an automated message from Elections Canada. Due to a projected increase in voter turnout your poll location has been changed," says one message retrieved from a resident’s telephone voicemail system in Guelph. "Your new voting location is at the old Quebec Street mall at 55 Wyndham Street North, " the message states.

But Elections Canada said it’s a hoax, that the polling locations had not been moved and frustrated voters were left scrambling trying to determine where to vote.

Read more here.

WikiLeaks: Torture nation USA annoyed Canada didn't criticize Cuba

Uh oh, Canada didn't tow the line..

U.S. diplomats criticized a Harper cabinet minister who visited Cuba last year for not publicly chastising the government for its human rights record, according to documents published by WikiLeaks.

"A series of recent visits has shown the different approaches that foreign governments have taken to highlight, or not, Cuba's sorry human rights record," the cable, written by a U.S. diplomat and dated Nov. 24, 2009, states.

And of course, Canada (or anyone in power for that matter) will attack the messenger...

Melissa Lantsman, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, said in an email that he wouldn't comment on the leaked documents.

"Irresponsible leaks like these are deplorable and do not serve anybody's national interests," she wrote. "The perpetrators of these leaks may threaten our national security."

Hahaha, STFU, the only thing threatened here is your dignity.

Read more here.

Moronic act of protest as group firebombs Ottawa bank

A brain dead group of protesters commits an act that can only be called terrorism, and they think this will help their cause?

An explosive fire at a Royal Bank in Ottawa early Tuesday was a deliberate act of protest against corporate "Kanada," a video posted online claims.

The video shows the RBC branch at Bank Street and First Avenue at night. It lights up suddenly, and flames spill out the front of the building. Two people can be seen walking casually out and heading offscreen toward the left.

The screen goes dark, and a written statement scrolls up the screen as it is read aloud by a computerized voice. It states that RBC was a major sponsor of the 2010 Olympics on "stolen indigenous land."

"The Games in Vancouver are now over, but resistance continues," said the statement. "An RBC branch can be found in every corner of Kanada."

The statement, signed by "FFFC - Ottawa," also says the group will be at the G20 summit in Toronto June 26-27 and at the G8 Summit near Huntsville, Ont., June 25-26.

The video and statement were posted under the title "Direct Action in Ottawa" on the website of the Ottawa Independent Media Centre by someone named GracB on Tuesday afternoon.

FYI you cretins, your actions are setting back the legitimate avenues of protest and giving President Harper more reason to act like the prick that he is.

Well done assholes.

Read more here.

Canadian government turns a blind eye to torture

Yet again, Harper and our Conservative government embarrass and shame us on a global scale.

Senior Canadian military and government officials ignored evidence that Afghan authorities were torturing detainees handed over by Canada's troops and then tried to silence those who raised the alarm, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday.

Richard Colvin said many of those arrested by the Canadian military were innocent and the practice of handing over prisoners knowing they could be abused was a war crime.

The startling public allegations -- the first of their kind from a senior official -- is likely to embarrass the minority Conservative government, which has insisted detainees were not passed to Afghan control if there was any danger of torture.

Please, they've covered up for the Americans before this

Read more here.

Shatner wants P.M. job

It would be better than the varool we have now.

Montreal-born William Shatner says he wants to be prime minister of Canada, the New Zealand newspaper Web site Stuff.co.nz reported.

The 77-year-old Star Trek actor revealed his ambition in response to a letter from a fan who urged him to put himself forward for governor general of Canada.

"My intention is to be prime minister of Canada, not governor general, which is mainly a ceremonial position," he reportedly wrote.

Shatner added: "I must, with my deepest thanks, turn down your honourable intent to advance me as Governor General. Besides which, I don't have time to be Governor General. ... As Prime Minister I can lead Canada into even greater exploits."

Obama visits Canada

"Who is that idiot?"



"Oh my God, he's the P.M.."



"It's made of ice, you know"

Just what does Apple Inc. have against Canada?

As an man in the street, I know the lack of the iPhone here in Canada is pissing off loyal Apple customers. WTF Apple?

Given the monopolistic nature of the providers here (heelllooo Rogers) as well, the holdup is probably not all Apple's doing.

Apple may be one of the most beloved consumer brands in the world, but its products cost more here than they do south of the border despite near parity in the currencies, new services often arrive long after they're launched in the U.S., and then there's the conspicuous absence of the company's iPhone.

Meanwhile, other multinational consumer electronics companies, including Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., consider Canada a proving ground for new products and services.

So does Apple hate Canada?

Read more here.

Canadian NAFTA memo leak 'interference': U.S. ambassador

A recent leak of confidential diplomatic information that raised doubts about the sincerity of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's threat to renegotiate NAFTA amounts to Canadian interference in America's political process, the U.S. ambassador to Canada said Thursday.

Read more here.

NAFTA-gate had 'significant impact' on primary outcome: Clinton aide

Ian Brodie, alleged Conservative scumbag, who's memory is now conveniently faulty

A leaked Canadian memo that raised doubts about the sincerity of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's threat to renegotiate NAFTA was a big factor in Hillary Clinton's victory in the Ohio primary, her top campaign aide says.

"It had a significant impact," her chief strategist Mark Penn said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. "I think it is going to be a serious issue moving forward in this campaign. It raised serious questions about Obama."

The memo leak, which is being dubbed NAFTA-gate, came in the final days before Tuesday's primary in Ohio, where Obama ended up narrowly losing to Clinton.

Someone here in Canada needs to be charged in this, now.

Read more here.

Also..

Harper aide accused of sparking NAFTA-gate

Read more here.

Hollywood productions can dodge proposed tax rule

Under the proposed changes to federal tax legislation [Bill C-10], Canadian films that receive public funding may be scrutinized by the government for their moral suitability. Yet Hollywood films shot in Canada that have applied for tax credits will get a free pass.

Film director David Weaver (Century Hotel, Siblings) said yesterday that he finds it preposterous that the Department of Heritage would apply this only to Canadian producers, not to Americans or other foreign parties. "The message seems to be big-time American producers can come and produce anything they want, but [Ottawa is] going to undermine and perhaps make impossible smaller Canadian productions. It's outrageously discriminatory."

That's Conservatives!

Read more here.

Make Public Draft Guidelines for Bill C-10

I agree that if the government says this has 'nothing to do with censorship', then they must state clearly just what exactly it is.

This is too important.

The Government of Canada is reassuring the film and television industry that the guidelines informing tax credit eligibility for productions have 'nothing to do with censorship' – "well," says Maureen Parker, Executive Director, Writers Guild of Canada, "if they want to reassure us, then make the draft guidelines public now, and let's have the debate. Enough secrecy, enough speculation – we need to know now. The industry cannot do business in the dark."

Read more here.

"Start Something." Say no to Bill C-10

We haven't stopped them, but boy did we draw attention to their slimy ways.

No one is really saying it, but it's the Christians under the Canadian Family Action Coalition that scared the crap out of everyone. Even the government.

There's hope yet, this is not America.

The slogan at the bottom of David Kahane's University of Alberta web page says it all: "Start Something."

Kahane certainly did. The associate professor of political science--specializing in democratic theory and practice--got an email Thursday from a friend, playwright Brad Fraser, outraged at something he'd read in the Globe and Mail. Attached was the story, "Tories plan to withhold funds from offensive productions."

Inspired by a Facebook group looking at new copyright legislation, Kahane--contacted by TV Feeds My Family through Facebook--decided to see if he could "help to make a difference around C-10 using such a group."

The result: within 24 hours, 5000 people had joined "Keep your censoring hands off of Canadian film and TV! No to Bill C-10!"

Read more here.

Also from the same blog, tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot:

Separation of Church and State.

Canada puts tax bill on hold

The Canadian Parliament has pushed back a planned vote on a controversial tax bill that could open the way to government censorship of domestic film and TV shows.

Bill C-10, which proposes to grant the federal government authority to deny taxpayer support for domestic film and TV projects deemed excessively sexual and violent, on Monday was sent back to the Senate Banking Committee for review.

The Canadian film and TV industry first learned of Bill C-10 -- a proposed amendment to the federal Income Tax Act that would permit the Heritage minister to withhold tax credits for domestic film and TV projects deemed offensive according to unspecified guidelines -- as it was headed to the Senate floor for a third and final reading last week.

That revelation provoked an immediate charge of censorship from Canadian artists and producers, who believe it would result in a choking off of bank and distribution financing for homegrown projects.

Read more here.

No to Bill C-10

Join the Facebook group fighting this sneaky new law. That Christian nutcase should have kept quiet.

Canada's Tory government is using clauses hidden away in Bill C10, an omnibus piece of legislation tweaking the Income Tax Act, to set itself up as the arbiter of which films and TV programs made in Canada are offensive, or not in the public interest. If C10 passes, the Heritage Minister will develop guidelines to deny tax credits (a key part of film and TV financing in Canada) to shows that step over the line--and it's anyone's guess how the Tories will define 'decency', 'obscenity', or 'contrary to public policy'.

Join here.

Artists call Tory plan to vet films 'censorship'

Those sneaky bastards. Guess my film about gay atheist environmentalists won't get funding now....

I don't want to pay for their fucking war, but I don't seem to have a say in that kind of public funding...or ads for the military on TV I find offensive..don't see them caring too much about that.

But oh, mention the "gay"!

I really dislike conservatives. They have a fight on their hands.

A new bill that would give the federal Heritage Department the power to deny funding for films and TV shows it considers offensive is creating shock waves in the industry.

Changes now before the Senate to the Income Tax Act that would allow the federal government to cancel tax credits for projects thought to be offensive or not in the public interest. The amendments have already been passed in the House of Commons.

Read more here.

Oh no, it's much worse...it's the Christians. The IQ of the debate just went to single digits.

A well-known evangelical crusader is claiming credit for the federal government's move to deny tax credits to TV and film productions that contain graphic sex and violence or other offensive content.

Charles McVety, president of the Canada Family Action Coalition, said his lobbying efforts included discussions with Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, and "numerous" meetings with officials in the Prime Minister's Office.

"We're thankful that someone's finally listening," he said yesterday. "It's fitting with conservative values, and I think that's why Canadians voted for a Conservative government."

Actually, most people didn't vote for the Conservatives...hello minority government?

Mr. McVety said films promoting homosexuality, graphic sex or violence should not receive tax dollars, and backbench Conservative MPs and cabinet ministers support his campaign.

Gee and here I thought we had equal rights under the law...silly me. Christianity trumps rights every time!

Now I really really dislike conservatives, and so called Christian watchdog groups. They want to close your mind.

Read more here, that is if the government deems it "fitting with conservative values".

O dhimmi Canada

Tell us what you really think Pat.

From Canada to the World regarding torture

Hello World

I would like to apologize to the world for the recent cowardly act by the Canadian government.

This weak action of backtracking on what was obviously a correct determination that the U.S. is indeed torturing prisoners gives the appearance that Canada and Canadians condone torture.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This turnabout is totally due to persons within our Conservative government, as is a result of pressure from "allies".

This Canadian has always been told that waterboarding is torture, and no amount of legalize and moral decay will convince me otherwise.

Prime Minister Harper and the conservative government, you have a fight on your hands.

Signed One disappointed citizen.