Buckdog

Sarah Palin was caught on camera reading 'cheat notes' written on her hand at the Tea Party Convention Q&A session - February 6, 2010. Folks, she could be president of the usa one day ....

-Palin has sights set on White House - Times Online

Statement by Jack Layton, delivered to the media today.

Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming.

As some of you may know, I hurt my back last week.

Everyone who leads an active lifestyle knows what it's like to pull a muscle at the gym - it can be pretty painful.

My back is better now, but today I want to let you know about an unrelated health matter.

This year, more than 25,000 Canadian men will be diagnosed with treatable prostate cancer and I have recently learned that I’m one of them.

It’s the same kind of prostate cancer that my father was diagnosed with 17 years ago.

He, like the overwhelming majority of Canadian men with prostate cancer, fought it and won.

His treatments were successful, and I intend to tackle this with the same determination that he did.

Like my dad, I am a fighter. And I will beat this.

My treatment plan is now underway and everything is on track.

In the coming weeks, the schedule of my treatment regime means I may have a bit more time to catch the Olympics.

The hard work and drive of our Canadian athletes will be an inspiration.

I want to assure my constituents and the Canadian public that this will in not impede my ability to serve as either the Member of Parliament for Toronto Danforth or as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

I have an amazing team, great friends and a loving, supportive family.

And my wife Olivia knows a thing or two about taking on cancer, having been diagnosed with thyroid cancer just a few years ago.

She won her battle and so will I.

Recently, the Party marked the 7th anniversary of my becoming leader. Without question we have accomplished much. But we also recognize there is a lot more to do to build a more caring and greener Canada.

And I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves Monday morning and get back at it.

Thank you.

The power of one lowly onion ring wielded by the co-operative hands of many...



The man who suspended Canada's democratically elected Parliament is quietly visiting in Saskatoon today.

Host: Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament (Saskatoon Chapter)
Type: Causes - Protest
Date: Friday, February 5, 2010
Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Where: Delta Bessborough (sidewalk in front of hotel)
Street: 601 Spadina Crescent East
City: Saskatoon, SK
Details on Harper in Saskatoon ....

-Owls and Roosters has detailed coverage and photos ...

CBC's online spokesperson, Chris Ball, has tried to clarify Mothercorp's policy on 'fair use' of their material by bloggers.

We are now more confused than ever. If CBC is happy with that situation, so be it. As a taxpayer who pays for the corp., I am not very satisfied. I have tried to work through this .. but it has given me a headache.

Come on CBC ... clear this up!

There was a flurry of progressive blog postings yesterday concerning CBC's arrangement with an American company to sniff out and 'fine' anyone who uses a CBC article on their blog.

A number of individuals posted comments on the CBC Facebook Fanpage yesterday concerning the new policy. Guess what? Every comment of criticism has been removed from the Facebook fansite!

So much for open and honest dialogue with the 'people's broadcaster'!

-If you are interested .. here is a facebook page trying to get CBC's attention ...

.... HUH??!!

Note: due to circumstances beyond my control ... and idiotic decisions by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ... this site is now, unfortunately, a CBC free zone!

For a couple of years now, I have always gone to CBC first and have ensured that I linked to their news stories at every opportunity. This (I believe) brought some traffic to their news site. I make no revenue from this blog so I therefore cannot afford to pay for linking to CBC news items.

What a ridiculous situation CBC has put its progressive blogging friends in.


-CBC Signs Up With American 'Bounty Hunting' Company to stifle Bloggers and their fair comment rights!

Every citizen should be aware that our Federal Conservative government is denying one Canadian their fundamental constitutional rights - for political purposes. Therefore, in fact, they are also capable of denying your rights and the rights of all others in this nation. Welcome to Canada ... 2010..

Ruling of the Supreme Court Of Canada:
"Canada actively participated in a process contrary to its international human rights obligations and contributed to Khadr’s ongoing detention so as to deprive him of his right to liberty and security of the person, guaranteed by s. 7 of the Charter, not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. Though the process to which Khadr is subject has changed, his claim is based upon the same underlying series of events considered in Khadr 2008. As held in that case, the Charter applies to the participation of Canadian officials in a regime later found to be in violation of fundamental rights protected by international law. There is a sufficient connection between the government’s participation in the illegal process and the deprivation of K’s liberty and security of the person. While the U.S. is the primary source of the deprivation, it is reasonable to infer from the uncontradicted evidence before the Court that the statements taken by Canadian officials are contributing to K’s continued detention. The deprivation of Khadr’s right to liberty and security of the person is not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. The interrogation of a youth detained without access to counsel, to elicit statements about serious criminal charges while knowing that the youth had been subjected to sleep deprivation and while knowing that the fruits of the interrogations would be shared with the prosecutors, offends the most basic Canadian standards about the treatment of detained youth suspects." [...]

"CONCLUSION: Canada actively participated in a process contrary to Canada’s international human rights obligations and contributed to Mr. Khadr’s ongoing detention so as to deprive him of his right to liberty and security of the person guaranteed by s. 7 of the Charter, contrary to the principles of fundamental justice."
Ruling of the Supreme Court Of Canada
(in a unanimous 9 - 0 decision)
Jamuary 29. 2010

I know that everyone's attention is at the moment focused on getting Haitian kids into Canada with all speed. However, I want to point out a bizarre case of a Canadian boy who is being held in foster care in the USA.

In September 2008, Noah Kirkman, 11, traveled from Calgary to visit his stepfather in Oregon. In a weird scenario, local city police picked up Noah for riding a bike without a helmet. The boy was turned over to state child welfare officials and has been bouncing from foster home to foster home for over a year! He is Jewish and in his current foster placement, he is prohibited from practicing his Jewish faith.

"When Lisa reminded Foreign Affairs that because her son is a Canadian citizen, he is being held illegally, Ottawa suggested that she contact her member of parliament, Calgary Centre MP Lee Richardson, “as this would be a political decision which would fall outside the scope of our consular policy with regard to such cases.” But when Lisa contacted Richardson’s office, she was told that “the Canadian government cannot get involved” until the Oregon court order is rescinded. However, international law would supersede state law, says Lisa, who has hired an expert mediator in international child abduction to plead the case."
www.ffwdweekly.com

This child needs to be reunited with his mother in Calgary. Why are federal Conservative Immigration officials not getting more aggressively involved in this case? Just asking .....