Nothing is Anyones Fault - Week 104 - April 22-29

Isn't it great that people like Vic Toews can now throw you in jail with no charges and then hold a secret trial?  I feel better already.  Seems like he can decide who gets to talk to the media as well.

How on earth did I miss this story/picture?  Bieber shaking hands with Steve-O in overalls.

Steve-O is defending his right to use taxpayer dollars to send out attack ads.  Adrian Dix made some comments in an interview earlier this week when questioned about seeking corporate donations.  Paraphrasing, he said something along the lines of "These are the rules now and we will play by them.  But if we are elected, we will change them."  There's something troubling about the Prime Minster, who has the ability to change these laws, using a similar "these are the rules" argument.

Peter McKay is sick and tired of people asking him about the stuff he's supposed to be overseeing.

The Ontario Government is stepping in to support freshwater lakes research facility open.  The Conservatives are going to have to work extra hard to muzzle that research now.

This is just the funniest thing I've read in a long time.  George Bush: World Savior.

Have no fear!  Jason Kenney is on the case!  He's going to look in to the accused VIA train terrorists botched deportations of many years ago.

Oh fuck these people.  Fuck all of them.  It isn't bad enough that the "news story" about the persecution one of the accused VIA rail terrorists families contains a whole lot of editorialization...but the comments degenerate into a "ship them all home" lynch mob of "true Canadians".

Stephen Harper suggests that now isn't the time to "commit sociology" with respect to terrorism.  So when is the time to actually think about why this stuff happens and what we can do to reduce it?  Oh.  I forgot.  We're talking about terrorism.  All we can do is stick our heads in the sand, condemn it unconditionally, and pass more laws.  We should never try to understand something that we don't agree with.

Peter Penashue still claims nothing is his fault and dangles the "official voice in government" carrot in an attempt to win votes.  He also claims polls are wrong.

The EPA thinks Canada needs to improve things at the oil sands.  Joe Oliver thinks otherwise.  And can't figure out why they won't approve our pipeline.  Strange when a bully finds out his tactics don't work everywhere.

But it's all now going to be the fault of unions that the Keystone XL doesn't get approved.

Sometimes I hope that Matt Taibbi is just sitting at home, making things up.  How is it that he can so consistently track down these insane stories of banks and governments screwing people over so very, very badly?  How is it that he can uncover these stories and absolutely nothing happens?  This one sounds familiar (banks rigging interest rates).  These stories make me want to just stay in bed.

So.  Yes.  When a UN Human Rights council starts criticizing Canada's human rights record and some of the voices include North Korea and Iran, it might be a bit hard to take.  But lost in all of this...There's 81 other countries criticizing us as well.

The Canada Revenue Agency seems to have a hard time collecting taxes.  The amount of taxes owed to the CRA has jumped significantly in the last 7 years.

A symbolic victory for the Liberals?  The Conservatives defeat a motion to provide "free speech" for MP's in the House of Commons.  Nothing says irony like your members of Parliament voting against their own free speech.

The Conservatives are pursuing tougher sentencing on some specific violent crimes.  The sole purpose of this legislation seems to be about avoiding parole hearings.  None of the people convicted of these crimes end up getting out of jail (your Pickton's and whatnot).

Canada Post is trying to claim trademark to the term "postal code".