We can all learn from Star Wars - Week 132 - Nov 4-12

Stephen Harper keeps insisting everything is okay.  "The RCMP is not investigating the PMO.  These are not the droids you're looking for."  Regardless, the PM won.  The Senators are now the only villains and the Conservatives are the champions who banished the criminals from the Senate.

Canada, once again at the top of the heap.  Heap of sucking at curbing climate change.  According to the UN.  And at sucking at "Conservation".  According to a federal audit.

A nice summary of the War on Science.

Here's another one of those Conservative ideas that you can't really put your finger on why...but makes absolutely no sense - Giving wounded veterans top priority for Federal Government Jobs.  I mean...why not just give them the benefits you promised in the first place?  What if they're totally not qualified for the job?  It's just nonsense red meat.  And of course if you don't support it you're against the troops.

I feel like I'm living in crazy land.  Christy Clark just basically said that the "Five Conditions" have been met, paving the way for pipelines.  What has changed since the election?  Do we have great new safety standards and organizations?  Is there a rock solid plan for spill response?  Safeguards designed in to the pipeline?  Support for the pipeline.  No.  But the "Five Conditions" have been met.  Somehow.  This woman sucks.  This is why people were stupid to vote for her party.  And apparently nothing has changed with her feelings on Northern Gateway?

Scientists - It looks like Grizzly Bears might be overhunted in BC.
Christy Clark - Nope.  All good!

Speaking of disappearing wildlife in British Columbia, there's been little response or action on the Cohen Report, one year later.

Alberta oil producers are upset that they might have some new environmental regulations to deal with.

Of course, we have to spend a bit of time on Rob Ford.  Officially, crack smoking Rob Ford now.  Salon has a nice summary of the last few years of Rob Ford.  Lucky for us...his polling numbers didn't really go up.  There were just some flawed polls that skewed the numbers leading into the latest batch.  And to put Rob Ford to bed...watch this video, and if it doesn't make you smile a bit, you're dead on the inside.  Oh.  And just maybe, his incompetent communications director attempted to hire a hacker to destroy the crack tape?

Some facts about income disparity in the USA.  Key one for me...40% of Americans make less than $20,000 per year.  Top 7 percent own 63 percent of the wealth.  But of course, those that point this out and wonder about it are just jealous and should get better jobs.  Because it makes sense that the average CEO makes 354 times his average employee.  And stockbrokers are just so much smarter and harder working than everybody else.

This article looks at the American gun control battle as a function of 11 different nations within American with differing opinions.  Note how the nations extend into Canada.  Makes sense to me.

It's interesting to note that our parallels with the US haven't really kept pace.  Our "Midlands" are responsible for putting Stephen Harper in business, while the American Midlands put Obama in power.

A black woman in Detroit knocked on a door, asking for help when her car broke down.  She was shot and killed.  No charges.