THE WOODSTOCK ONTARIO INDEPENDENT NEWS

Conservative party member Calls MP A Liar.

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:54:00 +0000

IF YOU TREAT YOUR OWN PARTY MEMBERS THIS WAY, HOW WILL YOU TREAT OUR NATION?

Harpers' Position Is Difficult To Swallow

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:41:00 +0000

ONE DAY AN ISLAND OF ECONOMIC STABILITY, THE NEXT WE'RE ON SHAKY GROUND

This campaign has been an interesting assault on common sense that behooves most Canadians, and we can easily asses who is to blame.

After listening to the Prime Minister tell Canadians that nothing is wrong one day, and the next day we're on our way into the pits of hell it's hard not to wonder if the whole thing is a lie that is being perpetuated in the name of gaining electoral ground in the final countdown to election day.

I don't think anyone has a clear and concise plan for dealing with this volatile situation and regardless of what 'action' any new government may take it will have little effect on the outcome of what some observers say is a recession on the horizon.

The fact is, the government has little control over the markets, but does have a role to play in developing decent regulations and fostering an atmosphere that is conducive to providing good conditions to the markets that ultimately will determine how the markets themselves perform in our country.

No matter who we elect this coming week, whether it be Dion, Harper or Layton to steer the country, the fact remains that any one of them will be in for one hell of a ride, and perhaps all three of them are secretly hoping to lose in order to make the 'winner' take the heat for the crisis we are facing.

All I know is I am sure glad I am not sitting in any of their seats this month!

No Worries For Fortier..Harper Will Just Re-appoint Him If Harper Is Re-Elected

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:11:00 +0000

CONSERVATIVE HEAVY WEIGHT IN A "TIGHT RACE"

Well, I'm not too sure how tight of a race it will be but I do know that Mr Fortier should have no problem scoring his cushy patronage appointment once again if Stephen Harper gets re-elected this week...hence the need for him running in any race is just for posterity.

The CONServative unelected Public works minister and senate appointee is running in the riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges and is expected widely to lose the race as the riding has been held solidly by a Bloc MP for many years.

The last election saw the Bloc incumbent beat the big liberal star, former astronaut, Marc Garneau by a landslide, and it is widely expected that the same will happen again...but this time, it will be the big conservative star that gets squished.

CONServatives Continue Assault On Dions' Language/Hearing Disability

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:59:00 +0000

IS IT PROPER FOR A NATIONAL LEADER TO PICK ON SOMEONE FOR THEIR DISABILITY?

Considering that the Conservative Party and its' leadership continually picks on Stephane Dion and his disability(he has a hearing problem) I am wondering, do other Canadians feel this is justified of the Prime Minister to attack a person based on their disabilities?

I would think that if the CPC really wanted to they could find a thousand other reasons to attack Dion, but frankly, to attack this person on the basis of his language ability as it relates to his inability to hear correctly is just kind of sick.

As a parent of a disabled child it is always a concern to see disabled persons assaulted and bullied by those who claim to be "normal" or fully abled.

As Mr Harper is the leader of a progressive nation, it seems completely immoral of him to use an election to disparage the portion of the population that suffers from disability.

And for those kinds of reasons, I can never find myself in a position to vote for the CPC and their cadre of bullies. And it is no wonder that many other Canadians feel the same way about this party.

Amazingly, The Actually Released The report Just Now

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:56:00 +0000

AFGHAN WAR EXPENSE REPORT FINALLY RELEASED

Incredible.

The Canadian effort in Afghanistan will cost us a massive $14-$18 billion, almost double what the government has claimed the mission would cost.

Kevin Page, Parliamentary budget officer today released the report detailing expenses incurred thus far and for the remaining future of the misison which has killed and maimed countless Canadian soldiers in an effort to stabilize a nation that cannot be stabilized.(because frankly, they enjoy being who they are I think)

The Harper government earlier stated that the costs for the 2007-2008 fiscal period would be close to $3.8 billion, but now the budget secretary says no, that's bulshit, it's going to be double that, more like $5.85-billion and $7.45-billion.

So, who's telling the truth...the government, or the guy that does the governments' books?

Mr Page says the books that are handed into parliament by the Defence Ministry are not the same as the books that the ministry keeps for themselves.His report basically then goes on to say that it is difficult to ascertain what money is actually spent due to the strange accounting methods utilized by the present government.

Great, just great.

An Open Letter To Our CONServative MP Dave Mackenzie

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:07:00 +0000

CANADIANS ARE STILL ASKING, WHERE ARE THOSE AFGHANISTAN WAR EXPENSES AS PROMISED?

Considering there are only mere days left to the election campaign we've found ourselves in(despite the Conservative knee deep rhtetoric about "fixed" elections)I am wondering, as are many other Canadians, why the government of Dave Mackenzie and Stephen Harper have failed Oxford constituents by failing to release the Afghanistan war costs report as authored by parliamentary budget officer, Kevin Page?(who himself stated "that if he were to release it, that it may have an affect on the outcome of the election".)

Is there an answer for this refusal or will we be forced to suffer another number of years with a duct taped MP as our community liason between Ottawa and Oxford?

I know it seems a lot to ask of him, but in consideration of the recent fact that even the PM admits we will not win in Afghanistan, I am wondering if these dollars might better be spent redirected into the required stabilzation of the economy versus the wanton wastefullness of another year or two in Afghanistan?

Jim Bender, Woodstock

CONServative MP's Son In Court For Brandishing Gun In A Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:20:00 +0000

WOODSTOCK BUSINESS OWNER CLAIMS ASSAULT BY MP'S SON WHO PULLED A GUN ON HIM

Woodstock business owner Sam Zabian was in court this week after charging the local MP's son with assault.(the local police refused to charge the person)

Apparently during the course of an attempted arrest, officer Mackenzie(son of sitting MP Dave Mackenzie) chased down a crime suspect who ran into the restaurant of local business person Sam Zabian.

Zabian claims that the MP's son ran into the restaurant following an unknown indivudual that later turned out to be Mr Zabians' son who Mr Zabian said was unrecognizable at the time.

Zabian claims that it was not apparent that the man with the gun was a police officer as he had not identified himself as such and as a result Mr Zabian attempted to block the person with the gun from the patrons' in the restaurant.

This resulted in Mr Zabian being shoved to the ground, and then kicked while having A GUN POINTED AT HIM!

The person then identified themselves as being a police officer, but only after having assaulted Mr Zabian.

The MP's son is still on active duty and still is carrying a gun around. The trial continues.

Harper Barely Treading Water In Several Provinces

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:50:00 +0000

HARPER TEAM APPEARS TO BE BARELY HOLDING THEIR HEADS ABOVE THE WAVES

The seas are rough and the unsinkable ship Tory seems poised for capsizing after taking on a hold full of lead in the form of a stagnating international economy and a frightened Canadian public.

The leaders' debates certainly had an impact on a prime minister who usually seemed prepared to take on anything that has been tossed at him for the past few years. Throughout the debates he seemed to lack the ability to deflect criticism and coherently punch back and the majority of punches landed squarely on his lap.

It's a different world when you are forced to defend your positions versus that of attacking the governments' positions. Im sure he found this battle more difficult than sitting in oppostion.
I think Mr Harper just realized that the national media cannot be scripted the way he scripts his press secretary or the way he handles his cabinet and MP's, hence the volumes of negative publicity that have been afforded this PM and his campaign...

Recent polls have shown that the federal CONS , (if lucky) will make it back in to run another minority government...and then at that point Canadians must ask themselves...just what was all the fuss over and why did this have to cost us hundreds of millions of dollars just so you guys could have the same job back? and when will the next election be now that we all know that the fixed election date thing was just another scam to make you look like you have some integrity when really you have very little electoral integrity.

Perhaps Mr Harper would be better suited in oppostion...at least he appeared to connect with Canadians back then in some small c way...or at least we weren't as fearful of him.

Bank Of Canada Cuts Rate By Half A Point

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:32:00 +0000

BANK OF CANADA CUTS RATES TO INSTITUTIONS

The Bank of Canada yesterday cut their overnight lending rate to 2.5% in order to stimulate economic growth and to assist the banks in cushioning them from the impact of a global market decline.

In just about every other country on earth that made the same move through their central banks, the banking industry responded by dropping lending rates to consumers by an equivalent amount...but not here in Canada.

In Canada our banks dropped lending rates by 1/4 of a percent and are now pocketing the difference, making Canadas' banks even more profitable than they already were. The CEO of TD bank says that the cut was intended to shore up faltering banks....even though the government claims that is not the case and that no Canadian banks were overly exposed to the US subprime meltdown.

If Canadas' economy is such an island of stability and success I wonder why the central bank would need to cut its' rates to the banking system in Canada? And isn't it kind of ugly to see the banks take advantage of those rate cuts at our expense?

They Came, I Went, I Left

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:23:00 +0000

NO SHOCK AND AWE, WELL, ALMOST

So I survived the debate err speech thing still not any brighter than when I went in. In general the excitement was minimal, and there was a good crowd(as good as anything I'd ever seen while up there in the past)and the mood quite sombre...perhaps indicative of our economic condition these days.

Several questions were asked of the candidates courtesy of the local Sentinel-Review and the local radio station The Heart FM.

I really don't think anyone actually answered anything properly, although I do believe that some were better rehearsed than others.

Most candidates were forced to look through their binders in order to answer the questions that were in front of them...and to me that means that they are about as uninformed as half of the voting population in our country and no wonder we are in such a quagmire nationally!

Several questions were asked from the highly partisan crowd about culture funding, a prospective Canadian Department of Peace,the environment,youth crime and the answers offered by the candidates ranged from the mundane to the preposterous to the unachievable.

One individual(a retired police officer)outright called the CONservative incumbent Dave Mackenzie a liar for making a promise to him for a meeting but then the MP just sloughed him off.(in a very typical nonchalant conservative manner). The MP for Oxford refused to address that persons concerns repeatedly in the riding and through the conservative party riding association (for which he is a member...but probably not for long, i'm sure they will expel him after that.) Tomorrow I will update this site with a copy of a letter to Mr Mackenzie that cites details about this one...it's interesting enough.

Otherwise...might as well toss a coin up in the air and hope to hell it lands somewhere, anywhere, but not in Stephen Harpers' lap.

All Candidates Meeting...7Pm Tonite...Goff Community Complex

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:37:00 +0000

GREAT, I SUPPOSE I'LL HAVE TO ENDURE SOME MORE BULLSHIT AND AN EVER SMILING CONSERVATIVE INCUMBENT

Although I think I could probably make much better use of the time, I feel it is necesary to at least go and listen to what these people have to say...even if everything is mostly a lie. At least I will be able to complain about having participated in the process and still left feeling utterly screwed afterwards...but with some degree of honesty I will be able to state my case.

So, just what do we think these people will say tonite?

I suppose Dave mackenzie the CONservative guy will reiterate his parties' position(not sure if its' his position as he seems speechless....until elction time...even then he's somewhat muted by his boss...or is that a lot muted?)

Martha will undoubtedly do well in town here being a local person of some influence.(mostly through her connnections/employment at the Chamber of Commerce. The only thing is...will she be able to pull off that speech without frigging it up? Hopefully she's not turning into another Alex Krieger.....on and on and on without focus.

Dianne Abbott...well, is Dianne. She's pretty spunky and bright. Let's not lose it on who is the best leader. Focus on who is the best person for the job. She can speak, could debate very well if it were a courtroom debate not a speech, but unfortunately...it's a speech.

Cathy Mott is a veritable bastion of goodness and beliefs when it comes down to her love of everything green. She is bright and energetic, but once again, loses her focus and seems to wander off. She would be a great mascot bearer for the green party or even a mascot!Unfortunately for her, she will still be working at her job after this election.

The CHP guy is the CHP guy. What can you say about a guy that looks to god for his guidance and joins a party that thinks they only have to be accountable to the flying spaghetti monster? It was nice to see you. Hope you don't get in! Say hi to Leonard..the baby guy, oh yeah, and John, the guy that uses bits and pieces of the bible..to his advantage.

Otherwise....in a wee bit of time we'll all be sitting there slack jawed from boredom, listening to the nonsensical droning of little machines on stage.

At least I can say...I'll be informed!

Poor Stevie...Forced To Fight For A Minority Position!

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:29:00 +0000

PM FORCED TO DEFEND HIS NO PROBLEMS HERE ATTITUDE

Stephen Harper appeared yesterday to be heading his campaign into the direction of minority territory hoping to keep a smaller grip on power than what he anticpated after calling his snap illegal election.

Although his party was heading into the election with a staggering lead, polls released yesterday confirmed for Harper that his electoral hopes had been squandered by his inaction on the economy and had sunken to pre 2006 levels and that the liklihood of a minority CONservative government seemed imminent.

In other words, Canadians just forked out hundreds of millions for an illegal election that will have absolutely no benefit to Canadians. The Prime Minister called the election to capitalize on the poor numbers that had beset the liberal party for the past 2 years. The prime Minister stated to the media at the time that he called the election that the minority parliament was "dysfunctional" and was not working.

Frankly, I think that Canadians are just disgusted by the antics of the parties and that most Canadians just don't give a damn who is in power as long as none of them have a majority government.

Yahoo for Canada!

This is too funny...Perhaps they should file an HRC complaint!

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:28:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4_-vN0uBkM

Election Quotes...Some Good, Some Stunned.

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:24:00 +0000

"This election is about leadership, not the kind of leadership that shows up every four years and asks for your vote."
-Gary McHale, Independent Candidate, Haldimand Norfolk referring to Dianne Finleys' (Incumbent Conservative MP) relative silence for the past several years.)(Undoubtedly, this is the very best quote this election)

"Frequently the Conservatives are maligned as a party not interested in the environment"
-Dave Mackenzie(Incumbent Conservative MP) when pressed on the Conservative inaction on the environment. (hmm, I wonder why Dave would think they are being maligned? Could it be they just big oil rape and pillage the environment at our national expense?)

"It will tax more of what you earn -- no, more of what you burn and less of what you earn."
-Martha Dennis, (Liberal hopeful for Oxford)stumbling on her unrehearsed lines..again.

"Our interest lies in making that country safe and stable so their people can take over the roles that we're doing."
-Dave Mackenzie(Incumbent Conservative MP) Discussing what no one else knows about Afghanistan aside from him.
(It's odd that he's out of the loop on this one. Even the PM stated days ago the mission is unachievable and never will be in accordance with a British Generals' assertion that it cannot be won.)

"Brian Mulroney was named the greenest prime minister in Canada"
-Dave Mackenzie(Incumbent Conservative MP)
Here's something he may be right about. No doubt, all that loot made BM(kinda sounds like bowel movement)really green....with cash.(Anyone remember Schreiber?)

Got any additions...send them in!

Oh, And Finally, Now That It's Too Late To Debate, Harper Releases his Platform

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:40:00 +0000

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, THE CONSERVATIVES PLAN ON RELEASING THEIR "PLATFORM"

Drumrolls please!

The Harper team has decided that after running their campaign on nothing for the past few weeks that they'd better release a platform to the public...AFTER THE ADVANCE POLLS!

Good for them that they spent weeks pushing the folks in our riding to vote in the advance polls, without knowing what the CONS platform really was. What a positive way to run a campaign...get some people to vote for you without having a clue about what they are voting for.

Gotta like those well educated voters! It's little wonder Canada is in such a mess. There should be a law that forces the release of platforms in advance of any voting. That way, people have some idea of what's going on...instead of being duped into voting for something that doesn't even exist.

COP BUSTED SMOKING CRACK IN CRUISER

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:26:00 +0000

BRANTFORD COP BUSTED SMOKING CRACK IN CRUISER

A Brantford City cop was arrested and suspended after being caught on police video surveillance tape smoking crack in his cruiser while on duty.

Jeffrey Glen Servos, 31 a Brantford, Ontario police constable plead guilty yesterday in Ontario Court to one count of possession of a controlled substance.

In an agreed statement of facts that was released by the courts, Servos agreed that he had been snorting oxycotin and smoking crack while behind the wheel of his cruiser despite the illegality of it.

The cop has been suspended WITH PAY! He also faces charges under the police services act.

I wonder why he wasn't charged with impaired driving if in fact they had video of him becoming intoxicated behind the wheel?

Looks like the drugged driving laws are only for the folks not dressed in blue. And if it was you or I caught on the job smoking crack or doing pills, in all liklihood we'd not be suspended WITH PAY!

Harper Officially Endorses The North American Union

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:38:00 +0000

PM Harper has already officially endorsed the North American Union!

By Paul Chen from 2 Solitudes
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s appearance at the New York City based Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) on 25 September 2007, was an official endorsement and expression of solidarity on the North American Union agenda.

Harvard University educated CNN Veteran anchor Lou Dobbs, has further confirmed the official endorsement of the Stephen Harper Minority Conservative government on North American Union, or “New America”.

Mr. Harper has been apparently directed by the principal funders of the Conservative Party of Canada, which are ideologically linked to the CFR, to assimilate Canada into a new “Fortress North America” which is controlled by the U.S. political-military-industrial complex by no later than 2010.

Building a 'North American Community'

Indeed, the Stephen Harper government has been reported to be in the process of getting various Canadian government departments and agencies to “harmonize”, with U.S. governmental agencies, to expedite the assimilation of Canada into the neo-conservative vision of a “Fortress North America”. The Council of Foreign Relations has indeed published a book on its North American Union manifesto entitled “Building a North American Community”.

John Manley, former Deputy Prime Minister in the Paul Martin Liberal Government is a co-author of this book.

Yes, my fellow Canadians, that is why Stephen Harper with ONLY a minority government, has been able to easily pursue North American Union, with what Mr. Lou Dobbs has referred to as a cabal at the CFR.

Political party elites including those among the Liberals and Bloc Québécois, have apparently been all co-opted by the very wealthy Council of Foreign Relations.

North American Union architects have used the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to legitimate the take over of Canada by U.S. interests as a “logical outcome” of the terms of NAFTA.
“When the leaders of Canada, Mexico, and the United States met in Texas recently they underscored the deep ties and shared principles of the three countries.

'Security & Prosperity'

The Council-sponsored Task Force applauds the announced “Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America,” but proposes a more ambitious vision of a new community by 2010 and specific recommendations on how to achieve it,” states the Official Press Release for the book Building a North American Community, which is published by the CFR.

Mr. Harper’s speech at the CFR on 25 September 2007 affirms Mr. Harper’s Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPPNA) commitment to hand over Canada to full control by no later than 2010, to a political fraternity which is associated with the current U.S. Bush administration. Mr. Harper’s government apparently reports to the CFR.

In effect, the Government of Canada appears to be governed not from a sovereign Parliament in Ottawa, but run through a New York City-based political fraternity, which seeks to replace a democratic form of government, with the rule of society by a “Council of Wise Men”.

The architects of such a fascistic government look upon their vision of society, to be much more “efficient” in dealing with the need to vanquish enemies, i.e. “terrorists”.

'New World Order'

A terrorist is broadly defined by the architects of the North American Union, as any individual or group which opposes the New World Order agenda.

The CFR website also openly endorses the Conservative Party of Canada under Stephen Harper, alluding to his government having an alleged mandate to transform Canada substantively into a U.S. colony by implementing the recommendations of the CFR, book “Building a North American Community”.

There is therefore clearly a working association between the Harper government and the CFR to implement and execute the NAU agenda of the book entitled “Building a North American Community”, whether Canadians like it or not.

John Manley, former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, who is part of an apparent Liberal-Conservative-Bloc parliamentary alliance on the SPPNA, also endorses the replacement of the Canada-U.S. border, with a new international border around Canada, the U.S., and also Mexico.

“To make North America more competitive and secure, the three leaders should announce a plan to establish a North American security and economic community by 2010.

The aim of this community would be to guarantee a free, safe, just and prosperous North America.

The boundaries of the community would be defined by a common external tariff and an outer security perimeter, within which the movement of people and products would be legal, orderly and secure.” John Manley stipulated on 23 March 2005, in the Wall Street Journal, in the aftermath of his Liberal government’s support of SPPNA.

Canadians who seek to save their country, must therefore seek to cancel NAFTA, as the legal basis for the greed-driven and fear associated pursuit of the destruction of Canada, under the pretext of the “War on Terrorism”.

Ahh, The Leaders' Debates And The Junk Mail That Comes With It

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:39:00 +0000

WHY IS IT THAT EVERY EMAIL I GET FROM EVERY PARTY SAYS THEY EACH WON THE LEADERS' DEBATE???

I'm really starting to think that I am Bill Murray in Ground Hog Day.(This is one of the only movies that I did not sleep through besides Fiddler on the Roof about 40 years ago...my parents said I cried all the way through the whole film)

I mean what the heck, every day I pop open an email and heres'one party or another claiming they've won the debates, or that they've triumphed or that a "star is born" in Emay(not to be confused with emo)or that everyone else has lost except for the people sending the bloody email!

I just do not comprehend it all. Somebody has got to be lying about this and I'm really not quite sure who...just one of them? Two of them? Or all of them?

The debate was about as exciting as sitting through a 90 minute molar extraction without benefit of anaesthetic.(really, get the laughing gas, it's worth the 80 bucks just to avoid another one of these "debates"!)

Nope, watching the whole mess of a thing just soldified in my mind that if the CONservative PM Harper cannot look his opponents in the eye, he must not be telling the whole truth.(if any)And perhaps that could be said for all of them.

Gilles Duceppe had it right(and with a startling degree of honesty) when he said that three of you plus me will never be Prime Minister. No doubt he was not lying.

So of course at least all of them were lying about our prospects as a nation that is sovereign and free, the economy, unemployment and a broad range of issues.

One contestant for the price is right(the pm's government) has a particular hate on for Ontario. Another has never been here, one forgot that Ontario existed, another wants to turn off the power,one wants to invoke the higher power, and it goes on and on like an everready battery.

So just who in the heck is telling the truth? And does it even matter, because when they get into office, they just break those promises anyways...citing numerous reasons for doing so. Even the god invoking fundies(no, not the edible ones)wouls tell you that they won't be accountable to you or me, but to jehovah only as jehovah is omnipotent in all matters.

Frankly, I did not see any 'winners', but I did see a nation of people look away in disgust, knowing that most of what we were hearing, was stuff our parents told us to be ashamed of...lies, lying and distortion of the truth.

And remember to be sorry for Canada that we should be governed by such capricious fools.

The Devil Came On Horseback..And America Alone

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 10:30:00 +0000

AMERICAN MARINES' STORY OF DARFUR IS CHILLING, DISTURBING AND EMBARASSING FOR THE WORLD

I don't watch a lot of movies. I find the entire industry to be really shitty.Or at least the junk they generally throw at us is beyond believable or just plain too dumb to want to watch.

I've never had a thing for the violence prone flicks we see, nor do I really care about the blast from space in the form of science fiction that beckons us to go where no man has ever gone before. (I'm scared of the high altitude decompression thing so I'll never fly into space...no matter what, oh, unless it's in true Gene Rodenberry style.)

Usually my choice in films is limited to documentaries or biographies and not the pulp typed fiction of Hollywood.

I usually quip with the staff at Rogers video that I'll be passed out by the time the main index hits the screen sleeping comfortably on the couch until it's time to lock up one of my shops. I tell them(and they know it now)that the flicks are so my wife will have something to do while i am just passed out. Otherwise, Saturday nights would be awfully boring for her and the kids.

Generally I don't even pick out the films, but this time something was different. I actually saw something sticking it's ghastly cover out from amongst thousands of other covers that appeared to look different than the rest.(usually I just go along to carry the movies out for my partner) Or perhaps it was the name itself that seemed to stick in my craw.

The Devil Came On Horseback.

I don't think I've ever seen a movie quite like this. Not totally a documentary, and not really an autobiography, it kind of fit somewhere in the middle quite well.

The film consisted of 90 minutes of brilliant photography carried by the voice of a person who quite obviously has been mortally affected by the crimes he saw committed in the name of Allah while the UN and every nation on the planet sat and watched through the eye of this mans' camera lens, and did nothing to relieve the population of the terror being inflicted upon the people of Darfur.

The biographer was hired by the UN to monitor a hostile truce between the people of Darfur and the Muslim government that wishes to exterminate any non- muslims who reside in their country. The Muslim government calls the black population 'slaves' and still buys and sells people into the slave trade, but no world organization wishes to put an end to this madness as this is a religious war between a globally increasing muslim population and a minority christian population.

Of all of the lessons that the human population has learned since the mass exterminations of jews during the second world war, to the genocide of Rwanda,it should have been that this action is unexcusable and that the population of the world needs to stand up against any government sanctioned tyranny and genocide, no matter where it is, and no matter what.

As I wish not to destroy the film for anyone, I will let it go at that, and I will encourage you to pick up a copy of this film, watch it and write your MP(in handwriting..not an email, they actually read handwritten letters..or at least the ones that can read will do it we hope)and try not to hurl your lunch onto the floor.

When you've finished watching this film, go out and buy a copy of Mark Steyns' book, AMERICA ALONE(I was lent one...lucky me!...but now i am scared shitless!)and then you will see that this entire issue has a much larger context than what we've been hearing about in the news.

jim Bender, Woodstock

Polls Show Harper Receding Back Into Minority Territory

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:59:00 +0000

CANADIANS AREN'T FALLING FOR THIS RIGHT WING AGENDA HEAD OVER HEELS AS HARPER SUGGESTS

courtesy of..the orange room

New polls released this week show the leading Conservatives falling several points to 33% after several weeks of heightened poll results that had put them into majority territory several times.

Harper has taken a strong stand against the Quebec arts community(or so they percieve that to be the case in Quebec)and as a result he has suffered in the public opinion polls in that province which has a deep connection to its' art and cultural communities. Gilles Duceppe has led a strong provincial(okay, they say they are federal but really) campaign in many regions of the province and will likely pick up most of the slack left behind by the retreating Conservatives as they attempt to salvage a few blue seats in the province.

On the west coast Harpers' character has taken a massive bruising after a week of accusations(that turned out to be true) that Harper had pilfered speeches from world leaders(okay, John Howard really wasn't a world leader was he?) and another very disliked Canadian politican, Mike Harris.(The Harris government of Ontario is where a good portion of the Harper cabinet hails from.)

The only people that appear to have gained some ground this election are the federal NDP who have constantly hovered at 20% throughout the election race and possibly the Green Party, although it will be difficult to see that 9 or 10% in the national polls translate itself into a federal seat anywhere except maybe in the riding where May is riding hard on the tails of Peter McKay.( Who must be worried as he seems to be spending massive amounts of time shaking hands and kissing babies in the hopes that those babies might vote for him)

And finally, as we approach the final days of this campaign I'm wondering, just where the hell is Harpers' famed platform and agenda? Could it be that the paunch that he has developed under that itchy looking sweater is actually the big blue book? I doubt it, I think the paunch came about as a result of too much trough time.

It's Always Like This...

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:23:00 +0000

THEY SAY THEY HAVE YOUR INTERESTS AT HEART, BUT REALLY, CAN ANYONE BELIEVE THEM?

Although some feel that I am amongst the clueless masses that are wandering the earth in search of their masters,(like our nations' leadership might suggest if I were one of his peons) I would like to think that in the bigger scheme of things that we all have a unique opportunity to impress upon the 'leadership' that they are mistaken in their belief that Canadians are stupid and generally blind to the atrocities committed against the Canadian nation on a daily basis no matter what silly party we all belong to or have supported. I like to think that in some small way we are all equal and as such should be afforded the equal opportunity to discuss the problems of the country we are living in and the platforms of those who wish to run the place.

We have a stunningly beautiful country that defies the world norm but it is increasingly under threat not from foreign interests, but from those who are elected to carry out the responsibility of governing a nation in the peoples' interests but have failed or just plain old dumb, forgotten to do so.

Canada is a bountiful nation that contributes massive quantities of innumerable resources to the world economy, provides food sustenance to hundreds of millions of people globally through exports, but yet we suffer staggering child poverty levels, unemployment figures that are rising every day(mostly through cuts that have decimated the automotive sector despite massive injections of politically driven cash payoffs), long wait times in the health system(and no one is even discussing health care reform this time around)and more and more families living beneath the poverty line which no one seems to want to discuss aside from Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe and surely we all realize we can't vote for Gilles...even if we wanted to!(unless it's the Bisson guy from up north here in Ontario)

Despite the increasing wealth of oil exporting provinces who at one point or another relied heavily upon federal spending to enhance their provincial budgets, those same provinces now refuse to participate in any form of revenue sharing plans, or national energy programs, leaving those Canadians that once supported them through taxes suffering the effects of huge rising fuel and heating bills, and increasing tax loads in provinces that do not have oil interests.

One can note that the majority of the children suffering the effects of child poverty are not from those oil exporting provinces, but from the provinces that once supported the oil exporters through transfer payments.

Just like every other Canadian I've ever met, I too share the same feeling that after this vote just as every vote in the past, we will still be left holding the bag for stunned decisions and more than likely the majority of Canadians will be left voiceless,penniless, homeless or unemployed after October 14, and the only ones laughing their ways to the bank will be 300 and some odd fortunate fools who for the next four years(or whenever Stevie decides to drop the ball again despite his 'fixed' election date law...truly, it was 'fixed' allright.) will be afforded the gilded opportunity to drink from the public trough without any consequence for action or inaction...brilliance or stupidity,pick either one; they both win at our national expense.

The "Fix" Is In

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:38:00 +0000

STRAIGHT TALK...OR SUGAR AND SPICE?MAYOR HARDING ENJOYS THE SPICE MORE THAN THE STRAIGHT TALK

If you read today's Sentinel you will see a story by Hugo entitled "Harding breaks art gallery vote." Read it.

In what has become a typical vote split Harding and his toadies have hired a firm to do a feasibility study for the art gallery. They had a choice between two companies to do the study.

Here's what Jim Northcott had to say about the company that didn't get the job; "They were direct, down to earth, they stated what was needed and there was no salesmanship. They would give us what we need."

Here's what Pat Sobeski had to say about the company that did get the job: "It made me nervous, gave me the sense their proposal would be sugar and spice and everything nice, filled with lots of theory," Sobeski said. "She took so much time talking and then when we asked questions she talked theory."

They had a choice between a straight talking business like proposal or a proposal from a firm that ducks answering direct questions and spouts theory and bs. The company that got the job has probably already drafted their report. Why not? They already know what the Mayor wants. All they have to do is zip it up in a powerpoint presentation and deliver it.

If you read the story you will also notice that the study isn't limited to the Shoppers building. They are looking at "other options." If that 's the case then WHY DID THEY BUY THE BUILDING?

If building a new gallery was a good idea, if there was any real need, Harding wouldn't need to pay some mouthpiece from a consulting firm to give his project credibility. He's trying to buy credibility because he has none. He tried to buy integrity too. We all know how that worked out.

BEWARE OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:22:00 +0000

A COMMENTARY BY AUTHOR/ENVIRONMENTALIST BILL BES

Woodstock has often been described as a quiet, sleepy, little town in the past, but for some reason many articles have appeared in the Sentinel Review in the past few years that paint a different picture; not merely the difficulty of coping with change or a few ruffled feathers, but one of genuine friction and discontent, a disconnect between the citizens and those elected to administer the town’s affairs. In all fairness to council, it is lead by an individual who loves to charge, rather than lead, however, each elected member carries a vote and each elected member came equipped with a voice! We expect councilors to ask difficult questions, to demand answers, to adopt high standards of conduct and accountability, but we do witness an incredible amount of acrimony and friction and Harding needs to take some responsibility for this. My way or the highway is a concept that belongs in autocratic circles, not within a framework of democratically elected people who adhere to proper democratic standards and expectations. I applaud those city councilors who had the foresight of putting the brakes on an art gallery project that could well have the potential of spinning out of control—and we have witnessed enough of those. It was therefore with equal sadness that we had to witness Harding once more bully council to reverse a decision taken. Are we missing something?
Either we fail to listen or are hopelessly inept in comprehending and appreciating the big picture, or, heaven forbid, some of our elected fathers are perhaps out of touch with reality on the subject of how much milk a cow can give. We may want to believe that Woodstock is an isolated and unique bit of matter in the cosmos that swims like a bright, sparkling little diamond against the currents of a global market meltdown, defying the odds of economic gloom, but that kind of thinking has to be considered irresponsible. Many banks and financial institutions have fallen victim to greed and overly optimistic projections. The acolytes of free markets and their slogan "profits are great" are now looking for public handouts to bail them out of trouble—you are the public and you are the source for the cash. When our mayor touts the benefits of a 37 million dollar possible borrowing to fund future infrastructure projects, the guarantor of that debt would be you as well. One sobering fact before I proceed: If we didn’t have a national debt, the interest on that particular item alone would be sufficient to pay for all infrastructure renewal, without ever raising taxes. The mayor’s assertion that we can easily afford to take on 37 million dollars in additional debt—which on a population of 40,000 citizens works out to 925 dollars per person, principal alone—would indeed be justifiable if we didn’t have a national debt, a provincial debt, municipal debt and personal debts in the form of mortgages, loans and credit cards. Taking on more debt might still work if disposable incomes are rising, the economy shows signs of health and steady growth and global markets show signs of stability. The mayor loves to bandy about neat little slogans; change is nothing to fear; growth pays for growth; built it and they will come. I am a little bit leery of catch phrases; they are like billboards floating around without an anchor, distracting the viewer from substance and content. The world is moving away from Keynesian economics, the economic theories espoused by John Maynard Keynes, which argued that a fall in national income, a lack of demand for goods and rising unemployment should be countered by increased government spending to stimulate the economy. Trudeau and his contemporaries subscribed to this theory, which in part was based on optimism about the future, infinite growth and the notion that optimism sells, even if based on fallacious thinking and flawed projections. In case of an economic slowdown and diminishing disposable incomes, the reality of debt repayment will remain. Although bankers don’t shy away from asking for and receiving handouts, don’t bank on you getting the same treatment. It was not that long ago that the provincial government had to come to the aid of several municipalities who were essentially bankrupt. Our landscape is littered with white elephants—buildings and projects—that you and I have paid for with our taxes. There is a new global monetary policy—monetarists—a far more conservative way of looking at the economy and a move to steer away from simply printing more money and extending credit. The actions from the U.S Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada are evidence that in North America we are reluctant to shed Keynesian thinking, and in part this is due to our over-inflated stock prices, real estate and commodities. There is nothing wrong with planning for the future, but we need to build according to need and when needed, not in anticipation or based on rosy projections. Those elected are not responsible for the debt repayment—you are. In the tale of Sleepy Hollow, Iccobod Crane feared the headless horseman because the apparition resembled a vengeful demon as it barreled down upon him. I fear the thundering sightless blundering of ill-conceived and poorly timed spending on white elephant projects as they head towards us. I know the source of the expected revenue, I know from whose pocket it will come. I whole heartedly agree with Sobeski, Tait and Northcott: Before we start spending more tax dollars on mega projects, we’d better consult with the source of that money and see what the source has to say!
Bill Bes

CONservative Candidates Making Themselves Scarce On The Debate Circuit

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:04:00 +0000

CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES MISS DEBATES TO AVOID HAVING TO SPEAK

During this election many of the CPC partys' candidates have refused to participate in debates that other parties have attended.

This week several Conservative candidates failed to show for four debates being hosted in the Ottawa area which were being sponsored by Canada's public service union and a weekly newspaper.

On top of that, one debate in Saskatchewan and two others in Winnipeg and the Northwest Territories were lacking the locally nominated CONServative candidates.

In Calgary, the CBC hosted a contest to see if they could locate (alive) the Calgary west CONServative incumbent Rob Anders who has been missing in action since the campaign began.

The total for CONservative no shows in the election debates has hit a staggering 17 candidates. That's 17 ridings where people were not afforded the opportunity to speak to or ask questions of these candidates.

I wonder if the PM kept these folks at home for any specific reason?

Looks like democracy is alive and well in Canada.

David Popescu Independent Candidate Says Gays Should Be Executed

noreply@blogger.com (jim bender) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:42:00 +0000

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR SPREADING HATE TOWARDS GAY COMMUNITY

I think this guy ran for the wrong party.

David Popescu from Sudbury Ontario made a presentation at a local high school and stated that "gays should be executed" for their behaviour according to reports being released by the Sudbury police.

Sudbury police spokesperson Constable Bert Lapalme claims that during an all candidates debate at a local high school ,Popescu made the comments to a group of students that 'homosexuals should be executed".

"The people that have dealt or know him are aware that he is known for speaking his mind and he has his own values and is not shy on sharing what he believes in and that is common knowledge in our area," said Lapalme.

Popescu claims not to have been interviewd by police yet, but reiterated his claims(that he says are biblical) that "homesexuals should be executed" in accordance with the bible.

"I said I believe homosexuals should be executed . . . when I say homosexuals should be executed, I am speaking in terms of government actions. That is the way the Bible puts it," said Popescu.

Actually, if the stunned fucker had actually read the Harry Potter book...err the bible, he would realize it does not say anything about executing gays.

This is just another fine example of some crazy religious person excerpting bits and pieces of some ancient fiction like bible book to use for his own ends and means.