July 29, 2008
July 25, 2008
July 24, 2008
Nope. Stephen Harper’s Administration Is Not A “Bushie”
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Senior Canadian intelligence officials warned against allowing Abousfian Abdelrazik, a Canadian citizen, to return home from Sudan because it could upset the Bush administration, classified documents reveal.
“Senior government of Canada officials should be mindful of the potential reaction of our U.S. counterparts to Abdelrazik’s return to Canada as he is on the U.S. no-fly list,” intelligence officials say in documents in the possession of The Globe and Mail.
“Continued co-operation between Canada and the U.S. in the matters of security is essential. We will need to continue to work closely on issues related to the Security of North America, including the case of Mr. Abdelrazik,” the document says.
The documents, dated April 30, 2008, and marked “Secret - Canadian eyes only” also designate Mr. Abdelrazik, a citizen who has never been charged with a crime, as “involved in Islamic extremist activities.”
Mr. Abdelrazik was imprisoned in Sudan while visiting his ailing mother in 2003, apparently because Canadian counterterrorist agents asked the Sudanese secret police to pick him up.
The Abdelrazik documents - prepared by senior intelligence and security officials in Transport Canada, the unit that creates and maintains Canada’s own version of the terrorist “no-fly” list - make clear that it was the U.S. list that kept Mr. Abdelrazik from returning to Canada when he was released from prison three years ago.
That appears to contradict the explanation by former foreign minister Maxime Bernier who told the House of Commons that “Mr. Abdelrazik is currently not able to return to Canada on his own because he is on the United Nations’ list of suspected terrorists.
What is about the current US administration that gives Stephen Harper a boner? I just don’t understand the logic. I mean, fine, argue about the Canadian citizen locked up in Gitmo as he was caught in a battlefield. But Abdelrazik is a citizen trapped in a third world country. For the love of god, get him here and the proceed with the legal course. Or maybe the legal course in Harper’s books is “lock him up and throw away the key”. Who knows. Let’s get the election started already.
July 23, 2008
So Where Did I Disappear To?
- Because I am between jobs, I and my daughter moved to New York City to visit my wife.
- In the first few days of living in NYC, realised that this city is actually quite a beast.
- The cliche “city never sleeps” is so, so, so, so, true.
- Looking for the punk/rock music scene for a parent, with a child in tow constantly, is not easy.
- Central park totally rocks!!!
- Navigating the streets is so freaking easy.
- The subway system is at least 10 larger than the one in Toronto and twice as cheap.
- People ARE friendly despite what you might have heard.
- City is both the cleanest and the dirtiest I have ever scene.
- Saw a homeless man eat out of a garbage can in front of Macy’s on the 5th Avenue.
- Booze shops and eating joints are everywhere. Still have to find a decent used book store.
- Natural History Museum is absolutely awesome. Do not take young ones with you or spouses who get bored within 20 minutes of being there.
- Runners rule the roost here.
- Some of the women are stunning.
- Some of the men put me to shame.
- Love the fact that I can walk into a grocery store and buy beer.
- Hate the fact the selection of beer is nowhere nearly enough. The Beer Stores in Canada are much, much better.
- The price of beer is about 75% of what it is in Canada.
- Tried Sushi here and have fallen in love with it.
- Living places are tiny and expensive.
- Kid’s parks are everywhere but they are really dirty.
- Large South Asian population here.
- Noticed that most of the obese people are black. Why?
More later……on the whole, I really like New York but cannot see myself living there.
Who Has Been Smoking Pot?
Answer? Margeret Wente.
Well, that might be because alcohol and cigarettes are LEGAL!! And they are TAXED!!! And their sale to minors is monitored very CLOSELY!! She is not done yet. Here’s more :
OK, she makes it very clear that this professor is a “liberal” so his views are obviously to be paid attention to……of course what he then goes on to say is complete BS. “Commercialisation of Pot”!??! What the hell does that mean? There is no commercialisation right now and the pot use is pretty high among teenagers. And how exactly is pot commercialised in Holland and Switzerland? Do they have huge billboard everywhere proclaiming everyone should use pot? No. Pot there is used discreetly and within the law.
Wente is obviously a really dumb woman who has no time for facts as she vomits out her brains on paper. Legalising pot will bring growth, distribution, sale and profits under the control of the government. And the sale to young people will be controlled through government channels just like alcohol and cigarettes are. Margeret, please limit your dope intake to one a day. Please, for our children’s sake if not for yours.