Jean, Shane, me and a couple of our students showed up at Victoria Island for a film shoot....Lee Anne Kusak and the news at noon. Nice bit of filler....no editing! Got about 15 minutes of free publicity in the Ottawa region, so can't complain.
Nice day for it too! Sunny! Ottawa river in full flood behind us. It was great! Full armour, bashing away at Jean...it looked really good. I wore chain mail...and Jean wore his Samurai Suit.
This will likely be the first of many "news spots", as journalists pick up on the story. Could be the summer of "Demo's".
Well, enough of this...time to get out and get to work. Got classes to teach!
http://www.southtower.on.ca/LiveSteel.html
Friday, April 15, 2005
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Separatists and Liberals at the same trough! My My!
Nothing like a great big bucket of money to bring people together! I see the ADSCAM hearings are proceeding just as predicted by the regulars in the "Logroller's Tavern" over on the Quebec side. It also explains why suddenly the Block Quebecquois has not been using ADSCAM as the hammer to beat on the Liberals lately! I wondered about that... One thing we can all agree on...politicians from Quebec are problematic...look at the last half dozen elected Prime Ministers!
Here is a little cut and paste just to give you a taste...grin!
This is from Greg Weston's column...I suggestd you read the whole thing here...
Greg is a helluva good writer....and one of the best in the business.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2005/04/06/984844-sun.html
ANTI-SEPARATISM CASH
The $250 million in sponsorships that the previous Liberal government pumped into Quebec was supposed to help fight the separatists after the near-miss referendum in 1995.
But another former Groupaction executive, Alain Renaud, said that while the firm was getting millions of dollars in federal sponsorship money, it was secretly cutting cheques to the separatist Parti Quebecois.
Renaud said that in one transaction, a total of about $90,000 was given to the PQ as part of Groupaction's getting a $4.5-million advertising contract for the Quebec liquor board, called the SAQ.
Groupaction apparently won the contract in a competition when a bagman for the Parti Quebecois had a meeting with the firm's top executives.
snip....
Renaud said Groupaction president Brault was personally involved in the tollgating deal. "I was there when he (Brault) was negotiating with the people of the PQ," he said.
Here is a little cut and paste just to give you a taste...grin!
This is from Greg Weston's column...I suggestd you read the whole thing here...
Greg is a helluva good writer....and one of the best in the business.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2005/04/06/984844-sun.html
ANTI-SEPARATISM CASH
The $250 million in sponsorships that the previous Liberal government pumped into Quebec was supposed to help fight the separatists after the near-miss referendum in 1995.
But another former Groupaction executive, Alain Renaud, said that while the firm was getting millions of dollars in federal sponsorship money, it was secretly cutting cheques to the separatist Parti Quebecois.
Renaud said that in one transaction, a total of about $90,000 was given to the PQ as part of Groupaction's getting a $4.5-million advertising contract for the Quebec liquor board, called the SAQ.
Groupaction apparently won the contract in a competition when a bagman for the Parti Quebecois had a meeting with the firm's top executives.
snip....
Renaud said Groupaction president Brault was personally involved in the tollgating deal. "I was there when he (Brault) was negotiating with the people of the PQ," he said.
Separatists and Liberals at the same trough! My My!
Nothing like a great big bucket of money to bring people together! I see the ADSCAM hearings are proceeding just as predicted by the regulars in the "Logroller's Tavern" over on the Quebec side. It also explains why suddenly the Block Quebecquois has not been using ADSCAM as the hammer to beat on the Liberals lately! I wondered about that... One thing we can all agree on...politicians from Quebec are problematic...look at the last half dozen elected Prime Ministers!
Here is a little cut and paste just to give you a taste...grin!
This is from Greg Weston's column...I suggestd you read the whole thing here...
Greg is a helluva good writer....and one of the best in the business.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2005/04/06/984844-sun.html
ANTI-SEPARATISM CASH
The $250 million in sponsorships that the previous Liberal government pumped into Quebec was supposed to help fight the separatists after the near-miss referendum in 1995.
But another former Groupaction executive, Alain Renaud, said that while the firm was getting millions of dollars in federal sponsorship money, it was secretly cutting cheques to the separatist Parti Quebecois.
Renaud said that in one transaction, a total of about $90,000 was given to the PQ as part of Groupaction's getting a $4.5-million advertising contract for the Quebec liquor board, called the SAQ.
Groupaction apparently won the contract in a competition when a bagman for the Parti Quebecois had a meeting with the firm's top executives.
snip....
Renaud said Groupaction president Brault was personally involved in the tollgating deal. "I was there when he (Brault) was negotiating with the people of the PQ," he said.
Here is a little cut and paste just to give you a taste...grin!
This is from Greg Weston's column...I suggestd you read the whole thing here...
Greg is a helluva good writer....and one of the best in the business.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2005/04/06/984844-sun.html
ANTI-SEPARATISM CASH
The $250 million in sponsorships that the previous Liberal government pumped into Quebec was supposed to help fight the separatists after the near-miss referendum in 1995.
But another former Groupaction executive, Alain Renaud, said that while the firm was getting millions of dollars in federal sponsorship money, it was secretly cutting cheques to the separatist Parti Quebecois.
Renaud said that in one transaction, a total of about $90,000 was given to the PQ as part of Groupaction's getting a $4.5-million advertising contract for the Quebec liquor board, called the SAQ.
Groupaction apparently won the contract in a competition when a bagman for the Parti Quebecois had a meeting with the firm's top executives.
snip....
Renaud said Groupaction president Brault was personally involved in the tollgating deal. "I was there when he (Brault) was negotiating with the people of the PQ," he said.
Monday, April 04, 2005
So this is baseball hmmmm?
Sports Commentary or Gay Porn?
Real quotes from the Louisville/Illinois game:
Williams is surprised by just how long Garcia is!
I think Pitino has to love what he sees right now by Garcia because he's taking Williams time and time again inside.
His teammate is pure energy when he comes in. He's so active!
Oh, he comes up short! That's got to be disappointing!
It's man to man now.
Garcia has to penetrate to make things happen. He's being much too passive.
He's wide open...oh, he gives it away way too easily.
He got a lot of good looks, but is just too passive for these boys.
Williams dominates now!
The final score is Illinois 72 to Louisville 57. I guess this isn't Kentucky's year. Well, at least the KY State Highway Patrol should be happy. I have to say, Illinois played a good game. I'll be rooting for them in the Championship. This is apparently a first in their history, so I hope they get it.
Real quotes from the Louisville/Illinois game:
Williams is surprised by just how long Garcia is!
I think Pitino has to love what he sees right now by Garcia because he's taking Williams time and time again inside.
His teammate is pure energy when he comes in. He's so active!
Oh, he comes up short! That's got to be disappointing!
It's man to man now.
Garcia has to penetrate to make things happen. He's being much too passive.
He's wide open...oh, he gives it away way too easily.
He got a lot of good looks, but is just too passive for these boys.
Williams dominates now!
The final score is Illinois 72 to Louisville 57. I guess this isn't Kentucky's year. Well, at least the KY State Highway Patrol should be happy. I have to say, Illinois played a good game. I'll be rooting for them in the Championship. This is apparently a first in their history, so I hope they get it.
Hmmmm...things are worse than I suspected...
Well, the great Canadian Corruption scandal has hit the high point of interest...easily shifting the Pope and Terry whatsername off the front page. I wonder why...its not as if Liberal government corruption is particularly newsworthy! In fact....we are finally getting to the point where we have paid more for the investigation than the buggers stole from us in the first place!
Oh well...be that as it may...I think I will put a proper rant on my Rant blog....http://yusefsjournal2.blogspot.com/ .... right now, I am pretty mellow. Have not turned on Lowell Greene yet...[local Ottawa right wing radio personality]... he usually causes me to work harder and faster. Since my business is pretty much hammering metal this isn't such a bad thing.
Interesting phenomonon........(love that word...never know when to stop spelling it...grin!)...just when I was thinking I would get a week off...another armour order rolled in! As I said, interesting...these "just in time" orders play hell with my bank, but suit my personal life style just fine. My father used to say "God will provide", and lived his life pay checque to pay checque, I seem to be hiring my staff on the not unwarranted assumption that orders will arrive in time to give them work!
I built a power planishing hammer out of an old air chisel.....now I am doing huge panels, planishing them all over just because I can! Much easier on the old shoulder ball! There may be a deposit of calcium up there....or there may be a couple dozen micro tears...might put paid to my profession in a few years at this rate. I have pretty much decided to drop the money on an English Wheel. I was vaccilating between an english wheel and a planishing hammer...but any planishing I need doing, I think I can do with this hand held air hammer. Lots of vibration though...I may have to buy some shot gloves. (Now arn't we getting profesh--I--on--all!!!)
Regards from the Great White North. Well, not so white...it has been raining the last couple of days....the snow banks are all sort of sootty, and dingy. And they have all melted down to make solid ice speed bumps...kind of neat watching the cars pulling in for the church service next door, they go up and over the ice thinking it is snow, and "crunch", I get another rusty old muffler in my front yard! Har Har! I expect the last of the snow will be gone by next week. There are some big piles of snow at the edge of parking lots however which sometimes hang in there until June!
Oh well...be that as it may...I think I will put a proper rant on my Rant blog....http://yusefsjournal2.blogspot.com/ .... right now, I am pretty mellow. Have not turned on Lowell Greene yet...[local Ottawa right wing radio personality]... he usually causes me to work harder and faster. Since my business is pretty much hammering metal this isn't such a bad thing.
Interesting phenomonon........(love that word...never know when to stop spelling it...grin!)...just when I was thinking I would get a week off...another armour order rolled in! As I said, interesting...these "just in time" orders play hell with my bank, but suit my personal life style just fine. My father used to say "God will provide", and lived his life pay checque to pay checque, I seem to be hiring my staff on the not unwarranted assumption that orders will arrive in time to give them work!
I built a power planishing hammer out of an old air chisel.....now I am doing huge panels, planishing them all over just because I can! Much easier on the old shoulder ball! There may be a deposit of calcium up there....or there may be a couple dozen micro tears...might put paid to my profession in a few years at this rate. I have pretty much decided to drop the money on an English Wheel. I was vaccilating between an english wheel and a planishing hammer...but any planishing I need doing, I think I can do with this hand held air hammer. Lots of vibration though...I may have to buy some shot gloves. (Now arn't we getting profesh--I--on--all!!!)
Regards from the Great White North. Well, not so white...it has been raining the last couple of days....the snow banks are all sort of sootty, and dingy. And they have all melted down to make solid ice speed bumps...kind of neat watching the cars pulling in for the church service next door, they go up and over the ice thinking it is snow, and "crunch", I get another rusty old muffler in my front yard! Har Har! I expect the last of the snow will be gone by next week. There are some big piles of snow at the edge of parking lots however which sometimes hang in there until June!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Hookers and Casinos...these are a few of my favorite things...
I see that the female newspaper columnists have turned their sites on Casino Gambling and prostitution....the one wants legislation against casinos, the other has decided that legislation against prostitution doesn't work.
Now it seems to me that if laws against prostitution merely drive it into the shadows....causing crime and marginalization of both the men and women who participate in it, then what do you suppose laws against gambling would do?
Ah well, read it yourself....thank goodness the problems in this great nation are no greater than this!
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Edmonton/Mindelle_Jacobs/2005/04/03/980826.html..........Mindell Jacobs take on laws based on morality. She feels that any law which cannot be clearly defined cannot be clearly and reasonably enforced...for instance...the "community standards" test. Makes sense...commit a robbery in a back alley or commit a robbery in a restaurant...still a robbery. Turn a trick in my village...heaven help you, but turn a trick in your home... fine. A snippet here, just to whet your appetite....
"Given the difficulties in defining obscenity - the so-called community standards test - I think the provision is more troubling than it's worth. We could scrap the obscenity law tomorrow and still bring the full weight of the law down on those who inflict harm on others.
Another law we could do without is the one that bans "immoral, indecent or obscene" performances. If people want to watch sexual theatrics in adults-only venues, who cares? Where's the harm?
It's also illegal to mail anything "obscene, indecent, immoral or scurrilous." You can get two years in jail for that kind of mischief. But how is it determined what's illegal? The tricky community standard of tolerance test.
As long as no children are involved in any of these aforementioned activities and no coercion or concrete harm result, why should they be illegal?
And on the prostitution issue, there's overwhelming evidence that prohibition has caused - not prevented - tremendous harm."
(There is much more....worth the read!)
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Christina_Blizzard/2005/04/03/980964.html Christina Blizzard's article on gambling. Here is a snippet.... "Anne Murray is entertainment," says New Democrat Peter Kormos. "Gambling is gambling."
Kormos is right. There's is nothing wrong with a bit of a flutter for those who can afford it. But for those who cannot, it is a tax on the stupid. Gambling punishes people who can't do math or figure out that the odds are stacked against them.
Fifteen years ago, there was no legalized gambling in this province. Ironically, it was the NDP government, of which Kormos was a part, that built the Windsor casino, a move he now regrets. And the Tories just expanded the program. "
Now it seems to me that if laws against prostitution merely drive it into the shadows....causing crime and marginalization of both the men and women who participate in it, then what do you suppose laws against gambling would do?
Ah well, read it yourself....thank goodness the problems in this great nation are no greater than this!
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Edmonton/Mindelle_Jacobs/2005/04/03/980826.html..........Mindell Jacobs take on laws based on morality. She feels that any law which cannot be clearly defined cannot be clearly and reasonably enforced...for instance...the "community standards" test. Makes sense...commit a robbery in a back alley or commit a robbery in a restaurant...still a robbery. Turn a trick in my village...heaven help you, but turn a trick in your home... fine. A snippet here, just to whet your appetite....
"Given the difficulties in defining obscenity - the so-called community standards test - I think the provision is more troubling than it's worth. We could scrap the obscenity law tomorrow and still bring the full weight of the law down on those who inflict harm on others.
Another law we could do without is the one that bans "immoral, indecent or obscene" performances. If people want to watch sexual theatrics in adults-only venues, who cares? Where's the harm?
It's also illegal to mail anything "obscene, indecent, immoral or scurrilous." You can get two years in jail for that kind of mischief. But how is it determined what's illegal? The tricky community standard of tolerance test.
As long as no children are involved in any of these aforementioned activities and no coercion or concrete harm result, why should they be illegal?
And on the prostitution issue, there's overwhelming evidence that prohibition has caused - not prevented - tremendous harm."
(There is much more....worth the read!)
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Christina_Blizzard/2005/04/03/980964.html Christina Blizzard's article on gambling. Here is a snippet.... "Anne Murray is entertainment," says New Democrat Peter Kormos. "Gambling is gambling."
Kormos is right. There's is nothing wrong with a bit of a flutter for those who can afford it. But for those who cannot, it is a tax on the stupid. Gambling punishes people who can't do math or figure out that the odds are stacked against them.
Fifteen years ago, there was no legalized gambling in this province. Ironically, it was the NDP government, of which Kormos was a part, that built the Windsor casino, a move he now regrets. And the Tories just expanded the program. "
Mark Twain, Again!
With the death of the Pope, and announcement that there is NO WAY my beloved Ren Faire will open on the same site this summer as in times past, and the lack of orders in my "IN" box...I decided some light reading was in order. I glossed over Robert Service (fun, but not quite what I was after) and as I commonly do, pick up some Mark Twain. I don't know why, but his War Prayer seemed to suit my mood. (its not a comedy...be warned...) You might want to read the lead up to this "prayer"....it won't hit you so hard that way....
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/twain1.html
quote....
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/twain1.html
quote....
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)