Tuesday, September 30, 2003
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS
"We do not interfere or comment on your own decisions on making incentives at whatever level you see fit on your own projects, and we expect the same courtesy when we make decisions."--Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski
Is this guy living on the same planet as the rest of us? The Americans do nothing but stick their noses into the affairs of every sovereign nation on the planet and I only need to point to the tariffs imposed on Canadian softwood lumber to make my point.
The Americans accuse Canada of subsidizing our softwood industry by the manner that it regulates stumpage fees. They claim this gives Canadian companies an unfair advantage that enables them to sell their product at a lower cost. This “incentive”, as it’s called by the Americans, being proposed for the construction of the Alaskan gas pipeline is nothing more than a subsidy of the very same nature. It will give the Alaskan pipeline an unfair advantage over its Canadian competition.
Ignoring the fact that the American pipeline will need to pass through Canada on its way to the US, the impact this proposed “incentive” will have on the shared industry means it’s well within Canada’s rights to comment on the matter.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 8:14 PM
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GET AWAY FROM MY FRONT DOOR
Am I under any obligation, under the First Amendment, to permit a salesman or advocate into my home to express his view or urge his product on me? Of course not. When you knock on my door, it's up to me whether to permit you entry or not.
This is the crux of the argument for those who are in favour of the national “Do not call” registry and as usual, the argument is lacking in any sense what-so-ever. Mona Charen would have you believe that someone (ie. a telemarketer) placing a phone call to your residence amounts to having that door to door salesman enter your home without your permission. This is in fact simply not true. When a telemarketer places a call to your residence they are doing nothing more than knocking on your front door. It is then up to you to decide whether or not you will allow them access by either staying on the line with them or hanging up.
The DNC registry is in effect saying that telemarketers do not even have the right to knock on your front door. That is blatent discrimination and an infringement of civil liberties of the worst kind.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 7:03 PM
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Monday, September 29, 2003
HOW LONG TILL BUSH IS GONE?
Check out this site to see just how long it will be until the US once again has an elected president.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 4:47 PM
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Wednesday, September 24, 2003
REPAIR TIPS: DOORS
In the many years I’ve spent working as a carpenter, one of the most common problems I’ve encountered are doors that no longer function properly. There are a variety of things that can go wrong with a door over time and finding someone who will come in to fix a single door is a Herculean task. Therefore, most homeowners will put up with the problem, even though it drives them nuts, because they lack the necessary knowledge to fix these simple problems.
Here is the first in a series of simple tips that will enable anyone to fix a problem door.
Misaligned Doors
This is by far the most common problem. Over time a door tends to sag on its hinges causing the latch to no longer function because it’s now below the opening on the door jamb (the door jamb is another name for the door frame). When closed, the gap between the door and the jamb is no longer even; it’s tight at the top and wide at the bottom and in the worst cases, the door will not close because it hits the jamb at the top or scrapes the floor.
The solution to this problem is quite simple and involves a technique known as throwing the hinge.
Step 1 Get some cardboard (not corrugated cardboard like packing boxes use but solid cardboard like bristol board). Use whatever you have on hand (ie. cereal boxes). Cut several pieces that are slightly smaller than the size of the hinge.
Step 2 Remove the screws--that go into the door jamb--from the bottom hinge.
Step 3 Insert one or more pieces of cardboard behind the hinge and put the screws back in (the number of pieces depends on how bad the problem is, but should not exceed five or six).
Note: if the door has a middle hinge, you will also need to insert half (round down) the number of cardboard pieces behind it that you put behind the bottom hinge.
Step 4 Check to see if the door closes and latches properly. If not, repeat steps 2 and 3 until you reach the limit of five or six pieces of cardboard behind the hinge.
Step 5 If the door still suffers from same problem, remove the screws--that go into the door--from the bottom hinge and follow steps 3 and 4.
In some cases the problem with the door is the opposite of what I have described above (ie. the latch is now above the opening in the door jamb). If that is the case, simply follow steps 1-5 but do it on the top hinge.
This simple solution will fix 90% of the doors that are misaligned. However, some doors are so misaligned that it requires another solution to fix them. I’ll give you some simple tips on how to fix that problem as well as other common door problems in future blahg posts.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 2:19 PM
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Tuesday, September 23, 2003
TOP EIGHT LIST
Top Eight things George Bush wanted to say in his speech to the UN.
8--Arrr! I be wantin to give this speech on talk like a pirate day but the scurvy bilge rats wouldn’t have it. I be makin em walk the plank later.
7--I’m sorry for calling you all a bunch of useless twats but could you useless twats look past that and chip in a few billion dollars.
6--Hey! I thought I ordered the CIA to whack the representative from France.
5--If you all agree to help out in Iraq, the Chalupa’s are on me.
4--USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
3--Greetings to the people of Earth.
2--In order to mend the rifts between the United States of America and France, I started my day by drinking eight bottles of French wine. Hic.
1--My intelligence sources have given me absolute proof that J-Lo and Ben have split up. On the basis of this information America will now attack Iran.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 8:34 PM
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Sunday, September 21, 2003
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
I was talking to an old friend today and he kept referring to me by the nickname thrust upon me early in high school. I say thrust upon because there is no way I would have chosen this nick for myself nor was I able to shake it for the remainder of my high school days. In fact, it even followed me outside the halls of enlightened learning into my everyday life.
I was a scrawny, short kid back in those days--I didn’t reach my now impressive 6’2” stature until a few years later. I was also quite the nerd and spent most of my time hanging out with other nerds playing Dungeons and Dragons. Yikes! You get the picture.
But I digress. The nick came about during a rather typical gaming session. My fellow nerds and I were engaged in mock battles against orcs, goblins, trolls and each other--hey, sometimes it was just easier to kill your buddy and make off with his magic and gold. And as usual, an argument about rule interpretation quickly took centre stage. It was during one of these heated exchanges, whereby I was engaged in pointing out in no uncertain terms that it just wasn’t possible for my target to leap into the air in order to avoid the lightning bolt emanating from the fingertips of my wizard character, when one of my fellow nerds cut in to say that I sounded exactly like Piglet from the Winnie-the-Pooh cartoons.
From that day on and for the next four years, as my new nickname spread like wildfire, I was no longer known as Robert, Rob or Robbie but simply as Piglet.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 11:10 PM
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IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE'S REIGN NEARING AN END?
Image credit: Scott Macaskill
According to Laurence Frank, a wildlife biologist from the University of California, over the past 20 years the lion population has fallen from 200,000 to just 23,000; a decline of nearly 90%.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 2:54 PM
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Saturday, September 20, 2003
A FEW GOOD AMERICANS
Every once in a while a group of Americans does something astounding to remind me that not everyone in their country is an arrogant butthead.
On September 11, 2001, the residents of the small town of Gander, Newfoundland opened their homes to thousands of American travellers who were stranded when their flights were diverted in the wake of the terrorist attacks. To show their gratitude to this small Canadian town, a group of Americans led by organizers Dan and Teresa Seeley arrived there earlier today and put on a BBQ for the citizens.
Kudos to this group from the US who have shown that they do remember the efforts of people from other nations who helped out in their small way on that tragic day.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 10:52 PM
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HATE SPEECH LEGISLATION
One of my fellow blahggers, Dr. Zen, recently brought up a point about the principles of free speech as they pertain to Canada’s hate speech legislation and specifically the addition of laws against hate speech directed at homosexuals.
He had this to say:
How would they feel about a law that said that those people who do what is not considered acceptable by the majority is not to be permitted?
The simple fact is that this already exists in our society. The majority of the people think it’s unacceptable to steal and so laws have been passed to punish those who steal. In much the same way, the majority of the people think hate speech is unacceptable and so laws in Canada have been passed to punish those who use it.
He then went on to say:
Does that mean I welcome an environment that is "anything goes"? No, it does not. I do believe hate speech should be confronted. I believe its perpetrators should be shown to be wrong. I believe we should protect our minorities, not by banning people from saying bad things about them, but by showing that we stand with them, that we think we are their equals, that the haters do not speak for us.
Confronting the perpetrators of hate speech simply does not work. These people have hardened their minds against any differing opinion and no argument will cause them to cease. Further, we know from past history that people are easily swayed by this sort of hateful rhetoric. You only need to look at Hitler’s rise to power to see that he built his power-base by hate speech. You only need to look toward the Arab world to see that Islamofascists recruit by using hate speech.
Canada’s hate speech laws have a very narrow and defined purpose. They are not intended to be used to suppress speech that is considered offensive. Were that the case, nearly everyone in the country would be guilty of breaking these laws. What Canada’s hate speech laws are intended to do is to stop those who would dehumanize or incite hatred toward any group based on race, religion or sexual preference.
These laws in no way abrogate my freedom of speech. I am still as free as ever to say something ignorant like, “The Gay community is a bunch of sad whiners who are only interested in their own plight while ignoring the plight of others.” That’s a fairly offensive thing to say and I’m sure anyone who is homosexual would have a few choice words to send my way. But despite it being offensive to the Gay community, it is not hate speech. On the other hand, something like, “Insidious homosexuals spread disease like rats,” is considered hate speech on the basis that it dehumanizes the homosexual population.
It is that type of thing that causes people, if it’s repeated often enough, to view the homosexual population as less than human and subsequently gives rise to the justification that it’s acceptable to take violent action against them. This is why Canada has implemented legislation to stop those who would use hate speech to attack minorities in our country.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 4:33 PM
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Friday, September 19, 2003
THE END OF THE GALILEO SPACECRAFT
Image credit: NASA/JPL
After travelling 4,631,778,000 kilometers (about 2.8 billion miles), the Galileo spacecraft’s eight year mission will finally come to an end on September 21 when it plunges into Jupiter’s atmosphere.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 10:25 PM
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ARRR!
Ahoy, ye scurvy bilge rats. Today is international talk like a pirate day.
Smartly there, me hearties, weigh anchor and make your way to this treasure trove of doubloons to learn to talk like a real Buccaneer or I’ll send ye to Davey Jones’ locker.
Happy thoughts. . .arrr, I mean shiver me timbers, ye salty dogs.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 2:26 PM
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Wednesday, September 17, 2003
THE REAL REASON BUSH IS PUSHING IRAN ON THE WMD ISSUE
In February of this year a leaked Pentagon document was obtained by the Los Alamos Study group. This document described plans for a meeting of senior military officials and nuclear scientists to discuss the introduction of low-yield nuclear weapons into the US arsenal. The story, as reported in the New Scientist, focused public attention on the Washington hawks desire to begin the next wave of a nuclear arms race.
However, one thing is standing in the way of their desire to arm America with battlefield nukes: the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is binding law in the US. This alone is all that staves off a new arms race and the hawks need to get rid of this impediment first if they are to see their desires brought to fruition.
In order for Bush to withdraw from the NPT he needs a causus belli to sell the American public on the idea. And this is where Iran comes into the picture. By accusing Iran of failing to live up to the terms of the NPT they are in fact trying to force Iran into withdrawing from the treaty. If Iran does, then Bush will be able to sell the idea of America’s withdrawal to the American public on the basis that it’s a hinderence to America’s security.
This theory may seem far fetched but I believe it will seem less so in the weeks and months ahead. Today, Tehran agreed to abide by the decisions of the UN security council and will allow snap inspections to be carried out within its borders.
If there is no truth to what I say, then the US will let this matter drop and will allow the UN inspectors to carry out their work. If, on the other hand, my theory holds any amount of truth in it, the US will continue to badger Iran on the issue and will dismiss the findings of the UN inspectors. And of course, if they do manage to force Iran into withdrawing from the NTP, the real test of my theory will be whether or not Bush begins to campaign for America’s withdrawal too.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 6:12 PM
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Monday, September 15, 2003
GET AN EARLY JUMP ON TOMORROW'S EMAIL
Are you an email junkie who has run out of people to email today? Then visit this site where you can send off emails that will be delivered sometime in the future.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few advance emails to send out.
Dear Ann Coulter;
Your column, dated September 18, 2005, is full of myopic, hatemongering falsehoods. You wouldn't know the truth if it bit you in the ass.
Sincerely,
RM
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 6:23 PM
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THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE. COULD SOMEONE POINT ANN COULTER TOWARD IT?
By contrast, the German occupation was run as liberals would like to run postwar Iraq –a joint affair among "the Allies," the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. It took 45 years to clean up the mess that created.
I’m often astounded by the leaps of logic the right wing zealots will make, but this one by Ann Coulter in a recent article takes the cake.
To put the quote in context, Coulter was--on the subject of nation building--comparing apples to oranges to lug nuts. Her claim is that the US can point to the completely different situations in post WWII Japan and Germany as evidence that the UN should not take over the role of rebuilding Iraq. But then she goes on to actually lay blame for the cold war on the way the rebuilding of Germany was conducted; through an allied co-operative rather than unilateraly by the US like Japan was.
Astounding, eh?
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 6:19 PM
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Saturday, September 13, 2003
MY BLAHG JOKE OF THE MONTH
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming and yelling in fear like all of the passengers in his car.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 7:54 PM
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PLAGIARISE YOUR WAY TO FAME AND FORTUNE
Former New York Times reporter, Jayson Blair has sold his story to a Los Angeles based publishing firm, New Millennium Press and according to a CNN article, Blair will receive a high six figure advance for the book. The book, titled "Burning Down My Master's House: My Life at the New York Times" will have a first run of 200,000+ copies and is to be released next March.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 7:21 PM
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Friday, September 12, 2003
ONTARIO ELECTION CAMPAIGN TURNS BIZARRE
A press release today from the Ernie Eves campaign headquarters had this to say about Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty.
“He's an evil reptilian kitten eater from another planet.”
I’ll bet you thought American political campaigns were nasty.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 9:00 PM
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CANADA'S BORDER SECURITY
In a recent article, Marie-Claire Coupal, president of the Windsor branch for the Customs Excise Union, said Canada Customs lacks the necessary manpower to inspect traffic crossing the border between the US and Canada. She went on to say that of the $165 million spent on border security in the past two years, most of it has been spent on high-tech equipment that sits idle for lack of officers to use it.
In a press release by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Elinor Caplan, Minister of National Revenue, said Canada’s borders are more secure today than in any other time in history. She went on to say that union leaders were just pandering to the fears of Canadians in order to gain leverage in contract negotiations.
But who is the average Canadian supposed to believe?
Recently ABCNEWS sent a suitcase filled with nearly 15 pounds of depleted uranium to their office in Los Angeles from Jakarta, Indonesia--an area acknowledged as a hotbed for Al Qaeda activity. The suitcase cleared customs in Indonesia and LA without even being opened up.
If the border security of the US is so lacking as to allow depleted uranium to be easily smuggled into America, why should we Canadians believe that our border security is any better?
While the unions representing Canada’s custom personnel are undoubtably using this as a tactic in their contract negotiations, there is a substantial amount of truth to what they say. Canada’s border security is woefully lacking in people who are trained to be our first line of defense against terrorism. For that reason, it’s in the best interest of all Canadians to urge the Minister of Revenue, Elinor Caplan, to ensure that all of our country’s border points are adequately staffed with the personnel required to carry out this task.
Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time until a terrorist organization smuggles its own depleted uranium into the country and deploys it as a weapon against either Canadians or our American neighbours to the south.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 3:40 PM
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Thursday, September 11, 2003
NEVER FORGET WHAT?
Earlier today most of the world marked the 2nd anniverersary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. President Bush attended a service at St. John’s Church and later had a few words to say from the White House lawn. "We remember lives lost. We remember the heroic deeds. We remember the compassion, the decency of our fellow citizens on that terrible day,” he said.
In New York, a solemn ceremony was held at ground zero where children read the names of the many people who lost their lives that day. All across America ceremonies were held to remember the attacks, the lives lost, the heroic deeds and the decency of fellow Americans on that day.
But is that all that should be remembered?
Watching American television coverage and reading American newspapers today, it is clear that this is all many Americans remember. Already forgotten is the outpouring of solidarity from the rest of the world. Already forgotten is the opening of hearts and homes to the American travellers left stranded when their flights were diverted to Canada. Already forgotten is the pledge by all peace loving nations of the world to join America in its war on terrorism.
The rest of the world will never forget the attacks on America, the lives lost nor the heroic deeds even if many Americans have once again forgotten the rest of the world.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 3:57 PM
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Wednesday, September 10, 2003
HOWARD STERN THE JOURNALIST
The US Federal Communications Commission ruled on Tuesday that "The Howard Stern Show" qualifies as a news program. This decision, unbelievable as it may seem, means the popular shock-jock is not exempt from the equal time rules governing political coverage.
Aye carumba! I hope they don’t rule that “My Blahg” is a news program and force me to start blahgging on all 135 candidates in the California recall election.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 4:55 PM
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Tuesday, September 09, 2003
WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND? HUH, WILLYA?
Friendster is the latest faux-nomena sweeping across the internet.
What is Friendster?
Friendster is an online community that connects people through networks of friends for dating or making new friends.
Since I hate being left out of any hip, new fad, I recently signed up. Now you can sign up and invite me and my cool circle of friends to join you and your circle of friends--who will then become cool.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 5:17 PM
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COUGHING COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
Dr. Tadeusz Petelenz, a researcher in Poland, has claimed that coughing can save the life of someone experiencing a heart attack. In a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, Dr. Petelenz said coughing forces blood to the brain and may keep the person concious long enough to call 9-1-1 for assistance.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 2:47 PM
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Monday, September 08, 2003
BET ON GARY
BetWWTS.com, an offshore gaming site, is taking bets on who will win the California recall election. They have candidate Gary Coleman currently pegged at 50 to 1 odds.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 6:24 PM
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MY BLAHG EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JOE KONRATH
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the author of the soon-to-be released novel “Whiskey Sour”, Joe Konrath (website). Hyperion Books is publishing the hardcover novel and it is scheduled to be released in June, 2004 (pre order). Read an excerpt from chapter 3 of “Whiskey Sour”.
Who is Joe Konrath? Where did you grow up, what do you do in your spare time and what did you do before landing a big-time writing contract?
I was born in Skokie, Illinois in 1970. I'm married, with three kids (that I know of). After college, I couldn't find a job in my major, space exploration, so I began waiting tables to make ends meet. In my spare time, I did the writing thing. I've gotten 445 rejections so far, and by last count have written over one million words. When I signed the book deal, it was my very first sale.
When you found out that Hyperion Books was going to publish “Whiskey Sour”, what was the first thing you did?
I screamed like a maniac and ran around the house hugging family members. Then I called up every single person who ever rejected me and said, "Ha! In your face!"
Actually, I'm just kidding. I didn't hug any family members.
In what way has the sale of your first novel affected your life?
Not really. There are a few small things, like leaving my wife and kids for a teenage swimsuit model, putting an entourage of gangster rappers on payroll, using Dom Periginon to wash my socks. Mostly, I'm very grounded in reality. Ask my publicist.
What influenced you to begin writing mystery and horror stories? Where did the idea for “Whiskey Sour” come from?
I love to read. There are a dozen authors I've been following since before I hit puberty, sometime last year. From a passion for reading, came a passion for writing.
Whiskey Sour was my attempt at writing a series character for the mystery genre. I wanted to write a book that was both funny and scary. Something with compelling characters, but also a solid thriller structure.
Wow, I'm starting to bore myself. When do you start asking questions about sex?
Books, both non-fiction and fiction, about serial killers or featuring them as the antagonist of the story--as “Whiskey Sour” does--have become increasingly popular the past couple of decades. What do you think accounts for this growing fascination with serial killers?
I think every person has a secret desire to murder everyone they know. Come on, admit it! We've all gotten drunk and killed a few hookers, right?
But seriously, the murder is easy. It's the disposal that's tough. Luckily, I have a brother who is a mortician, and he takes care of them for me. You'd be surprised how many 'sealed caskets' actually have two of three bodies in them.
Do you have any other novels or short stories planned for publication or already in publication?
My very first story was recently published in Horror Garage Magazine #7. It's called FINICKY EATER, about a kid in a bomb shelter who eats his mom.
Yes, it's autobiographical.
I've got a story in an upcoming Ellery Queen, and a few other shorts that I'm waiting to get the final yes on.
It's funny-I always labored under the misconception that once I sold a book, I'd be able to sell my short stories everywhere. In reality, I'm still being bombarded with rejections.
The sequel to WHISKEY SOUR comes out in 2005. It's called BLOODY MARY. Then in 2006 comes RUSTY NAIL. As you can see, I've got this drink gimmick going. For book four, I'm considering SCREAMING ORGASM, but I don't know if my publisher will bite.
I'm also working on this side project, about an obsessed ship captain in the 1800s who is chasing after a white whale. I'm thinking of calling it JAWS.
Why did you decide to start a bi-monthly writing contest?
I got ZERO help getting published. I landed my agent through the slush pile. It's very hard to get a professional in the publishing industry to look at your work. But now, I’m a professional in the publishing industry, and I'll read anything anyone sends me. I want to be helpful. If I like your stuff, I'll try to help you sell it. That's the reason I began teaching fiction writing and marketing at the College of Dupage. There are a lot of talented writers out there, who just need a little nudge.
I’ve heard you’re a fan of J. Andrew Haknort. Who is he and what is your favorite poem written by him?
I learned about Haknort in college. He's this obscure beatnik poet who died many years ago. He had quite a large body of work, but no one knows about him. I wrote a short bio for his website, but to be honest, I played fast and loose with the truth. The webmaster, some psilocybin burn-out who lives in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, doesn't seem to mind.
My fave Hak poem is "Grandma." To wit: "My grandma wears a diaper, I really hate to wipe her."
Hak's much funnier when you're on a controlled substance. Or if you're mentally impaired. Or if you just have really, really low standards.
Any last thoughts, appearances to plug, appeals for people to buy your book or skeletons (literal or figurative) you’d like to let out of the closet?
As my crazy career spirals out of control, I'll be touring and making appearances all over the place. If you track me down, and push a manuscript on me, I'll read it. If you flatter me, I'll buy you a beer. I keep my website updated with where I'll be.
My ultimate goal is to be an inspiration for every aspiring writer on the planet. I want people to say, "If that bonehead can do it, so can I."
And you can.
There's a word for a writer who never gives up: published.
Now buy my book!
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 2:10 PM
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Sunday, September 07, 2003
UPCOMING GARY COLEMAN APPEARANCES
Gary will be appearing in a televised debate along with candidates, Mary Carey, Thunder Kelly, Carl A. Mehr, Brian Quinn and Nathan Whitecloud Walton, Wednesday October 1 at 9pm on the Game Show Network (GSN). The debate is part of GSN’s “WHO WANTS TO BE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA? THE DEBATING GAME” show.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 11:53 PM
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A DAY FOR POLLS
A recent poll conducted by EKOS Research Associates and reported in the Toronto Star indicates the Liberal Party lead is beginning to slip. 43.5% of decided voters back Liberal Party leader Dalton McGuinty, while 42% back Progressive Conservative Party leader, Premier Ernie Eves. New Democrat Party leader, Howard Hampton, is backed by 13% of decided voters. 14.3% of those polled were undecided.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 4:44 PM
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BELIEVING THE UNBELIEVABLE
A recent poll conducted by the Washington Post reveals that 69% of Americans think Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the September 11 terrorist attacks, despite White House claims that there is no evidence to support such a belief. But then, according to another poll conducted by ICR-International Communications Research Services , 73% of Americans think the government is keeping important information about UFOs secret.
Is there a correlation between the two polls? You decide.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 3:58 PM
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WEBSITE PROFILES
Internet-resources.com is an invaluable site for any writer or would be writer. It features hundreds of links to publications about writing, paying markets and tools of the trade.
Universe Today.com is a site that features news from the world of space exploration. The site just recently added a message board that is drawing in professionals in the field from all corners of the globe.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 12:03 AM
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Saturday, September 06, 2003
GARY COLEMAN'S CAMPAIGN PLATFORM
On August 6, 2003, gubernatorial candidate Gary Coleman outlined his campaign platform in the East Bay Express.
Here, as published in the East Bay Express, is where Gary stands on a few issues.
Gary On Taxes:
"The film industry should never be taxed," he says. "Because that's the state's bread and butter. That's what drives jobs and makes people come here." As for the rest of us, Coleman will finally implement that great populist dream, the flat tax.
Gary On School Funding:
" In any case, fixing the schools is just a matter of doubling the lottery ticket prices: "The lottery's been around enough that $2 a ticket or a play isn't too much to ask."
Gary On Keeping Business in California:
"Any corporation that employs 50 or 75 percent of a given city, I think they should be given some special treatment," he warns. "And I don't think these cities are giving corporations any incentive to stay.”
I bet you thought he was just another pretty face.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 8:44 PM
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"ROAD MAP" TO RUIN
Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas resigned today, sending a clear signal to the world that the US led peace initiative between Israel and Palestine has fallen into ruin. As if to add an exclamation point to the failed peace initiative, a few hours later an Israeli warplane bombed an apartment in Gaza City, targetting Hamas leaders including the Islamic militant group's founder, Sheik Ahmed Yassin.
To make matters worse, according to an article by the Financial Times, even President Bush may now be backing away from the “road map” to peace.
In the days and weeks ahead there is going to be finger pointing by all the parties involved as they try to pin the blame for this failure on each other.
But what went wrong?
The simple answer is nothing went wrong. The initiative was doomed to failure from the start. History has shown that these two groups of people cannot get along and so any attempt to make them do so is doomed from the start.
For that reason, the only sensible solution to the problem is to segregate the two populations. Israel should continue to build its “Berlin Wall” while simultaneously deporting all Arabs from the country. They should then withdraw completely from the occupied territories. Once this is accomplished, the Palestinians will have no need to fight against Israel since they will be free to govern themselves as they see fit without any outside interference. After that, if any Islamic extremists continue to attack the citizens of Israel, they will no longer be seen as freedom fighters with a cause but will be seen as terrorists with nothing but hatred in their hearts.
While this may seem like an extreme solution, in the harsh reality of yet another failed attempt to bring peace to this trouble region, it is the only solution that will work.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 7:55 PM
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Friday, September 05, 2003
GARY COLEMAN FOR GOVERNOR MERCHANDISE
Support Gary Coleman's bid for Governor of California by wearing a Gary Coleman for Governor T-shirt.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 10:40 PM
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DO I HAVE SOMETHING IN MY EYE?
Ron "Miracle Man" Hunt (news article) earns the My Blahg "Lucky To Be Alive" award for September after a freak construction site accident left him with an 18-inch long, 1 1/2-inch diameter chip auger drill bit impaled through his eye.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 4:00 PM
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ONTARIO ELECTION
Premiere of Ontario, Ernie Eves is sending Ontarians to the polls on October 2. While this election won't have the same circus-like atmosphere as the California recall election does, it is already shaping up to be an exciting race. Okay, who am I kidding, Ontario elections are about as exciting as dry toast.
Since My Blahg has yet to pick a candidate in this one, I'll start the good times a-rollin by giving you, my non-readers, some of the basics about the candidates.
Ernie Eves (Progressive Conservative Party)
Key Policies: To allow homeowners to save up to $500 a year in taxes by writing off mortgage interest; ban on teacher strikes and other labour disruptions during the school year; clamp down on illegal immigrants; empower medical teams to force homeless off the streets during frigid weather or if they need medical attention.
Dalton McGuinty (Liberal Party)
Key policies: Freeze taxes; reverse corporate tax cuts introduced by Tories; freeze tuition rates; crack down on "deadbeat" parents by posting pictures on the Web; make it illegal for students to drop out of school or training programs before age 18.
Howard Hampton (New Democratic Party)
Key policies: Billions more for health, education and other programs along with higher taxes for people making more than $100,000 and for corporations. A fastidious detractor of the Tory deregulation of the electricity market, he has promised to regulate hydro again if elected.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 3:07 PM
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Thursday, September 04, 2003
SUPPORT YOUR COUNTRY: EAT A BURGER
By now most of my non-readers have heard of the devastation being wrought on the Canadian beef industry by the discovery of one case of mad cow disease. The industry stands to lose $1 billion this year.
So be a patriot by throwing a few extra burgers or steaks on the BBQ this weekend. If you're a vegetarian, do it anyways, you unpatriotic freak--you can always feed the burgers to your dammed dog.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 8:03 PM
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MY NEMESIS
One subject that I will be blahging on, from time to time, is my arch-nemesis: The Tokingvillain
You, my non-readers, might ask why that is? The question can best be answered with this quote, taken from the blog on that site.
"Have I mentioned that the Palestinians are animals? The politicians and diplomats will say the things that they must say, but the terror will never stop - not until the Palestinian animals have been exterminated like the filthy vermin that they are."--Wayne Lutz (The Tocquevillian)
This site is rampant with sentiments such as those expressed in the above quote and I simply find them despicable and worthy of ridicule.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 6:13 PM
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THE CALIFORNIA RECALL ELECTION
Although I'm not eligible to vote in this fiasco, I must say that the one candidate who should rightfully be voted as the next governor of the state is being mostly ignored. I refer to Gary Coleman.
Now, you might think I'm joking, but I assure you that I'm not. Here is why I think all of my non-readers from the state of California should vote for him on Oct. 7 and why I plan to blahg for him.
For too long Gary Coleman has been the brunt of cruel jokes. In fact, even his entry into the race for governor was nothing more than a joke by an alternative newspaper. Despite this however, Gary Coleman is taking this election seriously instead of using it to garner attention for his acting career. But, the media has chosen to view his candidacy as nothing more than a joke.
For this reason, I urge all the people of California to vote for Gary Coleman. A vote for him is not only a vote for governor of California but is also a vote for dignity and respect.
In the coming weeks, I will be blahging on the Gary Coleman campaign in order to keep all my non-readers informed.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 5:50 PM
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MY FIRST BLAHG ENTRY
I wanted to start my blahging off with a bang by doing something spectacular, but since I don't have any readers, I figured the effort would be wasted.
Instead, I'll just tell all my non-readers who I am and why I've started blahging.
I'm a Canadian, eh and I've started blahging because I have too much time on my hands.
Some of my non-readers have by now noticed that there is no way to comment on the stuff I write. The reason for this is quite simple. I'm a computer illiterate who doesn't know how to set that up. Until I do find a way, if you really want to say something about my blahg entries you can reach me by email ( robert.mcclelland@sympatico.ca ) or at my favourite newsgroup: misc.writing.
Well, that's about all I have to say in my maiden blahg entry.
Happy thoughts to you.
Robert McClelland blahgged this at 4:00 PM
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