#Metoo has gone too far. Now, if a guy got a little sexually eager with a girl 36 years ago, as teenaged boys tend to do when they're in the throes of emerging manhood, he's dumped in the dirt with Harvey Weinstein and the Boston Strangler. Come on, people. But yes, this apparently is the case with Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, who is currently being vilified by a girl he met at a party in high school he may -- or may not (she can't really remember because she was also drunk) -- have sexually assaulted.
Brett Kavanaugh has a law degree from Yale, clerked for three judges and has had a distinguished career in public service; his work ethic is prodigious. Not that any of that would matter, if he had been a rapist, but does one juvenile act define a man for life? These days, I guess so.
Compare this to the treatment accorded Omar Khadr, writes Christie Blatchford in today's 'National Post'. This guy pleaded guilty to killing a US special forces soldier and partially blinding another by throwing a grenade during a firefight in Afghanistan. He only got eight years and to top it all off, Trudeau handed him a $10.5 million cheque to compensate him for....something or other. It was ludicrous.
And then there's the ruined Jian Ghomeshi. Acquitted of all the charges against him, he is nevertheless done for life. Done. Yes, he was in a position of power and used it to date and have sex with women. What man in power doesn't? But the women were willing and none objected. Where's the assault in that? I can't find it?!
I was a speech writer for ministers in Trudeau senior's cabinet and I can't count the number of times most came on to me (I was young and gorgeous at the time). It didn't bother me in the least. In fact, I was flattered. I could hold my own in such situations because everyone was good-natured about it. It was harmless. Women either said "yes" or "no" and no one pressed it, but you had to be aware that if you said "no", you might not have been given that particular assignment, depending on the personality and ego of the minister. One thing that amazed me was that even when pregnant and "out to here", I was still propositioned. Weird. But should I go back and start "#Metoo-ing" everyone? Please.
Ghomeshi recently wrote an essay for the 'The New York Review of Books' and people attacked him in the ether without mercy for telling his side and actually apologizing for the assumptions he made with the women he dated.
It's all ridiculous and I'm sick of it. And, by the way, Q has never been the same without him.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Saturday, September 15, 2018
The skinny on Singh
Jagmeet Singh was elected leader of the federal NDP because a lot of Sikhs joined the party at the last minute, overrode traditional NDPers and voted him in. Now I read that the NDP can't raise money. Geez, no kidding! My question is, where are all the Sikhs who voted for him when it comes to filling the NDP coffers?
Obviously, nowhere. They've taken their wallets and gone home. Why did they want him as leader? For that, I have no answer. Someone wondered what he had to do to attract voters. He has to drop his turban, cut his hair and shave. Sorry, but them's the facts and the reality of the voting public in Canada. There is a separation between "church" and "state" in this country, but his primary identity is his religion, which is why he has to drop the paraphernalia. His turban and hair send out a religious message. Wrong. He's running in Burnaby, where the NDP squeaked in; it will be amusing to see if he loses.
As for Maxim Bernier, he should have won the leadership of the Conservatives. The fact that it was so close and the ballots destroyed immediately meant no re-count was possible. Scheer, as nice and dimply as he is, can't win and that's a tragedy. Bernier will split the vote and the Liberals will slide back in under the inept Trudeau and we will be effed for another four years.
As for NAFTA, the wrong person is handling the negotiations. She is a dog barking, as my psychiatrist used to call B's ex, and can't get out of her own chair. Not good for getting to an agreement. Were I Trudeau, I would put Bernier in charge of the file and dump Freeland. Mulroney put Simon Reisman in charge for the original Canada/US Free Trade Deal and they got it done. I was a member of that task force and very proud to have made a small contribution in getting it signed. I well remember working all through Christmas and New Year's in 1987 to make sure it rolled out on January 2nd, 1988, as it had to. We were a busy bunch while everyone else was opening presents and eating turkey. But, by the way, I still managed to get a turkey on the table for my parents and extended family.
But the "gender-mad" Trudeau will not dump Freeland, much to the country's detriment. Here's a picture of her. Would you buy a used car from this disaster? She's a disgrace to her gender and to the rest of us who worked so hard to get women to the grownup's table.
Obviously, nowhere. They've taken their wallets and gone home. Why did they want him as leader? For that, I have no answer. Someone wondered what he had to do to attract voters. He has to drop his turban, cut his hair and shave. Sorry, but them's the facts and the reality of the voting public in Canada. There is a separation between "church" and "state" in this country, but his primary identity is his religion, which is why he has to drop the paraphernalia. His turban and hair send out a religious message. Wrong. He's running in Burnaby, where the NDP squeaked in; it will be amusing to see if he loses.
As for Maxim Bernier, he should have won the leadership of the Conservatives. The fact that it was so close and the ballots destroyed immediately meant no re-count was possible. Scheer, as nice and dimply as he is, can't win and that's a tragedy. Bernier will split the vote and the Liberals will slide back in under the inept Trudeau and we will be effed for another four years.
As for NAFTA, the wrong person is handling the negotiations. She is a dog barking, as my psychiatrist used to call B's ex, and can't get out of her own chair. Not good for getting to an agreement. Were I Trudeau, I would put Bernier in charge of the file and dump Freeland. Mulroney put Simon Reisman in charge for the original Canada/US Free Trade Deal and they got it done. I was a member of that task force and very proud to have made a small contribution in getting it signed. I well remember working all through Christmas and New Year's in 1987 to make sure it rolled out on January 2nd, 1988, as it had to. We were a busy bunch while everyone else was opening presents and eating turkey. But, by the way, I still managed to get a turkey on the table for my parents and extended family.
But the "gender-mad" Trudeau will not dump Freeland, much to the country's detriment. Here's a picture of her. Would you buy a used car from this disaster? She's a disgrace to her gender and to the rest of us who worked so hard to get women to the grownup's table.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Here's the deal
The rabble protesting Doug Ford's invocation of the "notwithstanding" clause in the Canadian Constitution is ill-informed. I am married to someone who held the pen when the Constitution Act of 1982 was drafted, so I rely on his knowledge to unravel the facts.
The clause was insisted upon by the three Western Premiers, Sterling Lyon, Alan Blakeney and Peter Lougheed, because they feared that Quebec would abuse the constitution. What the clause means is provinces can override the Charter of Rights in cases where provincial jurisdictions and decisions are at stake. That, my friends, is exactly what Doug Ford is doing. He wants to reduce the number of Toronto city councillors and is perfectly within his rights to do so. What people don't know is that the municipalities are creatures of the provinces. In fact, municipalities are not necessary and Ford has the right to make changes as he sees fit.
Basically, what the Western premiers were saying was eff Quebec. We're not going to let one province block our legislative powers, hence the clause. Reading all the letters and editorials, I have to laugh at the ignorance of the positions taken. It was simply Western provinces standing their ground. And as to the Ontario MPPs protesting and banging their desks, they have no idea either. It's all legal.
He's doing it and so what. The clause is there and it's being used. B has a letter in The Globe and Mail today which sums it all up perfectly. Here's the letter:
Calgary, Alberta"
The clause was insisted upon by the three Western Premiers, Sterling Lyon, Alan Blakeney and Peter Lougheed, because they feared that Quebec would abuse the constitution. What the clause means is provinces can override the Charter of Rights in cases where provincial jurisdictions and decisions are at stake. That, my friends, is exactly what Doug Ford is doing. He wants to reduce the number of Toronto city councillors and is perfectly within his rights to do so. What people don't know is that the municipalities are creatures of the provinces. In fact, municipalities are not necessary and Ford has the right to make changes as he sees fit.
Basically, what the Western premiers were saying was eff Quebec. We're not going to let one province block our legislative powers, hence the clause. Reading all the letters and editorials, I have to laugh at the ignorance of the positions taken. It was simply Western provinces standing their ground. And as to the Ontario MPPs protesting and banging their desks, they have no idea either. It's all legal.
He's doing it and so what. The clause is there and it's being used. B has a letter in The Globe and Mail today which sums it all up perfectly. Here's the letter:
"Dear Editor,
"As part of the team in the Federal Provincial Relations
Office in 1978, I was a participant in the negotiations that resulted in the
Constitution Act of 1982. The “notwithstanding clause” was insisted upon
by then-premier Sterling Lyon of Manitoba to enable provincial legislatures to
challenge the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, should issues be at odds with
provincial legislative initiatives, as Premier Ford is now doing.
"Supported by both Premiers Lougheed and Blakeney, this
clause was an essential element in securing the support of all premiers for
approval of the Constitution. The fact that Premier Ford is using it now
is perfectly legitimate and within the province’s constitutional rights.
"Brian Marley-Clarke
Director, Federal Provincial Relations, Privy Council Office
(ret’d)Calgary, Alberta"
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Ah, tennis players............
Although I can play no longer, I belong with B to The Calgary Tennis Club so I can go and eat and drink wine. Last evening they held a meeting to discuss what to do with the courts. The big debate is between the hard-court pounders and the players who actually want to play the original game.
When I played at The Rideau in Ottawa, there were only clay courts, with a few grass at the very "tony" clubs. Tennis was played on clay. Period the end. In Ottawa, the city built asphalt courts anyone could play on, but they were kind'a shitty. At our Calgary club they have only four soft courts and the young, male pounders want to replace them with hard courts. As I sat and listened, I was amazed at how few people even knew what it was like to play on clay. For these guys, it's just pound, pound from the baseline. To me, that's not tennis. It might as well be baseball.
The last to play serve-and-volley tennis were Stephan Edberg and Martina Navratilova. Now, that was tennis. Remember the lob? Where has that gone? I remember a match in Bermuda between Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase, when Connors lobbed a ball at Nastase. What did Ilie do? He ran into the stands, kissed some woman, ran back onto the court and put the shot away.
Now, that was tennis!
So, alas I fear the pounders will prevail and the soft courts -- they're not even clay, for that matter -- will be dug up and paved over. Where's the elegance in that? Where's the finesse? Where's the charm? Where's the sliding? All gone, sacrificed at the altar of those who think they are ready for the US Open. The players I blame for the baseline pounding are Chris Evert and Jim Courier. Boo to them.
When I played at The Rideau in Ottawa, there were only clay courts, with a few grass at the very "tony" clubs. Tennis was played on clay. Period the end. In Ottawa, the city built asphalt courts anyone could play on, but they were kind'a shitty. At our Calgary club they have only four soft courts and the young, male pounders want to replace them with hard courts. As I sat and listened, I was amazed at how few people even knew what it was like to play on clay. For these guys, it's just pound, pound from the baseline. To me, that's not tennis. It might as well be baseball.
The last to play serve-and-volley tennis were Stephan Edberg and Martina Navratilova. Now, that was tennis. Remember the lob? Where has that gone? I remember a match in Bermuda between Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase, when Connors lobbed a ball at Nastase. What did Ilie do? He ran into the stands, kissed some woman, ran back onto the court and put the shot away.
Now, that was tennis!
So, alas I fear the pounders will prevail and the soft courts -- they're not even clay, for that matter -- will be dug up and paved over. Where's the elegance in that? Where's the finesse? Where's the charm? Where's the sliding? All gone, sacrificed at the altar of those who think they are ready for the US Open. The players I blame for the baseline pounding are Chris Evert and Jim Courier. Boo to them.
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Poor slob
Some poor professor at Acadia University has been fired for stating the obvious. He claimed multiculturalism was a scam, that there really wasn't a gender wage gap and that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was basically a vehicle for endless compensation and apologies.
By the way, Rick Mehta is correct on all of the above, in my opinion. He also stated that it was..."statistically impossible for all native children to have had a negative experience in residential schools." Yes, true. And when you look at all the successful natives, the majority were educated at residential schools (boarding schools, as I call them) or they would not have been educated at all. Those are just the simple facts; all the weeping and wailing is a scam to soak more money out of the beleaguered taxpayer.
And speaking of soaking taxpayers, we are now going to hand over $100 million to a northern native reserve to build a new health centre. Really?? Was the old one trashed? Natives need to get off the reserves and integrate into mainstream society..........but you know how I feel about that mess, so I won't go on.
The head of professor Mehta's psychology department, some guy named Rob Raeside, said his teachings were causing great anxiety among students, some of whom had stopped attending class. If you're taking psychology and you can't handle comments with which you might not agree, then you're in the wrong faculty. How are you going to handle real life if this professor's comments upset you?! And saying you were upset by some comments is a great excuse to not attend class. Way to go!
But I live in hope because Mehta has many supporters who claim he is a welcome antidote to political correctness run amok and a banner carrier for free speech. Naturally, the university fired him because freedom of speech -- or even thought -- is now banned from Canadian universities.
Ludicrous.
By the way, Rick Mehta is correct on all of the above, in my opinion. He also stated that it was..."statistically impossible for all native children to have had a negative experience in residential schools." Yes, true. And when you look at all the successful natives, the majority were educated at residential schools (boarding schools, as I call them) or they would not have been educated at all. Those are just the simple facts; all the weeping and wailing is a scam to soak more money out of the beleaguered taxpayer.
And speaking of soaking taxpayers, we are now going to hand over $100 million to a northern native reserve to build a new health centre. Really?? Was the old one trashed? Natives need to get off the reserves and integrate into mainstream society..........but you know how I feel about that mess, so I won't go on.
The head of professor Mehta's psychology department, some guy named Rob Raeside, said his teachings were causing great anxiety among students, some of whom had stopped attending class. If you're taking psychology and you can't handle comments with which you might not agree, then you're in the wrong faculty. How are you going to handle real life if this professor's comments upset you?! And saying you were upset by some comments is a great excuse to not attend class. Way to go!
But I live in hope because Mehta has many supporters who claim he is a welcome antidote to political correctness run amok and a banner carrier for free speech. Naturally, the university fired him because freedom of speech -- or even thought -- is now banned from Canadian universities.
Ludicrous.
Friday, September 7, 2018
So....
....now Canadians have had to hand over $71 million to BC to deal with the opioid crisis. What an outrage. I say, if people want to use drugs, OD and die let them. Why should the rest of us pay for their mess??
As I said to a firefighter I know, "Why don't you just let them die? Why do you have to revive them just so they can do it again?" "We have to," he replied. What a waste of money.
As I said to a firefighter I know, "Why don't you just let them die? Why do you have to revive them just so they can do it again?" "We have to," he replied. What a waste of money.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Breathtakingly stupid
Just as with alcoholics, where one drink is one too many and 100 never enough, so it goes with the natives. They, along with their tree-hugger buddies, have won a court battle that not enough consultation had been undertaken for the Trans Mountain pipeline. Yeah, I guess. Afterall, it's only been six years since the first approval, why not go for more blabbing.
But you know that no matter how many times the federal government sits down with natives, it won't be enough. They'll challenge again and delay this vital project into the twilight zone of never-never land. Do they not realize that the billions Canadians hand over to them every year comes from the oil on which they stubbornly sit?! Well, I guess if you don't have to work for the money, you don't really care. The rest of us sure should, but political correctness has frozen Canadians into stupefying morbidity on this file. Am I the only one who's had it up to the back teeth?
And while I'm at it, their reserves are not "unceded native land" as they claim. It's Crown Land given them for their use. Hey fellas, it has been ceded and loaned back -- just like our condo townhouse, where we have exclusive use of our back and front lawns, but it's not "our" land. Have a quick glance through The Indian Act and you may figure it out. Or maybe not. But let me assure you, a couple of clicks on google and it's all there. The other idle bunch are today's so-called "journalists" -- too lazy and uninformed to get it right because they can't be bothered to do the research.
It's outrageous.
But you know that no matter how many times the federal government sits down with natives, it won't be enough. They'll challenge again and delay this vital project into the twilight zone of never-never land. Do they not realize that the billions Canadians hand over to them every year comes from the oil on which they stubbornly sit?! Well, I guess if you don't have to work for the money, you don't really care. The rest of us sure should, but political correctness has frozen Canadians into stupefying morbidity on this file. Am I the only one who's had it up to the back teeth?
And while I'm at it, their reserves are not "unceded native land" as they claim. It's Crown Land given them for their use. Hey fellas, it has been ceded and loaned back -- just like our condo townhouse, where we have exclusive use of our back and front lawns, but it's not "our" land. Have a quick glance through The Indian Act and you may figure it out. Or maybe not. But let me assure you, a couple of clicks on google and it's all there. The other idle bunch are today's so-called "journalists" -- too lazy and uninformed to get it right because they can't be bothered to do the research.
It's outrageous.
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