So, it's back to the drawing board for consultations with the natives on pipelines. When will it ever end?! Listening to Perry Bellegarde on 'Power Play' this afternoon I almost screamed. He actually thinks natives have a veto on pipelines.
They don't. But never mind, Perry, don't bother reading the Constitution Act of 1982 (which my husband helped write), where you might learn something, just barrel ahead with more bullsh-t. The guy is delusional! This new round of talks will add years to getting anything done. As I have said, I don't care how much you "consult" with natives, it will never be enough. What do they want? More. When do they want it? Forever.
He went on about how the natives want in on the progress -- read "money" -- to be made with pipelines, but first we have to talk ourselves to death before anyone digs anything. Notley needs to call on the "notwithstanding clause" to override more consultations, but she won't. She's out the door with a swift kick soon anyway, but the new premier of Quebec is brilliantly going to invoke the clause to make it illegal for public-sector workers to wear religious symbols when they are dealing with the public. This is what "Church and State" is all about; I don't want to know your religion when I access public services. Why no one points this out is beyond me?
I'm so sick of it. Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Bite me Chrystia Freeland
Thirty years ago, I was part of the original Free Trade Agreement task force that wrote the thing in the first place. All Freeland had to do was tweak it and she took waaaaaaay too long to do so.
Back then, it was all business, no showmanship. I was with Customs and Excise and we had work to do. We did it and not much has changed with this new agreement. We didn't want the elephant to roll over on us, so we cooperated and got the deal signed. I am very proud of my role in that exercise. I had to work day and night over Christmas and New Year's in 1988 to meet the January 1st, 1989, deadline.
We did it. Here are a couple of kudos:
Back then, it was all business, no showmanship. I was with Customs and Excise and we had work to do. We did it and not much has changed with this new agreement. We didn't want the elephant to roll over on us, so we cooperated and got the deal signed. I am very proud of my role in that exercise. I had to work day and night over Christmas and New Year's in 1988 to meet the January 1st, 1989, deadline.
We did it. Here are a couple of kudos:
Monday, October 1, 2018
Dumb
Driving around, I cannot figure out why people buy luxury cars that don't look like luxury cars? Remember when a Cadillac looked like a Cadillac? When a Volvo looked like a Volvo, when a BMW looked like a BMW, when a Porsche looked like a Porsche?
Now everything looks like a Ford Explorer.
Took a few pictures of these expensive cross-overs in your average parking lot today and I have no idea why people spend $10 to $20K more for a Ford Explorer "look-alike"?! Just dumb. Here they are in all their inglorious non-splendor:
Now everything looks like a Ford Explorer.
Took a few pictures of these expensive cross-overs in your average parking lot today and I have no idea why people spend $10 to $20K more for a Ford Explorer "look-alike"?! Just dumb. Here they are in all their inglorious non-splendor:
 |
| A BMW (Ford) |
 |
| A Porsche (Ford) |
 |
| A Volvo (Ford) |
 |
| A Cadillac (Ford) |
 |
| The real deal: A Ford Explorer |
 |
| At least this still looks like a Mustang -- albeit not a GT, as we had. |
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Guilty, regardless
That's the deal now. Men are automatically guilty of sexual assault -- regardless of anything anyone says, proves or disproves. Every airwave is full of the testimony of women who are siding knives out, full bore with Ford in the Kavanaugh hearing. Never mind that they know nothing about what might, or might not, have happened, they're hammering the guy relentlessly.
It's obscene. The worst part is how Ford cried her way through her testimony. This happened 36 years ago and she is still crying about it in the public thoroughfare. This is some kind of PhD professor and she's crying! Remind me never to take any of her classes. Justice isn't blind, she's got her eyes wide open and the verdict pronounced for all the world to see.
Contrast Ford's "performance" to that of the dignified Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings. Hill was calm, measured, cool, collected and credible. She is a credit to her gender, but Ford is an embarrassment. The piling on is appalling and sets women's credibility back 50 years. Grow up. If you go to a drunken frat party, expect whatever comes along. Frankly, with that long, dyed-blonde, young-woman hair, she seems to be still back there.
Regardless, Kavanaugh is done unless Trump digs in and threatens every senator and congressman with his wrath if he loses.
It's obscene. The worst part is how Ford cried her way through her testimony. This happened 36 years ago and she is still crying about it in the public thoroughfare. This is some kind of PhD professor and she's crying! Remind me never to take any of her classes. Justice isn't blind, she's got her eyes wide open and the verdict pronounced for all the world to see.
Contrast Ford's "performance" to that of the dignified Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings. Hill was calm, measured, cool, collected and credible. She is a credit to her gender, but Ford is an embarrassment. The piling on is appalling and sets women's credibility back 50 years. Grow up. If you go to a drunken frat party, expect whatever comes along. Frankly, with that long, dyed-blonde, young-woman hair, she seems to be still back there.
Regardless, Kavanaugh is done unless Trump digs in and threatens every senator and congressman with his wrath if he loses.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Moral courage
Know anyone who has it? B and I were talking about it today and I came up with very few. Many are dead, but include B's grandfather, his mother, both my adoptive and birth mothers (the latter who had the guts to carry and put me up for adoption), my father, John Booth, Michael Kirby, Jacqui Sadler and John Vought. I know that sounds ridiculous, because these people are both living and dead and don't even know each other, but they stuck to their principles in the face of resistance. Canvas your own circles and see what you find.
On another note, the latest nonsense is the decision by that ridiculous Freeland to create the position of an ambassador dedicated to "women, peace and security". What??!! Why??!! Trudeau made an embarrassing speech at the UN the other day lauding women and vowing to protect their security. Great, but how are you going to prevent men in cultures that supress and violate women from abusing them? You're not and neither will this ambassadorial position. So ludicrous.
Canada already has devoted $450 million and a staff of 63 to a "peace and stabilization program" in departments and agencies across government. What have they accomplished? Nothing. Why do we need another useless department dedicated to what can't be done?
Both Andrew Coyne and John Ivison take it on in today's 'National Post' when they write about the disastrous appointment of Julie Payette as GG. Speculation is the government is set to dump the vacuous Payette into that job and appoint a new GG. Won't be happening if Payette has anything to say about it. She may not like being GG and carrying out boring duties such as upholding Canada's constitution, signing stuff and pulling in $300 K a year, but if pushed, a contrarian such as she will dig in and stay. So, that's a non-starter. The betting is on the appointment of a native woman -- which is what I had predicted before Payette was named. I got the gender right, but not the native part. Now that can be glossed over if a native were to be named to this post. But, as I said, she won't budge.
Coyne talks about "gravitas" being an essential part of a GG appointment. The only holders of the office who had it were Vincent Massey, Georges Vanier and David Johnston. Every other appointment consisted of light-weights -- mostly journalists. Think of Jeanne Sauve, Adrian Clarkson, Michaelle Jean and Ed Schryer. Any "gravitas" there? No. None.
In appointing Payette, Trudeau did not consult the panel of vice-regal experts, whose role it was to vet candidates, so Trudeau and his cronies could fast-track a female who ticked all his boxes. Ivison says the whole deal with this new position is to create a superfluous job to provide a soft landing for Payette and cover for a blunder of Trudeau's own making.
On another note, the latest nonsense is the decision by that ridiculous Freeland to create the position of an ambassador dedicated to "women, peace and security". What??!! Why??!! Trudeau made an embarrassing speech at the UN the other day lauding women and vowing to protect their security. Great, but how are you going to prevent men in cultures that supress and violate women from abusing them? You're not and neither will this ambassadorial position. So ludicrous.
Canada already has devoted $450 million and a staff of 63 to a "peace and stabilization program" in departments and agencies across government. What have they accomplished? Nothing. Why do we need another useless department dedicated to what can't be done?
Both Andrew Coyne and John Ivison take it on in today's 'National Post' when they write about the disastrous appointment of Julie Payette as GG. Speculation is the government is set to dump the vacuous Payette into that job and appoint a new GG. Won't be happening if Payette has anything to say about it. She may not like being GG and carrying out boring duties such as upholding Canada's constitution, signing stuff and pulling in $300 K a year, but if pushed, a contrarian such as she will dig in and stay. So, that's a non-starter. The betting is on the appointment of a native woman -- which is what I had predicted before Payette was named. I got the gender right, but not the native part. Now that can be glossed over if a native were to be named to this post. But, as I said, she won't budge.
Coyne talks about "gravitas" being an essential part of a GG appointment. The only holders of the office who had it were Vincent Massey, Georges Vanier and David Johnston. Every other appointment consisted of light-weights -- mostly journalists. Think of Jeanne Sauve, Adrian Clarkson, Michaelle Jean and Ed Schryer. Any "gravitas" there? No. None.
In appointing Payette, Trudeau did not consult the panel of vice-regal experts, whose role it was to vet candidates, so Trudeau and his cronies could fast-track a female who ticked all his boxes. Ivison says the whole deal with this new position is to create a superfluous job to provide a soft landing for Payette and cover for a blunder of Trudeau's own making.
Monday, September 24, 2018
What a joke
So, parts of the Ottawa area were flattened by a rare tornado that hit over the weekend and where was Trudeau? In New York making speeches at the UN about gender politics, lobbying to get a seat on the Security Council. Why? Why does Canada need a seat on the Security Council? Just so Trudeau can say he got one and Harper failed?
I have no clue. The UN is a castrated organization no one takes seriously, so what's the point? Anyway, I guess it's more fun being in New York than Dunrobin. Here's a picture of that devastated community:
It's hard to believe that little old Dunrobin has been taken off the face of the earth. I can't even imagine losing my house like this!? My heart goes out to those who have lost everything and I give kudos to the emergency responders who have stepped up so tirelessly.
________________________________________
p.s. Had a mammography last week and got my results today: normal. Very grateful.
I have no clue. The UN is a castrated organization no one takes seriously, so what's the point? Anyway, I guess it's more fun being in New York than Dunrobin. Here's a picture of that devastated community:
It's hard to believe that little old Dunrobin has been taken off the face of the earth. I can't even imagine losing my house like this!? My heart goes out to those who have lost everything and I give kudos to the emergency responders who have stepped up so tirelessly.
________________________________________
p.s. Had a mammography last week and got my results today: normal. Very grateful.
Saturday, September 22, 2018
I told you so
The media is full of what a disaster our current GG, Julie Payette, is. Installed a year ago, she remains seemingly unaware of what a governor general in a parliamentary democracy is supposed to do. I wrote "Give her a copy of the constitution" on 07/11/17, pointing out that she thinks she has opinions to impart on government bills and won't sign them.
No, she doesn't have opinions, but apparently she refuses to give Royal Assent to things with which she doesn't agree. Really!? Seasoned Rideau Hall officials and constitutional staff have tried and tried and tried to educate her, but have failed. She actually has the gall to complain that her duties are interfering with her personal time! OMG! Guess that means she doesn't work nights or weekends, when most official stuff is carried out. And by the way, she gets paid $300 K to do what she's told. And as to being a "single mother", you can bet that kid's father is paying lots of child support.
I also wrote "Is it just me?" on 02/10/2017 about her ignorance of her role and the inappropriateness of her dress and ridiculous hair. When you're the governor general, this stuff is all very important. People are counting on you to show up and look like "the governor general" -- not some ex-astronaut. Years ago, when I was with Customs and Excise and Elmer MacKay was the minister, I went to a briefing to make a presentation on something or other (see how unimportant it all is in the end, can't even remember what it was about?) and Elmer said, "Nancy, as Woody Allen said, ninety percent of life is showing up and here I am, so what do you have for me?"
He was right. The fault, of course, lies with Trudeau and the PMO, who obviously failed to vet her sufficiently to have seen her personality just didn't fit the role. She reminds me of Freeland, who thinks everything she says and does is perfect because it's she. I'll bet Payette was chosen as the token female astronaut, but hasn't figured that out yet and thinks it was because of her brilliance.
Wrong. Afterall, they train monkeys and dogs to go up in space, so how hard can it be?!
Trudeau needs to call her into the office and give her a spanking, but oh yeah, I forgot, he doesn't have a clue about the constitution either! Someone should give me a call because I am married to one of the guys who wrote it.
No, she doesn't have opinions, but apparently she refuses to give Royal Assent to things with which she doesn't agree. Really!? Seasoned Rideau Hall officials and constitutional staff have tried and tried and tried to educate her, but have failed. She actually has the gall to complain that her duties are interfering with her personal time! OMG! Guess that means she doesn't work nights or weekends, when most official stuff is carried out. And by the way, she gets paid $300 K to do what she's told. And as to being a "single mother", you can bet that kid's father is paying lots of child support.
I also wrote "Is it just me?" on 02/10/2017 about her ignorance of her role and the inappropriateness of her dress and ridiculous hair. When you're the governor general, this stuff is all very important. People are counting on you to show up and look like "the governor general" -- not some ex-astronaut. Years ago, when I was with Customs and Excise and Elmer MacKay was the minister, I went to a briefing to make a presentation on something or other (see how unimportant it all is in the end, can't even remember what it was about?) and Elmer said, "Nancy, as Woody Allen said, ninety percent of life is showing up and here I am, so what do you have for me?"
He was right. The fault, of course, lies with Trudeau and the PMO, who obviously failed to vet her sufficiently to have seen her personality just didn't fit the role. She reminds me of Freeland, who thinks everything she says and does is perfect because it's she. I'll bet Payette was chosen as the token female astronaut, but hasn't figured that out yet and thinks it was because of her brilliance.
Wrong. Afterall, they train monkeys and dogs to go up in space, so how hard can it be?!
Trudeau needs to call her into the office and give her a spanking, but oh yeah, I forgot, he doesn't have a clue about the constitution either! Someone should give me a call because I am married to one of the guys who wrote it.
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