tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-130005692011-07-14T17:35:07.992-04:00Let every man shovel out his own snow and the whole city will be passable. EmersonTiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.comBlogger521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1122568814343824922005-07-28T12:35:00.000-04:002005-07-28T16:50:55.190-04:00

A mention of sea cucumbers at Hog on Ice reminded me of a funny story.A close friend, let's call him Bob, was on a diplomatic mission to China in the mid-1980s and was having lunch with some higher-ups in the government there. At the time, Bob's idea of being adventurous with food was making a peanut butter sandwich with something other than white bread, so he was struggling with the traditional

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1122312634331377782005-07-25T13:28:00.000-04:002005-07-25T13:30:34.336-04:00

This is hands down the busiest summer I've seen at work. I finally get some vacation at the end of this week. So, if all goes as planned, I'll be back in mid-August, refreshed and with a fire in my belly.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1121299473265174212005-07-13T19:53:00.000-04:002005-07-28T12:53:19.443-04:00

Now that an agreement in principle has been reached by ownership and the NHL Players Association, the NHL will likely turn their attention to rule changes. That is all well and good, but what fans should be doing is to settle on an effective way of sending a protest vote to these greedy bastards (for the record, if one side can be blamed more than the other, I direct my ire at the owners).I'm not

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1120611631599017642005-07-05T20:51:00.000-04:002005-07-05T21:00:31.616-04:00

Lots of travelling for work this week. Probably a write-off for posts until the weekend.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1120484435169354262005-07-04T09:38:00.000-04:002005-07-04T09:41:24.616-04:00

Hope our American cousins have a good holiday today.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1120405831341272402005-07-03T10:56:00.000-04:002005-07-03T11:50:31.356-04:00

Live 8 looks to have been a logistical success (the actual results of the campaign are much harder to evaluate). By all accounts, most complaints had to do with network TV coverage. MTV in the US has received much criticism. CTV here in Canada wasn't that bad, though I am fuming that they made such a big deal over the Pink Floyd reunion and then only aired two of the four songs Messrs Gilmour,

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1120244592906712122005-07-01T15:01:00.000-04:002005-07-01T15:03:12.913-04:00

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1120093477107335552005-06-29T21:03:00.000-04:002005-06-29T21:04:37.116-04:00

My take on a few good ones over at the Media Plough. Probably first in a recurring series.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1120008779857630192005-06-28T22:38:00.000-04:002005-06-28T22:38:47.360-04:00

This approach seems too close Larry King's random thoughts in USA Today, so I hope it doesn't become a habit fo me.---Kudos to Liberal MP John Comuzzi for stepping down from his cabinet post over same-sex marriage. It is somewhat refreshing to see a Grit show some principle.---The recent news about failed social engineering at the RCMP is not surprising. I've been hearing firsthand stories for

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1119756039446770332005-06-25T23:01:00.000-04:002005-06-25T23:20:39.450-04:00

Does Sheila Copps still write a column for the National Post? Is there a category below occasional? I came this close to cancelling my Post subscription when they chose to bump Colby Cosh's regular spot for her, but cooler heads prevailed when I realized that would leave me with just the Globe and Mail to read each day (the Globe gets benched on days when I only have time to scan one paper in

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1119739781948040512005-06-25T19:02:00.000-04:002005-06-25T19:06:43.053-04:00

Alan at Occam's Carbuncle has achieved some sort of zen-like resignation ever since he saw the resistance as futile. Where once there was hope, there is now only bitterness. Witty bitterness, mind you. His Friday post was a link to Walsingham's (is it too early to say seminal?) Tipping Point.I can empathize with these guys. To quote Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy, "dumb it down, 'cause

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1119729279587929392005-06-25T15:07:00.000-04:002005-06-25T15:54:39.606-04:00

Where did the week go? I swear I posted something more recently than Monday. Guess not. I do have some navel-gazing about music over at the Media Plough.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1119320445654813042005-06-20T22:12:00.000-04:002005-06-20T22:20:45.656-04:00

You probably know this already, since I suspect most of the light traffic this site gets is from people who read the same sites that I do, but the absence of a summer election in Canada has led to some blogger attrition. First it was Andrew Coyne, who has disappeared before but seems to pop back up just when we need him. Alan at Occam's Carbuncle and Sean at Polyspy are recent victims (read:

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1119319760982403892005-06-20T21:47:00.000-04:002005-06-20T22:09:22.276-04:00

Paul Martin hosted the President of European Union at Niagara-on-the-Lake on Sunday. The Prime Minister continues to show his knack for the photo op at the expense of substance or action. As CP reports, it actually sounds like this three-hour pow-wow was built around the photo ops:Despite a heavy agenda, there wasn't a lot of time for actual discussions at the meeting. After an opening

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1119230301448173232005-06-19T21:09:00.000-04:002005-06-19T21:18:21.453-04:00

Anyone who was finance minister in any Trudeau government is automatically disqualified for an honourary degree at Shovel U. On Friday, Publius at the Gods of the Copybook Headings focused his ire at the University of Western Ontario's choices for honourary doctorates. Morgentaler was in the news, but Marc Lalonde and MaudeBarlow went under my radar. A good fisking of Lalonde can be found at

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118977509390563132005-06-16T22:51:00.000-04:002005-06-16T23:05:09.390-04:00

Ending the suffering in Africa is certainly a noble cause, but it seems to me that actively promoting democracy would be a much more effective and long-term approach than simply cancelling third world debt. The West might as well cancel the debt, though; odds are the money will never be recouped anyway, but have you ever heard about a famine in a democracy?From a musical perspective, Live 8 for

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118976416180548932005-06-16T22:09:00.000-04:002005-06-17T15:16:24.643-04:00

Canada was once at the vanguard of the next generation of radio. Remember DAB? Toronto radio listeners have been able to listen to many of their radio stations in digital for years, assuming they dropped the coin for a new digital radio. (The skinny on DAB when it was launched was that Canadian radio had adopted the cutting edge technology, Eureka 147, while the US chose the inferior IBOC.)

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118802261383125502005-06-14T22:23:00.000-04:002005-06-14T22:24:21.386-04:00

Working for the man is leaving little time for blogging these days. Will be back.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118684827352958822005-06-13T14:13:00.000-04:002005-06-14T21:02:27.763-04:00

You never know what will pop up in the letters section of an OpEd page. Just this weekend I perused the letters to the Globe regarding the Supreme Court of Canada's medicare decision. One of them concerned an experience someone had accompanying an ailing loved one to an emergency waiting room. After what appeared to be a cogent summary of the symptoms of what's wrong with the public system, the

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118426302383607942005-06-10T13:27:00.000-04:002005-06-10T15:22:42.426-04:00

For the first time in ages, I'm starting to show some interest in the NHL. It is starting to sound like the owners and players are close to a resolution. Time will tell whether the agreement is a good one. (Unless it involves contracting the league by about ten teams, then it will have ignored the root problem.)What interests me more than collective bargaining, however, is the apparent sincerity

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118423834328990032005-06-10T13:11:00.000-04:002005-06-10T13:18:00.690-04:00

I like Fridays not only because the weekend is next, but that means new Victor Hanson to read too. This week he covers two bees that are often in my bonnet, moral equivalence and China:Yes, we are witnessing one of the great transfers of power and influence that have traditionally changed civilization itself, as money, influence, and military power are gradually inching away from Europe. And this

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118372277061196402005-06-09T22:38:00.000-04:002005-06-09T23:19:29.816-04:00

I recently had dinner with a few old roommates from university, two of whom now work in Manhattan. One of the Manhattanites and I got into an animated discussion over the US invasion of Iraq. His basic argument was that it was--and the occupation is--an abomination, while I contended that it was far from perfect, but justified and several years late in coming. After eating way too much steak,

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118334653460046612005-06-09T12:26:00.000-04:002005-06-09T12:30:53.463-04:00

One of my problems with the Supreme Court decision is how it was arrived at. Granted, the question before the Court was related to the waiting times for surgery, but why can't we get a decision that is based on principle rather than some micro-analysis of the state of the healthcare monopoly? The monopoly itself should be a violation of my rights, not just the fact that the system is backed

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118333093590630262005-06-09T11:57:00.000-04:002005-06-09T12:04:53.593-04:00

The Washington Times notes the United States' surprise at China's military developments:Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in Singapore over the weekend that China has hidden its defense spending and is expanding its missile forces despite facing no threats. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also expressed worries this week about China's expanding militarycapabilities.I fear that there

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118325488343031482005-06-09T09:56:00.000-04:002005-06-09T10:51:20.136-04:00

Only a headline at the time of posting, Quebeckers have right to obtain private health insurance if they want, Supreme Court rules. What about the rest of us?Update: CTV News reports that the decision focuses specifically on Quebec's laws and it is unclear how that will apply to the Rest of Canada (TM).Update 2: Damian Penny is the man with the legal eye on the ball. Head on over there.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118275378159825422005-06-08T19:58:00.000-04:002005-06-08T20:02:58.163-04:00

Bound By Gravity is asking potential Conservative voters whether Harper has to go. My first take (lifted from his comments):I have a great deal of respect for Harper and, from a purely selfish perspective, would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The problem is that he is better suited to be the behind-the-scenes guru of the party. And it is starting to look as though no amount of

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118198748145671732005-06-07T22:41:00.000-04:002005-06-07T22:45:48.146-04:00

I'm getting the hang of managing two blogs. There are some new posts over at The Media Plough covering some new CD arrivals, Coldplay and Blue Merle singles, The War Against Silence and downloading.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118198475959040742005-06-07T22:29:00.000-04:002005-06-07T22:41:15.963-04:00

Assuming Buckets of Grewal has it right (and it certainly appears so), the tape editing is at best an incredibly stupid thing to do. Another MP the Tories are better off dumping before the next election.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118150331704549972005-06-07T09:14:00.000-04:002005-06-07T09:18:51.703-04:00

Why didn't he just call a courier?If it wasn't for the tapes making Murphy and Dosanjh look so bad (despite the Liberal arrogance, I think they'll both have to stand down before this saga is through), Gurmant would be a more likely candidate for being a Liberal mole than Belinda ever was.Either the Tories are having some really bad luck, or Harper is getting terrible advice from someone.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118149796010860452005-06-07T08:58:00.000-04:002005-06-09T09:47:39.900-04:00

The political spectrum is really a ring, with the extreme left and right ends being closer to each other than to the classical liberal centre. Current-day red China is as good example of the fine line between communism and fascism, as it continues to boom economically, primarily from the influx of western money. The bull market obscures the underlying totalitarianism that remains. One cannot buy

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118102026947544392005-06-06T19:46:00.000-04:002005-06-06T19:53:46.946-04:00

There are many arts and media blogs that nine days out of ten stick to the arts. On the tenth day they might veer into an aside concerning politics and have me pulling my hair out. In order to avoid being a pot calling the kettle black, I've decided to spin off the arts side of The Shovel into its own free-standing blog, The Media Plough. From this day on The Shovel will focus on politics and

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1118024090557064252005-06-05T22:08:00.000-04:002005-06-05T22:14:58.353-04:00

This questionnaire is geared to the US political system, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway:Your Political ProfileOverall: 65% Conservative, 35% LiberalSocial Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% LiberalPersonal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% LiberalFiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% LiberalEthics: 25% Conservative, 75% LiberalDefense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% LiberalHow Liberal /

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117980819613232522005-06-05T10:13:00.000-04:002005-06-05T10:21:38.670-04:00

February 6th, 1911-June 5th, 2004"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions."Reminder (and photo): The Gods of the Copybook Headings

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117978158500566032005-06-05T09:22:00.000-04:002005-06-05T10:04:07.013-04:00

There is much speculation among some of the Canadian blogs I frequent about what Bernard Landry's exit from Quebec's political stage will mean for Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe. I'm firmly in Laurent's camp: Duceppe will end up being the Parti Quebecois' leader by the time of the next provincial election but since it is a near certainty that there will be a federal election before that

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117936308397865372005-06-04T21:57:00.000-04:002005-06-04T21:57:35.833-04:00

I can thank the Wedge for this discovery (apparently the Globe and Mail gave them the CD of the week review on May 13; having missed that goes to show how carefully I read the Globe these days). The video clip for The Hypothesist is a clever piece set at an elementary school science fair and a perfect vehicle for the band's brand of power pop. On their new album, Aim Right for the Holes in Their

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117911219485258452005-06-04T14:41:00.000-04:002005-06-04T21:27:47.516-04:00

Kate at Small Dead Animals points out an article about bias at the BBC and notes how it could just have easily been written about the CBC. I've known a couple of people who suffered working at the CBC for a short time before having enough of the leftist groupthink. What frustrates me more than the bias is that so many otherwise bright and educated people in Canada are completely oblivious to the

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117910147117363582005-06-04T14:05:00.000-04:002005-06-04T14:35:47.123-04:00

My tolerance for music on commercial radio in Toronto started to wane almost ten years ago, around the time the playlists of the local classic rock, modern rock and mix stations strangely started to intersect to the extent that you could often hear the same song being played on two stations simultaneously. These days, short of dipping into the grey market for a Sirius or XM satellite radio from

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117896375296787992005-06-04T10:44:00.000-04:002005-06-04T12:30:27.660-04:00

Anyone who has read Andrew Cohen's While Canada Slept understands how the rise of ambassadorships as patronage tools has contributed to Canada's diminished influence in the world [of course the fallacy of 'soft power' is the main culprit: 'Speak loudly and carry no stick'. The Martin government does indignation well, but ask Iran how much influence that carries]. Despite this, the appointment of

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117806059910932982005-06-03T09:36:00.000-04:002005-06-03T09:40:59.910-04:00

To follow up on the last post, check out Language Hat. The site often tackles topics quite beyond this writer's scope of knowledge, but you'll often find interesting nuggets.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117805444404132342005-06-03T09:18:00.000-04:002005-06-03T09:33:07.300-04:00

Paul Tuns points out at Sobering Thoughts and the Shotgun that the 2005 National Spelling Bee is being picketed (or is that pikited?) by the Simplified Spelling Society. It turns out that this is not a new movement and what many know as the American variations of certain words, such as neighbour and colour, are the product of organized spelling reform lobbies. (So, my fellow smug Canadians, our

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117679646290326802005-06-02T21:46:00.000-04:002005-06-04T10:15:34.286-04:00

12. Waterloo Sunset - The KinksMany hail this as the greatest Kinks song, but since we are talking about the most underappreciated band of the British Invasion era, I think many people simply haven't heard how many great Kinks songs there really are (to our younger readers, the song Picture Book--as heard on the HP commercial with the guy with the picture frames--is the Kinks). This is

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117722821655367202005-06-02T10:32:00.000-04:002005-06-04T09:18:46.966-04:00

Thanks to Pat Angello for making the first comment at the Shovel. The Pat Angelo Fan Club is duly added to the blogroll.

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117671888077011672005-06-01T20:06:00.000-04:002005-06-02T10:30:57.120-04:00

Best-of lists, no matter how definitive, are more springboards for discussion than touchstones for profundity. I'm not one to seek out lists, but you'll find me nodding in agreement and shaking my head in defiance (usually more of the latter activity) whenever Mojo Magazine publishes a list of any kind.So, Virgin Radio recently published the results of its poll for the hundred best British tunes

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117592978416201992005-05-31T22:29:00.000-04:002005-05-31T22:46:32.570-04:00

10:20pm May 31, 2005. The Toronto Star (!) is the only mainstream media web site to lead with this government corruption story? Let's see, Canoe leads with Gomery gamesmanship, the Globe has Deep Throat (as does CBC.ca, but that's no surprise; a conservative scandal from over thirty years ago is always bigger news than a current day liberal one). The Post has the story in a sidebar, choosing to

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117235721971719792005-05-27T18:37:00.000-04:002005-05-27T20:07:01.566-04:00

It is very difficult for an artist to come off looking good when calling a critic on a negative review. Ryan Adams, Lou Reed and Phil Collins are the first three that come to mind in the pantheon of arists that should never read their press. Colby Cosh goes off on U2's Bono with not so much a Fisking, but a running commentary of nasty eye-rolling over a conversation with critic Greg Kot:How

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117163996442139882005-05-26T22:40:00.000-04:002005-05-27T21:40:31.893-04:00

The latest Leger Marketing poll, which the Globe and Mail has been publicizing, provides some interesting insight on both the state of the electorate and how pollsters can frame the issues.Many potential voters are afraid of the Conservatives but they don't really know why. Stephen Harper is the problem because so many people are afraid of his positions on such things as abortion, the death

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1117053906971868212005-05-25T16:31:00.000-04:002005-05-25T16:47:32.780-04:00

Back in the summer of 1997, I discussed with a dyed-in-the-wool Ottawa Liberal how I thought the (Chretien) regime at the time was the most arrogant Canadian government I'd ever seen. She said I was wrong, rebutting with the second Mulroney government. Jean still trumps Brian in my books, but I never thought da little guy would be superseded by the current regime:OTTAWA -- The federal Liberals

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1116944411780577932005-05-24T10:02:00.000-04:002005-05-24T10:20:11.783-04:00

Not the best weekend for a nascent blog to take off, but there you go. At least Gaius is signed on and is ready to contribute.Quick recap: Cadman disappointed. Belinda danced on tables to the tune of "Material Girl" before heading out to Labrador to shill for the Liberals in the by-election for a riding that they've only lost once since joining Confederation. Baby steps, I guess. And I see that

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1116530823123353012005-05-19T15:14:00.000-04:002005-05-19T15:27:03.126-04:00

Funny the things that start to annoy you once you've lost whatever respect you had left for someone. For me, it is the fact that Paul Martin seems to think that simply showing his teeth constitutes smiling. Then again, this is the same person that thinks making promises is the sole ingredient of leadership.I don't have a good feeling about tonight's budget votes, but one hopes that someone with

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1116449986728385352005-05-18T16:51:00.000-04:002005-05-18T20:33:13.456-04:00

What with these being the most interesting political times in Canada since the last Quebec referendum or Meech Lake, I figured it was time to stop lurking among the comment sections of other people's blogs and start venting on my own. Vanity pieces can get stale pretty quickly, so I plan to start slowly and--work and family permitting--get into a routine. To avoid one-trick-pony status, I hope to

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1116441923201334382005-05-18T14:32:00.000-04:002005-05-18T14:56:28.376-04:00

Mark Steyn has a rare web-only post today on Belinda's stroll across the floor. Like Andrew Coyne, Colby Cosh and Michael Bliss, he notes that the real crisis in Canada is the liberties the prime minister is taking with our system of government:In the forthcoming Western Standard , I make the point that “the big flaw at the heart of the Westminster system is that in order to function as intended

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13000569.post-1116436932918372532005-05-18T13:04:00.000-04:002005-05-18T13:44:44.796-04:00

Belinda Stronach, MP for Newmarket-Aurora. Some bloggers have resorted to some less than civil words to describe her coming out party. I'll keep it to one: venal (not venial, mind you).Meanwhile, Occam tries to keep it civil. I must confess, when Gaius called me with news of Belinda's bombshell on Tuesday, I certainly thought of some stronger words than our code of conduct allows in print.The

Tiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17496407038890479532noreply@blogger.com0