A fitting tribute!

A fitting tribute: Iraqis erect shoe thrower monument

And a typical response to populist art from the thugs in charge:

Shoe thrower monument removed. OK, seriously. How deranged do you have to be to be threatened by the art of orphans!?

Lest we forget, Muntadar al-Zaidi is still being repeatedly beaten in an Iraqi prison for his bold statement.

(H/t to Ledaro)

Warren Kinsella uses racist slur, tries to hide it

This is really beyond the pale, and demands at least an apology if not a resignation (he’s one of Iggy’s advisors, in case you’re wondering WhoTF Kinsella is):

Original page (from google cache):

Back in the Big Owe for a couple weeks, so what better way to kick things off than with some BBQ cat and rice at the Yang Sheng, hangout of our youth? Yay!

(my emphasis)

Updated page:

Time for the best soup, at the best Chinese restaurant in the world – where I have been coming for 30 years.

And where people whose party talks about “Asian invasions” aren’t welcome.

I hate the fact that this is all over the Conservative blogs, and not the Liberal or Dipper blogs. Let’s change that! Warren Kinsella is, after all, the worse kind of partisan. The kind who attacks his foes for being just like him.

The coalition is alive and well

The coalition that we’ve “enjoyed” for the past while, anyway. The conservatives get to continue destroying our future, while the liberals will continue to make weak noises in the corner. We will continue to see corporate welfare for irresponsible financiers, but no welfare for unfortunate individuals. Ignatieff has just given Harper the green light to continue as though he won a majority. Major infrastructure projects will continue to get logjammed on Flaherty’s desk, all while he points to the pile of money not being spent and claiming that he’s helping us, bless our hearts. We will spin deeper into this recession while sensible western countries start taking steps to claw their way out. We are going to be left far behind our neighbours to the south if Obama is serious about kick-starting a green economy. This is Liberal leadership. Why do people still vote for these spineless weasels?

This Should Not be an Afterthought

In all the hoopla surrounding the federal budget, it would seem that people have forgotten the other important thing happening today: Holocaust Memorial Day. Try as I might, I can’t find much in the way of news, or even reference to it, outside of the UK – with the exception of the Chronicle-Herald, our local bird cage liner.

Today is the anniversary of the liberation of the death camp at Auschwitz, where 1.6 million persons were exterminated without mercy. January 27 has been chosen as an appropriate date on which to remember all victims of the Nazi death camps.

I wonder why there is no mention of the significance of the date? Is it because of the disastrous course of action embarked upon by Israel in its punitive attack on Gaza? Beijing York is just one of many bloggers out there who discuss the issue with passion and conviction. I sincerely hope that this is not the case, for it would be wrong to ignore the tragedies suffered by gypsies, homosexuals, slavs, etc. who suffered at the hands of the Nazis, and, quite frankly, opposing the actions of a government shouldn’t be interpreted as a statement of hatred for a people – as we have seen, there are those in the Israeli population who oppose the wanton destruction as much as any of us in other parts of the world. To condemn all because of the actions of a few is an example of the worst qualities of human nature, and the very thing we are trying our best not to repeat. And that is why this day is worth noting.

I Hear You, Brother.

If you haven’t seen Dark Knight, he deserves all the attention. Really.

Dear Canada… We’re Screwed.

Well, another Speech from the Reichstag Throne has come and gone.  As the transcript shows, it is long on ominous messages, short on helpful detail. Is it just me, or are these speeches getting more and more like the old-timey collections of short, unconnected phrases they used to get the populace riled up?

I’m sure there’s more than a few people who find the homespun rhetoric about weathering the storm or facing doom and/or not doing a collective lemming off a cliff comforting, but I found the whole experience wanting. If I wanted an insincere greeting card sentiment, I would head for the Hallmark store rather than wasting my time and expecting word one about any solid or well-considered plan for helping my country.  All I heard was a ratcheting up of the anxiety level, and a reminder that really nice politicians don’t threaten to bring down governments, especially governments associated so closely with unicorns, sunshine and rainbows.

The indication that the government has listened to Canadians from all walks of life… well, I’ll believe it when something is actually done to benefit Canadians from any walk of life. There’s a difference between listening and actually hearing or understanding our concerns. The current “Steve Harper, et.al.” government wants to, in all instances, portray itself as the sweater-vest wearing, hand-holding party that cares, not like those other meanies.

Yes, they do care, as long as you hear and obey – make the economic crisis into a buying opportunity! Cripple opposing political parties! And, my personal favorite, make it possible for moral, emotional and intellectual morons to decide what the rest of us see and hear!

Yes, it’s all warm and fuzzy here in Steveland, come join us by the fire. Just try not to notice it’s Parliament burning.

Random hits…

1. Obama’s election does not mean black kids can now dream of becoming president – it ain’t that equal yet. If one of Obama’s daughters turns out to be a complete and utter moron and then manages to get elected president based on parentage, only then are things equal.
2. Amanda at Pandagon feels that the inclusion of “non-believers” in his inaugural address is a big honking deal. I’m not so sure (but I’m holding out hope (TM)!), but it looks like the American Humanist Association thinks that there’s something in BHO’s background that provides some hope.
3. Do you think Iggie reads polls? I hope so.

Tee-hee

Good bye

So say 236, so say we all:

Bye, asshole

As we look forward, let us not lose sight of the fact that George Bush lead a government of self-destructive kleptocrats that gutted the US economy for personal lucre, lead the nation (and half the world) into two wars and out of none, rode the middle class like a twenty-dollar whore for the benefit of his fraternity of wealthy benefactors, and sacrificed the liberty of an erstwhile free nation on the alter of fear, to use that fear as a weapon in an attempt to establish a “permanent” Republican government.

Good-bye you fucking asshole, and know that when that final pretzel comes with your name on it, there will be those of us who will cheer, with a tear that it came too late to be anything more than poetry.

Yeah, I’m angry and bitter. And yes, I’m glad that a bigger man than I won office.

Today we celebrate the end of an error

Woot! Those of us who are still alive can celebrate the end of something bad and the start of something good (I hope) with these links:

Adios douche bag

Daily Kos – The promised land

In the immortal words of Doug: One down, one to go.

I’ll end with a plea to Obama: Please, please, please task someone important and competent to investigate the previous administration. The law is nothing if those who flaunt it are allowed to go unpunished. Don’t be weak and conciliatory just because Fox News is begging you to be. These cockroaches will stop at nothing to ruin your presidency. It would be best for you to remind the people of their crimes first, before they are allowed to define their own legacies.

Also: fix the goddam mess they made.