Australia issues warning about Canada · Saturday January 26, 2008 by colin newell
An Australian government website lists Canada as a country where travellers need to be cautious about terrorism, dangerous winter driving and cold weather conditions.
We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Canada because of the risk of terrorist attack, says the travel advisory.
The website further warns about bush and forest fires which can occur any time in Canada.
Add Earthquakes and avalanche and that rounds out a series of serious warnings about potential peril in Canada.
And considering that warnings are fair game, lets talk about some potential travel hazards in Australia:
Australia is home to the deadliest collection of animals in the world; man-eating sharks, lethal jellyfish, red back spiders, crocodiles, snakes, scorpions, Tasmanian devils, dingoes, wild pigs, toxic octopuses, killer kangaroos, stonefish, sting rays and many, many more. But the truth is, they rarely harm anyone…
Except tourists.
And if the Kangaroos don’t kill you outright, they will dry hump you silly, before passing you over to a flea bitten Koala for a final humiliation.
Yup. That is Australia.
Be warned.
Looking South Part 1 · Thursday January 17, 2008 by colin newell
My wife and I are watching with rapt attention the unfolding of the democratic process… ah, South of the border.
And like a Mongoose whose eyes are locked on the Cobra, with unflinching attention…
We watch. And listen. And read.
Rinse and repeat.
So – in this the first of a multi-part blog/rant on the subject of the American election experience (for those just joining us, we are Canadians living in Canada – Top that!) I will be giving my readers an escorted tour of my, sometimes confused, interpretation of this most unusual ritual.
Primaries. Caucuses. Super Tuesday?
What does it all mean?
And seriously – what is the difference between what the Republicans are offering the World versus the Democrats?
Well. Let’s start by diving in to some of the current craziness… candidate by candidate.
Mike Huckabee – Republican candidate:
[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it’s a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that’s what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards,” Huckabee said, referring to the need for a constitutional human life amendment and an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.”
What the #%$@*? Can anyone spell American Taliban? Can anyone say Theocracy?
I think Huckabee’s candidacy for American Mullah is now pretty much toast. And it’s a good thing.
Good day to you Sir!
Too dangerous to fly - Too innocent to arrest 3 · Monday October 15, 2007 by colin newell
The U.S. government has angered Canada’s airlines with a proposal to order them to hand over personal information about passengers who take flights that go south over U.S. airspace en route to sunny destinations.
Although the planes wouldn’t take off from or land on American soil, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is proposing that Canadian carriers send passenger manifests up to 72 hours in advance of departures to popular winter escapes such as Mexico and the Caribbean.
Uhm. Uncle Sam? Get stuffed.
No, seriously. Get stuffed.
The U.S. does not have a right to our personal information and should not get any cooperation on this issue. It is as simple as that.
We already have a no-fly list that was largely cooked up by the current U.S. administration and swallowed in obsequious genuflection by a largely conservative Canadian government.
No. A thousand times no!
Our American brothers and sisters would be well served to get onside with us on this – as it is the case that many open-minded Americans now travel to a free Cuba via Canadian shores. Those brave souls would then be under the scrutiny of a hawkish and hegemonic bureaucracy.
Save us.
Warmonger report #2 · Thursday October 4, 2007 by colin newell
U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday vetoed a measure to expand a popular children’s health care program, launching the first in a series of major battles with Democrats over domestic spending.
Picture at left – An afghan boy stands among unexploded cluster bombs in Afghani schoolyard.
Bush was noted saying: “The policies of the government ought to be to help people find private insurance, not federal coverage,” Bush said.”
George. They are poor people. Poor children. They cannot afford any insurance. Hello!
Representative Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois Democrat quipped – “Today the president showed the nation his true priorities: $700 billion for a war in Iraq, but no health care for low-income kids,”. “Millions of American children and their families won’t forget that they are on the bottom of the president’s priority list.”
The veto came as a Washington Post-ABC News poll showed more than seven in 10 Americans supported the $35 billion increase proposed under the bill. By contrast, the same poll showed many wanted to see a reduction in Bush’s spending proposal for the Iraq war.
This president is obviously out of control.
In other news, the Korea’s are in the process of mending fences… and this fact alone must set off alarm bells in the Bush-Cheny war camp.
One less country to attack.
