March 29, 2004
Mark Steyn Reprise
Mar. 29 - Mark has reprinted some of his columns during the Iraq War and this latest is one of my favourites from the Mar. 27, 2003
National Post in his
Topical Take.
more...
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Munuvia
Mar. 29 - (This really is the last post tonight. This morning. Whatever.)
Munuvia is this and this.
What is Munuvia? The Story of Munuvia is here.
And there was much rejoicing as we were freed from the bondage of Blogger and other undesirable habitats, and then there was a Fourth Sign.
20:10: And now The Fifth Sign
And thanks again, Pixy Misa.
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Too late to post, too early for bed
Mar. 28 - [The title needs work] It's been awhile since I did a series of links to other sites, and I need a lift after the news about Cecilia Zhang, so here goes.
I never know what to expect at Ghost of a Flea, but he usually finds things of wonder.
Ever wondered what Earth looks like from Mars?
more...
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Cheers for the link, luv.
Posted by: Paul Jané at March 29, 2004 02:06 AM (TjysC)
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Wow, Paul, does Trackback also function like an alarm clock! LOL
And you're welcome (as always.)
Posted by: Debbye at March 29, 2004 03:04 AM (Il4rM)
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Nah, I just keep odd hours... lol
Posted by: Paul Jané at March 29, 2004 11:38 PM (TjysC)
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March 24, 2004
March 22, 2004
March 20, 2004
Off to work
Mar. 20 - You will all be spared my rantings today because I must work (although had I sooner known about today's
The World STILL Says YES to Liberty! rally in Toronto I would have made alternate arrangements) and won't be home until quite late.
As always, give the folks on the blogroll a look and you don't be disappointed.
Ha! A brief snow flurry passed and I intend to mock each and every pile of snow I pass because they are Destined to Melt.
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Anti-Americanism rears its ugly head. If you thought only the children in the Middle East are being brought up to hate Americans, think again.
Posted by: Glen at March 20, 2004 08:36 PM (rp6r3)
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Hiya, Dubbya..how are things at your new digs? I see the view at the corner of Trite and Banal hasn't changed all that much. Your adoring fan(s?) attest to that.
I went to the Liberty Rally in high dudgeon hoping to stir up trouble by screaming "excuse me, but the World will continue to say 'no' to Liberty", but apparently the crowd got distracted by all the Poutine wagons on Queen, and it ended badly. Ha ha ha...actually, I went to see if I could score with some hard-up, 5th column, GOP-wannabe babes...
...I needn't have bothered.
Posted by: North of Keele at March 21, 2004 05:47 AM (8HB5p)
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Thanks for the link, Glen, I hadn't heard about it. (I'm referring to
this.)
It does seem that the only country and people that it's safe to openly hate is the USA; I hope that doesn't mean that there is something in human nature which requires us to hate
somebody.
Posted by: Debbye at March 21, 2004 10:10 AM (i6ta8)
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Is a 9th grade student required to know that she's hated because she was born in America? I guess she knows now, and I guess she knows that there's no help for her within the school administration or the press. canadiancomment had a post recently about the possibility of the US isolating and whether or not we could survive it. I for one am ready to try. The incident with the little hockey players being harrassed on the streets, the story about the campers who were assaulted, and this instance should teach us that Canadians have no problem assaulting and intimidating our children. Canadians are searching hard for something to be proud of. I guess this is it.
Posted by: Sammie at March 21, 2004 01:40 PM (ZDCse)
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Sammie and Glen, Americans up here are more than used to anti-Americanism up close and personal. We are also used to strangers who go out of their way to speak of their support for our cause. We are grateful for the latter and learn to handle the former.
The young woman who carried that flag probably knew the risk and I cheer her courage. That the booing made her cry speaks more to her hope that her fellow students would have behaved better than to any weakness on her part.
Unfortunately, the reaction of the authorities and officials is all too typical (I think they read from the same book of "correct responses") but don't we groan when American officials utter the same pablum?
I too feel the lure of Fortress America, but we both know it would be counter-productive in the long run. It is tempting to try it for a year or so "just to teach the world a lesson" but we already did that after WWI and we still had to re-engage in "outside" affairs for WWII. Had we entered sooner many lives would have been saved, not the least of which are those millions who perished in the death camps.
Of all the guilt we Americans are supposed to have, the only one I feel we earned was our delay to engage the Axis in battle.
What matters is that there are those up here who do know the difference between right and wrong and it is they who yes, support the USA, but do so because of the vision they have for Canada - not as an appendage of the USA but as a strong country that pays more than lip-service to her values and human rights concerns and want Canada to say no to fascism and terrorism more emphatically.
There is a current of change up here; I don't know how it will turn out but don't give up. It takes time execute a course correction for a ship.
Posted by: Debbye at March 22, 2004 08:09 AM (RKYCJ)
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Perhaps one reason I'm so sensitive to these situations is that I grew up in an area primarily populated by American Indians and Mexican immigrants. I'm about as white as you can get. Of course, since we were children, I did make friends and I participated in school activities, but there were also hateful comments, shoving incidents, run-by hair pulling incidents, etc. As you surely know there is a fine line between defending yourself sufficiently and antagonizing your tormenters, and I pretty much learned to walk that line. I didn't raise my children there though.
Posted by: Sammie at March 22, 2004 10:49 AM (f9BC9)
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Sammie, I certainly didn't mean to imply you were being overly sensitive, in fact, just the opposite. You are right about the most important aspect: incidents as this one questions assertions that Canadians are polite.
But in truth, most Canadians are polite, and sometimes being too polite results in a momentary inability to defend oneself or others.
For example, a booing incident at an NHL game in Montreal inspired events at an NHL game in Toronto less than a week later, and spectators went to the Toronto game with the explicit intention of cheering the Stars and Stripes.
But getting angry about incidents as the one under discussion? Hell yes! We can't succumb to the enfeebling nature of victimhood.
My bet is that we both taught our kids to be politely assertive (which is a lot different from being belligerant) and they've taken it from there!
Posted by: Debbye at March 22, 2004 12:18 PM (RKYCJ)
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March 19, 2004
Important stories from Thursday
Lots more on Adscam, but
Andrew Coyne is doing such a terrific job I'm going to let him carry this ball.
According to the Chinese ambassador, Canada's lot lies with EU
The Chinese Ambassador in Brussels said the other day, in that big-picture Chinese way, that the creation and success of the European Union is one of those transforming human events that happens every 300 or 400 years.
The article notes that the EU has successfully avoided war. It doesn't note that one of the wars it avoided was the ongoing one in Kosovo.
More anti-Semitism in Toronto:
Police had to be called to York University on Tuesday after a dramatization of an Israeli border crossing by pro-Palestinian students led to a rival demonstration at the politically charged campus.
Is there a connection with what happened
yesterday? As Margaret Wente points out,
We Can't Afford to Look Away noting that the West
is looking away from blatant anti-Semitism in the Arab world.
more...
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We are indeed looking away from anti-semitism in the Muslim world. We are also looking away from anti-Christianism in the same places, like Pakistan, SE Asia, and most muslim countries. Anyone tried to build a new church in Iran lately, or in Algeria?
Posted by: keith at March 19, 2004 03:09 PM (xfdnu)
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Ok. Got it. We can trust the EU. Ummmm, and what does the EU say exactly? Depends, of course, on whether the EU means France + Germany, or Spain + France + Germany, or Spain + Italy + Britain, or Poland + Britain + the Czechs + Hungary ...
Hey, I know, we should align ourselves with the Communist Chinese! Of course! That would protect us from the Yankee hegemony, for sure! Could put an end to those pesky "yes to freedom" demonstrations too!
Posted by: keith at March 19, 2004 04:50 PM (xfdnu)
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Only too true, Keith. We've been looking away for so long and hoping it would fix itself that we suddenly find ourselves considerably behind.
Then, when we belatedly take a stand, we're told that we're being divisive and antagonizing people.
I've heard that sheep are inoffensive.
Posted by: Debbye at March 19, 2004 04:51 PM (28RxH)
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Whoa, Keith, you must have been commenting at the same time as I!
My comment above is in response to your first comment!
I guess if Canada's future lies with the UN, then it could also lie with the EU. Both are run by elites, both are unaccountable bureaucracies, both talk a lot and do little.
What a miserable ambition. Canada can do much, much better than that. She just has to start trusting Canadians.
Posted by: Debbye at March 19, 2004 04:57 PM (28RxH)
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Important stories from Wednesday
Mar. 19 - These are some important stories I missed Wednesday:
There was an ugly incident of anti-Semitism here: T.O. police probing anti-Semitic hate crimes in north Toronto.
Part of the rise in anti-Semitism last year is being blamed on the war in Iraq, which produced a spike in hate crimes. The ongoing tensions and violence in Israel is apparently giving licence to hate mongers.
The Canadian media, always ready to
Blame America.
More news from Syria about Syria uprisings and Syrian officials blame US for the Kurdiah uprising because US flags were spotted in crowd. I'll own up to such that blame inspiration gladly and gratefully.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda yesterday accused France of direct responsibility for the 1994 genocide of at least 800,000 people in the central African country.
more...
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March 18, 2004
Hockey and the American Public
Mar. 18 - I found this gem over at
The Meatriarchy's site
I Come to Praise Hockey, Not to Bury It. I've been trying to figure out myself why the American audience doesn't love hockey; I incline toward the "not sufficiently exposed to it" theory but that's probably pre-Canadian resident
mea culpa projection.
I get why Americans don't particularly care about Formula One, but I thought hockey would catch on much more than it has.
Colby Cosh also has some thoughts on the subject.
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I think Formula One's big problem is that it is rarely on in prime time or Sunday afternoon.
Half the time I am asleep when the races are broadcast.
BTW congrats on the cool new site and thanks for the mention.
Posted by: The Meatriarchy at March 18, 2004 09:41 AM (cYRBs)
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It's a great post, M, and my pleasure.
Certainly there's not a lot of coverage of F-1, but also I can relate to my inner stock car racer but don't think I even have an inner F-1 racer.
Do Europeans have imprompteau (or even underground) drag races on city streets? (Not something I've spent a lot of time wondering about, clearly!)
Posted by: Debbye at March 18, 2004 10:04 AM (3M+ga)
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I don't know about Europe but street racing seems to be popular in Japan.
Initial D an Anime series was all about street racing. I only have seen one epsiode. I downloaded them but was too busy to watch.
F1 is really popular in Japan though.
So is motorcycle racing. But ovals - not so much.
And yet they did have Japanese driver in Nascar for a couple of races last year.
Those crazy Japanese - who can figure them out.
Posted by: The Meatriarchy at March 19, 2004 10:13 AM (cYRBs)
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I just remembered something. European street racing, check out the "getaway in Stockholm" videos. You can pull em off KaZaa.
Posted by: The Meatriarchy at March 19, 2004 10:14 AM (cYRBs)
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Neat! I am glad to hear it.
By the way,
murdoc has a hockey post up too, so there's one American who loves the game.
Posted by: Debbye at March 19, 2004 05:03 PM (28RxH)
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March 16, 2004
Offically moved
Mar. 16 - Offically moved to a terrific site at Munuvania with the same blog name
Being American in T.O..
See you all there here.
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Debbye - I just heard from Susie of Practical Penumbra that you'd gotten a shiny new home with 100% less Blogspottiness, so I wanted to stop by and welcome you to the many happier days of problem-free blogging that will soon be yours :-)
Posted by: Harvey at March 17, 2004 10:47 AM (tJfh1)
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And don't forget to ping so we know when you have a new post up. (one of the nicest MT thingies)
Congrats on the move!
Posted by: Ith at March 17, 2004 11:19 AM (ZJHI1)
Posted by: murdoc at March 17, 2004 12:41 PM (rMHj5)
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Aw, I thought I'd have to send out one of those "I've moved cards" to you all!
Ping? Ping? I have to make a list of questions to ask poor Pixy Misa (he's Ambient Irony, as I think you all know already but I screwed up the link on the old site. Dumb.)
Ouch, I can't blame blogger anymore.
Posted by: Debbye at March 17, 2004 01:53 PM (MUzXT)
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Out here in L.A., the initals T.O. stand for Thousand Oaks, a suburb to the north which always wins the Safest City in America award.
Posted by: annika at March 17, 2004 10:54 PM (zAOEU)
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Annika, I didn't know that; Toronto is often referred to as T.O. up here (as well as some other less flattering names.)
I like it, though; I was born and raised in northern California and oak trees were quite common (as well as eucalyptus trees.)
Posted by: Debbye at March 18, 2004 01:28 AM (OMBPj)
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I'm here!
Mar. 16 - Thanks to
Pixy Misa, I am in the process of moving to the Munuviana site at
Being American in T.O..
I'm posting in both places until I actually think I know what I'm doing. Come have a look!
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March 14, 2004
Work beckons
Mar. 14 - Work beckons . . .
Iowahawk had a post on Mar. 12 which noted News You Can Use which is targeted squarely on media coverage of Mar. 11 and a message to Our Brothers in Spain.
It's early yet, but I suspect Let It Bleed, Trudeaupia, Le Blog de Polyscopique and Canadian Comment will be taking a critical look at the Canadian media pundits. (This is in haste so I've probably overlooked some, but see True North blogroll for more CanCom.)
Paul has been posting translations of media accounts from Spain and could use our prayers to sustain him until he hears from Alina.
Robert is following the media accounts from the UK.
We're all watching the Spanish elections today, but need to remember that, whatever the outcome, the fact that they are taking place at all constitutes one victory against terrorism.
Mark Steyn's column with the Chicago Sun Times is up here and today he takes a look at the media handling of the arrest of Susan Lindauer.
I guess I take it for granted that people read Instapundit, Belmont Club, USS Clueless, ScrappleFace and Frank J..
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March 13, 2004
March 10, 2004
March 09, 2004
Victor Davis Hanson
Mar. 9 - My favourite war historian has his own website -
Victor Davis Hanson. Hooray! No more waiting until Friday . . .
(Via Damian Penny.)
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Haiti
Mar. 9 - According to the
Washington Times, an unnamed State Dept. spokesman said that after the plane carrying former Haitian president Aristide was already in the air, they learned that
S. Africa refused to take Aristide at least until after the elections there. There's a bit of a
he said he said thing happening, but it does raise some questions in the context of the story that
Paul covered when
Mbecki joined with Caricom in denouncing Aristide's "forcible removal" from Haiti.
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Interesting Links
Mar. 9 - Some interesting links:
Paul has a new Mugabe Watch item that makes for hard reading about the abuses endured by girls Inside Mugabe's Camps of Horrors.
Ith firmly debunks those who, as "Families of Sept. 11," denounced the visuals of the devastation after the attack used by the Bush ads and guess what! There's a money trail straight back to the Kerrys. (And Glenn Reynolds has more links to the issue here.)
Kathy is tired of "-gate" being affixed to every scandal and links to an article that suggests the internal memos of the Democrats reveal the delays on approving judicial nominations were a deliberate obstruction of justice.
Jen has some news for the Saudi clerics who've issued a fatwa forbidding the faithful from watching or listening to the new US television station Al-Hurra because she knows human nature!
Rita links to a speech to the Senate that proves that Sen. Joe Lieberman has remained firm and true to his principles:
We cannot allow a singular quest for electoral victory to impede the more important quest for victory over terrorism, a victory that will enable the American people to feel fully secure again here at home, our soldiers to return from Iraq and the Iraqi people to enjoy the blessings of liberty which it is America's historic mission to advance and defend.
As important as our party's victory is for each of us, it is not more important than a victory against terrorism for all of us.
Andrea Harris is sick of the pretzel language we're stuck with and asks "
Is it just me, or does the new habit of using the words "female" and "male" where the words "man" or "woman" used to be used grate on the ears of others than myself?"
The Essay doesn't suffer foolish salesmen gladly.
Roger L. Simon takes note of an International Women's Day parade in Iran that was attacked by regime forces.
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March 07, 2004
Work Bound
Mar. 7 - I'll be at work for most of the day, so be sure and check out
Jack's Newswatch and Rantburg for news and commentary links.
Some sites that offer good insights and overall good critiques are (in no particular order) Le blog de Polyscopique,
Let It Bleed,
Jay Currie,
Canadian Comment,
Trudeaupia,
The Owner's Manual, and for views from without Canada you can try
Expat Yank,
One Hand Clapping,
Roger L. Simon,
murdoc online, and
Tim Blair.
Each of the Iraq and military blogs deserve a look. You'll note that Kevin made it home safety and has posted a summary of his thoughts about being in Iraq. I've only had time to scan it, but intend to read it more thoroughly tonight.
hM is getting ready to return stateside as well so go offer some cheer while she navigates red tape and B.S. Doing things the army way can be a trip into a strange wonderland.
The online discussion about the Conservative leadership race continues at Andrew Coyne's site. I don't think I have to mention that it really isn't one in which Americans should participate - it is about an internal Canadian matter, after all - but you will be safe if you have your own Gratuitous American Reference Drinking Game: these people are serious about Canada and above the usual distract from issues by using the anti-America card and that puts them above and beyond the usual punditry that is so wearisome in the Canadian media.
The Globe and Mail is threatening to do several insightful articles about Iraq next week which will doubtless be another effort to convince themselves that Canada did the right thing to stay out of it. Give it up, will you? Nobody else cares anymore . . . the die was cast, get over it. It is so unbecoming to snipe from the sidelines especially when some of the readers (you know who you are!) are armed with Hellfire missiles.
Mark Steyn always has sharp articles worth reading, Stephen Den Beste is back and writing, and Bill Whittle should be delivering on his promise for a new essay.
The Yankees and Red Sox are playing today on the Boston UPN channel for those who receive it!
It's cold and windy outside so I have to drag out my gloves and scarf. It's unfair, I tell you!
Bye.
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March 06, 2004
Work Bound
Mar. 6 - I have to go in to work today, so check the blogroll particularly for Canadian and Iraqi views on the latest events.
There is an excellent debate over at Andrew Coyne's place on the Donnybrook comment thread (listed over at the right sidebar) and the wording of his news headlines are getting better and better.
Oh, I have updated the blogroll and fixed soma glaring error from my last tinkering [and blogger didn't go down! I'm 3 for 5 now . . .] so some I thought were on actually are on now (with profound apologies to The Owner's Manual in particular) and given the humourous sites their own exalted spot.
Later.
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March 05, 2004
The First Amendment
Mar. 5 -
Americans are generally uninformed when it comes to the United States Constitution. The results of a 2001 survey show that 84% of adults don't know that freedom of religion is one of the five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment! On the flip side, the majority of Americans wrongly believe that the phrase "Separation of Church and State" is actually found in the Constitution.
Good, history-based article on
The Separation of Church and State.
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