The New Canuckistan

I nearly spewed coffee all over myself as I was reading the Globe this morning. I really don't know what to make of this latest from Stephen. If he's getting out the muzzles for his own team, how long is it before he sets his sights on, say, CBC? It is after all a government institution. And one that he's made no secret of his distain for. We've all been waiting for the axe to fall on the Corpse with Harper's arrival but this could present a whole new approach to killing the Corpse. And with the current CBC Management being so paranoid and inept, hey, they might just welcome the opportunity to become a state-controlled media outlet happy to spew Conservative propaganda if it means continuing to receive federal funding.

Granted, I may be feeling a tad paranoid today.


Harper restricts ministers' message

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has imposed central control over all information and comments to the public issued by government officials and even cabinet ministers, directing them to have everything cleared by the Prime Minister's Office, according to an internal e-mail and government sources.
The orders, described in an e-mail to bureaucrats, indicate that ministers have been told to avoid talking about the direction of the government, and that the government wants them to be less accessible to the news media. And all government officials are instructed to avoid speaking about anything other than the five priorities outlined in the Conservative campaign.
"Maintain a relentless focus on the five priorities from the campaign. Reduce the amount of ministerial/public events that distract from the five priority areas identified in the campaign," the e-mail states.
"In order to keep a grip on such events [those that distract from priority areas], PMO will approve all ministerial events."
The seven-point e-mail summarizes a briefing that the federal government's top bureaucrat, Clerk of the Privy Council Kevin Lynch, and his senior official in charge of government communications, assistant cabinet secretary Dale Eisler, gave to the top communications official in several government departments last week. The e-mail was made by a senior bureaucrat who attended the meeting.
Government officials and Conservatives confirmed the instructions, including orders that the PMO clear all public communications — including minor comments and letters to local newspapers.
"PMO will have final approval for all communications products — even Notes to Editors or Letters to the Editor," the e-mail states.
The instructions reflect the extreme caution of a new government with few seasoned hands, worried that even its ministers might slip. It reflects a desire to create the perception that the government is focused — to differentiate itself from Paul Martin's Liberal government, which was widely criticized as having scattered attentions.
While government ministers are holding some events on issues not included in the five priorities — a Federal Accountability Act, a GST cut, a child-care allowance, tougher criminal sentences, and a patient waiting-times guarantee — such events are being kept to a minimum. Comments or information on other issues are closely guarded.
Since they were sworn in on Feb. 6, cabinet ministers have, for the most part, refused to grant interviews to reporters, providing only terse and often vague responses to questions outside cabinet meetings.
Last week, the Prime Minister's Office asked officials to remove the microphones that have for decades been set up in hallways outside cabinet meetings. When press gallery officials intervened, they backed off temporarily. Mr. Harper's press secretary, Carolyn Stewart-Olsen, said the issue would be discussed with gallery representatives. She then insisted reporters would have "more space" if they asked to see ministers in the Commons foyer.
The e-mail, however, suggests the government intends to reduce reporters' access to ministers to help them stick to their orders to say little about government plans.
"Set-up for post cabinet scrum is intentional — Ministers have been told they are not allowed to speculate on future direction of government," it states.
Ministers who have strayed from the government line have quickly issued retractions.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, who suggested some Canadian aid might flow to the Palestinian Authority despite the recently elected Hamas majority, reversed course the next day.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister, Dimitri Soudas, refused to comment yesterday on the e-mail's details.
Mr. Harper's PMO is not the first to want the final say on communications — but it has extended the practice to a level never seen in Ottawa.
The offices of prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin demanded to approve major communications, and asked to be informed when ministers planned announcements or speeches. Now, government officials, and even ministers, must clear every interview or comment, and even the most anodyne pamphlet must get PMO clearance.
The restrictions on cabinet ministers were also evident last week when Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Liberal equalization-payment deals made an incoherent mess of the system, even though the Conservatives had pushed for the offshore-resource deals with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
Later that day, Mr. Flaherty issued a statement protesting that he never referred specifically to Newfoundland or Nova Scotia or mentioned "oil and gas," but those two agreements were the only ones the Liberals had signed.

God Bless Amer... aaah, Canada

Over the past few weeks I have been lobbying hard for all things Canuck...yaking on about how great and progressive our country is...how we are decades ahead of the States on so many social policies....blah blah blah. But as I was reading over Harper's speech in Kandahar yesterday I had a nagging feeling I'd heard ot all somewhere before.

But as I groaned my way to the end of the text, I was stunned by his last line. "God Bless Canada." Since when do Canadian PMs sign off like that? What's next? Will Steve insist that the agencies start moving pics of him every Sunday as he leaves church? It's a frightening fact that our new leader appears to emulate Bush so much...especially when he has never been lower in the opinion polls as now. A new one out today had Bush with only a 36% approval rating.

It just feels so frustrating --and embaressing in light of where I am right now-- that my pride is how progressive Canada is is in danger of being undermined.

To make myself feel better, I did have a little giggle at this. Click on it to big it up so that you can read it:

Ignorance

It's shit like this that just blows my mind. This is just plain ignorance.

"United American Committee Calls for Protest of Al-Jazeera Network's Planned American Station. Rally/Protest Planned for April 30th in Washington DC

Al-Jazeera, the television network that many call the propaganda wing of the radical Islamist movement in the world, is scheduled shortly to launch their network in English aimed at Americans with their new studios being in Washington DC. The United American Committee objects to the establishment of the network in America; "It's as if Joseph Goebbels, the Propaganda Minster for Hitler, were to have set up a station in America during WWII." says Lee Kaplan, member of the UAC executive committee. Al-Jazeera plans on launching their 24 hour 7 day a week channel in America this spring. In response, the UAC is calling for a 24 hour 7 day a week protest in front of the Al-Jazeera studios to begin Sunday April 30th and continue daily indefinitely. "

Welcome to Amurica!

Well here I am. I'm in Washington. Of course my plans to keep the Daily Weeg updated regularly, especially in this initial adapting to the US period, kind of fell flat. But I swear, it wasn't my fault! I had a string of technological meltdowns and have only just regained reliable access to a computer a few days ago. But better late than never so here we go!

Indeed adapting to life in Deecee is going well. It doesn't seem all that different from life in the TDot...except that people kind of talk funny. And there are lots of American flags around. And references to Freedom.

I have my first Deecee-Do coming up in a couple of weeks. I get to go to some TV White house type dinner. Old Smokey Eyes (aka Bush) will be giving a talk. But I've been told the real atttraction is trying to have your picture taken with Geraldo Rivera.

I'll need a dress of course. What about wearing something like this one? Can you picture it: the young Canuck sitting at the Al Jazzy table, listening to Dubya talk while the CBC table throws buns at the back of my head. I love it.

Calamari Tastes Good.

This is just too 2000-Leagues Under the Sea. Even if you weren't afraid of sea-creatures before, come on, you've GOT to be just a little nervous about being attacked by a 100-pound freaky giant octopus.

C B C N e w s - F u l l S t o r y :
Video captures octopus attack on sub in B.C.

Rare video footage shows a giant octopus attacking a small submarine off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Salmon researchers working on the Brooks Peninsula were shocked last November when an octopus attacked their expensive and sensitive equipment.

The giant Pacific octopus weighs about 45 kilograms, powerful enough to damage Mike Wood's remote-controlled submarine.
Wood's first reaction was to panic, knowing the marine creature can exert a powerful bite.
"I go full reverse and blast him with all these seabed particles," said Wood, describing the attack shown in the video. "Finally, he lets go and disappears off into the gloom.
"It was desperation. It's a $200,000 machine, and it's not insured," said Wood, who runs SubOceanic Sciences Canada in Duncan, B.C.
The rare footage, which has just been released, is believed to be the first documented attack of an octopus on a sub.
"It was only afterwards when I replayed the video and I thought, 'Oh, yeah, that's pretty neat.' But at the time, it was just scary."

No one knows what caused the octopus to attack. It may have been curious, looking for a meal or a girlfriend, said Jim Cosgrove of the Royal B.C. Museum.
"It's certainly a mature male from what I can see in the video," said Cosgrove. "Old octopuses become what we call senescent, or senile, reaching the end of their life. And sometimes their actions are very inappropriate."
Such large, powerful animals deserve respect, Cosgrove said.
The octopus left unscathed. The submarine's only defence was its thrusters, but the machine survived the attack.

Fearing the Fearless Leaders

So it's come to this. I can't believe one of the reasons I am looking forward to living in the States is to get away from this guy. It looks pretty likely that Steven Harper will be our next fearful leader. I know it's time for a change blah blah blah. I know we can't have the Liberals in anymore. And sadly, I know that our good buddy Jack isn't going to win. But it's just a bit of hard pill to swallow. Harper is just so frikin yucky. Despite all the crap we've put up with from the Libs over the past few years, I am really proud that we do live in such a progressive country. And it's so disappointing that this guy is going to come in and ruin all that. Take away our Gay pot smoking weddings as seen on CBC!
Granted, I cannot WAIT for his first official visit to Russia. Seeing him standing there with Vlad Putin in their matching mock turtlenecks and blazer outfits will be fabulous.


Of course, the fact remains that I am going to the place led by this guy.
Maybe that will make coming back to Harper in two years more palatable. What a world.

Uhn-Huh

I just got back from a few days in Deecee. I was there trying to sort out a place to live, making sure my work Visa was in order, applying for a social security card and making sure my future coworkers seem normal enough. I think I managed to do all that. Finding the apartment was the hardest part. I spent the two days walking around, buzzing building managers, and hearing that cats can't live there. One place I saw allowed kitties, but in addition to charging $250 pet deposit, a $25 monthly PET RENT was also required. Now that just won't do. The Weeg would always be late with her rent. She's a total slacker when it comes to work....falling asleep on the job, showing up late, you know. And as much as I love her, I would hate to get in a situation where I resent always paying her rent. I don't want money to come between The Weeg and me.

Anyway, I think she'll be pleased with her new accommodations. There are lots of windows where she can monitor the birds and squirrels of Deecee.

The one thing that bugged me even more than the Pet Rent issue is this little habit a large number of Americans seem to have. Saying Uhn-Huh instead of "you're welcome."

Seekay: Thanks for the coffee.
American: Uhn-Huh.

Why, why do they do that? I'm sure they don't mean to be rude, but to my polite little Canuck ears, it's so jarring! It drives me nuts and everytime I hear it I want to say "I beg your pardon?" And in that adult tone of voice too. I know it's a cultural thing and they really don't intend for it to sound that way, and to them it obviously doesn't, but I imagine if I said that to someone here it would not go over very well.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Pearly Whites

First, Happy New Year.

The Weeg recently had five teeth removed. She's had bad teeth her whole life. Something about kitty saliva reacting badly with her kitty food. She had one or two removed a few years ago in Montreal as well. So when the vet told me they'd taken five out this time, I was a little concerned that she'd need dentures.

But no. They sent us away with a little kitty toothbrush and some poultry flavoured toothpaste and told me to brush them regularly. That's got to be my New Year's Resolution:

I must brush The Weeg's teeth more often.
I must not spend another $900 dollars on cat dentristry.

But I fear brushing Weeg's teeth will be much like flossing my own. I tell people I do...but really, I could be a hell of a lot better at it....like more than once in awhile...so that I don't spend hours after flossing complain that my gums are aching. The Weeg and I clearly have some oral issues to address in 2006.




In the meantime, I am happy to say she has some teeth left.

And I still don't have any cavities.