DUC IN ALTUM

A gold medal for all those who will argue that a country which criminalizes religious worship, controls the press and Internet, regulates all child-bearing decisions including forced sterilization and abortion and permits neither free association nor freedom of internal movement, is making progress on human rights. The Olympic Charter states that “the practice of sport is a human right.” The other human rights do not fare so well in China, and contrary to advance billing, it is not at all clear that the Olympics have made things better.  (…)

Some idiot commented that he couldn’t argue the facts mentioned in the editorial, but then mentioned that they knew nothing about China’s history or culture…  Like that makes it all right for China to kill it’s own people, and silence those who survive.  Yeah, right.

We really don’t get it.  Gotcha.

Partager ce billet

Fluoride in our water.

If you took out the references in this CBC article of Dentists supporting fluoride, you’d be left with punctuation.

But the Toronto Sun mentions…

Fluoride lowers IQ and damages the brain, thyroid and bones and should be removed from the water supply, researchers and community activists said yesterday at a Queen’s Park press conference.

“Your policy is to put this known toxin into the drinking water, copying the stupid Americans,” Dr. Paul Connett, executive director of the Fluoride Action Network said. “You’re not doing the essential, responsible thing and checking out if that’s causing harm to your people.”

Health Canada, the Canadian Dental Association and public health officials in general say they have complete faith in flouride’s safety and usefulness in promoting oral health.

(…)

Health Canada recently recommended the amount of fluoride in drinking water be reduced slightly to reduce fluorosis, or brown spots on the teeth.

You don’t think this guy commands a military air base, do you?

Hehehehehe.   What do you mean we don’t have the code?!

Partager ce billet

Israel’s new ambassador to Mauritania, Miki Arbel, will delay his departure to the northwest African country following the coup there Wednesday that led to the arrest of both the Mauritanian president and prime minister.

(…) Israel and Mauritania have had diplomatic relations since 1996, and exchanged ambassadors in 1999. These ties have survived the various bouts of political turmoil in the African
country, as well as pressure from other Arab League states for Mauritania to cut its ties with Israel.

Abdallahi was at first a critic of relations with Israel, Israeli officials said, but came around to understanding the benefit accruing to Mauritania from the relationship. The officials said the relationship was good for Mauritania because it represented a connection with the West, and was good for promoting the country’s modernization.

As an apparent sign of Abdallahi’s recognition of the utility of the ties with Israel, he met with the outgoing Israeli ambassador last Thursday in a send-off meeting.

We’ve seen Pakistan and Mauritania fail as democracies, and their military have kept law and order.

Security comes first.  Without security, there is nothing.

Partager ce billet

The president and government had previously come under criticism for rising food prices and corruption suspicions concerning a foundation run by Cheikh Abdallahi’s wife.The political tension culminated in a no-confidence vote in the government and a reshuffle eliminating ministers linked to 1984-2005 dictator Maaouya Ould Taya, who had been accused of corruption.

Two days before the coup, 48 legislators of the ruling party had staged a walk-out in a new blow to the president.

The military officers behind the coup were especially critical of Cheikh Abdallahi’s contacts with Salafist Islamists, accusing him of not fighting the growing presence of al-Qaeda in the traditionally moderate Islamic country.

Several terrorist acts have shocked Mauritanians recently, including the killings of four French tourists and several Mauritanian soldiers in December that prompted the cancellation of the Lisbon-Dakar rally.

Instead of trying to deal with problems in a democratic fashion, however, the military resorted to the familiar mechanism of a coup.

Wednesday’s coup was the 10th successful or attempted one in the country of 3 million residents since it became independent from France in 1960.

President Bush mentioned he was sad to see failure in democracy.

I’d agree, but this involves Salafist radicals. I’m calling this even. You have a non-confidence vote, then 48 legislators who walk out… I call that a failed democracy. Good job to those who brought in the military to take control of law and order.

May this not become a permanent military state.

AND START PUMPING OIL! You’re broke as it is, Mauritania. Do it! And we want it!

Partager ce billet

A new drink has been mentioned to me in a conversation, something I knew nothing about.  Clava, or calvados.

Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned distillation was created about 50 years later in 1606. In the 17th century the traditional ciderfarms expanded but taxation and prohibition of cider brandies were enforced elsewhere than as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known Norman distillation was carried out by “Lord” de Gouberville in 1554, and the guild for ciderBrittany, Maine and Normandy. The area called “Calvados” was created after the French Revolution, but “Eau de vie de cidre” was already called “calvados” in common usage.

Apparently, this is apple brandy, not just cider.  I will be doing more…research into the subject soon.

Partager ce billet

Found both of these here.  I don’t know that site, but I generally agree with it since it’s against radial islam and pro-American.

I like the images though.

…and you should all know I’m a big fan of George Orwell, so here it is…

I love this quote.  I feel that supporting my Canadian troops in Afghanistan, or my American allies fighting in Iraq makes me a radical.

All my life, I thought Conservatives and Republicans were evil.  And then I got to speak to a few of them.  Gun nuts, army vets, law enforcement…  Good people.  Folks who don’t agree with what’s being handed out in the news.  People who know the worth of hard work, and the lack of worth of the United Nations (one example in many).

Telling the truth has always been a fundamental value in my life.  The sad part is that the liberal Peace activists honestly believe that THEY are speaking the truth.  We may never agree after all.

I’m ok with that.

Partager ce billet

I still don’t know if the values I take from Catholicism would get his approval or his spite.  Most of my values of charity and tolerance come directly from my religion, although I don’t believe in God in the strictest sense of the word.

He speaks the truth more often than not.  All the power to him.  I approve all the videos from Pat Condell that I’ve seen so far.  Like I just said, he speaks the truth.

Partager ce billet

Egypt received the second largest aid package from the US and will receive USD 1.3 billion in military aid as well as USD 415 million in civilian aid. Jordan will receive USD 264 million in economic aid as well as USD 200 million in military aid.

Oops.   I’ve been saying that it was 6 to 8 billion dollars a year.  My mistake.

Partager ce billet

I just visited blogger, went to Gottagetdrunkfirst, and this is my avatar on blogger.

I do believe I use the Joker’s image somewhere, but I can’t trace it now.

Once upon a time, I was an FVZA member, a very active member, and my avatar changed quite a lot.

These days, I just focus on a few images and the rest goes into context and stories.

Partager ce billet

I’ve been looking for an address, a restaurant called Griffentown on Notre-Dame street.

Well I’ve learned quite a bit.  Just the beginning of knowledge, actually, but a neighborhood south of downtown Montreal was once known as Griffentown, the IRISH part of Montreal.  Disrepair would be the perfect word for it, although the city has set up the Cité Multimédia there which brings folks back to the area.

Once upon a time, the Irish would live there, work the factories and during the 1940’s, they moved out of the neighborhood to better neighborhoods.  No one replaced them, so the neighborhood fell into disrepair.

Now I may get a chance to speak to the new owner of the place, may have a chance to ask his links to the irish community and hopefully I’ll get to know more about my beautiful city of Montreal.

That being said, BLORK BLOG talks about just that, the ol’ Griffentown which is no more.

It’s an interesting little blog, very nice.  Deals with food and photography, mostly from what I can tell.

TWO LINKS on that blog caught my attention, though…

Montreal Times

Montreal News Net

Very nice.  I didn’t know those existed.  They’re both in english, both have highlights of major news outlets in Canada, so it’s a good place to start if you want to know what the media is feeding us right now.

Anyway, I’m glad.

Partager ce billet