Messages

1

Activism / Re: Save Library and Archives Canada; also Parks Canada cuts

« on: June 13, 2013, 10:15:29 PM »

New article by Cobb;

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/Confusion+anger+over+major+secretly+brokered+deal+between/8517443/story.html

So they didn't tell Moore about this deal until Tuesday, and the archivists' organizations did not know about it (they should have been consulted, they have the technical expertise); so was it just LAC management, Caron and  his minions who did this? Not clear to me just who wanted the secrecy.

ETA: And LAC spokesman's take:

...In an interview Wednesday, LAC’s director general of content access, Fabien Lengellé, said Canadians would have free access to the basic images during their decade of ‘privatization’ and for $10 a month will be able to access the full, sophisticated metadata version from their home computers...

Shameful and utterly depressing. It's one thing to outsource the digitization process but the fact that they get to keep the content and exploit it is beyond the pale. Will the LAC still maintain the facilities and staff to house and protect the digitized collection or are we supposed to entrust a private entity that could fold 5-10 years down the road and sell off its assets (our Canadian history) to the highest bidder?

2

Weather / Re: May Flowers

« on: May 23, 2013, 09:22:37 PM »

No malignancy and no known tumours is excellent news, Debra. I'm just finishing Hitch's "Mortality" and it just underscores how miserable and disgusting cancer is. So relieved for the reprieve. 

3

Politics / Re: Steve and Senate Reform

« on: May 21, 2013, 09:17:34 AM »

In a very early morning CBC Radio news, I heard that the legal documents Wright had Duffy sign were drafted by the PMO's in-house council/lawyer. Harper's going to have a difficult time claiming no prior knowledge I would think.

4

Politics / Re: Steve and Senate Reform

« on: May 18, 2013, 11:48:29 AM »

ALL OF US should line up outside the office of Nigel Wright and demand OUR $90,000.00 cheques! 

No kidding. I'm amazed that Wright has $90k just sitting in a chequing account (one step up from keeping savings under the mattress).

5

Banter / Re: What are you doing?

« on: May 11, 2013, 11:21:53 AM »

Then there's Natashquan, just 44 km from here, with a beautiful beach to explore. It's also the home of Gilles Vigneault, the coolest man in Quebec.   

I concur. I missed seeing Gilles Vigneault when he played at the Festival du Voyageurs in St. Boniface back in 2002. I would LOVE to see him perform.

6

Banter / Re: What are you doing?

« on: May 10, 2013, 08:58:42 PM »

I think it was moi with the ceramic bundt pan - Blue Mountain.

Nice bridge, Boom Boom. So what is the best season to see your part of the world? Oddly enough, I find fall and winter best for northern Manitoba.

7

Weather / Re: April Springing Forth

« on: May 04, 2013, 10:52:45 AM »

Damn, it seems that one health crisis triggers another in your experience, Debra. I do hope you get a more favourable 2nd opinion and that you continue to recover without this added stress. 

8

Provincial Elections / Re: Ontario Liberal Leadership

« on: May 03, 2013, 09:18:53 PM »

Thanks for all that, Toe. Horwath did not indicate if she will support the budget, or not, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. Host of P&P Evan Solomon said the PC's are leading in a poll, and that may influence the NDP's decision whether to force an election over the budget as well. Imagine Ontario lead by Hudak! 

Horwath would become scum in my books if she brought in an opportunity for Hudak to get his toe in even with a minority (and I fucking still hold a grudge against all those who believed a Harper minority wouldn't be so bad if it meant teaching the LPC a lesson). Hudak is more transparently right wing than Harper - that transparency due to his being a total idiot. However, it seems that our public education system has been so badly eroded in the last few decades that we are producing gullible voters who actually think Ford, Hudak and Harper are on the mark.

9

Perpetual Threads / Re: Memorials

« on: April 23, 2013, 09:56:24 AM »

Divinyl lead singer Chrissy Amphlett dead at 53

Chrissy Amphlett, the raunchy lead singer of the Australian rock band Divinyls whose hit "I Touch Myself" brought her international fame in the early 1990s, died at her home in New York City on Sunday. She was 53 years old. "Christine Joy Amphlett succumbed to the effects of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, diseases she vigorously fought with exceptional bravery and dignity," her musician husband Charley Drayton said in a statement...

10

News / Re: Combating Terrorism Act 2010

« on: April 23, 2013, 09:52:57 AM »

"Operation Smooth" As in a smooth operator?

11

Weather / Re: April Springing Forth

« on: April 10, 2013, 10:27:56 AM »

Good news, Debra.

12

Europe / Re: Thatcher dies

« on: April 09, 2013, 06:50:11 PM »

I missed Billy Bragg's statement yesterday on As It Happens (he was in Calgary) but I was told he was very eloquent. Maybe he'll say something on "Q" this Friday.

Anyway, I'm certainly not on Team Thatcher.

13

Weather / Re: April Springing Forth

« on: April 09, 2013, 06:45:22 PM »

Hope all goes very well and you recover quickly, Debra.

14

Politics / Re: NDP Convention - Montréal

« on: April 05, 2013, 08:33:34 PM »

I can't see Mulcair becoming feistier with a minority government. The time for feisty was over a year ago.

15

Canada / Re: Crown / First Nations Summit

« on: April 05, 2013, 08:17:37 PM »

The sad thing is that Idle No More basically lifted a giant rock that exposed some very ugly, deep seated hatred against Aboriginal people among Canadians. Harper and his henchmen know that pissing off the "natives" isn't going to lose him support so that may very well be why he jumped on this as a distraction from the economic failure of those employment numbers.

The stuff that has been said about any Aboriginal person considered "uppity" has been disgusting and I wouldn't be surprised to see this man painted as some lunatic.