Happy New Year

Accoring to the XE currency converter, 1.00 Canadian dollar equals 1.00244 US dollars.

I hope the City of Windsor, Ontario can celebrate by being murder-free for 2010.  There's only a few more hours to go.

I do hope for a federal election in the Spring of 2011, and that Harper is defeated.  If not, at least I hope that his Conservative Party does not get a majority of the seats.

I do hope that some of the federal parties actively supports voting reform in the next election.  I know voting reform is not a bread-and-butter issue.  I will accept voting reform as being one of the important items in a party's campaign platform.

Happy New Year everyone!

On the lighter side: Is Tarek Fatah an Oompa Loompa?

Compare the photos:

My apologies to the original Oompa Loompa.

G20 officer charged--not his first confrontation in the weekend

Global Television court reporter, Alex Pierson, had a previous verbal confrontation with the officer who was charged with assault with a deadly weapon in the alleged Queen's Park assault.  According to Ms. Pierson in an interview on Newstalk1010 CFRB, the same officer confronted Pierson because she was carrying a gas mask that had been issued by her television station.  She asked him if it was against the law to carry a gas mask.  He didn't answer the question.  However, he did take away her gas mask and G20 government issued accreditation.  She also mentioned that he was not wearing any police issued identification.

Newstalk1010 December 21st podcast should be ready the next day.  Friendly Fire with Ryan Doyle and Tarek Fata: the Alex Pierson interview takes place in the second hour.

The Pooled Registered Pension Plan is a glorified RRSP

Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, writes an interesting commentary in the Calgary Herald about federal finance minister Jim Flaherty's proposed Pooled Registered Pension Plan.  The banks prefer this over an increase in the premiums to the Canada Pension Plan because the banks would be guaranteed funds for investment.  They would also be able to charge contributors to the proposed PRPP.  Businesses will like the PRPP since they may not be required to contribute the same share as they do for the current CPP.

The [banking and financial] industry fears that if Canadians are able to invest more of their money through CPP then they'll put less money into things like private mutual funds.

And reduced investment in mutual funds would mean fewer bonuses and fewer and BMWs for bankers and mutual fund managers (heaven forbid!)

Imagine if Don Cherry had been our governor-general

"Stephen Harper is the greatest guy in the world!  He knows how to deal with the pinkos in the Liberal and New Dummocratic Party.  He'll body check the Bloc Qweebecwaas back to their brothers in da Taliban in Afghanistan!"

Don Cherry gave the Frank Drebin speech about Rob Ford to Toronto's city council. He certainly gave a silly speech.  Listen to Lt. Frank Drebin speech (as played by the late Leslie Nielsen).