The Simpsons are going to Gaza--the Sequel

Here is a link to a still-frame post about the Simpsons and their Springfield friends being trapped in Gaza.  I made this post a few years ago during the last Israel-Gaza conflict.

http://skinnydips.blogspot.ca/2008/12/simpsons-are-going-to-gaza.html

CTV: Ontario education minister to woo young teachers

Why is the Ontario education minister, planning to make an announcement today?  It's because the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario is starting its annual general meeting today in Toronto.

I don't know how Broten will try to woo young teachers.  Perhaps she wants to divide and conquer.  She may think that by getting to impressionable young teachers, she can tell them that the older and more experienced teachers are hurting the young teachers.  All I will say is that the older teachers have helped the younger ones with their professional development.  What has Laurel Broten done to help young teachers besides originally planning to freeze the pay-grid?

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-education-minister-to-woo-young-teachers-1.911769

Happy Canada Day! A Google alphabet in English and French (2012)

These are the words that appear instantly when one types the first letter in a Google search:

In English:

·       Air Canada

·       Best Buy

·       Canadian Tire

·       Dictionary

·       eBay

·       Facebook

·       Google

 

 

·       Hotmail

 

 

·       Ikea

·       Job Bank

·       Kijiji

·       LCBO

·       Mapquest

·       NHL

·       OLG

·       Project Free TV

·       Quotes

·       Rogers

·       Scotiabank

·       TD

·       Urban Dictionary

·       Via Rail

·       Weather Network

·       xBox

·       YouTube

·       Zellers

En français:

·       AccèsD

·       Best Buy

·       Canada 411

·       Dictionnaire

·       eBay

·       Facebook

·       Google

·       Hotmail

·       Ikea

·       Jeux

·       Kijiji

·       Lespac

·       Météomédia

·       NHL

·       OC Transpo

·       Poste Canada

·       Québec

·       Radio Canada

·       SAAQ

·       Traduction

·       UOttawa

·       Vidéotron

·       Wikipedia

·       Xplornet

·       YouTube

·       Zellers

Last year's list: 2011

On the lighter side: Won't somebody please think of the children (World Naked Bike Ride)

From Auntie Antonia of the Toronto Star:

Nobody should have been taken aback on Saturday to see some 150 stripped loins wheeling past Exhibition Place.

It was at Coronation Park, just outside the Princes’ Gates, where Toronto participants in the eighth annual World Naked Bike Ride bared down and headed downtown to protest automobile pollution and the dangers cars pose to cyclists everyday.

Toronto Star: Cohn: Pride has become a victim of its own success

Martin Regg Cohn usually write some good columns.  This time I respectfully disagree with his comments about the Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA).  He seems to imply that QuAIA is an outside group that has infiltrated the Pride Week festivities.  QuAIA ranks low on his "gay-o-meter".  One could state the same about Kulanu--the gay Jewish student group.  While the core group of Kulanu may be gay, its general supporters in the parade diminish the "gayness" of Kulanu by focussing on Israel rather than LGBT pride.  Kulanu's participation in Toronto's Pride parade ranks low on my "gay-o-meter."

Toronto Star: Cohn: Pride has become a victim of its own success

YouTube: Pride Toronto - QuAIA

YouTube: Pride Toronto - Kulanu 2010

Christy Clark wants more powers for BC, but give environmental assessments to the Harper feds

On the CBC's The House, BC Premier Christy Clark discussed Thomas Mulcair's views on the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal.  I think she was trying subtly to link Mulcair's comments to the BC NDP.  She didn't think it was necessary that BC should have its own environmental assessment of the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal.  She would rather give this responsibility to the HarperGovernment (TM).  At the same time, she wanted more powers for BC (except environmental assessments).  She supports electing senators for BC that Harper can reject for appointment.

http://www.cbc.ca/thehouse/

Scaredy Squirrel Meets Gay Men

My comment posted on The Wingnuterer about A Squirrel Explains Gay Marriage:

 Scaredy Squirrel Meets Gay Men:

 

WHAT TO DO IF TWO GAY MEN WALK BY MY TREE:
ACTION PLAN:

Gather nuts.

Hide in tree.

Wait for couple to walk by.

Aim nuts at their nuts.

If they start taking photos of me, play dead.

Keep playing dead. Pretend they don’t exist.

Play dead a little longer until they walk away.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS:

1:00: Gather nuts.

1:05: Hide in tree.

1:10: Wait for couple to walk by.

They stop.

1:15: Aim nuts at their nuts.

Fall out of tree! Oh no!

Play dead. The couple is coming toward me!

1:20: Keep playing dead! Pretend they don’t exist!

1:25: They’re taking photos of me.

Now, they are offering me some [mixed] nuts.

I accept.

They take another photo of me with some nuts stuffed in my mouth.

They smile at me.

I smile back. Or at least I try with my mouth full of nuts.

1:30: They wave good-bye and walk away.

I run back to my tree with my nuts knowing that I will never be afraid of gay men again.

[Toronto's mayor, Rob Ford. could follow Scaredy Squirrel's example.]

NEXT STORY: Scaredy Squirrel and the Lesbian Chipmunks.

Progressive Bloggers: abortion-'bortion, what's that contortion?

I do enjoy reading the differerent blog posts on the Progessive Bloggers aggregate.  There are a diversity of opinions expressed by bloggers who post under the progressive label.  Bloggers include Liberals, NDPers, non-aligned social democrats, perhaps a socio-path or two, former Progressive Conservatives, current Greens, and the occasional Marxist-Leninist.  I do not expect everyone to agree on everything.  If we did, then the Progressive Bloggers site would be truly boring.

The people who post on PB hold a range of opinions on issues such as abortion rights, the Alberta Tar/Oil Sands, the environment, unite-the-progressives, proportional representation, and Israel.  I have even expressed a view or two about Quebec that makes Preston Manning seem like St. Poutine compared to me.

If people disagree with a blogger, then comment on his/her post.  If that blogger does not allow comments or if their moderation settings are too high, then reply with your own blog post.  If people are really insulted by what others state in their blogs, then ignore them.  I stopped going to the Blogging Tories website because I thought its bloggers' posts were way too asinine.  Why should I give the Blogging Tories' bloggers attention?

Feel free to comment or report me to the commentariat.  Ignore me if you wish.  Enjoy your day!

NDP leadership: Demochoice poll vs. actual results

How will the Demochoice poll on the NDP leadership race compare to the actual results?

First Round (Demochoice Poll):

Peggy Nash	2,700	(24.5%)
Paul Dewar	2,634	(23.9%)
Thomas Mulcair	1,888	(17.1%)
Nathan Cullen	1,621	(14.7%)
Brian Topp	1,003	(9.1%)
Niki Ashton	895	(8.1%)
Martin Singh	268	(2.4%)
None of these	115

http://demochoice.org/dcresults.php?poll=NDP2012NPD#Round1


Final Round (Demochoice Poll):

Peggy Nash	4,695	(51.9%)
Paul Dewar	4,346	(48.1%)
None of these	2,083

http://demochoice.org/dcresults.php?poll=NDP2012NPD#Round6

Actual first round results:

Thomas Mulcair: 19,728 (30.3%)
Brian Topp: 13,915 (21.4%)
Nathan Cullen 10,671 (16.4%)
Peggy Nash 8,353 (12.8%)
Paul Dewar 4,883 (7.5%)
Martin Singh 3,821 (5.9%)
Niki Ashton 3,737 (5.7%)

Total 65,108 (100.0%)

My choice for NDP leader is for Thomas Mulcair

I have watched the NDP leadership campaign over the past seven months.  There is an impressive list of candidates to replace Jack Layton.  However, one candidate impresses me the most--Thomas Mulcair.  The other candidate have their core strengths.  Brian Topp is a strong labour organizer.  Peggy Nash can connect with the NDP's tradional base.  Paul Dewar has a strong commitment to human rights and the environment.  Nathan Cullen seeks some big-tent vision for progressive Canadian voters.  Those same candidates have their weaknesses.  Brian Topp has never run for MP.  I don't know if Peggy Nash would be able to reach Canadians beyond the traditional NDP base.  Paul Dewar's French is weak.  Also, his responses during the debates in English tended to be shallow in my opinion.  While Nathan Cullen proposes some co-operation agreement between the NDP and Liberals where the two parties would run in half of the ridings across Canada, I don't know how this would work in practice.  Which party gets to run a candidate in which riding?

If the NDP membership chooses Thomas Mulcair for the next leader of the NDP, Mr. Mulcair will be ready to lead the party from day one.  He will not need to find a seat or improve his French.  He will work to get the vote from Canadians who traditionally vote Conservative and Liberal.  That means highlighting NDP policies that with attract those voters using political language to do so.  The phrase "ordinary Canadians" will be banished from Thomas Mulcair's vocabulary.  He will make Stephen Harper's perceived strengths on economic issues into weaknesses.  He will likely get his NDP MPs to be more focused during Question Period by asking questions that deal with one subject that is relevant to many Canadians.  He will show Canadians that the NDP is ready to govern.

 Thomas Mulcair has knowledge and skills to lead the NDP and become Canada's next prime minister.

Thomas Mulcair: Down to third choice

Over the past few months, I have sent polite emails under my real name to Thomas Mulcair's campaign.  I have not received one reply yet.  If a political candidate's organization is unable to respond to questions and comments from Canadians, then is that candidate fit to become the leader of the NDP and eventually prime minister?

If I do not receive any responses from Thomas Mulcair's campaign, I will place Mr. Mulcair in a lower rank on my preferential ballot.

Please respond to my emails.

SD

On the lighter side: Peter MacKay and John Baird getting ready to bomb Iran on behalf of Israel

Image of Peter MacKay and John Baird:

My NDP leadership rank-ballot poll mentioned on CTV by Alice Funke from Pundits' Guide

I was watching CTV Power Play's Don Martin interview Alice Funke from Pundits' Guide.  Even though she didn't mention my blog or blog name, she did briefly mention my rank-ballot poll for the next NDP leadership.  I will state that I am not working for any candidate in real life.  I will not be supporting any candidate on my blog.  Ms. Funke did mention that people can track the transfer of votes from candidates dropping out to those remaining.

I will emphasize that the poll is not scientific.  I am encouraged that more people are participating--perhaps multiple times.  I do limit voting to one per hour.

NDP leadership rank-ballot poll