The Meatriarchy If God didn't want me to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?
Friday, April 16, 2004
Svender-Bender
Forgive me if I don't join the chorus of those sympathizing with Svend Robinson's latest plight.
I feel for anyone who is suffering from mental illness (of any sort) but "stress" is not an excuse for crime. If it were lots of people would be free to rob rape and steal with impunity.
I would be more tolerant of Svend's situation if he had quietly returned the item he had stolen. Quietly turned himself into the police and quietly sought treatment for whatever "condition" he is suffering.
But no, Svend has to have a big news conference with crying and chest beating and all kinds of friends praising him.
Maybe I am a complete prick who needs to be a little more humane as my fellow Newfie blogger Damian Penny is doing:
Sorry to disappoint anyone expecting me to make a cheap joke about Robinson's predicament, but I really feel sorry for the guy. I've seen what stress and depression can do to a person. I've been there. I sincerely hope Svend gets the help he needs, and he deserves credit for coming clean about this incident.
Rarely far from the public stage, renowned for his impassioned, articulate pronouncements on social issues, Mr. Robinson confessed yesterday that he has another hidden, all-too-human side.
But I can't. Those impassioned pronouncements were often more like cheap publicity stunts. Svend has never met a controversial cause he didn't like. I'm surprised he hasn't started championing the rights of sex-offenders; he certainly has gone to bat for everyone else (excluding of course white middle class males).
Even the local sports station in Toronto (CJCL) is parroting what will surely become a party line in the Canadian media (and blogosphere?). Morning host Don Landry (who is an open America hater who refuses to shop at Wal-Mart) and Doug Farraway were defending Robinson. Landry because Robinson booed Ronald Reagan when he spoke to parliament in the 80's and Farraway because Robinson "always sticks up for those people without a voice" I guess he was talking about those murdering minions of Arafat whom Robinson is all wiggly for.
At the same time more sympathetic noises from both hosts issued forth both mumbling that they hope Svend gets the help he needs and that he continues blah blah blah......
Ok Earth to everyone. Is it only now that you are figuring out that this guy has some kind of mental problem? First of all anyone who embraces the most radical philosophies of socialism has to be a little soft in the head if you ask me. I think socialism is a form of mental illness in itself.
But if you examine this guys record of self centered public displays over the years you have to come to the conclusion that he is a narcissistic personality with serious self destruct tendencies.
Robinson is one of those people who don't exist unless other people are talking about him. Like Mr. Invisible from the movie Men of Mystery who could only disappear if no one was looking at him Robinson seems to fear exactly that will happen so his cries for attention get more and more desperate and pathetic every year.
It's especially galling at this time of year when I have to cut a big friggin' check to the giant extortion machine on Parliament Hill to know that this childish imbecile will be getting a fat pension for the rest of his life that nothing in the private sector can touch while I have to put off buying a new washer to replace my leaking old one because I have to pay out money to support clowns like this.
Sorry but I wont give a free pass card to this nutjob.
Update: I forgot this but remember in 1989 fellow NDPer Lorne Nystrom was also arrested for shoplifting. This must be a criterion for being in the party.
Update #2: Does Svend realize that some of the countries he is willing to support against America have laws that would result in his hands to be cut off for stealing?
Aside from the fact that this type of petty activity is a complete waste of the money that the government takes from me under the threat of force (i.e. taxes) you can't help but wonder if the government is just mad that they probably wasted millions of dollars on the "look and feel" of their site only to find out it is easily replicated for little or no cost.
I hope Jim doesn't cave into bumbling bureaucrats but if they decide to use their vast resources (read our money) they could make life difficult for him.
On the plus side his hit count will go up and maybe the media will pick up the story. That would mean we would all get hits because his site has lots of Canadian bloggers listed.
I haven't mentioned the playoffs that much - despite the fact that I am watching the Leafs-Ottawa series with fanatical interest - but on the morning after a rather depressing loss I have some thoughts burning through my mind that I can't shake.
Question one: The team was built on depth for the playoffs this year so why does the loss of one player (Joe Nieuwendyk) cause such disruption in the line combinations?
Moving Robert Reichel to center Antropov and Ponikarovsky was a bonehead move. He brings nothing to that line. Last year Antropov and Mogliny played very well together making an effective second line for the Leafs. I would have moved Antropov back to center (which he can play) and put Mogilny on the wing this would probably have helped Mogilny who is struggling as well.
Also Matt Satjan and Harold Druken are fast and played well when they were together I would insert them into the line up and put them with Francis and form a new line.
Question Two:
Why are Tie Domi and Robert Reichel on the first power play unit all of a sudden? Is this the extent of the "depth" on this team? The only major injury at this point is Owen Nolan (a big hole to be sure) but that and the sudden absence of Nieuwendyk doesn’t warrant the elevation of a fourth line under achieving center and an aging pugilist to the first power play unit.
Question Three: Should we be grateful for the continued attempts of beer companies to provide new ways to get chicks liquored up?
Question Four:
Why does Bob Cole seem completely confused as to which team is getting a penalty and for what? Is he watching the same feed as us because I usually know right away. In many cases he doesn't even know whay the whistle has been blown. Don't they have someone watching in the truck that can let him know that?
After watching the southern US gobble up thousands of automotive jobs in the past 10 years the Ontario government has decided to do something about it. They have promised 500 million dollars in subsidies to automotive makers to entice them to stay in Ontario.
This is big news for Canada's big socialist hammer the Canadian Auto Workers union. The CAW is the muscle and many times the money behind the most radical elements of the left in Canadian society. During the failed "Days of Action" protests against the Mike Harris government in 1995-96 CAW goons in ski masks showed up at various locations to harass and sometimes beat those who sought access to their workspace.
The CAW has also been a prime funder of the radical direct action group called "Ontario Coalition Against Poverty" whose protests and words have become so loony that even the union has decided to withdraw funding.
Of course the CAW has no interest in ending poverty, if they did they would be happy that poor hicks in Alabama are learning a skill other than moon-shining. The current funding injection comes after
years of pleading by the Canadian Auto Workers union and the country's parts makers to get in the game against southern U.S. states that have won billions in new auto assembly plants and thousands of jobs in recent years.
Not mentioned (at least till later in the article) is the fact that the 500 million pledged by the Liberals is the same 500 million pledged by the previous Tory government which was vilified by the CAW executive (although many rank and file workers voted for Harris in droves).
Not mentioned at all is that the CAW is one of the big reasons that the automotive sector is fleeing the country. I have had many conversations with senior executives in the automotive sector who all tell me that it is almost impossible to compete if you are a union shop. The layers of bureaucracy and the petty nature of the union takes away from the important task of actually competing and making the company successful.
The CAW has almost exclusively made this bed by themselves and now they cry for money from us - the taxpayer -while refusing to acknowledge their culpability in the whole thing. Organized labour is faced with a momentous challenge over the next few years as technology makes it easier for companies to step out of the jurisdiction of militant unions. Instead of looking at their own flawed model and trying to improve the unions will only point fingers throw temper tantrums and look for money from the government (you and I) to help them.
The basic problem is that the CAW and other unions like it are not so much interested in protecting jobs and workers rights as they are in furthering a radical socialist agenda. The CAW has long played kingmaker in the NDP and supports the party without question even though the NDP's economic policies would destroy more jobs than they create.
Never once has the CAW said "we are interested in making sure our workers can continue to work and the best way to do that is to create an environment where there is strong economic growth and lots of jobs". "To do this we need to become partners with business and not adversaries". No they will never throw off the "business is bad" mantra that sustains them and their political puppets.
Not doing so effectively exposes them as charlatans who pay lip service to their membership while at the same time doing everything possible to undermine the very economic base that their membership depends on for its livelihood.
You wont be hearing any squawks of protest from those who work themselves into hysterics when one media outlet buys another over this story.
Why not?
Because it doesn't feature any of the designated bad guys of media (i.e Conrad Black or other rightish media owners).
Basically CHUM which owns Toronto's most obnoxious station (CityTV which also has one of the most annoying websites I've seen recently ) is buying Craig Communications owner of several obnoxious Alberta TV stations.
Don't wait for ZerbesiASS to raise a fuss however since her masters at the Toronto Star stand to make out like bandits in this deal.
See Craig media is the owner of the abysmal Toronto One channel which it launched about a year ago. The channel has been trying to compete head on with CityTV and failing miserably. Apparently the multicultural audience in Toronto is not as big as Craig Media thought.
CHUM cannot own two TV stations in one market so they must sell Toronto One. Enter TORSTAR who has been dying to get a TV station for a dogs age and owns a minority interest in Toronto One. The betting is that TORSTAR will buy Toronto One thus giving a TV Voice to the biggest left wing paper in Canada.
But that's ok because media concentration is ok if you are politically correct.
Another interesting side note: Craig Media owns the rights to MTV broadcasts in Canada. Chum owns the ponderous MuchMusic and all it's annoying spin offs (Much More Music, Much Loud etc etc). Chum fought hard to keep MTV out of Canada (Media types are surprisingly sensitive when it comes to competition) so it will be interesting to see what happens to the MTV digital channels in the future.
I wouldn't bet money on them still being on the air this time next year.
Meantime Bob Tarantino can look forward to being able to watch his Toronto Star heroes on TV on Sunday very soon.
My wife would appreciate this site. It is devoted to Ketchup. She puts ketchup on EVERYTHING no matter what I cook she puts ketchup on it or in it. Except for desserts.
I don't put ketchup on anything except for grilled cheese sandwiches.
For some reason or other that is the only thing she doesn't put ketchup on.
