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See y’all in about a week. Meantime be good and check out the blogroll.

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Admit it. You woke up this morning thinking “I don’t hear enough versions of “Where’s Captain Kirk” by Spizzenergi these days.

Sooo……

Studio version with Star Trek vid clips:

Early 1977 live version by the original Spizzenergi:

The best live version is here (but embedding has been disabled)

REM (yes REM) cover:

“Spizzsexual”- 1985

Spizzenergi 20 years (and about 50 pounds) later:

You can thank me as you’re humming this song all day. Maybe next week I’ll do a 999 Homicide retrospective.

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I love tacos. Therefore I love this site: The Great Taco Hunt

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[I’m] basically careerist closet liberal who wants tax cuts and doesn’t much mind guns.

For context here’s the whole quote:

Oh and another thing: young Canadian “conservatives”, especially the men, have also been brainwashed and buy into much of the same enviro/equality/politeness/multi-culti crap. They’re basically careerist closet liberals who want tax cuts and don’t much mind guns.

Via the oriana fallaci of ernst zundels!

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Things are quite busy quite now (despite the fact that we are supposedly in an economic cataclysm) so I won’t be blogging much for the next three weeks.

In the meantime enjoy my blogroll particularly:

Ezra
Kate
Kathy
Blazing Cat Fur
Flea
Right Girl
WWTDD

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Great news for the US Economy it is not in a recession although people are still hoping and also subtly trying to change basic economic facts:

. The statistic did not meet what economists consider the definition of a recession, which is a contraction of the economy.

Actually a recession properly defined is six straight months (two quarters) of economic contraction . So if the economy contracted for a full quarter and then expanded it wasn’t in a recession. Nor would it be in a recession if it contracted for one month or four months or even five.

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And made me feel ashamed that I am not made of “post-Edwardian stuff”

There is still great bravery in the world, still much to aspire to. But I cannot see anything of that post-Edwardian daring in our world, fashioned as it was in the trenches of the War To End All Wars. I have a great fear for what lies ahead of us. If the conflagration comes and our remaining strength should fail then many, many of us will be killed. The ones who survive will only do so through having chosen submission. Our books will be burned, our freedoms thrown with them on to the pyre. Our priceless, irreplaceable treasures of history, philosophy and art plundered and destroyed; at first through through wanton violence and soon thereafter by neglect. Any truth remaining then claimed as a prize of war, as the “science” of the conquerors when it will be no more than barbarous, and sterile, translation….

…If some spark of civilization is to endure, we must imagine a leaderless resistance, a rhizomatic resistance; something closer to Anonymous than the Maquis of wartime France, there will be no friendly power across the Channel, no airdrops of arms, no broadcasts from Bush House.

Read it all. Every last bit of it.

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From Guy White Most Muslims live quiet lives. But if a Muslim becomes famous, it’s always because he just went “alalalalala Alahu Akbar” … boom!

Via Kathy Shaidle who also brings to my attention this gem! Diet lemon meringue pie! We need more movies like this on the idiot box! Capiche?

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Doublethink:

The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them . . . . To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.[1]

Via Tim Blair the modern example:

Climate change is also reducing opium production, according to the Independent, by ingeniously making winter colder via global warming:

Faltering British efforts to tackle Afghanistan’s poppy crop have found an unlikely ally – in the weather.

Freak weather linked to global warming is expected to reduce parts of the country’s opium harvest drastically. Scientists believe freezing winter temperatures followed by late rains and a possible drought may cut this year’s yields, with some farmers losing half of their crop.

Related: (via Instapundit) The attempt to silence a noted global warming climate change skeptic, which contains this gem of a sentence:

His comments toward adversaries often are biting and adversarial.

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He Score, He Shoot! has some wise words on the loss of Brian Burke as a potential candidate for the vacant GM job with the Toronto Maple Leafs:

Leaf fans will no doubt be disappointed by the news, mainly because they’ve been seduced into thinking that Burke was the best candidate. The Toronto media, subscribing to the belief that the next GM must be a “star,” merely plucked the name of the guy whose team last won the Stanley Cup, checked if he was from Ontario (or Rhode Island), and voila! There’s your new GM. Burke has certainly run his mouth enough to make himself a “star” among the 30 fat men who sit in NHL press boxes on a nightly basis, but is he the best man for the job?

I think the performance of the Dallas Stars makes the case for Doug Armstrong as Leafs GM a lot stronger. Especially since the Stars decided that building a good team wasn’t a worthy accomplishment and dumped him for Brett Hull earlier this season. I would also like David Poile of Nashville who has only built a contender from nothing. Saw it destroyed last year and pretty much rebuilt it from nothing. Plus he is apparently quite close to Cliff Fletcher and would apparently like the opportunity to work with him again. Cliff as President and Poile as GM wouldn’t be a bad idea.

HT: Pension Plan Puppets

Dominatrix Outfit Update:

Yesterday I had a post with the word “dominatrix” in it and it tripled my site traffic. That might say a lot about my readers. So I am putting an update into this and future posts until you get bored of it and go back to finding dominatrix info elsewhere.

Just to recap:

Rightgirl is posting saucy pictures of herself if you contribute 100.00 to a worthy cause.

I asked what it would cost for her to dust off her dominatrix outfit and model it.

Her response: I don’t know - she hasn’t actually responded.

Stay tuned for more exciting dominatrix outfit updates throughout the day, the week and the next millennium.

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Girl On The Right has a unique fund raising activity currently on her blog.

For every $100.00 contributed to this worthy cause she will post a “saucy” shot on her website.

Via

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VIA five feet of fury (who if you haven’t sent money to by now you should) we learn that Sarah “I wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for public money,” Polley once played a neo-nazi in film.

I clicked over to IMDB to see what movie it was and found this description:

How can a smart middle class girl suddenly turn into a devoted right wing debater? That’s what happens with Catherine when she meets the charismatic leaders of the neo-nazi organization NIM.

Devoted right-wing debater? Am I the only one who finds this hilarious and surreal at once?

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Remember Bisphenol A? Nah that’s so last week. Here’s a new plastic bogeyman for ya: phtalates

Greenpeace now has a new target called phthalates (pronounced thal-ates). These are chemical compounds that make plastics flexible. They are found in everything from hospital equipment such as IV bags and tubes, to children’s toys and shower curtains. They are among the most practical chemical compounds in existence.

Phthalates are the new bogeyman. These chemicals make easy targets since they are hard to understand and difficult to pronounce. Commonly used phthalates, such as diisononyl phthalate (DINP), have been used in everyday products for decades with no evidence of human harm. DINP is the primary plasticizer used in toys. It has been tested by multiple government and independent evaluators, and found to be safe.

Despite this, a political campaign that rejects science is pressuring companies and the public to reject the use of DINP. Retailers such as Wal-Mart and Toys “R” Us are switching to phthalate-free products to avoid public pressure. […]

[…] The hysteria over DINP began in Europe and Israel, both of which instituted bans. Yet earlier this year, Israel realized the error of putting politics before science, and reinstated DINP.

The European Union banned the use of phthalates in toys prior to completion of a comprehensive risk assessment on DINP. That assessment ultimately concluded that the use of DINP in infant toys poses no measurable risk.

The antiphthalate activists are running a campaign of fear to implement their political agenda. They have seen success in California, with a state ban on the use of phthalates in infant products, and are pushing for a national ban. This fear campaign merely distracts the public from real environmental threats.

Source:
Why I Left Greenpeace - WSJ.com

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Last night for some bizarre reason I watched The National (for those not in Canada The National is the nightly news program from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation which is the state sponsored media in this country).

I haven’t watched the program in years because quite frankly the whole idea of tax dollars being extorted from Canadians to provide a service that is ably provided by the private sector irks me. However I was between hockey games (another service that could also be provided by the private sector) and an abbreivated version of their news came on. So there I sat as Wendy Mesley breathlessly announced the latest news or more properly “the latest thing we could dig up to scare the living shit out of you”.

Tonight the bogey man was something called: Bisphenol A!!!. Apparently one of CBC’s sister agencies Health Canada has decided that Bisphenol A (which is used to make hard plastic bottles - like the kind you use when you are camping) is going to kill us all. They are the first governement body in the world to issue a warning about the product.

The CBC in it’s kindly maternal fashion decided it would be good to have a chemist go visit a worried Mom to see just how much danger her and her child were in. So we were treated to a scene in the mother’s kitchen where an array of plastic containers were spread out. It looked like the same variety of plastic containers that we all have in our houses. Uh-oh I thought is everything on the table poisonous? Or more importantly: “is my wife watching this”? She had wandered out of the room to get ready for bed earlier and I hoped she hadn’t returned. You see my wife is a worry wart of the first order. If any government body or media outlet says something is bad she pretty much believes it and will go into paroxysms of panic (ok not panic but she does make life miserable for me if she gets it in her mind that something is bad - this is why my lawn is full of weeds because she is convinced that the pesticides used to keep that mono-culture alive and thriving caused the cancer that killed our first dog). I snuck a look over my shoulder damn! she was standing right there and it was too late to change the channel.

So I watched with trepidation as Mr. Chemist delivered his verdict to Worried Mom. Turned out most of the plastic containers she (llke all of us) had in her kitchen were safe (or at least free of Bisphenol A|) the only two containers she had that were manufactured using the dreaded killer were two bottles she used to feed her baby with. Oh NO! Her poor precious baby had been poisoned right?

Nope. Mr. Chemist went on to tell her that unless she was filling the bottles with a liquid and storing them for an extended period of time there was no real problem with Bisphenol A leaching into the liquid and killing her toddler.

So I thought why the fuss? Why lead off with this story?

Why indeed. I went to CBC’s web site this morning where their FAQ on Bisphenol A contains some interesting information:

First of all the FAQ says there is a debate “raging” about Bisphenol A and it’s health effects which is interesting considering there was no evidence of a debate on last night’s program. No one was given any air time to counter the CBC’s claims that Bisphenol A is a dangerous product. The only thing presented that countered Health Canada’s claim was a small block of text that appeared as the story ended saying that the American Plastics Institute (or some such industry body - I can’t remember the name) says that Bisphenol A is one of the most tested products out there and has shown no ill effects on humans.

In fact the story mentioned that the only people who are at risk were young children and people with hormone problems (I think pregnant women). And that is not all, the CBC itself said that these people MIGHT be at risk.

This is pretty much in-line with what the FAQ says, check out some of the language:

recent animal studies theorize the chemical may be linked to obesity, infertility and insulin-resistance in rodents.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it does not consider normal exposure to BPA to be a hazard. However, on Apr. 14, 2008, the U.S. National Institutes of Health released a report that concludes that there is some concern that fetuses, infants and children exposed to BPA may be at increased risk for early puberty and prostate and breast cancer.

Animal studies suggest that, once ingested, BPA may imitate estrogen and other hormones, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Lots of mights and mays but not much definitive information there. In fact one of the scientists involved in a study that supposedly links Bisphenol A to health problems isn’t ready to condemn the product:

He cautioned that the study, by researchers at Indiana University and University of California at Berkeley, did not indicate products such as bottled water aren’t safe.

“We have only demonstrated a possible mechanism that explains what people have been speculating about for years.” he said. “It doesn’t mean that your bottled water is any less safe today than it was yesterday. It just means that if it isn’t safe, we might be able to explain why.”

Oh and what does Health Canada say on its website?

Analysis and testing conducted by Health Canada in 2000/2001 on plastic baby feeding bottles and other plastic products showed that the levels of bisphenol A in these products were exceedingly low, and did not present a risk to Canadian children,” it said.

“Health Canada’s investigation also showed that although low amounts of bisphenol A could migrate from the plastic into milk, it would do so only under conditions of extreme use.… These results suggest that plastic products do not pose a health risk if used properly.”

BTW if you haven’t figured it out the bolding above is all mine -not from the original quotes.

So there you have it bisphenol A MIGHT cause some problems in children and infants but no one seems 100% sure.

But just to be on the safe side retailers are panicking:

In December 2007, Vancouver-based Mountain Equipment Co-op became the first major Canadian retailer to pull polycarbonate containers from its store shelves.

Because MEC’s core demographic is infants and pregnant mothers. Yeah I always spot them out rock climbing and participating in other extreme sports. Guess I’ll be ordering my Nalgene bottles via the interweb from now on.

One more thought. The FAQ suggests that parents can allay their fears by substituting the hard plastic baby bottles for something else like (wait for it) glass!! Because we all know a glass bottle in a baby’s hands is much safer than a hard plastic bottle which contains a substance that if liquid is stored in for a long time might leach some of that substance which in turn just might cause health problems for the child down the road. Maybe.

Read the CBC FAQ here and watch the actual program here (might not work after 24 hours). And for historical context go here

OK one last thought. Why not just require products containing bisphenol A to have a small warning label like “danger might be harmful to infants or nursing mothers” like they do with alcohol?

Update: A Plastic Ban for Dummies

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Battle Of Ontario: Wha’ Happened?

It’s Over: Penguins sweep Senators

Pens end Senators’ misery

Senators’ free fall ends with thud

globeandmail.com: As the Peace Tower clock strikes midnight, there’s no tomorrow for Sens

WizzEAK!

There’s always next year.

SWEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Game Four: Sweep Hard — With A Vengeance. PENS ADVANCE.

Sens played like shit: Report

That’s All She Wrote

He ain’t Brett Favre

It’s Not The Fall That Hurts. It’s The Sudden Stop At The End

A Merciful End

It Looks Like Crap…It Smells Like Crap…Don’t Call It a Hockey Team

A lot to like in annihilation of Senators

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As a long time subscriber to the Economist I have felt as of late that the writing has slipped. However the obituary of Charlton Heston reads like the economist of 10 years ago:

SOME said it was the nose: high, majestic, aquiline, magnificently broken in a high-school football game. Some said it was the jaw, rugged as Mount Rushmore and packed almost too full of white, clenched teeth. Or the eyes, blue and far-seeing, as if they measured out panoramas of Western mountain and desert. The body matched: tall, muscled, buffed, bronzed. In Charlton Heston, a whole American landscape seemed to have heaved itself into human shape, stretched out its arm, and received from God the tablets of the Law[…]

Read the rest

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One of the things I admired about Bill Clinton was his staunch support of free trade. I always found it somewhat amusing that his pro-trade stance flew in the face of conventional Democrat ideology. However he prevailed and the world is better for it.

Lately though we have seen the rise of protectionism once more from the Democrats who recently have put a free trade agreement with Colombia into limbo.

The party has raised the usual bugbears about the agreement including the “they took yer job” argument. However as the Wall Street Journal points out this doesn’t really apply in this case:

Yesterday Ms. Pelosi said the bill would harm “the economic concerns of America’s working families.” Yet over 90% of Colombian imports enter the U.S. duty-free, while the agreement would open the Colombian market to American goods that face tariffs as high as 35%.

Even if the free trade agreement is somehow removed from cold storage, Ms. Pelosi’s cheating is a first-order strategic blunder. Colombia is one of America’s closest friends in a hostile region menaced by Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela. For all the talk of repairing the U.S. “image” in the world, the Democrats don’t really mind harming that image if it pleases the AFL-CIO.

Read more: Pelosi’s Bad Faith

Update: Hillary giggles.

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These are not so much predictions but more who I would like to see win their initial series.

Montreal vs Boston:

I really like the Canadiens team this year and I find the Bruins to be horribly boring. I want the Habs to win this one.

Washington vs Philadelphia:

Either one is fine with me. Washington winning is a big plus for hockey and Ovechkin is such a joy to watch that the longer he stays in the better. So I guess I am really leaning towards Washington although I think they are overrated by most analysts and could easily lose four straight. Question: Why is TSN broadcasting the Rangers Devils series and not this one? Does anyone really want to watch the Devils grind the game to a standstill when we could be watching one of the most enjoyable teams around?

Update: the Wall Street Journal has an interesting interview with the Caps owner here

Update II TSN is carrying the Caps Flyers series. It doesn’t start till Friday.

New York Vs New Jersey
Can’t both of them lose? New Jersey is boring as dry toast and the Rangers are, full of….. Jaromir Jagr. I guess I am leaning towards the Rangers.

Detroit vs Nashville

Nashville is another team I would love to see make some noise in the playoffs. Especially after what their fans went through this summer. Plus I don’t like the Red Wings one iota. Go Preds.

San Jose vs Calgary

I have never liked the Calgary Flames they are perennially over rated and now are coached by my least favorite coach: Mike Keenan. GO SHARKS!!

Anaheim vs Dallas

Brett Hull is riding the coat tails of Doug Armstrong’s years of work and doesn’t deserve to have this team win and take the accolades. Lets go Ducks!!

Colorado vs Minnesota

This is a toughie. On the one hand I don’t like Peter Forsberg for a number of reasons. Firstly his horrible nickname: Foppa. YUCK! Secondly the never ending overwrought discussion about his disgusting feet. Thirdly the chronic drooling over his potential which ends up in him injuring himself while tying his skates or something. But the Wild also play that God awful trap style and yet they have some of the best fans in the league. On the other hand Colorado also has Peter Forsberg. Soo in this case I go with the Wild.

Now I know what your thinking “hey you left out one series”

You’re right

Pittsburgh vs Ottawa:

Read the rest of this entry »

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This is all kinds of cool:

VIA Sand and Cotton by way of Gorillamask

Oh and we are all aware that this is technically not “Death Metal” so don’t bother pointing it out.

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