We had such fun with that phrase just a few short months ago...

 Canada's New Government. (TM)

The Harper Conservatives have been hammering that for 18 months now, and it seems that there are a lot of people that say its gotten irritating, many that thought it was wrong to use in the first place, and many that think it no longer applies.

It really struck me as a mistake of "branding". Our governments and political parties have brands. What shall their new one be? What inspiration shall they find?

.McDonald's: "I'm lovin it".

Stomach cramps I'm not lovin so much. Same with the Harper Conservatives in many ways.

Debeers: A diamond is forever. 

No. Thats too depressing, and sounds rather like "el presidente for life." George Bush would like that one however.

Dial Soap: Aren't you glad you use dial ? Don't you wish everybody did? 

"Mr.Harper is a man who insists on hearing bad news immediately."

Or I guess you could call it a "tithe"?

I read this report this morning, and its making me shake my head, and giggle of course......

Tories facing $1,000 conflict

Senior political staff in the Harper government say they have been asked to donate $1,000 to the Conservative Party, a move that has sparked resentment among some of the most stalwart supporters of the Prime Minister's Office.

“The kids are not happy,” said one senior official who agreed to make the donation. “People really are not impressed.”

Emphasis mine.....

Moving is a bitch. Really. Alongside weddings, funerals, natural disasters and starting a new job packing up your belongings and uprooting from one location to another is one of the most stressful events in a person’s lifetime. Better emphasize ‘events’ plural. Most of us have likely dealt with multiple moves in a brief time span.  I know I have, how 'bout you?

Sometimes, though, it’s simply a case of a bitch is moving. Make that a rather irritable bitch. 

My Chicago schedule did not include moving but what the hell. By my count, excluding moves made during college years, I've moved home 42 times. That includes changing countries six times. When the hotel at which we are staying mentioned that our lease was up -- we had not anticipated needing to stay much into July -- the irritation of a move was upon us, that is to say, upon me, because men and moves are mutually exclusive. Predictably, the jurors' announcement that they were having trouble coming to a verdict coincided with peak inconvenience as I stood stranded amidst boxes.

Mitt Romney, who hopes to win the nomination as the Republican Presidential candidate, will do pretty much anything to win votes....

This guy has no shame. "Obama Osama" appeared on the real pic. Romney says he didn't look at what the sign said. OOPS. Better pay attention, it makes it look like you condone the message, now doesn't it?

Ontario Tory, does something good!

I like to give credit, where credit is due.

Toronto - Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory would like the province to catch up with the rest of the country when it comes to legislation protecting household pets

Tory promises tougher animal cruelty laws

Now, can we do more for kids who are living in poverty and or abusive situations too?

Errrr. ok well not quite.

 We have the 5 star ratings up. Just werking on the hover message.

At the bottom of each story, Journal, and Bar and Grill post you may see 5 stars. (If you dont, get to the optometrist or check your Java. Not the drinkable variety)

Now, to keep stuff uniform: we have a ratings guide:

 1) you suck

 2) take off eh?

 3)Feh, Whateva.

 4) Great, or My Beverage is all over the monitor!

  5)Brilliant, dahling!

Have fun. General rule, as always: dont be an asshole.

Thanks.

This is a bizarre time to be living in isnt it?

In the US, the country directly below us there is much speculation as to where this constitutional crisis will end up.

I’m a Canadian. OH Gawd! you may say, another friggin Canuck opening her mouth? Don’t they have like socialized medical care and don’t they apologize for like EVERYTHING?
I can only answer to any Americans reading this; that the path you are on, the path of destruction, is not so very far off or farfetched for many other countries, including my own formerly gentle and hopefully soon to be again gentle and sane? country, Canada

A rogue government.

 In the US they have taken control step by step. From getting a leader through appointment and invading a sovereign nation, to spying on their own citizens.
From abandoning any international conventions and laws, to just bald faced lying.
If the sky is blue, they will tell you it is night. Do not believe you own lying eyes. We are the truth, we are the good, the righteous, they say.
A big talking head proclaims that anyone who disagrees, is an enemy of the HOMELAND.

"The purpose of governments is to create the environment necessary for business to prosper...The NACC will help in that endeavor and the governments look to the private sector to tell them what needs to be done."

-U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez (summarized)speaking at the launch of the North American Competitiveness Council in Washington, D.C., June 15, 2006

The rumblings are getting a little louder in the blogosphere about something called the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).  What's this latest acronym all about, you ask?  According the the always trustworthy White House's SPP Myths vs Facts page, its benevolent goals, to the everlasting glory of the United States, Mexico, and Canada are:

Coordinate our security efforts to better protect U.S. citizens from terrorist threats and transnational crime and promote the safe and efficient movement of legitimate people and goods;

This vid is Not Safe for work....Or small kids...or people who cant abide swearing....you have been Warned...

The thread in the previous post took on an interesting tone.

So I'm writing this, and filling it with linky goodness....I may be way off, but its an interesting theory......

It feels like the BC government is trying to turn a profit, off the backs of the taxpayers. They seem to be aspiring to a corporate model.

AMERICAN AIRLINES saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class.

In Canada you say? WTF?

Mary McDermott, a patient at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver, is well into her fourth day of her hunger strike.

"I'm very tired, but I am still determined to continue my hunger strike until I am given the opportunity to transition to a medically appropriate environment where my recovery can continue to be properly supported," says Mary McDermott.

McDermott is frustrated with the lack of clear process and the health authority's inconsistent application of regulations when patients are nearing the end of their stay at GF Strong.

I was over at DKos earlier, and was looking at the latest offerings and controversy surrounding the hits by Bill O, the sleazy reporting, omission of facts...etc.

A conservative from "The other side" had written a diary.
This person stated that they would vote for Bush again, "in a heartbeat". That alone made me shake my head.
But I read on, and was surprised that this person also called Bill O's latest a hit peice. Sure. Anyone can figure that out, but its nice to see it called what it is, by the so called enemy.

When did politics start going down this road? Oh, sure. For many many years there has been the slandering from both sides during the heat of the campaign. Then it usually settled down when these people had to work together. Nothing gets done in the world by arguing and setting ones heels in just because..

We see it here in Canada more and more too. The Harper Governments nasty comments, accusations and Recycled Republican catchphrases.
In many instances, we cannot reason with that side of the aisle anymore. Us EVIL libruls. Nasty Progressives. We have no morals they say, no values.

On July 13, 2006 Israeli planes blew up a power plant in Lebanon. 15,000 tons of oil were released into the Ocean..
This spill was very serious and should have been immediately tended to, but no one could get to it. Israeli military were blocking the coast, and would not allow cleanup to begin....

The Lebanese Ministry of the Environment has asked for help from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and from the Kuwaiti government. Assistance from Kuwait is expected to arrive in Lebanon early this week.
Hmaidan said the cleanup would take some six months "if we have all the necessary equipment and manpower and permission from the Israeli military."
But he says that Israel is not allowing equipment to operate on Lebanese beaches and has implemented a naval blockade that prohibits ships—also needed in the cleanup effort—from taking to sea.
"We need an immediate cease-fire in order to do the cleanup," Hmaidan said.

National Geographic

I'm still relatively new in Canada, so can someone tell me who this Peter Worthington is, and is he somehow as important as he thinks he is?  I'm assuming he's a close buddy of Mister Black - make that "convicted felon" Mister Black.  I'm also going to go way out on a limb and make the personal assumption that he's an elitist, sexist prig. 

How on earth did I ever get that idea?  I'm sure someone like Mister Worthington wonders how I get any ideas at all, what with my little working-class mind. Well, that would be from a column he wrote back in march where he verbally fellates convicted-felon Mister Black. In the same column, he disses my hometown, Chicago, and its citizens in the potential jury pool. 

"God bless --and help -- their little intellects, but after two days of questioning, arguing and negotiating, a jury has been selected that will eventually decide the future of Conrad Black."

The council of Canadians has an article up on their site that outlines how the Government is interfering in our rights as Canadians.....

The Council of Canadians has been told it will not be allowed to rent a municipal community centre for a public forum it had planned to coincide with the next Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) summit in Montebello, Quebec on August 20 and 21. The Municipality of Papineauville, which is about six kilometres from Montebello, has informed the Council of Canadians that the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the U.S. Army will not allow the municipality to rent the Centre Communautaire de Papineauville for a public forum on Sunday August 19, on the eve of the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership Leaders Summit

RCMP, U.S. Army block public forum on the Security and Prosperity Partnership

Six Kilometeres away. And the day before, no one is allowed to assemble and talk about exactly what is going on.

If you happened to come here, either through a google search, or a cross post one of us has done..First off, I would like to say: Welcome to A Creative Revolution.

We started this here blog thingy just over a week ago. Some parts are still in development, and we are going to be adding stuff in the near future. Building a blog from scratch is a learning experience. We still have some hair left, thats a good sign.

The platform we chose, Drupal, is very customizable and they tell me it's easier than Scoop.(Daily Kos is on a highly tweaked version of Scoop) But its open source and a labour of love mostly.
All volunteer, and the modules needed to do the things we need are still being written.
So if you happen to pass by, and are a Drupal guru....HELP!

Here is a quickie tour of this site...sorry no 3-D visuals.

Continued.....

Toronto Ontario, Canada.: A man was arrested for carrying 3.5 grams of marijuana, and subsequently used a new defense in court.

In court, the man argued that the federal government only made it policy to provide marijuana to those who need it, but never made it an actual law. Because of that, he argued, all possession laws, whether medicinal or not, should be quashed.

The judge….agreed…And then threw out the charges.