John R. Bolton

* The Right Opinion

- Wow, what a night in Alberta. The PC’S got an overwhelming majority, defying the pollsters who had the Wildrose Party in either minority or majority territory. Will anybody ever believe them again? I won’t. There’s an old saying, “loose lips, sink ships”… well that’s what happened. A couple of comments from a few Wildrose candidates blew the election. The calls of bigotry stuck and Wildrose lost. Plus, the media jumped at every opportunity to strike Wildrose and the weak-minded bought it. That and people who never voted anything but PC in their entire adult lifetimes were too afraid to embrace change.

I have some advice for Wildrose leader Danielle Smith. Next election tell your candidates to shut the f!#k up. To the people who think Wildrose supporters are ‘rednecks’ and ‘bigots’, you really have no idea what you’re talking about.

- In Cornwall, city council approved e-bikes on the bike path. They did restrict the use of the bikes in some areas, but I won’t get into it because it’s laughable. You can read the whole story here.

The approval is a trial period for one year. Much like the trial period for dog walking, city council couldn’t make up their mind. They are more interested in trial balloons than making definitive decisions. Congrats to Andre Rivette and new Councillor Gerry Samson for voting against motorcycles on the bike path.

When someone gets run down by one of these 180 pound motorized vehicles plus the overweight rider, the blame will be on the heads of city council.

By the way, e-bikes are banned on Calgary’s extensive bike path system because e-bikes are motorized vehicles.

- Now that city council has apologized to Councillor Andre Rivette for having his integrity called into question, maybe it’s time to get serious at city hall. I keep expecting Rip Taylor and Jaye P. Morgan to jump up to bang a gong.

- Yesterday I rode into Calgary from Strathmore. It was a beautiful day with the temperature hitting a record high of just over 25 degrees. It was great day to ride, but the wind damn near killed me. I rode 40 kms straight into a 30-40 mile an hour wind. The ride to the Northwest through Calgary wasn’t much better. 72 kms overall, but I’ll check the wind direction and intensity before I do that again.

- Will you help?

More info here: Bike-a-thon West

- I’m very proud of my wife Sheila. The Children’s Treatment Centre Bike-a-thon Plus Kick Off Breakfast is this morning and the guest speaker, David Pelzer, was her suggestion.

Read more: Speaker knows pain of abuse – Standard Freeholder
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* Incompetence costs Ontario taxpayers… again.

McGuintynomics: Run up a huge deficit and when the socialists call for a tax hike… jump in head first.

McGuinty buys short-term stability, but at what cost? – Globe & Mail

But few expected Mr. McGuinty’s Liberals, who promised in last fall’s election not to raise taxes, to move so quickly on that front. And there is little sense they satisfied all their own concerns – let alone those outside government – before pressing forward.

Some of those concerns, including about the dangers of overcomplicating the income-tax system, are purely practical. There has not been time to take a comprehensive look at how much tax “leakage,” caused by high-income earners having added incentive to find ways around the system, would put a dent in the $470-million in projected revenues.Nor has there been much analysis of whether the extra hit – which by some calculations would actually add 3.12 per cent to the highest tax rate, because it would be applied before an existing surtax – could be enough to drive some rich Ontarians out of the province altogether.

Do higher taxes on the rich result in more tax revenue?

Read: Taxing the rich: Not as easy as it sounds – Globe & Mail

“No chancellor can justify a tax rate that collects next to nothing,” Mr. Osborne told the BBC. “It’s as simple as that.”

He called the previous Labour government’s “bash the rich” experiment a failure, a triumph of spin over substance. He said people with taxable incomes of more than £150,000 produced essentially the same tax revenue with a marginal tax rate of 40 per cent as they produced with a marginal rate of 50 per cent.

Ontario’s Liberal Premier, Dalton McGuinty, might want to reflect on the British experience as he ponders NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s offer to swap New Democrat votes for a higher marginal tax rate for Ontarians with taxable incomes greater than $500,000.

* The big name warmers are jumping ship.

It was fascinating to hear the guffaws during the CBC debate when Wildrose leader Danielle Smith suggested the science isn’t settled on “climate change”. The sheer ignorance, no, stupidity of these people astounds me. All of the predictions of the warmers are falling apart. Ice is growing in the Arctic, Polar Bears are thriving, penguins in Antarctica are procreating at an astounding rate, glaciers aren’t disappearing and sea level isn’t over running coastlines. It goes on and on.

Now we read one of the biggest warmers of them all is recanting. James Lovelock seems to be a skeptic. Good for Mr. Lovelock for coming clean.

Read more: 'I made a mistake': Gaia theory scientist James Lovelock admits he was 'alarmist' about the impact of climate change – Mail Online

The 92-year-old Briton, who also developed the Gaia theory of the Earth as a single organism, has said climate change is still happening – just not as quickly as he once warned.

He added that other environmental commentators, such as former vice president Al Gore, are also guilty of exaggerating their arguments.

The admission comes as a devastating blow to proponents of climate change who regard Lovelock as a powerful figurehead.

Five years ago, he had claimed: ‘Before this century is over billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable.’

But in an interview with msnbc.com, he admitted: ‘I made a mistake.’

I wonder if MSNBC will run with this story?

Read more again: James Lovelock on the value of skeptics and why Copenhagen was doomed – The Guardian

* If I wanted America to fail.

I tweeted this the other day. It’s an excellent video that lefty’s in the US should watch. Lefty’s in Canada too.

* Ouch!

Girl rescued after falling through pavement – Telegraph

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… This week why don’t we focus on British bands that play the blues. Today, something from the Animals.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion

- Sorry I’ve been a little sparse with the posts the last couple of days. I’ll get back up to speed a little later today.

- It’s a big day in Alberta… it’s election day. The Wildrose Party looks to be on the verge of unseating the ruling Progressive Conservative Party after 41 years in power. Most polls say there is a chance the WRP will get a majority today, but I’m thinking minority. I don’t pretend to have any special insight into the the election, I haven’t been here that long, but I just have a feeling the undecided voters, which is about 20%, won’t mark their X beside a Wildrose candidates name. How hard will it be for a lot of PC supporters to change their tune after over 40 years? Very hard. That’s why I say minority.

It has been remarkable to listen to some of the dirty politics in this campaign. Liberal leader Raj Sherman was on the QR77 News this morning calling Wildrose candidates bigots. I see this for what it is… desperation, but I also find it distasteful and uncharacteristic of Albertans. At least the way I’ve seen Albertans since I’ve been here.

For more on this situation: Goldstein: Liberal extremists are losing – Toronto Sun

I can’t vote in this election because I haven’t lived here long enough, but I would vote for Wildrose. I think 41 years for any party is too long. If Wildrose gets the trust of the people today and then they betray that trust, thrown them out the next election. That’s what happens to untrustworthy governments… unless you live in Ontario.

- Sheila and I had a great weekend. We’ve tried to do something different and experience something new every weekend we’ve been in Alberta. This weekend we went to BC. We drove Highway 93 from the Trans Canada Highway to Radium Hot Springs in BC. It is a spectacular drive through the mountains. One of these days I’m going to ride it on my bike. Here’s a video.

This was shot along the Kootenay River in BC.

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* When will the eco-freaks see the light?

The people who push this crap on us are the same ones who complain about a low minimum wage and a growing income gap. Imagine a “poor” family trying to save up enough money to buy one of these.

US introduces $60 LED light bulb – BBC

Production of 100 watt bulbs has ceased in the US and Europe. Production of 60 watt bulbs has been stopped in Europe and is being phased out in the US. From 2014, incandescent bulbs of 40 watts or above will be banned in the US.

Sure the things last a long time, but imagine having to purchase enough for your home. I have 20 bulbs in my house.

* Big Brother will be watching.

European Big Brother: CarbonSat Surveillance Satellite Aims “To Hunt Down Climate Violators” GLOBALLY By 2017! – NoTricksZone

‘Knowledge of both of these gases is not only decisive for climate forecasts, but also for monitoring international climate treaties,’ emphasized Astrium-Germany Evert Dudok in an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa). Up to now there has been no reliable way of monitoring the implementation of the Kyoto and Copenhagen treaties. ‘The target is to hunt down environmental violators,’ said Dudok.”

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… A little BB King. His highest charting song of all time. It went to #17 on the charts.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion

- I have a busy weekend ahead so I’m off today. I will post if something interesting arises. Have a good weekend.

* The Right Opinion

- Hey, don’t don’t for get to click on Bike-a-thon West above to help me raise funds for The Children’s Treatment Centre in Cornwall and Little Warriors in Alberta. Thanks to those of you who have donated so far.

- This weekend looks like it’s going to be beautiful. The temperature is expected to get into the 20′s. I’ll be riding my bike through The Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. Something I’ve been looking forward to since I moved here.

- From the world of broadcasting. I always get nervous when broadcasters get consumed by another company. Sometimes the new owners clean house.

Is a Shaw bid for Corus in the cards? – Globe & Mail

Interesting note: The Corus stations in Calgary are in the Shaw building.

In a note to clients, RBC analyst Drew McReynolds said there are “considerable cost and revenue synergies” to be had by merging Shaw and Corus and “a rising probability of an eventual takeout.” Mr. McReynolds also takes the position that the shares have support, regardless of a takeover. He foresees a strengthening advertising market in the last half of the year and the potential for Corus “to return significant capital to shareholders through further dividend increases and/or share repurchases.”

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* If you knew Suzy.

Goldstein: Suzuki isn’t special – Toronto Sun

The rules for charities, overseen by the Canada Revenue Agency, are clear.

A charity, “cannot be involved in partisan political activities … a political activity is considered partisan if it involves direct or indirect support of, or opposition to, a political party or candidate for public office.”

Charities can promote the policies of parties and candidates they agree with, but “must not directly or indirectly support the political party or candidate for public office.”

Meanwhile:

Which leads us to the abomination that was framed as a debate from CBC Edmonton yesterday. David Akin tweeted that the audience in Edmonton didn’t like Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith. No kidding! What Akin should have tweeted was the left wing CBC liberal audience at CBC Edmonton didn’t like Smith.

Wildrose leader booed at Alberta debate for doubting climate change science – National Post

These losers saw Gore’s science fiction movie and bought it hook, line and sinker. I have to admit Suzy and The Goracle have done a great job brainwashing these people. That’s because you can trust them. Uh huh.

Related: Adler: Smith stares down global-warming cultists – Toronto Sun

Meanwhile during the debate: The Liberal mind in action.

Sherman calls PC and Wildrose 'thugs and bigots' – Global Edmonton

I’m no bigot Mr. Sherman and you don’t deserve to serve.

No really?: The Globe endorses The PC’s.

Alberta’s Conservatives offer more change than Wildrose – Globe & Mail

Related: National Post editorial board endorses Danielle Smith and the Wildrose in the Alberta election – National Post

* Back in Ontari-ari-ari-owe.

You might as well install the dictatorship because the voters are too damn stupid to know they’re getting screwed.

For instance: McGuinty wrong on "right to criticize" – Ottawa Sun

Hudak lagging behind McGuinty and Horwath in leadership poll – Globe & Mail

A Nanos Research poll shows Conservative Party leader Tim Hudak would be the worst-positioned of Ontario’s three major party leaders to contest another campaign.

Lord have mercy on their souls.

* Cool.

Link: Stunning Lightning Strike Sends Wave Of Electricity Over Ocean – Huffington Post

* R.I.P. Levon Helm.

He was an amazing musician, a terrific singer and a pretty good actor too.

Levon Helm dies at 71 – The Chronicle Herald

Helm, the drummer and singer who brought an urgent beat and a genuine Arkansas twang to some of The Band’s best-known songs and helped turn a bunch of musicians known mostly as Bob Dylan’s backup group into one of rock’s most legendary acts, has died. He was 71.

Helm, who was found to have throat cancer in 1998, died Thursday afternoon of complications from cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, said Lucy Sabini of Vanguard Records. On Tuesday, a message on his website said he was in the final stages of cancer.

I’ll bet you won’t find another post of Levon Helm that features this video. From SCTV. Thank me later.

Damn I loved watching him sing and play.

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… Pink Floyd – From The Final Cut. The end of Floyd as we loved it.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion

- I’m officially launching my bike ride for The Childen’s Treatment Centre and Little Warriors today. I had a nice chat with Little Warriors and they’re happy with my help. I’m going to give The Children’s Treatment Centre a call today to see how things are going in Cornwall. Don’t forget to visit the CTC website to get more information and sign up. So if you can donate some money just go to the link below and you can find out more about my Trek next month. I’m trying to raise $1000 to divide between the two charities.

Thanks to Little Warriors for their help.

Click here to help kids – thanks.

- Nasty. That’s a good way to describe the election out here. This week has been ‘throw in the kitchen sink week’ for the Progressive Conservative Party. The PC’s have even been getting support from Warren Kinsella. You know your party has gone over the edge when a dyed in the wool Lib is on your side. Yesterday this video appeared for the PC’s. Ugly.

Notice the age of the people in this video. Mostly young brainwashed kids.

Pardon me for being a prude, but the use of profanity really turns me off.

Related: Alberta election video encourages progressives to ‘vote strategically’ for PCs in bid to stop Wildrose – National Post

- I’m saddened to hear that Levon Helm is very sick. The Drummer for The Band has cancer and is not expected to live. I’ve always said there isn’t another drummer that looks as cool while singing behind a drum kit. I’m going to have to pull out ‘The Last Waltz’ and give it a good listen.

- Brush with greatness. I spoke with Levon Helm on the phone about 25 years ago. He called CHOK Radio in Sarnia one night while I was on the air. He was looking for the phone number of the Program Director. Giving out phone numbers was forbidden, but Helm’s voice was instantly recognizable to me. I gave him the number and told him I was a big fan.

- Check out my column at OurHometown.ca later today. It will have lots of brilliant goodness.
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* Obama eats dogs.

The manufactured rage about Mitt Romney putting his dog in a kennel on the roof of a car 25 years ago has been a distraction in the US election. Yeah, putting your dog on the roof is probably a stupid idea, but is this what US politics has sunk too? It has for the left down south. Conservatives are fed up and now have some canine ammunition of their own… and they’re going to use it.

Romney Campaign Notes that Obama as a Boy Ate Dog Meat* – ABC News

If you’re on Twitter check out #Obamadogrecipes. It’s a blast.

My attempt.

* Too slow.

Ontario is falling behind in a lot of ways, including speed. Major highways in Alberta are 110km/hr and that’s still too slow. I don’t see pile ups because of the speed. Will Ontario change its ways? Nope!

Ontario speed limits too low, group says – Sun News

Stop100.ca is calling on the provincial government to boost existing maximum limits from the current 100 km/h by as much as 30 km/h.

“If higher speed limits are set, people will simply not be exceeding them as much,” said Chris Klimek, the creator of the group.

Klimek said many motorists he sees on the road are “not speeding just for the sake of speeding,” but are moving at a pace that is suitable for Ontario’s highway infrastructure.

[...]

Ontario transportation ministry spokesman Bob Nichols said the province currently has no interest in changing speed limits.

* Scuse me while I touch the sky.

* Oops.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Keith Moon is still dead, right?

Olympics Organizers Ask Keith Moon To Play Closing Ceremony – Rolling Stone

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… I had this cranked up in the car yesterday. I think ‘Animals’ is often disregarded as a great Floyd album because it didn’t have a short radio ready song. That is a mistake. The band is really cooking on this album and Waters ‘Animal Farm’ like lyrics are really a laugh. Or are they really a cry? Oink.

More later.

JRB

* The Right Opinion

- That was simple, wasn’t it? Yesterday Gerald Samson (I call him Gerry) was given Leslie O’Shaugnessy’s seat around Cornwall city council. Congratulations. No muss, no fuss, nothing unusual. Frankly… I wish some people would just shut up. If you don’t know what I’m talking about… contact me.

- Banfield Seguin likes swooshes.

More from my friend Bill Kingston: It’s a nice logo but is it worth $32,000? – TheCornwallDaily.com

My suggestion for an SD&G slogan?

A county with a world of possibilities.

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* Could this article be any more slanted?

With all the evidence to the contrary, CTV went all out pushing the global warming theory in the following article. I mean all out.

Wildrose leader: science on climate change 'not settled' – CTV News

The woman leading a front-running party in Alberta’s provincial election has cast doubt on the widely accepted scientific theory that human activity is a leading cause of global warming.

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith made the comment in an online leaders debate organized by two Alberta newspapers.

How can you trust an article when they get the name of the Liberal leaders name wrong. His name is Raj.

She declined to respond to Liberal Leader Ray Sherman‘s question: “Danielle, are you seriously denying climate change?”

From the article:

A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences surveyed 1,372 papers on climate and found at least 97 per cent of the most active climate researchers supported the standard model.

Most active climate researchers look for global warming and get paid handsomely to do it.

I’ll bet nearly 100% of Dodge truck salespeople think the Dodge truck is the best on the market. I’ll bet nearly 100% of Walmart employees think Walmart is the best department store. I’ll bet nearly 100% of radio announcers think their radio station is the best radio station. I’ll bet nearly 100% of global warmers think man is totally responsible for global warming. I’ll bet nearly 100% of global warming skeptics don’t think man is responsible for global warming.

Get my point?

The truth:

The 97% "Consensus" is only 75 Self-Selected Climatologists – The Hockey Schtick

Read and learn: Climate Depot

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… I’ve decided to make this Floyd week. I was in the car yesterday listening to The Wall and heard one of my favourite lines in music. I always wonder what inspires a musician (in this case Roger Waters) to think outside the box and do the unexpected.

It’s the following line that I love about this song. Enjoy.

D,d,d did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath the clear blue sky.

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Because today’s song is short, here’s a bonus. From Animals.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion

- Today, barring any unforeseen complications, Gerry Samson should be named the new councillor on Cornwall city council. As we have seen before, this process is quite simple. The candidate who ran 11th in the municipal election gets the spot. This happened when Denis Moquin took Huguette Burroughs spot and when Mary Ann Hug replaced Guy Leger. The meeting is today at 4pm Eastern. I’ll be following the proceedings by watching tweets from my friends in Cornwall media.

- Just a note to council. The procedure to replace someone should be simple. #11 gets the job.

- Council did add another option to their councillor selection process recently. The new provision allows council to appoint a new member. This puts the city’s process in line with the Ontario Municipal Act (Section 263). I wouldn’t expect council to use this process, but we’ll have to wait and see. Jumping to conclusions and making wild accusations before the fact wouldn’t be professional or responsible.

- I’m going to do something quite unusual today. I’m going to walk into a doctors office and get myself a family doctor. Sheila and I have an appointment at 10am. In Ontario, when our doctor retired, we were put on a list for a new family doctor. Like clockwork, every six months, we would get a letter telling us we were SOL. Albertans complain about their health care, but the system here isn’t nearly as messed up as Ontario.
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* A private Progressive Conservative video.

Stephen Taylor from the National Citizens Coalition tweeted and posted the new Progressive Conservative ad on his website yesterday. Taylor made an interesting discovery. Here is the line he had at his site.

Uh oh! How many sea-faring oil platforms does the coastal province of Alberta have?

That’s right. The PC’s used footage of an oil drilling platform in their political ad. Oops. Today, for some strange reason, this appears.

I guess the video is being re-edited.

* Breitbart.

* Remember when NASA was cool?

The Capricious Dr. Hansen – National Review Online

In the words of this week’s strongly worded letter from 49 former NASA scientists and astronauts, publicizing the trial-and-error process in this way does “damage to the exemplary reputation of NASA, NASA’s current or former scientists and employees, and even the reputation of science itself.” When any respected organization takes “an extreme position” and includes “unproven and unsupported remarks” in its public utterances, it is gambling recklessly with fate — and the stakes in this gamble, it turns out, have often been described by Hansen in terms rather unsuitable for the head of a government agency, especially when the topic is as vast and uncharted as climate science.

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… A horn section in a Floyd song? Yep. Check it out.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion

- Alberta is a little over a week away from the election and I am astounded how the press, politicians and progressives are trying to scare people about the Wildrose Party. The press and progressives I can understand, they think they are the only ones who know what’s best for society and want to legislate it. It’s the politicians, particularly the Progressive Conservatives, who are the real fear mongers during this campaign. As a conservative I’ve heard for years how the federal Conservative Party was making a laughing stock out of us on the world stage, how abortion, guns and the death penalty were part of the “hidden agenda”. The complete opposite has been true. To think a party that has the word conservative in its name would resort to the tricks of the left makes me ill. I guess that’s the ‘P’ in PC that is shining through. All polls suggest a win by Wildrose next week and I expect every dirty in the book in the next 7 days. Voters should watch and listen closely to Premier Alison Redford. She’s been described as a liberal since she bought her way into power in Alberta, she may finally prove she is one.

Related: Corbella: We’re doing OK for a bunch of rednecks – Calgary Herald

Related again: Levant: Political suicide, Alberta-style – Toronto Sun

Related again: Solberg: Alberta is Wildrose country – London Free Press

Delusionally related: I think it’s astounding how Kinsella, who’s tried this before, thinks he can scare people with this nonsense.

Kinsella: Smith changes her tune and is completely off-key – Toronto Sun

The debate centres on some of the most difficult issues of our era: Reproductive choice for women, equal marriage for gays and lesbians, the wall that exists (supposedly) between church and state.

Alberta Wildrose leader Danielle Smith wants to tear down that wall, although she would never be so impolitic as to say so out loud. When a microphone is pointed in her direction, the frontrunner in the Alberta election insists she doesn’t want to defund abortion.

I wonder if the PC’s have Kinsella on their payroll?

By the way, I pissed off Kinsella awhile back… so the coward blocked me on Twitter.

- Meanwhile in Ontari-ari-ari-owe.

Horwath hopes for deal, prepares for election – TheSpec.com

In her address, Horwath also spoke about making the minority government work. But, she also spoke about how much the party has grown since she became leader in 2009 – membership doubling to 36,000 – and increasing of its Queen’s Park caucus to 17 from 10 in 2011. She also used a lot of phrases like “more fairer,” “be better” and “that it was time” in talking of the province’s future.

She might have been trotting out some campaign slogans, such as “A province where we put the need for daycares over tax cuts for millionaires.”

Who’s writing this stuff for Horwath… Obama’s speech writer?

Related: Andrea Horwath shrugs off attack by Bob Rae – TheSpec.com

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath had to fend off accusations from a former party leader that she’s just not up to the job of making tough decisions to balance the province’s books.

Can you imagine… Bob Rae is accusing another party leader of being unable to balance books. I’m amazed he has the balls to actually say it.

- Will you help?

Pay Pal gets $.59 per transaction. Making a donation of $10.59 will assure you get a tax deductible receipt.

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* Today in history.

I saw a lot of documentaries on TV last night about Titanic, but I don’t know if A&E showed this one. They should have, it’s the best one I’ve seen, with actual survivors. Here is part 1.

By the way, Cameron’s fictional version of the sinking of Titanic was on last night too. For the record, I hated it. I avoid it like the plague. I remember leaning over to my wife when we were watching it in the theatre and saying, “for God’s sake, sink the damn boat!”

The best movie about Titanic is A Night To Remember. While not entirely accurate (since finding Titanic in 1985 we now know how it broke up before sinking) it shows the sinking without the fiction.

You can watch the whole movie online. Here is part 1.

* The last to know.

That would be Dalton McGuinty, Barack Obama and the people who support them.

First Dalton: Goldstein: Dalton’s mythical green jobs – Toronto Sun

McCarter found the government’s 50,000 estimate did not factor in “jobs that would be lost as a result of promoting renewable energy” and “experience in other jurisdictions suggests that jobs created in the renewable energy sector are often offset by jobs lost as a result of the impact of higher renewable energy electricity prices on business, industry and consumers.” McCarter noted that since Ontario modelled its Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program on renewable energy pricing on FIT programs in Spain and Germany, their experiences could well be relevant to Ontario .

Next Obama: China slows solar, wind expansion undermining White House green PR strategy – The Daily Caller

“It is getting tougher and tougher for the Obama administration to argue that somehow we’re in this big race for green power worldwide when the rest of the world seems to have decided that the race isn’t worth winning,” Daniel Kish, the senior vice president for policy at the Institute for Energy Research, told The Daily Caller.

Related: We’re winning.

The man who likens you to a maggot has resigned his position with his foundation because we put the pressure on him.

David Suzuki resigns to save foundation from ‘bully’ charitable status threats – National Post

* I love this photo.

And the article is excellent too.

The Great Divider – The Weekly Standard

As president, Obama has not only discarded this core commitment; he has turned it on its head. Republicans aren’t simply people with whom he has philosophical disagreements; they are members of the “Flat Earth Society” and have embraced a budget that demonstrates their “Social Darwinism.” The Republican philosophy is “simple: We are better off when everybody is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules.” The Republican vision is for elderly Americans unable to afford nursing home care, poor children, and children with autism and Down syndrome to “fend for themselves.” The GOP favors “dirtier” air and water. And Republicans in Congress consistently “put party before country.”

The president, then, has signaled that he is going to run a campaign built on crude caricatures and false claims, whether they are directed against Mitt Romney, Congress, or the Supreme Court. No individual or institution is beyond libel.

That this is damaging to our civic and political culture is undeniable and, for the president, wholly irrelevant. He is determined to win at all costs. His approach is summed up in the words of the late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis: Just win, baby.

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… Have you ever heard this Zeppelin song? I think you’ll like it.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion

- It’s Friday the 13th. Be afraid, be very afraid.

- Check out my new column at Ourhometown.ca. It’s chock full of opiniony goodness.

- Wow! That’s the word that comes to mind after watching the Alberta debate last night. Compared to the weak ass debates from Ontari-ari-ari-owe, this was the Thrilla in Manila. No major knockouts, but lots of good back and forth and attacks. In my opinion it was a TKO for Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith. She was in her first debate and easily blocked attacks from all sides while showing she’s a capable leader. Premier (but not for much longer) Alison Redford looked like a deer in the headlights and rather ‘left’ compared to Liberal Leader Raj Sherman and New Democrat Brian Mason. Mason criticized Redford and The PC’s for spending too much. Imagine that. I expect a Wildrose win later this month… will it be a majority? Time will tell.

Related: Wildrose comes out on top after Alberta leaders’ debate – Globe & Mail

Related again: Redford takes shots from all sides on Tory record in Alberta leaders’ debate – National Post

Related again again: Redford draws attacks in Alberta leaders' debate – CBC

- I learned a new saying when I moved to Alberta. “Don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes”. Calgary and this area got bombed with snow last evening and overnight. It’s hitting 13C today. I guess our 15 minutes is up.

- Will you help?

Pay Pal gets $.59 per transaction. Making a donation of $10.59 will assure you get a tax deductible receipt.

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* The disingenuous president.

That was then: From The Mark Levin Show

“If they think they’re gonna try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they better be careful” – Barack Obama 2008

Audio:

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This is now: Obama’s attack dogs on attack.

Typically Obama’s administration and Obama himself distance themselves from this woman despite the fact she has visited The White House over 30 times. A few words from the “civil” president, who doesn’t want his wife brought into the picture, would end this hateful talk, but he remains silent. This is going to get ugly folks and it’s going to be Obama that puts everything into play.

More: Does anyone remember Jack Ryan and Obama’s Senate run four years ago? – Free Republic

Obama was first elected as a U.S. Senator from Illinois only after he and chief operative David Axelrod arranged to have the sealed divorce records of Obama’s opponents unsealed: first Democrat primary opponent Blair Hull’s, then Republican Jack Ryan’s.

Meanwhile: From Twitchy

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… Absolutely perfect for today and damn this is good. Stewart and Beck. Yeah!!!!!!!

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More later.

JRB

* The Right Opinion

- Ever feel at a loss for words. I’m feeling that way today. Other than a leaders debate tonight in Alberta, things are pretty quiet. So, I’m going to keep things short today. Have a great day!

- Thanks to those of you who have donated my bike ride in May. I’ll be adding the info to Facebook and Twitter within the next few days.

I will be riding in the Bike-a-thon Plus this year, but I’ll be riding it in the west. I’ll be riding from Cochrane to Banff Alberta. It’s an amazing, scenic ride into the Rocky Mountains. If you click on ‘Donate’ below you can donate money and I will see to it that you get a receipt. It’s a Pay Pal account so you can be assured of your security.

Pay Pal gets $.59 per transaction. Making a donation of $10.59 will assure you get a tax deductible receipt.

Read more about:

The Children's Treatment Centre

Little Warriors

Thanks for your help.

John

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* If it wasn’t so tragic… It would be funny.

In the Province of Ontario taxpayers can’t legally put safe products on their lawn to kill weeds, but taxpayers might be paying for sites so junkies can inject poison into their veins. It’s total insanity.

Welcome to the Big Syringe: Warmington – Toronto Sun

Interesting how there is no study on why a law-abiding Ontario grandmother like Jackie Wylie is not covered for her rare form of cancer but there is all sorts of people excited about enabling selfish heroin abusers. In denying her a special $42,000 method of chemo therapy Wylie was told in a Ministry of Health correspondence that “the value-for-money for the treatment of this form of leukemia was unclear.”

Clearly she should have been heroin addict instead. Perhaps there would be more interest in keeping her alive?

Related: Life for diabetics in Ontario.

Link: From the website of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

Who can apply for the Needles and Syringes Grant?

Any resident of Ontario who has a valid Health Card, who is 65 years of age or older and uses insulin by injection on a daily basis can apply for help in buying needles and syringes.

* Proud to be a laggard.

If it wasn’t for the productive provinces there would be no social safety net in this country. Next time you gas up your car, kiss the pump.

Alberta, Saskatchewan called environmental ‘laggards’ – Globe & Mail

Ontario has introduced a “revolutionary” Green Energy Act that the foundation says has resulted in billions of dollars in investment in clean-energy production and jobs. At the same time, it is shutting down its coal-fired generating plants.

The “worst” provinces

Alberta and Saskatchewan were named environmental “laggards” by the Suzuki Foundation. Most of Canada’s increase in greenhouse-gas emissions since 1990 has come from these two provinces, and their per-capita emissions are five times what they are in the rest of Canada. .

Note to Suzuki. The provinces with the healthiest economies are the ones on your sh!t list. The one that invest in “green” energy are coming apart at the seams and aren’t creating jobs.

Question: How do you measure green house gas emissions? To measure emissions on my car you have to hook it up to a machine.

* Note to people in danger in America.

Don’t call 911. Shoot first and plead self defence.

Zimmerman Charged With 2nd Degree Murder – CBS Miami

“We voluntarily surrendered him to law enforcement, with the realization that the charges were going to come,” said Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s attorney.

“I think anyone who would be charged with second degree murder would be scared, so yes, I’m certain that he’s frightened.”

* The DNC just lost stay at home Moms.

Talk about a war on women.

Debuts on Twitter to Counter DNC Advisor’s Insult – ABC News

Ann’s first tweet came just moments after Democratic strategist and DNC adviser Hilary Rosen lobbed an insult at Ann Romney, suggesting that the 64-year-old mother of five and grandmother of 16 had never held a job.

“Guess what, his wife has actually never worked a day in her life,” said Rosen, who was being interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper about the “war on women.”

And then, just like that, a familiar name popped up on Twitter: @AnnDRomney.

“I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work,” Ann tweeted.

Related: Oops!

Obama White House pays women less than men, records show – Washington Free Beacon

Today on Deep Cuts & Lost Classics… I think this song is so cool. It’s The J. Geils Band like you’ve probably never heard them before. I can’t believe I haven’t featured this song before.

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More later.

JRB