Mikes silly rantings

2010-06-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

Missing the grand prix in Montreal to watch the wife do a mini triathlon in Tremblant.sweet if it doesn't rain!

New theme

2010-03-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

I don't understand why people wouldn't just throw a car in neutral or turn the key off? WTF ?

2010-02-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

Aright. I Truly feel for the Georgian Luger and his Family and my thoughts are with them. However, starting the Mens olympic luge run from the womens start and starting the womens from the juniors start seems like not addressing the problem. I watched the horrific accident that claimed the life of Nodar Kumaritashvili and it seemed that the solution was not to change the start positions on the track but to repair the situation in which that would occur. At the out of a walled turn you need a solid skirt so that anyone too high will have a chance to at least fall back to the track...i think

Test

2009-08-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

I wonder if this will work

Why not?

2009-07-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

A family apparently killed three daughters in the name of honour. If true, they should be locked up and the key tossed into the river they drowned the girls in. Assholes.

somebody took my stuff

2009-02-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

It is with regret that I state that I was robbed. Having dinner with my kids and my wife and my dad and his wife someone broke into my car and stole an otherwise common backpack. I had a laptop in there with two flash cards and a camera with a bunch of family pictures. If whoever took this stuff is reading this feel free to keep the computer and camera but I'd love to get the memory cards from the camera and the flash cards back. you know where I live just drop it in the mailbox.

2009-01-04T20:33:00.001-08:00

I'm looking at the news and I feel like throwing up. The world is condemning Israel for it's response to the relentless rocket attacks on Sderot in Israel over the past 7 years!!!!!!!!!!!!! look at Lorne Gunter's article from last week in the National Post www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=8680d5d4-58d6-4c14-9097-814c5a880820>

2008-11-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

so, Barak Obama wins and the pundit and spases at the cbc ejaculate over each other; but what about the children? Obama want's to raise taxes for the middle class and BIG OIL, ohhh that won't trickle down to the working stiff or the welfare recepient. Hmmmm. 'I think I 'll tax the piss out of the oil companies and spread that wealth to the poor' ; that poor bastard who just got a repreive from the oil companies because the bottom dropped out of the barrell....record profits based on market economics. New taxes...more at the pump, home and work. You pay more to go to work, you pay more for home heating, and every one of the products you buy will cost you more because fuel drives the economy. So Barack, I hope you consider the people, not just American citizens, but global citizens when you develope you're economic policy.

Julie Coulliard

2008-10-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Julie couliard is a money hungrey golddigger and I'm suprised a publisher put out her book. she's the trailer trash that Maxime Bernier had the misfortune of going out with. anyway she is an ass and if she can write a defamatory book about a former MP that has not been backchecked then it should be in the fiction sction of the bookstores....what a ^*^%&^%$

Who is Stephan Dion

2008-09-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

In the nighties, when the bloc was trying to break up the country (95) Dion did all he could to make sure that didn't happen. For that I thank him. But I don't think he's a leader of this country.
Liz May is still trying to get into the tv debates...our national tv networks said NYET

It's Election Time...even here

2008-09-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, here we go again. Stephane Dion (Liberal) started by attacking Prime Minister Harper (Conservative) as a lier and suggested he (Harper) was soft on crime because he didn't propose an outright ban on automatic weapons. Meanwhile Jack Layton (New Democratic Party) was trying to shore up the mighty Northern Canada vote in Northwest Territories by adopting Barak Obama's mantra as an agent of CHANGE- or he got on the milk run flight to his next destination...no, no that's not right, Stephane's Liberals are the one's who leased a campaign plane from air Inuit or some such, that's not quite ready (paint I think). Elizabeth May (Green Party) wants a Judge to insist she should be able to participate in the televised debates (more paper, less trees, good work liz). And finally Gilles Duceppe (Bloc Quebecois) is in Quebec city trying to convince seven constituencies French Canadian...sorry..Quebecois culture. Anyway it'll be fun to compare the 35 or so day campaign we will endure to the final days left in the US campaign. Today the American pollsters claim McCain 4 points ahead of Obama.
I'll be laughing, er, watching this.

MP's screwing up not really

2008-05-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's kinda funny that the first I hear of Maxime Bernier's resignation comes from Aussie triple J on their 3pm (there) newscast. He apparently left some documents in the room where he was "with" his ex when she wasn't his ex and had dubious connections to biker gangs; (what they could extrapolate from foreign political policy is negligable but he quit anyway.).......wait a minute isn't that what every politician has done since Plato and Aristotle? Why does he have to resign? but he did.

I'm tired of passwords

2008-05-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

I'm tired of passwords they make me second guess everything. I know I need them but they still piss me off.....screw you best buy.......I think I bought five printers.... yard sale tomorow when the UPS person shows up.
gnight

screw you Best ^)&^&^)*^buy

2008-05-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

You can kiss my )*&)^)*&^&*^*&%%$*^*&ass . you know I love ya. But your online crap is pissing me off. I've the credit card and the address and the shipping address and freakin everything and your chimps and typ....keyboards can't process a simple order? I then check if I can pick it up at the store and online it says "ONLINE ONLY" what we'll steal them? it's a twenty dollar printer fer crissakes. Hillary Clinton should ask Obama for a job as second to none.

Is it not time for the other Clinton to bugger off

2008-05-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

and then let Obama step in the cow pies and let the otherwise mature yet ornery McCain take the reigns?

2008-05-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

What the hell was up with that Austrian guy who sired 7 kids by his daughter......mull that over. that guy....if he still has them of this writing should have his d**k cut off...and fed to him.

2008-05-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

I've really got zip, but I'm listening to Aussie triple J on the net and the kids are at grammas and I'll be workin' at the Oyster shack next week....weird huh? so I thought ,,,,,,,practice typing.

2008-04-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had a problem when the Sikh's defied the helmet laws for motorcycles and won a exception now they don't want to were hardhats on construction sites in Alberta??????f..k you get another f...ing job. and as far as the helmet law, if anyone ever has an accident and requires medical help for head trauma...have good insurance because the taxpayers (helmet wearers) should not have to pay for your religious beliefs.

imastoopidmoron

2008-04-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

We up here in Montreal are not allowed to use mobile phones while driving....good. Aussies are being told to stop pointing lazer pointers at planes landing in south oz.....stoopid ozzeez

Jonathan roy

2008-03-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Because Bobby Nadeau the opposing goalie never fought back against the assault by jonathan roy and roy hit him while he was turtling on the ice, roy should be banned from the league.

It works!!!!!!!!

2007-11-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Pat's are doing great and it's my buddy Phil's birthday in a few days
Happy birthday Phil!

ahhhhh sh******t

2007-11-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

you get these days when you think things are going great and then the old pc has a hiccup...I'll get this workin' yet

What the #@#$@$@% WAS that?

2007-06-06T19:52:00.001-07:00

6-2?
Well it looks like the Sens lived up to their rep and choked.... too bad cause they had a really good run.
nuff said bout hockey
Putin want's to point missles at Europe cause Bush wants to protect the EU from the Islamists...
discuss
Have not written in a while due to procrastination but will try and keep this up for a while, will write again when tears over hockey and stupid people subside.

This is why I'm not voting green

2007-04-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

It has come to light in the past few days that the (former) federal green party candidate for the riding of Vancouver-Kingsway, Kevin Parent had published following the 9/11 attacks, his feelings and such. According to reports he recently held a news conference at a Vancouver coffee shop where while refusing to retract his comments or even apologize for them, he said the media had taken them out of context.

In November, 2002, in what he admitted was "a revolting confession," Potvin admitted to cheering "Yeah!" when he saw the first World Trade Center tower come down. When the second tower was struck, he cried "Beautiful!" to himself, despite the loss of life inside. And when he learned the Pentagon had been hit, he had to fight "an urge to pump my fist in the air."

One would think there would be outrage amongst the pacifistic greens at this blatant disregard for innocent lives lost by a surprise terrorist attack but instead the wingnuts of the far left came to the defence of this twit and accused a reporter from the Post for his failure to report the truth. Elisabeth May the greener leader (who just made a pseudo-alliance with the Liberals) decided she would give Potvin the benefit of the doubt over the weekend until she talked to him (he has been banished since Sunday) but too little too late.
I love it when the high and mighty moralists step in their own crap. And to paraphrase Lorne Gunter in the Post 'about that alliance Mr. Dion is that the kind of people you want to deal with?'

See Potvin's article on his offmedia website

April $@#$#%# SHOWERS!!!!?

2007-04-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

It's the sixteenth of April and it is snowing and raining in Montreal. A bit of rain, fine, but the snow is supposed to stop when the skiing is over. View my backyard neighbour's place the red milk crate holds a pump for the flooding but the slush can't be pumped and the water is creeping up to his back wall (he just got the house and has a contract to back fill a bit to even out his yard but they can't work until it's drier). It's gray it's bleak and it sucks, although not as much as parts of the states like texas and virginia and the like nor as bad as New York state a few weeks ago with metre deep snow. But it sucks nonetheless.

mmmmmmmm...crow

2007-03-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

Well I got screwed on that one. The Quebec election is over and the Liberals under Jean Charest have actually managed to get what no other Quebec Premier has done in 129 years, a MINORITY #@%&!!###@ government. The ADQ gets second spot and the separatists come in third. I'm kinda glad the Action Democratique of Dumont beat the PQ but I was suprised that votes went more from the Libs than the PQ resulting in this minority. It will be interesting however, to see how a minority provincial government works and whether the ADQ and the Libs will work together to get things done in this province. In the meantime I'll just sit down and dig in to a big crow's wing while I listen to radiofreemontreal and me making the wrong predictions (although I did get the order right).

It's Votin' Time

2007-03-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the 38th official Quebec provincial elections. The polsters suggest that the three front runners are neck and neck but any Quebecois will tell you that that's crap....why? Because pollsters ask you on the phone how you'll vote and they have your name in front of them on a monitor and so if your name is Tremblay or Dupuis or some such you'll say "Parti Quebecois tabarnak" and on voting day vote Liberal or green or whatever. Polls mean nothing. They call 1ooo random people and ask them loaded questions. Of course people feel intimidated. As I right this early Monday here's what was in Saturday's Gazette. A Leger Marketing poll of 1,000 people published in the Montreal Gazette Saturday showed Liberal support at 35 per cent, the Parti Quebecois at 29 per cent and the ADQ at 26 per cent. The poll is considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20. Where they get their accuracy data has always made me wonder (900 guys outside 900 houses whispering if you don't vote what you said on the phone we will break your legs). In any event Mario Dumont will probably come out the best loser of the bunch while Andre Boisclair will probably be turfed from the PQ following what might be the end of the separatists party anyway and Jean Charest will continue leading the province with the least amount of visibility but arguably the best vision. On a sidenote, it will be interesting to see how many, if any, votes the green and the Quebec solidaire get; just because they do have some interesting if untenable ideas that are interesting on paper and they have almost as many candidates as the front runners with the greens at 108 and the QS at 123 ( according to their websites ). We'll see later today.

A boozed up Aussie???

2007-02-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

A boozed-up Australian fisherman wrestled a 1.3-metre shark onto a jetty, suffering only small tears in his pants. Phillip Kerkhof, 41, caught the bronze whaler shark by hand after he spotted it chasing squid lures at Louth Bay, South Australia. "I just snuck up behind him and eventually I went for the big grab and I fluked it and got him," he told Australian Broadcasting Corp. The area near Louth Bay, around the southern tip of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, is well known for sharks and live shark action for the 1975 movie Jaws was filmed nearby. Mr. Kerkhof, who said he had "a fair few vodkas" beforehand, added he only realized the danger of his actions the next day. "It's not something I'd recommend to do," he said. "When I sobered up I thought about it and I said, 'I'm a bit of an idiot doing it.' "

2007-02-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

I came across this in the Montreal Gazette and I thought this is exactly the type of situation that should befall all pretentious eateries that insist they only cater to the semi-infamous 'Paris Hiltons'
of the world....But don't send Graydon Carter back we're trying to clean house.

“ Graydon Carter, the leftwing editor of Vanity Fair, has reopened Ye Waverly Inn, but seating is restricted to an elite who get the ‘hush hush’ top secret reservation number. What a classic, fatuous liberal. He preaches diversity but practices exclusion. The Post notes the wait staff is ‘all male’ and ‘all model- like.’ Send this phony back to Canada where he came from and force him to bring the poseurs, rear-end kissers … and half- assed celebrities with him.”

Above is a pic of The Old Town Bar, where you can be sure I'll stop in for a few on my next trip to Manhattan.

Euro english

2007-02-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to this blogger for this priceless piece of humour

The EU Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.

The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

Mont Tremblant at -27C

2007-01-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

I took these pictures of the mountain from my balcony, the cloud surrounding the ski hill is the water vapour that hangs in the air from the snow cannons when the temperature gets really cold.
Because the droplets are so small and the air so cold they literally form a cloud that just sits there all day, and when you're skiing it seems like a cloudy day until the wind picks up or you get to the parking lot

To all me Scottish friends

2007-01-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

I raise my glass of single malt to honour Robbie burns but I'll pass on the Haggis tonight at supper though thanks.

And we call them rednecks

2007-01-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

This is why some of the best ideas are born in the south

wasn't Malcom X a muslim?

2007-01-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

This is a article from The New york Sun published in the Jan 15th.

The letter "X" soon may be banned in Saudi Arabia because it resembles the mother of all banned religious symbols in the oil kingdom: the cross.

The new development came with the issuing of another mind-bending fatwa, or religious edict, by the infamous Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice — the group of senior Islamic clergy that reigns supreme on all legal, civil, and governance matters in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The commission's damning of the letter "X" came in response to a Ministry of Trade query about whether it should grant trademark protection to a Saudi businessman for a new service carrying the English name "Explorer."

"No! Nein! Nyet!" was the commission's categorical answer.

Why?

Well, never mind that none of the so-called scholars manning the upper ranks of the religious outfit can speak or read a word of English. But their experts who examined the English word "explorer" were struck by how suspicious that "X" appeared. In a kingdom where Friday preachers routinely refer to Christians as pigs and infidel crusaders, even a twisted cross ranks as an abomination.

So after waiting a year, the Saudi businessman, Amru Mohammad Faisal, got his answer: No. But, like so many other Saudi businessmen who suffer from the travesties of the commission, he seemed more baffled than angry. He wrote letters to Saudi newspapers to criticize the cockamamie logic. An article he wrote appeared with his photograph on some Arabian Web sites. It sarcastically invited the commission to expand its edict to the "plus" sign in mathematics and accounting, in order "to prevent filthy Christian conspiracies from infiltrating our thoughts, our beliefs, and our feelings."

The sad funk out

2006-12-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

My sister in law is disapointed on two fronts now that the "Godfather" is dead. She had two tickets to his concert in Montreal and she'd never seen the man perform.

Soul legend, James Brown, the 'Godfather of Soul' has died at the of age 73.

Brown is credited with bringing funk into mainstream music and influencing a new generation of black music that spawned rap and hip-hop

Brown had been admitted to hospital in Atlanta over the weekend for treatment of severe pneumonia.

He is credited with bringing funk into mainstream music and influencing a new generation of black music that spawned rap and hip-hop.

The singer had more than 119 chart hits in the US and recorded over 50 albums. He was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 1992.

Brown also built a successful business empire, including a string of radio stations and his own production company, and owned a fleet of expensive cars and his own plane.

He even played the role of a manic preacher in the hit 1980 movie 'The Blues Brothers.'

He once said: "Soul is all the hard knocks, all the punishment the black man has had, all the unfulfilled dreams that must come true."

He combined his soul-rending music with a theatrical delivery. He also developed a trademark routine in which he would keep coming back on stage after a show and sing a few lines of "Please, Please, Please" with the sweat pouring from his bare-chested body.

It seems odd however that Steve on the left just has to mention an artist and they drop dead. Hey Steve maybe you shouldn't dis Santa alla time. May James finally rest in peace...yaaaaaaggghhh!(sic)
Merry Christmas all

What I would like for Christmas

2006-12-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

If anyone is wondering what I might like for Noel, the New Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is not a bad place to start. It can travel from 0 to 60mph in 2.5 seconds, generates 3000 horsepower of which 2/3 is lost to heat leaving 1001 going straight to the wheels propelling the car to a top speed of 253mph (404.8kph)! Lets see Tremblant is about 130km's from my place so barring too much traffic I could be there in 20 minutes or so. That would be practicle insofar that I could sleep in for another hour. Check out more about this great gift idea here

It's just a Christmas tree

2006-12-19T06:29:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a bit fed up with all the politically correct nonsense that seems to encroach on seasonal traditions in the so called tolerant west. It seems that liberal society in north america and much of europe has taken the initiative, either individually or through group policies, to make sure that no persons are offended by any religious symbols like Christmas trees or the Merry Christmas greeting. One example was the case in Seattle where a rabbi suggested that he might like to see a menorah alongside the Christmas tree so instead of obliging the recognition of another religious holiday that coincides with Christmas they scrapped the tree. Mark Steyn wrote in the Chicago Sun Times the other day of a skating performance where a school carolling group was asked to stop singing God rest ye merry gentlemen during a routine by olympian Sasha Cohen, suggesting she might be offended because she's Jewish. Wall mart rightfully brought back the Merry Christmas greeting to most of it's stores. Now I'm not religious by any measure, I don't go to Church or synagogue or temple or whatever, but I have a tree (pictured) cause my kids like it and frankly it brightens up an otherwise dark December. If we keep slamming otherwise harmless traditions in the name of political correctness then the terrorists have won.
Merry Christmas mes amis

Mikes favorite haunt

2006-12-19T05:56:00.000-08:00

There might even be snow on the ground in time for Santa to join us for some grog.

Yule have a happy happy ho ho.....

2006-12-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

Alright, I know it's been ages since I updated this thing and I'm not sure if this is the best way to do it right now. But John Moore of Canadian jurnalistic infamy wrote this really funny article in the paper today that I have decided to share with.....well, whoever.

One of the great phony battles in the concocted North American culture wars has ended in defeat for the dreaded secular forces of evil. On the eve of the holiday shopping season, Wal-Mart announced it would put the Christ back in Christmas, instructing its robotic employees to replace "season's greetings" with "Merry Christmas." The world's largest retailer dealt such a staggering blow to effete, religion-hating liberals that many of us were put off our Ahi tuna and snobby Gewurztraminer (it's the new Riesling!) for hours.

Initially, I thought Wal-Mart's gesture would temper the bluster of media blowhards, for whom the annual approach of the yuletide season has always been like, well, Christmas. But it hasn't. Bill O'Reilly and company have fired up the secular conspiracy machine once again, conflating a half dozen unrelated anecdotal incidents from across the continent into a fantastical full-scale insurgent effort to suppress the birth of Christ.

The irony in all this is that the most significant force in the secularization of the holiday has been that of the free market, something the Cossacks of conservative rage often seem to worship as religiously as they do their God.

Over the years -- largely unprompted -- merchants have stripped Jesus out of their December marketing. They've opted for what sells: Santa Claus, elves, snow and guilt. Meanwhile, it struck some people that Jingle Bell Rock and Frosty the Snowman were suitable alternatives to the awkwardness of compelling seven-year- old Muslims, Hindus, Jews and agnostics to sing nativity songs.

This passive capitulation came as a great relief to liberals who didn't really have the time to wage a concerted battle on Christmas -- as we had our hands full coddling terrorists and destroying the institution of marriage. But Wal- Mart's latest move has convinced me that we cannot blithely stand by while Christ is shoehorned back into Christmas. Indeed the time has come to put

the Yule back in Yuletide. After all, we were here first. It's the Christians who overlaid their holiday like new tile on old hardwood.

Long before the birth of Jesus, December found the Romans celebrating Saturnalia, a winter-solstice festival of candles, feasting, gift-giving and caroling (mummering) with enough booze thrown in to make the average office Christmas party seem somewhat Methodist.

The festivities culminated in an event in which one benighted person was fattened up, run through the streets and then slaughtered to cleanse the population of its sins. Happy Holidays indeed.

Less homicidal celebrations can be found in almost every ancient society. Dec. 25 was the feast day of the Persian sun god Mithras and the Greek deity Attis (who cut off his own genitals -- put that on your holiday card).

Jesus's birth did not coincide with any of these celebrations. Based on Biblical detail, the blessed event can persuasively be said to have taken place in the months of May, April or September. Dec. 25 was pronounced the saviour's birthday by papal fiat in the year 350, in an entirely cynical marketing move by Pope Julius I.

Good on ya

2006-11-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

Michael Chong decided to quit his cabinet post yesterday because he disagreed with his governments position on recognizing Quebec as a nation. Good for him, while I agree with the conservatives on many issues I think recognizing quebec as a nation is sets the potential wheels in motion for another constitutional roller coaster ride, that I for one really don't want to endure. The fact that Prime Minister Harper has stated that the term nation should be understood symbolically only, just won't wash with most Canadians let alone Quebecers.
Websters defines a "nation" as :1/ a race of people having a common 'descent',language and culture. 2/ a body of people constituting a political unit under one government. Now if those are the popular definitions of the term then any language or cultural or racial group can be a nation under the first definition while all the provinces could effectively become nations under the second. using the term symbolically dilutes it and in my opinion undermines the cohesiveness that Canada was and should be trying to strengthen. For that, Michael Chong gets my tip of the hat and maybe 10 bucks or so seeing as he just got a drop in salary.

I wrote this for school in 98 or 99

2006-11-27T22:39:00.000-08:00

Seeing as there is a film out now about blood diamonds and the fact that a former mercenary for executive outcomes is in jail for the attempted coup of equatorial guinea I thought I'd just post a paper I wrote in uni about eight years ago if to possibly shed some light on the fact that, while nobody should have to hire armies, and they are absolutely in it for the money, one might possibly make the argument that mercenaries are the lesser of two evils.

Sierra Leone too bad

Since it’s independence in 1961, Sierra Leone has been in economic and political turmoil. Not that it lacks the rich natural resources that could help it grow into a viable economic player, nor is it a particularly overpopulated African republic; but greed is what stifles Sierra Leone. The greed of those in power, the greed of those who want that power as well as foreign interests, who do as much to undermine political stability as they do to encourage it. The focus of my paper will be to explore some of the factors that have caused political, economic and military upheaval in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone was a British colony until 1961, when it finally gained it’s outright independence. Sierra Leone is rich in diamonds, bauxite and placer Rutile (titanium dioxide). At the same time the country is the second poorest in the world (May ’97) . The Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) under Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai, ruled the state after independence until 1964 when the All Peoples Congress (APC) won the elections, bringing Siaka Stevens to power. Ibrahim Abdullah, in his article, argues that the APC arose from the working class while the SLPP represented the upper class elite. The APC in 1968 reduced the number of members of the SLPP in the House of Representatives through sketchy election petitions according to Abdullah, thereby beginning the consolidation of power and paving the way towards a dictatorship. Abdullah goes on to say: “From 1970, when the first attempt to unseat the government was made by Brigadier John Bangura and others to the alleged coup attempt involving Mohammed Sorie Forna and fourteen others, for which Foday Sankoh, the future Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader, was jailed, to the fraudulent elections of 1973 and !977, the party did all it could to stifle opposition and consolidate power.” I would argue that the ‘revolutionaries’ made a somewhat tragic mistake, when they recruited Foday Sankoh though; for Sankoh was a militarist with a grudge from being jailed during his first attempt to oust the APC. Sankoh, eventually rose to prominence in the movement and became the leader of the RUF, recruiting unemployed, undereducated youths, referred to as lumpen, who’s political agendas were unclear but who enjoyed the liberal use of drugs and alcohol, according to many critics. Some of Sankoh’s forces were just high school students who’s political ideologies one would have to question as well.
Nonetheless, after more than a decade of forming this rebel force, RUF entered Bomaru in the Kailahun District on March 23rd 1991, marking the beginning of a brutal and tragic civil war. In 1978 the APC declared a one party state, and crippled the SLPP by arresting many of it’s members. Abdullah contends that the actions by Siaka Stevens APC essentially made the country an affair, by and for, the APC and it’s supporters, a legacy that was continued by Major Joseph Momoh took over the party reigns from Siaka Stevens in 1985. Momoh continued with the one party policy, and in 1991, held a referendum in which 60% of the electorate voted in favor of multiparty system, but was ousted in a coup by a young army officer, Valentine Strasser in April of 1992 . Strasser, in December of that same year had other former army officers executed for plotting against his own regime. This action was met with international outrage. Great Britain cut off economic aid to Sierra Leone in January of 1993. Strasser responded to international pressure by legislating a two year transition towards multiparty elections. In February of 1996 the first real multiparty elections were held since 1967,amidst terrible atrocities perpetrated by Sankoh’s rebels and supporters of the military regime of Strasser. Stories of civilians having their hands cut off so they couldn’t vote, were not uncommon. Regardless of the barbarity going on, 60% of the population voted. The SLPP under Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, became the governing power.
Now that we’ve established, to a degree, that Sierra Leone has a very unstable governing and military system, how can they achieve any sense of stability amongst all the fighting? And what of the mines? Sankoh’s forces shut down the Sierra Rutile mine , one of the countries main economy generators, in January of 1995. Strasser Called the Gurkha Security guards, but Robert Mackenzie, the leader of the guards was killed and the Gurkha’s refused to react, as per their contract .
Enter, in May of 1995, Executive Outcomes (EO); a for profit military outfit.
First, a bit of history on EO .
Executive Outcomes was established in 1989 in Pretoria, South Africa. EO offers, professional, confidential, and a-political military advice to ‘legitimate’ governments; the most professional training in land, air and sea warfare; “Peacekeeping (persuasion) services; advice on military hardware (and where to get it) and their own paramilitary services, “in order to create a climate for peace and stability for foreign investment.”
Stability for foreign investment and a lucrative profit were the main reasons Executive Outcomes got involved in the civil war in Sierra Leone. The warring between the RUF and Strasser’s group was definitely not creating a stable environment for foreign investors There are, however questions as to who exactly contracted EO’s services. Some critics contend that the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) of Valentine Strasser hired EO, while others say it was the mining investors. According to an article in the Vancouver Sun, A Thai financier, Rakesh Saxena, contacted EO when he saw his investments in Sierra Leone were in jeopardy of being taken over by the rebels. Saxena paid EO $70,000 for an appraisal to secure the mine that he had a personal stake in, but the operation was canceled when the story was leaked to the press . Moreover, the amount that EO was, or is, to be paid, varies from report to report. It can be assumed though, that the cost of such an operation, lasting almost two years would be, realistically, between 15 and 20mil. As such the hiring of EO was most likely a collaboration between the mining company Sierra Rutile, and the NPRC, offering diamond concessions on the mines.
Upon arrival in Sierra Leone, EO set about it’s mandate, first securing the mines by getting rid of the rebels in Kono (one of the richest diamond resource districts) as well as freeing up Sierra Rutile. They then recruited the local hunters called and started training them to become a militia against the RUF. The Kamajors proved to be a very quick study, and between themselves and the EO mercenaries, they were succeeding in pushing the rebels back into the bush as well as eliminating some of the RUF leadership. However, as optimistic as this might all sound, it doesn’t all happen without a price.
According to a report by a group called Project Underground it is alleged that innocent civilians were killed by the same forces that were there to protect them. In the article the authors claim that EO contracted two of South Africa’s best fighter pilots to rid the dense brush around the Kono mines of rebel hideouts, but when the pilots approached a leading military commander from the NPRC claiming that the bush was so dense they were unable to determine between RUF encampments or civilian settlements the commander just told them to “kill everybody.” They followed his command. Moreover, when the airstrikes were over, all that was left was a desolate wasteland comprising of dogs and vultures, “feeding off the corpses, strewn about the streets,” is an observer for Project Underground, quoted as saying. Furthermore, the fact that EO forces are veterans of the apartheid regime in South Africa is quite controversial, argues Edward O’Loughlin in his report; continuing, “that many are black did not prevent a speaker at a recent meeting from describing them as: ‘apartheid’s attack dogs’
But, while there are many detractors to the idea of having a military for hire, it did restore the country to a level of violence lower than when they first arrived.
Valentine Strasser was deposed on January 16, 1996, by Brigadier-General Julius Maada Bio. At the time it looked like the elections would be postponed, but they occurred on schedule, February, 26-27, 1996. An unconditional cease-fire was reached with the RUF on 14, March 1996, thanks to the negotiating skills of the government of the cote d’Ivoire and the international committee of the Red Cross. After all the election results were in, Bio peacefully handed over the office of government.
President Kabbah began talks with Foday Sankoh on the cote d’Ivoire on April 22nd . They reached agreements extending the cease-fire and began to make preparations to draft disarmament and peace accords. All of these events occurred as a result of a desire by the people to return to a peaceful existence, the cease-fire between the RUF and the EO, Kamajor backed government and the pressure of the international community. However, after the elections and the beginning of the peace-talks, the progress towards reconciliation between the two stalled. RUF’s Sankoh would not continue with the peace process until Executive Outcomes had left Sierra Leone. Furthermore, Sankoh would not agree to the UN demobilization observer agreement that was needed to be ratified by both sides. Sankoh did not agree with the more than 60 military observers, more than 700 troops and almost 300 civilian staff, nor did he agree with the cost of close to $47 million for a period of approximately eight months. Sankoh only wanted 60 neutral observers. These demands must have triggered alarm bells in peoples heads. Foday Sankoh is a strategist as one observer points out: “Sankoh’s primary aim appears to be the obstruction of any intervention that might hamper his ability to regain power.” Then in March of 1997, Sankoh was arrested in Nigeria for carrying weapons.
When EO did move out of Sierra Leone many concerns were raised amongst the population and international observers about the safety of the people in areas where the mercenaries had provided protection. The RUF was well known for committing heinous crimes against the civilians. During the Strasser regime, the members of RUF would regularly go into villages and rape young girls as well as slaughter pregnant women. Particularly in areas like Kono, where the people had grown accustomed to the mercenaries providing protection. “We know the RUF had always eyed Kono because of the wealth of the region and the government should exercise caution about troop withdrawal.” says Kai Bockarie, a 43 year old miner from the region. Komba Mani, a civil servant in Kono fears the RUF will seize the area again to exploit the minerals, to further finance their war effort13 . While the mercenaries on side of the Kabbah government had left, there were reports that Portuguese mercenaries were training RUF and Guinean fighters near the Guinea-Sierra Leone borders. There are fears as well that as the Liberian disarmament continues the former rebels there will sell their weapons to the RUF13 . Aside from the natural fear of the RUF, there exists a lesser obvious fear of the Kamajors, or perhaps what the Kamajors are becoming. Having traditionally been the protectors of the people, they have not made any threats inward, but as is argued in an article by ICG they may pose a problem in the future. As they now have access to more sophisticated weaponry and their ranks continue to grow they are rethinking their volunteer status, and requesting financial assistance that, until now the government and other agencies haven’t provided, according to a report by the ICG.
While Sankoh was detained in Nigeria, another player joined the leader game. General Johnny Paul Koroma, on May 25 1997, after EO had gone home, ousted President Kabbah in yet another of these seemingly endless coups. He went on to suspend the constitution, outlaw demonstrations and ban all political opposition parties. Nigerian forces tried to remove General Koroma, but they were unsuccessful. The United Kingdom suspended Sierra Leone’s commonwealth status in July, 1997. The deposed government of exiled President Kabbah hired Sandline International, a British firm with very close links to Executive Outcomes to formulate a counter-coup, in fact Mr. Saxena is reported to have contacted Tim Spicer, an ex SAS member in the British military , on behalf of the ousted government. The United Nations imposed petroleum and arms sanctions in an effort to pressure the government of General Koroma out of power. Sandline, meanwhile, ships 34 tons of AK47’s to the forces fighting on Kabbah’s behalf. They claim the order was made before the arms embargo was invoked. But we all know that the warmongers among the UN who publicly shook their fingers were pretty pleased that the weapons got to the right side in the conflict.
March 1998, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbbah is reinstated after a bloody battle between the African Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) /RUF and the Kamajor militia.
Since President Kabbah’s return to power there have been several developments. An article in the BBC online news reported that RUF leader Foday Sankoh would be facing charges of treason, and that he could face the death penalty in Sierra Leone . Sankoh’s supporters charge that the sentence is a provocation, but in august 1998, 16 civilians were charged with treason and sentenced to death. The rebels vow to continue fighting the government of President Kabbah. The last report brings me back to a few passages I read while researching this paper; Ibrahim Abdullah poses the question: “How revolutionary is a revolutionary movement, which slaughters and terrorizes the very people it’s supposed to be liberating?” An organization called Human Rights Watch issued a plea to the international community to increase their monitoring of the situation in Sierra Leone. Dr. Peter, Takirambudde, is the executive director for Africa, at Human Rights Watch. What the AFRC/RUF are perpetrating against the civilians in Sierra Leone defies imagination. The AFRC/RUF is waging a war of terror against the civilians. The “international community must take emergency measures to stop the killings, amputations and abductions in that civil war,” said Dr. Takirambudde. “With no recognizable political platform, the AFRC/RUF is committing widespread and egregious atrocities against unarmed civilians in an attempt to regain power…” Dr. Takirambudde states that thousands of men women and children have been murdered, mutilated, amputated, raped and generally terrorized. Besides the rebel forces committing atrocities, the author reports that soldiers on the government side are also committing human rights abuses and violating peoples human rights. These terrible acts confirm
several points that have been brought up in the paper as well as answering Ibrahim’s question. These men are not revolutionaries and they should never be recognized as such. I think the difference between terrorists and revolutionaries, is that revolutions are supposed to benefit the majority of an oppressed population, giving the lower class a voice, etc…while I see terrorists as having a narrow agenda, with no real respect for those who might not share their views. As such, I felt that this paper would be a knock on the mercenary groups, but as the research progressed it became apparent that while every oppressed minority should have protection from the international arena, It’s not going to happen. When the world starts finding there’s a shortage of bauxite or Rutile that’s when little countries like Sierra Leone won’t have to hire international companies to stop the insurgence of terrorists like Foday Sankoh or Johnny koroma.

the pope is off to Turky after thanksgiving

2006-11-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

Pope Benedictt is on his way to visit his first Muslim country after the whole 'Islam is a religion of violence' or something to that effect, fiasco. Well, as much as I think religion and cultures of death take a back seat to my own existance I hope the Pope got his hands on JP's bulletproof ride cause some of those guys they interviewed on the news the other day looked pretty pissed. In any event, I hope his holiness doesn't retract from the facts that he was only bringing up when he was talking to that audience a few months back. I.E. I hope his Holiness doesn't become his hole i mess.
alas to bed.

ben and justin?????????????????

2006-11-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

Justin Trudeau is hosting/mceeing the Giller literary awards while Ben Mulroney is covering the post awards parties.............I hope they come to blows or become lovers.
Nahh that won't happen because Ben already has a boyfriend, hisself and Justin is married to the lovely and talented Sophie Gregoire.
Anyone who followed any Canadian politics can understand the irony.........maybe

What a total ass

2006-10-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

This is straight from the Sydney morning Herald regarding this imam in OZ. Other earlier reports suggested that this twit was going to be deported but it looks like for the moment he'll be allowed to stay.

Muslim leader Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly is refusing to resign over a sermon in which he blamed women for rape and instead has chanted an anti-American slogan outside Sydney's Lakemba Mosque.

After midday prayers today, the sheik was besieged by a group of reporters who asked him whether he would bow to demands and quit.

The Islamic clergyman smiled and shook his head, saying in English: "After we clean the world of the White House first."

His words were greeted by cheers and applause from dozens of supporters among hundreds of worshippers at mosque.

Several men called out "Allahu akbar'' (God is great) as the sheik's car sped away.

There was a heavy police presence at today's scene with members of the media ordered to stay on the other side the road from the mosque.

Many worshippers told smh.com.au they supported the sheik and many seemed bemused by big media attention.

AAP reports: Prime Minister John Howard said Australia's Islamic community must resolve the dispute surrounding the cleric or risk a lasting backlash against Muslims.

Mr Howard said today the episode was a crucial test for Australia's Muslim community.

"It's not for the government to say who runs a mosque, or who's an archbishop, or who's a rabbi," he told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

"What I am saying to the Islamic community is this: If they do not resolve this matter, it could do lasting damage to the perceptions of that community within the broader Australian community.

"If it is not resolved, then unfortunately people will run around saying, 'Well, the reason they didn't get rid of him is because secretly some of them support his views'."

He said the government was not in a position to sack or deport the mufti.

No more sermons for a while

Sheik Hilaly will be giving no more sermons for several months at Lakemba mosque, senior Muslims say.

But no further action is to be taken against Australia's top Muslim cleric for likening scantily dressed women to uncovered meat and saying they're responsible for sexual attacks.

The decision followed an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders in Sydney last night to discuss the storm over the sheik's remarks, condemned by many fellow Muslims and by mainstream political leaders across the political spectrum.

The meeting at Sydney's Lakemba Mosque lasted four hours to determine the fate of the man regarded by much of the Islamic community as the mufti of Australia.

Maybe he'll take a walk down by bondi beach and a mob of angry drunk aussies will drum some sense and respect into this dick, barring of course his untimely death should they take it too far.

MP3 Players and traffic

2006-10-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

HEY YOU IDIOTS
I HAVE AN MP3 PLAYER AND I WALK AROUND LISTENING TO IT AND SOMETIMES ON THE BUS TOO. BUT WHEN I SEE A FRIEND ON THE STREET AS I'M CROSSING I DON'T JUST WHACK THEM ON THE SHOULDER BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HEAR ME CALL THEIR NAME (THEY OBVIOUSLY AR PLUGGED IN AS WELL)IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET..........PEOPLE, CARS, BUSES AND TRUCKS GIVE, NOT ONE BUT TWO SHITS THAT YOU ARE CROSSING ON A RED LIGHT, LET ALONE DOUBLING BACK BECAUSE THE OBJET OF YOUR DESIRE ACTUALY RESPONDED (NOTE TO IDIOT ON THE CORNER OF CRESENT AND ST.CATHERINE A FEW DAYS BACK.) IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO TUNES OR NEWS, FINE BUT PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND YOU. LEST YOU WANT TO BE A STATISTIC.

see ya mikey;welcome Kimi

2006-10-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

Well the GP season has come to a close and Michael Shumacher was unable to gain an 8th world championship. Moreover, he is retiring this year as a driver. He does however, hold the most records in F1 as a driver. No small feat, regardless of your impression of the guy as a person. Mike gets my tip of the hat even though I thought some of his tactics were sometimes dubious. Mike, have fun with the rest of your life and if you're ever in Montreal stop by the Mad Hatter on cresent and ask if anyone wants to go Karting. I would be honoured to follow you around a track several laps back I imagine.
Bravo on a stellar career.

Last Grand Prix of the season

2006-10-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we shall all say ciou to Michael Shumacher and congrads to Fernando Alonso on his first driving championship, (barring of course some freak accident which keeps him out of the points and awards Michael Ten, giving him the championship). So Shummi it's been a great ride but in the last few years I've wondered about your sportsmanship. In any event you undeniably rank as one of the best drivers in F1 and you get my tip of the hat. Alonso, congradulations on your season and job well done but Kimi has mick's ride now let's hope next season is a nailbiter.

writers block not so much?

2006-10-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it seems I'm having writer's block, but until I get over it here a couple of things on my mind.
The Canadian Conservatives Clean Air Act is, while not perfect, nor immediate as some might like it to be, is a positive step for the environment. Consider the fact that over the next "bunch" of years Canadian manufacturers and resourse industries will have to cut their emissions by 25% minimum and that will help the environment in no small measure. I'll look into the report further to get more good news.
The Canadian foriegn affairs Minister Peter MacKay is under fire for allegedly refering to his former girlfriend Belinda Stronach (MP for Aurora Ontario) as a dog. Under questioning by the loyal (and I use that term lightly) opposition regarding the aforementioned Clean Air Act and it's affects on MacKay's beloved dog Jack. MacKay is said to have replied, while pointing at the seat of his former lover "you already have her". whatever that means, but the Liberals are running with it none the less calling for, not just an apology to Ms. Stronach but the entire worlds female population. MacKay's office meanwhile points out that his little quip is not on the official transcript of the House so....no harm no foul (substitute evidence for harm if you must).
You know, the Canadian Liberals would probably call for a special inquiry into who forgot to replace the toilet roll in the House shitter to get the monkeys off their backs.
Nuff said, I've got some first aid training I've got to do but other topics on my agenda are veils in Britain (or anywhere else for that matter) and our Dear Nutjob, I'm having fun now!

WRITERS BLOCK

2006-10-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason I wish Shummi well

2006-10-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Alonso

2006-10-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

this guy might take the title this year

It will probably....will between Shumacher and Alonso

2006-10-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

I don't think Kimi has a chance....damb

2006-10-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

I meant deafining

2006-10-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

some times the world seems like crap...then

2006-10-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

I brought the wife to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers the other day,,,,before all the s..t hit the fan in the states and I was trying to make sense of all the stupidity that was happening then I had an epiphany....listen to the music that was so defening the other day, and relax with a beer...........that worked. I do still worry about my kids at school, but the odds are in our favour and panicking only seems to raise the stress.
So sit back, listen to your fav album or tunes, hug the kids (if applicable) and breath...........The photo is the RHCP in Montreal

off the coast of rhode island 2006

2006-10-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

Do we have to put armed guards at our schools?

2006-10-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

On the 13th of September of this year this whackjob with a grudge of which nobody can be certain as towards whom, except perhaps humanity itself, walked into Dawson college and began firing his semi-automatic weapon on the innocent students that happened to be in the room before moving up to the next level of the school where the police confronted him and he subsequently off'd himself(the coward). A couple of weeks later in Bailey CO. this mentalcase of fifty someodd years went into a highschool and (according to reports which I don't doubt) violated a half dozen young female students before killing one of his victims and then himself. This week charles carl roberts(his name doesn't deserve caps) went into the Amish schoolhouse in Nichol Mines PA and executed 3 of twelve girls between six and twelve years old of which two more have perished so far bringing the death toll to five. Being a dad of a 7 year old daughter and a 4 year old son I'm getting a bit nervous about the safety of my kids. Both of my kids are in institutions that require numeric passcodes to enter the buildings they are still vulnerable in the playyard or when parents go to pick up or drop off their kids.
Do we post armed security at the main enterences of schools or do we lock our kids down after we drop them off until we pick them up?
I want my kids to be able to play outside during the fall. I want them not to be always looking over their shoulders. Society has an obligation to protect the innosence of the young from the screwed deviance of the ....not so young. If some gill or roberts or whoever has some gripe and voices it. Should it not be on the person who heard it to alert the authorities and have these sickos locked up before anyone ever gets hurt or killed. I know if I knew someone was talking about his gun collection and the fact that he hated men or women.....red flag 911. I hope that as a society we can figure out how to reign in the domestic terrorists as well as the foreign ones so that maybe our kids can play in the park.

Bridges.......give me the creeps now

2006-10-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

if you've been paying attetion, a brige in Laval collapsed on Saturday afternoon 30sept. According to reports the overpass was shedding concrete a couple of hours and inspectors arrived and took a look and said while it was bad, there was no reason to freak and that was it..........whellll, then the bridge/overpass collapsed. Now we have another commission/inquiry into the tragedy that took five lives. If you've ever been to Montreal you'de Know that you can't drive in or out of the core without passing under or over some sort of viaduct. Most of the ones that I pass under or over daily are in a terrible state. Frankly, it gives me the Heebeie Jeebies. I imagine that the poor SOB who went to check the overpass in Laval will probably get the heave ho, but at the same time which monkey from the typewriting pool will replace him? In the interim, I'll be slowing down before the underpasses.....so's I can get up to speed to get through them.

Mikes silly rantings

2006-10-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Mikes silly rantings

message from george

2006-09-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

"France has neither winter, nor summer, nor morals. Apart from these
drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by
prostitutes."
--Mark Twain

------------------------------
"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one
behind me."
--General George S. Patton

------------------------------
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your
accordion."
--Norman Schwartzkopf

------------------------------
"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it."
--Marge Simpson

------------------------------
"As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure."
--Jacques Chirac, President of France
"As far as France is concerned, you're right."
--Rush Limbaugh

------------------------------
"The only time France wants us to go to war is when the German Army is
sitting in Paris sipping coffee."
--Regis Philbin

------------------------------

"The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch and not dressed any
better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit
outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more
stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whisky I don't
know."
--P.J. O'Rourke (1989)

------------------------------
"You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the
1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the
face for it."
--John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona

------------------------------
"You know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he
hates America, he loves mistresses and wears a beret. He is French,
people."
--Conan O'Brien

------------------------------

"I don't know why people are surprised that France won't help us get
Saddam out of Iraq. After all, France wouldn't help us get Hitler out
of France either."
--Jay Leno

------------------------------
"The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into
Paris under a German flag."
--David Letterman

------------------------------
"Only thing worse than a Frenchman is a Frenchman who lives in Canada"
--Ted Nugent

------------------------------
"War without France would be like World War II."
--Unknown

------------------------------

"The favorite bumper sticker in Washington D.C. right now is one that
says 'First Iraq, then France.'"
--Tom Brokaw

------------------------------
"What do you expect from a culture and a nation that exerted more of its
national will fighting against Disneyworld and Big Macs than the Nazis?"
--Dennis Miller

------------------------------
"It is important to remember that the French have always been there when
they needed us."
--Alan Kent

-----------------------------
"They've taken their own precautions against al-Qa'ida. To prepare for
an attack, each Frenchman is urged to keep duct tape, a white flag, and
a three-day supply of mistresses in the house."
--Argus Hamilton

------------------------------
"Somebody was telling me about the French Army rifle that was being
advertised on eBay the other day -- the description was 'Never shot.
Dropped once.'"
--Rep. Roy Blunt, MO

-----------------------------
"The French will only agree to go to war when we've proven we've found
truffles in Iraq."
--Dennis Miller

------------------------------

"Raise your right hand if you like the French... raise both hands if you
are French."
--Unknown

------------------------------
Q. What did the mayor of Paris say to the German Army as they entered
the city in WWII?

A. Table for 100,000 m'sieur?

-----------------------------
"Do you know how many Frenchmen it takes to defend Paris? It's not
known, it's never been tried."
--Rep. R Blount, MO

------------------------------
"Do you know it only took Germany three days to conquer France in WWII?
And that's because it was raining."
--John Xereas, Manager, DC Improv

------------------------------
The AP and UPI reported that the French Government announced after the
London bombings that it has raised its terror alert level from Run to
Hide. The only two higher levels in France are Surrender and
Collaborate. The rise in the alert level was precipitated by a recent
fire which destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively disabling
their military.

------------------------------
French Ban Fireworks at Euro Disney (AP), Paris, March 5, 2003:

The French Government announced today that it is imposing a ban on the
use of fireworks at Euro Disney. The decision comes the day after a
nightly fireworks display at the park, located just 30 miles outside of
Paris, caused the soldiers at a nearby French Army garrison to surrender
to a group of Czech tourists

oops hit enter twice

2006-09-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

The frigin Libs in Canada

2006-09-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

Joe Volpe; Gagliano; Ignatieff.............
bob Rae...Hedy fry.....they're burning the cross in Prince Gorge, has withdrawn from the cancerous frey. what a bunch of absolute losers.............goodby liberal wonks.

The frigin Libs in Canada

2006-09-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

message from ken

2006-09-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

I tried to listen to your blah blah blah segment and as usual I could only take about 5 minutes before getting totally disgusted and shutting it down. I think you're reading too many left wing rags and breathing too much left coast air at Steve's place (I hear he imports it from his Dad's). You're in danger of going to the dark side young Skywalker!

I appreciate that you are there to be on the right to beat the commie bastards back. There is no reason for you to agree with Steve on pretty much anything and here's why - he offers nothing except rhetoric and unworkable solutions. If I can make an analogy, his solutions are much like the gun registry (i.e; they cost immense amounts of money and don't work).

I do not buy into his premise that Iraq has nothing to do with the war on terror (apparently you have) and that Bush abandoned Afghanistan in order to go there - what bunk. In Dec 2001 the US ousted the taliban without breaking a sweat and brought in around 12,000 troops to combat the remnants. US Troop levels have varied since then from a low of about 10,000 to the current 20,000. Consider also the additional NATO troops, not to mention the newly formed Afghan Army (20,000) and police force across the country (50,000). The islamofacists (you know those people that have no talent for building anything) really have nothing left but IEDs and strapping bombs to themselves for blowing up innocents. You could have 200,000 troops in there and the same problems would exist.

According to the Center for Data Analysis Report #04-11 the US had: 'In 2003, 387,920 troops were stationed on foreign soil. This figure is out of a total of 1,434,377 personnel.'. And that figure is even higher now - recruitment levels may have leveled off since 9/11 but they are still outpacing retirements and discharges - the all volunteer military is still growing. And if you think they're spread thin, think again - the deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq combined is only around 10% percent of the entire force and these are currently the only two places where significant fighting is taking place.

As for Iraq, it IS the front in the War on Terror - make no mistake about it. All you need to do is do an internet search on captured al qaeda idiots in Iraq and you get tons of hits going back years. This is where these imbeciles are, does it make any sense to pull a Murtha and redeploy to the Philippines.

By the way has anyone actually seen OBL since Tora Bora - personally I think he has assumed cave temperature and the leading scumbags are just using his 'mystique' to inspire more sicko's.

If I could offer one small critique - don't let Steve lead you into responding to something when the premise is flawed to begin with. Challenge the premise and make him defend it.

2006-09-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

here we go,
Now we have sheik hassam nasralla going on about his hezbollah nutters refusing to disarm under any circumstances "there is no army in the world that can force us to drop our weapons from our hands, from our grip" the freak stated in his first speach since the conflict began with Israel on July 12th of this year. Moreover, he went on to threaten the UN peacekeepers by stating that; while they could blockade the borders and the ports and the sky, the will of the resistance will not be broken..."or the weapons of the resistance".
Now, isn't this a guy who only a few weeks ago said he would agree to a ceasefire under the terms put forth by the UN?
I mean, there is obviously some kinda problem here, when the great gods of the UN can't even get some whackjob to listen to it.
..........Oh yeah, Iranian prez Mahmoud ahmadinejad was talking at the UN the other day suggesting that he was a people person and that he didn't want harm to come to anyone.....(except for the fact that he had called earlier for Israel to 'wiped from the map'.
Funny place that UN...
then we have Hugo chavez from venesuala who calls for an end to US hegemony and literally calls President Bush a tyrant.....well bud, I reckon if you want to sell your oil in peace you best check your mouth because hte majority of the Americas are getting right fed up with the bile that's coming from the despots and the mullahs and the rest and when the left finally realizes that their right to protest is up.............well hopefully they'll realize that apologies and appeasment(sic) don't work.

2006-09-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hope this doesn't end up getting me in trouble

Mikes silly rantings

New theme

Test

Why not?

somebody took my stuff

Julie Coulliard

Who is Stephan Dion

It's Election Time...even here

MP's screwing up not really

I'm tired of passwords

screw you Best ^)*&^&*^)*^buy

Is it not time for the other Clinton to bugger off

imastoopidmoron

Jonathan roy

It works!!!!!!!!

ahhhhh sh******t

What the #@#$@$@% WAS that?

This is why I'm not voting green

April $@#$#%# SHOWERS!!!!?

mmmmmmmm...crow

It's Votin' Time

A boozed up Aussie???

Euro english

Mont Tremblant at -27C

To all me Scottish friends

And we call them rednecks

wasn't Malcom X a muslim?

The sad funk out

What I would like for Christmas

It's just a Christmas tree

Mikes favorite haunt

Yule have a happy happy ho ho.....

Good on ya

I wrote this for school in 98 or 99

the pope is off to Turky after thanksgiving

ben and justin?????????????????

What a total ass

MP3 Players and traffic

see ya mikey;welcome Kimi

Last Grand Prix of the season

writers block not so much?

WRITERS BLOCK

For whatever reason I wish Shummi well

Alonso

It will probably....will between Shumacher and Alonso

I don't think Kimi has a chance....damb

I meant deafining

some times the world seems like crap...then

off the coast of rhode island 2006

Do we have to put armed guards at our schools?

Bridges.......give me the creeps now

Mikes silly rantings

message from george

oops hit enter twice

The frigin Libs in Canada

The frigin Libs in Canada

message from ken

screw you Best ^)&^&^)*^buy