Farewell to a Canadian music legend who made folk music cool. Stompin’ Tom is bound to provoke cultural references for years to come.
Listen to Corb Lund’s cover of Stompin’ Tom’s Hockey Song. It has a bonus verse too. “It’s culturally important to hear that song.”
Here’s one of my oldest blog posts:
June 16, 2002
I just got back from the Live from Rideau Hall concert. WOW! I had great fun despite the drizzling rain.
Look at Stompin’ Tom in action.
ADDED from 2002:
Wrote this a couple weeks ago, and forgot to publish it. Here it is, in some hindsight.
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The math outlines the extreme expense incurred by Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin to travel.
Wallin’s travel expenses, which total more than $350,000 over the past 27 months, are currently the subject of an audit.
350K/27mon/30days/mon= $432.09/day roughly
She must be absolutely exhausted, because it would take me flying between Ottawa and Regina, and staying in a hotel nearly every other day to make that kind of expense work. The senator from Wadena really must be a workaholic.
This amount doesn’t consider her housing allowance, which is how she got into hot water in the first place, as other senators drew criticism for their questionable housing and residency claims.
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Since first writing, these two news items have come to light.
The comments sections on some newspapers and online news sites can be infamously bad. The Calgary Herald’s commenters, many of them frequent enough to be “top commenters”, put on a despicable display today. Chief Spence ended her hunger strike, and was hospitalized as a precaution because she’s been without proper nutrition for six weeks. Obviously such a drastic diet, with the purpose of forcing an emotional outpouring of support for political ends, is not healthy.
Mike Neumeier · Top Commenter
Look at her, there’s no way she was on a liquid-only diet – stop lying already. I’m pretty sure I saw her pounding down 6 mama-burgers at A & W the other day.
Ah yes, fat jokes about the lady who has been starving the past six weeks. Starving because the Prime Minister is too prideful to grant even an hour for himself and the Governor General to meet in person with some First Nations leaders. Starving, because First Nations people across Canada tend to suffer and be murdered at higher rates than other Canadians, yet this is not deemed an emergency that needs immediate correcting, according to the Prime Minister. She was starving for justice, and you mock her.
At least one journalist at CTV realized that there are some stories where there is a clear morally just side, and another where people die needlessly*. Can the corporate media as a whole begin to extend this realization to the issue of racism also? It’s not like racism has ever killed millions of people before, but their imaginations need to be stretched (if they can’t recall any race based genocide).
I don’t know how these people listed below will feel later about their negative comments, but if I’d ever made a nasty comment about someone based on their appearance or their race, I’d feel ashamed. These people signed their names to racist, fat jokes, some while listing their employer. That either takes guts (minus a heart), or a heck of a lack of brains.
Ken Schmied · Top Commenter
Hopefully the poor dear will be able to quickly put on some weight. She looks emaciated.
Reply · 16 · Like · Follow Post · 22 hours agoDavid Kolling · Telephony Analyst at Shaw Communications
I think we as canadian tax payers should pony up and pay to send her to a really nice spa for 3 or 4 months to help her heal. You’re right she looks awful. Hahahahaha.
Reply · 7 · Like · 17 hours ago
Ken Schmied · Top Commenter
Grand Valley would be a wonderful resort for her to spend 6 to 10 years with time off for good behavior.
Reply · 3 · Like · Edited · 17 hours ago
Alan Beaulieu · Top Commenter · Calgary, Alberta
Looks like she could have done a few pushups and situps while she was Idling.
Reply · 1 · Like · 2 hours ago
Life is hard when political leaders are corrupt. Election cheats, pork politics, and pocket padding is not limited to some corrupt leaders on First Nations (Reserves). Corruption exists where ever citizen oversight has failed to keep the power, leaders of nations wield, in check.
Since #IdleNoMore made First Nations poverty, inequality, and (even) corruption an international hot topic, it’s understandable that some people focus on what they know of First Nation people. What Canada’s segregated culture, and corporate non-aboriginal media has told Canadians about First Nations, is generally nothing too positive. Some people I know feel victimized by under-parented First Nations kids in their neighbourhoods, more than by unattended white kids who also have little respect for property or their community/neighbours.
We have Huffington Post telling people that blockades are hurting our holy economy! How does a short-term blockade compare to leaving First Nations to languish in economic obscurity? Most Sask. political parties openly state that one key to the province’s economic success is to come from First Nations people participating more equally in economic benefits.
If you want an example of how First Nations are segregated in Sask., my landlords in Yorkton openly told me that they don’t rent to Natives, because they are concerned about “the parties”, and the people who visit and damage the building as a result. I asked what had become of the person in my apartment before me (obviously a white person), and they told me that she’d skipped out on the last month’s rent. Funny. Karma? So it isn’t just First Nations people that cause problems for landlords you mean???
@JohnKleinRegina @colletteparks This is a political issue not a racial debate. Frankly I detest this inflammatory, dichotomous line…—
Conrad Hewitt (@ChewittOver) January 17, 2013
Hardly, it’s a political debate, about racial issues among others.
Racism, and less-malicious ignorance among non-aboriginal Canadians are the reasons Idle No More needs to exist, and also why it’s met with much criticism as well as much support. Our country desperately needed to make unacceptable poverty and racism an international conversation, because idly pretending we can get by without talking, is an option no more.
People also need to start recognizing that some corporate media is making them forget why there are protests and hunger strikes (not “liquid diets” as they are spun to us as). Which government failed an audit? Not Attawapiskat. Ottawapiskat failed an audit or two, or three…
ADDED: More indy-media giving the MSM a hard time for their ham-fisted coverage of a possible turning point in Canadian history. Here is a great article on hashtags used.
Harper and the Governor General don’t offer a spoonful of respect, let alone justice.
Attawapiskat Chief Spence reissues call for PM, GG treaty meeting
I wish our Prime Minister and Governor General cared enough about the self-imposed suffering of a brave First Nations leader, to meet with her for an hour at least. We probably can’t, as a nation, expect the Prime Minister, or Queen’s representative to meet with just any old person holding a hunger strike — but Spence isn’t just any old person.
The Conservatives’ leadership seems to be without redemption. Imagine their further plunge in the polls* if they allow a woman to starve on the steps of Parliament.
The faces in these protests won’t be smiling quite as often.
*(Which Canadian gives a damn about polls, other than political wonks and manipulators?)
Elizabeth May’s diabolical plan was tucked away in plain sight, in a tiny publication on Vancouver Island:
“What I want to be able to do is get better research and support and make it available to backbenchers who don’t get much help from their own parties.
‘There are lots of MPs in a parliamentary committee hearing, with an expert witness giving evidence, who have their chance to ask a question but they basically tread water. They’ve got nothing useful to say; the reason for that is they don’t have the resources to know the issue very well, they don’t want to look like buffoons but their party isn’t supporting them to be effective. So, our party can support them to be effective, but I can never take credit for that because that would ‘out’ somebody.”
The compliant media has been running cover for her since then, downplaying the plot:
“A single seat in Parliament isn’t much; it’s somewhat laughable to suggest, as she did on election night, that she’ll be able to use it to change Ottawa’s culture.”
But now the Government House Leader admits that May can hold the entire Parliament “hostage” by asking questions and submitting amendments to bills! Imagine the gall, in a place known for expediency and unanimous consent!?
Some of the compliant media let the secret slip, however. The cat’s out of the bag. They named May as Parliamentarian of the Year!
One morning this session, at the start of parliamentary business, Elizabeth May and Liberal MP Frank Valeriote ran into each other in the House of Commons. They had both been there late the night before for a debate. Valeriote apparently assumed that May had had the misfortune to be assigned a morning shift in the House. “He looked at me and he was so tired he forgot that I didn’t have somebody ordering me around,” May recalls. “He said, ‘Oh jeez, did you get House duty again?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, my leader’s such a bitch.’ ”
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Arthur Hamilton is the Conservatives’ Lawyer in Federal Court today. May 2, 2011 was election day, and it was 592 days ago. There was an Elections Canada investigation underway immediately after, despite the agency being aware of complaints 3 days prior to the election. Hamilton is possibly the lawyer who EC contacted before election day in their complaints to the Conservatives about the volume of misleading, harassing, and computer-dialed phonecalls voters were reporting to them in the run up to election day.
.@stphnmaher Considering #cdnpoli has waited about ~590 days for criminal charges, not realistic to wait for conclusion before civil case.—
Saskboy K. (@saskboy) December 14, 2012
Conservatives get more absurd in their defence of election results despite clear cases of CPC-supporters tampering with voters by misleading (fraud) and harassing phone calls:
Judge Mosley points out that this is at odds with timeliness argument — 30 day limit — CPC MPs have argued.—
Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) December 14, 2012
This latest gaffe by Hamilton is at odds with one of the points of defence the Conservatives used earlier this week, to claim the CoC applicants of the court challenge should have filed within 30 days of getting the (illegal) calls prior to voting on May 2, 2011!
It’s also critically maddening that the election fraud apologists think the complainants would have a more strong case if after having been phoned by a criminal organization, they hadn’t proceeded to vote. It’s supposedly not within these citizens’ rights to attempt to defend their neighbours, simply because people fooled by a scam haven’t all rushed forward to testify that they were duped.
.@stphnmaher OJ comes to mind. Criminal court failed victims, but civil court came through for them. Federal Court, save Canada! #cdnpoli—
Saskboy K. (@saskboy) December 14, 2012
Help us Judge Mosley; You’re our only hope!
ADDED:
McIsaac refers to 525(3) "An application shall be dealt with without delay and in a summary way"—
Stephen Maher (@stphnmaher) December 14, 2012
A stay would not be timely.
WARNING: Strong language and feelings ahead. Canadian democracy is at risk, so you’re damned right I’m worked up:
Okay, our country has taken a new turn for the worse this morning, after our national police force has apparently violated our constitution to ground a banner-carrying plane circling Ottawa, only 1.5 hours into their planned 3 hour flight.
Anyone else think a plane flying in Ottawa obviously antagonistic to sitting PM may cause some anti-terror measure? #cdnpoli—
Scott Janke (@scott_janke) September 03, 2012
Now there are Conservatives online saying that the plane could have plausibly been part of a terror plot, provoking the RCMP response to call the airport, to contact the plane, to ask it to return so the pilot could be questioned. Does that seem like logical thinking, or justifying gross abuse of police power for a political purpose?
@MikeSoron Your comprehension is lacking. Merely pointed out plausibility of incident ticking some "anti-terror" boxes, thus the result.—
Scott Janke (@scott_janke) September 03, 2012
Something is seriously wrong in our country’s democracy when anti-democratic thought prevails among Conservatives willing to subjugate free speech and good sense to their party leader’s feelings and pride. Using 9/11 as an excuse to suppress our Charter rights? Despicable. If that wasn’t the intention, some serious contemplation of priorities is in order.
Hmm, not off to a good start, maybe you need more time:
.@scott_janke @WScott_Steele It's not a "balancing act" or "tough call". Plane flew banner before, was cleared for flight plan. #ConAir—
Saskboy K. (@saskboy) September 03, 2012
@saskboy That's ridiculous. I pointed out how it would be plausible for incident to raise anti-terror "tick-boxes" and go down path it did—
Scott Janke (@scott_janke) September 03, 2012
What’s ridiculous is that thought pattern has become mainstream since 9/11/01, when it’s completely anti-democratic and illogical too. It’s totally implausible that a banner-carrying plane would be part of a stealth 1.5 hour long terror attack. If “anti-terror boxes” are ticked by banner carrying plane, your checklist maker is shit.
.@saskboy @carolhusband @scott_janke uncritical deference to authority is childlike; it's independent thought and speech that's "adult"—
Mike Soron (@MikeSoron) September 03, 2012
The banner said “Stephen Harper Hates Us” in French. Who is us? Maybe it meant the people who put the plane in the air?
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Designed as expiring news on a Friday in the middle of Summer, instead of last Winter when the report on his alleged guilt was complete, these charges come a year too late. Bruce Carson was accepted into the Prime Minister’s Office and his personal influence circle despite previous fraud convictions. Why? Because the PMO wants to learn from people with experience in the realm of conning and oil huckstering.
Let's not forget, Carson had fraud convictions BEFORE he was in PMO | The Bruce Carson controversy soc.li/cEjUKRV #cdnpoli #lpc #cpc—
Gareth Perry (@GarethPerry314) July 27, 2012
If you want to catch up on who Bruce Carson is, and why he’s so important to exposing the rot in the Prime Minister’s Office, you simply must read some work by The Sixth Estate.
In March, it looked to me as if this day wouldn’t come. So, what changed? I’m not sure, but I’d like to know. And I’d like to see the RCMP start laying Elections Act charges when Elections Canada fails to act in a timely manner.
Somehow Stephen Maher has a job at PostMedia. It’s amazing, there is still some honest journalism going on at the husk of former Black-owned newspapers, in 2012 no less. Instead of enlightening people about the treasonous robocalls made in the last general election, this time he’s explaining that climate change really is taking place now all around us. The future is catching up, and we’re running out of time to make our lives more sustainably comfortable.
You should note the food prices and ratios to income mentioned. Then seek out the food to income ratio in Egypt in 2010 & 2011. Let us know what they are please.
