If I won the lottery …
If I ever win a massive lottery, I am going to sponsor a free speech seminar. The invited speakers will include Mark Steyn, Ezra Levant, Kathy Shaidle, Arnie at Blazing Cat Fur (whose last name I do not know!), and Michael Yon.
I’m going to sit in the front row with my best friend (who will fly here for the event!). The rest of the tickets will be distributed for free with the majority going to students.
Hecklers will be ousted.
It’s my event and I’m the boss.
Candidate DOs and DON’Ts
DON’T eat corn dogs in public. Or hot dogs or Twinkies or Popsicles or you get the idea.
via State 29
Pay your damn bills.
Oops. I forgot the warning. This is definitely NSFW.
Muslim victimhood?
An insane man in Norway killed 70+ people via a car bomb near a government building and a gun attack on a youth camp sponsored by a political party. The best description that I’ve read about Anders Behring Breivik is from Mark Humphreys on his blog:
A lone Norwegian “counter-jihad” right-winger decides to slaughter left-wingers, in the worst terrorist attack in the West since Madrid.All of the counter-jihad figures he cites as influences disown and despise him. None of them ever supported anything like this. In no sane world does opposing terror attacks on the West logically lead to carrying out terror attacks on the West.
The killer is no different to an Islamist jihad terrorist. He bombs the elected democratic Norwegian government and Oslo civilians. Targeting the centre-left government is incredibly extreme – they support the Afghan War and the Libya War. He then carries out the most sadistic, barbaric attack against children at a mainstream, centre-left, politicial summer camp. His attack targeted children who had nothing to do with policy, and was incredibly sadistic, hunting them down and executing them close up.
(h/t Kathy Shaidle)
In response to this event, WHY, WHY, WHY is Ahmed Shoker worried about the Muslim community being “re-victimized”?! He’s concerned about “violent retaliation”? From whom? Towards whom?
The Muslim community wasn’t even a victim in the first place so they can’t be re-victimized!
And why did CKOM even feel the need to get a response to the tragedy from the local Muslim media spokesman? Did he call them?
Update: CTV Saskatoon is doing it, too! After seeking comments from Muslims in Saskatoon, Calvin To says “In the wake of these events, this seeming lack of hostilities here at home is a relief to many.” To narrates that “Racial tensions are unlikely to happen here as a backlash.” Major Gen. Lewis McKenzie (ret) asks “What are we going to do? Run around and attack blond-haired, blue-eyed Norwegians. That would be pretty stupid as they are some of our best friends. To attack the Muslim population or point fingers would be even more unfair because they are the victims in this.” Seriously.
Muslims are NOT the victims in this.
What do you think many Muslims first thought when they heard about the car bombing and the attack on the camp in Oslo? I’ll bet that they thought “Oh crap. Another Muslim terrorist attack.” I’ll bet that they were quite relieved that it was a crazy white guy.
Another update: And it looks like the answer is “yes … he did contact the media”. Dr. Shoker has now written a letter to the editor of the Star Phoenix:
Our grief overrides the concern for any future negative acts against Muslims in the wake of this heinous act. This is a time for all Muslims to think of themselves as proud Canadians with unwavering support for multiculturalism, and not as a fearful minority seeking protection.
Muslims were not the target or the perpetrators of the attack in Oslo. They are not the victims!
And Another update: The victimhood spreads across Canada.
US outreach to Canadian Muslims?
I’ve been thinking about this post since I wrote it last week. I thought about changing it or deleting it but I do want to hear what others think. Why am I worried about these apparently innocuous State Department activities? Here’s my answer:
The US government should be less concerned with reassuring Muslims that we like them and more focused on educating Muslim immigrants on life in America. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Rights AND responsibilities. Rather than reassuring Muslims that we like them and that they are free to practice their religion, the government should teach them about the limits that are placed on religious practice. Basically, religious beliefs are not an excuse to violate the rights of others or to break laws.
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While visiting the website of the US Consulate in Calgary for a completely unrelated reason, I found a home page article about the US Ambassador meeting with Muslim youth.
Ambassador David Jacobson participated in a discussion with ten students during an open house at the new Muslim Youth Centre in northwest Calgary. The Ambassador took questions from the students on a range of topics including human rights, U.S. relations with Pakistan and other Muslim nations, the U.S.’s position on political uprisings in the Middle East, coping with Islamaphobia and women’s rights. The youth were very excited to hear the Ambassador’s perspectives and even asked him about his favorite kind of pizza. “Meeting with young people is so great because it gives me hope,” the Ambassador said. “There are so many challenges that every young person has today, and when you overlay on top of that some of the stereotypes that exist about Muslims, and particularly Muslim youths, it makes it that much more difficult for them. I think it’s just very important to make it clear to them that we don’t believe those stereotypes, that we share far more values than we disagree about, and that we care.” Following his discussion, the Ambassador and other guests were introduced to the centre’s Smooth Transitions program by Mahdi Qasqas (pictured above), a certified counsellor and recent alumni of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The program pairs Muslim students with student mentors to help them successfully transition between school and social situations in a supportive environment. Others who attended the event included Lindsay Blackett, Alberta’s Culture and Community Spirit Minister, Senior Calgary Imam Jamal Hammoud, Dr. David Liepert, official spokesperson for Calgary’s Muslim community, and Calgary MLA Moe Amery.
Why does the US Ambassador need to reassure Canadian Muslims that Americans care about them? Does this have something to do with Homeland Security?
And what is this International Visitor Leadership Program? According to the link above, it sends “current or emerging leaders in government, politics, the media, education, the arts, business and other key fields” on short-term trips to the US which “support the foreign policy goals of the United States.” This program sent Imam Ayman Adel Al-Taher, Dr. Anthony Mansour, Mr. Mahdi J. Qasqas, and Mr. Omar Siddiqui to BYU. (Is this the same Omar Siddiqui who supports Sharia law including flogging?)
to discuss ways to promote interfaith dialogue and moderate discussion of religious differences; learn how federal, state, and local government agencies counter religious and idealogical extremism and promote diversity; explore best practices in integrating immigrants and Muslim groups into Western society; and meet with government, religious, and non-profit leaders that assist with promoting religious and cultural diversity.
Seriously? A foreign policy goal of the US is to make nice with specific religious groups in Canada? We don’t need to promote “religious and cultural diversity”; the US is already diverse. We need to promote integration and a encourage immigrants to become Americans.
Do you know where your children are?
A man briefly abducted an 11-year-old girl in Yorkton yesterday. The story is scary and provides a perfect “what not to do” example for my children. It also is a perfect example of what not to do for parents.
Why was an 11-year-old girl ALONE at an Exhibition and why was this man able to leave with her without anyone noticing?!
Muslim prayer in Saskatoon schools?
Blazing Cat Fur broke a story about Muslim prayers being conducted in a Toronto public school every Friday. The prayers are led by an imam and justified by the school staff by safety concerns or maximizing instructional time. The backlash is starting (Hindus are not happy). The backlash is starting. Be sure to read the comments on all of the posts and links. Very interesting.
What’s happening in your schools?
Our neighborhood school in Saskatoon did have Muslim prayer in the school for a brief time two years ago. It was initiated by two families. They requested access to an unused classroom each afternoon. Prayers were led by the moms (not imams). They offered to do it during recess but the principal felt that students shouldn’t be socially isolated from other students so they missed class instead. At the time, I wondered what the teachers thought about it but I didn’t ask since I was already asking a lot of questions.
Basically, the justification for allowing the prayer to happen was that they were just using an available space and that there wasn’t any compulsion. I pointed out that there was compulsion if teachers were to ever remind students to go to prayers or if the parents were inviting children other than their to go to prayers (even other Muslim children). By the time I verified that it had been happening, it was over.
These new reports out of Toronto made me wonder why there hasn’t been a request for similar accommodation in our school. The school district is so rah-rah multiculti that I would expect them to acquiesce, at least initially. In addition, the student population is at least 25% Muslim and major activities have to be scheduled around Eid because of absent students. So why no prayers?
I think that I know.
The school has Muslims and Ahmadiyya Muslims. The former don’t think that the latter are actually Muslims so I am sure that they would not pray together.
Problem avoided?
Food making?
Why would a reporter headline a photo gallery with “Food Making at the Waukee Public Library“? Why not just use “cooking”?
Who writes newspaper headlines? Sometimes I think it’s just an intern who got stuck working the late shift and didn’t have time to actually read the article.
Science wins!
There will NOT be a clinical trial this year in Saskatchewan of the “liberation therapy” for multiple sclerosis. From the StarPhoenix:
The Saskatchewan Party government has been in the lead on the issue nationally, with Premier Brad Wall last year announcing $5 million for clinical trials of the therapy, which involves angioplasty to widen neck veins.
In December, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) issued a call for proposals and the province said clinical trials should begin later this year.
But on Wednesday both the foundation and the Saskatoon-based research team that had made the single proposal to the SHRF said more scientific research is needed before a broad trial such as the one proposed in Saskatchewan could move ahead.
Hello again.
So, I seem to have neglected the blog for a bit. I do have good intentions every day of writing but then I spend so much time reading and thinking that there is no time left for writing. Or perhaps I spend too much time thinking about too many things to focus on any one thing to write about.
Whatever.
Yesterday I watched “Real Genius” with my daughter. That movie includes one of my most favorite lines: “It’s a moral imperative”. Do you remember “Real Genius”? The geniuses in the movie build a very powerful laser without wondering about the end use of the laser. I think that this happens often with science because pure science is usually independent of the practical applications. Actually, I discussed this topic with my other daughter recently. Scientific progress is not right or wrong. The application of the science could be but the knowledge is just information.
Seeing the movie did make me think about my work. Do I really want to be a participant in research which I strongly suspect will be used for purposes that I don’t agree with? I don’t. So what do I do? When we complete studies and publish the results, we can’t control how those results are used. Perhaps the answer is to not publish results which might be “misused”. Or to focus my efforts on educating the people most likely to affect the real-world application of research.
Ugh. There are no easy answers.
Ezra is EVERYWHERE.
Heh.
I was reading a journal article at work and need to look up a term.
I googled the phrase “censored to the right”. In the midst of a number of statistical references, an article about Ezra Levant was the ninth link.
The special rights sought by such groups have ranged from the right to have anything that offends them censored to the right to force magazines to elaborate letters to the editor.
Yep. Ezra is everywhere.
Gary Johnson for President?
Why have I not heard about Gary Johnson before? I don’t expect the msm to have told me anything about any Republican candidates but I feel as if I should have heard something from at least some conservative source. Was I not paying attention?
His description of government is exactly what I’ve been trying to articulate:
“The government has a role to protect me against individuals that would do me harm — whether that be property damage or physical harm. The federal government has an obligation to protect us against foreign governments that would raise arms again us. But beyond that, government does way too much.”
Exactly.
I wish that local government in Saskatoon understood this. Government should not build art galleries. Government should not force recycling.
Obviously, I have some reading to do about Gary Johnson but so far I am very interested.
People prefer like people.
Is that really a surprise?
People prefer to spend time with people who are similar to themselves. This can be observed in children and is obvious among adults.
The amusing thing is that the headline of the linked article and the researchers themselves desperately try to emphasize that children adjusted their play when they were in “cross-ethnic” pairs. Isn’t that just more evidence that children are most comfortable in same-ethnic pairings? They try to draw a cross-ethnic child into their play sometimes but ultimately many will just play alone rather than fight the differences.
Why are people still surprised by this?
You call that a picket line?
Striking employees on picket lines in Saskatoon make me laugh. Have you see the HSAS members on strike around RUH or up on Eighth Street? Don’t blink or you might miss them. They set up tables for snacks and beverages then they picket for an hour or so before packing up and going home.
I remember Firestone employees on strike in Des Moines. They picketed around the clock for weeks.
Who’s up next for the ever-expanding list of striking unions? Where, when and for how long will they be picketing?
And where are all of those Canada Post employees?
I’ll limit laundry but I’m using the dishwasher.
According to NewsTalk650, the City of Saskatoon is imposing mandatory water restrictions. I assume that details will be up on the city website some time tomorrow but this is what NewsTalk has:
The City of Saskatoon has imposed mandatory water restrictions, prohibiting residents from using water outside their homes on their lawns and gardens.
…
Water is still allowed inside the home but the City of Saskatoon is asking people to refrain from using dishwashers, doing laundry and taking long showers.
I completely disagree with the dishwasher usage ban. I can’t find the video but Mythbusters compared water usage when washing dishes by hand or by machine. The dishwasher used a fraction of the water. Even econut green websites concur. Wait until the dishwasher is full and then run it knowing that you’re doing your part to conserve water.
I even have a plan for handling the laundry restriction. I’m going shopping!
O Positive Caucasian
Canadian Blood Services is looking for more “visible minority” blood donors.
Funny. I didn’t know that different races had different blood.
Is there an “all of the above” category?
Keep your damn “Participant” ribbon.
It was another challenging educational day at my daughter’s elementary school. A bit of catch-up time was followed by recess and then they all watched a “fine arts” performance by a younger class.* The afternoon was spent outside taking part in “Play Day”. Seriously. This included two bouncy castles.
Yes. A very educational day.
Anyhoo … the Play Day also included races. Races to see who was fastest. The children all know exactly who was first, second, third, and last. They do. They notice these things because it is a RACE and they are not stupid.
The children were not allowed to have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons! They all received “Participant” ribbons. I used to get those ribbons in school because I was horrible at sports.
Are you surprised to hear that the children were not happy? Especially the children who placed first, second or third.
This is so ridiculous.
People win. People lose. Children know this and no one does them any favors by pretending otherwise.
* Apparently, the music teacher has been replace by a “fine arts teacher” who may or may not teach music. She might just focus on drama or dance or something else. I’m really not sure.
That’s a good question.
My daughter’s favorite comic which she clipped out and posted on the fridge.
Too much government.
I can’t believe that a government operating with a HUGE deficit is spending any money at all on complete nonsense. Shouldn’t that be one of the first things cut?
The CDC apparently has enough funding to waste money designing and promoting e-cards. Does anyone actually send these? Does anyone actually want one? Don’ miss the STD and salmonella cards!
Need a Father’s Day card? Is he a smoker? It’s the gift of government sponsored guilt!
Geesh. The wedding card links to “CDC Wedding Health and Safety Tips”. Whatever would we all do without the government?
The newspaper just doesn’t get it.
If I want to know about breaking news in Saskatoon, I look to NewsTalk650 and not the StarPhoenix.
Here’s an example why:
June 11, 2011 6:34 pm “No new contract for Saskatchewan teachers”
June 12, 2011 10:02 pm “Teachers, gov’t fail to reach agreement”
Seriously.
Because No One Asked 