Rick Mercer's Blog: Farewell to Summer

Rick Mercer's Blog: Farewell to Summer

This is hilarious, especially Rick's agenda for Jack Layton to "make peace" with the Taliban. How unrealistic and out of touch is Jack really?

Memo to Jack Layton

Jack,

Get a grip, join reality. If you want to send votes to the Green Party, keep this up! We really don't mind!

Green Joe.

Standing with Israel

I was out surfing, and I came accross an interesting website. It's the website of Jack Lewis. He's a Southern Baptist. While I may not agree with most Christians on their dogma, (my karma ran over your dogma,) I do stand with Israel.

Why you may ask?

I stand with Israel, because I don't believe that Lebanon is doing enough to stop Hezbollah. They are attacking innocent Israeli's, and Israel has a right to defend itself. If Hezbollah were attacking Canada or the USA, you can certainly believe that a response would be swift and decisive.

While I do share the Green Party's commitment to non-violence, I believe that we need to stand with Israel, and find a peaceful solution for the longevity of both Lebanon and Israel.

GoDaddy pulls its IPO filing! Why I decided to pull it.

GoDaddy pulls its IPO filing! Why I decided to pull it.

I've been a fan of Go Daddy for quite a while, I have to admit. I still own a few domains with them. I'm saddened that they pulled their IPO, but at the same time, I'm sure when they do go public, they'll do great! I have a great amount of respect for Bob, and his business practices.

Driver's-License Limits Reduce Teen Crashes

Driver's-License Limits Reduce Teen Crashes

I'm a big fan of graduated licensing, personally. Especially here in Ontario, where it is required of new drivers of any age, not just teens. My grandmother drives worse than I do, so I also believe in mandatory testing for the elderly. Get your act together, Dalton!

Sex toys contain dangerous chemicals

Sex toys contain dangerous chemicals says Greenpeace

Wow, this is very eye-opening. Who knew that something that could bring a lot of pleasure could be so lethal. I guess it goes back to that old saying... "You can't have your cake and eat it to!"

The world turns strangely

Brad Pitt has gone and gotten a social conscience. It seems he and girlfriend Angelina Jolie won't marry until everyone who wishes to marry can. Read between the lines: When gays and lesbians can wed, so will they.

This dumped bride turned a frown upside down! When her wedding was called off, she turned into a charity event! Wow, what a great thing to do for those who need it! Kudos to you.

Finally, you can stay home, Condoleeza Rice. Canada doesn't want, nor need you to thank us for what we do every day. Be nice to strangers. Please, don't send more tulips. We have enough, thanks!

Socialist internet access?

Is Toronto going towards socialist internet access? They want to build a wi-fi network to cover the entire city. While I think this is good for tourism, it will inevitably hurt providers such as Rogers and various DSL ISP's. Is this the beginning of the socialist internet?

Polls suggest Tories stuck

Read the full story.

OTTAWA — The issues of Mideast politics, defence and the environment have combined to hinder the Conservatives in their quest for a majority governmenty, a poll suggests.

...

The Green Party, with new leader Elizabeth May, came in at a surprising 10 per cent — more than double the 4.5 per cent they garnered on election day.

Ban on gay rabbis may be lifted

Read the full story.

NEW YORK - A key Conservative Jewish leader is organizing talks nationwide to tell synagogues that the movement will likely roll back its ban on ordaining openly gay rabbis by year's end.

He and two religious law experts joining him at the meetings are trying to help congregations prepare for the confusion and discomfort to follow.

Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, says a committee of scholars who interpret Jewish law for the movement will likely loosen the prohibition when they vote in December.

Judge halts Bible giveaway at Mo. school

Read the full story.

ST. LOUIS - A federal judge ordered a small-town school to suspend a program that gives free Bibles to students, saying it improperly promotes Christianity.

U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Perry also scolded school officials for continuing the program after warnings that it violated the Constitution.

Surgery death exposes hidden network

Read the full story.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - Fabiola DePaula's quest for beauty took her to a condominium basement, where authorities say she paid an unlicensed doctor $3,300 for a nose job and liposuction performed on a massage table.

But something went terribly wrong and the 24-year-old nanny died, exposing what investigators say was an underground cosmetic-surgery network used by immigrants from Brazil — a country whose women are world-famous for their beauty and their willingness to go under the knife to achieve it.

The "flut shot" issue.

So is it just that Americans are nicer to flu vaccine manufaturers? Or do they pay more for their shots? Why is it they are getting their flu shots on time, and those of us in Canada have to wait because of a delay in production.

Does the company think that maybe American lives are more important? Perhaps it is an American company producing all these shots? I suppose last year it was the Americans who were delayed. I just don't understand this discrepency.

Croc Hunter's family turns down state funeral for 'ordinary bloke'

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BEERWAH, Australia (AFP) - Wildlife TV star Steve Irwin's grieving father turned down a state funeral for a son he described as "an ordinary bloke," as a global wave of mourning astonished Australia.

Fighting back tears, the weather-beaten, khaki-clad Bob Irwin told an impromptu news conference that his son had been his "best mate" and funeral arrangements would be up to his American widow Terri and their two young children.

Gene-altered rice from China found in EU: greens

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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European consumers may be at risk from unauthorized genetically modified (GMO) rice grown in China after a biotech strain was found in products sold in three EU countries, two leading environment groups said on Tuesday.

The Chinese rice, modified to resist certain insects, was detected in samples of rice stick noodles in France and Germany, and also in rice vermicelli in Britain, Greenpeace International said, citing the results of two rounds of laboratory tests.

Businesses can stay open in B.C. town if water users `behave'

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TOFINO, B.C.—The mayor of Tofino, B.C., gave the official go-ahead yesterday for businesses to stay open as long as they monitor their own water use.

John Fraser said hotels, resorts and other businesses will have to police themselves, and he warned the taps will be shut off if the town collectively goes above 950,000 litres a day.

"What we're going to offer businesses is, I'd say, a very limited opening," he told a news conference. "We're going to allow consumption to go up to 250,000 gallons. If it goes above 250,000 gallons everybody will be closed down immediately."

Citizens battle to save green space

Read the full story.

The neighbours are gearing up for battle. It will not be a pleasant fight. The weapons of war are unequally distributed.

The neighbours are Rod and Catherine, Ken and Flo, Rob, Maureen. They coach kids' baseball and they volunteer in the community and they are active in the arts and various social causes.

They are joining in battle against the Wynns, who are not like you and me at all. The Wynns are landlords and developers. They have money, and they plan to change a portion of their property, West Lodge.

Green Party leader cannot hold scrums in the House foyer because she is not an elected member.

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The Green Party of Canada's strategy to win seats in the House will be to break down a "psychological barrier" in the minds of Canadians that has been built up by the party's lack of a presence on the Hill, says the party's new leader, Elizabeth May.

"I think the only real barrier to electing Green Party members across Canada is a psychological barrier, created by the impression that we're not on the Hill," Ms. Elizabeth May told The Hill Times in an interview. "We don't have a seat, but it's reinforced when you don't ever see the party leader on Parliament Hill on a regular basis and in between elections. I think it's quite critical to break that barrier down."

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin dead

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20349888-2,00.html

He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns, police sources said today.

It is understood he was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest and reportedly into his heart .

He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the tragedy occured.

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) was called about 11am (AEST) and an emergency services helicopter was flown to the crew's boat on Batt Reef, off the coast near Cairns, with a doctor and emergency services paramedic on board.

Irwin had a puncture wound to the left side of his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Irwin's body is being flown to Cairns.

One report today said his American-born wife Terri was trekking on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and was yet to be told of her husband's death.

The Irwins have two children - a daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin, eight, and a three-year-old son, Robert (Bob) Clarence Irwin.

Steve Irwin - known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter - is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!".

In an sad twist, it has been reported that his new documentary was aimed at demystifying the stingray.

Irwin's Crocodile Hunter program was first broadcast in 1992 and has been shown around the world on cable network Discovery.

He has also starred in movies and has developed the Australia Zoo wildlife park, north of Brisbane, which was started by his parents Bob and Lyn Irwin.

Tributes have already started pouring in for the larger-than-life character.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Mr Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.

Irwin was heavily involved in last year's "G'Day LA" campaign.

"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," a spokesman said.

A Tourism Queensland spokeswoman said the death was shocking and paid tribute to Irwin's "enormous contribution" to his adopted state.

Louise Yates said it was impossible to quantify how much Mr Irwin had meant to the Queensland tourism industry.

"I don't think we could even estimate how much he brought us through his personality and his profile and his enthusiasm about Queensland," she said.

"It would be difficult to estimate how much he was worth. And it would be difficult to underestimate."

She said Irwin had been a larger-than-life ambassador.

"It's not just what he brought but what he took with him when he travelled, his passion."

Australia Zoo, on southeast Queensland's Sunshine Coast, employs more than 500 people and attracts thousands of visitors every day.

But Ms Yates said it would be "unfair and unjust" to put a dollar value on Irwin's worth to the state, because of how much he had given.

With The Courier Mail and AAP

A twist on boring

Zellers may be a boring place to shop, in fact, I've probably fallen asleep in it once or twice, but this past summer they had a pretty amazing TV ad out. The song featured is called "Nowhere with you" by Joel Plaskett Emergency.

He's an indy artist, so I encourage flocking to HMV or your local record store to buy his album.

My predictions for Elizabeth May

To start, I must say that I didn't support Elizabeth May for leader of the Green Party of Canada. She won with an almost 2/3 mandate. So on to my predictions.

1. She will win seats. I may not like her, and she may not even win her own seat, but she will win seats for the GPC. This may not directly involve her, but simply flow out of the momentum that has already been built up.

2. She will resign. Like Joan Russow I think she and the federal council will have strong heated debates, and in the end, she will leave before the next leadership race in 4 years.

3. She will be too left-wing. I think she will scare away many party members and potential voters by being too left-wing. Right now the party appeals to all voters. I fear she will jeopardize this.

CPAC coverage

Devon tell us that CPAC aired the entire Green Party of Canada convention, and of course, tells us where we can download it!

Thanks!

Ghana bans gay and lesbian conference

http://tinyurl.com/pygpo
WikiNews

A conference between gay men and lesbians that was scheduled to meet in September has been banned by Ghana's government which has said that "disciplinary action" will be taken if the conference proceeds.

As in many African countries homosexuality is illegal in Ghana, primarily for cultural reasons, "[The] Government does not condone any such activity which violently offends the culture, morality and heritage of the entire people of Ghana," said Kwamena Bartels (Ghana's Information Minister). Homosexuality is described as being "un-African" and a "disease" in parts of Africa, often regarded as a "Western" import. Bartels continued "Unnatural carnal knowledge is illegal under our criminal code. Homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are therefore offences under the laws of Ghana."

Although Ghana law does not stop groups from meeting the government has actively discouraged the event: "[The] Government would like to make it absolutely clear that it shall not permit the proposed conference anywhere in Ghana...." "...It's not illegal for them to meet and talk, but we in Ghana don't want to encourage it. They can go and do it elsewhere" added Bartels.

BBC reporter Kwaku Sakyi-Addo (based in the Ghanese capital Accra) said that it was difficult to establish who had organised the conference. He noted that the Gay and Lesbian community operates underground in Ghana because of the social stigma. It is believed that the meeting was to be at the Accra International Conference centre, Koforidua on Monday. Managers at the centre have denied the conference was due to take place there.

A researcher at the South African-based gay and lesbian rights group, Wendy Landau, condemned the ban: "It seems the government got wind of something. It goes along with all the things that have been happening in places like Cameroon and Nigeria. It's kind of the spirit of the times in Africa,"

The Ghana public may be divided over the issue, whilst the Ghana News Agency reports many members of public and the clergy have spoke out in support of the ban, anonymous callers to radio phone-in programmes have called it an infringement of freedom of speech.

In recent times homosexuality has been regular news in African nations, earlier this year Cameroon newspapers launched an attack against "deviants" publishing the names of suspected homosexuals.

South Africa, by comparison, has recently had a gay marriage bill approved by its cabinet to allow equal rights for homosexual couples; making it the first African nation to officially recognise gay and lesbian couples.

Death penalty recommended in Iraq raid

http://tinyurl.com/ovhwj

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL, Associated Press WriterSat Sep 2, 6:34 PM ET

An Army investigator has recommended that four soldiers accused of murder in a raid in Iraq should face the death penalty if convicted, according to a report obtained Saturday by The Associated Press.

Lt. Col. James P. Daniel Jr. concluded that the slayings were premeditated and warranted the death sentence based on evidence he heard at an August hearing. The case will now be forwarded to Army officials, who will decide whether Daniel's recommendation should be followed.

The soldiers, all from the Fort Campbell, Ky.-based 101st Airborne Division's 187th Infantry Regiment, are accused of killing three Iraqi men taken from a house May 9 on a marshy island outside Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

Staff Sgt. Raymond L. Girouard, Spc. William B. Hunsaker, Pfc. Corey R. Clagett and Spc. Juston R. Graber have claimed they were ordered to "kill all military age males" during the raid on the island. According to statements from some of the soldiers, they were told the target was an al-Qaida training camp.

Hunsaker told investigators that he and Clagett were attacked by the three men, who were being handcuffed, and shot them in self-defense. Clagett said he was hit in the face, and Hunsaker claimed he was stabbed during the attack.

Prosecutors argue the soldiers conspired to kill the men and then altered the scene to fit their story. They contend Girouard stabbed Hunsaker as part of the killing plot.

Clagett, Girouard and Hunsaker also are accused of threatening to kill another soldier who witnessed the slayings. Girouard, the most senior soldier charged, faces several additional charges, including sexual harassment and carrying a personal weapon on duty.

Paul Bergrin, Clagett's civilian attorney, said he was surprised that Daniel recommended the case be taken to trial at all.

"I'm extremely disappointed and disheartened," Bergrin said Saturday. "They are being used as pawns in the war on terror. They followed the rules of engagement. They were confronted with violence by a known al-Qaida training camp member."

Other lawyers in the case, several of whom are deployed to Iraq, did not immediately respond to e-mail requests for comment.

The soldiers are expected to be tried at Fort Campbell. They have been jailed in Kuwait since their arrests this year.

The U.S. military has not executed a soldier since the 1960 hanging of a soldier convicted rape and attempted murder.

___

Associated Press writer Alicia A. Caldwell, the El Paso, Texas, correspondent, reported this story from Glendale, Ariz.

New Green party leader begins election campaign with stop in Vancouver

http://tinyurl.com/z7ge4

VANCOUVER (CP) - The new leader of the federal Green party kicked off what she called a cross-Canada victory tour Friday while launching the party's election campaign in Vancouver.

Elizabeth May, who won the leadership last weekend at a convention in Ottawa, said the party has begun preparing for the next federal election, which is expected sometime next year but could come this fall.

May was accompanied by B.C. Green Leader Adriane Carr outside the VIA Rail station on the city's Downtown Eastside.

They used the train station backdrop to say Canada needs a functioning train system that is affordable and accessible.

She said that the Green party can demonstrate is vision for Canada by talking about the need for good public transit in the country and the communities.

May, a longtime environmental activist who was raised on Cape Breton Island, easily won the party leadership with 65 per cent of the vote.

She replaced outgoing leader Jim Harris, who had led the Greens since 2003 and will remain as a party strategist.

Welcome!

Welcome to Green Joe!

My name isn't really Joe, it's a name I chose to sort of represent the "everyman." This blog hopes to promote environmental change, and let people know what I think, perhaps even with a little tongue-in-cheek. Thanks for reading!