You couldn't make this s**t up

Any Christian Rock Fans Out There?

2005-03-14T20:54:00.000-05:00

St. Paddy's Day is around the corner--and since I'm the product of a pair of Irish immigrants myself--I've decided my next few posts will feature a decidedly Irish theme.

U2 and more specifically, Bono, are known to humbly proclaim themselves as the "world’s greatest rock band." I haven't heard anybody argue the point, but what about the mantle of "world’s greatest Christian rock band?"

Now, the four lads from Dublin are Christians by default simply because they’re Irish, but apparently the boys' faith has always played a much larger role in their lives' and music than many may be aware. In fact, there's a course now being offered at a Grand Rapids, Michigan college exploring U2’s method of conveying its Christian and social justice message through pop culture.

But unlike traditional Christian rock bands that openly proclaim their love and devotion to Jesus and/or God, U2 doesn’t stuff its morality down your throat, instead hiding its spiritual questions in the unlikely place of heavy rock tracks such as Mysterious Ways and Where the Streets Have No Name, or I Still Haven't Found what I'm Looking For just to name a few.

"They seem to be seeking to just give an open invitation for people to move into the realm of asking questions about spiritual life, about God, about Christ," said the Rev. Beth Maynard, who co-edited Get Up Off Your Knees a collection of sermons based on U2 lyrics and biblical texts.
"It's raising the questions but not overtly or forcefully prescribing the answers."
FULL STORY:
http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/dn/religion/stories/031205dnrelu2.4e712.html

I love that last quote. Just raise the questions. I think God gave us free will and minds of our own to draw our own conclusions.

Other links exploring U2's Christian influences:
http://u2sermons.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_u2sermons_archive.html
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_041125u2.shtml

Think any feminists will boycott Ikea as a result of this....?

2005-03-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

Somedays there’s nothing interesting to talk about, and then there are days like today...

Ridiculous: Deserving or inspiring ridicule; absurd, preposterous, or silly.

Norway's prime minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik (a man) says Ikea is guilty of sex discrimination because it shows only men or androgynous figures in its instruction manuals. Ikea, which has 200 stores in 32 countries, says it fears offending Muslims if it were to depict women assembling the furniture. "It's important to promote attitudes for sexual equality, not least in Muslim nations," said Bondevik.
1.) Any man, Muslim or otherwise, who would be offended by that, is a pre-historic dick.
2.) Ikea’s morals appear to be as strong as the legs on one of its $30 tables.
3.) Somebody should tell the P.M. of Norway sexual equality will not improve in Muslim nations if women start appearing in instruction manuals.
4.) What’s the big deal anyway? Everybody knows men can’t put Ikea stuff together and their sister/girlfriend/or mother ends up doing it for them.
FULL STORY:
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/03/10/ikea.norway.reut/index.html

Police in Mexico City have been told they must read at least one book a month or forfeit promotion. Mayor Luis Sanchez says the edict will improve low standards in the force. Many Mexicans believe the police are corrupt, incompetent and lazy. Sanchez has recommended titles such as Don Quixote and The Labyrinth of Solitude by Octavio Paz.
There is one problem however: a substantial proportion of the police are semi-literate and 20 per cent were not educated beyond primary level. Sanchez didn’t say whether Dr. Seuss or Mr. Mugs titles will be made available to such officers.
FULL STORY: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4332183.stm

A Milwaukee father and his 17-year-old son have had their lawsuit against mandatory summer homework thrown out of court, with the judge saying the pair should have done a little more studying themselves before bringing the case to court. The father had argued that it was difficult for the boy to do the assignments because he had a summer job as a camp counselor. Oh man, suing over homework? I bet this kid's dad is the type who would sue a girl if she didn't go out with his son on the basis he's being discriminated against because he's a spineless, cowardly, pussy.
FULL STORY: http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/09/homework.lawsuit.ap/index.html

If baseball was truly serious about cleaning up its image problem, this isn’t the way to go about do it. Yesterday, Major League Baseball announced it will fight subpoenas issued by a U.S. House committee to some of the game’s biggest stars as it investigates "suspected" use of steroids by players. Eleven subpoenas have been issued to players for next week’s hearing and MLB has been subpoenaed for documents related to its handling of the issue. If you ask me, it’s pretty obvious that those who have agreed to testify have nothing to hide, while those that haven’t, clearly do.
Agreed (reportedly): Jose Canseco, Frank Thomas, Curt Schilling,
Resisting (reportedly): Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Giambi, Sammy Sosa, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, MLB Players' Association head, Don Fehr.
*Barry Bonds has not been invited to testify before the committee.
FULL STORY:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/baseball/mlb/03/09/bc.bbo.steroids/index.html

There's a reason there's no International Men's Day...

2005-03-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today is International Women's Day, something I was not aware of until I read the paper this morning. While reading a story on the subject, I was shocked by some of the statistics cited below. But having said that, when it comes to economic-discrepancies, it's really not all that suprising when you consider that most of today's business leaders are still conservative, sexist, white, male from the Baby Boom generation. And I've seen and heard many of their attitudes towards women first hand.
Issues of voilence are obviously more serious and complex, but if there's any silver lining in all this, it's that the Baby Boomers are set to retire over the next 10 years and its then that I think women can expect some real equality in the workforce.
But in the meantime, consider this:

25% of Ontario women experience spousal assault at least once in their lifetime.1

Only 27% of spousal assaults perpetrated against women are reported to police.5

56% of women entering shelters are admitted with their children. Over two-thirds of those children are under the age of ten.6

InCanada women's total incomes are 61% of men's.

In full-time, full-year work, women earn 72% of what mean earn ('98)

1 in 5 women in Canada live in poverty.

56% of single parent women are poor.

In the 1997 - 1998 academic year, 55% of all full-time university students were women, up from 37% in 1972 - 1973. (that blew my mind, only 37 per cent in 73!)

Women represented 49% of the victims of all violent crime reported to police.

But is your husband a good provider?

2005-03-02T18:59:00.000-05:00

I bet that's the argument this loser's lawyer brings out...

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- An Iranian woman has requested a divorce from her husband on the grounds that he has not washed for more than a year.
"My husband says he does not like water and does not want to take a shower ... He doesn't even wash his face when he wakes up in the morning," Mina, 36, was quoted as saying in court by the state-run Iran newspaper.
FULL STORY: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/03/02/iran.divorce.reut/index.html

They didn't teach me this in Catholic school

2005-03-02T12:23:00.000-05:00

With the Pope in the news so much these days, it has got me thinking once again about his predecessor, John Paul I. For many Catholics such as myself (whether practising or not) very little is known about this man perhaps other than the fact he held the shortage papacy in history at 33 days.
He wasn't expected to win and in those short 33 days he showed himself to be a reformer and someone determined to take the church in a new, more humble and perhaps even progressive direction.
He refused to wear the papal tiara or to be carried in the king-like chair. He was viewed—and feared—by many as a liberal on a mission to reverse the Church’s position on contraception, clean up corruption in the Vatican bank and dismiss many Masonic (right-wing) cardinals.
Then he died, apparently of a heart attack.
But for you Dan Brown-loving conspiracy buffs out there, consider the following circumstances surrounding the death of PJP I:

- The Vatican lied about who found the body (it claimed it was papal secretary John Magee; in fact it was later revealed that he was found by a nun in the Papal Household.)
- The Vatican lied about the time of death.
- The Vatican said that his personal property (his glasses, his will, and documents he was working on when he died) disappeared from his bedroom and was never found (In fact that was shown to be untrue. His possessions are in the possession of his sister's family.)
- It hinted that that his ill-health was due to heavy smoking; in fact he never smoked.
- The pope's body was embalmed within one day of his death. The sudden embalming raised suspicions that it had been done to prevent a post-mortem. However the Vatican insisted that a papal post-mortem was prohibited under Vatican law. This too was later revealed to be incorrect: in 1830 a post-mortem was carried out on the remains of Pope Pius VIII.

Anyone seen the Godfather Part III? Apparently the movie makes insinuations that PJP I may have been murdered after discovering discrepancies in Vatican Bank funds.

Whether or not he was actually murdered, I think this is fascinating stuff, especially for us progressive, non-practising Catholics.
Want to find out more? Check out:

http://www.tldm.org/news3/johnpaulI.htm (pure conspiracy stuff)
http://www.prose-n-poetry.com/display_work/10583/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_I
http://praiseofglory.com/popejp1.htm

High on madness

2005-02-28T20:41:00.000-05:00

Don’t know about you, but I’m seriously concerned about the drug problem in our society. And I’m talking about the legal stuff…prescription drugs. Rachel Ross in today's Toronto Star (has penned a solid feature on the subject. Though she didn’t reveal anything particularly new or shocking I think the level of apathy and ignorance in the general public on the subject is worrisome. For example, how many of you knew this:

-Major U.S. pharmaceuticals (Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKilne, Bristol-Myers, etc.) typically spend twice as much on marketing and administration as they do on drug discovery.

-The practice took off in the late 1990s after the United States relaxed laws restricting prescription drug advertising. Today more than $2.5 billion (U.S) is spent each year on direct-to-consumer drug advertising such as TV commercials and advertising spreads in mass-market magazines

-Canadian broadcasters are lobbying Health Canada (which oversees such ads) to remove the restrictions so they can earn some of the billions of dollars that might be up for grabs.

-Industry-giant Pfizer Inc., which bills itself as the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company spent $16.9 billion (U.S.) on "selling, informational and administrative expenses," but only $7.7 billion (U.S) on research and development in 2004.

-According to a survey of 535 U.S. doctors, 49 per cent of requests stemming from direct-to-consumer ads were “clinically inappropriate.” The survey indicated that physicians gave in to those “clinically inappropriate” requests 69 per cent of the time.

Crazy, eh? It gets worse…the following details the current ad campaign for the Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. weight-loss drug Xenical These ads are currently on TTC buses and streetcars.

Each ad begins with the words “I am Julie," and asks the reader what they would do with “a few pounds less.” The ad also suggests readers talk to their doctor about “Julie’s story.” There is no further information in the ads, only pictures: one is of a slender woman in a garter belt, while another has a picture of her in a bikini. A third shows naked mannequins and suggests how nice it would be to shop for trim-fitting clothes.

First things first. The Canadian government should unequivically ban prescription drug advertising on Canadian television. And by that I mean, CTV, CBC, Global should be prohibited from selling their own air time to sell prescription drugs to Canadians who may not, and in most cases, don't need them. Now many of you may argue that these ads are already airing on Canadian TV, via the American networks. That's true, and there's little Canada can do to stop the practice but that doesn't mean we have to open the floodgates. The Canadian networks will sell the airtime regardless of whether its for Viagara or Canadian Tire. They won't lose a penny.

In fact, the federal government should go as far as legislation banning prescription drug advertising on Canadian networks/channels. Fat chance the Liberals under Paul Martin will go for it, but I gurantee you that such a bill would receive unanimous support from both the NDP and Bloc, not to mention the majority of Canadians, and possibly even a few Conservatives (come out of the closet Belinda--everyone knows you're a Liberal!)

And as for prescription weight loss drugs...I really feel for young (and old) women these days. And these days young women can be eight-year-olds in terms of when they start to develop body image issues. And obviously ads such as the one for Xenical, don't help.

But you know what would help and is another no-brainer in terms of bi-partisan politcal support and a huge hit with Canadians? Introducing compulsary media awareness and mental health education beginning in Grade 3 and running through Grade 12. One course per year, beginning by teaching kids what a commercial is and what is trying to do. From there, students would eventually move on to heavier material such as body image and eating disorders and other mental illnesses, and how advetisements prey on our insecurities to encourage consumption of their products. Think about it, even positive ads, do, only backwards.

I'm convinced that if kids and most importantly, young girls, grew up with a greater sense of media savy at a young age they would be so less susceptible to developing eating disorders and/or becoming mindless consumers

After all, what type of education are we providing if our most brilliant minds still suffer from eating disorders, can't recognize depression and can't understand why buying a new car or clothes didn't make them feel any better, as advertised?

Well that didn't take long, did it...

2005-02-27T18:36:00.000-05:00

In my previous post I wrote about Kraft's roadkill gummi candy and the ludicrous stink (no pun intended) being rasied by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Well, fearing the wrath of parents whose kids might be traumatized by the sight of gummi candy with tire marks on it, Kraft has decided to halt production.
FULL STORY:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4300029.stm

An Italian sex researcher claims he can tell a woman's personality from the size and shape of her rack, reports online news service Ananova. He has categorized breast types according to fruits and says men can draw up their own horoscope-type chart that indicates what a woman's chest size says about her.
Here's what the various shapes reportedly indicate:
Melon=likes eating and wants to be spoiled and admired. But seldom likes sex.
Lemon=full of life and can laugh at themselves. They want a balanced life without surprises
Oval/Pineapple=intelligent, often has a career but is still romantic. They are also faithful. Grapefruit=may look erotic, but in reality is bashful and homely. prefers tenderness over sex.
Orange=self-confident, knows her goals, little interest in sex. She likes conversation.
Small/Cherry=funny and very exciting. Entertaining and intelligent. Moderate sex interest
Pear=Love in all its variations. Can be very religious, but is known to have affairs.
FULL STORY:http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1109199011305&call_pageid=991479973472&col=991929131147&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes

Is that Time magazine or the Toronto Sun?
Lead headline on Time's homepage:Revenge of the Kurds

More than 100,000 workers in Cuba's tourism industry have been ordered to restrict their contact with foreigners to an absolute minimum. New regulations from the communist state's tourism ministry apply to Cubans on the island and overseas. The tourism ministry added similar programs have achieved great results in places such as France and Quebec.
FULL STORY:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4301529.stm

Kids love eating road kill

2005-02-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

It's been over a week since I last posted (shame) but as always, there's some interesting stuff going on, so let's get to it...

Some idiot American who fell in love on the Internet decided to try and walk from North Dakota to Winnipeg to meet his cyber-lover. Problem is, its WINTER and he was walking to WINNIPEG! To find out if he survived (hint: Charles Darwin would be disappointed) check out the link.
FULL STORY: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/02/25/lovestruck-0225.html

I see earlier this week the Pope called abortion and same-sex marriage "evil." He also compared abortion to the Halocaust. Such strong language from a man who apparently couldn't find any words sufficient enough to condemn or even acknowledge the repeated raping of children by many of his priests. I feel a Catholic/Pope/hypocrisy rant coming on, but I'll save that for another day.
FULL STORY:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1109175818790_104585018?hub=World

Kraft foods has pissed off the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) by launching a new candy that's shaped like critters run over by cars—complete with tire treads. An SPCA spokesperson says, "It sends the wrong message to children, that it's OK to harm animals."
Give me a break. First, it's a gummi candy so we're not even talking about real animals! Secondly, I don't think the SPCA realizes how ridiculous they look on this one. What are they going to do next next, show kids videos of the terrible pain and suffering these gelatin candies must endure during production? Besides, do they really think kids are going to eat this stuff and then start running down squirrels on their bikes? Ridiculous.
FULL STORY: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/25/roadkill.candy.ap/index.html

Listerine fights bad breath...and helps you get away with rape

2005-02-16T11:35:00.000-05:00

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/4202881/detail.html?subid=22100410&qs=1;bp=t

A Boston woman says she identified her rapist by recognizing his bad breath.
Tuen K. Lee, 36, was arraigned Tuesday on three counts of aggravated rape, kidnapping and other charges. He has plead not guilty.
The alleged victim told police she was getting ready for bed two weeks ago when a man wearing a ski mask held a knife to her throat, attacked and raped her. She said she recognized the attacker when she smelled his breath and realized the foul odor was the same as her boss' breath. He was arrested Feb. 3, eight days after the attack, on DNA evidence gathered at the scene. Lee and his accuser work at a sushi restaurant in Quincy.
**The real irony here is that if this guy goes to prison, I doubt his "foul odour" breath will be enough to keep him from being raped himself. Some might call that justice.

If Canseco is lying...where are the lawsuits??

2005-02-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

From today's Toronto Star...
According to Canseco, (Dusty) Baker was a legendary party animal before he became a father-figure manager; (Jason) Giambi was a hall of fame womanizer; (Frank)Thomas was scared senseless by a high-speed highway adventure; (Mark) Grace was a proponent of sleeping with unattractive women to break hitting slumps; and (Mark) McGwire regularly called reporters "faggots. On the "tradition" of sleeping with "ugly" women to break slumps: "Mark Grace defined a slump-buster as the `fattest, gnarliest chick you can uncover."
***So, Mark Grace was a "heavy hitter" only in the bedroom, and you can now add prick to steroid-junkie, phony and martyr when describing Mark McGwire.
FULL STORY: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1108422612895&call_pageid=968332188492 (Why are Star links always so damn long?)

Also In the news today...

When I went to highschool, puke on the dancefloor wasn't a big deal...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050215.wxschools0215/BNStory/National/

Want to know the biggest drinking states in the U.S.?
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/02/14/binge.drinking.ap/index.html

Two heart-warming tales this V-day

2005-02-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

Radio station offers free divorce for Valentine's Day
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/14/free.divorce.ap/index.html

Parents protest radio ID tags for students
http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/02/10/tracking.students.ap/index.html

While on the subject of Valentine's Day, it has got to be the phoniest day of the year. I hope we all know by now it was created to stimulate shopping and spending during the slowest retail sales month every year——February. Besides, if you're a decent guy shouldn't you resent the idea that you're being pressured into doing something special ($$) on an otherwise insignificant day? The whole thing is ridiculous, and might I add, sexist. Yes, sexist. Anyone out there want to argue the fact that the onus is clearly on the guy to do something for the woman here? Is that progressive? Chew on that feminists...

Wait a minute...without Valentine's Day there would never have been that classic Simpsons episode where Ralph Wiggum develops a crush on Lisa Simpson.

So never mind. I take it all back.

Play it again Sam

2005-02-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, this year's Raptors have turned into arguably the most dysfunctional team in professional sports. Let's recap the best of the worst thus far:

1.) Vince Carter dogged it until he was traded (43 points last night for NJ, his third 40+ game this past week)
2.) Rafer Alston had a hissy fit, walked out of practice and was suspended
3.) Coach Sam Mitchell challenged Alston to a fight in the lockeroom this past week
4.) Eric Williams demanded to be traded and called Alston an "asshole"
5.) Carter's mommy, Michelle, told sportsnet's Marty York Vince got into a fight with Mitchell before being traded, slamming him onto a masage table. She also said the Raptors players are tired of Mitchell's antics and she's "worried about them."

I don't happen to think Mitchell is the problem here, but challenging your players to a fight isn't smart. Remember, it's Vince and Rafer we're talking about here, so it's not like he's picking on hard workers such as Matt Bonner or Chris Bosh. Having said that, Mitchell is a piece of work, leading some members of the media to lable him as "ornery," which he is. Of course, surly S.O.B.s can also be quite entertaining when prodded properly. Here's a few verbal gems that have spewed out of Mitchell's mouth at various points this season. The list is sure to grow as the season progresses.

**The first question Mitchell was asked by the media following a heartbreaking loss in Portland was, did he think Lamond Murray's potential game-tying shot at the buzzer, which eventually was waved off, was good? Mitchell was so irate at his own players, and so determined to take it out on someone with his sarcasm, he actually said:
"No, I was just jumping up and down because I'm retarded." –Nov 14

**In response to why Alston need to learn how to control his emotions:
"Hey, I was driving down the street today and a guy comes up to my car and asks for money. And I was going to give him some money, but the light changed. He recognized who I was and he cursed me out, and at the end he told me it still was a bleepin' hockey town, and f--- the Raptors. Two years ago, I would have put my car in park, got out and beat the crap out of him. That was me two years ago, seriously. Things like that p--- me off. But I realized he was asking me for money, and he was standing in the cold with a sign saying he was hungry and I was driving by, so who really has it bad? I just let it go. But two years ago, I would have been tempted not to take it as well." In case you're wondering, Mitchell is 40, so it's nice to know he's matured a lot since turning 38.

**When asked whether he got into a physical fight with Alston earlier this week
"I laugh at the fact that it went from shouting to I was actually rolling around on the floor with my nice suit on," said Mitchell. "I don't do that anymore, I'm a little too old. First of all, I hadn't fought in so long, I forgot how to. Second, I pay too much for my clothes to roll around on the dirty locker-room floor." -Feb 9

**And from Dave Feschuk in today's Star:
It was only a few years ago that Mitchell was challenging Kevin Willis to a street fight after a playoff game in which Mitchell had been ejected for clothes lining Willis on a breakaway. The hard foul, the teeth-shaking takedown — those were his signature moves as a player.
And apparently as a coach as well

WHAT TYPE OF PERSON DO YOU THINK I AM?

2005-02-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

I would never use such a cheap stunt to get attention.
Nobody's in the closet...at least none that I know of.
But admit it, the only reason you checked out this blog is because you wanted to find out who's gay. Having said, anyone who would like to "out" themself here by posting is more than welcome to. And while you're here, if nothing else, check out "Mr. Wiggly" below. One of the funniest real news stories I have read in a long time...

Why isn't a bigger deal being made out of this?

2005-02-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

Makes you wonder just how much of this crap goes on all the time...

By ALAN FREEMAN
Friday, February 11, 2005 Updated at 2:01 AM EST
From Friday's Globe and Mail

It was the softball question to President George W. Bush at a rare news conference two weeks ago that finally blew Jeff Gannon's cover.

As Mr. Bush was peppered with tough queries on Jan. 26 about Iraq and his proposed overhaul of Social Security, the President pointed to Mr. Gannon, the White House correspondent for Talon News, an obscure, conservative website.

What followed was not a typical question from a journalist but an attack on leading Democrats in Congress that ended with a question that seemed written by a Republican Party publicist, “How are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?”

Bloggers and conventional members of the press corps got to work and discovered that Mr. Gannon was the pseudonym of 47-year-old James D. Guckert, who had been denied press accreditation at Congress, and that the website he worked for was in fact owned by a Republican activist from Texas.
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Adding to the intrigue, the Talon correspondent was linked to on-line domain addresses with sexual connotations.

Yesterday, Mr. Guckert/Gannon resigned from Talon and once again, the White House found itself accused of using sympathetic pseudo-journalists for its propaganda efforts.

Over the past month, there have been disclosures of three separate instances in which government agencies have given lucrative contracts to conservative, pro-Bush commentators to provide consulting services and write positive articles on the administration's pet policies, including education changes.

Mr. Bush has vowed that the practice would end, although he insisted he didn't know about any of the payments.

There are no indications that Mr. Gannon was being paid by the White House, but his kid-glove treatment and his unusual journalistic credentials have raised eyebrows.

Mr. Gannon said yesterday on CNN that he used the pseudonym because it was easier to pronounce and that he was a journalist for a legitimate website. He said he had resigned from Talon News because he had been threatened and received hate mail from unidentified enemies.

As for the links to sexually explicit websites, he said he had registered the domain names for a client but they had never been used.

For the past two years, he has attended the daily press briefing at the White House, usually intervening with easy questions like the following, asked of Bush spokesman Scott McClellan on May 10, when the Iraq prison-abuse scandal was raging.

“In your denunciations of the Abu Ghraib photos, you've used words like sickening, disgusting and reprehensible. Will you have any adjectives left to adequately describe the pictures from Saddam's rape rooms and torture chambers? And will Americans ever see those images?”

A grateful Mr. McClellan responded, “I'm glad you brought that up, Jeff, because the President talks about that often.”

Louise Slaughter, a Democratic congresswoman from New York, accused Mr. Gannon yesterday of being a “Republican political operative” and “a tool of propaganda” who used a false name and had phony university and journalistic credentials.

In an open letter to Mr. Bush, Ms. Slaughter said the public has “the right to expect that journalists who question their President every day are experienced, independent and perhaps, most importantly, unbiased in their approach.”

Mr. McClellan denied suggestions that Mr. Gannon was planted at last month's news conference, insisting that Mr. Bush “doesn't know who he is,” and simply picked him at random to ask a question.

Mr. McClellan said it was not his role to “get into picking or choosing who gets press credentials.”

Mr. Wiggly

2005-02-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

By choosing a name like "Mr. Wiggly," the guy had it coming.

From the Halifax Daily News:

Tuesday, February 8, 2005
Employee ‘whipped it out,’ so bar has to pay

By Shaune MacKinlay
A former employee of a Prospect Bay bar who exposed his “Mr. Wiggly” to a female bartender sexually harassed her, says the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

In a ruling released yesterday, a commission inquiry board awarded the Prospect Bay-area woman $3,500 in general damages and $6,760 in lost wages in connection with an after-hours incident at the Bay Landing Dining Room and Lounge.

The woman testified she worked and hung out at the Prospect Bay bar, where jokes laden with sexual innuendo were commonplace.

Colleague Tommy Duggan’s penis, known to the bar crowd as Mr. Wiggly, had a starring role in many of the jokes, she told the inquiry.

On Nov. 5, 2000, she was closing the bar by herself.

Duggan was not working, but had spent much of the day there drinking — putting back about 15 beers, according to his own testimony — and playing video lotto machines.

‘Mr. Wiggly’

The woman told the board Duggan stayed late to help her close up.

While she was counting the money at the bar, she told the inquiry, Duggan stood behind her, pulled down his pants and said: “Mr. Wiggly should be rolling in those fives with you.”

As she made her way to the office, she said, he followed her and tried to lift up the back of her shirt.

Duggan did not deny that he “whipped it out,” but he said he had no recollection of lifting her shirt.

The woman said the experience left her psychologically damaged. She said she became depressed, suffered anxiety attacks, and didn’t want to leave the house.

Board chairwoman Bonita Small found the bar was liable for Duggan’s behaviour because it failed to send him a message that the woman’s complaint was being taken seriously.

The Bay Landing has also been ordered to develop a sexual harassment policy within six months.

In August 2002, Duggan pleaded guilty to sexual assault for the same event. The bar fired him shortly after his arrest.

He has also lost some vision in one eye after an assault, in which the woman’s boyfriend was charged.

Anyone else miss Chretien?

2005-02-11T13:15:00.000-05:00

Seeing Chretien's golf ball theatrics at the Gomery inquiry the other day really made me miss the crazy, old bastard. For despite what you think of him or his politics (which I happen to agree with), he was a far more entertaining and decisive PM than Paul Martin is turning out to be. You can bet Martin will never ride a scooter on an airport tarmac, strangle a protester, or pose for a photo with with barber shears around his neck. Besides, if Martin had been PM two years ago, our soliders would likely be in Iraq right now.

"Asked by his lawyer, David Scott, whether he had any examples of these gifts, Chrétien sighed theatrically and reached into his briefcase." —Toronto Star.