Youth soccer tournament...or Zionist conspiracy?

Babble on.

I was channel-surfing while scarfing back my toast and coffee this morning, and I stumbled onto highlights of the Jetix Kids Cup 2004, an international goodwill soccer tournament for boys and girls under the age of 12. The Israeli team won the boys' trophy and the U.S. team won the girls' competition.

That's right, Jews and Americans. Winning. It's like 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982 all over again. In fact, not a single Muslim country even competed. Unless you count France.

I'm just waiting for a nutbar like this to hear the news. Zionist world domination, starting with kids' soccer - remember I predicted it here first.

Babble off.

Frozen Hamassets

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An editorial in today’s Washington Post outlines some of the formal allegations against Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development - the largest Islamic 'charity' in the U.S. - which led to its assets being frozen by the U.S. government post-9/11.

“Between 1992 and 2001, the organization took in more than $57 million and gave more than $36 million of that sum "to individuals associated with, and organizations controlled by, HAMAS," the government says. Since 1995, when fundraising for Hamas became illegal in this country, Holy Land has sent $12.4 million to elements of the terrorist group's social service network in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and has specifically sought out the families of suicide bombers and other Hamas operatives in distributing its money.”

Of course, the organization categorically denies any wrongdoing. Yeah, 'cause Shukri Abu Baker has all the credibility in the world, right?

The editorial then goes on to say:

“If Holy Land was, indeed, a front for terrorist fundraising, its many well-intentioned donors should not be left to labor under the illusion that it was the victim of an anti-Muslim witch hunt.” (emphasis yours truly)

I have two questions that the politically-correct Washington Post won’t ask. First, how many of the “well-intentioned” donors were truly unaware their money was going to Hamas? And second, how many of them would have stopped giving had they known?

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Warren, meet Carolyn. She's a Liberal.

Babble on.

So I'm backreading on Kinsella's site: "Jamaica"...ya lucky bastard..."Warren Pranks"...sounds fun...

Oooh, this is interesting. Bashing CBC.ca columnist Larry Zolf for talking about the importance of ethnic groups to the Liberal election-win factory.

Now, I don't really see what the big deal about Zolf's column is - I mean, he's no Jimmy the Greek talking about breeding the slaves strong so they can one day earn gazillions playing defensive end for the Cowboys. My complaint is that it's overly simplistic, if not "apallingly insensitive and dumb" as Kinsella says.

But Warren goes right off the deep end:

"As a student of Canadian politics, I can attest to the fact that no Canadian political party - including the Liberal Party, now being breathlessly urged by Larry to "cater" to "the ethnics" - any longer regards ethnic communities as unintelligent monoliths, which can be counted upon to unquestioningly do the bidding of backroom party apparatchiks. Even if such a sad state of affairs ever existed, you can be assured it doesn't anymore. Ask any successful politician: in 2004 A.D., every predominant Canadian ethnic group has done what one would expect (and hope) to happen in the new millennium - they vote for Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats like everyone else does. That is, according to the issues, and leadership, and so on." (my emphasis)

Uh, Warren, I'd like you to meet Carolyn Parrish, Liberal MP. Her comments prior to a Liberal caucus meeting on July 14 of this year:

Mississauga MP Carolyn Parrish said given a chance, she'll call on the PM to pay back immigrant communities for keeping most area seats Liberal. "We owe the ethnic community some recognition for what they did to save our lives, and it's due them anyway." (again, my emphasis)

You may want to take a shower before you head to Jamaica, Warren. Wash the egg off your face.

Babble off.

I am Blogger, hear me roar

Babble on.

After reading Jack Kapica's piece on blogging in today's Globe and Mail, I am revelling in my vast, far-reaching influence as a blogger.  Of course, the power sure doesn't come with many perqs.  Maybe I'm feeling more like the Genie in Aladdin: "Phenomenal, cosmic, powers! Ittie-bittie, living space."  But I digress.

The problem with Jack's article...how can I put this delicately...is that Jack doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

"...what is evident is that bloggers are really fulfilling a reporting function. They are like emissaries of their communities, whose views they represent at a major political event, and who make sure that the folks back home get the kind of information that matters to them."

Oh, that's right.  I read Lileks for the local angle.  Damian Penny only appeals to the "folks back home" in Cornerbrook.  Bob at Let It Bleed, Anthony at The Meatriarchy, Nicholas at Ghost of a Flea - these guys are just small-town correspondents.

Or perhaps - and stay with me here, because this idea is WAY OUT THERE - the blogging paradigm is so vastly removed from Jack's myopic journalistic worldview that he may as well be smoking crack for all his views are worth on the topic.  Perhaps.

I couldn't give a rat's hindquarters where the people who post at The Shotgun are from.  I read them because they make sense.  I read them because they say what I'm thinking before I clean up my language.  I read them because they skip right by "well, that's certainly an interesting opinion" and go right to "you are obviously depriving a village somewhere of a perfectly serviceable idiot."  I read them because you can't find this stuff in the mainstream press.

Local?  The internet?  Are the Globe editors so technologically Amish that nobody in a story meeting would be able to call 'bullshit' when they read this?

Yet another strike against a newspaper that's already behind in the count.

Oh, and what's the deal with whaling away on Conrad Black?  I'm sure the guy doesn't even know what a blog is.  Yet somehow Count Crossharbour gets pummelled from the first paragraph to the last.  I'm guessing this is just Globe editorial policy now: "Today, the Canadian government signed a far-reaching trade treaty with the European Union.  And in related news, official sources say that Conrad Black is a complete asshole, and we all hate him very much."

Babble off.

Batman Begins

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Thanks to Nicholas Packwood for reminding me about Batman Begins.  Nobody has yet done justice to this character (no pun intended) on film.  But the trailer and photos look promising.

I'm trying not to get my hopes too high, but this looks very...Frank Miller.  Ok, my hopes are now officially up.

Growing up, Batman wasn't always my favourite comic book character.  But he's always been the most interesting one, the one I've come back to time and again after the shine has worn off the latest and greatest newbie.

Maybe this movie can finally wash away the foul taste left by the cinematic rubbish of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.  Maybe we will be able to erase from public consciousness the nightmarish memory of George Clooney as Bruce Wayne.  Maybe at long last we'll see The Dark Knight.

I can't wait.

Babble off.

Manipulation backfire?

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I've never even met John Ibbitson, so take this for what it's worth.

I think someone fairly high up in the civil service tried to manipulate both him and Graham Fraser of The Toronto Star (aka Pravda Canada) a couple of weeks ago.  Read Ibbitson's article from July 13th about morale in the public service.  Sinister Reg Alcock.  Hated by our proud, professional, oh-so-hard-done-by civil servants.  Evil man.  Then read Ibby's column from July 27th.  Brave Sir Alcock, slaying the public service dragon.  Fine gentleman.  Exactly what this country needs.

Anyone else think Johnny-boy got his chain pulled and is none-too-happy about it?

Babble off.

Oedipus Ben

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My wife makes me watch Canadian Idol with her.  It's that, or sleep on the couch (I'm sticking with that story so my buddies won't go searching for my lost testicles). 

If you've never seen it, don't worry, you're not missing much.  For the most part, the performers serve up vocal pablum, the script is corny, and the judges are inconsistent.  On its best days, the entertainment is merely mediocre.

But the show has recently taken a turn for the creepier.  Ben Mulroney is hot for Theresa Sokyrka.  My first reaction was surprise: Ben actually likes girls.  Then I got this weird deja vu feeling, like I'd seen Theresa somewhere before...

Look at Theresa, mentally remove her glasses, then look here.

Ben's a freak.

Babble off.