There Goes The Neighbourhood

Rape as Punishment Washington Post By Mona Eltahawy Editorial Pg B07 July 28, 2002 A Pakistan tribal council's horrific "punishment" by gang rape of a young woman last month was just the tip of a very ugly iceberg called honor. In the name of that most elusive of concepts, women are shot, beheaded, burned, stoned and beaten. And, in the case of Saleema, raped. Four men raped Saleema (not her real name) for more than an hour to ruin her honor and avenge that of another woman. (Saleema's 12-year-old brother had been in the company of a woman from a more powerful tribal family, apparently not by his own choice, and been summarily accused of having an affair with her). Hence the tribal council's "verdict" on his sister. The Pakistan Human Rights Commission estimates that at least eight women, five of them minors, are reported raped every day; more than two-thirds of them are gang-raped. In Pakistan rape is often used for revenge or punishment against an enem...

Just another culture, no better, no worse, just the same, equal ... A culture and people have the right to decide what is best for them and no one has the right to judge that action.  Stay out of their business! Pakistan pack rape as reform laws stall Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent The Australian September 19, 2006 REPORTS of yet another pack rape in Pakistan emerged over the weekend as plans to amend laws aimed at making it easier to punish rapists stalled in the Islamabad parliament because of opposition from ultra-conservative Islamic parties. The News International said a mother and daughter in a rural area had been abducted and gang-raped for 12 days because the daughter continued her schooling in defiance of villagers in her home near Multan. The newspaper said the daughter had recently attained a masters degree in education at the Bahauddin Zahariya University. Precise details of what happened are sketchy, but it appears that the girl's father was also attacked by th...

Majority thinks U.S. partly to blame for Sept. 11 By SHAWN MCCARTHY Ottawa Bureau Chief; Source: Ipsos-Reid Saturday, September 7, 2002 The Globe and Mail A vast majority of Canadians believes the United States bears at least some responsibility for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because of U.S. policies in the Middle East and around the globe, according to a Globe and Mail/CTV poll. And a significant, but smaller, majority said Canada is doing enough to support the United States in the war on terrorism, the Ipsos-Reid survey released yesterday says. The poll was released as Prime Minister Jean Chrétien prepares to head to New York next week for the first anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center that killed almost 3,000 civilians. On Monday, Mr. Chrétien will meet U.S. President George W. Bush in Detroit to discuss border security and ways to relieve congestion caused by increased vigilance at the border. The two leaders also are expected to talk about U.S. threats to attack...

Not at all arrogant.  Not at all pedantic.  Not at all disrespectful, boastful, or obnoxious. It's not our fault we're morally superior to U.S. [Ontario Edition] Toronto Star - Toronto, Ont. Richard Gwyn  Dec 8, 2002 Start Page: A.19 Section: OPINION Text Word Count: 753 Without intending to — his effect was actually the exact opposite of his intent — Deputy Prime Minister John Manley was praising Canadians lavishly the other day when he scolded them for harbouring a feeling of "moral superiority" toward Americans. In fact, he's largely right in his description. Not that Canadians are morally superior to Americans, or to anyone. Our principal superior quality is that we are a lot luckier than anyone else — lots of natural wealth, lots of space, no enemies, no superpower or colonial responsibilities. (Calling the U.S. president a "moron" is, to get that out of the way early, utterly moronic.) But a fair number of Canadians do feel morally superior to Amer...

A year or so ago, DHS Secretary Napolitano made a statement I was critical of - and rightly so, but for different reasons, ultimately, than the one I now make - several terrorists have crossed the border into the US from Canada.  I criticized her at the time and in some ways it is irony - given Obama's position on immigration and allowing anyone into this country, they should not be bothered by who crosses into the US from Canada.  On another level, our security - up until 5-6 years ago Canada had no tangible policy on foreigners being expelled from Canada.  You land in Canada, often without a passport (in part because the host country really wanted you to leave) and claim refugee status.  The Canadian Immigration people take them aside, have them fill out paperwork, question them, hand then credits for room and board, give them a notice informing them they need to show up for an immigration hearing in 45 days, and smile and tell them to have a good day, eh.  Ne...

Feminists anti-US speech causes uproar Peter O'Neil Vancouver Sun Tuesday, October 02, 2001 Canadian Press OTTAWA -- A B.C. feminist told a cheering audience here that the United States government is more threatening to the world than international terrorism. Sunera Thobani received several standing ovations from about 500 delegates attending the Women's Resistance Conference on Monday. [Standing ovation - the 500 women attending this hate speech, should be given 1st class tickets to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, Libya, Algeria, Jordan, Syria, Iraq ... one way tickets.] Her comments caused a political uproar, with opposition MPs condemning Secretary of State Hedy Fry for sitting silently as Thobani spoke. MPs called on the government to fire Fry, charging that she should have immediately condemned Thobani's statements. "Today in the world the United States is the most dangerous and the most powerful global force unleashing horrific levels of violence," s...

One has to wonder.  Does he have a Carter playbook? The Telegraph By Tim Ross, Matthew Moore and Steven Swinford 9:23PM GMT 28 Jan 2011 Egypt protests: America's secret backing for rebel leaders behind uprising The American government secretly backed leading figures behind the Egyptian uprising who have been planning “regime change” for the past three years, The Daily Telegraph has learned. The American Embassy in Cairo helped a young dissident attend a US-sponsored summit for activists in New York, while working to keep his identity secret from Egyptian state police. On his return to Cairo in December 2008, the activist told US diplomats that an alliance of opposition groups had drawn up a plan to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak and install a democratic government in 2011. The secret document in full He has already been arrested by Egyptian security in connection with the demonstrations and his identity is being protected by The Daily Telegraph. The crisis in Egypt follows the t...

Some people get a small thrill when they are correct about someone in their judgment, or about something that tends to prove itself accurate later, while other people tended to ignore the events or people. Whether it is about that neighbor who is lifting large sacks out of his garage late at night and dumping them in his trunk for late night drive-aways, or on more macro issues like Iran, Israel, the Palestinians, or Egypt. One writer I believe is amazing good – Caroline Glick. Her articles on Israel are brilliant and where analysis comes in, it is either very accurate or as layers are peeled away through the actions of Iran, Hezbollah, or Israel, they are seen to be accurate at a later time. I do not see the same, as yet (and it is almost mid-way through) in regard to Egypt. Despots and the sort, hold power through fear. You increase the pressure enough that everyone runs and hides and those who remain standing are collected and disposed of (which increases the fear). It works quite w...

'Let me begin by saying' I would like to .... There is no reason to either state what you will tell me, nor to inform me of what you will imminently make known.  JUST SAY IT. All in all ... What exactly does that mean?  Relative to what?  Back in the day ... What an odd formation of words and it sounds odder still when someone says it, most especially an 18 year old.  In fact it is almost as bad as when they say ... We are where we are ...  As opposed to being somewhere else and not being where we are. We, as human beings must not forgot .... And if we are not human beings then we are ... dogs, cats, fish, ghostly apparitions?  The more appropriate phrase would be: We must never forget .... At the end of the day we should endeavor to ... Most likely this person wants to sum everything up, but he uses a time reference - what possible connection is there between the end of the day and his point?  Answer:  None. Currently, at this time ... What ...

Most See U.S. as a 'Bully,' Survey Finds Canadians conflicted about how much support to show Americans Tuesday, December 31, 2002 The Ottawa Citizen by Norma Greenaway Canadians have their backs up over American foreign policy, according to a new survey that shows the vast majority believe the United States is acting like a bully with the rest of the world. The survey suggests a chill has developed in Canada-U.S. relations compared to the empathy and support that flowed following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and for the launch of the U.S.-led "war on terrorism." Although almost half of those surveyed agree the United States, as the world's sole superpower, has a responsibility to intervene in the affairs of other countries to protect global security, almost seven in 10 believe the U.S. is "starting to act like a bully with the rest of the world." The survey, based on telephone interviews with 1,400 adult Canadians, was conducted in the first ...

MP apologizes for calling Americans 'bastards' Wed, 26 Feb 2003 22:29:40 cbc.ca.news OTTAWA - A Liberal MP has apologized for saying about Americans: "I hate those bastards." MP Carolyn Parrish was speaking to reporters about Canada's diplomatic initiative on Iraq. At the end of her comments Parrish said, "Damn Americans ... I hate those bastards." CBC reporter Susan Lunn who heard Parrish make the comment, says the MP then laughed as she was walking away. In a written statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Parrish says she made the comments in the heat of the moment in a private conversation. She says they do not reflect her opinion of the American people. "My comments do not reflect my personal opinion of the American people and they certainly do not reflect the views of the government of Canada," she said in her written statement. Late last year, the prime minister's communications director, Francoise Ducros, resigned after calling U.S. P...

Early humans were likely to have been more competitive and promiscuous than we are today. That's the conclusion of a study that looked at the fossilised finger bones of extinct apes and hominins - extinct members of the human lineage. The study showed they were exposed to higher levels of androgen hormones in the womb. Focus magazine, January 2011, p. 22 Exactly what that means I am unsure, but I believe the scientists.

Makes perfect sense.  Their economic base is in the South - they will increase factories and industry, move them out of Beijing (I suspect they will lower prices on products from that area as an incentive) and reduce the pollution levels around China. But - if you gaze at the map and note the location of the cities and what is in between each city - they will fill that space with people and things for people: hospitals, schools, jails, prisons, military and politburo buildings, parks ... and what is on that land now and what will NOT be on that land later? And what is China's greatest weakness. China to create largest mega city in the world with 42 million people China is planning to create the world's biggest mega city by merging nine cities to create a metropolis twice the size of Wales with a population of 42 million. By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai and Peter Foster in Beijing 12:21PM GMT 24 Jan 2011 The Telegraph City planners in south China have laid out an ambitious plan to...

Top or Bottom The biggest source of heat in your fridge is the air that rushes in every time you open the door.  Cold air sinks.  Hot air rises.  The bottom shelves would be the coldest and towards the back!! That's where you should keep anything that needs to stay cold!! Focus Magazine, Dec 2010. random

Teaching respect, everywhere they go.  It is so easy being anyone but the United States because the rules don't apply to you.  But, we are supposed to care when their feelings are hurt. Canadians Tell U.S. Kids, 'America Sucks' April 3, 2003 Newsmax.com A busload of American "PeeWee" hockey players got a taste of the rabid anti-Americanism that is festering in Canada: They were hooted at, our National Anthem was booed, and people in the street gave them the finger or displayed other rude gestures. The Massachusetts kids were in Montreal for a PeeWee tournament when residents of this French-speaking city treated them the way one would expect an enemy to be treated: with scorn and hostility. According to the Toronto Globe & Mail, the 11- and 12-year-old boys from Brockton had been looking forward to the hockey tournament in Montreal. But parents who accompanied them said they were unprepared for the depth of anti-American hatred over the U.S.-led war against Ira...

This attitude helps explain several other articles posted about Canada - the snide comments their legislators have made, the rude behavior of their citizens.  Canadian PM Admits to Major Differences with Bush Reuters Tuesday, May 27, 2003; 7:08 PM By David Ljunggren ATHENS (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, whose rocky relations with the White House hit a new low over the Iraq war, admitted openly on Tuesday for the first time that he disagreed on many issues with President Bush. Chretien's comments only served to underscore the gulf between the leaders of the world's two largest trading partners. The two men have not met since last September and on Monday they spoke by phone for the first time in three months. Until now, the veteran Canadian leader, who plans to step down next February, has said the only major disagreement between Canada and the United States was over Iraq. Washington was angered by Ottawa's refusal to commit troops to the war. But Chretien...

What a state.  Where the winter population increases with the decrease from every other state North of Arizona and the flight out of Canada and Europe to places warmer - Arizona. To live in a land of cold for eight months of the year - already says something about he Snow Birds who flock to Arizona. Then for the millions who call it home year round - imagine having to go outside at 3am to do yard work in the summer so you can be back inside before the temperature rises to 110.  You hibernate all day and poke your head out at 10pm when the temperature is hovering at a cool 99 degrees.  And those people choose to be in Arizona.  Says something. They have interesting laws and even more interesting people, including their share of psychotic killers. Now they want to pass a law requiring both certificates be shown by any and all candidates running for office.   This is a direct reach for Obama's birth certificate.   I do not much care for the man - as far a...

Amazing what we learn each day, drip drip ... it isn't about health care for all, it is about refilling the treasury for the unions and supporters of the Democratic party.  How?  Those companies and unions are exempt from having to provide the health care we are all supposed to have.  They get waivers on taxes and waivers on required coverage ... one after another thee entities walk away from the White House with the waiver card signed. Most recently it is SEIU. More than 700 companies have been given waivers.   Translated that means - those companies and entities do not have to do what the rest of us have to do.  Isn't that fair and a refreshing change. obama

Lighter Penalties for minors in pot bill Friday, May. 16, 2003 Cannada News / Ottawa By JOHN IBBITSON and KIM LUNMAN From Friday's Globe and Mail Smoking pot while driving would not be a crime and penalties for minors would be lower than for adults, according to draft legislation decriminalizing the possession of marijuana. The Cannabis Reform Bill was to have been introduced to Parliament this week, but sources report that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien ordered it delayed until the end of May to give caucus members more time to consider it, and to let Justice Minister Martin Cauchon fine-tune its provisions. Details of those provisions have been obtained by The Globe and Mail. As currently envisioned, the act would make possession of less than 15 grams of marijuana (the equivalent of about 20 joints) a non-criminal offence punishable by a fine of $150 for adults. Minors, however, would be charged only $100, although police would notify their parents of the offence. If the offender p...

Very carefully - the way Euros insert anti-Semitic statements or arguments into conversation. And once again - why articles that are 8 years old (this one is from November 1, 2002). Why?  because very nearly every attack and criticism of the US is based on drivel pulled out of someones rusty file cabinet, and or just printed and taken from one of those sites that highlight change and masquerade as lucid while they have no change to spare and clearly need more sense than they have.  I am so tired of contending with ancient wrongs by the US, culled from a media so willing to make available the opinions of reporters, taken for fact by willing accomplices and spread like butter for the masses to swallow.  If they can do it, I think all these articles, factual and evidenced by sources - are equally as useful to delve into the character of a government or people - as useful as what is so often done by those who are so effortlessly propelled to the highest levels of th...

In Tunisia, a dictator falls.  In Egypt, after more than 28 years ... another one may be ready.  Democracy works - people stand up, eventually.  Had only 100 Egyptians taken to the street - two years ago Mubarek would have made them disappear.  Today, it is his son and family who have reportedly disappeared to England.  But of course, we should have given Egypt MORE funding, more than Israel, seeing how unstable Israel is.  Yep.  Brilliant move.  BILLIONS and BILLIONS to Egypt, to underwrite a dictator and ignorance - a government that knows the truth about many things yet allows its populace to chase after imaginary planes, diseases, and people in an effort to control them - now finds itself losing control and will leave in place some of the dumbest people in the Middle East. Mohamed ElBaradei - a fool, who is either too smart to survive amidst a mob, or so smart he is an idiot and a fool.  I am quite certain he is a fool. What a bloody wast...