Canada Day Week: The Frosting

Here.

And here.


And most definitely here.


China will celebrate Canada Day by renewing its feelings for communism:

In the days before and after July 1, the Chinese people are being urged over and over again "to love the Party, love the nation and love socialism."

The country's propaganda czar, Li Changchun, recently ordered the official state media to create "a dense atmosphere of solemnity and ardour, joy and peace, unity and advancement and scientific development."

The communist mandates are always gilded with heavy abstracts like "peace" and "scientific development". If only they were genuine.

"We are solemn in our efforts to take over the globe."

It's pretty sad when you are reduced to asking hack authoress Margaret Atwood to a barbecue.



The oil sands are making us rich:

Canada's natural wealth stood at about $3-trillion in 2009 -triple its value in 1990 -due in large part to the high price of the oil that is trapped in the country's vast oil sands reserves, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday.

Imagine all the health care and CBC funding this could bring those who hate the tar sands.


This says it all.



(WARNING: That which is seen cannot be unseen.)



This also says it all:

Gay rights, thankfully, are an established fact of modern society. And we should stop pretending that gay-pride events are something solemn and politically necessary. They are big racy parties for adults. And politicians shouldn’t have to come to big, racy parties.

Now why isn't this a parade?

"Brock-Tecumseh Day" would speak to our history and some of its proudest moments. It has the additional virtue of recognizing the enormous contribution that aboriginal peoples have made to our history and to the defeat of our enemies in the War of 1812. The fact that the bicentennial of that conflict is fast approaching makes this change all the more timely. July 1, 2012 would be the ideal date on which to give our national holiday a new and meaningful name: Brock-Tecumseh Day.

Not gay enough and too historical, apparently.


Total horse crap means you can home-school your kids:

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Equitable and Inclusive Schools, Students,
Parent and Community acknowledges and values the days of significance of different
faiths / creed and organizations. This is a collection of dates that are notable for either
equity or educational focus, recognized by the United Nations, the Federal Government
of Canada, the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Interfaith Calendar and the
Multifaith Council of Ontario. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list.

There is nothing wrong with individuals celebrating certain events in their own homes. There is something wrong when a public school does it because it wants to appear to be "equal" and "inclusive".


How inclusive will the participants of Eid al Adha be with International Transgender Day of Remembrance? I imagine as cool people would be with Christmas.



North Korea has shut down its universities:

Reports in South Korea indicated that the government in Pyongyang on Monday ordered all universities to cancel classes until April of next year. The only exemptions are for students who will be graduating in the next few months and foreign students. 

The reports suggested that the students will be put to work on construction projects in major cities while there are also indications that repair work may be needed in agricultural regions that were affected by a major typhoon recently. 

Analysts in Japan claim there may be other reasons behind the decision to disperse the students across the country. 

One reason is that there is a possibility of demonstrations at university campuses," said Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor at Tokyo's Waseda University and author of a number of books on the North Korean leadership. 


"The leadership has seen the 'Jasmine Revolution' in Africa and it is very frightened that the same thing could happen in North Korea," he said. "They fear it could start in the universities." 

Professor Shigemura also said that North Korea has purchased anti-riot equipment from China in recent months, including tear gas and batons, while there has been an increased police presence at key points in Pyongyang in recent months.

It's not just a collapsed economy; it's possible revolt.

Related: the UN appoints North Korea as chair of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament.



(hat tips)



Pretty cool.