A Post For It Is Friday

Week-end, here we come!


Not being bombed fast enough:

An Internet video released Friday purports to show an Islamic State group fighter beheading British hostage Alan Henning, the fourth such killing carried out by the extremist group now targeted in U.S.-led airstrikes.

The video mirrored other beheading videos shot by the Islamic State group, which now holds territory along the border of Syria and Iraq, and ended with a militant threatening a man they identified as an American named Peter Kassig.

What might fix that:

On Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke in the House of Commons to unveil his government’s plan to send up to six CF-18 fighters, one refueling tanker and two surveillance aircrafts to join several other countries in the U.S. led airstrikes over Iraq. 

"Today we’re bringing forward a motion asking this House to confirm its confidence for a government decision to join our allies and partners…in launching airstrikes against ISIL," Harper said.

Yes, about that:

Canadian opinions shifting to the left in terms of social issues, new data suggests

 Well....

A new Ipsos Reid poll, released on Friday, suggests that 64 per cent of those surveyed “support” Canada sending Canadian Forces fighter jets to participate in airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq while 36 per cent “oppose.”

So much for Trudeau's grandstanding.

Overall, two-thirds (67%) of respondents say “they love their country and what it stands for”, while 23 per cent say they’re “attached to Canada, but only as long as it provides a good standard of living.”

It's probably because this country is working.

On the issue of buying sex, views are inverted by gender. Where more than half of men – 56 per cent – say it should be legal to buy sex, only one-third (34%) of women say the same. However, 55 per cent of women say it should be illegal to buy sex in Canada, while 34 per cent of men say the same.

There's that.

One-fifth (23%) say the federal government should create legislation that “imposes some restrictions” on abortion, while ten per cent would prefer to see access to abortion restricted, except in special cases.

Six per cent say Canada should outlaw abortion – except when the life of the mother is in danger. There are no significant differences in opinions between men and women. ...

A January 2012 ARG survey showed 60 per cent of Canadians believed there should be laws preventing sex-selective abortions.

I might see apathy but not a gradual shift.


The Toronto District School Board has decided to sever its ties with the Confucius Institute:

Canada’s largest school board is joining a handful of other academic institutions in taking steps to sever its ties to a language and culture program controlled by the Chinese government.

A Toronto District School Board committee voted on Wednesday evening to terminate the Confucius Institute programs. All but one member on the planning and priorities committee voted in favour of terminating the accord.

And now, travelling in swank and style:

Derek Low used his frequent flier miles to pay for a flight on Singapore Airlines Suites Class, the most luxurious class of flying that is commercially available. As Derek wrote on his blog: "Introduced in 2008, The Suites were exclusive to their flagship Airbus A380, and they go beyond flat beds by offering enclosed private cabins with sliding doors that cocoon you in your own little lap of luxury. The interior was designed by French luxury yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste and comes along with a plush soft leather armchair hand-stitched by the Italian master craftsmen Poltrona Frau. Perhaps most well-known of all, Singapore Airlines became the first and only commercial airline with a double bed in the sky."