Mid-Week Post

A breath of cool, fresh air...


Speaking of cool, fresh air:

Niagara Falls has frozen over as arctic temperatures have taken hold across the Great Lakes, creating an amazing sight that’s generating some viral photos and drawing tourists from around the world.

With temperatures dipping to 13 degrees below zero in the region, the famous waterfall has turned into a giant cascade of icy sheets. Pictures of the frozen Niagara Falls have circulated around the internet, showing just how massive the ice is around the waterfall.

 
But... but... global warming!

Your global warming update:

The most widely used metric of global warming—global surface temperatures—indicates that the rate of global warming has slowed drastically and that the duration of the slowdown in global warming is unusual during a period when global surface temperatures are allegedly being warmed from the hypothetical impacts of manmade greenhouse gases. 

(With thanks)


But did they ever leave?




That's right. Obama spokeswoman Marie Harf actually said this:

On Monday, Harf was the subject of criticism after she claimed that the only real way to neutralize the danger posed by a messianic death cult that threatens to erode the foundations of Westphalian sovereignty is to provide them all with good paying jobs.  ...

When Wolf Blitzer observed that the poverty-breeds-terrorism theory is hopelessly flawed and that high-profile attackers like Osama bin Laden and Mohamed Atta were relatively comfortable and privileged, Harf declined to acknowledge his point. Though she issued an emphatic “absolutely” so as to convey that she was, in fact, listening to Blitzer and understood the words that were coming out of his mouth, she instead plunged into a pre-canned attempt at damage control as her response: 

“If we looked around the world and say long-term we cannot kill every terrorist around the world nor should we try, how do you get at the root causes of this?” she asked. “Look, it might be too nuanced of an argument for some like I’ve seen over the past 24 hours some of the commentary out but it’s really the smart way for Democrats, for Republicans, military commanders, our partners in the Arab world think we need to combat it.”

There is nothing nuanced about this. Only a leftist moron would ever think that joblessness would drive someone to rape children and throw homosexuals off of roofs.

What jobs could such people staff, Miss Harf?


Hopefully this pervert (friend of Premier Kathleen Wynne) will never staff a job again:

For the first time since he was arrested in July 2013, former deputy education minister and well-known professor Benjamin Levin has broken the silence about his child pornography charges.

Saying he's "deeply ashamed," Levin, who was deputy minister of education and a member of Premier Kathleen Wynne's transition team, has reached out to "friends and colleagues" to write letters of support as he prepares to plead guilty to child porn charges and faces a sentencing hearing, the Toronto Sun has learned.

Levin was charged with seven child-porn related offences under the Criminal Code.

It has been reported that he has made a plea arrangement with the Crown attorney and will attend court next week to formally acknowledge his guilt.

Levin confirms this in a letter sent out on his behalf.

"Dear colleagues, as you probably know, I am currently facing a number of criminal charges laid in July 2013," he wrote in a letter one person received Saturday. "After a great deal of thought and discussion with my family, I will be pleading guilty on March 3 to three of the seven charges, namely one count of possession of child pornography, one count of making written child pornography, and one count of counselling a sexual assault."

Levin then explains: "Reference letters from friends and colleagues can be an important part of the sentencing process following a guilty plea. In such a case, the court benefits from having as full a picture as possible of the offender. You are someone who knows me and my work and may be willing to contribute such a letter. Of course, we recognize and understand that for various reasons some people will not feel able to provide a letter."

For those that do feel comfortable, he suggests they send their letter to his lawyer, Gerald Chan, of Ruby Shiller Chan Hasan.

Who would defend such a man?


(With thanks)


Behold the glories of the Young Offenders Act:

A female police officer involved in a violent confrontation with two teenaged girls outside a Toronto-area school "did what she had to do" to deal with the threat, the police union said Wednesday as video of the incident went viral. ...

Peel police Const. Fiona Thivierge confirmed the video, saying the incident happened around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday following a report that two female suspects were allegedly trespassing at a Brampton, Ont., high school.

When they refused to leave, they were placed under arrest, "at which time they engaged (the officer) in a physical confrontation that resulted in her using her pepper spray in an attempt to get control of the situation," Thivierge said.

The girls were able to escape the officer and were subsequently arrested by another officer who had come on the scene.

The officer "showed amazing restraint under the circumstances," Thivierge said.

"She was able to get on her radio and call for backup. So other officers were there and she was able to stand back and just let them take over so she could catch her breath."

Thivierge said it was "quite shocking" to see her colleague being assaulted and to hear the person shooting the video laughing.

Hard labour on a remote part of Baffin Island.

That is what I have to say.


Rock the boat on Twitter (now the fastest way to find out someone is an idiot) and pay the price:

Closer to home, less dramatic but as yet unresolved, is the case of popular conservative radio host Andrew Lawton of London, Ontario’s AM980 (who has very competently interviewed me a number of times). On Feb. 2 Andrew remarked on Facebook that a “push poll” was trying to paint Londoners as homophobic.  He then posted the annual number of sexual-orientation crimes in Canada: 185, followed by the catalytic remark: “Number of HIV/AIDS infections from men having sex with men in Canada per year: 1450 – Who is the real enemy?” The question was interpreted as homophobic — it was at the least ill-considered — and even though Andrew published a clarifying statement of regret on Feb. 3, a Twitter campaign sprang into action, hashtagged #fireandrewlawton.

On Feb. 4 Andrew was suspended “for at least the rest of [the] week.” Not good enough! Mobbers descended on a show sponsor, which refused the bait (to their credit). Pressure continued. It was announced that Andrew was now suspended until Feb. 23. A Facebook counter-campaign by Andrew’s supporters was launched: “Bring back Andrew Lawton,” followed by a counter-counter Facebook page, “Keep Lawton off the air.” Petitions on both sides were mounted. One supporter sent repeated emails to station manager, Nathan Smith, asking for a link to the “social media policies” and “broadcast standards” that Smith had mentioned in his statement of suspension. He had no response. I asked Mr. Smith for an interview. No response.

(Sidebar: Andrew Lawton further exposed Justin Trudeau's incompetence, as well, so...)

THIS JUST IN: In response to my media query yesterday, Corus has informed me that Andrew will be back on the air Feb. 23. A bittersweet victory for those who felt no suspension was necessary – but we’ll take it.

(Sidebar: so much for that hooplah.)



(Merci)