tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72238442011-12-14T21:31:45.696-05:00Sometimes one has to step back, take pause, and have some "second thots"Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.comBlogger10391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-85243814760995921822011-05-17T11:48:00.002-04:002011-05-17T13:02:57.105-04:00

The following is what started out to be a post in the comments section in response to this article in the National Post. However, my post got longer as I continued composing it, so I decided to publish it here instead. In a nutshell, the National Post article defends Islam against some of its most vocal critics. Below is my criticism of that defence. _____ This article engages in a number of

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-59655408369808368852011-02-15T20:36:00.000-05:002011-02-15T20:36:42.267-05:00

I came across this item in the Huffington Post about how viewing porn leads to marital infidelity. Didn't someone named Jesus say the same thing about 2000 years ago? Matthew 5:27-30: [27] "You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.' [28] But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [29] If your

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-53740996020354666042011-02-15T12:31:00.001-05:002011-02-15T12:31:32.914-05:00

Fellow Liberals: Whatever you do, don't contemplate merger once we lose the next election. Believe me, it's just not worth it.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-53471087895099731612010-12-08T19:18:00.003-05:002010-12-08T19:25:12.230-05:00

I'm not quite sure why the death of Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, has attracted so much attention from the media. Don't get me wrong. I know her story and am saddened by the loss. Nevertheless, besides being betrayed by her husband, who committed adultery while he was campaigning and she was sick with cancer, I'm not quite sure what her

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-33026340261958177662010-12-07T16:08:00.000-05:002010-12-07T16:22:03.076-05:00

One of the arguments that I keep hearing from the political left is that governments are supposed to spend their way through tough economic times. There's only one problem with that argument: That's what we do during good economic times, too, which is the opposite of what Keynes prescribed. That's, of course, if you think Keynes was right. So, we usually only get half of the equation right. In

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-44100877370218360072010-11-14T14:53:00.001-05:002010-11-14T14:54:40.560-05:00

From Christina Blizzard's column today in the Toronto Sun: Vaughan MPP Greg Sorbara is particularly piqued that his old friend has crossed the line into partisan politics. “I have always had a great deal of respect for the work that Julian Fantino has done in the area of law enforcement,” Sorbara told me in an interview. “I have always considered him a friend.  “In that regard, it has been my

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-14980124718968163312010-09-27T12:08:00.001-04:002010-09-27T12:49:57.647-04:00

We get RTV, the Retro Television Network, on our antenna here in Burlington, Ontario. It's channel 2.3, which is attached to Buffalo's local NBC affiliate WGRZ. I guess the digital age and low-tech can go hand-in-hand — no cable or satellite necessary! Anyhow, one of the shows on the channel that I have found intriguing is Kojak. It had a unique way of setting up each episode, at least from what

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-605775732936010252010-08-16T16:26:00.000-04:002010-08-16T16:26:32.807-04:00

There's a phenomenon that I've come across enough for me to at least make some comment on currently. Specifically, I went to Catholic school almost all the way up until university, and many of the people I grew up with appear to be specifically anti-Catholic, or at least dismissive of the religion. As someone who's the opposite, and has come to embrace the faith, I find this phenomenon to be

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-25407450942032540022010-08-14T13:36:00.000-04:002010-08-14T13:36:06.461-04:00

It's interesting to see Bob Herbert of the New York Times criticize President Barack Obama for not engaging in the right kind of huge big government spending. Poor Barack. Even when he tacks left, he doesn't get credit from the left. Question: If Obama's version of socialism didn't work, what makes anyone think that other versions would work instead? At some point, the bills for social

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-37245393867321142412010-07-31T10:12:00.003-04:002010-07-31T15:30:23.769-04:00

At least according to one woman's Liberal friends and, I suspect, many more Canadians. By "scary", they don't mean the kind of scary label that usually gets applied to conservatives in Canada, which is supposed to refer to their agenda, I guess. No. This kind of scary refers to the way that Michael Ignatieff looks — physically. And it's something I've heard from people for months. I'm not sure

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-55116813960941541142010-07-30T21:35:00.000-04:002010-07-30T21:35:19.125-04:00

I have to say, I'm not as disturbed at the thought of a sitting president of the United States making an appearance on the TV show The View as others seem to be. Could it be yet another example of our culture spiraling into depravity? Maybe. But let's just assume that that's the current reality of things, and that people generally lower the bar all the time. Put in that context, what Obama did I

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-38582823162794622062010-07-30T18:32:00.003-04:002010-07-30T19:26:59.621-04:00

This is an interesting article written by Paul Krugman of the New York Times. He basically describes an Obama administration that is risking losing its left-wing base. I suppose my problems with the article start and stop with this sentence that leads the third paragraph: Mr. Obama rode into office on a vast wave of progressive enthusiasm.  He did? You see, that's Paul Krugman's problem, and

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-72960875365346153092010-07-25T21:23:00.000-04:002010-07-25T21:23:23.950-04:00

Question: What will Stephen Harper's Conservative government do now on climate change, given that their policy has been to wait for the Americans, and it's now becoming clear that the United States Congress isn't going to do much of anything anytime soon?

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-51780406152332900652010-07-22T13:40:00.000-04:002010-07-22T13:40:18.690-04:00

Contrary to conventional wisdom — and don't get me started on conventional wisdom, either — Canadians actually do care about the Senate, they do want the Senate reformed, they want to participate in electing members to the Senate, and would welcome any measures associated with any of these goals, including a national referendum on, you guessed it, the Senate. This is all according to a poll

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-91228464328492477792010-07-01T16:14:00.000-04:002010-07-01T16:14:37.894-04:00

Question: What is it that we've been hearing about most in the wake of the G8 and G20 summits held in the Toronto area last weekend? Answer: Protests. Civil Liberties. Anarchists. Thugs. Right? And what is it that we haven't been hearing about in the wake of the G8 and G20 summits? Answer: The saviour's inability to get world leaders to endorse his plan to keep spending our way out of

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-10721805632940508582010-06-29T11:45:00.001-04:002010-06-29T11:45:41.396-04:00

I see that Camille Paglia has written a quite intricate piece in the New York Times about the sex drives of middle class women, female Viagra, and so much more. In essence, I think what she's trying to tell us is that various complex cultural factors are to blame for a lack of libido in family women. However, I may have a far simpler explanation: the pill. There are two ironies here. First,

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-33143020946123614522010-06-15T09:19:00.000-04:002010-06-15T09:19:17.315-04:00

I've been exploring tools to use in order to upgrade my current humble website. By far and away the most impressive has been the offering on display over at Wix.com. They provide an easy-to-use and intuitively effective interface with which to drag-and-drop all the elements needed for a modern Web page: headers, titles, text boxes, colours, shading, and so on. The result can look great, too.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-73951393103771903762010-06-14T10:34:00.001-04:002010-06-14T10:38:36.034-04:00

There has been a reopening of the abortion debate in Canada — kind of — as a result of the Conservative government's actions concerning worldwide maternal and child health. Although it's unlikely that the status quo in abortion will be changed short-term, what this renewed debate has done is remind everyone that Canada is one of the only Western nations without an abortion law. As a result, even

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-9430307367243371622010-06-09T23:43:00.001-04:002010-06-09T23:56:31.531-04:00

Just watched a preview of tonight's CTV National News with Lloyd Robertson. I thought it was for sure going to be about the "fake lake" hoopla and other fiscal shenanigans surrounding the upcoming global summits. Instead, Craig Oliver will be giving us his take on the rumours swirling about regarding possible merger between the Liberal and NDP parties. Given that I doubt that these latest rumours

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-67648925052128065272010-06-09T23:21:00.000-04:002010-06-09T23:21:04.058-04:00

In what I suppose it typical fashion, the oh-so-dreaded forces "conventional wisdom" seem to be writing off the Philadelphia Flyers as they head into Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are leading the series 3-2 with a chance to clinch it with a win tonight. Well, and this shouldn't be a surprise, I'll buck conventional wisdom and predict a Philly

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-3526741463453905762010-06-09T19:51:00.000-04:002010-06-09T19:51:30.991-04:00

Avoid any publication that claims to be "upstart" or "excited to be part of a new venture and growing readership" etc, etc. They're a dime-a-dozen on the Internet, will accept any crap, will not enhance your portfolio, and amount to nothing more than slave writing.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-10126157358426615412010-06-09T17:24:00.000-04:002010-06-09T17:24:39.426-04:00

Is Marci McDonald Canada's Helen Thomas? OK, carry on.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-85771101262765613212010-06-09T14:00:00.003-04:002010-06-09T14:08:32.996-04:00

It's fascinating to see a former member of cabinet in Canada's government extol the virtues of deflation and central bank restraint. In case you don't know what he's talking about, I'm pretty sure that Maxime Bernier is a pupil of the Austrian School of Economics, which holds central banks and their power to manipulate money supply as the main culprits in ongoing economic woes. Indeed, it's

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-5334036061255371672010-06-08T14:27:00.000-04:002010-06-08T14:27:36.372-04:00

In my continuing quest to seek substantive critiques of Barack Obama's handling of the BP oil spill crisis, the Washington Examiner's Byron York offers up another interesting suggestion. He basically believes that mobilization of the bureaucracy could have happened much sooner, and that this could have been accomplished through the exercise of executive leadership from the president himself. Now

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-50811184746387819622010-06-08T12:54:00.000-04:002010-06-08T12:54:49.506-04:00

Is it me, or do Ottawa parliamentary "journalists" often come across as a pack of gossip columnists rather than a serious assembly of press corps? Just wondering. No specific link or person to reference, at least for the moment. More like a general bone to pick, so to speak.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-44014891060943513152010-06-08T10:37:00.003-04:002010-06-08T10:39:32.479-04:00

Nice to see that they're calling it a "sweater" and not a "jersey". I'm sure Don Cherry would approve. Probably Paul Henderson, too.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-9045350000344745632010-06-08T09:27:00.003-04:002010-06-08T09:40:38.471-04:00

I saw Michael Jordan on TV the other day watching the Chicago Blackhawks play live at the United Center during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Vince Vaughn has been watching Blackhawk games in the crowd (see pic above) during this Cup run, too. Other stars have shown their faces as well. Which, for me, raises the following question: Why doesn't the NHL do a better job at capitalizing on what

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-85028664756682984312010-06-04T08:34:00.000-04:002010-06-04T08:34:05.677-04:00

• I remarked earlier on how someone at the Toronto Star really really really doesn't want to see Canada's left-of-centre parties cancel each other out in any upcoming election. Well, turns out that Ms. Hebert is far more open to the idea of having them work together after all. Who knew? I suppose that the ultimate indicator of how much a threat such cooperation could pose might come from the

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-73321143825512075442010-06-03T20:08:00.000-04:002010-06-03T20:08:16.841-04:00

I asked earlier for some substantive critiques of the Obama administration's handling of the BP oil spill crisis. I'm not sure if this completely qualifies, but at least Rudy Giuliani provides Fox News' Sean Hannity with something: Colby Hall, who posted the video over at Mediaite, seems to have difficulty overcoming the two men's obvious biases. I'll try to focus a bit more and welcome any

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-22623361731513315402010-06-02T15:54:00.001-04:002010-06-02T15:55:22.558-04:00

• I guess someone over at the Toronto Star really really really really really really doesn't want to see a resurgent NDP doom Canada's political left for the foreseeable future. I know there's been a lot of talk about some kind of alliance between the Dippers and the Liberal Party of Canada. Merger happened on the right, and it certainly helped, but it came after a lot of spilled milk, a lot of

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-38934168859606842952010-05-31T11:30:00.001-04:002010-05-31T11:32:45.428-04:00

• The Hamilton Spectator's Andrew Dreschel apparently believes that the city of Hamilton, Ontario, is the potential victim of those who chose to "bed down" in neighbouring Burlington. It's a conspiracy of Burlingtonians, I tell ya. Full disclosure: I currently "bed down" in Burlington, and am plotting to make life as miserable as possible for Hamilton. Carry on.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-42017858488179151122010-05-31T10:36:00.000-04:002010-05-31T10:36:32.729-04:00

How much substance is there to the accusation that President Obama could have done more from the very beginning to mitigate that BP oil spill disaster? It's becoming clear that, from the standpoint of politics and PR, he could have at least looked as though he was on top of things. But my current concern, again, is more substantive. Are there specific things that the US government could have

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-63733973117278043042010-05-29T18:20:00.000-04:002010-05-29T18:20:06.715-04:00

The National Post's Rex Murphy provides a strong argument for keeping our current "first-past-the-post" voting system, as opposed to the proportional representation that seems to be fashionable lately. This is one of those issues where I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it doesn't seem right that, under first-past-the-post, representation in Parliaments or legislatures doesn't match the

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-77259006978702244062010-05-28T19:07:00.004-04:002010-05-28T20:16:27.954-04:00

When the president of Mexico started lecturing us about our environmental policy, something didn't quite jibe. Here here was telling us that we need to get our act together, so you'd think that he and his country would have their own act together when it comes to the environment, right? Yet, I didn't hear proof of that coming from his lips, nor did the media reports I came across mention Mexico's

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-58782087402886142552010-05-28T13:13:00.000-04:002010-05-28T13:13:20.764-04:00

Opponents come from the "dark side." Let's not forget that's it's usually Liberals and others on the left who constantly attack Harper for lacking "civility" in political discourse. Yet here you have a prominent member of the Liberal party calling the government evil. I also remember previous Liberal leader Stephane Dion calling Harper a liar during the middle of an election campaign. Civility

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-44547074931893250422010-05-28T10:01:00.000-04:002010-05-28T10:01:17.428-04:00

• The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan has had enough of Barack Obama's incompetence. I guess the BP oil spill was the last straw for her. I think it should be noted, however, that it was people like Noonan who supported Obama's presidential campaign — despite warnings from many other conservatives that the man had less experience to be president than Sarah Palin.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-70490699454743209602010-05-28T09:14:00.002-04:002010-05-28T09:49:13.989-04:00

Does it really take over a billion dollars to secure a conference for three days? Geez. However, according to some, it's supposed to be "worth" it because we need to be part of some new world order thingy.  I mean, what's a billion here or there in comparison to the trillions the world wastes on a daily basis, right? For what it's worth, I think Canada should be trying to host these

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-68458550429427068662010-05-27T12:45:00.001-04:002010-05-27T14:16:59.419-04:00

I have fallen behind in my work as a result of a cold, and need to keep my focus for the moment on getting back up to speed. However, there's always stuff to blog about, isn't there? So, I'll do so as soon as I can. Until then.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-30434142795853424532010-05-24T21:44:00.000-04:002010-05-24T21:44:21.926-04:00

• Glen Thrush of Politico highlights for us liberal criticism of Obama's handling of the BP oil spill crisis. Hey, when you're losing James Carville and Chris Matthews, you know there has to be something wrong, right? I found the end of the article to be particluarly interesting: At the White House Friday, Chip Reid of CBS asked Gibbs why the federal government was standing by "as a spectator"

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-12329066746660574732010-05-24T17:23:00.001-04:002010-05-24T21:48:56.521-04:00

Okay, I'll be the first to ask (I hope): Will health care be Obama's Iraq? By that, I mean: Will Obama's all-in gamble to pass health-care legislation, despite its alarming unpopularity, do to the Obama administration what the Iraq war did to the Bush administration? Katrina was widely seen as the nail in Bush's popularity coffin. Yet Iraq, rightly or wrongly, paved the way in eroding his

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-64558992765700664712010-05-24T16:16:00.001-04:002010-05-24T16:17:04.265-04:00

I'm sure that people have heard of the term armchair quarterback. Well, what I'm doing in this current blog post I'll refer to as being an armchair writer (even though I'm a professional freelance writer myself — shameless self-promotion plug alert). That's because I'm going to perform a small critique of this article about Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. The article is what it is.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-41048534645441135082010-05-23T18:21:00.001-04:002010-05-23T18:22:38.320-04:00

Before anyone starts the public inquiries into Canada's disappointing showing at this year's Hockey World Championships, they should take a look at the teams that Canada lost to in the process. Hint: They finished 1-2-3 in the tournament. While I'm on the topic, I suppose I won't be the only one to notice what a disappointing year it's been for Russian hockey. Disaster at the Vancouver Olympics,

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-59672572116041914672010-05-23T12:54:00.001-04:002010-05-23T12:55:51.995-04:00

Question: In politics, when people demand "bipartisanship" and "centrism", are they truly interested in cooperating with the other side, or do they just want the other side to cooperate with them? There's another interesting point made in the article, which I have observed personally, too. Specifically, while conservatives tend to be very eager to self-identify themselves as such (see video

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-76569054870874656352010-05-22T17:53:00.000-04:002010-05-22T17:53:38.507-04:00

I have to say, I don't quite understand Sleeman's latest "notoriously good" advertising campaign. For example, this commercial praises the family's links to pirates and "philanderers" while claiming that the beer is made with "character." Say what?

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-71804526683102204932010-05-22T15:21:00.000-04:002010-05-22T15:21:02.554-04:00

The Chicago Blackhawks' Joel Quenneville moving Dustin Byfuglien (yeah, I know, it's pronounced: Buff-el-in) from defence to the top line alongside Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. And it keeps paying off. Somebody mentioned this earlier in the week, and I'm in complete agreement.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-57342630802179492072010-05-22T11:36:00.000-04:002010-05-22T11:36:50.095-04:00

Somebody on the Fan 590's Outdoor Journal Radio Show said something interesting that I find worth repeating here: The best environmentalists are those who use it. This was in reference to people who set aside land for conservation, then use it for things like hunting, fishing, etc, versus "environmentalists" who never actually involve themselves in the environment they say needs protecting.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-72609172276551034752010-05-21T14:23:00.001-04:002010-05-21T14:23:51.134-04:00

So, my Dad calls me over to help him carry parts of his toolbox. He's a retired mechanic. If anybody is or knows a mechanic, then they know how big and heavy these things can be. So, we start carrying the top portion that has handles on its sides. Not too bad. However, then we had to try to lift the thing to its rightful place on top. Oh oh! But not so fast. I quickly remembered that I actually

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-88830984506083149032010-05-21T13:16:00.000-04:002010-05-21T13:16:34.197-04:00

I'm not sure what I have in mind with this kind of a blog post. I might do a daily compendium of articles that I find are "good reads" as I make my way through the day; maybe keep updating it as I find new ones. Not sure. But here's the first anyhow: • Susan Reilly of the Ottawa Citizen accurately describes Michael Ignatieff's continuing failure to capitalize on issues that could have resonance

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-69786107940138085732010-05-21T10:43:00.001-04:002010-05-21T11:34:21.635-04:00

I was reading this fascinating article on the predictors of modern day divorce. Nothing really jumped out at me, since I guess we've all become too accustomed to the phenomenon in today's society, until I got to the last item: 15. If you're in a male same-sex marriage, it's 50 percent more likely to end in divorce than a heterosexual marriage. If you're in a female same-sex marriage, this figure

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-30915152236693608892010-05-20T14:16:00.001-04:002010-05-20T15:35:17.770-04:00

In fact, I'm not crazy about the term "cheating". We tend to forget that the more formal term is "adultery" and that it can have some serious consequences for a person's family, and even their bottom line.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-9377975683731836852010-05-20T13:37:00.001-04:002010-05-20T13:52:45.296-04:00

He still hasn't got this communication thing down yet. According to the Globe and Mail's Jane Taber: Michael Ignatieff blames his lowly status in the polls on his adversaries, who he says have “done a number on me.” And that was before today’s EKOS results showing the Liberals slipping even farther into the basement of public opinion.  So, not only does he admit weakness, but he gives the

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-49758089940327991812010-05-18T20:38:00.001-04:002010-05-19T14:27:27.958-04:00

Question: Why is someone who is so clearly a Liberal partisan being considered for the job of Ontario ombudsman? So, the Ontario Liberals want to replace an effective and popular current ombudsman with someone who seems very keen on depicting conservative parties as the Apocalypse 2.0. Interesting.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-84114754194017483012010-05-18T17:54:00.000-04:002010-05-18T17:54:56.276-04:00

I happen to agree with the Globe and Mail's Lawrence Martin that recent developments concerning one of Canada's major media chains have ramifications that spread far and wide in this great land of ours: Liberally-inclined Torstar appeared to be the favourite to win the National Post and the other Canwest papers, all of them in the conservative philosophical corner. The thought of it had the

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-74897866971145784842010-05-16T13:35:00.001-04:002010-05-19T14:27:56.829-04:00

The Toronto Blue Jays are currently six games above .500 and in contention in baseball's toughest division: The American League East. Everybody saw that coming, right? To be fair, I do recall one person who wasn't as predictably gloomy about the Jays' prospects this year as everyone else was. And, to be fair yet again, I have no idea if the team has what it takes to keep it up. So, in the end,

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-65146939684861621822010-05-14T20:21:00.005-04:002010-05-19T14:28:25.661-04:00

Question: Isn't it the federal Tories that are always accused of targeting civil servants who give them a hard time? For the record, I don't have a problem with governments criticizing civil servants. Bureaucrats aren't perfect. I imagine that they can have their own political interest and beefs. But, if you're going to criticize them, shouldn't you do it out in the open instead of by stealth?

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-45961187351283229882010-05-14T10:29:00.002-04:002010-05-14T10:50:53.756-04:00

One of the things that makes proofreading so difficult for anyone, and not just a freelance writer like myself, is that we often want to read into words things that aren't actually written. We have an idea of what we think something reads, or should read, instead of what it actually does read. I think it's just human nature. People read into things all sorts of stuff. It's the way we constantly

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-17227085524712710622010-05-13T14:17:00.000-04:002010-05-13T14:17:25.463-04:00

Don't quite understand the logic of this. Here's the money quote from Ezra Klein's Washington Post blog interview with economist James Galbraith: Government does not need money to spend just as a bowling alley does not run out of points. Really? The last time I checked, a bowling alley has expenses to meet. If it doesn't pay those expenses,it goes out of business. But I guess some don't expect

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-89877204951566654712010-05-12T15:19:00.002-04:002010-05-12T15:27:04.135-04:00

I'm not an economist. I'm not a financial expert. However, I think that I'm probably with most people when I say that I don't like it when taxpayers, especially from other countries, have to bailout huge companies, or even governments, after they behave incredibly irresponsibly. The same holds true for Greece and its government as it does for GM, Chrysler, and their inept management teams. Why

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-80158224925666274202010-05-12T11:26:00.000-04:002010-05-12T11:26:36.977-04:00

Why do conservatives tend to me more controversial than liberals? (If you believe my premise to be false, just think of the following names, then reconsider: Don Cherry, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Stockwell Day, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, etc. And if you still believe my premise to be false, let me flip the coin and ask you this: Is left-winger Michael Moore nearly as controversial as any of the

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-68069632323476673972010-05-11T20:34:00.000-04:002010-05-11T20:34:43.534-04:00

Let me get this straight. A picture of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan playing baseball some years back, with a caption over it reading "Court Nominee Comes to the Plate" is supposed to be an example of lesbian "innuendo", is it? Newsflash: Nothing will draw more attention to her alleged sexual orientation than yelling and screaming "lesbian innuendo" about this photo. Duh. Then again, maybe

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-3093537067555717332010-03-24T09:43:00.005-04:002010-03-24T10:09:13.814-04:00

I find it fascinating to watch what has transpired as an American conservative commentator has tried to exercise her right to free speech here north of the border.Note: If you want to know if someone is an ideological liberal or leftist, ask them what they think of Ann Coulter. If their reaction in any way resembles the kind of intolerance we've seen from extremists in the past couple of days,

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-12204475412043050432010-03-08T10:11:00.000-05:002010-03-08T10:11:18.427-05:00

Here is what top Obama adviser David Axelrod had to say about living up to a major theme of their election campaign, which, of course, was supposed to be about hope and change, wasn't it:Have I succeeded in reversing a 30-year trend of skepticism and cynicism about government? I confess that I have not. Maybe next year.Maybe next year. Did you get that? Because I certainly didn't get that part

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-16061526611746907812010-03-04T15:26:00.000-05:002010-03-04T15:26:22.030-05:00

For what it's worth, I don't think Obama will succeed in ramming his so-called health care reforms down the throats of Americans. At a time when Americans want a recovering economy that produces jobs, the Democrats are offering even more ideologically-driven and partisan policies that the people clearly don't want. In other words, the Democrats have almost no margin of error in order to get this

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-8297188794910120702010-01-27T21:53:00.000-05:002010-01-27T21:53:41.785-05:00

No, you're not the only one to notice that Apple might be a wee bit overselling its latest techno offering: the iPad. (clicking on the photo takes you to a page that has a video of what I'm talking about)Not exactly sure why they're doing it. Aren't they supposed to be the cool computer company, while Microsoft's the loser geek?Yet here they are telling us as enthusiastically as they can just how

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-23577036920941545732010-01-21T10:13:00.000-05:002010-01-21T10:13:56.488-05:00

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-59722640030594757532010-01-20T10:22:00.012-05:002010-01-21T10:14:58.719-05:00

Obama's push for health care reform has been so unpopular that the Democrat party just lost "Ted Kennedy's seat." It's unpopular in the polls. Citizens have revolted against the idea. So,what do many liberals call for today? To keep pushing for their beloved health care reform. What explains this insanity? Simple. For liberals, it's all about them and their ideology. And the irony is that they

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-28861163901965187402009-10-29T11:25:00.001-04:002009-10-29T11:33:21.109-04:00

What I find fascinating is seeing how the hiring of former Chretien communications guru Peter Donolo as Liberal Michael Ignatieff's new chief of staff is being hailed as some kind of turning point for the party and its leader.In other words, it's the same old, same old for the Liberal party.For some reason, Liberals are now judged not by the merit of long-term performance, but by the

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-44235382212370236672009-10-23T08:52:00.000-04:002009-10-23T08:52:43.850-04:00

A few weeks back I wondered about the logic of stimulus funds that don't seem to stimulate at all. Well, yesterday I might have stumbled across the answer, which seems to have something to do with all of us as ongoing lab rats for Keynesian economic theory.Again, I'd love it if someone could explain it all to me like I were a three-year-old. If I have Keynes right, governments are always supposed

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-57173700012978100612009-10-10T10:34:00.000-04:002009-10-10T10:34:44.734-04:00

Why is the word "premature" being used to describe US President Barack Obama's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize? Doesn't it presume that he'll eventually win it anyhow based on actual performance? And we can't possibly know that now, can we? In fact, his critics would argue that his approach towards peace and security will make things worse, not better. It doesn't mean that the critics are right,

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-51100377923940773452009-10-07T11:26:00.001-04:002009-10-07T11:27:54.440-04:00

OK, so I'm reading John Ibbitson's column today in the Globe and Mail about Iggy's perils as opposition leader. Interesting enough. However, just as I'm about to close the tab, the last two one-line paragraphs jump out at me like, well, like a foreigner in a crowd: And where will the Liberal Leader be a year from now? “That's up to the Canadian people.” Now, I'm not sure what the direct quote

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-37967887664980551302009-10-06T14:09:00.001-04:002009-10-06T14:09:44.175-04:00

I have to say that I think Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson's decision to give the nod to goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, also know as The Monster, over previous starter Vesa Toskala, is pretty much a no-brainer. And it has something to do with what famous defence lawyer Clarence Darrow said about how public opinion affects public decision making.Specifically, Darrow said something to the effect

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-31453899439487348992009-10-06T12:51:00.000-04:002009-10-06T12:51:45.221-04:00

From a political standpoint, Canadians prime minister Stephen Harper, as well as American president Barack Obama, seem to have suffered diverging fates in relation to the stimulus packages they passed early this year.In Canada, you can't find many critics of the stimulus package. It's generally seen as a needed measure to help the economy along during very rough times.In the United States,

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-23031783869186101282009-10-06T10:51:00.000-04:002009-10-06T10:51:35.396-04:00

Now that I've had my say in defending Iggy against some of the usual egg-throwing, I suppose I'll go back on the attack, too. Specifically, I found this quote about the effect of the Conservative attacks ads against Iggy to be particularly fascinating:The Conservatives have done a terrific job of branding Mr. Ignatieff as: ‘It's all about him, he's just in it for himself,'” said Peter Donolo, a

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-19244378664275453832009-10-01T11:44:00.002-04:002009-10-01T11:52:28.456-04:00

I happen to think that there's a very unfortunate trend in Canadian politics. Specifically, people from various quarters tend to dump on political leaders, especially those in opposition, as soon as there's even a whiff of trouble or controversy. They did it with Stephen Harper, and he's managed to hold his own as prime minister. And they're doing it now with Michael Ignatieff, who I still think

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-48613788459842265472009-09-26T16:26:00.000-04:002009-09-26T16:26:24.921-04:00

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, also affectionately known as "Iggy"Let's see if I can try to recap the last few weeks that the Liberal Party of Canada has had. Actually, I'll try to rewind it back a couple of months, and take it from there.You had a party leader who was far more respected — well, at least in the media — than the last one. Heck, some even respected him more than the prime

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-39227877623803734602009-09-15T10:17:00.003-04:002009-09-15T12:03:34.944-04:00

The last person in the world that I'm feeling sorry for at the moment: NDP leader Jack Layton.After years of hounding the Liberals for being forced into propping up the Harper government, Jacko now finds himself in the exact same predicament of being forced into propping up the Harper government.Boo hoo.I'll also repeat here a sentiment here that seems to be common with many current political

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-33380123334038556052009-09-14T19:03:00.002-04:002009-09-14T19:04:57.994-04:00

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-66078417162673407472009-09-12T13:42:00.000-04:002009-09-12T13:42:10.785-04:00

A lot of us political junkies are trying to figure out how an election is going to be triggered and, as a result, what narrative will develop as the subsequent campaign proceeds.The usual topics are being discussed: the economy, trust, competence, and so on. But I'm guessing that one other issue will eventually override all others — if we have an election. And that issue will be political

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-84735057914149911982009-09-12T08:38:00.000-04:002009-09-12T08:38:38.663-04:00

that some poor sap might mistake for Liberal talking points.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-10507006921932422352009-09-10T08:09:00.017-04:002009-09-12T08:47:11.555-04:00

I dunno, about a few weeks ago or so: Doug MacLean, during his radio show at the Fan 590, basically takes sides against Jim Balsillie in the latter's bid to buy the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.This morning: Doug MacLean, during the Big Early morning show at the Fan 590, confirms that he will now be a major advisor to Jim Balsillie in the latter's effort to buy and own the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.Obvious

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-91236959334784422792009-09-09T18:54:00.002-04:002009-09-09T19:01:33.161-04:00

So, which image of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff will remain in the minds of Canadian voters?Behind Door #1 is what Liberals want you to see:Behind Door #2 is what Conservatives want you to see again, since they've re-released the ads on TV in direct response to the Liberal ad above:A couple of things.First, negative ads usually work. They tend to leave a more lasting impression than positive

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-67324855720374771342009-09-09T13:08:00.004-04:002009-09-09T13:47:00.257-04:00

Hey, he wants to make himself the topic of choice, doesn't he?To that end, this Globe and Mail editorial hits upon a challenge that results from Mr. Ignatieff's push towards an election.Specifically, Iggy keeps telling us that "we can do better" but he never tells us how. He just tells us to "wait and see." But if you're going to promise a lot, which it seems he is, then you raise expectations so

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-15342203486546828412009-09-09T12:10:00.000-04:002009-09-09T12:10:23.961-04:00

On a somewhat lighter note, are you ready to win an election campaign, or be prime minister, if you use the word "champions" while delivering your talking points?During a stop in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ignatieff said the Conservatives have left Canada with one of the worst economic records in the country's history."We believe that if you are running the largest deficit in history, terrible

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-47978026593917522712009-09-08T18:43:00.005-04:002009-09-08T18:54:49.836-04:00

Behind adding "gate" at the end of every single imaginable political scandal, the second most used fill-in-the blank political expression has to be: __________ goes to Washington, no?

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-79410109040414027732009-09-08T14:12:00.001-04:002009-09-09T10:28:00.522-04:00

Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin muses hopefully (not sure why I can't actually find this column at the Globe and Mail Web site) about Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's chances of soon becoming our next prime minister:If he runs a smart campaign and generates excitement as a leader of promise, the one who makes the country do better, the Liberals will win.I've been scratching my head

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-80363841482138361722009-09-08T10:57:00.003-04:002009-09-08T11:03:46.618-04:00

To me, at the heart of Jim Balsillie's attempt to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton, Ontario, is this: Why not?The NHL says it's because they basically can't deal with Balsillie, based on their past dealings with the guy.Balsillie says it's because the Toronto Maple Leafs have de facto veto rights over any franchise move to Southern Ontario.From a business standpoint, Balsillie's answer makes

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-78556415290306582522009-09-08T10:25:00.001-04:002009-09-08T10:27:22.304-04:00

Although the writers at the Hamilton Spectator suggest that Jim Balsille's most recent upping of the ante in his bid to buy the Phoenix coyotes should "send a chill down the collective spine of the National Hockey League," I'm not so sure.Balsillie's strength as a bidder has always been money. His weakness is that he can't get approval from the very group of NHL owners that he wants to join.But I

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-87057489026170629532009-09-07T10:37:00.001-04:002009-09-07T10:44:44.650-04:00

I think I might give this blogging thing another shot. It doesn't hurt to have one if you're a writer like me. So, why not?I stopped doing it for a variety of reasons. I think the blog became too political, which will probably happen again. I also didn't work at the networking part of it, so the response wasn't what I would have liked.Nevertheless, we'll see how it goes this time around, and

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-80938715244648540552008-08-05T11:24:00.000-04:002008-08-05T11:24:22.802-04:00

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-35482982028643181312008-07-28T11:43:00.000-04:002008-07-28T11:43:24.968-04:00

While Stephane Dion continues on his green shift tour....Perhaps the most telling part of the article:"Is it possible that Stéphane Dion doesn't realize what is going on in his party," one Liberal strategist wondered. The article also tries to suggest that Iggy and Bobo aren't responsible for some of this ongoing infighting. Give me a break.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-18327092778686827422008-07-26T17:44:00.000-04:002008-07-26T17:44:39.787-04:00

US now winning Iraq war. When was the last time that concept was entertained by the mainstream media?A lot of people wanted to throw Iraq under the bus a few years ago. Good thing that the people who matter most never gave up. Maybe next time they'll get more support for a good cause. You never know.I have also been of the opinion that general impressions of the war will change again as the facts

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-86553726816976934782008-07-25T08:19:00.000-04:002008-07-25T08:19:53.939-04:00

So, Page 37 of Dion's carbon tax plan specifically cites a tariff on goods from countries without a carbon tax plan. But his agriculture critic says that Liberals still have to decide whether or not such a tariff is part of the plan.What in the world is going on here? If Page 37 is now up for debate in caucus, what else are they going to edit from the plan, and when?Is this a plan? Or is it a

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-50279662813161860612008-07-21T12:06:00.000-04:002008-07-21T12:06:46.895-04:00

From the Canadian Press:The leader of one of Canada's largest Islamic groups says Prime Minister Stephen Harper is indifferent to Omar Khadr's plight because he's "brown-skinned" and a Muslim.Canadian Islamic Congress president Mohamed Elmasry says Harper is "callously" unconcerned about Khadr. Khadr's lawyers and others want Ottawa to repatriate Khadr from Guantanamo Bay.

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-70350653741600352812008-07-16T17:24:00.000-04:002008-07-16T17:24:45.772-04:00

Before the surge, people would compare Afghanistan with Iraq in order to disparage both operations. Now, about a year or so later, Iraq is being used as a model of hope and encouragement for both operations. Honestly, who'd a thunk? Am I now allowed a feeling of some vindication, especially given my frustration with the surrender lobby over the course of the last number of years?

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-80254722818802247842008-07-16T10:03:00.001-04:002008-07-16T10:07:21.904-04:00

So, let me see if I've got this right. It's the Liberal riding association that published a joke contemplating the killing of the prime minister and his wife, but that same riding association says it's the Conservatives who are engaging in a smear campaign? What? (h/t)(I'll also note that the local newspaper I linked to basically decided to repeat the Liberal accusation, thus putting the

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-12470411518219446692008-07-15T12:16:00.001-04:002008-07-15T13:48:44.566-04:00

A couple of items have caught my attention today.First, I have to congratulate both Margaret Wente and the Globe and Mail for engaging in some actual journalism. It seems to have been a lost art lately. Not only does the story shed some light on what was supposed to be prevailing wisdom on injection sites, it also tells us that so-called scientific research can be politically motivated. Gee, ya

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-33229811809150537452008-07-12T13:55:00.005-04:002008-07-12T14:07:51.516-04:00

Michael Barone writes a fascinating piece that draws parallels between the Berlin airlift of 1948 and the Iraq surge of 2007.I'm probably not alone in believing that holders of high office often seem beholden to their expert advisers. Yet, as both historical events appear to demonstrate, the big guy sometimes needs to have the moral courage to say no to some smarter people around him.In fact, I

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-31878713198166592212008-07-02T17:00:00.000-04:002008-07-02T17:00:27.460-04:00

I just thought of something. If going green is as economically advantageous as people like Stephane Dion keep telling us, then why is it so hard to get countries like China and India onboard?

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-13621305016114689932008-06-30T12:11:00.002-04:002008-06-30T17:08:00.480-04:00

I have to say, I'm not exactly sure what Obama is trying to pull by having campaign-friendly military people attack McCain's military credentials.Either the Obama people think it might help neutralize some of his opponent's strengths, or this is a political boner that will almost certainly backfire. I tend to think the latter.For one thing, sometimes you have to accept an opponent's strength and

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223844.post-54921569706242709192008-06-30T11:30:00.000-04:002008-06-30T11:30:58.652-04:00

Well, when you have ardently liberal journalists attacking Obama for one of his increasing number of flip-flops, that can't be a good thing.I have criticized Mark Shields in the past for some of that ardent liberalism. However, I'll now give him praise for criticizing a politician who he almost certainly prefers to be president. That's well done.I'm not sure how the Obama juggernaut can be

Dennis (Second Thots)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05866015790089875825noreply@blogger.com0