Conservative Playa Hating

With all due respect to Ezra Levant who thinks that everything is a-okay with the Conservative party if it wasn't for those dang Fred and Daphne-esque power couple Peter Mackay and Belinda Stronach. He is simply wrong.

"The greatest embarrassment to the convention did not come in the person of a crude critic of gay marriage or a wild-eyed opponent of abortion. Rather, it was the preening Peter MacKay and his trophy girlfriend, Belinda Stronach," writes Levant. "Diagnosis: Harper is OK, and the party is OK, and the policies are OK. But the prom king and queen, the toast of the Globe and Mail readers, need to be taken down a peg by good ol' Sun readers."

Harper is OK? The Party is OK? The policies are OK? He, they, the are simply Paul Martin's gracious enablers - accessories after or during the facts if you will - and have been completely incapable of articulating a vision to oppose the bloated mess that is Paul Martin's Canada. Quite frankly, while Fred and Daphne are really not the answer, at least they have something, anything, to say.

John Ibbitson wrote, "Even though Mr. MacKay's histrionics left Mr. Harper so furious that he reportedly took out his frustrations on a chair, the warning had the desired result. On Saturday, MP Scott Reid, author of the contentious resolution, was booed when he pitched the proposal to the full assembly, which then rejected it." (Via Damian Penny) By the way...where the hell is Paul Wells when you need him?

I wonder if Harper went all Bobby Knight during the spineless debates over the budget? I'd feel a whole lot better if he did. The only saving grace of this party currently is that even it's media overlords are so fed up with them they are rooting for the Conservatives. The problem isn't that Harper doesn't have the policies or principles to be the next PM. The problem is that he can't sell it.

Oh, and you can be damn sure this will never really happen for Harper. Thanks to Stephen Taylor: "Working my way through the crowd is a somewhat surreal experience as hill staffers, MPs, members of the press, young delegates and Preston Manning are all hanging out, dancing to Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot. So, this is where I meet, for the first time, one of our most influential political minds and greatest democratic reformers in Canadian history, Preston Manning."

School of Wooderson

"If you're wondering," writes Nervous Breakdown, "what it feels like to be a good-looking lunatic, Matthew McConaughey has been keeping an online journal at MTV.com. " (via Golden Fiddle who describes the journal as, "Each journal entry is like a glorious snapshot of Xanadu-Americana, filtered through a Jeff Foxworthy sieve.")

..."You just gotta keep on livin', man. L-I-V-I-N."

Wes Anderson Life Aquatic with Dasani Ads

Wes Anderson is making TV commercials for Dasani water. If you have to watch commercials, they can at least be directed by one of the coolest filmakers going. (via Adrants)

George Kennan dies at 101

One of the most interesting and certainly one of the most brilliant thinkers of Cold War strategy, George F. Kennan died at 101 yesterday. Of course The New York Times has an appropriately long summation of the life and times of this great writer and thinker.

Shout out to the Long Telegram.

More: David Adesnik at Oxblog has more thoughts, meanwhile Instapundit notes Kennan was the Wolfowitz of the Cold War but with better press, or is that the other way around? In terms of the core strategy they are equals, however it would seem, Wolfowitz is far more the idealist than Kennan ever was. And that is a good thing.

Oh, and the Washington Post has thier version too.

Trumping the Sable Rattling of China

Simple solution to the Chinese obsession with Taiwan. At least, so says Glenn Reynolds. Give them some nukes. Maybe we could have a buy one get one free sale this year so they can get ready to repel them.

So if the Chinese are really getting ready to do this, giving out some free nukes would be a great way to put a damper on that. And just to be clear on Dispatches foriegn policy on this matter. Let's just also say this. Taiwan cannot, must not, and will not be taken by China by force or peaceful open mouth kisses. Sorry, ain't gonna happen.

Freedom strikes back

The Lebanese democracy and freedom movement answers Syria's demonstrations with a wave of 800,000 - 1.3 million people hitting the streets. Jeff Jarvis has the link rich details.

And Speaking of Bad Planning

My 18th & Lonsdale correspondent - who informed me of the Green Necklace monstrosity - also dragged me to have a look at The Pier display suites. (More information here) There are two problems here.

1. The display suites are actually "on the pier" yet the actual buildings for sale are a block off the water, across a street. Worst. Bait and switch. Ever.

2. This is probably worse. The display suites were incredibly ugly. Think "Trump Cheapo" - the Opulence magazine lying around was a creepy touch.

City Planning Hell

I love the left coast hippies. Honestly, who dreams up things like North Vancouver's "Green Necklace"? This is a ridiculous plan to link some pretty cool parks in the city with 1-3m wide ashvault pathways. I'd wondered why they were digging up everything green in the local parks. Now I know, it is greening the city by adding more charming black concrete paths. You stay classy North Vancouver City.

The Battle of Algiers

Watched the Criterion Collection version of The Battle of Algiers last night. Incredible film and now there is little wonder why the Pentagon did a special screening of the film under to discuss the topic, "How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas." in relation to the ongoing battle in Iraq in 2003. At any rate, it is both brilliant and compelling - and the score is truly mesmerizing. And it makes what the troops are going through in Iraq all the more remarkable.

Great White Waste of Time

Great. Now The Weekly Standard is on to us... Don't upset them. Great cover story by Matt Labash entitled "Welcome to Canada: The Great White Waste of time"

And with quotes like this, "This unscientific research quickly confirmed that Canadians are bizarrely obsessed with us, binge-eating out of our cultural trough, then pretending it tastes bad. Plainly the two things Canada needs most are a mirror and a good psychiatrist." There will be a stream of backlash articles in Canadian media circles. What fun. Thanks a lot hippies.

Listening to: Bloc Party

I can't thank GMac at work enough for telling me to listen to Bloc Party. And no, politcal buddies, it's not a band fronted by Gilles Duceppe. What a great band.

New Talking Points on Canada-US Relations

Making Pierre Pettigrew look good since March 10th. Here's a clever pr move by the Foreign Policy wing of this country. When your minister in charge looks foolish for making things up and blaming America for us not having the guts to call a terrorist group a terrorist group, have your MP in charge of Canada-US relations use these talking points, "let's embarrass the hell out of the Americans in front of other countries."

The Empire Strikes Back

Chantal Hebert slams Stephen Harper in today's Toronto Star. Shorter version: Conservative party's government in waiting is still a very distant idea. This is no rebel force capable of bringing down the Death Star quite yet. Harper is no Luke Skywalker. Advantage: Liberals.

Uncredible Foreign Policy

There are so many things wrong with Canadian Foreign Policy it is hard to know where to even start. When in doubt, start at the top. Foreign Affairs minister Pierre Pettigrew is simply uninformed or he is making stuff up. (Via Kate McMillan at The Shotgun)

And he would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you kids, or the US State Department.

For your eyes only blogs

"How cool would it be to gain "trusted user" status on a CIA blog?" asks Kris Alexander at Wired.com. How cool indeed. (Hat tip to GR)

What would Ingmar do?

Had a helluva time with Blogger this morning. But I really wanted to post this. Boy, I thought Canada’s Prime Minister cornered the market in dithering politicians debating irrelevant issues. But Norway’s PM makes Paul Martin look like a downright straight shooting Teddy Roosevelt. Criticizing Ikea for it’s male oriented instructions? Whatevs.

NRO’s Jonah Goldberg: “Some nations live beyond the edge of the envelope at the end of history (they are allowed to do so thanks to the umbrella of peace and prosperity America maintains). All major arguments about the organization of life have been settled in these societies, even if they cannot see it themselves. Conflicts are manufactured like those on a college campus where the tensions are high but the stakes are low. But even these islands at the end of history must deal with the rest of the world and while some of these interactions -- i.e. immigration -- are very serious most of these forays into the slipstream of history highlight how petty the issues of the new age are.”

Burger King takes more crazy pills

Recent Burger King commercial. It begs the question: What exactly is in the Kool-Aid over at Crispin Porter + Bogusky anyway? Nice to see Hootie working again, non? Adland offers more on this outrageously nonsensical TV spot.

Astroturf R.I.P.

Thank the maker. Artificial turf is slowly becoming a thing of the past. As Shoeless Joe says in Field of Dreams, "...That was me. I'd wake up at night with the smell of the ball park in my nose, the cool of the grass on my feet... The thrill of the grass." (via Baseball Musings)

You stay classy, Paul Martin

Today’s Globe and Mail lead editorial is pretty good. It asks where the debate is over the outrageous spending in Ottawa. I’m still not sure what or who is worse. Is it the Prime Minister who quite clearly has shackled the country with an explosion in spending that will likely get us right back to where we were in 1993? You stay classy 2010 budget, as Ron Burgundy would say. That will be fun as our spending will magically increase 82% since 1998. Or is it the leader of the opposition who is allowing the minority government to stand and allow it to destroy that fiscal discipline?

This government should have been brought down if only to teach Paul Martin a lesson. But the Stephen Harper is gun shy of being the man who made the country go back to the polls. In fact, the Conservative Party in general have spent all thier time on issues that are totally meaningless - and are now talking about social issues again. They both should be run out of Ottawa at this point.

Is it too much for us to get rid of our tyranny? Throw the bums out! Or maybe it is time for the "What would Brian do" train to leave the station.

The Power of the Wolf

Worship our Neo-Conservative overlord.

David Brooks: "Wolfowitz doesn't talk like those foreign policy blowhards who think the world is run by chessmasters sitting around at summits. He talks about national poets, national cultures and the power of people to bring sweeping change. His faith in people probably led to some of the mistakes in Iraq. But with change burbling in Beirut, with many young people proudly hoisting the Lebanese flag (in a country that was once a symbol of tribal factionalism), it's time to take a look at this guy again."

Vietnam: The Next Iraq

Claudia Rosett is asking if Vietnam is the new Iraq. As Glenn Reynolds would say. HEH.

Jonze, Adidas, & Zissou

The new Adidas commercial is directed by Spike Jonze. It's pretty cool. I've never really been an Adidas guy, but seriously I need a pair of the Zissou shoes. They are pretty awesome. (Via GMac)

Even the French

400,000 protestors (or not) for the other side in Lebanon be damned. When France's Le Monde is coming around to the Bush Doctrine, it's really a fait accompli.

Still Waiting for Chinese Democracy

Before you get any ideas, no, this isn't a post about China. It's a post about Guns and Roses. And, er, no I'm long over that very, very, brief time in my life when I actually listened to them. Where was I?

Oh, right. Did anyone but me catch this hilarious article in the New York Times? "The Most Expensive Album Never Made" by Jeff Leeds. How's this for some tidbits: this is the story of the album started in 1994, the album that has already cost over $13 million, and the album that has seen three producers. It is the story of arguably the biggest band in the world that can't finish their album. Great story.

2005 the new 1989?

It's only March. I keep reminding myself that it is only March. But how can you ignore the sweeping change? Al Gore isn't running in 2008, Brad & Jen are trying to get back together, Martha Stewart is out of jail and warming or thawing out her icey image, democracy is taking the Middle East by storm and yes it seems George W. Bush was right afterall. Best. Headline. Ever. (via Instapundit)

Why we will win this war

Why yes. Yes we have. Noticed the outbreak of Lebanese hotties since the outbreak of thier democracy movement that is.

Big Trouble in Little China

Thomas Friedman's Sunday column is just chalk full of juicy bits made more clear by Rich Lowry's reminder. I'm not sure what I find most disturbing: That Europe has 4 C-17 transport planes, or that by Europe we mean Britain, and by Britain we mean leased from Boeing. That Europe's 2 million strong armed forces include only 5 percent who are combat ready. Or that Europe is more concerned with selling arms to China than in arming itself. God help them if there is ever a global crisis they might be inclined to support.

But mostly his ending - or is that a warning - is the shocker, "If Europe wants to go pacifist, that's fine. But there is nothing worse than a pacifist that sells arms - especially in a way that increases the burden on its U.S. ally and protector."

Buffalo Nickel Returns

You really have to appreciate America. Anyone who makes a big deal out of a nickel. That is pretty cool. And you can get 'em by the 500 piece bag. Call grandma and hit the nickel slots kids.

The new VW

The new VW. World's fastest and most expensive car. Still really a Jetta? No, of course not. It looks interesting.

Events Sweeping Across The Middle East

This picture tells it all. Thank you to our Neo-Conservative overlords for helping to transform the Middle East. Who knew it was going to happen so quickly. The Belmont Club has some pros and cons in a link filled post worth the read. When we constantly have to come up with new names for revolutions I would say it was a good thing. The Arab Revolution, The Cedar Revolution. Where will it go next.