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Blogging Tories posts from "Luca Manfredi"

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rights and democracy (3)
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Take my exemption, but not all at once
My graduate association has brought to my attention that postdoctoral fellowships will be taxed beginning this year if the Budget passes in its current form. I read the relevant section and happen to agree with Flaherty's assessment. The tax exemptions for grad stipends (like mine) are excellent because we study to get a qualification and the stipends would be, realistically speaking, quite smal
Luca Manfredi | posted 1 day ago
postdoctoral fellowships, contingency plans, graduate association, lucrative career, abrupt change, faculty position, relevant section, whoppers, stipends, liberal professors, tax exemptions, paycheck, fiscal year, tenure, salary, nif, mortgage, pool, budget, money
Unnecessary lack of class
As I keep thinking about last week's events I can't help feeling like an old grumpy crank. I want to like this Budget and Throne Speech, but it would be an undeserved compliment. Flaherty's buzzwords for cuts in the public service aren't convincing, the estimates are a politician's ones and the spending freeze at 2010 levels is like climbing to the top of Everest and saying "we shall climb n
Luca Manfredi | posted 6 days ago
conservative commentators, party activists, juicy bone, radical policies, national anthem, throne speech, climbing to the top, nthe, callousness, o canada, minority government, fresh news, buzzwords, choruses, quirk, binge, hangover, insecurity, fiasco, tories
Number-crunching the Throne Speech
Apparently the Throne Speech is 6000 words long and will take a whopping hour and a half to deliver. Let's crunch some numbers. Assume the standard policy announcement goes as follows: "This government is committed to job creation in Canada following the most severe crisis in decades. Corporation tax will be reduced to incentivise hiring and investment". Twenty-six words. Political BS brings i
Luca Manfredi | posted March 3rd
tory agenda, bells and whistles, senate committees, political bs, policy initiatives, throne speech, swan song, senate majority, six words, policy announcement, impressive results, congratulation, legislative session, job creation, hour and a half, canadians, crunch, liberals, masterpiece, grandstanding
A good day for Luca
Today I am more free than I was yesterday. My thesis has been signed off for external review, which means I am very happy and very tempted to imbibe celebratory pints. In other news, a friend of mine swore allegiance to Her Majesty today and became a Canadian citizen. Which made me look forward to the autumn of 2011 when I will file my application. Maggie Thatcher sums up my feelings for tod
Luca Manfredi | posted March 3rd
canadian citizen, pints, allegiance, majesty, thatcher, laundry, autumn, thesis, feelings, nin
My letter to Pravda
This is a copy (with translation) of a letter I sent the editorial team of Pravda.ru following their publication of an article slamming Canada and the Vancouver olympics. I don't say much of substance, but here goes. Уважаемая редакция Правда.ру, Пишу из Канады прочитав отклики на статью Тимоти Бэнкрофта-Хинчи и
Luca Manfredi | posted February 26th
pravda ru, editorial team, olympics, vancouver, translation, canada, d0, b7, b4, bd, ba, b5, lucas oil stadium, ticket levels, erm, easy money, home business, thod, 2c, world premiere, languages, keyword weight, term software, software development, reuters, ss, jazz, asbestos violations, asbestos materials, 8y, 9f, b9, bf, yl, ld, local tv, ceva, 9b, c2, c3, weet, vinden, term stress, ter, emission peak, peak weight, pyrometers, housewives, term job, genre, styron, plastics, toshiba hdtv, toshiba regza 42, toshiba regza 42 lcd, toshiba, bliss, 0000, basket view, shortcuts, super bowl, sports, ooty, www sex, calculators
How the Euro weeds out the losers
Greece is astonishing. The country's economy is in the tank and sinking fast to the bottom, where it belongs anyway. Yet Greek unions somehow think the bonanza isn't over and have called a wave of massive strikes that have already crippled fuel supplies and will cripple the whole country beginning tomorrow. Ports, borders, transport and tons of public services will all be shut to protest the a
Luca Manfredi | posted February 23rd
massive strikes, greece italy, purse strings, fuel supplies, greek government, bailout, fiscal responsibility, what is the eu, austerity, lots of money, union leaders, ecb, populace, junkies, bonanza, good intentions, gutter, common sense, embargo, rulers
No value is as traditional as liberty
Right wing candidates score brownie points by babbling about "Judeo-Christian" or "traditional" values. Sometimes they churn out the whole enchilada to the cheers of orgasmic crowds who are none the wiser that they're being had. This reli-culous window dressing is most of the time used as a generic dividing line to isolate liberalism, secularism and Islam from the audience. Cheering said sp
Luca Manfredi | posted February 22nd
whole enchilada, jewish texts, mutual relationship, free societies, mortal sin, brownie points, evil deeds, window dressing, dividing line, whopper, smokescreen, absolution, naivete, secularism, traditional values, individualism, mortals, populace, liberalism, incompatibility
Learn to hold your horses
Bringing youth movements to conferences isn't right for the reasons you might believe. CPAC speeches by the Young America's Foundation and the Young Americans for Freedom often give off a cocky and polarized vibe. Their members are awesome speakers, yet their confrontational rhetoric drowns the message in a tub of soundbites. Young age is the right time to be a radical. In later years your pee
Luca Manfredi | posted February 20th
young americans for freedom, professional attitudes, real politics, vocal chords, radicalism, young america, prime example, pastime, right time, rhetoric, storms, peers, cocktail, speeches, politicians, yafs, wisdom, showcase, conferences, speakers
Is the conservative movement getting over its hangups?
Abortion, homosexuality, birthers, the lot: if there's a reason to squabble and polarize oneself, many conservatives are all too happy to tuck into the controversy smorgasbord. Well, something's shifting. This year CPAC has its fair share of nuts (as FrumForum shows photographically) but this year also marks the presence of GOProud (a prominent gay Republican group) and a group advocating reduc
Luca Manfredi | posted February 20th
young americans for freedom, changing attitudes, massive blow, republican group, expecting mothers, cpac, brouhaha, liberty university, squabble, abortions, fair share, homosexuality, independents, university law school, disgrace, foreign policy, conservatives, invitations, controversy, nuts
Andrew Breitbart speaks off-stage
Breitbart visited the bloggers lounge at CPAC and answered questions from bloggers. His reveations about ACORN were the main focus of the Q&A, but he did manage to mention how the movement needs to stop being defensive and challenge the left's values. Conservative commentators and new media are often barred from the mainstream by established biases and choked by political correctness. When t
Luca Manfredi | posted February 20th
political correctness, concrete ceiling, ceiling glass, leftism, cpac, biases, acorn, independent media, commentators, cheerleaders, manifestations, corruption, mainstream, crap
The party faithful - who gives a s**t!
How callous do you have to be to screw your own party's base? Michael Gove, the UK Tories' schools wonk, has quite a few questions to answer. The party has been parachuting candidates into safe seats to fill an internal quota for female, minority and gay MPs overriding local constituency associations. They are presented with a list of pre-approved candidates and asked to choose one, leaving any
Luca Manfredi | posted February 19th
michael gove, constituency associations, bad vibe, david cameron, daily mail, tory party, candidate selection, islamic schools, west norfolk, fiascos, cull, louis xvi, wonk, tories, fiasco, mastermind, embarrassment, latte, challenger, global warming
Thiessen at CPAC: telling the real facts about the CIA
How do you feel when you are unable to speak up for yourself? The CIA staff currently going through judicial hell at the hands of Barack Obama's minions are exactly in that situation. They are bound by dozens of agreements and rules that prevent them from telling the truth about their interrogation techniques. Enter Mark Thiessen. When given access to all the first-hand information necessary t
Luca Manfredi | posted February 19th
counter terrorism unit, barack obama, interrogation techniques, courting disaster, mark thiessen, nhis, captivating book, information flow, telling the truth, minions, folly, trickle, liberals, myth, dozens, cia, torture, democrats, hell, truth about, united states
CPAC stands for "let's talk"
What do tea parties, the NRA, pro-life groups and Ron Paul have in common? They all come to CPAC. Knowing that a whole movement can come together for a big conserva-fest is always heartening, as meeting and speaking are the obvious first steps to building a coalition that can win, especially in first-past-the-post systems. Unlike CNN's interpretation (conservatives agreeing with conservatives)
Luca Manfredi | posted February 19th
fringe events, tea parties, apparatchik, life groups, cnn, election time, ron paul, bigwigs, soundbites, united front, nra, first steps, ordinary people, applause, conservatives, cpac, speeches, phenomenon, dedication, showcase
Rights and Democracy shutters its Geneva shop for good
In what is my last post on the Rights and Democracy saga for a while, I'd like to simply say a few words now that the Geneva office has been officially shut, according to the Star. The whole affair stinks to high heaven. Somebody burgled an office in a secure building in broad daylight. The right hand doesn't seem to know what the left hand is doing. The Government and its appointees to the B
Luca Manfredi | posted February 17th
tin pot, geneva office, epic proportions, rights and democracy, high heaven, ndon, broad daylight, appointees, dictatorship, canadian government, few words, purse, left hand, saga, human rights, balls, tstorm, haiti
Cha-ching! The Rights and Democracy phantom office.
I'm sure Tim got a lot of heat for his article on FrumForum yesterday, showing how Rights and Democracy could have been involved in shady money transfers to organizations and projects of dubious repute. Now it turns out they have an empty office in Geneva which is registered under a separate NGO (as per Swiss law). The organizational chart is as detached from Montreal's R&D one as South Ame
Luca Manfredi | posted February 12th
geneva office, office in geneva, new paradigms, social injustice, rights and democracy, nher, nthe, swiss law, money transfers, concrete action, due respect, organizational chart, social movements, repute, staffer, iraq war, imperialism, founding member, lefty, radicals
A shady death, cover-ups and lots of government money
Sherlock Holmes would be on this one in no time. Tim Mak reveals on FrumForum how Rights and Democracy, no stranger to controversial news has been the theater of some rather disturbing events. Destinations for R&D money included organizations with ties to terrorism and the anti-Semitic bashfest called Durban 2. The organization mismanaged this way a 10 million dollar annual grant from the Can
Luca Manfredi | posted February 11th
whole shebang, stable doors, internal resistance, nwho, rights and democracy, sherlock holmes, massive data, resources computer, colander, security firm, burglars, beauregard, rcmp, private security, heart attack, board meeting, canadian government, remy, godfather, mak, unhcr
Rubbish slips past the filter at the National Post
Ian Gentles in the NP seems to argue that banning abortion reduces maternal mortality. It is a mix of lies and bullshit. First he makes an apparently valid point about the likelihood of preterm births in post-abortion women, then suddenly shifts to maternal mortality and commends Poland and Ireland on their stats. The abortion-premature-cerebral palsy argument may hold some validity, though I'd l
Luca Manfredi | posted February 9th
infant death rates, abortion rate, illegal abortion, preterm births, maternal mortality, infant mortality, mortality rate, gentles, polish women, induced abortion, infant health, dramatic improvement, significant numbers, abortions, tosh, cerebral palsy, strides, neighbours, likelihood, favour
Here we go again with Insite
This story is getting old. Another court decision breeds another appeal by the federal government against the legality of Insite, citing a dissenting opinion. I beg you to pardon my ignorance, but to the best of my knowledge Insite does not supply the drugs. Needles are not controlled equipment and there is some evidence suggesting Insite attendees are more likely to ask for help and rehab. Where
Luca Manfredi | posted February 9th
legal wrangles, provincial referendum, legal wrangle, double whammy, constitutional scholars, federals, insite, dissenting opinion, rumblings, imperfection, comments section, right decision, technicalities, final decision, human nature, needles, disgrace, court decision, attendees, favour
TTC unions do no-one a favour
The TTC doesn't help alleviate the stereotype of Torontonian arrogance. Following public outcry at their inefficiency, TTC employees are rambling against the public and apparently want to add insult to injury through some work-to-rule action. Where on earth does the TTC find them? Every public transit system will have its ups and downs, as much as every business has good and bad employees. Commo
Luca Manfredi | posted February 8th
public transit system, public outcry, insult to injury, ups and downs, logical reasons, humbleness, s books, different world, inefficiency, scraper, culprit, arrogance, stereotype, ups, common sense, manners, ttc, boss, earth
The onset of hydraulic politics
How many times have we witnessed politicians breaking down crying on live TV to atone for some cock-up? One of the latest converts to hydro-powered politics is Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair's infamous spin doctor. Recently we discovered the head of the East Anglia CRU considered suicide after the climategate e-mails were leaked. Gosh, spare us climate martyrdom for the time being. Whatever hap
Luca Manfredi | posted February 7th
alistair campbell, east anglia, taking it like a man, political move, quiet spot, harakiri, spin doctor, tony blair, dreamworld, decorum, martyrdom, live tv, role model, youngsters, judgement, converts, politician, resignation, dignity, politicians
Woe them, whom with blind charity we softly smother
The story of the US missionaries accused of kidnapping and child trafficking in Haiti has been in the news for quite a while, and I've digested it enough. My verbose belch on this topic comes out so: There's nothing more terrifying than someone stupid thinking they know better for you. The simple expectation of being able to take a busload of children out of a COUNTRY illegally under the guis
Luca Manfredi | posted February 3rd
receding hairline, haitian refugees, child trafficking, total annihilation, sole hope, haitian children, noble purpose, guise, missionaries, brow, expectation, children for adoption, charity, infrastructure, haiti, survival
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Social media return power to the people

Ont. tax collectors to get severance -- but keep jobs

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More Canadians leaning right, poll finds

So the coke head gets off with a slap on the wrist

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