You just have to face your fears

I'm going shopping this morning for a new bathing suit.
I'm looking for something to flatter my figure and maybe a nice cover-up too.

Line-dried towels

It's hot so we're going down to the river this afternoon.

Yesterday OPG had to shut down six 500-megawatt Nanticoke units due to striking Hydro One workers.

They've since issued an official warning of possible power outages.

So in an effort to safeguard the grid I'm hanging everything on the clothes line.

Never could understand why people like big fluffy towels. I like them rough, scratchy and crisp enough to stand up on their own. Line-dried towels suck up moisture better and do a fine job of exfoliating. Bet you never thought of that now did ya?

La Fete with Stephen Harper?

And it's BYOB.

How It Went Down

Right Ho! has a bare-bones account of how the vote went down last night. By his way of thinking:

The Conservative Party now realizes it has no allies in Parliament. And the window of opportunity in bringing down the Liberal government in the fall, or even the spring of 2006, is starting to get smaller.

Perhaps now, those who have been clamoring for the Conservatives to flog policy, will understand why Harper has been reluctant to do so. Disdain for Liberal scandal and corruption is the only tie that binds the Conservatives and the Bloc. Harper can't be arsed to explain to those poor dumb Canadians how a Conservative government would, uh, govern because when he does it is going to be increasingly difficult for the Bloc and the NDP to jump under the sheets with him.

It's going to take something really sleazy like offering pizza and strippers to campaign workers before this opportunity arises again. Oh, never mind

Of Curds and Whey

We are hoping to have my mother's next book ready to launch by late august. That's taking up much of my time these days.

The history of cheese making in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry is incredibly interesting. And when I say cheese I mean Cheddar - the very best in the world. So while I'm editing and proofing this profoundly significant local history spend some time at the Cornwall Cheese and Butter Board site. I've posted these links before on the old site but the abundence of lovely green grass and the task at hand compels me to link to it again. Project information is here and the table of contents is here.

Genealogists will find the name index useful.

From The Dairyman's Ten Commandments - commandments one to six and six to ten.

Thou shalt not abuse or worry thy cow -— thou nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy dog, nor the mischievous boy who driveth her up; but thou shalt at all times treat her with gentleness, and allow no one to molest or make her afraid; for in the day that thou vexeth her or suffer her to be vexed there shall come a pestilence upon her, and it shall enter into her milk, and taint thy butter and thy cheese, so that it shall become a stench in the nostrils of the buyer, and he shall turn away from thee with contempt.

Enjoy

Girl Stuff

A few simple summer styles for long hair, including an easy french roll. I'd pass on teasing hair at the crown and spritz with hair spray instead. A bit of spray before you begin makes manipulating a french roll a whole lot easier.

Other summer hair hints can be found here

Skullduggery causes havoc at Pearson International?

Earlier this morning I provided a Hansard link to the Ontario Legislature and suggested you might want to read the whole transcript for additional skullduggery. Link again is here - Scroll down to Orders of the Day, Time Allocations

As protesting taxi drivers are now causing havoc at Pearson International I'll include here yet another bit from MPP Bob Runciman.

This seems to be a very unfortunate trademark of this government, because, as I pointed out in debate in this House last week, this government did exactly the same sort of thing with respect to transportation legislation. The limousine drivers based in Mississauga, under legislation brought in by the Minister of Transportation, are now the only people who have the right to pick up passengers at Pearson airport. If a taxicab driver in the city of Toronto drops someone off, he can no longer pick up anybody at Pearson, but a limousine coming into Toronto can pick up people in Toronto. So why did they do that? Right in the middle of that legislation, the limousine drivers had a fundraiser for the Liberal Party of Ontario and gave them a $200,000 cheque.

Red Ensign Standard

Marzi has just posted the latest edition of the Red Ensign Standard

Nobody Does It Better

The provincial Tories aren't too happy with Bill 144, in particular the portions of this proposed legislation which would see the return to card-based certification and an increase in powers of the Ontario Labour Relations Board to impose a union on a workplace.

When it comes to parliamentary debate nobody does it better than Bob Runciman. He really is a scary conservative and one suspects very proud of it.

So what does this mean? What it means is they are abolishing a secret ballot vote. That's what they're doing by replacing it with card-based certification. What they are doing is opening the door to intimidation. If you are in a workplace where there is an organizing drive underway, you no longer have the privilege of casting a ballot in secret as to whether or not you want to see that workplace organize, a private ballot so that you can express your views, "Is it good for us to have a union or is it a bad thing?" No, you have to sign a card. You have to show your indication of where this should go.

Runciman goes on to accuse Dalton McGuinty of pushing the legislation, without full debate, for less than honourable reasons.

But to compound this tragic lack of judgment and this mistake that's going to seriously damage labour relations in the province of Ontario, after Bill 144 was tabled in this House, received second reading and was sent to committee, guess what happened? I'll bet you can't guess, because I don't believe it has ever happened before in the history of this Legislature. The people benefiting from this legislation, the construction labour unions, held a thank you, thank you, thank you fundraiser for Premier Dalton McGuinty and his cabinet ministers.

Mr. McGuinty turned up for this -- we saw the brochure: "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dalton McGuinty" -- right in the middle of public hearings on legislation that benefits this group. That's the reality. And what did they do? They handed over a $250,000 cheque to the Liberal Party of Ontario. What a thank you. What a great big financial thank you, right in the middle of legislation, when it's at public hearings. How objective can that be? I would question the legality, let alone the morality, of that.

The interesting twist of course it that this card-based certification applies only to the construction trade unions. The complete Hansard transcript is here with additional skullduggery.

Loyalist Jeremiah French

A ceremony marking the grave site of United Empire Loyalist Jeremiah French was held this weekend at Maple Grove cemetery near Cornwall. This local pioneer served as a lieutenant under General John Bourgoyne in the Kings Royal Regiment in the 1777 Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution. Story and photos are here

Grewal Cleared -Tomorrow's News Never

The RCMP and federal transport regulators have cleared Conservative MP Gurmant Grewal of any wrongdoing in an incident at Vancouver International Airport.

Top story at many news sources at noon today including Canoe, Yahoo and NealeNews, is the Grewal story. Bourque isn't linking but is carrying the two-headed cat story. Lets see how long it takes him to link ... if at all.

Update: Forgive me for ever doubting. Smallish link on Friday afternoon. Gone now.

Long Story Short - More Than Just Media Chill

On Monday, in a National Review article, David Frum mentions, almost in passing, that he is one of at least five members of the media who have recently been served with libel papers in connection with government scandal.

Bloggers start digging to discover who is being silenced, besides Andrew Coyne, who has posted nothing on his blog in two weeks.

From Planet X Candace shivers herself and provides Debbye with a link to this forum which suggests that, as well as Laurent Soumis of the Journal de Montreal, the others could include Mike Duffy and Warren Kinsella.

Debbye has the long story on the bewildering number of lawsuits, including the link to Kate's take on this which, as always, bears repeating.

In any sane democratic country, a slap suit against an opinion columnist by a government operative would provoke outrage and non-stop editorials in the mainstream press. The item would be leading the newscasts, with punditry convening soberly on our TV screens. Reporter scrums would pepper government leaders to explain their actions in curtailling that most hallowed (in their eyes) of all freedoms - freedom of the press.

Please read the long story.

Muzzling the media should be drawing outrage. These law suits may not stick but they are enough to prevent journalists from reporting information that Canadians have the right to know. Stealing tax payers money is glossed over as mismanagement. Buying political support is shrugged off as the way the political game is played. But silencing the media is in a word - dangerous.

Defoliants at CFB Gagetown

Jack has excellent information for anyone who served in the military and may have health problems related to the spraying of Agent Orange near the base in Gagetown, New Brunswick in the early 1960's. Regrettably he can offer no course of action for civilians exposed to toxic herbicides. May I suggest you contact your MP.

Related links here and here.

So I don't have to scald the milk first?

I feel the need for a super fling boogie. This place is a mess and big green garbage bags under sink are calling my name.

While I'm sorting stuff into trash piles, give away piles and find a cupboard I can cram it into piles have a look at these links.

Cooking Myths - it never occurred to me to ask why I had to scald the milk first.

Sea salt guide

Mining Hansard

As a news source Newsbeat1 does something that few other sources do and that is offer links to Hansard. There's plenty of good stuff to be found, but for many, the official transcripts of the business of parliament are daunting. NewsbeatI has both an excerpt and direct link to the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. Relevant to anyone interested in transparency in government.

Rumours from the Hen House

Ontario Tories have been turning themselves inside out the last two days trying to determine what sources Bourque drew on to come up with his Flaherty Plots Harper Overthrow bombshell which in turn spawned the appalling Globe and Mail story by Gloria Galloway.

There's some serious clucking about Red Tories undermining the Conservatives, determined at any cost to see Harper and the new party fail.

More cackling about Ontario political elites (possibly Red Tories) sowing deceit in a bid to ensure we never, ever have a Prime Minister from Alberta.

Even outright crowing that this is revenge aimed at provincial politicians who have decided to roost in the federal coop.

Oddly, here in the barnyard few are entertaining the idea that this fanciful story is true. Those who know Flaherty certainly don't think it's true. The burning question is, who told Bourque this elaborate story and why? Who plays this kind of politics and has the most to gain from a divided and chaotic Conservative Party?

Shortly after the bombshell a barnyard hen ripped off an email in which it was suggested, as well as a number of other strongly worded things, that Bourque's credibility was now sullied. I can't of course vouch for the validity of this - but in the hen house this is rumoured to be his response.

Funny, I had similar emails from people when I was first with the bombshell that Charest was going to Quebec, ditto with the bombshell about Martinites secretly meeting in Toronto to plot Chretien's ouster. I can think of many other situations (the devolution of the once-mighty John Roth and Nortel, for instance) over the years where I'll be first with something and there are always a few people who are too quick to denounce the messenger.

And that really is the essence of rumour and innuendo. Time will tell. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and perhaps before the next decade is out Bouqure will be able to say "See I told you so. I was first with this bombshell."

Cosh has a few things to say about this issue.
As does Blue Tory

Liberal Insiders question Martin's leadership ability

Liberal insiders are questioning Paul Martin's ability to lead the party into the next election.

Liberal insiders who wish to remain silent, as it may jeopardize their chances for a cabinet position, are questioning not only the PM's ability to win the next election but to run the country in the mean time.

In what insiders say was a stunning move to push Martin out of the leadership, Scott Brison did little in the House of Commons yesterday to dispel accusations that the Liberal government struck a deal with Jean Chretien not to oppose a legal challenge to the Gomery Commission. Party faithful see this as one more example of Brison, who was once a leadership contender for the Progressive Conservatives, making bold attempts to make the PM look really, really stupid.

Another insider said that Brison's stock response, "There was no offer, no arrangement and no deal made between Mr. Chretien and the Government of Canada," was clearly an indication that No offer - No deal is the new Liberal mantra. "And quite frankly," she added, "many of us are tired of hearing it in the house."

Dissatisfaction with Mr. Martin's leadership started expanding with the Belinda defection and then it continued to expand when it became clear that cabinet positions, which long time liberals had worked toward, were being handed to right-wing ringers. "Many of us in caucus are getting tired of waiting," said one long- time grit, who also asked to remain anonymous.

Others are less worried about this democratic deficit and say, anonymously of course, that Martin is doing a great job maintaining control of this minority government. "If he can't please them he simply splits the portfolio. It may take a while to figure out who does what, but time is after all, on his side."

Gloria Galloway, a graduate of the school of yellow journalism, sheds some light on Stephen Harpers leadership woes.

Mrs. Robinson. What every college boy needs.

We, and that of course would include the grandparents, sent the oldest boy off to college last fall with a little car. It's a 1992 Passat with leather seats and a sun roof. Very posh, in a mature kind of way. I named the car Mrs. Robinson, as in what every college boy needs.

When news of the death of Anne Bancroft was announced last week, I thought of the Passat and the life lessons it has provided. Not only has he had to budget for repairs and insurance but he has had to learn to drive a five speed in Peterborough. He's done a number of things to make me proud the last two years but mastering Mrs. Robinson on the hills of that city ranks right up there with good grades.

Cosh has a list that a college boy's mother really didn't want to see.

Things I've learned while trying to beat the heat

I've learned that nothing is cooler than a sarong after a shower. It's also a good option when you discover that the bathing suit you've been wearing for the last three years is now at least two sizes too small. I wrap mine under my arms and tie in a big knot in front. Other methods can be found here.

I've learned that Molson Cold Shots are very tasty. I enjoy beer when it's really hot and a whole bottle is often just too much. These serious drinkers don't seem to agree with me. Does that make Cold Shots a chick drink? It might have been the heat but it tasted damn good to me.

I've learned that you can fire pinch pots from river clay on the BBQ. However, the glaze remains a problem.

So does that tell you what kind of weekend we've had down here on the farm?

A Few Good Garden Links

Dave's Garden A large and very active community of gardeners and farmers, sharing information, seeds, and plants.


30 Years and Still Growing. The Victory Garden

Dog days

Have you considered adopting a rescue aussie?

Local dogs ready for adoption.