Tuesday, January 01, 2008

So much for a peaceful New Year

As I wake up to a picture-perfect morning of freshly fallen snow that coats each tree limb with exquisite white garlands, I am jerked back to harsh reality by several breaking stories on the other side of the world:

CNN - Ministry backtracks on Bhutto sunroof claims

The plot sickens - Bhutto hours from exposing vote-rigging details!!! (Star)



Star - Kenyans seeking refuge in church burned to death.

More at the Daily Dish - Kenya's Tribal Unraveling. (H/T Daimnation!)

Star - U.S. Diplomat shot, killed in Sudan.


But we in Canada aren't free from it either:

Canoe - Gun violence rocks Calgary.
CTV - Slain girl is daughter of T.O. police officers.


Sometimes all you can do is pray.

And be grateful for the small moments of peace and joy that you find in each day.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Slow news day Joanne?

Stop spinning for one day at least will'ya?

LLL

maryT said...

Your description of a picture perfect morning reminds me of a comment made by an old man, (atheist) outside the post office one morning years ago.
The morning was as you described, and he looked around and said, just look at this, and people say there is no God. Who else could have painted such a picture.
Will never forget him.

Anonymous said...

Just watched Harper's interview with CTV, and I have to say that he makes me proud to be a Canadian.


He conducted himself clearly and well with confidence.

I'd sooner have our country being led by him than any other for the next few years.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Just watched Harper's interview with CTV, and I have to say that he makes me proud to be a Canadian.

I saw the original broadcast, and I know what you mean.

It's a strange feeling; that being proud of your Prime Minister. I totally agree.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Who else could have painted such a picture.

Thank you for sharing that, Mary. I just peeked outside my son's bedroom window. There is a bush there and the snow looks like little balls of cotton curled up in each branch. Maybe I'll try to post some pics later.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Stop spinning for one day at least will'ya?

Still trying to figure out that one.

Perhaps it is politically incorrect to brag about one's snow-accumulation.

I suppose I should be more sensitive to the precipitationally-challenged.

Anonymous said...

Harper came off as rigid and smug.
I have NEVER been more ashamed of our PM.

Rob C said...

Anyone who knows Calgary, the locations of the shootings are just the thugs "taking care of business before the beginning of a new year of fun and games. I think it is great that they knock each other off but unfortunately innocent bystanders could get hurt or worse.
Ashamed Anonymous. Why is it that clowns like you are afraid to use your name??? And what is YOUR option to Mr Harper??

Anonymous said...

Hi Joanne,

I've noticed an uptick of left wing trolls in Blogging Tories posts in the last few days (including anonymous here. I think there may be a campaign underway, although for what reason and with what aim, I don't know. Just FYI.

Best,
Frank Hilliard

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Thanks, Frank. I've noticed it too.

I find it amusing in a sad, pathetic way.

Anonymous said...

I too am proud of our prime minister and I'm not even a Tory...go figure.

So much for the anon. gremlins being partisan Liberals....think again. Will NEVER vote Liberal again!!

Anonymous said...

Guess the liberal lemming blog trolls can't stand to see support and recognition for that thing called "leadership" because it truly escapes them...is it any wonder with a leader who is "not up to the job"

Anonymous said...

did anyone else notice the difference in how each TV channel
staged Harper???

I couldn't help notice that the CBC had him in a shadow, and photographed him from a very unflattering angle - up his nose.

Global was the most respectful and flattering angle. With a comfortable chair, nice backdrop enhancing the PM.


CTV was ok, but those stiff chairs may have had something to do with the PM looking stiff. Who wouldn't. He's a big guy. Sticking him in a small straghtback would make even Jack Layton look stiff.

Someone on the PM's team should advise him to stop wearing colours that accent his grey helmut hair.

Raphael Alexander said...

Joanne, Quebec City made it the entire year without a single homicide. What do you make of that? Toronto had 80, or something like that. Look to Vancouver to compete with Toronto in upcoming years as more Asians immigrate.

maryT said...

LLL; re stop spinning.
We supporters of our PM can't stop for one minute, in bringing attention to all the good and bad news of the world, and particularly the bias of the media.
The media, both print and TV have managed to brainwash us for years. Those days are gone.
Thanks to Al Gore's invention of the internet, someone is watching everything they say and print.
Have you read todays editorial in the Star. And the writer is a cbc commentator.

Anonymous said...

just read the Star's editorial - any one on this blog could have done a better job. Actually, any intelligent 8th grader could have pieced together a report card like that one. They need new material.

How about this?

Stephen Harper - Keep on attacking the Liberals on their record, because their record is their weakness...especially on the environment.

John Baird - buy a dog, name him "BETTER THAN KYOTO"

Stephan Dion - Keep up the great work at, well,......um......hmmm......

Gilles Duceppe - you'll never be PM but your taste in suits...perfection.

McGuinty - in by default

next.....

Seems to be a take off on Christina Blizzard's year end summary.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Joanne, Quebec City made it the entire year without a single homicide. What do you make of that?

That's incredible. It would be interesting to see homicide statistics of major Canadian cities. Do you have the stats, Raphael?

paulsstuff said...

"Joanne, Quebec City made it the entire year without a single homicide. What do you make of that?"

They probably just have more basketball courts. After all, Jack Layton, Stephane Dion, David Miller, and all the other wingnut socialists have repeatedly blamed Toronto's homicides on Mike Harris cuts, particularly lack of basketball courts.

As for Stephane Dion's dog, I heard his real name is Cody, but Kyoto is the closest Dion can get to pronouncing it in english:0)

Möbius said...

Harper came off as rigid and smug.
I have NEVER been more ashamed of our PM.


How about when Paul Martin said he would get to the bottom of the sponsorship scandal, and only low-level functionaries were charged?

Raphael Alexander said...

The best I could come up with are provincial numbers:

StatsCanada:

Quebec had 93 homicides in 2006, so I assume that the majority were in Montreal. B.C. was second place to Ontario, just in case everyone thinks it's some laid-back hippie province. Alberta was in third, despite being viewed as red-neckish.

Vancouver is the break-in capital of North America.

maryT said...

Someone came up with a new name for dions dog-on QP, think it was Weston or Fife. On discussing what dion could do re environment one of them said, he could rename his dog, balihoo. Even giggles laughed.

Anonymous said...

MaryT - would that be "Balihoo" or "Bali WHO?"

funny either way.

Awesome blog Joanne...Happy New Year.

a grateful, anon. non-lemming

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Thanks, Anon, and everyone who comments here. I wouldn't do this without the comments. Someone on another blog recently mentioned that comments are the crack cocaine for bloggers.

I think that's true. No matter how many hits you get, it doesn't mean a whole lot if you're not sure how you're resonating with your readers.

Raphael Alexander said...

Yeah, I feel the same way about my blog. I got 1,500 hits the other day from Smalldeadanimals and 9 comments. I kind of felt like... goddamn it! 1491 of you had nothing to say!?

:P

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I got 1,500 hits the other day from Smalldeadanimals and 9 comments.

1500! That's impressive. My all-time high is just over 1 k for a day.

But I don't get bloggers who don't allow comments. Sure they get emails, but there's no on-going debate; no discussion. What's the fun of that?

Raphael Alexander said...

Well it wasn't my hits, they were a tag team from Small dead animals and Five feet of fury. When I got linked by Canadian Blue Lemons as well, I basically turned the computer off and let them do all the work. Yeah, FFoF doesn't allow comments eiher, which makes no sense my mind whatsoever. If I can't interact with people, I may as well just be writing in my diary.

Anonymous said...

I think Kathy at FFofF is safer without comments. I appreciate her blog, but she is the closest we have to Anne Coulter( that's a compliment)...so I think her politically in-correct comments would get severe backlash. The lefties from around here would be at her blog insulting her all day long, and you would miss them Joanne!

lol
Happy New Year Joanne!
And we didn't get the New Year's Day snow up in Northern Ontario.
bluetech

Joanne (True Blue) said...

The lefties from around here would be at her blog insulting her all day long, and you would miss them Joanne!

lol! Good one, Bluetech. And a Happy New Year to you too.