On Torture, Physical and Mental

digby has a good piece on the treatment of Jose Padilla, the man accused of plotting to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge. Those in favour of this kind of treatment should read "The Railway Man" by Eric Lomax. Therein they will find the long-term and deleterious effects of torture, both mental and physical.

I Believe That Money Can Buy Anything

Money can buy anything. And three million (according to Mr. Bollea) can buy your daughter's love. It can't buy her a career though. She is, at best, a good busker. But buckets of cash can get her on television far more than she deserves. I'd be bitter, but I have no talent and no aspirations to be famous or popular. And I am well on my way to achieving that goal. Hello lowered expectations! Enjoy the video.

Stelmach Vows To Crush The Weak

Well, not exactly. But he does think that Alberta is a nation, just like Quebec. Now, as much as I dislike the "Mommy loves you best" tone of the nation within a nation meme, I hardly think that Alberta has a unique language and culture. Unless winning the lottery and being a profligate asshole counts as a culture.

Compare and contrast the following two points of view: first up is Premier-designate Stelmach.

Mr. Stelmach, who has promised to review the province's oil-and-gas royalty regime, said his government will not interfere with the growth brought on by the massive investment in the province's oil sands."There is no such thing as touching the brake . . . the economy and growth, that will sort itself out. We just want to make sure that we are globally competitive.


Next up is University of Alberta economist Paul Boothe :

Boothe said the province's finances and economic growth need to be addressed quickly. Pell-mell development across the province and in the vast oil sands must be slowed down or even halted in some circumstances, he said."We have a dangerously heated economy right now. If we don't try and manage the boom, basically the whole thing will come to a collapse," Prof. Boothe warned.
Mr. Boothe, who advised the Klein government in recent years, said his warnings about overspending, especially on expensive capital projects that have driven up prices around the province, were ignored.

That is quite the dilemma. Let the money and good times roll like sailors on shore leave, or, plan for the future and the welfare of your citizens. I think the choice be the former. Go wild until the boom crashes, then blame the rest of Canada for holding you back.

Enjoy Your Sanctimony

I tried to find cool and clever ways to mock Joel Johannesen and his proudtobecanadian.com website, but the answer was right here. A question that answers itself.

Nice.