Tracker

You're all wrong. If Obama hadn't been elected even though he is a secret Muslim who was born in Kenya, the Bombers would be in first place.

"Communist" China is anything but communist. China has become what Mao-Tse Tung was afraid it would become- a dictatorship run by oligarchs, much like Russia is and what America is devolving into. Harper is an unabashed fan of American economics, military policy, politics and religion, and when he took majority power he promised that when he was done we would not be able to recognize Canada, and if he manages another administration, that will probably be true. His driving philosophy is centered around his church's beliefs- that a nuclear war beginning in Jerusalem and spreading around the world is both good and inevitable as it will force Jesus to scoop up the faithful and leave the others to devastation. His former friend, Tom Flanagan and biographer in his book " Harper's Men" paints a very unflattering picture of Harper as a micro-manager obsessed with control and image, and who confided in Flanagan that Canada needed a crisis so that he (Harper) could silence any opposition. As Ralph Klein's political advisor, he counselled Klein to close the borders to the rest of Canada via economic restrictions and minimal interactions. Hardly a description of a good Prime Minister, is it?

If it makes you feel any better, there is a smoke alert in Calgary and their air quality at the moment is worse than Bejing. Bad news for asthmatics and diabetics.

With all the turmoil in the team and a questionable OC, it is not surprising that Cato is not doing as well as before.

Is it too late to bring back Joe "suitcase" Smith? He could pick up lots of recyclable beverage containers to supplement his salary.

Girls, girls, you're both pretty. Now say you're sorry and hug.

SECTION I. ABUSING PARLIAMENT: SABOTAGE, SCANDALS, CORRUPTION AND CONTEMPT This section includes examples of willful misgoverning by the PM and his team, 31 times they have lied, flouted rules and stymied democracy to achieve political and ideological ends. 1. PMO Tied to Senate Hush Money Scandal An RCMP affidavit reported widespread involvement by PMO staffers in a secret payment to Senator Mike Duffy to try and make a political problem go away. The Senate expenses scandal brought on allegations of a cover-up, a breach of the public trust, and a whitewashing of a Senate report. The PMO was found to have hand in the altering of a damning Deloitte audit. 2. Harper Found in Contempt of Parliament For refusing to disclose information on the costing of programs to Parliament, which Parliament was entitled to receive, the Harper government became the first in Canadian history to be foundin contempt of Parliament. 3. Against Court Order, Refusal to Share Budget Info Even though it lost a court case and was ordered to comply, the Harper government nevertheless refused to share 170 times reasons and impacts for cuts with Canada's independent budget watchdog, mocking Parliament's right to control the public purse. 4. Conservative Cabinet Staffers Granted Immunity from Testimony A PMO edict absolved political staffers from ever having to testify before parliamentary committees. 5. Conservatives Falsify Reports and Documents Among documents deliberately altered in the writing or the quoting by the government: CIDA document by Bev Oda's office on Kairos; the Senate Committee Report on the Duffy affair; a report by former auditor general Sheila Fraser on financial management. 6. Repeated Duplicity in Afghan Detainees Controversy Among the abuses: Parliament was misled and denied documents. An inquiry was shut down. Tories attempted to discredit diplomat Richard Colvin whose testimony diverted from the government's line. 7. Repeated Duplicity on Costing of F-35 Fighter Jets An auditor general's report revealed serial deceptive practices used by the Conservatives in misleading the public and Parliament on the projected cost of the fighter jets. 8. Harper Minister Lies, Blames Statistics Canada for Killing Long Form Census Under fire for Conservatives killing the long form census, Industry Minister Tony Clement falsely stated that StatsCan backed the idea and assured the voluntary substitute would yield valid statistical data. Neither was true, outraged StatsCan sources confirmed. 9. Conservative MP Admits He Lied to Parliament As opposition members claimed the Harper government was out to rig election rules in its favour, Conservative MP Brad Butt rose in the House of Commons to say why the bill was needed -- all the voter fraud he had personally witnessed. Weeks later he rose again to say his statements were false. Delivering his strained apology, he failed to explain why he lied in the first place. 10. Conservative House Leader Admits to Mockery of Question Period Criticized far and wide for farcical answers in question period, Paul Calandra, parliamentary secretary to Harper, made a tearful apology for abuse of the democratic process. 11. Harper Maligns the Supreme Court Chief Justice The Prime Minister took the unprecedented step of alleging inappropriate conduct by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. Facts undermined the credibility of the PM's position. 12. Conservatives Engage in Abuse of Process with Omnibus Bills Harper's party pushed legislation through Parliament via omnibus bills, the scale of which Parliament had never seen. Such bills are widely condemned as an abuse of the democratic process, because they blend and bury so many controversial laws within one dense package. Harper himself once railed against them, and his born again love for them made his own MPs queasy. Referencing such bills, former auditor general Sheila Fraser said that "Parliament has become so undermined that it is almost unable to do the job that people expect of it." 13. Harperites Deliberately Sabotage, Stymie Committee System Conservatives used tactics such as barring witnesses, closure, time limitations, and in camera sessions to an extent rarely, if ever, witnessed in Canada. In their early days in power, top Conservatives prepared a handbook instructing committee chairpersons how to obstruct proceedings. 14. Harper's Own MPs Protest Muzzling In a caucus known for his tight discipline, in 2014 some members finally rose up to contest being censored at question period by the Prime Minister's Office. Former Conservative backbencher Brent Rathgeber turned independent and published a book, Irresponsible Government, decrying anti-democratic practices. 15. Conservative Bill Rewrites History to Protect Mounties from Potential Criminal Charges To protect the RCMP, the government retroactively made an old bill come into force before it was passed by Parliament. 16. Harper Minister Caught in Advertising Scam with Public Funds The Globe and Mail revealed that Harper's chosen Minister for Democratic Reform Pierre Poilievre commissioned a team of public servants for overtime work on a Sunday to film him glad-handing constituents. The vanity video on the taxpayer dime was to promote the government's benefits for families. 17. Corrupt Conservative Cronies The Senate scandal is just the latest eruption of crony corruption in Harperite ranks. Take Bruce Carson. He was a convicted fraudster before Harper made him a key advisor in the PMO. There, Carson was lobbied for money for a new University of Calgary eco-think tank. He then left the PMO to run the same think tank, converting it to an oil industry booster with a $15-million grant from the Harper government. The complex saga added one more criminal charge to others Carson faces for allegedly illegally working his connections with the Harper government. 18. Access to Information System Impeded Many new roadblocks have been put up by the Harper Conservatives. Former Information Commissioner Robert Marleau concluded that having obtained absolute power, the prime minister "has absolutely abused that power to the maximum." 19. The Silencing of the Public Service The PMO took an unprecedented step in instituting a system wherein the bureaucracy has all its communications vetted by the political nerve centre. The policy contribution role of the public service is significantly reduced. Complaints from insiders allege that the Privy Council office has become increasingly politicized. 20. Loyalty Oaths Imposed on Public Servants Archivists and librarians were made to swear strict oaths of allegiance and were hit with restrictions on freedom of speech that editorialists of the right and left described as chilling. 21. Harper Government Sued by Justice Department Whistleblower Time and again the Harper government propose bills that end up being shot down by the courts, prompting critics to say such legislation is more about making political statements than lasting policy. The wasted efforts bothered senior justice department lawyer Edgar Schmidt so much he finally suedthe government for breaking the law by inadequately evaluating whether proposed bills violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He was promptly suspended without pay. 22. Conservatives Block Accreditation for Opposition MPs In another example of partisanship taken to new heights, the PMO blocked opposition members from being accredited for international environment conferences and from visiting military bases. 23. Tactic Borrowed from North Korea's Dear Leader Ostensibly neutral public servants were used as stooges, falsely posing as new citizens in a staged Citizenship Renewal public relations exercise by the Immigration Department. Media critics had a field day comparing the charade to practices undertaken by North Korean dictators. 24. Clampdown on Freedom of Speech of Diplomatic Corps Ottawa's diplomats must get all communications approved from Conservative political operatives. Under Harper, the country's ambassadors are hardly heard from any more. In a recent speech, former United Nations ambassador Stephen Lewis said our political culture under the Conservatives has descended into "a nadir of indignity." 25. Marine Science Libraries Decimated The Harper government's downsizing of federal libraries included sudden closing of seven world famous Department of Fisheries and Oceans archives. A leaked memo revealed the destruction and consolidation would save less than half a million dollars. Scientist patrons of the libraries, who witnessed chaotic chucking of rare literature, called it a "book burning" with no logical purpose other than to restrict environmental information. The Harper government claimed vital works would be digitally preserved, but never provided a plan or cost for doing so, nor any proof it had happened. No scientists interviewed by The Tyee believed digitizing would or could replace what was lost. 26. UN Blasts Canada's Treatment of Immigrants Changes made to the Canada's immigration and refugee system under Harper were investigated by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, whose report blasted how thousands of migrants are detained indefinitely without due process, many for over a year or more, as well as poor mental health support for those incarcerated. 27. Harper Government Denies Khadr Basic Rights Defying court rulings, the Conservative government refused to accord Omar Khadr basic rights such as access to media. Editorialists of right and left persuasion described the move as unbefitting a democratic government. 28. Illegitimate Prorogation of Parliament, Twice Prorogations are a legitimate procedure that can be abused depending on motivations. The Harper government provoked 60 protests across Canada and beyond its borders in 2010 after shutting the legislature's doors to escape condemnation on the Afghan detainees' file. It was the second prorogation in a year's period. 29. Undue Interference with Independent Agencies Command and control system was extended to meddling in bodies like National Energy Board and CRTC whose arms-length autonomy is significantly reduced. A special target was the Parliamentary Budget Office, which was hit with condemnations and budget cuts for its critical reports. 30. Billions Borrowed without Parliament's Permission The auditor general sounded alarms about the "prodigious" growth and size of federal borrowing. Those billions in "non-budgetary" spending used to get Parliament's oversight, but no more. The finance minister can borrow what he wants without Parliament's permission. Why? A loophole buried in a 2007 Harper omnibus bill. 31. Lapdogs Appointed as Watchdogs The most controversial was the case of former Integrity Commissioner Christiane Ouimet. Her office reviewed more than 200 whistleblowing cases. Disciplinary action followed on none of them. Ouimet's own angry staffers blew the whistle on their boss. The auditor general foundOuimet intimidated her employees, took "retaliatory action" against them and may have breached their privacy, all part of the Harper appointee's "gross mismanagement." Ouimet was paid more than $500,000 to leave her post. SECTION II: 'HARPER BRAND' ABUSES: LIES, SPIES, AND THIS PORK SMELLS REALLY BAD This election began the minute the last one ended. Since his first day as PM, Stephen Harper has reinforced his party's 'brand' by rewarding cronies, slapping the Conservative logo on government cheques, perfecting the no questions photo-op, instructing bureaucrats to start calling Canada's government "the Harper Government." The flip side has been relentless monitoring, muzzling and attacks on anyone who might tarnish the image. Here are 22 instances of power abused to build the Harper brand. 32. PMO Attempts to Cover up Video Leak Putting Troops at Risk On an Iraq visit, the PMO was caught lying to try and cover up the leak of a promo video, which constituted a security breach. The PMO, noted a National Post editorial, "stumbled from blunder to evasion and falsehood in the service of shamelessly manipulative partisanship, especially in using our troops as PR props." 33. The 'Harper Government' Labelling Deception Public servants were told to use "Harper Government" instead of "Government of Canada" in publicity releases. The Conservatives denied it was happening -- until internal memos revealedby the Canadian Press revealed the denial to be without basis. 34. Conservatives Place Party Logos on Government of Canada Cheques Once "caught red-handed," they backed off. The federal ethics commissioner, adopting the exasperated tone of an adult lecturing a child, noted: "Public spending announcements are government activities, not partisan political activities, and it is not appropriate to brand them with partisan or personal identifiers." 35. Record Amounts of Partisan Political Advertising, on the Public Purse Several media reports told how the Conservatives used taxpayer money for partisan political advertising in record quantity, costing the public treasury $750 million since Harper became PM. In one instance, the Tories spent lavishly on ads for the promotion of a jobs grant program that had yet to be made public or presented to parliament or the provinces. Even more nakedly partisan, a mailed blast, charged to the taxpayers, targeting Justin Trudeau. 36. Conservatives Stack Their Own Ridings with Infrastructure Funds In a display of brazen pork barreling, the Conservatives arranged for no less than 83 percent of infrastructure fund projects go to Conservative ridings. 37. $50 Million Spending Deception as Documented by the Auditor General The auditor general ruled Conservatives diverted $50-million from spending slated for border infrastructure to political spending on projects in Tony Clement's riding at the time of the G-8 summit. Parliament was willfully misled. 38. Patronage Run Amok After promising a new way, the prime minister dismantled his newly created Public Appointments Commission and reverted to old-styled patronage by the barrel. In June 2015, the PM made 98 patronage appointments. That included stocking the National Capital Commission with loyalists in advance of decisions on the controversial monument to the victims of communism. 39. Undermining Statistics Canada, Killing Data Against pleas from everyone who needs and uses data from the long form census, the Harper government scrapped it, prompting the Statistics Canada chief to resign in protest. 40. Government Muzzles Science Community Top scientists came under such heavy monitoring by the Conservatives that they staged "Death of Evidence" protests for being denied freedom of speech. The Conservatives sent out chaperones or "media minders" to track Environment Canada scientists and report on them. 41. Like Never Before, Limits Placed on Media Access Journalists have been hard-pressed to recall another time when controls put on them were so tight. At the Conservatives' 2013 Calgary convention, reporters wrote of being harassed and penned in at every turn by the PMO's command and control system. In his book Killing The Messenger, journalist Mark Bourrie charts the many examples of new limits on freedom of speech introduced in the Harper era. 42. Harper's Team Tries to Ban Journalist for Asking Question Veteran TV cameraman Dave Ellis covered a Harper speech about oil to a business audience. Though media had been instructed no questions allowed, Ellis posed one about charges laid against a Conservative MP. The PMO tried to punish Ellis and his network by kicking him off covering Harper's trip to Malaysia. After media hue and cry, Harper backed down and Ellis went. 43. Harper Minister Sucker Punches CBC Budget After the 2011 federal election Heritage Minister James Moore assured Conservatives would "maintain or increase support for the CBC. That is our platform and we have said that before and we will commit to that." The next year, Harper's Cons delivered the biggest government cut to CBC since the mid-1990s, much deeper in proportion than overall trims to federal programs, defying public sentiment. 44. Suppression of Research In the gun registration debate, incriminating research and documents such as a Firearms Report were deliberately withheld from the public. While ramping up their prison building, Conservatives suppressed related research and studies contradicting their political priorities. 45. The Vic Toews Porno Smear In a vivid example of the browbeating of opponents, the minister of public safety said anyone who opposed federal plans to make electronic surveillance of Canadians easier for authorities was siding with child pornographers. 46. Harper's Fallen Soldiers Blackout Emulating George W. Bush's optics tactics, Stephen Harper banned media coverage of fallen soldiers' caskets returning from Afghanistan. He also refused to lower the flag half-mast. Soldiers' family members expressed confusion and anger at the perceived show of disrespect. 47. Protesters Put under Blanket Surveillance According to a leaked memo, as part of its command and control approach, the Conservatives have approved a system wherein all advocates, protesters and demonstrations can be monitoredby authorities. The Government Operations Centre has requested federal departments to assist it in compiling a comprehensive inventory of protesters. Security specialists have called it a breach of Canadians' Charter of Rights. Conservatives have moved to give CSIS even more powers than the spy agency wants. 48. Rights and Democracy, Other Groups, Dismantled In a show of brute force, the Montreal-based group Rights and Democracy was pole-axed for its alleged political leanings and eventually disbanded. Organizations like the church group Kairoswere de-budgeted or dismantled for political leanings. Nuclear Safety Commission head Linda Keen was dumped. Among the complaints cited by the PM was that in her distant past, she had some Liberal ties. 49. Harper Government Spied on Aboriginal Critic, 'Retaliated' Aboriginal child welfare advocate Cindy Blackstock was spied on by the Harper government, and when she arrived for a meeting with other First Nations leaders at the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs only she was barred entry. Finding Blackstock had been "retaliated" against by a ministry official, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal awarded her $20,000 for pain and suffering. 50. Revenue Canada Loosed to Attack Charities Not all charities, just the ones that don't seem adequately aligned with the Harper brand. Enough to include many environmental, aid, human rights and free speech charities that banded together to push back against what looks like a politically motivated witch hunt. 51. Conservatives Use Unheard of Tactic to Force through Anti-Union Bill Conservative senators went to the unprecedented extent of overruling their own Speaker. What could be so important to break Senate rules? A bill pushed by Harper that is almost certainly unconstitutional for its privacy invading measures forced onto unions, unlike other groups. Latest in a steady stream of Conservative attacks on organized labour in Canada. 52. Harper Smears Liberal Sikh MP, Insinuating Tie to Terrorism When Liberals opposed a 2007 Conservative plan to extend anti-terror legislation, Stephen Harper singled out Grit MP Navdeep Bains, seeming to suggest that Bains' party was motivated by a desire to protect Bains' father-in-law, Darshan Singh Saini. A recent news story had claimed Singh Saini was on a list of witnesses sought by the RCMP for its Air India investigation, but provided no proof he was involved. In the House, Liberals erupted with outrage and Bains asked, in vain, that Harper apologize. 53. Veterans' Advocates Smeared Medical files of Sean Bruyea, a strong advocate for veterans' rights, were leaked in a case that privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart described as "alarming." Veterans Affairs Canada ombudsman Pat Stogran was dumped after criticizing the government. SECTION III: ELECTION ABUSES: SCAMS, SLIMES, STINGS AND CROOKED SPENDING Stephen Harper's Conservatives have made federal elections a gladiators' arena where anything goes -- unless and until you are caught, that is. Here are 17 times his team violated election laws or ethics. 54. Conservatives Run Undercover Sting Operations Conservatives secretly recorded political opponents and also used agent provocateur techniques to try and entrap them. A sting operation against Marlo Raynolds, a Liberal candidate in Alberta, was backed by then employment minister Jason Kenney. 55. Conservative Convicted on Robocalls Scam Tory operative Michael Sona was given jail time for his role in the robocalls scam. The judge indicated more than one person was likely involved. In another court judgment in a case brought by the Council of Canadians, the ruling said the robocalls operation was widespread, not just limited to the Guelph riding. Donald Segretti who did dirty tricks for the Nixon White House told a Canadian reporter his skullduggery didn't go so low as to run schemes sending voters to the wrong polling stations. 56. Harper's Ex-Parliamentary Secretary Jailed for Breaking Election Law Dean Del Maestro was one of Harper's favourites. As his parliamentary secretary, the PM frequently used him as an attack dog to allege misdeeds by opposition members. Del Maestro was given a jail sentence in June for his own election spending violations. 57. 'Reprehensible' Dirty Tricks Campaign against Irwin Cotler Conservative Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer ruled his party's own tactics in runninga surreptitious misinformation campaign in the riding of the highly respected MP were "reprehensible." 58. Conservatives Bar Crosbie Candidacy In a clear-cut case of the party hierarchy's undercutting of democratic rights, Ches Crosbie, son of former Tory cabinet minister John Crosbie, was barred from running for the party in Newfoundland. 59. Election Violations Prompt Resignation of Cabinet Member Peter Penashue, another Harper Conservative was compelled to step down over election spending violations. 60. Conservatives Attempt Election Campaign Frame-up In an attempted smear in the last week of the 2011 election campaign, a senior Harper strategist planted a false story in Sun Media that Michael Ignatieff was an Iraq war planner. (Neither Conservative operatives nor Sun Media opted to make hay with the true story that Stephen Harper had, while leader of the Canadian Alliance in 2003, published a letter in The Wall Street Journal itching to get Canada into that disastrous war and slamming then PM Jean Chretien for saying no.) 61. Harper's Office Deploys Interns for Dirty Tricks In one instance that brought on allegations of Nixonian tactics, junior PMO staffers in the guise of normal citizens were sent out to disrupt a Justin Trudeau speech. 62. Citizens Ejected from Conservative Rallies Tory operatives hauled out citizens from a Harper rally in the 2011 campaign because they had marginal ties to other parties. A spokesperson for the PM was compelled to apologize. Problem fixed this time around: Only fully vetted Harper supporters will be allowed, by invite only, to attend the PM's campaign stops. If they have a ticket. 63. Conservatives Make Campaign Event Attendees Sign Gag Order Not only have Harper's campaign handlers made his campaign events by invite only, they are forcing anyone let in to sign an agreement not to transmit any description of the event or any images from it. 64. Conservatives Unfix Their Own Fixed Date Election Law In 2008, Harper pulled the plug on his own government, violating his own new law, which stipulated elections every four years. 65. Guilty Plea on In and Out Affair The Conservative Party and its fundraising arm pled guilty to some Elections Act charges stemming from their exceeding spending limits in the 2006 campaign. The investigation cost taxpayers over $2 million. 66. Cons' Elections Bill Strips Power from Elections Canada The Fair Elections Act also makes it harder for Canadians to vote as more ID is required. Nationwide protests in which more than 400 academics took part forced Pierre Poilievre to withdraw some measures in the bill because of their alleged anti-democratic bent. 67. Harper Minister Smears Head of Elections Canada In a bid to impugn his integrity, Democratic Reform Minister Pierre Poilievre accused the Elections Canada CEO Marc Mayrand of being a power monger and wearing a team jersey. 68. Copyright Grab for Attack Ads CTV News found out Conservatives aimed to rewrite copyright law to let political parties grab any media content and use it for free in their ads. The impact, warned CTV's Don Martin, "will be to cast a chill on every broadcast appearance" by MPs, commentators and reporters, who "must now be aware their views could end up featured in a political attack ad." By asserting "unlimited access to the airwaves for propaganda purposes," Martin said, the Harper government "could be seen as flirting with fascism." 69. Conservatives Use Terrorists' Propaganda in Attack Ad Harper's party created a political ad incorporating music and horrifying images of doomed captives pulled straight from the Islamic State's own promotional video. The target: Justin Trudeau, whose views on the risks and rewards of bombing ISIS differ from Harper's. 70. Record Use of Personal Attack Ads Under Harper's leadership, Conservatives became the first to routinely use personal attacks ads outside an election writ period. Their ads often used quotes deliberately taken out of context. Incidence of attack ads by Harper Conservatives was heavier than by any other government

The Stamps do not look anywhere as dominant this year as last, right down to Bo-Levi's performance, so we ought to make it a close game even if we lose. If Marve does not look better this game, we need to start wondering why. IMO, Calgary's secondary is no better than Toronto's, their linebacking is about the same, but Calgary's D-line might be a bit better.

If memory serves, to the surprise of all, Morley played well at center for the first half of the season in 2014, but took a dump along with the rest of the O-line in the last half. I don't know if he has anything left in the tank or even wants to come back.

10 Reasons to Vote for Anyone but Harper 1. Bill C51. In my mind this is the biggest reason to not vote for Harper, or anyone who supports this bill. Experts representing indigenous people, human rights and civil liberties groups, Muslim Canadians, environmental organizations, the legal community, the country's privacy watchdog, immigrants and refugees, the labour movement, former judges and politicians and others have spoken out against C51. There have been country-wide protests, petitions and pending lawsuits. This bill stands to strip our rights and freedoms away while blindly handing control over to our government and other sectors who are not required to report to ANYONE! In fact under certain parts of this bill I could be legally detained just for writing this article. 2. The economy and job growth. If you watched the Maclean's debate you would have heard Harper say he has the best economic and job growth record of any other country, ignoring the fact we are the only G7 country in a recession and that he actually has the worst economic record of any prime minister since the Second World War and has the worst job creation record of any prime minister since then. 3. Veteran affairs. Harper claims that his government is spending an additional $5 billion on veteran's since taking office. When the fact is he has closed numerous Veteran Affairs' offices, cut staff positions for veteran affairs and spent $700,000 fighting AGAINST veterans in court. 4. Income splitting and Universal Child Care Benefit. Now this has been used quite regularly by Harper when he wants to use an example of good things he has done for Canadian families. The truth is income splitting only benefits 15 per cent of already well off Canadians and does nothing for average and low income families who really need to help. Also cutting the child tax CREDIT and replacing it with a lower TAXABLE Child care benefit will cost families more money in the long run. Most people feel the lump sum cheque was nothing more then an attempt to buy votes and I tend to agree. 5. Seven consecutive deficits. Before Harper took leadership there were nine consecutive years of budgetary surpluses. During that time Ottawa was able to accumulate a surplus of over $79 billion. In contrast Harper's first eight years as prime minister produced seven consecutive deficits that have added up to $127 billion. 6. Muzzling of government scientists. Harper's control issues rear their ugly head when it comes to our scientists. Even after making important discoveries they must endure a painfully long process to just be able to talk about their discoveries and more often than not they are held up by red tape. Meanwhile some of them choose to travel to other countries to share findings and are met with applause and media attention. This is both a dangerous and completely unnecessary game that Harper continues to play. 7. Charity attacks. Harper's government spent a whopping $13.4 million fighting charities through the CRA. Just a few weeks ago Canadian charities received support from the U.N.. "These audits have resulted in mounting fear of losing charitable status, and therefore necessary funding sources, across the entire charitable sector. Human rights in Canada are under assault, and the U.N. Human Rights Committee noted that today," said Canada Without Poverty president Harriett MacLachlan. 8. First Nations. Harper shows little regard for issues facing our First Nations. "It isn't really high on our radar, to be honest," is what he said when asked about the possibility of a public inquiry into missing aboriginal women. Harper and his aboriginal affairs minister both declined the invitation to speak at the summer gathering of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) last month. Not surprising considering his track record of overall avoiding any kind of conversation surrounding first nation concerns. 9. Stripping of federal protection of our lakes and rivers. Thanks to Harper's new Navigation Protection Act, 99 per cent of our lakes and rivers now have no federal protection according to Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow. Documents reveal that the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association were the ones who initially pushed for these changes and Harper, of course, obliged. 10. Above the law. Harper saw no problem destroying long gun registry records -- in the middle of an active access request -- then amended the law that would have made those actions illegal. His attack ads against the Liberals featuring ISIS appear to break the laws he set with Bill C51. He has so far ignored laws that require his government to come up with a plan for threatened or endangered species. He breaks protocol by showing soldiers faces in promotional videos for himself. And I have personally lost count of how many of Harper's allies and officials have landed themselves in court (Mike Duffy for example). This is a rather short list of the shortfalls of Harper and the disgrace he brings to our country and I urge everyone to fully research candidates and get out and VOTE. I think the newest campaign launched by our veterans says it best when they say ABC: Anyone but Conservative.

Too many people confuse being smart with money vs cheap. If you assume that your income is going to continue uninterrupted and even increase, then you have a justification to live beyond your means (AKA credit) and you have---Alberta with the highest personal debts and personal bankruptcy in the country. The advantage of not having a boom-and-bust economy is that it makes economic and civic planning a lot easier and the residents (us) tend to be a lot more careful about casual debt. We don't have the giddiness of what seems to be a limitless future but we have a government which is probably going to be there for us in times of crisis, as compared to the folks of High River and Canmore Alberta many of whom were hung out to dry after the flood.

I remember when I thought the whole "backup QB being the most popular guy in town" was some uniquely Winnipeg thing. Turns out it isn't, unless you're dealing with a guaranteed hall of famer, every football team in every city is just a quarterback change away from a dynasty! Just like the whole Winnipeg is the only "cheap" city in the world stigma. I fancy myself to be very smart with my money. I'm in the minority on that because I see waaay too many people spending beyond their means that are now tied down to an incredible amount of debt. Only in Winnipeg do people want bargain prices on merchandise.. I wonder how many people will get trampled on Black Friday this year? Statistically, in the US of A, on Black Friday, there are numerous fistfights, a firearm incident or two and a couple of deaths every year.

Garrett was great to end 2011 as well. 576 yards in 6 games for a 6.3 yard avg with 4 TD. Not to mention the 190+ yard performance in the East Final. Both Garrett and Simpson were great for one small segment of time and then completely dropped off. It takes a pretty well glued together small running back to survive the pounding if he is giving it his flat-out best every down. Charlie Roberts was the exception but it seems to be the 210 lb George Reed type who lasts long enough to be remembered.

Realistically, if the Bombers get a split with the Riders, it will mean the Blue are pretty much the same as last year, but losing both will mean there has been regression. If we cannot beat the Riders, we don't deserve to be in the playoffs- simple as that. We can be philosophical if Calgary beats us, but losing to the hapless Riders would be nothing less than a disaster and a probable end to O'Shea's era.

Apparently the BC fires and resulting smoke is causing all kinds of problems for residents in the interior of the province, and in Kelowna in particular. KBF- how are you faring?

I am dreading the upcoming games with the Riders. It is probably going to come down to who can coach up their rookie QBs the best, and the consolation prize to the loser is likely to be a pink slip or a certainty of one.

Why not briong a six-pack of RB's or one for each remaining game? That otta do it.

Even so, the Rider confidence must be near bottom and if Ottawa gets an early lead, then holds off Rider desperate stabs at rallying, it should be easy for Ottawa.

Meh, who cares about apathy?

No surprise here. Ottawa's kicker was way below average last game and they were losing 10-15 yards every exchange of possession even when the yardage they were each gaining was equal. I still think we should have signed him and then hid him.

Willie sounds like he ought to be a threat in the CFL- big, fast, and a devastating downfield blocker. The Chargers and Ravens seem to have thought highly of him.

Seems better suited to tackle rather than guard.

As much as I wish you were wrong, I'm afraid you are correct. Taman may be safe for the moment but Chamblin's situation is far more precarious. Two back to back losses to the Bombers and he shouldn't bother going back to his office.

But how can you assess talent properly if the coaching is sub-par? I'm not saying that as a blanket indictment of the whole current regime, but its got to be difficult to figure out where one leaves off and the other begins.

Don't forget all the surprises you get in southern Alberta when you go for a walk after a snowfall and find hidden patches of glare ice where you can wipe out. Three years later and my knee still ihurts some days after such a fall. And it can make driving exciting, too.