Bow before your new God

Photoshop-friendly Zanstorm has provided the faithful brethren (and sistren) with an icon to our new lord.

We worship the Almighty Luon-god.

He hath done great things, bless his holy name.

Birthday Card Blog Burst

Andrew at Bound by Gravity is giving everyone the head-up on a great little project for a fiveeight-year old boy on his birthday. Won't you take $4.50 + $.51 + a little bit of your time, and contribute?

Stanley Cup Ring to the Libertarian with a heart, Jay.

He was for the election before he was against it

Hehehe, John Kerry has decided not to enter the 2008 Presidential race. Wonder why he decided not to run?

"Two years ago, I sought the presidency to lead us on a different course," he said on the Senate floor. "We came close, Mr. President, certainly close enough to be tempted to try again. There are powerful reasons to want to continue that fight now. But I have concluded this isn't the time for me to mount a presidential campaign."

Who think ol' Botox will change his mind within the next year? This may not be the time to mount his campaign, but things always have a way of changing with Kerry. Perhaps August will the time.

Instead, Kerry said he will continue to try to change the Bush administration's Iraq policy from the Senate. Officials said he would run for a fifth six-year term in the Senate.

"We have to find a way to end this misguided war and bring our troops home," he said.

The war he voted for, but then argued against. This has been said a billion times before, but it bares repeating again. He's a waffling flip-flopper and there is really no good reason to trust him, even when he says he won't run for President!

Though he never formed a committee or took any other legal steps, Kerry clearly had been eying a second run for the White House, CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports. But following a week in which two other Democratic senators, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, announced their intentions to great fanfare, Kerry decided to bow out.

So I wonder who he will throw his support behind? Surely it will be seen as a negative thing for the poor candidate! And what of poor John Edwards, Kerry's running mate in '04. He throws his hat into the ring and might not even get the support of Kerry... yikes!

Still, Democratic strategist Mark Mellman, who served as a senior Kerry adviser in 2004, says the senator would have been a "serious contender" in 2008. Mellman notes that Kerry received more votes and raised more money than any Democratic nominee in history and maintains "a lot of assets." As to where those assets go, Mellman tells CBSNews.com there will be a competition among contenders for Kerry's long list of staffers, donors and volunteers but doesn't see any individual Democratic hopeful gaining an immediate advantage.

You would think Kerry would have a bit more say in where the money goes, but I guess not. John Edwards could not ever carry his home state in 2004, so I don't expect a huge groundswell of support for him,

Here we are, still nearly two years away from an election, yet the Dems are tripping over each other announcing their intentions.

Darcy Tucker Montage

Just because I can. It's the All Star Break, after all!



Muahahaha.

Just in time for the Conservative's Environment plan to kick in

Glaciers May Vanish From Alps by 2050

Glaciers will all but disappear from the Alps by 2050, scientists warned Monday, basing their bleak outlook on mounting evidence of slow but steady melting of the continental ice sheets.

But at least the scientists are being sensible about the cause of this melting:

Experts at a regional conference on the Alps, held annually in the mountain resort of Alpbach, stopped short of blaming global warming. But they called for a review of preventive measures to protect people living in valleys at risk of dangerous flooding.

***

"Glaciers have been in a general retreat worldwide since the end of the last Ice Age," he said.

Forecasting their demise is problematic "because we don't know what scenarios there will be, and there are a range of scenarios. This isn't a weather forecast. But we are seeing an accelerated glacial melting."

In the 13 years spanning 1991-2004, twice as much glacial ice melted away in Europe than in the 30 preceding years from 1961-1990, climatologists say.

Perhaps this will increase the number of tourists at Ski Smithers, where there is 30 centimetres (a foot) of fresh snow last night, bringing the total accumulation to over 500 cm (over 16 feet).

Green: The color of confidence?

Jason of True North asks an interesting question regarding Green party leader Elizabeth May. She hasn't decided which Cape Breton riding she will run in, but told reporters that she'd love to beat Peter Mackay.

Having not even won a seat yet, how can she be so confident that she could topple a Cabinet Minister "if she had the time"?

Perhaps the clean maritime air has clouded her judgment?

Unfinished Business.

Today I went back to the scene of the crime, so to speak, and made sure that no one will ever be injured by that filthy, dishonourable commode again.



We eyed each other up for several minutes. I approached cautiously, knowing full well that he could strike without notice. They are dangerous enough in the wild as it is, but when they are wounded... well, let's just say I was prepared to defend myself this time. I faked left, dodged right, and went in for the kill. It was touch and go there for a minute, but in the end I was victorious.

In the game of life there are winners and there are losers.



Today, ol' Temujin came out on top.

In a week my stitches will be removed, but this picture will last a cyber-lifetime. Truly, the day is mine.

If it wasn't for bad luck...

For the most part, I really enjoy my job. I get to travel all around the Bulkley Valley doing everything from Mold Remediation to water and smoke damage restoration to residential and commercial carpet cleaning. Although the job can get repetitive and frustrating, it can also be quite rewarding. And not just on a financial level either. It's very satisfying to come after a day of work knowing that you have genuinely helped someone, or provided a service to the best of your ability.

Today I was injured on the job site. But not just any injury. This was a unique injury. In fact, I can nearly guarantee you've never heard anything like this before.

Over the past year or so the company I work for has been doing a lot of work in Moricetown, BC. It is a First Nations reserve about thirty kilometers west of Smithers. Many of those homes were shabbily built in the 1970's and 1980's and have been subjected to all sorts of water damage. We've been given the task of working with local coordinators to ensure the damage gets repaired. Long story short: we tear-out anything wet/moldy.

Today started out like any other day, except the house we were working in was exceptionally bad. So bad, in fact, that it has been vacant for at least a year. Upon entering the house, it became obvious to my co-worker and I that this was a local party shack. Little wonder why it was no longer occupied.

We set to work removing debris and discarded the drywall. After a short time, I set my sights on the bathroom and decided to begin working on the toilet. Since there was no power or heat to the house, the toilet water was frozen solid inside, making it impossible to simply remove like I normally do. The toilet already had several cracks and chips, and it was obvious to me that a replacement would be needed, so I was not concerned with saving it. I took my trusty large pry bar, and thought about how exciting it would be to play "Smashy-Smashy" with the porcelain. A few bangs, a little clean-up, and that toilet would be as good as gone.

I wound up, and sent half the seat flying with a loud crash. Sweet

My second swing was not so fun.

The angle of my swing was a little more golf-like, and it caused a piece of the toilet to pop straight up, clipping me slightly to the right of the center of my forehead. I staggered back a little bit, and tried to push the sting out of my mind. It hurt slightly more than I expected it to, but as I regained my composure I figured I'd be able to shake it off and continue. How wrong I was! I stood up straight, and the pain shot through me and I had to bend over and rest my hands on my knees. Just then, I could feel the surge of blood, and a substantial river began to flow onto the exposed subflooring below me. I placed my hand to my head and wandered over to wear my co-worker was.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit...

My co-worker searched frantically for something to place against my head, but I wasn't too interested in putting anything found in a condemned house on my injury. He ran out to the van and found a couple of spare rags, and helped me place pressure on the wound.

I should be okay once the bleeding stops.

After about five minutes, I removed the blood-stained cloth, only to experience the rather unrivaled feeling of of a steady stream of blood fall over my eyes and down my cheek.

Well, I guess we're not staying here anymore.

The very sight of a company van parked in an abandoned house in a small community is bound to draw attention. I suspect it is like this in any small town, but perhaps even more so on a reserve. Just as I situated myself in the van, a neighbor began talking to my co-worker, mumbling on about something or other. He was just being friendly, but to me he was taking up valuable time. I looked at my co-worker, who was attempting to collect our belongings and ensure we had all our equipment, but continued to get distracted by our friend from down the road.

Time's a factor here, bud!

We packed up and went on our way back to Smithers. Fortunately the roads were not too slick, and my co-worker was able to make good time to the hospital.

The receptionist at the hospital is someone I am familiar with, as I have done plenty of work for her in the last month. In fact, she is in the middle of an insurance claim that I have been involved with. Of course, she wanted to know all the details of how it happened.

I like to think I'm a pretty humorous fellow. In fact, I like cracking jokes and one-liners and when things get hectic and hairy, I frequently try to inject humor into the situation. Upon telling her the story, she burst into a rather unsympathetic laughter.

If you think my forehead looks bad, you should see the toilet.

She told me to take a seat and the nurse would be right with me. It wasn't two minutes when the nurse came through the door announced she was ready for me.

A toilet to the head? Come on in.

She removed the now blood-soaked cloths from my head and immediately the blood began flowing. She attempted to clean the would as best she could, but it was certainly not a one-person job. She fought with it quite a lot as we discussed how it happened. Apparently, it is difficult to clean a wound when your sides are splitting from laughter. Somehow she managed to freeze the wound. The pain from the needle was excruciating, but all I could do was laugh. And it was an honest-to-goodness, actual, full-bodied laugh. The whole scenario was really quite funny.

After calling for assistance from another nurse, she put a sterile pad on my wound and diagnosed the problem.

You've got a real gusher here.

The nurse came shortly thereafter, and was amazed by what she saw.

How did that happen?

Naturally.

The say that three times are a charm, so I repeated my comedic story from the very beginning. After calming herself down and catching her breath, Nurse Two asked me if I was alright. Nurse One chimed in at that point.

He's fine, but he nearly killed himself laughing during the freezing.

Nurse Two did her best to help Nurse One as she installed two interior stitches and four exterior ones. The blood ceased to flow almost immediately after the first stitch when in. A few wipes here, and a little clean-up there, and I was ready to face the outside world once again.

I'm not entirely sure how to end my little tale of hilarity, but I think the moral of this story could be: A toilet is not a baseball.

Or perhaps: Laugh and the hospital laughs with you. Bleed, and you bleed alone.

Nathan Cullen: Putting an End to Global Warming in the Bulkley Valley

It's been -25 celcius in Smithers this weekend, and Nathan Cullen has vowed to put an end to the unbearable heat:

Smithers – Residents of Skeena-Bulkley Valley are invited to watch the recently released film An Inconvenient Truth with Member of Parliament Nathan Cullen later this month and discuss the film’s sobering message about the deadly progress of global warming.

The Progress of Global Warming? That's a lot like the honesty of politicians. Or the talent of the Maple Leafs.

That is to say, I don't see much evidence of it!

“We are hosting film and discussion evenings around Al Gore’s film in five different communities,” said Cullen, who has been NDP national environment critic since being elected in 2004.

“I want to hear from my constituents about the planetary emergency scientists say we are facing, so that when I return to Ottawa, I can carrry (sic) the message of the northwest into this national debate.”

When the underlying assumption is that we are facing a planetary climate crisis, it it's hard to imagine any contrary views being offered up. It's unfortunate that there will be no Global Warming skeptics invited to share their view.

You would think if Cullen truly wants to have a national debate on climate change, he would allow for a thorough rebuttal of Al Gore's documentary.

...it is a moral challenge facing all of global civilization.

When a statement like this is made, it ignores the fact that Earth's climate has been changing (warming and cooling) since before humans could fashion arrows out of sticks and tools out of stone. Was global warming a moral challenge facing Neanderthal Bob and Cro-Magnon Sally?

“The impact of global warming will be felt in Smithers and Kitimat as much as at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro or the Antartica,” he said.

Just like it did ten thousand years ago when scientists believe the last ice age ended. But life on this planet didn't have much say in that, now did it?

This "The Sky is Falling/Chicken Little" view is starting to get a bit old.

Smart Like Dump Truck

M'heh!

Franklyn Pigott Jr. set his home ablaze Wednesday while attempting to destroy a nest of bees that had formed outside the home, the Fort Myers News-Press reported Thursday.

When Pigott, 38, mixed a product called Real Kill Indoor Fogger with WD-40, it became a "flame-thrower" and melted the home's vinyl siding, according thttp://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1619.htmlo a police incident report.

I suspect he's still got a bee problem. And they are now the last thing on his mind.

What's wrong with the traditional method of killing bees?



Last time I checked, this stuff (or something similar) works just fine!

I'm Freaked.

“Decisive, quick action on climate change is absolutely critical. Canadians are freaking out at this weird weather we’re having,” - Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence.

If there are any Canadians out there who are "freaking out" over the weird weather we're having, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email and I'll include it a the bottom of this post.

It's time we freaks stood together and freaked out in unison! The weather condition eerily known as winter must be stopped at all costs. If we don't stop it now, what's next? Spring? Summer???

Or worse, Autumn.

My God.

It freaks me out to even type the word.

Surely there is another term I could use... like Fall! Yes, "Fall". No one wants to see "Fall" climate. No one. Freaks of Canada, Unite!


Update 8:00am - Darcey's freaking out big time, and the hysterics continue in his comment section.

Terrorist eggs on other Terrorist

"Let Hamas shoot me" - Mohammed Dahlan

Neither Hamas nor Fatah is capable of governing a responsible, respectable nation. Here's one more example of that.

Protests in Cuba

Humans rights activists have flown to Cuba this week to protest the terrible conditions, sub-standard treatment, and lack of freedom that occurs there.

Of course, none of it will be directed at the Communist dictatorship or the country's dreadful leader. Oh no, the activists aren't interested in those human rights violations:

HAVANA — American "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan called for the closure of the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as she and other activists arrived here Saturday to draw attention to the nearly 400 terror suspects held at the remote site.

No mention of the eleven million Cubans living under the heel of a thug and a tyrant, of course.

"What is more important is the inhumanity that my government is perpetrating at Guantanamo," she told reporters.

She should ask someone working in the sugar cane fields if they think it is more important.

Benjamin said group members believed they were exempt from U.S. travel restrictions on Cuba because they were traveling as professional human rights activists who will attend a day-long international conference in the Cuban city of Guantanamo on Wednesday, the eve of their protest.

An international conference. On human rights. In Cuba. With no mention of Castro or his regime.

The mind boggles.

A pre-curser

First the World Junior Hockey Championships, next the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The preparations for invasion are nearly ready. The Ruskies won't even know what hit 'em.