Best and Worst Canadians Ever…

My fellow Canucks,

Remember when the CBC had that poll asking Canadians who was the best Canadian ever? Do you remember who the winner was?

Don Cherry you say? Tim Horton? Alan Thicke, perhaps?

No, no and no – thank god!

Strangely (because it could have easily been Gretzky, Rocket Richard or Bobby Orr and you know it!) and appropriately (because there is at least one more thing more important to us than hockey and beer…) the greatest Canadian ever turned out to be the man who’s vision for universal health care transformed our nation, for the better – the late, great Tommy Douglas!

For those Canadians who never heard of him – shame on you…and go here to get a concise bio of the man while reclaiming your dignity and right to be a citizen of this fair land at the same time…

The sad thing is, there are probably more people who know who Tommy Douglas’ jerk-off grandson is – the stupendously mediocre “actor” known as Kiefer Sutherland. Yes, Kiefer Sutherland, the star of the Bush Administration’s prime-time torture pornfest known as “24″.

After phoning in some typically average performances in a couple of good films (Stand By Me, Dark City) and a lot of very bad to ordinary films (The Lost Boys, Young Guns, The Three Musketeers, etc., etc., etc.) Sutherland stumbled into the Jack Bauer role on 24.

But instead of continuing his journey down the B movie highway with enough money in hand to feed his notorious and voracious appetite for liquor…until God mercifully ended his life here on earth – our man Kiefer decides that this 24 thing is just too tempting to turn down.

Beautiful. Well done, dude.

I mean why not? It’s the biggest pay check he was ever going to see in his life…who the hell wouldn’t sell out their family honor for a few easy bucks…right? I mean, you’re only the grandson of the mastermind behind our beloved national health care system, it’s not like the guy invented Cheez Whiz or anything…right?

Dear Mother of God NO! NO! NO! A gazillion times NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Now let’s get one thing straight, right here and right now…when you are the grandson of the great Tommy Douglas and some sleazy Hollywood producer offers you the lead role of some torture-happy, Habeus-Corpus defiling Republican’s wet dream tv series, there is ONE and only ONE way to respond…you lean over the guy’s desk, look him in the eye and scream, “No way, jerk-off – I’d rather fall off the D-list once and for all and drink myself to an early grave so that I can die with a shred of dignity still intact!”

I mean, could it be more tragically ironic that this no-talent, whiney, booze-hound punk, so idolized by the far right for his portrayal of 24′s Jack Bauer, (the pug-nosed, pasty, puffy-faced masochist and poster boy for the “war on terror” crowd) is not only the grandson of the great Tommy Douglas, but ALSO the son of much more talented Canadian actors Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas?

I mean, there should be a law against tainting bloodlines to this extent! And what the heck is in Donald Sutherland’s sperm any way? Crazy Glue?

Okay, okay, so let’s fast forward to the present…and you’re probably thinking ol’ Kiefer was feeling pretty good about his decision to sell out and cash in while he could, right? Well, perhaps not…

You see, there just may be a happy ending to this bitter little tale after all (well, happy in a “at least there’s some justice in the universe” kind of way…).

I guess Kiefer’s big cash bonanza and new-found superstardom didn’t quite make him the slap-happy idiot you think it would…at least that’s the impression you get when you find out that he was recently arrested for drunk driving (while being under probation for a previous offense from 2004) and sentenced to 48 days in prison.

Gee, it appears as though making boat loads of money to be the centerpiece for of a right wing, war-mongering propaganda campaign and selling out your family honor in the process just doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a happy and fulfilling life any more…go figure.

So, for being an embarrassing, self-loathing drunk (your best quality, by the way) and a total sellout and poster boy for the pro-torture, anti-civil rights yahoos that have taken over America…you, Kiefer Sutherland have well-earned The Straight Shooter Award for the Worst Canadian Ever…enjoy it, jackass.

-EK.

Support A Progressive…Send A Message Early, To Iowans

Hey everybody,

If you really want to get America back on track, please fill out this petition that will be sent to Iowa Democrats to encourage them to support a true progressive candidate (i.e., NOT HILLARY CLINTON).

Go here to send your message: http://democracyforamerica.com/unite

Clinton not only supported the War In Iraq (later changing her mind after it became unpopular with the general public), but she was given a massive war chest of Rupert Murdoch’s (the Fox News founder) blood money.

As if that wasn’t scary enough, she now has the backing of the pharmaceutical giants as well as the health insurance industry…an we all know that those favors will be called in if she is ever elected president.

So PLEASE help the progressive cause (and presumably, yourself and those you care about) by keeping her off the ballot as the Democratic nominee in 2008.

As a visual aid to help you decide who is progressive and who is not, please refer to the image below…

-EK.

Oh Yeah, While We’re Talking About Bill Hicks…

I’m ashamed to admit I only recently discovered the brilliant comedic mind that was Bill Hicks, through a friend.

He started his stand up career at the tender age of 14 in the late seventies and died way too young at age 32, on February 26th, 1992.

Hicks really seemed hit his peak in the 80′s (based on the many mullets you’ll be seeing in the documentary that follows) and while it’s kind of hard to believe that the same decade that gave us Reaganomics and Kajagoogoo could also give us Bill Hicks…I guess ya gotta take the good with the bad – in whatever decade you happen to find yourself…

But I digress.

Hope ya enjoy this piece as much as I did…

-EK.

Today’s Douche Bag Of The Day Award Goes to…Jay Leno

As reported on Crooksand liars.com and elsewhere, Jay Leno did a really classy thing recently by firing the staffers for the Tonight Show who are waiting out the current writer’s strike…just in time for the holidays!

Then, after being embarrassed by the bad press (and realizing that both Conan O’Brien and Letterman were still paying their staff, despite the ongoing strike) he did a total about-face…for now.

Boy, what a great guy!

Like it’s not bad enough that this jerk is the least funny person on the planet, he has to fire his staffers, who work their asses off night in and night out to trying to make him even remotely watchable…

So, for contributing to the ongoing anti-labor activity that’s doing untold damage to our working class brothers and sisters across The USA and Canada, Jay Leno, you win the Straight Shooter’s Douche Bag of The Day Award.

Nice work, asshole.

So, in your honor Jay Leno – I give you the cutting wit of the late, great Bill Hicks…enjoy…

-EK.

Canada’s Dirty Little Secret…

It is a sad reality that environmental concerns fly out the window as soon as people can make a quick cash grab. Greedy people making short term gains for other’s long-term losses are at least as old as the concept of currency itself…but then greed may very well be the original sin.

Up here, in The Great White North, most people are proud of our pristine lakes and forests. Our great swaths of untamed wilderness, but the reality is, the worst among us love money just as much as anyone else and you need to look no further than the recently renamed Oil Sands Project in Northern Alberta.

In an area roughly the size of the state of Florida, there is a massive oil-extracting project that is a boon to the Canadian economy (one of the factors keeping it strong and steady against the US dollar) and lining the pockets of fat cats both here and abroad…but there are questions that need to be answered like, “At what expense?” and “Where did all that oil come from in the first place?”

For some insight into the environmental and health hazards that directly linked to the Tar, er, Oil Sands Project, here are a couple of interesting links:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/30/energy.oilandpetrolhttp://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/?p=451

http://www.tarsandswatch.org/speakers-aim-put-human-face-oil-sands-debate

http://www.tarsandswatch.org/files/Polaris_Tarsands_Moratorium_Declaration.pdf

As for where it came from, well, that’s easy…dead dinosaurs, most likely. The better question is, why now? Well, in an article from last summer, Naomi Klein succinctly explains the timing for all of this as well as the link between the Iraq War and Canada’s new oil boom…check it out here.

In short, what used to be considered a very pricey oil extraction process has now become a relatively cheap oil extraction process thanks to (drum roll please) The Iraq War!

As the war contributes heavily to the rising price of crude, Tar, er, Oil Sands oil, once considered too costly and environmentally hazardous to extract has magically become relatively cheap and well, “less” environmentally hazardous to extract. Pretty neat, huh?

Due to heightened oil demand caused by the Iraq War as well as the generally acknowledged fact that we have reached peak oil production, and the constant rising crude oil prices, what used to be called “tar” magically gets renamed, “oil” and what used to be considered “environmentally hazardous and too expensive” suddenly becomes “just too damn tempting to resist”.

When you get right down to it, this is a filthy, environmentally dangerous cash grab by The Alberta and Federal governments as well as a handful of fact cat oil tycoons that have been waiting for decades exploit this opportunity – with little or no regard for the consequences of their actions.

This is not a proud moment for Canadians. We need to rally together and start acting like we care about our precious natural resources, our once pristine land, as well as our health and the health of future of future generations…

Call your MP, sign a petition, give to those on the front lines of this thing, but most of all, do not turn a blind eye to what is becoming a very common trend – selling off our land and our natural resources to foreign interests for a quick buck.

To lobby your local MP, go here. Put together a petition and send it to them – let them hear your voice.

As usual, Green Peace is at the fore front of this critical battle, to make a donation and learn more about what GP is doing to fight The Oil Sands project go here.

-EK.

A Reminder To All…Darfur

For those of us lucky enough to live our lives in (relative) peace and comfort, do not forget that there is a genocidal war taking place in Darfur.

While it will take more than the effort of a few actors and one particularly driven activist, it is good to see people on both sides of the political divide coming together over this ongoing tragedy…

One simple way to help it is to sign this petition which is intended to put political and economic pressure on The Sudanese Government: go here to sign that petition.

Or, you can use the power of the pocket book to take a stand by dumping stocks that contribute to the funding of the genocide. For a personal divestment guide and a list of which companies and mutual funds are most heavily culpable for funding it, go here.

-EK.

Clean, green technology and an improved economy? You bet!

There are those who suggest dumping dirty fossil fuel burning technology for cleaner, more sustainable and “earth-friendly” technology presents an immediate threat to the economy – presumably the main reason for the present US and Canadian governments have rejected the Kyoto Agreement, as it would “steal money” from rich countries and prevent them from competing on equal terms with those that stayed outside the agreement.

Proponents of that kind of thinking would have you believe that there is a natural incompatibility between strengthening the domestic economy and drastically cutting reliance on petroleum sooner rather than later.

These same people would have you believe that there are no viable alternatives to petroleum at the present time, the most we can possibly hope for, is to improve gas mileage for motor vehicles while we wait for a miracle solution some time in the distant future, you know…after all the oil is finally gone.

Almost makes you think these people have something to gain by clinging to our old, dirty ways, doesn’t it?

Admittedly, the jury is still out on the hydrogen fuel cell technology and the so-called biofuels as short term solutions to reducing green house gas emissions, but an old relic from the past is making an impressive, albeit quiet return…the electric car.

You remember the electric car, don’t you? That thing that Ed Begley Jr. used to putter around in? Those GM cars were pretty impressive at the time, but I’ve got news for you – this new breed of electric car has to be seen to be believed.

Aside from drastically improving re-charge times and and mileage per charge, they look absolutely stunning and out-perform most sports cars on the road today…just take a look!

That’s right, thanks to huge advancements in rechargeable battery technology, companies like Tesla Motors and Zap are at the forefront of these impressive next generation vehicles.

I am an unabashed zealot of these new electric cars and I refuse to hide it.

I mean what’s not to like? They’re fast, slick, better for the environment and mostly American made. While the battery technology is Japanese in origin and (in the case of Tesla sports cars) the body is provided by The British (Lotus) the fact is, this is good old American know-how and entrepreneurship at it’s best and it’s a real positive sign of things to come…

Is there a downside? Well yes, of course, it’s not all great news. In the case of the Tesla vehicles, the price tag is too high for the average person and while the Zap cars address that issue, their cost-effective models may not provide the roominess that many families require…

Nonetheless, even these short-term hiccups must be looked at as part of a largely positive outlook for the new generation electric vehicles, because as more people buy them, prices will come down and the technology will continue to be perfected.

Constantly escalating fuel prices and a need to find alternative fuel options now that we’ve past peak oil production will only add to the attractiveness of this technology, but in my mind, the most impressive thing about these cars are that they are HERE and they are REAL…

Over time, the need to go greener, rebuild the dying domestic auto industry and create new jobs will only brighten the future of the electric car. There may be some push-back from “the good old boys” in the oil and old-school automotive industries, but now that the technology genie is out of the bottle, there is no going back…and they likely know it.

New, viable and sustainable technologies will emerge if we have the will and the vision to do it and companies like these are proving that there is a new economy growing out of the need to go green and get off of fossil fuels once and for all. In other words, we can make cleaner technology and also help the economy at the same time…go figure!

For more information on this impressive green technology – I’ve provided links to their respective web sites below.

-EK.

http://www.teslamotors.com/

http://www.zapworld.com/

Some Perspective For 2008…

Okay people, for those of you who may be thinking about which candidate is the most “presidential”, going into this pivotal 2008 campaign, let’s take a look at what used to be considered presidential material…let’s go back, waaay back to the years 2000 and 2004, shall we? Please take a look at the two clips below.

So why wasn’t CNN, CBS, NBC and the others not playing this bizarre W cleaning his glasses on an unsuspecting woman’s sweater clip endlessly on loop, for weeks back in 2000 the way they endlessly played that Howard Dean campaign footage in 2004?

Go back and compare those two moments – the Dean footage and this W clip and then tell me that the media doesn’t have it’s own agenda…surely the W footage displays more, um…disturbing behavior from a major political candidate, which presumably would make it not only more sensational than the Dean incident but also, quite a bit more newsworthy.

You could even make the argument that the major media outlets went out of their way to turn the Dean post-Iowa rally into something more disturbing than it actually was…a guy trying to rally his followers after a disappointing loss.

And yet, the W incident barely received any major media attention at the time.

Keep this in mind as we move forward into this 2008 Presidential Campaign – and remember to look carefully at who and what the mainstream media calls “crazy” and maybe, even more importantly…who they don’t.

-EK.

Dennis Kucinich’s Opening Speech During Global Warming Debate…

Kucinich, the only candidate with enough guts to speak his mind…

That’s right – Dennis Kucinich is The Straight Shooter’s choice for the next President of the United States.

No candidate, Democrat or Republican has fresher ideas than Mr. Kucinich. He also has the guts to speak his mind and take a brave stand on the important issues of the day.

Unlike most of the other candidates, Kucinich isn’t already bought and paid for by one lobby group or another, so he actually stands a chance to make a difference.

For those of you who want to find out more about the man, his impeccable voting record on key issues (including the war in Iraq, global climate change, universal health care for all Americans, etc.) and his uniquely positive vision for the future…stay tuned.

Peace out.

-EK.

FYI, you can start here: http://www.dennis4president.com/go/issues/