Blog about politics (mideast and pro-Israel, Canadian and local Montreal), world events, and random thoughts.

""

The World I Know is updated on a semi-regular basis by segacs.

Think I'm the greatest thing since chocolate-covered strawberries? Think I'm certifiably insane? E-mail me at segacs2.at.yahoo.ca.

Buy me a present! Visit my Amazon Wish List.

Frequently asked questions about me and this blog.

Atom site feed

Comments are open and unmoderated, although obscene or abusive remarks may be deleted. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of segacs's world i know.

---

<< List
Jewish Bloggers
Join >>

 
11:13 AM
Merry Christmas to all my Christian readers... and to anyone else who likes the lights, the cheesy jingles, and the vacation time. Especially the vacation time.

|

 
10:14 PM
What are they, nuts?

Jean Charest's Liberals might reopen the constitutional debate if they are somehow miraculously re-elected:

The Charest government could reopen constitutional talks if it wins another mandate from the Quebec population.

"I think that we should never forget that it's important to eventually come to a system where the provinces would be better represented in a reformed senate," said Intergovernmental and Native Affairs Minister Benoît Pelletier in an interview.

No no no no no, Jean! Didn't you learn anything from the Mulroney years? From Meech Lake and from Charlottetown? From the events that led up to the 1995 referendum? Why in god's name would you even suggest stirring this up again?

Hey Liberals: are you desperately trying to do everything in your power to lose the next election? Because you're sure doing a nice job at it. And the mere word mention of the C-word "constitution" is even dirtier than the R-word "referendum" among most Quebec voters. Even the threat of restarting that nonsense is sure to get your MPs a one-way ticket to the unemployment line.

What is it about politicians and their total utter incapability of learning from past mistakes, anyway?

|

 
10:01 PM
Blair's pet project

Tony Blair is in Israel holding meetings this week with Israeli and Palestinian leaders (separately, of course):

The centerpiece of Blair's visit is his initiative for a conference in London focused on strengthening the new Palestinian leadership. Sharon said Tuesday that Israel will support the conference but will not attend. He said the conference is meant to influence the promotion of reforms in the PA, and to consolidate support for a sweeping plan to rehabilitate Gaza and the Palestinian economy.

Analysts are saying that Blair sees an opportunity with Arafat's death and is trying to capitalize on it.

Blair sees an opportunity alright... but it has nothing to do with helping the Palestinians, and everything to do with his own political career.

Ever since Blair cast his lot with Bush by joining the campaign in Iraq, his political stock among Europeans and a good number of Britons has plummetted. The Israeli-Palestinian issue is his pet project to try to score back some brownie points.

And while he seems to be proceeding cautiously for the moment, I can't help but think that Blair is wading into waters that are much too deep for him. I only hope the Israeli people don't pay the price.

|

 
10:01 PM
And then there were eight...

Newfoundland has legalized gay marriage, making it the eighth Canadian province or territory to do so:

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador became the eighth of Canada's provinces and territories to legalize same-sex marriage after its high court authorized such unions.

The provincial court's decision came 12 days after Canada's Supreme Court gave the federal government authorization to change the definition of marriage. The government will introduce the legislation in the House of Commons early next year.

Of the holdouts, most will probably quickly fall in line once Canada passes federal legislation on the subject, as is expected early next year. Most likely, there were simply no cases for them to rule on yet.

Alberta, however, is a question mark. The conservative province has vowed to fight, thoughit's unclear what recourse they would have against a federal law. Albertans, like many Americans, seem to maintain an irrational fear that gay marriage will somehow destory their lives. Then again, maybe all the men in Alberta are just terrified that they'll somehow be forced to marry Ralph Klein...

|

 
10:05 AM
A little chilly?

Current Montreal temperature: A balmy -26°C, with a windchill factor of minus -40°C. In this weather, exposed skin will get frostbite in less than thirty seconds. I hear a coworker whistling "Let it Snow" - probably less as a Christmas song, and more as a plea for the temperature to warm up enough to snow.

Yep, winter's here.

|

 
8:57 PM
Random musings from my weekend in Ottawa

• It's friggin' freezing out there!!! Remind me again why I choose to live in this part of the world?
  
  
• Week before Christmas + SAQ strike = long lineups at the LCBO. On the plus side, LCBOs have great selections that include items like this... and they give you Air Miles. On the minus side, seems I'm supposed to be paying tax to the Quebec government for the booze I bought in Ontario. Yeah, right.
  
  
• What logical explaination is there for the price of gas being 15 cents a litre lower in Ontario than in Quebec?
  
  
• The map store is awesome. So is the game store. (I'm still accepting soybean donations).
  
  
• Chocolate frogs and turtle cheesecake are my new addictions.
  
  
• Coffee Coffee Coffee!!!

|