Politics: it seems we're in a whirlpool!

US State Politics

Yes. The TV ads for nearby US State politics are wearisome. See: Terry Lynn Land vs. Gary Peters.

Union Members Irate After Their Photo Appears In GOP Candidate's Attack Ad

Also:

Politicians' embarrassing moments - in pictures

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

We round up some politicians' most mortifying moments to be caught on camera. John Crace imagines what they were thinking

They are such awful attack ads. Now PM Harper wants freedom to do the same. The issue is his boys-in-short-pants (his peons who dream up these ideas) want to be able to steal images and video snippets in which his opponents are caught red-handed, or with their feet in their mouths, or their

comic characters

pants down. This irks me, as copyright laws are there for a reason. We can use snippets (See Fair Practice and Fair Dealing copyright laws) , in order to quote and comment, but to use them in their ads is just wrong. Mostly since they turn them around.

Canadian Federal Politics

Conservatives mull law to use news content in attack ads ...

Oct. 9 - Conservatives mull law to use news content in attack ads ... Speaking to reporters in Whitby on Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said . 

Political parties would have free reign over news content for attack ads, if a law considered by the governing Conservatives goes ahead.

I know the media will not refrain from showing people in compromising positions. Certainly, if they don't like someone, they'll feature the worst photo taken at a media event, and Harper's people want to exploit these photos. The media items are the Intellectual Property of photographers and/or their employers, and it just seems wrong for politicians to steal this property. The rest of us cannot use it!

Provincial Politics

The Provincial Conservatives are trying to elect a leader. Apparently, there is a strange reversal, according to David Reevely, of the Ottawa Citizen. 

• 

  Reevely: Tory leadership candidates courting 'nutbars', Hillier warns

  COLUMNISTS OCT 9

  Three would-be leaders of Ontario's Progressive Conservatives made obeisance to the Ontario Landowners Association last weekend, horrifying their caucus mate who helped found the group.

I have written previously about our Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington MPP, Randy Hillier. He didn't like what I said, and has since blocked me on Twitter after calling me all sorts of names, and calling me "partisan'. You think?! [My MPP told me to 'get a life'!] To his credit, he has been working on behalf of constituents whose Hydro metreage situations are in terrible shape. He does come up with some extreme solutions to HydroOne, but any press is good press!

There's the pot calling the kettle black!

There are issues, you see, with our regional Ontario Landowners group (which Hillier helped found). With a history of civil disobedience it is a group that I fear. They so disrespect our environment, wanting to let landowners have their cows pee in the rivers and develop the precious wetlands that filter our water and provide homes to both flora and fauna. I can't tell you the number of local contractors who darken our door, wanting to exploit their private land holdings.

Suddenly, MPP Hillier is distancing himself. He is now calling the members of this group 'fringe elements' and 'nutbars.' (There's the pot calling the kettle black! ) He, who is a Libertarian, whilst collecting $6-digits from his MPP salary! Just sayin'!

Solar power

The group is one with peculiar ideas. One of which, like the US Tea Party folks, claims that Global Warming [sic] is a mistaken notion and denies its existence.

What has happened to Global Warming by Tom Black

Those interested in the environment, understand that it is truly Climate Change, not Global Warming, that threatens planet earth. It is the extremes that are causing problems for many.

Toronto Weathernut Jay Scotland
is fair game!

The Ontario Landowners group is now claiming that those who bought 'Crown Land', are governed by the original Crown patent: transferring land ownership from the Crown to the early pioneers. The Landowners are claiming that the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), whose task it is to protect the environment, cannot control what individual landowners do on their own land. Interesting, but far-fetched notion and one which doesn't take into account any provincial land claims by Aboriginal Peoples.

Municipal Politics

We are anxiously awaiting these elections, on Oct. 27th. Many of us to get rid of the lawn signs, others who want to get Rob Ford out of the news.