Book Review: "Londonistan" by Melanie Phillips (2006)

In the wake of last summer's London bombings, journalist Melanie Phillips penned this simply devastating critique of the moral equivalency, permissiveness, inertia, and culture of self-blame within British society that has allowed radical Islam to not only develop but flourish. After looking at the terror plot that was thwarted earlier this month, her observations are even more pertinent. Phillips is unapologetically conservative: are we to sacrifice the values of freedom of speech and gender equality at the altar of Sharia law to appease potential terrorists? For Phillips, the answer is unequivocally negative, and she makes several flawless arguments throughout "Londonistan" which conclude with a patriotic yet logical defense of the West and the values that it is built on.

Along with "While Europe Slept", I'd say it's the most compelling book of the year. I'd also venture to say that if first-year political science professors were truly interested in teaching students how to think rather than what to think, they'd put "Londonistan" on the top of their reading lists this September right beside the obligatory Chomsky texts (but I suspect that most of them in the echo chamber of the ivory tower haven't even heard of it).

Absolutely essential.

Overall rating: 10/10

Thursday digest

Iran thumbs its nose at the UN and what do China, Russia and Europe do?

Not much.

How much credibility does the UN have again?

- A look at the role Pakistan is playing vis-a-vis Afghanistan, here.

- An important reminder that authentic scholarship on globalization cannot ignore the role bad governance plays in Third World poverty.

- VDH: true believer. If I was an aspiring Republican nominee, I'd be putting this guy on my staff as a speechwriter, pronto.

- Finally, we haven't seen big pimpin' like this since Joe Clark peddled his daughter at every photo-op he could in the late 90s. Funny, I don't hear any charges of sexism from the likes of Libby Davies, Alexa McDonough, Hedy Fry and Maria Minna along with their pals.

I wonder why.

Rock Star: Supernova Week IX

If this week's Supernova happenings was a chapter in a novel, I'd title it "Dilana's Trip Up Her Own Ass". I don't think the fellas would be able to handle her self-absorption for an entire tour, and the less said about this entire mess, the better.

Ryan, Tori Amos with a dick, went home. I think it was too little, too late for that guy. He'd rather read Cosmo anyways, so perhaps that's best.

Magni? I'm surprised he didn't make the bottom three. He's solid, but I think that it's fitting that he did a Live track tonight because he's so in that mold.

Lukas is growing on me. Of the remaining male "rockers", or contestants, if you will, he's got the weakest voice - too Raine Maida for me. However, I like his cool, calm and collected attitude, and plus, he openly stated that he doesn't like Nirvana, which is great in my books because for about a decade after they became critical darlings, both guitar solos and catchy melodies were at a premium. I think I know what the band sees in him, though, and it's the pout. It's Jagger-esque, and this trio of forty-somethings love that. Great job on the new track, which I liked, too.

Toby? He's good, but he's got to find his groove consistently. I see him more as an extra in a surfer flick rather than as frontman for this band.

And Storm ... she's who I'm pulling for. Despite a few vocal imperfections, this woman was born to be on stage. "Helter Skelter" was awesome, and I don't really care for that song to begin with, so that's saying a lot from my vantage point. For everyone who is saying there's no way the guys would have a female singer, why the hell not? This project is going to be one album and one tour, max, after which the band will disappear and the vocalist will go on to a solo career. Having a gal out front would be fresh, ballsy and would piss a lot of people off, and isn't that what rock is all about?

Wednesday digest

- Quote of the day: "Folks, if bashing rich people, the oil industry, and the drug companies were an effective political strategy, jets would be landing at Michael Dukakis National Airport in Washington." See here. Perhaps if Al Franken recognized that, his radio network wouldn't be making the XFL look like a success right now.

- John Hawkins of Right Wing News has made the conservative case against both John McCain and now Rudy Giuliani. For obvious reasons, McCain is going to have an uphill battle in the primaries, while Giuliani seems to be polling well in deep-red states like South Carolina, but once word gets out about his social liberalism, I'm not sure that will hold up. As for the other contenders, I don't see Mitt Romney as presidential material, and I doubt that a Massachussetts Mormon is really going to be a contender. George Allen was touted by some as the heir to Ronald Reagan but he's a senator (no senator has won the presidency for over 40 years) and has stepped in it as of late. Finally, that leaves Newt, who's running hard on ideas but brings a considerable amount of baggage to the table. If Rudy can get past the primaries, I think he's got a good shot at beating whoever the Dems nominate because there is a huge untapped market, and that's hawkish libertarians (especially if clowns like this keep running the show on the other side of the aisle).

- In recent days, a much-maligned Washington player gave a speech in which he asks the following questions, which I think are tremendously important:

With the growing lethality and availability of weapons, can we truly afford to believe that somehow vicious extremists can be appeased?

Can we really continue to think that free countries can negotiate a separate peace with terrorists?

Can we truly afford the luxury of pretending that the threats today are simply "law enforcement" problems, rather than fundamentally different threats, requiring fundamentally different approaches?

And can we truly afford to return to the destructive view that America -- not the enemy -- is the real source of the world's trouble?

A lot of people, if they knew who was asking them, would have just dismissed those vital questions before even reading them, so I've decided to tell you who they came from after printing them rather than before.

Answer here.

- Here's a great idea: a monument to the victims of Communism.

- Finally, O'Reilly tells it like it is.

Live Review: Toby Keith/Joe Nichols, New York State Fair, Syracuse, NY, August 29, 2006

Promoting his "White Trash with Money" album, pop culture's leading redneck, Toby Keith, took the stage last night in front of almost 15,000 upstaters. Being the hardcore honkytonkers that we are - actually, it's really just me - myself and the Missus were there.

Just after 9 PM, Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town" signalled Tobe's arrival. That led into a short and hilarious intro film premised on the rejection of numerous offers for reality shows, including "Toby On Ice" where he was asked to don figure skates. (Due to copious amounts of beer on a fairly empty stomach despite deep fried Oreos, deep friend Twinkies and deep fried KD on offer at the Fair, I'm not really sure how the skit evolved to have Toby playing the role of the host of a game show titled "Hell No!", but anyways ...)

The hitsfest began shortly thereafter, along with numerous special effects, pyro, and someone at the side of the stage signing out the lyrics for the hearing impaired. Tobes kept it fresh for himself by changing the lyrics a little bit. Here's an example that came during "I'm Just Talkin' Bout Tonight":

Well, I'm not talkin bout locking down forever, baby,
That would be too demanding.
I'm just talkin bout three lonely people
who might reach a little understanding.
I'm not talkin bout knocking out heaven
with whether we're wrong or we're right.
See, I'm just talkin' bout pilin' up and stretchin' out
I'm just talkin bout tonight.

Another from last year's song of the summer, "I Ain't As Good As I Once Was":

She said, "I'e seen you in here before."
I said, "I've been here a time or two."
She said, "Hello, my name is Bobby Jo
Meet my twin sister Betty Lou
And we're both feeling kinda wild tonight
And you're the only cowboy in this place
And if you're up for a rodeo
We'll put a big Texas smile on your face"
I said, "Girls,"

I ain't as good as I once was
I got a few years on me now
But there was a time back in my prime
When I could really hose 'em down
And if you need some love tonight
Then I might have just enough
I ain't as good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was.

He also delivered fan favourites "I'll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again", "Stays In Mexico", "The Angry American" and "How Do You Like Me Now?" within a set that included easily more than 20 tunes, along with a guest spot from Lindsey Haun, who's starring opposite Tobes in a new flick coming out shortly. I've seen Tobes four times now and every time he gets better. This was in my top two country shows of all time with only Shania's Vancouver show in 1999 possibly being better. Lots of smiles and good times all around among the faithful last night, and by the way, if you need to ask who Willie is, you're beyond help.

As for Nichols, he was an adequate opener with the highlight being a cover of the "Dukes of Hazzard" theme song which led into AC/DC's "Back In Black".

Country rules.

Overall rating: 9.5/10

Monday digest

- The union boss at a strike-ridden Ontario tire factory that recently closed is complaining that parent company Michelin North America wants to reduce the influence of unions as the company expands at non-union plants in Nova Scotia.

Well, duh.

You know comes to mind right now when I listen to that hack, who let down 1,000 men and women, whine about the consequences of refusing to budge from his hard line? Simply, this:

"You stupid fuck. Look at you now." (Audio here.)

- Speaking of the F bomb, Hitchens stooped to their level and dropped it on the simpletons in Bill Maher's audience the other night.

Hey ... sometimes you're just too smart for the room.

- On the UN front, Kofi Annan makes it clear that blue helmets are going to turn a blind eye to Syria supplying Hezbollah here, while prodding the terrorists to give up the Israeli soldiers.

Isn't he about six weeks late on that one?

- As The Economist asks "who killed the newspaper", a look at how the mainstream media fell for Hezbollah's propaganda tactics hook, line and sinker during the recent fighting in the Middle East.

- Looks like Colin Powell's golden boy was the one who named Plame. So much for everyone who was hoping that Dick "Big Time" Cheney was going to wear this one.

Endorsement

- The Parking Lot has been kind enough to inform us all of the best places to stop to do your business when travelling between Hogtown and the nation's capital.

Personally, I think there's no better time than now to do something I should have done a long time ago, and that's give the official Road Hammer endorsement to Uncle Booger's Bumper Dumper, pictured above.

Thanks to Uncle Booger, you can avoid the humiliation of outhouses, kicking in toilet stall doors to see who's had the courtesy to flush, and wiping away pee from the prickshot before you who didn't even care enough to lift the seat.

Thanks to the inevitable bank of eighteen wheelers found at every single rest stop, you'll have all the privacy you need, and with a little hand sanitizer, you're good as golden.

Finally, there is another way.

DVD Review: "Poseidon" (2006)

With carnage not seen on a level since that last disaster movie starring an ocean liner, "Poseidon" is the ultimate popcorn flick. Unfortunately, it didn't do that well at the box office, which I think is a miscarriage of justice, because, like "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" before it, this had blockbuster written all over it but failed to deliver the numbers. I don't understand why. A solid cast, excellent effects, and lots of tension and subsequent heroics without requiring a massive suspension of disbelief nor suffering from anything overly predictable, this is a strong effort from director Wolfgang Petersen that I thought was just awesome.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Saturday digest

- Looks like Europe is finally ponying up, but this is just stupid:

Even with the total European commitment of between 5,600 and 6,900 troops, Annan conceded major obstacles remain for assembling and deploying international troops alongside Lebanese Army and Israeli military forces in southern Lebanon and along its border with Israel.

Annan said he is prepared to accept offers of troops from predominantly Muslim Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia despite insistence from Israel that it will not accept the presence of peacekeepers from the three countries, which do not recognize the Jewish state.

The UN leader said that in view of the difficulty in obtaining the troop commitments from Europe, he could not afford to turn down governments that were eager to fill the remaining ranks of the force.

``We don't have pools sitting in barracks you can choose and pick from," said Annan, adding that those forces could be deployed in areas where they would not come into contact with Israeli soldiers.

Given that a significant portion of the Lebanese army is sympathetic to Hezbollah (with some soldiers saying that they refuse to fire on Hezbollah), is importing "peacekeepers" from countries who refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the only state combatant in this conflict a good idea? This comes as Iran, Hezbollah's sugar daddy, thumbs its nose at everyone and pretty much goes ahead with whatever they want on their nuclear program. I have to ask; am I the only one that thinks that Condi Rice may need to be served with some walking papers given her extremely limp performance as of late? (Personally, I'm about 75% of the way there towards calling for her resignation.) And if Israel really won the war (and in light of the lame "ceasefire", I don't think they did), why is Ehud Olmert in such trouble?

- Today's loony left play of the day comes to us from Venezuela, whose President, Hugo Chavez, just accused Israel's recent actions against Hezbollah to be "genocide". Chavez, a friend of Democratic Party icons Jesse Jackson, Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan, will also be travelling to Syria in the coming days to strengthen ties with that terror-sponsoring state.

I'm just sayin'.

- Speaking of Moore, he's got mainstream Democrats in his sights and is already promising defeat for the likes of Hillary unless she endorses the cut-and-run strategy after Angry Left candidate Ned Lamont won the Connecticut Democratic primary against Joe Lieberman. Moore, who reportedly stayed in bed for three days after his candidate couldn't beat supposed idiot, Texas country bumpkin and daddy's boy Dubya back in '04 (despite the Administration going to war in Afghanistan to build an oil pipeline, according to Moore's penetrating analysis), now thinks he's a kingmaker. The Clintons already know that getting into bed with the likes of these guys is the political kiss of death. Is the rest of the Democratic party going to wake up and realize that providing an alternative to the Republicans doesn't mean you have to embrace American military defeat (as Moore and the like wish for)?

- In a lengthy and well-written article, Kathryn May details some of the demographic challenges facing the Canadian public service, here. However, one of the chief barriers to recruiting more up-and-comers into executive and executive minus-1 positions is the requirement that all candidates for those posts, where you learn many of the skills required to be a leader, is that you have to read, write and speak French at a ridiculously advanced level. It seems that making this observation is off the table, but it's the damned truth, and any analysis that fails to mention that plainly obvious fact is flat out dishonest.

- Finally, if you needed another reason to give less of a shyte about the WWE, they released Kurt Angle yesterday (feedback here and here.) Truly one of the greats, the man I once impersonated on the radio (prior to Wrestlemania X-8) has obviously been breaking down over time physically. Hopefully he doesn't end up like The Dynamite Kid.

Film Review: "World Trade Center" (2006)

As a tribute to the courageous men and women who selflessly responded to the cally to duty on that morning, Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" works well. As a film? Not that great. Quite frankly, it's a little, well, boring. We all know the ending, we all lived through it, and we're all still coming to grips with the fallout of 9/11 and what it means for the planet five years later ... well, not all of us (the Paris Hilton crowd, I'm talking to you).

Perhaps that's why this flick didn't knock my socks off - not to sound like a high and mighty philosopher king, but these issues and events occupy a fair bit of my headspace, so historical dramas like Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan and the Passion of the Christ don't have the same impact on me as they do on others who may not take as large an interest in the topics they deal with.

Nonetheless, this film is an excellent reminder to all of us about why we must fight and defeat radical terrorists. It's because each and every day, in millions of small ways, in our homes, families and communities, America, and the West more generally, embody all of the values that Islamofascists hate, like choice, voluntarism, freedom, liberty, pluralism, respect for others, and above all else, the dignity of the individual and the value of human life.

This can never be forgotten.

Overall rating: 5.25/10

Friday digest

- You know, John McCain reminds me of a few jerkstore bosses I've had over the years. Just when you start thinking they aren't that bad, they go and do something that makes you hate them more than ever.

- I have to give credit to Liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff. First, he (diplomatically) told the Maritime provinces to get real about equalization, then he said that he thinks the Department of Indian Affairs should be abolished. It's refreshing to see an aspiring federal leader who doesn't buy into the politics of grievance and victimization, and in public, no less. (You can tell he hasn't been in Canada that long.)

- How is telling sex offenders that they are supposed to stay 1000 feet away from a school going to prevent them from re-offending?

Seriously.

- Yesterday, I wrote about the excesses of what some have called "BDS", or "Bush Derangement Syndrome" (see here for an example). Today, National Review's Jonah Goldberg dissects BDS' cousin, and that's WMDS: Wal-Mart Derangement Syndrome. And speaking of exploitative retailers, Giant Tiger has camouflauge pants (100% ployester) on for $9.99 this week, in four varieties. (Don't ask me how I know this if you don't wanna find out!)

- Finally, here's a sad reminder that when time's up, it's up, so to quote a well-known left-winger, former mayor of Cincinnati and one-time Ohio Democratic candidate for the Senate, take care of yourselves and each other.

Thursday digest II

- According to hand wringing CBC analysts, the poor are getting poorer. How do they explain this? Well, for starters, welfare recipients in Alberta make about half as much now as they did back in 1986. I'd say that if you've been on welfare for twenty years, you've got problems ... and isn't that exactly the point? It would be nice if the coverage also showed how many people got off the welfare rolls after the tough-love approach was implemented. As Bill Clinton's reforms showed, true success is defined by the number of people who off welfare rather than by the number of people who are on it, and in a time of sustained full employment, welfare should certainly be seen as a (temporary) hand up rather than a (permanent) hand out.

- Also on social policy, the Canadian Medical Association has elected the controversial Dr. Brian Day as their president. While I wouldn't say that those who would like the freedom to purchase their own care as they see fit should start jumping up and down just yet, this is another in a long line of defeats for those who support one-size-fits-all, North Korean-style socialist monopolies when it comes to the provision of health services.

- Ottawa, a city with an inferiority complex the size of Toronto, is about to wave goodbye to their Triple-A ballteam which is poised to move to Allentown, Pennsylvania, a ham-n-egg town that was so down on its luck 25 years ago that it was immortalized in a Billy Joel song. People of Ottawa, you pretty much suck. You can have all the chamber music and folk festivals you want along with Lawrence Welk and the ballet at the NAC, but no one is going to consider you major-league if the people of the nation's capital keep shitting all over their sports teams like the Renegades and Lynx. And if you're tempted to point to the Sens as an exception, just wait till they inevitably become a non-playoff team and people have to drive to the suburbs of Peterborough on a Tuesday night in December to see them face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets for $175 a pop. Ownership, desperately looking to sell, will consider a three-quarters-full arena a good night, and we'll all be wondering why Ottawa just doesn't get any respect.

Thursday digest

- According to Toronto Star columnist Richard Griffin, one of the reasons Jays manager John Gibbons is an arsehole who deserves to be canned is because he's a supporter of the US President. See here:

Gibby's also not a bad guy. As a man, all that need be known about him is that he is a huge admirer of fellow Texan, George W. Bush. Gibby, in tribute to Dubya, seems to have instituted a Jays' version of the Patriot Act. Two players have been judged traitors and must go. My ballclub, right or wrong!

Even the most ardent Bush-bashers have got to recognize that the visceral, frothing-at-the-mouth hatred for all things W. gets a little out of hand at times. Then again, should we really expect anything less from the paper that suggested Mike Harris wasn't qualified to be Premier because a teenage photo which suggested he had six toes?

- From the "don't hate the player, hate the game" file comes news that the separatist Bloc Quebecois' financial lifeblood comes from the federal government. If they had any integrity, they'd say "thanks, but no thanks", but of course, they don't. Just like their supporters and advocates in the Quebec arts community take federal bucks with one hand but then slap the rest of Canada across the face with the other, you have to wonder if they'd ever really have the guts to actually leave when they are getting such a sweet deal courtesy of the Trudeaupian mentality.

- Why is it that five years after 9/11, some would rob intelligence agencies of the tools they need to thwart mass murder?

Rock Star: Supernova Week VIII

Ok, a couple of things right off the top. That Supernova song tonight was ASS, and I'm not blaming Toby. It would have been terrible no matter who sang it. I liked last week's tune a lot because I'm a sucker for big 70's arena rock choruses, but this was just awful. One thing that has worried me right from the start is who is going to write for this band. In the Crue, it was Sixx/Mars who did most of the writing, while in Metallica it was Ulrich/Hetfield. As for G n' R, Gilby Clarke hasn't written or even co-written a single original tune by that band, and his solo career is basically a joke (see here and note the lame "The Roots of Guns n' Roses" project from 2004). If the tune they played tonight is a sign of things to come, I shudder to think at how many people are going to be hauling their Supernova CDs to the local used CD store in a couple of years or less, and how many more used CD store owners are going to flat out say no thanks.

This brings me to Delana. This chick is getting quite an ego. Although she's got something that is truly magnetic when she's on stage, she annoyed me when she played with the aforementioned Mr. Clarke and totally kissed his ass by saying that it's always been a lifelong dream of hers to play with him. Someone had a lifelong dream to play with the only member of the Use Your Illusion tour lineup who's not in either Velvet Revolver or today's version of Guns n' Roses? Please. Also, when she did The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", she supposedly claimed off-camera that she didn't even know that song. That is frickin' unforgivable for someone who thinks they're worthy of fronting this group. So, when she slagged Ryan's excellent original song from last night and also ripped on the others in the house during the presser, she didn't do herself any favours, and in my opinion, she could have used some. Thumbs up to Lukas for taking the high road and staying above the fray. Dilana better keep on delivering the goods vocally or else the fans will slowly start to turn on her.

Patrice, one of my faves, got sent home tonight. Her original tune last night wasn't my cup of tea but I know that this woman has stardom within her, it's just a matter of tapping into it consistently. In terms of pacing, intensity, range, pitch and delivery, I think she's got one hell of a package and if one of her bands ever comes to my town and does a club gig, I'll be the first one in line to buy tickets.

Magni's "Fire" was INCREDIBLE. It is great to see him getting away from this modern rock vibe (Radiohead, Bowie, Coldplay) and just crank it out. I still don't like this guy for Supernova but I can see why he's come this far. Personally, I think he'd probably be a better candidate for a band like INXS but it's one year too late.

Toby? Meh. Hot and cold.

Returning to Ryan, he said that his original tune was from his old rocker days while his more tortured stuff is who he is now. That leads me to wonder if Ryan is really suited to this band. Maybe two or three years ago, but now he's perhaps just too damn sensitive to keep it up.

Still loving Storm and I think that I'm rooting for her above all of them. Not perfect, but neither is this band. Anytime you see a hot gal like her doing some quality Aerosmith like she did this week, you just have to love it. It would have been too much for her to whip out a harmonica and just crush the ending of "Cryin'" because I would have totally freaked out. She could be flying under the radar so keep an eye on her - a potential top two finish if Dilana keeps shooting herself in the foot, although Lukas is the man to beat. He demonstrated poise this week that I didn't think he had in him, but it's getting close now and he's playing it smart.

As much as I HATE reality shows, after eight weeks, this little mix of rock, psychology and competition has now officially become must-see TV.

Wednesday digest

- Amir Taheri says the big losers in the Middle East conflict are the Palestinians. This continues a pattern whereby the big powers in the Arab world use the Palestinians as a club with which to bash Israel when it suits them, while simply paying lip service to their cause the rest of the time. Truly, no one cares less about the Palestinians than their so-called "brethren".

- Passengers aboard a British flight recently pulled a United 93 of sorts and created an on-the-spot no-fly list. Not a good idea, that, but I share the sentiment the author points to in that the notion that everyone should be treated as an equal-opportunity terrorist is ridiculous.

- Calling Al Gore ... where are this year's hurricanes?

- Sage advice to the Left: if you want to usurp the Right, you better start breedin'.

- As well as the North American economy is doing, I've long suspected that a large part of it is based on smoke and mirrors - in other words, excessive credit card consumption. I'm not an economist, but I don't think this is a good thing. Debt is a fact of life, but to go on a massive spending binge while throwing caution to the wind is quite another. The more debt people take on, the longer and more difficult the next North American recession is going to be.

- And finally, this is absolutely appalling. So much for treating people as individuals. Reality TV has reached a new low and I hope this begins the end of it. I urge everyone to boycott the next edition of "Survivor".

Tuesday digest

- A clear-eyed look at the wiretap ruling, here.

- Tory MP Jason Kenney has likened Hezbollah to the Nazis. I can't disagree, especially after reading first-hand accounts like this.

- As calls for racial profiling increase, it's instructive to look at pieces like this which describe the state of mind of Muslim-American youth. Their hearts and minds are a crucial battleground in the war against extremism.

- Interesting article here. If you're Hillary Clinton, why not let your buddy John McCain defeat the Angry Left nominee in '08, become the Democratic leader in the Senate and reclaim the party?

- I think both men are at fault in the Ted Lilly-John Gibbons dust-up last night, but more importantly, it's long past time to resurrect the term "ham n' egger" as this TSN.ca poster did when discussing the incident. A better insult, I cannot think of.

(For a few interpretations of the phrase "ham n' egger", see here, here, here, here and here. Apply as you see fit.)

Monday digest

- Former Toronto Blue Jays superstar Jesse Barfield was the victim of domestic violence this weekend. Why do you care, you might ask? Quite frankly, I don't, but it gives me an excuse to post this absolutely golden retro pic.

- Want to get off the Canadian terror list? According to these MPs, you just need to kidnap a couple of Israeli soldiers, use civilian shields during warfare and accept blood money and arms from Iran.

- Other nuttiness today includes this proposal to strip the citizenship requirement for Canadian Forces recruitment. Why not just speed up the citizenship processing times for permanent residents who have committed to joining the Forces upon receiving it, as has already been proposed by Rick Hiller? If they do proceed with the "no citizenship necessary" idea, I hope their screening process is airtight because I think a lot of people would be concerned about the loyalty of potential recruits if they are not Canadian. Our NATO allies could also be expected to be concerned with such a scheme, and rightfully so.

- I saw this in my local Chapters-affiliated bookstore and thought about picking it up for a good laugh, but I decided to save my money and order "Londonistan" online instead since the bookstore in question doesn't carry it. (On that note, a great article about the bankruptcy of moral relativism here and another about the problems with divided loyalties here.)

- On August 31, the UN Security Council is going to meet to discuss the possibility of sanctions against Iran, who has stated that they are going to continue to develop uranium no matter what the "international community" says. After being suckered by both France and Hezbollah, is Condi going to lose this one, too? She needs to pull up her socks, big time.

- A call for patience in Iraq, here.

- Looks like the far left has Hillary in their sights, which can only be good for the Republicans.

- Finally, the ugly reality of the bling factor.

DVD Review: "Inside Man" (2006)

Although "Inside Man" is very good from a purely cinematic standpoint (excellent performances and a combination of camera work and sound that keeps the tension high), has some amusing dialogue and thought-provoking yet subtle social observations from director Spike Lee, once again what we've got here is a thriller that leaves far too many basic plot questions unanswered to be anything other than just average. With such a stellar cast (Willem Dafoe and Christopher Plummer appear alongside the advertised stars), another re-write of the script to plug the holes would have prevented the work of this all-star ensemble from being wasted.

Long on promise, but short on delivery.

Overall rating: 5/10

Sunday digest

- These are Cuba's "Damas de Blanco", or "Ladies in White", who peacefully protest every Sunday in Havana. They are the mothers, wives and daughters of political prisoners rounded up by Castro and jailed for up to twenty years for crimes such as collecting signatures to lobby support for a referendum on Cuba's political system. Despite the authorities' best efforts, harassment and intimidation have not deterred these courageous women.

A very important look at dissent under Castro in 2006, here.

- This morning on FOX News Sunday, a panel discussed the myriad of ways that the American aviation system is vulnerable to attack nearly five years after 9/11 (see here.) Although I think it's tremendously important to better mobilize public support for more spending on transportation security (especially here in Canada where issues like the right kind of government babysitting programs seem to be more important than national security), and the media has an important role to play in that, I have some difficulty when the press are overly specific about the exact weaknesses. Any terrorist wanting to know how to get around the system currently in place just had to watch FOX today to get a pretty good idea of what they ought to do in order to have pretty decent odds of success. In my view, that's irresponsible coverage.

- On that note, a reminder here that you can't have any liberties or freedoms for the government to infringe upon if you're a victim of a fatal terrorist attack.

- It's becoming obvious that the US is going to be in Iraq until at least the end of the decade, unless the cut-and-run crowd (the Democratic leadership plus Chuck Hagel) get their way. Colin Powell's Pottery Barn analogy - "you break it, you buy it" - is looking increasingly prescient concerning Iraq. Myself, I continue to take the same position as Liberal Party of Canada leadership front-runner Michael Ignatieff, which is that given what we knew at the time, regime change in Iraq was both justified and necessary. As difficult as it gets, it's tremendously important that the considerable progress made thus far not be undone by maniacs like this .

Live Review: Michelle Wright, Ottawa SuperEx, Friday August 18. 2006

Fresh off a recruitment drive for World Vision and a spring trip to Afghanistan to entertain our troops who are doing the vital work of preventing states from falling into the hands of those who would fly planes into North American buildings (just in case you needed a reminder), the beautiful, humble and classy Canadian country singer Michelle Wright entertained no more than 300 fans at the SuperEx in Ottawa last night. (It might have been the threatening clouds, however, I think that the paltry attendance has to do with the inherent elitism in this town. But I digress.)

Opening with "Safe in the Arms of Love", a tune popularized south of the border by Martina McBride, Wright delivered a 90-minute set that was long on hits, new material and audience participation. Going from mainstream country to adult contemporary to pop to rock to honky-tonkin' to hurtin ballads and back again, Wright demonstrated the diversity of her material and the versatility of her voice. As is the usual with country artists, the lyrical content of her songs reflect the values of family, patriotism, faith, loyalty and optimism, which is one of things I love most about this genre today.

On the downside, the use of tapes for female backing vocals gets a frown from this traditionalist reviewer, and at times, the overly varied nature of her material made it sound a little bit like Wright is still looking for her niche despite nearly twenty years in the business. Playing fairs and the like is probably about as far she'll ever get, which explains why she probably can't afford to pay backup singers, but judging from her enthusiasm for performing and her genuine love for her audience, I don't think Wright seems to mind. Nor do they, I don't think. Wright made sure that the ones paying the bills, the fans, were given more than their proper due between tunes, and she stayed around to sign autographs later.

SIDE RANT: It's the stuff like that which makes me proud to be a mainstream country music fan and I think that anyone who can't get past their prejudices to give it a shot by attending events like the Ex to take it in is cheating themselves out of something they might really enjoy. Michelle Wright may not be as hip as the Marxist former heroin addict Steve Earle who was apparently playing some songs in between bashing America across town at the Folk Festival, but no one has to know that you even went if you don't tell anyone. And you can even pick up a Che Guevara shirt in the Cattle Castle on your way out just to confirm your "takin' on the man" cred.

Overall rating: 7.75/10

Saturday digest

- It seems that the purpose of the AIDS conference in Toronto was not just to discuss the treatments or how to provide relief to Africa, but also to state unequivocally that taxpayers should foot the bill for the risky, potentially fatal and downright stupid indulgences of others here in Canada and elsewhere.

I resent that.

Those of us who are either monogamous or regularly practice safe sex should not be put on a guilt trip by Stephen Lewis, Mark Wainberg and Jack Layton because there are still individuals who, despite two decades' worth of public health campaigns, still resist doing what they need to do to prevent themselves from getting infected. There are plenty of other, more deserving issues that need attention from government (how about this, for starters?).

In the West, AIDS is by and large a preventable disease and has been for several years.

And no finger-wagging from the Left is going to change that.

- As France reconsiders the size of their troop commitment to the peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, the UN is reduced to pleading with Europe to get involved because the only countries who seem to want to pony up are those who have no diplomatic ties with Israel (Indonesia, Malaysia). I'd guess that the countries who don't want to participate more than they absolutely have to are either overextended as it is (Canada), don't want to annoy potential business partner, Hezbollah sponsor and thorn in America's side Mahmoud Ahmedinejad (France), or simply realize that the "ceasfire" is basically a farce (Australia).

- By most accounts, with the ever-reliable NYT a glaring exception, the legal reasoning behind the recent wiretap ruling is far from airtight, and ventures into the downright sloppy (see here, here, here, and here)

- The latest example of terrorists plagariazing Michael Moore to make their point, here.

I'm just sayin'.

Friday digest

- The Lebanese army disarming Hezbollah? Not bloody likely.

Nice job, Condi.

- Plato's millenial heirs can be found among some in the GLBT movement.

What makes me uneasy is a passage from a recent statement published in the New York Times titled "Beyond Marriage", signed by dozens of prominent gay rights supporters. They argue that marriage needs to be redefined to reflect a number of different types of relationships, up to and including "(Q)ueer couples who decide to jointly create and raise a child with another queer person or couple, in two households". (See here.)

If mainstream gay activists want society to not throw the marriage-rights baby out with the bathwater, they better step up and get these radicals to pull back on the reins a little bit or else they risk a major political backlash that threatens the entire movement.

Even the most pure of libertarians have limits.

- Vive la difference, baby.

Thursday digest

- The other day, I heard a Trudeaupian partisan refer to the Prime Minister as "Shrub", as in a little Bush. I wonder what we should call Bill Graham, pictured above with a certain former US Vice-President on a seemingly since removed graphic from the Liberal Party website. For some reason, I don't think the editorial cartoonists are going to be as hard on the Liberals for cozying up to an American politican as they have been with "Steve". (H/T: Bourque.)

- Almost 100 Hollywood stars have taken out an ad condemning Hezbollah and Hamas and placing the blame for civilian casualties in Lebanon squarely on the shoulders of the terrorists. I wonder if the CBC will find time to mention that in between their wall-to-wall coverage of the overly celebritized left-wing love-in happening in Toronto this week, or perhaps the Mother Corp only covers the intersection of fame and politics when it suits their political point of view?

- Speaking of the AIDS conference, today's loony left play of the day goes to these protestors who decided to stop traffic in Toronto yesterday over the lunch hour to demand that taxpayers support heroin addiction. Nice PR strategy there. I'm sure you'll get a lot of support by inconveniencing the public. How come anti-statist activists never resort to such tactics? Oh, that's right - they have jobs.

- Note to terrorists: testimony from the 9/11 commission reveals that the US government has forbidden airlines from sending more than three people of the same demographic profile to secondary screening. Why? Because that would be discrimination. See here. So, the more al-Qaeda you have on board a single flight, the better the chances of success because only three, max, are allowed to be sent to secondary, if the screener even dares to be politically incorrect enough to send even one of them. And, if one of the terrorists at secondary is the one with the bomb, he can just claim torture when he's detained and then Alberto Gonzalez becomes the bad guy with the burden of proof placed on the White House.

Another win for those who would rob law enforcement agencies of a key tool to disrupt terror operations came today, here. Thank God that the Canadian courts recognize the need for authorities to prevent terrorists from communicating with each other as much as possible, not to mention the UK. If Scotland Yard didn't have these tools at their disposal, we'd still be picking up the wreckage of 10 planes somewhere over the Atlantic, or worse yet, out of backyards all along the Eastern Seaboard.

God bless the ACLU’s America.

UPDATE: The controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations was a co-plaintiff in this case. It's probably the only time you'll get Hitch and CAIR on the same side of an issue. I wonder how he'll explain this one.

Rock Star: Supernova Week VII

After missing last week when Jill and Josh both got the boot (who cares?), another pretender was separated from the contenders when Zayra was mercifully shown the door this week. She's got balls, I'll give her that, but this is 2006, not 1996, and the band is Supernova, not Veruca Salt or some other one-or-two-album alternative act that the critics loved but music buyers soon forgot. Her Latin Alanis Morrissette routine was wearing more than a little thin, and she really needs to do something with those bangs.

Without the look, she's a Sass Jordan clone, but I thought Delana was great in front of the whole group doing one of their originals tonight. It left me wanting more, which is always a good sign. Patrice's performance of "Message in a Bottle" on Tuesday was long on the vocal pyrotechnics and short on the urgency, but she totally kicked on "Celebrity Skin" tonight. This girl is greatness. She won't win, and I take back my suggestion that the band should put her on second guitar and background vox like I proposed earlier, but I am a huge fan. As far as Magni goes, to say that Radiohead's "Creep" is our generation's "Satisfaction"? Speak for yourself, man. This guy is too much Bono and not enough Steven Tyler for Supernova. I love Storm and think she's got an outside shot at it. Ryan needs to turn down the tortured soul act. Where's the fun, guy? Lukas needs to be put into the bottom three pronto to bring him down a notch, and Patrice tonight made his version of Hole from a few weeks back look like the half-assed job it was.

By the way, what's with the repeated tunes? There must be some copyright thing going on there because of all the songs out there, we've heard "Creep" and "Celebrity Skin" twice now.

To summarize, I'm going to do a little word association as I offer up the one factor for each contestant that I think is going to work against them as we move into the home stretch.

Dilana: Range
Lukas: Immaturity
Toby: Lack of self-assuredness
Magni: Michael Stipe
Patrice: Consistency
Ryan: Solemnity
Storm: Dilana

Wednesday digest

- Now here's a formula for success: the Koran from 8 to 3, then reading, writing and arithmetic from 3 to 5. (H/T: Right Wing News.)

- After last year's arrests, some commentators are suggesting that racial profiling deserves a second look (see here, here and here). Personally, I'm not sure it's a good idea, not because I really care about the inconvenience and bad feelings that a young, bearded Muslim male may have to deal with at the time (tough), but rather, my concern is that an overzealous screener or border guard may, through aggressivity, contribute to potential radicalization and thus help create a terrorist-in-the-making. It's a question of risk management. I think the concept of "passenger profiling" might be worth pursuing, whereby you allow screeners the latitude to give more attention to individuals they deem suspicious, rather than operating on the assumption that there's a potential suicide bomber in everyone regardless of their demographic. As the Israeli ambassador to the UN asked rhetorically regarding Hezbollah, the Party of God acts in the name of which God? That's a fact that can't be ignored, although as I said above, it's a delicate balance between stopping attacks from being carried out and driving young men into the arms of al-Qaeda and friends by going over-the-top.

- Condi says the Mideast peace accord is a good first step. I'd say that if the US, Israel and Lebanon's "government" have a hope in hell of keeping the people of south Lebanon out of Hezbollah's grasp, they've got to win the race against time for the rebuilding of the area. If Nasrallah's gang is more effective at providing services and assistance to the displaced, Lebanese democrats are going to lose any foothold they may have had in that region in the fight against the terrorists.

- Now this is some good stuff from Walter Williams:

Rank nations according to whether they are closer to the capitalism end or the communism end of the economic spectrum. Then rank nations according to human rights protections. Finally, rank nations according to per capita income. Without question, citizens of those nations closer to capitalism enjoy a higher standard of living and a far greater measure of liberty than those in nations closer to communism.

- I generally don't mind Slick Willie, but I think he ought to learn to resist the urge to take pot shots at his successor. The unwritten rule of being a former US president is that you keep your mouth shut about the policies of the current Commander in Chief. Although it plays well to the balcony at times, I think that it makes Clinton look petty. And he doesn't need any more of that, does he?

Tuesday digest II

- The bible for aging hippies, Rolling Stone, has blessed us with a tearjerker on little Omar Khadr. You remember him, of the family that spent the bulk of the 90s in terror camps run by al-Qaeda, produced a daughter whose wedding Osama bin Laden himself attended in 1999, and fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. I suppose we're supposed to feel sorry for Omar because he has to stand, kneel and do other things like mop up his own pee at Gitmo all because of the torturous US government.

If that's "unspeakable abuse", I wonder what Rolling Stone would call getting your head chopped off on video for all the world to see via al-Qaeda propaganda videos.

- Some pics from a recent "peace" march in San Francisco, here.

- Oozing "Chavismo"? Pffft.

Tuesday digest

- A couple of looks at the state of the Bush Doctrine here (short) and here (longer, but worth it). For the sake of Israel, here's hoping W. doesn't lose focus.

- Another reality check on AIDS but this time a little closer to home, here. Interesting that the Copenhagen Consensus thinks that reducing the spread of AIDS in Africa is a very reachable objective, although I still maintain that the massive role of culture with regards to sexual practices must be considered when discussing this issue.

- Want to reduce poverty? Then get the size of government right.


- Today's loony left play of the day goes to defeated Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D) (pictured here with socialist icon Cindy Sheehan). On the evening of her primary loss last week, a campaign worker pulled a Mel Gibson and threatened a reporter's "Jewish ass" before another bodyguard blamed Israel and suggested that everyone "put on your yarmulke and celebrate." See here (video here).

Monday digest

- So Stephen Harper's a bad guy for not attending the Toronto AIDS conference, sending his Minister of Health, Tony Clement, instead. However, if, as Bill Gates suggests, the key to combatting AIDS in the Third World is to empower women, what difference is it going to make if Canada's PM shows up or not when gender equality in Africa is a pipedream because of a patriarchal culture that considers violence, sexual assault and subjugation to be completely acceptable? I suspect the activist crowd wants him there to help assuage their white guilt more than anything else, because when success requires changing cultures, do-gooding Westerners can't really accomplish a lot. I'd also suggest that the activists know that, but they can't admit it because it would require coming to grips with their infatuation with such lofty concepts as "cultural affirmation", whereby you blame the West first and gloss over the ugly faults of other belief systems and ways of life around the globe. To me, success in fighting AIDS requires an (unlikely) change in attitudes among African peoples, and as much as kind-hearted liberals would like to pretend otherwise, Stephen Harper can't do a damn thing about that if he wants to or not.

- Hezbollah's leader is claiming victory. Can't say I disagree. The sooner Netanyahu is back in power, the better, considering that Hezbollah's state sponsors clearly seek the destruction of Israel. It IS fascism, as much as some may try to wish that political correctness and other methods of appeasement will win the war on terror.

- Good times right here.

Sunday digest

- So little kids can't take McCain drinking boxes on board flights from now on. Remind me that when I have children to not ever take them on a plane unless they are eight years old, minimum. At least no one will be offended (except for the other passengers who will have to endure toddlers screaming for their juice).

- Liberal bright lights Maria Minna, Hedy Fry and Paul Szabo are upset that Wajid Khan is sharing his opinions on the Middle East and Asia with the Prime Minister (see here.) Apparently partisanship is more important than working together across the aisle on issues that have deep ramifications for Canadian society.

A pathetic display.

Meanwhile, Liberal client groups are burning Israeli flags during so-called "peace marches" in Toronto.

And while I'm at it, another reason I've never voted for the party of Trudeaupia, here. Reality check here and here.

- This ceasefire "agreement" is going to be worth about as much as the paper it's printed on. Does anyone not living in the same world as Kofi Annan seriously think Hezbollah/Syria/Iran is going to respect it, especially if it's unclear if Hezbollah must disarm? This is clearly a win for the terrorists, given that it pretty much fails to hold them to account in any meaningful way. I predict that within one year, Benjamin Netanyahu will once again be Prime Minister of Israel.

Book Review: "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel - Why Everything You Know is Wrong" by John Stossel (2006)

Stossel's second offering is pretty much the literary equivalent of Penn and Teller's show, "Bullshit!" (see here for a particularly vicious episode which looks at what passes for thoughtful discourse in some increasingly mainstream American political circles). Less ideological and more practical than his first book (reviewed below), Stossel looks at everyday issues like how bottled water companies con a public that has been seduced by the lure of exclusivity (ever notice that Evian is the word NAIVE spelled backwards), the silliness of psychics, voodoo and astrology, and the like. Of course, it wouldn't be Stossel without breaking down the absolute fallacies behind conventional public policy wisdom around things like minimum wage laws, farm subsidies, and price controls. I liked this one better than "Give Me a Break" because he talks less about himself and more about the issues, providing a fun mix of nuts-and-bolts economics with less weighty fare for a look at society that is sarcastic, skeptical and, well, pretty damn weary of emotionalism rather than facts dictating what is assumed in society and what isn't.

(Just skip the chapter on parenting ... it's a little hokey.)

Overall rating: 9/10

Book Review: "Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam" by Mark Bowden (2006)

This is an extremely dramatic look at the taking of over 50 American hostages by student radicals in Iran during the post-revolutionary period in 1979 once the US-backed Shah was overthrown.

"Guests of the Ayatollah" is so ambitious, so well-written and so deftly captures the emotions of what that time was like, from inside the gates of the American consulate where the hostages were held, to the Oval Office where a well-meaning yet effectively impotent Jimmy Carter was trying to manage the crisis, to the military bases where those who were part of the ill-fated rescue attempt were being trained, that it's hard to do justice to it in a review here. Despite a little bit of creative licence (how are we to know what those hostages now deceased were feeling?), suffice it to say that this is probably the pinnacle of Bowden's career, which is no small feat considering he wrote "Black Hawk Down". This is an intense read but it will provide many insights into the origins and aims of Iran's mullahtocracy, the goals of which are having an immense impact on international security today, and much better than the other books on the market (Pollack and Timmerman) which attempt to get to the heart of Iran's machinations against the United States and Israel over the past thirty years.

(It's also interesting that many of the American "peace activists" of that time, especially the clergy, were squarely not only on the side, but in the camp of, the Islamic fundamentalist hostage takers. The more things change, the more they stay the same, I suppose, especially considering that Hezbollah svengali and current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is believed to have participated.)

A page-turner that all people interested in international affairs will be much smarter for reading, I believe this is destined to become a classic. Give it the time and consideration it deserves and you will be richly rewarded.

Overall rating: 9.95/10

Book Review: "Tommyland" by Tommy Lee with Anthony Bozza (2005)

First off, let me tell you that in my opinion, Tommy Lee IS the Crue. I saw them in 1999 in Vancouver with the late Randy Castillo on drums, formerly of Ozzy's band, and there was something missing (and I'm not talking about the acres of empty seats despite the co-headlining Scorpions being on the bill), especially compared to when I saw them in 1990 at the Skydome on the "Dr. Feelgood" tour on the last day of grade 10. In 2002, I devoured "The Dirt" and shortly thereafter received the "Lewd, Crued and Tattooed" DVD as a gift, the one that featured Samantha Maloney of Hole on drums in T. Lee's place. With all his faults, "The Dirt" just showed the sheer likability of the guy as well as fact that it's just not the Crue live without him was reinforced through the DVD, and their triumphant 2005 reunion tour which I saw in Montreal at the Bell Centre with Lee firmly in place on the skins just confirmed it: if there's one guy who exemplifies the spirit of heavy metal in that band, it's him, so naturally, I loved this full-length, full-on, pedal to the floor memoir of the life and times of Tommy Lee, heavy metal madman extraordinaire.

It's all here: what it was like being married to Heather Locklear in the 1980s, his thoughts on Vince Neil and Kid Rock, his version of what happened with Pamela Anderson and how he ended up in jail, how he felt when a six-year old drowned in his pool during his son's birthday party in the early 2000s, and all the other stuff we read about in "The Dirt" but from Lee's perspective. It's like sitting down at the beach with the guy and just having a few ales: he peppers his conversation with words like "craise", "rad" and "skills" - not an ounce of pretense to be found here. He talks about his relationship with the press, what it's like to be a dad, and his feelings on fans who approach him with autograph requests, among many other things. You won't find a more honest look at what it's like to be a rock star than this, and it's an easy read that you can breeze through in 2-3 days, no problem. (Plus, my wife's first ever rock show, which was the Crue in Ottawa on the Girls, Girls, Girls tour in October 1987, even gets a mention! How cool is that?)

Overall rating: 9.5/10

Film Review: "V for Vendetta" (2006)

"V for Vendetta" will draw you in and not let you go until the end.

It's based on a futuristic London where the war on terror has led to an authoritarian England with (you guessed it) those nasty conservatives in power. (To me, the first thing I thought of was "this must have been what Iraq was like under Saddam Hussein or Russia under the Communists", but perhaps I'm just not enlightened.)

The main character, "V", is an shadowy, anarchic Phantom-of-the-Opera-like figure who endeavours to take the government back from the authorities and into the hands of the people in the spirit of Guy Fawkes, a 1600's renegade who once tried burning down Great Britain's Parliament in the name of populism. He takes Natalie Portman as his accomplice, against her will, interestingly enough, and together they work to reclaim the country.

This is a modern version of an Orwellian novel. Despite a few odd "Twilight Zone" touches which really don't do much to advance the plot but are a bone to the sci-fi/Matrix crowd, this is a great flick for those who are interested in how society is organized through (or by, depending on your preference) government.

Don't plan on falling asleep during "V for Vendetta" (in other words, don't watch it on a Friday night) or else you'll miss an intelligent, thought-provoking and very well-done look at what nations can and have become when a docile and unengaged citzenry fails to provide the necessary checks on power.

Overall rating: 9/10

Film Review: "Horloge Biologique" (Dodging the Clock) (2005)

Basically, this flick is about a bunch of mid-30s buddies who can't seem to break their womanizing habits while their significant others are all at various stages of trying to develop a family with them.

I think all fellas have battled the urge to extend their adolescence, but the characters in this flick are just either a) totally irresponsible, b) stupid or c) just assholes, plain and simple. I'm usually the first guy to defend my gender but some of the stuff that the boys pull here is just beyond the pale.

Or maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

(Warning: If you are just starting a relationship, don't watch this with your new lady friend expecting a light, romantic comedy, because she'll get suspicious and you'll probably be put on the defensive. On the other hand, if you're in a long-term relationship and are feeling a little taken for granted by your woman, pop this bad boy in and let it remind her how good she's got it as she inevitably compares you to some of the other clowns out there on the market.)

Overall rating: 5/10

Film Review: "The Matador" (2005)

Pierce Brosnan stars here as a socially inept hitman who awkwardly befriends everyman Greg Kinnear in Mexico City while Kinnear is on a business trip. Much (dark) hilarity ensues as the two complete opposites decide to kill some time together. As it happens, their relationship doesn't end there, but carries on, much to the chagrin of Kinnear, reminding us all that even when we think we've gotten rid of someone, fate often intervenes.

Fans of Quentin Tarantino, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and those who found films like "Fargo" and "Magnolia" funny will find much to like here. An example of the dialogue is as follows. Upon first meeting each other in a hotel bar, Kinnear and Brosnan are in the process of introducing themselves. Brosnan orders a Margarita. Kinnear says, "Margaritas always taste better in Mexico." Brosnan: "Yeah, margaritas and cock." Kinnear, not knowing Brosnan from Adam, recoils in horror as Brosnan apologizes for his lame attempt at breaking the ice.

At an hour and a half, this is a can't miss offering for those who enjoy salty, offbeat buddy flicks with plenty of subtle, black humour. Kinnear, as always, is excellent, and Brosnan is out of this world as the mustachioed, nervous, Hawaiian-shirt wearing, "would you like something to wash down that foot in your mouth" hitman. If you're looking for something a little more intelligent than the latest Will Ferrell or Scary Movie sequel but still want to laugh out loud the next day, this is right up your alley.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

I'm back

My holidays are, unfortunately, over.

Instead of covering the week's news, like Hezbollah sympathizers in Montreal and elsewhere, the appointment of Liberal MP Wajid Khan to advise the PM on terror issues, the arrests in England, the ongoing war in the Middle East, and Connecticut Democrats making it clear that apologists for a murderous, dictatorial tyrant are welcome to represent their party but those who find common ground with the Republicans are not, I'm just going to pick it up from here with a slate of book and movie reviews interspersed with daily digests as per usual.

And after spending a week travelling through it, I have to ask if anyone besides me has ever wondered if the entire economy of the province of Quebec is indeed based on rip bars and casse-croutes with the odd lumberyard thrown in?

Out

I'm not going to be able to do any posting for about the next week or so, but rest assured that I'll be back in the saddle soon enough with a fresh batch of book reviews, daily commentaries, film critiques, etcetera.

In the meantime, be sure to check out some of the links on the right of the page.

Rock n' roll and birth control,

The Road Hammer

Book Review: "Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media" by John Stossel (2004)

In this offering, John Stossel of ABC's 20/20 gives us a tour-de-force of classical liberal thinking as it applies to many contemporary social issues. He begins by describing how he went from a crusading Naderite consumer reporter to small-government advocate by simply applying the same questions concerning vested interests, cost-benefit analyses, and of course, the law of unintended consequences to the public sector as he did the private. However, once he focused his attention to the state rather than big business, the reaction from his economically and scientifically illiterate colleages in the mainstream media establishment was, unsurprisingly, not a positive one.

From there, Stossel examines many popular misconceptions about what is seen as conventional wisdom by many observers of public policy who consider themselves informed. He tackles everything from the federalization of aviation security workers to the supposed benefits of organic food to the harmful effects of rent control to the stain of trial lawyers on American society. It's clear that Stossel thinks that we worry too much, and by trying to protect everyone from every possible risk out there, we're worse off overall as a result ... that is, except for the regulators, public health officials and insulated industries who feed off the status quo and are doing pretty well for themselves because of it. Throw in a couple of concluding chapters about the issue of personal choice when it comes to risks like drug use and prostitution, and you have a practical blueprint for the classical liberal point of view in the 21st century.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book because it's chock full of evidence, both empirical and anecdotal, about just how wrong-headed so much of our thinking around risk, regulation and choice is when it comes to public policy. Naturally, any conversation about this is going to lead into discussions about the size and burden of government as it relates to taxation and spending, and as a classical liberal myself, I always enjoy reading a clear-headed analysis of just how much the state costs us and how we don't get value from it for a whole number of reasons.

A few criticisms, though - first, Stossel has a pretty big ego, that much is clear. Secondly, when he uses graphs and charts to illustrate his point, they're not properly sourced. I would love to know where he got the figure that the Earth's atmosphere has warmed approximately one degree Fahrenheit over the past hundred years, but he doesn't cite anything. Finally, I quibble with the title because it's misleading. Take out the word "liberal", replace it with "conservative", and it reads like a rhetorical flourish that we'd expect from the likes of intellectual heavyweights such as Michael Moore or Al Franken (yes, I'm being sarcastic). In my opinion, Stossel's work is much more credible than theirs because he doesn't engage in rabid partisanship for partisanship's sake, and so I think he does himself a disservice with the over-the-top name of this book. Republicans and Democrats alike are fair game here, as they should be.

I recommend this to all fans of limited but vigorous government for a refresher on how classical liberal principles apply to North American society today, and I also suggest that if lefties want to get to know their enemy a bit better, they ought to give this one a read. Libertarianism, as it is otherwise known, is an increasingly formidable political force, and John Stossel's work is part of the reason why.

Overall rating: 8.25/10

80s-era Tom Selleck porn star moustache on the cover shot: 10/10

Friday digest

- Today, we have a two-way tie for the loony left play of the day. You know it had to happen sometime.

First, we have loudmouth NDPer Robert McClelland dismissing the death threats against liberal Muslim Tarek Fatah, which I blogged about in yesterday's Digest, with the following (found here in the comments section on Adam Daifallah's post titled "Tarek Fatah quits"):

Death threats...yawn. If you haven't gotten a few death threats in your lifetime it just means you're a nobody. Of course since Muslims are involved though, it's screeching time from the racist right.

I imagine that to McClelland, the measure of success in public life is how many people want to off you. No wonder the leader of McClelland's party never stops talking ... maybe Jack Layton is hoping that one day, he'll need RCMP protection and then he'll know he's hit the big time. After all, it's not like he's ever going to even come close to being Prime Minister.

Secondly, we have Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's Marxist dictator, who, in recalling his ambassador to Israel, cited the apparent "genocide" that is being perpetuated against Lebanon, calling it a "fascist outrage". (See here.) If Chavez considers this to be a genocide, I wonder what he'd call the death of millions under Communism, or did those deaths not really happen in Hugo's world? (H/T: GnR.)

Who do the good people of Hammerhead Nation think deserves today's loony left play of the day between these two very strong contenders? Vote by writing me at road__hammer@hotmail.com, I'll tally the votes and post the results tomorrow morning.

- It looks like Tony Blair is staking his career on the pipe dream of a two-state solution in the Middle East during peace negotiations that are to take place next month. I think he's been sucked in. A two-state solution is only going to be possible if and when the Hezbollah and Hamas terror networks are destroyed so as to be rendered absolutely useless, and not a minute sooner because they're not interested in one. This has been shown over and over and over again. With the politically correct war Israel is fighting now, which is marked by half-measures despite leaders such as Blair referring to Israel's efforts as "unacceptable", I think it's going to take longer than a few weeks to do that, if they even have the guts to really do what's necessary. Why can't the world quit with the appeasement routine, take the foolish notion of a ceasefire off the table, take terrorists at their word when they say they want to destroy Israel, and do what needs to be done to end this scourge?

- Some are suggesting that this past weekend's civilian casualties were arranged by Hezbollah. Even Israel bashers have to admit that this is not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

- Indigo CEO and longtime Liberal Heather Reisman is now a Tory because she's can't stand Trudeaupian moral equivalency. Hopefully this means that the current events table at Chapters is going to carry "Londonistan" along all the Chomsky titles they seem to love so much.

- Over one-third of respondents to this poll agree with Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean and think that the White House may have had advance knowledge of the September 11 attacks. I think it's important that this poll be looked at as not a third of Americans overall, but a third of respondents to this particular poll. Concrete conclusions about representative public opinion for the entire United States cannot be drawn from a sample size of 1,000 people.

- Much more statistically significant would be this poll of 1,200 academic social scientists where 80% of them identified themselves as Democrats with less than 10% identifying themselves as Republicans.

- At home, the deaths of four Canadian soldiers have once again led to calls from some quarters that we need to give Afghanistan back to the Taliban. It annoys me that we have to go over this time and time again. It should be obvious why depriving al-Qaeda of a base for their operations is in Canada's national security interest, and if it's not, you ought to click here for a gentle reminder.

- And finally, this just in: Women prefer real men to feminized wimps. There are too many money passages to quote from the article, so everyone should read it themselves because it carries a lot of truth!

Film Review: "Clerks II" (2006)

Have you ever wondered what a love story that crosses nearly every single line when it comes to matters of race, disability, sexual orientation and just general overall decency would be like?

If so, you've got your answer.

"Clerks II" picks up a number of years after the first "Clerks", with the main characters of the first film still amounting to basically zilch and working at a fast-food joint. The story happens within a one-day period and finds our anti-heroes once again questioning their meaningless existences around conversations related to the health hazards of a certain sexual act, the likelihood (or not) that Sam and Frodo from Lord of the Rings were gay, and the acceptability of certain racial epithets, among other things, as Dante prepares to move to Florida to get married. Thanks largely to the machinations of Randal, things come to a very uncomfortably messy head once the fast-food place closes. I won't give anything more away, but suffice it to say that if you are in the least bit uptight, prudish, easily offended or politically correct, what is surprisingly the feel-good movie of the year (complete with sappy Alanis and Soul Asylum tunes on the soundtrack) is just going to make you ill. I know, it sounds weird, but trust me. If you take Team America and multiply it by American Pie, that's how rude this thing is.

See it, if only because it's bound to be a conversation starter at parties - or a conversation ender, depending on the type of people you hang out with.

Overall rating: 7.5/10