Thursday digest

- This has not been a good week for principled conservatives in my neck of the woods.

First, Prime Minister Harper tries to pull the wool over our eyes on national unity. Ever so predictably, other groups within Canadian society are beginning to ask for their piece of the pie, and now, trying to bob and weave, Lawrence Cannon says that all those who "share or understand the desire to preserve a language, a culture and a common history" can call themselves Quebecois.

Anyone familiar with francophone culture in Quebec knows how pathetic, fallacious and ultimately laughable Cannon's explanation is. In fact, I haven't seen anything as half-baked relating to la belle province since Mrs. H and I feebly attempted to cook up a tortiere a couple of weeks back.

Then, we have Ottawa's new mayor, Larry O'Brien, taking a significant pay raise of more than $32K a year for a total annual salary of $172K.

Now, I wouldn't really care if Chiarelli or Munter would have taken the cash because they didn't campaign as fiscal conservatives, unlike O'Brien, and plus, I believe our public officials deserve to be paid more because they have very difficult jobs. However, although he's fully entitled to it under the laws on the books, it's not like multimillionaire O'Brien needs the extra $1300 in before-tax pay every two weeks, though, so why would he slap us middle class taxpayers in the face just for what amounts to chump change (for him, anyways)?

Very disappointing.

He ought to donate it to charity.

- If anyone needs more evidence of the unholy alliance between the far Left and the Islamofascists, read Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's message to the American people, here.

In some parts, it sounds like a cover letter written by an naive grad student applying to be a research assistant for Noam Chomsky. Not only that, but it's full of lies and half-truths which even the most casual observer of international relations will see through.

Meanwhile, a reality check, here, and it's good to know that at least some Democrats seem to know better. And as far as these allegations about Canadians spying on Tehran?

I hope they’re true.

- Finally, I'd like to recognize one of the greatest sports highlight shows of all time, Global's Sportsline, which is going off the air. Despite providing massive amounts of Leaf propaganda, I always enjoyed the witty banter between the hosts, which included Mark Hebscher, Jim Tatti, Gene Principe, Don Martin and that old coot Bill Bird. Plus, they always showed tons of hockey fights, never censored the post-game interviews with angry coaches who used profanity to express themselves and came up with great nicknames like Alexei "Peanut Butter n'" Zhamnov.

Although I haven't tuned in for over eight years, sports fans all over Ontario have to feel like they've lost a little part of themselves today.