At Home in Hespeler

Blogging will be light the next few days until I figure out why my internet is going so sloooowwww. That’s why I have been silent about the Conservatives acting conservative, even though I have bitched mightily when they haven’t.

For a quick summary, let it be said I am in Camp Nicholls’, and while I wouldn’t call myself satisfied, I am pleased by Jim Flaherty’s tax cuts. Perhaps now that they have seen/proven that there numbers will not increase while they act all Liberal-like, maybe Stephen Harper can get back to being all scary the way I like him.

Uncategorized

Picture of the Day, The Mighty Zep

Picture of the Day, Scenic Picture

I Love NY, Picture of the Day, Rockin' and Rollin' and Never Forgettin'

Last week I mockingly suggested the National Post writers read At Home in Hespeler for their column ideas. As they have twice (maybe three times) turned down columns I have sent them, I would consider this bad form – but we’ll let that pass.

On Tuesday I wrote that Jim Flaherty, if he was serious about lowering prices in the retail sector, would “Remove the duty on goods consumers bring back into Canada upon leaving the country.” I hadn’t heard the suggestion before, or since. Until today. William Watson, writing in the Financial Post today, suggested the exact same thing:

…he [Flaherty] could raise the limits on Canadian travellers’ duty-free exemptions. Right now you can bring back a measly $50 duty-free if you’re out of the country 24 hours. A minister who really wanted to stand up for consumers and make Canadian retailers sit up and take notice would make that $1,000. Stay out a week, bring back $10,000 worth, no questions asked. That would close the price gap lickety-split.

Stand up, Mr. Flaherty!

Even the headline on the story says:

Tear down that border, Mr. Flaherty!
If he wants to eliminate Canada-U.S. price differences, he should start by hiking duty-free allowances

Meanwhile, here’s what I wrote:

I have an idea for Jim Flaherty: want to see the market kick into gear? Remove the duty on goods consumers bring back into Canada upon leaving the country. No need to be away 48 hours for a $400 duty free (or 7 and $750). One day in the U.S., bring back as much consumer goods as you please (booze and cigarettes subject to the usual rules, of course). This would create competition with American retailers, forcing Canadian retailers to bring their prices more in line with American prices.

This way, you see, I could get up Saturday and say, Hey! Let’s go shopping! Couple of hours later wee’re in Buffalo, buy a big screen TV, 5.5 Surround sound system for it, a HDDVD, and a bunch of DVD’s. Back at the border:

“How Long have you been out of the country?”
“Couple of Hours.”
“Anything to declare?”
“Four-thousand-five-hundred and seventy-two dollars worth of goods.”
“Any liquor or tobacco?”
“No.”
“have a nice day, sir.”

Jim Flaherty says he wants the markets to work for Canadians. That’s how they would work, by adding competition, not by some busybody politicians harassing sellers.

Coincidence? You be the judge. I do, however, confess I didn’t use the word lickety-split, although I wish I did.

The Media Following My Lead.

Never mind the strange sleeping lizard picture, ground zero or any of my other pictures I have posted here as picture of the day. Have you seen the amazing shots of Canadian soldiers in a firefight in Afghanistan that graced today’s papers?

The photographer responsible is Finbarr O’Reilly (a good Irish name). This guy was right in on the action, and took incredible shots, a few of which are here, a bunch more on a Globe and Mail slideshow.

Better yet, browse through his web site. Great stuff.

Afghanistan, Pictures

Nice piece in the Financial Post today by Terence Corcoran, Flaherty should tackle his own price gougers, making some reflections on Jim Flaherty’s announcement that he would meet with retailers to discuss why the price of goods hasn’t come down lock-step with the rise in the dollar. Nice to have a conservative finance minister that has so little faith in the free market, that he must intervene at the slightest provocation (and I do mean slightest).

I have an idea for Jim Flaherty: want to see the market kick into gear? Remove the duty on goods consumers bring back into Canada upon leaving the country. No need to be away 48 hours for a $400 duty free (or 7 and $750). One day in the U.S., bring back as much consumer goods as you please (booze and cigarettes subject to the usual rules, of course). This would create competition with American retailers, forcing Canadian retailers to bring their prices more in line with American prices.

This way, you see, I could get up Saturday and say, Hey! Let’s go shopping! Couple of hours later wee’re in Buffalo, buy a big screen TV, 5.5 Surround sound system for it, a HDDVD, and a bunch of DVD’s. Back at the border:

“How Long have you been out of the country?”
“Couple of Hours.”
“Anything to declare?”
“Four-thousand-five-hundred and seventy-two dollars worth of goods.”
“Any liquor or tobacco?”
“No.”
“have a nice day, sir.”

Jim Flaherty says he wants the markets to work for Canadians. That’s how they would work, by adding competition, not by some busybody politicians harassing sellers.

And the big advantage is he could do it tomorrow, just issue an order in council, or whatever these guys do, and suspend the paying of consumer duties until a) Jan 1 b) Further notice. Simple, and would even be popular amongst us unwashed masses -er voters.

While we are on the subject, and speaking of upping the competition, and since the price differential in books seems to be one of the items that is really annoying people, how about eliminating those pesky Canadian ownership requirements to owning a large bookstore. Then we can get Borders/Barnes and Noble in here and give Chapters a run for their money. Problem being, I admit, this one would take a while. Unlike the issue with not paying duties, which could be implemented tomorrow.

So how about it Jim Flaherty, want to really fix the problem of consumer prices? or do you want to play big hero politician who interferes in the market, but solves nothing?

Economic Fundamentalism, Silly Politicians, Unsolicited Political Advice, whack-a-mole politics

Separated at birth:

Darcy Tucker

and Bruce Springsteen

When I saw this mornings Toronto Sun cover I wondered, why is that old picture of Springsteen on the front page of the paper? Turns out he has a bum knee and won’t against Atlanta. Or is it Tucker has the bum knee?

Either way, Springsteen is not playing Atlanta tonight.

Rockin' and Rollin' and Never Forgettin', Springsteen is still Boss

Picture of the Day

Freedom is My Nationality

From the header: The name of this blog comes from a quote from the Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. “Canada is free and freedom is its nationality.”

Be sure to slide down to Oct 16 post on the throne speech:

Where was Dion?
I would just like to congratulate Iggy on becoming the leader of the Liberal Party…

Blogging Tories Site of the Week

I had tickets to see Springsteen on his way through town this past Monday, and much enjoyed my sixth Bruce and the E Street Band concert. While I spent the past few weeks catching up on Springsteen, listening to recordings of earlier shows on this tour, listening to some of the best live shows from previous tours, remembering how good Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born to Run or even The Rising is, much of my listening has been his new CD Magic.

This is for two reasons. 1) It is featured fairly prominently in the current live show and I didn’t want to be sitting going “I don’t know this song” when he played something from it. 2) It’s a good CD.

I liked his last CD too, The Rising, but it was too long. Springsteen’s best work, Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born in the USA are 8 – 10 songs long and come in at about 45 minutes. The risings 15 songs come in at well over an hour, and could stand to be tightened up. Make it a 9 song 45 minute CD and it possibly ranks up there with Springsteen best stuff.

At ten songs and 47 minutes, Magic is a little tighter. It’s also loaded up with fairly good songs. From the opening Radio Nowhere, which has been playing on the Radio Everywhere it seems, a good solid rocker that I liked on first listen and still do. You must, however, excuse the lift from Jenny Jenny (867-5309). the opening guitar line and verse chords are almost identical, although Springsteen rocks the line up while Tommy Tu-tone chose to go poppy.

Another lift is the lovely Girls in their Summer Clothes, which is melodically a slower version of the Who’s The Kids Are Alright. None the less it’s a nice song, that’s romantic and hummable. Livin’ in the Future, despite it’s political overtones, is one of those great Springsteen numbers that lifts a Motown feel, reminiscent of 10th avenue freeze out.

Springsteen, unlike most of his peers, has lost very little of what made him great. He still writes great, fun songs, and still gives an energetic performance. His voice still growls and he seems not to have really settled down. His legendary work ethic has kept his skills up, and Magic is a CD that belongs in the Springsteen library: unlike a lot of acts of his vintage that are still putting out music, Springsteen seems to still have something to say, and still has an interesting voice to tell it with.

Rockin' and Rollin' and Never Forgettin', Springsteen is still Boss, This Week on my I-Pod

Bruce Springsteen ran through Southern Ontario early in the week, playing Ottawa on Sunday night and Toronto Monday, for the only two Canadian shows so far scheduled for his Magic tour. Sunday nights Ottawa show saw some special guests as Win Butler and Régine Chassagne from Montreal’s Arcade Fire joined Springsteen on stage for State Trooper, which Arcade Fire have been known to play live, then Keep the Car Running off of Arcade Fires Neon Bible CD got the E Street treatment with a rousing version that had the audience enjoying a real treat.

Video of both are here…

Weekly Led Zeppelin Update:

Led Zeppelin was never a band to miss a chance to cash in, and with their big reunion concert next month at the 02 arena in London Zeppelin, one of the last bands to make their back catalogue downloadable, this week announced that they would begin to do so.

Hopefully this means an end to those Kashmir polyphonic ring tones and we can get some real Zeppelin on our cell phones.

Meanwhile, congratulations to Jimmy Page, who’s daughter Charlotte gave birth to a daughter, Martha Alice. Check here, scroll down to Oct. 9th – pictures of a very pregnant Charlotte are just above the words October 8.

The trouble brigade: Britney Spears “breached a court order” and has lost all access to her children. Lindsay Lohan is reportedly broke, and has a new boyfriend, a winner type whom she met, and other stuff, while in rehab. John Goodman is reportedly NOT Lindsay Lohan’s new man, even though he is recently released from re-hab himself.

And farewell to Deborah Kerr, who passed this week at the age of 86. She was both beautiful and talented and she starred in, amongst others, An Affair to Remember and Form Here to Eternity: she was the one kissing Burt Lancaster on the beach while the waves rolled up around them.

Britney, Fluffernutter, Springsteen is still Boss, The Mighty Zep

Warren Kinsella, a bright capable guy who knows a thing or two about politics, wrote a column in yesterday’s National Post: How Dion can Get His Groove Back. According to Kinsella, Emperor Dion’s (and that is clearly the implication given in both the headline and the quote “Too many Martin era Liberals cling to Dion’s robes.”) plight is sad, and not entirely of his own doing.

For Mr. Dion’s Liberal party, the Gomery Commission was a shattering blow –discrediting federalism and the perception that Liberals could manage government, all at once. The party has yet to recover from it.

Here’s a tip for Warren Kinsella, and the rest of the Liberal party. it wasn’t the Gomery Commission that dealt the shattering blow, it was the acts committed by members of the Liberal party that the Gomery Commission investigated that dealt the blow.

Kinsella sounds like a criminal who, when caught, blames the policeman who caught him, or the girlfriend who reported him when he winds up in jail. It is not those who uncover your dirty deeds, it is the perpetrator of the deeds who is responsible. The Gomery Commission didn’t hurt the Liberal Party, the Liberal Party hurt the Liberal Party. Insiders putting taxpayers cash into brown paper bags and handing it over to people connected to the party, for work never done, did the damage to the Liberal Party. A government that either ignored or was oblivious (or duplicitous) to the obvious signs of criminality around it created the perception that Liberals could not manage government, not Mr. Justice Gomery or his commission. (Or, for that matter, the press and bloggers who reported on it). If the Liberal party is discredited, it is the Liberal party who is to blame, that’s what these guys need to understand.

As Kinsella himself says at the end of the article,

Until it learns those lessons, the Liberal party will remain what it is. Which is to say, mired on the opposition benches and sad.

Problem is, Warren Kinsella and the rest of the Liberal Party still don’t understand what lessons they are supposed to have learnt.

Silly Liberals

It has been a while since I caught wind of the media reading At Home in Hesepeler, but today it appears not just are National Posties reading, it is requires reading down at 1450 Don Mills.

First up is Don Martin who, in an column on the Liberals response to the throne speech, Majority Rule in all but Name, had this to say:

A theme for this Parliament has now been set. Canada’s Official Opposition is but a government whack-a-mole game with Prime Minister Stephen Harper using the election hammer to knock them down every time they raise their heads.

Whack-a-mole? This very blog coined the term whack-a-mole politics back in April, I have even been using it as an entry label. (although, I believe the politically correct Canadian term is whack-a-prairie-dog politics).

It is a great term though, isn’t it Don?

Next up is Terence Corcoran from todays Financial Post, Dion Needs A New Dog. Further, Corcoran notes Kyoto is a “dead dog that no longer has relevance.”

Meanwhile, yesterday I wrote, and posted the following:

While Joanne is wondering where Stephane Dion is… The answer seems obvious to me: he’s mourning for his dog. Poor Kyoto.

Don Martin and Terence Corcoran, two of the best: Your welcome guys.

The Media Following My Lead., whack-a-mole politics

Never mind the politics that Greg Quill of the Toronto Star thinks the Springsteen concert was about. Yes, he ranted about “what’s happening in America now – rendition, illegal wiretapping, the abuse of civil rights.” Yes, he commented that title song of his new CD, Magic, is “… not about magic, it’s about tricks.” But what Quill didn’t tell you is that all this politics took maybe, MAYBE, two minutes out of a two and a half hour concert. Nor do they mention a lusty round of boos that went through he crowd while Bruce was pontificating, southern preacher style, on the evils of what is occurring in his home country: whether those boos were agreement, or dissension I can’t say.

But one thing I can speak about to the Star. When we sat during the new songs, it was not “a form of worship or meditation” it was in anticipation of a song we wanted to hear. And that was the night’s problem. Far too many lulls, far too much time sitting out the bathroom break songs, not nearly enough Rosalita/Thunder Road/anything from the River &tc.

None of the above which is intended to suggest it wasn’t a good show: Springsteen on a bad night is still better than most, and it wasn’t a bad night. What Bruce Springsteen does well is give a high energy rock and roll show with the religious ferver of a southern Baptist tent revival. Rock and Roll is Springsteen religion, and he delivered his sermon as well last night as at any other time (OK, it’s not 1978, this I understand). What the above suggests that this early into the Magic tour there is still some issues with pacing in this show. Nothing the injection of Ramrod, Hungry Heart, Jungleland and Rosalita wont fix (if your asking Bruce, at the expense of Lost in the Flood, Gypsy Rider and Town Called Heartbreak.

There were also highlights a plenty, beginning with the opener, the new single Radio Nowhere, which works very well live, and ending with the closing number American Land, with the entire band, save drummer Max Weinberg at front of stage, two accordions, two acoustic guitars, violin, tin whistle and mandolin playing a lively Celtic piece that, while unfamiliar, worked very well. In between there was Reason To Believe, Candy’s Room, She’s The One, Living In The Future and a rollicking version of Darlington County that featured Soozie Tyrell and Clarence Clemons back and forthing on sax and violin on a rocking solo segment. I have never heard a violin played like that, and it was great.

It’s early yet in the tour, and I’m willing to bet that if Springsteen comes around next year, it will be an incredible show. But this one was still a very good, and nobody went home unhappy, just wishing for a little more familiarity and high tempo, a little less politics.

Rockin' and Rollin' and Never Forgettin', Springsteen is still Boss, Thank God I Wasn't Born a Rap Fan