http://mrpogson.com One man. Closing, all the windows. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:59:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://mrpogson.com/2012/02/06/ndp-debating-tactics-in-the-house-of-commons/ http://mrpogson.com/2012/02/06/ndp-debating-tactics-in-the-house-of-commons/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:44:33 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=10081 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } The New Democratic Party has lost its way. Years ago, the CCF and their successor, the NDP represented the common man and advocated for justice. I respected that. Today, the NDP have chucked any vestige of respectable behaviour by telling one lie after another in debating the bill to eliminate the unregistered long firearm registry: [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2012/02/06/ndp-debating-tactics-in-the-house-of-commons/feed/ 5 http://mrpogson.com/2012/02/03/bill-to-end-long-firearm-registry-up-for-final-reading-in-canadian-house-of-commons/ http://mrpogson.com/2012/02/03/bill-to-end-long-firearm-registry-up-for-final-reading-in-canadian-house-of-commons/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:39:30 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=10036 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } It’s been a long time coming but C-19 is proposed to be amended and debated next week. The Opposition intends to delete most of the clauses. The great day will be Monday, 2011-2-6. Then the thing should go on to the Senate and Royal Assent. Justice has been a long time coming back to Canada [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2012/02/03/bill-to-end-long-firearm-registry-up-for-final-reading-in-canadian-house-of-commons/feed/ 0 http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/23/wasting-time-and-lives-in-syria/ http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/23/wasting-time-and-lives-in-syria/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:43:29 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9874 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } The Arab League’s well-intentioned visits and discussions about the situation in Syria are doing nothing but wasting time and lives. There is no way the old regime and the opposition are going to form a “unity” government after so many have been killed. That Assad continued killing people in the streets even while high profile [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/23/wasting-time-and-lives-in-syria/feed/ 0 http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/08/farewell-to-mom/ http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/08/farewell-to-mom/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:09:22 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9659 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } I am travelling today with a son and a daughter to visit my mother, probably for the last time. She’s 84 and in failing health. My earliest memory of my mother was in the kitchen. She cooked wonderful food for us, simple things like peas, carrots, meat and potatoes but also the most wonderful cinnamon [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/08/farewell-to-mom/feed/ 14 http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/04/crazy-weather/ http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/04/crazy-weather/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:31:57 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9565 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } I am an old man and have lived many winters in Canada. This is the mildest winter of my life probably. Is it global warming? Is it Nature playing tricks on us? Are we due for a shock? I was just talking to the little woman about heating costs. We are heating our house mostly [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/04/crazy-weather/feed/ 1 http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/03/battle-fatigue-in-afghanistan/ http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/03/battle-fatigue-in-afghanistan/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:49:35 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9550 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } The BBC carries a story that the Taliban are interested in setting up an office in Qatar where dialogue in neutral territory might be more productive than killing. As usual there are multiple sides to this story. Having some place where people are not hunting you down is valuable for many reasons other than making [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2012/01/03/battle-fatigue-in-afghanistan/feed/ 5 http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/31/war-and-rumours-of-war-in-2012/ http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/31/war-and-rumours-of-war-in-2012/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:16:53 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9522 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } There always seems to be war somewhere on the planet. A decade ago, the seeds of Afghanistan and Iraq were sprouting. Now it’s Syria and Iran. Some people need war to be relevant, the military-industrial complex and politicians. Does Obama need a good war to distract voters from domestic issues? He was elected on the [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/31/war-and-rumours-of-war-in-2012/feed/ 40 http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/31/scrapping-things-in-2012/ http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/31/scrapping-things-in-2012/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:05:29 +0000 Robert Pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9516 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } Sometimes one gives up on maintaining something old, obsolete or worn out. It’s too bad we had to wait years for the stupid registry of unrestricted firearms to be scrapped. It’s still not quite done as there still remains third reading in the House of Commons, consideration in the senate and royal proclamation but the [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/31/scrapping-things-in-2012/feed/ 3 http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/01/c-19-a-bill-to-scrap-the-non-restricted-firearms-registry-passes-committee/ http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/01/c-19-a-bill-to-scrap-the-non-restricted-firearms-registry-passes-committee/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:18:49 +0000 pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9204 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } 41st Parliament, 1st Session The Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security has the honour to present its FIRST REPORT In accordance with its Order of Reference of Tuesday, November 1, 2011, your Committee has considered Bill C-19, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act, and agreed on Tuesday, November [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2011/12/01/c-19-a-bill-to-scrap-the-non-restricted-firearms-registry-passes-committee/feed/ 0 http://mrpogson.com/2011/11/19/syria-no-way-back/ http://mrpogson.com/2011/11/19/syria-no-way-back/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:23:39 +0000 pogson http://mrpogson.com/?p=9024 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { width: 50%; padding-top: 1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float: left; margin: 4px 4px 4px 4px; } The die is cast in Syria. Assad has not responded seriously to interventions by the Arab League and its neighbour, Turkey, to behave reasonably to popular protests. Defections from the military are growing. Last week, defectors attacked key installations near the capital. Here, a group of officers declares a break with Assad: This is what [...]]]> http://mrpogson.com/2011/11/19/syria-no-way-back/feed/ 1