When will the bubble burst?

In the East there is no housing bubble so the Toronto Star reports this story this way;

No housing bubble: TD

Market more balanced than in U.S.
Yet sharp decline there will cool us off

In the west there is a growing housing bubble in Edmonton and Calgary so the same TD report is viewed this way;

"If prices continue to rise at a close to 40% rate, affordability will quickly become a problem and fear of being priced out of the market may encourage hasty decisions," the study said.

"However, if the market becomes more balanced, the rate of price growth will eventually slow ... and we would argue that a price correction is not warranted."

Meanwhile, explosive price growth in Edmonton also prompted TD to pay close attention to that city.

"The message is the same as for Calgary," the report said.

"Much of the strength is supported by economic fundamentals, but prices cannot go up at this pace indefinitely. If the pace doesn't soften, a bubble could form." Housing bubble watch

When will this bubble burst? Not soon enough.

Homeless folks in Alberta are having a hard time finding affordable housing, as are workers in the Tar Sands and even the average university student looking for a place to rent. All the result of a speculative market in real estate. How about Price and Rent Controls along with subsidisation of low cost housing. Nope ain't gonna happen in I'm Alright Jack I Got Mine Alberta.

Of course our Glorious Leader only discovered the crisis this summer.

EDMONTON - Premier Ralph Klein says he only realized earlier this year that Alberta was experiencing a major boom and that his government lacked a proper plan to address problems such as a labour shortage, housing crisis and increased demand for schools and hospital The opposition was right

And his rivals for the Leaderhsip of the Party of Calgary have no solutions either.

Long school bus rides or schools in disrepair. Lack of hospital beds and emergency rooms in crisis. Traffic in gridlock and roads still needing building, despite all those cones already diverting traffic. Affordable housing impossible to find for the hard-working sorts we want to attract here and if an individual scores some modest digs they cost an arm and a leg. We have a provincial government with no idea where it's going except to prattle on about the free market. The wannabes wanting to lead the next Alberta administration look like a dog's breakfast with little nutrition on offer.Prosperity carries heavy cost

Also See:

Ralph Klein

Alberta

Housing

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Kinsella Accuses NDP of Blood Libel

The International Court in the Hague has decreed that Israels Security Wall is a breach of international law. It is illegal.

It seems this point has been missed by Mssrs. Kinsella and Stephen Taylor who are all agog that someone, the NDP, would dare call it for what it is an 'aparthied' wall.

Ok boys how's this if aparthied is too strong for you why don't we call it the New Berlin Wall. Is that anti-semitic? Probably since for Kinsella any criticism of Israel is deemed anti-semitic.

In his National Post cloumn( titled The War Room) Kinsella called the NDP resolutions a "blood libel". Blood libel is pretty strong stuff since it refers to the accusation by Medieval christians that Jews kidnapped and murdered children for their rites. So the NDP resolutions are being called anti-semitic and equated with blood libel by Kinsella.

The NDP’s 22nd biennial convention is set for September in Quebec City, and the inquisitive Tory blogger, Stephen Taylor, has obtained a copy of party resolutions. From the Trinity-Spadina NDP, a demand that “the NDP campaign for an end to the rule of [Israeli] apartheid laws…” From the party’s Quebec wing, a resolution calling for the NDP to “demolish the apartheid wall and [halt] targeted murders.” More than anything else, these expressions of enmity are sad. They suggest that, unlike the Americans – whose politics we frequently deride – some of us have not recognized that a vibrant Middle Eastern policy debate is possible without stooping to epithets and blood libels.



As for claims by Steve Janke, that some how Stephen Taylor 'leaked' NDP resolutions, leaked implies secrecy. Well the resolutions are available to any member of the NDP attending the convention. So no big secret there folks. They are publicly available. Not like they were hidden away under lock and key like the PM's Saskatchewan itinery.

And yes in case you forgot Stephen, Steve and Warren in many ridings at the grass roots the NDP has a socialist base. And the last time I checked the left opposed Israels illegal occupation of Palestine, its violations of international law, and its illegal aparthied wall, opps sorry Berlin Wall, across the occupied territories.

It is called Anti-Imperialism. But to these toadies that is equivalent to anti-semitism. Give your head a shake.


Also See:

Daniel Barenboim's Dream

Red Baiting Chomsky

The Need for Arab Anarchism

Israel

Anti-Zionism


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False Advertising

Found at the Blogging Tories one of those pop up ads.

Really Canada's only conservative magazine.

What about this conservative magazine:





Or this one, also from Alberta



Or maybe this one, also from Alberta.




Or how about this one



I guess its all in how you define, 'only' and 'conservative'.

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Western, Standard, Conservative, Canada, Magazines, Levant

Radical Feminism

Joe Fetus over at Big Blue Wave Blog , like other narrow minded right whingers links two words together to impy something sinister and dangerous. Radical and Feminism. Stirring the caldron of radical feminism Oh and let throw in a little hint of Witchcraft, cauldron get it.

So is there a feminism which is NOT radical?

Why does the right insist on saying 'radical feminism'. Is there a moderate feminism, they would agree with? Most feminists would say they were moderates, most women who say they are not feminists but support womens rights would say so too.

So who are these radical feminists and are they a seperate group from feminists in general? Like bitchy feminists, moderate feminists, anarchist feminists, liberal feminists, individualist feminists or even, conservative feminists?

Nope they are all the same to these right wing loonie toons. Radical is just an extra prejorative to add to that other prejorative; feminists. Of course they would never really call it what it is all about, womens rights. Because everyone believes in that.

Also See:

Feminism



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Why Harper Will Not Win A Majority

Canadians suffering fewer head injuries


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All That Jazz

It seems terrorist experts are upset that an Air Canada Jazz pilot was locked out of his cabin after going for a pee in the back of the plane. Wait a minute back after 9/11 the discussions were about having doors to cockpits that could be sealed from the inside preventing hijackers from getting in. Does Air Canada have such a door available to them....and they just forgot to tell the Pilots?

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Border Safety

Harper: Canadian border guards will be armed
Yep in ten years. By then the US national guard will be patroling the border.
By the time the Canadian Border Guards get their guns they will have actually been waiting twenty years.

Promise made promise kept, sort of , over the long run, give us time, or a majority if you want it quicker.

By then more guns will have crossed the border into Canada than will ever be available for our understaffed unarmed border guards. Hey maybe thats the Tories solution, let the border guards keep the guns they confiscate. Saving taxpayer the expense of buying them guns.

Or maybe they are delaying getting a few thousand guns out to the Border Guards because being Conservatives the Harpocrites are yearning for the good old days when the Canada US border was known as "the longest undefended border in the world."

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PMO Secrecy Over Gas

After a couple of days of dealing with communication officials in the Prime Minister's Office, I'm rediscovering the value of a good sense of humour in politics. For instance, consider this knee-slapper Monday from one of Harper's communication officials to one of my colleagues on the purpose of Harper's visit: "What you see on (the Prime Minister's itinerary) advisory is what we want you to know. If we're not telling you, we don't want you to know."

And what was so important about the Harpers visit to Saskatchewan? that it had to be kept under wraps?
Discussion of the future of the Canadian Wheat Board? Nope.
Equalization? Nope.
A Visit with Kate at SDA? Nope.
It was a taxpyer funded trip to do a cameo on Corner Gas the CTV comedy filmed in Saskatchewan.

Now considering how upset Tories get with federal funding of the arts, one would think that paying for all that jet fuel and security, just to do a walk on would be a bit much. But I guess they are trying to prove that Harper has a sense of humour.

Well we knew he did remember this;




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Igantieff the Democrat

What do Liberals and Democrats have in common? Flip Flops.

Michael Ignatieff said yesterday he is running in the next election whether he wins the Liberal leadership race or not. But that's not what he said the day before.

But like Kerry before him Ignatieff should be warned,

Experts: Flip-flops are health hazard

And a politcal hazard too.



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Troops Out Now Says Layton

Calling it a failed Liberal Conservative Mission, Jack Layton threw down the guantlet in a press conference this afternoon denouncing the 'counter insurgency war' in Afghanistan as counter productive to real peace and reconstruction. He called for the withdrawl of Canadian Forces from the region by February of next year.

Which is when they would have left if the Conservatives and their Liberal quizzlings, including the Man Who Would Be Trudeau; Mikey Ignatieff, had not got their motion of indefinte stay passed in the house.

Unlike the wishy washy Liberals whose house is divided over the Middle East and Afghanistan, the NDP clearly has drawn a line in the sand.

And unlike the wishy washy Democrats in the U.S. this line is principled and based on the Canadian tradition of Peace Making and Peace Keeping. That is Jack has clearly called the war in Afghanistan for what it is; American style Counter Insurgency. Which can only be won if it is total war.

The NDP principle is withdrawl of material support for "counter insurgency war", and putting funds and efforts into peace talks in Afghanistan and reconstruction efforts.

Bravo. Furthermore as part of this peacemaking/peacekeeping policy the NDP is calling for Canadian involvement in the UN forces in Lebanon, and support troop deployment to Darfur. Regions that the Conservatives steadfastly refuse to particpate in, since it does not fit with their macho mimickry of American War policy.

Jack was really speaking to NDPers and delegates attending the upcoming National Convention in Quebec where the party will bring forward anti-war resolutions.

This will sell well in Quebec where the Tories are decling in the polls, as their true politics are revealed and reviled. Tories were a vote for change in Quebec, but with the mask dropped over their stance on Afghanistan, Kyoto, etc. they have lost support. That support, anyone but the Liberals, can now benefit the NDP.

With this as a major policy initiative, followed up with a NDP parliamentary opposition motion, it puts the Tories silent partners, the BQ between a rock and hard place.

The Tories have made War the issue, and the NDP plans to Bring the War back home, to have them face their decision.

Hmm perhaps Afghanistan will be the real confidence vote that brings down the Harpocrites.

Also See:

Afghanistan

War

NDP



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