Harper On Murdoch's Mysteries

In this episode, a dirty hippy travels back in time to Victorian era Toronto, where he is royally shit-kicked by a corrupt police officer played by Stephen Harper. Afterwards, Murdoch employs radical forensic techniques to piece together the hippy's skull.

Even More Wegmania

The plagiarism claims against Edward Wegman get a mention in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. I would only dispute their analogy between the Wegman case and the CRU Hack: the former involves serious charges, the latter was a bunch of hopped up nonsense.

Conservatives Against Fantino Fail...

...to protest. McHale is fighting for a spot on Haldimand Council; Mark Vandermaas has come down with something, and this Tory hardcore would love to challenge Fantino's alleged theories o' two tiered racial justice if he didn't have to work that day. Hundreds of other loyalists would be there if they gave a shit.

*Sigh*.

The Tory grassroots are a bunch of useless fuckups. Just give him the seat now.

Unfortunate Timing

Saskatoon-Humboldt MP Brad Trost unleashes some family values fury against the judge who struck down Ontario's prostitution laws:

Prostitution is not despicable because it is illegal; it is illegal because it is despicable. Prostitution is not a career choice that any parent wants for their child. The government should not be party to the exploitation of vulnerable women. The role of government is to protect the weak, not to encourage their exploitation.

...on the same day the Harper government move to help unemployed escorts. I think Mr. Trost's personal copy of the bible just combusted.

And So The Day Begins Well

Sally forth, oh brave exposer of government waste! Next question is: what's happened with Eric Margolis? Other than I hear he's gone over the line from "critical of Israel" to full-blown truther.

h/t

Time To Go Sleep With The Fishes, Rocco, Cuz You Iz History

The Ipsos Reid poll conducted for NewsTalk 1010 shows that George Smitherman has the support of 31 per cent of respondents while rival Rob Ford has 30 per cent support. Joe Pantalone garnered 11 per cent and Rocco Rossi trailed at four per cent.

This candicacy no longer serves the city of Toronto.

Next time, run for council, Rocco. Get your hands dirty a bit first.

Harper Bones Ezra

Ezra fuming over the UN vote that deprived Canada of its turn on the Security Council:

Harper, trying to govern:

In his warmest endorsement of Sino-Canadian relations, Stephen Harper pitched Canada as an energy superpower capable of meeting China's insatiable need for energy.

And in a noticeable softening of his past rhetoric toward China, the Prime Minister said Canada could talk to China about human rights in a “respectful” manner that does not harm trade relations.

But I'm made to understand that it was an ethical boning. If it had been Nigerians that had boned Ezra, it would have been less ethical and environmentally unfriendly.

h/t

Wegmania Update: Climate Scientist Demands Wegman Report Be Pulled From Congressional Archives!

This bit of news from Donald Rapp, one of the participants in copygate, who may have wound up inadvertently plagiarizing climate scientist Raymond Bradley via Edward Wegman. Its a bit complicated, though Eli explains it well here. In any case, I can't vouch for Mr. Rapp but its clear that he is receiving emails from Wegman at least:

Bradley is now accusing Wegman of plagiarism (as you know). Bradley says in an email that he will not prosecute Wegman if Wegman removes his report [the Wegman Report] from the Congressional Archives.

More background here.

Hudak On The Environment

On the one hand, its good to see that Tim Hudak embraces the concept of green or "emissions free" energy and hence, at least implicitly, the science of climate change. Of course, green energy for him means hydro electricity and more nuclear. Given, however, that the history of nuclear power plant construction typically involves intense NIMBYism (and not just by local Greens), cost over-runs and ever sliding completion dates, its ridiculous to imagine that any commitment to this technology will (as Hudak claims) put a lid on the rate increases that Ontarians have been subjected to over the last few years. Furthermore, Uranium, like oil and gas, will peak--perhaps in the middle of the new reactors' operating life--and so doesn't really count as a renewable in the first place.

On the other hand, Hudak is now exposed on his right flank to kooky denialist attacks from folks The Freedom Party of Ontario, who produced the video below. A year ago I would have argued that there are no votes to be had in this approach. Since that time...

...with the rise of Wild Rose in Alberta and the madness of the Republicans down South, I'm not so sure. Of course the Freedom party are a bunch of no-hopers as far as winning seats go, but they may be strong enough to pull Hudak right towards the full denialist position. We'll see if his small gestures towards environmental policy survive in the run-up to the provincial election.

Its Official

h/t

PS. WK wonders if the Libs can hold this seat. I wonder if they can find anyone to run.

One Of Life's Little Mysteries...Solved!

Specifically, why do I always see an icon for "Free Public Wifi" on my lap-top when I'm looking for a network?

Apparently, there was a bit of a bug (one of many...) in Windows XP in terms of how it handles certain situations, and it effectively created a "virus" in that unwitting travelers around the globe are all broadcasting "Free Public WiFi" from their computers without realizing it, after they tried to connect to such a network:

When a computer running an older version of XP can't find any of its "favorite" wireless networks, it will automatically create an ad hoc network with the same name as the last one it connected to -- in this case, "Free Public WiFi." Other computers within range of that new ad hoc network can see it, luring other users to connect. And who can resist the word "free?"

Not a lot of people, judging from the spread of Free Public WiFi. Computers with the XP bug that try to connect to the Internet will remember the name, create their own ad hoc networks and entice other users wherever they go.

And so it continues to spread. No one's quite sure where it started, but somewhere way back when, someone set up such an ad hoc network in an airport (perhaps as a joke or a honeypot), and it got picked up by others... and then it just continued spreading. Eventually, it should die out as Windows XP machines finally go extinct, but for now, enjoy (but don't bother connecting) the "Free Public WiFi" found in so many airports...

Its noted in the comments that XP service pack 3 fixed the problem, indeed I haven't seen the icon on my laptop for over a year.

Madagascar Swamp Monster Discovered!!!

Sure, it looks like a starved beaver, but Salanoia durrelli (named after the author), is important for reasons I am too lazy to explain right now, but which you can discover through this link. And look at those chompers!

More Wegmania!

[GMU spokesperson] Walsch clarified on Sunday that Bradley’s complaint [against GMU Statistician Edward Wegman] is under a formal investigation by the university, and has moved past a preliminary “inquiry” to a committee investigation.

“An investigation is warranted if there is a reasonable basis for concluding that the alleged conduct falls within the definition of research misconduct under this policy and preliminary information-gathering and preliminary fact-finding from the inquiry indicates that the allegation may have substance,” according to the university’s misconduct policy.


Also, Eli Rabbet has more news on the possible legal action being undertaken by Academic Press, the publisher of Bradley's Reconstructing Climates of the Quaternary, from which Wegman is said to have plagiarized material.

Tory Turmoil In Vaughan

Looks like a number of Ontario Conservatives have come out against Julian Fantino's soon-to-be-announced run for Tory MP in the upcoming Vaughan by-election. Their beef--his actions(or lack thereof) in regards to Caledonia and the ongoing clashes between non-natives and natives in the area:

Julian Fantino is a symbol of the Race-Based Policing practices in Caledonia that saw innocent property owners victimized with illegal occupations while OPP officers stood guard for those committing the crimes. His candidacy for the Conservative Party would symbolize that the party has fully embraced racialized policing and the dangerous ideology that innocent victims should be controlled, silenced and targeted for arrest as an alternative to enforcing the law against extremist groups. Julian Fantino has shown scarcely believable bias in favour of native criminals all the while using the full weight of his office to try to intimidate peaceful, law-abiding non-natives into compliance.

The two founders of Conservatives Against Fantino are Gary McHale and Mark Vandermaas. McHale especially is a rabble rouser as much as an activist--several members of the Neo-Nazi Northern Alliance appeared at one of their rallies, and his followers have occasionally described themselves as a militia. Although, that said, he has managed to win several small legal victories against the OPP.

Vandermaas writes a blog devoted the ongoing Caledonia standoff. I don't know what if any previous connection to the CPoC these two might have had before launching their website.

My opinion is that Fantino was in tough in Caledonia, and nothing he could have done would have been beyond criticism. He'll also almost certainly take the seat whatever these two guys get up to. But what the heck. My job here is to upset Conservatives.

An Aside On Wegman And Plagiarism

One quickly developing meme in the Wegman Plagiarism case is the whole idea that its all really over-blown, not such a big deal, if an academic work by author X borrowed page upon page from author Y without attribution. Tom Fuller seems to be of that opinion. As Tom in his pre-Examiner days used to be a real journalist, it may be useful to remind him what happens when plagiarism occurs in that context:

Sun Media regrets that it is ending the daily Advice Guy column, but we’re compelled to do so after learning the columnist used material in a recent column published by another source.

-The Editors

Note that Sun Media is a chain of Canadian tabloids, occasionally forced to deny that they publish hate speech. But, in the end, they have standards. Tom seems to think these standards are too rigid for academe.

PS. The fellow whose column was terminated was picked in a "nationwide competition". He was the second choice, the first one apparently not working out either. Maybe this journalism thing-cranking out words day after day after day--is harder than it looks.

But...What Is Plagiarism?

I'd suggest it looks something like:

Wegman, who has been accused of plagiarism, on the left, and the source documents from several authors, including Wikipedia and De Nooy, Mrvar and Batagelj on social networks on the right. More here and here.

Scientist Explains Expresso Maker To PM

...because they don't have them at Tims.

Later, PM Harper had the scientist deported.

From Akins.

Deniergate

News of the Wegman plagiarism investigation spreads, to here, and here. Fuller writes about it, although he's not important enough to be considered MSM. And Pielke Jr. can't figure out a way to blame it all on Mann and Co.. This may become REALLY BIG NEWS: one of the denialist movements iconic figures may just get his balls handed to him by the university he works for...for actual goddamn scientific misconduct (not the fake kind). Remember, if the GOP takes over the house and Senate, Wegman's report would probably play a roll in the subsequent anti-science witchhunt. Now the man may have other concerns, including fending off legal action related to violating the copyright of some of the materials used in that report.