A Bit More On Gas Prices

Just two days ago, I saw a brand-spankin'-new Hummer H3 in Smartie pink. Slate seems to have an explanation why.

Do You Own an IPod?

Make sure you don't miss the chance to get your money back. Apple is refunding the "blank media levy", which has been struck down in Canada by the courts. It seems an oppor-tune moment to quote a popular song:

"If it keep on raining, the levvy gonna break"
--Led Zeppelin

Closer to Home

Stephen Harper the other day asked the Prime Minister if he supported tough sentences for "violent and repeat offenders". This came amid some pretty low-grade political sniping from his side of the House.

'Scuze me Mr. Harper--I'm sure he's all for Mom and butter tarts too.

It wasn't really what Harper said that let us all know he's back to his usual grubby standard, but the event he used as a springboard and the questions he's asking.

It's right to ask questions about the events that led to the murders of four RC's in Mayerthorpe. But the questions should be useful ones: "How can we prevent this from happening again?" is favourite.

But Harper is steering well away from any comment on say, gun control, because his support base includes more than a smattering of gun nuts. And honestly, it's hard to see how much better gun control can get than Canada's system--short of replacing the registry with something that works. The guns used by the Mayerthorpe maniac were the usual collection of legal and illegal arms.

Harper can't ask if the cops need to be better prepared 'cos that sounds like criticizing the Mounties and the law-and-order crowd won't like him.

He dasn't dare ask if the individuals involved made any major mistakes (I tend to think they did, while recognizing that their deaths were primarily due to the presence of one homicidal, gun-wielding nutjob) because he'd find himself standing alone as people rushed to avoid the hellstorm that'd come at him from the friends and relatives of the murdered men.

But he has to look like he's doing something, so he bring up a mom-n-applepie question and tries to make it look like the PM's somehow softer on crime than he is.

I'm sure Martin is softer on crime--he made gay marriage legal, remember? From Harper's viewpoint that's likely a crime. Martin also favours more relaxed sentencing for pot "offences" (who's being offended, exactly?).

Unfortunately for Mr. Harper, these are the positions of average Canadians--a majority of them, in fact, if you recognize that a majority of voters helped this government cling to power by disliking Harper's policies enough that they wouldn't vote for him. So he's reduced to playing on the political fringes and asking dumb questions.

The government in this country is pretty feeble. But the opposition is worse.