Little Coyote

Short Leash

posted by Amanda @ 12:18 p.m. Comments: 11

Timeline Taboos

Blogging on election dayis going to be a tricky thing. In this election, unlike the last one, Section 329 of the Canada Elections Act will be in effect, meaning it will be effectively against the law to blog about election results until 10:00 ET, since blogging is considered transmitting "to the public."

In the meantime, please don't forget to vote ndp

posted by Amanda @ 4:38 p.m. Comments: 7

Stick a Hand Knitted Sock in It Peter

McDonough and MacKay were sparring
about constituency races in Nova Scotia. When he said she was using her reputation to drag NDP candidates across the finish line, she defended the NDP candidate running in his riding.
"We'll just see what happens," MacKay replied. "I think you better stick to your knitting and win your own riding."

I appreciate that MacKay has apologised to Alexa, as well as to the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women, as well as the local women's centre in his riding. However, women are dramatically underrepresented in federal (and provincial) government and it is ridiculous to suggest that any woman should pursue a new scarf or socks instead of political engagement.

Thank goodness Alexa brought a smile to the faces of many women with this photo.

Hey Alexa, Sign it: love political women.

posted by Amanda @ 9:26 p.m. Comments: 21

Fisheries Minister's Donations:

A Conflict of Interest?

Halifax- Alan Hill, NDP candidate in Halifax West, believes that Geoff Regan should not have accepted donations from companies involved in the fisheries during the 2004 election campaign.

"Mr. Regan received over $4000 in donations from companies in the fishing industry in the 2004 election", said Hill, "He should have recognized that as Minister of Fisheries it was inappropriate to accept these donations."

In the 2004 election Mr. Regan received $1000 donations from Clearwater Fine Foods Inc and Labrador Sea Products. He also received $500 donations from Acadian Seaplants, D'Eon Fisheries, Davis Strait Fisheries and Secundra Marine Services. Innovation Marine Structures donated $400 to his campaign.

"While I certainly wouldn't insinuate that these companies were trying to buy access to Mr. Regan, there is the appearance of conflict", said Hill, "Therefore he should have returned the donations".

"It is also interesting to note that in the 2004 campaign, Mr. Regan collected double the donations that he received in the 2000 campaign when he wasn't a Cabinet Minister", said Hill, "Given the kind of money Cabinet ministers are able to raise, it is very difficult for other candidates to compete."

In the 2000 election, Mr. Regan collected $45, 092 in donations. In 2004 this figured doubled to $90, 560.56.


For more information: Alan Hill 444-4NDP or 877-8085

posted by Amanda @ 7:10 p.m. Comments: 0

Still Loving the Left

Damn Media!

The real story about Tuesday nights Halifax West All Candidates debate was the impressive strength of NDP candidate Alan Hill. While Hill was quick to point out Rakesh Khosla's decision to attend an anti-same sex marriage rally instead of attending the first all candidates debate he was also quick in pointing out a number of other important issues. Such as Geoff Regan's complete lack of initiative in standing up for his constituents as well as Thomas Trappenberg’s naive comments on the New Democrats fiscal responsibility.

Regan certainly looked surprised and perhaps a touch threatened by his strong opponent. That is unsurprising considering that Hill spoke confidently, concisely, and clearly. He is to be commended on a fantastic job!

Later that same evening Jack Layton made a pit stop at Celtic Corner in Dartmouth surrounded by fellow Dippers (provincial and federal). His message, while familiar still rings true, "this time the Liberals don't deserve your vote, this time vote NDP!"

I couldn't agree with Layton more. Even if you're only a little to the left or a little to the right, there is a party for you that isn't shrouded in corruption and actually deserves your vote.

posted by Amanda @ 3:11 p.m. Comments: 1

Paint and Plants

Austria ordered to return 5 Klimt paintings
from CBC Arts

A court in Vienna has ordered Austria to return five paintings by Gustav Klimt to the heirs of a Jewish family who fled Austria under the Nazis.

The paintings include one of the most reproduced pictures of all time, a gold-leaf-clad portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, wife of Jewish Czech sugar magnate Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer.

Lawyers for the Austrian government have fought since 1998 to retain the rights to the four paintings. The other paintings are a lesser-known Bloch-Bauer portrait, as well as Apfelbaum (Apple Tree), Buchenwald/Birkenwald (Beech Forest/Birch Forest) and Haeuser in Unterach am Attersee (Houses in Unterach on Attersee Lake).

Maria Altmann, 89, the California woman claiming the paintings, is the
niece of Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer. She says the family was forced to give up the paintings when Germany annexed Austria in 1938. Adele was already dead, but her husband fled to Switzerland where he died in 1945.

Austria had claimed that when Adele died in 1925, she left a will requesting her husband leave the artwork to the Austrian Gallery upon his death. Bloch-Bauer's family agreed in 1946 that the paintings belonged to the Austrian government, based on his wife's will.

The paintings have been in the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna since the end of the Second World War.

Altmann, who fled to California to escape the Nazis and is Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer's sole surviving heir, claimed the family was extorted into signing away its rights to the paintings and had been lied to by the Austrian government.

After years of legal wrangling, both parties agreed to abide by the arbitration court's ruling.

"The ruling means that [culture] minister Gehrer, or rather the Republic of Austria, have to return the paintings," Altmann's Austrian lawyer Stefan Gulner told Reuters. "This is a final and binding ruling."

The case stems from a 1998 law passed in Austria that required federal museums to review their holdings to see if they included works seized by the Nazis and to find out whether the works were obtained by the museums without remuneration.

Klimt, who lived 1862-1918, is an Austrian icon. He was founder of the Vienna Secession art movement that created a central European version of Art Nouveau. Klimt work of the calibre of the Bloch-Bauer paintings is considered a national treasure in Austria.

Buchenwald/Birkenwald

In other news the radio reported earlier this week that Mayflowers are starting to bloom in parts of the province as a result of the warm weather.
Also, after 13 straight hours at the studio, I am forever finished with the dog biscuits.

posted by Amanda @ 6:34 p.m. Comments: 0

Tag

I've been tagged by Liam!
(revenge for being a thumb war queen I know.)

As I understand it, this requires me to list five offbeat things about myself and tag five others.
So:

1.Laura
2.Holly
3.Michelle
4.Kelly
5.Katie (Who now has a blog!!<3)


You're It!

As for being offbeat...

1. I am a bit.. just a little itty bitty bit... afraid of Ladybugs.
But that's because they bite!

2. Raisin pie is the only food-dish I hate. Otherwise, I prefer pie over cake.

3. I wear my bathing suite in winter. Just.. around my apartment or in place of regular undergarments. And only on occasion. It's just a fabulous technique for fighting off the winter blues. Especially when you pair it with toasted marshmallows (over a candle) and lemonade.

4. I know how to hynotise a chicken. Up there with "give a cow a hair cut" and "determine a rabbits sex". There's nothing like the farm life.

5. And finally... I have soap crayons for my bathtub.
Honestly, you do your best thinking in the shower and there is no point in loosing hold of fantastic ideas or images because paper refuses to tolerate water. Right? ...hey, we're all kids at heart.

posted by Amanda @ 3:57 p.m. Comments: 2