lesleytsilucsam 's Profile

Fran Irwin from Medicine Hat, Canada writes: When I saw the news clips from CNN of Harper's 'new' frank message on Afghanistan, I thought two things: 1) I felt he was in fact tryting to 'lecture' Obama, with a 'I know better than you, I'm still the smartest guy in the room..' attitude. The following form the article suggests it was indeed a statement directed across the bow to Obama: 'Military analysts suggested Mr. Harper's comments - made on national U.S. television - were directed at the Obama White House rather than Canadians, saying he appeared to be trying to influence the direction the Democratic administration takes in Afghanistan.' 2) Memories of Harper railing against opposition parties (especially Layton) for even suggesting that the Taliban in fact controlled up to 80% of the country, that there was no purely military solution, that political negotiations were necessary, or even mild suggestions that the government in place in Afghanistan was corrupt - all of these statements were 'treasonous' and indicated that the Opposition did NOT SUPPORT OUR TROOPS - at least according to Harper. I have a big problem with Harper going to CNN to find his 'reason' on Afghanistan. Made be recall when Harper and Monte Solberg went down to appear on FOX News when Chretien refused to send troops to Iraq to declare that he was 'ashamed of his country' for not standing by Bush's invasion. No one should be surprised by Harper's attempt to 'out-smart, out-impress' Obama - it is so true to his character. Harper has shown time and time again how ineffectual and dangerous he is in all areas of foreign policy. This father is expressing the pain of realizing that your son may have died in vain, there will be other Canadians who will not return - and this government has no idea how to rationalize their loss, or how to handle our role in this NATO mission.

* Posted 03/03/09 at 9:49 AM EST
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appeal ... $25k in transcript fees

Hi, I feel that you are 100% right, that desire is a very important component for female lust.

Sadly, a lot of guys confuse desire with neediness or borderline desperation and dispense it at inappropriate moments.

The way I see it, a women wants a bold guy who does not apologize for his desires but is not necessarily attached to them. This frustrates her ego because no matter how strong they are, he is still in control of himself and will not jump to her tune.

From my experience, women are quite intrigued when a guy is unapologetically bold, provocative, upfront and straightforward about his erotic/romantic intentions and interests without being presumptuous or forceful nor attached to a certain outcome. It's like in the movie 9½ weeks when Kim Basinger criticizes Mickey Rourke for moving too quickly and he responds: "Take off your shirt...or just ask me to leave."

The ProvinceMarch 3, 2009



In the Downtown Eastside, a typical 100-square-foot SRO room -- simply four walls with a separate shared bathroom and kitchen that are not always in working order -- rents for about $400 a month, or $4 per square foot.

A quick comparison with some swanky rental properties currently advertised in Vancouver shows that many SRO tenants are paying a fortune for the most unsafe and decrepit housing in town.

Take the penthouse suite atop The Melville in Coal Harbour. With spectacular views and a long list of luxuries, it is available at $5,500 a month for its 1,890 square feet, or $2.91 per square foot. Downtown Eastsiders on welfare pay more per square foot than that and they don't get swimming-pool access, two parking bays, granite counter-tops or a separate wine cellar.

Or try the 1,380-square-foot, open-style penthouse in Gastown's Koret Lofts that's advertised at $3,500 a month. With its great views of the North Shore mountains, it rents for $2.54 per square foot.

The money for the apparent $4-per-square-foot extravagance comes from the B.C. government, which, at the last count in 2007, was paying income assistance to 7,100 people in the Downtown Eastside. Of those, 5,200 received the maximum monthly support of $960 a month, which consists of a $375 shelter allowance, a $230 support payment and $350 for their disability. The remainder got the $610 basic welfare amount. All of these people pay at least their shelter allowance directly to landlords.
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