Red Ensign Standard Volume XXVlll

It’s tradition for the host of the Red Ensign Standard to write a personal introduction but since this is my second time up on deck I thought that I try to write more on a theme instead. I struggled for the last two weeks trying to define in my mind what a Canadian is in 2005 and still came up with naught. It should be easy, but really isn’t. Since my teenage years, 30 years ago and the rise of Trudeaupia in the land, all discussions of Canadian nationalism begin with defining what we are not, which leaves very little room or inclination for what we are. We are probably the only nation in the world who does this. Can you imagine our American or Mexican neighbors beginning a discussion of American or Mexican nationalism and start by saying; “Well, we aren’t Canadians.” In 2005, we are still struggling with new Canada.

Fifty years ago, school children in Canada could have told you what it means to be a Canadian but the parameters have changed so radically that I fear we are in danger of losing not only our place in the world but our national will. Regionalism threatens all the ties that use to bind us. And sorry, I cannot rally around our healthcare system and do not see waiting patiently in line for years for a hip replacement or an MRI as a value that I want to pass onto my children.

We live in a land whose geography leaves its imprint upon our character early in life, and we were a nation forged and tempered by war; from the Plains of Abraham, to Vimy Ridge, to the beaches of Normandy. Freedom meant something beyond an existential definition which is all the value we place on freedom today. Here’s the new Canada’s truism; I am less free today by law than I was in 1985. In 2005, freedom is now measured by the quantity of law and by-laws that weighs down and restricts our daily existence.

The new Canada denies our warrior past and says we are a nation of peacekeepers with blue helmets. Frankly, I’ll take Vimy Ridge and you can keep Rwanda and the helmets. For there will be no peace to keep if our leaders have lost the will to fight to keep the peace for freedom’s sake.

We claim tolerance as a national virtue and yet we have Hate Speech laws. Tolerance in the New Canada seems to mean; think as I think, do as I do, speak as I speak, rather than allowing individuals the freedom to speak what they think or even reason - if that speech could potentially create division or dissonance in this new Canada. Our national tolerance seems a very shabby fragile thing.

We have embraced the virtues of multi-culturalism so wholeheartedly in this new Canada that when my children claim they are Canadian their teacher’s teach them to call themselves Jamaican-Canadians, and yet, not one of them has ever left to find a home in Jamaica.

In discussions, I have often been told if I do not like this new Canada then I should leave my native land, and go to another where I might feel more comfortable and free, and I would, but the land ties me to it. What is bred in the bone comes out in the flesh and I will not give up this land or my children’s place in it to live freely from sea to shining sea without a fight; against all odds and all comers if need be. That is what defines and makes me a Canadian. And so, I begin the Red Ensign Standard Vol. XXVlll, where my compatriots and friends will have many contrary opinions.



905 Tory

905 Tory comments briefly on Canada’s preparedness for war, and posts an editorial cartoon reflecting Canadian compliancy with high taxes and asks the question with was Trudeau high when he included this in the Canada’s Charter?

A Chick Named Marzi

One of the more intriguing things I discovered when I first started to read blogs is how so many of rightish leaning bloggers either are/or were punks. It just astounds me that so many of us who started out so radical; ended up so right. All of which brings me to A Chick Named Marzi, a conservative punk chick who manages to tie in a Steinfeld episode with Cindy Sheehan and tells Robin Wright Penn what to do with her stand-by-your-man moment but she doesn’t stop there.

Abraca-Pocus

Rue runs Abraca-Pocus. When Rue first joined the Red Ensign Bloggers I surfed over to check her out and to be honest I wasn’t sure what to think of her or even if she was really my cup of espresso, but I decided to reserve judgment and lurk about. I am glad I did. This woman cooks and keeps a tradition alive that while many of us might not have had an official Strega in our background, the archetype of Strega is still very familiar and somehow comforting for those of us who had an Eastern European grandmother or two in our childhood. One day I must have a discussion about “tiki’s” with Rue. She is runs Radio Free Pocus and has finally stepped back on the come back trail from a summer rut which also happens to coincide with toddlers who now sleep through the night. Rue also shares with us how she wishes to count down the days in 2006.

Absinthe & Cookies

Ith at Absinthe & Cookies ruminates on the personal ramifications of an avian flu outbreak and I understand exactly what she means by circling the family wagons. She also blogs a Little Price is Right in guessing the price of this home in her neighborhood – needless to day I will not be moving to her neighborhood and tells us what is on her bookshelf.

Angry in the Great White North

Let there be no doubt, Canadians can do anger. This man must have a laptop surgically attached to his lap because his daily output is at a blog prodigy level and he is impossible to keep up without multiple check-ins a few times a day. That being said, I would ask that you focus your attention to the conservative hatchet woman Carol Jamieson, the appointment of a radical Palestinian to Canada’s Immigration and Review Board and how CAIR-CAN peddles a bogus story of how a Canadian Sikh became a victim of a hate crime

Anthroblogogy

Dirt Crashr at Anthroblogogy is faced with the modern man’s dilemma; Bosch, DeWalt, or Porter-Cable or what's gonna cut the flooring? Posts on Momma’s Fish house and has a picture of the sweetest T-Shirt known to man; KALASHNI KITTY. Anyone know where I can get two?

Babbling Brooks

The Babblercracks a joke to fill the void of humourous Canadian blog content. The problem is there is more underlying truth than humour in a country where the weasels are named Martin.

Blue Perspective

Ryan at Blue Perspective brings attention to two articles in the local national papers and musing on what the feisty Brian Mulroney might have said when his copy of Peter C. Newman’s biography on him was hand delivered and the discusses the Manning Centre. He also concurs with the suggestion that the national federal sales tax be lowered which all goes to show that not all Canadians enjoy our high tax status.

Bound by Gravity

Andrew at Bound by Gravity is Canada’s own number 1 linker and raises Canada’s political hacks all-time favourite (and seemingly endless) debate in the Leadership Question, he musings on the Chickadee Code and posts on a Pattern of Corruption. Andrew blogs at the prodigy level but far more importantly to my mind he has undertaken a far more valiant task (with the help of others) and created a new blog dedicated to those Canadians who possessed uncommon valour as a common virtue.

BumfOnline

Huck at BumfOnline shares some thoughts on the best you can do without a plan and reminds us all that there is a Canadian connection to the victims of Hurricane Rita that has nothing to do with the rising price of gas. Furthermore, no one can ever accuse Huck of holding back his politically incorrect thoughts on a former Canadian Prime Minister, - his son - or Peter c. Newman for that matter.

Canadian Comment

The Dynamic Duo of the Red Ensign Bloggers, (aka Bob & Dana) have recently returned after a summer hiatus and really the fun never ends with these two. From posts ranging The Trudeau Family - Supporting Murderers And Tyrants Since 1973 to the pitfalls of Social Darwinism and BBC broadcaster Harold Evans to Canada’s official Hide and Seek team.

Canadianna’s Place

Canadianna takes time to rouse herself from the demands of life outside the blogsphere to lament the decline of justice in Canada and deconstructs our institutions.

ChrisCam

ChrisCam loves Peggy Noonan and for the same reasons I do and he posts his thoughts on competency at a local level.

Castle Argghhh!!!

John D. has a post Winning Work and Losing Friends and he illustrates what greets him at the door of the Arsenal when he stays too long from home in an extended entry. All I get is dead mice. He posts in Food for Thought that perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to re-think some realities on the ground as needs and times change. John D asks what’s unusual with this picture?

Doxology

I am really not sure on what learning to love football and abstinence have in common but Rebecca at Doxology does find a way to tie it together. She has also issued an open call to all Catholic Converts and Reverts. She also offers the suggestion to all those who are inclined to take a closer walk who are not currently reading Peter Kreeft to give a little time to listening instead.

Dust my Broom

Darcey runs Dust my Broom and he also happens to be who I usually start my blog reading day with. He’s another Canadian blog prodigy and one of the treats of Dust my Broom is you never know who will show up at the Broom on any given 8 Days or at Gramma’s House or on Parliament Hill for that matter.

ERS Musing

Steve enters from the right and posts Proving multilateralism Works, muses on the common ground of the anti-war right and left, and he owns up to crying. What more could one ask of a blogger?

GEN X at 40

Alan at Gen X at 40 is not my favourite leftie and is hardly a model of civility nor honour. That being said, he ruminates on Baseball Anxiety, the CBC Lockout and the potential for a major world leader to be a pill popper.

Grandinite

Aaron has the scoop on an Idaho weatherman who thinks the recent hurricanes plaguing the Gulf Coast have a sinister, rather than, a natural origin. He also has an open call out to all Canadian bloggers and readers to give his academic progress at hand and finally he muses if Alberta were Norway.

Hammer into Anvil

James at Hammer into Anvil, takes a stand on the tendancy of Swedes to be on the cutting edge of social concerns in Cohabitation, I do and has the fruit of limp Liberal crime legislation. He notes that in Hamilton, Ontario, it doesn’t take much to offend some people.

John the Mad

John the Mad finds another Liberal he wouldn’t welcome at his dinner table though I suspect this gentleman would not be welcomed either.

Just Between Us Girls

Glenda of Just Between us Girls has returned to the roost after a summer hiatus and promotes a gathering of people who were inspired by the power of positive linking to take the plunge and run their own businesses. Then she indulges in the virtures of confession when she didn’t get the expected results and notes on the mounting tension down on the Farm.

Minority of One

Keith at Minority of One says Au Revoir to his love and comments on the Engine of the Hun Parliament. Of course, that is after reading now I know why my brain is bigger than yours.

mk braaten

m.k. braaten has blogged the sequel to our own homegrown Watergate scandal known in Canada as Adscam (without the outrage, senate hearings, or tapes). m.k. also proposes a rather novel idea for Albertans on what to do with the surplus oil revenues but the question he hooked me on was; did the Prime Minister, Paul Martin’s company take Iraqi bribe money?

Musing

Jason struggles with the same issues I have with the Bush Administration and blogs on Clarification and Donna Brazile. Oddly enough, I came to a somewhat similar conclusion but by a different route. He muses on the inconsistent consistency of scientific studies to prove or disprove anything.

Myrick

Chris is just one of our blogging Canadian expats who is now based in the People’s Republic of China. I am happy to report that living in the land of Uncle Mao hasn’t stopped Myrick from voting in the BBC Who Rules Contest or posting Batman of the East or offering his take on Canada’s being number 2. He also double blogs by hosting Asia Pundit, our newest Red Ensign Member.

North West Winds

Curt at North West Winds finds a pro-Darwin site that tries to play fair with the religious among us. He also posts his thoughts on The Exorcism of Emily Rose and finds Sex, Pravda Style. He also posts his thoughts on the Good Wine.

Quotulatiousness

Nicholas at Quotulatiousness, never gets stuck on stupid and who would never in a million years commit this gaffe that certain French Foreign Minister is alleged to have committed. And without Nicholas, how else would I have known that Canadians had a military medical research program?

Raging Kraut

Our fearless Brigade Commander, Ray of Raging Kraut shares a story from his university days On doing to them what they do to us and introduces us to Ace who shares not only raging duties at the Kraut but shares his memories and thoughts of New Orleans with us.

Raging Ranter

Ranging Ranter is on a roll all over Liberal media bias in Canada even thought the CBC staff has been locked out for approximately 6 weeks. See here and here.

Ravishing Light

Paul at Ravishing Light curses Lieks, and rightly so. I read this and thought some really lucky young person is going to get a truly wonderful man. Smart, humorous, hardworking, besides, he cooks real food! If only I was much younger and not three husbands down already. Paul has his own thoughts on what it means to be at year 4 in the War on Terror.

Rhetoricking with Myself

Rhetoricking with Myself has been on a somewhat extended hiatus with just a brief foray here and there into the blogsphere but he does surface in September just in time to bring attention to Neil Strauss’s new book: The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. Who knew Chapter’s now has a “Men’s Sections”?

Robot Guy

Robot Guy advises that hell has frozen over and brings attention to a few of those who still dare to dream big and he offers a brief rundown of Nasa’s exploration systems architectural roadmap for the mission to the Moon, Mars and Beyond with a promise to flesh it out in full later for the non-cybergic inclined among us. He also weighs in on the economics of gun control in Canada.

Shiny Happy Gulag

Shiny Happy Gulag almost makes it as a famous Canadian slacker of note but he still finds the time to post once or twice a month so that is just enough to keep him out of the Red Ensign Slacker’s Gallery or in other words; he means well.

Stephen Taylor

Stephen Taylor aka Unofficial Conservative Party of Canada Pundit takes on a noted Trojan Tory, and proves that contrary to Liberal party hacks, conservatives do party and shows us how Dalton spends our tax dollars.

Taylor & Company

Chris at Taylor & Company follows up on the Air France 350 crash at Pearson International Airport in Front Office Politics. He remembers the passing of the Hero of Louisbourg on September 13th , and then he walks a mile in another’s shoes and ponders the implications of the question of Who Will Be Saved if a disaster hit Toronto?

The Conservative Hipster

Double-D at The Conservative Hipster took the quiz on which Historical General Are You and came out the same general as I, though I scored higher is wisdom and ruthlessness but he beat me in guts. He posts his bit on revisionistic Canadian history and asks the $64,000 questions in relation to the Trojan Tory.

The Freeway to Serfdom

Jay weighs in on a jackal moment on the potential penalties for making voting in Canada compulsory in “Big Fricking deal”. Takes on the “Sharia hysterics” in One Law for All and mourns his wheeless state in Sigh.

The High Places

Mr. Cheevus waxes poetically in his explansion of the idea of conservativism returning to its rural roots, and adds a bright and early post to the blog. He also invokes an emotive theme (with a dose of reason) that Canadian pensioners should rate a higher financial priority to Canadian taxpayers than refugees. Quite frankly, I had no idea that refugee’s received such high levels of taxpayer largess.

The London Fog

Mike takes a satirical stab at possible alternative future political realities but I am not convinced that Mike isn’t a bona fide paid up member of Psychics R Us. Who knew there was a provincial minister in Ontario responsible for democratic renewal? I certainly didn’t. Lisa does a readers survey to The solution to Canada’s Troubles, and examines, if Jack’s our man?

The Meatriarchy

The Meatriarchy comments on George Galloway’s recent visit to Canada in Acorn of Wisdom, provides the commentary on the Canadiens vs. Leafs exhibition game, and that’s not enough hockey for you: keep scrolling down.

The Monarchist

The Monarchist is currently the home of where Britannia still Rules the Waves in honour of the 200th anniversary of Horatio Nelson’s stunning victory at Trafalgar. The Monarchist introduces Nelson as the countdown to victory begins, chronicles Nelson’s journal, and last walk, as the lead-up to the Battle at Trafalgar looms large ahead. Beaverbrook notes the smallness of the Napoleonic mindset.

The Files of the Phantom Observer

Victor writes of the changes a year of blogging has brought, and brings attention to a Stephen Harper statement that an election may all be up to the Oddfather to decide and suggests that Simon Wiesenthal may have gone to his rest but his war lives on.

Tipperography

The Tipper has returned to the Canadian fold and grapples with the ins and outs of the Better Way, cheers on the Prime Minister’s never ending public search for his balls, and if that is not enough, she manages to effectively tie in a Leap of Faith with free ipods and $400 cheques.

Toronto Tory

Toronto Tory calls attention to progressive bloggers who have taken a progressively angry and angrier stand towards blogging conservatives. He’s also committed himself to blog the liberal corruption one month challenge and has one idea how the CBC can boost their ratings.

Turning 30 and a half

Canadian Sue posts on Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope, and on the deportation of a street racer In reaping what you sow. She has also put together a little slideshow of Katrina pictures which she entitled Wake me up when September’s Over which is no doubt what many are wishing.

West Coast Chaos

Temujin has bought himself a camera and thinks he is on to something new which shall be henceforth called “photoblogging”. He asks that he be given full credit. (This is my lame attempt at Temujin humor.) He took his camera along when he went on a business trip and when he and some friends endulged in what use to be a Canadian tradition before we had waiting in line for healthcare as a national value.

Red Ensign Great Canadian Slackers Gallery:

All AgitProp, all the time or Frozen in Montreal

Paul’s last message to all of us was posted in June 2005. It was a plea for God’s help for all of us in Canada. I hear you Paul, and Amen to that.

BlueTory.ca

Is temporarily offline. And list all the members of the Blogging Tories but not Red Ensign Bloggers. What’s up with that?

Candepundit

It seems Candepundit came across an internet video of a beheading and he hasn’t been up to posting since.

Hypothesis

Has gone Blog-WOL.

Musings of a Canadian Slacker

Dr. Funk at Musings of a Canadian Slacker; We're everywhere.

Right Jab

Right Jab commented on Harper’s less than shining image in June and we haven’t heard from Right Jab since though Harper is still out there slugging away.

Skeet, Skeet, Skeet

Comes up with a drinking game for watching Canadian MP’s in action during question period in June and has not been heard from since.

Striving Against the Opposition

He mentions something about the need to catch up with life, tunes and videos in Black in Back now that school ended for him in April and promises regular blogging to resume shortly. I think he misled us with the year.

The Green Baron

The Green Baron is not a typical slacker and he has a better excuse than most as he was based in New Orleans. He did take the time to let us know that he managed to get out of NOLA alive.

Trudeaupia

And finally we come to Trudeaupia who is not really a slacker at all but is on indefinite hiatus. I blame all those Saudi goat stories.