Just stopping by to announce your favourite Canadian blogger has started a new research blog. This blog will be an attempt to further chronicle my Internet Research adventures, It will be different from my Newsbloggers blog because there will be less emphasis on responding to random comments and more emphasis on me posting my own thoughts through random pieces of the web.

The positive emails kept me on the fence for awhile, I didn't know if returning to Newsbloggers was a good idea or not. I do want to thank the editors for keeping my page up while I pondered the future of the blog. But after six weeks with Mahalo it is clear that I want to commit myself to this project, read all about it here. We are building what could be the link between Google-Wikipedia and the Social Web. It's very exciting.

And again for those who did enjoy my attempts at writing, by all means subscribe to my blog feed and continue with me throughout this internet adventure, naturally, there will be video.

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

More following up of the Canadian Torture List controversy that's stirred things up around here a little. Since the US, Guantanamo and Israel are being removed from the list, Iran now calls our list biased, got that link via an editorial from Seattle.

TRN spoke with Michael Ratner and asked for some background and details in regards to the controversy.

Well, that didn't last long. America complained "forcefully" to our government. Upset for being included on the Canadian torture watch list. Because the Canadian Government has no balls, the torture manual will be re-written with America's name removed. CBS News Reports....

The listing drew a sharp response from the U.S., a key NATO ally and trading partner, which asked to be removed from the manual.

"We find it to be offensive for us to be on the same list with countries like Iran and China. Quite frankly it's absurd," U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins told The Associated Press. "For us to be on a list like that is just ridiculous." He said the U.S. does not authorize or condone torture.

"We think it should be removed and we've made that request. We have voiced our opinion very forcefully," Wilkins said...Read More on CBSNews....

So there you have it, if you want to read this news from other sources they are starting to creep in on Google News. I don't have much to add, I just felt obligated to provide this follow up from last weeks posting about America being put on the Torture Watch List, I know torture talk upsets a lot of people in America and if I hurt any feelings, I apologize. Just wanted to pop by and remind you all, waterboarding was once torture.

The video today is a Fox News clip discussing Waterboarding.

From the NewsHounds.us archive.

*Post Updated: Jan 21st

*Update: Jan 21nd.The hearing has been postponed until feb 6th.

Just like the American War on Terror, the American War on Drugs is a global war that reaches far beyond the borders. We Canadians have felt the effect in a very sad way, Canadian marijuana icon, activist and hero has been the center of a long running controversy with the American DEA, I've posted about this issue many times before and now I can tell you the Extradition hearing is going to begin on January 21st.

Here is the latest from the CBC National, aired January 15th. (Watch just to see Terry Milewski reporting from a bong shop.)

I understand this issue is getting no media time in the United States, putting people in jail for smoking a harmless weed is nothing new for you guys, right?

US Marijuana Arrests by Year
2004: 771,608
2003: 755,187
2002: 697,082
2001: 723,627
2000: 734,498
1999: 704,812
1998: 682,885
1997: 695,200
1996: 641,642
1995: 588,963
1994: 499,122
1993: 380,689

Marc Emery is getting lots of press up here in Canada, not to mention lots of positive editorials, like this sampling from todays The London Free Press, you can find many more articles about this case on Google News. When looking for background on this I recommend watching the documentaries by CBC and 60 Minutes.

Marc and his wife Jodie uploaded a message about the latest extradition news and it's posted below, if you want to find out ways to support the Emery's and their cause visit the noextradition.net.

*update - Canada has removed USA from the list.

I've blogged enough about torture to give off the impression that it's something I am concerned about, and today I've learnt Canada has added America and Guantanamo Bay to the Torture Watch List. My observations conclude, Americans are stuck in a debate between "Torture" and "advanced interrogation techniques." Truth of the matter is, if America simply went back to following the rules our World War fighting (grand)fathers left us there wouldn't be a debate.

Naturally your efforts of reading my post will be rewarded with a moving picture, here is one from the Keith Olbermann Archive.

One of the mantras of the "diversity" movement in America and the West is that all cultures are equal. The basic idea is that each culture is an adaptation to a particular environment. Therefore no culture is inherently preferable to another. The political significance of this is that all cultures are equally deserving of respect. The goal of education becomes one of inculcating in young people a respect for all the cultures of the world. By learning that our own culture is not superior, we also become less racist and bigoted toward other cultures.

This doctrine of cultural equality--or more precisely cultural relativism--sounds good when we are considering the quaint folkways of other cultures.

Last month a Polish man named Robert Dziekanski was killed at the Vancouver Airport after RCMP tasered him. Yesterday a video surfaced from a witness who recorded the event on his cell phone, now the story has really taken off. Google has hundreds of news stories related to Robert, so go ahead and pick your poison. The video below is from CBC The National has some pretty good nuggets of information, like how 286 people have now died from Tasers. Who would have thought 50,000 volts of electricity could be so dangerous? Well Canadian lawmakers are now calling for a moratorium on Taser use, I simply think cops should go back to using the old reliable lasso, what do you think about Tasers?

I blogged earlier about Canadian Marc Emery and his arrest by the DEA which will send him to America to possibly spend the rest of his life life in prison for selling Marijuana seeds over the internet. In the previous post I mentioned an upcoming documentary, which has now been aired in Canada and is posted below for your observations.

The way that U.S. federal charges for drug offenses are contsructed means that Emery could face up to 2000 life sentences for his heinous crime of selling marijuana seeds. The DEA also lists Marc Emery as one of the top drug traffickers in the world, above groups like the Hell's Angels and the Triads. At this point in North American society marijuana is still considered as dangerous as heroin and cocaine. On this point, the DEA and the RCMP are in agreement that "there is no such thing as a hard and soft drug." That's a bunch of malarkey.

Type "Marijuana seeds" into the Google and you will find options to buy seeds online from Canada, America and all over the world. The DEA wanted Emery because he funds marijuana legalization groups. Could be he, perhaps, be a political prisoner?

Either way, this case is a major issue in Canada in regards to our own sovereignty. When Marc goes to prison in America we will never see him again and many are asking to see the bodies that justify 2000 life sentences. Here is a preview clip before you commit to the whole documentary (which appears on the flip side of this post.)

The Marc Emery extradition case may not be important news in the USA, here in Canada it's a become a hot topic centered around us maintaining our sovereignty. In July 2005 the long arm of the DEA reached up into Canada to pluck out three BC natives and is threatening to put them into prison for life for doing something that would get them no more then a ticket up here: selling marijuana seeds.

Alternet used the DEA cheif's words to explain the arrest.

In her bizarre press release of July 29, DEA chief Karen Tandy left little doubt as to why they singled out Emery's operation. "Today's DEA arrest of Marc Scott Emery, publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine, and the founder of a marijuana legalization group -- is a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also the marijuana legalization movement," it begins, adding: "Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on."

Jodie Emery (Marc's wife) often uploads videos to YouTube that detail what Marc has been going through the last two years (the case is still stuck in limbo until Jan '08.) The video today is an interview with documentary filmmaker Nick Wilson who just completed a documentary about Marc Emery that will air on the CBC later this month. Note that Marc and Jodie are constantly taking bong hits while Nick seriously attempts to explain the importance of the film to the YouTube audience. To me, this adds a comical effect to the video.

Here is an interesting article from the Canadian National Post reporting on the upcoming 200th anniversary of the War on 1812.

As early preparations for the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 get underway in Canada and the United States, organizers in Canada have run into an unexpected hitch: Their American counterparts seem to think they won.

The historical disconnect between American and Canadian interpretations of the war, during which tens of thousands of American troops invaded Canada - then still a British colony - and were repulsed by the outnumbered defenders, has left Canadian organizers of the bicentennial events shaking their heads in bemusement at their American colleagues' staunch insistence that the war was a victory for the then-young United States...read more...

Rick Mercer summed it up on the CBC, tip to Zifnab.

Atheism documentaries are few and far between, but on October 5th, the CBC aired this documentary about the current rise of Atheism in the mainstream.

This Atheism documentary is nothing like Dawkins' Root of all Evil. Basically it's an unbiased presentation from a skeptical host who speaks with Sam Harris. Harris shares a few mind blowing facts about religion, and also speaks to Iraq veteran turned Atheist rapper, Greydon Square, who promotes free thought through his music.

Either way, it's safe to say that the Atheists are all godless loons who are all going to Hell. I pray to FSM that they will see the light and join the "right" religion.

I enjoy sharing videos here on AOL, and everyday I strive to provide interesting, thought provoking clips about current events. Yesterday I let it slip that I would be taking a small break as family is visiting. You see, up here in Canada it is a holiday weekend as we celebrate Thanksgiving. However, I have been able to check my e-mail and this comment from a viewer surprised me.

Jeff- when my family comes to town I still work and provide care for my children so my neighbors don't have to with their hard earned money. Why don't you get off your butt and work so I am not responsible for raising and caring for your children with my hard earned tax dollars

Um... Ok, sorry? I didn't realize that not posting videos for a couple days would cause so much trouble. I will gladly spend the day away from my children and post some videos, since I want to raise my kids* myself and not have you, Mr. E-mailer, raise them with your tax dollars.

So here is my fun video contribution for today - Rick Mercer's 2001 comedy special titled "Talking to Americans." Rick goes on a humourous adventure in America hoping to get Americans to say silly things for our entertainment, much like Jay Leno does in this "Jaywalking" segment. Enjoy and happy holidays.

*I don't have kids.

The signs of a Conservative government in Canada can be seen in the news this week as the Tories will soon unveil a $64 Million drug plan that is expected to include stiffer penalties for drug offenders. Below is a quick news snippet that includes an interview with Canada's "Prince of Pot."

While googling this topic I came across this Alternet article about the American War on Drugs, which starts with these mind blowing statistics.

What would cops do without weed? For one thing, they'd sure spend a lot less time arresting and processing petty pot violators. How much time? For starters, however long it took to bust the estimated 739,000 Americans arrested for minor pot possession in 2006.
That's according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which reported last week that a record 829,625 Americans were arrested for violating marijuana laws last year. Of those arrested, 89 percent of those were charged with simple pot possession -- the highest annual total ever recorded and nearly three times the number of citizens busted 15 years ago.

So it sounds like the Harper government is trying to bring a USA-style "War on Drugs" to Canada. I ask the Americans here on AOL:

I used to work for an American telecom company (outsourced) in Southern Ontario who paid us $10/hour (Canadian) to do a job that Americans did for $27/hour. The perk of moving your company to Canada is (was) to enjoy the low dollar. At the time the American dollar in Canada would give you an extra 20 cents and outsourcers have been taking advantage of this fact for years.

In my old hometown in Southern Ontario, outsourced jobs are the most numerous; there are major American banks, telecom companies, insurance companies, etc all operating in Canada to enjoy the low dollar. Well, today something insane happened - the American Dollar is now at par with the Canadian Dollar. I wonder if outsourcers will now take those jobs out of Canada.

$1 American = $1 Canadian

Bush was asked a question today about the economy today and he told the questioner to ask an economist, claiming that he only got a "B" in Econ 101 is therefore not qualified to answer the question. (Bush lied about his grade: he actually got a "C", but we'll just put that in the "lie" file for now.) Thinkprogress.org put up a nice collection of quotes from Economists in light of today's press conference.

Anyway, here is a video with Bush's statement, along with a collection of other quotes from todays fun happy press conference. Courtesy TPM.

Naomi Klein joined George on CBC's The Hour to explain her new book called "Shock Doctrine." I posted a video earlier related to this book. If that video intrigued you, this interview will be a good follow up.

More - A lengthy speech about the book at the CCPA.