We get letters

——Original Message——

From: David J. Howard [djhoward@bellnet.ca]

To: Warren Kinsella

Subject: Contact from warrenkinsella.com

Sent: Sep 29, 2010 1:29 PM

David wrote:

You are a dick, and make me sick to my stomach.

Pigs like you who live off the public trough have no idea what its like in the

real world

Website:

IP: 70.54.195.2

***

—–Original Message—–

From: wkinsella@hotmail.com

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:44:33

To: David<djhoward@bellnet.ca>

Reply-To: wkinsella@hotmail.com

Subject: Re: Contact from warrenkinsella.com

Dear David:

I run my own firm. We don’t have a single government client. All of our clients are in the private sector, like us; there are corporations, unions, associations and individuals. I am proud to represent every single one of them. My firm is very successful, but I attribute that success to my colleagues, and to my clients, and to the way we do our jobs.

I’ve always worked, right from junior high school, so I have never collected EI or welfare or anything like that. I am more than happy to pay taxes to help those who need help, however. It’s one of the things about this country that I love. I’m proud to do it.

You have at least used your real name – David J. Howard – above your email. Good for you. That at least puts you above 99 per cent of the cowards I periodically hear from.

Oh, and I’m happy that my tax dollars are used to help people like you, too.

You know, jerks.

Sincerely,

Warren


Red light web site

Good.  That judgment was absurd.  Judges attempting to determine social policy instead of the law.  Never good.

***

Prostitution law appeal expected by feds and Ontario will support them: McGuinty (Bawdy-Law-Appeal)

TORONTO – Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says he would be surprised if the federal government did not appeal a court ruling striking down Canada’s prostitution laws.

The Ontario Superior Court ruled that laws against keeping a common bawdy house, communicating for the purposes of prostitution and living on the avails of the trade put sex-trade workers in danger.

McGuinty says the ruling proposes some profound changes to laws that have been on the books for decades, and Ontario “looks forward” to supporting the federal Conservatives in the expected appeal.

The Superior Court judgment is subject to a 30-day stay during which the law remains in place, and the federal government can seek an extension of the stay period.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson signalled last night that the Conservatives are seriously considering an appeal.

He says Ottawa would “fight to ensure that the criminal law continues to address the significant harms that flow from prostitution to both communities and the prostitutes themselves.”


Coalition redux

So, the Harper Reformatories continue to raise the spectre of a Liberal-socialist-separatist coalition. Writers are writing about it. This is happening a lot, lately.

It’s odd, however.  Here are some reasons why it is odd:

1.  The Conservative Party is the successful result of a coalition.

2. Their party’s leader formally endorsed a coalition with the aforementioned “separatists” (which the Grits don’t, by the way).

3.  Canadians don’t think it is a big deal, or even objectionable.  They like it.

4.  Even long-time Reformatory cheerleaders think Harper et al. are being silly.

5.  The people who advocate for the coalition idea are among the most-revered in Canada.

So why does the (oxymoron alert) PMO brain trust continue to scream bloody murder about a “coalition” that doesn’t exist?  Beats me.  But, as my grandmother used to say: “Never discount the possibility that a political strategy that looks clever is in fact totally stupid, dear.”

As in all things, I’m with my grandmother on this one.


Where’s the chapstick?

This YouTube clip is a sensation – and it has been watched nearly nine million times (and likely many more, because it’s in many different places on the web).  My daughter accounts for maybe a third of that number.  She can’t stop watching it.

Facebook (and here), ringtone, fan club, MySpace, Twitter feed, and merch site (natch).  Her name’s Gabby Londe; she’s a kid, and this video made her famous.  You can write to her fan club here.

Feel like a whole world is happening out there, and you didn’t even know?  Welcome to the club, bub.


Just saying

…one of the tackiest things I have seen, ever, is a columnist Twittering from a funeral.

Let’s see if they do it again.


My Trudeau column

…found by my intrepid colleague Rob (and in the Citizen database, not the Post’s).  Not sure how he found it, but he did.

***

A brush with political greatness: Meeting him was inspiring, recalls Warren Kinsella.
The Ottawa Citizen
Fri Sep 29 2000
Page: A19
Section: News – Argument & Observation
Byline: Warren Kinsella
Source: Citizen Special

In November 1982, a hundred lifetimes ago, I was a student at Carleton University’s School of Journalism, and a member of the editorial staff at The Charlatan, the school paper. I was also a Pierre Trudeau Liberal.

Although journalists, and journalism students, are supposed to be scrupulously neutral, I was then (as now) decidedly partisan. I could not help myself. I had grown up in Calgary, and was drawn to the Liberal party because I believed (as I do now) that only a strong, central government could serve as an effective bulwark against Quebec nationalism.

Back then, only Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal Party possessed the necessary fortitude and conviction to confront Quebecois secessionists, I thought.

The xenophobia manifesting itself in the burgeoning Western separatist movement also nudged me towards the Liberals. At the time, legitimate concerns about the National Energy Program were degenerating into a morass of anti-French, anti-immigrant, anti-Eastern bigotry. Among the nation’s political leaders, only Mr. Trudeau seemed capable of making the case for federalism.

And so, there I was, 22 years old and a card-carrying Liberal, representing The Charlatan at the Liberal party’s biennial convention in Ottawa. On the day set aside for a speech by Mr. Trudeau, a fellow journalism student and I were loitering in a hallway at Hull’s cavernous Palais du Congres. My friend, Michael Galway, was a gregarious Newfoundlander. I think he was probably a Liberal, too. In any event, as we were chatting with a couple of elderly women — also from Newfoundland — a huge commotion could be heard in the vicinity of the escalators. Michael and I spotted a mass of klieg lights, reporters and cameramen (they were all men, in those days) coming our way. At the centre of it all was Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada.

Him. Without warning, Galway and I and the two women were abruptly at the centre of the scrum. And there, standing not very tall at all, was Mr. Trudeau. Grinning at us, as if he were not surrounded by dozens of lights and lenses and lackeys.

“Hello,” he said.

Now, in the intervening years, I have met, and worked for, many political leaders — other prime ministers, cabinet ministers, party bosses, senators, premiers, mayors, city councillors. And in all of that time, I cannot recall anything similar to what happened when I met Pierre Trudeau.

And what happened is this: Everything — and I mean everything — seemed focused, entirely and properly, upon and within a single man. The air, the sounds, the lights — all were right where I was looking. And where I was looking was at Mr. Trudeau.

Like all Newfoundlanders, Galway had a greater facility with language than I. He didn’t miss a beat, and assumed the role of a tour director.

“Mr. Trudeau,” he said in the lilt he had, “here are two nice Liberal women from Newfoundland who wish to meet you.”

Mr. Trudeau laughed (a bit) and graciously shook the hands of the women, both of whom were gushing and blushing.

Then Galway pointed at me.

“And over there is my friend Warren, who is from Calgary, but is a Liberal, too. He worships the ground you walk on!”

I was mortified — horrified — by what Galway had said. While all of what he said to the prime minister was true, I didn’t think an intellectual giant like Pierre Elliott Trudeau would have much use for a political groupie. But he gave me a minute or two, which at the time seemed an eternity.

“So you are a Liberal and Calgarian,” he said to me. “We need more like you.”

I cannot remember what I said, but I know it was not very clever. It was probably some strangled attempt at thanks. He moved on, trailing lights and journalists. I punched a laughing Galway in the shoulder.

Every so often — when something like Meech Lake inflicts itself on the public agenda — I remember that day in November 1982 when Michael Galway and I met Pierre Trudeau. And I marvel that such a giant of a man existed, let alone as Canada’s prime minister.

Just a couple weeks ago at lunch, I tried out my Pierre Trudeau theory on Richard Gwyn, the author of the best biography of the man.

Mr. Trudeau was, I told Mr. Gwyn, someone who we all aspired to be — he was cosmopolitan, bilingual, almost other-worldly. He made us feel we were capable of greatness, notwithstanding our comparative size and meagre global influence. We embraced him, in a way, because he was unlike us. Because he embodied the things we wished to achieve for ourselves, and our children.

“Not a bad theory,” said Mr. Gwyn, who was too polite to remind me that I was not the first to think of it.

Warren Kinsella is a lawyer in Toronto, and a former adviser to Prime Minister Jean Chretien.


Ten years ago

I wrote something in the Post about the sad passing of Pierre Trudeau ten years ago today, but I can’t find it.  Anyway: I, we, still miss him very much.

Here’s a memorable clip of John Lennon – also sadly gone, thirty years ago in December – talking about Pierre Trudeau.  If you look carefully, you can see the late, great Romeo LeBlanc shepherding  John and Yoko into a room to meet the press.

Long time ago.  Time goes too fast.


Important announcement

For immediate release

September 28, 2010

KINSELLA MAKES IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

TORONTO – Toronto lawyer and consultant Warren Kinsella today announced that he is making an important announcement about something.

Responding to weeks of speculation and an outpouring of concern, Kinsella said that he could not delay announcing his plans any further.

“Look, I can’t hide from the facts,” said Kinsella.  “At the start of August, I was up at the lake with the kids and wrestling them on Splash Island, a water trampoline kind of thing, and something went wrong.

“I was winning the King of Splash Island fight, that’s for sure, but I’m pretty sure I fractured my index finger.  I’ve tried to ignore it, and hope that it gets better, but the damn thing hurts like a bastard.”

Kinsella added that he will bow to weeks of pressure from loved ones, and get the damaged digit X-rayed this morning.  He will not be taking calls from the media, or speculate about what this means for his finger’s immediate future.

“I want to thank the media and the public for allowing my finger, and my other fingers, to focus on healing and closure at this time.  I only ask that we be granted privacy to be together at this challenging time.  Thank you.”

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