Stephen Harper shows Tory faithful his rock star side

Harper sings a few songs for his party faithful
OTTAWA — Mick Jagger, eat your heart out. There’s a powerful politician roaming around in a black shirt who likes his day job — but he likes singing your stuff before an adoring crowd of fans just as much. That was apparent on Wednesday evening, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper surprised a packed ballroom of loyal Conservatives who had gathered for their annual Christmas Party. Tory MPs, senators, their staff and the media had all been expecting Harper to kick off the evening w...

Canadian PM Harper covers Mick Jagger
Published: Dec. 9, 2010 at 11:23 AM Cellist Yo-Yo Ma gives a thumbs-up to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (C) as they rehearsed for their performance at the 2009 National Arts Centre Gala in Ottawa on Oct. 10, 2009. In the show, Harper played and sang The Beatles' hit "With a Little Help From My Friends." Photo supplied by prime minister's office. OTTAWA, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, backed by an Ottawa band, brought the house down with a five-song party set en...

John Lennon: Where you were
Where were you when Lennon died? It's 30 years since John Lennon was murdered in New York - an event so shocking and unexpected that many remember exactly where thet were when they heard the news. Earlier this week, the Magazine reflected on those global news events that have become "where were you when" moments. Here are some of your accounts of where you were when you heard about John Lennon's death. "I was 10 and we filed in to school assembly with "All You Nee...

Canadian Pro-Lifers: Prime Minister Should OK Free Vote on Abortion Bill
In advance of a debate in parliament over a bill that would stop coerced and forced Abortions on women, a pro-life group says Prime Minister Stephen Harper should reconsider his position. Harper has said he will never reopen the abortion debate nor will he support this bill, but Peter Ryan, Executive Director of New Brunswick Right to Life, hope he will change his mind as he did before. “Right now the Prime Minister is saying his government - all the cabinet members, around 40 MPs I ...

Monitor: Air power on the cheap
JET fighters may be sexy in a Tom Cruise-ish sort of way, but for guerrilla warfare—in which the enemy rarely has an Air Force of his own—they are often the wrong tool for the job. Pilotless drones can help fill the gap. Sometimes there is no substitute for having a pilot on the scene, however, so modern air forces are turning to an old technology: the turboprop. So-called light-attack turboprops are cheap both to build and to fly. A fighter jet can cost $80m; the 208B Caravan, a li...

Will Weekend Snowstorm Lead to a White Christmas?
A storm destined to dump heavy snow over portions of the Plains, Midwest and Northeast this weekend could solidify a White Christmas for these areas and others. When push comes to shove, a wintry mix followed by rain seems to be the most likely option at this point for the I-95 Northeast and the I-64 corridor in the Midwest. Even so, the track is still questionable, and people are advised to keep checking in at AccuWeather.com in the coming days. For now, AccuWeather.com Meteorologists are not b...

Posted Without Comment
If you think a TSA grope is bad, Gay men seeking asylum in the Czech Republic are forced to drop their pants and get hooked up to a penile plethysmograph to find out just how Gay they are. After the “peter meter” device is attached to their penises, they are subjected to all kinds of Pornography to see what happens to their junk. This test then determines if they can seek asylum. The European Union’s main Human Rights agency, the Fundamental Rights Agency, denounced the procedu...

Iran blogger gets prison leave on bail: rights group
Iranian-Canadian Hossein Derakhshan, held in Prison in Iran since 2008 on what the media has said are suspicions of spying for Israel, was freed on Wednesday night "on the unprecedented bail amount of $1.5 million," the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported. Derakhshan, nicknamed "the Blogfather" and credited with launching a blogging revolution in Iran, was sentenced to more than 19 years in Prison in September for cooperating with hostile countries, spreading Propaganda and...

Maple Leafs' Dion Phaneuf to return against Flyers
Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf is ready to return to the lineup Thursday night against Philadelphia. He missed 16 games after lacerating his left leg Nov. 2. Toronto went 5-8-3 without him. Phaneuf had four assists in 11 games before his injury. The Maple Leafs begin a road trip through Western Canada next week. Ford to hire 1,800 workers at revamped Ky. plant ...

Pilot wins $300,000 discrimination case
Published: Dec. 9, 2010 at 10:43 AM Toronto, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Canadian Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier has been ordered to pay a Canadian pilot of Pakistani origin $300,000 in a Discrimination case, officials said. The award includes $50,000 in Punitive Damages to Javed Latif, whom U.S. officials had declared a threat to aviation and National Security, the National Post reported. Latif said Bombardier refused to train him on their Challenger 604 jet in 2004, based on information from officials i...

Canadian blogger bailed out in Iran
NEW YORK - Iran has temporarily released on bail a pioneering Iranian blogger who has been sentenced to more than 19 years in Prison, a rights group said on Thursday. Iranian-Canadian Hossein Derakhshan, held in prison in Iran since 2008 on what the media has said are suspicions of spying for Israel, was freed on Wednesday night “on the unprecedented bail amount of $1.5 million”, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported. Derakhshan, nicknamed “the Blogfather...

Iran Blogger Gets Prison Leave on Bail - Rights Group
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iran has temporarily released on bail a pioneering Iranian blogger who has been sentenced to more than 19 years in Prison, a rights group said on Thursday. Iranian-Canadian Hossein Derakhshan, held in prison in Iran since 2008 on what the media has said are suspicions of spying for Israel, was freed on Wednesday night "on the unprecedented bail amount of $1.5 million," the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported. Derakhshan, nicknamed "the Blogfather" and ...

Dressing drag: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical
What’s it like to sashay on stage in heels with Pink feathers coming three feet out of your head — for a guy? “It’s fun. Briefly, at the beginning, but rehearsing for hours in heels, it takes its toll on the feet,” says Thom Allison, an actor who not only dresses the part of Drag Queen, but dances, sings and has exceptional lips for the job. And his eyebrows, plucked and perfectly-shaped, would have singer-siren Kylie Minogue giving him a double-take. “Women d...

Iran blogger gets prison leave on bail-rights group
NEW YORK | Thu Dec 9, 2010 2:02pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iran has temporarily released on bail a pioneering Iranian blogger who has been sentenced to more than 19 years in Prison, a rights group said on Thursday. Iranian-Canadian Hossein Derakhshan, held in prison in Iran since 2008 on what the media has said are suspicions of spying for Israel, was freed on Wednesday night "on the unprecedented bail amount of $1.5 million," the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported. Dera...

Good Morning FishbowlDC Readers
“One of my favorite pictures of my dad is him talking to Elizabeth Edwards in NH in early ’08. May she be risen.” — NBC’s Luke Russert in a Tuesday tweet accompanied by the above photograph. “I’d spent a little bit of time with Elizabeth Edwards in Iowa, she was unlike any other political spouse I’d ever met.” — Roll Call Editor Christina Bellantoni in a Tuesday night tweet. “As you might imagine, last night’s Christmas part...

Woman vanishes after crash that killed husband
A set of snowy footprints are the only trace of an Illinois mother who vanished from a car crash that killed her husband. Police continued a search Tuesday for Tanya Shannon, a mother of four who mysteriously vanished Sunday near Ransom, Ill., according to the LaSalle County Sheriff's Office. Shannon, 40, and husband Dale Shannon, 41, were last seen at a Christmas Party Saturday night until officers discovered the body of Dale inside the couple's vehicle, which reportedly slammed into a pole on ...

Grand Old Christmas Party 2010
The Williamson County Republican Party celebrated Christmas a bit early on Tuesday evening at the Georgetown Community Center with a potluck dinner, white elephant gift exchange, toy drive for needy children and a bit of politics, of course.   The event was organized by Nita Davidson, vice-chairman of the party, and featured children's activities including a visit by local balloon artist, Doodle Bug.   One of the highlights of the evening was the arrival of Santa Claus, to th...

Gross Overload
Sorry to hear you’re in the suckage…kinda been there myself. Christmas Party this Friday, I intend to wash away some Headaches with some cold Bombay and tonic water. Any law says we can’t start now? "Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed ...

World's highest paid politicians
U.S. President Barack Obama, front left, shares a word with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, front right, at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy. Other leaders from left, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. As you might imagine, the release of Barack Obama's Tax Return by the White House last month caused...

Thank God for the Recession
Applewood Baptist Church performs Scrooge for the Troops. “Times are tough.” “Have you seen the Unemployment numbers?” “My husband just lost his job.” “We might have to close the doors this year.” “I don’t know how things could get worse. Gift giving isn’t going to happen this Christmas.” Our generation is far from the first to have suffered through hard times. Indeed, these are far from the worst of hard times. Still, thing...

Joe Cerrell: One of the Great Good Guys in Politics
By Rick Orlov Special to Calbuzz In the end, it was one more party thrown by Joe Cerrell for more than 600 of his closest friends. A memorial service saluting Cerrell, who was the first of the modern political consultants who grew up in an age when politics was fought with “rough elbows..but no rancor,” was held at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in the Larchmont District near his office and home in Los Angeles. Cerrell, 75, died last Friday of complications from Pneumonia and tribut...

Joe Cerrell: One of the Great Good Guys in CA Politics
By Rick Orlov Special to Calbuzz In the end, it was one more party thrown by Joe Cerrell for more than 600 of his closest friends. A memorial service saluting Cerrell, who was the first of the modern political consultants who grew up in an age when politics was fought with “rough elbows..but no rancor,” was held at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in the Larchmont District near his office and home in Los Angeles. Cerrell, 75, died last Friday of complications from Pneumonia and tribut...

Operation Homefront winter Clothes Drive in the Chicago Region
In conjunction with Cutting Edge event, Operation Homefront-Illinois is throwing a Christmas Party for Illinois’ Military Families, and doing a winter clothes Drive. Bring new or used clothes to Homer Township Adm. office 14350 W. 151st Homer Glen, 60491  call Steve Balich 815 557-7196 with questions. The last day I will be taking clothes is 12-20-10. Operation Homefront-Illinois is a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance to Active Duty Illinois Military families ...

What Reporters Found on Their Chairs
The House Radio & TV Gallery is on the cusp of completing their board Elections.Voting has been taking place yesterday and today. Reporters found this pitch on their chairs yesterday. It’s from FNC cameraman John Wallace , a 27-year Veteran of the Washington News Corp.. “I understand first hand, what you need, and I am anxious to make a difference on the board,” he writes in an all caps memo. …WE ALL NEED TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE WITH NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS OF COVERING T...

Illinois Man Dies in Crash; Wife Leaves Car, Vanishes
© Getty Images Authorities survey the crash site for clues in the disappearance of Tayna Shannon in rural Illinois. An Illinois woman walked away from a car crash that killed her husband, authorities believe, but they have found no trace of her other than footprints in the snow leading to a road. A search was in its third day Tuesday for Tanya Shannon, 40, of Ransom, Illinois, according to the LaSalle County, Illinois, Sheriff's Office. Ground operations began at 9 a.m. with air operati...