# The CanaDoper Café, 2013 edition. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 1, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736 "2013-01-01T03:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 59
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1161 "2013-05-17T11:29:17Z")
Well, yes, it could. We’ll find out for certain, all in good time. Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy the show. If Toronto had to have a right-wing mayor this time around, we could have had John Tory. Instead, we’re stuck with this clown until we can vote him out. And Mike Duffy’s free-fall meltdown continues unabated, with allegations that he tried to influence the [CRTC’s decision on Sun Media](http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/mike-duffy-tried-to-influence-crtc-decision-on-sun-media-source-1.1285555). He’s apparently left the Conservative caucus. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1162 "2013-05-17T13:14:27Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > \And Mike Duffy’s free-fall meltdown continues unabated, with allegations that he tried to influence the [CRTC’s decision on Sun Media](http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/mike-duffy-tried-to-influence-crtc-decision-on-sun-media-source-1.1285555). He’s apparently left the Conservative caucus. What I like about this is how it’s his **former** employer (CTV) who leads the pack in the hunt (the guy must have been a real dick at his job for them to have turned against him at the first occasion). The other ex-CTV employee who his also a senator (Pamela Whalin {sp. ?}), although in trouble herself, doesn’t warrant the same level of attention. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1163 "2013-05-17T13:45:29Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Well, yes, it could. We’ll find out for certain, all in good time. Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy the show. It does sound interesting now, in the light of a new day. > [@](#): > > And Mike Duffy’s free-fall meltdown continues unabated, with allegations that he tried to influence the [CRTC’s decision on Sun Media](http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/mike-duffy-tried-to-influence-crtc-decision-on-sun-media-source-1.1285555). He’s apparently left the Conservative caucus. How on Earth could someone who spent most of his career covering news on parliament hill suddenly think he was going to get away with everything he’s accused of? The housing allowance sounds like something many, many senators over the years have taken advantage of. I’m not condoning it, but he should know better. Accepting a gift of $90,000 from the PMO’s Chief of Staff and not reporting it as a gift, as required, is ridiculous, and quite possibly also a conflict of interest. And then to announce via email that he arranged his own financing through RBC and expect not to be caught up in all of these lies? He covered parliament hill! How stupid is he? Claiming per diems when he wasn’t eligible? Lobbying on behalf of Sun News? The man must be suffering from dementia or something. It’s unbelievable really. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1164 "2013-05-17T14:11:10Z")
If you felt the Earth move under your feet. Reply [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=691223). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1165 "2013-05-17T14:19:56Z")
From the linked article: > [@](#): > > “You know people at the CRTC,” the insider quoted Duffy as saying. “This is an important decision on Sun Media. They have to play with the team and support Sun Media’s request.” “Play with the team”?!? So the CRTC is to support the current party in power? If he said this, he should be outta there. And, he spent all those years on the Hill, looking for dirt on politicians, and doesn’t think the same rules apply to him? > [@](#): > > What I like about this is how it’s his former employer (CTV) who leads the pack in the hunt (the guy must have been a real dick at his job for them to have turned against him at the first occasion). The other ex-CTV employee who his also a senator (Pamela Whalin {sp. ?}), although in trouble herself, doesn’t warrant the same level of attention. Not necessarily. They may have been looking into her as well, and not found anything other than the already reported irregularities in her expense claims. Duffy, on the other hand, seems to be the gift that keeps on giving. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1166 "2013-05-17T17:21:21Z")
I wonder if Duffy can look at himself in the mirror What a fall from grace, to go from being a respected journalist THE Parliament Hill reporter, to useless clown Senator on the take. He’s either to stupid to be a Senator, or he has committed fraud. Probably both. What a joke. Well he may go down as the person most responsible for Senate Reform. Hopefully Canadians are going to demand that this joke of a pensioned off cushy position for hacks and toadies be accountable, or be abolished completely. There are frauds and toadies in all parties, elected, appointed etc. But this is just obscene. Why did a 16 dollar glass of orange juice ruin one career while Mike Duffy seems to have everyone covering for him and excusing him? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1167 "2013-05-17T17:21:41Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No. It Couldn’t. > > Don’t spread that shit. I heard about it on twitter, so I went and did more research, and the result was that reporters have apparently seen the video, but the video is up for sale with a high price tag, and they have not at this point bought the video. There is reasonable doubt in my mind at this point that Mayor Rob Ford did, indeed, smoke crack on a video. There is also reasonable doubt that the video is a fraud. I thought it was an interesting development and worth discussing. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > \ > If he said this, he should be outta there. And, he spent all those years on the Hill, looking for dirt on politicians, and doesn’t think the same rules apply to him? > > Not necessarily. They may have been looking into her as well, and not found anything other than the already reported irregularities in her expense claims. > > Duffy, on the other hand, seems to be the gift that keeps on giving. After watching the latest news story last night, I turned to Jim and asked him, “Do these guys just expect to never get caught, or are they legitimately unaware of things like expense and disclosure regulations?” Our conclusion is that we don’t know how many shenanigans politicians and senators get up to, so we don’t know how many times they do outrageous things and get away with it, so we’re guessing that they just don’t expect to get caught. We are continually amazed at Duffy, a former news guy on Parliament Hill, doing all the things he’s doing when he knows better than anyone how the media works. “Senility” is about the only thing that makes sense at this point. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Das\_Glasperlenspiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/das_glasperlenspiel/32/2944_2.png) [@Das\_Glasperlenspiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Das_Glasperlenspiel)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1168 "2013-05-17T17:29:45Z")
In what is turning out to be a very newsworthy Friday, [Elijah Harper](http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Elijah+Harper+scuttled+Meech+Lake+dies/8400637/story.html) has died. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1169 "2013-05-17T18:38:01Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I heard about it on twitter, so I went and did more research, and the result was that reporters have apparently seen the video, but the video is up for sale with a high price tag, and they have not at this point bought the video. There is reasonable doubt in my mind at this point that Mayor Rob Ford did, indeed, smoke crack on a video. There is also reasonable doubt that the video is a fraud. I thought it was an interesting development and worth discussing. Certainly worth discussing. Sorry. I do think it would be preposterous though. He’s certainly a bit of a lout at times. For his sake though I hope it’s a fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1170 "2013-05-17T19:45:31Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Certainly worth discussing. Sorry. > > I do think it would be preposterous though. He’s certainly a bit of a lout at times. For his sake though I hope it’s a fraud. It does sound completely preposterous, but we live in a very strange world. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1171 "2013-05-17T20:21:17Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Certainly worth discussing. Sorry. > > I do think it would be preposterous though. He’s certainly a bit of a lout at times. For his sake though I hope it’s a fraud. Yes, I saw this on the news this morning. It seems preposterous to me too. Rob Ford never struck me as anyone who’d do more than get drunk now and then… the genial sports-oriented extrovert “can’t-you-take-a-joke?” type. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1172 "2013-05-17T22:58:23Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Not necessarily. They may have been looking into her as well, and not found anything other than the already reported irregularities in her expense claims. Oops, I spoke to soon. Pamela Wallin is also quitting the Tory caucus: [Senator Pamela Wallin leaves Conservative caucus | CBC News](http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/05/17/pol-pamela-wallin-conservative-caucus.html) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1173 "2013-05-18T02:19:56Z")
I’m entitled to my entitlements! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1174 "2013-05-18T02:54:32Z")
The Conservatives have wanted to reform the senate for decades. Do you think they now have the support to do so? I believe the triple E (equal, elected, and effective) model is what they have always been looking for. I’m all for it. Would it mean opening up the constitution? Whatever the hell that means. What’s the process for reforming the senate anyway? Huge question, I know, but who in their right mind would be against senatorial elections, especially after the last few months? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1175 "2013-05-18T03:01:04Z")
I’ve been on hold with Shaw Direct for 45 minutes now. StarChoice used to answer in minutes. I’ve never been on a waiting line for 45 minutes before. Thanks Shaw Direct. My phone actually might discharge before I get to speak with someone. What should I tell them? ETA: 52 minutes now, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1176 "2013-05-18T03:02:01Z")
[Pamela Wallin forced out of Tory caucus over preliminary audit results](http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/pamela-wallin-forced-out-of-tory-caucus-over-preliminary-audit-results-1.1286767#ixzz2Tbq0CO00) > [@](#): > > Alarmed by what they’ve discovered so far, the auditors are now scrutinizing all of Wallin’s travel expenses since 2009 – the year she was appointed to the Senate. > > Auditors had at first only been probing about a year’s worth of travel expenses. > > **Once the audit is complete, it will be sent directly to the RCMP, a well-informed insider told Fife**. :eek::eek::eek: That sounds like way more than some sloppy expense claims. Who knows? [Maybe Brent Butt had it right in Corner Gas](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTA2vWoRC3Y). (Start at 1:35.) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1177 "2013-05-18T03:29:31Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’ve been on hold with Shaw Direct for 45 minutes now. StarChoice used to answer in minutes. > > I’ve never been on a waiting line for 45 minutes before. > > Thanks Shaw Direct. My phone actually might discharge before I get to speak with someone. > > What should I tell them? > > ETA: 52 minutes now, actually. 1:18 They appreciate my call though, and will be helping me shortly. ETA: I had my son go out to my car and get my car charger. Then I got my automobile battery charger from the garage. I’m sitting here with my phone hooked up to a car charger, hooked up to an automotive battery charger. My son and I thought Red Green would be proud. But only if we wrapped it all in duct tape. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1178 "2013-05-18T04:05:25Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > 1:18 > > They appreciate my call though, and will be helping me shortly. > > ETA: I had my son go out to my car and get my car charger. Then I got my automobile battery charger from the garage. I’m sitting here with my phone hooked up to a car charger, hooked up to an automotive battery charger. My son and I thought Red Green would be proud. But only if we wrapped it all in duct tape. 1:53 - No response. Make your own conclusions re. customer service. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1179 "2013-05-18T05:21:53Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Yes, I saw this on the news this morning. It seems preposterous to me too. Rob Ford never struck me as anyone who’d do more than get drunk now and then… the genial sports-oriented extrovert “can’t-you-take-a-joke?” type. I’ve figured it out - the person in the video in question is Chris Farley! ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1180 "2013-05-18T10:23:07Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Huge question, I know, but who in their right mind would be against senatorial elections, especially after the last few months? People who want to get rid of the Senate altogether? I think that’s the NDP’s position. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736.md?page=58) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736.md?page=60)