Just saw this in my inbox:

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 -- 1:31 AM ET

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Edward M. Kennedy, Senate Stalwart, Dies at 77

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one ofthe most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died late Tuesday night. He was 77.

Read More: http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na

I'm so sad! I've always admired him for his devotion towards public life ('cause I don't think I can ever do that, as I'm a pretty private person) and he's always reminded me of the Gryffindor Lion -- loyal, courageous, and brave.

He will be sadly missed.

NBC's Brian William's tribute: Remembering Ted Kennedy (View in Small)

mood: sad tags: farewells, politics, senator kennedy, usa

Suaad Hagi Mohamud was stranded in Kenya for three months (partially in jail) because when she was trying to leave, Kenyan officials asked for a bribe even though she has a Canadian passport. Then they claimed that her lips (her lips!) didn't match her passport photo. Canadian officials agreed and voided her passport, calling her an imposter. They also urged her to charge her with identity fraud.

She finally had to take a DNA test and it confirmed she was who she was saying all along.

I'm shocked that this can happen. What's the point of having a Canadian citizenship if the government is going to abandon you at your time of need?? I've always been proud to be Canadian, but I'm simply appalled.

Then to learn that a second Canadian, who also happens to have autism, has been stranded in Kenya under the same circumstance for THREE years is simply APPALLING.

And now she's suing the government for $2.5 million. And if she succeeds, guess where the money's going to come from? The tax-payers.

But I agree this shouldn't happen.

mood: annoyed tags: canada, kenya, news, politics, toronto

"Morning Joe" has released a video about their interns. (View in Large | View in Small)

They wake up and go in at 4 a.m.? I guess that makes sense since "Way Too Early" starts at 5:30 a.m. and "Morning Joe" starts at 6 a.m., but still...that's quite early. I like how they all talk about how they all started off with internships. It gives me hope. =D

One of my favourite shows. To see more of "Morning Joe", their videos are under the Links Section to the left.

MSNBC interns must meet the following criteria:

Enrolled in a Bachelor's/Masters program at an accredited college or university

18 years or older and current sophomore standing or above

Able to receive academic credit from their college or university prior to starting assignment

Commit to a minimum of 3 days per week either on a part-time or full-time basis

Apply Here

mood: hopeful tags: internships, morning joe, news, pimp, politics, television

1. Summit Ent. has replaced Rachelle Lefevre’s by Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria in "Eclipse".

==>Apparently, the schedule conflict was only ten days... so, personally, I think they wanted to get rid of her and they were just using the scheduling conflict as a cover. ( Continued... )

2. Justice has been served!! Melissa Todorovic has been convicted of the murder of Stefani Rengel. She was fifteen at the time and has now been handed down an adult sentence for first-degree murder.

==>I definitely agree with this. While, she didn't wield the knife that killed Stefani, she convinced her boyfriend to do it...a girl who went out with her boyfriend at 12 and had a non-sexual relationship... She'd never even met Stefani!! And the fact that she didn't show any empathy is a huge problem!

3. What's with all these strikes?? Toronto's six week garbage strike is possibly almost over. The city can clean up and people can stop dumping filling up garbage in our parks. The ferry service, day camps, etc. can resume. And this came right after Windsor's 101-day strike (which also included garbage collection) and VIA Rail's strike (which ended after both sides agreed to a federal arbitrator). BTW, train tickets are now 60% off and the offer has been extended to Friday. (They'e trying to suck it up to customers after the strike hassle.)

==>It just annoys me that it seems like everyone is going on strike ( Continued... )

4. Prison consultants exist?? Well, now I'm informed.

==>"Clients are counselled, he said, to always stick with their own race - regardless of how open-minded they might be in the outside world - and are coached to never let anyone cut in front of them in the food line. They're warned that dorm environments are more volatile than single cellblocks and that most altercations take place in the TV room." Good to know.

5. I knew it!! I knew it was a made up controversy!! The Telegraph Journal has apologized" to PM Harper (of which he has accepted), for saying that Harper slipped a communion wafer in his jacket pocket at a funeral mass for former GG Romeo LeBlanc.

==>I was seriously baffled and why everyone was talking about it. I know it has a serious religious significance, but if people were there and saw Harper eat it...then I believe he ate. Turns out it a Liberal source (trying to frame the PM) told the publisher, who told the editor to write up a piece...making it front page news. Now, the editor is fired and the publisher is suspended by his father (newspaper is owned by the Irving family). Good grief! No wonder no one trusts the news anymore.

6. Possibly honour killings? The parents of three of the four women suspiciously found at the bottom of the canal in a car, in Kingston, and the brother have been charged with first degree murder.

==>I was always suspicious. First, how did the car end up in a canal? The entrance was padlocked and would have had to weave through a mini-park (which wasn't disturbed) to get in the water. ( More... )

7. I'm glad to see Lucia Whalen is cleared and the tapes released. ==>I was seriously baffled as to why the neighbour didn't recognize Gates. Turns out she isn't his neighbour and never mentioned race at all until pressed.

8. Er, what?? This is what I read on my phone this morning: "US man charged with having sex with horse; police say he has attacked same animal twice". Apparently, he was a repeat offender who was placed on the sex offender list for having sex with the same horse in 2007.

==>Just no words.

9. Legally Blonde musical!

==>Really? I would've never have thought to make a musical out of it...

mood: aggravated tags: bryce dallas howard, canada, eclipse, gg, liberal, movie, murder, musical, news, odd news, politics, prime minister, rachelle lefevre, romeo leblanc, stephen harper, strike, summit entertainment, toronto, twilight

1. Can't wait till HBP!! Four more days, two hours and some odd minutes & seconds!!


Tribute.ca has an interview (video) with Tom Felton just before the Meet and Greet in Toronto. (Link to Download)

Everyone really should see this or if you're avoiding previews, etc. until you've see HBP, then bookmark it to view it after you've seen the movie. WB has released 20 minutes of behind the scenes footage to IESB.net.

CNN had viewers send in questions and the cast respond. It includes Tom Felton, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, David Yates, and Emma Watson. (Video here)

ComingSoon.net has a written interview with Tom Felton and Muggle Hub has an amazing HBP screensaver among other things such as posters, wallpapers, site skins, etc.

( More Video Clips... )

2. Geesh! What's the press coming to these days? PM Harper was 1 min 20 seconds late to the G8+5+1 photo op and it was all over the news!!! That makes me feel bad since usually when I'm late, it's more than two minutes...

3. I find it a bit sad that the VANOC decided not to include the women's ski jumping but included men's ski jumping...and then the court ruled against them...

mood: blank tags: 2010 olympics, canada, comedy, daniel radcliffe, david letterman, emma watson, harry potter, hbp, movie, movie: anticipating, politics, prime minister, rupert grint, stephen harper, television, today show, tom felton, vancouver, warner bros. pictures

1. Happy Independence Day to those in the US!


2. Possible splitting point for DH? What do you all think?
( SPOILERS )

3. ( Official: 18 Mobile & 11 Desktop Wallpapers )

4. J.K. Rowling is contributing a story to Kids' Night In 3 to be published on September 28, 2009. I'm looking forward to reading it!! =)

5. I hope Rupert Grint is better now! He apparently had the swine flu...

6. QUESTION: HELP!! What type of fireplace would Malfoy Manor have? Would it be a Victorian type fireplace?? If you can attach a picture or link, that'd be great! Thanks!

7. Another question: Has anyone seen "The Proposal"? Any good?

8. And Sarah Palin...All this speculation and everything. I, honestly, think she just wants out of politics and that she just had enough of all the personal attacks on her and her family. She did say something about people making personal attacks on her son. And I guess she didn't want to seem like she was giving up, so she tried to give it a nice spin on her leaving... and possibly keep her options open for the future. Don't think that nice spin worked though... I mean, if she isn't going to be a "lame duck" and waste money, her Lt. Gov will. She just insulted the guy. Huh.

mood: awake tags: david yates, dh, harry potter, hbp, independence day, jk rowling, movie, movie: anticipating, news, politics, questions, rupert grint, sarah palin, the proposal, usa, wallpapers, warner bros. pictures

I haven't talked about Canadian politics for awhile, but it has been on my mind.

PM Harper announced his new cabinet recently, which included an additional 11 members with a stronger presence of women and the GTA. Three rookie women--Lisa Raitt (Halton), Leona Aglukkaq (Nunavut), and Gail Shea (Prince Edward Island)--were included in Harper's inner circle. I find these three women intriguing, especially Aglukkaq who already made history by being the first Conservative MP elected in the territory of Nunavut. I'm not surprised by his pick of her because his mantra has been "experience, experience, experience." Now she has made history as Canada's first Inuit cabinet minister.She's married to a Cape Bretoner (or a "Southerner" as she would call it), has a four-month old son, and brought her son to work three days after he was born. She has drawn comparisons with Sarah Palin, but she seemed a little annoyed by this comparison; she emphasized her experience and that she was "certainly doing this longer than [Palin] was declared a candidate". She, at least, did not mess up her first national interview like Palin did. I applaud her, and all the newly appointed and returning cabinet ministers.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has announced that he will step down after the election's disastrous showing at the polls and worst loss of seats since Confederation. Although I feel sorry for Dion (he is the second leader in history that will not become PM since becoming leader), I think a new leader for the party is necessary. While I have nothing against Dion, he had trouble explaining and wooing Canadians towards him and his policies. Speculation on who will run for the leadership of the Liberal party is on: Bob Rae has been confirmed after a news report rumoured of him saying that he was hesitant to run; Michael Ignatieff; and Dominic Leblanc have all confirmed that they will run for the leadership.

Former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna, former Liberal cabinet minister John Manley, and newly elected Justin Trudeau have all confirmed that they will not be running for the leadership of the federal Liberal party. Gerald Kennedy is thinking about it; amongst the other names floating around as possible leadership contenders.

A motion has been proposed for MPs who have outstanding debt to be barred from running for the leadership. I think that's an excellent idea! If a candidate has outstanding debt, then he or she shouldn't be able to run. The candidate should be able to raise money and any major outstanding debts should be taken into account.

Of all the talk about the upcoming Liberal leadership convention in 2009, the Conservative Party of Canada's Policy Convention scheduled for next weekend, November 13-15, 2008, has been mainly ignored by the mainstream media. They will be amending the Constitution, including proposed Constitution resolutions including the Constitution Floor Resolutions and Constitution Handout Ballot Resolutions, adopting and amending Party policy, and Electing a National Council.

On another note, PM Harper and President-elect Obama has spoken about the global credit crisis, the environment and the military mission in Afghanistan. The Canadian government is particularly interested in working with the U.S. on the environment and energy security; they see an opportunity to create an integrated carbon market and they believe that the next U.S. administration will be able to balance the concern for the environment with concern for the economy. This is a good idea: Canada cannot tackle the environment and climate change alone. Certainly, the whole world needs to help tackle this problem.

mood: thoughtful tags: barack obama, cabinet, conservative, conservative convention, environment, liberal, liberal leadership, politics, prime minister, stephen harper