Six In The Morning

1 LINGENFELTER WINS NDP CROWN Here's the story on CBC, in the Leader-Post, in the Leader-Post again , plus Leader-Post politics writer Murray Mandryks' thoughts, a solid report in the StarPhoenix and finally in the Globe And Mail. Oh wait, there's no link to the Globe and Mail story. Wait, IS there even a Globe and Mail story on this important Saskatchewan political event? I can't find one. Booo, Globe and Mail!

2 COLBERT VS. BAGHDAD Televisions' top satirist takes it to the troops. Cool. (Associated Press via Globe and Mail) You know, that's a good story, let's have some more on this. (New York Times.)

3 TORIES CRAP OUT MORE CRAPPY CRIME INITIATIVES They'll be popular with the "thinking hard makes my head hurt" crowd but the new Conservative crime bills like mandatory minimum sentences and now removing the faint-hope clause are terrible ideas because they take power away from courts and judges, who know the details of a case. (Globe And Mail)

The chair of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers says it really well in the Globe's story, linked to above: “Every situation has got a human story to it and you have got to allow some discretion and weighing of circumstances.”

Bottom line: the Tories are pushing a simplistic, childish and frankly unworkable approach to fighting crime.

Sorry, I demand my country's criminal justice policies be flexible, functional and informed by knowledge, compassion and a commitment to making the system work.

4 STEM CELLS PUMPING UP Ottawa-based researchers working with stem cells have made some progress in repairing/regenerating muscle tissue, which is important when you're trying to treat nasty, nasty things like muscular dystrophy. And here's a surprise: bodybuilders are interested in this research. (Toronto Star)

5 BIG BROTHER DOT COM A certain notorious human-rights stomping superpower that just passed a notable anniversary says that all its citizens' personal computers must have censoring software to let the government filter out "unhealthy information". Such as, one presumes, anything on the Tiananmen Square massacre or Tibet. (New York Times)

6 MEANWHILE IN EUROPE, THE PENDULAM SWINGS TOWARD FACISM Ohhhh gooood. Europe just finished electing its parliament and the right-wingers and wingnuts made big gains. Funny thing, democracy--when people are frightened by crumbling economies, environmental collapse, war, crime and a general sense of massive corruption on a global scale, they often vote for extremists. Who are, of course, just the thing a troubled world needs. (Guardian)