Did you ever notice that Sneazy's bed was right up beside Dopey's? Something going on there.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Suspected case of mad cow detected
Is it BSE or old age? Look at that cow's birthdate .... he's just senile!
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
At last - hockey integrity!
The Spengler Cup is being played right now in Davos, Switzerland.
The Spengler Cup, first awarded in 1923, is the oldest running international club team tournament in the world. This invitational tournament, hosted by Swiss team HC Davos during their league's Christmas break, features club teams from all over the world. Canada first began participating in the 1980's, sending over a collection of university players, minor leaguers and Canadians playing European pro hockey. Between 1984 and 1998 the Canadians have won the tournament eight times, including four straight championships from '95 to '98.
This year, coach Marc Habscheid resisted the urge to stack his team with out of work NHL players greedy for ice time. Most of the other teams have done so, but Canada is doing just fine without them. The final game goes Dec. 31.
Applause to Coach Habscheid for respecting how hard his underdog guys want to win this tournament and for sticking with those players instead of dumping some to make room for the millionaires. Win or lose, Habscheid has class.
http://www.recorder.ca/cp/hockey/041223/h122325A.html
The Spengler Cup, first awarded in 1923, is the oldest running international club team tournament in the world. This invitational tournament, hosted by Swiss team HC Davos during their league's Christmas break, features club teams from all over the world. Canada first began participating in the 1980's, sending over a collection of university players, minor leaguers and Canadians playing European pro hockey. Between 1984 and 1998 the Canadians have won the tournament eight times, including four straight championships from '95 to '98.
This year, coach Marc Habscheid resisted the urge to stack his team with out of work NHL players greedy for ice time. Most of the other teams have done so, but Canada is doing just fine without them. The final game goes Dec. 31.
Applause to Coach Habscheid for respecting how hard his underdog guys want to win this tournament and for sticking with those players instead of dumping some to make room for the millionaires. Win or lose, Habscheid has class.
http://www.recorder.ca/cp/hockey/041223/h122325A.html
Monday, December 27, 2004
Chinese rattling jians again
The Communist government of China is back to threatening any independance for the Taiwanese government.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-27-voa6.cfm
The present People's Republic of China consider Taiwan a province of China, however the same could be argued from the Taiwanese point of view. It was after their civil war that General Chiang Kai-shek led what was left of the Nationalist Kuomintang Army across the Straight of Taiwan in 1949 to establish a still free China after a bloody war which saw the rise of Mao Tse-Tung. (Zedong today) The enthusiasm of those free Chinese and their energy made Taiwan an example of freedom's growth and success in Asia and envied around the world for their emergence as a bustling trading nation. One wonders what the 'other' China could have become with a free people?
But this is very complicated. The US has an obligation via treaty to protect the democracy in Taipei in direct confrontation with the communists. Yet American businesses eager to operate in mainland China, would willingly throw the Chinese island democracy aside for their pieces of gold from the People's Republic. And the very presence in Mainland China of American trading, building, expertise and know how, is what is allowing their Chinese masters to direct more sinister attention toward the real American ally, Taiwan. The island is heavily armed and knows it would be a last stand if attacked.
I was in Hong Kong on April 4, 1975 when the Generalissimo died. Victoria Island's rough slopes were filled with communist China refugees, who had made it to Hong Kong by stealing across the border, cramming themselves into sampans or junks in the night, or even swimming to freedom in the then British Colony. These people lived in lean-tos, perhaps a two foot by four foot piece of canvas or rusted tin the only roof over their heads. Sometimes a whole family living day-to-day making artificial flowers or anything they could do to survive. Beside many of these shabby lean-tos rose the red and blue Nationalist China flag of Chiang Kai-Shek. Flying at half mast to respect the venerable old soldier. Strong symbolism that even a scant life in freedom was better than under a bleak communist rule.
I am hoping that China puts its swords back in their scabbords and leaves Taiwan to continue on its own way, but I fear the example of what a free Chinese people can attain is too much embarrassment for the failures of a government which suppresses the creativity and potential of twenty-two percent of the world's population.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-27-voa6.cfm
The present People's Republic of China consider Taiwan a province of China, however the same could be argued from the Taiwanese point of view. It was after their civil war that General Chiang Kai-shek led what was left of the Nationalist Kuomintang Army across the Straight of Taiwan in 1949 to establish a still free China after a bloody war which saw the rise of Mao Tse-Tung. (Zedong today) The enthusiasm of those free Chinese and their energy made Taiwan an example of freedom's growth and success in Asia and envied around the world for their emergence as a bustling trading nation. One wonders what the 'other' China could have become with a free people?
But this is very complicated. The US has an obligation via treaty to protect the democracy in Taipei in direct confrontation with the communists. Yet American businesses eager to operate in mainland China, would willingly throw the Chinese island democracy aside for their pieces of gold from the People's Republic. And the very presence in Mainland China of American trading, building, expertise and know how, is what is allowing their Chinese masters to direct more sinister attention toward the real American ally, Taiwan. The island is heavily armed and knows it would be a last stand if attacked.
I was in Hong Kong on April 4, 1975 when the Generalissimo died. Victoria Island's rough slopes were filled with communist China refugees, who had made it to Hong Kong by stealing across the border, cramming themselves into sampans or junks in the night, or even swimming to freedom in the then British Colony. These people lived in lean-tos, perhaps a two foot by four foot piece of canvas or rusted tin the only roof over their heads. Sometimes a whole family living day-to-day making artificial flowers or anything they could do to survive. Beside many of these shabby lean-tos rose the red and blue Nationalist China flag of Chiang Kai-Shek. Flying at half mast to respect the venerable old soldier. Strong symbolism that even a scant life in freedom was better than under a bleak communist rule.
I am hoping that China puts its swords back in their scabbords and leaves Taiwan to continue on its own way, but I fear the example of what a free Chinese people can attain is too much embarrassment for the failures of a government which suppresses the creativity and potential of twenty-two percent of the world's population.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Late News - Santa where are you?
News Bulletin: Just in. Santa's sley has disappeared from radar screens. After leaving the North Pole it seems he just vanished.
The new American Missile defense system had no comment on the rumour that a missile, which was supposed to have been launched in a failed test weeks ago, suddenly activated and headed toward Santa. The words 'Donner and Blitzen' flashed across military monitors and the computer read them as the German words 'thunder and lightning', believing it to be a codename for an attack from the French pretending they were Germany. As usual there was no mention of North Korea. The missile headed straight toward a red beacon mistakenly read as a warhead. Rudolph will be missed.
Homeland Security said whatever happened, America is safer now.
Canada isn't.
The new American Missile defense system had no comment on the rumour that a missile, which was supposed to have been launched in a failed test weeks ago, suddenly activated and headed toward Santa. The words 'Donner and Blitzen' flashed across military monitors and the computer read them as the German words 'thunder and lightning', believing it to be a codename for an attack from the French pretending they were Germany. As usual there was no mention of North Korea. The missile headed straight toward a red beacon mistakenly read as a warhead. Rudolph will be missed.
Homeland Security said whatever happened, America is safer now.
Canada isn't.
BC Ferries new ships - Another betrayal of British Columbians?
The new BC Ferries to be built will send about 500 MILLION dollars out of BC and Canada. What did we expect from the "Hate BC" Liberals? Everything they do points out their disgust for British Columbians. Everything they do puts foreigners ahead of YOU and your interests. This is simply hard to understand.
Sure sure, retaliate with the 'Fast Ferries Fiasco' of the former NDP government. That cost about 400 million. But THAT 400 million was earned by British Columbians and SPENT in BC by those workers! THIS 500 million is going to Germany. And did you know? The German company is making its workers work 88 HOURS EACH YEAR FOR FREE!!!!! Part of their deal to get the contract.
http://www.canada.com/search/results.html?searchfor=bc+ferries
And the American CEO of BC Ferries is petitioning the federal government to drop the 25% duties required for out of country constructed ships!
Even the former Premier of the province is disgusted, "I just can't believe what is happening, " Bill Vander Zalm said recently, "These are jobs that must be kept in the province. It's $500 million going abroad. It's losing the tax benefits that come from industry, from the workers when they're employed." For your info, Bill Vander Zalm led a Social Credit government of BC which was ideologically opposed to the NDP party. You could fill pages with comments from unionists about how disastrous this is for BC and Canada. However, this is NOT a union issue, it is about respect for British Columbia expertise, abilities and competance. We HAVE all that. What we don't have is a government that believes in us.
The German company with the contract, Flensburger, once built U-boats during the Second World War. Of course, that'll be reassuring to us BCers if they sink.
http://www.nupge.ca/news%5F2004/n08au04a.htm
Sure sure, retaliate with the 'Fast Ferries Fiasco' of the former NDP government. That cost about 400 million. But THAT 400 million was earned by British Columbians and SPENT in BC by those workers! THIS 500 million is going to Germany. And did you know? The German company is making its workers work 88 HOURS EACH YEAR FOR FREE!!!!! Part of their deal to get the contract.
http://www.canada.com/search/results.html?searchfor=bc+ferries
And the American CEO of BC Ferries is petitioning the federal government to drop the 25% duties required for out of country constructed ships!
Even the former Premier of the province is disgusted, "I just can't believe what is happening, " Bill Vander Zalm said recently, "These are jobs that must be kept in the province. It's $500 million going abroad. It's losing the tax benefits that come from industry, from the workers when they're employed." For your info, Bill Vander Zalm led a Social Credit government of BC which was ideologically opposed to the NDP party. You could fill pages with comments from unionists about how disastrous this is for BC and Canada. However, this is NOT a union issue, it is about respect for British Columbia expertise, abilities and competance. We HAVE all that. What we don't have is a government that believes in us.
The German company with the contract, Flensburger, once built U-boats during the Second World War. Of course, that'll be reassuring to us BCers if they sink.
http://www.nupge.ca/news%5F2004/n08au04a.htm
Saturday, December 18, 2004
One law for you - one law for the rich.
News item ...
Whitney Houston receives citation for rear-ending bus:
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (AP) — Singer Whitney Houston rear-ended a city bus with her sports car, but no one was hurt, police said. The accident happened Wednesday afternoon as Houston was making a left turn, said Sgt. Chris Lagerbloom. The bus sustained minor damage. The bumper of Houston's Porsche was mangled but the singer was not injured. She was given a citation for failure to yield, a misdemeanor.
Houston lives with her husband, R&B singer Bobby Brown, near the suburb of Alpharetta, about 25 miles north of Atlanta.
I wonder why the police didn’t arrest her for running off at the Honolulu airport with drugs in her bags? You remember that incident, don’t you? As she was about to board the plane back to California, drugs were discovered in her and Bobby Brown’s suitcases. She simply ignored US Customs and got on the plane. Wasn’t that ‘failure to yield’ too? When questioned about her getting away, the police said she just got onto the plane and left. Hmm. That was in the midst of “Zero Tolerance” regarding drugs. Can you imagine anyone else getting away with that?
Seems that Sgt. Lagerbloom missed his chance at catching a fugitive. But wait, that was Whitney Houston, the famous singer who slipped away again like Batgirl in her Porsche.
Oh ... I guess it's okay then.
Shouldn’t she have been driving an Alfa Romeo anyway?
Whitney Houston receives citation for rear-ending bus:
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (AP) — Singer Whitney Houston rear-ended a city bus with her sports car, but no one was hurt, police said. The accident happened Wednesday afternoon as Houston was making a left turn, said Sgt. Chris Lagerbloom. The bus sustained minor damage. The bumper of Houston's Porsche was mangled but the singer was not injured. She was given a citation for failure to yield, a misdemeanor.
Houston lives with her husband, R&B singer Bobby Brown, near the suburb of Alpharetta, about 25 miles north of Atlanta.
I wonder why the police didn’t arrest her for running off at the Honolulu airport with drugs in her bags? You remember that incident, don’t you? As she was about to board the plane back to California, drugs were discovered in her and Bobby Brown’s suitcases. She simply ignored US Customs and got on the plane. Wasn’t that ‘failure to yield’ too? When questioned about her getting away, the police said she just got onto the plane and left. Hmm. That was in the midst of “Zero Tolerance” regarding drugs. Can you imagine anyone else getting away with that?
Seems that Sgt. Lagerbloom missed his chance at catching a fugitive. But wait, that was Whitney Houston, the famous singer who slipped away again like Batgirl in her Porsche.
Oh ... I guess it's okay then.
Shouldn’t she have been driving an Alfa Romeo anyway?
Advertising silliness ... 4 - VISA
Listen carefully because this guy talks fast. Blah blah. Use your Visa card this month and be automatically entered into a contest to get your purchases free in December. Blah blah. Offer good up to one hundred thousand dollars. Blah blah blah. No purchase is necessary.
erp???
erp???
Friday, December 17, 2004
Back to TopWednesday, December 15, 2004
Missile Defence System
America wants Canada to join them in protecting the USA from missile attacks. Noble idea, but why would WE be interested in that? They want us to put in billions of dollars to their rocket system while they fingerprint and record our eyeballs, 'just in case' WE turn out to be the bad guys. Missiles from North Korea and other rogue states. One wonders if North Korea and other rogue states have the technology to attack the USA from their home countries. And even if they could? The most likely attacks if they ever come, will be from within. Why shoot something across miles of ocean when you can simply BUILD it in New York city?
During the 9/11 crisis, America showed Canada where we are in their esteem. THEY just redirected all flights destined for the US to land in Canada. No one asked us. No one here said ok. America said those planes might have been carrying nuclear bombs. Hmmm. Let the Canadians get blown up. Halifax could be leveled, but not Boston. A Korean plane was refused permission to land in Alaska, and said it was running out of fuel. Two American F15s escorted that plane to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. No one asked if they could. No one gave America permission to fly in Canadian airspace. They just did it. What the hell, there are only Canadian Indians and Eskimos up there anyway, who cares if a hot bomb melts a few igloos?
So should we join?
check out his link for their tests of this 'system ...
The last major test failed. Previous test launches of defence rockets hit five out of eight. Good passing average in football, but not good enough in the nukes game. 5 out of 8. Well they could have missed Seaside, Oregon, Walla Walla, Washington, and Eureka, California, but maybe they'd have hit Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Not quite good enough. Especially when you consider that those rockets probably wouldn't even be wasted trying to protect, Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto.
This message coming to you from Canada, America's buffer zone.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/12/15/missile.defense.ap/index.html
UPDATE Feb 14, 2005
Make the score now 5 for 10, as another failure was registered today.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/02/14/missile.defense.ap/index.html
During the 9/11 crisis, America showed Canada where we are in their esteem. THEY just redirected all flights destined for the US to land in Canada. No one asked us. No one here said ok. America said those planes might have been carrying nuclear bombs. Hmmm. Let the Canadians get blown up. Halifax could be leveled, but not Boston. A Korean plane was refused permission to land in Alaska, and said it was running out of fuel. Two American F15s escorted that plane to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. No one asked if they could. No one gave America permission to fly in Canadian airspace. They just did it. What the hell, there are only Canadian Indians and Eskimos up there anyway, who cares if a hot bomb melts a few igloos?
So should we join?
check out his link for their tests of this 'system ...
The last major test failed. Previous test launches of defence rockets hit five out of eight. Good passing average in football, but not good enough in the nukes game. 5 out of 8. Well they could have missed Seaside, Oregon, Walla Walla, Washington, and Eureka, California, but maybe they'd have hit Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Not quite good enough. Especially when you consider that those rockets probably wouldn't even be wasted trying to protect, Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto.
This message coming to you from Canada, America's buffer zone.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/12/15/missile.defense.ap/index.html
UPDATE Feb 14, 2005
Make the score now 5 for 10, as another failure was registered today.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/02/14/missile.defense.ap/index.html
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
More private info going to America.
Why does the British Columbia Liberal Government hate British Columbians?
It seems every time we turn around the Liberals are selling out British Columbians again to outside interests. The Germans build better ships. Americans need to run our medical records. Outside interests control our railroads. Fish farms to foreigners ruining our natural fishery. The Liberals have no confidence in BC Canadians to do the job. Now Minister of Provincial Revenue Rick Thorpe is going to yet another AMERICAN company called EDS Advanced Solutions to handle bill collection for the province. They SAY that EDS is Canadian but it is controlled by EDS in America.
So, what does this mean? It means MORE PRIVATE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU CAN BE ACCESSED by shadowy American interests. For instance, if the Department of Homeland Security in the US wants to find out about us, it will a simple matter to commandeer that information from any subsidiaries operating anywhere in the world! That information will be sent with a single computer keystroke to whoever wants it! And the Homeland Security Act in the United States even prohibits companies from TELLING YOU THEY RELEASED INFO ABOUT YOU! If you believe that BC can control that situation you are sadly mistaken, or a blind, hoodwinked, gullible Liberal.
What gives? Why can't we collect our own bills? Why is the BC Liberal Government intent on betraying us? What's more, when we collect bills ourselves, we get 100% of the money, right? When EDS Advanced Solutions collects it, they get to KEEP 36% FOR THEMSELVES! THIRTY-SIX PERCENT! For their shareholders! That is a huge loss of BC money! Mr Thorpe admitted that himself! (He was on radio so we couldn't see if he had a straight face or not) MORE British Columbia money and information is leaving Canada because Gordon Campbell seems to hate British Columbia!
We know he hates women, but it seems he's added us all to his list! All our medical records are now going to an American company operating in Bermuda (to avoid American taxes) and now more info is going to EDS America! A long list of personal data is at risk which includes everything from your credit card and bank account numbers, personal property and asset details, individual family income, drivers license number and insurance info. Do you want to share this with a private American company or the American government?
How did so many in that provincial government agree to sell us out? Did we elect traitors? Do they have a secret web of sinister intent? Is there no integrity among them? How is it that these ministers all stand by like cud-munching cows while we are betrayed by Gordon Campbell? Do they have no pride in British Columbians? It is almost like we've been infiltrated by an enemy who is tearing us apart from within. Every chance he gets, Gordon Campbell shows that he thinks British Columbians are HIS enemy. He calls it private partnership, I call it outsourcing our jobs.
BC Canadians are the most intelligent people in the world. We have inventiveness, energy, work ethic, confidence, ability to do any job anywhere. Why does Gordon Campbell and his cadre of toadies look upon us with such disdain? With every black action he does, Mr Campbell causes us to lose a little more control of our own destiny.
go here and click on - NEW PROVINCIAL BRAND FOR REVENUE COLLECTION -
http://www.gov.bc.ca/bvprd/bc/channel.do?action=ministry&channelID=-8390&navId=NAV_ID_province
It seems every time we turn around the Liberals are selling out British Columbians again to outside interests. The Germans build better ships. Americans need to run our medical records. Outside interests control our railroads. Fish farms to foreigners ruining our natural fishery. The Liberals have no confidence in BC Canadians to do the job. Now Minister of Provincial Revenue Rick Thorpe is going to yet another AMERICAN company called EDS Advanced Solutions to handle bill collection for the province. They SAY that EDS is Canadian but it is controlled by EDS in America.
So, what does this mean? It means MORE PRIVATE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU CAN BE ACCESSED by shadowy American interests. For instance, if the Department of Homeland Security in the US wants to find out about us, it will a simple matter to commandeer that information from any subsidiaries operating anywhere in the world! That information will be sent with a single computer keystroke to whoever wants it! And the Homeland Security Act in the United States even prohibits companies from TELLING YOU THEY RELEASED INFO ABOUT YOU! If you believe that BC can control that situation you are sadly mistaken, or a blind, hoodwinked, gullible Liberal.
What gives? Why can't we collect our own bills? Why is the BC Liberal Government intent on betraying us? What's more, when we collect bills ourselves, we get 100% of the money, right? When EDS Advanced Solutions collects it, they get to KEEP 36% FOR THEMSELVES! THIRTY-SIX PERCENT! For their shareholders! That is a huge loss of BC money! Mr Thorpe admitted that himself! (He was on radio so we couldn't see if he had a straight face or not) MORE British Columbia money and information is leaving Canada because Gordon Campbell seems to hate British Columbia!
We know he hates women, but it seems he's added us all to his list! All our medical records are now going to an American company operating in Bermuda (to avoid American taxes) and now more info is going to EDS America! A long list of personal data is at risk which includes everything from your credit card and bank account numbers, personal property and asset details, individual family income, drivers license number and insurance info. Do you want to share this with a private American company or the American government?
How did so many in that provincial government agree to sell us out? Did we elect traitors? Do they have a secret web of sinister intent? Is there no integrity among them? How is it that these ministers all stand by like cud-munching cows while we are betrayed by Gordon Campbell? Do they have no pride in British Columbians? It is almost like we've been infiltrated by an enemy who is tearing us apart from within. Every chance he gets, Gordon Campbell shows that he thinks British Columbians are HIS enemy. He calls it private partnership, I call it outsourcing our jobs.
BC Canadians are the most intelligent people in the world. We have inventiveness, energy, work ethic, confidence, ability to do any job anywhere. Why does Gordon Campbell and his cadre of toadies look upon us with such disdain? With every black action he does, Mr Campbell causes us to lose a little more control of our own destiny.
go here and click on - NEW PROVINCIAL BRAND FOR REVENUE COLLECTION -
http://www.gov.bc.ca/bvprd/bc/channel.do?action=ministry&channelID=-8390&navId=NAV_ID_province
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Happy something or other ....
Merry Christmas. Say it. Mean it. Resist this ridiculous effort to change what is a religious time of year to something else. Why are some trying to change it? It is the commercial chain stores, Macys in New York, owned by Federated Stores, wants us to say Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings as though it was Easter break, or something else, because in THEIR interpretation of Christmas, they THINK that other religions will be offended. Offended. Like Jews, Muslims and Buddhists will refuse to shop. And shopping is more important than real merry Christmas. I notice the Hudsons Bay has no 'Merry Christmas' either, are they buying into the sham? The Bay is being bought by Target from America. Are they trying to suck up to their new indifferent to Christmas bosses? There is an organized campaign growing in the states to boycott Macys. Not a bad idea. Even if you're not religious. It's Christmas and it's Christ's birthday for Chrissakes!
Given the choice, I'd rather boycott Macys and the Bay than Jesus Christ.
Given the choice, I'd rather boycott Macys and the Bay than Jesus Christ.
Kim Komando computer show
Kim Komando's website is full of computer info and valuable tips, sign up (free) for her Saturday newsletter! Try it, you'll like it.
http://www.komando.com/
http://www.komando.com/
Carolyn Parrish for Greatest Canadian?
Well, after that interview with Wolf Blitzer and Tucker Carlson, where she 'discussed' Canada vs USA, she won rave reviews from many Canadians about her stance on freedom of speech in this country. (You can read the transcript here - http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/30/wbr.01.html )
The interview was actually fun, Carlson trying to pretend that America was our guardian and nanny. Saying that, yes, we exploit your natural resources, but you need us more than we need you. To which Ms Parrish replied, yes and if you didn't get our power, California would go dark! [California STILL owes us about 300 million dollars for power that they refuse to pay for when WE sold them power when no one else did because they didn't pay their bills! And even now California is saying we charged them too much and WE owe THEM 600 millions dollars!]
Carlson went on to say that America protects us and that we'd be invaded by Norway if they weren't there! (Aside from the fact that we'd probably welcome Norwegian 'invaders'.) The quick on her feet Carolyn came back with, We won't be invaded by anyone, no one's mad at us, we don't go around the world ticking everyone off! Carlson continued trying to win this friendly battle of wits but lost when Carolyn advised, I shouldn't even be on your show! I am irrelevant in my own party! I think Tucker took it all in good humour.
Well Carolyn Parrish spoke out as she should about her own feelings. AND for many Canadians' feelings about George Bush, the 'Avenger for my Daddy' president. After reading the transcript, you might think of Paul Martin as the toady suck-up to Bush, who recently said that she should be on a ship for Mars, "Begonne Carolyn Parrish!" he waved with a flourish to a crowd of Canadian rednecks. Hmmm, I wonder how many are just changing the name and saying the same thing to him?
Well, I wouldn't put Carolyn Parrish as the Greatest Canadian ahead of Tommy Douglas, but at least I'd put her ahead of wimpy Wayne Gretsky who wouldn't let Todd Bertuzzi play for Canada in the World Championships because the American run NHL told him not to.
Free speech is alive and well in Canada, too bad it isn't within Martin's precarious government.
The interview was actually fun, Carlson trying to pretend that America was our guardian and nanny. Saying that, yes, we exploit your natural resources, but you need us more than we need you. To which Ms Parrish replied, yes and if you didn't get our power, California would go dark! [California STILL owes us about 300 million dollars for power that they refuse to pay for when WE sold them power when no one else did because they didn't pay their bills! And even now California is saying we charged them too much and WE owe THEM 600 millions dollars!]
Carlson went on to say that America protects us and that we'd be invaded by Norway if they weren't there! (Aside from the fact that we'd probably welcome Norwegian 'invaders'.) The quick on her feet Carolyn came back with, We won't be invaded by anyone, no one's mad at us, we don't go around the world ticking everyone off! Carlson continued trying to win this friendly battle of wits but lost when Carolyn advised, I shouldn't even be on your show! I am irrelevant in my own party! I think Tucker took it all in good humour.
Well Carolyn Parrish spoke out as she should about her own feelings. AND for many Canadians' feelings about George Bush, the 'Avenger for my Daddy' president. After reading the transcript, you might think of Paul Martin as the toady suck-up to Bush, who recently said that she should be on a ship for Mars, "Begonne Carolyn Parrish!" he waved with a flourish to a crowd of Canadian rednecks. Hmmm, I wonder how many are just changing the name and saying the same thing to him?
Well, I wouldn't put Carolyn Parrish as the Greatest Canadian ahead of Tommy Douglas, but at least I'd put her ahead of wimpy Wayne Gretsky who wouldn't let Todd Bertuzzi play for Canada in the World Championships because the American run NHL told him not to.
Free speech is alive and well in Canada, too bad it isn't within Martin's precarious government.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Advertising sillinesss ... 3 - Tommy Hilfiger
Have you seen the Tommy Hilfiger ads in Pacific Center? Huge hanging billboards of this 12 year old girl in skimpy pink bra and teeny half panties. Do they need to show parental consent on those ads? Did the parents consent? Is Tommy Hilfiger trying to make preteens sexy now? That girl should have jammies on and a Teddy bear! The pedopheliacs are going mad, riding up and down those escalators endlessly with their hands inside their overcoat pockets. Sort of reminds me of those Calvin Klein 'heroin sheik' drug addict ads. Old Cal thought they were cool I guess, until he discovered that addicts didn't buy clothes. There is something sinister about a company that sexualizes children to me. But maybe Tommy thinks they're cool too, but at that age, I think Mommy still buys their clothing.
Hilfiger girlie?
Published in the Westender newspaper
Hilfiger girlie?
Published in the Westender newspaper
Nat Bailey Stadium
The old Nat Bailey
I used to go to that stadium to watch baseball in my early years. The Vancouver Capilanos. (Pronounced capiLINOs for you non-Vancouverites) We hung out in the bleachers and smoked and made a nuisance of ourselves and looked at the beautiful player’s wives in the good seats. I still have original black and white baseball cards of the era, 1951. Forgotten players like Bob Duretto, Pete Hernandez, Jesse Williams, a black man with Jackie Robinson dreams? Vancouver born Bill Whyte. My Johnny Ritchie card is signed by Mrs. Johnny Ritchie, how about that!
Nat Bailey is a heritage ballpark. It has a history even though we’ve had no Major League baseball. Not as great as the original Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, Ebbets Field or Comiskey Park, but nonetheless Vancouver’s baseball past is recorded here.
adults playing hooky
(And young players need to start somewhere. Canada’s Jason Bay is the National League’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ 2004, from Trail, BC!)
Now they want to tear it down for the Olympic Games and build a curling rink! Like how much room do they need there anyway? There are acres just across the street! Why not just build the Olympic rink next to the EXISTING curling rink at Hillcrest Park and have a complete curling complex AFTER the games? Would we destroy this baseball history for two weeks of curling? For tents for curling 'athletes"? They are starting the spin now, even though they allowed the lease for another year, of telling us it is run down. I say fix it up then!
It isn’t just about baseball, it is something of our past, something to remind us of our innocence and yes, honesty. When times were, 'different'. When 'play ball' meant play fair. Sappy sentimentality? Possibly, but if we let Nat Bailey go we lose something from our lives just as surely as a beloved relative. It is one of those subliminal possessions that, although we might not go there too often, we want it there just in case we do. Don’t let Nat Bailey Stadium die. It is our ‘little town’ legacy and so important for our big town mentality.
And don’t build anything southwest of the stadium either, it is the best view in baseball parks!
Published in the Westender newspaper
Bob Snyder baseball card. June 15, 1951, on opening night of Capilano Stadium, Bob Snyder won the first game of the Vancouver Capilanos against the Salem Senators 10 - 3 after Snyder allowed only 6 hits.
Snyder card
I used to go to that stadium to watch baseball in my early years. The Vancouver Capilanos. (Pronounced capiLINOs for you non-Vancouverites) We hung out in the bleachers and smoked and made a nuisance of ourselves and looked at the beautiful player’s wives in the good seats. I still have original black and white baseball cards of the era, 1951. Forgotten players like Bob Duretto, Pete Hernandez, Jesse Williams, a black man with Jackie Robinson dreams? Vancouver born Bill Whyte. My Johnny Ritchie card is signed by Mrs. Johnny Ritchie, how about that!
Nat Bailey is a heritage ballpark. It has a history even though we’ve had no Major League baseball. Not as great as the original Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, Ebbets Field or Comiskey Park, but nonetheless Vancouver’s baseball past is recorded here.
adults playing hooky
(And young players need to start somewhere. Canada’s Jason Bay is the National League’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ 2004, from Trail, BC!)
Now they want to tear it down for the Olympic Games and build a curling rink! Like how much room do they need there anyway? There are acres just across the street! Why not just build the Olympic rink next to the EXISTING curling rink at Hillcrest Park and have a complete curling complex AFTER the games? Would we destroy this baseball history for two weeks of curling? For tents for curling 'athletes"? They are starting the spin now, even though they allowed the lease for another year, of telling us it is run down. I say fix it up then!
It isn’t just about baseball, it is something of our past, something to remind us of our innocence and yes, honesty. When times were, 'different'. When 'play ball' meant play fair. Sappy sentimentality? Possibly, but if we let Nat Bailey go we lose something from our lives just as surely as a beloved relative. It is one of those subliminal possessions that, although we might not go there too often, we want it there just in case we do. Don’t let Nat Bailey Stadium die. It is our ‘little town’ legacy and so important for our big town mentality.
And don’t build anything southwest of the stadium either, it is the best view in baseball parks!
Published in the Westender newspaper
Bob Snyder baseball card. June 15, 1951, on opening night of Capilano Stadium, Bob Snyder won the first game of the Vancouver Capilanos against the Salem Senators 10 - 3 after Snyder allowed only 6 hits.
Snyder card
Friday, November 26, 2004
Movie review - Alexander
California surfer boy meets make-up and hair department.
The clean shaven, hair bleached, lost member of the Beach Boys tries to outdo Arigorn's hairstyle. Too bad they didn't have Little GTO as BG music. But we know he's havin' Fun, fun, fun 'till Daddy take's his T-Bird away. Now we know where Brian Wilson WAS all those years!
Rated MG - for 'Maybe Gay.'
The clean shaven, hair bleached, lost member of the Beach Boys tries to outdo Arigorn's hairstyle. Too bad they didn't have Little GTO as BG music. But we know he's havin' Fun, fun, fun 'till Daddy take's his T-Bird away. Now we know where Brian Wilson WAS all those years!
Rated MG - for 'Maybe Gay.'
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Baffin Island Drug dealers
It was pleasantly surprising today to hear former Mayor of Vancouver and former Premier Mike Harcourt talking on Bill Good's show about drug dealers. His proposal would give them a sentence of 25 years for selling life ending drugs like heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamines. He even said he'd put them up there in Baffin Island! He pointed out also, that many of the scourge of drug peddlars haunting our street corners, are illegal aliens, SENT here to sell the drugs coming from wherever. They should be picked up, forcibly deported after an immediate trial, (like within 7 days) What kind of defence can there be if you're caught red handed selling? You either sold the drugs or you didn't. If you did, you're going home to your own country in handcuffs .... or to Baffin Island.
Wow, something I've said for years. The Baffin Island part intrigues me. I've always proposed putting them in a prison above the Arctic Circle. No walls. No locks. Grow your own food when you can. Wash your own clothing. Break your toilet and you go outside to poop. In winter too. The guards merely supervise. If you want to run for it, go ahead. But we won't come looking for you. Miles of permafrost tundra. Ice flows. Dark forest. And best of all, polar bears!
They say the difference between a polar bear and other bears is that other bears think of you as a human .... and polar bears think of you as food. I love that part.
Too cruel? Crybabies crying rehabilitation? Hmm, I say give fair warning, just get the Queen's Printer to print up the new rules and give the flyers to anyone standing on a street corner with that search in his eyes that says he's looking for a buyer. You've seen it. You know who the guy is.
We need to take the sentencing out of the hands of judges who have no sense of the reality of the world. These dealers are ending the lives of hapless young men and girls for the purpose of making their cold blooded bosses millions.
Check out the pictures of the missing women in Vancouver. Those girls were not all scraggy, run down whores to begin with. They were children, treasured daughters whose parents had hopes for them. Someone addicted them. So don't cry to me about how that dealer had a hard life, he's probably ended many innocent lives with his actions. He should pay for it.
They've tried everything else, now try this? What's to lose? Better still, what's to SAVE?
Maybe a young life that would grow up to be productive, vibrant, maybe even achieve greatness.
We NEED to have cruelty for the ones who would destroy our society, to be kind to the others who are trying to live in it peacefully. Papillon went to Devil's Island and didn't do a second crime. A drug dealer goes to Baffin Island and may not be rehabilitated, but he's out of the loop for destroying other lives. If you can't stomach that, cover your eyes and pretend it isn't there. Like you're doing right now with the street corner drug dealers.
Applause for Mike Harcourt.
Wow, something I've said for years. The Baffin Island part intrigues me. I've always proposed putting them in a prison above the Arctic Circle. No walls. No locks. Grow your own food when you can. Wash your own clothing. Break your toilet and you go outside to poop. In winter too. The guards merely supervise. If you want to run for it, go ahead. But we won't come looking for you. Miles of permafrost tundra. Ice flows. Dark forest. And best of all, polar bears!
They say the difference between a polar bear and other bears is that other bears think of you as a human .... and polar bears think of you as food. I love that part.
Too cruel? Crybabies crying rehabilitation? Hmm, I say give fair warning, just get the Queen's Printer to print up the new rules and give the flyers to anyone standing on a street corner with that search in his eyes that says he's looking for a buyer. You've seen it. You know who the guy is.
We need to take the sentencing out of the hands of judges who have no sense of the reality of the world. These dealers are ending the lives of hapless young men and girls for the purpose of making their cold blooded bosses millions.
Check out the pictures of the missing women in Vancouver. Those girls were not all scraggy, run down whores to begin with. They were children, treasured daughters whose parents had hopes for them. Someone addicted them. So don't cry to me about how that dealer had a hard life, he's probably ended many innocent lives with his actions. He should pay for it.
They've tried everything else, now try this? What's to lose? Better still, what's to SAVE?
Maybe a young life that would grow up to be productive, vibrant, maybe even achieve greatness.
We NEED to have cruelty for the ones who would destroy our society, to be kind to the others who are trying to live in it peacefully. Papillon went to Devil's Island and didn't do a second crime. A drug dealer goes to Baffin Island and may not be rehabilitated, but he's out of the loop for destroying other lives. If you can't stomach that, cover your eyes and pretend it isn't there. Like you're doing right now with the street corner drug dealers.
Applause for Mike Harcourt.
Conspiracy theory ... 2 - Dag Hammarskjold
Sweden's Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was Secretary-General of the United Nations from 10 April 1953 until 18 September 1961 when he met his death in a plane accident while on a peace mission in the Congo. An accident.
In 1960, when President Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba of the Republic of the Congo sent a cable on 12 July asking "urgent dispatch" of United Nations military assistance to the Congo, Secretary-General Hammarskjöld addressed the Security Council at a night meeting on 13 July and asked the Council to act "with utmost speed" on the request. Following Security Council actions the United Nations Force in the Congo was established and the Secretary-General himself made four trips to the Congo in connection with the United Nations operations there. The first two trips to the Congo were made in July and August 1960 and January 1961. The fourth trip to the Congo began on 12 September 1961 and terminated with the fatal plane accident.
Natural resources of the Congo: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower.
Patrice Lumumba helped found the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) in 1958. Lumumba and the MNC formed the first government on June 23, 1960, with Lumumba as Prime Minister.
Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo and began an flirtation with Marxism.
Hammarskjöld’s most dangerous problem of the newly liberated Congo, arose in July, 1960, when the new government, faced with mutiny in its army, secession of its province of Katanga, under Moise Tshombe, and intervention of Belgian troops, asked the United Nations for help. The UN responded by sending a peace-keeping force, with Hammarskjöld in charge of operations.
Despite the arrival of UN troops, unrest continued as the USA had interest to see the Belgians remain in the country and Patrice Lamumba sought Soviet aid. But in September Lumumba was dismissed from the government by Kasavubu, an act of dubious legality. On September 14 a coup d'état headed by Colonel Joseph Mobutu (later Mobutu Sese Seko) and supported by Kasavubu gained power. Lumumba was captured in Port Francqui on December 1, 1960 by troops of Mobutu, arrested and flown to Leopoldville in handcuffs. Mobutu said Lumumba would be tried for inciting the army to rebellion and other crimes.
United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld made an appeal to Kasavubu asking that Lumumba be treated according to due process of law. The USSR denounced Hammarskjöld and the Western Powers as responsible for Lumumba's arrest and demanded his release.
When the situation deteriorated during the year that followed, Hammarskjöld had to deal with almost insuperable difficulties in the Congo and with criticism in the UN. The last crisis for him came in September, 1961, when, arriving in Leopoldville to discuss details of UN aid with the Congolese government, he learned that fighting had erupted between Katanga troops and the noncombatant forces of the UN.
Sometime in the night of September 17-18, Dag Hammarskjöld and fifteen others aboard perished when their plane crashed close to Ndola airport, near the border between Katanga and North Rhodesia. The details of the crash are still unknown.
A plane crash was an easy thing to engineer and accomplish in those days of naivity among Western nations. The Soviet bloc was after uranium. The USA was trying to keep them away from a source of supply. Hammarskjöld was working toward a democratic republic for the Congo and became a stumbling block for Soviet domination of the resource rich region, especially that all important uranium.
The quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government was installed in 1992. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers with significant potential for offshore development.
In July 2002, documents released by the United States government revealed that the CIA had played a role in Lumumba's assassination, aiding his opponents with money and political support, and – in the case of Mobutu – with weapons and military training. Did the USA actually supply Katanga troops with weapons with which to fight against the UN peace keeping forces?
The former USSR has never released any documents saying they or the KGB engineered Dag Hammarskjöld’s plane crash. Perhaps they’re buried somewhere within the permafrost depths of the Kremlin or Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow?
The Cold War was not always cold.
In 1960, when President Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba of the Republic of the Congo sent a cable on 12 July asking "urgent dispatch" of United Nations military assistance to the Congo, Secretary-General Hammarskjöld addressed the Security Council at a night meeting on 13 July and asked the Council to act "with utmost speed" on the request. Following Security Council actions the United Nations Force in the Congo was established and the Secretary-General himself made four trips to the Congo in connection with the United Nations operations there. The first two trips to the Congo were made in July and August 1960 and January 1961. The fourth trip to the Congo began on 12 September 1961 and terminated with the fatal plane accident.
Natural resources of the Congo: petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower.
Patrice Lumumba helped found the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) in 1958. Lumumba and the MNC formed the first government on June 23, 1960, with Lumumba as Prime Minister.
Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo and began an flirtation with Marxism.
Hammarskjöld’s most dangerous problem of the newly liberated Congo, arose in July, 1960, when the new government, faced with mutiny in its army, secession of its province of Katanga, under Moise Tshombe, and intervention of Belgian troops, asked the United Nations for help. The UN responded by sending a peace-keeping force, with Hammarskjöld in charge of operations.
Despite the arrival of UN troops, unrest continued as the USA had interest to see the Belgians remain in the country and Patrice Lamumba sought Soviet aid. But in September Lumumba was dismissed from the government by Kasavubu, an act of dubious legality. On September 14 a coup d'état headed by Colonel Joseph Mobutu (later Mobutu Sese Seko) and supported by Kasavubu gained power. Lumumba was captured in Port Francqui on December 1, 1960 by troops of Mobutu, arrested and flown to Leopoldville in handcuffs. Mobutu said Lumumba would be tried for inciting the army to rebellion and other crimes.
United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld made an appeal to Kasavubu asking that Lumumba be treated according to due process of law. The USSR denounced Hammarskjöld and the Western Powers as responsible for Lumumba's arrest and demanded his release.
When the situation deteriorated during the year that followed, Hammarskjöld had to deal with almost insuperable difficulties in the Congo and with criticism in the UN. The last crisis for him came in September, 1961, when, arriving in Leopoldville to discuss details of UN aid with the Congolese government, he learned that fighting had erupted between Katanga troops and the noncombatant forces of the UN.
Sometime in the night of September 17-18, Dag Hammarskjöld and fifteen others aboard perished when their plane crashed close to Ndola airport, near the border between Katanga and North Rhodesia. The details of the crash are still unknown.
A plane crash was an easy thing to engineer and accomplish in those days of naivity among Western nations. The Soviet bloc was after uranium. The USA was trying to keep them away from a source of supply. Hammarskjöld was working toward a democratic republic for the Congo and became a stumbling block for Soviet domination of the resource rich region, especially that all important uranium.
The quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government was installed in 1992. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers with significant potential for offshore development.
In July 2002, documents released by the United States government revealed that the CIA had played a role in Lumumba's assassination, aiding his opponents with money and political support, and – in the case of Mobutu – with weapons and military training. Did the USA actually supply Katanga troops with weapons with which to fight against the UN peace keeping forces?
The former USSR has never released any documents saying they or the KGB engineered Dag Hammarskjöld’s plane crash. Perhaps they’re buried somewhere within the permafrost depths of the Kremlin or Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow?
The Cold War was not always cold.
Vancouver gridlock
Now that the Canucks are no longer playing hockey, and as they must have paid off someone to add to the gridlock of our downtown core by CLOSING lanes for traffic, do you think they might REopen Dunsmuir and Georgia Viaducts again to three lane traffic? Seems silly to have a full traffic lane on a no access roadway dedicated to hockey fans going to the game when there IS no game. Who DID pay for that walkway anyhow? Vancouver taxpayers or the Canucks? They could easily have built a passageway BESIDE the viaducts, but instead simply took over a car lane and slowed down traffic.
Hmmm, poor thinking and planning unless there was a secret little deal for someone.
Hmmm, poor thinking and planning unless there was a secret little deal for someone.
Monday, November 22, 2004
What REALLY happened Nov. 22, 1963? - News - Video Game Lets Players Assasinate JFK
TheMilwaukeeChannel.com - News - Video Game Lets Players Assasinate JFK
They did it to us 42 years ago. And they're STILL trying to make us believe it. How about a new "game" where YOU can assassinate President Kennedy? Rewriting history won't help ... why don't they have a variation where the bullets come from the grassy knoll?
This is a game?
.
And they're trying to do it to us today ... check out the post below ...
They did it to us 42 years ago. And they're STILL trying to make us believe it. How about a new "game" where YOU can assassinate President Kennedy? Rewriting history won't help ... why don't they have a variation where the bullets come from the grassy knoll?
This is a game?
.
And they're trying to do it to us today ... check out the post below ...
What REALLY happened Sept. 11, 2001?
Look at this video and wonder and ask yourself who is doing what to us? ... Do it now, someone is having these videos removed.
Pentagon Strike Download
(copy and paste this if link refuses to work)
http://www.pentagonstrike.co.uk/pentagon.swf
Sunday, November 21, 2004
KNOCK KNOCK
Who's there?
Vancouver Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks who?
.
..
...
....................................... Oh no
Vancouver Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks who?
.
..
...
....................................... Oh no
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Indy race ... Molson's sneaky?
It seems to me that Molson's has been trying to get the Champ Car series race out of Vancouver for a few years now. Why? Costs? They no longer want to pay to sponsor the event, blaming other reasons. They jumped to Montreal, and there was a huge outcry, so they reluctantly stayed. Now they're going to Edmonton. Are there big corporate sponsors there? The Vancouver Indy was always among the top 3 in attendance in that series. And Canada should have its fair share. They can't break even? Do they expect profit? Don't they make enough on that watered down beer? Well if they don't want to stay on the West Coast, (after all, Molson's IS Easterners) The Toronto race is safe. But why can't someone else try? Molsons have the rights, the Champ Car series should put them up for grabs in Vancouver. A major event shouldn't leave just like that.
Well, I'm not drinking Molsons anymore.
Greg Moore remembered
Well, I'm not drinking Molsons anymore.
Greg Moore remembered
RAV line already over cost
They have not turned one piece of sod and already the RAV line is over budget to the tune of 100 million dollars! Can you believe it? Is there some payoff going on here? Some corruption? Mismanagement? Poor contracts? This is outrageous! Will you stand for it? All to satisfy the rich 'creme-de-la-creme!
And Translink must be having a SH&T about it. Or are they? Apparantly, some of these mini-minds have an answer; we'll get the difference from the Provincial Government for the cost over-runs, that way no one is hurt! What? Translink doesn't seem to be aware that Provincial Government money IS TAXPAYER's MONEY. Governments don't MAKE money, they TAKE it out of YOUR pocket! In case you didn't know, those cost over-runs were ALWAYS assumed to be at the cost of the taxpayer.
Now I need to ask one question: Why would a company bother to keep costs down when they know the government of the day will pay for overspending, poor management, exhorbitant costs, and maybe even a little pocket greasing? Any company could bid to do the whole project for one million if they're not responsible for controlling costs. They get their money, everyone gets rich, YOU pay the difference.
This present RAV adventure should be stopped immediately! In my opinion, SOMEONE got paid off. Someone is cheating us. The whole concept is a folly and ignores the truths of the matter, and those truths are that the line should have gone via the Arbutus Connector in the first place.
Look, at Expo 86 the French pavillion showed off a marvelous idea for running trains through sensitive areas. No high ugly towers or dangerous and noisy ground level train traffic. They simply dig a TRENCH through the affected area. This trench would work beautifully along the present Arbutus rail line. You scoop out this trench, lay the tracks in the bottom, and use the overburdon to build up the sides of the trench to above the eye level of residents. Then you just plant shrubbery and flowers and everyone is happy, even the cream, they don't have to look at rusty old tracks from their hushed parlours anymore. The French idea is excellent for cheaper costs, safety, and speedy transport of people! There are NO costs of tunnelling up Cambie Street through unknown rock! Queen Elizabeth Park area is former volcanic rock. HUGE costs.
Look at the Arbutus line proposal: A natural connection with Main Street Station at Terminal and Main - then along the existing rail line to Granville Island, a major Vancouver tourist attraction, EVERY visitor wants to see Granville Island! - then further west to a connection at Broadway, (for UBC etc) - south along Arbutus to Kerrisdale, currently enjoying a renewal of those hundreds of apartment buildings - south to the bottom of South Granville and Marpole - cross at the Arthur Laing bridge into Richmond, and the new casino? - out to the airport - back across to Richmond South and on to Steveston.
This is a natural route, already there, efficient, cost effective and would serve both the community and visitors to our city. This route could use the EXISTING money earmarked for this project without further robbery of the taxpayers of BC!
It is time to smack the sneaky hands of Translink and get them out of our wallets!
OOPS ... I MADE A MISTAKE! IT IS 300 MILLION DOLLARS OVER BUDGET!
And Translink must be having a SH&T about it. Or are they? Apparantly, some of these mini-minds have an answer; we'll get the difference from the Provincial Government for the cost over-runs, that way no one is hurt! What? Translink doesn't seem to be aware that Provincial Government money IS TAXPAYER's MONEY. Governments don't MAKE money, they TAKE it out of YOUR pocket! In case you didn't know, those cost over-runs were ALWAYS assumed to be at the cost of the taxpayer.
Now I need to ask one question: Why would a company bother to keep costs down when they know the government of the day will pay for overspending, poor management, exhorbitant costs, and maybe even a little pocket greasing? Any company could bid to do the whole project for one million if they're not responsible for controlling costs. They get their money, everyone gets rich, YOU pay the difference.
This present RAV adventure should be stopped immediately! In my opinion, SOMEONE got paid off. Someone is cheating us. The whole concept is a folly and ignores the truths of the matter, and those truths are that the line should have gone via the Arbutus Connector in the first place.
Look, at Expo 86 the French pavillion showed off a marvelous idea for running trains through sensitive areas. No high ugly towers or dangerous and noisy ground level train traffic. They simply dig a TRENCH through the affected area. This trench would work beautifully along the present Arbutus rail line. You scoop out this trench, lay the tracks in the bottom, and use the overburdon to build up the sides of the trench to above the eye level of residents. Then you just plant shrubbery and flowers and everyone is happy, even the cream, they don't have to look at rusty old tracks from their hushed parlours anymore. The French idea is excellent for cheaper costs, safety, and speedy transport of people! There are NO costs of tunnelling up Cambie Street through unknown rock! Queen Elizabeth Park area is former volcanic rock. HUGE costs.
Look at the Arbutus line proposal: A natural connection with Main Street Station at Terminal and Main - then along the existing rail line to Granville Island, a major Vancouver tourist attraction, EVERY visitor wants to see Granville Island! - then further west to a connection at Broadway, (for UBC etc) - south along Arbutus to Kerrisdale, currently enjoying a renewal of those hundreds of apartment buildings - south to the bottom of South Granville and Marpole - cross at the Arthur Laing bridge into Richmond, and the new casino? - out to the airport - back across to Richmond South and on to Steveston.
This is a natural route, already there, efficient, cost effective and would serve both the community and visitors to our city. This route could use the EXISTING money earmarked for this project without further robbery of the taxpayers of BC!
It is time to smack the sneaky hands of Translink and get them out of our wallets!
OOPS ... I MADE A MISTAKE! IT IS 300 MILLION DOLLARS OVER BUDGET!
Friday, November 19, 2004
Conspiracy theory ... 1 - George S. Patton
Unlike many war heroes who had no intention of ever becoming famous, George S. Patton decided during childhood that his goal in life was to be a hero. This noble aim was first inspired by listening to his father read aloud for hours about the exploits of the heroes of ancient Greece.
We are aware of General Patton’s accomplishments during World War II. But there are niggling factors after the war in 1945 which are also interesting;
Patton was not about to slow down or shut up after his military successes in Europe. No one knew quite what to do with him. He was a true hawk. One congressman even proposed that he be made Secretary of War, but Patton's lack of diplomacy guaranteed the suggestion was never taken seriously.
In Germany, while on occupation duty after a visit to the States during which he was welcomed with parades as a conquering hero, Patton's outspokenness got him into trouble yet again when he tried justifying the use of ex-Nazis in important administrative positions during the occupation of Bavaria. (In Sun Tzu's ancient treatise, The Art of War, he proposes, 'The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept. This is called, using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength. Of course General Patton read it.)
Patton had also been willing to make known his view that the United States and Britain should re-arm the Germans and fight the Russians. He had great respect for German soldiers. Patton knew, along with many others, who the real enemy was going to be. And he was credited with saying, “We ought to keep going.”
Other comments that set alertness and esoteric interest among his enemies were that he had expressed his views to reporters that U.S. plans for post-war Germany were "foolish and stupid" and would lead to Soviet attempts to take over Western Europe. "I was intentionally direct because I believed that it was time for the people to know what was going on," he recalled before his death. Those enemies might not have all been Russians. These comments and beliefs however, showed that Patton's temperament was somewhat of a liability in peacetime. In many ways, it would have been fitting for Patton the warrior to have died on the battlefield, but that was not to be. Despite the fact that throughout his military career he had constantly exposed himself to danger, it was a traffic accident, not a bullet, which took Patton's life. In December 1945, one day before he was due to return to the United States, Patton was severely injured in a road accident when his car was hit by a truck near Mannheim, Germany. Paralyzed from the neck down, George Patton died of an embolism on 21st December 1945.
Emboli are caused by clots from the venous circulation, from the right side of the heart, from tumors that have invaded the circulatory system, or from other sources such as amniotic fluid, air, fat, bone marrow, and foreign substances. Sudden death can occur as a result of embolism. Injecting AIR into a vein or artery is easily done.
He was buried in Luxembourg, a country which still considers George S. Patton its liberator.
Did the emerging USSR deem Patton to be far too dangerous to live? What if he returned to the US and countered his detractors by seeking political power? Was it possible that he, now a national hero, could become president of the United States? Patton was a student of war history and it’s generals, including Hannibal, the Carthaginian had been defeated by the Romans at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC after ransacking Italy for 14 years. Hannibal became a diplomatic force and a skilled trader in peacetime and guided Carthage to pay off the war reparations too quickly, and the Romans considered him such an ominous threat as to hunt him down and kill him. Could Patton have followed that idea? We’ll never know.
Surely a President Patton would have meant war against the USSR. When would agents of the Russians have better means and opportunity to murder him than in Europe? He would be unreachable back in the States. But was someone ELSE afraid of Patton? His murder would be unexplainable back in the States and not readily accountable to foreign agents. Was the USA also afraid of George S. Patton?
But then it was a simple car accident, wasn't it?
We are aware of General Patton’s accomplishments during World War II. But there are niggling factors after the war in 1945 which are also interesting;
Patton was not about to slow down or shut up after his military successes in Europe. No one knew quite what to do with him. He was a true hawk. One congressman even proposed that he be made Secretary of War, but Patton's lack of diplomacy guaranteed the suggestion was never taken seriously.
In Germany, while on occupation duty after a visit to the States during which he was welcomed with parades as a conquering hero, Patton's outspokenness got him into trouble yet again when he tried justifying the use of ex-Nazis in important administrative positions during the occupation of Bavaria. (In Sun Tzu's ancient treatise, The Art of War, he proposes, 'The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept. This is called, using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength. Of course General Patton read it.)
Patton had also been willing to make known his view that the United States and Britain should re-arm the Germans and fight the Russians. He had great respect for German soldiers. Patton knew, along with many others, who the real enemy was going to be. And he was credited with saying, “We ought to keep going.”
Other comments that set alertness and esoteric interest among his enemies were that he had expressed his views to reporters that U.S. plans for post-war Germany were "foolish and stupid" and would lead to Soviet attempts to take over Western Europe. "I was intentionally direct because I believed that it was time for the people to know what was going on," he recalled before his death. Those enemies might not have all been Russians. These comments and beliefs however, showed that Patton's temperament was somewhat of a liability in peacetime. In many ways, it would have been fitting for Patton the warrior to have died on the battlefield, but that was not to be. Despite the fact that throughout his military career he had constantly exposed himself to danger, it was a traffic accident, not a bullet, which took Patton's life. In December 1945, one day before he was due to return to the United States, Patton was severely injured in a road accident when his car was hit by a truck near Mannheim, Germany. Paralyzed from the neck down, George Patton died of an embolism on 21st December 1945.
Emboli are caused by clots from the venous circulation, from the right side of the heart, from tumors that have invaded the circulatory system, or from other sources such as amniotic fluid, air, fat, bone marrow, and foreign substances. Sudden death can occur as a result of embolism. Injecting AIR into a vein or artery is easily done.
He was buried in Luxembourg, a country which still considers George S. Patton its liberator.
Did the emerging USSR deem Patton to be far too dangerous to live? What if he returned to the US and countered his detractors by seeking political power? Was it possible that he, now a national hero, could become president of the United States? Patton was a student of war history and it’s generals, including Hannibal, the Carthaginian had been defeated by the Romans at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC after ransacking Italy for 14 years. Hannibal became a diplomatic force and a skilled trader in peacetime and guided Carthage to pay off the war reparations too quickly, and the Romans considered him such an ominous threat as to hunt him down and kill him. Could Patton have followed that idea? We’ll never know.
Surely a President Patton would have meant war against the USSR. When would agents of the Russians have better means and opportunity to murder him than in Europe? He would be unreachable back in the States. But was someone ELSE afraid of Patton? His murder would be unexplainable back in the States and not readily accountable to foreign agents. Was the USA also afraid of George S. Patton?
But then it was a simple car accident, wasn't it?
Advertising sillliness ... 2 - Wendys
I heard that Wendys is about to do a series of new ads featuring Dave Thomas, founder of Wendys.
Dave Thomas is dead.
I can see the script now:
Knock knock.
"Who is it?"
"Dave, let me in."
"Who?"
"It's me Dave."
"Dave's not here."
"No man, it's me Dave, I brought the burgers."
"Who?"
"DAVE man, open the door."
"Dave's not here."
"No, I'M Dave, hurry up, I went through the drive thru without a car and just run away when I got the burgers ... I didn't pay and I think the cops 're coming."
"Who?"
ETC.
(with apologies to Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong)
UPDATE: Jan 29, 2005. Welcome back to Canada, Tommy Chong, where you don't get thrown in the joint for having a joint!
Dave Thomas is dead.
I can see the script now:
Knock knock.
"Who is it?"
"Dave, let me in."
"Who?"
"It's me Dave."
"Dave's not here."
"No man, it's me Dave, I brought the burgers."
"Who?"
"DAVE man, open the door."
"Dave's not here."
"No, I'M Dave, hurry up, I went through the drive thru without a car and just run away when I got the burgers ... I didn't pay and I think the cops 're coming."
"Who?"
ETC.
(with apologies to Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong)
UPDATE: Jan 29, 2005. Welcome back to Canada, Tommy Chong, where you don't get thrown in the joint for having a joint!
Bar hours till 3am
It probably means little to you or me, even though I live downtown, whether the bar hours are 2, 3, or 4 am. It seems like city council in it's decision to extend them, is only catering to the drunks and troublemakers who frequent the street at those hours. The police say they only have to use more officers to break up fights and catch drunk drivers. Sky train service ends at 2 am.
The bars are thrilled, they can load up the drunks for another hour or two who have no idea how many drinks they have had or how much money they're spending. Voda is near me and many nights, after midnight, I hear the arguments of the men and the shrill voices of girly teenagers screaming. The young men who should never have been served that much booze ... and teeny-boppers who are obviously underaged and hard to tell apart from the street hookers.
However what really bugs me about these 'extended' hours, are the talking heads who get on TV and tell us about making our city 'fun' again, and drum the idea that the 'tourists' want it.
My question is; What kind of tourists? Are we looking for the visitor who wants to get smashed until 3 am? A tourist who likes watching drunken fights in the streets? A tourist from wherever who fumbles with his keys and can't even see the road as he drives off into the sunrise? Who are these 'fun seeking' tourists benefitting? Only the liquor companies and bar owners.
I don't know about you, but my idea of a great tourist would be the one who brings a family with him, marvels at our city's fabulous setting, dines at our varied restaurants, checks out the legitimate attractions and brings home a memento of our great city.
Is the tourist no longer the guy with a camera and a street map? Is he now the one with a beer in hand and brass knuckles in his pocket?
Telling city council and the public over and over again that tourists want these hours is really saying we are seeking drunks and street fighters to visit our city. It only makes the message more ridiculous.
Be honest.
The bars are thrilled, they can load up the drunks for another hour or two who have no idea how many drinks they have had or how much money they're spending. Voda is near me and many nights, after midnight, I hear the arguments of the men and the shrill voices of girly teenagers screaming. The young men who should never have been served that much booze ... and teeny-boppers who are obviously underaged and hard to tell apart from the street hookers.
However what really bugs me about these 'extended' hours, are the talking heads who get on TV and tell us about making our city 'fun' again, and drum the idea that the 'tourists' want it.
My question is; What kind of tourists? Are we looking for the visitor who wants to get smashed until 3 am? A tourist who likes watching drunken fights in the streets? A tourist from wherever who fumbles with his keys and can't even see the road as he drives off into the sunrise? Who are these 'fun seeking' tourists benefitting? Only the liquor companies and bar owners.
I don't know about you, but my idea of a great tourist would be the one who brings a family with him, marvels at our city's fabulous setting, dines at our varied restaurants, checks out the legitimate attractions and brings home a memento of our great city.
Is the tourist no longer the guy with a camera and a street map? Is he now the one with a beer in hand and brass knuckles in his pocket?
Telling city council and the public over and over again that tourists want these hours is really saying we are seeking drunks and street fighters to visit our city. It only makes the message more ridiculous.
Be honest.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Air Care - serious or not?
The Air Care contract is up in 2006. Translink is deciding what to do with it. I say either make it effective or forget it. Get serious or get out. At present, it is nothing more than another cash grab.
New cars are not required to pass Air Care tests, the reason is that car dealers screamed bloody murder when it was proposed. Many many new cars might not pass air care tests. That would cause problems with manufacturers and dealers. And sales.
Trucks, which produce more polution than five cars, are not required to pass air care. What is that about? It would hurt business profits to have truck engines tuned properly. Or improperly, depending on one's point of view. Truck fleet managers admit openly that the first thing they remove from truck engines are breathing restricting agents like catalytic converters, etc. The engines run better and use less gas, cost being the bottom line.
Many of those gas guzzling SUVs are classed as trucks, so the drivers drive around poluting and chatting on their cell phones with impunity. The smoking deisel rig puffing up the hill and belching black smoke doesn't go through air care. The bus spewing out toxicity beside you in traffic doesn't have to go through air care. The tank-like Cadillac Escalade doesn't need to go through because it weighs too much!
I have an older car, an old Datsun 510, it has carborators and it is not intended to run lean, the factory set it for optimum performance. Air Care neccessitated a "tune up" and all they did was lean out the engine so it doesn't run smoothly anymore. I think it uses way more gas. The technician at Air Care even admitted to me that a tune up could not anticipate guaranteeing a pass as individual repair centers do not have the testing equipment that Air Care has! So your mechanic can only guess if he's fixed the problem! The payment is $23. If your car is newer than 1992, it costs you $47! If you come back after repairs it is another $23. These costs, Air Care assures us, are not profit, however, the contract is to an American company. Ever heard of American business doing unprofitable work?
Look at the rear tail pipe of many newer cars next time you're stopped in traffic, are there drops of liquid from the tailpipe? That is called 'blow by', it is UNBURNED gasoline! A result of too lean tuning.
If Air Care is to continue, they need to make it comprehensive, and have every truck and bus in BC going through the tests. Polution control is either the bottom line or cash is. As it is Translink we are talking about, I suspect cash will win out.
From their own website ... The AirCare boundaries (from Lions Bay to Chilliwack) were established to address a serious ground-level ozone problem in the Lower Fraser Valley that is caused by the over one million light duty vehicles operating within a confined basin.
(As an aside, and apropos to the above, I wonder if Translink has anything to say about the Sumas Energy 2, the American intent to build an energy production plant at Sumas, which will add tons of daily air polution to the Fraser Valley.)
Translink , go deep or go home, it is time you got serious about automotive air polution.
New cars are not required to pass Air Care tests, the reason is that car dealers screamed bloody murder when it was proposed. Many many new cars might not pass air care tests. That would cause problems with manufacturers and dealers. And sales.
Trucks, which produce more polution than five cars, are not required to pass air care. What is that about? It would hurt business profits to have truck engines tuned properly. Or improperly, depending on one's point of view. Truck fleet managers admit openly that the first thing they remove from truck engines are breathing restricting agents like catalytic converters, etc. The engines run better and use less gas, cost being the bottom line.
Many of those gas guzzling SUVs are classed as trucks, so the drivers drive around poluting and chatting on their cell phones with impunity. The smoking deisel rig puffing up the hill and belching black smoke doesn't go through air care. The bus spewing out toxicity beside you in traffic doesn't have to go through air care. The tank-like Cadillac Escalade doesn't need to go through because it weighs too much!
I have an older car, an old Datsun 510, it has carborators and it is not intended to run lean, the factory set it for optimum performance. Air Care neccessitated a "tune up" and all they did was lean out the engine so it doesn't run smoothly anymore. I think it uses way more gas. The technician at Air Care even admitted to me that a tune up could not anticipate guaranteeing a pass as individual repair centers do not have the testing equipment that Air Care has! So your mechanic can only guess if he's fixed the problem! The payment is $23. If your car is newer than 1992, it costs you $47! If you come back after repairs it is another $23. These costs, Air Care assures us, are not profit, however, the contract is to an American company. Ever heard of American business doing unprofitable work?
Look at the rear tail pipe of many newer cars next time you're stopped in traffic, are there drops of liquid from the tailpipe? That is called 'blow by', it is UNBURNED gasoline! A result of too lean tuning.
If Air Care is to continue, they need to make it comprehensive, and have every truck and bus in BC going through the tests. Polution control is either the bottom line or cash is. As it is Translink we are talking about, I suspect cash will win out.
From their own website ... The AirCare boundaries (from Lions Bay to Chilliwack) were established to address a serious ground-level ozone problem in the Lower Fraser Valley that is caused by the over one million light duty vehicles operating within a confined basin.
(As an aside, and apropos to the above, I wonder if Translink has anything to say about the Sumas Energy 2, the American intent to build an energy production plant at Sumas, which will add tons of daily air polution to the Fraser Valley.)
Translink , go deep or go home, it is time you got serious about automotive air polution.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Movie review - Lord of the Rings
Frodo, this lil innocent guy, has this wedding ring, see, and he wants ta marry this chick. He ain't sactly sure who she is or where she is or even what she looks like, but he keeps having this recurring image of her flaming vagina and it drives him on. Talk about subliminal sex! Bob Gandalf gives him a hand by having Band-aids available. I think Frodo gets the girl, not sure though 'cause I closed my eyes for the last 3 hours. Too scary. I like lookin' at Liv Ullman tho.
Monday, November 15, 2004
download the new Firefox 1.0
I have been using the beta Firefox .9.2 for about 6 months now and like the interface and simplicity, plus you can add other buttons on the personal tool bar for Google search, your blog etc. I think Netscape has suffered since AOL took them over and changed codes within the structure. And Microsoft Internet Explorer is just way too slow for me. Try Firefox, you don't have to just use one browser at a time if you have the RAM.
Go here for the finished version 1.0 - - -
Go here for the finished version 1.0 - - -
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
another death during a police chase
Recently a child of 8 was killed when a car being chased by police crashed into another. The mother was severly hurt. A young vibrant eight year old boy was taken from our world while simply driving with his mom. This is nothing short of a tragedy!
Was the police pursuit after a violent criminal? Stolen car? Chasing down drug dealers? After a bank robber with a smoking gun? Terrorists? No.
The high speed chase was in response to a man who had a restraining order against him by his ex-wife, and who appeared at his daughter's school to collect the girl. The wife called 911 and the chaos began. The man was not near the wife.
The police have a lot of questions to answer on this one. The daughter was not in danger. The police had no cause to allow a high speed pursuit. This shows an absolute indifference to public safety in police pursuits and points to a machoism from the policeman involved. Should he have instigated the chase knowing that a child was in the suspect vehicle? He demonstrated a total lack of understanding of the potential dangers and the consequences have been disastrous!
Some would think there should be a manslaughter charge against the officer. The public needs to have a review of the procedures regarding police chases and perhaps the common sense of the officers. One wonders why the media are not asking some hard questions?
Was the police pursuit after a violent criminal? Stolen car? Chasing down drug dealers? After a bank robber with a smoking gun? Terrorists? No.
The high speed chase was in response to a man who had a restraining order against him by his ex-wife, and who appeared at his daughter's school to collect the girl. The wife called 911 and the chaos began. The man was not near the wife.
The police have a lot of questions to answer on this one. The daughter was not in danger. The police had no cause to allow a high speed pursuit. This shows an absolute indifference to public safety in police pursuits and points to a machoism from the policeman involved. Should he have instigated the chase knowing that a child was in the suspect vehicle? He demonstrated a total lack of understanding of the potential dangers and the consequences have been disastrous!
Some would think there should be a manslaughter charge against the officer. The public needs to have a review of the procedures regarding police chases and perhaps the common sense of the officers. One wonders why the media are not asking some hard questions?
Baseball's sadness
Barry Bonds is nominated for the MVP in NL baseball. And at 703 homers, is closing in on Babe Ruth's 714. Hank Aaron is the lifetime leader with 755. Should there be an asterisk beside Bond's name in any record books? Should there have been one beside Mark MGuire's when he set the new home run record? Both Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds admittedly used 'strength enhancing' or 'performance enhancing' drugs. These drugs, in McGuire's case, were such as androstenedione, banned by the NFL, the Olympics, NCAA, both men's and women's tennis etc. McGuire even expressed regret that children were becoming knowledgeable about his drug use and swore off them. After his record breaking of course.
The Sultan of Swat hit his 60 in 1927, in 154 games. Without drugs. In fact, he drank too much and smoked cigars, which could be construed as strength limiting! Barry Bonds has been investigated by a Grand Jury for his connections with chemical labs and their products for athletes. Bonds contends his 'drugs' are nutritional supplements.
I contend that an asterisk should be placed beside the name of any athlete who uses anything to supplement his natural skills. The Great Bambino had no use of these 'enhancements. Hank Aaron had none. As a matter of fact, I would contend that Aaron, as a consumate sportsman, would have been aghast at such a suggestion. And one would think Ruth's .690 lifetime slugging percentage will remain out of reach in spite of the superhumans to come. However, as 'the Show' and money are more important than the influences on children, I suspect that future enhancements in baseball will aim for a robotic baseball player. Sort of an X-Box All-Star.
Meanwhile I hope Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire enjoy their 'enlargement of male breasts' which is an irreversible side effect of some of these drugs.
Perhaps the future holds a Baseball Brassier too? Bats by Louiseville Slugger, lingerie by La Senza.
The Sultan of Swat hit his 60 in 1927, in 154 games. Without drugs. In fact, he drank too much and smoked cigars, which could be construed as strength limiting! Barry Bonds has been investigated by a Grand Jury for his connections with chemical labs and their products for athletes. Bonds contends his 'drugs' are nutritional supplements.
I contend that an asterisk should be placed beside the name of any athlete who uses anything to supplement his natural skills. The Great Bambino had no use of these 'enhancements. Hank Aaron had none. As a matter of fact, I would contend that Aaron, as a consumate sportsman, would have been aghast at such a suggestion. And one would think Ruth's .690 lifetime slugging percentage will remain out of reach in spite of the superhumans to come. However, as 'the Show' and money are more important than the influences on children, I suspect that future enhancements in baseball will aim for a robotic baseball player. Sort of an X-Box All-Star.
Meanwhile I hope Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire enjoy their 'enlargement of male breasts' which is an irreversible side effect of some of these drugs.
Perhaps the future holds a Baseball Brassier too? Bats by Louiseville Slugger, lingerie by La Senza.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Save Private Ryan?
"Nearly one-third of US TV stations affiliated to the ABC network dropped Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan for fear of facing indecency fines.
Sixty-six of ABC's 225 affiliated stations decided not to air the war film on Veteran's Day, which opens with a gritty depiction of D-Day and includes profanity."
The 5 Oscar winning film was considered in "bad taste". (I guess someone in the film said 'fuck'.)
Hmmm, meanwhile next on the Maury show - - - teenagers who beheaded their grandmothers after getting them pregnant! (But no one said 'fuck'.)
Sixty-six of ABC's 225 affiliated stations decided not to air the war film on Veteran's Day, which opens with a gritty depiction of D-Day and includes profanity."
The 5 Oscar winning film was considered in "bad taste". (I guess someone in the film said 'fuck'.)
Hmmm, meanwhile next on the Maury show - - - teenagers who beheaded their grandmothers after getting them pregnant! (But no one said 'fuck'.)
Advertising silliness ... 1 - Tilley Endurables
Tilley Endurables has an ad running on radio ...
"I bought my first Tilley hat on a dock at Halifax harbor ..."
Did Mr. Peterman of Seinfeld write that? Do they really think taking a Maverick tour to Reno is world travel? Do they really think silly hats are cool? Anyone I have ever seen wearing one of those hats is weird, man, the kind of person who has a CAT sticker on the car. The couple who play bridge on Saturday nights with Bridge Mixture and a smoker as East and a false teeth clacker as West. The guy wears the hat to the wilds of the local arboratum and the woman wears it to Chinatown to get ginger.
Wait a minute ... first Tilley hat? You mean it didn't last? You had to get another?
"I bought my first Tilley hat on a dock at Halifax harbor ..."
Did Mr. Peterman of Seinfeld write that? Do they really think taking a Maverick tour to Reno is world travel? Do they really think silly hats are cool? Anyone I have ever seen wearing one of those hats is weird, man, the kind of person who has a CAT sticker on the car. The couple who play bridge on Saturday nights with Bridge Mixture and a smoker as East and a false teeth clacker as West. The guy wears the hat to the wilds of the local arboratum and the woman wears it to Chinatown to get ginger.
Wait a minute ... first Tilley hat? You mean it didn't last? You had to get another?
Monday, November 08, 2004
Just to let the police know ....
While walking Pender Street today, the little guy in the toque made TWO drug transactions before I got a full block. Pender and Richards, they're still there, 4 crack dealers, one even dropped a cube of crack cocaine while selling it. I wonder how the merchants like it along there? Maybe they should get together and call in every single hour to ask for police protection? Or maybe they are as frustrated as all the others. Maybe they should call Larry Campbell every day too? Do they pay for business licences? Don't they have a right to transact THEIR business before the street corner drug dealers? Hmmm.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Scientists at Dalhousie University clone fruit flies.
What? Do we as taxpayers give them anything? They cloned FRUIT FLIES!
Sheeez, if they needed more fruit flies all they had to do was leave a bottle of wine uncorked!
Sheeez, if they needed more fruit flies all they had to do was leave a bottle of wine uncorked!
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
NHL players
Are you as turned off as I am by the NHL hockey players? Many are running off to Europe and joining other leagues. Is it right that some players who make millions in a year in the NHL go somewhere else and take other players jobs? Many of those players who are suddenly out in the cold would love to play in the NHL but do not have the skills or situation to do so, yet we hear of one player, who held out on his team so he could make 2.9 MILLION dollars a year, now playing in Europe for $500 dollars a week? That 2.9 translates down to about $10,000 dollars a week in the NHL. Hmmm, where is the personal ethic here?
The argument on the players' side seems to be that a player should be allowed to go for what he's worth. Okay, and otherwise he doesn't want to play. Okay. Agreed. BUT, sneaking off to take some lesser man's (correction, change man's to player's, the guy in Europe is NOT lesser. One begins to think the NHL man is lesser) livelihood who is trying to support his own family with his limited skills as a hockey player doesn't say much about class ... or ethics .... or compassion. But then it's only business isn't it? Not really a sport anymore, so we shouldn't have expected sportsmanship.
Or should we?
PS: Vancouver Millionaires won the Stanley Cup in 1915. They were probably all getting about $5 per game.
The argument on the players' side seems to be that a player should be allowed to go for what he's worth. Okay, and otherwise he doesn't want to play. Okay. Agreed. BUT, sneaking off to take some lesser man's (correction, change man's to player's, the guy in Europe is NOT lesser. One begins to think the NHL man is lesser) livelihood who is trying to support his own family with his limited skills as a hockey player doesn't say much about class ... or ethics .... or compassion. But then it's only business isn't it? Not really a sport anymore, so we shouldn't have expected sportsmanship.
Or should we?
PS: Vancouver Millionaires won the Stanley Cup in 1915. They were probably all getting about $5 per game.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
BC Law vs Homeland Security
Does anyone out there actually BELIEVE that whatever BC does in regards to its privacy laws is going to make ONE IOTA of difference to Americans if they are searching under YOUR bed for terrorists? We say we'll fine them 1 million dollars if they violate British Columbia law. Does the BC Government think we the people are ignorant? Dumb? Uninformed? Easily manipulated? The sad answer is YES.
We are farming out - against the wishes of the people who happen to also be voters - our private information to American companies, one of which is located in Bermuda to avoid US taxation! But these are American companies, who are subject to American laws, NOT BC laws, if the paranoid Americans want to check out every single person's private information, does anyone believe that we would KNOW when and if they do? Does anyone believe that an American company would come running to the BC Government and tell on Tom Ridge? The Department of Homeland Security will simply TELL those American companies that they want to see any and every file and threaten them with secrecy under the Patriot Act or else!
Having our goverment MLAs and spin doctors trying to appease the people of the province with idiotic rhetoric is slapping our intelligence in the face. YOUR private information is going out of province with the continual policy of the BC Liberal Government to lessen the worth of British Columbians. Don't stand for it!
We are farming out - against the wishes of the people who happen to also be voters - our private information to American companies, one of which is located in Bermuda to avoid US taxation! But these are American companies, who are subject to American laws, NOT BC laws, if the paranoid Americans want to check out every single person's private information, does anyone believe that we would KNOW when and if they do? Does anyone believe that an American company would come running to the BC Government and tell on Tom Ridge? The Department of Homeland Security will simply TELL those American companies that they want to see any and every file and threaten them with secrecy under the Patriot Act or else!
Having our goverment MLAs and spin doctors trying to appease the people of the province with idiotic rhetoric is slapping our intelligence in the face. YOUR private information is going out of province with the continual policy of the BC Liberal Government to lessen the worth of British Columbians. Don't stand for it!
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Da Kine Cafe and drug addiction today.
It seems to me that the Vancouver Police are unable to identify drug dealers. Their recent raid on Da Kine Cafe was orchestrated like an invasion on Bin Laden's hideout! AFTER the media had already alerted them. The streets were blocked off, black suited men scurried around, flashing lights, yellow tape, cops on radios. All those resources to handcuff a few girls. One needs to think a little about the retailing of pot: Is it a bad thing? If left to its own developement, you would eventually have recourse to what you're getting the same as a can of beans from the supermarket. They'd be able to track it back to source. It would be become quality controlled.
Think about the street dealers: You never know what you're getting. It is widely assumed that these organized criminals are sprinkling stronger stuff in with the pot. Highly addictive ingredients, the kind of things that result in young women ending up as hopeless prostitutes and young men wasted in the prime of life.
If the police need help in finding the real criminal dealers on our streets, I suggest we could point them out to them. I'm sure you know where some are right now, I do. You can't shop at Army and Navy on Hastings without passing a row of illegal aliens who have been SENT here to deal drugs. Richards and Pender has the required pair on each corner. The Lotus Hotel at Carroll St. has 4 standing outside to discourage it's legal business trade. Granville has them right in front of the Community Policing Office! The West End is getting more than their share. One would almost think the action against the Da Kine Cafe was in response to the criminal street dealers complaining about unfair competition. This kind of overblown event needs some slow and rational thinking about the state of affairs in our city. While researching a play I have written about drug addiction in the fifties, I find that all over North America, it has been the police who have discouraged any logical or creative thinking about how to deal with this scourge in society. I would suggest that again, they have overreacted.
(This article published in the Westender Newspaper)
http://dakine.t35.com/
http://www.marijuana-info.org/
Oct 6, 2004 - Da Kine Cafe closed today permanently. Carol Gwilt remains in custody for selling marijuana. It is said the street drug dealers selling marijuana, rock cocaine, crystal meth and heroin were very happy.
Vancouver
Oct 30, 2004 - Carol Gwilt has since been released.
Think about the street dealers: You never know what you're getting. It is widely assumed that these organized criminals are sprinkling stronger stuff in with the pot. Highly addictive ingredients, the kind of things that result in young women ending up as hopeless prostitutes and young men wasted in the prime of life.
If the police need help in finding the real criminal dealers on our streets, I suggest we could point them out to them. I'm sure you know where some are right now, I do. You can't shop at Army and Navy on Hastings without passing a row of illegal aliens who have been SENT here to deal drugs. Richards and Pender has the required pair on each corner. The Lotus Hotel at Carroll St. has 4 standing outside to discourage it's legal business trade. Granville has them right in front of the Community Policing Office! The West End is getting more than their share. One would almost think the action against the Da Kine Cafe was in response to the criminal street dealers complaining about unfair competition. This kind of overblown event needs some slow and rational thinking about the state of affairs in our city. While researching a play I have written about drug addiction in the fifties, I find that all over North America, it has been the police who have discouraged any logical or creative thinking about how to deal with this scourge in society. I would suggest that again, they have overreacted.
(This article published in the Westender Newspaper)
http://dakine.t35.com/
http://www.marijuana-info.org/
Oct 6, 2004 - Da Kine Cafe closed today permanently. Carol Gwilt remains in custody for selling marijuana. It is said the street drug dealers selling marijuana, rock cocaine, crystal meth and heroin were very happy.
Vancouver
Oct 30, 2004 - Carol Gwilt has since been released.
in the past ....
SOME INFO ABOUT THE 1950S DRUG SCENE. Does it matter today?
(researched because I have written a stage play about drug addiction in the 50s)
In 1952, a Special Committee on Narcotics of the Community Chest and Council of Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, recommended after thorough study: "The Federal [Canadian] Government should be urged to modify the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act to permit the provinces to establish narcotic clinics where registered narcotic users could receive their minimum required dosages of drug." - Such dispensing clinics, the committee predicted, would "protect the life of the addict and support him as a useful member of society." It would also "within a reasonable time eliminate the illegal drug trade. . . . The operation of such clinics would not entail any reduction in the vigilance of law enforcement agencies," which would continue to be responsible for keeping narcotics out of reach of non-addicts.
An addict who shifts from black-market heroin to morphine by prescription moves into another world. Suppose, for example, that be has been paying $20 a day for 40 milligrams of heroin mixed with 360 milligrams of hazardous adulterants and contaminants. Armed with a prescription, he can walk into almost any neighborhood pharmacy and secure pure morphine, U.S.P., safely diluted in an appropriate vehicle, and sterilely packaged, at the full retail price of $5 per dram or less. He thus pays about five cents for 40 milligrams of morphine. If heroin were stocked in pharmacies, he could buy 40 milligrams of it, too, on prescription, for about a nickel - as British addicts do.
The question is obvious: Why shouldn't the addict be encouraged to secure his opiates legally, on prescription, in pure form, for a nickel a day, rather than be forced by federal and state laws to spend $20 per day in the heroin black market?
(NOTE* These figures are pre 1960s, it's more like $300. per day now. And the addicts get it by breaking into YOUR car, your house or your life)
In 1954, a California citizens' advisory committee to the Attorney General on crime prevention proposed that an addict certified as incurable by a disposition board should legally receive specified doses of narcotics and thereby remove said addict as a potential market for criminally or illegally secured narcotics.
Also in 1954, Dr. Edward E. Eggston, for the New York state delegation, brought to the annual convention of the American Medical Association a proposal that the AMA go on record as favoring "the establishment of narcotics clinics under the aegis of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics." The resolution did not pass.
In 1955, the Medical Society of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York, recommended the "establishment of narcotic clinics in large centers where the problem is acute." It suggested, "Suitable private physicians can care for the occasional addict in isolated areas .... The addict will receive his narcotics only at the clinic, hospital, or doctor's office so that he cannot resell them elsewhere."
Also in 1955, the New York Academy of Medicine proposed "taking the profit out of the illicit trade by furnishing drugs to addicts at low cost under federal control."
The academy recommended that "clinics be attached to general hospitals, whether federal, municipal, or voluntary, dispensing narcotics to addicts, open 24 hours daily, 7 days a week."
In 1956 the Council on Mental Health of the American Medical Association, while opposing the immediate establishment of substantial numbers of drug-dispensing clinics as urged the previous year by the New York Academy of Medicine, did suggest "the possibility of devising a limited experiment which would test directly the hypothesis that clinics would eliminate the illicit traffic and reduce addiction."
Also in 1956, the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association established a joint Committee on Narcotic Drugs, which recommended in its 1958 Interim Report:
(1) An Outpatient Experimental Clinic for the Treatment of Drug Addicts Although it is clear ... that the so-called clinic approach to drug addiction is the subject of much controversy, the joint Committee feels that the possibilities of trying some such outpatient facility, on a controlled experimental basis, should be explored, since it can make an invaluable contribution to our knowledge of how to deal with drug addicts in a community, rather than on an institutional basis. It has been suggested that the District of Columbia, being an exclusively federal jurisdiction and immediately accessible to both law enforcement and public health agencies, might be an advantageous locus for this experiment.
Have we progressed at all in the so-called War on Drugs?
(researched because I have written a stage play about drug addiction in the 50s)
In 1952, a Special Committee on Narcotics of the Community Chest and Council of Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, recommended after thorough study: "The Federal [Canadian] Government should be urged to modify the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act to permit the provinces to establish narcotic clinics where registered narcotic users could receive their minimum required dosages of drug." - Such dispensing clinics, the committee predicted, would "protect the life of the addict and support him as a useful member of society." It would also "within a reasonable time eliminate the illegal drug trade. . . . The operation of such clinics would not entail any reduction in the vigilance of law enforcement agencies," which would continue to be responsible for keeping narcotics out of reach of non-addicts.
An addict who shifts from black-market heroin to morphine by prescription moves into another world. Suppose, for example, that be has been paying $20 a day for 40 milligrams of heroin mixed with 360 milligrams of hazardous adulterants and contaminants. Armed with a prescription, he can walk into almost any neighborhood pharmacy and secure pure morphine, U.S.P., safely diluted in an appropriate vehicle, and sterilely packaged, at the full retail price of $5 per dram or less. He thus pays about five cents for 40 milligrams of morphine. If heroin were stocked in pharmacies, he could buy 40 milligrams of it, too, on prescription, for about a nickel - as British addicts do.
The question is obvious: Why shouldn't the addict be encouraged to secure his opiates legally, on prescription, in pure form, for a nickel a day, rather than be forced by federal and state laws to spend $20 per day in the heroin black market?
(NOTE* These figures are pre 1960s, it's more like $300. per day now. And the addicts get it by breaking into YOUR car, your house or your life)
In 1954, a California citizens' advisory committee to the Attorney General on crime prevention proposed that an addict certified as incurable by a disposition board should legally receive specified doses of narcotics and thereby remove said addict as a potential market for criminally or illegally secured narcotics.
Also in 1954, Dr. Edward E. Eggston, for the New York state delegation, brought to the annual convention of the American Medical Association a proposal that the AMA go on record as favoring "the establishment of narcotics clinics under the aegis of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics." The resolution did not pass.
In 1955, the Medical Society of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York, recommended the "establishment of narcotic clinics in large centers where the problem is acute." It suggested, "Suitable private physicians can care for the occasional addict in isolated areas .... The addict will receive his narcotics only at the clinic, hospital, or doctor's office so that he cannot resell them elsewhere."
Also in 1955, the New York Academy of Medicine proposed "taking the profit out of the illicit trade by furnishing drugs to addicts at low cost under federal control."
The academy recommended that "clinics be attached to general hospitals, whether federal, municipal, or voluntary, dispensing narcotics to addicts, open 24 hours daily, 7 days a week."
In 1956 the Council on Mental Health of the American Medical Association, while opposing the immediate establishment of substantial numbers of drug-dispensing clinics as urged the previous year by the New York Academy of Medicine, did suggest "the possibility of devising a limited experiment which would test directly the hypothesis that clinics would eliminate the illicit traffic and reduce addiction."
Also in 1956, the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association established a joint Committee on Narcotic Drugs, which recommended in its 1958 Interim Report:
(1) An Outpatient Experimental Clinic for the Treatment of Drug Addicts Although it is clear ... that the so-called clinic approach to drug addiction is the subject of much controversy, the joint Committee feels that the possibilities of trying some such outpatient facility, on a controlled experimental basis, should be explored, since it can make an invaluable contribution to our knowledge of how to deal with drug addicts in a community, rather than on an institutional basis. It has been suggested that the District of Columbia, being an exclusively federal jurisdiction and immediately accessible to both law enforcement and public health agencies, might be an advantageous locus for this experiment.
Have we progressed at all in the so-called War on Drugs?
BC Government selling what they don't own!
It seems to me, that the present Liberal BC Government has no right to sell what belongs to the people of BC. The PGE was taken over by W.A.C. Bennett for the benefit of people and business in our B.C. Interior and became B.C. Rail. Even though it did make money, that was not the concept or a prerequisit. B.C. Rail became a proud possession of British Columbians. NO government has the right to dispose of our assets! B.C. Hydro is in the same catagory, also apropriated as B.C. Electric by Bennett. It is a power source which is the envy of all North America and should remain for the benefit and use of British Columbians. B.C. Ferries as well. British Columbia's ferry system was once proud of having more ships than the Canadian Navy! The present government is going to send over 500 million dollars OUT of BC for new ferries. And the TRUE reason Premier Campbell is doing it now is because he is stuck into pretending that BC workers cannot build ferries after bad mouthing the fast ferries to death. $500 million dollars COULD be going to British Columbians and their families and peripheral businesses that families use. That kind of money is an investment in the vibrancy, work ethic and expertise of the resident people. Campbell is still pretending that the NDP were the bad guys when he is the one being referred to as Darth Campbell.
The assets of British Columbians should remain as their possessions, they are part of B.C. and our ability to control our own destiny, selling everything off only places us in a subservient position to outside interests whose reasons are profitability with no regard for us as people.
Anyone can sell out, it takes resolve, creative thinking and a faith and vision in our future to hold on to what we've got and build for our future generations!
The assets of British Columbians should remain as their possessions, they are part of B.C. and our ability to control our own destiny, selling everything off only places us in a subservient position to outside interests whose reasons are profitability with no regard for us as people.
Anyone can sell out, it takes resolve, creative thinking and a faith and vision in our future to hold on to what we've got and build for our future generations!
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