Our new heroines

First it was Jessica Simpson, leading the way into Bimboland with her confusion in thinking that Chicken-of-the-Sea was a some kind of farm foul chicken that lived underwater, and now it is her cerebral pal Paris (skank) Hilton unaware that London is in the UK and believing everyone in Europe speaks French! (We bet she knows what 'menage a trois' means though.)
In a country that is totally screwed up from worshipping Britney Spears' writhings instead of anyone's writings (Lindsey Lowen's diary excepted of course) we begin to understand why Bimboland is the high point and Paris is the freaky High Goddess.
I hear MENSA is being disbanded. Who knew London was in the Ukraine?

Willie Picton trial

The voir dire part of the Willie Picton trial begins today. Already infamously known as Canada's worst ever serial killer, Willie's trial itself might begin within six months. The families are waiting for closure of the constant nagging grief since their loved ones went missing. Picton is charged with 27 counts of first degree murder of sex trade workers and other women.
This part of the legal action cannot be reported to the public, but some people believe they already know what will happen - Willie will be found guilty and be sentenced to life.

However there are others who believe something else ...
Did this odious character Willie actually lure those girls to his pig farm to murder them?
Did he really drive all the way downtown and pick them up from the street to take them back there? Or did someone else do that for him? For another reason? Was it Willie's intention to murder these women? Or was he simply given the task of destroying their remains after the fact? If these girls came to a drug and sex party for dollars at the Picton party house , how did they come to be murdered after attending? And why? Prostitutes are famous for zipped mouths. How DID they meet their violent end? Was anyone else involved? If so who? Will the true evidence ever be heard? Will the true story ever come out?
Will we ever know WHO attended those parties? Were there high profile people there who might know something? Who are they? Why would women be taken there to perform their 'duties' and then be tragically murdered? One woman got away, where is she? What does she know? Will she testify or is she long gone or even dead now?
Websites in North America are already speculating on what went on at the Picton farm, including the idea that someone was making 'snuff films' there. That biker gangs might have been involved. That Dave Picton was involved. That drug dealing was free running. That prostitution was part of the parties. That policemen, lawyers, city counselors, even mayors, politicians and high flying movers and shakers were there and might have explicit knowledge of these women and possibly what happened to them, and why.

What to expect?
Expect Willie to be found guilty and get a long sentence. Without all that damning truth to be exposed. Too much at stake for too many of those secret high flyers. Better for the police to pile on the unsolved cases and sweep them away. The families deserve more but even they seem intent on just getting Willie convicted for this. The disappearances and murders of women go way back to 1971. Close everything you can.
But - have a look at Willie Picton in some of the few pictures and ask yourself if he did this all alone? Is he bright? Persuasive? Man about town? Attractive?
Expect the trial to be much swifter than they are telling us. It won't be about learning the truth, there are just too many implications in the truth, better for all to have it go away quietly.

But, once again, you could also expect the unexpected. There will be a publication ban for Canadian reporters on this case. The American media might respect it, depending on what sensations are revealed early. However, the bloggers of the world have become increasingly irritable when someone tries to get away with something. Blogs may prove to find more truth in this case than the law courts.
Over 60 young women have died. It took the police over a decade to even see the pattern, it's now time the legal system did the right thing, no matter who goes down in the process. We owe truth and justice to these girls.


http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/robert_pickton/1.html

Olympic costs over run us!

Torino has hundreds of millions in Olympic cost over-runs and they're not even ready for their games. Now John Furlong, the BC Irishman who is in charge of VANNOC in a bit of sweat-on-the-brow nervous evasion tells us that we too are over budget but won't say how much.
We figured it all out in 2002 dollars, he says, obviously unaware that the games were going to be held in 2010, then says he'll go to the new federal government and ask for even more money, as if those Conservatives are some saviour for himself and Liberal Gordon Campbell's mental errors. Obviously these guys are far more dumb than we knew, not understanding that the feds are still using TAXPAYER's money regardless.
I have an idea, why doesn't he grab Gordon and approach some MORE Liberal "private partners" to sponsor the cost over-runs? Gordon is consumed with this private/public relationship and maybe it is time he and Mr. Furlong put up or shut up for their 14 day ego stint and leave the poor damn taxpayers alone?
They seem to have the incentive to waste their dollars chasing down the small business Olympia Pizza guy and the Olympic Health Care girl.
Is there anyone out there who DIDN'T think this would happen?
It's a long way to Tipperary, John, but begorrah lad, why not go back there? And can we add another airfare to your trip?

The Bay is gone ...

So much for patriotism over money. The board of directors of the Hudsons Bay Company have accepted a bid from US businessman Jerry Zuckerman to take over Canada's oldest company (founded in 1670) defeating the bid by the Canadian owned Onex Corporation. So Target will probably occupy some of the locations, others will be closed, most of the assets will be sold off.
Ho hum, why bother to be Canadian?
I guess the upside is all those old lady employees who are so good at ignoring you while shopping for themselves on their shift will be gone too.
The board members will take their American money and head for the WalMart sale.

Stupidity scale = 10

I saw the stupidest thing this evening. Crossing eastbound on the Georgia Street viaduct, at dusk, in the rain. The viaduct is 3 traffic lanes and near the end the right side lane becomes an off ramp to Main street, leaving the two remaining lanes to continue with a slight shift right before they too go off the bridge at Prior Street.
Parked RIGHT ON THE BRIDGE IN THE RIGHT SIDE TRAFFIC LANE, was a grey police van vehicle, with a policeman hiding behind it aiming radar at the oncoming traffic!
He had two cars pulled over, still in the traffic lane on the bridge! Creating a totally dangerous situation for drivers in bad weather! People were aghast at the stupidity of this policeman! He could have caused a serious accident!
Forget the old scenario of traffic safety and speeders. This policeman, whoever he was, needs to go back to the academy for some intensive police training on public safety! I think the job is not to ENDANGER the public but to protect them.
I hope the people who got tickets tonight dispute them and use the fact in their defence that it MUST be illegal to set up radar IN A TRAFFIC lane.
Something is sadly lacking in the mentality of that over zealous police officer.

(also search for - Police radar - traffic safety? on this blog)

Things I learn as I get older

• - you don't want to have your laundry hamper and your toilet in the same room.
• - intestinal gas is not a propellant.
• - I must have only dreamt I peed a hole through cardboard.
• - all those people weren't actually talking to ME.
• - prunes aren't funny anymore.
• - if you wear dentures, you don't want to spit while flushing the toilet.
• - hair moves around under your skin to a different place.
• - snoring is like a reverse alarm system.
• - on the pleasure scale scratching a rash and bowel movements are now tied for first.
• - UNtieing your shoelaces is way harder than tieing them.
• - The best way to keep your slippers on is to put your socks on OVER them.
• - cover your mouth when you cough; it's embarrassing to spew germs all over. It's even more embarrassing to spew your teeth over the checkout counter.
• -
  

Questions I'd like answered before Jan 23rd

Health Care - If 'private for profit' health clinics expand, will they siphon off funds from the public health care? For instance, the new Copeman Private Health care in Vancouver, which you pay $2300. to join and $200. per month fees, advertises that they have 50 surgeons available. Are those surgeons also working public hospital operating rooms? Will any of these 50 surgeons be available to you and me? Do those surgeons get paid more for operations by Copeman? Do these private clinics expect to start getting CARE card members into their clinics? And if so will they charge the same price as the public care for the same operation?

Crime Rate - When our criminal trial judges sentence our bad guys with guns to wimpy sentences, and our politicians say they will legislate mandatory minimum sentences, will our politicians have the fortitude to change the Canadian Constitution to OVER RULE judges who are now controlling parliament instead of the other way around? Will they have the balls to set rules so that a criminal who uses a gun in the commission of a crime will abrogate his Canadian rights?

NAFTA - Will anyone in government have the jam to consider Canadian sovereignty as an issue when dealing with other countries and their unilateral interpretation of what free trade is? Will anyone DARE say, "This isn't working, we're getting out and selling our lumber, wheat, gas and water to China."

Environment - Will anyone consider the welfare of animals over the interests of money? As the Grizzley bear in Alberta is being considered for endangered species status, will anyone intervene to stop rich foreign hunters from entering our country for trophy hunting?

Buying Government stuff - Will anyone handle government purchases like they do in good private management? Like when we are going to order military helicopters, why can't we order TWO of them to test them? Why do we always have to order 200 of anything? Because someone is lining their pockets? Are we going to get something back on those broken subs?

Western Alienation - Will any party address the issue of Quebec getting 3 times as much of Canada's largess as any other province? (for example - Culteral - British Columbia = $43 per capita - Quebec = $149. per c) Will anyone even ADMIT that Quebec gets huge amounts of taxpayer money compared to the rest of us?

Candidate promises - Will any politician EVER admit that whatever he tells his constituants he will do will have no effect whatsoever because the party will decide what he says when he gets to Ottawa?

Government - Will any politician EVER get fired and properly humiliated or jailed for corruption, treason, mismanagement or just plain stupidy? [sorry, I slipped, this is such a hypothetical fantasy question that no reasonable voting person could expect an answer to]

The Military in our cities

The latest attack ad by the sleazy people who write the Liberal Party's campaign ads threatens that if we elect a Conservative government, we'll have Canadian army troops in our cities ... with guns, they ad with a sinister suggestion.
Are they trying to send a message that there could be a coupe? In BC we lost the presence of Canadian troops in Chilliwack due to cutbacks. Those troops would have been available in any emergency affecting the Lower Mainland. Earthquake, flood, terrorism. The nearest Canadian army help to British Columbians now is Edmonton.
But the point of the advertising by these twist-the-truth back-room hack-attackers is that our Canadian miliary is like some third world country army or a dangerous military force that is scary and secretly guided.
I for one, TRUST our Canadian army. Our troops are well trained, well managed and well intentioned. I am proud of the roll they play around the world where they command respect and admiration because of the job they do with the resources they get.
Having the Canadian army in or near Vancouver wouldn't twig once with me a bit, I would welcome them in our midst and feel safer with them there. In fact I would say the Liberal hack-attack writers and producers have seen too many thriller fiction movies. They need to get back to their XBox shoot-em-ups and get out of the political arena.
My view of our Canadian military isn't scary at all.

Ongoing election scores ....

From our own close scrutiny of the sayings, bleatings, piglatin, announcements, proclamations, whining, rhetoric and name calling from the political hopefuls now treading across a cold Canada, we offer our very own careful assessment and scores, as usual, completely fair and objective - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Not.

Paul Martin: Liberal Party of Canada
- Dec 1 - for pretending there WAS no sponsorship scandal = -1
- Dec 2 - for doing it with a straight face = +1
- Dec 4 - for wearing a black leather sports jacket to soften his image = +0 (didn't work)
- Dec 6 - for being known as Mr. Dithers and giving us all fun for his bumbling = +1
- Dec 8 - for banning handguns in Canada = +2
- Dec 8 - for thinking the bad guys will turn them in = - 3
- Dec 9 - for meeting with Bill Clinton and properly speaking out about the Kyoto Treaty and chastising the Americans for not signing on = +1
- Dec 9 - for that Liberal TV ad where supposedly 'real' people back the Liberals but they are actually Liberal party workers = -1
- Dec 10 - for saying that Harper's Day-Care dollars only buy popcorn and beer for those getting them. No one eats popcorn with beer = -1
- Dec 13 - for not backing down after criticism by the meddling US Ambassador about Martin's softwood lumber comments = +2
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Dec 29 - for providing a shining example to Ralph Goodale in not stepping down amid potential scandal when you're in charge of the money too = -1
- Dec 29 - for just being associated with Mike Klander, executive vice-president of the federal Liberal party's Ontario wing who posted on his blog rude remarks about Layton's wife = -2
- Jan 4 - for being afraid (or ashamed) to mention former leader Jean Chretien during the campaign = -1
- Jan 9 - for his (somewhat) heated exchange with Duceppe during the debate about Canadian unity = +1
- Jan 11 - for the hack-attack ads against the Canadian military = -2
- Jan 15 - for implying that Harper has missing money in his budget as if HE was the crook who stole from taxpayers = -1
- Jan 16 - for setting up the reporters' questions in Vancouver and refusing to take all but one local question = -3
- Jan 16 - for the woman controlling those questions to refuse to identify herself = -1
- Jan 16 - for even coming to Vancouver to campaign and treating us like outsiders = -2
Martin Total = Minus 12

Stephen Harper: Conservative Party of Canada
- Dec 1 - Reducing the GST to 5% where it can count for everyone instead of lowering income tax which only helps rich people more = +1
- Dec 2 - Mandatory sentences for drug traffickers= +2, (but making it only two years which is 'soft' time -1) so it equals +1
- Dec 6 - for being endorsed by a major right wing American newspaper as the potential best friend of George Bush = -2
- Dec 6 - for thinking that's cool = minus 1 more
- Dec 8 - for Harper not getting his eyeline correct and obviously reading off a prompter in his TV ad = -1
- Dec 9 - for not being Peter McKay = -2
- Dec 12 for the $500 tax credit for kids in sport = +1
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Dec 19 - for promising Quebec a voice on the world stage = -2
- Jan 4 - for being afraid (or ashamed) to mention former leader Brian Mulroney during the campaign = -1
- Jan 9 - for the 'programmed' smile during the debate = -1
- Jan 11 - for even hinting that he would join the American Star Wars system = -1
- Jan 17 - for using this phrase in his speech - ... "for Quebeckers AND Canadians" ... are we already separated? = -2
- Jan 18 - for hedging and evading on abortion and same sex marriage issues = -2
Harper Total = minus 13

Jack Layton:: New Democratic Party
- Dec 1 - for pretending he's a player when he's not = -1
- Dec 2 - for doing it convincingly = +1
- Dec 3 - for saying Canada should consider taxing energy exports (oil and gas) to the United States if Washington doesn't lift its tariffs on softwood lumber imports = +2
- Dec 5 - Will not allow public health care dollars to go into private facilities = +1
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Jan 4 - for being UNafraid to mention former leader Ed Broadbent during the campaign = +1
- Jan 9 - for too much 'send-us-to-parliament' and not enough 'why' during the last debate = -1
Layton Total = Plus 2

Jim Harris:: Green Party of Canada
Dec 5 - for the others trying to exclude a party which has candidates in ALL ridings in Canada = +2
Dec 6 - for calling on the Canada Pension Plan to sell off Wal-Mart shares = +1
- Dec 15 - for NOT participating in the canned "debate" = +1
- Jan 9 - for being honest about NAFTA and admitting that it is actually costing Canadians more because of America's unilateral actions = +1
Harris Total = Plus 5

Gilles Duceppe: Parti Québécois
- Dec 1 - for denying there will be a separation referendum = -1
- Dec 2 - for suggesting Quebec have their own international hockey team as an election platform = -1
- Dec 5 - for having NO candidates outside of Quebec = -2
- Dec 12 - for criticizing Martin for speaking out against the Americans = -1
- Dec 12 - for sucking up to the US because once he takes Quebec out of Canada he knows he'll never sell us anything again = -1
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Jan 4 - for being afraid (or ashamed) to mention former leader of the Bloc Québécois, [same thing as PQ] Jacques Parizeau = -1
- Jan 9 - for his answer during the debate to moderator Paikin about this question: "If Canada is divisible now, will Quebec be divisible if they attain nationhood?" The answer was NO! (the aboriginals may have something to say about that) = -3
Duceppe Total = minus 11

Ron Gray: Christian Heritage Party of Canada
- Jan 7 - for having Joe Pal running in Vancouver, who gave us a lovely talking to about morality which ended with the invitation to join a new, vile Canada. If it was a misspeak for VITAL = +1, if it was a Freudian slip = -1
- Jan 9 - for having the easiest to negotiate web site = +1
Gray total = plus 1

Blair Longley: Marijuana Party of Canada
- Jan 7 - for having Heathcliff Dionysus Campbell running in Vancouver Center, who said, "Insanity is voting for the same people over and over again and expecting change." = +3
- Jan - for not being available for 10 days because he "stepped out for a smoke" = -2
Longley Total = plus 1

Stay tuned, at least here in BC we can look forward to Spring arriving on February 1st as usual.

The ecomony and you

A recent survey of Canadians discovered that 73 percent of us believe the economy is strong. Just like Paul Martin and Gordon Campbell keep telling us. That's good, right?
But wait, the same survey revealed that only 10 percent of those same Canadians think that that same booming economy will benefit them in any way.
So who is cashing in on this largess? You already know, don't you. Of course, all those foreign companys that moved into Canada under the Free Trade Agreement. The main benefit of our wonderful economy is judged on the balance of trade, meaning it REALLY doesn't help you or me one iota.
It helps 'business', and you can filter that idea down to the 'shareholders' , those few elite that are able to use their dollars partaking in the economic boom.
The real effect of our so-called booming economy isn't making Canadians' wallets any fatter, no matter what spin Martin, Campbell and the rest of the smooth talkers put on it, the real effect is indifference to the message.

Movie Review - Brokeback Mountain

Two sheep herder guys are on the range. Clean cut sorta sheep herder guys. They like each other. No lariats though. Only sheep. Great sideburns, eyebrows and plaid shirts. Stereotyped wardrobe and makeup? Brokeback Mountain is set against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas, wasn't John Wayne a Texan? Wasn't his real name Marion?
No sheep were harmed in the filming of this epic.
A few might have been charmed though.