Drug smuggling in Dubai?

There are several odd aspects to the case of a BC man convicted of smuggling drugs into Dubai from Kandahar, Afghanistan. Bert Tatham was caught at the Dubai airport while stopped for a 'layover' on his way back to Canada.
The actual 'drugs' themselves, apparently miniscule amounts of hashish were found on his clothing ... the question of course is how did it get there? He was involved as a United Nations consultant on Drugs and Crime to the Afghan government, hashish comes from the marijuana plant, not poppies. Traces were also found in his urine which he claimed were second hand smoke acquired. Well, it worked for the Olympics. Was he dumb enough to smoke hash before heading to Dubai?
He also had two poppy bulbs in his possession which he was bringing back to Canada for 'study and research'. No one would believe he intended to make heroin to shoot from two bulbs, but if his reason is true, why didn't he seal a package and declare that he had it? He had the credentials to do that. Was he dumb enough to just toss them into his suitcase?
Why was he flagged in the first place? Wouldn't he KNOW that anyone coming from Afghanistan would be checked thoroughly for drugs? But even on a layover at the airport?
Then there is the idea of Mr Tatham being an advisor to the United Nations in the first place? What background qualified him for that job? His father wants the Canadian Government to step in to aid his release? Why should we pay for this? Shouldn't the UN give him help? Or not. This could be a simple case of a very intelligent man doing an honest job but having a lack of common sense, as is often the truth among smart people. Or not.

Maybe Tathams advice on behalf of the UN to the Afghan government on the poppy elimination program was spurious anyway ... poppy production in the world's largest heroin producing nation, in spite of the so called war against the Taliban going on, is now up to record levels!
It is another lost battle in the global war on drugs.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/06/19/canadian-dubai-drugs.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101654.html

Woodwards building

When someone first came up with the idea to use the vacant Woodwards department store building to make lower cost housing for people, didn't you think it would simply be changing those huge open floor spaces into small apartments suitable for the less fortunate to have a place called home? Hmmm, I did too.
And yet looking at it the other day, they have left only about 30 feet of the facade of one corner of the building standing and there's a huge big hole in the ground there where they are building a totally new building on the site. And the apartments/condos being built seem to be tailored to the rich all over again.
Whatever happened to that original idea?

One law for you - one law for the rich (4)

Do you believe it? Paris Hilton is out of jail after serving only 3 days of her 23 (reduced from 45) day sentence! She was evidently upset about not being able to partAY while in there.
Paris Hilton has come to our attention on One law for you before, when she stole a video from a news-stand while screaming foul language at the newsie the whole time! She received NO sentence for the theft even though the whole incident was on camera! The video she stole was that of her own performance of oral sex!
Whitney Huston made our list also for crashing her car into the back of a bus with no repercussions, and also for being caught while boarding a plane in Hawaii with drugs in her luggage and being able to simply fly away!
NBA player Sebestion Telfair made it when he smuggled guns on board a plane and was caught but not charged! Homeland Security was mysteriously quiet.
There will be a news conference today from the L.A. County Sheriffs telling why they have allowed Paris to go free. (notice I didn't say 'explaining') I bet they don't announce that they're all going on an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii later though.

(Inquiring news reporters might want to check names of guests in the Hawaii Hilton with sheriff's names?)

Measles from Japan?

So what's the deal with this?
These Japanese tourists come to Canada .... they bring measles with them. 130 of them were heading back to Japan. They were about to board their plane. Instead of letting them go back to their own country with their own measles, we quarantine them here, put them up in hotels and pay their medical costs.
Canadian taxpayers are so rich now that we simply go looking for medical problems to pay for?


The way I see it Japanese tourists are no advantage to Canada even if they are healthy. They book a tour of BC from Japan, fly here on Japan Airlines, ride around in Japanese buses with kanji written all over them, stay in Japanese owned hotels in Whistler, and patronize those Japanese owned and speaking stores on Alberni street by buying little wooden Mountie figures that actually say 'made in Japan' on the bottom. Then they're gone. And all the money they spent goes back to Japan. I'm thinking they'll be importing Japanese whale flavoured ice cream soon to eat when they get here.
They only thing they're leaving with us this time is measles and a big bill to pay.


http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/212242.htm