Are they serious yet?

Nope, not really.
It starts in local areas where the politicians want the people to believe they are actually doing something about the world's problems. In Vancouver, it is things like Air Care. They expect all us car owners to monitor our emissions to save the world while exempting truck fleets. Why? Because truck fleets are "business" and business takes precedence over clean air. Across North America they have coal fired energy plants endlessly pumping hydrocarbons into the sky while politicos scold us for not doing enough.
They're not serious yet.
Judges constantly protect the worst criminals in Canada from being punished while the public and the victims of crime cry out in frustration. No one has the guts to put the dangerous perps out of harms way for the protection of the law abiding citizens. They don't understand that 'cruel and unusual' punishment is killing an innocent.
They're not serious yet.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Prime Minister Harper criticize China over Tibet while trade missions head to Beijing to sign more deals. Don't worry about that tainted food because the Chinese don't care about OUR health regulations. Or the toxic childrens' toys. Do the peaceful people of Tibet matter in comparison to 'business'?
They're not serious yet.
Your politicians are just scamming us folks. It's all meaningless rhetoric. Until they do something that hurts so-called business they're just not serious yet.

is Google God?

Laptop Magazine recently did an article questioning Google's power in the internet market. They are about as big as Microsoft now. And the POV of the writing was that Google may be untrustworthy with all that power.
However, in 2004, Homeland Security demanded that all these large corporations, who have the ability through their servers to see almost everything you do on line, turn over this personal information to them, ahem, in the interests of 'national security' of course. Microsoft complied, Yahoo complied, and America Online complied. SILENTLY supplying data to Department of Justice.
Google did NOT and demanded in return, that the US government abide by the law and issue search warrants for personal information of citizens. The challenge by Google was in the interests of privacy and respect for the law.
This means that Microsoft, AIM, Yahoo, these are like your Facebook info folks, the day to day jabber that YOU may think is harmless, went to the US government to pour over, looking under YOUR bed for 'terrorists'! Looking in YOUR closet for fleshy skeletons. Every time you searched out something it was recorded and forwarded to Big Brother. If you searched out Barak Obama, and mis-typed the word to Osama, YOU are now on a terrorist watch list somewhere.
Don't laugh. The worst is that they did it without a squeak of protest and didn't TELL you ... EXCEPT for Google, they had the guts to stand up to the challenge on your behalf and the government backed down on their warrantless searches in that case.
If Google is to become God, at least they're fighting that devil we know as the US government.
Let's hope Michael the Warrior angel is on their side too.
Clear out your closet and dust under your bed, they're there.

Watching Us All?

A California company is proudly announcing their intent to record your DNA for you. For only $1000. you can have your total genetics scanned! The wife of the ultra rich Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki, who is involved with 23andMe, said people WANT to become control subjects for research. Nice huh? But what kind of research?
Add this to your new 'enhanced' drivers licence and internal passports with built in RFID chips that can be read from satellite and you have about complete control of a human being! Forgive me if I am thinking conspiracy theory again, but Homeland Security in the States already has the ability to read EVERY email and keystroke you do on-line, (and by law your ISP is not allowed to TELL you you are being monitored by Big Brother) where is it all leading?
Ms Wojcicki, actually said, "I think people really want to help other people, we wouldn't want people to think that pharmaceutical companies have access to this information. They would only release information they are comfortable with .. .they could say, 'I think I will take a pass on this one ...' " Sure sure.
I won't even bring up the fact that a US company already reads your medical records and shares them with impunity with whomever it wants, namely the good ol' boys in the shadowy cellars at Homeland Security again. The 23andMe test scans 580,000 mutations across the genome known as single nucleotide polymorphisms - or SNiPs, for short. These SNiPs are akin to single-letter typos that have been linked to particular traits, or conditions to which a person might be predisposed, or from which a person might be protected. Hmmm That'll be good, someone might make the point that you are predisposed to write letters to the editor criticizing the government? You'd be 'protected' from doing that.
Expect the propagandization of this to intensify over the next few years, we're going to get a lot of spin about how good it will be for us to have the government looking after us and saving us from those terrorists.
We'll only have to wonder about who those terrorists really are.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080123.wgenetics23/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home?cid=al_gam_mostview

RCMP Investigator Exchange Program

A young man who was threatening suicide was shot by the Vernon RCMP after he brandished a knife at them when they went to arrest him on a mental health warrant. The RCMP's major crime section is investigating, as is the B.C. Coroners Service and the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP. And to avoid the feeling of a tainted investigation while police investigate themselves, the RCMP have asked an 'independent' investigator from Calgary police to conduct an investigation into Thursday's shooting.
Meanwhile in Calgary, police are baffled about why a 36-year-old woman died while in custody at an RCMP detachment north of Calgary early Thursday morning.
It is rumoured that Vernon RCMP may send an 'independent' investigator to Calgary to avoid the feeling of a tainted investigation while police investigate themselves.
Hmmmm.

Frozen Woolly Mammoth sent to Japan

The body of a frozen woolly mammoth has been discovered by a reindeer herder in a subarctic region of Siberia. It has its trunk and eyes virtually intact and even some fur remaining, said Alexei Tikhonov, deputy director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Zoological Institute. Wooly mammoths are thought to have existed between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago.
The Ice Age beast has been sent to Japan for study by scientists. Bi-ig mistake. The Japanese said they thought it would taste very good and were preparing vats of whale soup to go with it.

BC Lotteries - butt out, you players

BC Lotteries refuses to release the names of the retailers with lottery terminals who won prizes over 10,000 dollars!
The winning ticket switch in Ontario is in the news right now because the Ontario Lottery Corporation went after someone who did it, taking a four million dollar prize for himself. The rightful holders of the winning numbers are getting their money and the OLC is suing the man to return the money. This is not because their lottery corporation did anything at all, it is because of an investigative TV program!
Switching tickets is a pretty easy thing to do. You go to your ticket retailer and ask him to check your numbers, he has already checked some numbers that he knows are not winners and keeps those slips near his cash register, he punches in your numbers, sees that it is a winning combination, then hands you the slip with the non-winning numbers and you walk away disappointed. He now pockets your ticket with the winning numbers, waits a few weeks and then claims the prize! YOUR prize. in the Ontario scam it was four million tax free dollars!
Here in BC a similar investigation took place. However, our trusty BCLC won't tell us who cheated us. Or how many. Of how much. They won't even state a reason. Privacy concerns? They tell us they can't tell you who might have cheated you out of your winnings, because those retailers might suffer business losses if it became known they cheated! What? Oh my gawd! Hardship! People might not want to buy lotto tickets from a cheater. No one at our BCLC seems to have even thought to take away their lotto business! Even if we cannot prove they cheated we still need to know what retailers won large amounts of cash.
It's time the BC Lottery Corporation showed us they are honest and policing their business. And willing to deal out harsh punishment. And we might ask how a corporation can prevent us from knowing the truth of the situation anyway? BC Government needs to step forward and fire someone for their arrogance at the BCLC.
But then it's a blind eye isn't it? They won't even call it gambling though that's what it is. Where is Tony Soprano when we need him? I'll gladly give him his cut if he gives me mine.
At least the Mafia would be fair and they know how to handle cheaters.

Gunpoint Medicine

It's coming folks. World slavery. They are starting in Maryland on the children, forcing parents to subject their children to state mandated vaccinations, saying the immunization would be for chicken pox and Hepatitus B. Many do not trust the health system spin.
In a scenario reminiscent of cattle round-ups, the state’s attorney has issued summons to more than 1600 parents of children who have not provided certificates of immunization for their children. Glen Ivey, the Attorney General said, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but it's gonna have to be done." Didn't I hear that line in a prison movie?
Many parents fear vaccinations because of the growing suspicions about autism and other problems. Even presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul, whose campaign is about taking government back to the people, believes in choice in the matter.
Others have dark suspicions that these immunizations are a forerunner of world domination by certain elite groups to gain control over the populace. Others believe that the new RDIF microchips could be implanted with vaccines. It's only a matter of public 'education'. And every new US passport has an RDIF chip in it. They'll know exactly where every single US citizen is when he's traveling. If they can get those under your skin ...
Scary? You bet it is.

Educate yourself here - - -

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=f74xvtRijMc&feature=related

http://www.newstarget.com/022267.html

http://www.newsrx.com/health-articles/797682.html

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HxOw2dzjLc8

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vrl9dASQ1gY&feature=related

The Big Game

Karlheinz Schreiber has testified. He told us some things. Brian Mulroney comes up soon. He'll deny everything. In all probability, Eddy Greenspan is advising Schreiber to slant left, let Mulroney counter to the right, then go back up the middle with the devastating tackle. Schreiber is playing to stay here. But he is only part of the Big Game. Mulroney wants him in the permanent German penalty box.
Normally Schreiber could enlist the Liberals for help in attacking Conservative Mulroney. But Conservative Harper has already threatened the unintelligible Dion: You tell things about me and I'll investigate Chretien, Martin and the Sponsorship Scandal. Which seems to have been swept under the astro-turf in the game among participants. The players are all dirty.
To the Liberals the game is strategy not truth. The NDP have a shrill voice but the other two fend off any attempt by them to appear the 'honest' party. The Green Party doesn't seem to pay attention to mind pollution. And without an active truth seeking media, we can't expect any revelations or resolutions. Investigative journalism is out indefinitely with an upper body injury. Likely concussion.
It might end up a tie game with no shoot-out. And no matter how much we spectators hiss, boo or cheer, we won't influence the outcome.
Too bad, we lose.

UPDATE: The latest polls show that most Canadians believe Schreiber over Mulroney.

Exxon Valdez - years later

After all these years. On March 24, 1989, one of the most devastating man-made disasters occured in Alaskan waters. The Exxon Valdez tanker spilled 10.8 million gallons of unrefined Alaskan crude oil into the sea. The wildlife deaths included Sea Otters, river otters, sea birds, ocras, bald eagles and anything else living in the coastal wilderness. Today, 18 years later, the once pristine area has still not recovered.
Litigation by Alaska resulted in damages and punative damages of up to 5 billion dollars. To date, Exxon has paid nothing. Constantly appealing all court decisions. Exxon's 2006 profit was $39.5 billion dollars, the most ever for a U.S. company.

This year, Exxon gave their CEO, Rex Tillerson a cash bonus and stock currently valued at close to $20 million! A nice reward for avoiding payment and looking after shareholders while sticking it to the citizens of the world.

The environment is of huge concern in 2007. It is time that North Americans began to punish the shareholders and these arrogant corporations themselves. By not buying their product.
You CAN make a difference. Don't buy Exxon or Esso gas. Start now. Change your gas credit card.
Corporations are now running the world, overruling sovereign nations and the public well being is at risk. If someone sailed a tanker into New York harbour and opened the valves it would have forced immediate punitive action. It could be argued that spilling oil in Prince William Sound's remote location has a far greater effect on our environment and future.
Do something.

http://www.lieffcabraser.com/wbh_exxart.htm

Tasering is better than ...

A woman is recovering in hospital after being tasered in the latest event of electronic warfare by police. She allegedly held knives and advanced toward the officers.
But that was better than turning around and backing toward the police. That action might have resulted in a shot in the head as the police defended themselves.

More expensive?

Making those awful little Japanese character Olympic mascots in China is yet another mistake by the Vancouver Olympic committee. A cold shouldered affront to BC talent. It's like the Campbell government's internal policy is, 'never BC'. (resulting in that Mexican designer company coming to town and thinking the Northwest Territories inukshuk at English Bay was a BC emblem for our Olympics) Of course we can't show you those horrid lil critters because of the Olympic police who prevent that kind of thing.
VANNOC want everyone to get on board our Olympic program and support it, yet it's hard to do with British Columbians being constantly excluded from the process.
Would it really have been more expensive to produce them here? Jim Sinclair of the BC Federation of labour in honesty says yes, they would cost a little more by being produced here. He knows there are many aspects of that cost that actually make them cheaper.
Chinese toys are under fire right now because of the toxicity of many of their plastics. Every week we find another recall and even Mattel is reflecting that in sales. A recent poll showed that most parents are shying away en mass from buying Chinese toys this year. We know that the standards in Canadian production are very high. We know that they are very low in China and indeed, we have no way of monitoring them, let alone policing them. For all we know, those mascots are stuffed with rat fur.
But like the contract for the new BC ferries, ALL the money is going offshore. And now British Columbians won't share one dollar of the manufacture of those little oriental dolls. Had they been produced here, BC workers would have been paid, and spent some of that Canadian money on other things, patronizing local restaurants, buying fridges, home improvements, etc etc. The money would have dispersed back into OUR local economy for the benefit of British Columbians instead of into some Chinese company's pockets.
That is where the cost is truly assessed. How money filters through to you and me from major projects must be considered in the cost analysis.
Wouldn't it have been better to have a sticker on a British Columbia representative mascot that said, 'Proudly Made in Canada'?

And besides, those so called mascots are downright UGLY!

Had enough of crime affecting you?

Steve Brown, the brother-in-law, business partner and friend of Ed Schellenberg, the gas fireplace serviceman murdered in Surrey, BC, in October, has started a blog. Steve is asking for your voice to join his in crying out against the inadequacies of the justice system in combating the crime wave sweeping across Canada.
Ed, was simply doing his job fixing a gas fireplace. He was an innocent victim of a drug killing. This should not happen to law abiding citizens yet IS happening again and again. The power of the web is emerging in our society.
You CAN make a difference. Support Steve Brown's blog here ...

http://weveseenenough.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-have-had-enough.html

Be part of the groundswell.

Jurist's decision

The Robert Willie Picton trial is winding down. The prosecution has finished their final statements, the defense finished their closing arguments. The jury now considers everything they've heard over the last months. It would be hard not to find Picton guilty with the mound of evidence at his pig farm.
But the consequences of a verdict remain to be seen.
The six women met their horrible end on that farm, there is little doubt about that, but it is hard to believe that even a detestable character like Picton could have carried it all out, time after time, alone. Will finding him guilty result in a closed case? All done, neatly tied up? If Willie Picton is found guilty because the evidence was found on the farm, then could it be that others could be guilty as well? Circumstantial evidence has one problem, it can point to others too.
One wonders if the jury could find Robert Picton guilty, and still make a recommendation that the investigation continue to find others involved. Or does everyone want to get it out of the headlines and into fading history, even if other murderers go free?

Sleazy negative billing?

We got our phone bill this week.
We're with Telus. Used to be an honorable company called BC Tel. Been with them for like 40 years. This month's bill had an extra charge on it for $2.95 saying it was "LD network access." Did London Drugs start a phone company? Nope, Telus was billing us for access to a long distance network somewhere.
We never call long distance. We never asked to have a separate charge for access to long distance. They just slipped the charge onto our account. Sort of like those sleazy used car dealers used to do when they told you the fenders weren't included at the original price.
So we called customer service. Got a Chinese guy Erin, he began an argument that we had agreed to pay this access charge. He was hard to understand so we asked that he repeat it, thinking we missed something. There was no mention of such an addition on our previous Telus bill. So after a long dissertation that we had to pay it and it would be monthly = $35.40 a year! We asked for a supervisor.
Erin argued longer about how we had to pay the bill. Asked for the supervisor again. The supervisor isn't here right now. We asked that he transfer the phone to the person sitting next to him. He told us to call in again and repeat the whole procedure of answering metallic questions from a virtual voice. We asked again for a supervisor.
Well you know the procedure, he put us on hold hoping we'd give up in disgust. We stayed. Blood pressure rising over the poor service and frustration so far. Bad music.
Then Erin hung up.
After a repeat call-in with mounting aggravation, a nice man Sasha, arrives and explains that the 'other' telephone companies don't pay for long distance service for their customers and Telus is making their own customers pay. So I see it as Telus customers subsidizing Telus' competition. Why ever would Telus want to stick it to their own?
Easy, slipping another $2.95 onto everyone's bill would be a huge windfall profit to pay all those management bonuses for thinking up this one! Then they wouldn't have the hassle of dealing with their own competition. These guys must be ex bank employees!
So now I am blocked from calling long distance on my land-line but don't have the charge. Don't forget I had to call THEM to have it removed. And why can't Telus stop those telemarketting jerks from Toronto and Michigan from calling ME long distance every night at dinnertime?

Hmm, I am thinking that as I have two cell phones, internet service and a landline with Telus, I might have something to offer that competition myself. I never got a thing from Telus in appreciation of my patronage over the years. I probably would get a new computer or a car by changing all this business to someone else.
Sleazy negative billing has a way of catching up with you.
I think Erin lied about his name too.

Welcome to Canada 2010

Welcome to British Columbia 2010, bring your taser deflector.
Anyone I have talked to about the tragic death of Robert Dziekanski is furious about it. They rant about the RCMP, their training and competence. They're incensed about the 27 second tasering of a confused man. Some are saying that the police just wanted to play with a new exciting weapon. Others that they didn't have any idea how to handle the situation. Four burly officers had to resort to lethal action to subdue him?
In my humble opinion, the officer who put all the weight of his leg against Dziekanski's neck during the scuffle should be charged with manslaughter at the least. In effect a death grip. That is a police matter, not a public inquiry matter. But did you know that the Vancouver Airport 'Authority' doesn't report to anybody? Like BC Ferries they are an entity unto themselves. Answering for their actions to no one.
All the four policemen who partook in this event should be fired in dishonor because none of them had the wit to understand the danger to the victim.
RCMP training should be reviewed to alert new constables to a fact that my young niece mentioned to me, that cutting off the blood circulation to the brain can cause death within 18 seconds. She said she learned that in high school!
Airport security on duty at the time should be fired because one man lingered for hours and hours without alerting suspicion or investigation! He could have been there to blow up a plane! What were they looking at if anything?
And the airport official who allegedly was talking to Robert's mother 5 hours after he was dead and told her he was fine should be fired in disgrace as well.
This is a catastrophic event when we are trying to invite the world to our coming Olympic event. It shows that we are incapable of handling alarming situations that require immediate thought and quick competent action. Do we want the world to think our RCMP are thugs? Very strong and prompt action is required here, or are we going to get another 'inquiry' that starts sometime years ahead when they hope we have all forgotton Robert Dziekanski? Why isn't someone available next week to conduct this while it is fresh in witnesses' minds and most of all, the public mind!
Tourist beware.

addenda: tasers work by firing a small pair of needles on a wire into your skin. The needles do not pull out. If they shot an AIDS or Hep C carrier before you, do they sterilize those needles? Do the needles carry diseases and transfer it from one victim to another? There might be more risk than falling on the ground here.

Christmas Shopping

So it's upon us. Tis the season to be jolly. Hmmm, but ... Well I tried to start Christmas shopping. Really. The first place we went was SportChek in Pacific Center. Quite a few employees in there. They didn't have the Adidas wear I wanted, but the pleasant young man was helpful. So my wife picked up an item from UnderArmor and went to pay at the checkout. Another young man was already there, taking the phone. We had our money out ready to pay. He called for a cashier. We waited. Other employees were about, looking important and knowledgeable about sports. Casual, fit, young people. The man called again for a cashier.
I began to get nervous about waiting when I saw that no one appeared to notice. I sidled slowly toward the entrance. Hearing again a call for a cashier. My wife waited. I finally left the store and waited in the mall.
Then after the fourth call, a young girl came running from another store to answer the call for a cashier!
My wife thinks I am impatient. We argue lightly for a minute about customer service. She says it's never going to be like it used to be. We are just too old now. We remember stuff.
But I said, why offer a store your money if they're so lax the cashier isn't even IN the store? Was she the only one who could work the machine?
Wife said again that's the way it'll be this year. I said those Americans at Bellis Faire want my money, they're at the cash register smiling at me when I am there. That's customer service.
I might try a few more stores this year for my Christmas shopping. Give Canadians a chance. Maybe. But my list isn't about who I'm getting gifts for, it's a list of stores I was intending to shop at this year.
I've already crossed one off that list.
Maybe I'll just get everyone a pound of Humbugs.

Earthquake jolts Northern California

(CNN) -- A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 struck Northern California on Tuesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake's epicenter was about nine miles northeast of San Jose. It hit at 8:04 p.m.

Catherine Kilkenny gets under a table during the earthquake in San Jose, California.













Mr Kilkenney seems to have his own earthquake in mind.

Price gouging for Canadians?

Lots of publicity right now about what Canadian retailers think of Canadian consumers. With our high Canadian dollar pressure to match US prices is strong. Yet their attitude seems to be that the Canadian market is cream and they charge what they can for extreme profits. I see this as a disdain for their own customers.
Recently I began looking to buy a few things, among them cameras and computer peripherals.
I looked at London Drugs for a Canon S5 IS. A great little camera. London Drugs' price was $499. Canadian. If I drive a few miles to Bellingham, my price would be $337. US! Note that the Canadian dollar is right now at 104 over the US dollar. I have not bought the camera in Vancouver.
Then I went to Future Shop to buy a Lacie 500 gb external hard drive for my computer. The manufacturers suggested list price is $119. Future shop had this item at $274.! Anywhere in Blaine or Bellingham I could change my Canadian dollars for American money and make these two deals at regular US prices. And I have not looked for sales yet in Bellis Faire, for instance.
If you're a Canadian consumer. They are preying on you folks. You represent extra profits for retailers here. Gouge profits. They cry about their costs by that is not our concern. They can drive whatever bargain they like with the manufacturers, it takes strong management to do it but it can be done. As a chain store you just remove their product from your shelves for a week and see what deal they'll give you to get your retail prices in line.
If I buy these two products across the border, I will SAVE $317 DOLLARS over buying them in Canada. That is HUGE and pays for my lunch and the bonus is cheap gas. Three Hundred and seventeen dollars!
And it shows that Canadian retailers have gotten soft and have nothing but disdain for their customers.
Besides, those Americans are WAY more friendly too.

Further interest - Went to buy a magazine, 12.95 Canadian dollars - 9.95 American dollars. So if I go to the bank and change my Canadian into American dollars, it will cost me 9.68 to get 9.95 American. So I save $3.27 on a simple magazine!
Oh yes, I looked at another 500 gig external hard drive - Manufacturers suggested list price, or if I buy it from the web, (free shipping by manufacturer) was $119.00. London Drugs price = $149.00. CostCo price - $179.00.
Sure, I know there are other variables, like travel and effort, but it DOES give you an idea that Canadian retailers are grabbing everything they can out of your pocket. If I am going to pay more, then I'll be supporting the small independant retailer thanks, NOT the chains.

Give yourself some time

Take a quiet hour for yourself. Open your mind. Throw off your preconceived thoughts, and your innate resistance to volatile and disturbing ideas about our world. Be objective, don't argue until you see it all first. Give yourself a chance. Suspend your disbelief for just a while. Don't judge until you see it. Watch the video here ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yx9NRX37SM

Sometimes the evilness of humanity needs to be assimilated to allow hope to emerge for the goodness of humanity.
Just think for yourself .... ask questions.

Death among the criminals - 2 ???

Last night in Surrey, well not actually at night-time, it was apparently around 5:30 pm, supper hour at a MacDonalds restaurant, two groups started shooting at each other in the parking lot. No one was killed among the criminals.
A police spokesman, reassuring the public that it was not a random shooting said, "It was between two groups in the parking lot, the public was not in danger at all, unless it would be from a stray bullet."
Is that supposed to be reassuring? We are supposed to just relax and continue our Big Macs? Maybe just watch the bad guy show outside? Tell our kids, "It's okay, just don't stand in the way of a stray bullet?" Is that an asinine statement by the police or what?
The stray bullets are exactly what we're worried about! Don't the cops understand?
A lot of these criminal gang types are stupid. How many drive-by shootings have sprayed bullets into the wrong house because these a**holes didn't know what street they were on? What about the girl in Gastown who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when someone pulled a gun and shot at someone else? Killing her. What about that Toronto street shooting? A woman across the street lost her life in a flail of bullets.
The public IS in danger, quit trying to lie for a job poorly done protecting us.
Cruel and unusual punishment is dying simply for being an innocent passer-by. Twenty years in jail for shooting a gun in public is not.
It's justice.

Hydro power in BC. For America?

The plans to build hundreds of Run-of-the-River power projects in BC need to have guidelines placed on these projects before allowing any contracts. Although the attitude of the present government is that it is private enterprise and we never dare put restrictions on what private business can do. What I mean is that allowing private power companies to bypass BC Hydro without rules for the benefit of British Columbians should be a no go. My alarm signals begin to flash when I am told that it is all good for BC people. And that we are presently importing power. My concern is that we are again being told lies by omission, a trademark of Gordon Campbell. We always find out much later that the BC Liberals were scheming against us. We haven’t been told much about selling the power generated by these new projects, except that they will, after a certain time period of selling to BC Hydro, be free to then sell to whoever they like. Read that as America. And at that time, my assumption is that we will have NO authority over our own BC river projects to reclaim that power for ourselves if need be.
Nigel Protter, in a recent Georgia Straight article said, ‘... why should we care where the electricity goes?’ Well wouldn’t we care if we are facing a brown-out in Vancouver and our own rivers are generating power to keep Las Vegas alight? Or that they will provide us with electricity made from our own rivers, but at an ‘American’ price.
Just fine with Environment Minister Barry Penner too. His side-mouth-talking asserted that we would avoid importing power from coal burning or gas burning etc. Ba-ad for us all. Carefully omitting the point, of course, of why we would import any power at all from other sources than our very own rivers. (As an aside, did California EVER pay us that 600 million they owe us for power?)
We need to implement rules to whatever power projects are built, in that WE can reclaim that power back to us without a penalty at any time. That should simply be the cost of private enterprise doing business using BC resources, supposedly owned by the people of BC.
Of course not much of BC is run by British Columbians anymore is it? And one needs to have suspicion with every announcement from this devious government. BC Rail is no longer. Now CN DErail is run out of New York. BC Gas has become Terasen so we won’t even think of it as ours, now run out of Texas. We sent 350 million dollars to Germany to build ships that could have been built here by British Columbians. Not a dime going to a BC worker!
We were once proud of the accomplishments of British Columbians for British Columbia, I wonder if we’ll begin to feel like dupes when we are told to stay away from our own rivers?

Death among the criminals

So now they're hollering for more police to combat the shootings in the crime community as yet another person, 'known to the police', was killed in his car. Gang activity, they say. Disputes over drug territory.
I'm wondering why these criminals killing each other is a BAD thing?

Hire that Judge!

A man convicted of a carjacking in New Westminster has been sentenced to nine years. This 29 year old criminal, of no fixed address committed the crime in December 2006 in New Westminster. He hid in the garage until the car owner and her son came out in the morning. He then pulled a gun and stole the vehicle. He was arrested later that day after crashing the stolen car.
What happened to the usual slap on the wrist because the perp had a bad childhood? Where's the usual lenient sentence because his momma didn't love him? What about rehabilitating him on his own recognizance? Maybe give him some money to buy his own car?

Where is that judge! We need more like him! Hire the guy, put him in charge of the drug dealer sentencing for the creeps who sell to children! Maybe the addict car thieves who try to run down cops. And the illegal immigrant street racers who kill innocent passers by.
Thank you Judge, for being brave and protecting law abiding citizens. Maybe he heard the public outcry. Maybe it's a start. Keep up the good work.

Elections Canada new poster

Elections Canada, in defiance of Parliament, say people CAN be masked when they vote.
So far, The Lone Ranger, Darth Vader, Batman and Robin, The Masked Marvel, The Phantom of the Opera, Zorro, Spiderman and several bank robbers have endorsed this policy.
One thief was heard to say, "Why should I lose my vote just 'cause I'm a criminal?"
Another SuperHero commented, "If you want the world safe you can't expect me to take off all my Supersuit just to vote."
A burglar whispered, "I voted twelve times for Louie."
The Man in the Iron Mask echoed, "At least now I can leave the rust on."
One Election Officer said, "If you've got nothing to hide, then you won't mind keeping your mask on."
A new Elections Canada poster was being readied for use ......

















... and there is no truth to the rumor that raccoons have been voting for Tammy Faye Bakker.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/09/10/elections-veils.html?ref=rss

Mulroney vs Trudeau

Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, in a new book, criticizes former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as having a lack of moral fiber to lead. He slams Trudeau for his teenage years as an activist. No mention in his book about the Airbus scandal or his own moral fiber while in office as an adult.
This from the man who many consider the biggest crook Canada ever had. Who thousands wonder where he is getting the money to live like a billionaire. Who the RCMP may be STILL investigating for bribery in the Airbus scandal. Who was the first Prime Minister in Canadian history to be the subject of a criminal probe. Who even tried to steal the furniture from 24 Sussex Drive.
Who threatens to sue anyone who looks into his background at the drop of a secret paper.

Except: Stevie Cameron, who wrote the book, On The Take, an investigative report on the scandalous Mulroney and a bombshell exposé of crime, corruption and greed on his watch. For some obscure reason he hasn't sued Ms Cameron. Hmmm.
"I am not a crook."
Where have we heard that phrase before?

Today in History . . . Sept 1

1914. The last known passenger pigeon died in the Cincinnati zoo.
There were an estimated 5 billion birds prior to the mid 1800s in North America. Hunters shot them out of the sky for 'sport' and they were also used for food for slaves, restaurants and even agricultural fertilizer. In order to catch them easily, hunters would light smoky fires under the nesting trees, with as many as 100 nests. The young would jump out of their nests and into hunters' bags! One hunter alone shipped 3 million pigeons in a single year. They'd soak grain with alcohol to intoxicate them and make them easier to kill.
The term 'stool pigeon' comes from the times too. Hunters would capture a live pigeon, sew his eyelids shut, and use him as a decoy tied to a stool!
Sort of makes a macho guy wanta go hunting, doesn't it?

Scientific experiment - folding paper 7 times

Osoyoos under attack ...

er ... "development" they call it. Lots of new condo "development" going on up there. They are pushing it every day on the radio in Vancouver. I bet they get their very own Wallmart soon. All those new city people need their city services! That's "development."
"Developers" (if that isn't a misnomer, nothing is) are feverishly promoting their "developments," wanting all you rich people to get there now and buy buy buy!
It was way too quiet and serene in Osoyoos. No one was getting rich. That's not "development". Too much water. Too many birds tweeting. There was no reason Canada's only arid biotic zone, desert, can't be just like Reno. That finger of the Sonoran desert needed "development." So now there are going to be condos everywhere!
They're going to "develop" the shit out of it!

Here's a likely map of what "they", are planning ...













click to throw up ... er, I mean enlarge.

Space Shuttle Dangers

The Shuttle went up. And once again a piece of "foam" fell off something and damaged the underside of the shuttle. How many times has this happened before? What IS this "foam" stuff?
Why does it cause such damage? Why is it always falling off? Anyone ever phone up the Foam company to see what's wrong? How can they fix that? Don't they have glue? Now they need to try and repair it in space?
Do you imagine, like me, that a Dixie Cup piece is going to cause the shuttle to come flaming to Earth? Chewing a peanut butter cookie with gum will fix anything. But I suppose they don't have any peanut butter up there either.
Now we learn that the shuttles have encountered over 15,000 hits in space causing damage of an inch or more! No wonder these guys and gals need a drink out there. I bet the Russians have a bottle of Stolichnaya hidden somewhere in that space station.
NASA, smarten up, try foam rubber or something, at least it'll bounce off.
The space walk pic sorta reminds me of Dustin Hoffman lying at the bottom of the pool in "The Graduate", to get away from it all.

Skateboarders

Check out the seats, even in ancient times skateboarders and graffiti were a problem ...



Sappho and Alcaeus, by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1881, oil on canvas, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

ICBC huge profits

I think I know why.
A couple of years ago I bought a motorcycle. When it was time to insure I was shocked at ICBC rates. The particular rate for my new bike was $2700.00 a year! I got a 40% discount as an accident free DRIVER (not a rider) which brought the motorcycle rate down to $1600.00. No other discounts to apply. Like it or don't ride or drive a vehicle in BC.
Well I happened to have access to information from Washington State insurances. I was again shocked, but at their enlightened attitude toward motorcycles.
I would qualify for a 'Mature Rider' discount because I was unlikely to race around at my age. I also would get a discount for being a non smoker, I suppose meaning that I was less likely to cause the insurance company a cost because I fell off while trying to light up. Although I think it was really for being unlikely to die while riding. Another discount for the type of bike I bought, pure sport bikes cost more because they're likely to be driven faster and perhaps more recklessly. There was also a huge discount in Washington State for taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider training course.
I took two courses before getting my bike, the BC Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Skills course, AND the Traffic Skills course, both expensive but highly recommended for avoiding a disaster on your bike. Then a refresher course too.
Didn't mean a thing to ICBC.
The bottom line is that for comparable insurance to what ICBC covers me for here, at $1600.00, would have only cost me $300.00 across the border! $1300.00 cheaper for the same coverage! And although my bike is aging every year, the insurance rate stays the same!
ICBC say they don't compile statistics or profiles on who causes more accidents. Private insurance companies do. Maybe it should be considered.
But ripping us all off is a sure way to pack in the profits.

Home Alarm Systems

A company in my town constantly advertises their home alarm system and warns you about other 'inferior' systems. It is a voice system where a real guy talks to you if you're broken into.
I looked at their website for a few niggling things that were bothering me.
However they seem to omit things in their blurb.
Like for the price they advertise, you get ONE DOOR alarm and NO window alarms. You then hope the burglar picks that door? Additional coverage is where they get you. I guess you at least know which door to run out of.
It's a voice system, if the alarm goes off a guy flips a switch and listens to you screaming. OR, can he flip that switch anytime to listen to you breathing hard? Do they mic every room? If you are in the basement when the voice guy calls, does the burglar just say, "Everything's okay?"
Even then, where IS that 'central' voice guy? In your town or in New York, Bombay or Taiwan? He evidently calls the police (authorities) for you if needed but does he just dial 911 and try to explain to that operator that he's calling on your behalf? Then SHE contacts the police? Does he have to call your town first?
Why can't you just call 911 yourself? Much faster and safer. Just tell the cops that the guy has a gun and see how fast they respond.
Way cheaper to just get a mean dog, leave him inside and don't feed him. Maybe give Michael Vick a call to find out where to buy one.
Meanwhile, whisper.

The State of Sport

In one word - Sad.
Barry Bonds about to break a home run record while under investigation for cheating with strength enhancing steroids. The hated hero. NFL Football's Michael Vick attending illegal disgusting dogfights. Tour-de-France contender Alexandre Vinokourov having blood transfusions between stages. Hockey coaches running gambling rings. NBA basketball referees betting on games they control. Multi-million dollar professional players arrested constantly for drugs, or weapons, violence and woman abuse. Irreverence for anyone but themselves. Oblivious to the law or common sense rules of behavior. Sounds like Hollywood starlets, doesn't it?
Sport?
Perhaps we need to differentiate 'sport' from entertainment? TV Wrestling makes no attempt to be sport. We all know it is theatre, nothing else. Maybe we should allow the Mark McGuires of sport to have their own realm, where anything goes. Take all the drugs you like, go as fast as you can, be the strongest in your world. Put those events on the Adult channels for the mentality that'll watch them. Like truck pull events but with freaky-humans. The kind that grisly guys burp and fart at while watching.
But Money runs the leagues. They SHOULD bar anyone from all games forever who does drugs. The money will still flow into the league coffers. Because there's always another player who IS clean. Return sport to being the best you can be without enhancements.
Sports that children can emulate. Like all those black kids who wanted to be Hank Aaron once. And the white kids who wanted to be Ted Williams.
What freaky kid wants to be Barry Bonds?

Bonds hit run No. 756 on Tuesday night, breaking the record Hank Aaron set in 1976 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Let the freak show begin.

2010 - Northwest Territories

We're seeing this Northwest Territories logo everywhere these days.
Inukshuk it's called, there's a fine example right on English Bay beach, given to us by the Northwest Territories after Expo 86. There are other events using their logo but we cannot mention them anymore.
You see, the organizing committee of that 'event' now is hiring a "branding cop", who's going to police every mention and come down on you for using anything resembling that event's logos, pictures, wording etc.
Everything will be monitored, including TV, radio, home business, billboards, even cyberspace on the internet!
You won't be able to use words like "Games City," "Medals," "Vancouver," "Whistler," or even "Sponsor!"

Ok.
Maybe we'll just promote our kind northern Canadians then.

http://www.gov.nt.ca/research/tourism/index.html

John Ferguson - a small memory

As the accolades and remembrances begin pouring in about former Montreal Canadian winger John Ferguson, most of the memories are about hockey and his illustrious career. However, mine is a small one from a distant past. Way back in the fifties at Vancouver Tech High School.
I didn't even know he played hockey until a few years later. But I was a sort of 'team-mate' in the class called Notorious Nine-E. It was different and the boys were different, East side kids mostly. But even then Fergie stood out, but not as the tough guy he became in hockey, but as the guy most of us liked to be around. He was fun, maybe not quite the class clown, but always ready for a laugh, or to instigate one at the expense of the teachers mostly. It was the most fun of my youth at school.
One time the principal was coming to class to address the students because of our irreverent behavior. The home room teacher's desk was up a step on a platform. Before the principal arrived, John edged the front legs of that desk to the very edge of that step up, within an eighth of an inch. The principal arrived, long faced, glum, and coined the phrase we all became proud of, saying, "So this is notorious nine E," to a tumult of cheers and clapping. He then began a serious reprimand of our pranks and conduct while our young home room teacher stood gravely in the corner. At one point he remarked that so far that year, not one of us had been absent a day. A reply from someone called back, "Hell we're havin' too much fun here!" which elicited another roar of laughter. The principal, trying to look more threatening, leaned forward on the desk, and sternly began talking when his weight made the shift we were all waiting for. He ended up sprawled across the desk and sliding off it head first like a crushed ant while everyone leaped up to shake Fergie's hand.
Our teacher and the principal left the room and we happily shared one more moment of what John Ferguson was all about to us of that era; full of life and fun.
A small memory but a nice one to have.
RIP #22.

Cellphone study ... er revelation

The Maritz Research company, one of the world's largest marketing research firms, recently conducted a study regarding cell phone use in mid-flight and customers' attitude towards it. The results of the study are not important for this post, the reason for the study is: that the technology is becoming available to make cell phone use in mid-flight possible.
Does this mean the 9-11 Truthers are right? That those mysterious calls from United Airlines Flight 93 and American Airlines Flight 77 could NOT have happened? And were faked? Hmmm.

It actually makes this call even more unbelievable -
Caller: “Mom? This is Mark Bingham. I want you to know that I love you. I’m on a flight from Newark to San Francisco and there are three guys who have taken over the plane and they say they have a bomb.”
Alice: “Who are these guys?
Caller: (after a pause) “You believe me, don’t you?"
Caller: “Yes, Mark. I believe you. But who are these guys?"
There were 14 other alleged cell phone calls made from Flight 93.

After years of many pilots, aircraft designers, cell phone and telephone company technicians saying cell calls from aircraft at speed and altitude could not be made on September 11, 2001, we just now are welcoming the technology to make them possible.

Hmm again. Does this mean the 9-11 Truthers are right?

http://physics911.net/cellphoneflight93

NOTE: Don't confuse cell phones with AIRPHONES or Satellite phones which were installed on some aircraft. However American Airlines Flight 77 was a 757. Airphones were installed on American Airlines 777 and 767 aircraft, NOT on 757s. Reference the case of Barbara Olson on Flight 77 which supposedly crashed into the Pentagon. Note also that NO cell call telephone bills ever appeared for United Flight 93 or American Flight 77 passengers. Indeed, the passenger lists don't even show any mysterious travelers.

Food quality and your health

As it seems more apparent that imported Chinese food doesn't undergo much if any quality testing or safety inspections, it is becoming dangerous to eat whatever you buy at your supermarket.
Some of these problems may be caused by international agreements like the NAFTA treaty. Where we may have strict safety requirements in Canada for what we grow to eat, Mexico may not follow our rules, yet under NAFTA they are free to export their food products to us. So what about South American food exporting countries? Who is inspecting and testing this imported food product? No one. Who knows what toxic fertilizers or chemicals are added to food produced in foreign lands?
In many cases you just KNOW the quality of the imported product is far inferior. We always look for a Dole label on fresh pineapple, having been stung too many times by South American pineapple that simply rots before it ripens! Hawaii has been growing pineapple too long and guards their industry closely. And what about those lovely red strawberries from somewhere that are all white and woody inside? They produce them to LOOK wonderful, unconcerned about quality. This is only a taste issue, but it could become downright sickening. The recent pet food problem is an example.
It's hard enough within the US and Canada to monitor quality. The spinach ecoli problem last year. Salmonella in peanut butter. Botulism in carrot juice. Four children died and hundreds more got sick from eating undercooked hamburgers infected with a dangerous form of ecoli bacteria four years ago. Are we being told the truth about mad cow disease?
If food monitoring is out of control in our own countries, how can we expect safe food produce coming from foreign shores?
In the US less than 1% of imported food is tested or inspected. And people are clamoring for a label stating the country of origin. None of this has happened [yet] in the States because of special interest groups and lobbyists! Always the scourge of the consumer.
And did you know that in Canada, if you import tomatoes, for instance, and simply package them here, they can be labeled as 'Product of Canada'. Whoever got that deception through?
The European Union just announced ambitious plans for an EU-wide food safety program to include a new watchdog agency with more than 80 possible changes to food safety laws. And spurred by deadly outbreaks of E. coli and other food-borne pathogens, a group of U.S. lawmakers is pushing to put all food safety oversight under a single federal agency.

Time we Canadians started taking our food consumption seriously too, maybe using the Chinese method to jerk the chain of the food industry; they simply executed the guy in charge of food exports for not doing his job properly. Dereliction of duty.
Heads need to roll, maybe literally.

hunting

The BC Government Environment Ministry is targeting women and children in a campaign for more hunters in BC.
It is unfair to them that only men are going into the forest to kill our bear, deer, mountain sheep, goats and elk etc. We need more women hunters, and kids too! Give 'em guns because our hunting industry is suffering a serious downturn in animals killed. Ba-ad for the economy. Not fair that more BCers can't kill something.
Hmm? Is that the reason or is it the fact that hunting outfitters have always had a strong lobby with right wing governments here to allow more American trophy hunters into BC? Bravado guys who'll pay up to $50,000. to pull the trigger on one of our big grizzly bears.
Maybe the downturn in the hunting business is because more people are becoming aware of the precarious position wildlife is in worldwide? Maybe camera hunting is better? Maybe women and children are disgusted with the government's idea of them becoming brave macho hunters too?
Maybe out of province hunters are content to stay at home now and hunt in those penned-off reserves being set up in many American states?
And they can stay at home, literally - read our previous post of 05/01/5005 titled California bans internet hunting to see how totally ludicrous hunting has become in some states!
http://caterwauls.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_archive.html
Maybe it is time those outfitters in northern BC learned some photography or looked for a new profession. The killing of wild animals for pleasure is a dying pastime but BC Government greed doesn't know that yet.

But wait, bringing along the wife and kids might be a surer way to kill hunting than banning it? Maybe take it one step further and require it. Pass me my beer, cigar and gun, Honey, and bring me my boots, kid, we're all going hunting!
Sure we are.

Stanley Park cleanup - where?

A walk to Stanley Park last week left me dismayed with the state of the so called cleanup efforts.
I mean in areas that are regularly accessed by visitors; around Second Beach and the Pitch and Putt golf course. There are trees and tree branches everywhere. Brown with rot. Trails are still closed near the Greig Rhododendron gardens. In that creek that leads into Lost Lagoon from Second Beach there are willow branches and junk. Some trees have been cut and the debris is left to litter the trailside. The little wooden bridge that crosses the creek has two rails missing and is simply closed. They keep saying they need heavy equipment to get into the park. But what would that take to fix the areas within view of tourists? A couple of hours by some guys wanting a little cash and firewood?
What is the Parks Board spending the money on? Letting their regular employees get the overtime instead of tackling it head on? Isn't there enough labour available on day rates? It seems to me that a couple of guys with chain saws and a pickup truck could clean up a lot of that mess in no time. What's the delay? Should tourists see a big mess like this?
It seems to me that the maintenance of Stanley Park has been deteriorating over several years now. Banks of grass that were once available to sit on to view English Bay are now overgrown with blackberry bushes. they seem to hire only about two gardners for the summer who can't keep up anyway, they need LOTS of simple labour in there. And NOW! It's time they started spending some of that money on recovery instead of administration. Stanley Park is a jewel in our city. Mismanagement is going on there somewhere.
The Parks Board should be ashamed of their efforts so far.

This response from Park Board spokesperson Yuna Flewen :

Scheduled timeline for the park clean-up is well within the mark, and we are also on track financially. A progress report is currently prepared for public distribution. After the storm we have invited experts from forestry, ecology and geotechnical fields and park stakeholders and prepared the official restoration plan, conducted public opinion polling on major issues that affect the operation, identified ecologically sensitive areas, took inventory of species at risk, assessed hazard trees and adjusted the trees that were deemed as dangerous for public safety. We have also conducted initial geotechnical assessment of the Prospect Point slope area and prepared a fire risk assessment and preparedness strategy.
Unfortunately, the open and visible blowdown area near Lost Lagoon has been identified as one of the most ecologically sensitive areas of the park for restoration. We have hired a consultant to work on a site specific restoration prescription, and we will begin debris removal process shortly.

The problem is simply one of somebody taking charge. It doesn't need studies, committees or strategies to remove dead branches. Again, TOO MANY ADMINISTRATORS!
Get on with it.

You may find information on our restoration website helpful in answering your queries. http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/restoration/index.htm

Fish Farm Salmon - Ugh

Did you NEED another reason NOT to eat fish farm salmon? Now they are suggesting that human urine would be good to add to their feed! You can bet the fish farmers will embrace this idea. Probably hook up with local beer pub outlets!
It's true.
The ISME Journal, a Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology, reports that Bara Bihari Jana and his colleagues at the University of Kalyani, India, mixed ground water with human urine from the university's urinals and added the zooplankton Moina micrura, which is often fed to hatchling fish in commercial fisheries.
They also tried rearing the plankton in various cocktails of cow urine, vermin compost, (dead rats folks) poultry droppings and cow dung, all of which are commonly used in fish farming. All treatments used half a litre of urine, or half a kilo of dung, to every 4,500 litres of water.
Nice.
Aside from the fact that the fish farms are said to be destroying the the REAL Pacific salmon runs because the young salmon passing near the pens acquire masses of sea lice which kill them, there is the point that they are Atlantic salmon anyway. They ADD colouring to make them red! Respectable restaurants here in BC are specific about advertising wild salmon on their menus. Scientists have advised that adults eat it only occasionally and never give it to children. And it has also been said that even dead fish are scooped from the bottom of the pens and sold!
Most of the product is marketed into America anyway and no one is telling our friends across the border. Too bad.
But now that pissing into their pens is an option, we think BC Fish Farm salmon should go into that same category as that contaminated food from China.
UGH!
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070625/full/070625-13.html

Guess I'll stick to my fish oil capsules.

Previous comment on BC Fish farm salmon here ;
http://caterwauls.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_archive.html