The Bay US Casino

How long now has the Hudson's Bay Company been owned by American Jerry Zuckerman? Two weeks? Maybe three?
Was in there today. You can still buy clothing, furniture, blankets etc.
But now you can also play roulette and blackjack!
Didn't take long to casinoize it, did it?
Bring money.
Will this be on your Bay card, Ma'am?

BC Ferries vs the people of the north

They want to build a new ferry for the Prince Rupert service.
British Columbia shipbuilders have bowed out of the bidding to construct a new ship because they've been told they need to do it by 2008. Far too little time for the job.
Is it political? Gordon Campbell sees BC shipbuilders as a union problem. He's proven time after time that he favours foreigners over British Columbians.
The Fast Cats are sitting in the dock waiting for use. It would be instant and easy to press them into service for the upcoming tourist season's walk-on traffic. Indeed, they might be seen as a tourist attraction themselves.
Is it political? You bet it is.

Flight 93

The movie is out. The fix is in.
The first plane hit the World Trade tower.
The second plane hit the second World Trade tower.
Then a Global Hawk missile hit the Pentagon in a section under reconstruction.
The fourth plane went a long way around before turning back toward the White House.
Giving lots of time to scramble F16s.
The intent became clear as to where the fourth plane was going.
An F16 fired a missile at Flight 93.
The tail section of Flight 93 fell in a field 3 MILES away from the fusilage. Papers were found 8 miles away.
How could that happen?

No real time video is available to dispute any speculations. The FBI removed everything. No one is allowed near the sight. It is guarded 24/7. Early viewers on the day say there was no evidence of aircraft parts from a plane. Only a blackened hole. The cockpit voice recording stopped at 10:03. Siesmologists say the impact was at 10:06. What could have been recorded in that 3 minutes?
The movie is out. Believe it if you like.

http://www.geocities.com/killtown/911.html

http://www.pentagonstrike.co.uk/

Let's play doctor

A 76 year old man in Florida, was charged with sexual assault after going door to door, posing as a doctor giving free breast examinations. He examined at least two women's breasts after they allowed him into their homes to accept the offer. Phillip Winikoff even carried a black doctor's bag and was found out when one woman allowed a genital inspection, but Phillip, in his excitement, forgot to don rubber gloves. His real occupation is a shuttle driver for a car dealership.

One can almost see the upcoming trial ...

Mr. Winikoff is on the stand.

Prosecutor: Judge, and Jury. This white haired old man perpetrated a heinous criminal act of fraud on women in their early 30s; sexual assault, false pretenses, impersonation, performing a free service without qualifications, and everyone in America knows we don't do doctor stuff for free, furthermore and wheretoever, he caused embarrassment to other women who will not come forward. And lastly, he caused many policemen to sideline their other cases while they assessed the victims themselves for first hand evidence, um ... so to speak. I rest my case.

Defense Councel: Doctor Winikoff, would you have ...
Prosecutor: Objection your Honor, he is not a real doctor!
Defense Councel: Sir, did you offer free breast examinations door to door?
Prosecutor: Objection to Defense Council's giggling, your Honor.
Winikoff: Yes sir, I did.
Defense Councel: And some ladies allowed you into their homes for this ... ah, service?
Prosecutor: Objection on service! This terrible criminal only wanted to "service" the women. And they were FAKE breast exams.
Defense Councel: Doctor Win ... er Mr. Winikoff, and then you actually DID do a breast examination, correct?
Prosecutor: Objection ...
Winikoff: Correct Sir. I did a thorough examination, nothing fake about it.
Prosecutor: ... counsel is laughing again!
Defense Councel: Thank you, Doctor Winikoff, and can you tell us how you did it?
Winikoff: I caressed ... er ... fondled ... um, examined them all with gentle care, Sir. I even listened to the heartbeat with my nice warm ear.
Defense Councel: And why did you choose this community service for young women?
Winikoff: When was the last time you tried to get a doctor to actually come to your home? And those mammary gram machine things hurt like hell.
Prosecutor: Objection. Community service? His intent was strictly sexual, your Honor!
Defense Councel: That is speculation and conjecture, my learned friend ... Winikoff, sir, were any Viagra pills found in your little doctor's bag?
Winikoff: There was nothing in my bag except my lunch. When you're 76 years old it gets kinda heavy to carry around.
Prosecutor: It was the rubber gloves did him in, your Honor, he didn't have any.
Defense Councel: Sir, did these women invite you into their homes voluntarily and remove their clothing of their own accord?
Prosecutor: Objection! They thought he was a doctor.
Defense Councel: He kind of looks like a nice old doctor, though, doesn't he?
Prosecutor: He's a dirty old man!
Defense Councel: Doctor Winikoff, had you found a lump or anything would you have recommended the woman see another doctor for more tests?
Winikoff: I always believe in second opinions, Sir, as a matter of fact my friend Harry, the wash guy down at the car dealership ...
Prosecutor: Oh my gawd!
Defense Councel: We rest too, your Honor. No harm no foul.
Prosecutor: Objection to your Honor's giggling, your Honor.

http://www.local10.com/news/8830685/detail.html

Eagle Eye Cam

Last winter, a man living on Hornby Island, BC, decided, after watching two eagles nesting in a tree on his property for several years, to share it with the world. He secreted a camera close above the nest and fed the output into his home, and subsequently onto the web.
The Eagle cam was born. The nesting pair returned, and laid two eggs. Now it seems the world is watching Doug Carrick's eagles.
Schools are broadcasting the LIVE stream. Banks have it above waiting lines. Office computers have it running behind work stuff. And the website is getting upwards of two MILLION hits a day. People from everywhere in the world are now enthralled with the vicarious daily show of the parents tending their aerie and awaiting the birth of two new eaglets!
An accompanying forum allows visitors to leave messages and information. Some are capturing the stream and posting pictures. There have been tender moments when the male returned with a fish for his mate. Another when he gently nudged her off the nest for his turn. (they switch about every two hours) Another when he lay his head on her shoulder in a wonderful moment of tenderness.
The world has adopted these great birds, and in spite of their strength and world reputation as fierce preditors, we are seeing live, what the creatures that we share this planet with have to do to survive. And as always, their fate is in our hands.
If you too, want to become an addicted eagle watcher, go to the link. It will be a humbling experience. Doug Carrick and the folks at Infotec have used the wonder of the latest technology to bring us this glimpse into the lives of two very special eagles. And when it is too dark to see, they replay the day for you!
Thank you, Doug, for enriching our lives.

UPDATE: Eagle Eye cam is now getting 3.3 million hits a DAY and over 73 million views in the last month!

UPDATE 2: After getting upwards of 10 million people a day looking to see eaglets, sadly the eggs didn't hatch. It was still an exciting experience to observe these beautiful eagles nesting. And the lesson for the future is an awareness of our environment and how fragile the lives of wild creatures are. We all have an obligation to make sure we share the planet as it is theirs too. Hopefully we'll have an eagle cam next year too.

http://www.infotecbusinesssystems.com/wildlife/default.asp

For a fabulous insight into the life and personality of an eagle, please read Conversations With An Eagle by Brenda Cox, available at your local bookstore through distributor HarperCollins - ISBN # 15550548115. (also at Amazon.ca) It is an entertaining, humourous and informative book about an intimate relationship between Brenda and an eagle.

Living Longer - Choices

There are many things you can do to increase your life expectancy: exercise, eat well, take your medication etc. It is known that regular physical exercise can add 3.0-to-5.1 years.
However two new studies seemed to add making a serious decision to the process.

Study #1 - Church
The role of religion can be important to your longevity. Regular weekly religious church attendance could add 1.8-to-3.1 years to your life.
"Religious attendance is not a mode of medical therapy," said study leader Daniel Hall, a resident in general surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "While this study was not intended for use in clinical decision making, these findings tell us that there is something to examine further."
The findings are detailed in the March-April issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Study #2 - Breasts
This from the New England Journal of Medicine:
Ogling over women's breasts is good for a man's health and can add years to his life, medical experts have discovered. "Just 10 minutes of staring at the charms of a well-endowed female is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out," declared gerontologist Dr. Karen Weatherby. The study revealed that after five years, the breast-watchers had lower blood pressure, slower resting pulse rates and fewer instances of coronary artery disease. "Sexual excitement gets the heart pumping and improves blood circulation," explains Weatherby. "There is no question: Gazing at breasts makes men healthier. Our study indicates that engaging in this activity a few minutes daily cuts the risk of stroke and heart attack in half. We believe that by doing so consistently, the average man can extend his life four to five years."

So ... um ... er ... decide, go to church, live 3.1 years longer. Stare at breasts, live 4 to 5 years longer.

There were no comments on whether jogging with a well endowed woman or staring at the preacher's wife would have any effect.

Enjoy your lives, guys, focus on living a long life ... just don't get caught focussing.

Back to Top

Barry Bonds vs Babe Ruth

Barry Bonds is nearing Babe Ruth's home run record. But the comparison should be put in perspective. All things must be equal to have a realistic comparison -
presently - - - Bonds = 700+ - - - Ruth = 714
Equalized comparison = Bonds drug enhancement record = 700+
Ruth = if he didn't smoke = add 15 runs ... if he didn't drink hard = add 25 runs ... if he didn't carouse around all night = add 30 runs ... if he also took steriods for strength enhancement = add 100 runs. Therefore the equalized comparison totals should be = Bonds = 700+ home runs, Ruth = 884 home runs.

Not taken into account =
Bonds - detested by fans
Ruth - endeared by fans.




The Sultan of Swat eyeing another homer.



UPDATE: The US government has now launched a lawsuit against Bonds for perjury in a previous testimony regarding his denied use of steroids. In a related issue, four junior league baseball players have been suspended for using banned drugs. It's working its way down. We'll be seeing muscular, bald ten year olds in Little League soon.

HELP!

Paul Martin, please come back, we're sorry, we didn't know what we were doing, we lost our heads for a minute there, we didn't know THIS would happen!
Come home, Paul.

I don't get it?

The new bird flu is being watched around the world because of the fear of a pandemic that could wipe out millions.
A pilot on a flight from Hong Kong radios into Vancouver a 9-1-1 call, telling them that he has many passengers on board with high temperatures, vomiting and diarrhea. The plane is kept separate for a while and the passengers are simply asked to fill out a form telling where they are going.
Then they go on their way to wherever.
?????

Gordon Campbell's dilemma

The sinking of the Queen of the North has caused a titanic political problem with the Liberal government, in particular with Gordon Campbell. We all know the decision to dump the three Fast Cat Ferries at a huge loss to the provincial taxpayers was strictly political to try to embarrass the former NDP government. Is that now a haunting decision?
Most experts seem to agree that pressing those idle ships into service is the answer to a fast fix to the problems of Prince Rupert and the communities along our north coast. Prince Rupert could lose years of work on their crucial tourist business if no one can get there this summer. The Fast Cats with very little modification could easily provide that service. Of course we'd have to lease them back from the current owner. In reality, rent something we already owned because of the spite of our premier.

So now we'll see if the logical and cheapest ways of aiding our northern people can be effected or whether Gordon Campbell will continue his political vindictiveness against the NDP at the cost of Prince Rupert's economy.
Karma in spades.

Immigrants - Canada - USA

The US is in a huge flap right now over the illegal immigrant population, which if you listen to the expanding spin, must equal about 100 million by now. America is heading toward building that concrete wall along their border with Mexico. And we assume with Canada as well. They don't know the difference between Canadians and Mexicans. Mexicans desperately want to get into the States. Canadians don't.
Meanwhile, our own Immigration Department continues to deport illegals by herding them onto planes and flying them out. They've done it to Russians and Poles. The most recent are the Portugese.
"We have an obligation to the hundreds of thousands of people who play by the rules," said Immigration and Citizenship Minister Monte Solberg. (I wonder why they don't herd the foreign criminals into planes and fly THEM out?)
The rules of course, don't consider that these Russians, Poles and Portugese are 'work ethic' people who will happily contribute to Canada. The rules of course, also don't consider the hundreds of thousands of Asians who buy their way into Canada to escape something in their own countries, and only contribute to their 'closed' Asian communities in large cities, and have little interest in becoming real Canadians.
Fortress America is under way, let's hope it doesn't become Fortress NORTH America. But with Harper about to suck up to Dubya, anything is possible.

UPDATE: Immigration Canada has said that upwards of 4,000 criminals have been targetted for deportation in Canada but they don't know where they are!

Christians vs Muslims

Whatever the Christian Peace activists think they are doing in Iraq, they are mistaken to be going there and expecting Iraqi muslims to consider them anything other than rabble rousers stirring up conflicts. In Afghanistan, a man was lucky to avoid a death sentence just for converting from Islam to Christianity. Car bombings, kidnappings, shootings are the routine for foreign uninvited interlopers from wherever. Doesn't that tell these 'peace' activists that they are not missionaries in the olden days dealing with ignorant Pacific islanders? Muslims are fervent to say the least. Violent when irritated.
Iraq is in its most troubled time and these foolish so-called activists cannot continue to go into a dangerous country and expect to bring any peace message to Sunnis, Sh-ites, or Kurds. Especially when associated with Christianity. It can only be construed as an ill advised enterprise to meddle with a zealous people's religion.
Get the message. Stay out.

Charlie Sheen - celebrity disbeliever - more 9/11

Charlie Sheen is the latest and highest profile disbeliever of what happened on September eleventh, 2001. He says a conspiracy to coverup has taken place. Many believe him. He has also stated that if you don't like Charlie Sheen, just ignore your bias and challenge the facts of 9-11, he is only drawing it to your attention.

This video was posted here on November 21st, 2004, with the warning to view it quickly as someone was removing these kinds of websites. Reposted for your perusal.
http://www.pentagonstrike.co.uk/pentagon.swf
Surprise. The URL no longer works in North America.

Try this one then, from the UK - you just might be shocked at the video -
http://www.pentagonstrike.co.uk

What has happened since 9/11? The Patriot Act. Homeland Security. Illegal telephone tapping. Spying without legal authority of warrants on Americans. Tracking your movements on the web without your knowledge.
The "New World Order" is taking over, using the threat of terrorism to assume total control of the people. Many believe that, you don't have to. Just view the video, and follow the links.

Check out the latest publicity on this subject -
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2006/200306charliesheen.htm

Further information - Warning: some of these links have startling revelations.
http://guardian.150m.com/

Does FEMA itself have secret designs?
http://www.sonic.net/sentinel/gvcon6.html

The Time Machine has stopped here and we may all be in danger.

Hail to the Chief Harper

Prime Minister Harper paid a secret visit to Afghanistan recently. Just like Bush did.
To encourage our troops it was said. Looking fat and unfit, Harper shook hands and walked around with soldiers, seeming not too sure of what he was intended to actually do. No one knows if he asked President Karzai's permission to enter the country. But then Karzai is really only the 'mayor' of part of Kabul, so why ask him? Harper says the country is improving. Hmm.
Well apparantly the Taliban poppy fields are many and growing, guaranteeing a renewed supply of heroin to North American addicts, part of the terrorist counter-war on America. Include Canada in that war now. Our Peace Keepers went somewhere else.
What's Harper going to do next, land on an aircraft carrier and announce, "Mission accomplished?"

2010 participants?

They are saying the NHL might not participate in the Olympics after 2010 in Vancouver. Hmmm, why wait that long to bow out? Go now. They can easily be replaced by Canadian competitors who WANT medals, our wonderful women!
When you see the picture of Clara Hughes lying on the ice completely winded after her Gold Medal skate, you see someone who gave all she had for her country. Those are the kind of competitors we want, win or lose.

The tragedy of Fanny Albo

The tragedy of Fanny Albo needs to be brought into the light of scrutiny.
91 year old Fanny Albo died just days after being separated from her 97 year old husband, Al, at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital. The couple had been married for almost 70 years. This story is enough to bring tears to a compassionate person.
SOMEONE made the decision to remove Fanny from her home care facility.
SOMEONE knew they were separating an elderly man and wife.
SOMEONE actually wheeled Fanny out of her home to take her away to another care center.
SOMEONE didn't even allow Al to hold her hand or comfort her before she left.
It is time we learned the identity of these uncaring people. They do not deserve to work in a health care system!
This is how the Liberal Government under Gordon Campbell started out. They weathered that earlier furor over separating old people and closing their care facilities, in effect, casting them out of their homes. Was the money to keep this man and wife together too much for these merciless people? Did they think they were making points with the government by doing this?
We need to know WHO made the decision. We need to know WHY it was made. We need to know WHO actually went there to get Fanny. We need to know WHY they ignored Al Albo.

This is a BC Liberal government with a priority on ecomonic issues that shows continual contempt for the people of BC. Gordon Campbell's policies have caused old people to be treated like discards. We shouldn't allow the people who did this heinous act to remain faceless. SOMEONE needs to account for it. We can't let the story die all over again. Letting Fanny Albo die was enough.
More than Al Albo are crying tonight.


UPDATE: People from the Interior Health Care met in Victoria to discuss the sadness of this case. (Al Albo has died within two weeks of seeing his wife die alone in a strange place) It looks like a bunch of rhetoric to avoid blame to me; telling us they're going to put more money in. (They took it away in the first place) That it shouldn't happen again. etc etc. Same old protecting the guilty parties. These parties need to be NAMED! And FIRED! These are not the kind of people that should be looking after the elderly! They should have a new policy of having NOTHING happening regarding the movement, care or interests of people in these facilities without PAPERWORK on everything. NO phone calls. NO MIScommunications. NO slipping away from blame later! ALL workers should do NOTHING without paperwork that can be traced to the original orders relating to the person in care.
Again, SOMEONE made the terribly UNcaring decision to move this woman away from her husband of 70 years and that person needs to account for it!

UPDATE 2: When questioned recently by Christie Clark on the Bill Good show about this incident and who took part in the decision to move Fanny, Health Minister George Abbott went into a rhetoric about not having enough nurses and doctors and other good people in the Health Services, saying in effect that the ministry is willing to accept BAD people working in health care? Deputy Minister Penny Ballem, who did the investigation also commented that certain people were not available to her for inquiries. Mr. Abbott seemed to say it was alright because he HAD talked to 'other' higher ups. Perhaps it is time to call for a coroner's inquest, where people are forced in a court to testify instead of hiding until it blows over.
Seems that the cover up for these bad decisions is working just fine. Sad isn't it?
Wouldn't we just like to know WHO decided this tragedy?

In case you didn't get it ....

Here's what David Emerson is going to do - He's going to go and negotiate with the Americans on the softwood lumber deal. Then he's going to come back and announce that we got a great deal, they got our five billion dollars and try to sell his 'deal' to us.

Here's what Emerson doesn't seem to get - The Americans have been waiting for us to negotiate a SEPARATE deal from NAFTA all along. It is exactly what they want, because they cannot play by the established rules.

Here's what the public doesn't seem to get - There is no need to negotiate DOWNWARD from a deal that we already have and win every time in the world court.

So by David Emerson having no mandate from the voters, he is going to single-handedly destroy everything we have with NAFTA regarding lumber when all we have to do is hold the USA to the deal THEY signed. They need to honour their contracts. There is a time we need the guts to stand up for what is right. No matter how it hurts us in the short term. There ARE many other markets out there and we needn't take the easy way at the detriment of the Canadian lumber industry.
In spite of what is being said by some, Emerson is NOT the man for the job. The attitude of Canada should be that we are right and we'll hold to our principals. Any negotiation defeats the purpose of future treaties as well if we cannot trust in them.
No one believes Emerson shares our principals.

One law for you - one law for the rich (3)

An NBA player for the Portland Trailblazers got on a plane in Boston the other day and a loaded gun fell out of his luggage. Sebastian Telfair said it was his girlfriend's gun. Maybe he needed the gun against his team-mates as he only scored 2 points in his last game. The flight was destined for Toronto.

The Massachusetts Port Authority said no charges would be laid.
I guess Homeland Security selectively decides the seriousness of guns on planes in the USA.
Basketball players must be exempt.

[Tip to the RCMP who are worried about the massive smuggling of guns into Canada. Pssst! Check out the NBA luggage]

(search this blog for previous One law for you posts)

Ambassador to America

Prime Minister Harper has appointed Michael Wilson ambassador to the U.S. They say this is a good thing because Wilson was one of the architects of the Free Trade Agreement in the Brian (crook) Mulroney cabinet. Hmmm, 73% of Canadians think that agreement has no effect whatsoever on them. Wilson will be the man to solve the softwood lumber dispute, they say. Seems we've already solved that to me, we've won every argument in the international arena because we're right. Of course America only wants a separate treaty outside of the NAFTA because they can't compete, that's what they've wanted all along. Look for Wildon to give them what they want and watch everyone laud him for giving in.

Michael Wilson was also finance minister for Mularkey, er Mulroney, the same job Paul Martin had with Jean Chretien. The same job where Brian became one of the richest men in Canada and Wilson doesn't know where the money came from. The only difference is Martin didn't know where the money went. Wilson also gave us the 7 percent goods & services tax.
Everything's right on track with the government of Canada against the people of Canada.
Ho hum, same old same old.

Shooting 'accident'?

Dick Cheney, US Vice President, recently shot his quail hunting pal, Harry Whittington. nearly killing him. (And yet still might as he has had a heart attack while undergoing treatment for his buckshot wounds.) This was all kept nice and quiet from the American media until they were good and ready to talk about it.

The only questions remaining are whether Cheney needs be charged for of shooting him; whether he needs better glasses for missing him; or whether Whittington knew something he shouldn't?

The redeeming factor seems to be the fact that Whittington is a lawyer.

Media myopia

A TV documentary is aired where Brian Mulroney is said to have gotten a $300,000.00 'payment' from Karlheinz Schreiber out of a secret Swiss bank account. Some would use the word bribe of course. This is part of a (hopefully) ongoing investigation into the Airbus scandal. Mr. Schreiber is also reported to be willing to tell where $10,000,000.00 (that's 10 million) dollars went and who got what portions of it. This of course keeps Brian Mulroney on top, in some opinions, of being the biggest crook Canada ever had, and staying ahead of Jean Chretien. Um ...... so far.
The real question is why the Canadian media refuses to consider this a newsworthy story.

The 'new' NHL

A lot of the knuckle-dragging 'fans' are complaining about the new NHL rules where you cannot assualt with intent to maim any more. These throwbacks to King Kong's ancestors only go for the fights and the blood and bruises. When someone gets knocked out for a few months from a cross check or a slash to the hands, they regard these players as wimps. Their ideal NHL is WWW RAW, or Arnie Shwarzenegger blast 'em to smithereens hockey. They are bullies who love beating up the little guy. They should go off to those caged fights where there's lots of blood. (Even those guys are wimpy because you can't kick a guy in the nuts)
The clutch and grab is leaving NHL hockey, and for the better. No one pays to see it. We pay for a Gretski fake, or Pavel Bure slicing into the slot. We pay to see Mike Bossy's hands, Bobby Hull's slap shot, Bobby Orr's skating, Phil Esposito's quick stick and Serge Savard's spinnerama twists and turns. The new young players coming up in the NHL deserve a chance to show us their chops without being tackled or hooked every time they touch the puck.
I don't think it is a 'no touch' zone in front of the net, it is simply a 'no cross-checking with intent to kill' in front of the net. If a checker wants to knock a guy down that's still ok, but he can't do it with a vicious stick cross check, or by tripping or hooking with the stick or straight assault!
The trick of course is what a lot need to learn, get position and shove the guy away, with hands or shoulders. Look at the games where someone IS in front of the net, they still take a lot of punishment that doesn't have to be career ending. It's all a learning process for everyone. I prefer the speed, finess and yes, rough play of international hockey that doesn't need to have lesser players control the skill players with clutch and grab.
Who can deny that the Canada - Russia series were the finest hockey games ever played? And once we learned that Russian players were no wimps but punishingly hard and effective checkers that complemented their skill and work ethic we were in for our greatest challenge ever. We won because our skill players also had toughness, and smarts!The smarts part is what a lot of defencemen today and others don't always have in the new NHL.
They need to learn or leave for the betterment of the game.
I like the fastest game on ice, the new NHL.

Hockey: Theory, Speculations and Rumours

So, aside from what the real truth is, and what is yet to come out about the NHL gambling story, let's look at some ideas of what COULD have happened. Lots of people say let 'em gamble! What's that hurting? It's only a bet. Well ....

Theory: Anything to do with gambling coming out of New Jersey is mafia oriented. Those two patrol cops are just front guys.
Rumour: Jaromir Jagr gambled over $500,000.00 dollars while at Pittsburg.
Speculation: Could he have bet on his own team to lose? Then engineered it by playing poorly?

Theory: You don't have to 'throw the game', nor does anyone much have the power to do so ... BUT, you CAN 'shave' points.
Rumour: Jaromir COULD have just missed the net with his own shots on a given night, and he COULD have made his passes to Mario Lemieux just a little off.
Speculation: That's why Mario Lemieux publically criticized Jagr for not playing up to his best in that last year before Jagr got traded.

Theory: Gambling on sports can't hurt anything really.
Rumour: When the mafia has you as a professional athlete into them for hundreds of thousands of dollars, they'll tell YOU who's going to win the next game and what the score will be.
Speculation: What if it's MY team that lost the big one by 4 points? Not because of honest losing effort, but because someone was 'in for the fix'?

[This is total speculation on an imagined situation. No reflections on Mario Lemieux or Jaromir Jagr, only a theory of what COULD happen when gambling becomes intricately involved in professional sports.]

Watch out for guys in black shirts and white ties around the dressing room, they're not the team trainers.

Integrity? Where?

I guess we shouldn't have expected it. I guess we should no longer expect it from anyone. Doesn't it make you wonder where the morality of politics are though? Didn't David Emerson believe in the Liberals when he was running? If not why did he run for them? No integrity.
Then he got in as a Liberal after many people helped him. Again. He deserted those people before their campaign office seats were cold. Integrity?
The spin is that Emerson will be great for BC because he has a background in big business, head of Canfor. Powerful. Hmm, not influential or powerful enough to thwart the softwood lumber issue. Sorry but business ethics are about as far from integrity as one gets.
We all thought David Anderson would look out for us Westerners too. He allowed the destruction of our wild salmon fishery without so much as a whimper into his beard! Remember Edward McWhinney? The professor with a huge list of letters after his name? So respected as a parliamentarian BEFORE he got elected, then treated us like bedbugs once he got to Ottawa. His integrity got flushed off the plane on the way.
The NDP wants a rule that if you are going to cross the floor you have to call a byelection and run again for your new party. Cross the floor? Emerson hasn't even been ON the floor yet in this parliament! He's not doing it for the prestige or money, David Shreck argues, he's a dedicated servant. Sure, dedicated to power, one of the underlying stealth tenets of politics. The allure.

Well there IS hope yet ... the Liberal turncoat will be in charge of the 2010 Olympics. He might win over a few if he can shut down the Gordon Campbell overspending frenzy.

But beware, any politician who is seduced by the enticing siren of power needs to be watched. More corruption looms in David Emerson's shadows.

Border Patrol

The US is about to start a new patrol along their border with Canada at Saskatchewan, Alberta and Montana, Blackhawk Helicopters and planes will patrol to watch for terrorists, drug runners and illegal immigrants. Using Sept 11 as their excuse. (again)
I suppose the Minutemen will camp out along the 49th parallel too, just to 'help out if needed', like they are doing in BC near Bellingham. Of course, Sept 11 has allowed them to read every email and fax you send, listen to every call you make, and investigate whomever they want without legal search warrants.
Why don't they just build the wall that Pat Buchanan promised a few years ago? I think Americans are still getting out.
Coming soon to a border near you, 'Top Gun' and 'Men in Black', just make sure you shave clean, don't puff anything and say nothing in Spanish.

today in history - February 3, 1973

President Richard Nixon signed into law the Endangered Species Act. Inadvertantly adding his own name to the list to become an extinct species as of August 9, 1974.

Tolls - Back to the Forties?

Our economy in BC is doing great. Gordon Cambell and his Liberals keep telling us. We've turned it around from the ba-a-d NDP, BC is now leading the world in economical progress! Everything is wonderful here. Hmmm.
But wait, we are going to get TOLLS on the new Port Mann bridge. Two dollars and fifty cents each way! We are going to get TOLLS on the new Golden Ears bridge. We are going to get TOLLS on the Richmond circle road. We are going to get TOLLS on Highway #1 between Coquitlam and Langley.
We haven't had tolls on BC bridges since W.A.C. Bennett abolished them on the Lions Gate bridge! That was way back in 1963!

ICBC is going to raise our insurance rates by nearly 7% in spite of the huge surplus the corporation usually shows, an average $38.00 each, the NDP held the line on insurance rates. The suspicion is that Gordon wants the rates higher so his private insurance company buddies can compete.
We are about to implement off shore oil drilling, in spite of environmental concerns. In spite of the freeze the NDP put on it.
The Olympic program is so far mismanaged over budget the Liberals won't even tell us what it is!
The Fast Ferries are about to be reincarnated as competition to BC Ferries!

It seems to me that the Liberals are still trying to blame the NDP for everything financial but one must consider that any over-costs of NDP management were from programs aimed to benefit the PEOPLE of BC. The problems with money management of the Liberals are because they are catering to rich shareholders who may be in any other country BUT BC.
Methinks Gordon Campbell's economy might be doing great, but the people of the province are about to be hit hard again to allow it. When does a government start working on behalf of the people instead of against them?
It looks like a duck to me.

UPDATE: Kevin Falcon now says the tolls will be $2.50 each way in 2005 dollars on the new Port Mann twin. So expect more like TEN dollars each way once the bridge is completed in 2013! And the way they'll collect this toll money is by a transponder in your windshield. No mention of who PAYS for this high tech, or that they'll be able to keep track of exactly WHO crosses that bridge and when.

UPDATE2: Shame on Kevin Falcon for constantly using W.A.C. Bennett's name while double-talking us! Mr Falcon needs to know that WAC Bennett built this province for British Columbians! He used British Columbians' skills and expertise in everything he did. He was a Social Crediter, NOT a Liberal. Gordon Cambell turns his back on British Columbians at every opportunity and is dismantling all of WAC Bennett's proud province. Falcon trying to sneakily attach Gordon Campbell onto WAC's long gone coat-tails is ridiculous and repugnant.
To paraphrase a famous comment: 'We knew WAC Bennett, We worked with WAC Bennett, you're no WAC Bennett.'

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.

Illegality in the music recording industry

The recording industry in America jumped on all the peer to peer networks because of what they deemed as 'illegal' sharing of music files over the web. They shut down many portals, including Napster and WinMX. These bad guys were taking money right out of their pockets. And the poor artists were losing millions.
Except a lot of those artists were accusing the record industry of ripping THEM off, never mind the consumers! So now it turns out the recording industry is being investigated because of their own illegalities, including giving radio station people expensive gifts to influence playlists and price fixing of wholesale digital music files!
Hmmm, so they jumped on the others so they could get right back to their own 'illegal' activities?
Crooks don't like to share, do they.

http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=cbc/arts_home&articleID=2130518