It was easter 2005 when the big tsunami hit Indonesia and other parts of Asia. Response was immediate and generous. One of the most notable of NGO's in relief operations was Canadian Red Cross which garnered the lions' share of donations by Canadians.
Red Cross operations were started in all three hard-hit areas. Banda Aceh and region in Indonesia being one. Immediate needs for temporary shelter, food, water, medicines and medical aid were in place by the end of month 1. Clean-up operations proceeded and rebuilding operations were scheduled. In all of these CRC was heavily involved, The most expensive aspect was the building of permanent housing, to which CRC had pledged the construction of 6,000 units. By the end of the first year CRC was rushing to complete the first house.
Four months later, CRC announces that 280 homes are 'near completion' and that by the end of the year, this number will have risen to 1600 homes. In my math, the current rate of 70 per month will have to increase by more than 200%. This construction is being hampered by increasing costs and a sporadic supply of building materials. I guess the original notion of shopping locally might not be the best idea, but then importing supplies will run right into the cooperative government of Indonesia.
With the latest in seismic events just reported last week and another appeal to help those affected by the mini-tsunami and the on-going volcanic activity on the Island - it looks like the rebuilding process might be susceptible to derailment.
It was noted that CRC appeared to be a little slow getting rebuilding started as other groups were well in the lead providing housing rebuilds while CRC was bogged down in realty negotiations. Very few people have been relocated o these accomodations. Recent news from Bandah Aceh criticises some reconstruction efforts as being 'shoddy' or built in dangerous sites. The CRC touts its houses as being of excellent quality. Perhaps the critcisms arise from the first group housed seeing others getting something 'better'?
The CRC continues support efforts geared to those currently living in temporary camps. If previous experience is any indicator, a significant number of temporary accomodations become more permanent as time passes, and people get settled. Perhaps CRC could be more effective by getting into the building supply operations and let people reconstruct their own houses. A choice of 4 models is nice, but is it the best way o meet peoples' needs, and is it ciost effective?
One thing that is fairly certain is that this most populous of lands, built on the Pacific's fiery rim, will continue to have more than the normal share of disasters, and that CRC and other charities will continue to appeal for aid. How effectively that aid is used, remains nebulous.
I'll have to see if I can find out how other Canadian groups are doing.
THE 'ROYAL' CANADIAN.....the ravings of somebody who's been out in the 'Big White' too long.
Friday, July 21, 2006
The Saskatchewan Manhunt
The hunt for Curtis Dagenais came to an end last week when he walked into his hometown RCMP post and surrendered. On a sadder note the surrender occurred shortly after the deaths of both officers, shot the week before, were announced.
It seems that the 'job' of community policing is becoming more dangerous for Mounties,particularly on the prairies. This time last year we were mourning the deaths of 4 constables in another attempted arrest gone bad.
The Saskatchewasn incident is reputed to have started after a domestic dispute led police to attempt to apprehend Dagenais, who fled in a vehicle with the police in pusuit. At some point the chase stopped and shots were exchanged. Of the three constables on the scene, two were hit in the head and one was unharmed. Dagenais fled into the bush on foot.
I would assume that Dagenais was firing a rifle, or that he is a remarkably accurate, or lucky, pistol shot. Since the police were acquainted with him (he is reputed to be a "cop-hater") and having access to the national firearms registry, they might have been aware that firearms could be involved. Unless Dagenais is a native person, who doesn't have to register firearms, or one of those scofflaws who refused to do it.
Would knowing he had a rifle have prevented what happened? I doubt it, but at least the police might have been better prepared for a confrontation and minimized their exposure.
As it is we'll have to see what comes out at he trial. Dagenais claims police harrassment and self-defense. We'll see how high that flies.
It is lucky for him that he was able to evade the police forces searching for him. His daytime surrender came as a surprise to the RCMP who really had no idea where he was. If you've been in the bush in the summer, you realize that his time on the run was no picnic - I'm surprised he could last that long. He looked pretty good for a guy who'd been 'roughing it' for 10 days.
An interesting appendix: Degenais' Father spent most of the week in police custody - he, too, is described as having no great affection for police.
Condolences to the families of officers Robin Cameron and Marc Bourdages.
It seems that the 'job' of community policing is becoming more dangerous for Mounties,particularly on the prairies. This time last year we were mourning the deaths of 4 constables in another attempted arrest gone bad.
The Saskatchewasn incident is reputed to have started after a domestic dispute led police to attempt to apprehend Dagenais, who fled in a vehicle with the police in pusuit. At some point the chase stopped and shots were exchanged. Of the three constables on the scene, two were hit in the head and one was unharmed. Dagenais fled into the bush on foot.
I would assume that Dagenais was firing a rifle, or that he is a remarkably accurate, or lucky, pistol shot. Since the police were acquainted with him (he is reputed to be a "cop-hater") and having access to the national firearms registry, they might have been aware that firearms could be involved. Unless Dagenais is a native person, who doesn't have to register firearms, or one of those scofflaws who refused to do it.
Would knowing he had a rifle have prevented what happened? I doubt it, but at least the police might have been better prepared for a confrontation and minimized their exposure.
As it is we'll have to see what comes out at he trial. Dagenais claims police harrassment and self-defense. We'll see how high that flies.
It is lucky for him that he was able to evade the police forces searching for him. His daytime surrender came as a surprise to the RCMP who really had no idea where he was. If you've been in the bush in the summer, you realize that his time on the run was no picnic - I'm surprised he could last that long. He looked pretty good for a guy who'd been 'roughing it' for 10 days.
An interesting appendix: Degenais' Father spent most of the week in police custody - he, too, is described as having no great affection for police.
Condolences to the families of officers Robin Cameron and Marc Bourdages.
I'll take You Home again, Kathle......,er , Zagoub!
"Across the oceans wet and wild, to where your heart has ever been, since first you were my blushing bride...."
The words of the old Irish tear-jerker came to mind as I watched the Lebanese Canadian refugees get off the boat in Turkey. They have probably been through an experience we would not want to dream about, but to be frank, they were a darn good-looking bunch of refugees!
You say that word and you conjure up images of some Kosovan farm cart, piled high with belongings and family members, being pulled down a dirt road by a tractor. Probably right into that mistaken coalition airstrike that killed a bridge-full of them.
Not like the Darfur refugees, walking miles for water and covered in flies. No, these guys looked like they'd had a bad night in some hotel lobby. And weren't some of them griping about it? If the worst thing that ever happens to them is a dirty toilet they should be very grateful. What no sandwiches? These refugees left home without food or water (most of them) but they had their cell phone and could call Canada to grouse. They probably had what loose wealth was lying around, as well, but ya can't eat the jewels.
Canada jumped into action, four tour boats rented and a shuttle service started. The PM not to be outdone - dumped his entourage in Paris and flew to Cyprus in 'Govermint 1' to rescue the first group to arrive. Given the fact that they had undergone an ordeal on the way, in a pig-boat, I'll bet he was wishing he'd just sent the jet! But then Steve's always been a good listener, and I'm sure, if there were any Jihadis on board, by the time they get to Ottawa, they'd think he's on their side. Never pass up a potential vote.
I'll bet the drinks were free on the jet home - bar nuts too!
The other thing I found surprising was the large number of Canadians living in Lebanon - 50 000. Now you can't tell me that's the annual family holiday home crowd.
They looked fairly affluent, so they're probably not depending on any Canadian social service cheques to get by. Lebanon is a fairly pricey place to live. It's not the health plan. I saw one guy, on the news, who had just had heart surgery, with his kids brushing the flies away from the deveining incisions on his legs. I hope he's OK after a recuperation like that, hope he's on Govermint 1. I imagine a lot were refugees to Canada during the 70's & 80's from the civil war, but a lot of them looked younger than that.
I think that if they can afford it, they should pay a symbolic fee, like $1000 per family - $500 per individual. If embassies help you with emergency funds, or a ticket home, you have to repay it. Why not now? I know they hadn't planned on being in a war zone. Just like most people who need help hadn't planned on needing it. Neither had the rest of us, but we organized help for them. I think payback is important here. Lebanon will be back, and so, thanks to Canada, will the refugees.
"I'll take you home again Zargoub! Across the oceans wet and.....", blubber! weep!
The words of the old Irish tear-jerker came to mind as I watched the Lebanese Canadian refugees get off the boat in Turkey. They have probably been through an experience we would not want to dream about, but to be frank, they were a darn good-looking bunch of refugees!
You say that word and you conjure up images of some Kosovan farm cart, piled high with belongings and family members, being pulled down a dirt road by a tractor. Probably right into that mistaken coalition airstrike that killed a bridge-full of them.
Not like the Darfur refugees, walking miles for water and covered in flies. No, these guys looked like they'd had a bad night in some hotel lobby. And weren't some of them griping about it? If the worst thing that ever happens to them is a dirty toilet they should be very grateful. What no sandwiches? These refugees left home without food or water (most of them) but they had their cell phone and could call Canada to grouse. They probably had what loose wealth was lying around, as well, but ya can't eat the jewels.
Canada jumped into action, four tour boats rented and a shuttle service started. The PM not to be outdone - dumped his entourage in Paris and flew to Cyprus in 'Govermint 1' to rescue the first group to arrive. Given the fact that they had undergone an ordeal on the way, in a pig-boat, I'll bet he was wishing he'd just sent the jet! But then Steve's always been a good listener, and I'm sure, if there were any Jihadis on board, by the time they get to Ottawa, they'd think he's on their side. Never pass up a potential vote.
I'll bet the drinks were free on the jet home - bar nuts too!
The other thing I found surprising was the large number of Canadians living in Lebanon - 50 000. Now you can't tell me that's the annual family holiday home crowd.
They looked fairly affluent, so they're probably not depending on any Canadian social service cheques to get by. Lebanon is a fairly pricey place to live. It's not the health plan. I saw one guy, on the news, who had just had heart surgery, with his kids brushing the flies away from the deveining incisions on his legs. I hope he's OK after a recuperation like that, hope he's on Govermint 1. I imagine a lot were refugees to Canada during the 70's & 80's from the civil war, but a lot of them looked younger than that.
I think that if they can afford it, they should pay a symbolic fee, like $1000 per family - $500 per individual. If embassies help you with emergency funds, or a ticket home, you have to repay it. Why not now? I know they hadn't planned on being in a war zone. Just like most people who need help hadn't planned on needing it. Neither had the rest of us, but we organized help for them. I think payback is important here. Lebanon will be back, and so, thanks to Canada, will the refugees.
"I'll take you home again Zargoub! Across the oceans wet and.....", blubber! weep!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
I'm Signin' In
I'm signin' in, as opposed to signin' up. I notice that the "1000 Jobs in the C.A.F." sign out front of the local menage militaire is gone! Either they got the quota, or they don't have the job funding any more. The world seems much in need of 'sojers' right now.
Since last I was griping, the middle east seems to have hit 'boil', two Mounties shot out West, Canadians being rescued from Lebanon, and another 'baby' tsunami in the Andaman Sea. I've got some yappin' to do about most of this and maybe a few words in praise of my favorite city - Tronna. Oh yeah, there's a BIG AIDS conference going on - hear about it?
I guess the 'biggie' right now is how Israel is fillin' in her neighbours, or rather her terrorist neighbours. This has been in the works since the Gazaians (?) elected themselves a Hamas government. Hamas is one of the Palestinian factions - aimed at giving the 'Zionists' the old heave-ho. With that kind of attitude the Israelis will not have any part.
So they did something that would show the newboys who was boss. They withheld the money. Israel collects all the PLA's taxes for them and uses them to fund the Palestinian government. Either they don't take enough (their story) or they put it into the 'general revenue' account (other side), but the world and the UN have been keeping the Palestinian basket cases afloat since the 50's. Well, no money means a world relief effort well-watched by Israeli customs. Now this should be seen against the backdrop of the wonderful generosity of the Israelis in withdrawing from some Palestinian territory they'd been squatting-on, this time last year. The same thing was supposed to happen in parts of the West Bank but only just began when a minor adjustment to the great retaining wall nipped-off another little Arab enclave
and scuppered the works. Next thing the regime change, some sanctions - some rockets - some artillery work - some kidnapping, and then the whole shebang reverts to the 50's - deja vu.
Hezbolleh - the Lebanese Shiite group who claim to have driven the 'Zionists' out of Lebanon in 2000 - decide they'd like to get in on the easy pickings, so they do a raid and kidnap a soldier, too. That does it - Israel pummels Lebanon - isolating it and wrecking infrastructure. Hezbolleh thumbs its nose and rockets northern Israel, including Nazareth and Haifa. A land incursion follows, followed by a return to 1972 and the last Lebanese tour, which lasted 18 years!
Israel seems to think that if they hit their enemy hard enough, he'll quit. That seemed to work with regular armies and the Israelis have been quite successful at it. But the 'terrorist' groups are quite a different entity. Arafat clung on like a louse for 30 years, even though full pest-control measures were in effect. He succeeded to a kind of ugly-looking-statesman status. Remember him at the UN with that horse pistol on his belt? But you couldn't help but think that shooting that thing would probably have hurt Yassir.
Anyhow, he said he would live in peace with Israel, in his own little private country, and the Israelis were almost talked into it. But Yassir wasn't as grateful as they thought he should be, and started acting like he ruled something. Well Israel wouldn't have any part of an attitude like that ......
So here we go again. You got the Yanks worried that Iran has a 'nuculer' missile and will lob it into Israel, which then would want to nuke the Arab world. Or maybe America should nuke Iran as a preemptive strike! There are actually idiots proposing this be done! Anyway America has given Israel a week or so to 'git 'er done!' Considering the Yanks haven't been real good at doing that themselves, we'll have to see how long Israel takes, and if she does.
Which brings us to Canadians in the middle of things. Another blog!
Since last I was griping, the middle east seems to have hit 'boil', two Mounties shot out West, Canadians being rescued from Lebanon, and another 'baby' tsunami in the Andaman Sea. I've got some yappin' to do about most of this and maybe a few words in praise of my favorite city - Tronna. Oh yeah, there's a BIG AIDS conference going on - hear about it?
I guess the 'biggie' right now is how Israel is fillin' in her neighbours, or rather her terrorist neighbours. This has been in the works since the Gazaians (?) elected themselves a Hamas government. Hamas is one of the Palestinian factions - aimed at giving the 'Zionists' the old heave-ho. With that kind of attitude the Israelis will not have any part.
So they did something that would show the newboys who was boss. They withheld the money. Israel collects all the PLA's taxes for them and uses them to fund the Palestinian government. Either they don't take enough (their story) or they put it into the 'general revenue' account (other side), but the world and the UN have been keeping the Palestinian basket cases afloat since the 50's. Well, no money means a world relief effort well-watched by Israeli customs. Now this should be seen against the backdrop of the wonderful generosity of the Israelis in withdrawing from some Palestinian territory they'd been squatting-on, this time last year. The same thing was supposed to happen in parts of the West Bank but only just began when a minor adjustment to the great retaining wall nipped-off another little Arab enclave
and scuppered the works. Next thing the regime change, some sanctions - some rockets - some artillery work - some kidnapping, and then the whole shebang reverts to the 50's - deja vu.
Hezbolleh - the Lebanese Shiite group who claim to have driven the 'Zionists' out of Lebanon in 2000 - decide they'd like to get in on the easy pickings, so they do a raid and kidnap a soldier, too. That does it - Israel pummels Lebanon - isolating it and wrecking infrastructure. Hezbolleh thumbs its nose and rockets northern Israel, including Nazareth and Haifa. A land incursion follows, followed by a return to 1972 and the last Lebanese tour, which lasted 18 years!
Israel seems to think that if they hit their enemy hard enough, he'll quit. That seemed to work with regular armies and the Israelis have been quite successful at it. But the 'terrorist' groups are quite a different entity. Arafat clung on like a louse for 30 years, even though full pest-control measures were in effect. He succeeded to a kind of ugly-looking-statesman status. Remember him at the UN with that horse pistol on his belt? But you couldn't help but think that shooting that thing would probably have hurt Yassir.
Anyhow, he said he would live in peace with Israel, in his own little private country, and the Israelis were almost talked into it. But Yassir wasn't as grateful as they thought he should be, and started acting like he ruled something. Well Israel wouldn't have any part of an attitude like that ......
So here we go again. You got the Yanks worried that Iran has a 'nuculer' missile and will lob it into Israel, which then would want to nuke the Arab world. Or maybe America should nuke Iran as a preemptive strike! There are actually idiots proposing this be done! Anyway America has given Israel a week or so to 'git 'er done!' Considering the Yanks haven't been real good at doing that themselves, we'll have to see how long Israel takes, and if she does.
Which brings us to Canadians in the middle of things. Another blog!
Friday, July 07, 2006
World Piece and Lunch
The secret that has eluded diplomats for centuries in their search for harmony between nations has been right under our noses all along, it's lunch. More particularly, the White House lunch.
Less formal than the White House dinner - which can be a little over the top, diplomatically speaking, the lunch affords the President an opportunity to be a buddy, or a baddy, to the invitee. It provides the opportunity for some 'sidebar' deals that are the hallmark of what America is all about. If the sucker bites, that's great! If the president misspeaks himself, or if the sucker don't bite, then the second squad of 'tough' negotiators moves in to make sure that the world's best and greatest gets exactly what it wants.
The massive problem caused by Kim Jung Il and his 'Rockets for Reds' program could be settled with the drop of an invitation. A Texas style bar-b-q and a photo opportunity with POTUS are all the Great Leader really wants. Oh, maybe a sidetrip to Graceland and afternoon at Disneyworld as well. But all this sabre (or rocket) rattling could be solved with a little love.
Speaking of love. The leader of Canada - the True North Strong etc, is in Washington for some petting and stroking. And the results? He went down to talk about the shitty trade deal we negotiated, open borders and winds up getting the heebie-jeebies about the Korean rockets from the Prez. Not only that, he's making noises about that multi-kazillion dollar missile defense shield the US would like the 'free' world to help her build. Then the USA would get the respect it deserves, being able to nuke whoever they needed to, without having to worry about somebody shooting back. One-way assured destruction - the dream of conquerors.
One could just imagine that initial meeting yesterday.
Welcome to the White House, Preston. Say, have I met you before? Anybody ever tell ya ya got hair like JFK? Ya pork a lotta bimbos like him?
My name is Stephen, Mr. President and yes, we met here just a couple of short months ago.
Well welcome back Steve. One of the hands on the ranch is called Steve. I wanna show ya a trick I learned last week. Take off your jacket for a minute will ya?
Mr. President, I'd like to say thank you for the opportunity to meet with you like this. There are some important issues....
Get down on all fours for this, Preston. I'm just gonna sit on your back here for a minute. Don't worry about the spurs, I only need 'em on the golfcart.
Mr. President, I ...
Ok Now Preston, crawl around and make pig noises.
Oink, Oink. Snuffle, snuffle ,oink!
Crawl faster an I'll give ya twenny bucks. Hey Rove get yer camera, I gotta get a picture of this. Soooeee, Soooeeee!
You keep this up Preston and we're gonna get along just fine!
Less formal than the White House dinner - which can be a little over the top, diplomatically speaking, the lunch affords the President an opportunity to be a buddy, or a baddy, to the invitee. It provides the opportunity for some 'sidebar' deals that are the hallmark of what America is all about. If the sucker bites, that's great! If the president misspeaks himself, or if the sucker don't bite, then the second squad of 'tough' negotiators moves in to make sure that the world's best and greatest gets exactly what it wants.
The massive problem caused by Kim Jung Il and his 'Rockets for Reds' program could be settled with the drop of an invitation. A Texas style bar-b-q and a photo opportunity with POTUS are all the Great Leader really wants. Oh, maybe a sidetrip to Graceland and afternoon at Disneyworld as well. But all this sabre (or rocket) rattling could be solved with a little love.
Speaking of love. The leader of Canada - the True North Strong etc, is in Washington for some petting and stroking. And the results? He went down to talk about the shitty trade deal we negotiated, open borders and winds up getting the heebie-jeebies about the Korean rockets from the Prez. Not only that, he's making noises about that multi-kazillion dollar missile defense shield the US would like the 'free' world to help her build. Then the USA would get the respect it deserves, being able to nuke whoever they needed to, without having to worry about somebody shooting back. One-way assured destruction - the dream of conquerors.
One could just imagine that initial meeting yesterday.
Welcome to the White House, Preston. Say, have I met you before? Anybody ever tell ya ya got hair like JFK? Ya pork a lotta bimbos like him?
My name is Stephen, Mr. President and yes, we met here just a couple of short months ago.
Well welcome back Steve. One of the hands on the ranch is called Steve. I wanna show ya a trick I learned last week. Take off your jacket for a minute will ya?
Mr. President, I'd like to say thank you for the opportunity to meet with you like this. There are some important issues....
Get down on all fours for this, Preston. I'm just gonna sit on your back here for a minute. Don't worry about the spurs, I only need 'em on the golfcart.
Mr. President, I ...
Ok Now Preston, crawl around and make pig noises.
Oink, Oink. Snuffle, snuffle ,oink!
Crawl faster an I'll give ya twenny bucks. Hey Rove get yer camera, I gotta get a picture of this. Soooeee, Soooeeee!
You keep this up Preston and we're gonna get along just fine!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Bag 'em and Tag 'em Dano
In spite of what the Chief of Police says about bang-bang in the city, Toronto's denizens have to be getting used to the nightly fusillades in various parts of town. The other night at one of the swank downtown hotels, last night out in the west end. They seem to be everywhere - the pistol-packers. Not just packers, target shooters too.
One questioned citizen succinctly pointed out that TO is safer than many other cities. How nice!
The point is that, although Toronto has had its share of problems, there SEEMS TO BE AN EPIDEMIC OF SHOOTING going on. Toronto the good mght have strangulations, stabbings, beatings and other methods of inflicting extreme prejudice on somebody else, but gun deaths were fairly infrequent and mostly at the hands of police. But the 'glock is in the other holster' now and the hands-on approach to murder has taken a back seat to the safer 'reach out and touch someone' approach.
So what do you do about it? The police have tried gang raids - the last about a month ago - obviously there are still gangs and guns and shooters on the street soooo.... more raids? Maybe, maybe not ( bad PR). They've also tried a diversion program - hiring "at risk", youth for paid summer jobs. That should give them cash for clothes and bling-bling and good times without them thinking they have to steal, a positive move. What minority group will arm themselves next?
Why don't the pols just admit that 95 percent of this shooting involves young black men, particularly young black men from the Caribbean with a funny attitude toward what 'men' are supposed to be about. Why don't they make the community, or at least the family, responsible if young 'Deshawen' makes a few babies or gets nabbed with a pistol or some belongings that aren't his. Instead of treating the demise of some youngster over a bad drug deal as a lottery win for his grieving family, find out if they condoned or ignored the things he did. If they did, cut them off their other benefits. Make them work, or go back down south.
Asking for cooperation, and having the little kids promise not to play with guns is nice, but it isn't going to work. This has to be stopped before Toronto gets as bad as other places, and it will.
One questioned citizen succinctly pointed out that TO is safer than many other cities. How nice!
The point is that, although Toronto has had its share of problems, there SEEMS TO BE AN EPIDEMIC OF SHOOTING going on. Toronto the good mght have strangulations, stabbings, beatings and other methods of inflicting extreme prejudice on somebody else, but gun deaths were fairly infrequent and mostly at the hands of police. But the 'glock is in the other holster' now and the hands-on approach to murder has taken a back seat to the safer 'reach out and touch someone' approach.
So what do you do about it? The police have tried gang raids - the last about a month ago - obviously there are still gangs and guns and shooters on the street soooo.... more raids? Maybe, maybe not ( bad PR). They've also tried a diversion program - hiring "at risk", youth for paid summer jobs. That should give them cash for clothes and bling-bling and good times without them thinking they have to steal, a positive move. What minority group will arm themselves next?
Why don't the pols just admit that 95 percent of this shooting involves young black men, particularly young black men from the Caribbean with a funny attitude toward what 'men' are supposed to be about. Why don't they make the community, or at least the family, responsible if young 'Deshawen' makes a few babies or gets nabbed with a pistol or some belongings that aren't his. Instead of treating the demise of some youngster over a bad drug deal as a lottery win for his grieving family, find out if they condoned or ignored the things he did. If they did, cut them off their other benefits. Make them work, or go back down south.
Asking for cooperation, and having the little kids promise not to play with guns is nice, but it isn't going to work. This has to be stopped before Toronto gets as bad as other places, and it will.
I Pee on the Past
The Canada Day Weekend resulted in at least one memorable photo: that of some jejeune idiot cranking a leak on the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa.
This thoroughly tactless act has raised the ire of various concerned groups and individuals. One fellow even volunteered to walk post at the monument to safeguard it from further degradation.
The leaking lout? So far still at large, but suggested punishments would have him running the gantlet at Kandahar base or scrubbing public pissoirs for the summer.
Perhaps he was, literally, pissed-off about the recently-concluded softwood lumber agreement. We knew we weren't going to get the $5 billion the US held back in countervening tarriffs, even if the arbitration panel said we should. What we didn't know was that the 'old Harlot' to the south wanted us to 'take it out in trade" and wasn't about to give us one dollar back. So our trustworthy solons, those mavens of the capitalistic spirit, signed us on for 2, count them 2, Boeing C-17's. 'Yeah, that's the ticket, we couldn't afford them before, but this puts a new light on things.' That looks after the $3.5 billion the Yanks were thinking about giving us.
So in return for ripping us off for illegal tarriffs on lumber, the US is going to give us some huge airlift capability. And it's a good thing, too, because by the time they get here in 4 years, the Armed forces might be huge! As it is you could get the whole army, with most of their equipment, into those babies now! (I'm exaggerating.)
And the lumber agreement, why, we get to keep on pumping cheap lumber into the US just like we did before, they jack up the price and make a tidy profit. Heck they might even sell some back to us! It really helps that old balance of trade deficit.
From the look on the leaker's face, I don't think the words 'countervailing tarriff' ever crossed his arthropodic little mind. He was cranking a leak because he'd O.D.ed on O'Dowds and feeling a lot smarter that he looked. Catch the nice 'hang loose' he was flashing at the photog! Really, his Mom should have whacked his pee pee some time back to discourage public pashing. I hope the next picture shows him using a scrub brush and bucket. What a dork!
Personally, I'd send him down to the States as part payment for those two strata lifters - with a dong like he's got, this boy has a future in the American porn industry.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
He Ain't Guilty, He's My Brother
Ontario's Premeer, Dalty McG finally got fed up last week, when the brotherhood of the longhouse roughed up a couple of newsies and gave some old fellow a coronary.
"Tear down those barricades, my ruddy brothers!" he said," Or this week's round of speeches is off!" And with it the free luncheon.
This stiffening of spine received virtually instant feedback from the Iroquois. "We'll let go a one barricade." Said barricade was removed immediately, by a crew from the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
"Not quite good enough for a round of beef dips", said the Preem. "We want those nasty buggers who roughed-up the citizenry in full view of Ontario's finest, thereby causing them (the cops) embarrassment."
"We don't like them beef dips anyway. Peterson orders them," the Natives replied. "And besides where were the cops when our land was bein' stoled? Eh? And besides the indians that found the camera weren't from our reserve, an we didn't know them anyway. Heck we weren't even lookin, we were getting coffee! And if we did know 'em we wouldn't rat them out. Go screw yerself!"
"We shouldn't even be talkin' to you. We want to talk to the Great Mother of us all. So you can tell Harper to screw off, eh? And get us on a plane to England. We'd like to have that little black girl the Govermint General come with us, eh? She's kinda cute, and she knows how we suffer, eh? Maybe she'll take us to her breasts.... oh, I'm not supposed to say that. We respect wimmin. We don't rat on brothers, or sisters either. And besides we don't know those people on the list."
And so the 'stand-off' at Caledonia continues. The barricade was removed at public expense, the OPP remain on duty at public expense, the politicians continue their negotiations with native leaders - now showing up from every point of the compass - all at public expense. The original barricade, like the original gripe, remain in place - all at public exense. And the natives continue to do whatever it is that natives do, at public expense, as well.
This needs to be sorted out by a judge, preferably without a million dollar hearing. Read the history, look at the documents, decide - let's get 'er done!
"Tear down those barricades, my ruddy brothers!" he said," Or this week's round of speeches is off!" And with it the free luncheon.
This stiffening of spine received virtually instant feedback from the Iroquois. "We'll let go a one barricade." Said barricade was removed immediately, by a crew from the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
"Not quite good enough for a round of beef dips", said the Preem. "We want those nasty buggers who roughed-up the citizenry in full view of Ontario's finest, thereby causing them (the cops) embarrassment."
"We don't like them beef dips anyway. Peterson orders them," the Natives replied. "And besides where were the cops when our land was bein' stoled? Eh? And besides the indians that found the camera weren't from our reserve, an we didn't know them anyway. Heck we weren't even lookin, we were getting coffee! And if we did know 'em we wouldn't rat them out. Go screw yerself!"
"We shouldn't even be talkin' to you. We want to talk to the Great Mother of us all. So you can tell Harper to screw off, eh? And get us on a plane to England. We'd like to have that little black girl the Govermint General come with us, eh? She's kinda cute, and she knows how we suffer, eh? Maybe she'll take us to her breasts.... oh, I'm not supposed to say that. We respect wimmin. We don't rat on brothers, or sisters either. And besides we don't know those people on the list."
And so the 'stand-off' at Caledonia continues. The barricade was removed at public expense, the OPP remain on duty at public expense, the politicians continue their negotiations with native leaders - now showing up from every point of the compass - all at public expense. The original barricade, like the original gripe, remain in place - all at public exense. And the natives continue to do whatever it is that natives do, at public expense, as well.
This needs to be sorted out by a judge, preferably without a million dollar hearing. Read the history, look at the documents, decide - let's get 'er done!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
AlaKaboom Kaputt
The saga continues with news to-day that the RCMP were instrumental in the Toronto Jihadis getting 3 tons of fertilizer. Instead of vacuum cleaner salesmen, the boys in blue were probably making out they looked after gardening supplies. A casual question about weed n'feed and hey presto! 3 tonnes of CIL's finest is on the truck to TO.
Why three tonnes you might ask? Well, two reasons mainly, first it would look really good at the press conference - "these guys could do 3 Timothy McVeighs", and second, it's not too easy to move three tons of fertilizer around. They'd need every accomplice to unload the truck and then - comme la chat- pouncez sur lui!! Nab 'em all at one foul swoop!
It raises the question however, would these guys have bought 3 tons of fertilizer if it wasn't for the help of the Mounties? You can make a mess of a lot of small important things with the fertilizer you would buy for your lawn. Supplementary - just how much diesel, or heating, oil do you need to mix with 3 tons of fertilizer? I'd imagine a 100 litres at least, and then how would you move all that to the target? You'd need more police assistance. I think the 'doowrights' were taking a big chance, but then they probably had an idea they were only busting some putzes.
And 'The PM', not to be outdone at a warriors' ceremony in the capital yesterday with the war-chief Gen. Rick Combat, came out with this gem: "As at other times in our history, we are a target because of who we are and how we live, our society, our diversity and our values — values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law — the values that make Canada great, values that Canadians cherish."
If you delve into his meaning, you will see that our other wars were caused by our adherence to France in the first instance, and since then, to our English connection. Nobody ever started a war with Canadians for our maples, or perch, or Canada geese. They may have envied us, but they were striking at Canada to get at someone else, we were close at hand.
Now his excellence 'the quiet man', would have you believe that the evildoers of the world envy us our multiculturalism, they want to come here to disrupt our good government, they want our cable TV and our poutine. This onslaught has nothing to do with the fact that we're paying Americans to clean up the mess they made in Iraq, or that we have a combat brigade successfully terminating taliban fighters to clean to a mess the Americans made in Afghanistan.
The only 'targetters' we have to keep an eye on are living to the south of us. They have a track record of paranoia in seeing to their own needs first and not being the least bit shy about using their armed forces to get their way. No fear with 'the contollinator' at the helm, however, he seems more than willing to give the Yanks whatever they want. "Want me to squeal like a pig? Suwee, suwee wee." "Lumber, you can have the lumber, we got lots of lumber." "That oil will continue to flow, why, crikey, it's your oil! Just give us a cut of what you're selling it to yourselves for."
Ah, I know the Americans see us as blue-nosed little brothers who live on hockey skates. And that even though we've had our differences before, now our economies are linked and we are trading partners and all. We both talk english and look pretty much the same and a lot of Canadians sign up to fight in the Marines, so we know what 'hoooah' means. The only reason they'd send the 'Guard' up here was if the 'Commies' were taking over the country or the Mexicans had figured a way to sneak in across 'the world's longest unguarded frontier'.
This little escapade should really get our big, fuzzy, southern brothers going!
Why three tonnes you might ask? Well, two reasons mainly, first it would look really good at the press conference - "these guys could do 3 Timothy McVeighs", and second, it's not too easy to move three tons of fertilizer around. They'd need every accomplice to unload the truck and then - comme la chat- pouncez sur lui!! Nab 'em all at one foul swoop!
It raises the question however, would these guys have bought 3 tons of fertilizer if it wasn't for the help of the Mounties? You can make a mess of a lot of small important things with the fertilizer you would buy for your lawn. Supplementary - just how much diesel, or heating, oil do you need to mix with 3 tons of fertilizer? I'd imagine a 100 litres at least, and then how would you move all that to the target? You'd need more police assistance. I think the 'doowrights' were taking a big chance, but then they probably had an idea they were only busting some putzes.
And 'The PM', not to be outdone at a warriors' ceremony in the capital yesterday with the war-chief Gen. Rick Combat, came out with this gem: "As at other times in our history, we are a target because of who we are and how we live, our society, our diversity and our values — values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law — the values that make Canada great, values that Canadians cherish."
If you delve into his meaning, you will see that our other wars were caused by our adherence to France in the first instance, and since then, to our English connection. Nobody ever started a war with Canadians for our maples, or perch, or Canada geese. They may have envied us, but they were striking at Canada to get at someone else, we were close at hand.
Now his excellence 'the quiet man', would have you believe that the evildoers of the world envy us our multiculturalism, they want to come here to disrupt our good government, they want our cable TV and our poutine. This onslaught has nothing to do with the fact that we're paying Americans to clean up the mess they made in Iraq, or that we have a combat brigade successfully terminating taliban fighters to clean to a mess the Americans made in Afghanistan.
The only 'targetters' we have to keep an eye on are living to the south of us. They have a track record of paranoia in seeing to their own needs first and not being the least bit shy about using their armed forces to get their way. No fear with 'the contollinator' at the helm, however, he seems more than willing to give the Yanks whatever they want. "Want me to squeal like a pig? Suwee, suwee wee." "Lumber, you can have the lumber, we got lots of lumber." "That oil will continue to flow, why, crikey, it's your oil! Just give us a cut of what you're selling it to yourselves for."
Ah, I know the Americans see us as blue-nosed little brothers who live on hockey skates. And that even though we've had our differences before, now our economies are linked and we are trading partners and all. We both talk english and look pretty much the same and a lot of Canadians sign up to fight in the Marines, so we know what 'hoooah' means. The only reason they'd send the 'Guard' up here was if the 'Commies' were taking over the country or the Mexicans had figured a way to sneak in across 'the world's longest unguarded frontier'.
This little escapade should really get our big, fuzzy, southern brothers going!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Alakazaam,Alakazapped
The Police forces from just about everywhere gathered this morning in Toronto to announce they had uncovered a massive terrorist plot to do damage there. They had arrested 15 'sorta middle eastern' males with 3 tons of fertilizer and had previously stopped three others returning to Canada with some pistols purchased in the 'Home of the Brave and land of the .45'.
Apparently the plot had been 'surveilled' for the past two years after being dicovered by a couple of school kids who had reported a web site they had come across.
The fifteen are described as Canadian citizens from 18 to 26 years 'who have been here for quite some time'. Some seemed to be wearing Afghan-type white clothing when arrested, others were in prison tyveks. Most seemed to be bearded. Just like your red-blooded Arabic-Canadians - or, at least, none I know.
Apparently these fellows had been training secretly at a 'base north of the city' - the police reported military training with weapons, but no details were given. I wonder just where 15 young guys the the money to rent, or buy, a farm north of Toronto? It would have to be big enough and cheap enough, or isolated enough from neighbours to avoid the noise complaints to local authorities that big booms engender in rural areas. And as we all know you have to go a good bit north before you an find that kind of isolation. Probably north of Parry Sound where they wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb to any Charley Farquarson type who might come across them.
I could see them picking up that three tons of fertilizer from the local Co-op - "Is that for farm use?" - no PS or GS taxes. Just put it on the Abdullah account. Forget about the garden centre or Crappy Tire, they don't carry that much fertilizer, but WalMart might. "3 tons 35-0-0 to the garden centre". Debit? Would you like cash back?
This must have been the trigger mechanism that caused the raid, and where were these terrorists going to bomb? Why, CSIS headquarters of course, right beside the twin jewels of TO - the tower and the stadium. Nefarious bastards! According to CSIS they had been down there taking pictures and casing the joint. Apparently they had gotten wind that CSIS was onto them, maybe because CSIS agents had interviewed some of them!
"Good afternoon Mr. Abdullah, I'm from the Filterqueen Vacuum company. Have you got a few minutes for a demonstration? I'd like to make you a present of this hi-tech tape recorder in return for letting me show you this fine product. To show you its molecular sucking power perhaps you'd have some ammunition or blasting caps or fertilizer we could sprinkle on your rug. Say, is this a real Iraqi carpet? I recognize the 'Tears of the Prophet' pattern. You wouldn't want to sell it?"
Or more directly. "Mr. Abdullah I'm from CSIS, that's the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, and I'm here to let you know we have your number. Yessir, the jig's up, we know all about your website and your plans that contravene the Criminal Code of Canada. But we don't want you to think that we're targetting you because of your nationality, race or religion - we would target anyone who aspires to wage Jihad in the land of the maple and the beevor. Say, that's a nice carpet ..."
I'm surprised that they were farting around with 3 tons of fertilizer. A couple of bags could have made enough bang to demolish a line of .... oops. Shouldn't say that. That would have affected everybody in Ontario, rather than some secret agents and passers-by in Toronto. That's why I don't think these guys are real, or even smart, terrorists - they certainly haven't been watching TV, or reading papers.
What scares me about this is the smugness of the 'we got 'em gang'. Somebody posted a 'Mounties always get their man' thing this afternoon. Somehow I think those two kids were instrumental in this. The 'terrorists' were quite dumb in assuming they could not be 'bugged', and didn't even tweak to CSIS interviews!
Now I'm sure that a purchase of three tons of a potential explosive would have been monitored. I'm sure that CSIS knew exactly why they were searching the car on its way back from the States. It is really foxy to get the summer student to pull them over for drug search. It was smart to be pretending to search the car while carefully observing the trio for give-away behaviour. They probably knew those guns were on them - after all hadn't the FBI been surveilling them in the States? So it was all that lulling them into a sense of false security that made one of the drop that loaded gun and give agents the reason they needed to search the others and find the guns and ammo on them. That is brave.
What were they going to do with these guys if they hadn't found anything, let them go?
I'm just skeptical enough to think that there might be some real terrorists living here. When they see this 'keystone cops' thing happening, all the hooplah for a bunch of doofi, it just might give them the impression that, if they're careful, they just might be able to pull something off. And this time there may not be two kids to find their web-site.
Apparently the plot had been 'surveilled' for the past two years after being dicovered by a couple of school kids who had reported a web site they had come across.
The fifteen are described as Canadian citizens from 18 to 26 years 'who have been here for quite some time'. Some seemed to be wearing Afghan-type white clothing when arrested, others were in prison tyveks. Most seemed to be bearded. Just like your red-blooded Arabic-Canadians - or, at least, none I know.
Apparently these fellows had been training secretly at a 'base north of the city' - the police reported military training with weapons, but no details were given. I wonder just where 15 young guys the the money to rent, or buy, a farm north of Toronto? It would have to be big enough and cheap enough, or isolated enough from neighbours to avoid the noise complaints to local authorities that big booms engender in rural areas. And as we all know you have to go a good bit north before you an find that kind of isolation. Probably north of Parry Sound where they wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb to any Charley Farquarson type who might come across them.
I could see them picking up that three tons of fertilizer from the local Co-op - "Is that for farm use?" - no PS or GS taxes. Just put it on the Abdullah account. Forget about the garden centre or Crappy Tire, they don't carry that much fertilizer, but WalMart might. "3 tons 35-0-0 to the garden centre". Debit? Would you like cash back?
This must have been the trigger mechanism that caused the raid, and where were these terrorists going to bomb? Why, CSIS headquarters of course, right beside the twin jewels of TO - the tower and the stadium. Nefarious bastards! According to CSIS they had been down there taking pictures and casing the joint. Apparently they had gotten wind that CSIS was onto them, maybe because CSIS agents had interviewed some of them!
"Good afternoon Mr. Abdullah, I'm from the Filterqueen Vacuum company. Have you got a few minutes for a demonstration? I'd like to make you a present of this hi-tech tape recorder in return for letting me show you this fine product. To show you its molecular sucking power perhaps you'd have some ammunition or blasting caps or fertilizer we could sprinkle on your rug. Say, is this a real Iraqi carpet? I recognize the 'Tears of the Prophet' pattern. You wouldn't want to sell it?"
Or more directly. "Mr. Abdullah I'm from CSIS, that's the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, and I'm here to let you know we have your number. Yessir, the jig's up, we know all about your website and your plans that contravene the Criminal Code of Canada. But we don't want you to think that we're targetting you because of your nationality, race or religion - we would target anyone who aspires to wage Jihad in the land of the maple and the beevor. Say, that's a nice carpet ..."
I'm surprised that they were farting around with 3 tons of fertilizer. A couple of bags could have made enough bang to demolish a line of .... oops. Shouldn't say that. That would have affected everybody in Ontario, rather than some secret agents and passers-by in Toronto. That's why I don't think these guys are real, or even smart, terrorists - they certainly haven't been watching TV, or reading papers.
What scares me about this is the smugness of the 'we got 'em gang'. Somebody posted a 'Mounties always get their man' thing this afternoon. Somehow I think those two kids were instrumental in this. The 'terrorists' were quite dumb in assuming they could not be 'bugged', and didn't even tweak to CSIS interviews!
Now I'm sure that a purchase of three tons of a potential explosive would have been monitored. I'm sure that CSIS knew exactly why they were searching the car on its way back from the States. It is really foxy to get the summer student to pull them over for drug search. It was smart to be pretending to search the car while carefully observing the trio for give-away behaviour. They probably knew those guns were on them - after all hadn't the FBI been surveilling them in the States? So it was all that lulling them into a sense of false security that made one of the drop that loaded gun and give agents the reason they needed to search the others and find the guns and ammo on them. That is brave.
What were they going to do with these guys if they hadn't found anything, let them go?
I'm just skeptical enough to think that there might be some real terrorists living here. When they see this 'keystone cops' thing happening, all the hooplah for a bunch of doofi, it just might give them the impression that, if they're careful, they just might be able to pull something off. And this time there may not be two kids to find their web-site.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Monkey See, Monkey Do or ViceVersa
So the chimps did it, eh? Those darn Bonobos, Jane Goodall would be soooo displeased.
Apparently those sexually precocious little twits have been quietly extinguishing themselves with an immune deficiency disease for a while now. Or so some scientific chap would have us believe.
However, does his genetic research indicate that this disorder in the primates predates the advent of AIDS in human kind? That’s not clear. If it didn’t, there’s a strong likelihood that the chimps may have been infected by humans. ‘It’s a long lonely watch - those nights away from home and dorm frolics at good old Mattachine U. Hey, they’re only a couple of genetic branches removed, and those teen-aged chimps are quite hunky. Who’s to be hurt by some consensual interspecies exploration?’ It would make a cowboy weep.
Or, if the disease preceded AIDS, it means that the chimps had it before ‘Gaetan’, the gay Air Canada cabin steward, who gets the blame for AIDS promiscuity. That would lead one to believe that Gaetan, or a very close friend, may have had a real ‘lay-over’ in the Cameroon, or whereever gay monkey lovers congregate. Maybe I’m leaping here and Gaetan got it off a dirty toilet seat in a Nairobi dive, I dunno.
What I do know has naught to do with chimps. It has to do with people. The disease is terrifying in its extent and ramifications.
In the fairly near future, half the people on earth will be carrying the virus. It is one of the most successful diseases to come down the pipe - literally, if not metaphorically, since the last Ice Age. A virus that does not kill the host, in fact it does not make them sick - by and large - until they have spent years sharing their viral load through sexual interactions. Then it destroys them inevitably in a gradual reduction protracted by the application of considerable amounts of expensive medication, or hastened by the lack of basic care. Tremendous numbers of people on earth face this end, are facing this end now.
How has the world responded to this curse. Education, this story being another in the series of ‘we understand AIDS’ pieces. All those stories and $1.35 will get you a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s. Somehow these stories are supposed to help us understand that, in Canada, a truly enlightened and educated country - the rate of AIDS infections has never diminished among its initial target groups and has ballooned among females and, particularly, native Canadians. If there is a solution to Canada’s problems with aboriginal peoples - it appears the answers are booze, dope and AIDS, in a couple of generations there won’t be a native problem. But getting there won’t be any fun, for the Indians, or for us.
The care of Aids patients is going to bankrupt us. The problems with Canada’s Healthcare system now, only reflect an increased immigrant population, aging and the small number of AIDS cases requiring hospitalization. All numbers are more than likely to grow, the latter will grow exponentially. As Tom Hanks movie on the subject indicated, along with being a sick person in need of societal support, an AIDS patient is also unable to contribute to society at the time when they should be most able to do so. The resources put into their education are wasted by their inability to function due to chronic and debilitating disease. AIDS care will challenge the resources of every afflicted family and eventually the resources and mores of society itself in an effort to prolong economically useless existences.
After two decades of dealing with this disease, we know no more that we did then. What is even more disturbing, given what we do know; the treatment remains the same - avoid AIDS by practising ‘safe sex’ - wear a condom. This is it. This is the very best we can do. This is the message of hope we beam into Africa - if everyone would only wear a rubber....
AIDS is a disease spread purely by human behaviour - sexual behaviour in most cases - by close contact or infection by body fluids in others. From time to time we read of someone deliberately, it seems, infecting others after they have been diagnosed. Immediately the ‘dignity chorus’ goes into full cry, blaming the victims for failing to ‘protect themselves’. Generally the victims are women, the infector is a man and the ‘dignity’ groups vent for same sex issues on their other beats. It is truly a good thing for the same-sex lobby that AIDS made the cross-over to heterosexuals - now we all have something in common. But it’s not common sense.
AIDS is so serious that the law should protect the uninfected. AIDS carriers should not be allowed to have physical relations with anyone who doesn’t already have the disease and isolation is a virtual necessity. This isn’t because of an inhuman streak, it’s because of the very real costs of looking after sick people. Laws have been struck to curtail the behaviour of smokers - who develop and may cause diseases far less malignant, though no less deadly, than AIDS. It is imperative that governments act to stop the transmission rate of AIDS in Canada. Left uncontrolled we won’t be able to help ourselves, let along the stricken billions in other lands.
One of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse must resemble a Bonobo ape.
Apparently those sexually precocious little twits have been quietly extinguishing themselves with an immune deficiency disease for a while now. Or so some scientific chap would have us believe.
However, does his genetic research indicate that this disorder in the primates predates the advent of AIDS in human kind? That’s not clear. If it didn’t, there’s a strong likelihood that the chimps may have been infected by humans. ‘It’s a long lonely watch - those nights away from home and dorm frolics at good old Mattachine U. Hey, they’re only a couple of genetic branches removed, and those teen-aged chimps are quite hunky. Who’s to be hurt by some consensual interspecies exploration?’ It would make a cowboy weep.
Or, if the disease preceded AIDS, it means that the chimps had it before ‘Gaetan’, the gay Air Canada cabin steward, who gets the blame for AIDS promiscuity. That would lead one to believe that Gaetan, or a very close friend, may have had a real ‘lay-over’ in the Cameroon, or whereever gay monkey lovers congregate. Maybe I’m leaping here and Gaetan got it off a dirty toilet seat in a Nairobi dive, I dunno.
What I do know has naught to do with chimps. It has to do with people. The disease is terrifying in its extent and ramifications.
In the fairly near future, half the people on earth will be carrying the virus. It is one of the most successful diseases to come down the pipe - literally, if not metaphorically, since the last Ice Age. A virus that does not kill the host, in fact it does not make them sick - by and large - until they have spent years sharing their viral load through sexual interactions. Then it destroys them inevitably in a gradual reduction protracted by the application of considerable amounts of expensive medication, or hastened by the lack of basic care. Tremendous numbers of people on earth face this end, are facing this end now.
How has the world responded to this curse. Education, this story being another in the series of ‘we understand AIDS’ pieces. All those stories and $1.35 will get you a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s. Somehow these stories are supposed to help us understand that, in Canada, a truly enlightened and educated country - the rate of AIDS infections has never diminished among its initial target groups and has ballooned among females and, particularly, native Canadians. If there is a solution to Canada’s problems with aboriginal peoples - it appears the answers are booze, dope and AIDS, in a couple of generations there won’t be a native problem. But getting there won’t be any fun, for the Indians, or for us.
The care of Aids patients is going to bankrupt us. The problems with Canada’s Healthcare system now, only reflect an increased immigrant population, aging and the small number of AIDS cases requiring hospitalization. All numbers are more than likely to grow, the latter will grow exponentially. As Tom Hanks movie on the subject indicated, along with being a sick person in need of societal support, an AIDS patient is also unable to contribute to society at the time when they should be most able to do so. The resources put into their education are wasted by their inability to function due to chronic and debilitating disease. AIDS care will challenge the resources of every afflicted family and eventually the resources and mores of society itself in an effort to prolong economically useless existences.
After two decades of dealing with this disease, we know no more that we did then. What is even more disturbing, given what we do know; the treatment remains the same - avoid AIDS by practising ‘safe sex’ - wear a condom. This is it. This is the very best we can do. This is the message of hope we beam into Africa - if everyone would only wear a rubber....
AIDS is a disease spread purely by human behaviour - sexual behaviour in most cases - by close contact or infection by body fluids in others. From time to time we read of someone deliberately, it seems, infecting others after they have been diagnosed. Immediately the ‘dignity chorus’ goes into full cry, blaming the victims for failing to ‘protect themselves’. Generally the victims are women, the infector is a man and the ‘dignity’ groups vent for same sex issues on their other beats. It is truly a good thing for the same-sex lobby that AIDS made the cross-over to heterosexuals - now we all have something in common. But it’s not common sense.
AIDS is so serious that the law should protect the uninfected. AIDS carriers should not be allowed to have physical relations with anyone who doesn’t already have the disease and isolation is a virtual necessity. This isn’t because of an inhuman streak, it’s because of the very real costs of looking after sick people. Laws have been struck to curtail the behaviour of smokers - who develop and may cause diseases far less malignant, though no less deadly, than AIDS. It is imperative that governments act to stop the transmission rate of AIDS in Canada. Left uncontrolled we won’t be able to help ourselves, let along the stricken billions in other lands.
One of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse must resemble a Bonobo ape.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Canada's Fallen Heroine
Canada has put itself well and truly in the same league as the midieval French and their Jeanne D'Arc. It was announced to day the the first female Canadian soldier has died in combat.
Captain Nicola Goddard is the first Canadian woman to die in combat since World War Two. What makes hers an even more remarkable event that she was a combat infantry (artillery) officer and died during a significant firefight with a force of Taliban. Canada's military has had a proactive policy of including females in combat units.
Other armed forces have developed equal-opportunity policies for women, as visualized in a number of hollywood movies featuring stars such as Goldie Hawn and Demi Moore. But in actuality the women, while receiving training, are usually seconded to rear echelon and supply units. Some have been made casualties but, as in previous wars, this was more by accident than design.
Ms Goddard's death comes in very close proximity to a parliamentary vote to sustain Canada's effort in Afghanistan for another 3 years. It also came during a week that looked like the promised Taliban offensive in Afghanistan was beginning to take shape - an increased number of attacks over a wider area than previously and involving significant numbers of insurgent attackers. Collateral to this, are an increasing number of dead Afghanis - both Taliban (or reputedly so) and police, in shootouts, and a number of non-combatants killed or injured in the inevitable bombings that seem to culminate coalition combat operations.
It strikes me that following-up the insurgent attacks with the bombing of shelters (somebody's house) where they are reputed to be, has all the earmarks of the unsuccessful Soviet tactics. Unless of course, the Soviets were bombing all the houses before the mujahiddin attacks. There are disconcerting rumours, as well, that the Americans have not yet improved their bombing skills and that friendly casualties, particularly Afghan, often result.
As Ms Goddard's prime function was to spot and call-in artillery and aircraft strikes, she would have been within observing range of these targets. The details of her death are not in, but I would hope that hers is not another friendly-fire incident. At any rate, a daughter is a very grievous loss. Condolences to her parents and family.
Captain Nicola Goddard is the first Canadian woman to die in combat since World War Two. What makes hers an even more remarkable event that she was a combat infantry (artillery) officer and died during a significant firefight with a force of Taliban. Canada's military has had a proactive policy of including females in combat units.
Other armed forces have developed equal-opportunity policies for women, as visualized in a number of hollywood movies featuring stars such as Goldie Hawn and Demi Moore. But in actuality the women, while receiving training, are usually seconded to rear echelon and supply units. Some have been made casualties but, as in previous wars, this was more by accident than design.
Ms Goddard's death comes in very close proximity to a parliamentary vote to sustain Canada's effort in Afghanistan for another 3 years. It also came during a week that looked like the promised Taliban offensive in Afghanistan was beginning to take shape - an increased number of attacks over a wider area than previously and involving significant numbers of insurgent attackers. Collateral to this, are an increasing number of dead Afghanis - both Taliban (or reputedly so) and police, in shootouts, and a number of non-combatants killed or injured in the inevitable bombings that seem to culminate coalition combat operations.
It strikes me that following-up the insurgent attacks with the bombing of shelters (somebody's house) where they are reputed to be, has all the earmarks of the unsuccessful Soviet tactics. Unless of course, the Soviets were bombing all the houses before the mujahiddin attacks. There are disconcerting rumours, as well, that the Americans have not yet improved their bombing skills and that friendly casualties, particularly Afghan, often result.
As Ms Goddard's prime function was to spot and call-in artillery and aircraft strikes, she would have been within observing range of these targets. The details of her death are not in, but I would hope that hers is not another friendly-fire incident. At any rate, a daughter is a very grievous loss. Condolences to her parents and family.
Check yer Weapons at the Bar
The Canadian gun registry, a source of no small employment to the gars canadiens, is in the news again. It looks like the Tories are back-tracking on theit promise to get rid of the billion-dollar boondoggle.
Why? It's because the association of Police Chiefs think it a valuable tool in their on-going battle against crime. Apparently they've been using it - 5 million plus times last year. Now this is a big step for our brothers-in-blue, because, when the registry was first proposed, they were agin' it. Even the then-proposed 20 million was more wisely spent filling ammunition boots to patrol our towns n' cities. Iteresting how politics will change your viewpoint. How many ammunition boots could have been filled with a billion plus dollars? Moot point, it's now a useful, if somewhat expensive, police tool.
I'm thinking 5 million hits last year. That's 20 percent of us. How many of us own guns? I'm thinking the police call up the registry every time they make a house call. That means, they're sitting out front in a cruiser waiting for the gun registry to tell them if there are hunting or collectible guns in the house. The other kinds of guns don't get registered. Now you can't tell me that a cop, knowing you've got a bird gun in the house isn't a lot more nervous than he might otherwise have been. I think it only serves to make police more paranoid than many already are. Besides you could be getting strangled while they wait for that report.
Another wrinkle, some duty cop, who didn't want to be identified, was pointing out that the registry now necessitates a lot of paperwork to PROVE that somebody DIDN'T have a license when the cops find somebody with an unregistered gun. Back in the old days, YOU had to produce a license or your guns were confiscated and you got charged. Now the cops have to prove you don't have a license to produce - do you get to keep the guns until things get sorted out?
Years ago a buddy gave me an old single-shot Cooey .22. When the gun registry law came into place, I had to go through the process of registering it, or I was looking at up to 5 years in the hooskow. It still doesn't work any differnt than it did before, except that hiding the bolt and ammunition in places I thought the kids wouldn't find them doesn't work any more. Trigger lock and locked ammunition cabinet are saving me from careless storage of a fiream charges should the local enforcement fellows ever visit about my caterwauling pussy.
A buddy had an old Martini-Henry - wired together and rusted unserviceable that he got as a gift off an Anishnabek acquaintence long ago. He still hasn't registered the sucker. If he ever gets caught with it, he's looking at a fine, or making some cop a good collector's item. He can't pass it on to his kids, legally, and no longer has it hanging over the family room doorway.
The registry is one dumbass piece of legislation - it has stopped not one shooting, protected no one, interfered with no criminal and cost the people of Canada far too much in cash for useless effort. I have a lovely plastic ID card listing my 'weapon' - it cost me nothing - a sop to the sportsman. Now they want $60.00 - any takers? Nope. And they figure there are another half million unregistered long-guns out there. Fat chance these will be registered.
The recent auditor's report points up weaknesses in the Registry. No one has ever investigated whether the registry is secure, or whether it is even fulfilling its function, whatever that is. A spate of break-ins targetting gun collectors with pistols had Toronto police wondering if some criminal elements didn't have access to registry information. These weren't ordinary hit and runs, but work over, in one case three, days to cut into secure safe-like gun storage containers with burning tools. Needless to say some of the collector's guns later showed up in relation to crimes.
There are a group of Canadians who think if we didn't have guns they wouldn't be stolen. That's simplistic, like saying if you didn't own anything it wouldn't get stolen. It ignores the fact that thieves steal anything, if a gun helps, they'll use one, or steal one.
Another group equate guns with murder - particular Marc Lepine and the Montreal massacre. But killers use anything to kill. Murder is a state of mind and heart. If there is no weapon to use, then the hands will suffice. Guns are designed for just one purpose, but they are a product of human igenuity and they have been used to help make the world as it is to-day. Some are truly works of the ironmonger's and woodworkers' art. They give pleasure to those who appreciate them and actually provide nourishment for those with the time and inclination to pursue wild game. They are, and always have been, regulated to greater or less extents. As part of Canadian tradition they should be permitted.
Eliminate the gun registry.
Why? It's because the association of Police Chiefs think it a valuable tool in their on-going battle against crime. Apparently they've been using it - 5 million plus times last year. Now this is a big step for our brothers-in-blue, because, when the registry was first proposed, they were agin' it. Even the then-proposed 20 million was more wisely spent filling ammunition boots to patrol our towns n' cities. Iteresting how politics will change your viewpoint. How many ammunition boots could have been filled with a billion plus dollars? Moot point, it's now a useful, if somewhat expensive, police tool.
I'm thinking 5 million hits last year. That's 20 percent of us. How many of us own guns? I'm thinking the police call up the registry every time they make a house call. That means, they're sitting out front in a cruiser waiting for the gun registry to tell them if there are hunting or collectible guns in the house. The other kinds of guns don't get registered. Now you can't tell me that a cop, knowing you've got a bird gun in the house isn't a lot more nervous than he might otherwise have been. I think it only serves to make police more paranoid than many already are. Besides you could be getting strangled while they wait for that report.
Another wrinkle, some duty cop, who didn't want to be identified, was pointing out that the registry now necessitates a lot of paperwork to PROVE that somebody DIDN'T have a license when the cops find somebody with an unregistered gun. Back in the old days, YOU had to produce a license or your guns were confiscated and you got charged. Now the cops have to prove you don't have a license to produce - do you get to keep the guns until things get sorted out?
Years ago a buddy gave me an old single-shot Cooey .22. When the gun registry law came into place, I had to go through the process of registering it, or I was looking at up to 5 years in the hooskow. It still doesn't work any differnt than it did before, except that hiding the bolt and ammunition in places I thought the kids wouldn't find them doesn't work any more. Trigger lock and locked ammunition cabinet are saving me from careless storage of a fiream charges should the local enforcement fellows ever visit about my caterwauling pussy.
A buddy had an old Martini-Henry - wired together and rusted unserviceable that he got as a gift off an Anishnabek acquaintence long ago. He still hasn't registered the sucker. If he ever gets caught with it, he's looking at a fine, or making some cop a good collector's item. He can't pass it on to his kids, legally, and no longer has it hanging over the family room doorway.
The registry is one dumbass piece of legislation - it has stopped not one shooting, protected no one, interfered with no criminal and cost the people of Canada far too much in cash for useless effort. I have a lovely plastic ID card listing my 'weapon' - it cost me nothing - a sop to the sportsman. Now they want $60.00 - any takers? Nope. And they figure there are another half million unregistered long-guns out there. Fat chance these will be registered.
The recent auditor's report points up weaknesses in the Registry. No one has ever investigated whether the registry is secure, or whether it is even fulfilling its function, whatever that is. A spate of break-ins targetting gun collectors with pistols had Toronto police wondering if some criminal elements didn't have access to registry information. These weren't ordinary hit and runs, but work over, in one case three, days to cut into secure safe-like gun storage containers with burning tools. Needless to say some of the collector's guns later showed up in relation to crimes.
There are a group of Canadians who think if we didn't have guns they wouldn't be stolen. That's simplistic, like saying if you didn't own anything it wouldn't get stolen. It ignores the fact that thieves steal anything, if a gun helps, they'll use one, or steal one.
Another group equate guns with murder - particular Marc Lepine and the Montreal massacre. But killers use anything to kill. Murder is a state of mind and heart. If there is no weapon to use, then the hands will suffice. Guns are designed for just one purpose, but they are a product of human igenuity and they have been used to help make the world as it is to-day. Some are truly works of the ironmonger's and woodworkers' art. They give pleasure to those who appreciate them and actually provide nourishment for those with the time and inclination to pursue wild game. They are, and always have been, regulated to greater or less extents. As part of Canadian tradition they should be permitted.
Eliminate the gun registry.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Pass the DimSung, will ya' Mac?
The Toronto student-killer MinChen got a fairly stiff sentence for killing Cecelia Zhang last year. The judge indicated he was getting a break because there was no rebuttle to his story that it was some over-enthusiastic voice-muffling that asphyxiated the kid as he tried taking her from her home. Looking at his picture, I felt sorry for the poor bastard.
But on reflection, I think he was very lucky. He kept the dumping place for her body a secret for half a year, enough time for decomposition and whatever fauna live in Toronto ravines to spread the bones around. That pretty well ensured there would be little by way of evidence to be gleaned from the corpse.
Anyway he should be able, unless he really is stupid, and maybe even then,to complete that education his people sent him here to get. I read in the Star to-day that he might not be able to return to China after-all when he gets out, because they'll put him in jail again. If the Chinese will jail him, why are we doing it? He belongs in China.
I could see some crazy bugger in correctional services figuring that we should fly his parents here for visits. Perhaps he'll need a special culturally-correct diet. Entertainment in his native language, and, of course, special treatment, because he killed a kid. He looks like he could be a model prisoner and future candidate for early parole (despite what the Judge said). If he stays in a Canadian jail, he might just as well get Canadian citizenship. When he gets out we won't be able to get rid of him.
But on reflection, I think he was very lucky. He kept the dumping place for her body a secret for half a year, enough time for decomposition and whatever fauna live in Toronto ravines to spread the bones around. That pretty well ensured there would be little by way of evidence to be gleaned from the corpse.
Anyway he should be able, unless he really is stupid, and maybe even then,to complete that education his people sent him here to get. I read in the Star to-day that he might not be able to return to China after-all when he gets out, because they'll put him in jail again. If the Chinese will jail him, why are we doing it? He belongs in China.
I could see some crazy bugger in correctional services figuring that we should fly his parents here for visits. Perhaps he'll need a special culturally-correct diet. Entertainment in his native language, and, of course, special treatment, because he killed a kid. He looks like he could be a model prisoner and future candidate for early parole (despite what the Judge said). If he stays in a Canadian jail, he might just as well get Canadian citizenship. When he gets out we won't be able to get rid of him.
Them's the ROOLS, sir!
Hat's off to REV CAN (CCRA) to being super-protective of your personal income tax information. I was trying to get a replacement PIN number for filing this year's return and decided to wing it through the phone operator.
That was an eye opener. I thought that a name, address, SIN and possibly the net income from the last return filed would suffice. After all I didn't want any real info, just a freakin' number with which I could provide them with more info. But, as Belushi used to say "WOOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOOOH!". The nice little dame on the phone wanted to check a few other things on last year's return as well, besides line 179, or whatever it was. Eventually she gave me a new number that worked.
But I'm thinking why all this horseballs? If some bozo wanted to cook up a spurious tax return for me, not only would he need to know a good deal about me, to contrive a lot of stuff that wouldn't check out(T4's, etc) and for what purpose? Or he would just bullshit from the get go. It would even be a good joke. I know now he probably wouldn't be able to get a PIN for e-filing and he'd just have to waste $1.05 mailing in an obviously phony paper return. Or maybe I'm being a little cavalier here, the mind that thought up the necessary levels of security, is just paranoid enough to treat a patently phony return as the real McCoy.
I could understand it if you wanted to find out how much tax Jean Chretien, say, paid last year. But then, I think government types should have this info publically accessible. That should apply to top level civil servants, senior Government employees and anyone involved in lobbying. However, given the CCRA bent for privacy protection, rest assured that your miserable income tax data is secure - and so is theirs.
Same sort of horsepoop at Crappy Tire. You can buy stuff without a credit card (the monthly bill will suffice), or you can pay on your account without a credit card, but you can't spend that funny-money that accrues for using your credit card without one.
Yep, the real cash blows through the system like a dose of salts, but the cyber 'funny money'? That's rigorously controlled, probably to stop some identity thievin' bastige from blowing your hard-earned $26.40 on a set of ginsu knives or a dandy flashlight.
It's sort of like the credit card companies that won't talk to the Bride - and she's the one who knows all about them.
Organization is a great thing, until some anal-retentive format freak gets to be in charge. 'Baffle them with bullshit' acquires a whole new meaning when paired with electronic media.
That was an eye opener. I thought that a name, address, SIN and possibly the net income from the last return filed would suffice. After all I didn't want any real info, just a freakin' number with which I could provide them with more info. But, as Belushi used to say "WOOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOOOH!". The nice little dame on the phone wanted to check a few other things on last year's return as well, besides line 179, or whatever it was. Eventually she gave me a new number that worked.
But I'm thinking why all this horseballs? If some bozo wanted to cook up a spurious tax return for me, not only would he need to know a good deal about me, to contrive a lot of stuff that wouldn't check out(T4's, etc) and for what purpose? Or he would just bullshit from the get go. It would even be a good joke. I know now he probably wouldn't be able to get a PIN for e-filing and he'd just have to waste $1.05 mailing in an obviously phony paper return. Or maybe I'm being a little cavalier here, the mind that thought up the necessary levels of security, is just paranoid enough to treat a patently phony return as the real McCoy.
I could understand it if you wanted to find out how much tax Jean Chretien, say, paid last year. But then, I think government types should have this info publically accessible. That should apply to top level civil servants, senior Government employees and anyone involved in lobbying. However, given the CCRA bent for privacy protection, rest assured that your miserable income tax data is secure - and so is theirs.
Same sort of horsepoop at Crappy Tire. You can buy stuff without a credit card (the monthly bill will suffice), or you can pay on your account without a credit card, but you can't spend that funny-money that accrues for using your credit card without one.
Yep, the real cash blows through the system like a dose of salts, but the cyber 'funny money'? That's rigorously controlled, probably to stop some identity thievin' bastige from blowing your hard-earned $26.40 on a set of ginsu knives or a dandy flashlight.
It's sort of like the credit card companies that won't talk to the Bride - and she's the one who knows all about them.
Organization is a great thing, until some anal-retentive format freak gets to be in charge. 'Baffle them with bullshit' acquires a whole new meaning when paired with electronic media.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
"Nindawayma"*, they call the wind...
The on-going saga of the theft of First Nations land in Caledonia, Ontario goes on, quietly that is.
Since Premier Daltie McG appointed his predecessor Liberal Premier David ( "Is that a profiterole I see?) Peterson to sort things out, things are moving at a slower, but oh-so-much-gentler pace.
The weekend commentary on discussion was that both sides had reached agreement on some aspects of the dispute - probably what, and where, was lunch and who was payin'. Back at the dispute site the warriors raised a second barricade to keep the white-eyes off a now-disputed bridge.
Why don't Natives do this stuff in March? The site developer was at work in March. Maybe there was no dispute in March. Sometimes these things, like a case of the scoots, just come on you sudden. Sometimes it's seasonal - "in the spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of burnin' tires...". Maybe the nice weather is nicer for sitting around to stand-up for your rights.
Davey Peterson - with his mediation skills honed by many hours spent over power lunches in some of the "Big Smoke's" finer dining establishments, should have things sorted out by the time the next election rolls around. Did the natives really cede that land, did some farmer really buy it and was the money really used to benefit the Queen-Empress' red 'childern'? If so, does that stuff abrogate the inherent rights of to-day's native people to land their ancestors took off somebody else's ancestors long, long ago? Just the thought requires the introduction of a portable buffet.
Hey, this stuff keeps the minds of the stupid off the important stuff like Hydro rate increases and MPAC disgrace that the Libs are 'unable to fix'.
* Davey P is the premier responsible for Ontario's $40 million purchase of the Norwegian Ferry (renamed) Nindawayma for the Tobermory-Manitoulin Island run. The ferry ran one year and spent the next nine rusting quietly in Owen Sound Harbour, before being sold for $1.5 million worth of boxed meat to a Quebec company. Given the cost of refitting and annual upkeep and harbour fees - this little exercise in public transport set the taxpayers of Ontario back about $150 million. Dave made the NDP look good to Ontario.
Since Premier Daltie McG appointed his predecessor Liberal Premier David ( "Is that a profiterole I see?) Peterson to sort things out, things are moving at a slower, but oh-so-much-gentler pace.
The weekend commentary on discussion was that both sides had reached agreement on some aspects of the dispute - probably what, and where, was lunch and who was payin'. Back at the dispute site the warriors raised a second barricade to keep the white-eyes off a now-disputed bridge.
Why don't Natives do this stuff in March? The site developer was at work in March. Maybe there was no dispute in March. Sometimes these things, like a case of the scoots, just come on you sudden. Sometimes it's seasonal - "in the spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of burnin' tires...". Maybe the nice weather is nicer for sitting around to stand-up for your rights.
Davey Peterson - with his mediation skills honed by many hours spent over power lunches in some of the "Big Smoke's" finer dining establishments, should have things sorted out by the time the next election rolls around. Did the natives really cede that land, did some farmer really buy it and was the money really used to benefit the Queen-Empress' red 'childern'? If so, does that stuff abrogate the inherent rights of to-day's native people to land their ancestors took off somebody else's ancestors long, long ago? Just the thought requires the introduction of a portable buffet.
Hey, this stuff keeps the minds of the stupid off the important stuff like Hydro rate increases and MPAC disgrace that the Libs are 'unable to fix'.
* Davey P is the premier responsible for Ontario's $40 million purchase of the Norwegian Ferry (renamed) Nindawayma for the Tobermory-Manitoulin Island run. The ferry ran one year and spent the next nine rusting quietly in Owen Sound Harbour, before being sold for $1.5 million worth of boxed meat to a Quebec company. Given the cost of refitting and annual upkeep and harbour fees - this little exercise in public transport set the taxpayers of Ontario back about $150 million. Dave made the NDP look good to Ontario.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Budget Day in Canada
To-day's the BIG day, the Tories roll out their first budget. They say they've vetted it with the other parties, but what has actually happened is that they've aimed 'good' news at most people.
The Big draw is the GST reduction - a 1% decrease here will save you about$300 on the price of a new $30 000 car. It'll pay for your winter radials. The more you shop, the more you save. The rich guys let the company (the taxpayers) buy their stuff so they won't save much (Ha.Ha.).
Next on the list is the $1200 for child care, that isn't. Apparently this is being taxed back at varying rates with the single-income family getting the best treament. At the Acme is the single income $250 000 p.a. group who will get the whole $1200, because it costs them more to have Momma at home looking after that baby. Huh?
Then there's re-arranged spending - the armed forces get more, but that means the environment gets less. The gun registry will probably go on soaking up the dollars - probably because its employees are all Quebecois, and because the cops like to know if you have a gun at your house. An unsafe storage charge is always a nice possibility after a visit.
A target for tomorrow is to rationalize that madness called the Income Tax return. It's the government equivalent of Sister Mary Elephant's 'Shut Up!' teaching method. Every 20 yeears or so the government simplifies the income tax return and over the ensuing 2 decades the manadrins at CCRA mess it all up again with a series of rulings and interpretatiions which would make the ordinary Joe head for the gun cabinet, the liquor cabinet, both, or H&R. Block. I wonder how much the tax preparation industry kicks-in to government coffers? Income tax returns have to be a billion-dollar industry, thanks to our government. Anyhow, an overhaul is long overdue.
Jimmy Flaherty is preaching the gospel of paying too much tax. If he'd like to do something positive, why doesn't he make corporate Canada play by the same rules? There are BILLLIONS in 'deferred' taxes credited to Corporations every year. The banks and insurance companies are allowed to 'defer' their taxes until they might have a 'bad' year, or go bankrupt, and then not pay them. Why don't they have a, "I' d like to defer my taxes to sometime in the future" Schedule for us? Better still, screw us, eliminate the corporate schedule. They do business in Canada and make a profit - they pay taxes!
As it is, Flaherty's a Mike Harris crewmate who thought that boning the poor would save the country - all it did was bone the poor. Let's get a look at his new shoes- $300 Florsheim's no doubt - they won't be from Payless!
The Big draw is the GST reduction - a 1% decrease here will save you about$300 on the price of a new $30 000 car. It'll pay for your winter radials. The more you shop, the more you save. The rich guys let the company (the taxpayers) buy their stuff so they won't save much (Ha.Ha.).
Next on the list is the $1200 for child care, that isn't. Apparently this is being taxed back at varying rates with the single-income family getting the best treament. At the Acme is the single income $250 000 p.a. group who will get the whole $1200, because it costs them more to have Momma at home looking after that baby. Huh?
Then there's re-arranged spending - the armed forces get more, but that means the environment gets less. The gun registry will probably go on soaking up the dollars - probably because its employees are all Quebecois, and because the cops like to know if you have a gun at your house. An unsafe storage charge is always a nice possibility after a visit.
A target for tomorrow is to rationalize that madness called the Income Tax return. It's the government equivalent of Sister Mary Elephant's 'Shut Up!' teaching method. Every 20 yeears or so the government simplifies the income tax return and over the ensuing 2 decades the manadrins at CCRA mess it all up again with a series of rulings and interpretatiions which would make the ordinary Joe head for the gun cabinet, the liquor cabinet, both, or H&R. Block. I wonder how much the tax preparation industry kicks-in to government coffers? Income tax returns have to be a billion-dollar industry, thanks to our government. Anyhow, an overhaul is long overdue.
Jimmy Flaherty is preaching the gospel of paying too much tax. If he'd like to do something positive, why doesn't he make corporate Canada play by the same rules? There are BILLLIONS in 'deferred' taxes credited to Corporations every year. The banks and insurance companies are allowed to 'defer' their taxes until they might have a 'bad' year, or go bankrupt, and then not pay them. Why don't they have a, "I' d like to defer my taxes to sometime in the future" Schedule for us? Better still, screw us, eliminate the corporate schedule. They do business in Canada and make a profit - they pay taxes!
As it is, Flaherty's a Mike Harris crewmate who thought that boning the poor would save the country - all it did was bone the poor. Let's get a look at his new shoes- $300 Florsheim's no doubt - they won't be from Payless!
Friday, April 28, 2006
Stalwart Walls
Those purveyors of justice in Tronna - Metro's finest, have decided that, because of numerous cases of vandalism to cars parked in station lots, and even someone writing down license plate numbers, they had better pad the budget to build some fences. Working on the principle that good fences make good neighbours, they are building some really fine neighbourhoods. Palisades of power that will not be easily-scaled by nefarious evil-doers bent on tearing antennae from the 'beemers' of the fuzz.
We should be glad that ex-Belfast types are not present in greater numbers - although I would lay the 'wall' solution to them. Police stations in Belfast are 'fortresses' with concrete walls, razor wire ,surveillance cameras, sally ports and observation slits. They're also daubed like harlequins in a rainbow of paintspatters and blackened areas from molotov cocktails. The 'police' enter before day break in convoy, and leave in darkened vans at the end of shift. Bunker mentality assumes a whole new meaning with these guys. And now, because it's a mickey-mouse 'police service' over there, they've come over here for some real policin', with their walls.
The Chief was on TV justifying the 17.5 million dollar expense. When he's lying, he looks like he's sucking shit. He must have felt like he had Mr. Henke in there. Eyes rolling and lips pursing he was recounting how, sadly, his department seemed incapable of keeping idjits out of their own parking lot. Come on, give me a break, who's going to jack around in a parking lot behind a building filled with cops?
And then there's the writing down of the license plate numbers. Once you have a number you phone the license bureau right, and they'll give you all the info they've got, right? Only if your last name's 'Bullitt', or you're balling one of the clerks. You or I, however, might be just as well off using them to generate lottery picks. Those T.O. cops are hilarious!
At least they might be if they weren't so paranoid. A lot of police persons are paranoid. "The bad guys will find us and .... Ohhh BAAAAD! It's a dangerous job we do." Schoolteachers are in more danger! Geez, there are more carpenters killed on the job. And they don't have an arsenal to protect themselves, or even a kevlar vest!
It's a bit scary but some of these guys aren't educated enough to think their way through this stuff. Their 'GOOD' guys are cops and cops' friends - their BAD guys are , potentially, everybody else. And we arm these guys?
I recall a few years back some local asshole was plinking the back of my house one night with a pellet rifle. I called the police. After 20 minutes they showed up at the front door. The cop waited in the hall while I went to turn on all the lights in the back rooms of the house. He then made a careful search of the interior, looking out each window to see what he couldn't in the back yard. After 10 minutes of that, he drew his flashlight and headed for the front door. Sleuthing, I thought, nope just walking round the back. Of course the sniper was long gone, but at least the cop saw a pellet in the bathroom window frame, so he couldn't say I had hallucinated everything.
And to-day, he'd probably have wanted a gander at that .22 I've got registered.
Goes ta show ya tho', ya can't be too careful. That's why the WALLS.
We should be glad that ex-Belfast types are not present in greater numbers - although I would lay the 'wall' solution to them. Police stations in Belfast are 'fortresses' with concrete walls, razor wire ,surveillance cameras, sally ports and observation slits. They're also daubed like harlequins in a rainbow of paintspatters and blackened areas from molotov cocktails. The 'police' enter before day break in convoy, and leave in darkened vans at the end of shift. Bunker mentality assumes a whole new meaning with these guys. And now, because it's a mickey-mouse 'police service' over there, they've come over here for some real policin', with their walls.
The Chief was on TV justifying the 17.5 million dollar expense. When he's lying, he looks like he's sucking shit. He must have felt like he had Mr. Henke in there. Eyes rolling and lips pursing he was recounting how, sadly, his department seemed incapable of keeping idjits out of their own parking lot. Come on, give me a break, who's going to jack around in a parking lot behind a building filled with cops?
And then there's the writing down of the license plate numbers. Once you have a number you phone the license bureau right, and they'll give you all the info they've got, right? Only if your last name's 'Bullitt', or you're balling one of the clerks. You or I, however, might be just as well off using them to generate lottery picks. Those T.O. cops are hilarious!
At least they might be if they weren't so paranoid. A lot of police persons are paranoid. "The bad guys will find us and .... Ohhh BAAAAD! It's a dangerous job we do." Schoolteachers are in more danger! Geez, there are more carpenters killed on the job. And they don't have an arsenal to protect themselves, or even a kevlar vest!
It's a bit scary but some of these guys aren't educated enough to think their way through this stuff. Their 'GOOD' guys are cops and cops' friends - their BAD guys are , potentially, everybody else. And we arm these guys?
I recall a few years back some local asshole was plinking the back of my house one night with a pellet rifle. I called the police. After 20 minutes they showed up at the front door. The cop waited in the hall while I went to turn on all the lights in the back rooms of the house. He then made a careful search of the interior, looking out each window to see what he couldn't in the back yard. After 10 minutes of that, he drew his flashlight and headed for the front door. Sleuthing, I thought, nope just walking round the back. Of course the sniper was long gone, but at least the cop saw a pellet in the bathroom window frame, so he couldn't say I had hallucinated everything.
And to-day, he'd probably have wanted a gander at that .22 I've got registered.
Goes ta show ya tho', ya can't be too careful. That's why the WALLS.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Stolen Memo: re: Flags
NatDefHQ - Ottawa : RE: National Standards utilized as funeral accoutrements
Memo:
Item: All Flags suitable for funerary use i.e. Req. # qF 11007877 - fge - Taffetized nylon national standard (365.7cmX182.88cm) shall be issued from NatDef stores base Trenton only.
QMSTR Ref: AS 1120-5534-AC45.
Item: All Command units CANFORAF may indent for 12 such to have on charge as circumstances arise.
Item: Such flags retrieved after use S/B returned to NatDef Stores base Trenton for proper credit and reissue to indenting units.
Item: As a cost-saving measure the memorial flag given to relatives, etc, at conclusion of interment service S/B procured through the office of the Local MP who has been issued a number of such items for riding use. CO of Gd detail to arrange and to remit DND property as in item above.
Item: Failing acquisition of suitable flag from MP, CO Gd detail is warranted to purchase locally a national standard (121cmX60.96cm0 not in excess of $10.00). Such to be prefolded for presentation at end of interment. Reimbursement if desired S/B docketed on claims NDFC CL12-a303a/b E or Cl12-a303a/b F
Francais au verso
"Frenchy" Lapierre GSO1 - log/QMC/RASC
NatDefHQ - M- 3320-12290-34348 a 34 10:15 Ap/24/06
Memo:
Item: All Flags suitable for funerary use i.e. Req. # qF 11007877 - fge - Taffetized nylon national standard (365.7cmX182.88cm) shall be issued from NatDef stores base Trenton only.
QMSTR Ref: AS 1120-5534-AC45.
Item: All Command units CANFORAF may indent for 12 such to have on charge as circumstances arise.
Item: Such flags retrieved after use S/B returned to NatDef Stores base Trenton for proper credit and reissue to indenting units.
Item: As a cost-saving measure the memorial flag given to relatives, etc, at conclusion of interment service S/B procured through the office of the Local MP who has been issued a number of such items for riding use. CO of Gd detail to arrange and to remit DND property as in item above.
Item: Failing acquisition of suitable flag from MP, CO Gd detail is warranted to purchase locally a national standard (121cmX60.96cm0 not in excess of $10.00). Such to be prefolded for presentation at end of interment. Reimbursement if desired S/B docketed on claims NDFC CL12-a303a/b E or Cl12-a303a/b F
Francais au verso
"Frenchy" Lapierre GSO1 - log/QMC/RASC
NatDefHQ - M- 3320-12290-34348 a 34 10:15 Ap/24/06
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