The Media is a Ghoul

Princes William and Harry have asked Channel 4 to not air a particularly gruesome and unnecessary foto of their late mother moments after the car crash that killed her.

But listen to the rationalization of these amoral creeps.

We "weighed the princes' concern against the legitimate public interest..."

'nuff said.

Always Follow the Money

Scooter Libby was sentenced to 30 months in jail and a $250,000 fine for lying about his role in CIA business, media manipulation, and clouding the real issues of the Iraq invasion. Mr. Libby was Dick Cheney's right hand boob.

Read the whole story, and then ask yourself, "What is the culpability of Cheney? Bush?"

And most importantly, "How much is Scooter being compensated for falling on their swords? How will he be taken care of when he emerges from prison?"

And, "Why didn't he tell all?"

FISHY NUPTIALS

Tory MP John Cummins is one of those rare admirable politicians.

Cummins has been fighting clearly, consistently and vociferously through Liberal and Conservative regimes for equality of fishing rights, real and effective coast guards and proper management of our Pacific waterways.

Once again, he has risen to the occasion, severely challenging his own government's Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon. Mr. Cannon has just announced the marriage of the Vancouver Port Authority, the Fraser River Port Authority, and the North Fraser Port Authority.

This merger serves no recognizable purpose.

It is, in fact, a further detriment to the possibility of good management of our ports, something that has already been eluding our governments for years. The Vancouver Ports are so well managed we are lucky we get fresh peas, new Toyotas or sports clothes with any regularity.

The Port is the first and only reason we are all here to begin with, not that most Vancouverites notice. As we have increasingly become a service economy, fueled by condos and chai lattes, as more and more alleged "citizens" are text messaging their way through the gridlock, as you have become less and less important or even noticeable if you are not a direct and immediate part of my movie, our connection to basics has evaporated.

Mr. Cummins' cries are a small and welcome voice in the wind.

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit (Woodstock 1969)

Gracie Slickk and the Airplane played the old Russisn Hall on 4th Avenue one weekend about 40 years ago. We payed a dollar for the whole weekend of dance and stuff. They announced they had a new song...

The Whoring Vancouver Agreement

The Vancouver Agreement is a little known collaboration of Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments. It's all about "partnerships" and "integrated approaches." Or so it claims.

Mostly what it is about is middle management mandarins of the the status quo meeting and interfacing and discussing and eating lunch and congratulating themselves on their latest feat of social engineering. Little jujubes like "harm reduction."

What it is really about is spending tax dollars in ways that rarely achieve anything, other than making the partners at the table feel real good about themselves.

Most people, if they knew the slightest thing about the Vancouver Agreement, would agree on one thing: Shut this scam down.

Today we were furnished with another great example of the Agreement's good work.

"A final report by the Living in Community Coalition, funded by $200,000 from the Vancouver Agreement, is recommending more safe places where sex workers can ply their trade, recover from addiction or leave the streets altogether." So reports the morning paper.

Let's not even get into all the arguments about whether such ideas are worthy or workable. Let's not ask how or where these addiction recoveries might take place.

Let's just focus on this one nasty thought: $200,000 was spent on middle class, middle management mandarins to discuss a problem - prostitution - that has been around for a few days, give or take.

That's $200,000 that could have been spent directly on helping and encouraging a few lost souls to escape the well-documents cycles of prostitution. We did that years ago at an institution I ran by just doing it. No discussion, no funding, no integrated approach.

But why would we do that, when we can spend more money and waste more time on "research" and "reports?"

Corruption and inaction comes in many disguises.

Real Good in the Real World. It's rare enough, and it must be Witnessed.

Technology being what it is - imperfect - my attempt to post an important and wonderful video from YouTube has either failed or been delayed. Who can tell?

HOWEVER...In March, I was delighted to present Mark Leiren-Young's one man show, "Shylock," in Victoria for 2 nights as a fundraiser for "Positively Africa." This is a wonderful program fighting HIV-AIDS in villages in Africa. The program is run by Peggy Frank and Peter Bardon, who produced the "Shylock" show which raised over $7,000 for their work.

Here are Peggy and Peter in Lesotho. Please watch; this is a beautiful piece and they are beautiful friends.

“I personally don’t know anybody who doesn’t have two in his truck.”

That salient bit of Americana comes from rock star Ted Nugent.

Mr. Nugent is referring of course to "black rifles," a particularly deadly strain of automatic assault weapon made specifically for close combat. And perfect for classroom mayhem.

What is so telling in the NY Times full story is that no matter what legislators may try to do to curb the sale of such arsenal, Americans always find a way to keep buying and arming.

If you Google "AR-15," you get 1,590,000 entries in 0.21 seconds, which shows there is some interest in this madness.

Read the article and lock the door.

Enough Already...

You know what?

It's a beautiful day.

I've read the entire paper and .... zzzzzz....

Awards to cheesy, third-rate people, analyses of miscreants, chronicalling of the end of a dreadful presidency, gossip, and the story of the brilliant mastermind criminals who end up enjoying their ill-begotten gains in Winnipeg! Hahahaha...

I'm going for a walk.

Later, I'll meet with friends.

Then Sweetheart and I will have dinner. Tomorrow a bike ride, a movie and more dinner.

Life's a beach.

Guest Blogger eats Out and Finds Sushi Surprise!

Those of you who, like me, eat alone in restaurants will understand this story. Those who have company when they go to restaurants, will, perhaps, gain understanding.

I went to a sushi restaurant today, newspaper in hand, planning on a bit of sashimi, a beer and a relaxing read of the paper.

I sat at the very end of the bar, next to the wall, taking as little space as possible, as those who dine alone do. We leave the tables for couples and families because we realize that we are like the wounded gazelle at the waterhole. We dare not take too much space.

After settling, I was approached by a charming server who suggested I might want to move to a table, since meals were served over the bar, near to my location. I never, ever, disrespect servers, so I pointed out to her that since there was a stool there, I assumed I could sit there. I added that since I was alone, I didn't want to take a table. She charmingly agreed.

I hadn't made it to page 3 before her boss, a brick-faced, middle-aged Japanese women asked me if I was ready to order. I replied that I would sip my beer and read for a few minutes and then order. She returned every two minutes to bark her question, before I got to page five.

Feeling that I was in the way, I ordered. While waiting, the sushi dishes began being passed over my head to servers. When I first selected my corner stool, the dishes were passed two stools away. Now the plates were skimming my skull. Clearly some kind of statement.

Brickface returned and suggested that I might be more comfortable on the patio. Compared to having herring eggs dropped in my curly hair, it sounded like a good idea.

I went out to the patio. The charming server carried my plate. I resumed reading my paper when the husband of Brickface came to my table. Mr. Brickface informed me that I could not sit on the patio since I had ordered beer with my food ( my beer was untouched inside). They asked me to move again. I moved to a small table inside. They brought my now-limp sashimi and my warm beer. By now I was so nervous, I opened the paper and knocked over the beer. Brickface hissed and wiped the table. Nervous and confused, I left my meal and went home. I tipped Brickface. Hey, I'm a Catholic. We search for guilt.

So here is my message to restaurants. The lonely people are loyal customers. We tip better. We bring friends to places where we have been treated well.

While I was bumped from table to table I saw couples blabbering for an hour, long after they had eaten.

If I had a restaurant I would have a sign that said " You will never eat alone here, you will eat with friends".

This is for all the lonely people, as the song says.

Le Boulivardier

( although the boulevards aren't as friendly anymore) Homage to Springsteen.)

Harper Politics at its Lowest

Tales of skulduggery in local political circles surface as often as used condoms at the neighbourhood creek bed.

Barbara Yaffe writes in this morning's Vancouver Sun about such carryings-on in Vancouver Quadra's Conservative camp. A long standing party faithful works diligently to secure a nomination only to see the hand writing blazoned on the schoolhouse wall : Get out! Stop it! We have our own hand picked, Harper-sanctioned candidate.

In the article, Yaffe names John Reynolds as the Key Meddler, and she is right.

Mr. Reynolds is now one of the great back room dealers and he apparently loves every cloak-and-dagger moment behind the curtains. Reynolds sweeps across all levels of politics these days - federal, provincial and municipal, swooping down from his national aerie several days a week to advise The Nutty Mayor on a range of subjects about which they both remain blissfully ignorant, but highly opinionated.

But Reynolds is hardly alone. He works in concert these days with some of the slimiest, amoral operatives we've seen in a long time. These are low level mandarins who, having failed at getting or keeping any honorable jobs in life, now find themselves at the Lunch tables of the World. Their salaries and cholesterol levels are climbing, as is their low self-esteem and new regard.

Good luck to them all.

At long Last ...again...

My reprinting of the National Post's editorial burying "harm reduction" as the hateful scourge that it has always been gained several excellent comments - even days after the item appeared on the blog.

Here is the article and the comments. Rummage around...add a comment your own true self.

paul mccartney - sgt.pepper's lonely hearts club band (1993)

yesterday

Der Go da Judge!

The USA's Supreme Court is favoring corporate America over The Little Guy or Gal. Lovely.

Read about it here.

Sports Reporting at its Best

Sports "reporting" is a questionable activity at the best of times.

Can you say "filler," boys and girls?

But two items in the NY Times this morning pretty well define the issue.

In one, we learn that brain concussions can lead to depression. DUH!

In another, we are asked to consider the age-old question that has baffled philosophers for centuries: Was the Randy Moss trade to the Patriots a Bad Move for the Patriots? Double DUH!

Just what Tom Brady and the Patriots need - a hot-shot, fungo-mouthed, totally selfish, boy-child dingaling.

Now where are the Big Golf Questions? And how many California Angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Bravissimo! And pass the dice...

The President and CEO of the BC Lottery Corporation is Vic Poleschuk.

The Corporation is under serious fire for mismanagement, since it's been revealed that ticket sellers win more often and more money than you and I.

Mr. P. will not resign.

Mr. P.was recently awarded the "lifetime achievement" award by the Public Gaming Research Institute, an entity which magically resists being Googled. In other words, where and what is it exactly? Something Vic's mom made up in the back yard next to the lemonade stand?

Great Scott

We're keeping our Scott Young survey up for another day or two.

First, the good mayor of Port Coquitlam is now about to "finish off" his miraculous 45 day rehab. Get him into Ripley's asap.

Second, one respondant to our survey, added in the "other" category, that the good mayor is now "The Queen of De Nile."

More! More!

Etta, Chaka and Gladys - Ain't Nobody Business

Not to mention B.B. King, with whom I once spent about 3 hours for an interview in a North vancouver Hotel room. There was one amazing guy!

AT LAST! AT LONG, BLOODY LAST!

'Harm reduction' doesn't work

Editorial: National Post
Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Last week, it was announced that the Conservative government will soon unveil a new national anti-drug strategy. The plan is said to feature a get-tough approach to illegal drugs, including a crackdown on grow-ops and drug gangs. And while it will also (wisely) include tens of millions for rehabilitation of addicts and for a national drug prevention campaign, it is said to retreat from safe-injection sites and other fashionable "harm-reduction" strategies introduced by the previous Liberal government.

To which we say: Good. This editorial column has long urged a softening of drug policy on marijuana and other non-addictive recreational substances. But heroin and similarly addictive drugs are a different story. Moreover, safe injection sites don't work. And they send the wrong message, too, promoting disrespect for the rule of law by having government facilitating the consumption of illegal substances.

Safe-injection sites (SIS)-- typically inner-city facilities where addicts may go to shoot up with clean needles under the watchful eye of medical specialists --are often said to work wonders. Benefits claimed on behalf of Insite, Canada's one and only SIS in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside since 2003, include reduced needle sharing, reduced spread of deadly diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, fewer needles discarded in surrounding neighbourhoods and fewer addicts overdosing in alleys. Lives have been saved, advocates claim, the "well-being of drug users improved," and all without increased street dealing around Insite.

Too bad most of the proof to back these positive claims come from SIS proponents or the academics who devise harm-reduction theories. Police here, and in Europe (where they have lots of experience with SISs) tell a very different tale.

When Insite applied to have its three-year licence renewed last fall, the RCMP told Health Canada it had "concerns regarding any initiative that lowers the perceived risks associated with drug use. There is considerable evidence to show that, when the perceived risks associated to drug use decreases, there is a corresponding increase in number of people using drugs."
That has certainly been the case in Europe. Currently there are more than three dozen major European cities on record against SISs. Most have had such facilities and closed them because they found that drug problems increased, not decreased.

After an injection site was opened in Rotterdam in the early 1990s, the municipal council reported a doubling of the number of 15- to 19-year-olds addicted to heroine or cocaine. Over the 1990s, the Dutch Criminal Intelligence Service reported a 25% increase in drug-related gun murders and robberies in neighbourhoods housing one of that country's 50 official methadone clinics or addict shelters. Zurich closed its infamous needle park in 1992, after the police and citizenry became fed up with public urination and defecation, prostitution, open sex, panhandling, drug peddling, loud fights and violent crimes.

Since word of the Tories' new strategy began to leak out of Ottawa, the well-meaning people who work at Insite have stepped up their campaign to save their facility, which Ottawa has said must close this fall. We sympathize with these supporters. No doubt, they have genuine concern for their charges, who are troubled souls caught in a downward spiral of abuse, crime, disease and pain.

But as much as we admire the good intentions behind SISs, drug consumption is the wrong business for government to be in. A government that funds safe havens for injecting illegal drugs on one hand will quickly find it is working against its efforts to reduce drug dealing on the other.

© National Post 2007

School Daze, Part LCMVCCM

You can always count on school boards from Das Hinterlandt (Chilliwak-Mission-Abbortsford) to do the ugly thing.

The latest is to punish a child for a political argument the board is having with the boy's mother.

Kids are all going on a field trip to The Big Smoke. Highlights will include the Museum of Anthropology, the planetarium and the aquarium. That's 3 good ums in our book.

But mom refuses to pay the fee. She has the money, but it's a belief thing, a political principal.

Fine, OK. So duke it out with Mom already and leave the kid alone.

No, that would be too Solomonic, too sensible. Instead, let's make the little kid's life a misery, boot him off the bus and get back at Mom that way.

I've heard of hiding behind mother's skirts, but hiding behind Johnny's sneakers?

Thus, we have added to our list of oxymorons (Catholic University, happy marriage, military intelligence, Liquor Control Board) this: "Chilliwack Education."