Spin

HST = Health Care?

Huh?

It's the Health Saving tax?

This is news.

Yet this is what Colin Hansen and Gordon Campbell would have us believe.

In delivering the Provincial Budget, Mr. Hansen was determined that we come away pillowed by the comforting thought that the new tax would really be all for Health.

In the words of that famous parliamentarian, John McEnroe, "You can't be serious!""

But listen to the Good Minister's language:

“We need to find ways that can help demonstrate to average British Columbians the connection between the tax dollars they pay and the services they get.”

Translation?

"You are stupid and we have to 'splain stuff to you, You Average Donkey You.

Yup.

Thanks, Boss.

Look, revenues are down, expenditures are up and the whole world is struggling through the same identical mire. Ontario, Greece, London and no doubt the Maldives are all in the same sweaty tank.

We get it, thanks. We got it.

But you don't have to keep pulling these tired cheesy old circus tricks, guys.

Let Us Not Forget

The notorious Air India case – the bloodiest unsolved crime in Canadian history – will be back in the spotlight Wednesday with the start of jury selection for a trial on the rare charge of perjury against former Vancouver Island mechanic Inderjit Singh Reyat.

It is charged that he lied under oath 27 times.

The killers of 331 people walk free, in large measure thanks to this man's testimony.

May some measure of justice be found in this matter.

It's only been 25 years since this obscenity occurred.

Values and Opinions Department

New immigrants to Canada are being told many helpful things - thanks to our new official study guide.

Of course, they are not being told that spitting in public is a) disgusting and b) a criminal offense. Or if they are, who's listening?

In addition, the Globe has learned that a number of references to certain Canadian Rights enshrined by law have been deliberately omitted from the guide.

For example:

"Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969 and more recently, civil marriage rights to same-sex couples was legalized nationwide in 2005," the earliest draft of the guide says under the section Towards a Modern Canada.

And in the section on citizenship rights, the early draft said: "Equality Rights - Canadians are protected against discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or age."

Neither sentence survived the minister's red marker.

The minister is Citizenship & Immigration Minister Jason Kenney who was advised by staff to include such statements.

But Kenny has his own agenda.

For which, no doubt, many will applaud him.

Not I.

May the Beeb be Heard

The BBC is much like the CBC, only bigger, nastier and more ingrained, if such a thing can be imagined.

What a pleasure then to read in a "Telegraph" at a restaurant in Heathrow yesterday that the Beeb wants to change its tune.

More British, less Yanqui, programming.

Of course, these announcements for all we know may be annual affairs, the Home Office equivalent to the sighting of the groundhog.

Let's hope someone at CBC Control is listening.

You are publicly funded.

Stop showing The Price is Right, Jeopardy, and all other American mind rot.

Pay for News, Comedy, Drama, Children's, docs, and education.

Decide who you really are and go for it.

Techo-Geek, Part 4,398,222

Once again I 've recorded about 4 minutes and managed to upload only 2...

What I was saying about comments was...

MOSTLY, your comments are quite wonderful and well told and full of good information and excellent stories and I really appreciate very much your input.

Best wishes...

Cheers!

Ciao Baby

I'm leaving on a jet plane.

Venice, Sicily...Carnivale, Corleone...

I won't be posting on this blog again until March 3d.

But...

If you feel so inclined, check in occasionally to my other bog site,

http://laughingintheisles.blogspot.com/

which I last used during my '09 trip to Edinburgh and Dublin.

I'll endevour to get some good fotos of the masks and costumes in the Piazza, and the hillsides and Greek ruins in Sicilia.

A tough assignment, I realize, but...

Be well, Tutti!

True Crime

Cosy Cave Lane.

Respected and admired Air Force Colonel charges with multiple murders of young women.

This is the stuff of old Law and Order episodes.

Will Ben Stone come out of his drunken retirement to prosecute?

Forgive me, for this is no laughing matter to the families of these victims.

The story is horrifying and fascinating and too much like a movie.

No doubt some enterprising HBO executive has already bought the rights.

Round the Bend

Iran is fronted by a madman.

It is run by fundamentalist religious clerics.

It is increasing its nuclear stronghold.

And claiming that this is in the interests of medicine.

Read the latest from the NY Times and then pray or go jogging and try to forget that there are rogue nations on this earth that pose a clear and present danger to humankind.

(The "other guy" is American Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates.)

The IOC - Such a Happy Little Group

This was forwarded this morning from a friend on Hornby Island, where people read the news very early each day. Thanks, Gary.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Convicted ex-Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee was
reinstated Sunday as a full member of the International Olympic Committee, a
boost for South Korea's bid to host the 2018 Winter Games.

Lee's rights were restored by the IOC executive board, although the IOC also
gave him a public reprimand for tarnishing the Olympic movement and banned him
from serving on any IOC commissions for five years.

Lee voluntarily gave up his IOC rights after being indicted in 2008 in a
financial and tax evasion case. The South Korean government pardoned Lee last
year, clearing the way for his return to the IOC.

Lee is now free to attend IOC sessions, take part in IOC votes and help South
Korea's latest campaign to host the Winter Games.

The South Korean government has said Lee will be a key figure in the bid from
Pyeongchang, which is competing for the 2018 Games along with Munich and
Annecy, France.

Pyeongchang is bidding for the third straight time after defeats for the 2010
and 2014 Games, which went to Vancouver and Sochi, Russia. The IOC will choose
the 2018 host in 2011.

With Lee's reinstatement, South Korea has two IOC members. The other is Moon
Dae-sung.

"We are delighted to hear the news," said Park Yang-chun, chairman of the
Korean Olympic Committee's international relations commission. "We are very
pleased to hear of his reinstatement."

Park said it was too early to determine Lee's exact role in the Pyeongchang bid.

"One way or another he will join our bid," he said. "There is nothing official
yet. Mr. Lee will decide."

Lee's reinstatement follows the pattern of previous IOC ethics cases. French
member Guy Drut was provisionally suspended in 2005 after being convicted in a
party-financing trial. He was reinstated by the IOC a year later after being
pardoned by then French President Jacques Chirac.

Lee stepped down in April 2008 after 20 years at the helm of the Samsung Group
after being indicted in connection with losses at a Samsung affiliate and for
tax evasion. He later was fined and sentenced to a suspended three-year prison
term.

In Sunday's ruling, the IOC ethics commission said Lee's conduct "has tarnished
the reputation of the Olympic movement" and violated the IOC's ethical
principles.

The IOC issued him with a "reprimand" and a five-year suspension from sitting
on any commissions.

Asked how the committee could bring back a member who had been convicted of
criminal charges, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: "He has received two of the
three strongest sanctions the IOC can give."

The strongest sanction is expulsion.

That Covers It

DIY Writ Large

The citizens of Colorado Springs, all 380,000 of them, have agreed that their city - just a hike down the road from Denver, doesn't really need or want government...or its questionable services.

In true American libertarian style they have decided to go it alone.

That includes parks, trash, lawns, dogs, you name it.

Outrageous! Madness! You say.

Or is it a sign of things to come and a warning to the idiots who mismanage governments everywhere at all levels - which, roughly means all of them?

This Curiosity Just Arrived

For Immediate Release

February 8, 2010

Vancouver Taxi business “dead” just days before Olympics
Drivers unsure of how they will survive the next 2 months

Vancouver, BC – A combination of factors associated with the Winter Olympic Games have resulted in the slowest period for the taxi industry in the past 15 years, says Amrik Mahil, President of Black Top and Checker Cabs.

“I have never seen it like this, and I am very worried about the lingering effects from two months of this kind of business climate” said Mahil. “While everyone thought that we would have too few cabs for the Olympics, the reality of the situation in this final week before the Games tells a vastly different story.”

There are dozens of temporary licenses that have been issued for the duration of the Games. Taxi operators in the GVRD who cannot usually operate within the City of Vancouver are now able to deploy up to 35% of their fleet to pick up passengers at Olympic sites or anywhere else in the city. The Olympic transportation plan and associated road closures make using taxis within the city to get to and from Olympic events very inconvenient (no right lane stopping, meaning the amount of cab stands is severely reduced during the Games). Finally, the economy is still soft, making cab fares an expense that many individuals and companies have cut back on.

With fixed costs ranging between 80-$120 per shift, many cab drivers are having trouble breaking even. In fact, many drivers are now contemplating a departure from the industry because of an inability to make ends meet.

The long-term health of the taxi industry in Vancouver is now at risk, according to Mahil.

“We would not be able to withstand a mass exodus of drivers from our company, and yet we cannot even guarantee these individuals a consistent income over the coming months” said Mahil. “VANOC and the Passenger Transportation Board have grossly overestimated the need for taxis during the Games, and now we are all paying the price.”

Black Top is Vancouver’s second largest taxi company with 197 vehicles and over 50 years of service within the city.

Media contact:

Amrik Mahil
President – Black Top and Checker Cabs
(604) 614-3777

Merry Men

As part of TCM’s Oscar month, “The Adventures of Robin Hood played the other night and I was able to catch and to enjoy immensely the last half hour or so.

This 1938 movie starred Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains.

I’ll give you a hint.

Rathbone played neither Maid Marian nor Friar Tuck.

What made the movie so much fun was Flynn’s cheeky charm and Olivia’s ethereal beauty.

There was a full and necessary slate of sword fighting and arrows falling we know not where, but the over-all take by director Michael Curtiz was lightness and feather touch.

This is, after all, a kind of fairy tale.

But that is all about to change, children.

Any moment now the new Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe monstrosity, “Robin Hood”, will overwhelm your neighbourhood screens.

Crowe was born to play “brute.”

He specializes in brute force.

Crowe and Scott were the pair who brought you “Gladiator.”

Do you remember anything from this movie? I don’t.

Here’s what the new “Robin Hood” will offer.

Heads hacked in two by axes.

Severed arteries exposed by missing limbs spurting blood in your face.

The intensity and mystery and neuroses of Cate Blanchett.

I can’t wait till this team tackles Sir Galahad.

Then Snow White with Roman Polanski playing all seven dwarfs.

Debasement

A man is kicking a woman in the stomach.

Repeatedly.

On television.

If you saw this, wouldn't you be outraged, furious, spurred to action?

Soon you are on the phone and on the Internet registering your loud and justified complaint about violence towards women.

And you would be right.

But wait.

Every day, you can see exactly this TV advertisement.

Except that a woman is kicking a man in the stomach.

She also punches him several times.

She is oh so funny and he is the Dope.

Ho ho ho.

Isn't that amusing.

That piece of male debasement is the work of a clever and irresponsible ad executive and his/her "creative team," who want to attract women to their client's product or service.

I believe the client in this case is BMO, the Bank of Montreal.

This dreadful unnecessary and socially destructive piece of trash is part of a long tradition in TV programming and advertising, both of which are aimed at the "female consumer."

Because that's what you are, ladies, in the warped minds of advertisers and their clients - consumers.

You USE stuff.

In this oft-repeated scenario, the woman always wins.

She is smarter, stronger, more clever, more resourceful.

The hubby is a colossal nitwit, a loser, an incompetent, who clearly could not function without his far superior partner to drag his sorry ass through life.

And this running sore of a theme helps children and families HOW?

If a man kicked a woman in the stomach in an ad on prime time television, it would be front page news and talk show fodder for weeks.

But having a woman kick a man in the stomach is apparently just funny.

No.

It is not funny.

It is sick.

Boys and girls need and want fathers they can respect and admire.

Women and men need to respect one another.

Ridicule is not the way.

Squirming and Cheering

Pete McMartin, the Sun columnist, wrote an excellent piece yesterday.

The headline pretty much catches the gist of the article:
"Why I loathe the Olympics and why I hope they succeed"

I think he has captured the mix of emotions that many are feeling.

Enlighten Me, Please

Does any one truly understand the "Missionaries Charged with Kidnapping" story?

Because I don't.

Are these people simply stupid or naive, scooping up 33 children and trying to rush them out of Haiti?

Are the deliberately posing as naive?

Are they, in fact, evil maniacs?

I really have no idea.

They keep telling any one who will listen - or bring them bread and water - that this is all simply a misunderstanding and a case of some innocently missing paper work.

It's possible...but...

Please explain your take on this peculiar circumstance.

Opinions not Wanted in Games Canada

An American reporter, who doesn't like The Games, has been turned back and not allowed into Canada by Canadian customs.

We have no information that this man is dangerous or violent or disruptive in any way.

But he does have an opinion.

Shame on him.

Can't he just buckle down and sing, "I believe?"

Victor is Mercerless

Not a week goes by without a half-page foto of Officially Annointed Comedian of Canada, Rick Mercer, being thrown out of a plane or some such running in full-color in every newspaper in Canada. And this costs the taxpayer how much? Our friend, Victor, has even found Mercer in his Shark's Fin Soup!


Last night we sat in a Chinese restaurant, surrounded by Chinese
patrons, eating glorious spicy fish while watching Rick Mercer on a
54 inch screen , mercifully with no sound. Surreal .

As virtually the only white person in the place, sitting among a
couple of hundred taxpaying Chinese Canadians who were ignoring the
mugging dork on the TV, I asked myself " Why do we have this guy"? I
also wondered what he is paid, how big is the budget that takes him
around the country and how large is his obscenely bloated CBC staff?

We have an Auditor General, a Governor General but do we need a
Comedian General? Paid for by taxpayers? Didn't syphilitic kings in
ancient times hire a court fool out of the public purse for the same
purpose? Aren't we beyond that?

I realize that I am out of sync with those Canadians who think his
painfully contrived skits, camera-hogging juvenility and gratuitous
anti-Americanism are are uproariously funny. But if he's that good,
why can't he get a sponsor to fund his efforts?

Then again, I am out of sync with all those Canadians who think that
the mere possession of a Newfoundland accent, applied to the most
puerile skits, is high comedy.

VANOC on the Buses

An elderly woman is seated on a city transit bus the other day.

She has her groceries on the seat beside her.

The bus is half empty.

Let me repeat.

The bus is half empty.

A young woman with VANOC marked all over her perfect self gets on, heads straight to the seated woman, and declares, "I want to sit there."

Not, "Excuse me, ma-am, but may I sit in that seat? Could you move those parcels please..." and anything like this.

And why there?

The bus is half empty.

Did I mention that?

The rude, privileged demand is hardly out of her mouth than the entire remaining passengers begin angrily and loudly chanting, "OFF VANOC! OFF VANOC! OFF VANOC!"

My friend, Donna, who told me this story yesterday, sees this incident as a clear and strong evidence of how so many Vancouverites are feeling about the arrogance of the VANOC Class.

I told her about a first year University professor I had about a thousand years ago, who came into class one bright winter morning and wrote in huge letters across the entire width of the blackboard, "CREDIT IS A SACRED TRUST."

He told us he had just seen this obscenity on a billboard in downtown Winnipeg.

He then ranted for an hour about the abuse of language, about putting spin on usury to make it holy.

This is how both Donna and I feel about "I believe."

Exactly what is it that Donald Sutherland and Bill Goo and all those other stooges believe?

I believe in God?

I believe in the divine right of Vancouver to host the Games?

I believe in free tickets? Little Upchuck? Red Mitties?

Pure shmarm.

Show me an athlete skiing or skating. Don't spend the entire budget to do it. Don't shut down social, health and education programs to pay for it. Don't declare yourself a "world class city." Don't raise Groupthink to Orwellian proportions.

Show me an athlete.

Keep it simple.