I reject your reality, and will substitute my own!

Canadians life expectancy is 80 years, obviously criminals are 40 years

2008-12-12T06:57:00.002-07:00

Did Canadian life expectancy all of a sudden drop dramatically to worse than it was during the caveman days? I thought Canadian life expectancy was supposed to be around 80 years or so. Perhaps it is not the actual people that dont have the life expectancy but more the type of life that you live that have the life expectancy.

Perhaps it is this. I live a healthy and free life out of prison and I could live 80 years. If I break the law by doing drugs, rumbling in a gang, buying a gun and participate in gang wars and drive by shootings then suddenly my life expectancy drops down to perhaps 20-30 years of age? Figure either I get shot on the street, OD on the drugs or I go to prison and end up getting knifed by some guy named Bubba cause I refused to spoon with him after dark. Either which way, suddenly my life expectacy drops from 80 years of age to 30 years of age.

My wondering for the day is if that is the case, then how come when the courts decide 'life imprisonment' they are looking at the life span of a criminal and not the life span of a healthy law abiding citizen? I was reading in a news paper article today (http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081211/creba_sentencing_081208/20081211?hub=Toronto) that the crown in the Jane Creba case (the one back in 2005 on Boxing Day where a group went on a shooting spree killing 15 year old Jane Creba and wounding 6 others) are going to seek an adult sentence for the youth that was involved. Not gonna go on a rant about the youth justice act and how you cant name the little welt on society but anyways. I was reading the first line that read "If J.S.R. is sentenced as an adult, he will get life in prison for the murder conviction..." and I was over joyed thinking, "great, lock up this kid for 40-50 years and teach him a lesson and send a message to the other youths in Canada that you can't just go on a shooting spree without consequences". It was the remainder of that sentence that had me re-reading it three times to make sure that I got it right "..with no parole eligibility for seven years." 7 years???? life imprisonment and he could get paroled in 7 years? what the heck is 'life' if you are going to be out on the streets in 7 years?

I know we are to treat people with respect and dignity and give them a chance to rehabilitate and come into society a new person with remorse and repentance...but 7 years????? You break the law at 20 so severly that you get a life sentence, you are going to live for 60 more years (according to statistics), that means even if you were to serve at least 1/3 of your present time in jail you would be in prison for at least 20 years before you can be released. That only leads me to believe that the Canadian justice system thinks that criminals have the life span of 30-40 years. On that case, a 20 year old only has 10-20 years to live in jail on a life sentence, so parole after 1/3 of their time is 3 (for the 10 years) or 7 (for the 20 years) years only. So, I guess this would suggest that the Canadian justice system thinks that criminals only live to 40 years of age.

I hope that this whole coalition and political over throwing ends soon, the Conservatives stay in power and smarten up and strike this whole parole based on a criminals life span and base it on the life span of a normal human being, since it is the normal ones that the criminals seem to like robbing, raping and killing.

relaxed? this is relaxed???

2008-09-01T21:12:00.003-06:00

Ok, I had to laugh. Honestly I did. I mean, I read this article online in the news in Singapore:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/373068/1/.html

New rules governing Speakers' Corner commence

I read this part of the article which read "The initiative comes as the Singapore government seeks to open up the space for political engagement in the country." Now, when I read this I figured "WOW, they are relaxing the rules, allowing people to speak their mind and demonstrate without a permit. First they allow for buying and chewing gum (as long as you have a doctors prescription and it is nicorette gum) and now free speech? wow!". Also people I know in Singapore were saying that there is some fear in that with the new relaxed rules that the park will turn into a nesting ground for chaos and disention and that perhaps the park will be held hostage by unruly type people like what is happening in Thailand at the moment.

At the end of the article I read that if you want to read more information about the 'new rules at Speakers Corner' you should go to their website at www.nparks.gov.sg. So, being the curious little Canuck that I am, I thought I would check out these new rules. I was surprised to discover that you have to still register to speak in Speakers Corner. So I went to the registry section, saw that I had to fill in name, NRIC number and all the particulars of what I am going to do (either a speech, performance or demonstration) and then there was a part that said I agree to the terms and conditions. So I clicked on that and was sent to the new rules (at least I think they are the new rules since there are a lot of stipulations). So there are 9 rules only. Let me give you a summary of them now:

1) your event is to be carried out in Speakers Corner at the commissioners permission. They can stop the event at anytime they feel there is a breach in the rules, conduct or feel that the event .."may endanger or cause discomfort or inconvenience to other park users and/or the general public."

Sounds fair. After all, you say you are going to speak about the plight of the common library book of today and you start juggling chain saws why you talk, definitly want to stop that from happening.

2) You have to obey the Parks and Trees Act (Cap. 216) and the Parks and Trees Regulations (Cap. 216, Rg 1).

Couldnt really find anything here but am assuming it is something like "you shall not dig up any trees; you shall not plant any trees; you shall not smoke, urinate, deface or deficate on any trees" and something in that nature. Also probably keep the peace, be of good behavior and dont streak around the park nude.

3) just dont destroy the park, hold your event during the time stated in your permission form and be respectful.

Hey, this isnt a rule, it is just plain good old common sense. Dont destroy public property, dont use a 100,000,000 watt sound system to speak but only a small hand held device, and if you break it you bought it sort of attitude.

4) Approved person takes responsibility for all liabilities that may happen during the performance.

Again, common sense. No company wants to take responsibility for the people there. You cant even get a parkade these days to take responsibilty for watching your car, that you pay to park there, and stop it from getting broken into.

5) you are exempted from the Public Entertainments And Meetings Act (Cap. 257) ('PEMA') only if you obey the rules set in 6-9 in relation to your event.

NOW it gets interesting

6) PUBLIC SPEAKING excempt from the rules if you are approved by the commissioner, you dont talk about religion or about something that may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility, you speak in any of the 4 official languages (or related dialect) and can not display anything of lewd, offensive or violent media.

Yeah, that sure gives a lot of leeway here huh? you can speak freely, just have to be approved before you speak. Good thing we dont have this in Canada since we only have the two official languages of English and French. If this was the case, no German, Italian, Chinese, Polish or even the aboriginals in Canada could protest or speak in public. As for feelings of hatred and ill-will, I thought that is what public speaking is for. YOu speak, people listen and if they like it they stay if they dont they leave. You mean I cant speak on abortion cause someone might have feelings of hatred or ill will against me for my opinion?

7) PERFOMANCE OR EXHIBITION Only Singapore citizens and Permanant Residents can hold a performance or exhibition, everyone in the performance/exhibition obeys the approval of the commissioner, organizer or agent is present at all times, does not deal directly or indirectly with any religious topics, does not have any topic that may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups in Singapore and the usual no lewd or crude media displayed.

I guess these make sense. Dont want any foreigners coming in and speaking in Singapore. I am sure all places are like that. I can also see why the organizer or agent is there at all times. Have to have someone around to arrest and blame if the performance turns ugly. Definitly dont want the performance to be insulting to a racial group. I mean, I could just imagine the hell that would break lose here in Canada if a group put on a performance extolling good points on Hitler and that he had a good mission and was just misunderstood.

8) DEMONSTRATIONS all Singaporean participants, approved by the commissioner, organizer present at all times, does not deal direct or indirectly with religious matter and will not cause ill will and such and such with other racial groups in Singapore, no lewd and crude media displayed before, during or after the demonstration.

Yeah, same stuff from the previous ones. Nothing really new here huh?

9) Police permit is to be obtained if a PR or foreigner will be participating in any of these events.

Yep, gotta watch us foreigners. Nasty little devil we are. Our only mission in life is to get in and speak evil and nasty words to the good people of Singapore. RIIIIIIGGGGHHHHHTTTTT

So those are the terms and conditions. Now, all I really want to know is, if these are the relaxed rules that are now in effect, how anal were they before? I mean, damn! What can you honestly and truly say in Speakers Corner? Supposedly a guy protested that the Singapore gov't encourages people to do business abroad but gives no help when trouble is met. Ok, fairly safe since I dont see anyone really having ill will on that topic. The only feeling you might get out of that demonstration is "stop being a whiner..you tried, you failed, what do you expect the govt to do about it? they wont even help with the rising cost of fuel, electricty and health care and you want them to bail you out of your job venture?"

I also noticed something strangely odd. I may be reading the whole thing wrong and all but if the new rules are to allow for people to talk more freely, then why is it you still need approval? You are excempt from asking for permission to speak but only if you get the approval and permission from the commissioner. Sooooo, I have the freedom to speak freely as long as I have been granted permission to speak? In what MM Lee world does that makes sense?

I think I can honestly say to my friends in Singapore that are worried that the park is going to become a hot spot for disent and become a hot bed of chaos in Singapore...relax. With relaxed rules like this now in effect, you are a long long way from having an open forum for open political discussion and demonstrations.

go green, ride the bus, cause it is too costly to drive

2008-09-01T20:58:00.002-06:00

I think the gov't has to learn one little thing when it comes to being greener. If you want people to consider taking pubic transport, now is the time. Since prices are going through the roof on gas people might now start considering being greener and taking public transport. I like how people start considering using public transport not for the good of the Earth or help with the world around them but because it hurts their pocket book to drive a car. Granted, the gas guzzlers on the road these days with the trucks, SUVs and all dont help either.

What I dont get is that now that there is incentive to ride the transport, why doesnt the gov't really push money into that area to help people consider riding the transport. Granted it probably wont help with lowering the gas prices since the less people buy the more the prices will have to go up to meet costs and profits and all.

Unless of course the gov't really has no incentive to help people ride the bus or LRT. After all, the more people ride those services, the less money goes into the purchase of gas, the less money there is for taxes to the gov't cofers on the gas sold, the less big companies there are to give 'campaign contributions' to help get certain people elected. So, perhaps riding the bus and LRT is good for the Earth and people living here but bad for the gov't and politicians. Who wants to bite the hand that feeds them, or at least keeps them in power huh? Pity we cant get some eggheads now to help develope that electric car or cars that run on water or some other type of fuel that wont destroy the ozone layer.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080901/public_transit_080901/20080901?hub=Canada

Lack of public transit hurting Canadian consumers
Updated Mon. Sep. 1 2008 2:52 PM ET

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- Recent record high prices at the gas pumps have consumers looking at public transit as an affordable alternative to driving their own vehicles.

A survey put out by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Canadian Urban Transit Association reports consumers want to take public transit, but lack of buses and trains plus long waiting times are acting as a deterrent.

More than 40 per cent of those involved in the survey said they would seriously consider taking local transit if gas prices continue to rise.

The survey, released Monday, compiled answers from 1,100 Canadians and responses suggested a large increase in ridership, which could put a strain on an already over-extended system.

The groups in charge of conducting the survey said the federal government must put more money into these systems.

They also suggested the effect of gas prices on consumers will be on the minds of voters in the event of an election this autumn.

I am a molester at least 20 times a day

2008-08-13T08:10:00.004-06:00

Think there might be more to the case that isn't being reported in the news? I mean, does this sound like a case of molestation? 41 year old in a lift with a 15 year old, manuvering a bike and elbow brushes her breast. This is molestation? I have been to Singapore and seen the size of the lifts. You get a bike in there and not matter what you are brushing up against someone.

Granted, it is eerie, it is creepy and it is somewhat uncomfortable to have that happen, but is it worthy of such a high response?

On the other hand, I just wish I knew that Singapore was so tight on the whole brushing and molestation thing. I mean, if all it takes is brushing an elbow up against someones personal area, and I think I should include my butt and groin area here since it is equal to sexuality on a male as the breasts are on a woman, then after having ridden the MRT for 8 months I could have thousands of people charged. I was the victim of at least 10 molestations a day. Also, I am sure that I have been guilty of molesting at least 10-20 people (both men and women alike) a day going to and from work on the MRT. I know what you are saying, 'but the MRT is different'? really? how so? how is it different being crammed into a train with nearly 130 people that is built for perhaps 100 people and being in a lift that is designed for nearly 6 people and you are maneuvering a bike.

Obviously they are not printing the facts that the bike was a tricycle and the man pounced on the poor girl and was fondling her like an octopus. Only way I can think to explain why people would go to such extremes by arresting and charging the man.
Suspected serial molester nabbed
Posted: 14 August 2008 2303 hrs

SINGAPORE : Police have nabbed a 41-year-old man believed to be behind a string of molest cases in the eastern part of Singapore. It was his latest molest attempt, at a housing estate in Tampines on Wednesday, that led to his arrest.

At about 10.45am, the man had followed his 15-year-old victim into a lift and asked her to help him move the bicycle so that the lift door could shut properly. It was then that the girl felt his elbow brush against her breast. She later reported the matter to her parents, who went to the police.

Following investigations, police arrested the suspect at about 2.20pm, and are linking him to a rash of similar cases in housing estates in Tampines, Simei and Pasir Ris. He will be charged on Friday. - CNA/ms

Congratulations Singapore!

2008-07-17T20:58:00.003-06:00

I just happened to come across an article online about Singapore and the up coming National Day ceremonies. I couldnt believe my eyes when I read the article and had to re-read it twice till I accepted the truth.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen of Singapore, for a limited time and a limited time only, you can be as wild and crazy as us evil and corrupt North Americans and....are you ready for this?...."may be displayed (the Singaporean flag) on clothes and costumes during the period of National Day celebrations. " As well, hold onto your hats Singaporeans, "..may also be flown on private and commercial vehicles alike during this time. Decals, stickers, posters or other visual images of the flag may also be displayed freely. "

Now, before you start thinking that Singapore has become open minded and *gasp* free, rest assured that this madness is again only for a limited time of July 1st to September 30th. So, break out those flags Singaporeans. Show your patriotic love and dedication by taking advantage of your leaders generosity and love by allowing you to display your flag, the symbol of your own country that most nations have had access and freedom to for centuries, out in the open without fear of punishment or fines.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/361004/1/.html

Canadian gov'ts taking a lesson from the PAP

2008-07-02T20:30:00.001-06:00

Looks like the Canadian Liberal government is taking a page from the PAP/Lee government rule book. When you want to win, don't just beat the competition in a political fair fight, but ham string them and take them from the whole race all together. I am impressed that the Liberals are taking the whole sueing into bankruptcy one step farther than the Lee's ever did. Instead of just sueing one of the political people (Chee for example), the Canadian Prime Minister goes for the whole darn political party! Also, instead of going for a pitance amount like $500,000 or something, the Liberals wants $3.5 million! I guess when you are sueing a whole party you gotta up the ante and all.

I think the only problem with taking the PAP strategy is where are the Liberals going to find judges that are scared of the Liberals enough to rule in their favor regardless of the evidence. After all, with the PAP being in power for so long and the 'bare/brass knuckles' attitude that the PAP/Lee takes to government and justice, who is to say that if the judge rules against the PAP that they might not find their career in jeapordy.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080702/harper_liberals_080702/20080702?hub=Canada

Harper adds $1 million to lawsuit against Liberals
Updated Wed. Jul. 2 2008 8:28 PM ET

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has upped the ante in his $2.5 million defamation suit against the Liberals, claiming an additional $1 million for "misappropriation of personality."

The potential blow to the Liberals' already depleted coffers came to light Wednesday as part of the 2007 annual financial statements filed by all federal political parties with Elections Canada.

The statements underscore just how little the Grits can afford to lose such a costly lawsuit: Harper's Conservatives vacuumed up donations last year at almost four times the rate of the cash-strapped Liberals, drawing on a pool of donors almost five times larger.

Harper launched his $2.5-million lawsuit against the Liberal party last March, after Grit officials refused to apologize for accusations that the prime minister knew about a "Conservative bribery" attempt in the Cadman affair.

The accusations, posted on the Liberal website, stemmed from a book on the late independent MP Chuck Cadman. Author Tom Zytaruk alleged that two Conservative officials offered Cadman, who was dying of cancer, a $1-million life insurance policy if he agreed to vote with the Tories in a crucial 2005 confidence vote.

Sources say Conservative and Liberal officials met in the spring to discuss a possible out-of-court settlement. But negotiations broke down and shortly thereafter, on June 4, Harper added another $1-million claim to the suit.

According to the Liberal financial return, Harper is claiming the additional damages for "misappropriation of personality and injunctive relief." The Liberal party "intends to fully defend this claim."

Conservative party spokesman Ryan Sparrow confirmed the additional claim but declined further comment.

The Tories have also gone to court seeking an injunction to prevent the Liberals from using what they claim is a "doctored" audio tape, recorded by Zytaruk. On it, Harper appears to acknowledge knowing about "an offer" made to Cadman "to replace financial considerations he might lose due to an election."

Harper has called the Liberals' bribery accusations "despicable" and has predicted the party will "come to regret engaging in this illegal and untruthful behaviour."

The Liberals can ill-afford to lose in court. According to the 2007 financial returns, the party raised just less than $4.5 million last year from 23,442 donors -- miles behind the Tories and just marginally ahead of the NDP, traditionally the poor cousin of the three main national parties.

The Conservatives were awash in cash, raking in almost $17 million from 107,492 donors.

The NDP pulled in almost $4 million from 23,303 contributors and the Bloc Quebecois, which runs only in Quebec, raised $429,971 from 4,486 donors.

The detailed returns show the Tories are an incredibly efficient fundraising machine adept at the art of getting regular, small amounts from thousands of donors. The party spent only $41,000 on fundraising in 2007, meaning it spent less than a penny for every dollar it raised.

"We're a big, member-driven party," said Sparrow.

"People respond to strong leadership and clear ideas."

All that cash enabled the Conservatives to spend $4.2 million on advertising last year -- almost all of it on televised ads attacking Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.

By contrast, the Liberals spent over $600,000 on fundraising -- about 13 cents for every dollar they raised-and could afford to spend only $543,000 on advertising.

Liberal spokesman Daniel Lauzon acknowledged that 2007 was a "challenging year" for the party. It is still struggling to adapt to the ban on corporate donations and restrictions on individual contributions, imposed in 2004 and tightened further by the Tories in 2007.

But Lauzon said Liberals are making the "transition" and starting to show results. As proof, he pointed out that Liberal donations during the first quarter of 2008 were 60 per cent higher than the same period last year, although the Tories still managed to rake in five times more.

Another case of "WTF!??!?!?!?!"

2008-06-18T20:11:00.002-06:00

Just read this article. Apparently a teaching assistant went to a psychic, was asked if she worked with a girl with a name that starts with a 'V' and then said that she was being sexually abused by a man between the age of 23 and 26. What is the worst part of this stupid little thing? The teacher reported it and an investigation happened. Why?

"Under the Child and Family Services Act, anyone who works with children and has reasonable grounds to suspect a youngster is being harmed must report it immediately - and the CAS (Children's Aid Society) is obligated to follow up. "

Now, what exactly here is 'reasonable grounds'? Granted they did say that "..a list of behaviours exhibited by her daughter, which taken together with the report from the psychic, formed a theory of abuse. " How exactly does that work? I mean, there are a bunch of behaviors and they are not concerned in the least but when a psychic says "yes, I feel the vibe of abuse" all of a sudden those behaviors now have meaning? Who exactly is more of a whack job here, the teacher assistant for being a complete naive baboon for believing a psychic or the CAS for actually looking into it?

Little things I learned when going to psychology class (after all, this is what the 'theory' is based on, psychology). In my first month of intro psych I had diagnosed my room mate with at least 8 different mental disorders. In the 2nd month I was determined that I had at least 20 psychiatric problems. Why? cause I read what it was an looked for the symptoms.

This is a case of some naive idiots reading about something and looking for the symptoms. The mother or this teacher should not only get an apology from the school board, teacher assistant and CAS but the teacher assistant should be punished for causing a false alarm. I mean, if I went to the police and said "A psychic told me that my room mate has been captured and murdered and he hasnt been home for 2 days therefore it must be so" I think I would be arrested for starting a police inquiry and a false murder claim. Chances are the room mate just went out on a drinking binge with friends and is crashing with a hang over and the only murder that happened was the death of a few thousand of his brain cells.

As well, the CAS should take a look into their policy of '..obligated to start an investigation'. They should add in "..obligated to start an investigation if there is sufficient evidence." If you blindly do something (obligated investigations or mandatory punishments) you create a black and white rule for an incredibly grey world. Common sense, thought, deduction and just plain out simple reason has to take precident over a simple case of black and white.

There are so many more attacks to make on these idiots but I think you will make up your own mind. There will be people saying "yeah, they are complete idiots" and there are others that will say "Oh the psychic is probably correct. I mean, I know of a friend who had a sister that had a psychic say....".

Last note, if psychics are real, why dont they call you up and tell you things or walk to the police and say "this is the description here are the people these are the crimes, now go and find the evidence and put them behind bars"? Instead you have to go to them and answer questions like "tell me do you live in Canada? perhaps Alberta? Edmonton?" and narrow it down to something more pin pointed?

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080618/psychic_abuse_080618/20080618?hub=Canada

"what do you mean there was a cell phone beside me? didnt see a thing, lah"

2008-06-16T23:35:00.003-06:00

Life span of a cell phone left unattended in Singapore: 30 seconds.

Life span of an umbrella left unattended in Singapore: 20 minutes.

Why is it in the country with the lowest crime rate per capita things go missing so often and people seem to have the prison mentality of witnessing things gone missing or thefts. Why is it unless you actually see them with the item in their hand, or the cell phone is ringing in their pockets, when you are confronting them with whether or not they have the item will Singaporeans fess up and give things back? Why is it when I ask about Singaporeans that have taken seats from others on the MRT, if they would take an unattended handphone (and not return it to the owner) and if they would scream out bloody murder if the waitress charged them twice for a drink but sneak out without a peep if they saw that the waitress forgot to charge them for a main course, Singaporeans always know of people that have stolen seats, hand phones or dinners. Yet when I ask for the good stories I hear scattered stories like "once, when I was in primary school, I gave back a coin that one of my class mates had dropped." but nothing for the present after the age of 7.

Does anyone out there have ANY stories of Singaporeans that actually return a cell phone or report a mistake in a bill that is in their favor? My wife accusses me of being 'too honest' cause I will actually return something that does not belong to me. No wonder I am leaving the safest country in the world with the lowest crime rate per capita to return to the 2nd largest country in the world with drive by shootings and muggings reported in the news every day. I am just too honest for Singapore, but seem to be just right for Canada.

apologies may help heal wounds

2008-06-12T11:00:00.003-06:00

Harper apologizes for residential school abuse

This was the headline that I read in the news today. Granted, I have mixed feelings and emotions about this bit of Canadian history. Yes, what happened in the past was, and still is, a horrible black spot on our past and it is good that things are being done to smooth things over. While an apology does not make the history go away, it does help the heart heal slowly.

I do find it somewhat insulting when the natives (or First Nations) say "yes, an apology is nice, now give me my $10,000 plus 'affirmative action', totally free education AND subsidized housing to help ease the pain of my grandparents and me not learning the drum dance of my ancient elders, which I really have no use for in todays society". Though it is nice that the Conservative Government has stepped up to take leader responsibility for the horrible misjudgement there.

Now for the other interesting thing that I have come to find and am scratching my head over. I did a quick look at the past history of Canadian Elections back to 1867 to see who is more responsible for the problems of Canadian history. Granted, you could say "but the silencing of the Nation people happened when the first white man stepped foot on this great land of ours" and I would say "yes, that is true...and they were BRITISH/FRENCH. After 1867, we all became CANADIANS." Figure if Britian was our 'mother' and France was our 'father' then we are the second born 'child' of the two (First born being the USA, and we all know that the first born is always screwed up and the second born is better cause we learn from the stupid mistakes of the first born). Punishing the children for the sins of the parents would be like putting the father in jail for murder and then when the father dies in prison you put the children on trial and put them in prison to punish them for the crimes done. So, the Conservative gov't, that was in power for maybe 14 of the 38 times, has now said an apology, what do you think the odds of the Liberals, being in power for the other times, are going to step up to the plate (if they get back into power) and apologize again for their actions during this time? None. Why? cause unlike some countries, the political party is not the gov't but the gov't is the people which makes up both sides of the gov't.

When something goes wrong, you dont say "It was us, the Conservatives that did that, but the Liberals didnt". No, it is the Canadian Gov't that screwed up. If something goes right, then they try to say "yes the Liberals did that for you" but we all know that in the end you put the credit to the whole gov't of both Leader and Opposition of the gov't.

Anyways, it is a good thing that the apology was given and I hope that Canada can use this as a stepping stone to moving forward and we can stop the 'you destroyed my heritage, now I am at a loss of who I am....but, $1,000/month, plus not having to pay GST and a new ski-doo every year will help to ease the pain for starters' and we can say "we are Canadian. We are a joint people. If he is an alcoholic it is cause he is an alcoholic not cause anyone made him that way. If I am a failure, I am the failure, no one else made me that way" and we can possibly move forward to making Canada the great nation that it is.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080610/native_apology_080611/20080611?hub=Canada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_election_results_since_1867

Why I dont give to charity, Singapore style

2008-04-20T06:20:00.001-06:00

Long ago, while I was living in Canada, I used to give to the poor on the street. A person would come up to ask for change and I would give them money in relation to how badly of alcohol they smelt. If they were really reeking, then a dollar; if there was a hint, I would take them to the nearest soup/sandwich place and buy them a meal; and if there wasnt a hint of alcohol on them but simply down on their luck, I would give $5 or so. I would constantly buy things from people. I had a huge selection of those little tiny key chains and nicknacks that the deaf people in the food courts would sell ("I am deaf, please pay $5 for this trinket. Thank you" sort of deal). I mean, back then I was so naive, so foolish, so stupid. I mean, I had no clue that what I was doing was actually MAKING them the way that they were. Luckily I came to Singapore and learned from the masters.

At first, while in Canada, I equated my helping out the poor and the homeless in relation to how the gov't helps out the poor and the homeless. They have shelters, drug abuse rehab centres, soup kitchens, churches open their hall doors on the winter nights for the homeless people to sleep, the Salvation Army collects clothes and items to sell for cheap and then use that money to help out charity organizations. All of these are government funded and supported as well as supported by charity donations from other people. So I figure if the government is helping out the people then I, a lowly person, should be able to help out in some small way as well.

However, look at what problems I have been contributing to. I see a poor man on the street, I give him $2 out of charity and he has no incentive to try to better himself to get a job and support himself. I have taken away that fear of death that drives all people to try to do something with their lives. The PAP sees this and constantly says that if you have a social welfare system like welfare, unemployment insurance and other safety nets you are basically insulting the person and taking away their basic drive to do something with their lives. Why study hard and get a high paying job to buy many things when you can just sit back, be unemployed and collect free money from the gov't? Result? There are so many unemployed and lazy people in Canada but all of Singapore (minus the few obviously too lazy people on the streets. I mean, just cause you lost a leg or are blind doesnt mean that you cant do work. Obviously, based on gov't thought, they are just lazy) are busy working and employed.

So now when I go out on the street and get jumped by school kids on Saturday pushing cans in my face, or see the old blind person on the street selling tissues or the like, I do what the PAP is telling us to do 'ignore them, tell them to get a real job and move on with your life'. So far, I seem to be blending in to the society quite well and if it wasn't for this damn white skin and blue eyes, I probably could be mistaken for a Singaporean.

Why Canadians are stupid when traveling

2008-04-05T19:51:00.003-06:00

This only goes to show how relaxed Canadians have become. We live in a country of legal actions, due process and a justice system that (while bogged down) often tries to find adequate justice (though sentencing needs to be adjusted somewhat). So when we travel to other countries, we forget that some countries are more barbaric than ours.

Remember, when touring primative and barbaric cultures/countries, be sure to obey their laws. When being attacked by a mob of people over possibly insulting a woman, be sure to die, or take the beatings in the mob, do NOT fight back or else you will be beaten and killed.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080405/cdn_teen_080405/20080405?hub=Canada

Saudi court sentences Canadian teen to year in jail
Updated Sat. Apr. 5 2008 5:13 PM ET

The Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- A Canadian teen charged in Saudi Arabia after a man died in a schoolyard rumble has been sentenced to one year in prison and 200 lashes, a family friend said Saturday.

Sultan Kohail, 17, was read his sentence before a Saudi youth court, Mahmoud Al-Ken said in an interview.

"Definitely it's a lot better than the death sentence that they were afraid of having,'' Al-Ken said.

Prosecutors had been seeking the death penalty.

Kohail's brother, Mohamed, has already been convicted of the same charges and was sentenced last month to death by public beheading.

The brothers maintain their innocence and have both launched appeals.

Al-Ken said Sultan's lighter sentence was handed down by a different judge who permitted "vigorous'' cross-examination of the prosecution's witnesses, a key component he said Mohamed did not have in his case.

"We hope that this due process will be applied also in the appeal of Mohamed's (sentence),'' he said.

The Kohail family has argued Mohamed didn't get a fair trial. It says the 10 hearings in his case totalled 90 minutes and no witnesses were heard.

Sultan was released on bail in July 2007 and is free until his appeal is heard in about six weeks, Al-Ken said. He could not provide details on the lashes.

Mohamed, meanwhile, sits in a Jidda prison.

Sultan, Mohamed and a friend were detained in January 2007 after a schoolyard brawl left one man dead.

The Kohail brothers and Muhanna Masoud were involved in a fight that broke out after Sultan was accused of insulting a girl.

According to the account of the Kohail brothers, they scrapped with about 15 of the girl's male relatives and friends. Some were allegedly armed with clubs and knives.

Munzer Haraki, 19, a cousin of the girl who was supposedly insulted, died of internal injuries in the melee.

The Kohail family believes the prosecution failed to bring those responsible for the rumble to justice, Al-Ken said.

"Those who deliberately started the attack on the Kohails and their friend must be held accountable for their actions,'' he said.

Masoud, a Jordanian national, was also sentenced to death.

The Canadian government has said it will seek clemency for Mohamed Kohail after a directive from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Ron Davidson, Canada's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, met with the Kohail family last week. He was also to meet with officials of the Saudi justice ministry to press for a fair process.

The brothers, both of Palestinian origin, have been Canadian citizens since 2005.

Ali Kohail, the brothers' father, has said the family had only temporarily relocated from a Montreal suburb to Saudi Arabia to attend a relative's wedding.

It will work out in the end...

2008-03-22T09:46:00.002-06:00

If you love someone and you have the power, beyond any doubt, to know that the thing they are going to do will fail and they will find themselves hurt/dead, would you let them do it because if you love someone you should let them make their own choices?

I was thinking the other day, because of it being Good Friday and all, about the god of the Catholic religion since I am a born Catholic but atheist at the moment (and have been since I reached that tender age in life...the age of reason and common sense). I got to thinking about life in the Catholic/Christian eyes and all and if 'evil' will win or if 'good' will win in the end battle. Here is my thinking and rational.

People say that God loves people so much that he made them in his own image, gave them the ability to reason and make their own decisions for good or bad and, if they follow the good path, will be seated at his right hand to live in blissful love and peace for all eternity and if they follow the bad path, like any loving father, will throw you down into a pit of fiery hell to be punished and tortured for all eternity (but he still loves you).

However, they say that God is all knowing and all seeing, not just of the past and present but also of the future. I mean, how can you have someone that is all knowing of the past and present and not the future? If you know about the present then you knew about it coming up, didnt you? I mean, if you know all of the present, you know that it has to be happening almost before it happens or else it is the past, and if you are all knowing about the past, then that is really easy since everyone with enough time can read all the papers and memorize what happened if it is available to us. I have pulled that trick before with friends about knowing of the present when someone says "wow, did you hear this?" and I just have to say "of course...old news" even though I have no clue what they are talking about. So, bottom line to this thought is God is omnipotent as well as omnipresent all over the world/galaxy/universe and however much space you want to give him.

So he knows the end of the whole world turn around and all. After all, he knows all past, present and future. Now we add in the part about him loving people to the point of all that he has done for them. If you love someone and you know that what they are going to do is going to kill them, you don't let them go through with it. Hurt them, possibly since hurting heals and you move on with your life and you learn but kill them? You see your daughter looking down the barrel of a shotgun and going for the trigger, you don't go "eh..she will learn". You take the gun away, scold the child and spank her (Hurt her) for her to learn the lesson. You see your son having a smoke with friends and hanging out with bad influences, you scold him, counsel him, try to make him see the error of his ways and make his own decisions not to smoke or hang out with bad influences. God sees us messing with bad influences, he points out the bible, gives us some help through prophets and messengers to teach us the error of our ways (before casting us to the pit of fire and hellish torment).

So, if God knows that we are going to die and that 'evil' will win, why isnt he stepping in and helping out? He sees us looking down the shotgun barrel, sees us going for the trigger, and yet he sits back and goes "eh, they will learn" and we blow our heads off? not exactly a loving father would you say? If that happened in real life that father would be up on charges of neglect and if there are any other children of his still alive they would be taken away by social services instantly. So, the only possible outcome to this line of reasoning is that obviously we are going to have our ups and downs in the world but in the end, if there really is a God that does love us, all things will work out in the end for the better because we are not being told to stop. If things are not going to work out and we are all going to die a horrible horrible death and our souls, regardless of good or bad, are going to be tormented for all eternity, then that just proves that there is no god.

Flawed logic? Yeah, for the die hard believers out there, let me guess the answer...take it all on faith and God will show you the true way....

my Engrish good, lah!

2008-02-09T03:28:00.000-07:00

When the trishaw uncle was being abused by the 3 caucasian men on youtube I had to side a bit with the Uncle on how idiot those visitors were. Though, I had to place some wondering about a country that makes their elders work so late into their golden years with no real welfare or social net and yet the politicians make $2 million dollar salaries with a country bank account in the billions; but that is another ranting.

However, when I read how a former boyband member Arroy Shen made fun of how horribly the Singaporean people speak English, I really can not say anything except "DAMN RIGHT THEY DO!" I mean, not ALL Singaporeans speak horrible English, but I would say that a fair percentage of them do. Though perhaps it is a simple case of if they sit back and think to themselves "I must speak proper English" then, with much mental dexterity, they can string together a "yes, I can come to your place on Tuesday to clean" but if they just relax it comes out in a more "can can clean Tuesday" and that is it. So many times I have gone to a Subway outlet to order a sandwich and had to play around with "dosted?" in my head before finally coming to the conclusion that he was asking if I wanted it "toasted", or how I hear about someones 'brudda' that is older than them and realize that they are talking about their 'brother'.

I think the good thing about the English language that the Singaporean (as well as all other people on the planet) enjoy is how malible and understandable it is. I have been trying to learn Mandarin and when I pronounce a word and I don't hit the exact pronunciation just right (even though it sounds in my head exactly like they are saying it) they freak out and make me repeat it again and again. It is almost like they have no word that is close to what I am saying and if it is not perfect then I have to keep practicing. However, when they say "pregran" or "dosted" or "brudda" and I correct them with "PREGnant" or "TOASTed" or "broTHER" they wave their hand and go "my English good, lah! Stop being so Ang Moh!", at which point I calmly have to remind myself that I am the visitor and they are the people living here and how many times I have heard people tell immigrants to Canada that "you are in Canada now, speak English!" and this is their way of saying "You are in Singapore now, speak SINGLISH!"

What gets me is that the two people bowed down to the public pressure and actually apologized for their comments. Ok, obviously they are trying to live off the popularity of the people, and if the people hate you, then you make no money. Just wish that they would have stuck to their words and did not apologize. Come on people, when it comes to sticking to your words, can can?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYuIg7Tnc7g (for those that speak the language, no translations sorry)

Sorry, my English isn't good either
By Liew Hanqing

February 09, 2008

TWO of the Taiwanese who made fun of Singaporean English on a TV programme have apologised.

Tne New Paper, 5 Feb
In an entry on his blog on Tuesday, former boyband member Arroy Shen apologised for remarks he made on the 28 Jan episode of the variety programme Mr Con and Ms Csi, about the way Singaporeans speak English.

Addressing Singaporeans in general, Arroy wrote in Mandarin: 'I may have gone overboard with my comments and offended many people.

'My English isn't good, and I will continue working hard to improve.

'I have been blunt and rude - I'm really sorry.'

He ended the entry by wishing everybody a happy Chinese New Year.

Xu Wei, an English teacher who was featured on the same episode, apologised on her blog the next day.

She wrote: 'I do apologise... if that unconsciously-spoken bad joke really irritated you.

'I meant to make fun of my own bad hearing... But I think on account of the length of the programme, they did some editing of what I said and the context was lost. Please forgive my well-meant slip of tongue.'

The apologies came in the wake of an onslaught of angry messages left by Singapore netizens on video-sharing site YouTube and on both the blogs.

Arroy had demonstrated how he thought Singaporeans pronounced words like 'sorry' and 'tissue paper'.

Xu Wei described an encounter with a Singapore immigration officer who asked her if she was pregnant.

She claimed she did not understand the officer because he had kept asking 'pegnan? pegnan?'

Their comments were met with roaring laughter from the show's hosts and other guests.

After a segment of the variety programme was uploaded on YouTube last week, it got more than 25,000 views and 900 comments.

Many netizens called for a formal apology from CTi TV, the Taiwanese cable network which produces the show, as well as the individuals.

Some seem to have graciously accepted the online apologies.

Wrote netizen yuanyuan on Arroy's blog: 'I respect your courage for apologising, and I accept your apology - Happy Chinese New Year.'

Added Pearlc: 'You are a good man who is trying to make up for something which I think is honestly not your fault.

'But it is really awful of the other presenters, especially that so-called English teacher, to comment on Singaporean English when their pronunciation is not as perfect as they think it is.'

And some netizens are still upset.

Wrote Sam: 'These comments affect a country's image. We probably won't be satisfied until we get a public apology from the show, and all who participated in the mockery.'

your paying millions for THIS?!?!?!?!

2008-02-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

I guess this is why I am not a politician or a business man. The whole business world of growing this and shrinking that and all just boggles my little mind. I mean, here is the article from The Straits Times saying that Singapore needs to grow to 5.5 million people. According to wikipedia, the population of Singapore in 2007 was 4.6 million, so that means that Singapore needs to grow an extra 900,000 to 1 million people.

I agree with the ministers logic and theory. I mean, what better way to increase economy and have more money flowing around than to have more people (Especially rich expat/millionaires) living in Singapore spending money on necessities like power, health care, mobile phones, food, CPF investments. All fantastic ideas on how to boost the economy and raise Singapore to high heights of the economic power of the world and be noticed.

Only question I have is, where are you going to house these extra million people that you want to bring in through birth or emigration? At the moment I am amazed that when an HDB flat by the gov't goes up for sale there are usually only 800 units for sale and minutes after the bidding for these places open there are already 5,000 names wanting the place. Now whether that means that there are 5000 people at the age of 30 still living at home with their parents that can not afford the resale flats and have to rely on the gov't subsidy of a $95,000 flat for just walls, floors and ceiling; or whether that means that there are at least 5000 people out there in resale flats already that want to sell their flat at a super high price ($200,000), bank the money, move into the cheaper newer flat ($85,000), fill it with appliances ($15,000) and then put their name into the bidding for a new flat and start the cycle all over again (Old flat sold = $200,000, new flat bought with appliances = $90,000, Profit = $110,000). Over in North America we call this 'house flipping' and it is a very good business if you can work it just right though sort of short changes the middle guy by the house flippers taking advantage of the subsidy and gov't generosity.

I guess this might be one thing that the ministers really dont have to consider. I mean, with a million dollar salary from their part time job as policitians and then their real salary from their full time job, not like they have to worry about space. I am sure that when they go home, sit in their spacious million dollar houses, and walk the quiet neighbourhood of the rich they figure that the whole of Singapore is like this and all are living in granduer and wealth. Figure this is the one downside (of possibly many) of Singapore politics that I am so curious as to why Singaporeans dont do anything about, or at least the opposition parties use as a platform during their very brief few days of election time every 4 years. Why have a country run by the rich for the rich when there are so many poor (or at least struggling) in Singapore. I mean, chances are they dont think of themselves as poor, but if you have 4 generations living in the same house and your grandmother is working at the local McDs or coffee shop to make ends meet, you are below the poverty line; if you are a foreign worker and have 10 people living in a 2 room flat then you are poor; if you are living cheque to cheque hoping that no one falls sick because the hospital bills themselves (even though you have minor cheap insurance) would take your entire live savings, you are poor.

Why doesnt the opposition use the platfrom "citizens of Singapore running for office to make a country for the citizens of Singapore...not for the businesses of Singapore" A country run by the people, of the people, for the people...not a gov't of corporations, for corporations, of corporations.

In the end, no matter what, I am dying to find out where this Minister plans on housing this new million that he wants Singapore to grow by, or is it a case of not his problem. He is in charge of raising the economy and money of Singapore, let the housing minister deal with where he is going to put them all. Do the ministers in Singapore actual talk together for a common goal and aim or are they just looking at 'How do I increase my side of the gov't?' and not care about the rest?

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/326498/1/.html

Singapore must build up critical mass of labour to compete well
By Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 02 February 2008 1945 hrs

Singapore needs to build up a critical mass of people in the workforce so that the country can continue to compete for good investments and good jobs.

Minister in Prime Minister's Office and Labour Chief, Lim Swee Say, said this is why Singapore needs to grow its population to 5.5 million.

Mr Lim was one of four ministers who engaged some 900 participants at the plenary session of a conference organised by the Institute of Policy Studies on Friday.

Singapore is the only economy in the world with unemployment rate of 1.7 percent yet it is able to grow its economy at 7.9 percent.

And participants at the conference were told that Singapore managed to do this because of a strong workforce.

Mr Lim added: "The point here is this: every economy, if you want to keep growing faster than the rest of the world, have to build a look ahead. Where are the bottlenecks? How we can break the bottleneck and solve that bottleneck before it chokes our growth? Therefore (it) comes back to manpower. I am very sure that for us to continue to compete for good investments, for good jobs, we must have good manpower in sufficient number."

He was replying to a question on why Singapore needs to grow its population to 5.5 million.

Also giving their take on this were three other Cabinet Ministers who explained how this number will affect their respective ministries.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that in attracting such numbers, demand for healthcare services will also go up.

And he has managed to catch a glimpse of what it would be like to cater to such demand.

Mr Khaw says: "Tan Tock Seng Hospital, there was a day, for don't know what reason, January 14, was 98 percent (full) and it's almost like Hotel 81 occupancy rate. The last decade, the entry of foreign population, expats and so on (have resulted in) very sharp growth, very good for the economy."

And also good for Singapore is attracting new residents to ensure that there's enough young people in the labour force.

George Yeo, Foreign Affairs Minister, said: "Is it possible that we may need that many people if we do not want to age too much or if we need suddenly to tap upon new sources of growth. We check all types of constraints - shorelines for the ports, runways for Changi, water resources, car park space, road space - so our department tests all the limits. If we push that, how far can we go, before we become non-linear and the cost becomes too much to bear? As far as we can, do not put artificial constraints on ourselves so that we will have maximum flexibility to grow, and the opportunities to grow will come to us."

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Environment and Water Resources Minister, said with more people in Singapore a balance needs to be found to maintain the environment.

He added: "The environment is an important issue. Clearly providing the necessary resources will become an important issue. But at the same time going forward, I think there will be issues of tradeoffs and compromises because resources are limited. The environment that we have build in the past 14 years painstakingly...has been noticed by international community. (This) is not something that we should give away easily."

It was a lively and candid one and a half hours of discussion with active participation from the audience, who asked questions which range from good governance to what lies ahead for Singapore.

In fact, the session was extended to cater to more questions from the floor.

Questions posed also include the issue of dual citizenship and what the leaders wish to see in 2030. - CNA/ch

and the DUH! award goes to...

2008-02-02T01:10:00.000-07:00

Came across this article on the net today. Apparently 67% of Canadians in a relationship say that a white lie is acceptable though 31% of men and 42% of women say that trust and honesty matter most in a relationship.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080201/white_lies_AM_080201/20080201?hub=Canada

Something tells me that the 67% that say white lies are acceptable are those that are in a relationship right now, whereas those 31%/42% of people that value honesty the most are those that are not in a relationship yet and still have that 'PollyAnna' view that a relationship is a giving and sharing commitment between two people. Of course, they do clarify and say that honesty and trust with the big things ("did you sleep with my sister?" "where were you out last night til 3am and came home smelling of booze and drugs?" "how come the bank account is empty? we had nearly $25,000 in there yesterday. Where did it go?") are all very important questions to be open and honest about. However, the little things like "Do these pants make me look fat?" or "Do you think my high school friend is hot?" really need a white lie to cover your butt. After all, white lies are not deceitful lies to keep things hidden, but more a way of reassuring a partners poor self esteem about certain issues, those that are fishing for compliments.

I used to have the total 100% rule of answering all questions honestly. If you asked me a question you had better be ready for the honest answer. If you asked if you are fat, and you are gaining the weight, be prepared for the 'oh yeah, you are' answer. However, after being in a relationship and now marriage for a year, I have come to realize that we dont ask questions for honesty, we ask them for reassurance in our own personal appearance. I have even made it clear to my wife that I really don't want the honest answer. If it comes up about sexual partners, I want to be told that I am the best she ever hadl; I want to know that I am the smartest boyfriend she has had; I want to hear that I am the sexiest man she knows. We both know all those answers are outright lies and untrue, but hearing them makes me feel so much better. Just as when she asks if she looks fat and I say "no honey, you look gorgeous" we both know it is a lie, but we both appreciate the self esteem boost.

Apparently for an online poll these are the results:

Are white lies an acceptable part of a relationship?
Yes 4505 votes (60 %)
No 3006 votes (40 %)

Total Votes: 7511

What is suspicious?

2008-01-22T03:02:00.000-07:00

When I ride the MRT here in Singapore, I am constantly watching that 'bomb threat awareness' video that is played on a loop. To sum it all up, if you havent been to Singapore and ridden the train, is that because there were bombings in Bali, London and various other major cities around the world that killed and wounded hundreds of people, Singaporeans should be on the watch because it could happen here. I guess when there were video tapes found years back of a bus stop where American soldiers/expats were known to frequent and a possible bomb planning was in the works, it just goes to show that Singapore is a hot bed for terrorist activity. This video tells people to watch for people carrying suspicious and heavy bags, people that act in a suspicious manner (in the video it is portrayed by a man in big dark sunglasses with a big dark hat wearing dark clothing carrying a big dark bag shifting from foot to foot and looking around nervously), and he leaves his bag under the seat and denies that it is his when pressed by a woman. I think I mentioned it before somewhere in my posts because there were a few things that I scratched my head about and had a laugh at.

There are also the posters and signs all over the MRT station for backpacks with the title "Suspicious? report it" or "If only it was this simple to spot" with a picture of a backpack with a big lit fuse round bomb like the mad bomber in The Pink Panther always ran around carrying. So with all these signs and warnings telling Singaporeans to be wary of suspicious items because the threat is out there, I feel somewhat safe.

However, obviously there is a problem with the definition of the word 'suspicious'. What is suspicious to you might not be suspicious to me. For instance, the other day my wife, her friend and I were out walking through a packed mall. As we were going up an escalator, I noticed a shopping bag sitting next to a garbage can at the base of the escalator and upon looking into it as I walked past it I noticed that there was a leather shoulder bag inside this bag. As the video would say "hmmmm, this is suspicious", or at least that is what I thought. I walked by to see how long the bag would stay there. I got to the top of the escalator and still the bag was being walked around by all the people but no one was apparently calling '999 or alert our staff' like directed in all the informational bombardments. I then asked my wife and her friend if they saw the suspicious looking bag to which they looked at me strangely and then started to look around them for possibly a big black bag (like in the video) with a man in black sunglasses and hat darting away from it mumbling "not mine..not mine", or possibly a big bag ticking with a skull and cross bones taped to the front. When I described the bag and pointed to it from the next floor up, the two just shrugged and went "guess someone is just throwing away their old bag and using the new bag that they bought" and walked away.

Granted, that could be the case. I mean, you buy your bag, transfer all your stuff to the new bag in a busy shopping mall and leave the old bag on the floor because it is too big to stuff into the small bin. Could it also be a case of 'no one would bomb a shopping mall, the hub of economy, terrorists only bomb transport stations to disrupt the transport line of manpower and supplies'? what and where does an item have to be before it can be considered suspicious?

As for why I didnt call it in or report it. I had to fall back on my excuse that if I can not complain about the gov't, point out flaws in economy and have an opinion about anything that goes on here, I guess I also dont have the right to point out these suspicious things since I obviously am overly sensitive and suspicious of these things.

Black and white international

2008-01-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Being a true blooded Canadian that I am all for equality in race, colour, creed and gender. What is good for the goose is always good for the gander and vice versa in all aspects of life. Women with 1 year maternity leave should mean that men get 1 year paternity leave as well; women's pay should be equal to men's pay if the job description is the same (equal pay for equal work); women should not have to wait for a man to ask her out but should be able to ask a man out or even propose to him without fear of social stigma; no one should be excluded from anything because of gender or race. I also believe in the equality in that criteria should not be reduced based on your gender. There shouldnt be a male/female entrance fitness test to be firefighters or police, but instead make one test that encompasses all people.

However, one thing that Canadians should understand is that our thoughts of equality in Canada is not shared by the world. Just because we have these politicians making laws to make sure that all are treated equally and no one gets their toes stepped on or feelings hurt that does not mean that the world has to obey or have our same ideals. We say 'no knives in school' but we grant sihks the right to carry a knife because it is their religious practice; we say 'no scarves or ties on the soccer field' but then it goes to court when girls are held off from playing because of the hijab; we have rules and laws saying that homosexuals can not be discriminated against in any aspect of law and should have rights and freedoms equal to all other citizens, and yet we hum and haw and flip a coin on the same sex marriage debate to the point that it is almost like the marijuana debate where I have to wake up every morning and ask a lawyer "so, is pot legal or illegal today? what about same sex marriage? is my homosexual friend still married to his partner or has their marriage been dissolved?"

That being said, I wish that the female ski jumpers would stop this fight. While I am all for fighting in Canada for your rights and freedoms, the thing that they are fighting is an international thing. You might as well try to get the Vatican to elect a gay pope, or Singapore to disband the death penalty than get the world to agree that gender equality should exist. The two points that are reported constantly are the same. The Canadian Olympic Committee is saying "In Canada, we have gender equality so there should be female ski jumping in the Olympics because it is in Canada and it is a discrimination issue" whereas the International Olympic Committee is saying that "the female ski jumping has not held the required events to meet the criteria to be considered an event". Now, the only way I can see this from being resolved is that the female ski jumping find out the criteria, meet the criteria to a T and then apply for the event. Just because it is being held in Canada does not make it open to Canadian laws and I say this because I really really would not want the hosting country's laws to rule the event of the international event. Can you imagine what would happen if the Olympics were held in a country that had a law saying that homosexuals were to be canned or executed and it was discovered that the entire male gymnastics participants were gay? or if atheltes were canned for having steroids in their system? the entire Olympic games would turn into one great big canning event.

So while I admire the fighting spirit of the female ski jumpers, I have to say to back off and accept that while Canada is an equality based society to the point of confusion and contradiction, the world is not as grey as Canada and sometimes the world is simply black and white.

Lost In Translation - Restaurant Menus

2008-01-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

I remember getting an email from a friend that included a chinese menu with strange names like "Batter bits deep fried yummy" or item names like that and some comments people made were that it was racist and horribly degrading to the asian culture and no restaurant would dare do that sort of thing. Then I found this article (http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_196267.html) that apparently gives illusions that it does happen. Why? Simple lost in translation.

I gave it a read and thought it was most enlightening. If you are thinking of heading to China for the Olympics, you might be interested in giving this a little bit of a read to let you know what you are in for and can expect.

Lost in translation no more
Beijing to come up with standardised English translations for outlandish-sounding dishes, in run-up to the Olympics
By Tracy Quek, China Correspondent

BEIJING - FANCY some 'American Flag Cooks the Space Person' for lunch? Not in the mood? How does a helping of 'Explodes the Vegetable Meat to Steam' sound instead?
Reading the English translation of the Chinese menu off the Sanlitun Kitchen's outdoor advertising board, potential foreign patrons might be scared off by these outlandish-sounding dishes.

The eatery offering Hong Kong-style cuisine in Sanlitun Street, a popular expatriate haunt dotted with cafes and bars, is not the only one in Beijing lost in translation when it comes to names of dishes.

'American Flag Cooks the Space Person' actually refers to a braised ginseng dish while 'Explodes the Vegetable Meat to Steam' is steamed rice with preserved Szechuan pickle and meat patty. The eatery also offers a fried rice dish which is translated as 'The rich and powerful people fry'.

Chinese cuisine is famous the world over, but on the mainland, bad English translations of otherwise delectable and popular Chinese dishes can render them not only unappetising and confusing, but also downright macabre at times.

Soon, however, non-Chinese readers will know exactly what they are feasting on.

What's in a name?
THE names of Chinese dishes contain cultural and artistic elements. Some have historical, geographical and political backgrounds, others originate from Chinese fairy tales and folk tales.
Translators have divided the names of dishes into four categories: ingredients used, cooking method, taste, and name of a person or place.

Under the ingredients category, a dish's main ingredients make up its name, such as the Mushroom-Duck's Foot.

Dishes listed under cooking method would be described by the way they are cooked. For example: Fish Fillet Boiled In Hot Chilli Oil.

The third category goes with the taste or texture of the food. A good example is Crispy Chicken.

Dishes could also be named after either their creator or the place they originate from. One example is Mapo Tofu, which is a tofu dish invented by Mapo, the name of a Chinese woman.

The Beijing tourism bureau is due to release a set of standardised English translations for Chinese menus before the Spring Festival next month, which it hopes restaurants in the city will adopt for their bilingual menus ahead of the Olympic Games in August.

The final draft is expected to contain translations for more than 2,700 dishes and drinks. It was partially revised after opinions were sought from netizens and language experts last August, Xinhua news sgency reported yesterday.

The standardised list appears to be the first of its kind. A quick check with popular dining establishments in Beijing found that individual eateries engage translation companies to come up with bilingual menus, some with better results than others.

As part of a public relations campaign to spruce up its image before its international debut at the Olympics, Beijing is on a mission to sweep its restaurants, hotels, street signs and other public signboards clear of unintelligible English and mis-spellings.

China's capital city expects to host at least 500,000 foreigners who will attend the world's most prestigious sporting event, and officials are keen to impress.

As a result, Beijing residents have been bombarded with campaigns exhorting them to stop spitting, quit littering and to queue up, among other drives aimed at changing entrenched bad habits.

Taxi drivers listen to English lessons on tape while driving and have been banned from smoking in their cabs.

The city's 4,000 unrated hotels have also been told to translate their names, service hours, room rates, menus and notices for guests into accurate English.

When it comes to local food, of which Chinese people are fiercely proud, Beijing wants all embarrassing translations done away with.

'The names of Chinese dishes have long been part of our culture, and we hope we can share our culture with others through the Beijing Olympics in a tasteful and, more importantly, appropriate way,' Mr Feng Dongming, the head of the translation programme and vice-dean of the Tourism School at Beijing Union University, told Xinhua.

A team set up by the Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and the Beijing Tourism Bureau has been working on correcting the translation problem since March 2006, backed by a committee of 20 language experts and catering service managers.

Translators have divided the dish names into four categories: ingredients, cooking method, taste, and name of a person or a place.

Some netizens, however, have turned up their noses at the standardised list.

'Why should we waste time and effort coming up with English translations? Do you see restaurants in other Western countries that have Chinese menus for Chinese visitors?' asked one.

Two out of five restaurants contacted by The Straits Times said they would welcome the new translations. The rest said they would wait to see the list before deciding whether to adopt it.

Ms Zhang Xin, financial manager of a famous Beijing Peking duck restaurant, Liqun Roast Duck, said foreign customers have no problem with her restaurant's bilingual menu, but said smaller eateries will benefit.

'The standard English menu is good news because some small restaurants' English menus are a mess. The key is to help people understand what they're eating,' she said.

tracyq@sph.com.sg
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LINA MIAO

The Noose goes Stereotypical in really poor taste

2008-01-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I would watch a North American show that had a chinese person in it and think to myself "my god, how horrible, degrading and disgusting to portray him like that" The reason being that whenever a chinese person was portrayed on TV they always had big huge teeth, thick coke bottle glasses and always spoke in extremely poor English with horrible pronunciation ("you wanta some flied lice? good good today..or...how abwout somea woast pwork? sweet and soooour........good good") I often felt bad and would voice my concern to friends about the stereotypes that we are putting on the film and say that I did not find the character to be interesting or amusing in the least and considered it down right annoying and in poor taste.

That, however, has changed since I saw the January 13th, 2008 episode of The Noose. They had a 'caucasian' on the show (Gurmit Singh http://www.gurmitsinghonline.com/) play a caucasian hawker centre cook that came over from a stint in China to cook 'western' food for the Singaporean people. His specialty? Dumplings. What did he do to make my attitude change? All they did was put a white wig on his head and have him jump around like an idiot with a thick Singaporean/Chinese accent and go "hi mom" and wave hysterically at the camera. This is not the first time I have watched poor taste in humor on this show and thought to myself "what is happening?"

Then it dawned on me. Singaporeans always seem to tell me that they have respect for other people. They wouldnt go to stereotypes because of the huge multinational mixture of races in their country. That is why there are high sedition laws because they hold a high respect for other nations and cultures. So, using that as a guildline, I guess by portraying the caucasian individual stereotypically like that, since I do have to admit that caucasians under the age of 10 (or at least the mental age of 10) that are on camera always jump around like brain dead idiots, it must be acceptable. Therefore, since portraying a caucasian to that extreme stereotype, then I guess it is perfectly fine to laugh at the stereotypical chinese individual in films and shows over in North America. So next time I see a chinese man in a show announcing that he has just arrived to North America to make his fortune I will laugh hysterically at his thick accent, and his comical blunders of 'flied lice' and 'weft wing and light wing powitics'.

MM Lee still fiery with political brass knuckles and looking for a street fight

2008-01-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

I read in the Singaporean paper 'The New Paper' on January 12, 2008 an article about MM Lee speaking to a group about retirement. Apparently a poor 23 year old reporter asked about the restrictions on civil liberties and MM Lee fired back asking what liberties were restricted. Apparently in his idea, freedom of speech is not limited or constricted, since if you want to talk at Hong Lim Park all you need to do is get a licence (http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,153258,00.html?):

****
MM Lee said, to laughter from the audience, "You just put your name, that's all"

Speakers must register at the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post before they speak.

He added that a free press is not the answer to all of a country's development problems.

"Don't take what the Western media say about us as true."
****

Personally, I think once you have to ask for permission to speak, your freedom of speech has been limited. One thing that I have thought you should run with on freedom of speech is that "My right to swing my arms stops at where your nose starts". For those that might not have been taught in school to read between the lines and find meaning behind the words. I have always taken this to mean that I can say what I like, when I like, and say whatever I like BUT I also have to take into consideration what words I am saying and take responsibility for my own words. What I say I have to be able to back up with evidence and proof. I can say "I think that...." and have a personal opinion but that personal opinion is open for debate and the people listening to it have to use their own discreation. I can say that I think that a certain lawyer is a theif, and people have to be able to make up their own minds.

Now, I ask any Singaporean out there. Please, here is the ultimate test of the freedom of speech that you apparently have since MM Lee says all you have to do is put your name down and you can speak. Go and put your name down or put in your application for a public protest with whomever you have to and the reason for the public protest is"

"Protesting the fact that you have to get a licence to hold a protest. You feel that any group of people (over 4 people) should be able to congregate at any part of Singapore and hold a protest as long as you are:

1) not disrupting traffic;
2) not hurting or blocking anyone access to certain areas (e.g. you cant be blocking them from entering Plaza Singapura because you are protesting Plaza Sing prices);
3) keeping the noise level down to a respectable level (E.G. Not firing off fireworks or loudspeakers so loud that people 5 streets over can hear you but still loud enough for those that are in the area can hear you), and;
4) not forcing people to stop and listen (E.G. you are just talking and if people want to stop and listen, they can..if they dont want to stop and listen, they can just move on."

I have wanted to apply and do this but I find that no one really likes to listen to an expat talk like this about Singapore. I have found that I can be with my friends who talk about how they hate the increase in pay for the ministers, how they are frustrated with the PAP grip on everything in Singapore and how the cost of living and HDB prices are rising faster and faster but the salaries are stagnant and there is no power to do anything for the workers....but as soon as I open my mouth and say that I agree it is a screwed up system I get told to 'shut up' because I am a 'visitor' to this great and wonderful nation and I should not say a damn thing but just be grateful that I am in the safest and greatest country in the world.

Think of this as a stepping stone to helping those causes that are repressed. If you apply to hold a rally for homosexuality, it will probably be denied because you have to ask permission. BUT if you manage to hold a protest to remove the stipulation that you have to ask permission, you can then hold you protest legally because protests are not illegal. Before running across the mine field (Singapore) to fight the enemy (PAP), you should clear the mine field (political field) of mines (unfair rules and regulations placed in for the PAP to remain in control) before you engage the enemy (political or social).

ski jumping women

2008-01-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

Are Canadians getting as arrogant as our neighbours to the south? I know that we adopt American TV, music, films and culture...but do we have to adopt the arrogrance of 'our ideas in our country have to be respected across the world'? What am I refering to? the female ski jumpers and their quest to get recognized as an Olympic event.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080108/Ski_Jumpers_080108/20080108?hub=Canada

Canadian gov't wants to step in and say that they support the Canadian female ski jumpers wanting to be recognized. They have people screaming out discrimination and how it is against the law to discriminate against something based on genders. Looks like ski jumping has the grand father clause against the gender discrimination thing because any game introduced to the Olympics has to have both male and female sides, but ski jumping has been around since 1924.

Guess it all depends on just getting the numbers. The article says that the game has to be practiced in 25 countries on 3 continents to be considered an event. So, they get the numbers, they have a case. If it is a case of Canada has a huge show up (83 women) but only 15 other countres have female jumpers, then sit down and quite making a big fuss. I mean, I am all for equality and all, but equality means equality. If you dont have the numbers, being female or male means nothing.

Now I am reading that there is talk about boycotting the games to make their point. Oh please please please boycott. Historically the Olympics were only played by men with men watching the games since the games were designed for both country peace and harmony as well as preparing men for war and battle games. I mean, look at the original events..running, jumping, javelin (weapon), discus (another weapon item) and swimming...all designed for war. Ski jumping? bob sleigh? luge? Not exactly war based now are they? Unless you are strapping your soldiers in spandex, shoving a skate up their butts and shooting them down icy slopes and making them turn by doing kegal exercises, not war based. Females...boycott the Olympics and all you will be doing is returning the Olympics back to their original state before females came into the scene. No great loss to the moment and society.

I can't see the difference..can you?

2008-01-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been going on for many episodes now. Singapore has taken a giant leap forward in coming to par with the rest of the world in political humour. First, The USA has their ground breaking political humour like The Stephen Colbert Report and Jon Stewart. Sharp tongued, free spirited individuals who, with a team of great writers, find the things that people in America are wondering about and put them to words. Great men that sparked (at least in my opinion) the idea to make the movie "Man Of The Year" with Robin Williams about a political humourist who runs for president and wins. Which amazingly enough, Stephen Colbert I heard put his name up and asked people if he should run for president. I think I heard it took nearly a day for enough people to throw their hats in to say he should, whereas it took nearly a week or two for some other individuals to get the support needed to throw names up for election.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA1eLPZIjLU

Then there is "This Hour Has 22 Minutes", which is a Canadian attempt at the political humour. Here a free bunch of individuals take stabs at headlines with their own twists, along with actually meeting politicians in the politican circle. Sometimes they arent that funny, but there are times that they are great. I mean, when you get Canadians going to America and asking the Americans to congratulate Canada on getting running water just last week and the Americans actually believe that Canada just got running water, that shows great TV. I remember one American actually congratulated the Prime Minister on getting his first 'double, double' (coffee with double milk and double sugar).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CptXVdqprE

Now, Singapore has thrown their hat into the mix. They have come up with a show called "The Noose", which I am wondering if it is a subtle stab at being the 'island of death' or having the highest execution rate by hanging per capita of any other country in the world. A news report style production taking current news stories and adding their idea of humour to it. Though one thing for certain is that while '22 Minutes' has the Prime Minister on with a regular occurance in Canada, and Stephen Colbert constantly pokes fun at the political system and all, you will never never NEVER see a part of the Noose actually meaning the political scene. Why? is it because Singaporeans are so in awe of the fabulous job that politicians do that they have nothing to complain or poke fun at which is why they happily give their politicians millions of dollars ($3.8 million to the Prime Minister alone) a year as a salary, plus little perks and incentives here and there? Is it because Singaporeans respect those people in power? Or could it possibly be that every person that has actually said anything slightly offensive about anyone of the PAP members in power the person who said the words find themselves in a court of law being sued for Slander and eventually have to pay the politician they talked about $500,000 in damages? Guess without proper evidence, it is up to the person to ask that question and answer it themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ImnvzPzdVA

I dont know, can you see the difference in humour/acting ability? Granted, USA and Canada have multiple supplies of writers, humourists and actors to draw on while SIngapore has an incredibly small pool but still. I remember watching 22 minutes and Colbert and thinking "wow, those writers are truely great. I definitly do not have the talent to write for them". After watching the Noose, however, I am thinking "wow, I not only could write for this show, but I could probably do a whole lot better than this". Then I stop and remember "yeah, I cant work because the govt wont give me PR status til I get a job, but no one will hire me till I get PR status".

Oh, and here is a comparison of weather segments from '22 Minutes' and "The Noose". I know which one I laughed so hard on and which one I said "please find better writers and get a guy that can act".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpXSf_ud_hY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVB7Q2Ge0Ts

*sigh* I miss comedy....where has all the laughter gone from Singapore?

Catholics cant use the name Allah..have to call him "the god that can not be named"

2008-01-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, now this is only fair I think:

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s2132032.htm
http://zfikri.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/cabinet-allah-for-muslims-only/
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Asia/STIStory_192747.html
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-31238220080104

Apparently it has been ruled by a Malaysian court that a Roman Catholic newspaper can not use the name 'Allah'. My person favorite line came from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin in the zfikri.wordpress.com article when he said "...the use of the word “Allah” should not be subject of public debate such that it will give the impression there there[sic] is no religiious freedom in this country."

Let me see if I get this straight. They shouldnt debate the use of the word "Allah" because it would give the impression that there is no religious freedom in the country, but they are banning the catholic church from using the word Allah. Hmmmm, so you are free to be any religion that you want, you just cant talk about other religions? yeah, if it quacks like a duck.....

Though I think that it is only fair that Catholic shouldn't use the word "allah". After all, it isnt like the Muslim church uses the name Jesus or Jehovah. Instead he is known as 'false god' or 'the god of the evil infidels that needs to be slain'. Of course, catholics, or any other religion except muslim, are often known as 'evil infidels' or 'targets' or 'soulless evil doers'. Guess we just just go back to calling the muslim gods what they have been called in the past "false gods".

Personally, I dont really care what who is called and why. Muslim's have the god Allah, Catholics have Jesus and God, Buddhists have Buddhists and when the religions are all peeled back to the bare bones facts, if you take away the customs and traditions that have evolved over the years, they are all pretty much the same. Love thy fellow man and be good to each other....and kill anything that is different than you are.

Hogswatch speaks the truth of life

2007-12-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

Now I was going to put something up about the Omaha family that left their 4 kids in a parked car at a meter that displayed a sign reading a tow-a-way zone during peak hours while the two parents went into the courthouse to appear on something, only to have the car (complete with kids) towed away. Then the family turns around and tries to sue the towing company for imprisoning their children and causing severe mental anguish on the child. Yeah, ranks right up there with the parents that put their kids on intercountry flights alone and expect other people to look after their child.

However, I came across a little tidbit on youtube about my favorite author. Terry Pratchett has got to be one of the most fantastic writers of all time. One of those fantasy writers that takes a story from the reality of Earth, puts it to characters that you think are totally false and then makes the message known. Of course, the reader sits back and thinks "they are fantasy, obviously a work of fiction and untrue" but then the more you think about it, the more the characters look like real life and then in the last few chapters of his books he springs upon you the true meaning of his message. A sort of 'you see timmy' of the old shows of the 60's and 70's where the entire show is summed up in a few short sentences to teach the lifes lesson they want you to learn. Here is that snippet from 'Hogfather' that was put to the TV. The main message is between 2:25 and 3:50.

Granted, the show was not as fantastic as the book is, but it is pretty darn good. If you have not read his books, I highly highly highly recommend his writings, especially if you are a fan of Tom Sharpe. If you are a fan of Pratchett, you obviously know what I am talking about with him being a fantastic writer. Incidentally, while all his characters are fantastically written and wonderfully creative, Death and Granny Weatherwax are my two favorite characters.

5 year old gets off westjet with stranger

2007-12-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

Guess with the grinches that spoil xmas, it is good to know that there are some good samaritans out there that are watching the other persons back. Like they say "It takes a village to raise a child" and in this case the village helped bring the child from one end to the other safely. Lucky it was a good hearted person and not a twisted criminal that seem to be breeding in this day and age like rabbits.

WestJet allows stranger to walk five-year-old girl off flight
Last Updated: Friday, December 14, 2007 7:02 PM ET

CBC News

The parents of a five-year-old girl travelling alone are furious with WestJet for breaking its own guidelines and allowing a stranger to accompany the child off a flight.

Sara-Maude St-Louis, 5, was taking her first plane ride Thursday from Edmonton, where she lives with her mother, to Montreal to see her father. The parents paid a special fee to ensure someone from the airline would look after her.

Sara-Maude St-Louis plays with her father in Pontiac, Que. after taking a WestJet flight by herself from Edmonton.

(CBC) Her mother and stepfather took Sara-Maude to the gate under the impression that WestJet staff members would check on her during the flight and then escort the little girl off the plane when she arrived at her destination, which is the company's policy for unaccompanied minors.

Instead, nobody checked on her at all, said her father Steve St-Louis. He's furious with the airline and says Sara-Maude could have been kidnapped or hurt if not for a Good Samaritan who sat next to her.

Pierre Cataford, a father of four from Montreal, played games and drew pictures with Sara-Maude during the long flight.

The girl was wearing a large VIP tag around her neck, but Cataford told CBC News that he did not see flight attendants check on her.

When the plane landed in Montreal, Cataford said he waited for someone to escort Sara-Maude but no one came, so he walked the five-year-old off the plane as crew members waved goodbye to them.

Sara-Maude's father said he was shocked to see a stranger walking into the arrivals area with his daughter.

"She was alone. Nobody came to see her. Nobody asked if she was okay. I mean it was terrifying. It was unbelievable," St-Louis said from his home in Pontiac, Que.

WestJet confirmed it's investigating the incident and issued a statement Friday: "The situation is of utmost concern for WestJet and we are taking this matter very seriously. We have apologized to the parents of the child and are doing all that we can to ensure that this does not happen in the future."

No federal rules for unaccompanied minors
Canada does not have a policy that makes it mandatory for airlines to look after children who travel alone.

"Canadian laws are set out that way as we speak right now and they give all the flexibility to air carriers to establish their own rules," said Jadrino Huot of the Canadian Transportation Agency.

The agency said it asked Air Canada to clarify its policy on unaccompanied minors last month after a 13-year-old girl was not escorted by airline staff to meet her mother in Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Sara-Maude's parents say they plan to sue WestJet.

The airline is flying Sara-Maude's mother and stepfather to Montreal to pick her up at the end of the month, and the parents said they won't let the girl fly alone again until she's much older.

Grinches spoil christmas with naughty santa letters

2007-12-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

What has the world come to these days? I mean, why would sick people like this want to ruin the great season and ideas for all those around us? Now the screening process is going to get tighter for this sort of thing, causing more good willed and good natured people to be discouraged to volunteer. After all, I would love to volunteer for many things to do but really can not be hassled with the expense of going out to pay for a criminal records check followed by finger printing followed by an interview process and all the other things that have to be done to weed out the sickos that do this sort of thing.

I mean, volunteer is supposed to be out of the goodness of your own heart. If you are going to be this thick skulled and moronic, just stay under a rock and dont move.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071214/santa_letters_071214/20071214?hub=Canada

Naughty Santa letters halt Canada Post delivery
Updated Fri. Dec. 14 2007 11:32 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Canada Post has halted the delivery of letters from Santa Claus in Ottawa after a number of families received naughty responses from the North Pole.

Delivery of Santa's letters was suspended for two days on Thursday in the country's capital and Canada Post is "implementing new measures in the volunteer response process to guard against repetition of such incidents," a statement read.

The handwritten notes from Canada Post's Santa letter program, written in response to children's letters sent to a special HOH OHO postal code, contain curse words and descriptions of lewd acts. They were delivered to at least 10 families in the Ottawa area, the corporation said.

"This is a very serious matter for Canada Post and one we are taking very, very seriously. We are shocked and heart-broken that this much-loved quarter-of-a-century old program has experienced an incident of this kind," Moya Greene, President and CEO of Canada Post, said in a statement on Thursday.

Rosalyn DaCosta was one parent who found vulgarities in a letter to her children.

"I couldn't believe it, I stood there with my mouth open not even believing what I saw," Da Costa told CTV Ottawa.

"That's the one last thing you've got in the world to believe in. There are so many bad things in the world now, and now Santa's bad? It's just not fair."

Canada Post handles more than 1 million letters to Santa each year. More than 11,000 current and retired employees volunteer to help Santa reply to each and every letter received.

Canada Post spokesperson Cindy Daoust says this was the first instance of "sickening" language in the program's 26-year history.

"I have volunteers at the post office that are devastated over this and we just don't want this to happen to another child," Daoust told CTV Newsnet on Friday.

An Ottawa police investigation was "going very, very well," she said.

"They are making great strides in narrowing down the potential volunteers that could have been involved in handling the letters. I'm actually very encouraged this morning with the results," she said.

Daoust explained that volunteers, approximately 250 in the Ottawa area, respond to letters on their own time and are not required to answer letters while at a Canada Post location.

"Many of them do it during their lunch hour or during breaks at work. Because it is done on volunteer time, many of them do take them home to reply to at night," she said.

Federal criminal penalties, including fines or imprisonment, exist for fraudulent use and tampering with mail.

The letters are being processed for fingerprints and volunteers are being appointed to read every letter before it's mailed out.

"When we identify who is responsible for this, they will be turned over to the Ottawa police and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Daoust said.

"If indeed it turns out to be a Canada Post employee that was involved, they will face severe disciplinary action on our end up to and including possible termination."

She assured that every letter sent to Santa Claus will be responded to before Christmas.

Canada Post is advising all parents to open letters from Santa before giving them to their children. Should a family receive a letter that contains inappropriate wording, Canada Post advises parents to keep the letter and envelope and contact Canada Post at 613-734-4258 or 613-734-8119.

Pickton AGAIN

2007-12-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, yet another wonderful thing that had me wondering about Canadian legal system. The Pickton trials. They are going full swing, victim impact statements are being given and read and all is going along. Now an online survey is asking if he should stand trial for the other 20 remaining murder counts that he is being accused of. Now, on this issue I say both yes and no, though when I cast my vote I said 'yes' because there was no 'other' option.

Here are the tallies (as of 6:30pm, Dec 11, 2007 MST):

Do you think Robert Pickton should be tried on the remaining 20 first-degree murder charges he faces?
Yes 5520 votes (72 %)
No 2164 votes (28 %)

Total Votes: 7684

Now here are my reasons. I think he should be tried for the remaining 20 counts on the grounds of closure for the families. When someone loses a loved one or something happens this tragic, we all want someone to blame. We want to point the finger at someone and go 'he did it'. Even though the pointing of the finger does nothing in the long run, it makes us feel better. Also, if Pickton was tried just for a few of the girls murder and the other 20 he wasn't tried, then the family members of those 20 will always have in the back of their minds the "what? our daughter wasn't good enough to be considered a legal person and he be tried for her murder???". Even if he has been sentenced to life in prison for 4 times over, no chance of parole, they will still want that procedure.

However, it is that reason of the being sentenced for life in prison 4 times over that I say he shouldn't be tried. When a person goes out hunting and shoots a deer, once they discover it is dead, do they go up and shoot it 5 more times? I think the phrase 'beating a dead horse' is used here. Once he has been tried for a certain amount of people, then to try him for more and more murders is just a waste of tax payers money.

In the end, I guess it all comes down to which is better, tax payers money savings or personal feelings of the family. Which is the greater good to do? For those that will ask, no I will not even entertain the thought of capital punishment because I can not think of a possible time or place where capital punishment is considered to be legit. Granted, I am perfectly fine with putting Pickton into general population of a prison with all the gang bangers and thugs and let them do their own form of 'jail punishment' with the usual form of prison protection. If he is being beaten, stop the beating, but if you don't see it, you don't report it or try that hard to find out who did it.

C'est la Vie 377A

2007-11-01T20:00:00.000-06:00

I had been working on a rebuttal for NMP Professor Thio Li-Ann’s speech in Parliament trying to find problems in her theories and logic, but then after hearing how if you post something on the net, even if it is your own personal opinion, towards her, then you have to make a public apology to her or else risk being sued. Oh well, guess I shall have to let this one pass and just smile and nod while thinking to myself, privately, 'sort of backward, aint she?'

Though, can I just say that I find it interesting that she points out that when homosexual sex was going on back in the ancient days of Greece and China, it was animalistic and barbaric where women were just people to bear children and do housework. Obviously it was the sexual contact between men and men that caused such barbarism. I mean, obviously the higher superior sexual preference of male to female wouldn't do such barbarism. Granted, Hitler was a heterosexual with a wife and he did great things. You know, that little thing he did called the 'Holocaust'. Good thing he wasnt homosexual cause if a heterosexual thought up the Holocaust, imagine what a barbaric society like the Greeks could have thought up. Oh, yeah, the Greeks had philosophy, art, drama, medicine and great leaps in the areas of human intelligence that were used in countless places in history (even giving us the great Hippocratic Oath that the MM used to defend treating the Generals from Mynamar in Singapore medical conditions). Obviously those great thinkers came before homosexuality took root, right?

Anyways, guess it is just a case to agree and disagree. She disagrees with homosexuality and the majority of Singapore agrees that homosexuality is a bad thing and should be stopped. After all, if she is an elected MP then she obviously has the same opinions as the majority of Singapore. So, in the end, guess all I, and other pro-sexual preference people, can say is "c'est la vie".

http://singabloodypore.rsfblog.org/archive/2007/10/25/professor-thio-li-ann-s-speech-in-parliament.html#more

Harry Potter and The Gay Headmaster

2007-10-30T19:04:00.001-06:00

I have always hated the Harry Potter books. Don't get me wrong, it isnt because of the recent 'outing' of the sexual preference of one of the characters. My distaste for these books and movies came way before this and, in fact, the sexual preference of any of the characters really wouldnt have any bearing on my like or dislike of a book. So, I have to say that I have not read all the books (I think I could only stomach the first three and then had to stop because I realized it wasnt going to get better) so when Rowling said that Dumbledore was really a gay character I could not say yes or no because I had none of the evidence. I have asked people if they got, from the readings, if he was gay and none of them even suspected it. Granted, I figure if you are reading Harry Potter books you are really trying to escape from life and reality to a fantasy world so looking for deep subplots and symbolism like those in the great 'American' novels is farthest from your mind.

What I can not stand though is the stupidity that is now coming along with this 'outing'. In this article (http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_172048.html) apparently the christians are now condemning the books. Granted, I am sure that they were already condemning the book and placing it on 'ban the book' list that they must be making because of the use of pagan magic that does not ask for divine help from God. I mean, you wave a wand and a dinner appears, that is pagan; you give a loaf of bread and some fish to a bearded dude in sandals who then feeds thousands and has left overs, that is a miracle and holy. Though, who knows, perhaps the parents of some of these haters might have given their kids the books and encouraged them to read them but now, finding out that one of the characters might be gay, hates it.

In the gay debate, I say let consenting adults do behind close doors what they will without calling them names. If a man is gay and he is a headmaster of a school, then he is a headmaster of his own accord, not because he is gay. Sexual preference has nothing to do with your ability. Take people as they come. As for the Harry Potter books, so much can be said as to why they are horrible books and should not be read, but sexual preference of some characters is NOT one of them.

here English speaken, lah

2007-10-29T21:07:00.001-06:00

When I came to Singapore I was told mixed things about teaching English here. I was told that some schools need actual Ph.Ds or Masters in English to teach it since English is wildly spoken here so they are only after the fine tuning. I was also told that some schools will hire me with just a simple BA not in English because they are getting people from other countries moving here to work and live. All I have to ask is that if English is spoken here in Singapore, exactly where is it being spoken? Do I have to go to a CEO or manager of a big company before people can understand me?

I have been told that I do not have an accent, or at least not a thick one. I was told that schools would love to hire me because I dont have a strong accent like the British or Australian that you have to struggle through to hear and understand. I have been told, on many occassions, that I should try to spice up my speech patterns cause I am so monotone and bland that you can hear the words but there really isnt much power or interest in the way they are said. Sort of like how you can hear a guy in church say "AMEN" monotone and you know that he is there just cause he has to whereas a guy going "AAAA-MMMEN!" with power and passion means that he really believes in the religion. So I had to say that it was not my accent that is causing the problem.

So many times I have gone to a food stall and asked for food and said it quite clearly "Noodles with pork" or "seafood porridge" and I get a blank stare like I have just asked for a 'beef wellington in a red wine aus jus sauce on yorkshire puddings'. I end up having to point to the picture of the item and instead of a grammatically correct English statement of "ah, pork porridge. Would you like egg with that?" I get "porridge, lah. you wan egg?" Makes me wonder where is this English that is so wildly spoken in Singapore actually being spoken?

Of course I figure maybe I am just speaking to the wrong people. However, the co-workers and friends that I have met are basically the same. I have gone around the accent, gotten used to the odd rising and falling of the stresses and intonation that make pretty much ever statement made a question. I dont think I have heard a single statement since I got here but people are constantly asking me "ok, you take the 810 bus?" when giving me directions when I have asked them how to get somewhere. Even though I have accepted the wrong stress and intonation I then wonder about the total lack of complete sentences. Granted, my friends back home would never sit down and do the full answer of "where are you going to" with "I am going to go to the mall", instead they say something like "going to go to the mall" or "to the mall, want to come?"

also, getting used to the different usages of words. Apparently when someone asks "can you help me with something?" there is a chance that what they are asking you is "Can you do this for me?".

Also, lights are spoiled? 'the room is dark because the light is spoiled'? I always thought of it as 'burnt out' because the filament burnt out and not because the bulb went past the expiry date and went bad like milk or meat.

'how did you find the test?' quite simple actually, I looked at the desk and the teacher put it down in front of me. How about "what did you think of the test?" I thought it was hard/easy/boring.

'how did you find the food?' easy, I walked into the restaurant and the waiter brought it to me.

I mean, I love literal questions to such a degree that I have managed to annoy at least 50 people here with my smart ass responses. I just wonder...why is it that with the English language, you can take a word, put the stress on so many different syllables and people still know what you are saying, but when learning other languages, you put the stress on the wrong syllable and you go through at least a 20 minute talk where the person seems to think that if they say it faster/slower/louder/softer you will grasp the stress here or there. I think the only reason that English is so hard to learn is because we really dont have a set rule for our definitions. So many things are said in so many ways. Perhaps we should stop calling English a language, and start calling it a dialect. We have the English language broadly, just as there is the Chinese language broadly, but then there is the dialect of American (broken down to regions), England (broken down to regions), Canadian (broken down to regions), Australian (broken down to regions)...and you get my drift, just like Chinese is broken down to Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien and other regional dialects.

interesting court comparisons

2007-10-24T06:10:00.000-06:00

I remember talking to people about the Michael Fay incident in Singapore about the caning that he got for vandalizing vehicles. After hearing about that case, I was sure that there was no such thing as plea bargaining in Singapore law. You do a crime, you do the time. Even if that 'time' might be considered extreme (like 6 strokes of the cane for vandalism, or death for possessing a certain amount of marijuanna), you will get the time cause you do the crime.

Then I read this article (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/307522/1/.html) and as I was reading I thought to myself "Oh, there must be a difference in that Michael Fay knew what he was doing and all whereas Regan Lee Da Wen must have been driving with due care and attention, the road was slippery or a jay walker darted out in front of him and he lost control of the vehicle by pure accident". I figured that would be how his defence was accepted as a 'rash act'. Then I read how he Regan was diving twice the legal limit, lost control of the vehicle, crashed it, came out unhurt but in the process the agent was killed.

I fail to see how the difference is. A guy actually does the deed of vandalism, four months in jail, a fine of 3,500 Singapore dollars (US$2,214 or £1,514 at the time), and six strokes of the cane; a guy obviously speeds above his control of the vehicle and crashes it and hits another vehicle head on killing another person and he gets disqualified from driving for 10 years and sentenced to seven months in jail. Let me see if I get this straight, vandalize some cars with paint (that in the defence of Michael was easily repaired at low cost) 4 months in jail, S$3,500 and six strokes of the cane; drive stupidly fast, lose control of the vehicle and kill someone accidentally, 7 months in jail and a driving suspension (which, lets face it, in Singapore with the price of vehicles being so high to get on the road and public transport being so cheap who really needs it, what is the thing with taking away a car?).

I guess the secret here is not what the crime is that is done, but who you can get as a lawyer to represent you. Nice to know that the Singaporean courts are just like the American and Canadian legal system. Can buy and plea your way out of beatings or death just by throwing a little money at the problem.

The Funny Pages

2007-10-23T18:58:00.000-06:00

I know, in the past I have said some bad things about Singapore. I blame it on the fact that there are no real comedians or comedy shows here in Singapore. In Canada, when I needed a good laugh I would turn on my Comedy Channel and get bombarded with comedy shows or even stand up comics and laugh myself into believing that the world is a better place. Now, here in Singapore, when I read things like "he was ordered 24 strokes of the cane" or "man arrested for the murder of 15 year old step daughter-if convicted he will be hanged", I feel down hearted and look for my Comedy Channel, but there is no comedy to be found in Singapore. Once you take away the right to mock political leaders (Royal Canadian Air Farce or This Hour Has 22 Minutes in Canada) or make huge raging stereotypical comedy sketches (In Living Color or Saturday Night Live in Canada), you basically reduce comedy to "two individuals walk into a bar and one asks 'wanna get a drink?' the other says 'ok' and they have a really nice time talking and drinking responsibily" which really lacks the humour of life.

HOWEVER, reading the wonderful things that the PM and ministers have been saying about repealing the Penal code (specifically 377A), I found myself laughing hysterically at the absurdity of some of their statements. I especially loved the statements made by the PM today in The Straits Times (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/307344/1/.html):

He said: "Homosexuals work in all sectors, all over the economy, in the private sector as well as in the civil service. They are free to lead their lives, free to pursue their social activities. But there are restraints and we do not approve of them actively promoting their lifestyle to others or setting the tone of mainstream society."

Let me see if I get this right. Gays are free to live their lives, do what they want, just don't put it out in the street for the anal retentive conservatives to see cause they want to see the Nuclear (one man, one woman, 2 children) status quo? Don't rock the boat and give us something 'different' but give us just the same that we have seen so that people can go about their daily lives of working, contribute to Singapore Inc and die happily in their 3 room HDB flat? The funny thing is that the way he phrases it, works for all things in life. I am free to lead my life where it goes, I can pursue all my social activities, but if I want to wear a speedo when I am not working I should do it behind closed doors and out of sight of society, making some restrictions.

Oh, but wait, what about this little gem?

"Repealing the law would also not give gay activists what they want, which is acceptance. "

I wonder if it is a case of putting the cart before the horse? If you want to get accepted, then shouldn't it be considered legal what you are doing? I mean, if the law and state does not accept your sexual preference as 'normal' or 'in the status quo' then why should the people? I remember hearing one joke about people in a sinking boat and when asked what they will do all the nationalities do something except for the Singaporean that stays in the boat waiting for the 'gah-men'(?) to tell them what to do. So, if Singaporean follow what the legal system says, without questioning if it is justified, excessive or even acceptable, then if the law says that homosexuality should be considered illegal, then why would the people question it and accept them to be alright?

But, the piece de resistance of the entire article that got me howling in laughter at the whole escapade was:

He said abolishing Section 377A could send the wrong signal and push gay activists to ask for more, such as changing what is taught in schools and advocating same-sex marriages and parenting.

This is SOOOOO true. I mean, look at it. In the west, years ago, the men gave the women the right to vote, the right to be considered an equal in the eyes of the law, and what did that get us? women working, women wanting to be in the military, women wanting to change the school structure so that 'womens studies' or 'home economics' (baking, sewing, home management) would be taught in schools. Boy did we open up a HUGE landslide of problems there. If we, as westerners, had just kept it as it is then we wouldnt have had these problems. I am sure that Singapore has felt this as well. Give the women the vote, let them think that they are equal and accepted in the male dominated society and before you know it you have women wanting to be CEOs (I mean, who would think that a woman would be equal and accepted as a man and could run a major corporation like Temasek?), managers, supervisors and entrepreneurs?

I had to find this comment made by the PM as soo funny because it is soo absurd. What is wrong with the homosexual community to ask for equal rights? Is the gov't afraid that if 377A is repealed then you are going to have gay couples performing sodomy right out in the open fields? big drunken homosexual orgies because they now have the right to have sex? Is the view of homosexual discretion by the gov't so low that the gov't figures once given the green light you are going to have men making out with men and fondling them on the MRT home? If heterosexuals can keep it in their pants long enough to make it home before jumping the wife, then I am sure two men will be able to keep it in their pants long enough to make it home.

I liked how the one individual brought up the problem of gender biased in the Penal Code (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/307347/1/.html). Another thing that use westerners found out when we gave the women the vote and made them equal is that they started to demand equality in all directions EXCEPT where it was beneficial to them. Women wanted to be taken seriously in the work place, paid equally and have all the rights and freedoms of a man BUT they also wanted 1 year paid maternity leave (they got it) and equal treatment under the law (immunity to martial rape was removed from the Canadian law books LONG ago). HOWEVER, when it came to the part of benefits, they still wanted men to open doors for them, pay for meals, bring flowers and treat them like a lady. I know my wife grumbles about how she is treated as an inferior and wants to be an equal in business and work but when it comes to NS or being caned, she thinks that women should only be in the military if they choose and of course women can not be caned. I also like how the MP said that women can have their modesty outraged simply by words or gestures like having their buttocks brushed by a man on the train, but men dont have that under the law. Definitly time to get gender equality in the eyes of the law. NS for men AND women of age, caning and hanging for all applicable offences (I believe a woman that is guilty of a capital punishment offence that is pregnant can not be executed but has life imprisonment, but a man doesnt have this possiblility) for both genders, outrage of modesty for both men AND women so that a man can have a women fined if she grabs his butt. Hmm, but then what about the unequality and hypocrasy there? men are equal to women in the eyes of the law to the degree of ruling and punishment BUT homosexual people are not equal as them. So, sexual preference takes precedient over being human and demotes your equality? Oh well, if Singaporeans can handle the discrimination and hypocracy of equality ('No Indians/China' or "malay only" when looking to rent a flat or look for a job) then I am sure they can handle the hypocracy of the equality of Human to Homosexual.

So, yeah, thank you gov't of Singapore for giving me the best laugh that I have had in ages. Hearing their reasoning on this whole 377A issue was more comedic than watching "Police and Theif" and "My Sassy Neighbour" all rolled into one. Please, don't wait another year to being out the repealing of the Penal Code again. I think this should be a monthly, if not weekly, thing so that I can get another laugh and all out of the things that are said. These quotes are almost as good as when the football coach told reporters that he '...turned this team around 360' from where they were', meaning they were right back where they started. Sound bites like that make reading the funny pages fun.

slowly becoming singapore..

2007-10-22T19:01:00.001-06:00

I have been here for nearly 5 weeks now, and I am finding myself suddenly becoming more and more Singaporean every day. For instance, on the MRT, I always used to approach the location where the doors are to open, stand behind all the people that are already there, and wait patiently for the MRT, wait for people to alight then slowly and politely enter the train and go to the centre of the train, or as far in as I possible can. However, after having missed so many trains while people pushed in front of me and found myself watching the train go by and seeing people cramming in like cattle at the entrance and then the middle of the train either totally empty in the aisle or have only one or two people, I have decided to take the Singapore approach. Now, when I approach the MRT doors I stand right in the middle of the path at the entrance, or at least as close to the entrance to get in the doors. Elbows are my best friend since I can use them to push people out of the way quite easily. Going to the middle of the train is a thing of the past because it is always so hard to get out, so I usually stand right in the middle of the doorway and wait til the door is almost closed then I move to another spot. I can see why Singaporeans do this as it does serve a very valuable function. By blocking the door, less people can get in, less people getting in means more room for those fortunate enough to get in. So, by standing in the door and blocking it, I am providing a good service for those in this great country by lessening the capacity of the train, giving them more room.

Also, the other day I found out that I was becoming more and more relaxed and sympathetic, like all Singaporeans. I have heard my wife and sister in law mention many a time that the jaywalkers should 'just hurry up and get hit and die' and it would be their own fault cause they are looking for death. The other day I saw a man running for the train and just as the door was closing he thrust his hand in the path of the door. I guess he thought it was like a lift door where there is a safety catch where if someone was in the door the door wouldnt crush him. However, what he didnt realize is that unlike an elevator, the train has a set time to come and go and therefore if there was a safety catch the train would never leave because there would always be some rushing Singaporean thrusting their hand into the door to catch the train. There the man was, hand in the door, waiting for it to open and it wasnt going to. He then jerked his hand back out of the door and we took off and he was left at the station. As I past by him my first thought was "too bad he wasnt dragged to his death, be his own damn fault." I then had to catch myself as the last remaining flame of Canadian sympathy flared up in a desperate hope to save my soul for Singaporean apathy and say "dont say that, the doors are dangerous as you will remember from many of those videos that show baby strollers or people with arms caught in it being dragged." I guess in a country where you read constantly in the papers that "if convicted he will be hanged" or "he was ordered 24 strokes of the cane", you have to develop some form of resiliance agains the barbarism of murder and assault as a form of punishment. You jay walk, you should get hit and die; you stick your hand in a MRT, you should be dragged to your death or at least wounded horribly; you stay too long in the country, you will be beaten.

I just hope that I dont lose all my Canadian manners and upbringing and still continue to say please, thank you, your welcome and actually try to think of the well being of my fellow man and not go for the 'kill or be killed' mental attitude of the East.

whistle blowers

2007-10-15T07:55:00.000-06:00

I found this article in the Straits Times to be most interesting. I totally am in support of whistle blowers. You hear something going wrong in the company, you should be able to report it and have protection under areas. Similiar to the witness protection program. Not many people would testify against top drug/crime lords if all the police and courts did was say "great, you testified and put a crime lord in jail for 2 years, thanks for your help. Now, go home and rest easy knowing he is behind bars" when you know full well the gang is still out there with a vengence for you and might come after your friends, family or you.

Then of course my conspiracy mind goes rampant, being as I was not raised in Singapore with the unconditional love and respect for the PAP as Singaporeans are raised to have since I was raised in Canada where we know that our political leaders are human and not demi-gods sent to Earth to show us the way to everlasting prosperity, and I wonder if the PAP or country wide gov't run corporations have such governance and if someone knew would they actually tell? Now, of course, I have to make some wild, far distant accusations and connections and, as LKY loves to say, "compare apples to oranges". I remember reading in a book about Singapore's political past where I believe JBJ was being sued for defamation against the Lee's (like always) and one judge actually found in favor of JBJ, and within I believe 4 months that judge found himself demoted down to a lower position due to 'internal transition'. Of course when JBJ called for minutes of that meeting to find out why the judge was demoted, it took a few weeks to produce said documents and witnesses, JBJ was sued again for defamation of that statement and lost the battle against LKY. So, if a judge, seeing some form of behind the scenes dealings, has some evidence of the said dealing, would he be protected if he came forward and actually slammed the PAP? would a judge, being on the receiving end ("you call cases in favor of the PAP supporters, you keep your job") of the slight favoritism be willing to actually say something and lose the perks? Not as if someone that has made it to a high paying position as judge (with the respect and money it holds) actually want to bite the hand that feeds them.

But then again, I must bow down to the evidence that Singapore gov't has total transparency because:

1) LKY and the PAP says that there is total transparency;

2) there has been no actual proof of gov't run political people being caught in scandals (I am sure NKF scandal, Youth Challenge scandal and Temasek Holdings in Thailand were either the opposition party's attempts to slander the good name of the existing Singapore gov't, or the perpetrators were rogue business-people with no connection to the PAP whatsoever that really havent grasped the Singaporean gov't philosophy of equality, fairness and transparency)

3) the price to build and sell the HDB units are on public record for all Singaporeans to see to show that it truely is housing for the good of the people (you just can't read about the price and all because the evil opposition party keeps such information from the public, again in an attempt to sully the good name of the PAP because the PAP is transparent, the opposition parties are liars, cheats and theives as the Lee's often say).

With this logic of transparency, obviously the Singaporean gov't obviously has the whistle-blowing policy in place and it just doesnt happen because there is no wrongdoing in the Singaporean gov't circle. Though, with the whistle-blowing policy in the PAP, it does lead the question of "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" (Who will guard the guards?). Sort of like a snake eating it's own tail, wouldnt you say? The gov't creates a board of people to watch out and protect whistle-blowers and bring companies with wrongdoings and white collar crime to the public eye and justice BUT what happens if the white collar crime is commited by those people that put the committee into power? Though I am sure that if the judges can stand up and be totally unbiased in relation to cases heard before them involving the PAP; if Ministers can hold jobs as top CEOs or managers in big business or spouces of top politicians can hold those positions as well and not show bias to laws or things that they have the power to pass legislation on, then obviously the committee can not show bias when having to deal with any problems that arise in the gov't.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_167072.html

Whistle-blowing policy: 36% of listed firms practise it now
This compares with 5% in 2005, disclosure practices screening finds
By Lee Su Shyan, Assistant Money Editor

MORE WHISTLE-BLOWING: An encouraging sign is that more companies are disclosing their process for finding, nominating and selecting new directors - another of the code's proposals.

SINGAPORE companies used to be wary of the whole idea of whistle- blowing but striking numbers of them have recently put policies in place to support staff exposing wrongdoing.
Just over a third - 36 per cent - of all listed companies now have such policies compared with just 5 per cent in 2005.

The new attitude towards whistle- blowing was highlighted during a screening of disclosure practices.

It was part of the selection process for companies vying for the recent Singapore Corporate Governance Awards organised by the Securities Investors Association of Singapore (Sias).
Keppel Corp came in tops.

Whistle-blowing had become a hot topic after the bankruptcy of United States energy trader Enron. Corporate scandals in Singapore such as those involving Citiraya Industries led to questions about whether whistle-blowing policies would help in the detection of white-collar crime.

Singapore's updated code of corporate governance, which is voluntary, includes a call for listed companies to set up a whistle-blowing policy.

This gives employees who want to report on wrongdoing a channel to make their claims. An independent director should also follow up on the claims.

Another encouraging trend is that more companies are disclosing their process for finding, nominating and selecting new directors - another of the code's proposals.

About 20 per cent of firms gave details, up from 4 per cent in the previous year.

This suggests that more companies are giving more thought to how the new directors will contribute to the board, instead of just picking familiar faces.

A committee including Sias and the National University of Singapore's Corporate Governance & Financial Reporting Centre examined the annual reports of companies for the year ended May 31, 2006 up to those with the financial year ended April 30 this year.

Companies were assessed using a scorecard which covers the code and its recommendations and how the annual report measures up.

For example, the code says that the chairman should be independent. If the annual report discloses that a company's chairman is independent, the company will score one point.
There were 115 points up for grabs.

After companies were shortlisted, a judging panel then performed a more in-depth assessment to identify the eventual winners.

Associate Professor Mak Yuen Teen from the centre said: 'We take the perspective of an investor looking at what the company has reported. If a company is unclear, it would be unclear to the investors.'

Many companies lost points because they merely stated the terms of reference of their various board committees instead of saying if the committees met those terms.

A company might, for example, have said that its nominating committee, which assesses potential new directors, is supposed to conduct an annual check to see if their directors are independent. But it is not clear if the committee did the check that year.

No points would be awarded in this case.

The top 25 per cent had scores that ranged from as low as 65 to as high as 93.

Not surprisingly, companies such as Keppel Corp and SMRT were in the top 25 per cent. But there were also less well-known ones such as Youcan Foods and Sinopipe.

Surprisingly, falling into the next band were companies such as Singapore Airlines and DBS Group Holdings. According to the committee, one reason could be that these companies did not give many details of how their directors were appraised.

Prof Mak said that the scores were only a preliminary check as 'disclosure is not the same as good governance. However, we believe that disclosure is necessary for investors to understand how a company practises governance'.

Organisations supporting the Singapore Corporate Governance Awards include The Business Times, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Logical by Supertramp

2007-10-09T06:53:00.000-06:00

"The Logical Song" by Supertramp

When i was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees
Well they´d be singing so happily
Oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me
But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh responsible ,practical
And they showed me a world
Where i could be so dependable
Oh clinical, oh intellectual, cynical

There are times when all the world´s asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won´t you please, please tell me what we´ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who i am

Now watch what you say
Or they´ll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh fanatical, criminal
Oh won´t you sign up your name
We´d like to feel you´re
Acceptable, respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable!

At night when all the world´s asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won´t you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who i am, who i am ,who i am.

***

I always did love this song. I remember going through high school and hearing this song and feeling some form of connection to it. At first I thought it was just the music that got my attention, but listening now I think that the words were forming me to the man I am today. Pity, almost, that when all the world's asleep, the questions of the world run too deep in my head. How many times have you wanted to silence the questions of the world and live a peaceful life?

my racism shows

2007-10-07T19:12:00.000-06:00

Yet again, I come to realize how racist I truly am. When I read this headline of racist graffiti in New Brunswick, of course my first reaction was "oh man, what did a caucasian do this time? hating the natives? the french? the chinese?" I read the article more and discovered that someone had put racist slurs of "white power and no black" on a poster and the next thought that went through my mind is 'great, the nazi/KKK whack jobs are up at it again' and visions of white sheeted caucasians with torches running through the streets of NB went through my mind. Then I get to the end of the article and come across the individual that they have suspected of doing these acts, a Mr. Chow Wang. Yeah, at that point I had to do a double take and scratch my head. Of course, to make sense of the world I had to try to ask myself why a caucasian man (either english, french, german, italian or whatnot) would be named Chow Wang but then it dawned on me, he is more than likely chinese.

My god, do you mean that us white folk dancing through Canada are not the only racist people in the world? everytime I have run across racism so outright and blatant, it has always been white against the world. Of course, seeing the glares and stares I get here in Singapore by the elders, I realize that there is a mild form of racism, but I didnt realize it was this outright. Has Canada become such a big place of hatred that we feel the need now to import other races to do our hatred for us? It would make some sense since we bring immigrants into the country to do the tasks that Canadians dont want to do like housekeeping, machine scrubbing and hard labour. So makes sense that we are now bringing in people to do our hating for us. This world really does need to smarten up and stop all this hatred and stupidity. After all, when the aliens come to Earth and humans are so busy fighting and hating each other, how are we going to band together as a unit to fight the aliens?

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071007/racist_graffiti_071007/20071007?hub=Canada

Racist graffiti suspect arrested in N.B.
Updated Sun. Oct. 7 2007 6:07 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A day after a national anti-racism conference at New Brunswick's St. Thomas University, Fredericton police arrested a man in connection with posters defaced with racist slurs.

The Fredericton campus was rocked recently by racist slurs scrawled across posters advertising a campus concert. In one instance, the image of a St. Thomas student who fled war-torn Sierra Leone was defaced by the phrase "White power and no black."

"I was shocked," said Andrew Sahr Gborgbor, a 22-year old student and musician whose image was vandalized.

Gborgbor fled war-ravaged Sierra Leone three years ago. The poster was promoting a concert organized to raise awareness and money to help bring his mother come to Canada.

Students gathering for the anti-racism conference this weekend told CTV News that the incident highlights the need for anti-racism education.

"It's a matter of respect and looking at our history as a way of teaching for the future," said Candace Slamon, National Chair of SHOUT, a student anti-racism group.

Campus security cameras provided police with leads that led to an arrest, said Constable Ralph Currie of the Fredericton City Police told CTV News.

"A 40-year-old male, Mr. Chow Wang, was arrested subsequent to our ongoing investigation into the two incidents that were reported to us," he said.

Jenni Stoff, National Program Coordinator for the Canadian Centre for Diversity said the incident is motivating.

"It makes us see first hand that the work we are doing is so incredibly important," she said.

With a report from CTV Halifax's Denelle Balfour

housewives, movies, speech..oh my

2007-10-05T07:27:00.000-06:00

oh so much to say right now about a couple things that I have read about in the paper. The first I know I can talk about cause it happened in North America so it is permissable for a white guy to have an opinion on it. The Desperate Housewives 'racial slur' that happened on the air. If you haven't heard about it, or really dont care what the stupidity that happens on stupid TV shows is about, it happenede cause one of the characters wanted to check the doctors credentials so that she knows they 'arent from a school in the Phillipines" which caused the American-Filipino community to get insulted. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hh-xT6-nJRyGbmWsLVU-57s57dkA It got so far that the Filipino community has demanded that this one particular line be deleted from future broadcasts of the show, which is now going to happen (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=92739). Following this, I think that Canadians should now launch a campaign to have their stereotypical image of beer drinking, hockey playing, french speaking, polite individuals to be erased from all shows/movies/songs and media types around the world. I mean, we get looked down upon for these stereotypes. I can't believe the countless times that I have been asked here in Singapore where I am from and as soon as they hear I am Canadian the individual asks how many beers I am drinking a night here and if I am going to miss playing hockey all year round. Also that show Due South that aired many years ago definitely has to be taken off the air, video tapes/DVDs of it rounded up and burned and erased from societies memory forever. Talk about your horrible stereotypes of Canadians.

The other article that I am not too sure if I can mention or not, but I was reading in the Straits Times today how a lot of movies that are coming into Singapore are censored. I know, nothing new there considering that the papers and media are all owned and censored by the main political party. However, the paper is letting the people of Singapore know that it is the film distribution people abroad that are cutting the film trying to get a lower film rating to show the film at for more money. The article basically makes it sound like the film distributors are cheating the public from seeing the complete deal to make more money. To the articles credit, it does mention the things that were cut from the movies. The majority of the cuts came from excessive sex scenes, nudity, gore (Pan's Labyrinth had a mans face being beaten in edited) and mature subject matter (Simpsons movie had two cartoon police officers edited cause they were kissing). Shows that the Singaporean rating system is partly to blame, though wonder if the common Singaporean reader will pick that up. What I dont understand is that if the gov't movie rating board makes the rules as to how relaxed or strict their rating system is, and the movie industry then cuts and edits the movies to fit that rating system to get the rating that the movie people want, how is it the movie distribution agencies fault for cheating the public? If ever I have seen fantastic political 'spinning' of news articles, I have seen the kings here in Singapore in the Strait Times. I swear, those writers/editors could take a story of how a woman who was totally obeying the law got run over by a drunken minister and make it sound like it was the woman's fault but the minister will show pity to this poor misguided woman and only sue her for half the damages to his vehicle.

The other thing I am sure I cant mention but will have to say it just cause I saw this ad on the way up the escalator and I laughed out loud that I got two old aunties stepping away from me. It was an ad for Singtel, all red with a black outline of a persons head that looked like they were screaming. In white the caption read "exercise your right to freedom of Speech". I had to think to myself and laugh "what freedom of speech?" you need a licence to speak in public, if you say the wrong thing about the wrong individual (even if it is your own opinion) you could find youself being sued for thousands and forced into bankruptcy and if I even start a sentence that hints towards politics or Singapore culture people around me start to clench up and ready themselves to bite my head off. Had to think to myself, which caused another bout of laughter, the caption should read "exercise your right to freedom of speech...but first get gov't approval and permission".

Take out the Liberal judges and give us Conservative judges

2007-10-03T19:15:00.000-06:00

I see this as being a problem in the Canadian society at the moment with the change over from the old Liberal "hug a thug" legal system and the newer Conservative 'tough on crime' position. I have heard so much coverage from the Conservative side saying new legislation is coming into effect for tougher street racing penalities and punishments. You street race, you are jailed, fined or both. I wonder if the problem here is that the judge on the bench is a carry over of the Liberal regime of 'dont ruin the poor accused life because of a mistake' instead of thinking what happened to the victims. How else can you explain house arrest for 2 years for driving at 150 km/hour in a city? The Conservatives are trying to push the street racing crime enforcement through but while the bill is being pushed, the Liberal judges give out these light punishments and the common man on the street doesnt think that the judge is liberal but thinks that the Conservatives are lying about the tough on crime aspect. Then when the election is forced, people go back to the Liberals cause even though the punishments were lax and all, at least the Liberals told the truth about them being lax.

These two individuals got off light and that is a shame. How fast do two cars have to be driving in a city before it is considered street racing? One car goes at 150 km/hour then it is just speeding and dangerous driving, but once you have two cars doing it together, that is called a race. If it was possible, I would say that in this particular case, I wish that the prosecutor could appeal the case to a Conservative judge and ask for a stiffer penalty.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070822/street_racers_071003/20071003?hub=Canada

Pair spared jail terms in fatal high-speed crash
Updated Wed. Oct. 3 2007 6:45 PM ET

Two men convicted of a high-speed crash that killed a Richmond Hill, Ont. couple will not serve any time in jail. The pair received conditional sentences from a Newmarket judge.

Ruben Rodrigues, the driver of the car who crashed into the couple, was sentenced on Wednesday morning to two years of house arrest. The 20-year-old Maple resident was also given a five-year driving ban. He pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving causing death.

Marco Gasparro, 19, of Richmond Hill, was given two years' probation. He was also fined $2,000 and banned from driving for 18 months. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

After celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary last year, Rob and Lisa Manchester were killed when their vehicle was struck by one of two speeding cars, reportedly travelling 150 km/h.

They were survived by their 8-year-old daughter, Katie, who made an emotional victim impact statement in August.

The judge in the case said Rodrigues and Gasparro were not street racing, but speeding. The pair was not intoxicated and did not run a red light at the intersection where the crash occurred, court heard.

The judge also took into account Rob Manchester had nearly twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system when his car was hit.

York police Sgt. Dave Mitchell was disappointed the judge did not label the incident street racing.

"We hear evidence of two young men speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, showing off to each other, driving aggressively. To anybody else that is the definition of street racing," Mitchell said.

Katie's aunt, Cathy Gray, was upset by the judgment.

"(The sentences are) not strong enough or long enough to bring Lisa or Rob back," Gray told reporters outside the courthouse.

"If we don't have stricter laws or some deterrents, somebody else is going to get killed, somebody else is going to lose a father or a mother or a brother or a sister and leave some child without any family."

The Crown had sought a two-year jail term for Rodrigues and six months for Gasparro, while the defence asked for house arrest.

Neither Rodrigues nor Gasparro commented to the media after sentencing.

edmonton sunshine girl

2007-10-03T06:27:00.000-06:00

ok, so my procrastination continues into the night....wow...wonder if they would ever considering doing a "Singapore SunShine Girl"?

procrastinating

2007-10-02T19:14:00.000-06:00

Ever have one of those days you really don't want to do anything? yeah, that is where I am today. I have classes later this afternoon and the material and all is intense and mind blowing and I really can't get motivated to read or re-write the notes. After class in the evening, I just want to curl up and sleep. So, yeah, am just procrastinating going down to the library to get some reading and stuff done. As well, with me not saying anything about any countries, since I seem to get in trouble and people get really racial here in Singapore if a white guy actually says a sentence that starts with "really? you mean that Singapore does...." and then talk about things that happen here that don't happen in the home country like Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) or discrimination.

Though I have been told that when it comes to renting places here in Singapore, I came about 6 months too late. Apparently about 6 months or more ago, you could rent a 3 bedroom HDB flat for $700/month but because of some reason or other, you can only get a shared common room for that and the three bedrooms are up in the $1300-$1600 range. Oh well, might just have to settle with moving in with a nice family and go from there. One thing though I have noticed is the difference in kids wanting to rent and move out. In Canada, I know of teens that run out the door at 18 to get their own place, sometimes even the parents physically throw them out of the house at 18 to get a place to rent and they find three buddies, find a 4 bedroom house for $2000, split rent evenly and they have a massive party house to enjoy and play in. The kids that stay at home til they are 25-35 are considered to be the throw backs and immature people, the momma's boys that wont be able to get a date because as soon as they say "yeah, I live with my parents" all the women go walking away. Here it seems natural and normal for a person to live at home til they are 30-35 and then they get married and move out. Guess that is the influence of limited renting, limited space and enjoying cheap room and board as long as humanly possible.

Been spending my morning watching useless crap like this video of Kristina Kireeva:

Ok, guys out there. I know what you are thinking cause it is going through my mind as well. For all the guys out there who claim they arent thinking perverted and sexual thoughts, yeah liars you are. I am sure that if a guy could bend like she could, they wouldnt leave the house cause they would just sit at home, watch tv and....bend.

Now, time to get moving I guess. Stop procrastinating and actually do some work. Guess I will head down to the National Library and see how many people I can spot sleeping under the signs that read "No sleeping in the library permitted". Saw about 5 of them yesterday in one tiny little area of 25 people and so wished I had my camera to take pics and post.

I speak Canadian, not English, eh....

2007-09-30T06:36:00.000-06:00

Just happened to take a walk through the HDB improvement exhibition that is being shown here in Yishun for the next couple days. All I can say is that even though I am not qualified to own one of these places, and because my wife is not over the age of 35, she can not own one singlely herself (or so she says) I am still awed at the great expense that the gov't is going through to upgrade all these HDB flats for the people at such a low cost. I mean, upgrading the entrance door grill, doors, refuse chute, and toilets/bathrooms for a 3 room flat will only cost a person $20/month for a year to upgrade those items. Not bad. Not bad at all. Though it must be my North American/Caucasian way but that faucet spouting out of the toilet top to wash your hands (thanks to my wife for clearing up that you wouldnt brush your teeth in that sink) is something that kind of creeps me out. I mean, I know that the tank water held there would be different from the water pushed through the faucet; and even if it was sucking water from the holding tank, the water is clean and uncontaminated. Still, kind of creepy washing your hands in water coming from a toilet and then walking out. Kind of not really screams hygenic.

Also, I am starting classes tomorrow to get a TEFL certificate, though after the last 2 weeks here in Singapore I think I should be taking English classes instead of teaching English classes. I thought I spoke English well, I thought I communicated well, but after spending 2 weeks here I realize that I obviously speak Canadian but not English. How have I come to realize this? Simple logic. When I talk to people here in Singapore at either a restaurant or store to ask for an item, I pronounciate, speak clearly and in the end get confused looks. When the person asks questions to me I find myself leaning into them going "EH?" and they have to repeat what they have asked. Only then do I figure out what they say and can respond. I thought that perhaps it was my hearing that was the problem since I find that my wife, my sister in law and pretty much everyone that talks to me mumbles. The hearing loss theory was scraped because I found myself able to sit at a table and hear people conversing in different languages that I couldnt understand, or even hear what the people at the counter were ordering 5-6 feet away and yet when I was standing face to face with people, I couldn't grasp what was being said. Obviously, it is my poor grasp of the English language that causes the problem. Guess I speak fluent Canadian, just not English, since I have been turned down by a few english schools here because I dont have teaching experience and "English is spoken widely here".

I guess another thing that makes me sort of laugh is when I read a sign or hear something that is not correct English but some people say there is nothing wrong with it. There is a sign in the coffee shop that I walk past with my wife on a regular basis and there is a sign that reads "Outside food are not allowed to consume in this premises" in English under some chinese words which I assume read roughly the same thing. Now when I read that I gave a laugh, read it to my wife and she said "yeah, you arent allowed to bring outside food into this area and eat" I said that in my mind it means that outside food can not come into this premises and eat food, which I found to be really discriminatory of the people for not allowing food to come into this place to eat just because it was 'outside' food. You couldnt post a sign that read "Indians are not allowed to consume in this premises" so why are you discriminating against outside food? This got me a shake of the head and a 'you got a screwed up mind' and she went back to her tea.

The other thing I scratch my head at, and also think that I obviously speak Canadian and have a very weak grasp on the actual English language, is in the PSA about the bombs in the MRT stations played in the downtown underground sections. The lady goes to the duty officer through the intercom to report the suspicious bag and says "he said the bag was not his but I saw him putting it there". Now, for me I would say that the -ing use of put to be a present action and not a past action that he obviously did since he is no longer there. I thought she would say something like "I saw him put it there". You either are 'putting the bag under the seat' at this moment in time, you 'put the bag under the seat' or you are 'going to put the bag under the seat' in the future. Just like you 'jumped into the lake' in the past, or you are 'jumping into the lake' now or you will 'jump' or you will be jumping into the lake in the future. Perhaps this is one of those things were proper English would say 'I saw him putting the bag there' to be correct and my horrible/slangish Canadian gets in the way. The video has to be correct because if a PSA is going to be shown repeatedly on a loop every 5 minutes or so, and with the PAP push to speak proper English to the citizens of Singapore without S'inglish or slangs, wouldn't they insist that all public service announcements have perfect English? Would be sort of hypocritical for them to say "speak English properly" and then put out a video/book in under their direction with improper English.

a great mind is a terrible thing to waste

2007-09-27T19:14:00.001-06:00

what does an engineer do when they are newly graduated, looking for work, too much free time on their hands and single in a large split level condo or house? well, here is an idea:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1777554

I have to admit, I remember seeing these machines in the malls in Edmonton when I was growing up and they were amazing to me then. To see this done with household items around a house....it is truely mind boggling.

Sound bite for the day

2007-09-26T01:28:00.000-06:00

I find it rather coincidental that this article has surfaced on one of the web pages that I read, since my wife and I are currently trying to find a place to rent in Singapore and I am getting frustrated with the discrimination of "no china allowed" or "no indian allowed" restrictions that are posted outright on the internet. Looks like there is some discrimination as well in the states, though it is more of a personal choice in what the person decides to do with their life/bodies than what they were given at birth.

The one thing that I had to sound bite for today was the reaction of one of the owners of the building when he said:

"(we) reject prospective tenants who have... tattoos exposed on the neck, head, hands and wrists, or large tattoos that cover over 40% of the lower or upper arm."

"We do not discriminate. The above applies to persons of any race, color, gender, etc."

we do not discriminate, we just wont rent to anyone regardless of their race, color or gender that have tattoos? yeah, ok, so what exactly is discrimination? Those crazy americans, always out to do something funky.

I do remember a case here in Canada not too long ago where a tenant was a smoker, rented an upstairs loft from a landlord who became pregnant and when the tenant was asked to stop smoking, she refused and it was taken to the landlord/tenant board and it was decided that the tenant could keep smoking and the landlord had no right to ask her to stop smoking. Just wonder if this is similiar to the case in the states where the landlord is saying 'we wont rent to you cause of your tattoos, but remove the tattoos and we would be happy to have you'.

I also enjoy how the American tenant board says that the decision not to rent to tattooed individuals is unfair but not illegal, unless the tattoos are specified to a persons religion. So, why should those in a religion be excluded from this loophole while those that do it out of love and devotion arent? If you tattoo because it is a religion, arent you doing it to show your love and appreciation for something...and if you tattoo because you love the art and want to show your love and devotion of it, then wouldnt your religion be called 'art loverism'? Think if this guy started the cult/religion of tattooed people they would let him rent in the units? hmmm, either which way, still gonna laugh on that discrimination sound bite.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=57db782b-9874-4b37-aa00-0402ab8a7ab1

Some SA Apartments Banning Tattoos
Last Update: 9/25 11:22 am

(Clear Channel) It's against the law for landlords to discriminate based on the color of a person's skin. But can they reject you because of what's on your skin?

Some San Antonio apartment complexes are refusing to rent to people with tattoos and body piercings.

Gilbert Carrillo thinks tattoos are an artform. He's been to tattoo conventions and one of his tattoos was featured in a magazine. "Ever since I was 18, to now, 25, bit by bit, covering up here, covering up there."

But last month, Carrillo's tattoos kept him and his wife, Melissa, from moving into an apartment complex called the Villas at Medical Center. "We liked the apartment, we brought them a check for the deposit and a check for the application fee," says Melissa.

Later, Gilbert went by to look at the apartment wearing a short sleeve shirt. The next day, the Carrillos were told they didn't qualify to live there, because the tattoos on Gilbert's arms violated the policy on personal appearance.

"For them to be so judgmental on a person's appearance, and for them to judge someone based on them having a tattoo is just ridiculous, you know," says Melissa.

The Carrillos were also upset that the manager refused to refund their full $70 application fee. But mostly, they feel the policy is discriminatory.

So the Trouble Shooters went to the Villas at Medical Center to hear their side of it.

The manager, Daisy Salazar, said she wasn't allowed to talk to us. "We have our own lawyers, I can't speak to anyone," said Salazar.

But we didn't give up. We contacted one of the owners of the apartments: A southern California doctor named Edward Frankel.

Frankel e-mailed us a statement saying his apartment complexes do, in fact, "reject prospective tenants who have... tattoos exposed on the neck, head, hands and wrists, or large tattoos that cover over 40% of the lower or upper arm."

Frankel says, "We do not discriminate. The above applies to persons of any race, color, gender, etc."

Frankel, and his partners, have purchased numerous upscale apartment complexes in San Antonio and Dallas, where they've also banned pierced eyebrows and tongues. Tenants can't have more than one nose piercing, or more than five earrings.

Local fair housing officials say the rules may be unusual, but they are not illegal.

"Refusing to rent to somebody because they have tattoos may be unfair, but it's not discrimination under the fair housing act, unless the tattoos are specific to the person's religion or national origin," says Sandy Tamez of the San Antonio Fair Housing Council.

After the Trouble Shooters started looking into the case, the apartment complex refunded the Carrillos' full application fee.

But the couple is still angry that a landlord would consider body art to be the mark of a bad tenant.

Canadian border guards, cant hit a moose at 10 feet

2007-09-26T01:13:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, gotta love the Canadians. When I heard that they were going to arm the border guards I was pleased and said it was about time. I remember an incident when the US police force called ahead to the Canadian border guards and told them that a known murderer, possibly armed with a sawed-off shotgun, was approaching the border and the guards were asked to detain him til the police from the US got there. Yeah, I have been to a few of the border crossings in Canada, and unless you are going through some majorly huge area like Niagra Falls or the ferry crossing in Vancouver to Washington, there really isnt anything more than a shack and possibly two guards sitting back playing solitare on the computer. How are Canadian officials, with no weapons, supposed to detain an armed murderer? I mean, Canadians are known for being polite, but I really don't think the guy is gonna respond with "Please, remain in your vehicle and please do not pick up the shot gun. Thank you. Would you like some Tim Horton's coffee and donuts while you wait?"

Now reading this about how the officers failed the proficiency tests. Wow, that is another thing that is truely Canadian. Some people I have known in Singapore have said things that made me think that they thought we were like Americans in Canada. Given our first hand gun at 12, know how to shoot it by 13 and gang bangers by 14. Maybe in some areas of Vancouver or Toronto, but on the whole, I think Canada is a pretty relaxed and laid back peaceful place. I mean, in all our years we have only had one political assassination and that was the BQ, and we all know how screwy they are in Quebec so that doesn't really count. The assassination wasn't even against the Prime Minister. Against him all we have ever done is egging them, and we have taken up our national past time of throwing pies at the premiers of certain provinces. Not exactly a bunch of wild and crazy psychopaths, huh? Though, we do seem to have a few drive by shootings, a few stabbings and quite a bunch of 'hunting accidents', but other than that, we really arent that big on the whole gun thing.

What I found most amusing was the fact that the guards "...needed fitness training so their arms remained steady during the shortened shooting training which caused fatigue." Don't tell me that Canadians daily exercise of using the remote to surf through hockey games and Wheel Of Fortune isnt enough to keep our arms strong enough to fire weapons.

Well, it is a good thing, no matter if they can hit the broad side of a moose at 10 feet or not, that the border guards are now armed and safe, even if it took 20 years. Now, we can work on the 20 years it is gonna take for the politicians to agree that guards in prisons require stab prove vests when handling prisoners.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/story.html?id=fc21bd3f-a8e9-4c89-94d1-6df130e24918&k=67478

Border guards flunking shooting lessons
Still, they want to be armed

Doug Williamson, The Windsor StarPublished: Tuesday, September 25, 2007

They wanted to carry guns, but one in five Canadian border guards have been flunking their shooting lessons.

"Eventually, they will be armed. But not everyone is going to qualify," said Marie-Claire Coupal of Windsor, fourth national vice-president of the Customs and Excise Union, adding that the 20-per-cent failure rate applied across the board.

Coupal said part of the reason 20 per cent of trainees have been flunking out is the relatively short firearm training period of three weeks, compared with 16 weeks for RCMP officers. Most of the failures were in the 25-metre shooting qualification requirement - a long distance that doesn't reflect normal border conditions, she said.

As well, some officers needed fitness training so their arms remained steady during the shortened shooting training which caused fatigue.

Union national president Ron Moran said that last Friday, 24 out of 28 trainees qualified on their first try, reflecting changes made in the training program after the initial failure rates were noticed. He said those that initially failed to qualify should be given another chance. He added that the union is not advocating that unqualified offiers be pushed through.

"The employer has as much of a vested interest as we do," Moran said.

A spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said Tuesday that 20 per cent of the training class in July, and a smaller percentage in August did fail to qualify. But changes have been made to provide more coaching and 12 additional hours more practice time on the shooting range, for a total of 50 hours. In addition, other measures, such as not conducting the shooting range test on the same day as the written exam, have been implemented. She said the government expects the failure rate to drop when the September group graduates.

"The changes have been made," said Melisa Leclerc. "It can't be too easy (though)."

The government has announced that up to 4,800 land and marine guards will be armed eventually. This summer, 11 armed guards took up their posts in Windsor and Sarnia, and more were headed to Ottawa or B.C. for training. To date, 80 armed guards have been deployed across Canada. Airport border guards are not armed.

Coupal said the 25-metre precision shooting requirement is unrealistic under border conditions. "That's where we're losing most of our people. It's physically demanding on them."

Those who fail to qualify will get another crack at it, she added. "As it stands they're supposed to get two tries. They're just in the first round. These people will be going back for a second round."

Coupal said it is not known what will happen to those who fail to quallify.

"All that hasn't been worked out yet," she said. "I don't think that CBSA was ready for this."
Officers who qualify will carry nine-millimetre Berettas, and are also assuming more law-enforcement responsibilities. They'll be able to arrest and detain drunk drivers and people named in warrants until police arrive.

Leclerc said if an officer doesn't pre-qualify for training, or fails to qualify after two tries, every effort will be made to transfer him or her to a job where carrying guns is not required.

Initial estimates pegged the cost of arming Canada's border guards at $781 million, after the union lobbied for two decades for the right to carry weapons.

It is estimated it will take 10 years to complete the training and arming process.

They punish you for having an opinion in Singapore?? in that case..me PAP friend

2007-09-25T05:35:00.000-06:00

After reading this news article today online (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/301874/1/.html) about the two racist blogs taken offline. If any of the Singaporean Gov't officials at the MDA come across my blog, please take into account these words by some Singaporeans commented on another blog:

Chee_Bye_Capt_Canuck said...
i have a funny feeling that this capt. canuck is just a PAP mole. His logic is damn bloody idiotic: there has to be political leaders making millions.Siao chee bye this capt. why must it be a necessary condition that leaders make millions? They ain't doing a proper job in the first place.

to chee_bye_capt_canuck, don't get so worked up over him. he is damned cheap angmoh fry, can only afford sgd 800 to 1.1k for accomodation.it's very obvious that he is helping to sing the pap tune. for a person to regurgitate pinky clown's mee-siam-mai-hum logic, you automatically know his intellectual capacity. pappies shld confer honorary citizenship to this foreign- meddler-of-local-politics and ask him to serve 2 years of ns as well. see how fast he will slink back to canada.LOL

PAP..yeah, team...Don't cane me or beat me. I good expat. Friendly. Nice. Good good man am I. Obviously these Singaporeans need to be sought out and disciplined for their racist attitudes towards caucasians. I no sedition person like these two.

Devil is in the details....

2007-09-24T20:23:00.000-06:00

I think my wife hit it on the head this morning when she said "my hubby, has one f#$ked up mind". Yeah, I would be the one that would go along with that. After all, I read a little snippet in the paper today with the headline "Man attacks with stool in pub: gets jail". I read that to my wife and asked her "what do you think this article is about?" and she responded with the right answer that a man at a pub attacked another man with a bar stool (because the other man stole his seat). Yeah, this was the second thing that ran through my mind. The first was a story about a man that went a little nutty in a pub, came out of the bathroom with a 'stool sample' (piece of crap) in his hand, went up to another man and threw/hit him with it. Yeah, what can I say, I am a little messed up boy.

Then I put my foot in my mouth concerning the Public Service Announcement about terrorism and the MRT, but due to Singaporean restrictions on public speech in voice or internet, dont think I can repeat the discussion I had with my wife. Needless to say, my nasty free Canadian attitude and mind got her pissed off, as well as possibly any Singaporean within ear shot that was listening in.

After going through all this, my warped mind took a new turn. How is this for a revelatoin, I have now lived in two cities in two different countries that are, or have been, the murder capital of that country. Yes, it is true. I was living in Edmonton that held the distinct honour of being known as the murder capital of Canada until there was a double homicide in Winnipeg one night and only a double stab maiming in Edmonton and Winnipeg took hold as the murder capital of Canada. I think it has been fluctuating back and forth with the recent shootings/stabbings so not really sure, but it is true that I lived in Edmonton and was living in it at the time it was murder capital of Canada. Then, I sat back and realized, I am currently living in the murder capital of Singapore. Not only that, I am living in the drug capital/car theft/assault/sexual assault(rape)/petty theft/gang banging (and every other federal offence in the law books) capital of Singapore.

Kind of scary considering when I was in Edmonton I wasn't in the capital of any of those crimes since I believe the drug capital was Fort MacMurray (though I also heard Vancouver was a really close second, if not first). All those other crimes had other cities to be known as the captial of that crime, and yet, here I sit, in the mega-crime capital of the whole country of Singapore. Wow...it is really mind blowing. But, then I ease my fears and worries when I remind myself that whereas Canada has thousands of cities/towns/hamlets/villages within the country, Singapore has only one city. Funny how you can take a statistic and without putting forth the parameters, make something out to be worse off than it really is, huh? Guess it is true that the devil is always in the details.

Rules for the rulers and the ruled...

2007-09-24T01:05:00.000-06:00

Ok, I am mad so this is gonna be a huge ass rant entry with really no wit or thought which, come to think of it, really wont be that different from the rest of my entries, huh?

Here I am, in Singapore, and am told by my wife that since the Canadan dollar is up higher than it has been in a long time, it would be wise of me to go and change in some more of my travelers cheques for dollars and take advantage of this trend. So, today after I met her for lunch, I went to the nearest money changer that we have always gone to at the Northpoint shopping centre:

M & M Ismail & Co
930 Yishun Ave 2 #01-K2 Northpoint Shopping Centre Singapore 769098
t: 67558445

I had been there a few days previously and managed to change in $2000 canadian travelers cheques and $35 in US dollars for Singapore money at a rate of 1.5. I know, that was a great deal and I felt that something was up but not really gonna mention anything since I trust that this is a normal currency transaction. I show them my wares (travelers cheques), they give me an offer (1.5), I gladly take the offer and we buy/sell our items together. Here I am again, at the same store, showing them my travelers cheques. He takes all $5000 of them, looks them over and goes "oh, you were here few days ago with $2000 travelers cheques" and he pulls out the travelers cheques I signed and gave him back then. I looked at the signature, saw it was mine and said "yes, that was me". He then smiles and says "you owe us $90".

Yeah, needless to say I was a little taken aback by this statement. I asked 'pardon?' and he said that he gave me the American exchange rate for them and not the Canadian and it wasnt til they took the cheques upstairs that they noticed their mistake but by then I had left the counter. I could give the whole Abbot and Costello banter back and forth about the whole event but basically these were the two positions that were being taken:

M & M Ismail & Co - Mistake was made by them in patrons favor few days ago, patron owes changers $90.

Patron - Money changer made a mistake in favor of the patron, big ass notice on the money changers board reading "NOTICE: Customers are required to check their amounts before leaving the counter. The Management disclaims responsibility for any miscalculation after their leaving". Therefore, the mistake was done, we both checked our amounts back then, both were happy back then, I left with the amount and nothing was said.

I kept repeating the point about the sign and the windfall in my favor and he kept repeating "you owe us $90". I even went as far as saying "ok, let's reverse the situation and say you made a misteake and cheated me out of $90, could I come 4 days later and get it back from you?" his response "no, that didnt happen, you owe us $90". Back and forth this went, me realizing what was happening but trying to show him that according to his own rules of business that states the patron has to check for amount being correct, he should be responsible for checking and making it right before patron leaves. Both times, back and forth it went him not comprehending what I was saying, me not wanting to give up $90 for a mistake that he made in my favor.

I would have taken the travelers cheques at that point and said 'nope' and walked away but he had them all in his little glass cage and the only way for me to reach them would be to stick my arm up to my elbow in and grab them from his grasp. Now in a counter where they cane you vandalism and execute you for even possessing an amount of drugs over a certain limit, I had huge visions of what would happen if I reached into a secured money changing location to grab travelers cheques. So, with my travelers cheques held hostage by this individual, what could I do but say "ok". At one point I had not one, not two but THREE people with thick Indian accents trying to explain the situation to this dumb little Canuck that couldn't seem to grasp the situation that he owed money to these money changers.

When I told my wife about this situation, I basically got the idea that it was my fault. I should have held all the travelers cheques in my pocket, asked what the exchange rate was and only after it was set in stone, handed over the travelers cheques. Not sure how that would have stopped him at that point for taking the cheques and holding them and then telling me about the money that was owed. Apparently the common practice for dealing with money lenders is to treat them like theives and dishonest folk. I thought dealing with lawyers, politicians and drug dealers in Canada was bad, obviously I have not been prepared or taught how to deal with the low lifes that practice business here in Singapore.

Anyways, that is just my mindless rant about M & M Ismail & Co in Northpoint shopping centre here in Singapore. Not like anyone in Singapore even reads this little spot in cyberspace so not like it is going to hurt their business any if I say 'be warned. Go somewhere else. These money changers may be pleasant but if a business person doesnt practice their own rules of checking amounts before you leave, then they really arent worth doing business with'. So, like my wife says about the gov't, police, laws and social stigma in Singapore "there really isnt anything we can do about it, so might as well just smile and go along with it". So, I will smile, I will go along with it, and I will take all my money changing needs to another location and not go near M & M Ismail & Co ever again. I also feel I can write this because I am not slamming Singapore or the Singaporean way of life, just slamming a business that I feel has treated me unfairly.

new foods tried

2007-09-22T08:42:00.000-06:00

Ahh, my little world has gotten a bit bigger. Normally, for the last 32 years of my life, when people have asked me "what do you like to eat?" I could honestly look them in the eye and say "I have no preference, I will eat anything" though I would prefer not to have spicey foods, I still would be willing to try one here or there to give it a go. However, recently with the Mooncake festival happening here in Singapore, I can not say that now. I have to say that I really don't like the mooncakes. I have tried the cooked ones from the store and I tried a homemade one that wasnt cooked (something about a snow skin?). BOth of these cakes have had the strangest texture I have ever eaten. The only time I have ever experienced something like that was when I ate a durian cream puff where my tongue was saying 'not too bad' but there was a part of my brain going "this is soooo wrong". Took me 5 bites of the durian puff to get that feeling, but it took me one bite of the mooncake to get that feeling. Oh well, they say that experience is the good thing that makes a person stronger and more worldly. Guess I was just caught in a rut eating the same foods over and over again and now I am experiencing newer foods out here in the wide wide world to expand my pallette.

Canadian baptized into Singapore

2007-09-20T04:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I think I have been 'baptized' and am now an expat living in Singapore. I would say that I am a true Singaporean now, but I still hold my Canadian passport, actually wait til all passengers have alighted from the MRT before pushing on and will not jaywalk across 4 lanes of busy traffic instead of waiting the extra 15 seconds for the walk signal to turn.

When I saw the movie Singapore Dreaming, there was a part where the father comments about how disgusting it was that people urinated in the lift. Then, 30 minutes or so into the movie, the son-in-law, for some reason, decides to urinate in the lift after he got a parking ticket for parking in his HDB area. There is even a sign in the lift that says that 'urinating in the lift is a crime under the Environmental Protection Act'. Now, for some strange reason, I always figured that that they exagerated for the movie and the sign posted in the lift was Singaporean way of stating the obvious just in case someone thought someone comes home drunk on a friday night, 3 am, about 2 cases of beer in his blatter and cant wait to get up to the 6th floor and then run up 2 flights of stairs to his flat cause the elevator doesn't go to his floor directly. However, yesterday and then again today, I have been baptized.

9:30am, Yishun area, going up the HDB elevator, I found myself standing on one foot surrounded by a puddle that was slowly inching around me. I thought it was coffee or possibly a breakfast drink, but there was a strange off scent of asparagus in the air. Then, yet again, this afternoon around 5pm, same life, I got on and the strong aroma of urine was worse, so that was a definite. I have to say that I didn't do a dip test (dip the finger in and smell the liquid, like they do in all the horror movies and all) or really get down there to smell the liquid, but it had an off yellow color to it AND the lift did have the aroma that I find in most campsite toilets in Canada. So yeah, am gonna be firm on this belief and say it was urine.

So, yes, I am now truely baptized into the Canadian Expat living in Singapore by urine in the lift. I feel so....local now.

prostitution girls in alabama

2007-09-18T23:43:00.000-06:00

Now, I have always been a proactive speaker of legalizing prostitution. I mean, as long as it is not forced or some sort of slave trade then it should be fine. If a lady wants to sell her body for money, then go for it and why should the law stop her. I mean, essentially what is the difference from a woman going up to a guy and saying "$100 for sex" and a girl picking up guys in a bar and making them spend $160 on drinks and dinner and then going home and having sex with them. At least in the prostitution area the girl can pick and choose where the money is going instead of just selling her body for drinks and food. She can get a nice car, apartment, education or hell even donate the money to charity like the strippers did in Edmonton when that one kid was diagnosed with a terminal illness and the strippers did that charity work.

However, in this case in Alabama, my speaking out for the injustice of arresting these two ladies go beyond the freedom aspect of prostitution. It speaks down to the area of leave these two alone cause if they are able to find someone that is actually willing to have sex with them AND actually pay these ladies the money, then more power to them.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14140253/detail.html

I mean, look at them. WOW, that definitly takes one desperate man to be willing to pay that kind of money for that. If this was perhaps a set up for some reason, then why not charge them for the set up not the prostitution. Maybe these ladies found a married man to coerce into having sex with and then black mail him for more money or else they will tell the spouse or even black mail the guy saying "pay us $1000 or we tell your friends that you slept with us..and we have pictures", then charge them for blackmail. But $30 for a threesome with these two girls? man, that is definitly a good sign of 'supply and demand' cause there is a lot of supply and these two must be in low demand, throwing the price down a WHOLE lot.

Canadian High Commission, PDAs and family in Singapore

2007-09-18T02:49:00.000-06:00

Well, my first half week in Singapore. So far, things are going alright. Have had a few rather interesting run ins with the inlaws. Though, granted, not really a face to face issue but more a behind the lines issues that are being passed through my wife to me. For me, I am hearing about things that I wear that are not really acceptable in some eyes and am being told to change it just to keep people happy. I also hope that in return, the inlaws are getting some info on things I find rather interesting that might be changed or accomodated. Hey, I can dream....

Though I did learn that the Canadian High Commission here is truly a gov't run organization. We got there to have to sign in at the basement with our names, date, time in and ID badge number they provided, went up to the 11th floor, talked to the security guard (who, I swear, asked 'apply for?' though Ee swears he asked "what are you applying for?"...not sure if the 'what are you...' is automatically heard by Singaporeans who are used to speaking in broken english without nouns, verbs or adverbs and such..who then told us that everyone was out at lunch, to go down the elevator and come back in 30 minutes. Returning in 30 minutes we had to sign in at the basement with our names, date, time in and ID badge number they provided, went up to the 11th floor, talked to another security guard who had us sign in AGAIN and took our laptop, MP3, camera, cell phone and basically anything electronic, walked through a metal detector and sat in the waiting room for 5 minutes then we got to talk to the 'receptionist'. Found out she was the almightly receptionist who answered questions the same way 'go to this web site, read about it, go from there'. Ahhh, the wonders of the internet...reduce the use of actually talking to a human and getting them to explain things to going to a webpage to get the information, that we already went to and got the run around on it cause it is basically the worst navigational website I have ever seen. Even better, I think i was in a no win situation. I ask her one question at a time, she gives one answer at a time passing papers through the little security grill work and then expecting me to leave when I have so many questions. Near the 3rd questions he was pissed. Though, I have learned that when I ask all my questions in one breath, people get annoyed at me and answer one and then ask "what else did you want to know?" and then get annoyed when I ask question two. Ahhh, so nice to know, that when it comes to Canadian officials overseas, we get all the run around, just minus the cheery canadian smiles that you get in the actual Canadian gov't buildings on Canadian soil.

As for the webpage I was given, truly it is a work of the gov't. Instead of them actually having a person there that I can go up to and ask "hey, I am a Canadian Citizen living in Singapore and will be working. I really don't want to pay income taxes in two countries cause, hey, let's face it, both countries have high income tax, you tax me twice and I am pretty much broke. How can I file in only one country?" and I get a simple answer from people that know what they are talking about. Instead, with the wonders of the internet, I get to go to a place and, in the privacy of my own home and on my own time, I can get the gov't run around and walk away with absolutely no solution to my problem whatsoever. Ahhh, Gov't incompetance has found a friend in internet confusion.

Other than that, things are going as I remember life in Singapore from my many visits. Holding hands with my chinese wife in the mall will get me glances, hugging my chinese wife in the MRT will get me head shakes and glances, and if I dare to actually kiss her anywhere in public (MRT, street, mall, stores) I get glances/head shakes and glares all in one. At first I thought it was the racial thing where people dont approve of interracial relationships. However, after hearing the MM and PM talk about how Singapore is a cultural/racial accepting nation, I really couldn't blame it on that. I mean, how can a $2,000,000 politician be wrong? Got to be paid for something. So, I guess I get those glares because Singapore is definitly a very reserved country in the froms of Public Displays of Affection (PDAs) and I will have to learn how to keep my hands/lips to myself and off my wife.

Also, wonder how long it will be before I can walk through a mall without being accosted by tailors wanting to make me a suit for cheap price, and the trishaw bicycle people to not try to catch my eye and wave me in for a ride.

Canuck in Singapore

2007-09-15T22:11:00.000-06:00

touch down. After a rather 'fun' trip of curses and problems, I have landed in Singapore and ready to start my new life here with my wife. So far, it has been like our normal life. Living in a hotel for a couple days to have some privacy, then live with her parents for a bit while looking for a place to rent. So far, that has been a bust since the cost is rather high, plus I think once the landlord hears I am caucasian, the door somehow shuts rather quickly. Oh well, with perserverance and all, I am sure we will make due.

All I have to worry about now is to get my visa extended since I only got a 30 day pass to stay in singapore, and now have to go to immigration on Monday and beg for more time to get a longer pass to stay. Gonna be interesting, cause if Singapore Immigration is anything like Canadian immigration, this is gonna be a run around.

2007-09-12T16:51:00.000-06:00

The greatest adventure is nearly upon me. Spent the last two weeks saying goodbye to friends and family, shaking hands, giving hugs, tearful farewells and the like. Just wish I could have stayed in one space for the last 14 years, cause my friends are pretty much scattered around. Had to do quite a trip driving and all to say good bye to people. Seems the whole gang is growing up and all. One has a house and kid already there, and the other has a house in the near future with another wedding happening, me moving away to Singapore.

Things that have had me sort of laughing? First off is the looking for an apartment to live in. Luckily, my wife has been doing the looking and trying to find a place though we have decided that we wont really 'view' a place til I am there so that she can get my input into the place and we can make a joint decision. I browse through the ads now and then, but when I get to ads that actually say "No India or China" or "Malaysians Only" or "No Malay workers" has me sort of shaking my head. I was told this was because some people have worries renting to certain people because there is a trend that some people are just unreliable. I have heard that in Canada as well, though we call that stereotyping and discrimination. Even though it does exist, there are laws that are out there that stop it from happening. Just the blatant "NONE OF YOUR KIND" is sort of interesting in my mind.

But, as for Canada, I have my utilities canceled, bags are packed, people said goodbye and wife waiting patiently for me in Singapore. Now all I need is an over zealous customs officer, bucking for a promotion for more pay, to find a small little thing wrong with my travel documents and send me back to Canada. But will see what happens in the future.

global mobile return tests...

2007-09-08T21:00:00.000-06:00

While waiting for a doctors appointment I came across this little article in Reader's Digest:

http://www.readersdigest.com.au/content/global-mobile-phone-test/

What struck me as memorable about this test was the fact that I too lost a cell phone but not in Canada, but in Singapore. I lost a cell phone in a cab, we called the number 10 minutes after we realized it was gone and a guy answered and we heard him give directions to a location and wouldnt talk to us and we never saw the phone again. Funnily enough, 2 days later, I was out with my wife and I saw a phone on the floor of a busy mall at a McDonald's. I instantly asked her if there was a 'lost and found' in the mall and she replied that she did not know. So I turned to the lady behind the counter and said "I found this phone on the floor. Can I leave it with you to return it if someone comes looking?" She smiled and took the phone and we left. I would have kept the phone and waited for the individual to call it or at least call a few numbers in the memory to locate the owner, but we were just leaving to catch a plane in 2 hours, so figured that was the easiest way to get the phone back to the owner.

The one thing that got me totally by surprise was the look on my wife's face when I handed the phone in to be given back to the owner. For four hours afterwards, she kept saying things like "that was a new phone. we could have kept that phone and resold it and gotten the money back on the phone that you lost plus had a few extra to spend on the vacation" To this day, I am not sure if she was joking or serious about the whole keeping the phone and reselling it. Guess at a 53% return rate in Singapore compared to a 93% return rate in Canada.

Internet People

2007-09-07T21:18:00.000-06:00

Dan Meth and Micah Frank, I salute you...this is awesome. I remember so many of them..how many do you remember?

To all the freaky internet people out there that made my weird life look sane, I thank thee....

pen is mightier than the sword

2007-09-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Yet another cartoon causes problems in the world today. Just like when those dutch cartoons caused major problems of fire bombs, riots and deaths, I am sure that this cartoon is, yet again, only the beginning. Sure, Yellowknifers say that they will forgive Edmonton. Sure they say that the cartoon was disappointing but they will let it pass. Oh, I don't think so. I am sure that in the near future, Edmontonions vacationing in Yellowknife might find themselves being spirited away in Canadian Armed Forces choppers to safety after their hotel is besieged by hundreds of irrate Yellowknifers out for blood.

Cartoonists, when will they learn that the pen is often mightier than the sword.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2007/09/07/4476251-sun.html
Cartoon cut deep
Yellowknifers bombard Sun, radio station over Oilers toon
By NICKI THOMAS, SUN MEDIA

For the past week, irate Yellowknifers have been inundating the Edmonton Sun with letters about an editorial cartoon that unfavourably compared their city to the Alberta capital.
But like the parent of a naughty child, Yellowknife isn't mad at Edmonton - they're just disappointed.

"We were disappointed that we would be the brunt of such an awful, awful cartoon," said Joanne McKenzie, host of Yellowknife's Mix 100 morning show.

McKenzie said that the radio station received hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from people who were offended by the catty cartoon.

"People got a bit defensive."

In the cartoon, Oilers president Pat LaForge stands with general manager Kevin Lowe beside a sign that reads, "Welcome to Yellowknife, N.W.T."

LaForge says, "Of all the places to hold rookie camp ..."

"... It makes Edmonton look like a great place to live," responds Lowe.

"... Brilliant," says LaForge.

Proud Yellowknifer Bob Ross posted the cartoon at his sports bar, Surly Bob's.

"It's easy for people who've never been to another city to criticize it," he said.

Ross received a lot of feedback on the cartoon, but said he couldn't repeat most of it.

"They were disappointed that people would crap on the city," he said, adding that the people of Yellowknife take a lot of pride in their hometown.

McKenzie explained that another reason Yellowknifers were so hurt was because they like Edmonton and are very supportive of the Oilers.

"We feel very close to Edmontonians," she said, adding that the cartoon felt like a shot from a bigger brother.

"I don't think either (city) needed to be run down."

Sun Media cartoonist Tim Dolighan admitted that he didn't know his Aug. 29 contribution had caused such a stir.

"I'm kind of surprised that people read it," he said from his home outside Toronto.
Dolighan said that in his cartoons there is an ongoing joke about the Oilers and Edmonton's inability to attract players.

He was understanding of Yellowknife's hurt feelings, saying that if he were from the city, he might be upset too.

"On the other hand, it's just a cartoon," he added. "I'd apologize because it wasn't meant to offend people."

So Dolighan is sorry, but can the city of Yellowknife forgive the city of Edmonton?

"Yellowknife will forgive Edmonton with some apology and nice things," joked Mayor Gordon Van Tighem.

To ensure the incident didn't go unnoticed by city officials, Van Tighem sent notes about the cartoon to several council members as well as to Mayor Stephen Mandel.

He also encouraged Yellowknifers to send photos of their beautiful city to the Edmonton Sun.
But Yellowknifers will soon forget all this unpleasantness, he said.

"Editorial cartoons last a day. Then they're in the canary cage."

My dad...

2007-09-06T21:56:00.000-06:00

I have heard that a boy first idolizes his father, then hates his father, then befriends his father and, in the end, is his father. I always wondered about that since I did idolize my father when I was growing up with all the things that he did for my brother and I. Games he played, things he taught us to make us adults and mature. Though I dont think I ever went through the hate stage, but I did befriend my father and we are good friends now. Though, something happened the other night that gave me the glimpse that I am becoming my father.

My dad was basically the 'sex' scene in the lion king, or the erection in the Little Mermaid. He was a man that would walk through life totally G rated but every now and then he would slip in a totally innocuous little comment that a 10 year old or lower would think is strange way to answer a question but an adult would look at him and go "my god, you said that to a child!??!?!". I later found out that he was doing this for his own amusement but also to test to see how we were growing up, if we were listening to him and also to see if we not only listened to the answer of the question but also thought outside the box enough to see the double meaning in his words. I did that the other night with my own nephew.

My brother, nephew, neice and I went out to dinner and on the ride home I was being quizzed by the nephew. Got the usual math questions of 36 times 5 or 4,002 minus 453. I thought without a pen and paper I was doing good. Then we switched to science. Was fielding most of the questions pretty good but then I got asked "what in the woods is wasted?". For some reason, without thinking, I answered "well, that would depend on how close the woods are to the high schools". I got a glare from my brother and confused looks from my neice and nephew. The question was repeated and I had to give my answer of "nothing".

After I got home and went through that again and again, I got to thinking that the answer I gave would have been given to me by my dad. So, I guess that I am either my dad at heart and just need the right stimulus to bring it out, or I am slowly becoming my dad either way. Though, I can honestly say, that if I can even turn out to be 1/10th of the man that my dad is, I think I will have become more of a man than most of the people I have worked with or met.

Don't pay any attention to the man behind the curtain!!!

2007-09-02T20:58:00.000-06:00

In this world there are two types of people. Those that see a magic act, go 'wow' and gasp and then walk away with the beauty and magic in their hearts. Then there are those that see the magic, tape the performance, watch it in still frame by frame, disect every single aspect of the act til they can say "HA, the bird goes up his jacket here, comes down his arm there and comes out there! mystery solved."

Question is, at what point do we film and pick it apart or do we sit back and go "wow, what a wonderful act" and leave the mystery to the unknown?

http://news.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/Entertainment/ContentPosting.aspx?feedname=CBC-ARTS-V2&newsitemid=davinci-method&showbyline=True

Researchers uncover Leonardo da Vinci's method stroke for stroke

Italian researchers say they have been able to reconstruct for the first time, stroke by stroke, how Renaissance master painter Leonardo da Vinci created his works of art.

Artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, who died in 1519, is known for his vivid, lifelike paintings such as the Mona Lisa.

Investigators at the University of Florence have uncovered Leonardo's method of creating his works by using a scientific device to analyze the painting Madonna of the Yarnwinder.

In the oil painting, completed in 1501, Leonardo depicts the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus, who is looking at a yarnwinder being used to spin yarn.

"For the first time we have managed to reconstruct his work step by step, like as if watching him while he painted," said Cecilia Frosinini, one of the researchers.

"We have been able to understand what type of painting materials he used, how many layers of colours were applied, and in what thickness and sequence." The researchers used what they call a nuclear accelerator device that launches particles at high speed to decipher the painting technique.

The examination showed that Leonardo applied thin layers of paint directly on the canvas. Different colours were layered on top of one another to create a rich texture.

Leonardo, who died in 1519, is considered among the greatest painters of all time, renowned for his Mona Lisa and The Last Supper masterpieces. The artist, who was also a scientist and inventor, was largely self-taught and left works of art that are acclaimed for their vivid and lifelike qualities.

His painting techniques and futuristic designs continue to attract scientists. A high-resolution 3-D laser scan of the Mona Lisa by Canada's National Research Council in 2006 revealed the woman who sat for the Mona Lisa painting may have been pregnant or just given birth.

Scientists discovered the Mona Lisa was wearing a translucent gauze garment over her dress - a garment known to be worn by women of the time during or after their pregnancy.

Man, life makes you laugh

2007-09-02T16:18:00.001-06:00

wow, so many things happen in this strange little city I am in that you just got to laugh yourself silly over it.

First off, I have come to the conclusion that I am a caveman walking through the space age. Yesterday I was out walking around and thought I would meet out up with my father who was out walking. By force of my mother (you know, the She Who Must Be Obeyed in all families), he is on a cell phone family plan and carries a cell phone. Just in case he is out of ear shot and mother feels the need to call and nag or ask a question she already knows the answer to. I thought I would call him on the cell, find out where he was, meet up with him somewhere and go from there. After all, you have the technology on you, use it..and it was sort of an emergency. So, I went looking for a pay phone. I looked through 2 malls and 3 stores, not a single pay phone. Direct lines to cab companies or hotels, but no pay phones. One mall store owner even told me that there wasnt a pay phone in the entire mall I was standing in. I remember a time, long ago when horses and buggies roamed the streets apparently, when you couldn't walk into a mall without having a row of 4 pay phones there. Now, I think I have to go to the phone company building and they might have a pay phone in their lobby.

Then there was the case of the cement. Apparently there is a corner in this city that has been torn up for the last 2-3 months, with barracades around it and making people that want to walk on that side walk on the street for a bit and risk being hit by the horrible drivers out there. Finally they got the cement crew up here and they poured the corner nicely. They then posted a guard on the street corner to stop people from writing their names or symbols into the cement. I drove by the corner a few times and saw the guard there, my family walked by the corner and saw the same guard there, we estimate that the guard was out there for at least 10-12 hours, guarding this little patch of cement. Well, we had to walk past this little patch of cement coming home from the movie and there were three names "Justin", "Marie" and "Violet" along with a symbol of some sort (possibly that graffitti gang art you see scrawled on the walls sometimes) in the cement. 10-12 hours of guarding, and in the end still had the names put into it. Makes me kind of wonder, how boring is it in this place when the only fun and interesting times that you can have is to wait out a guard of wet cement for 10-12 hours til he goes home so that you can run out there and carve your name into the half dried cement? I must be out of touch with reality cause no matter how many times, between the ages of 6 and 32 that I walked past a patch of wet/half wet/nearly wet cement, I never had the urge to reach down and put my name/face/hand/foot print in the cement. Guess I just don't seek immortality like some people out there do.

Though, one thing happened today that made me have one small glimmer of hope for the future of the children today. In the movie theatre, movie is about to start, a row of 5 seats is taken up by a man and his two little kids when a girl, that couldnt have been more than 8 years old, walks up to the man and in a polite tone of voice without fear or malice askes "excuse me sir, are these seats taken?" and gestures towards the two remaining seats. No "Yo, wuz up with these seats?" or just sitting down without asking if they were taken, or even no swears or cusses. Just a polite and respectful question to ask if the seats were available. Just hope that this little girl can keep the politeness and respect going and she doesnt turn into the punks of 12-18 year olds taken over the streets today.

Underdog - Movie Review

2007-09-02T16:06:00.000-06:00

Ever watch a movie that has such conflicting emotions about it that you are wondering what you really thought of the movie? That is how I feel about Underdog. At the moment, the 32 year old in me is screaming out "my god, what a waste of time and money." whereas the 8 year old inner child in me is crying out "that was hilarious!".

I have to say that this was a pretty good family movie that a kid could probably sink their teeth into if they are in to the wholesome family fun movies. If the kids you have are totally into the death, destruction, and swearing movies where it really isn't a movie unless at least three things explode or someone has an attitude towards parents, then they probably won't like this movie in the least. The characters are totally stereotypical beyong belief. Underdog is a wholesome character, the two female love interests of both characters (human and dog) are too cute for words and perfect in manners and person beyond belief. The sidekick is soo stupid and...well, a side kick beyond any meaning of the word. The evil genius is your typical evil genius with the far fetched cartoon demands and simplistic evil plan that can be foiled.

There are a few one liners that made the old person in me groan and yet at the same time made the 8 year old child in me laugh. While the plot is simplistic beyond belief and got a 'oh come on' from the adult, the child was clapping for joy. There really wasn't much in the way of character development, plot, story or even depth to who they were, but let's face it, at 8 years old where your best friend on the playground today is the one who brought the coolest toy to play with, depth and tricky plots really don't mean much.

So, yeah, take your kids to see this movie but really dont look for the whole depth or complex movies. If your kid watches Halloween, Friday the 13th or The Others and finds them exciting and a cinematic piece of genius, then dodge this film. If your kid still giggles and laughs at Stuart Little flying his little plane, then this is probably the movie for them.

SiCKO - Review

2007-08-30T21:58:00.000-06:00

Just came back from watching SiCKO in the theatre. I know, I think I must be the last person on the planet to have watched this movie, but I have been locked away in Canada's arctic for the last 5 weeks so I have an excuse.

I thought this movie was great, but a few problems were still in my mind. Michael Moore has definitly started to refine his skills in the movie making industry. I could almost aquate him as a boxer. In his first fight he came out like a common street brawler, throwing punches and shots with anger and passion but having no finesse, no art, no real style. His second film, he learned from his mistakes and learned some style and art. With every fight he changed from a common street brawler to a heavy weight champion boxer. Learning to dance, rope-a-dope, avoiding hits and picking the spots where he can go in, throw a few punches, do the most damage and then dance out of reach.

The problem I had with the film though was that I found him slightly skewed when it came to comparison of the different countries and their health care. He seemed to have looked for the horror stories in the states but then went to the other countries and found the middle class. Granted he did interview an American that lost the tips of two of his fingers (and he could only afford to replace the $12,000 ring finger tip and not the $60,000 middle finger tip) and then a Canadian worker that lost basically 4 of his fingers on one hand and they all got surgically attached for free because of the Canadian health care system. Then when he was comparing the system as in looking at a family from America that was forced to move to their kids spare room because they couldnt afford the health costs because the husband had 3 heart attacks and the wife had been diagnosed with a tumour in her head. He then went to France and found a middle class family with the husband being an engineer and the wife being an assistant with two kids and they were living comfortably with an $8,000/month income and no debt. Granted, the point he might be making is that the health care puts people into debt, there should still be some common ground to compare.

Go to France/England/Canada and ask for the horror stories. I mean, I have heard some horrible stories about how Workers Compensation Board in Canada wont lift a finger to help people and if they can find a way to screw you over they would. I have heard that most people walk away from WCB thinking that they have been screwed over and no one has walked away happy. Though I would be the anomoly there since I was quite happy with the WCB, but thought that the health care system really needed a looking over. 4 months to get looked at, diagnosed and operated on is a little bit of wait, even for an elective surgery. But it was free (well free in that I didn't have a bill, but not free in that I pay for it through taxes), so can't really complain. I would be interested to see if the other countries had a few horror stories in that the doctors gave a wrong diagnosis, made a mistake here or there and permanantly screwed up someone's health to the point that they couldn't work but the gov't just shrugged their shoulders and went "oh well, what can you expect?"

Michael Moore definitly proved beyong a reasonable doubt that the American system is corrupt and does need reworking. However, as I was told when it comes to proving a point in an experiment or in an essay for university, don't try to prove that your thesis is right (the American health care system sucks) because you can always find evidence that you are right, but prove that your thesis is wrong (American health care system is perfect) because if you can prove that you are wrong, then obviously it is wrong, but if you can't find evidence that it is wrong, then you are obviously right. I found that he went out of his way to prove that the American Health Care system was bad, and he found that evidence, then he went out of his way to prove that the foreign socialized health care system was good, and he found that as well. If he had said that he put out a web page call for all horror stories in France/Britain and he got none whatsoever, then I would have more faith in the movie than if he had just contacted people that might have given him the right answers he was looking for.

Either which way, I found the movie incredibly informative, entertaining, wonderfully written and a great piece of cinema art. He is definitly using his 'power' for good and not evil and can not wait for his next piece to come out and see what he is going to turn his eyes towards.

Edmonton Councillors veto vote 11-1

2007-08-30T08:14:00.000-06:00

Before fading off to sleep, I got a bit of a fuming chuckle at the stupidity that exists in the Edmonton City Council, being reported on the news. It was put to a vote for the public to vote on whether or not the Council should be getting their raises that they have been asking for...or I should be saying, telling the Edmonton taxpayer this is what they will be getting. Not a surprise that the motion to put it to public vote was 11-1 against. Kind of tells you the faith the councillors have in their work ability and how the people are seeing them do a good job, doesn't it? I mean, you put it to vote and you know that you are doing a horrible job, you ain't gonna get your money. You know you have done a fantastic job and have made a lot of people happy, you put it to vote cause you know you are gonna get the money.

One councilwoman was even put on TV saying that the council members work long hours, sometimes 60 hours a week, and those long hours and hard work mean they deserve a raise in pay. What I find funny is that the Edmonton council has passed many things in the way of waste of money on from a new sports colliseum, new art gallery and looking to spend nearly a million dollars on upgrading the "Welcome to Edmonton" signs around the city. Yet, the pot holes (AKA car traps) are running wild around the city, affordable housing is far from reach and people are tenting out in parks (the councils reaction? build up fences around the people and give them ID cards to get into the 'tent city'..oh yeah, money well spent there).

The only response I have to the female city councillor that said 'long hours means we deserve more pay" is "long hours mean nothing if you are giving us crap! I can go into a kitchen as a cook, spend 23 hours a day and give you burnt pancakes and a dry turkey. Doesn't mean I should turn to my boss and demand a pay raise saying I work so many hours. " How about the city councillors try something new for a change. Give us good quality work and leadership and not a bunch of quantity hours spent in the office thinking of many ways to flush Edmonton tax payers money down the toilet.

Pity I won't be around to throw my ballot in the direction of anyone but those that are already sitting on council. Hell, I would even consider running for mayor. I mean, if people are this fed up with Mandell and the bunch in the council chairs, they would vote in anyone just to show him that he can't run the city roughshod. I remember there was a 22 year old college student in Red Deer that ran for mayor once. Maybe that is what we need? a University of Alberta Political Science student to give it a go and show them what some new fresh blood can do in the system.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2007/08/30/4457249-sun.html

Council rejects public vote on pay raise

By FRANK LANDRY, CITY HALL BUREAU

So much for a public vote on whether city councillors deserve a 13% pay hike.

In an 11-1 decision, civic politicians shot down a motion brought forward by Coun. Mike Nickel that would have seen the question placed on the fall election ballot.

That all but guarantees the raises will go through.

"I saw this as nothing more than a political gimmick on behalf of a particular organization," Coun. Michael Phair said yesterday.

"It was an attempt to undermine politicians ... That really appals me."

Phair said in a democratic society, people elect politicians to make decisions on their behalf, and that's exactly what happened in this case.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation had collected 2,700 signatures from Edmontonians over a period of a year demanding a public vote on the pay hike and perks package.

In order to force a referendum on the issue, about 71,000 signatures would have to be collected within a period of 60 days.

The petitions were presented to Nickel last week. He brought forward the motion to council late Tuesday night.

"Someone needs to get a dictionary and look up the word democracy," said Scott Hennig, Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. "Democracy does not mean a small group of people, once they're elected, get to do whatever they want."

Council last summer OK'd a boost to their pay and benefits, including a 30% hike in monthly car allowance and a larger RRSP contribution. While most of the perks have already kicked in, the raise takes effect Oct. 23.

Once it does, councillors will be making $72,000, with one-third of that being tax-free. The mayor's pay will rise 7% to $130,000.

City clerk David Edey said placing the question on the ballot would have cost the city $100,000 to $150,000 in advertising and related expenses.

As well, the result would not have been legally binding.

"The next council would have the discretion to pass it or not," Edey said.

Phair - who is not seeking re-election - said members of council are not overpaid. To drive home his point, at Tuesday's council meeting he produced a T4 tax slip. He said he made about $52,000 last year after taxes and retirement savings were deducted.

"That paid for my mortgage, and that paid for the payments on my automobile, and it paid for gas and electricity and food and all the other kinds of things people do.

"I don't have any trouble showing that's what it is."

Nickel was unavailable yesterday for comment.

Coun. Kim Krushell said a public vote on the pay hike wouldn't be worth the expense, especially because it wouldn't be binding. "I looked at all these facts and said, 'Why would I support spending more money?' "

She said voters ultimately will be able to toss city politicians out of office on election day if they disagree with decisions that have been made.

Mayor Stephen Mandel was not present for Tuesday's vote, but he's said he wouldn't support putting the question on the ballot.

family chuckles

2007-08-29T21:34:00.000-06:00

Visiting my parents is always a good and interesting thing to do. Visiting them for 6 days on my travels and got the usual reception. Which means picked up, chatted for a few hours to catch up on events, learn a few things and then sit back and watch TV and chat about the shows. Also, my mother has a habit of cutting out newspaper articles that I might find interesting as well as comics that give her a chuckle. This time out I got a few articles about 'culinary boot camp' and 'the first 10 anniversary gifts to give' as well as an article that hit the Edmonton Journal a few months ago concerning Singapore and the minister wage increase. This is what the article read:

***
SINGAPORE MINISTERS SUDDENLY MILLIONAIRES

Singapore/ How much money does it take to keep a government minister in Singapore happy?

The government says a million dollars is not enough, and on Monday it annouced a 60-per-cent boost in ministers' salaries, to an average of $1.9 million Singapore dollars, or about $1.3 million US, by next year.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will see his pay jump to about $2 million -- five times the $400,000 earned by President George W. Bush.

Despire a public outcry, officials have defended the increase, saying the government has to pay well to attract people -- and to keep corruption at bay.
***

After having kept up to date on the reading in Singapore, as well as the few blog comments made when this increase was announced, I really wasn't that shocked or astounded to read this now. After all, kind of hard to gasp and go "OH MY GOD!" when you have done that a few months earlier. What got me about the article was the statement 'despite a public outcry'. When I read about a 'public outcry' I think North American public outcry of people looking to buck the system and not pay taxes to get the message across that they are not happy with this, people protesting in the streets (or at least in front of city halls or their parliament buildings), at the very least there is a bombardment of letters to the local newspapers or letters to the local politicians saying that this is a load of crap and threatening lack of support in the next election if this is actually done. But, after keeping an eye on the papers, there was no mention of strikes, no mention of protests, no mention of basically anything. The only public outcry I read about was the fact that people in the streets mumbled "lousy thing to do to us" and then nothing. Think the bloggers covered more about this than the papers did. So, this public outcry must have been the letters being sent by the handful to the local GRC politicians/ministers and nothing really outcrying. Perhaps the article should have report "Despite a public murmering.." or "..public ripple.." over an 'outcry'. Guess some papers just aren't up to snuff with the proper use of the english language and all and want to sensationalize the news instead of reporting what actually happens.

The other thing that got me shaking my head was the show The Power of Ten (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/powerof10/about/). Wikipedia gives a brief idea of the game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_10) though I also read in a magazine that 25% of readers have found errors or falsehoods in the reporting, so take it with a grain of salt. Nothing is stated as to where they actually get their statistics that they ask to the people. I think it is drastically skewed. I mean, one question was "what percentage of American men would leave their wives if she gained 100 lbs?" Of course, being a guy and knowing how shallow us North American men are, I went with a high percentage of 60-100% of men. I mean with all this obssession with weight loss, age reduction beauty treatments and crap like that, obviously there is something there with physical beauty, right? Well, turns out that only 24% of men would do this. Ok, I can justify it, the question was obviously asked with the wife standing next to the man and only a few brave men were willing to sleep on the sofa and end up spending nearly $300 on flowers and gifts to say that they were sorry.

Then they asked "what percentage of americans eat out at a fast food restaurant more than once a week?" Again, seeing the obesity problem in the States go through the roof to the point of it being considered an epidemic, I put the range into the 60-90%. Answer? 23% of the poled people in America eat out at a fast food place more than once a week. Got me wondering, what people are they poling here? Are they going to health food stores and work out gyms and polling them? I mean, if you look at the student life style, they live on pizza and burgers and students and single mothers have to make up for a large percentage of the American population, so there is a lot of fast food eating happening there.

The last question I watched before walking away shaking my head in wonderment was "what percentage of Americans think that they could, if they wanted to, sneak a firearm through airport security?" Of course, I figured that Americans being the safety people that they are would be between 1-21% of people think they could do it. Answer? 56% of Americans seem to think that they could sneak a firearm through airport security. Are they out of their minds? A 75 year old grandmother can't get knitting needles on a plane, I can't even get a bottle of water on a plane, ladies have trouble getting lipstick and facial cream together (you can have a lipstick tube OR a facial cream container, but both would go over the 100ml limit) and 56% of Americans think that they can get a fire arm onto a plane?

I think that with these answers coming out I have come up with a statistic of my own. How many Americans lie on surveys, and I am sure that the answer is in the high top 5 percentile. Cause the only other alternative is 'how many Americans are totally nuts?'

why I dont stand on the curb

2007-08-28T07:04:00.000-06:00

When I take the LRT or even cross the street here, I never stand on the corner or at the immediate ledge until the train or traffic has come to a complete stop. So many times I have been passed by people that go right to the curb and then turn and look at me strangely like I am an idiot for standing back a couple of feet. Why do I do it? Simple answer, too many freaks out there. This happened recently and I remember when I was going to the university I read a case of a student that was pushed onto the tracks. Luckily, the student was saved by another person and the 'pusher' was tackled and 'apprehended' (read a few punches and kicks that left him stunned) for police and he was charged. What is it with people that they feel the need to push someone into the path of an oncoming train? Not going to say anything yet about drug debts gone bad or racial rivalry til after this woman's case is heard. Can hardly wait to hear that she has been considered 'mentally unstable', goes into a mental hospital and is released 6 months later 'cured and fit to enter society'.

In the meantime, you can find me standing in the middle of the train platform or at least 4 feet from the curb on the traffic streets wondering how many people around me are 'mentally stable' individuals.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070827/transit_killing_070827/20070827?hub=Canada

Suspect in Calgary transit killing arrested
Updated Mon. Aug. 27 2007 7:24 PM ET
Canadian Press

CALGARY -- The woman who allegedly shoved a Calgary teenager into a moving transit train earlier this month is now behind bars and facing murder charges.

Natalie Michelle Pasqua, 25, was arrested in Edmonton over the weekend on unrelated mischief and obstruction charges after giving police a false name.

Once she was identified, Calgary police travelled to the Alberta capital and charged her on Sunday night with second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Gage Jeffrey Prevost.
Calgary police had been searching for Pasqua since Aug. 1 when Prevost was pushed from a crowded train platform during afternoon rush hour and fell in between two moving cars.

The teen died instantly from massive internal injuries after falling into the gap between two moving cars and getting trapped upside down between the train and the platform in front of more than 100 commuters.

Det. John Dooks, with Calgary Police Service's violent crimes section, said Pasqua will make her first appearance on the murder charge on Friday once her other charges have been dealt with in Edmonton.

Police believe Prevost and Pasqua had been arguing just moments before the fatal push, but refused to say what the argument was about "for investigative reasons.''

"They may have been known to each other _ we don't think they were close friends or associates or domestic partners or anything like that,'' Dooks said Monday afternoon.

The area where Prevost died is an area known to be awash in drugs and other street crime.

Dooks wouldn't say if Pasqua made a statement to police before the murder charge was laid.
Police had initially hoped that surveillance cameras on the transit platform would capture what happened but the sheer number of commuters obscured the view.

They ended up soliciting businesses in the area for any video footage taken at the time.
Police believe the woman responsible for killing Prevost escaped immediately after the incident.
The next day they issued a release asking for assistance in finding a the woman whom they described as "dark-skinned, possibly aboriginal, in her mid-20s, with facial scarring'' and wearing tight-fitting pants and a red or pink tank top.

A few days later, a woman fitting the police description was waiting for a train when she was set upon by a group of Prevost's friends who had returned to the station for an impromptu memorial. She hadn't even heard about the crime.

Police took her away from the mob in handcuffs after she was hit and spat upon. They later issued a news release saying she had been questioned and cleared of any involvement in Prevost's death.

In the three weeks before her arrest, Calgary police extended their search for Pasqua to both Regina and Edmonton where she had been known to frequent, as well as the Muskowekwan First Nation near Punnichy, Sask.

Prevost's friends and family held a memorial service Sunday in Charlottetown, P.E.I., where he used to live.

edmontonsun comments

2007-08-18T07:22:00.000-06:00

every now and then I read a comment in the EdmontonSun that I go "YES!" and then I read another that makes me go "D'OH!". For instance, this comment made by R.R. Sidor (http://www.edmontonsun.ca/Comment/Letters/2007/08/18/4426997.html) about cell phone users

"Calling all phone addicts: if you could see how silly you look on your cell in public, you would disconnect from this foolish practice. Phones should be used to communicate important messages and for emergencies, not to annoy and disrupt concentration. Warnings should be placed on cellphones, stating they may cause serious damage when used with other devices. The use of cellphones while driving should be a criminal offence."

I agree, cell phones should be used as an emergency device or really important message. No matter how badly you may think it is, calling someone from the video store to ask "where you at?" and what movie you should rent to 'chillax with' is NOT an important emergency. I also think people look goofy standing in the supermarket going "yeah, ok, got the spaghetti sauce...anything else we need? milk? ok...gonna go to the milk aisle now...oh, just passed the canned fruit, do we need pineapple chunks?" How about some advanced planning here? make a freaking list people. I guess I am just an antisocial person since I think going shopping or running errands by myself to spend some quiet time alone with my thoughts is a good thing and I dont need a cell phone to talk to friends who might be in another store or doing something else constantly to keep me company.

Then there are comment like W.P. Allen makes (http://www.edmontonsun.ca/Comment/Letters/2007/08/17/4424325.html) that make me go "D'OH":

"I have no problem with multiculturalism, but if Canada is a free country then why am I seeing more and more women draped in robes from head to toe with veils hiding their faces? Surely the women who wear this garb are not truly free. I don't understand why anyone would come to this country only to live by the same oppressive laws and/or religious doctrines of the country from which they fled. To me it looks like the women are being kept under control and that is not freedom. "

I like how s/he starts off by saying they have no problem with multiculturalism but then says that these women are obviously being held hostage of religious/cultural dogma because they are retaining their religious/cultural beliefs. I get the feeling the message behind this comment is "I have nothing against multiculturalism as long as you are my culture". I guess W.P. doesn't really consider the thought that the ladies came to Canada and made a choice to retain their cultural beliefs. Perhaps they came for the freedom and safety knowing that they can not be beaten or forced into some cultural medical procedure that they would have undergone in their homeland, but they choose to retain their clothing habits.

Though I did think like W.P. did before then I put it into terms of what I wear and what I think. I am totally against brand name labels. I find it strange to pay $120 for a pair of jeans that have a brand name when I can buy a pair of jeans for $40 that are perfectly fine but lacking the name label on them. So, I have exercised my freedom of choice to wear the cheaper brands. However, so many people have commented that I obviously 1) have no pride in my appearance since I can afford higher priced clothes to show my financial stability but I dont, or 2) am poor and forced to wear cheaper quality clothes and thus they pity me. So, after I thought "it is my choice of what I wear, though I do have the freedom to change" I considered maybe that is the same way for people that come from other countries with cultural clothes (turbins, head scarves, etc...).

So, nice to know there are some people out there that think like I do. I do love our opinion/comments page of the papers. Always nice to have a section to vent and show either our arrogance/ignorance of the world.

polls...gotta love them

2007-08-16T21:16:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, polls. Dont you just love them? I mean, people ask questions that might be on your mind, put it up and then you vote on what you think the answer should be. Granted, they always seem to give a couple of answers, but yours might not be in the possibilities. Of course there is the problem with bias based on the skew factor. People that take the time to make a call are usually ones that have a huge and passionate view point on that subject. Those that don't really care either breeze through it or randomly pick something without thinking.

Some polls I have found are in http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTemplate which are commonly associated with Canadian news events and people respond to those. Others are found at http://edmsun.canoe.ca/poll_archive.html which tends to stick to Edmonton concerns or questions, but can branch out to federal news events as well, though the general answers here will be from Albertans, if not solely Edmontonians.

However, the one place that I had to top my head for polling is the Singapore polls at http://www.channelnewsasia.com. The polls that I am used to are either a one sentence question followed by either a one or two word answer (no, not really, possibly) or at the most extreme a 7 word answer (Why should I? not like I care). However, their polls are amazing because they ask a question and then give usually 3 answers that are near paragraphs. I usually breeze through it but dont vote or throw in my two cents worth. However, this last one today caught my eye and I had to make a mention for posterity.

The Poll:

It's National Day week. And what makes me proud of Singapore is...

our food. After all, where is there such a delicious variety ? 20 % 296
our easy tolerance. Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasians and foreigners are all respected and accepted. 46 % 694
our chilli padi factor - a little red dot that's only small in land size. 34 % 507
(as of 9:34pm August 16 Canada time/11:34am August 17th Singapore time)

Now, since I am not Singaporean, I can not pick on the responses. Also because I have not lived in Singapore, I can not comment either. However, being a visitor of Singapore a few times to visit my first friend, then girlfriend, then fiancee, and now wife, in Singapore, I think I can comment briefly. 'easy tolerance' of all? 694 people living in Singapore out of the 1497 people giving answers think that Singapore is tolerant towards other races? Granted, the different races are not hunting each other down in the street, forming massive gangs of 'chinese' and 'malay' roaming gangs doing "The Warriors" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080120/)down their streets in the dead of night. Though, tolerance? I wonder if it is a natural tolerance where the nation realizes that the people are basically the same underneath, though their skin is a different colour and the language is a little different; or could this be a legally enforced tolerance?

Why do I say those things? I remember when the elections were happening in Singapore and I got to ask questions. I remember the Mentor Minister saying that the GRCs exist because if the people were given just candidates of a race (Chinese, Malay, Indian) then the people would vote solely for their race regardless of the qualifications. Thus the majority of the gov't would be Chinese since Chinese is the main percentage of Singapore population, and that would lead to racial distrust and unrest since how can all the races be governed respectfully by a pure (or highly scewed) chinese gov't? When I asked a people that I was introduced to through my wife, they responded with a nod saying "yeah, that would most likely happen if it came down to voting for an individual person".

Then there is the personal level. I have walked down the streets of Canada holding my wife's hand, and I have walked down the streets of Singapore holding my wife's hand. I have never seen so many stares, glares, frowns or shaken heads at us in Singapore than in Canada. It was even told to me that parents usually prefer their children to mingle with their own race, though the children are learning to be more accepting with the whole racial harmony thing, though it just so happens that when it comes to pairing up for marriage, I get the feeling you stick to your own race. I get the feeling it is almost like the farm yards I see here scattered around Canada. Chickens can play with ducks, ducks can play with cows, even a horse can run with the kittens, but when it comes to breeding and settling down, you stick to your own live stock. Of course, there are exceptions such as my wife and a few of her friends when it comes to settling down they selected different races, but on the whole it seems that if you are going to mix a race it is usually a caucasian with another. Though, I am sure there are some that an Indian woman would marry a chinese man, or a Malay man would marry a chinese woman, just not that common.

Another thing that got me was the use of renting where they would actually put on the 'for rent' notices "Chinese Only" or "Malay not accepted". How can you have tolerance where races are "all respected and accepted" when some of them can't rent a flat or apply for a job because of their race? Not really accepting or respectful now is it? Wonder if the people who voted for the acceptance part actually read the paper or the rental notices and see those. It also doesn't even have to be a straight forward writing or 'these people only', but it can be seen in the smaller details of the language of the posting. English in Singapore is to be the official language of administration and I have read that supposedly the signs are all written in English, kids speak english and most of the people speak english as well. However, signs are posted in all 3 other languages of Tamil, Malay and Mandarin. So, if you are Malay, taken English and Malay in school (because of your mother tongue race) and you see a sign in Mandarin, sort of excludes you from that sign doesn't it?

I guess from my observations of Singapore culture, the food is the most identifying factor of the small island country. As for their acceptance, I would say it is more like a 'hang out with who you want, but just dont marry into the race'. chickens can run with the turkeys, but don't look at mating and bringing any chirkeys into the world.

movie remakes...oh the humanity!!!

2007-08-14T09:24:00.000-06:00

Oh the humanity of it all. When will they stop rehashing past stuff and making it 'updated' for the kids of today? please, leave our childhood alone, Hollywood! First the actual trailer of this atrocity:

and now a flubbed up movie critic review of the show. *sigh* when will it end?

Though I still think the Chipettes are pretty cute/hot. Even if they are a cartoon, and animal life.

Why can't Hollywood stop remaking old cartoons from the 80's and stick to making great block buster plot based movies like this one?

http://www.ninjacheerleaders.com/

I guess the world will never know.

sometimes, you just need to laugh

2007-08-13T09:58:00.001-06:00

After watching the news with mud slide victims in Malaysia, problems in China, mass recall of toys, problems with the space shuttle, taliban kidnappings, church shootings, lost kids all over with parents hope stretched to the limit...I felt the need to give the world a little levity. Nothing major, and it surely wont solve all the problems that were just mentioned, but as I like to say "if you arent laughing, you are crying and life is too short to be crying all the time"

WWII Disney Propoganda Film

2007-08-12T18:38:00.000-06:00

Found this little cartoon through various channels. I had to laugh while I was watching it, considering the portrayal of 'emotion' in the respective genders. Yeah, this may be a propogandist film, but I also wonder if people would call it extremely sexist.

Though after watching this clip, I went recalled the speeches and news reports that were pouring out on the USA and Canada during the beginning of the war long ago. Strange how Fear, Sympathy, Pride, Hate that was used as a reason why we should fight Hitler long ago are the same four ways that other governments use to justify every war and attack that exists. Guess when it comes to the battle between 'we' and 'they', THEY are always horrible evil men with words of lies and deceit, whereas WE are always pure and noble to battle to the end huh?

I think George Carlin said it best when he said "fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity".

force to do as bad as force to don't

2007-08-10T18:54:00.000-06:00

Hear is a switch that got me laughing. A woman is actually fighting the law about what he last name should be after marriage. Nope, she doesn't want to retain her maiden name, she is actually fighting to take her husbands name. Talk about a switch huh? Usually when it comes to ladies fighting for last names, it usually means that they don't want to take the husband's last name. I can see their fears in that by losing their last name they essentially lose their identity of achievement and life and take on the role of a new person under the 'command' or 'ownership' of a new person. Could be similiar to the time our family got from a lady that was moving a middle aged cat named Fargo at the time. My mother didn't like the name so she renamed the cat Susie Q, though the rest of the family was more than happy to call the cat 'Farto'. So, talk about an identity crisis, is the cat's name Susie Q, Fargo or Farto? I wonder if that is how it is for women as well. I know I can not shrug off the fear as irrational considering I wouldn't even consider giving up my last name for that of my wife's.

I guess what it comes down to is not the fact of if you are forced to change your name, but that you are given the option of changing your name if you want to. I think that there is really no difference in telling a person that they have to do something one way or the other. If you say, like in Quebec "You have to keep your maiden name" is as bad as saying in other provinces "you have to take your husbands name". Whereas some women, who want to keep their name, might have rejoiced in the law saying they have to keep their name, others see it as the flip side of the oppression and forcing.

Though when it comes to the naming of the children, what happens. By the sounds of it women are taking the position that they carried the child for 9 months, therefore the child takes the female name. While the men might just take the position that the children have taken the name of the father for as long as people can remember, therefore the child should be named after the father. Too bad the law didn't see it that way and go "Fine, ladies, the child is totally yours completely in name and ownership. Men, you don't have to pay child support or help raising the children in the least. Go forth, be fruitful and knock up as many women as you can". Don't see that happening anytime soon though considering when it comes to paying and raising, the child is always 'ours' but when it comes to naming and ownership, it is usually 'womans'. Settling this problem of naming the children doesn't get any better with the solution of hyphenated names, as I have posted earlier in another blog (http://captcanuck.blogspot.com/2007/08/hyphenated-headaches.html).

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070810/quebec_marriage_laws_070810/20070810?hub=Canada

Newlywed wants option to take spouse's name
Updated Fri. Aug. 10 2007 11:14 AM ET

There are renewed calls for women to be allowed to take their husband's last name upon marriage in Quebec, with one Ontario-born newlywed challenging Premier Jean Charest to change the provincial law.

Quebec has prohibited women from taking their spouse's name since 1981, but many young women today want to have the choice to do so, family law experts say.

The Ontario-born Caroline Parent, who lives in Gatineau, is among those frustrated by the long-standing legislation. The 27-year-old lives in Quebec with her new husband Karl Lamirande, but was appalled when informed she could not take his last name.

"One day we're going to start a family and I would love to share the same name as my future children," she told CTV News.

Parent has written a letter to Charest demanding an explanation.

"I outlined the fact that I thought it wasn't fair that women in Quebec don't have a choice in the matter," she said.

When the marriage law was created, it was hailed as a triumph by feminists and equality rights activists.

"It was seen as extremely progressive at the time," said Robert Leckey, who teaches family law at McGill University.

"I don't think feminists of the day imagined that 25 years later people would be complaining that they don't have the choice to be traditional."

In other provinces, a woman can begin using her husband's name after marriage. Changing government documents is also an easy task with a provincial marriage certificate.

In Quebec, women are sometimes allowed to have their name changed, but the director of civil status must give approval. Reasons to grant the change include names that are difficult to spell or pronounce, or names that are mocked or that have been made infamous.

Young women want option

Parent is among a growing group of traditional and young women who want the choice to take their partner's name, says Maria Battaglia, an accredited family and international mediator and radio host.

"I'm very surprised that no one has raised the issue of the constitutionality of not giving a woman a right to choose whatever name they wish," she told CTV Newsnet.

"To my knowledge there was never any debate -- it was just given as a fact of Quebec life."
The civil law reform took place shortly after the creation of the Quebec Charter of Rights.

Battaglia says many women are contacting her to see how they can change their last names.
"What I tell people is on all your legal documents, use your maiden name ... but in all social settings -- your children's schools, even your credit cards, anything else you're doing -- you should be able to use your husband's name," she says.

"There is a choice in terms of what you're using socially but there are no options when it comes to legal recourse."

and now for something completely different...

2007-08-09T19:06:00.000-06:00

For something on the lighter side of life, I just love comedy with cats. This one had me in stitches. Especially when it came to the cats 'horrible defeats'. Ahhh, no wonder cats are better than dogs.

For a bit of humanoid comedy, check out Eddie Izzard as he tells how Britian became a huge empire.

Canadian protesters deported...return home

2007-08-09T16:12:00.000-06:00

well, that was quick and painless. The Canadian, and apparently the UK and US protestors, have been deported from China back to their home countries. Only after supposedly being questioned without sleep fro 36 hours, no physical harm was done to them. I do like the one quote from the father of one of the individuals when he said "Being a Canadian citizen helped Lhadon's cause". Too bad he didn't expand on that as to what the cause was. If he meant that being Canadian helped her get news coverage to the plight of the Tibetian people, or if he meant that being a Canadian, with the political and country influence behind her, helped get these individuals out of hot water easier since we are just that whacky country from across the ocean that really are just a bunch of do-gooder loonies. Either which way, the individuals have gone on their merry way and the incident, I am sure, will be forgotten. Though, strangely enough, I figure if a China citizen came to USA, UK or Canada and put up a huge banner like that with a protest slogan ('Free Quebec/Natives' for Canada, 'Stop the war' in USA, or 'Fish and chips forever' in UK) on a national monument (CN Tower, Mount Rushmore, Clock Tower/Palace of Westminster), chances are the country would have asked for at least some sort of punishment. Wouldn't go so far as a beating, execution or years in jail, but at least a fine or a week or two in jail. Guess if you are protesting human rights violations, sort of hard to punish them. Kind of like someone protesting an abortion clinic cause it is murder and in the process killing doctors/nurses that are performing the procedure.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070809/china_protest_reaction_070809/20070809?hub=Canada

Canadians in the news

2007-08-08T06:58:00.000-06:00

It is always nice to open the paper and read your nationality in the news, isnt it? Kind of heartbreaking though when it is followed by "...have been detained on charges". Yeah, yet again, the do-gooders of Canadian life are making us look more and more like Americans. Only difference is that Americans look at a country and go "hmmm, they have human rights violations AND they got oil...we must invade to save the oi...I mean, people!" whereas Canadians just go "hmmm, I think those are human rights violations, gotta go in and protest cause that is what we do in Canada!". Problem is, easier to arrest two or three Canadians holding a banner than an entire American army with guns and tanks walking into your country.

Two Canadians were detained (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070807/china_protest_070807?s_name=&no_ads=) for being two of 6 activists in the 'free tibet' endeavor. Looks like they are reporting the others are being from the U.K. and USA. Hmmmm, is it just me or does it always seem to be the British or ex-British people that cause all the problems with activists and trying to 'make the world a better place'? I mean, if you ever hear that Iraq/Iran ever did a protest, it will probably include the words 'suicide' and 'bombs' and 'injured/killed'. Only the ex/British seem to go with the stupid banners and saying "hey look, they are hurting people here". I mean, China has occupied Tibet since apparently 1951 claiming it to be a part of China. Now, you think that in 56 years the human rights violations would have been seen by other countries. Not like all the countries of the world are now going to sit up and go 'my GOD! Tibet is under China rule! When did that happen!?!?! oh my god, we must do something now!". Not like China has been going "yes, beat those people. Surpess their will. Give them no freedoms....oh, wait, here comes another country looking over the border. Quick, everyone...be happy! those prisons of mass torture..quick, let's take some Martha Stewart tips..make them look like guest houses..yeah, that's the ticket."

Now it seems a third Canadian has been detained (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070807/china_protest_070808/20070808?hub=World). Granted, the Tibetan-Canadian executive organizer of the Students for a Free Tibet. So, guess that would be a Tibetan by birth, Canadian by immigration. Kind of a half breed Canadian.

Anyways, gonna see if I can follow this story more. I heard in an interview with the sister of Price (one of the Canadians) that he has done something like this before, was detained but the Canadian Embassy stepped in and he was released. Gonna see if the Chinese have a better way of handling these 'terrorists'.

Glad to see that I am not the only Canadian that thinks the actions were on the slightly foolish side.

What do you think of the Canadians detained in China after calling for a free Tibet?
Foolish 6019 votes (77 %)
Heroic 1827 votes (23 %)

Total Votes: 7846

Egad, another one AND Gay Rights Cancelled

2007-08-04T07:52:00.001-06:00

Reading in the paper today, two things. Another hyphenated name. They are all over the place. "Angela Barabash-McCann" (http://www.edmontonsun.ca/Comment/Letters/2007/08/04/4392996.html)

Then read an article in which a gay rights forum in Singapore was canceled in which a retired Canadian law professor was to speak at.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070803/singapore_canadian_070803/20070803?hub=Canada

I can understand the forum being canceled knowing Singapore's low tolerance for anything out of the 'norm' for their way of life. Gov't knows best and the best way to keep the public safe is to ban all possible things to confuse the public. Movies, shows, life style, addictive substances all have to be properly monitored by the gov't or else people might get hurt. I can even say that I support the saying that countries have no right entering into other countries telling them what to do there. I know I would take major offense to Singapore's telling Canada that they are too light on the punishment of others and that we should start hanging them by the huge numbers that Singapore does, or say that we should beat our criminals like Singaporeans have no trouble doing (but only the men..women shouldn't be caned).

The one statement that I found head scratching was "Our laws are an expression and reflection of the values of our society". Granted I am no expert on Singaporean life and thought. I have to admit that my knowledge of Singaporean mentality about what is valued in society is limited to a Singaporean wife and her friends, but I really didn't see a huge hatred of homosexuals in those people. Everytime a forum or movie was banned due to 'homosexual concerns', they were rather outspoken about the banning than the act. Almost as if the people were ok to have others love whatever gender the person choose to love. Made me wonder then, if the laws are an expression and reflection of what the PAP deem to be acceptable and valued in society.

Granted, this sort of thing happens even here in Canada where a Nova Scotian mayor refused to raise the gay pride flag during the gay pride event (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070803/against_pride_flag_080803/20070803?hub=Canada) Though their excuse was that the gay movement clashes with their christian belief. So which is worse, allowing the gay pride to hold a day but not to raise the flag, or ban a homosexual forum completely and ban the actual sex act because 'the law is a reflection of the beliefs of the society values'?

Gay rights forum featuring Canadian cancelled
Updated Fri. Aug. 3 2007 11:13 AM ET
Associated Press
SINGAPORE --
Authorities in Singapore on Friday banned a gay rights forum at which a retired Canadian law professor was to speak, the second time in a week the city-state has forbidden an event that touches on gay issues.

The forum was to feature Douglas Sanders, a professor emeritus in law at the University of British Columbia, and Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, the event's organizer, Alex Au, told The Associated Press.

But because the Aug. 7 forum, titled "Sexual Orientation in International Law: The Case of Asia," was deemed contrary to public interest, police cancelled the event's license Friday and immigration authorities rejected Sander's visa application, Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry said.

"Our laws are an expression and reflection of the values of our society; the discourse over a domestic issue such as the laws that govern homosexuality in Singapore must be reserved for Singaporeans ... foreigners should refrain from interfering," the statement said.

But Au, the forum's organizer, said Sanders had no such intention.

"He was going to do a lecture in Singapore about international trends. He is not an expert on Singapore and had no intention of talking about Singapore," Au said.

Singapore's censors earlier in the week banned an exhibition of photographs depicting gay men and women kissing, also organized by Au, saying the images "promote a homosexual lifestyle, and cannot be allowed.''

The prohibitions have come amid a debate in the city-state on whether gay sex should be decriminalized. Singapore's founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew, a few months ago questioned the ban on gay sex, saying the government should not act as moral police.

Under Singapore law, gay sex is punishable by a maximum of two years in jail. Authorities have banned gay festivals and censored gay films, but despite the official ban on gay sex, there have been few prosecutions.

Truer words were never spoken

2007-08-03T07:02:00.000-06:00

In the last week and a half, I have had horrible problems with MSN Live Windows. It sometimes starts up, sometimes doesn't, often connects but won't do anything or will connect and then freeze 5 minutes into the chat. I have to close it down and it asks me if I want to send an error report to the company so that they can fix the problem. Normally I am against this sort of thing since I figure I got the software from them, I shouldn't be 'testing' it and telling them what is wrong, they should hire people to find and fix the problem even before they send it out. But, for gits and shiggles I decided to click 'send error report' and it took me to a webpage to 'help stop this from happening again'. What did they say is the problem?

"This problem was caused by MSN Messenger. MSN Messenger was created by Microsoft Corporation.
There is no solution for this problem at this time."

Guess that pretty much says it all don't it? MSN created by Microsoft and since there is no solution to fixing the Microsoft Corporation, you are screwed with crappy programs. Anyone found a cure/solution for stupidity yet?

Time travel paradox and Terminator

2007-08-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

Hmm, mind wandered a bit at work and got to thinking of the great time travel paradox of killing your own grandfather and put it to use on a great movie, The Terminator.

Paradox simply going - If you went back in time and killed your own grandfather when he was a teen, what would happen to the time line since he would not have been around to father your mother/father and thus you would never have been born making it impossible for you to go back in time to kill your grandfather.

Now, look at it in the way of Terminator. The Terminator (played by the ever so loveable Arnie) is sent back in time by Skynet to kill Sarah Connor so that John Connor can never be born who would be the leader of the revelution of humans against the machines. So, if Arnie had succeded in his mission (come on, not like I spoiled anything...when would you have a villian actually being successful in his plot????) then why would he have been sent back from the future to kill Sarah Connor because Skynet would not have known about John Connor, there might have not been a rebelion against the machines or possibly there would have been a new leader arising at which point there is always going to be a rebellion so who cares who is the leader.

So, taking to meaning that if Arnie did kill Sarah and another leader came up, then wouldn't Arnie have been sent back originally to kill that other leader, thus making it mean that he wasn't sent back to kill Sarah, so Sarah lived and therefore she could have had John Connor and the time line would have been returned to normal? Wouldn't that mean that no matter how hard Arnie tried, Sarah would definitly live to have John and he would definitly live to the time that he would have died naturally without time travel intervention? Sort of makes the movies anti-climatic (at least now) like watching Star Wars The Phantom Menace and watching Anikin go though the pod racing and you really aren't worried he is going to die cause you have already watched what happens to him in the 4th-6th movie.

Hyphenated headaches

2007-08-01T07:52:00.000-06:00

I always wondered about this when it came to hyphenated names. Women these days are wanting to keep their name and hyphenate it with their newly wed spouse. So you get the woman's first name, her last name, and then the husbands last name. I always wondered, when kids come along, if they take the hyphenated names as well. So you would get Jane Doe who married John Smith, she is now Jane Doe-Smith. Then little bouncing Diane Doe-Smith comes along. Diane Doe-Smith meets Bobby Brown and marries him and (Diane taking influence from mother and society) is now Diane Doe-Smith-Brown.

I always thought that this was a far flung hypothetical mockery of the whole system that I usually create in my own head but would never happen in real life. Well, that was before I read the Opinion/Comments page of the Edmonton Sun on August 1st. Look at her name? Angela Nesbitt-Dorn-Kennett? Good lord, how many men has this woman either married, or is she a second generation last name hyphenator?

What could be worse you ask? Picture this problem in the deep south of the United States where they have a weakness for mixing two first names like Bobbi-Sue, Billy-Bob, Bobbi-Jean. My god, after 3 generations of hyphenations the kid is going to be 14 years old before s/he can write his/her full name of Bobbi-Jean (or Billy-Bob) Smith-Doe-Barker-Johnson. Even worse if you add in the fact that people are naming their kids stranger and stranger names these days. Maybe that is why the Egyptians and English royalty kept pushing breeding in the family. Not because of the mixing of blood lines but because the women were hyphenating names and the guys just got tired of all the hyphens so they just married the women with the same name as them to avoid all the confusion of huge ass names.

http://www.edmontonsun.ca/Comment/Letters/2007/08/01/4384504.html

Price of Eggs

2007-08-01T07:35:00.000-06:00

A man eats two eggs each morning for breakfast. When he goes to the grocery store he pays .60 cents a dozen. Since a dozen eggs won't last a week he normally buys two dozens at a time. One day while buying eggs he notices that the price has risen to 72 cents. The next time he buys groceries, eggs are .76 cents a dozen. When asked to explain the price of eggs the store owner says, "the price has gone up and I have to raise my price accordingly". This store buys 100 dozen eggs a day. I checked around for a better price and all the distributors have raised their prices. The distributors have begun to buy from the huge egg farms. The small egg farms have been driven out of business. The huge egg farms sells 100,000 dozen eggs a day to distributors. With no competition, they can set the price as they see fit. The distributors then have to raise their prices to the grocery stores. And on and on and on.

As the man kept buying eggs the price kept going up. He saw the big egg trucks delivering 100 dozen eggs each day. Nothing changed there. He checked out the huge egg farms and found they were selling 100,000 dozen eggs to the distributors daily. Nothing had changed but the price of eggs. Then week before Thanksgiving the price of eggs shot up to $1.00 a dozen. Again he asked the grocery owner why and was told, "cakes and baking for the holiday". The huge egg farmers know there will be a lot of baking going on and more eggs will be used. Hence, the price of eggs goes up. Expect the same thing at Christmas and other times when family cooking, baking, etc. happen. This pattern continues until the price of eggs is 2.00 a dozen. The man says, "there must be something we can do about the price of eggs". He starts talking to all the people in his town and they decide to stop buying eggs. This didn't work because everyone needed eggs.

Finally, the man suggested only buying what you need. He ate 2 eggs a day. On the way home from work he would stop at the grocery and buy two eggs. Everyone in town started buying 2 or 3 eggs a day. The grocery store owner began complaining that he had too many eggs in his cooler. He told the distributor that he didn't need any eggs. Maybe he wouldn't need any all week. The distributor had eggs piling up at his warehouse. He told the huge egg farms that he didn't have any room for eggs would not need any for at least two weeks. At the egg farm, the chickens just kept on laying eggs.

To relieve the pressure, the huge egg farm told the distributor that they could buy the eggs at a lower price. The distributor said, " I don't have the room for the %$&^*&% eggs even if they were free". The distributor told the grocery store owner that he would lower the price of the eggs if the store would start buying again. The grocery store owner said, "I don't have room for more eggs. The customers are only buy 2 or 3 eggs at a time". "Now if you were to drop the price of eggs back down to the original price, the customers would start buying by the dozen again". The distributors sent that proposal to the huge egg farmers. They liked the price they were getting for their eggs but, them chickens just kept on laying. Finally, the egg farmers lowered the price of their eggs. But only a few cents. The customers still bought 2 or 3 eggs at a time. They said, "when the price of eggs gets down to where it was before, we will start buying by the dozen."

Slowly the price of eggs started dropping. The distributors had to slash their prices to make room for the eggs coming from the egg farmers. The egg farmers cut their prices because the distributors wouldn't buy at a higher price than they were selling eggs for. Anyway, they had full warehouses and wouldn't need eggs for quite a while. And them chickens kept on laying. Eventually, the egg farmers cut their prices because they were throwing away eggs they couldn't sell. The distributors started buying again because the eggs were priced to where the stores could afford to sell them at the lower price. And the customers starting buying by the dozen again.

Now, transpose this analogy to the gasoline industry What if everyone only bought $10.00 they pulled to the pump. The dealers tanks would stay semi full all the time. The dealers wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the huge tank for the gas coming from the refining plants. And the refining plants wouldn't have room for the oil being off loaded from the huge tankers coming from the Middle East. Just $10.00 each time you buy gas. Don't fill it up. You may have to stop for gas twice a week but, the price should come down.

Think about it. As an added note...When I buy $10.00 worth of gas,that leaves my tank a little under half full. The way prices are jumping around, you can buy gas for $2.65 a gallon and then the next morning it can be $2.15. If you have your tank full of $2.65 gas you don't have room for the $2.15 gas. You might not understand the economics of only buying two eggs at a time but, you can't buy cheaper gas if your tank is full of the high priced stuff. Also, don't buy anything else at the gas station, don't give them any more of your hard earned money than what you spend on gas, until the prices come down.

INTERESTING story, wouldn't you say? In theory, and first glance, I would say that this sounds fine and dandy and could possibly work. Only problem in transposing the analogy of eggs to gas would be that, in my knowledge of gas, it really doesn't 'spoil' like an egg would, right? I mean, how long can gas sit dormant in a tank and go 'sour' to the point that it wouldn't run a vehicle, or cause damage to the vehicles engine as eating a rotten egg would damage a persons digestive tract? Though, if anyone has any insight, please fill me in.

If this would work here in Canada, I don't see why it wouldn't work around the world where people view gas prices as being too high. You just have to get a huge group of people to all agree to do this to make it work. Can't have 2-3 people fighting the system where all the others just sit back and do nothing.

New Rules For Entering Alberta

2007-07-29T21:21:00.000-06:00

My boss gave me these rules that he got through the email today. I definitly agree with them. Especially all those that talk about housing in Alberta. Having lived in Edmonton and Calgary, I can relate and remember all these as perfectly true. Though I think Edmonton was the murder capital at the beginning of the year but I think we have been over taken by Regina (http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?p=47740) by a hair. I would still recommend a flak jacket though.

NEW RULES FOR ENTERING ALBERTA

1. Bring your own house.

2. If you are going to the oil sands, bring your own house, school, and hospital.

3. If you are going to Edmonton, wear your flak jacket. This is the murder capital of Canada.

4. If you are driving to Edmonton, note it is also the auto theft centre of Canada.

5. If you are bringing drugs, head straight to Fort McMurray, the drug capital of Canada.

6. If you are looking for work, look no further. Minimum wage is $5.60 per hour.

7. If you work downtown, note that parking costs $5.00 per hour or more.

8. If you are able to buy a house in Edmonton, or Calgary, why not spend the money on a 15 year holiday?

9. If you drive a Hummer, look out. Alberta has the highest gas prices in Canada [The Alberta Advantage].

10. Edmonton has 5 hospitals. Ten years ago there were 7. Don't come here sick.

11. In Calgary, the population has exploded. The last road was paved 12 years ago. Calgary is a no parking zone.

12. Remember when the cowboys were winning the west? Well, it's payback time. First Nations people now own all the casinos.

NEW CALGRY RULES OF THE ROAD

1. You must first learn to pronounce the name correctly -- it is: "CAL-GREE". The second 'A' is redundant.

2. The morning rush hour is from 5:00am to noon. The evening rush hour is from noon to 8:00pm. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning and ends on Saturday night.

3. The minimum acceptable speed on most freeways is 130 kph. On Deerfoot, you are expected to match the speed of the airplanes coming in for a landing at the airport. Anything less is considered "wussy".

4. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Calgary now has its own version of traffic rules. For example, cars/trucks with the loudest muffler go first at a four-way stop; the trucks with the biggest tires go second. However, in Calgary, SUV-driving, cell phone-talking moms ALWAYS have the right of way.

5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended, cussed out, and possibly shot.

6. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously. It's another offense that can get you shot.

7. Road construction is permanent and continuous in Calgary . . . detour barrels are moved around each night to make the next day's driving a bit more exciting, but nothing ever gets finished, and more new construction starts every day.

8. Watch carefully for road hazards such as drunks, skunks, dogs, cats, deer, barrels, cones, cows, horses, cats, mattresses, shredded tires, garbage, squirrels, rabbits, crows, and coyotes feeding on any of these.

9. In Calgary, 16th Avenue, TransCanada, and "Hwy #1" are all the same road.

10. If someone actually has their turn signal on, wave them to the shoulder immediately to let them know it has been "accidentally activated."

11. If you are in the left lane and only driving 110 in a 80-90 kph zone, you are considered a road hazard and will be "flipped off" accordingly. If you return the flip, you could be shot.

12. For winter driving, it is advisable to wear your parka, toque, fur lined mittens and mukluks. Make sure you have a shovel, food, candles and blankets in the vehicle, as snow removal from the city streets is virtually non-existent until spring thaw.

can we sue the fire regulations setters for negiligence?

2007-07-27T21:26:00.000-06:00

Can it be possible to sue the gov't for setting regulations that are safe but not the safest? if they say "put the houses 5 feet apart" but studies from building inspectors and chief fire fighters say "they need to be 15 feet apart", can the gov't that makes the laws be proven to be negiligent in their actions? Granted there are some things that the home owner has to take responsibility for. As in there are fireproof shingles out there but if a homeowners want wood one on their old house then they are taking the law into their own hands. But it looks like there was some strong evidence saying that the fire regulations were not up to scratch for the new developments.

If a person can be found negiligent using the 'reasonable man' model in a court of law, then how come our own gov't can not be held accountable? Instead of using the tax money from bank accounts of tax payers taxes they should go after the politicians and people that were on the commitees that dragged their feet. I mean, only fair considering what is the sence in the gov't making an act of negilegence for the safety of the people, have a huge $20 million fire and then go "right, our bad, here let me dig into your tax payers money and pay for our mistake with your money..there, all better now, let me go on vacation with my huge salary..boy did we learn our lesson". Definitly make them pay out of their own pocket, their own salaries and their retirement funds.

I am sure if we made the gov't more accountable for new regulations and laws, there would be very little 'committees' and a hell of a lot more action

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/07/25/4366411-sun.html
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/07/25/4366413-sun.html

Pranks we play for fun

2007-07-24T14:32:00.001-06:00

Here I thought that my friend and I were pains in the neck for his parents. The worst thing that we ever did at the age of 14 to his parents was put two ziplock bags with oregano on the kitchen table, put some icing sugar on the table cut into lines like cocaine with a razor blade and we just sat at the table. When we heard the door open we started talking about cost per gram, cutting costs, what we can cut the stuff down with and all and then when they came around the corner just looked at them shocked and he went "wow, mom...dad...you're home early" while I just sat there looking stunned. THESE kids, however, are the kings of the prank!*G* If I was the father I wouldnt know what to do first. Laugh with them, yell at them or pick up the knife and go medival on their asses. But, yeah, this was quite the clip.

But, it is always fun to see that not all kids grow out of the prank stage of their life. This is the kind of dad I am sure I am gonna be. :-)

two religious articles for interesting times

2007-07-23T15:29:00.000-06:00

Came across two stories today that caught my eye that I thought I had to mention. Both of them involving my favorite topic and yours...yes, religion! Here is the first one about a town thought, built and enforcing Christian values. By the sounds of it they aren't being like some streets or condo units that are making people who buy into the area sign a contract saying they can and can not do certain things. Like Candy Cane Lane here in Edmonton where the house and condo buyers sign a bylaw contract saying that they will put up christmas lights from a certain time period in December for christmas to keep the tradition of Candy Cane Lane going. Instead, they are just 'strongly urging' people not to do certain things, and we all know how the Christian church loves to 'strongly urge' people. After all, I believe they 'strongly urged' Copernicus on the whole 'sun VS Earth being the centre of the galaxy'. Of course there are going to be critics and I am sure that this town will be a bulls eye for those people that see something and flock there not to be a part but to take it down. Like those people that see a gathering of religous folk and instead of letting them have their time to pray, the pot stirers show up with everything that the people hate to try to express 'their' belief.

Then there is 'political correctness' run amock. What happens when a Buddhist tries to open a chinese restaurant called 'Fat Buddha'? why white councel members step in to try to stop it because it might offend someone. Though, there was a statement in the article that I loved, thought was absolutely priceless and had me laughing. Apparently the councel is saying the gentleman can not call it that because some Buddhists might get offended, to which a response from the Buddhist Society said "Buddhists don't take offence at anything because to do so doesn't follow Buddhist teachings." Consider it the ultimate test of the Buddhist belief. If you take offence and complain as a buddhist, then you are obviously not a buddhist and therefore can not complain. But, leave it to the other people to step up and give voice to those people that have no voice either by force or by religious belief.

Personally, I think this whole naming restuarant problem is just a case of slippery slope and pre-emptive strike. Think of it this way. The councel sits back and says "ok, Fat Buddha...no one complains, so can't stop it", then 2 months down the road we have "Lazy Jesus" spa (come, relax, be treated like a savior in todays world) with a picture of Jesus, relaxing on a couch or on a lily pad on a pond. That of course is gonna cause a little outcry from the Catholics, not much mind you cause ther are still reeling from the whole crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Witch Hunts and of course the child sexual abuse that they are in the process of paying out. However, there might be a little bit of an outcry which means some people will respond with "well, if you can make fun of the Buddhist diety in commercialism, why cant you for Catholics?". This might die down but you know, you just KNOW, that some smart ass (not even Islamic himself but just a smart ass) is going to open a business called "Crazy Muhammad's Discount Brazaar" with a picture of Muhammad with his arms open gesturing to his great discounts. Well, we all know what happens there with the whole Danish cartoons of years past and the Islamic ever so calm nature to handling of religion. Then we get death threats, burning temples/mosques, beatings and drive bys. Why? because if you give one religion the right to do something, then you have to give all religions the right to do something in that same country. Then it is a case of State VS Church all over again and you might as well then just press the button now and nuke the world because I always say that 'there is nothing more dangerous in this world than a man with a belief and a gun/weapon'.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/text/article.html?in_article_id=469996&in_page_id=1770&in_main_section=&in_sub_section=&in_chn_id=

so, two articles, both on religion. I can now definitly believe that the ancient Chinese curse "may you live in interesting times" is upon us.

tax marijuana? it happens

2007-07-20T14:52:00.000-06:00

I love it. Totally love it. In the great war on drugs in Canada there have been three major camps that I could see. We have our traditional conservatives that hold true to the old law of drugs and say 'we dont need better laws, we need stronger laws and stronger punishments to stop drugs'; we have the liberals saying 'we need to legalize it and then tax the living hell out of it'; and then we have the stoned out 60's throw backs going 'we need to turn the entire country into one big commune, smoking weed, growing cabbages and living in love, peace and harmony, dude!'. Well, it is good to see that the Canadian gov't has found a way of compromising. What is a compromise? some say it is "reaching an agreement to which both sides are unhappy with". I think, however, that the compromise that Alberta provincial judge has come up with sort of makes only the Conservatives happy and still ticks off the Liberals, but still using Liberal ideas. What did they do?

Turns out that Michael Fernand Paradis was handed 'a two-year sentence in April of 2004 and a three-year sentence in May of 2004 to run concurrently' for two pot grow-ops that he has served time on. Now, the Canada Revenue Agency is saying that he has to declare his income on taxes for that term and has to pay back taxes or face another 3 months in jail for default. I love it. So, let me see if I get this straight. We are keeping the Conservative idea of keeping marijuana as illegal to own or grow AND they are keeping the Liberal idea of taxing the hell out of it, but only for those people that grow and sell it. I wonder if this is going to be a trend. Tax the actual growers of marijuana when they sell the drug to a street seller as income for the grower, and then tax that same bag of pot again when the seller sells it to a user as income for the seller. Depending on how far that bag of pot goes, it could probably be taxed 3-4 times on someone's income til it finally gets smoked. Now, call me crazy, but sounds like the gov't is totally onto something here. It might just go down the chain a bit more. I mean, people always said for prostitution they should make it legal and then tax the prostitutes for their income. Good thing about that, though, is you can only charge a person once for the sex act, not like the bag of pot that could be taxed 3 times down the line.

****************
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2007/07/20/taxes-calgary.html

Drug trafficker fined for not declaring grow-op income
Last Updated: Friday, July 20, 2007 11:53 AM MT

A convicted drug trafficker has been slapped with a $55,000 fine for tax evasion after failing to declare revenue from two marijuana grow operations in Alberta.

"By and large, every source of income that you are getting is going to end up being taxable," said Canada Revenue Agency spokeswoman Joanne Gorsalitz. "It's important that everyone pay their fair share."

A provincial court judge found Michael Fernand Paradis, 48, guilty of tax evasion Thursday in connection with two large marijuana grow-ops he ran between 1997 and 2001 in Sundre and Water Valley.

He will have to pay a $55,000 fine, on top of the taxes and interest he owes.

The Canada Revenue Agency estimates Paradis's potential yearly income from the grow-ops was $1.2 million or about $274,000 after expenses, so its asking him to pay back $74,774 in federal taxes, said Gorsalitz.

Paradis has served time behind bars for the grow ops — he was handed a two-year sentence in April of 2004 and a three-year sentence in May of 2004 to run concurrently.

If he doesn't pay the fine within two years, Paradis will go to jail for another three months.

rape and murder with 3 mental illnesses

2007-07-18T14:37:00.000-06:00

Looks like it is not just the teens looking for an easy way out. Let me see if I get this right, I make a bet with a person to rape and kill someone, I go through with it, I don't deny that I did it, I don't deny that my DNA was at the scene and claim that I suffer from multiple personality disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome as well as post traumatic stress disorder and I might get off? Sounds like this guy got the short end of the stick dont it? I mean, bad enough you suffer from MPD (which I think has been changed to Dissociative identity disorder DID http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_identity_disorder) but to throw in PTSD and FAS? Damn, talk about being a walking time bomb.

Hard enough to put him on trial and find him guitly if he did have those diseases because you cant blame him for being at fault, and if you did find that one of his personalities did commit the crime, can you really imprison him for it? Though, doesnt this sound like an easy way out though? I get caught commiting a crime, do a last minute grab to claim mental illness and try to fake it. Since psychiatry isnt exactly a science but more a philosophy, kind of hard to really nail it down, right?

Simple solution, if he is found guitly of these crimes and no mental illness, put him in jail for life; if he is found not guilty due to mental illness, lock him up in a mental asylum and use him as a guinea pig for the psychologists/psychiatrists to find out about the illness for....oh, lets pick a nice round number here...LIFE. Harsh, I know, but oh well. I am learning that life is not really hugs and kisses to make people better, gotta learn to fight some fire with some fire, just not give a couple degree burns, not a complete witch burning of the witch hunts.

'Not responsible'
Man charged in savage rape to plead not guilty based on mental condition
By TONY BLAIS, COURT BUREAU

An Edmonton man accused of savagely attacking and raping a school vice-principal wants to be found not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder.

Court of Queen's Bench heard yesterday that Ryan James Huppie, 23, apparently tried to commit suicide while in custody by biting a vein in his thumb. Huppie appeared at a pre-trial conference for his 20-day trial, which is set to begin on Jan. 7.

Huppie is charged with attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault, unlawful confinement, breaking and entering with intent to commit sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon relating to the Feb. 17, 2004, attack.

Police say the then-33-year-old woman was repeatedly raped and then stabbed several times in the head, face and neck with either a meat cleaver or a butcher knife before she managed to finally escape her attacker.

She was taken to hospital by ambulance suffering from severe blood loss and deep multiple knife wounds. Three fingers were severely cut and one was nearly amputated.

In court documents filed in a related case, a friend of Huppie's who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for cleaning up blood from the attack and lying to police about Huppie's description, alleged Huppie had bet him $500 that he could rape and kill his next-door neighbour.

The court documents also allege Huppie entered the woman's suite by crossing over a common balcony and then attacked her while she was sleeping.

After being slashed and stabbed the woman played dead and, when her attacker walked out of the bedroom, she called 911. She then managed to escape into the hallway, but was caught and stabbed again. She eventually managed to get into a neighbour's suite.

Yesterday, defence lawyer Laurie Wood said Huppie would be pleading not guilty because he is not criminally responsible (NCR) due to a mental disorder.

"Our defence is one of NCR, plain and simple," she said.

Outside court, Wood said Huppie tried to kill himself while at the Calgary Remand Centre by trying to bite a vein in his hand.

The Crown is opposing the NCR application and prosecutor Rob Beck says he will proceed with a dangerous offender application if Huppie is found guilty of the attack.

Court heard yesterday Huppie admits he was the assailant and does not dispute the allegations. He also admits he was drinking at the time and confirms his DNA was found at the crime scene.
In 2006, Huppie was about to start a trial when his former lawyer told the judge he had just learned Huppie might have multiple personalities and could suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and fetal alcohol syndrome.

That derailed the case, as the judge ordered Huppie to undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment, both to see if he is fit to stand trial and whether, at the time of the offence, he was suffering from a mental disorder.

Teens want to be treated like adults...IF it suits them

2007-07-16T16:45:00.000-06:00

Oh, I just loooove this. I read this in the news today about something that happened in Edmonton awhile back, and thought the stupidity is over and done with, but looks like good stupidity dies hard.

Quick recount: Few kids hang out at West Edmonton Mall, get a girl to 'come to a party' and I believe one of the people actually knew the victim as a friend. They go to a golf course where the gang rapes and murders the teen (13 year old Nina Courtepatte) and then get caught and tried. I believe one was acquitted and others got limited from murder to manslaughter.

Now for the stomach turning (at least in my mind) part. One of the girls and the guy being sentenced are saying that they want to be treated as youths for the sentencing, not as adults, since they were youths at the time, though just barely under the line since they are 17 now. Is this because they didn't know their actions? is this because they were coerced by much older more violent criminals to do the deed (as in, 'join us to kill this girl or else we will kill you')? NO, the simple and bare answer is that they are looking for lenient punishment. The guy, who pleaded to first degree murder, "If sentenced as as an adult, he would face an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years in prison. If sentenced as a youth, however, the maximum would be 10 years, of which no more than six could be in custody." As for the girl, convicted of manslaughter, if "..sentenced as an adult, she could face a life sentence, but as a young person the maximum would be three years."

How many times have you heard the teens screaming out "treat me like an adult! I am an adult! leave me alone and let me make my own mind up cause I am an adult!"? I mean, recently we had two girls here in Edmonton fight for teens to vote in a civic election (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2004/05/14/teenvote_20040514.html), to which they lost but still had the option to take it to the supreme court of Canada. Teens want the chance to pick out their own clothes, pick their own friends, have all the luxuries the world can provide and then when the crap hits the fan, look to mom/dad or other things to bail them out.

Granted, ALL teens are not like that. There are a few bad apples in the bunch and you can't broad stroke them all. I mean, I know as a teen I was hardly in trouble, told the truth and studied in school, and I was treated with all the dignity that went with that growing up. Ostrasized, snubbed, picked on and called names by most of my peers in school but praised and patted on the back by teachers and parents alike. I just can not stand when teens scream independance and then bad apples bring it down.

If I had control, I would say abolish the Young Offenders Act, or whatever the hell they are calling that 'wrist slapping cause s/he is a baby' Act these days. Laws are here to protect people, punishments are here to teach them that breaking laws is not a good thing. What exactly is the justice system teaching kids when we show them "oh, you are under 16? ok, kill that person, we are fine with it cause when we take ice cream away from you for 6 months you will learn and when you are an adult you will smarten up". This justice system is teaching kids that they can get away with things and have a 'get out of jail free' card right up to a certain age. Case in point, the 13 year old girl in Medicine Hat that participated in the murder of her family with her 23 year old boyfriend (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070703/alta_trial_070703?s_name=&no_ads=) You don't think in the back of her mind she was thinking that she was immune to the punishment because of her age? Interesting how the article notes at the end how she "..looked much like a normal teen during her testimony, as opposed to the "goth" look she had at the time of the killings." Interesting huh? the teens are learning to work the system, make it seem like they are victims instead of the criminals. I mean, if an adult was manipulating the court/justice system like that the judge would laugh their act out of court and slap them with high punishment (which these days seems to be a slap on the pee pee and a 'dont do it again' but that is another story), but when a kid does it these adults who seem to think that all teens are innocent babes led astray get up in arms.

Stop treating teens as teens, adults as adults..instead, let's treat them as they are. Law abiding citizens as law abiding citizens, criminals as criminals. Forget the age, forget the gender, forget the colour of their skin or religion that they follow. Pure and simple. You know the rules, they are not that hard to learn. Common courtesy. Don't kill, Don't steal, Don't Lie, Don't Cheat. I mean, with those 4 laws to go by, how can you do harm? And for those that say "well, if a 12 year old has been raised knowing that it is alright to steal how can you blame them when they steal at 12?". If that is the case, then how can you blame a 19 year old for stealing cars if they were taught that it was alright to steal? Basic child raising. Any parent that can raise a child will tell you, child behaves badly, devise a form of time out or punishment. Consider jail to be a really BIG time out. You steal a chocolate bar, ok, consider that to be a case for your parents to decide unless charges are laid, and maybe a grounding for 1 week. You kill a human, consider that a BIG time out in the gov't care where they make sure you behave and learn that killing humans is not a good thing, regardless of how old you or they are and whether you did it for malice or for kicks.

Don't get me wrong though, I am not saying bring back corporal or capital punishments, cause even I know that there is a line to be drawn in punishing and teaching people not to hit others by beating them, or teaching them not to kill others by killing them, is just way to messed up even for my mind to fathom. All I am saying is treat the criminals as criminals, law abiders by law abiders and dont consider age or gender to be a factor. Put these two murders away for life and maybe then we can send the message that killing, no matter how old you are, is not right.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070716/Courtepatte_sentencing_070716/20070716?hub=Canada

Convicted teens seek to avoid adult sentences
Updated Mon. Jul. 16 2007 5:30 PM ET
Canadian Press

EDMONTON -- Two teenagers convicted in the sexual assault and beating death of a 13-year-old Edmonton girl are going to court in an attempt to make it harder for them to be given adult sentences.

A sentencing hearing for a woman who was 17 when she participated in the murder of Nina Courtepatte was delayed Monday until court can hear the arguments.

Defence lawyer Colleen Connolly said she will challenge the constitutionality of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, arguing that it should be up to the Crown to prove that young offenders charged with serious crimes should be sentenced as adults. The current law puts the onus on the defence to prove they should be sentenced as youths.

"To be sentenced as a young offender, the defence has to make an application and they have to establish to the court's satisfaction that this particular young person should be sentenced as a young person," Connolly explained.

"That's constitutionally unsound. That's an infringement of the young person's rights."
Another offender, who has already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the horrific assault, is expected to make similar arguments next Monday. He, too, was a youth at the time of the crime.

If sentenced as as an adult, he would face an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years in prison. If sentenced as a youth, however, the maximum would be 10 years, of which no more than six could be in custody.

The woman, who was convicted by a judge of manslaughter, is to be back in court Aug. 3 -- after a decision is expected in the young man's case.

If sentenced as an adult, she could face a life sentence, but as a young person the maximum would be three years.

In addition to facing more severe penalties, young people sentenced as adults also can be publicly identified once all avenues of appeal are exhausted.

The challenges will not affect the convictions, but hearings to decide how the offender will be sentenced will still have to be held.

Connolly said that since her client was under 18 at the time of the offence, she should benefit from legal provisions taking into account that young people may not be mature enough to make fully responsible decisions.The young woman is one of five people charged in Nina's death in April 2005. She and her friend were lured to the fairway of an Edmonton-area golf course on the pretext of attending a bush party, but once they arrived, Nina was raped twice and beaten to death.

The young man who is also going to argue his sentencing options pleaded guilty last December.
Last spring, Joseph Laboucan of Fort St. John, B.C., was convicted of the same crime, but his co-accused Michael Briscoe of Edmonton was acquitted.

The trial of a second teenaged girl was delayed when she fired her lawyer on what was supposed to be the opening day of her trial.

Laboucan is appealing his conviction, while the Crown is appealing Briscoe's acquittal.
Evidence presented at the Laboucan-Briscoe trial was horrific in its brutality. It also exposed an ugly underside of youth culture, with tales of so-called "mall rats" drifting from dine-and-dash jobs in fast-food restaurants to having sex in parking lots and dabbling in the occult.

racial slurs and their insults

2007-07-12T15:30:00.000-06:00

I have always heard the words and names in Canada for the other immigrants that are coming in. Some are said in jest, while some are said in malice. We have quite a few people working out in the western parts of Canada from Newfoundland and they are always refered to as the 'newfies'. As in "Johnny? sure, he is the newfie over there by the truck". Now, I have only heard one of the 'newfies' actually say that they didnt appreciate the term but that was always because I was telling him newfie jokes. Let's face it, in Canadian culture, newfies are about as big targets as blondes in the way of jokes and stereotypical intelligence. Mind you, these are the same people that brought us screech, kissing a cod and working for only 4-5 months of the year fishing and then going on UI for the other 7-8 months of the year and call that a living.

Then I got to reading a post by Lucky Tan and the loads of comments that followed, which I threw my two cents worth into the fray:

http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2007/07/foreigner-scolds-singaporeans.html

seems that there is a bit of a disagreement as to what constitutes a racial slur or an insulting slur.

After some looking into the word anthropology of the racial slur 'chinks' I discovered more racial slurs than I really knew existed. This is one of the websites that give the names and a brief idea of where the name came from. http://gyral.blackshell.com/names.html Amazing isnt it? Here I thought it was only children that take a certain person, find one thing about them and make up childish and immature labels about that person that stick and then go to other kids that are similiar of the one child. Seems adults are just as good at name calling as children are.

Of course this brings up my points on what makes an insult an insult. Is it the implication of the name to the person, or what the person thinks that name implies? I have heard of some people that are not only ok with being called red necks, but they are proud to be a red neck and will describe themselves as one. A person I worked with in the past was proud to be called a red neck and Jeff Foxworthy not only calls himself a red neck but has made an entire famous career telling jokes about red necks (which usually end up to be himself and his family members). So, in that case, being a red neck is a good thing. However, there are some people that will grab the gun off their gun rack and beat you with the stock for even mentioning that they are being a red neck in their thinking. So, what makes the difference? the implication that the person implies, or the way that the person hears it? If you are happy to be called a red neck, then it is not a racial slur; but if you are unhappy with being called a red neck, then it is a racial slur?

If you were going to take this to the ultimate extreme, then that would have to be the N-word. The dreaded "nigger" word that is tossed around. The word that had Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" banned in many North American schools just because of the usage in it for one of the main characters. A word so horrible that even writing it down makes my spine tingle. A word that I heard one of my co-workers use to describe a job as "...doing N work" and not only I but 5 other members of the work crew refused to speak to him for days because we were insulted by his ignorance. This should be the mother of all insults right? If that is the case, then how come in rap songs by 'African American' (or whatever the PC term is these days) artists constantly refer to their 'friends' as the N word? You hear a group of people coming up and going "wuz up, my N" and they all act friendly and all, but you hear one white guy come up to that same group and ask "wuz up, my Ns" and there is a 99.9% chance that you are going to be finding that white guy beaten in the ditch somewhere (the other 0.1% of surviving is if he can run REALLY fast) and no one in the hearing vicinity will consider this a wrongful beating.

So, I it seems that the whole racial thing is a confusing state of affairs. If I find it insulting, then to show respect the word should not be used to describe me or around me. So, in that case, does everyone get a one free pass for the obvious? you can come up and call me an 'Ang Mo' (Singaporean slang for 'caucasian) once and when I either glare at you, not laugh with you or even say "I dont appreciate that word" then if you say it again in my presence the sayer is being the insulting ignorant prick and I am not being over sensitive, right?

Though does language negate the insult? I mean, if a chinese person comes up to me and says in english "why you being so ang mo?" meaning 'why am I acting like such a white guy', then could that be considered a racial slur since they are speaking english but using a word in another language when they could have used the english word like "why are you being so caucasian/white?" (I actually had one of the cooks I work with come up and see my work and go "how white of you" meaning "how civilized of you"...that guy got on my bad side instantly and I really didnt warm up to him)? What if that same person in the said that same sentence but in Hokkien, where ang mo is from. Does that mean it is a racial slur or insulting or innocent because it was used in the right language context since you really cant expect them to say it all in Hokkien but add 'caucasian' in where ang mo should be. If that is the case, does that mean I am being a racist if I say "stop being such a..." in mandarin and end it with 'chink' in english, but I am not being racist to say "stop being such a chink" all in english?

Live Free or Die Hard movie review

2007-07-11T15:39:00.000-06:00

Live Free or Die Hard....Die Hard 4.0...Die Hard 4...whatever you want to call it, I think you might as well call it a 'great movie' and forget the different titles. I mean, as far as Die Hard movies go, this one is good. Granted, I wouldn't say it is the absolute best, but it still has all the mixings in there of your typical Die Hard. Sarcastic, jaded, burnt out cop/evil scheming know it all bastard master mind/side kick along for the ride for comic relief/bunch of explosions, gun shots and senseless brutal violence. I mean, who could possibly ask for anything more?

If you are sitting there thinking that this is a 'shoot em up, blow em up' kind of movie...well, ok, you are right there. However, the characters make the movie so much more. MaClane, for some strange reason (besides him being totally invinsible and indestructable...I mean, the guy is like the damned energizer bunny that just keeps coming and coming) is actually incredibly life like and believable. Not a hero, just there to do a job. Making it true that heros are not brave, courageous people that do amazing stunts and feats of strength. A hero is someone that stands up for what they believe is right and holds to that conviction to the end cause it is true. He also pulls of this attitude with humility and doesn't come off as a self righteous twit.

Timothy Olyphant (who I remember from the creepy pimp in 'The Girl Next Door') plays Thomas Gabriel, the evil villian. SOOOOO much is said there right in the name 'Gabriel' that I had to shake my head. I can't elaborate simply because it would spoil too much, but I always find it funny when the writers put in names of people little twists and all. Like in Insomnia when Al Pacino plays a cop that can't sleep is called Detective Will Dormer, with Dormer being a play on the french work dormir (To sleep). However, I thought it was just old video games that made it obvious. I once played a game where the main character 'helping' you through the whole game was named Natas (Satan), only you find out later that he is the evil creature that you have defeat to win the game and you were a pawn. However, he does play his character extremely well. His character was right up there with the other villians of the Die Hard trilogy and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see how MaClane was going to kill that slimey bastard. There are two ways, in my mind, to make me want a character dead. Make him so annoying (any character with Paulie Shore) or self righteous (Optimus Prime) that you want him dead just so that you dont have to watch or listen to him; or make him so evil, so twisted and so heartless that death in the movies is what this bastard deserves because you know he could trick his way out on parole for good behavior and do it all over again. This guy was the latter.

The story and plot I have to admit was not the best. Though, when it comes to Die Hards I think it is just a case of you find a story line that works with the character, why bother changing it? I mean, Rambo works best in the jungle hunting down the enemy of choice that is after him, Predator works best when he is out hunting down people/things that deserve to be hunted (Predator and Alien VS Predator...Predator 2 was just stupid, though would love to see violent criminals being hunted by that thing), and John MaClane needs to be the 'monkey in the wrench, the fly in the ointment'. So while I was not surprised in the whole story, and even found myself calling a few of the plot 'twists', I was still happy with the way that it worked.

So, the only down side was the reused plot for dear old MaClane, but for action, comedy, explosions, sexy daughters and all over good time, I give Live Free or Die Hard 4 out of 5 stars, my butt cheeks were definitly not numb at the end of this movie and I will probably go and see it again, if not buy the DVD when it is released and have a complete Die Hard 1-4 night. I would say, out of all the block busters that have been released this summer, Die Hard has taken the lead.

Jumping the gun, glad it is world wide

2007-07-11T14:53:00.000-06:00

At first I thought it was just our North American newspapers these days that report quickly and then ask questions later to get the truth. How when a major catastrophy hits (tsunami or the 9/11 attacks) the body count always seems to be much higher than it ends up to be when the bodies are finally counted, or in the case of attacks when someone is attacked by either gun, knife or fist the papers report a horrible beating and senseless attack but then when the dust settles there is always a reason or truth behind what was first thought. I mentioned this long ago with the Conley beatings on Edmonton Public Transit.

http://captcanuck.blogspot.com/2007/05/conley-bus-manslaughter-dropped.html

Basically, that long story short was bunch of teens allegedly attacked and beat a poor defenseless man to death on a bus. At prelim inquiry it was decided that the boys really didn't attack out of malice but were defending themselves as the man attacked them. They were cleared of all charges.

I guess the main point in this case is that once the news gives a human interest story, people quickly jump to arms. Man is beaten on a bus, we the citizens are getting tired of these beatings and are so quick to assume that the evil teens (the ones we read about so much) are the cause of the beatings and we dont care to listen to facts til they are printed. We hear about a tsunami tragedy and the body count is in the thousands, like 8,000-10,000 people dead, we instantly flood the help donation boxes with money to help these people and then wonder why a couple months later the body count has dropped down to 4,000 and wonder where our money went. It looks like it also happened again over seas.

One of the blogs I read on a regular basis (http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/) posted this clip:

and while it is all in chinese, I got the general feel from comments and his mentionings that the people were lining up to help, there was a shortage of blood and it all seemed to be delegated on a quota basis. You get a certain quota, you go over that quota and you have to find your own source or else you are screwed. However, recent articles are now poping up about this case.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/287449/1/.html

Quick and the short, woman goes into labour, suffers from medical emergency, massive bleeding happens, C-section was ordered, became a bleeding emergency and emergency bleeding blood transfusions were ordered. Family members were asked to come in to donate, which they did the morning but however the woman had passed away in the night due to "..DIVC, an acute blood coagulation problem." However "The Bloodbank@HSA said blood is provided to all patients at all times, based on clinical needs. And all bleeding emergencies are given first priority."

So now I get the feeling that the first mentioning of this happening was the clip and people were whipped to a frenzy, then this article comes out and sort of smooths away a few matters saying that blood is not withheld, just takes some time to get through channels. Then, comes another article.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/287574/1/.html

In this one, it is flat out said she was not denied blood and not because there was insufficient blood at the hospital. Seems blood is readily available and while I personally don't think that it is a good practice of the blood bank to go up to a husband/father of a woman who is in an emergency life saving procedure and say "yeah, we are doing what we can, she has had to have a lot of blood transfusions and maybe you and family members would like to go down and donate", it is sound practice. I mean, what better way to get people to donate than to put the fear of losing a loved one in. If you stop a person on the street and say "hey, why dont you go in to the blood bank and donate" people might find time to do it 'later..when I have a moment', but put a loved one on the operating table and you got 200 relatives lining up to donate blood. Would be interested to know how many of that 200 people lining up to donate were regular blood donors, giving their maximum limit of blood once a month. I know, personally, I am in that boat. I have looked at donating blood myself but the 2 week future date has me sort of put off since my work schedule is screwed up and never know when I can do it, but put my mother on the operating table and I would walk out of work to go down to the hospital and get hooked up to a direct line to help her out. So, can't really fault them or point too many fingers, just wonder if they are like me or if all 200 are regular donors on a regular basis.

But this final article does give a firm stance. Nothing was wrong, all procedure was followed, it is a workable system, all are safe and secure, it was a common body failure that caused her untimely death and no fault of the doctors, hospital or system. All people talking seem to be making mischief, and this is the truth.

Very similiar to the Conley case. Canadians (even myself) were all set to believe that the teens were hooligans, evil ungrateful little twits that would slit your throat sooner than look at you. However, in the end, it was a court that decided that they were not to blame and gave us the facts and the truth. Just as the hospital reports and the bloodbank reports gave Singapore the truth about this unfortunate instance. In both cases, someone died, the people jumped the gun, the truth is out there.

Canadian equivalent of an attempted assassination

2007-07-10T21:33:00.000-06:00

I don't know what it is about today, but seems the stupidity is coming out of the woodwork.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2007/07/09/4325636-cp.html

an article about a woman who tried to 'pie' the premier of Alberta. What I love about this 'attack' was that Ed just came into power on December 14, 2006. So, let's see, he is put in charge of Alberta not even 7 months ago, and he is being pied for not building affordable housing for all the people that are flooding to Alberta because of the prosperity. The same people that were probably laughing in their own provinces when us Albertans were complaining about Klein's slashing of all things from education to hospital to start saving some money, bringing Alberta out of debt and giving Alberta a surplus of funds. Now, in 7 months, he is going to snap his fingers and buildings are gonna pop out of the Earth instantly? Come on, give a guy a chance to at least get the ducks in a row, file a few pieces of paper and get things happening.

As for the 'attack', some countries go for a shot gun, some try bombs, some even go so far as to do poison to show their discontent with the leaders of this country. What do Canadians prefer? coconut cream pies, chocolate cream pies or plain and simple eggs. Ohhh, the horrors of Canadians. At least this shows some encouragement that when it comes to the common man on the street we will stab, beat and shoot them when it comes to hating them because they are a different colour, make more money, are of a different race or religion BUT when it comes to the leaders of the country, we restrict ourselves to food products. I wonder if it has to do with the amount of protection. Perhaps if the common citizen had a sort of protection service. Perhaps if there was some strange sort of 'justice' system in place that would either punish the guilty or protect the innocent from those horrible things from happening. I mean, the commoner on the street has nothing and gets shot or stabbed; a premier has a band of people surrounding him and protecting him, and he gets pied. Perhaps, and just a strange thought here, if there actually was enough police in the area, or perhaps the police that we did have showed up within a reasonable time limit, perhaps the crime might go down. Maybe the commoners of Canada might just get pied or egged instead of shot or stabbed.

But, hey, just talking out of the side of my head at the moment, no real concrete evidence to back me up.

Just random stupidity

2007-07-10T18:26:00.000-06:00

While walking home today, I came across a street intersection with a button to press. Now, normally I see these around that usually read "to cross 101 street, press button". Usually for a busy intersection that normally wouldn't stop on a regular basis to let pedestrians, that aren't there, cross. Helps with the flow of traffic and all since we are all busy people. Well, I came to this one street that had a button, but as I reached to press it, I actually read the sign.

"Press button for audible signal only"

This obviously means that regardless of if I push this button or not, the light is going to change and I am going to get the walk signal to cross the street. I then thought "who would need this then? why was it installed?". The answer is probably the blind. I remember seeing a game of baseball in a documentary about a blind camp for kids where they would stand up at the plate and the pitcher (counsellor who could see...cause having a blind pitcher for blind batters is just toooo Caligulian for even that ancient dead sick ruler) would always pitch slow to them. They would then swing and if they hit the ball the first base person would ring a bell and the player would then run towards that bell. Each base had a different bell sound so that if there were two runners running, they could follow the bell that they recognized as the respective base they wanted. So, I figure that if a person was waiting for a light to change that couldn't see, they would need some auditor clues as to when to walk. Some intersections, like this one, had advance greens where the cars going foward were stopped but the ones that were turning were allowed. In this case, simply listening for the cars stopping and hearing who was driving really wouldnt be of use to the blind person. Ingenius, isnt it?

Then, of course, I got to thinking. The sign is printed, there is no braille on it to tell a blind person what it is for, and since they can't see to read it, how are they to know? As well, there are no sounds or anything coming from the sign itself to attract a blind person by sound to let them know that it is there. So, basically, what we have is a button, hooked up to a light switch, which would have cost the city tax payers some money (cause, let's face it, their appearance and maintenance is not free, nothing is), and it is for helping the blind cross a street, but the blind can not see it to use it? That makes about as much sense as funding an entire organization for helping people with debt and credit problems, but they put it in the basement of a building that is condemned and don't advertise that the organization exists or tell anyone about it, but still suck tax dollars.

Ahhh, yes, yet another wonderful thing brought to you by the gov't that really has more money than brains.

Transformers movie review

2007-07-10T07:04:00.001-06:00

I guess I will have to say that this movie review is going to be the lone review standing out saying I did not like the Transformers movie that is out. It seems the few friends I have talked to about the movie loved it, thought it was fantastic and, since I have a tendancy to sort of 'over analyse' films, they refuse to listen to my opinion. All I am allowed to say is "I did not like the movie" and that is all they want to hear.

So, going to write my reasons here as to why I thought the movie was not that good, and I will tell you now that this review will include many many spoilers since that is what I had problems with. After all, as I have often believed, the Devil is often in the details.

On the surface, I would have to say that the movie had it's good points. The main kid character, Sam Witwiky played by Shia LaBeouf, was amusing, gauky, comic and basically a person that all teens in high school outside of spoiled brats and football jocks could relate to. Often his lines worked with the scenes and he was the character that the average kid could think of becoming. However, his female lead (and love interest in his life) Mikaela Banes played by Megan Fox was a severe disappointment. Well, maybe I should say disappointment if you actually expect acting, believability and a little thing called 'character depth'. If, however, you were just expecting a nice ass, killer body and sexy pouty looks now and then to fire your male hormonal rockets, then oh man did this woman nail the part! Who knows? perhaps from the director point of view, that was all that he wanted. He wanted to show that this girl really was a shallow and insignificant character with no real personality whatsoever and had lived her life on just her looks alone and really had no interest in developing some sort of personality. Her best moment was when she cracked open the hood of Bumblebee and looked under with her sexy hip pose and sweat all over her. That one shot was her best acting scene in the whole movie. Didn't speak a single word, just stood there and let her 'ass'ets be known.

The other characters had a few moments of amusement, they sort of set the scene for some good acting. Jon Voight and John Turturro played their respective military/agency men characters extremely well and were great in all the right places. The voices and action of a few of the Autobots were good. The few lines by Ironhide and Ratchet were well placed and showed some good character. Bumblebee was interesting with him only being able to talk through the radio was alright. Though a HUGE disappointment in Optimus Prime. I mean, I remember the cartoons, and Prime was extremely honourable and rightgeous, but this movie took him WAY over the top. I mean, some of his words, though nice and all, did not fit the movie in my opinion. At least back in the cartoon when no one died (few flames, few explosions but you always saw the people walking away from the wreckage) Prime's honourability had a place and was expected. But when you have Decepticons killing people left, right and centre, going completely ape shit on an entire city, Prime's standing tall "we shall fight. We shall prevail. We shall protect the humans at all cost because *insert long winded cheesy talk regarding freedom, choice and rights here*" just is too much. I have to say that during the final battle I was preying for either Sam to sacrifice Prime or for Megatron to win just to shut up his self rightgeous crap. I mean, honour and all is good, his sentiments were fine, but he reminded me of the religious spouting fanatics that knock on your door and force you to lie flat on the floor with the lights out so you don't have to listen to their views and all.

The story and plot were also incredibly lame and just a huge disappointment. There were so many things that happened in that movie that had me going "what? are they even thinking clearly?" But, then again, I had to remind myself that these are military trained men and military ministers making decisions so they really arent the best or brightest ones in the bunch. Decepticons are coming to attack, big ass killer death robots that have no respect for human life, and you have something that they want but are trying to get it to another location. Hey, I know, great idea, let's take that item, run it to the middle of downtown of a major city where hundreds of humans are walking and driving around and let's then be shocked and amazed that they are going to open fire and blow up a lot of buildings and hurt/kill a lot of innocent people. Granted, these are the same army people that brought you Iraq and the WMD hunt. That was only one thing in the whole movie that had me going "What?". Trust me, if you go and actually think about the movie and what is happening instead of just looking for explosions and hot girls butts, then you might find yourself wondering as well.

Things that the writers changed about the Transformers that I did not like now. I remember the movie/cartoon about how the Transformers crashed on Earth and the on board computer did a scouting recon of the area and fixed the damaged Transformers and gave them the vehicles that they could transform into. In this movie, I got the impression that the robots could basically scan vehicles and take on their outwards appearance. Bumblebee scans a new camero after being insulted by Mikaela about him transforming to '..this hunk of crap.' When the Autobots crash to Earth, they each seem to pick the vehicle they want to become and then take that form. Ok, fine, I will buy that. I will even buy the fact that since they wanted to be undercover and not noticed, no sense in scanning tanks or Anti-aircraft weaponary machines and try to drive that through the burbs since it would be noticed. But, after they knew where the Allsparks was and were planning to go and get it, why wouldn't they attempt to find vehicles that were more suited for the job? Then when they discover that the battle is being moved to the down town part of the city, they don't take a second to find some combat vehicles to change into but go in with just being cars. Call me crazy but to me that sounds like you putting a bunch of weaponry out in front of two different gangs and the bad guys grab guns, knives, metal pipes and chains. The other gang then grabs hair dryers, cuticle clippers and puts on Armani suits cause even though they are going to fight, they look stylish. No wonder the Autobots needed the help of the humans to take out a few of the Decepticons, cause they were ill-prepared and totally stupid.

In the end, I have to say that I enjoyed the movie for the first 15 minutes or so and then things started to happen that got me thinking and wondering and the next 2 hours and 15 minutes was total hell. I think that if I was able to 'transform' myself back to the mental age and acuity of an 8 year old (around the time I remember watching it as a kid) then perhaps it might have been a good movie and I would have enjoyed it. Too bad it wasn't so.

I give this movie 1 out of 5 stars, since both of my butt cheeks went number 15 minutes into the film.

CNN reporter is 'skeazier' than porn webmaster

2007-07-09T10:32:00.001-06:00

I came across this clip:

http://www.pandachute.com/videos/adult_webmaster_owns_cnn_reporter

Now, call me crazy, but for some reason I hold more respect for the 'skeazy' webmaster in this clip than the CNN reporter. I mean, I always thought that a reporters job is to dispassionately report the news. Here this interviewer takes it personal and to a different level. Actually saying that the guy is skeazy, calling him a loser? Something tells me that the producers forced her to take this interview and didnt let her pick and choose it. While I may not agree with the webmasters site, or even condone pornography and all, the irresponsible and disrepectful behavior of this reporter has me really doubting the credibility of Fox News. I mean, if they say "We report, you decide", then shouldn't they actually enforce that on the reporters and instead of them just making rude comments to the people they are interviewing, why not actually find out the facts and give that out. All we get is 'police, parents dont like it...' and then 3 more minutes of bashing him and calling him a loser.

Definitly poor reporting and extremely poor professionalism.

beating threatened, but slap on the wrist given

2007-07-05T08:23:00.000-06:00

I guess I have to start to worry about Canada now. I remember when I read an article stating that nearly 70% of Singaporeans support the death sentence for all crimes (drug and murder) and that the sample size of those questioned was 500 people on the street. The person I talked to about this said that it was a just sample size and should be believed. Guess that means that Canadians are beginning to turn the other way. In a poll on the Edmonton Sun web page, they were asking about corporal punishment:

Should corporal punishments, such as whipping, be a sentencing option for judges?
Yes 76%
No 24%

Total Votes for this Question: 1311

I, personally, could never understand the paradox of "if you beat someone, I shall beat you to show you that beating someone is wrong. If you kill someone, then we shall kill you to show you that it is wrong". I often wondered what the sense in 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' sort of logic works in this area. But, like some people say, you make the punishment higher than the gratification and people wont do the wrong doings. Which would explain why you cant pick up a Canadian newspaper without hearing about murders and assaults, but the countries that have corporal and capital punishment have virtually no crime whatsoever.

Why was this question asked? well, in the below article, apparently a judge said that if he could have this guy whipped for assaulting a mother in front of her son, he would have. Gives a sort of inclination that yes he is gonna throw the book at the boy, right? give him hard time, lock him up for good, teach him a lesson. I mean, if I had the power of the court for punishment behind me and actually said to the guy "I wish I could have you beaten" then I would have made damn sure that the punishment he got was totally extreme. If the defence complained saying that he needed to be shown mercy, I would have just responded with Canada is becoming a place that criminals dont think of the consequences because the punishment by courts are always too lenient. This is an example and we can hope that other judges will listen and learn and start punishing harsh crimes to their full ability. I know for certain (from all the complaints I read in the opinion column) that there wont be a huge rally of people writing MPs and MLAs screaming "that rapist who assaulted his ex wife in front of her children should not have gotten 10 years in prison. He was such a nice lad for pleading guilty early. He deserves a lesser sentence".

But what does the judge do? listens to a crown and defence submission, gives him credit of 26 months for the 13 months he spent in jail already? how exactly does that work with "I wish I could beat you"? I mean, that is like he said "I wish I could beat you, but since I cant, I will slap your wrist". It isnt like this guy was a good boy scout that just snapped one day and did something stupid like slapped his wife/girlfriend when they had an argument about supper. He is a self admitted crack addict, blamed the girl for forcing him to do it and he knowly commited the act and had rational thought (wanted to rape her because he knew he was going to jail and wouldnt get sex for a long time). So, he is a menace to society, commits a crime, goes to the judge and pleads guilty (and lets face it, there is no way that if he plead not guilty that he would get away with it.) and the judge gives a lightened sentence?

Here is the way I see it. Sexual assault (S. 271 of the Criminal Code) under Summary conviction is no more than 18 months, Indictable is no more than 10 years. Utter death threats (S. 264.1) is Summary 18 months, Indictable is 5 years. Unlawful confinment (or the closest I could find of Forced Confinement S. 279(2)) is Summary 18 months, Indictable no more than 10 years. Now, with just those three offences being admitted to, and assuming that the crown went Summary (since it could have been the guys first offence, crown didnt want to waste time with an Indictable matter, the police screwed up somewhere and didnt want to waste time in court), the guy at full punishment would get 3x18 months = 54 months (4.5 years). If the crown went Indictable (because he had a long record, they had a slam dunk case) the guy is looking at 25 years for these three admissions of guilt. Anyone see a bit of a problem here? on three summary offences, at maximum sentencing, he is going to jail for 4.5 years, and yet the judge only gives him 5 years. So does that mean for the other 2 offences he got 6 months? Driving your car without insurance gets you a $3800 fine or 18 months in jail. So does that mean that this guy admited guilt to two crimes that was less criminal than driving without insurance? what did he do, litter on the way up the walk? smoked in a public place before going into the house? I mean, even being in possession of the deadly weapon (the gardening tool) and threatening her with it should at least give another 18 months in jail Summarily. So assuming that the judge really threw the book at this guy and the summary charges all gave 18 months in jail, for 5 offences that is 90 months or 7.5 years.

So, how exactly can a judge go from "If I had my way ... I would ask the Parliament of Canada to bring back whipping" to "ok, here is 5 months in jail and we will consider your 13 months in jail while waiting for trial to be 26 months..have a nice day"? No wonder our criminals are running free if the judges these days are too weak to throw books.

'Bring back whipping'
Judge has harsh words for man who attacked woman in front of son
By ELIZA BARLOW, SUN MEDIA

A judge lamented the demise of corporal punishment as an option as he sentenced a city man to five years in prison for terrorizing his family and raping his ex-girlfriend in front of their two-year-old son last year.

“If I had my way ... I would ask the Parliament of Canada to bring back whipping,” said provincial court Judge Michael Stevens-Guille after 45-year-old James Jacobs stood up in the prisoner’s box and tried to blame his ex for his terrifying behaviour.

Jacobs pleaded guilty Wednesday to five charges including sexual assault, unlawful confinement and uttering death threats in the June 14, 2006, incident that sent the city police tactical unit to the Abbottsfield Road townhouse where the victim lived with her three sons, then ages 10, 7 and 2.

Crown prosecutor Shelley Bykewich told court the victim had just sent her two older sons out the door to school just before 9 a.m. when she heard a distressed cry of “Mom!” and discovered Jacobs waiting outside.

Jacobs pushed himself into the home, brandishing a sharp weapon described as a five-point painting tool.

Wet her pants

Court heard the victim was so afraid she wet her pants and fell backwards to the ground, with Jacobs on top of her as the two boys watched in terror. She suffered a five-centimetre gash to her hand.

The boys obeyed their mother’s frantic orders to run to a neighbour’s place and call 911.
At one point, Jacobs picked up the couple’s two-year-old son in one arm and a kitchen knife in the other and threatened to throw the toddler out the window.

He also ordered his ex to stand in front of the window so that cops, who by this time had amassed outside, couldn’t get a clear shot.

Jacobs took the woman to the master bedroom and told her he wanted sex because he was going to jail and wouldn’t be having sex for a long time.

Bykewich said the woman said no repeatedly but Jacobs took off her pants and underwear and forced sex on her. The two-year-old boy had come upstairs in the meantime and witnessed the assault, court heard.

Throughout the ordeal Jacobs threatened to kill both the victim and the little boy. He also placed 911 calls threatening to kill the mother and son if police came to the house.

Eventually the woman managed to grab her son and run out of the house to waiting cops. Jacobs was arrested around 10:30 a.m.

Flashbacks

In a victim impact statement, the woman, whose name is under a publication ban, said all three of her sons still have flashbacks of the event and she is scared to be in Edmonton.

“I have immense fear about being attacked in public by (Jacobs) if he is released at any point in time.”

Defence lawyer Peter Royal told court Jacobs had a longtime addiction to crack-cocaine and was under the influence of crack when he committed what Royal called “grave crimes.”

When Stevens-Guille asked Jacobs whether he had anything to say, Jacobs told the judge his ex knew he was a crack addict when they got together, and accused her of repeatedly lying in the past.

After an incredulous Stevens-Guille pressed Jacobs on whether he was sorry for damaging the lives of four people, Jacobs finally said, “Yes I am. I’m sorry for what I done. Sorry to my kids.” He then sat back down and sobbed.

Going along with a joint submission from Crown and defence, Stevens-Guille gave Jacobs 26 months’ credit for the 13 months he’s spent in pretrial custody, leaving 34 more months for him to serve.

He also ordered that Jacobs be listed on the sex-offender registry for 20 years.

Canadians dont know Jack...

2007-06-30T10:51:00.000-06:00

I guess I have discovered a flaw in my own personal nature. Everytime I hear someone slamming Canadians about something, I have to find an excuse or reason as to why it is and put a nice spin on it to make Canadians come out better than they are. I could have been a spin doctor, and the greatest challenge of all would have been trying to make the Liberal gov't actually appear competant and uncorrupt. But, that aside, I came across this article (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070629/citizenship_poll_070629/20070629?hub=Canada) saying that the majority of Canadians would fail the immigration entrance exam whereas 70% of immigrants to Canada have passed. Now, I have to stand up and make excuses. why? because I obviously have a flawed and weak self esteem and ego.

I wouldnt mind finding the demographics of the said test and find out more. By the bottom information in the above article, it states that the people took 1005 immigrants not born in Canada, and also phone interviewed 1005 Canadian born citizens. Now, from what I remember, unless you are really interested in history or politics, Canadians really dont take any higher education over the earlier grades. Excluding my Canadian history class in university (mandatory for my degree), I think my last class in anything Canadian historical or social studies wise was back in grade 7 in Social Studies. I am going to make an educated guess and say that anyone who has a phone in their name, at home, who would take time away from their life to do a test like this would be in the range of 20+. Why? I would say that a 15 year old these days with a private line to their room would be listed but what 15 year old playing xbox/Wii or any of those other games would actually hit pause long enough to do a phone test when they get that sort of stuff at school, which they probably arent too happy doing for a reward of grades. A 20+, on the other hand, might be interested in how much they remember from their grade school days after watching one too many episodes of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?". So, a 20+ year old would probably have taken classes in the info that they are asking about 7-10 years ago, and in that time they have learned 5 other grades worth of material, learned how to make the perfect bong from an apple, how to sneak the car out of the drive way to get to a bush party and get it back without daddy kicking their asses, hopefully gotten into university/college, gotten at least 1 or more jobs, gone through interview processes and on and on and on. The amount of information being introduced to a regular person is mind boggling so in the end some information might just have to be put aside and forgotten to make room for others. Let's face it, if you had the choice of retaining one type of information in your head and one of those tidbits was going to help you land a job in the electrical field that would pay you $1,500/month after taxes OR remembering what the three responsibilities that Canadians hold according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada is, which is gonna get dumped first? The only time a natural born Canadian might want to retain that sort of trivia information is if it pertains to the job and can make a living. Other than that, you might as well remember the trivia information of how many tines does the maple leaf have on the flag. Interesting, but useless info.

Immigrants, on the other hand, would have learned that information not too long ago, and if they did learn it long ago, chances are they probably learned it when they were adults and didnt have to have the competition of "remember how to make the perfect bong hit OR remember Canadian political trivia" that born Canadians did in their youth. Canadian trivia all of a sudden took higher importance to learn because they didnt pass the test, they dont become citizens and cant stay here to bring over the rest of their family to live a life of freedom that they were probably denied back in their homeland. What happens if a born Canadian doesnt pass social studies? they take shop class and pick up the credits and graduate or dont graduate and live off mommy and daddy in freedom land for the rest of their lives. No real threat there.

As for the connection between the lack of Canadian trivia information being connected with Canadian apathy for voting and social awareness. I think it is more a case of the gov't being responsible. I mean, with all due respects to the Conservative gov't these days, the gov't powers are basically a farce. There really is no problem solving going on these days on parliament hill to really make a better life. It all seems to be in a fashion of political mud slinging back and forth without actually looking at the problem. When the party isnt in power, most of their efforts and money is being spent on trying to prove that the party in power isnt doing their job and are slacking and wasting tax payers money. While the party in power spends the majority of their time, effort and money trying to defend their positions and only doing a little bit to help the people of the country. So, why vote for any particular party when the end result is the same. Win and waste our money slinging mud on the opposition, or lose and waste our money slinging money at the majority. In the end, the Canadian tax payer loses. Natural born Canadians have figured this war on parliament hill long ago and just have given up and let the morons battle it out, while those immigrants that just came over have this illusion that the parliament powers are actually doing something good for the people. If anything I would love to poll immigrants and mark their length of stay in Canada and measure their personal belief on how much they think the gov't is effective or not. I wouldnt be surprised if there was a direct correlation showing the longer you stay in Canada and learn about actual politics and living in the system and the lower voting or social participation.

It's time we learned our lines
By Licia Corbella (Edmonton Sun)

"O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command."
Familiar words, eh?

Well, at least they should be. Those are the opening lines to Canada's national anthem -- a hymn that has been sung in this country for more than 120 years.

According to a Dominion Institute poll released yesterday, only 58% of Canadians could recite those first two lines.

Apparently, just 16% of those polled could name the four provinces that formed Canada in 1867 -- Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. That's a decline of six percentage points in 10 years.

Oh, Canada! How truly sad!

What's curious is immigrants scored higher than born Canadians on the 21-question test, indicating in part the exam they are required to take prior to being granted citizenship infuses them with a knowledge of their adopted country.

Rudyard Griffiths, who co-founded the Dominion Institute 10 years ago, says we "are fast becoming a nation of amnesiacs who lack basic knowledge about the country's past, its democratic institutions and practices and the physical geography of Canada."

Why is this important? Well, another study by the Association for Canadian Studies clearly shows the more knowledge a citizen has of Canada, the more involved that citizen is in public life and the more likely they are to vote, volunteer and have trust and confidence in our leaders and our country on the whole.

The Dominion Institute has two recommendations to improve this collective amnesia that leads to cynicism. It's calling on all premiers and ministers of education to organize a national citizenship exam for all high school students and it's calling on the feds to create a new passport program that would provide applicants with the opportunity to volunteer to take the citizenship exam when renewing or applying for their passport. That's a great start. But how about actually teaching our kids about their country in school?

Tomorrow marks our "glorious and free" country's 140th birthday.

The closing line of our anthem states: "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee."

Can we really stand on guard for something we know so little about?