Jan 2 2004


Well let’s start the new year with a Rant on a couple things that have pissed me off during the holiday season.


Subject: The loud, obnoxious, arrogant, war mongering Government south of Canada


First Beef…..


As the U.S.’s war on terrorism (and basically on anyone who disagrees with them) continues to stretch its military resources to the limit, the U.S. D.O.D. has found itself running low on available personnel and sent recruiters north of the border into Canadian territory in December 2003, in an attempt to recruit Canadian’s into the U.S. Army. The Pentagon and its War Mongers, believed this was all legal and that Canada would not mind this clear violation of Canadian borders and international law by citing a Treaty that was signed in 1776 with Britain that allowed the U.S. to enter British territories to recruit aboriginal peoples. News Flash here guys!!! Canada is Spelt C-A-N-A-D-A not B-R-I-T-A-I-N.

Since then the Pentagon has been informed in no uncertain terms that this practice is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. To its credit the War Mongers, immediately removed all their recruiters from Canadian territories.

Now I have no problem with Canadian’s serving in the U.S. army. In fact, the U.S. Army currently has over 17,000 foreign personnel serving in its ranks. Serving in the American Military allows Foreign National’s to gain green cards and U.S. citizenship much easier and faster then other means. If Canadian’s wish to serve in the U.S. Army, they are free to cross over into U.S. territory and sign up, same thing applies for any American’s who wish to serve in the Canadian Forces.

But how dare you be so arrogant to think you can just walk into a foreign country and attempt to recruit its people to bolster your war machine. If Canada or Mexico were to attempt to recruit American’s into their own forces without the Governments knowledge or consent you would consider this an act of terrorism and likely invade.

If your love for war and invading sovereign nations is starting to take its toll on your resources then maybe scale back your war effort and/or maybe join the rest of the world in respecting international law and stay the hell out of other countries until your actually invited!


Beef #2……..


Mad Cow.


The U.S. has recently discovered its first ever (public) case of Mad Cow Disease in Washington State and rather then owning up to it and simply dealing with it, the American’s are trying to blame Canada for the infected cow.

Granted in the summer of 2003 Canada had a single case of Mad Cow disease in Alberta, and while the world instantly banned all Canadian Beef and completely devastated the Canadian Beef industry (the U.S. included, in fact they were one of the first Countries to Ban Canadian Beef products and although Canada has had no trace of Mad cow for months the U.S. still has restrictions on Canadian beef imports), rather then point fingers at others Canada owned up to it and dealt with it.

Now that the U.S. has its own Mad Cow case, they are trying to pass the buck and blame Canada for its own problems. I say suck it up and grow up. Step up to the plate and stop blaming others for your own problems. It’s easier to blame someone else then to actually take responsibility for something, especially when you’re looking at loosing Billions in Beef Exports. But the U.S. Government has proved over time that it prefers to concoct stories and blame others for its own screw ups, so why should this be any different?

A little footnote here: Although the list of countries now Banning U.S. beef imports is growing Daily, Canada has yet to close its borders to U.S. beef, unlike last summer, when the U.S. was among the first countries to close its borders to Canadian beef products.

Now a personal note here: I was actually speaking with a Beef Inspector from Michigan last summer (2003) while the Canadian Beef Farmers were being devastated, by an international Ban on Canadian Beef out of fear caused by the single isolated case of Mad Cow in Alberta. In the course of my conversation with this Michigan Beef Inspector, he quietly admitted that Michigan had had two confirmed cases of Mad Cow disease, but the government had swooped in and destroyed the cows and hushed the whole thing up so it wouldn’t devastate the American beef industry. I have no reason to doubt his admission, and given the billions of dollars lost in Canada because of Mad Cow it’s easy to see why it would have been covered up in Michigan.

Why was the Washington Case not hushed up as well? Who knows? Maybe someone dropped the ball, or maybe those government officials who handle these kind of cover ups failed to act quickly enough. All I can do is speculate.

But, all I can say is: Grow up, suck it up and stop blaming Canada for your problems! You seem to forget that when the U.S. was at its most vulnerable and Terrorists where hijacking your planes in 2001, and you closed your air space, it was Canada, your closest neighbor, that willingly accepted over 500 of your airplanes into our airspace and airports. Those planes may well have been full of terrorists, but did we care, no! Our Neighbor asked for help and we responded and put ourselves at risk to ensure the safety and well being of the American citizens on those 500 planes. Then the people of Canada further responded by rushing rescue teams with million’s of dollars in Medical and blood supplies to New York and further donated millions to help those affected by the Sept 11th tragedy. The U.S. is Canada’s closest neighbor and greatest allie, but you always seem to forget our proud history together and can’t wait to blame us for every trivial problem you have south of our borders.

All I can do is hope that the school yard bully to the south (Uncle Sam) grows up and learns to appreciate his friends.


D.

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Jan. 3 2004


Well there are so many issues I would like to go nuts on here today and they are all kind of inter twined but I guess I should try to keep it to a single topic.


My Beef of the Day: Dead Beat Dad’s


I have worked with children in various capacities for over 15 years and one thing that has always pissed me off beyond belief are these pieces of male crap that voluntarily walk away and abandon their children. These men are the second lowest form of life on the planet as far as I am concerned.

I have had the pleasure of working with countless precious children that, through no fault of their own, have had to grow up without a fathers love, without any real male role model in their lives. Now granted some of these children are likely better off without their fathers around, as any man who harms or abuses his children in anyway, has no business being a Father and should simply be taken out back and shot, any man who abuses or harms a child is by far the lowest form of life on the planet and has business even being alive.

I understand that due to complications in life and family break down it’s not always possible for someone to be full time parent, its sad, but fair enough. What I am saying here, that if you bring a child into this world then actually be a “Man” and accept responsibility for that child and spend all the time you can with them and do your best to provide and care for that child. All too often guys are able to walk away without any responsibility. This makes me sick. I know many “Real” men who would do anything to have their own children yet, so many of these male scum bags voluntarily just walk away from the children who love them.

I will admit here, that I am not a big fan of child support payments, and I can understand why some people are hesitant to make them. Why should a Father who is separated from his children have to support the mother, her bad habits and her new boyfriend? This I understand. However, you are responsible for those children. If a father isn’t going to pay child support then, he must support his children in other ways. Maybe spend a few hundred dollars a month on grocery’s to ensure that child is fed. Maybe pay part of the rent or mortgage to make sure the child has a roof over its head. If the child needs anything then a caring father should not hesitate to empty his bank accounts to make sure their child has anything he or she needs, and I think its only right that any father do his best to pay for any extracurricular activities (swimming lessons, sports, ect) the child gets into while growing up.

Children need love and support, so be a MAN and spend all the time you can with your children and do your best to raise and care for them.

If you bring a child into this world then be a Man and actually stick around and do your best to raise, care for and support that child. Any flipping idiot can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a Daddy.


D.

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Jan 31 2004


Well, this is a bit of a change from the usual Social Rant or Commentary. Today my so called Rant is more of a question that has been posed to several people lately with surprising answers.

Do you thinks it is possible for someone to be so in love that they don’t even look at (check out) another Man or Woman regardless of how attractive that person may be?

Surprisingly it seems that opinions on this are split down the middle even among the genders. I have to admit here that I never would have believed it myself, but I have to say that I now fully believe it is possible for someone to be so in love, to be so completed on every level by another person that you don’t even look at anyone else, no matter how physically attractive they may be because you honestly don’t notice.

So I pose the question here, do you believe it is possible to be so captivated and so in love that you don’t even look at another person? Give me your opinions on this and your rationale behind it.


D.

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Feb 5 2004


My beef today is something I have been watching occur for years and I have to say it often breaks my heart and never ceases to boggle my mind.

Subject of the Day: The De-Evolution of Mankind


Everyday you turn on the news or open the newspaper and all you see is Rape, Murder, Degragation, and abduction. It seems that morals are becoming a thing of the past and Mankind is truly hell bent on destroying itself.

If the Adult population wants to kill itself, hey more power to you. I often think a bit of bleach in the gene pool would actually solve a lot of our problems in a hurry. But what bothers me here, is when this destruction is turned on the children, our youngest and most precious citizens. It seems it gets worse daily. Our children are being Raped, Murdered, Abducted, and simply corrupted. My question to the world is simple… What the hell is wrong with you? Are your lives that lacking and messed up? That sad, empty, and pathetic that you have to declare war on the most innocent and helpless members of society? I’ll tell you what, I have the solution… It’ll solve your problems and you won’t have to harm anyone, especially our children. It’s all quite simple, three easy steps…

1) Load gun.
2) Put barrel in mouth
3) Pull Trigger.

See isn’t that easy? It solves your problems, it doesn’t hurt anyone, and it even helps make the world a nicer place. Just think of it as your little contribution in helping the world. Regardless of how messed up you are, or how hopeless it seems you too can do your part to help here.

As for the rest of us, we don’t mind cleaning up the mess you leave behind, we understand that its your way of helping save our world, and we truly appreciate your sacrifice in helping us save our children from you.

Once you’ve done your part to make the world a better place, then the rest of us can return to important things such as teaching our children morals and the difference between right and wrong. We can work on raising them in a safe and secure environment and give them a better world where they can actually play outside and not have to worry about being abducted, or harmed by troubled messed up souls.

So to all those out there who harm, abuse, and corrupt the precious wonderful gift of children, please do your part in helping make the world a better place by following the simple three step method above.


Bullets: The tasty side dish of a better, kinder and gentler world.


D.

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Feb 6 2004


Today’s Rant is an open letter congratulating the Federal and Provincial Governments of Canada.


Subject: Congratulations Canada!


I would like to officially and publicly congratulate Canada’s Federal and Provincial Governments for their narrow minded, short sighted gouging of the Canadian people in an effort to balance their budgets, reduce their deficits, and of course line their own pockets.

Being Canadian I would like to thank you, my government, for allowing me to live in the highest taxed nation in North America. Every year my taxes go up and being the good proud Canadian that I am, I willing allow you one third of my paycheck before it even reaches my bank account. I understand it’s your job to collect tax dollars so you can maintain budgets, reduce deficits, and maintain your own high standards of living, in order to keep Canada strong and competitive in today’s global economy.

Every year my Taxes increase and I have to pay more and more for the bare necessities of survival, but I don’t complain, not even at the end of the year when come Income tax time you send me a bill requesting even more of my hard earned money. As is a fact of life in Canada I accept that the governments hand is going to be in my pocket to the point that no matter how hard I work or how many jobs I hold my after tax income will classify me as the working poor. But I don’t complain, because I know my government is using my money wisely and looking out for my children and I. The slashing of social programs and gouging of the working class are all apart of a bigger plan that will only benefit the future of those I care about.

Even when I moved halfway across this great country of ours in search of a better life for myself and the new provincial government informed me that I now had to pay for my health care, I didn’t complain too loudly, as like all Canadian’s I’ve learned to quietly bend over every time my government wants to screw me a little more. I even waited patiently for three years while waiting to find a medical practitioner that would even consider taking new patients, and although I had to wait three years to even find a doctor, you, my government made sure you collected my medical fees every month for the great medical services I wasn’t able to use, and now that I have a doctor and seeing the quality practitioner he is, I can only pray that I never get sick.

As my taxes continue to go up every year I sit back and watch pediatric and obstetric units close, rape and counseling services eliminated, and surgical units moved to far off regional centres. I’ve seen entire hospitals shut down all in an effort to reduce spending and streamline services. Now when someone needs emergency medical care they must travel hours to the nearest available hospital only to die in the waiting room while waiting for a doctor to see them. What once was the greatest health care system in the world has been reduced to a substandard system that fails to care for our children and elderly.

But I don’t complain because I know that my governments is working hard to balance the budget for the good of all Canadian’s. I continue to pay my tax increases and have watched single mothers lose quality daycare for their children due to massive daycare funding cuts so small children are now put at risk in substandard care or become latchkey kids. I have seen countless schools closed in an effort to reduce spending, so class sizes skyrocket while programs get slashed across the board, effectively reducing the quality of education our children receive.

Those children who do manage to swim through our flailing school system can never really count on a real education, thanks to the continued skyrocketing tuition costs of post secondary education, unless of course they are willing to straddle themselves with crushing debt before they even get a start in this world.

I would like to thank you, my government, for your prudent spending and efforts to balance those budgets. I hope you’re saving a lot of money, reducing the deficits and enjoying the large raises you give yourselves. You may be strengthening our Country in the short term but the long term costs are going to be more then we can bare.


I am D.
I am over taxed,
I am under valued.
My children are poorly educated.
I have no healthcare for my children and elderly.
And thanks to my government I will have to work until the day I die.


I Am D. and
I AM CANADIAN!


Follow up:

I received an E-mail a few days after this Rant was posted telling me that if I truly was Canadian then I should have posted this open letter in both of Canada's official languages English and French.

Well, I am one to try and spread my message and in order for this open letter to truly reach all Canadian Governments then I say, Why Not?

Find below my open letter Translated to French, please bare in mind that my French is limited but what the heck I gave it shot...


Rant d'aujourd'hui est une lettre ouverte félicitant les gouvernements fédéraux et provinciaux du Canada.


Objet : Félicitations Canada!


Je voudrais à officiellement et féliciter publiquement les gouvernements fédéraux et provinciaux du Canada pour leur creusage à la gouge occupé et sous peu aperçu étroit des canadiens dans un effort d'équilibrer leurs budgets, réduisent leurs déficits, et naturellement rayent leurs propres poches.

Étant canadien je voudrais vous remercier, mon gouvernement, de me permettre de vivre dans la nation imposée la plus élevée en Amérique du Nord. Chaque année mes impôts montent et étant le bon Canadien fier que je suis, disposé de I vous permettent un tiers de mon chèque de règlement, avant qu'il atteigne même mon compte bancaire. Je comprends qu'il est votre travail, de rassembler des dollars d'impôts ainsi vous pouvez maintenir des budgets, réduire des déficits, et maintenir vos propres niveaux élevés la vie, afin de maintenir le Canada fort et concurrentiel dans l'économie globale d'aujourd'hui.

Chaque année mes impôts augmentent et je dois payer de plus en plus les nécessités nues de la survie, mais je ne me plains pas, non même à la fin de l'année où temps venu d'impôt sur le revenu vous m'envoyez une facture demandant encore plus de mon argent gagné dur. De même qu'un fait de la vie au Canada j'acceptez que la main de gouvernements va être dans ma poche au point qui n'importe comment dur je travaille ou les combien de travaux je jugent mon après que le revenu d'impôts me classifie en tant que pauvres de fonctionnement. Mais je ne me plains pas, parce que je sais que mon gouvernement emploie mon argent sagement et regarde dehors pour mes enfants et I. La réduction des programmes sociaux et le creusage à la gouge de la classe ouvrière sont tout l'à part plus grand plan qui bénéficiera seulement le futur de ceux soin de I environ.

Même lorsque je me suis déplacé à mi-chemin à travers ce grand pays à nous à la recherche d'une meilleure vie pour me et le nouveau gouvernement provincial m'a informé que je maintenant ai dû payer ma santé, je ne me suis pas plaint trop fort, comme comme tout moi du Canadien ont appris à plier tranquillement l'excédent chaque fois que mon gouvernement veut me baiser peu davantage. Je même ai attendu patiemment trois années tout en attendant pour trouver un médecin praticien qui considérerait même prendre de nouveaux patients, et bien que j'aie dû attendre trois ans pour trouver même un docteur, vous, mon gouvernement vous êtes assuré que vous avez perçu mes honoraires médicaux chaque mois pour les grands services médicaux que je ne pouvais pas employer, et maintenant que j'ai un docteur et voir le praticien de qualité il est, je peux seulement prier que je ne tombe jamais malade.

Pendant que mes impôts continuent à monter chaque année où je me repose en arrière et observent les unités pédiatriques et obstétriques étroitement, viol et services de consultation éliminés, et les unités chirurgicales déplacées à loin outre des centres régionaux. J'ai vu les hôpitaux entiers arrêter tous dans un effort de réduire dépenser et services aérodynamiques. Maintenant où quelqu'un a besoin du soin médical de secours ils doivent voyager des heures à l'hôpital disponible le plus proche seulement à la matrice dans la salle d'attente attendant un docteur pour les voir. Ce qui était par le passé le plus grand système de santé dans le monde a été réduit à un système inférieur qui ne s'occupe pas de nos enfants et personnes âgées.

Mais je ne me plains pas parce que je sais que mes gouvernements travaille dur pour équilibrer le budget pour le bien tout du Canadien. Je continue à payer mes augmentations d'impôts et à avoir observé les mères simples perdre la garde de qualité pour leurs enfants dus aux coupes de placement de garde massive ainsi de petits enfants sont maintenant mis en risque dans le soin inférieur ou deviennent des gosses de clef de verrou. J'ai vu les écoles innombrables fermées dans un effort de réduire dépenser, ainsi les tailles de classe montent en flèche tandis que les programmes obtiennent réduits d'un bout de l'affaire à l'autre, efficacement réduisant la qualité de l'éducation que nos enfants reçoivent.

Ces enfants qui parviennent à nager par notre système scolaire fouettant peuvent jamais vraiment compter sur une vraie éducation, grâce aux coûts montants en flèche continués d'instruction d'éducation secondaire de poteau, à moins que naturellement ils soient disposés à s'écarter les jambes avec l'écrasement de la dette avant qu'ils obtiennent même un début en ce monde.

Je voudrais remercier vous, mon gouvernement, de votre dépense et efforts prudents d'équilibrer ces budgets. J'espère que vous êtes beaucoup d'économie d'argent, réduisant les déficits et appréciant les grands augmenter que vous vous donnez. Vous pouvez renforcer notre pays à court terme mais les coûts à long terme vont être plus alors nous peuvent découvrir.


Je suis D.
Je suis excédent imposé.
Je suis sous évalué.
Mes enfants sont mal instruits.
Je n'ai aucun santé pour mes enfants et personnes âgées.
Et grâce à mon gouvernement je devrai travailler jusqu'au jour où je meurs.


Je Suis D. et
JE SUIS CANADIEN!

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Feb 15th 2004


Well, no rant for today. Today I have a bit of a follow up to my Jan 2nd Rant on Mad Cow Disease in the United States.

This is a must listen for all beef eaters out there and for anyone who eats any meat products at all. You can take it at face value or interpret this anyway you wish but everyone needs to hear this. Please take 30 minutes of your time and listen to the interview linked below.

Special thanks to both Whitley Strieber and Dave Louthan for providing this information to the public.


Mad Cow Interview with Dave Louthan


D.

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Feb 23 2004


Subject: Hope for World Peace?


As the world around us seems to be deteriorating before our very eyes and getting worse daily, Crime skyrocketing, Morals are going out the window, Children are victimized, Nations war and it seems our end is near.

Despite all this I have come across and have had the pleasure of participating in what could well be one of the greatest movements toward world peace that this planet has ever seen.

The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (S.E.T.I.) program at the University of Berkley, California has for the last five years succeeded in bringing together almost five million people (as of the date of this post) world wide who volunteer their spare computer cycles through distributed computing (to the tune of 15+ TerraFlops) to the Seti@Home project.

Seti@Home is a scientific experiment that harnesses the power of hundreds of thousands (now millions of volunteered) internet connected computers in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. People voluntarily participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data collected from the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico.

This project has brought together millions of people from all over the planet united in peace in an effort to answer the age old question: Are we alone in the Universe?

Whether this project ever succeeds in finding intelligence beyond our planet (and I truly hope they do) is irrelevant. A small university department, a grass roots movement, has succeeded where governments have failed time and time again. They have brought together millions of people from all over the world with different ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds all working together in peace and goodwill towards a common goal.

This project is simply the greatest movement towards world peace and universal cooperation that our world has ever seen.

If a simple, single project can achieve this, perhaps there is still hope for humanity yet.


Link to Seti@Home


D.

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April 11 2004


Well, it’s been awhile since my last posted Rant, so I guess after some time anyway its time to get back at it.

Today’s Rants is more of a Social Commentary.


Subject: Child Pawns


All too often in today’s world as I mentioned in a previous Rant small children are forced to grow up in homes without the love of one parent. This is often the result of the relationship between the two parents going bad or just not being secure enough to with stand the pressures and difficulties of making thinks work in today’s world.

Sadly, in what seems to be a growing trend, when these relationships go bad the children involved often get used as pawns and get caught in the middle of bitter disputes as one parent plays the children against the other. In a few incidents, the parents are mature enough to put the welfare of their children first and find a way to co-exist for the sake of the kids, but often one parent is forced for a multitude of reasons to leave and attempt to restart their life elsewhere.

If the relocated parent is unwilling to maintain contact with his or her children then they truly don’t deserve them, and the children are better off without them. If the relocated parent was abusive or is unable to maintain contact for criminal legal reasons then I have no sympathy for them and the children are much better off without low lifes like this around. The saddest cases are those where the relocated parent is unable to maintain contact with their children as a result of the volatility, bitterness and legal aspects (non-criminal) that ended the relationship.

Often the loss of the children from the life of the relocated parent can be a devastating experience for that parent, and the loss is doubly devastating for the poor children that now have to grow up without their love. Is it fair that small children should have to grow up feeling a sense of abandonment, often (unrealistically) blaming themselves for the departure of one parent? Is it right that the relocated parent should have to live everyday worrying about the children they are unable to see, having to go through life loving and missing their children more with each passing day? This simply results in holidays (and life in general) as an incomplete family becoming a miserable experience for all involved.

The Adults, for the most part, have the emotional strength, maturity and supports to go on and build some semblance of a life. The children however, despite still having the daily love of one parent go on feeling a sense of abandonment and guilt thinking they are somehow to blame for the void now in their life. This is a heartbreaking injustice. I can only hope that despite the issues between the separated parents that there would be someone out there close to the children that can put any of their own issues (with either parent) aside and always ensure that the children know that the relocated parent didn’t want to leave and truly loves and misses them more then anything. The children need to know that there is someone else out there thinking about them daily, someone who is missing them and who will always love them unconditionally even though they are unable to be there.

A child should never have to wait until they are an adult, to learn that a relocated parent really did love them.


D.

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April 18 2004


O.k. here’s one I am so sick of hearing.


Subject: Low Life’s in Society


Everyday you turn on the news or pick up your newspaper and the headlines are riddled with stories trying for the public sympathy. A drug addict dies in police custody, a chronic alcoholic dies in a fiery car crash, a prostitute is found dead… and everybody cries in outrage and says “oh, that is so sad.” Excuse me, but., Big deal! The evolutionary process has once again added a little bleach to our collective gene pool, and all I can say is “Thank you, it’s about time!”

I am so sick of this old poor me routine you hear all the time, a person turns to prostitution because they were abused as a child, a man becomes an alcoholic after suffering a nasty divorce and career loss, someone becomes an abusive drug addict after being beaten as a youngster. First off, anyone who abuses a child in any way, deserves to die. Period. No trial, no therapy, no sympathy, just death. Simple. But once those poor children reach adulthood they suddenly have many more resources available to them, and they suddenly have something called “choice” that allows them to shape their lives. For those that use their background as an excuse and pull the poor me routine, to steal a line from Denis Leary: “Whining F**king Maggots!”

Human nature is to overcome and improve ones self despite hardships. There are people all around us that have had heart breaking childhoods, have horrific backgrounds, and who have suffered devastating injustices that move on and become well adjusted productive members of society.

These low life’s, the soft under belly of society that choose to become the basic scum of the earth and choose to use their bad experiences as an excuse to drain on our social support systems, get no pity from me.

Everyone out there has suffered injustice, and far too many have heartbreaking backgrounds, but not everyone chooses prostitution, drugs, or alcohol. Sure we all need a helping hand from time to time, that’s why we have social support programs, counseling services and our friends. Some times good people make bad choices and end up going down the wrong path for a while but there comes a time when you dust yourself off and straighten yourself out. Those that don’t straighten out and choose to remain in the rut they have created for themselves are the dirt and scum that litter our streets.

But it’s not all bad, eventually we’ll find their bodies in the gutter and the world will be slightly better place.


D.


I can just see the E-mails now accusing of being everything from an insensitive A**hole to the Anti-Christ.

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April 19 2004


O.k. folks, this one isn’t mine, so sadly I can’t take credit for it, but it was just so darn cute I had to post it here. Although I must say I do stand by most of it, lol


Subject: Retro – Sexual’s


Please allow me to vent. I have had it. I've taken all I can stand and I can't stand no more. Every time my TV is on, all that can be seen is effeminate men prancing about, redecorating houses and talking about foreign concepts like "style" and "feng shui." Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, metrosexual, non-sexual; blue, green, and purple-sexual - bogus definitions have taken over the urban and suburban world!

Real men of the world, stand up, scratch your butt, belch, and yell "ENOUGH!" I hereby announce the start of a new offensive in the culture Wars, the Retrosexual movement. "


The Code :

A Retrosexual man, no matter what the women insists, PAYS FOR THE DATE.

A Retrosexual man opens doors for a lady. Even for the ones that fit that term only because they are female.

A Retrosexual DEALS with IT, be it a flat tire, break-in into your home, or a natural disaster, you DEAL WITH IT.

A Retrosexual not only eats red meat, he often kills it himself.

A Retrosexual doesn't worry about living to be 90. It's not how long you live, but how well. If you're 90 years old and still smoking cigars and drinking, I salute you. If you are still having sex, you are a God.

A Retrosexual does not use more hair or skin products than a woman. Women have several supermarket aisles of stuff. Retrosexuals need an endcap (possibly 2 endcaps if you include shaving goods.)

A Retrosexual does not dress in clothes from Hot Topic when he's 30 years old.

A Retrosexual should know how to properly kill stuff (or people) if need be. This falls under the "Dealing with IT" portion of The Code.

A Retrosexual watches no TV show with "Queer" in the title.

A Retrosexual does not let neighbors screw up rooms in his house on national TV.

A Retrosexual should not give up excessive amounts of manliness for women. Some is inevitable, but major reinvention of yourself will only lead to you becoming a froo-froo little puss, and in the long run, she ain't worth it.

A Retrosexual is allowed to seek professional help for major mental stress such as drug/alcohol addiction, death of your entire family in a freak treechipper accident, favorite sports team being moved to a different city, favorite bird dog expiring, etc. You are NOT allowed to see a shrink because Daddy didn't pay you enough attention. Daddy was busy DEALING WITH IT. When you screwed up, he DEALT with you.

A Retrosexual will have at least one outfit in his wardrobe designed to conceal himself from prey.

A Retrosexual knows how to tie a Windsor knot when wearing a tie -- and ONLY a Windsor knot.

A Retrosexual should have at least one good wound he can brag about getting.

A Retrosexual knows how to use a basic set of tools. If you can't hammer a nail, or drill a straight hole, practice in secret until you can -- or be rightfully ridiculed for the wuss you are.

A Retrosexual knows that owning a gun is not a sign that your are riddled with fear, guns are TOOLS and are often essential to DEAL WITH IT. Plus it's just plain fun to fire one off in the direction of those people or things that just need a little "wakin' up".

Crying. There are very few reason that a Retrosexual may cry, and none of them have to do with TV commercials, movies, or soap operas. Sports teams are sometimes a reason to cry, but the preferred method of release is swearing or throwing the remote control. Some reasons a Retrosexual can cry include (but are not limited to) death of a loved one, death of a pet (fish do NOT count as pets in this case), loss of a major body part, or loss of major body part on your Ford truck.

When a Retrosexual is on a crowded bus and or a commuter train, and a pregnant woman, heck, any woman gets on, that retrosexual stands up and offers his seat to that woman, then looks around at the other so-called men still in their seats with a disgusted "you punks" look on his face.

A Retrosexual knows how to say the Pledge properly, and with the correct emphasis and pronunciation. He also knows the words to Oh Canada.

A Retrosexual will have hobbies and habits his wife and mother do not understand, but that are essential to his manliness, in that they offset the acceptable manliness decline he suffers when married/engaged or in a serious healthy relationship - i.e., hunting, boxing, shot putting, shooting, cigars, car maintenance.

A Retrosexual knows how to sharpen his own knives and kitchen utensils.

A Retrosexual man can drive in snow (hell, a blizzard) without sliding all over or driving under 20mph, without anxiety, and without high-centering his ride in a snow bank.

A Retrosexual man can chop down a tree and make it land where he wants. Wherever it lands is where he damn well wanted it to land. Except on his truck--that would happen because of a "force of nature", and then the retrosexual man's options are to Cry, or to DEAL with IT, or do both.

A Retrosexual will give up his seat on a bus to not only any women but any elderly person or person in military dress (except 2nd Lt's) NOTE: The person in military dress may turn down the offer but the Retrosexual man will ALWAYS make the offer to them and thank them for serving their country.

A Retrosexual man doesn't need a contract -- a handshake is good enough. He will always stand by his word even if circumstances change or the other person deceived him.

A Retrosexual man doesn't immediately look to sue someone when he does something stupid and hurts himself. We understand that sometimes in the process of doing things we get hurt and we just DEAL WITH IT !


D.

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May 3 2004


O.k. folk’s this one is just unbelievable, it clearly shows the sheer stupidity of the Canadian Government.


Subject: Canada sells out its citizen’s personal data to George Bush.


“Last year, former Industry Minister Allan Rock awarded U.S. military contractor Lockheed Martin and its consortium of companies the contract to prepare a 2004 test run of the next Canadian census. Despite intense opposition from Canadians, Lockheed Martin is still a prime candidate to receive a contract to work on the Canadian census in 2006, and the census testing is going ahead as planned. The test questionnaires will be delivered starting on April 27. The official census test day is May 11, 2004.


For more information on the census testing and a list of test sites, visit: www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/censustest/overview.cfm


Lockheed Martin Makes WMDs

Lockheed Martin is the largest weapons contractor in the world. The company manufactures ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction.

Lockheed Martin is also a key contractor for U.S. President George W. Bush's "missile defence" program, aka Star Wars, a program that experts say will lead to a new arms race and the weaponization of space--and a program which Canada is still considering joining.

The company was specifically mentioned in Michael Moore's groundbreaking documentary Bowling for Columbine because of it's involvement with the welfare to work program in the U.S.

And Lockheed Martin is known for corruption and breaking the rules. The U.S. Project on Government Oversite reports that:

• In 2002, Lockheed Martin had the second highest number of instances of misconduct and alleged misconduct of any US government contractor and pay outs of just over $426 million US in fines.
• In 2000, Lockheed Martin was charged with 30 violations of the US Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Lockheed Martin paid a civil penalty of $13 million.
• In 1997, Lockheed Martin exported material to South Korea that can be used in missile delivery/reentry systems. Lockheed did not obtain the export license required for national security and nuclear nonproliferation considerations. The company paid a $45,000 civil penalty.
• In 1995, Lockheed Martin pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for paying bribes to officials of the Egyptian Government. The company paid a criminal fine of $24.8 million.

From: The US Project on Government Oversight www.pogo.org/p/contracts/ca-030701-contract.html


Privacy Concerns


Stat Can says our census information, the most "complete snapshot" of Canada, is safe with Lockheed Martin. But past examples should give Canadians pause for thought.

The Washington Times has reported that 5 million records from the 1990 U.S. census were used by NASA as part of a study to test terrorist screening, without the knowledge of U.S. citizens and despite assurances from the U.S. census bureau that the data was safe. See "Study used census information for terror profile", by Audrey Hudson, January 19, 2004, and "Inquiry sought into airline's data transfer to NASA", by Audrey Hudson, January 21, 2004.

www.washtimes.com/national/20040118-114335-2930r.htm

In early April, Wired reported that Lockheed Martin was one of four government contractors that received confidential passenger records from American Airlines. American Airlines had initially claimed that no information was turned over to Lockheed and the other companies. Lockheed Martin and the other three contractors were hired to test computer algorithms as part of the CAPPS II terrorist screening program.

www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,63025-2,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_next1

Should any of the census information end up in the hands of the defence contractor, it's also possible that under the PATRIOT Act U.S. intelligence agencies could request confidential information from Lockheed Martin without ever disclosing that fact to the public.”

My Question… What the hell is wrong with the Canadian Government? Selling out Canadian’s sensitive personal information to a foreign nation, let alone a War Monger like Bush who could easily use his unconstitutional Patriot Act’s to violate the rights and freedoms of Canadian’s once he has this information?

These are the idiotic Moron’s we elected? Why not just sell out completely and allow the Arrogant Obnoxious Idiots to the south to Annex Canada into the United States of North America?

Canadian’s PLEASE stand up and scream at the elected Moron’s for attempting to sell out Canadian’s to an American Weapons of Mass Destruction Manufacturer.

census.vivelecanada.ca/

I must admit… I am floored at the sheer stupidity of the Canadian Government and I for one will not stand for my personal Data being handed to a War Monger like Bush. When the Census Test comes around I’ll be shredding the damn thing. Screw Lockheed Martin, Screw George Bush, and Screw Stats Canada.

Next election, the Liberals are going Bye-bye and good riddance.


D.

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May 4 2004


Well Folks I’ve been holding off on this one and avoiding going public with it, but enough is enough…


Subject: British Columbia, Canada’s Labour Union Stupidity


Almost two weeks ago British Columbia’s Hospital Employee’s Union (HEU) members walked off the job across the province and went on strike. The strike delayed countless surgical procedures as many hospital key staff, nurses included refused to cross the strike line in order to report to work. Essentially, the lives of the public were used as a bargaining chip to try and get the provincial government to cave into the unions demands.

Four days later, the Provincial Government passed legislation that forced the HEU Members back to work. The HEU decided to defy the Governments back to work order and refused to go back to work, thus engaging in illegal strike action. Then the HEU appealed to other Unions for support. The Canadian Union of Public Employee’s (CUPE) and the B.C. Teachers Union stepped forward and walked off the job in support of the HEU.

I say fire them all!

I’m suppose to feel sorry for a hospital janitor that only makes $20.00 an hour? But at the same time I’m suppose to think that a single mother who works as a waitress and has to run her butt off for eight hours in a busy restaurant, is fairly paid at $8.00 an hour.

What the hell is wrong with this picture? Greed is out of control.

Disband the HEU. Fire them all. Privately contract out their jobs and save a fortune hiring people who can do the job just as well or better for less money! Let’s see how happy they are then. Crybabies.

Nurses not crossing strike lines to do their jobs? Excuse me… Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Daycare Workers… These are the caring professions people, you do them because you care and you want to help. You get in there and do your job, and if your only there for the money, then get the hell out!

Nurses refusing to go to work? British Columbia Nurses make an excess of $36.00 an hour already. And they are refusing to work because of strike line? Folk’s I spent five years working on a pediatric unit, I was there day and night and the four nurses assigned to the unit spent the majority of their time sitting at the nurses station playing cards and gossiping. The only work I ever saw them do, was taking the occasional pulse, the occasional temperature, maybe change the odd diaper, and administer the odd medication. I’m going take some heavy heat for this, but nurses are essentially glorified babysitters that have no real power or authority to do anything. They are clearly overpaid yet refuse to work? Fine. Fire them all and replace them with people who actually care, its not like a monkey couldn’t do their jobs anyway.

Teachers walking off the job to support the HEU? You’re already over paid babysitters. But history has shown that you like to whine and cry for more money all the time anyway, so naturally you’d support those that behave in the same manner. You don’t wanna report to work and teach the children that are counting on you? Fine. Contract Terminated. Replace them with people who actually care about children and who won’t use the future of our planet as a bargaining chip.

Greed is out of control people. I support Unions to ensure the working class stiff doesn’t get screwed over by a money hungry company, but sadly some unions are getting just as bad.

Stop whining and get back to work!


D.


I received this reply to my slamming nurses as part of the HEU Rant:


This is regarding your commentary on May 4 2004, B.C.Canada's Labor Union Stupidity.

I usually like your views, they match some of my own, specifically in regard to children, but I do take exception to your views concerning nurses, particularly that a monkey could do my job.

As a nurse I am not only expected to work my shift but pick up the slack when someone does not show up or is ill. I also spend a great deal of my free unpaid time to come in to get inserviced on new procedures etc. Not to mention the unpaid overtime of 15-30 minutes after each shift because you have not had time to chart or do the DR's orders because one of your patients is so ill he needs you at his side. Not to mention the extra patients given to you because there is no where else for them to be placed and you only have 6 now.

Now lets talk all the holidays I get to spend with my co-workers, and all the Birthdays I have missed with my children, all the firsts that I missed because there was no one who would trade shifts or who was able to.

Lets talk all the breaks missed in a shift because someone's life was dependent on me being there. Don't say I chose this profession, I know I chose to help people instead of drag them down.

I did not sign on for this profession to swallow me and my life. Some where here I have to try to parent enough to raise my kids to be good citizens as well, and yes I am learning the finer points of telephone parenting because even on off days the phone rings to come in.

No other profession has as much involved as the medical field or expects as much, so yes I earn all of my wage and should be compensated more for a lot of the crap I put up with.

I'm sorry you had some lazy people you worked with but we are all not like that. I could go on and on and on but it only wastes time and paper and have to get ready to go to work again.


B.P.McCauley


I would like to thank B.P. for E-mailing me her opinion on this matter, and although I do respect those that actually care about what they do, sadly, my own first hand experience has shown me that those that truly care and truly do try hard at their jobs are the minority and that most are simply there for the money and have little to no compassion for the people they are entrusted to care for. We've all seen it, and unfortunately its getting worse.

Over the last several weeks I have had multiple complaints about this Rant from friends who work in the medical related fields, and they all say the same thing, "We work really hard!".

My Answer...

You may think you work hard but what about the waitress, or the garbage man that works just as hard as you and in many cases harder for considerably less money, do they think you need to be paid more?

With particular reference to the above letter I have heard countless times from people in medicine that they have missed birthdays and special family days because of their dedication to their fields. Excuse me, but having to miss special family days has nothing to do with your chosen field, its called having to work for a living. Don't like it? Quit and stay home, have 10,000 children and become a drain on the system, after all it seems the fashionable thing to do.

But I'm sure B.P. and others in the medical related fields will be happy to know I have taken considerable heat for this Rant in person and over the phone (as I knew I would, lol). But B.P. was the first to actually put her objections in writing so I could post them here.

Thank you for your response and please feel free to keep reading and responding. Your opinions and feedback whether positive or negative are always welcome and appreciated.


D.

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May 11 2004


I’ve been struggling with this post for a couple days as I have come into information that I had to promise never to disclose. So, here’s an update, as far as I am able, on Lockheed Martin and the entire Canadian Census Scandal :

Well, today is Test Day for the 2006 census. Several thousand Canadian’s sent in letters and E-mails of protest against Lockheed Martin, an American Weapons of Mass Destruction Manufacturer being contracted to handle this Census. Well here is the response from Ivan P. Fellegi, the Chief Statistician for Stats Canada:


From: Ivan.P.Fellegi@statcan.ca
Cc: (Edited Out)
Subject: RE: 2006 Census


There have been public concerns about the security of census information in light of a contract by Statistics Canada with a group of firms including Lockheed Martin Canada. Statistics Canada wants to respond to these concerns since it is essential that Canadians should have no doubt whatsoever about the confidentiality of their census returns.

1. Given the public concerns, we have decided to limit the scope of this contract strictly to the development of software and the provision of some specialized hardware. Under the new arrangement, only Statistics Canada employees will have access to completed census returns. In other words, the group of Canadian companies headed by Lockheed Martin Canada will not carry out any of the operations associated with the Canadian Census - none.

2. Is there a legitimate need for any contracting out of even some preparatory work for the census? Given technological changes, the 2006 Census will have to be conducted in a manner that is different from previous censuses. We have to offer Canadians a user-friendly option to return their questionnaires via the Internet - with security that exceeds that used by on-line banking operations. Among other requirements, this necessitates the practically instantaneous scanning of even those questionnaires returned via the regular mail. These tasks are enormously difficult to implement: they require an on-line operation capable of tracking the census returns of over 12 million households from one end of the country to the other to ensure that at all times we know who returned their questionnaires by mail and who did so via the Internet; and the practically instantaneous scanning of over 12 million questionnaires. Statistics Canada simply has no experience with the development of software involved in a huge and specialised scanning and Internet operation. Consequently, it was decided that it would be more cost-effective to leverage outside expertise in the development of these systems.

3. When we decided to contract out the software development necessitated by the Internet, we wanted to be able to hold accountable the eventual contractor for the smooth functioning of the software and specialised hardware involved. We therefore specified that they must be responsible for the operation of the questionnaire scanning - of course, under our supervision and our own security arrangements so as to ensure the total security of Canadians' census returns up to the very high traditional standards of Statistics Canada. In addition, they were all to be sworn in under the Statistics Act and so be subject to all the confidentiality constraints and penalties to which regular Statistics Canada employees are subject. Statistics Canada was unqualifiedly certain that it could continue to be the guarantor of the confidentiality and security of census information.

4. The contracting was carried out with the most scrupulous and meticulous care. The group of Canadian companies headed by Lockheed Martin Canada submitted what was clearly the best bid, based on their experience in carrying out similar tasks in other countries' censuses.

5. To reiterate, even though Statistics Canada was unambiguously clear that it could protect confidentiality, we feel that public trust in the census is fundamental. Consequently, we have made arrangements to limit the contracting out of census work to nothing more than the provision of specialised software hardware. Under the new arrangements, all operational activities of the 2006 Census will be carried out by regular employees of Statistics Canada - as in past censuses. Only employees of Statistics Canada, sworn to secrecy under the Statistics Act, and subject to significant penalties should their oath be violated, will have access to census returns. All completed census returns will be secured in facilities controlled by Statistics Canada. All of the Census data will be stored on a secure computer network, with no link outside of Statistics Canada.

The ability to produce high quality statistics is dependent on the trust of Canadians. Statistics Canada would never betray this trust by making available census returns to anybody outside of the Agency, especially a foreign country.


Ivan P. Fellegi
Chief Statistician of Canada


Well, folks, it’s nice to see we got a response but there is plenty Mr. Fellegi has conveniently failed to tell us. According to this reply Lockheed Martin may not have access to any of the 2006 Census information, but thanks to a loyal reader, I have received information that indicates that this whole situation is far from over.

I urge all Canadian’s to E-mail letters of Protest to all the relevant government heads and urge them to cut all ties with Lockheed Martin:


The Honourable Lucienne Robillard,
Minister of Industry
Tel.: (613) 995-9001
Fax: (613) 992-0302
minister.industry@ic.gc.ca

cc: Prime Minister Paul Martin
pm@pm.gc.ca

cc: Ivan Fellegi, Chief Statistician
fellegi@statcan.ca

cc: Jack Layton, NDP leader
jack@fed.ndp.ca

cc: Dick Proctor, MP
Proctor.D@parl.gc.ca

cc: Bill Blaikie, MP
blaikie.b@parl.gc.ca

cc: Susan Thompson, Vive le Canada.ca
susan.thompson@vivelecanada.ca


Tell the Government that as a Canadian you will not stand for your sensitive personal information being handed to a foreign nation’s military weapons manufacturer.


D.

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May 28 2004


Given that the Prime Minister of Canada has called an election for June 28th I thought this picture was cute and timely...





Special Thanks to the reader that sent this my way.


D.

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July 12 2004


Subject: Publicly Congratulating Canadian Stupidity


I haven’t posted in awhile but thought maybe I should finally drop a few thoughts.

I’ve always given Canadian’s credit and believed them to be better educated and smarter then our neighbors to the south, well, on June 28th 2004 the people of Canada proved me wrong.

In the Federal Election held on June 28th 2004 the Canadian voters re-elected a minority Liberal Government. The same Government that over the last several years has destroyed our health care, gutted our education, eliminated affordable quality daycare and basically forced families and small children to live on the streets.

All I can say is… Way to go Canada!!!

The Canadian Tax Payers have once again truly shown their intelligence, or clear lack there of.

Congratulations!!!


D.

---

July 16th 2004


Subject: RFID Tracking


Over the past couple years retailers and manufacturer’s have been developing a means of tracking their products and the customers who buy them. The most common means of doing so is with RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) Tags. These tags use low level radio frequencies to send a signal to a receiving station that identifies the product and often the person that purchased it. RFID Tags represent the potential for an unprecedented violation of personal privacy allowing governments and retailers to track your every movement and purchase.

Although RFID Tags will only work over a short range on very low frequencies, companies are actively embracing this technology as a means to track every aspect of their customers lives. Banks and many retailers have effectively tracked their customers purchases and movements for years thanks to debit cards and customer loyalty cards. But RFID Tags take this violation of privacy to the extreme.

Now even schools are adopting this technology to track children:

RFID Tags track school children

We can debate the moral implications and safety benefits of such practices (safety benefits vs. personal privacy) whether you feel this is right or wrong, you have to admit it has scary implications. Your privacy is a thing of the past and Big Brother is watching.


D.

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July 17th 2004


Last spring I voluntarily grounded myself from unnecessary airline travel (Domestic) however, in 2005 I return to the skies and will be spending considerable time traveling both Nationally and Internationally. So today’s Rant of course is on Airport Security.


Subject: Airport Security


If anyone has spent any time flying the friendly skies around North America or anywhere in the world for that matter you are aware of how strict airport security has become.

Prior to Sept. 11 2001, airport security around North America was a slight but understandable and acceptable inconvenience. Since the tragic events of Sept. 11th airport security has exploded and is quite frankly out of control.

Between 2000 and early 2004 there were many times when I seemed to have spent more time in the air then I did on the ground, visiting many of Canada’s busy airports (Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto). Prior to 9/11 going through airport security was no big deal, line ups were short lived and the process was smooth and efficient, since 9/11 however, airport security is bizarre, line ups are out of control and two hour delays thanks to security are common. After all they have to shake down all those suspicious little old ladies.

Many times since 9/11 I have been asked to remove my shoes by airport security. Why? Were they afraid the smell of my feet would crash the plane? Friends of mine have had nail files confiscated. Why? Are they afraid that a passenger might want to do the pilots nails? But we’ve always been allowed to take ball point pens and lighters on board. Now what sense does this make? You can do a lot more damage to the human throat with a pen then you ever could with a nail file. Lighters still allowed? Last time I checked all domestic and possibly international flights were non-smoking. Why does someone need a lighter on a plane, other then of course to light something up and trash the plane mid-flight. The stupidity is mind boggling.

To see airport stupidity taken to the extreme check out the link below:

Paris Airport Ruins Toddler’s Holiday

Heck, with all this great security, I can hardly wait to hit the friendly skies.


D.

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July 23 2004


Subject: Missing Children and Police Credit


Well today I have to give props to the Police Forces of Canada:

Thumbs up to Toronto Police for finally bringing justice to little nine year old Ceciela Zhang who was abducted from her bedroom in October 2003. Months later after an exhaustive search her remains were found in a secluded wooded area, now finally the Toronto Police have arrested and charged a 21 year old “friend of the family” with her abduction and murder. Finally justice for Ceciela and her family, and I know at least one Toronto child that will sleep better at night now that this monster has been taken off the streets.

Credit to the Vancouver City Police for safely recovering a happy and cheerful four year old Sierrah Findeison, who was abducted from her grandmother's Pennsylvania home by her drug-addicted parents in 2001. She has now been safely re-united with her Grandmother. Her abductors, her heroin addicted parents, are now behind bars.

I can only hope that the Regina City Police can bring a happy ending as they continue to investigate the disappearance of five year old Tamra Keepness, who disappeared from her bedroom almost three weeks ago in Regina, SK. After an exhaustive search and hundreds of leads, there is still no trace of little Tamra. An E-mail campaign continues in an attempt to spread her photo in hopes that someone will spot her and help bring her home safe. An interest from the TV Show “America’s Most Wanted” has also been expressed. Hopefully through a combined effort little Tamra will be home and safe soon.


D.

---

July 24 2004


Subject: Reasons not to vote for Bush


To my American friends who do not support Bush or who simply hate politics here is a link you may get a kick out of:

Reason’s not to vote for Bush:

Mcsweeney’s


D.

---

July 27 2004


Subject: More on RFID tracking and Privacy Violation


Took this article from Main stream media:


Bug Devices Track Officials at Summit

By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Officials who attended a world Internet and technology summit in Switzerland last week were unknowingly bugged, said researchers who attended the forum.

Badges assigned to attendees of the World Summit on the Information Society were affixed with radio-frequency identification chips (RFIDs), said Alberto Escudero-Pascual, Stephane Koch and George Danezis in a report issued after the conference ended Friday in Geneva. The badges were handed out to more than 50 prime ministers, presidents and other high-level officials from 174 countries, including the United States.

The trio's report said they were able to obtain the official badges with fraudulent identification only to be stunned when they found RFID chips — a contentious issue among privacy advocates in the United States and Europe — embedded in the tags.

Researchers questioned summit officials about the use of the chips and how long information would be stored but were not given answers.

The three-day WSIS forum focused on Internet governance and access, security, intellectual-property rights and privacy. The United States and other countries defeated an attempt to place the Internet under supervision of the United Nations.

RFID chips track a person's movement in "real time." U.S. groups have called for a voluntary moratorium on using the chips in consumer items until the technology and its effects on privacy and civil liberties are addressed.

Mr. Escudero-Pascual is a researcher in computer security and privacy at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Miss Koch is the president of Internet Society Geneva, and Mr. Danezis studies privacy-enhancing technologies and computer security at Cambridge University.

"During the course of our investigation, we were able to register for the summit and obtain an official pass by just showing a fake plastic identity card and being photographed via a Web cam with no other document or registration number required to obtain the pass," the researchers said.

The researchers chose names for the fake identification cards from a list printed on the summit's Web site of attendees.

The hidden chips communicate information via radio frequency when close to sensors that can be placed anywhere "from vending machines to the entrance of a specific meeting room, allowing the remote identification and tracking of participants, or groups of participants, attending the event," the report said.

The photograph of the person and other personal details are not stored on the chip but in a centralized database that monitors the movement. Researchers said they are concerned that database will be used for future events, including the next summit to be hosted by Tunisian authorities.

"During the registration process, we requested information about the future use of the picture and other information that was taken, and the built-in functionalities of the seemingly innocent plastic badge. No public information or privacy policy was available upon our demands that could indicate the purpose, processing or retention periods for the data collected. The registration personnel were obviously not properly informed and trained," the report said.

The lack of security procedures violates the Swiss Federal Law on Data Protection of June 1992, the European Union Data Protection Directive, and United Nations' guidelines concerning computerized personal-data files adopted by the General Assembly in 1990, the researchers said.

"The big problem is that system also fails to guarantee the promised high levels of security while introducing the possibility of constant surveillance of the representatives of civil society, many of whom are critical of certain governments and regimes," the report said.

"Sharing this data with any third party would be putting civil-society participants at risk, but this threat is made concrete in the context of WSIS by considering the potential impact of sharing the data collected with the Tunisian government in charge of organizing the event in 2005," it said.

The organization Reporters Without Borders was banned from attending the summit and launched a pirate radio broadcast to protest the ban and detail press-freedom violations by some countries attending the meetings, including Tunisia.

"Our organization defends freedom of expression on the Internet on a daily basis. Our voice should therefore be heard during this event, despite this outrageous ban," said Robert Menard, secretary general of Reporters Without Borders.

Tunisia is among several countries Reporters Without Borders has accused of censoring the Internet, intercepting e-mails and jailing cyber-dissidents.


Are RFID Tags the next big Y2K nothing scare as some have speculated or do they represent the potential for unprecedented violation of personal privacy?

The future is going to be scary, as Big Brother violates every aspect of your life.


D.

---

Sept 5 2004


Subject: Beslan, Russia


On September 1st 2004 an estimated 28 heavily armed terrorists, including several females, stormed and seized Middle School #1 in Beslan Russia, during a first day of school ceremony and held over 1000 people hostage, most of them children, for almost three days.

The Terrorist faction, believed to be Chechen rebels, financed by Osama Bin Laden made a list of demands of the Russian Government and vowed to kill hostages if their demands were not met and vowed to slaughter children if the Russian Army attempted to storm the school. The hostages were not permitted food or water, despite repeated pleas by Russian negotiators.

After a 53 hour stand off (some sources are saying 62 hours) a series of explosions inside the school, caused some of the hostages to panic and attempt to flee the school. The Terrorists immediately opened fire on those trying to flee, forcing the Russian army to move in and storm the school.

After an intense 10 hour battle with the terrorists using small children as human shields and the school gym roof collapsing on hundreds of hostages. It was over. 323 people, including 156 children, were killed in the school, another 540 people were wounded -- mostly children. Medical officials said 448 people, including 248 children, remained in hospital Saturday evening. Another 180 people, again, mainly children remain missing.

Russian sources have reported that 10 Arabs were among the militants killed. Now normally I am the eternal peace keeper, maybe this is just the pain and rage of loss speaking, but I fully encourage and endorse the Russian military and the entire world to roll into Chechnya in force and exterminate every man and woman with extreme prejudice. Then every Arab nation that endorses harbors or finances Terrorism in any way, shape or form needs to be wiped from the face of this planet by any and all means necessary!

I’ve said before, that if the adults of this world want to kill each other, more power to them, but when this terrorist activity is turned on our children, then for every child killed in a senseless act of terrorism, thousands must die horribly in retribution.

I’ve never been a supporter of any war machine but I fully endorse full out war on any and every nation, race, religion and / or creed that supports these monsters in any way.

You want to use the children of the world as bargaining chips? As human shields? Or harm them in any way? Then it’s simple… Assholes, Terrorists, and Monsters of the world beware… Hell is coming!


D.

---

Sept. 10 2004


Subject: Canada’s Health Care fails miserably


Saturday, September 4th a small child lost her life needlessly, thanks to BC’s pathetic joke of a health care system.

Six-year-old Kieran Sekhon was a precious and adorable angel who loved swimming and Barbie dolls. She was proud to be starting grade two, but sadly thanks to Canada’s pathetic excuse of a health care system she never got the chance. Kieran died Saturday in BC’s Children’s Hospital after being sent home from two separate hospitals and twice from a walk in Clinic.

Little Kieran bumped her thigh four days earlier while playing at a Surrey city paddle pool, and in the following days complained of severe pain, and experienced nausea and vomiting. Her parents took her to two separate hospitals and twice to a walk in clinic and in each case were told that Kieran was fine and was simply suffering from a Charlie horse and possibly a touch of stomach flu. Her conditioned worsened until she was rushed into BC’s Children’s hospital late Friday night only to die hours later. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine why she died, but it could be three months before the results are released.

My question is simple… How is a small child sent home four times (in a matter of days) from medical facilities with a basic clean bill of health only to die. This is our health care system? These are the doctors that whine all the time for more money? What is wrong with this situation? I hope the family sues the pants off both hospitals and the walk in clinic. Money will not bring Kieran back, but clearly our health care system and over paid doctors failed this child.

I blame the hospitals, I blame the doctors, and I blame our wonderful Liberal government who has cut funding and slashed our health care system over the years, into something that is now only mere window dressing, and clearly puts our children at risk.

A precious angel was needlessly taken from this world.

Links to Kieran’s picture:

Vancouver.cbc.ca

Canada.com


Its times like this, that this country disgusts me and I am almost ashamed to call myself Canadian


D.

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Oct. 24 2004


Subject: Canada Gone Mad: Sexual Politics Hit Kindergarten


Folks I’ve worked with Children in every conceivable setting for over 15 years, and being male it’s almost dangerous now. I’ve gotten many sideways looks, and have heard that many think that if you’re male and have a interest in or care for children you must be a perv. This hyper paranoia is sickening.

Being a Parent (and having done the parent thing) myself, I completely understand a parent being sometimes almost overly protective of their children, after all this is a sick and cruel world we live in and we must protect our children. But there is a fine line between protecting and caring for your children and being dangerously paranoid.

This paranoia has reached epidemic proportions and has gone WAY to far… I stumbled across the article below the other day and thought I just had to post it here. All I can say is this country has gone crazy, and this paranoia has gone WAY too far…

Your comments and reactions welcome.


D.


It’s an older article but…


Sexual politics hit kindergarten


Innocent hugs labelled harassment when students of all ages are forced to comply to same standards

Sarah Schmidt
CanWest News Service

September 13, 2004

Anick Robichaud never imagined she'd receive a warning from her son's kindergarten teacher that little Matthew would be suspended for sexual harassment if he didn't stop showing affection toward some of his classmates.

"Sexual harassment at five years old? It makes no sense. He's only a baby. He has no clue what sexual harassment is. He would have no clue why he was suspended," the Toronto-area mother said of last spring's ordeal.

"Every morning, I would remind him he couldn't hug or kiss his friends at school. The teacher would come back, 'He's not listening.' He was confused because it affected him at home. He wasn't hugging my parents anymore. He wasn't giving them kisses anymore."

This hard-line, blanket approach to school discipline, even in kindergarten classes, is part of a push to make schools free of violence and harassment.

But some experts say schools have gone too far, particularly in the early primary years. They argue that societal fears about sexualized youngsters and predatory behaviour trump common sense and disregard the basics of child development.

"To me, it's a system gone berserk. All human beings know that young children need love and affection. It's completely overreaching," said Wanda Cassidy, director of the Centre for Education, Law & Society at Simon Fraser University.

In Matthew's case, the youngster got caught in a provincial policy, enacted in September 2001, dictating that all schools in Ontario must hand out mandatory suspensions to any student who commits an offence from a detailed list of infractions.

Robichaud says none of the little girls expressed discomfort and none of their parents complained. The teacher was even "embarrassed to tell me" about the sexual harassment suspension policy, said Robichaud, who describes her son as gentle and affectionate.

There are similar tales across the country of trivial suspensions or threats of suspension, all part of a push to stamp out disrespectful attitudes and bullying. Sometimes playful or innocent interactions become caught in this zero-tolerance web, an uncompromising approach to school discipline imported from the United States about a decade ago.

Carl Corter, director of the Institute of Child Study at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, said the kindergarten example illustrates how flawed this approach is. "Any principle that doesn't begin with understanding individual children and focusing on differences among them, and that includes the developmental differences, is going to be doomed to failure," said the specialist in kindergarten and early childhood development.

Despite such concerns, suspension rates have gone up dramatically in many school districts as part of this tough-love approach.

In Edmonton public schools, a board-wide conduct and behaviour policy doesn't distinguish between elementary and secondary levels and punishment. Principals, though, have the latitude to use their judgment. And they've been handing out more suspensions -- 23.9 per cent more last year than five years earlier -- even though enrolment grew by only 1.4 per cent.

At the Peel District School Board in Mississauga, Ont., Jane Mason, superintendent of staff development and school support, says educators are required by the provincial Safe School Act to look at mitigating factors for all suspensions, including whether the child has the ability to control his behaviour or understand the consequences of his behaviour.

Still, the number of suspensions meted out to elementary students rose by 38.5 per cent from 2000/2001 to 2003/04; in this period, student enrolment increased by 23.5 per cent. At the high-school level, the gap is even greater: enrolment increased by 6.3 per cent in this period, while suspensions jumped 32.6 per cent.

But cracks in this approach are beginning to show.

This fall, Ontario's largest school district is implementing recommendations from its Task Force on Safe and Compassionate Schools, which heard multiple complaints last spring from parents and community members about harsh disciplinary practices.

Criticizing the "negative impact of the current zero tolerance philosophy," the Toronto District School Board's Task force concluded "there must be a fundamental change in the direction of the Safe Schools Policy from policing to creating truly safe and inclusive schools."

The Surrey school district, the largest in British Columbia, has gone a step further by removing all references to "zero tolerance" in its new Safe and Caring Schools policy implemented this fall. This deliberate decision allows school administrators to use their experience and knowledge of the situation and parties involved to determine the appropriate course of action.

Bonnie Skobel, principal at Westerman elementary school in Surrey, is finalizing a new student code of conduct to reflect this more nuanced approach to discipline.

"Wouldn't it be nice if you had four rules, and you just followed those four rules and there's no gray. Rules are black and white, but we know life is gray and children are gray," said Skobel.

"In 90 per cent of the cases, suspending the children does not work. I'm not a very strong 'we'll stick to the rule' person. It changes for different kids in different situations."

Robichaud wishes her school would take a similar approach. "Grade 8 is not the same as a kindergarten. If he were in Grade 8 and hugging and kissing, that would be a different story."

Instead, she's worried about getting another call from the school about her younger son, who just started junior kindergarten. "He's way more affectionate than Matthew. They're sweet boys."

---

Nov. 27 2004


I haven’t posted anything in awhile, and although I have no shortage of things to Rant on about, its that time of year again and schedules are getting tight. I’ll post as I can.

My Political views are no secret. The American President George Bush has planned a visit to Canada on November 30th 2004, and its rumoured he may even address Canada’s House of Commons.

In light of this upcoming visit I thought I might post this letter, courtesy of LAW:


O Canada! Although President Bush plans only a "quick in and out" visit to Canada on November 30, many protests are being organized with participants wearing black arm bands for as long as he remains in their country. Now lawyers are attempting to bar the presidential visit.

www.lawyersagainstthewar.org...ternov1904.html


Subject: LAW sends letter to Martin in an attempt to bar Bush from Canada Nov 19, 2004


The following letter was sent to Prime Minister Martin (pour la version française cliquetez ici) and additional letters were sent to Minister of National Defence Bill Graham and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Irwin Cotler.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
Langevin Block
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Canada K1A 0A2
Tel: 613 6868
Fax: 613-941-6900
Email: pm@pm.gc.ca
URGENT


Dear Prime Minister Martin:

It was with absolute dismay that we learned of the planned visit of President Bush to Canada on November 30th 2004.

Surely you are aware of the many grave crimes against humanity and war crimes for which President Bush stands properly accused by the world, starting with the Nuremberg Tribunal’s ‘supreme international crime’ of waging an aggressive war against Iraq in defiance of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and including systematic and massive violations of the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, as well as the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. As recently as November 16, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and former war crimes prosecutor Louise Arbour called for an investigation into crimes against the Geneva Conventions in the assault by US forces on the densely populated city of Fallujah.[1]

The terrible toll in life and limb of these crimes was documented in a study carried out by the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore and published in the October 29, 2004 issue of the British Medical Journal The Lancet which conservatively estimated that the war had taken 100,000 Iraqi lives, mostly women and children.[2] This was well within the range predicted before the war, for example by a British affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War who, in November 2002, assessed the probable death toll at a minimum of 48,000 deaths, mostly civilians, and predicted that post-war conditions would cost an additional 200,000 lives.[3]

The President’s responsibility for these offences derives not only from his ‘command responsibility' as Commander in Chief of US forces, for crimes that he knew were being committed, or ignored through willful blindness, but did nothing to prevent; it also comes from his direct involvement in the formulation of policy. This includes his personal involvement not only in the devising and waging of an aggressive, illegal war, but also of the unlawful refusal to grant prisoner of war status to prisoners of war, contrary to specific provisions of the Geneva Conventions, an act repudiated in the US Courts.[4] It also includes the approval of techniques of interrogation by his direct subordinate, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, that legally and morally constitute torture and that led directly to the disgraceful violence against Iraqi prisoners, for example at the prison at Abu Ghraib.

As you know, not only are these acts criminal under international law, but many of them are also criminal under Canadian law, under laws enacted in pursuance of our international obligations, most importantly the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, put in place just four years ago under a Liberal government. They also violate the provisions on torture in the Canadian Criminal Code.

By these laws, Canadians and non-Canadians alike are liable to prosecution in Canada, no matter where in the world they have committed their crimes. Furthermore, as the Attorney General can advise, the fact that these crimes have been committed by Mr. Bush while President of the United States is absolutely irrelevant to his personal liability to prosecution in Canada, according to principles established at Nuremberg and universally recognized since then, including by the British House of Lords in the Pinochet case in 1999. And if President Bush were to visit Canada after leaving office, we would be seeking the Attorney General’s permission under section 9 of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act and section 7 of the Criminal Code to commence proceedings against him.

However, as you also know, should President Bush come to Canada now, while still President, he would be clothed with both diplomatic and head of state immunity from our laws and we would be powerless to bring him to justice.

Your invitation in these circumstances, therefore, shows contempt for both Canadian and international law and is a grievous insult to the literally hundreds of thousands of victims of President Bush’s international crimes. It is also our belief that the invitation endangers Canadians’ security at home and abroad, because it is a departure from our steadfast refusal to this point to participate in this criminal war of the Bush administration. In fact, it is our belief that this invitation can only act as an encouragement to President Bush in his continuing criminal activity, providing him with an important platform in this, his first post re-election foreign visit, to defend illegal US actions in Iraq and to improve his international standing despite them, all this against the wishes of the majority of Canadians.

Indeed, we feel bound to point out that your invitation to President Bush may thus constitute an abetting of the crimes he and his administration and military continue to commit. As such you and your colleagues could be personally liable to prosecution under the Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act by virtue of section 21 of the Canadian Criminal Code, for crimes so serious that they are punishable in Canada by up to life imprisonment. Abetting a crime, as the Attorney General will advise, is regarded as equally criminal to actually committing it and is complete when one intentionally, knowingly, or with willful blindness encourages the commission of a crime by another.

Nor would President Bush’s immunity be capable of shielding you and your colleagues from prosecution, because, as the Attorney General will advise, the immunity applies only to foreign officials visiting Canada and not to members of the Canadian government itself. Nor does the inability to prosecute a criminal affect the criminal liability of an abettor.

It is for all these reasons we urgently request a meeting with you, the Foreign Minister, the Attorney General or your representatives in Ottawa, so that we might have the opportunity to elaborate on these matters and to persuade you to declare President Bush persona non grata in Canada, or at least to rescind this invitation, and thus to avoid implicating yourselves and Canada in the most serious of international crimes.


Sincerely,

Michael Mandel and Gail Davidson
on behalf of Lawyers against the War (LAW) a Canada-based committee of jurists and others with members in thirteen countries.


[1] Reuters, “U.N. Rights Boss Urges Fallujah 'Abuses' Probe”
yahoo.reuters.com/newsArticl...toryID=6828157.

[2] Les Roberts, Riyadh Lafta, Richard Garfield, Jamal Khudhairi, Gilbert Burnham, Mortality before and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, published online 29 October 2004.
image.thelanct.com/extras04art10342web.pdf

[3] Collateral Damage: the Health and Environmental Costs of War on Iraq, 12 November 2002.
www.ippnw.org/CollateralDamage.pdf

[4] For example Hamdan v. Rumsfeld et al, (United States District Court for the District of Columbia, November 7, 2004)

---

Dec. 13 2004


Well as another Christmas Season approach's (yes, I say CHRISTMAS! To heck with being politically correct) I want to take this opportunity to wish one and all from my home home to yours, a very Merry Christmas, I thank you all for visiting this site since its inception and look forward to receiving your continued comments (and hate mail, lol) in 2005.

So on that note, today's post is on the topic of Santa. Its a cute article that finally explains how the big man in red gets it done.


Subject: Santa Tracked by NORAD Defense System


US Homeland Defence to track Santa Claus


As Santa does his annual Christmas Eve visits to homes around the globe he will be tracked by a billion dollar US defence radar system.

For the past seven years the North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad), based under Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, has been following Santa's sleigh and broadcasting his progress on its website.

The site will publish regular updates on his progress, along with photos from SantaCams around the world, and will even forward emails to the North Pole.

"Based on flight profile configuration data gathered from decades of Norad's radar and satellite tracking of Santa Claus, the scientists have concluded that Santa probably stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds," the site says.

"From fighter aircraft cockpit photos, and other details Norad has gathered from SantaCams over the years, we know he has a generous girth, rosy cheeks from sleigh riding in cold weather, and a flowing white beard and hair."

Created in 1958, Norad is a joint American and Canadian organisation responsible for the air defence of the US and Canada using satellite and radar tracking.

But Norad may be onto a red herring, according to a seminal study of Santa physics published by Dr Arnold Pompos, formerly of Fermilab.

This postulated that Santa gets the whole job done in about 500 seconds by travelling at 99.99999 per cent of the speed of light, thereby solving the mystery of Rudolph's nose.

"The colour depends on just how fast Rudolph is moving, turning yellow, then green, then blue, then violet before becoming invisible in the ultraviolet range as he accelerates to higher and higher speeds," said Dr Pompos in his 1998 paper.

"This change of colour is a well-known phenomenon, called the Doppler shift, which astronomers take advantage of to figure out the speeds at which the stars and galaxies are moving in respect to us."

The Norad Santa website can be found here:

www.noradsanta.org/

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!!


D.


P.S.: I want to wish all the best to a special someone who has a special day of their own again this season. My heart is always with you.