Wooden Towers

BC Architects win Bob and Doug McKenzie's award for brain surgery. They are planning to build sky scrappers as high as 30 stories out of wood. Idiots. What happens when a fire breaks out? The next breakthrough is houses made of cards and Schools made of straw.

Harper Hides Crime Bill Costs

The Speaker of the House has ruled against the Harper government claiming they breached parliamentary privilege by refusing to provide all documents the Standing Committee on Finance requested detailing the full cost of its crime bills. No kidding. How much will it cost to send every Canadian citizen who smokes a blunt to jail? How will that help us deal with violent crime and hard drugs in the face of already over crowded prisons in an economic recession?

The government wants to take more money from us to put more of us in jail. What a democracy. Don't get me wrong, we need changes in our judicial system. We need prudent course corrections not sweeping catastrophe. House arrest for trafficking cocaine for the Hells Angels is insane. We won't have any money to fix that problem if we spend more than we have sending all the pot smokers to jail. Crack and meth are the problem, not pot.

Locking a prolific offender who commits a large amount of crime to pay for their drug habit in jail for three months is logical and prudent. Sending everyone to jail who jay walks, smokes a joint or drives after having two drinks with dinner is not. It really isn't brain surgery but Harper isn't getting it and Ignatieff is an idiot.

David Giles and Airplane Mark

Interesting photo of David Giles and Airplane Mark. Kinda suspicious whenever a Hells Angels or associate is pals with a pilot.



Shake that bootie Skeletor. Actually, please don't. You might wanna just put your shirt back on and wipe your drool.

After posting some pictures of David Giles someone from Kelowna contacted me and said they recognized the guy in the photo. They said they saw him at a public function wearing a Hells Angels jacket and they thought it was odd. At first they thought he was a clown pretending to be a Hells Angel. Go figure. He does look more like a Shriner than an Hells Angel.

Operation Watchtower

When Gary Webb's article Dark Alliance came out it created an uproar in LA. The possibility of the CIA being involved in part for their cocaine epidemic in the /80's was indeed shocking. In response to the public outcry, John Deutch, the Director of the CIA at the time held a town hall meeting in LA to address the public concerns.

At that town hall meeting, Mike Ruppert, a former LAPD officer took the mike and claimed the CIA had approached him to traffic drugs in LA and that the Agency has been dealing drugs in LA for years. Of course Mike Ruppert has subsequently under gone a character assignation like Gary Webb and anyone else other than Judge Bonner who has spoke out about any of this. Yet Mike Ruppert cited Operation Watchtower.

Although *someone* has been active on the Internet trying to bury the story and rewrite history by referencing a different Operation Watchtower, others have cited the real operation which clearly involved the CIA drugs for arms network out of Central America.

Al Martin, retired Navy Intelligence officer describes in detail what Operation Watchtower really was in his book The Conspirators.

Operation Watchtower was originally developed and built in 1976 by an elite Air Force group under the command of the Defence Intelligence Agency known as Task Force Hawk. Watchtower was a series of very powerful radio transmitters on towers with beacons on the ends of them from Andros Island off the coast of Columbia all the way up to US air space.

Aircraft could triangulate a position from the towers. The beacons created a "safe corridor." All aircraft flying through that corridor would not be intercepted. On the US end, aircraft emitting the proper frequency would not be inspected by customs.

The corridor was created originally for the same purpose it was used later on in the Iran-Contra - to provide a safe corridor for the shipping north of narcotics and the shipping south of weapons pursuant to authorized narcotics and weapons transaction.

Al Martin is of the opinion that the deal had to have had the approval of the then Panama dictator General Omar Trujillo who was paid in a Swiss bank account every month. Later Trujillo complained he wasn't getting paid enough and was assassinated and replaced by Noriega.

Colonel Edward P. Cutolo claimed there were a series of three electronic beacon towers beginning outside of Bogata, Columbia, and running northeast to the border of Panama." With the beacons in place and activated, aircraft could fix on their signal and fly undetected from Bogata to Panama, landing at Albrook Air Station.

Cutolo testified that the cargo flown from Colombia into Panama was cocaine. Cutolo claimed during the Feb., 1976, Watch Tower Mission, 30 high performance aircraft landed safely at Albrook Air Station where the planes were met by Col. Tony Noriega, a Panama Defence Force Officer assigned to the Customs and Intelligence Section. Also present at most of the arrivals was CIA Agent Edwin Wilson.

There is a lot more documented information about the time frame but my point is simple. Gary Webb wrote a powerful series of articles about the CIA trafficking cocaine in the United States of America. His article was met with rage and denial. He lost his job and documented everything in a well written book of the same name, Dark Alliance. Not to mention the testimony of former CIA Agent Chip Tatum. Chip referred to the Pegasus File which Mike Ruppert cited.

The fact is the CIA was directly involved in a huge cocaine for arms trade between Central America and Mena Arkansas. That has been documented. Oliver North was in charge of everything that went in and out of Nicaragua at the time. Only instead of rotting away in a US prison like Freeway Ricky and Manuel Noriega, they made him a FOX News host. Go figure.

One arrest in downtown shelter sex assaults

A man has been arrested for one of the six sexual assaults reported at a Downtown Eastside cold weather shelter, say police.

Women’s groups on the Downtown Eastside are horrified by reports that six women have been sexually assaulted while taking refuge in an overnight shelter.

MacDougall said women are terrified to make first-person reports to police, although two of the sexual assault complaints were made by victims, another by paramedics called to help a viciously violated woman, and one by church staff.

I'm shocked and confused. Why aren't these reports taken seriously and how on earth can that happen in a crowded shelter? Do they meet them at the shelter and drag them outside or are they sexually assaulted in a crowed room? Are we talking about grabbing an ass or are we talking about rape? Raping someone in a crowded room and no one helps stop it is absolutely mind boggling.

Jane Doe from Pickton's farm

This is strange. Police task force just released a sketch in attempt to identify a Jane Doe from Pickton's farm. I'm not sure why they waited this long to release the sketch and I wonder how many others like her they have found.

Likewise the Coroner just released remains of Pickton victims to their families. Like that wasn't a bizarre delay. I guess I'm just naive. So when will all the evidence in the trial become part of the public domain?

Christy Clark takes Liberal leadership

So Christy Clark is in. She was the only candidate that had a hope in hell of saving the doomed liberals. Kevin Falkner was a Campbell Clone. Unfortunately, I'm afraid a fresh new face won't change the entire party that embraced Campbell's brazen defiance of the public interest.

Industrial Hemp

I don't have much more to say but I do have something to say about Industrial Hemp. Industrial hemp is different than pot. Industrial Hemp used to be a large crop in North America. Hemp paper is totally sustainable and was very common in Europe.



When we look at how we are still clear cutting forests and still not selectively harvesting them that act is criminal. As is the fact that we let the commercial pulp and paper industry crush the hemp industry just like we let the oil companies kill the electric car. That is a crime.

Hemp paper should be legal. That is one law we can change right now. We can argue about the legalization of marijuana until the cows come home. Hemp paper is something sustainable that we can support right now.

The same with hemp rope. The big oil companies rather we use rope made from petroleum products because they are rich and greedy. Hemp rope was and is a better product. Legalizing industrial hemp is something we can do right now without legalizing marijuana, crack or meth. It would be good for our economy and our environment.

Why even Ron Paul thinks we should legalize Industrial Hemp. Mind you Ron Paul also thinks we should legalize all drugs which is rather absurd. Don't forget, he wasn't elected. The legalization of marijuana in California failed. The Marijuana party in Canada will never form a majority government. So let's talk about compromise.

The Green party has embraced a marijuana party affiliate and adopted the platform of legalizing all drugs. Guess what. They didn't get elected either. Legalizing all drugs in socially irresponsible. As it stands the Green party won't draw a line in the sand between pot and crack or meth. The lobbyists want it all. If they drew a line in the sand and said they don't support the legalization of crack or crystal meth, I could support them. Right now I can't.

Let's go for the decriminalization of pot, not legalization and let's go for the legalization of Industrial hemp. That is a goal within reach.

What kind of society do we want to live in?

Wednesday is Pink Shirt stand up to bullies day. Although pink just isn't my colour, I completely support the message. I don't want to live in a society that allows bullies to thrive. On the same note, I don't want to live in the other extreme and end up like Texas where someone can do real time in prison for possession of a couple of joints. I know I am naive and idealistic, but I aspire to finding a balance between the extremes.

Cutting someones hand off for theft or capital punishment for a drug offense is in my opinion extreme. Yet so is house arrest for trafficking cocaine for the Hells Angels. Both extremes are wrong.

I do believe rehabilitation should be a factor in incarceration. Not the primary factor because public safety is but it should be a factor nonetheless. Christianity is all about second chances. Starting over and learning from our mistakes. In fact Christ talked about visiting those in prison and ranked it right up with visiting the sick, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.

Many people have volunteered their time on Prison Alternatives committees trying to find a better way than just locking people up in cages. Yet it's clear that our noble ideal of rehabilitation has gone to the other extreme where violent crime has no real consequence. This needs to change but we don't need to change it to the other extreme.

All of us rather spend tax dollars on schools and hospitals than on more prisons. However, I don't want to live in a society that's run by organized crime. That is not the kind of society I want to leave for my children. That's not the kind of society our forefathers fought in the trenches to protect.

I get a lot of slack for expressing my opinion in a blog. Sometimes I cross the line and say things that are pretty rude and I suppose I deserve it. I'm just fed up with the consistent lies and denial that are no longer believable.

I'm fed up with politicians who put themselves above the needs of the people who elected them. I'm fed up with criminals who think they can bully everyone forever. It's all about the golden rule - treating others the way you want to be treated. Don't sell crack to kids. Don't sell date rape drug to anyone and don't cry like a baby in court when you are caught selling date rape drug. That is absurd.

And just for the record, I don't sell pot and I haven't smoked a blunt in 25 years. I would rather live in a society where people smoke pot than in a society where people smoke crack or meth. It's like night and day. They're two different worlds. And I don't want to live in a police state where police are beating civilians without cause or locking them away in jail for smoking a joint. Is it really that hard to understand?

Suspect arrested in Laura Szendrei's murder

This case is heartbreaking. I find it disturbing for two reasons. First the obvious. Why would a 15 year old girl be beaten to death in broad daylight? Why would anyone do that not to mention another 17 year old kid.

We have all heard about sexual deviants who rape and murder. Yet that wasn't the case. Why would he do that? I search for a motive. I certainly can't understand the reasoning behind the stabbing of Chuck Cadman's son because someone didn't like his hat.

Or the swarming of Micheal Levy where a group of youth gave him the boots then took an axe to the back of his head. Bizarre. Senseless. Brutal. Yet this wasn't Surrey, this was Delta. Delta is a really nice neighbourhood that has no doubt been scarred by this tragic event.



The other thing I find disturbing is her father's boasting of his criminal association. On at least two separate occasions we saw photos of him posing with his daughter and some of his daughter's friends in Hells Angels support gear. I find that very disturbing. I find it very disturbing that he invited members of that criminal organization to attend his daughter's funeral in gang colours. The tragedy continues.

Yes we have the freedom of association but the criminal activities of the Hells Angels are no longer being kept secret. Andre Watteel, the former president of the Niagara Hells Angels was just found guilty of cocaine trafficking. He was arrested along with five members of the Hamilton chapter. This after pretty much all of the Niagara chapter went down for selling cocaine and date rape drug.

The judge noted Watteel and his wife were organizers of a Christmas toy drive and had performed other charitable works in their community. These good works were taken into consideration, Takach said, but they were outweighed by the harm done by drugs such as cocaine.

“Cocaine is an insidious poison that has destroyed innumerable lives. Even before one ounce reaches the street, it is indubitably soaked with the blood of others."

Now I am in absolutely no way saying that this young girl deserved to die because her father associated with a criminal organization. That is absurd and offensive. As is the concept that she was targeted because of her father's criminal associations. As much as I oppose the Hells Angels selling crack and murdering people, the very thought of harming one of their children because of their crimes is absolutely deranged. I was even upset when they killed Juel Stanton and he certainly wasn't innocent of all wrong doing.

Once again, what on earth could the motive be for her murder? Was it a crazed former boyfriend who said if he can't have her no one can? That indeed would be tragic. Yet if they all knew about her father's associations, would a crazed kid really risk it? It's all very sad and very misguided.

Some claim that since an arrest has been made we owe the father an apology. Well with or without an arrest I am deeply sorry for his tragic loss. Yet I'm not sorry for expressing my concerns about his bragging about his criminal associations in front of his daughter and her friends. I just think that is inappropriate.

I'm certainly not comfortable with participating in a take back the night rally until her father helps us all take back the night by laying aside his criminal associations. I certainly have no faith in criminals becoming the judge and jury for public crime simply because that criminal organization has a long history of lies and denial shrouding internal betrayal.

I will however say that Laura's father is a lucky man. He is lucky because he has such a wonderful family not because he has friends who belong to a criminal organization. Life does not end at death. As the mother said they indeed will always be a family of four and no one can take that from them. May we all find peace amidst these horrible events.

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Everyone is talking about the outfit her father was wearing at the recent press conference. Hiway Choppers seemed innocent enough. Except for the fact that someone pointed out Hiway Choppers is owned by John Bryce president of the East Vancouver chapter of the Hells Angels. It would appear her father still hasn't grown up and that's a shame.