Mother killed in Arson

This one isn't gang related but it is related to domestic violence. CBC is reporting that "A father of six has been charged with second-degree murder and two counts of arson following a "tragic" and suspicious fire in Port Moody, B.C., that left the woman believed to be his wife dead and sent five of their children to hospital."

The Vancouver Province is reporting that "The blaze broke out in a home in the 3300-block Dewdney Trunk Road shortly before 1:30 p.m. Moments later, according to one neighbour, at least three people who were driving by spotted the kids in the second-floor window and stopped to help. One man had a ladder, which the passersby used to help the children climb out to safety."

"The kids escaped with minor injuries. Their mother, however, suffered extensive burns and later died at hospital. The children’s father was arrested at the scene and taken away by ambulance. He’s in custody and was charged Monday with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of arson causing bodily harm. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has conduct of the investigation. A sixth child wasn’t home at the time of the fire."

"Police say that before the fire started, Port Moody police responded to a call about a domestic disturbance at the house. It’s believed that one of the kids made the call. When officers arrived, the house was engulfed in flames. The children had already escaped at that point, (thanks to the neighbours) however, their parents remained in the house. Police quickly removed the couple from the home and the fire department was called in to assist."

The first thing I'm going to say is WTF were you thinking? Get in an argument with your wife so you set fire to the house and kill her along with your children? That is deranged. Parents are supposed to protect their children, provide for their children and make sacrifices for their children. Killing your children not to mention killing your wife or your ex is absolutely deranged.

Sadly this has happened before. Allan Schoenborn, the father from Merritt who murdered his three children in 2008 was granted escorted outings into the community last year. That is insane.

In 2011, Maple Batista, a beautiful young Indo Canadian girl attending SFU in Surrey was murdered. The Toronto Sun reported that Batalia, 19, was shot and killed about an hour after midnight on Sept. 28, 2011, apparently in front of several witnesses and that her boyfriend and his associate were charged a year later. Yet last year Global reported that the family are wondering why the trial hadn't started four years later. It now appears there is a publication ban on the trial. This is obscene. Do we really wonder why we are still having a problem with domestic violence? Because the police and the courts are absolutely useless. Sign the petition.

I'll be the first one to admit that domestic violence cases are very dangerous to get involved in. Not because of the abuser but because of the victim. Often they go back and frequently turn on those who try to help them. Been there done that. Once in New York a friend and I saw a guy pin a girl to the wall in the subway so we pulled the guy off of her. Instantly the woman started to scream and yelled out don't hurt him. I just looked at her as if to say are you f*cking kidding me and turned to my friend and said let's get out of here. That was messed up. However, the Maple Batalia trial should proceed. There is no excuse for that and a publication ban on the trial is obscene. My daughter ran into Maple's father a few times in Surrey after the murder. He was really distraught about his daughter's murder. He really cared about her and it killed him.

Domestic Violence

Now to the heart of the conflict. Rihanna and Eminem put out a hit single years ago called Love The Way You Lie. Although it had a catchy tune the title and the lyrics were a huge concern. Often when I'd complain to my younger friends they would just shrug and say you are taking the lyrics way too literally. No I wasn't. They speak for themselves. The song declares:

"Are you Just gonna stand there and watch me burn But that's alright because I like the way it hurts Just gonna stand there and hear me cry But that's alright because I love the way you lie I love the way you lie." Thus the title of the song. I love the way you lie. That is absurd.

Then the flaming finally: "If she ever tries to f*cking leave again I'm gonna tie her to the bed and set this house on fire." He declares that if his girlfriend tries to leave again he is going to tie her to the bed and set the house on fire. AYFKM? That is exactly what it says. There is nothing cool, catchy or funny about that at all. It is deranged.

Oh and guess what, the beautiful and talented Rihanna was beat up by her boyfriend Chris Brown. BBC reported that Chris Brown confessed and said he watched his step father beat his mother growing up. Rihanna told 20/20 that "her father was severely abusive to her mother in the past and hit her numerous times. She said she would unsuccessfully try to break up their fights, attempting to distract the pair by breaking glasses and dishes in the kitchen. The singer said her father even broke her mother’s nose." OK so that's part of the problem but there's more.

In the music video Love the way you lie, Eminem describes his relationship with his girlfriend. Tells her how much he loves her as they fight and hit each other then have passionate sex. That is not love. That is not passion. That is not intimacy. That is sadomasochism.

The movie Mr and Mrs Smith is another red flag for leading down the road to abuse. One minute they are literally trying to kill each other physically hitting each other then all of a sudden they start having passionate sex. There is something very wrong with that picture. The French wrote the book on intimacy. Generally speaking a Frenchman will not beat a woman. He will defend her. He will wine and dine her. He is a romantic. That is what passion is. Passion is an extension of healthy love. Hitting each other is not healthy. Domestic violence is ugly.

Surrey Ride By on Bicycle

1130 News is reporting that "Surrey Mounties say a shooting in Whalley early this morning was carried out by two suspects riding bikes. It happened around 3 a.m. near King George Boulevard and 108th Avenue. A man was rushed to the hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries after paramedics found he’d been shot in the stomach area."

Crackheads shooting each other on bicycles near near King George Boulevard and 108th Avenue. That's right by the Whalley Strip outside the Front Room where they let crack dealers sell crack in public beside the needle exchange. A big F*ck you to Bill Fordy. Thanks for nothing idiot. Fraser MacRae was a Rock Star. Bill Fordy never came close. History has recorded that.

Local man charged in West Kelowna shooting

In a recent batch of local shootings Kelowna Cap News reported that a 31 year old woman was shot in a west Kelowna home July 4th and that a 28 year old male had been taken into custody.

Now Kelowna Info News is reporting that "While a 31-year-old West Kelowna woman remains in hospital with a serious gunshot wound, police have laid charges against a 28-year-old suspect arrested near the scene. Evan Anthony Swite has been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon while prohibited, according to a media release."

What I don't understand is when a man shoots a woman, why is he only charged with aggravated assault instead of attempted murder? Especially when he is in possession of a firearm he was previously banned from possessing. That means he has some kind of a record. Why is there a publication ban on that court case? What are they trying to hide?



In 2005 he was charged with Robbery and Assault causing bodily harm. In 2011 he was charged with uttering death threats, and in 2012 he was charged with Flight from a peace officer and Breach of undertaking or recognizance. He was later found guilty on all of those charges.

In 2014 he was charged with careless use or storage of a firearm as well as unauthorised possession of a firearm. February 2016 that case was set for trial. May 2015 he was once again charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. That case resulted in a stay of proceedings directed by Crown. So why is he now charged with assault not attempted murder?

Tony Blair takes the fall for the Iraq War

A new report resulting from a seven year inquiry has slammed Tony Blair for supporting the unlawful invasion of Iraq based on a lie. Obviously this is nothing new. The report is and it's rekindling quite an uproar in England. It reopens the murder of the whistleblower Dr Kelly.

The Telegraph is reporting that Tonly Blair could be impeached and put on 'trial' in Parliament to account for his actions in front of MPs and peers. Hmmm, he's no longer Prime minister. Putting him on trial in front of the peers who supported his criminal act wouldn't be very accountable. In contrast the Independent is reporting that Tony Blair could be sued for 'every penny' by families of soldiers killed in Iraq War. Now we're talking. Him and George Bush Jr both. After all Tony Blair was just doing what George Bush asked him to do. That's why he won the CONgressional award for deception. Blair was the forerunner for Operation Mass appeal where MI 6 knowingly sent out false press releases about Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction to sell the lie to the public. The problem is, Tony Blair is gone but MI 6 and the CIA isn't. Sue them.

Justice Institute harassment case goes to trial.

The Vancouver Sun is reporting that "A UN gang associate accused of being the mastermind of a campaign of terror against people linked to the Justice Institute of B.C. is expected to plead guilty to the charges. In September, Vincent Eric Gia-Hwa Cheung, 40, was arrested and charged with 23 counts related to a series of arsons and shootings targeting the homes and vehicles of police officers and others with ties to the New Westminster institution."

This all stems from a bizarre campaign of violence that targeted people who worked at the Justice Institute. The article states Police said in some cases the victims had simply parked their cars at the Justice Institute to take their children to a nearby daycare. I'm somewhat baffled by the motive. A previous article stated that two men were arrested and Police said the motive would come out in court. Not if they plead guilty. However, the second man's case will go to trial so hopefully the motive will come out then.

The article states "he (Cheung) has had associations with people in gangs for a very long time." Knowing people who are gang associates doesn't necessarily make you a gang associate.

Rob Sidhu and Judge John Lenaghan

Rob Sidhu is a bit of a local celebrity. He's a dirty cop that was convicted in the United States for cocaine trafficking tied to the Hells Angels. He was handed an eight year sentence in the US. Prior to that Judge John Lenaghan let him walk away free in Canada on impersonation charges. In that case he falsely represented himself as an active member of the RCMP after he had left the force to obtain information about the Bacon brothers location. Hells Angels lawyer Matthew Nathanson represented him in that case and Judge John Lenaghan let him off.

The Water Crimes blog as well as the Citizens against the BCIMC blog have both expressed concerns about Judge John Lenaghan's personal bias. Just like Peter Leask.



Update: Gordon Clark from the Vancouver Province just wrote an editorial about judicial accountability. More and more people are speaking about the issue because it keeps coming up over and over again. Judges need to be accountable to the people who pay their wages. This judicial arrogance needs to subside.

Shooting fatality in Surrey

1130 News is reporting that "Homicide investigators have been called in to investigate a death in Surrey’s Bog Park. The man’s body was found at the park at 130th Street and 98th Avenue around 2 p.m. yesterday. IHIT says he “appeared to be the victim of a gunshot wound.” The victim has been identified as 27-year-old Brendan Chand. Investigators say several people reported hearing gunshots in the area as early as 10:30 p.m. on Saturday."

In 2014 the Vancouver Province reported that Brenden Chand was a drug dealer who shot a man in the back as he was fleeing from him in a busy SkyTrain station in Burnaby. The Surrey Now confirms that this homicide victim is the same drug dealer who was convicted in the 2011 shooting which has also been confirmed by CKNW and the CBC.

Update: The was also a suspicious death in Prince George.

Shots fired in south Vancouver 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. CBC is reporting that police found a black SUV riddled with bullet holes at East 59th Avenue and Fraser Street.

Kelowna Cap News is reporting that a 31 year od woman was shot in a west Kelowna home and a 28 year old male has been taken into s=custody.

Vancouver White Crane

While still on the subject of diversity, I have to pass on a recommendation for a magnificent martial arts school and instructor in Vancouver who is keeping the old traditions alive. Before my son went abroad he told me he met a really buff and realy cool martial arts instructor from Jamaica he was taking classes from. He said I'd like him. He was right.

Hugh is a really buff and really cool brother from Jamaica dripping in wisdom who teaches traditional White Crane Kung Fu in Vancouver. He was trained by grandmaster Vincent Chow. Elianna Lev from the Vancouver Observer wrote an article about him.

I came in for a drop in and was significantly impressed. He is indeed very buff, very cool and his thought provoking wisdom is indeed inspiring. He had a background in fitness and kickboxing and was looking for something else. He had the aggression. He wanted to learn how to control it. He found that in White Crane Kung Fu. His dojo is located at the corner of Kingsway and Fraser street. The actual address is 657 East 15th street right beside the Lion's Den cafe.

His dojo is awesome. He's got heavy bags and a speed bag all set up on one side right beside his harley davidson and an open wooden floor with lots of mirrors to self reflect and practice the traditional art. During the drop in class he had the Fugees playing in the background. I smiled and said to my son, do you remember this and he nodded. I used to play it all the time when he and his sister were young. I picked up a few new moves I can use in my own personal daily rituals following Dan Inosanto's advice to absorb what is useful.

Previously we were talking about how some people like to meditate. That was a rage when I was young. I tried it out but my mind would always wander and I'd just fall asleep. I guess I just wasn't on that higher spiritual plane. Hugh had us meditate while standing on one foot with our arms stretched out. That I could do. It gave my brain something to do while I meditated. He asked me what I was doing that day and I told him about my schedule that at first appeared somewhat conflicted. Without hesitation he said no, that's alright. You spend time with your kids, you spend time with your friends and you do what makes you happy. Everything is in balance. So now whenever I assume that pose I picture myself juggling my conflicted schedule and being at complete peace about it. It really helped me put things into perspective.

So yesterday I rode down there to thank him for helping me put things into perspective and for taking my son under his wing. We had previously discussed Caribbean food which goes well with Guinness stout. He smiled and said yes that was tue. Then said back in Jamaica we have another kind of beer which is even better than Guinness called Dragon stout. When he said that I smiled and thought to myself yeah right. People told me about this local beer called Dead frogs and said how that was just like a Guinness. I tried it and I have to admit it is a good dark beer but it's not a Guinness. So I wanted to try this Dragon stout for myself.

So yesterday I took him out for a beer and some curry goat at the Reef on Main Street and was pleasantly surprised. This Dragon stout is awesome. I could almost say it's even better than a Guinness. Although my fears might hold me back a bit I have to admit it does qualify.

During dinner he asked me what I did on Canada Day so I told him. He just nodded without passing judgement. After dinner we walked over to my bike. Realizing that he meditated I told him how I just couldn't understand how someone would want to stop someone from meditating. Without hesitation he looked at me and said you don't understand why they would want to stop people from doing that? Yeah I just don't get it I said. He then asked what do people do when they meditate. They think I said. Then the epiphany. That's it. They don't want people thinking for themselves I said. Exactly he replied. All of a sudden it all made sense. Peace.



On a point of interest, the Sandhill Crane is migratory. Burns bog (which is on fire again) is one of their nesting sites. That's why people want to protect it. Pitt Meadows used to be another popular site for the Cranes but development has dramatically reduced their migratory populations.

Ladner and Tsawwassen are an important migratory stop for the Snowy Owls just like Brackendale and Harrison River is for Eagles. There is a huge amount of wetlands in Tsawwassen that are important migratory stopovers for a lot of endangered species that the Province just flipped into industrial ready to pave it all over and kill their habitat. It's so short sighted. We need to protect the old ways and the endangered species before they are lost forever.

Bonny Portmore is an Irish traditional folk song which laments the demise of Ireland's old oak forests. Loreena McKennitt sang a wonderful rendition of that song with the harp. Skellig is another one of her songs Reflecting on the sands of time.

Chibi Taiko

Speaking of diversity, as I was riding into Vancouver yesterday along Kingsway I saw an eagle flying over head and heard some drums so I pulled over to have a look. It was the Chibi Taiko drummers performing. They were magnificent. I like drums and Taiko drums are awesome. Chibi means little kid and Taiko means big drum so Chibi Taiko is Canada's first youth taiko group based in Vancouver. They will also be performing today at 12:15 in Maple Ridge.



I moved to Surrey from North Vancouver when I was in grade five. Growing up in Elementary school my best friend was Japanese. It was just normal. Later on we lost contact and I had another good friend who was also Japanese. He became the best man at my wedding I was the best man at his. I spoke at his wedding and quoted Martin Luther King who dreamed of the day when a man would be judged by the content of his character not by the colour of his skin. I assured both families that my friend was indeed a man of honour.

I realize that historically there is some hard feelings between China and Japan as well as between Korea and Japan. As my father would say, the war is over. That was a long time ago. Japan paid bitterly for their aggressiveness with Hiroshima and Nagasaki and have endured many hardships of their own. It's time to move forward in peace.

Canada hasn't always been a place of perfect polite tolerance. During the war all of the Japanese Canadians were rounded up into concentration camps and their land was taken from them. That was before my time. I never knew or understood that growing up with Japanese friends. I later found out that the best man at my wedding had family on Salt Spring Island who had all their land taken from them. Although the family finally got an apology many years later, their land was never returned to them. That was tragic and stands as a reminder of how we need to be honest about our past so we can rise above it.

The paper crane has become an international symbol of healing and peace. I didn't realize Sadako's last name was Sasaki. That is the last name of my childhood friend growing up. What happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was horrible and we need to make sure something like that never happens again. Diversity makes us strong. Peace.

Supporting the Falun Gong Protest on Canada Day

I met with some of the Falun Gong Protesters outside the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver today. I just wanted to make sure everyone understood the parameters of the court order. The City made a bylaw saying the protesters couldn't walk away and leave signs up over night. The court order did not say they couldn't stand there with a sign in a peaceful protest. No bylaw could order that because it would violate the Canadian Charter of Rights which is the highest law of the land.

I realized these kind and polite people were being bullied so I met with them and said it's OK, you can stand under my umbrella. Combining the symbolism from the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong with the Rihanna and Jay Z song Under my Umbrella. Rihanna shed some tears in Dublin.

Today the Finian Commission launched a new campaign spotlighting Communist China. I did an interview explaining the campaign with the Epoch Times and a Chinese television station. The bottom line is that these people are being persecuted in China. The government of China says they're a cult so they deserve it. That is ridiculous.

Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong) is a new form of Buddhism that believes in cultivating three Chinese virtues: Zhen, Shan, Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance). There is nothing bad or cultlike in that. Christianity is widely accepted around the world and when Christ was on the earth they said he was leading a cult. He said if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more so shall they call them of his household.

So just what is Falun Gong's crime? They like to meditate. I kid you not. Their campaign is simple. At www.free2meditate.org they state "Today in China, people who practice Falun Dafa face imprisonment, torture, or even death. If you think anyone should be free to meditate without fear of persecution, post your support to Facebook, Twitter, or any social media." They sugest posting a picture of you meditating on their Twitter account.

I remember during the Vancouver Occupy demonstration there was a group of peaceful protesters that were simply sitting there meditating. It is impossible for us to conceive how that could possibly be banned. A few years ago as I was on my way home from a TELUS demonstration in Burnaby, I saw a group of quite, polite Asians standing with signs. No one was paying any attention to them so I pulled over to have a look at what their signs said. I was shocked. They were listing numerous atrocities the Communist government has done in China. It was so sad no one was paying any attention to these kind polite people. Their concerns were very real. That's how I found out about the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in the Epoch Times.

Today they have a new serious complaint. They claim that political prisoners under the Communist government are being tortured and even murdered for organ harvesting. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. The Finian Commission will be conducting a public inquiry into the matter. This is a copy of the initial report. The protesters are outside the Vancouver Consulate on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM. Hear them.



Epoch Times: Up to 1.5 Million Killed by Chinese Regime for Their Organs, Report Reveals

The Goddess of Democracy statue was first erected during the Tiananmen square protest.

UBC’s statue outside the SUB, the Goddess of Democracy, was holding an umbrella durring the Hong Kong protest in support of that cause. Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong. Mainland China is trying to kill the language and replace it with Mandarin. Hong Kong may never gain their independence but they should be able to speak whatever language they choose.

China has a problem with overpopulation. Instead of forcing people to have abortions or executing prisoners of conscience, maybe they should just let people move? Maybe that would be a more peaceful solution to their problem. Every major city in the world has a Chinatown. Chinese culture is already influencing the entire world and that is a good thing. Diversity is the spice of life. If you only let families have one child and everyone has abortions if they have a girl, in one generation, who on earth are your men going to marry? It's not a very smart policy . Peace.



Update: Epoch Times article on the Canada Day Protest

English translation of the article in the Epoch Times

NTDTV Canada Day Article

English translation of NTDTV Article