Canadian caught smuggling 59 kilos of cocaine sentenced to 10 years in U.S. prison

The National Post is reporting that A 37-year-old Canadian who was caught with 59 kilos of cocaine has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The U.S. Department of Justice said Friday that Martin Briand, who is also a French citizen, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute cocaine after the cocaine was seized in December 2009.

Briand was on the run for six years before being arrested in December 2015 upon arriving at Vancouver International Airport from France. He had been identified by Canadian and U.S. border agents as being extensively involved in smuggling cocaine into Canada. “In just six months in 2009, this defendant made 29 flights in chartered aircraft between Point Roberts, Washington and points south without ever legally entering the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes.

“In his final trip, a Washington State Trooper caught him with nearly 60 kilos of cocaine. Anyone responsible for transporting these kinds of quantities of illegal drugs also is responsible for feeding countless drug addictions and the misery that comes with them, and thus deserves the lengthy sentence imposed in this case.”

Newton Shooting

The Surrey Leader is reporting that "Nobody was injured in what police say was a targeted shooting Friday night in Newton. Surrey RCMP responded to a call of shots fired in the 8000-block of 120 Street at approximately 10:10 p.m. Officers located shell casings in the area, and determined shots were fired at an unoccupied vehicle in the area."

Harley Davidson 750 Street

Speaking of shrewd business, I saw in the paper that Harley Davidson is coming out with a new liquid cooled motorcycle called the Harley Davidson 750 Street at the upcoming motorcycle show at the Tradex in Abbotsford this weekend. So I went down to the dealership to check it out.

The first thing I asked the dealer is what does the 750 represent? It can't be cc because Harleys are measured in cubic inches and he said, nope, it is in fact ccs. I thought the smallest Harley was a 80 cubic inch v twin. This is a new innovation. It used to be 80 cubic inches now it's up to 103. Every year they try to get a little bit bigger and bigger for the fully decked out cruisers. They obviously have a lot of torque but how is your gas mileage? Not so good. Do you really need that large of an engine? It really has the appearance that some of those guy's are desperately trying to overcompensate for something.

There will always be a market for the full meal deal. The 750 street is reaching out to a new market and I think it has a huge potential. A lot of people just can't afford $30,000 for a motorcycle and the collision and comprehensive insurance to keep it on the road. Not everyone out there sells crack. The 750 Street is much more affordable and practical.

Goldhammer's custom motorcycles in Kelowna are indisputably awesome but who can afford $100,000 for a motorcycle? That's a good chunk of a down payment on a home. Then there's the insurance on top of that. I much prefer his custom choppers to the fully decked out Harleys with huge fairings and saddlebags that look more like Goldwings than Harleys. If you want a Goldwing buy a Goldwing. If you want a Harley then buy a Harley. Yet an old timer pointed out they are comfortable on long rides. He recently rode a rigid frame shovelhead to Sturgis.

The 750 street is liquid cooled. A lot of people are tired of the overheating issues in summer from air cooled engines. I thought the only liquid cooled Harley was the V Rod which is a joint venture between Harley Davidson and Porsche. They're pretty cool too. I'm told some of the bigger cruizers are liquid cooled now as well.

The only thing I don't like about the 750 Street is the design of the shocks at the back and more importantly the dust cover on the front shocks. That kinda makes it look like a dirt bike. Other than that I think the bike is awesome and could explode into an untapped market. A lot of people who ride imitation cruisers because of their affordability would gladly cross over to the real thing if they could afford to do so. This is innovation. There certainly is still a market for that.

The Return of Xander Cage - Review

"The world has changed. The war we're fighting today needs a different kind of soldier. We need people with the skills and the attitude to take on threats we don't even know exist." Nicky Jam is in the house. Now that's what I'm talking about. Carpe Diem. The Americanos - In My Foreign.

Update: We saw the Return of Xander Cage in the theatre today with the new reclining sets. It was f*cking awesome. I read a negative review of the movie in the Vancouver Province and I was like WTF? If you don't like action movies don't watch them and don't talk sh*t about them because clearly that person doesn't know their ass from a hole in the ground.



This movie has Grandmaster Donnie Yen in it. He gave a flawless performance. This is Nicky Jam's premier on the big screen. We should be celebrating. I know I am. Yo mamacita! Nicky Jam que Bacano. He is from Puerto Rico originally and moved to Colombia. He's a very popular Reggaeton superstar there. Miss Colombia is in the movie too.



The movie even has a special guest appearance from Ice Cube who was rock solid. When the crazy conspiracy theorist was recruited to be part of the team the first thing he asked the handler was do you know what really happened to Pan Am flight 103 that crashed over Lockerbie? The handler looked him in the eye and said yes. So do we.

This movie kicks off what appears to be a new series and I say bring it. Vin Diesel claims there are no patriots any more. Only rebels and tyrants. Indeed, these are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. As Ice Cube said, thank God the gangster is back.

The Inauguration of Donald Trump and the rise of Kevin O'Leary

So today was the inauguration of Donald Trump and his new theme is America First. There are different ways to interpret that. Some might look at it as the me first generation but others might understand how this applies to free trade.

I've already expressed colossal concerns with these behind closed doors trade agreements that have nothing to do with free trade and are all about giving up sovereignty and the NAFTA chapter 11 compensation awards. That is just plain bad business. Donald Trump could be good for business. It was interesting to note that some republicans boycotted the inauguration. That was probably a good thing. Those republicans are likely part of the problem.

A prime example is Stephen Harper. He came out with this ridiculous nonsense claiming Donald Trump's foreign policy will scale back U.S. involvement in global affairs and be guided by narrow economic interests, while coming to view China as a "geopolitical adversary." How can any of that not be a good thing? China is a Communist dictatorship that execute political prisoners to order for organ harvesting. The fact that Stephen Harper handed over our sovereignty and our oil rights to a communist dictatorship screams insanity. Trump in that arena is a voice of reason.

It's like Arlene Dickinson's concerns about Kevin O'Leary announcing his candidacy for the Conservative leadership. She implies the guy is a prick because he is a shrewd businessman and wouldn't give away $10,000 to a group of inner city former gang members like the rest of them. She claims Politics isn't just about dollars and cents. Well maybe it should be in some ways. People ask do you really want a shrewd businessman in charge of your country's finances? Well, actually yes I do. The compound interest on unnecessary debt is enslaving future generations. That's something Justin Trudeau simply cannot comprehend.

Right now communist China is one of the richest nations in the world that owns the debt of many superpowers. So why are they still receiving humanitarian aid from the same countries they own the debt to? That is bad business on our part. Justin Trudeau is a really nice guy. He just has absolutely no ability or desire to balance a budget and avoid unnecessary debt. I find that absolutely astounding. Kevin O'Leary just might be exactly what we need.

Prescription heroin tsunami destroys Metro Vancouver

The Vancouver Sun is reporting that "Top health officials in B.C. are actively discussing a plan to prescribe clean heroin or other opioids to people with addictions, in an attempt to stem the rising death toll caused by street drugs tainted with fentanyl." This is the epitome of evil.

The methadone programs has become a billion dollar scam. Doctors prescribe methadone to heroin addicts but refuse to reduce the doses turning them into lifetime methadone addicts at the taxpayers expense. Now the pharmaceutical greed has risen to the extreme and they want taxpayers to buy heroin for addicts. That is the wrong solution. That represents the fall of Rome and the destruction of our public healthcare system.

It' time for a new Chief Medical Heath Officer. How about Dr. Colin Mangham? He is the only honest one in the bunch. Macklemore speaks out on Addiction - my drug dealer was a doctor.



Larry Campbell speaks out in support of the Devils deal.

Shooting in South Vancouver

CBC is reporting that there was a targeted shooting in South Vancouver around 3:00 AM this morning. "The front window of the targeted house was shattered and there appeared to be numerous bullet holes right through the glass. Officers put up at least 20 evidence markers up on the front lawn. Const. Jason Doucette said no one was injured in the shooting but the occupants of the home were not cooperative with police. He added the investigation is ongoing."

Port Alberni Shooting

The Alberni Valley News is reporting that "A 49-year-old man is suffering from non-life-threatening injuries after he was apparently shot at while cycling in a neighbourhood in Port Alberni early Tuesday morning. A 56-year-old Port Alberni man was arrested at approximately 9:40 a.m. over the incident. Hayden said she couldn’t speculate why the shooting occurred. “They were known to each other and yes, they were known to us,” she said. “The police investigation is still ongoing.”

Abbotsford shooting

Scab BC is reporting that #Abbotsford Police are on scene with a male shot in the leg outside 2539 Janzen St. Related to ongoing Townline Gang War.

Body found in Penticton - Update

The Penticton Western News is reporting that "Penticton RCMP were called to a rural area of Willowbrook Road, near White Lake Road where a body was discovered on Jan. 17. Investigators from the Southeast District Major Crime Unit, Police Dog Services and the Forensic Identification Unit were called to assist with the investigation, which is being treated as suspicious."

Update: The Penticton News is reporting that "RCMP have yet to release the name, but say the body found Tuesday in a pullout beside Willowbrook Road is that of a 27-year-old male from Kelowna. They have also now ruled that he was the victim of an apparent homicide."