Hollyburn Lodge Restored and Revitalized

It's nice to see Hollyburn Lodge restored and revitalized. It's only open for two more weekends before the season closes but I'm glad they were able to save and preserve that nostalgic piece of history. The snowpack on the mountain is huge right now so it will be a snowshoers' paradise when the ski hill closes snowshoeing in the sunshine and the melting snow.



Whitecliff is always a nice place to visit too. My father used to take me there when I was a kid to watch the sun set. This is my home. This is where I grew up. I was never a part of the gang life. I'm from a different world. There is nothing in their world that interests me. Absolutely nothing.

Fire engulfs skyscraper in Dubai

The Telegraph is reporting that "an inferno burned early Sunday in a high-rise tower complex being built alongside Dubai's largest mall, its thick black smoke shrouding surrounding buildings in a desert metropolis where skyscraper blazes remain a worry. Though authorities said the fire caused no injuries, the blaze happened just a block away from the 63-story The Address Downtown Dubai tower, which burned in an inferno seen around the world on New Year's Eve on 2015." The 2015 fire was referred to as an inferno. There have been many others.



Remember the movie the towering inferno? All these steel framed towers catch on fire and none of them collapse. Imagine that. The third tower collapsing into it's own blueprint at freefall speed was unprecedented. Experts in the field boldly declare the only way that can happen is if the load bearing beams are blown out just like in a controlled demolition - The Recurring Deception.

The end of the Surrey Leader creates an opportunity

Well this is nostalgic. It represents the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. After all, every end represents a new beginning so it does. My Goddaughter was telling me she heard the Surrey Leader and the Surrey Now are merging. They are no longer going to exist as separate papers. Instead of two papers there's only going to be one now instead.

Sure enough, I pick up the paper off the ground and the headline reads July 17 1929 - March 31 2017 "Here lies the last edition of the 88 year old Surrey Leader. Join us inside for a celebration of life for this storied newspaper of record." It's kind of sad but it kind of makes sense too. Having one local paper instead of two reduces duplication, cuts costs and can reach a bigger market. I just thought it would have made more sense to keep the Leader and get rid of the Now.

Without the Surrey Leader the quality, credibility and objectivity of the local media will be greatly diminished. That in turn affects our democratic system. When big business kills small business it also kills the freedom of the press because centralized news becomes much easier to control. Now, I'm afraid the market isn't going to expand it's going to collapse and we are entering the Brave New World of corporate propaganda.

This leads us to ask, in the world of globalization and corporate mergers, is there still a place for local news? I boldly declare yes there is and I'll tell you why. Because there is money in it. There's still a place for television which is paid for through commercial advertizing. Wherever there is a market, there will always be people wanting to target that market and advertise their products and services. Not to mention the freedom of the press represents a democratic system.

Small business is local. They want to reach out to local consumers. That's why there will always be a need for local news. Jimmy Pattison and your man John Volken from Price Pro understand this concept. Price Pro regularly advertises in the local papers because they want to reach local consumers. Price Pro is a nonprofit supermarket in Surrey. It wouldn't make sense for them to pay for advertising in Toronto when they are located in Surrey. Hence the need for speed in local media. After all, small business represents the free market.

Local media benefits consumers too. In every small town, locals know each other. Local reporters get the inside scoop on local stories because they have local sources. Take Kevin Diakiw. He is a local reporter with the Surrey Leader that stands out as a leader in his community. Kevin broke the Janice Shore story when everyone else was too busy to notice.

He also got the inside scoop on the Larry Mizen story from doing his own footwork on the Whalley Strip. I myself gave Kevin an exclusive interview during my overly publicized court case because of the respect I have for him as a journalist.

I've seen Kevin at press conferences where the politicians all line up to acknowledge him and kiss his ass because they respect his credibility. This means there's still a need for local talent. As we speak the Surrey Leader has a timely article about the shocking not guilty verdict in the Craig Widdifield murder trial. Clearly we still have the need for speed in local media.

Yo Kevin, let us know when your new blog is up and running.

We're also waiting to hear with what Paula Carlson and the others come up with next as well.

Video killed the radio star but digital heroes live. Patrick Lamontagne's political satire continues.



The end of the Freedom of the Press

The more I think about it the more scary this becomes. This wasn't a merger of two local papers. With one sweep of the pen some pencil neck corporate hack just wiped out the most credible media outlet in the City. Surrey is a pretty big city to not have it's own local media. Yes the Now exists but they didn't keep on the employees from the Leader they fired the whole team.

So who's next? Since Postmedia News own the Vancouver Sun as well as the Vancouver Province are they going to get rid of one of those papers? We have Kim Bolan from the Vancouver Sun writing for both papers now and Keith Fraser from the Vancouver Province doing the same. Since the take over all the local papers sound the same. Is the Press still free? Where is the room for different opinions? What about supply and demand? Don't different papers appeal to different readers? Does one paper lean slightly to the left while the other lean slightly to the right? Are we all now going to be force fed one homogenous cloned propaganda driven by the big corporations because they pay the most for advertising?

The biggest concern is that this media blackout has happened right before a provincial election. An election driven by massive campaign contributions from the Communist party of China to a political party so corrupt it made the New York Times but barely mentioned in the local media. A political party being sued for fraud for using tax dollars on advertising and political contributions to pay themselves a wage. Perhaps the timing of this media blackout has been well planned.

My beef with corporate monopolies is that it leads to the wrong place. I believe in free enterprise and small business. That is what a right wing conservative party is *supposed* to support. Yet corporate monopolies are more profitable since they destroy the free market and gouge consumers. As a trade off the corporate monopolies bribe the politicians through political contributions and control the media through advertising dollars. Remember the Rothschilds used hostile takeovers to gain a monopoly on the oil industry. They also funded the Communist revolution in Russia. This is where the right goes wrong and ends up extreme left. Communism is not good. Neither are corporate monopolies and the political parties that endorse them over small business and the free market. Buyer Beware. The BC Liberals are more left than the NDP.

Free Enterprise can protect the Freedom of the Press

Here's an idea. Since the end of the Surrey Leader has created a vacuum in a viable market how about free enterprise respond to the opportunity? We all complain about corporate mergers and the fall of the mainstream media but are we willing to do anything about it? Are we willing to seek out alternate media sources? Now that all the staff at the Surrey Leader have been laid off and are free agents, how about them forming their own company and creating their own digital newspaper online for not only Surrey but the rest of the world to read as well just like the White Rock Sun? I'd read it. Behind the dark clouds the sun is still shining. Peace.

David Giles recives 18 year prison sentence for cocaine trafficking

Kim Bolan is reporting that Skeletor received a 18 year prison sentence for cocaine trafficking. Finally. This is the long time member of the Hells Angels that was directly involved in numerous drug busts including the Western Wind drug seizure but always seemed untouchable. That's why I referred to him as Skeletor lord of the underworld. He looked just like him.

I've been writing about him for a long time. People in Kelowna would send me pictures of him on a regular basis. I'm glad Postmedia News is a little more open with the sharing of pictures of known criminals now. I do believe that's in the public's best interest. I have on occasion used some of their pictures of criminals to raise public awareness. Likewise they regularly use this one of Giles from my web site. That kind of information sharing is in everyone's best interest.

Giles was originally from the 13th Tribe and first became a member of the Hells Angels in Halifax. I wrote about his first stolen motorcycle that he received from the Lennoxville massacre. Members of the Hells Angels in Quebec wiped out one of their own chapters and gave him one of their dead brothers motorcycles as the spoils of war. That kind of selfishness and greed exemplified his tenure with the club. To understand the future you have to go back in time.



Giles was caught on wire stating that his friendship is for sale and that he was only interested in friends that could benefit him and the club. That is what he was taught and what he learned from Mom Boucher himself in Quebec. I saw a picture of Giles beside Boucher when he got out of prison on the history channel. Still ugly as f*ck. Not like back in the day when he visibly looked like an active member of the Village people.



They say Giles is terminally ill. That's too bad. What's worse is the disappointing legacy he has left behind. As Gladiator once said, what we do in life echos in eternity. Choose wisely. Peace.

Vancouver Hells Angel Meltdown

Kim Bolan is reporting that the New Hardside chapter of the Hells Angels is located in Vancouver BC. God help them. Hooking up with a brown guy certainly doesn't make them look cool. Nothing could help these two rejects look cool. Look at the picture they posted. It's like a picture of Huey, Dewey and Louie. Mental midgets trying to look scary. Well it certainly backfired. Now they all look like idiots. No wonder the other chapters didn't want them. What happened to Larry Naicker after he posed for a picture with Larry Amero? Oh right, he was shot dead. Cub pack.

Surminder even looks embarrassed standing beside the fro hoe and the duck dynasty decoy. He's thinking they dont pay me enough for this sh*t. We used to make fun of clowns like this back in college. Surminder has more IQ in his toenail than the other two clowns put together. Poor guy. What people will do for money. Some people just have no self respect any more. Pity.

Justice for Hudson Brooks - Cop shot herself

The Peace arch News is reporting that "A police audio recording from the morning Hudson Brooks was shot and killed by the RCMP in 2015 confirms that the South Surrey man “did not stand a chance,” his mother says. “Within four seconds of them approaching Hudson he was shot! You can not hear a word from Hudson. The officer did not say a word, not stop put your hands up nothing! Just shot him down!” Brooks’ mother wrote on the Justice for Hudson Facebook page Wednesday. Last Friday, a YouTube user posted an audio recording identified as an exchange between emergency officials on the morning Brooks was killed. The recording includes a statement by a female officer indicating (I) think I shot myself.”

This confirms what I originally reported when it happened. Hudson was running to the police for help. He wasn't saying kill me he was saying Help! They are trying to kill me! He was running from a mob at the same park where a mob beat Dario Bartoli to death. The female officer admitted on the radio she shot herself. Hudson was unarmed running to the police for help. A female officer drew her gun and shot herself by accident and everyone else just heard shots fired officer down and shot Hudson dead. It was a heart wrenching tragedy.

Man shot dead in Edmonton

The Edmonton Journal is reporting that Police are investigating the death of a man found in a northwest Edmonton park over the weekend as a homicide. An autopsy by the medical examiner found Benedicto George, 25, died as a result of a shooting. CBC is reporting that "George was known to police and had a lengthy criminal record. He previously pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen credit card and credit card data. He was due to stand trial in provincial court next month on a series of unresolved charges, including possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and obstruction of a peace officer."

This isn't the first time a drug dealer was shot dead in Edmonton before his case went to trial. April 2014 full patch Edmonton Hells Angel Blake Christie was arrested along with 9 other associates for numerous drug and weapon offenses. Six full patch members including Dominic DiPalma faced criminal organization charges. They killed Blake on July 21, 2015 before his case went to trial.

One of Blake's co accused, Dominic DiPalma Jr the tiny full patch Edmonton Hells Angel was sentenced to six years for cocaine trafficking. Brent Koziak, the full patch Hells Angel from the Red Deer Nomads is still out and about. He was the one Blake worked for. With friends like that, who needs enemies. The Edmonton HAs are dirty as f*ck. So is the EPS. Thank God for ALERT.

Hells Angels Dark Business in Thailand

There have been some new developments in the Hells Angels meltdown in Thailand. ABC Australia is reporting that Thaksin "Sin" Monthonthaksin was one of the founders of the outlaw motorcycle club's Pattaya branch a year ago. But now he is worried about the direction it is taking. "It's changed so much because there are many Australians, whose roles and power has been increasing," Mr Thaksin told the ABC. Charity rides and oversized cheques are being replaced with what he describes as "dark business". Big Surprise.

Aside from Thaiboxing, what is Bangkok famous for? What dark business are the Hells Angels trying to take over? Thaksin was the founding member in Thailand. What was his crime? He chose an Asian as a prospect. The Australians Hells Angels didn't like that so they beat him up. Glen Norris, an Australian Hells Angel who lives in Bangkok is at the root of the dispute.

Wayne Schneider was involved in a large drug network on behalf of the Australian Hells Angels. They had his bodyguard kill him and put Glen Norris in charge of that network. AFFA Not.

Independent Soldier shot dead in Vernon

Castanet is reporting that the body of Dustin Rogers, 26, was found March 23 on Silver Star in Vernon. He was shot dead. Photos on Facebook show Rogers with a large Independent Soldiers tattoo on his torso. One has to wonder if he was a member in good standing.

The Prevention Coalition to the rescue

A blog reader recently sent me a link to a very interesting website for a non profit organization called the Prevention Coalition. It contains a vast amount of resources for parents of high risk teens and an interesting article from the U.S. surgeon general about addiction.

Prevention is one of the four pillars that get's cast aside and overshadowed by the harm reduction obsession. Another relevant link is to a website known as Drug and Alcohol Treatment. Treatment is another one of the four pillars that gets overshadowed by harm promotion.

"With the legalization of marijuana in many U.S. states and the overall prevalence of drug use in many communities, it can seem as if substance abuse is becoming a national norm. At the Prevention Coalition, we’re fighting that sense of complacency. We believe that every child and young adult deserves the opportunity to make a fully educated decision on drug use."

The new report on addiction from the US surgeon general states: "More people use prescription opioids than use tobacco. There are more people with substance abuse disorders than people with cancer. One in five Americans binge drink. And substance abuse disorders cost the U.S. more than $420 billion a year." This ties into the pharmaceutical scam Macklemore sang about.