Lights to Hollyburn Lodge

Cypress has a new thing going on in the cross country area called Lights to the Lodge. They have lined two of the snowshoe trails to Hollyburn lodge with Christmas lights so you can snowshoe in at night without a headlamp. I took my kids there last night. It's awesome.

It's a great introduction to snowshoeing since snowshoe rentals are included in the ticket. There's a cafe in the lodge where you can buy hot chocolate and homemade soup. It's a positive event.

Toronto police admit using secretive facial recognition technology Clearview AI

Facebook updates its controversial facial recognition settings

CBC is reporting that "Toronto police have admitted some of their officers have used Clearview AI — a powerful and controversial facial recognition tool that works by scraping billions of images from the internet — one month after denying using it. Spokesperson Meaghan Gray said in an email that some members of the force began using the technology in October 2019. She did not say what for or how many times it had been used." Just like they admitted to using Stingrays.

"Chief Mark Saunders directed those officers to stop using the technology when he became aware of its use on Feb. 5, she said. Gray did not say who originally approved the use of the app. Clearview AI can turn up search results, including a person's name and other information such as their phone number, address or occupation, based on nothing more than a photo. The program is not available for public use. Gray said officers were "informally testing this new and evolving technology." She did not say how the chief found out."

"Concerns began mounting about the software earlier this year after a New York Times investigation revealed the software had extracted more than three billion photos from public websites like Facebook and Instagram and used them to create a database used by more than 600 law enforcement agencies in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere."

"In January, Toronto police told CBC News they used facial recognition, but denied using Clearview AI. It's unclear if police purchased the technology — if so, it was never disclosed publicly — or were allowed to test it. At the time, Ontario Provincial Police also said they used facial recognition technology, but wouldn't specific which tools they used. The RCMP would not say what tools it uses. Vancouver's police department said it had never used the software and had no intention of doing so." But that's what Toronto said until they were caught. What's that stingray antenna doing on the back of the East Vancouver Courthouse?

Global is reporting that "This was weeks after the New York Times first reported that hundreds of law enforcement agencies were using Clearview AI’s app, which cross-references uploaded images of people against three billion photos it says it has in a database of images scraped from social media and millions of other websites." This is the facial recognition that Facebook uses.



New Jersey Bars Police From Using Clearview Facial Recognition App

Clearview AI’s Database Has Amassed 3 Billion Photos.

China uses SenseTime which is Orwellian.

Telus plans rollout of 5G network using Huawei technology

CBC is reporting that "Telecommunications company Telus Corp. says it is planning to roll out its 5G network in the near future using some technology from Chinese component maker Huawei."

"CFO Doug French told The Financial Post newspaper that the telecommunications provider is moving ahead with plans to build its next-generation 5G network by the end of the year, and will do so using some components supplied by Huawei, the Chinese company that has been criticized by numerous countries in recent years over allegations that its components make networks vulnerable to spying by Beijing or others."

If you use a Chinese network you're being spied on by China. If you use an American network you're being spied on by the CIA, NSA, Google, Facebook and every other two bit corporation out there. Take your pick. Six of one half a dozen of the other.

Meanwhile back on the ranch, CBC is also reporting that "The U.S. Department of Justice hit telecommunications giant Huawei with new charges of stealing trade secrets and breaking sanctions by doing business with North Korea." GMAFB. China did business with North Korea. Big Surprise. What about organ harvesting of political prisoners in China? You don't care about the things that matter. You only care about a trade competitor. You are pathetic.

Fatal Shooting in Langley

Global is reporting that the man wounded in the Langley shooting February 7th outside Chuck E Cheese has died of his injuries. "A person who contacted Global News claiming to be close to the victim says the man was inside the truck when he was shot - and that his two young children were in the backseat at the time." That is messed up.

Police incident in Surrey

There was a police incident in Surrey last night around 10 PM at 104th Avenue and 156th. 104th was completely closed off to traffic but since they got rid of Scan BC, the public has no idea what that police incident was about. The Surrey RCMP needs greater public accountability.

Bombardier exits commercial aerospace

The Montreal Gazette is reporting that "Bombardier Inc. is transferring its 33.6-per-cent stake in the partnership that builds the plane formerly known as the C Series to Airbus SE and the government of Quebec, the companies said in a statement issued early Thursday. Airbus paid Bombardier $591 million to boost its stake to 75 per cent, while Quebec now holds the remaining 25 per cent." This appears to be good news. Bombardier is a bad company like Lockheed Martin.

"Bombardier now has pro-forma cash-on-hand of more than $4 billion and liquidity to $5.5 billion, it said Thursday in a separate statement on fourth-quarter results. Bombardier added it’s actively pursuing options that would allow it to accelerate deleveraging and pay down debt." Wonderful. How about paying back some of the billions of tax dollars it has squandered over the years.

This brings us back to the Super Hornet. Boeing is good, Bombardier is bad and Lockheed Martin is even worse. Boeing's Super hornet is a superior aircraft compared with the Lockheed Martin F35 money trap. Boeing's Super Hornet works in the Canadian arctic. Lockheed Martin's F35 does not. Contracting out the mid air refueling for the F 35 makes it an impracticable Canadian investment. The Boeing's Super Hornet is rock solid.



Since Bombardier is exiting commercial aerospace, that would appear to resolve Boeing's court case against them and open the door for Canada to restore it's plan to purchase Super Hornets from Boeing. In support of that quest, I totally support giving Boeing tax incentives to build a manufacturing plant in Quebec. That would be fiscally advantageous for Canadian Taxpayers.

Many years ago Ireland offered low corporate tax for new companies that moved to Ireland. As a result, the Shannon Industrial Center was born and large high tech companies started moving to Ireland in the middle of nowhere right beside Paddy and Mick's sheep farm. The theory was 50% of nothing is nothing but 10% of something is something. The theory clearly worked. Google has now moved to Dublin. Everyone who works for Google in Dublin pays taxes on their wages. It was a win win situation for tax revenue. Giving Boeing an incentive to open a plant in Quebec would be in Canadian's best interest. Boeing is a good business model. They don't waste money.

Update: "The Wall Street Journal reports that Bombardier Inc. has reached a preliminary deal to sell its train division to French rail giant Alstom SA for more than US$7 billion. The reported deal with Alstom would come as little surprise since Bombardier, which is carrying long-term debt of US$9.3 billion, announced last month it was studying its options to accelerate its deleveraging, or reducing debt by selling assets."

"It would add to the list of assets the plane and train maker has sold in the last five years, which includes Q400 turboprop planes, the CRJ regional jet program and the former C Series aircraft. The sale would mean the Quebec company is focusing its business on private jets. Bombardier Transportation is based in Berlin and employs some 1,000 workers at factories in Quebec's Bas-St-Laurent region and in St-Bruno-de-Montarville, on Montreal's South Shore."

Pipeline Protest hits Victoria

The frenzy of the pipeline protest has become absurd and I do not support it. These clowns, determined to overthrow the democratic will of the silent majority are protesting against democracy in support of hereditary privileged. The pipeline they are protesting is natural gas from BC it's not Alberta Tar sands oil. Natural gas is good for the environment. Industrial coal is not.

They are determined to overthrow democracy. The protest in Victoria sought to disrupt legislature. The protest in Vancouver sought to disrupt the port. The protest in Ontario sought to disrupt Via Rail. The majority of residents on the Wet'suwet'en reservation have endorsed the Natural Gas pipeline as it is beneficial for them and the environment. The minority is protesting the decision of the majority and are trying to use violence to obtain their goal.

The National Post claims this is not protest, it is insurrection and I agree. It states that Canada should enforce the law and I agree. That is my position on the matter. We need to support democracy not dictatorship. Natural gas is a step forward for the environment and I support it.

'People are afraid to speak up': Wet'suwet'en member defends her support for pipeline

Wet’suwet’en Nation members explain why they support pipelines

Shirley Wilson speaks out: “I don’t agree with the protests at all because it’s all one sided. The protestors that are there a lot come from out of area like Eastern Canada or even the USA."



There was a lot of people at the Stanley cup riot too. I didn't support that either. I oppose lawlessness. I support the rule of law. Port of Vancouver blocked by crack addicts.

Wet'suwet'en members back to work on Coastal GasLink pipeline

Oppenheimer Park's rape camp needs to be shut down.

Rabih (Robby) Alkhalil's trial is under way

The Montreal Gazette is reporting that "Alkhalil’s trial is being held at the Gouin courthouse in northern Montreal where he is charged with smuggling cocaine into Canada, conspiracy to do the same and other related charges." I do not believe that Shane Baloney was a leader in Montreal’s West End Gang. Shane was from Burnaby. Larry Amero knew him from here.

La Press has a good overview of what was said in court and ties it in with Frédéric Lavoie who was murdered in Colombia. As we previously reported, Steven Skinner murdered and dismembered Frédéric Lavoie in Colombia becasue he skipped town without warning Larry Amero and the others about the coming bust after they got a tip from a dirty cop.

Timoleon Psiharis, who also skipped town after receiving early notice of the pending drug bust was murdered in Greece of all places. Psiharis was tortured, doused with acid and beaten to death in Greece in 2012. The same time that fat a*s Damion Ryan was in Greece around the same time he got his Filthy Few Patch. Imagine that.

So here we have a Surrey girl f*ck up who can't show his face in Surrey without getting capped, ordering the murder of two Quebec members because they had a dirty cop on the payroll and didn't warn them about the bust. First of all, they didn't have time to and second of all, Larry Surrey Girl Amero is a nobody. Capping Quebec members will get him capped. Same thing with that Damion Ryan f*ck up. That's why he wants to join the Witness Protection Program so bad with the rest of the Cub Pack. Police escorts to sell cocaine. They all want in on that.

Sheri Ziaee Human Trafficking Update

Update: Victoria Buzz is reporting that "Just days after two Victoria residents accused of human trafficking were released from custody at a bail hearing, one of them has adopted a new persona on Facebook. 36-year-old Shermineh Sheri Ziaee and 23-year-old Shawn Alexander Kelly were both granted bail terms at a hearing in Swift Current, SK on February 4th, while twin brothers Seyed Kourosh Miralinaghi and Seyed Kamran Miralinaghi were denied bail."

Vancouver Island residents arrested in Saskatchewan for human trafficking of minors

Snowshoeing up Holyburn Ridge

I went snowshoeing up Holyburn Ridge on Cypress today. Sometimes I have to get out of the city and head for higher ground. The dishonesty and deceit is so toxic it's refreshing to rise above it all and enjoy the inner peace that comes from separating yourself from evil.