Balancing the extremes on Saint Patrick's Day

Global is reporting that "There will be no green beer flowing in downtown Vancouver on St. Patrick’s Day, after the city obtained an order requiring all bars and restaurants in the central core to close on Tuesday." This is where the government crosses the line. Common sense should prevail but the bottom line is that the government does not have the right to tell the public what they can and can't do. They work for us. We don't work for them.

The Daily Mail is reporting that "St Patrick's Day celebrations were muted across the United States over the weekend after New York, Chicago and Boston all canceled their parades while parts of New Jersey were put on lockdown. The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade was postponed for the first time in its 258-year history, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday. Chicago, Boston, and even the Irish capital of Dublin, have also cancelled St. Patrick’s Day parades."

Well if they can cancel Vaisakhi I suppose they can cancel the St Paddy's Day Parade. We heard fireworks just after midnight last night and I figured that must have been for Vaisakhi. However, "Officials are considering a statewide curfew to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday morning." A curfew? AYFKM?

The Hill is reporting that "Portland, Maine, imposes curfew starting on St. Patrick's Day. The curfew will be police-enforced, with violations punishable by fines of up to $500 per day." That is f*cking insane. We elect the governments and we pay the police with our taxes. It's about time they become a little more accountable to the people who pay their wages. The police have a lot more important things to do with their time then run around and enforce curfews.

Don't get me wrong, all these young kids that get pissed drunk on Saint Paddy's day are trailer trash. It's just that the government does not have the right to tell us what we can and can't do. People need to go to work and earn a living. That is what they need to do.

As with everything, we need to balance the extremes. Panicking is pointless. Being irresponsible is unwise and this QAnon cult is ridiculous. Q is mentally retarted and so are his followers. That's all I'm going to say on the matter.

Canada keeps borders open for trade and commerce

Border temporarily closes to non-essential traffic

Update: CBC is reporting that "Canada and the United States have agreed to restrict non-essential travel across the border as both countries try to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus - but they insist key supplies will still flow between the two nations."

First things first. I'm going to address the Pandemic Pandemonium and then I'm going to dive a little further into the Amber Heard fraud. Everyone needs to calm the f*ck down.

The Surrey Leader is reporting that "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will close its border to all who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents to slow spread of COVID-19. The Prime Minister said citizens of U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, as well as commerce, trade will be allowed in and out of the country."

"As of Wednesday, the only airports in the country accepting international flights will be Vancouver International Airport, Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport and Calgary International Airport."

Keeping the border open for trade and commerce is essential. We don't need to make a bad situation worse. As for telling all Canadians to come home so they'll be safe - why? Warmer countries aren't getting hit by the virus like other countries are. Go where the work is.

There was a lot of speculation coming up to today's press conference. People said they're going to shut the country down like Italy. I was like WTF? What Italy is doing, isn't working. We should not be following their example. We are leaders we are not followers.

During the press conference one reporter was grilling Justin Trudeau about the government's response and asked him twice if his government had made any mistakes in their response to the virus. I'll answer that for him. No he hasn't. Less government intervention in our lives is always better than more. We don't need someone telling us what we can or can't do. We all have to go to work. We don't need a bunch of Yuppie Communists stopping us from going to work and we don't need our government stopping us from going to work. That wouldn't be like shooting ourselves in the foot, it would be like shooting ourselves in the head.

As I have said, the global mortality rate for COVID-19 is 3.4%. That means 96.6% of the people who get the virus recover from it. If you are under 50 then it's a 98.2% survival rate and if you are under 20 it's a 99.8% survival rate. Getting the virus and recovering from it means we will build our immune system against it. There is no reason to panic. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Word.

Penelope Cruz Defends Johnny Depp in Defamation Suit

As I've previously said, I'm not one for celebrity gossip and I'm not one to get invoked in domestic disputes. Once bitten twice shy. Domestic abuse does exist and is heinous. However, getting involved in that is very high risk. I was in the New York City subway back in the /80s and we heard a woman scream after a man pinned her against the wall. As we rushed in and pulled the guy off of her, the woman began to scream "Don't hurt him!" I just looked at my friend in disbelief and said let's get out of here. Quite often, women who are abused go back to the abuser.

ET Canada is reporting that "Penelope Cruz is stepping up to defend Johnny Depp in his $50-million defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard." She claims that "I’ve seen Johnny in so many situations and he is always kind to everyone around. He is one of the most generous people I know." Cruz's declaration follows a similar one from Depp's former fiancee Winona Ryder, who said that Heard's allegations of violence don't jibe with the person she knew. “The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved," she said in her declaration. "I cannot wrap my head around these accusations.”

Those are two pretty good character references and fall within the realm of believability since that appears to match his true character. I remember when he came to town and visited the kids in Vancouver's Children's Hospital. That seems to be the kind of thing he would do.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not always bros before hoes. I believe in supporting what's right and opposing what's wrong regardless of who is sitting at the table.

On that note, an audio clip surfaced where Amber Heard taped a private conversation with Johnny Depp after she punched him. She claims she did not punch him but admits she was hitting him and said "Sometimes I get so mad I lose it. I can promise you I can do everything to change. I can't promise you I won't get physical again."

In response Johnny Depp said "I do not want to leave you. I do not want a divorce, I do not want you out of my life. If things get physical we have to separate." That is spot on as they say in England. He nailed it. That statement shows the stability and nobility of his character. That was significantly different from Mel Gibson's response.

All too often the 50 Shades of Grey cult promotes domestic violence. S&M is not erotic. S&M is deranged. If that's something you find erotic, then you need to spend some time with Dr Phil.

I've seen some of the other side of this. Some women think they can rage on and hit a man all they want and as soon as he hits her back, then that's abuse. Men should never hit women but it goes both ways. Women should never hit men either. Healthy relationships are respectful.

Amber Heard denies assistant claims that she was 'regularly verbally and mentally abusive'

Johnny Depp's lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's tabloid the Sun should proceed.

It does kind of look like Amber and James Franco were trying to fleece Johnny.



If he never hit her at all and she made it up then she's trailer trash. Given the fact that she admitting hitting him and couldn't promise to stop means her accusations are not credible.



The morning breaks, the shadows flee. Light chases out darkness. A new day has dawned.

Homemade recipes for healthy eating

While the mob panics and the rest of us avoid the human freak show, I thought I'd post a few homemade soup recipes since we all want to eat healthy and be healthy as this flu bug passes us by. Originally I was a chef by trade and I was a decent saucier. That was a long time ago.

The French wrote the book on the culinary arts. Twice. First it was Escoffier with Ma Cuisine, then they rewrote it with Nouvelle cuisine. Classic cuisine was heavy sauces with aspic and chaud froid, then Nouvelle cuisine came in and simplified it making it more health conscious. I like to remix the old with the new. When I was a kid Stephen Yan had a cooking show called Wok with Yan. He was funny and talented. There's lots you can do with a wok or a large frying pan. Since we're all stuck at home and have stocked up on groceries, what are we going to do with them?

Yorkshire Pudding

England isn't know for it's culinary arts but they are known for their Yorkshire pudding. I worked as a chef in London for a while. I'm not sure how they make their Yorkshire puddings there. We do it differently in Canada. Over there the Yorkshire puddings look like hockey pucks. I was kind of baffled by that. You guys f*cking invented these things. A cup of eggs, a cup of milk and a cup of flour. How can you f*ck that up? Our Yorkshire puddings are fluffier and look more like a souffle.

OK so that's the ratio: a cup of eggs, a cup of milk and a cup of flour. To make a batch start off with four cups of eggs and whisk them until they are frothy. Add some salt, pepper, season salt and a touch of nutmeg. Gradually stir in four cups of milk then gently fold in four cups of flour. Don't over beat the flour. Just gently stir it and let it sit. Every five or ten minutes gently stir it some more until the lumps dissolve. Add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil as well.

As that sits, put a muffin tray on a cookie sheet and fill each muffin tin with just over a tablespoon of cooking oil. Then put it in the oven for five or ten minutes to heat it up. The cookie tray is to catch the oil that spills over so it doesn't catch fire on the bottom of the oven and make a mess. When the oil is warm take it out and fill each muffin tin with batter then put it back in the oven. We used to cook it at 425 but now I start it at 400 degrees then turn it down to 350 after they have risen so it gets cooked on the inside without getting too crispy on the outside.

Try not to open the oven door while it's cooking and don't slam it if you do. Traditionally Yorkshire pudding are served with gravy and roast beef or prime rib. They're cheap and easy. Something you can make at home. You can put in in the fridge and microwave them the next day.

Irish Potaoe Bread and Soda Bread

Ireland isn't known for their culinary arts either. They're known for their Guinness and their ability to survive famines with potatoes. Homemade bread is awesome but it's a bit more difficult. I used to make homemade bread at Hollyburn lodge. The trick is to use warm water to dissolve the yeast in and not to over knead the dough. It has to be warm when it rises as well. My brother has a bread machine he uses all the time. Soda bread however is really easy and you don't even need yeast. You use baking soda and baking powder instead. That means it's quick and easy to make.

Soda bread is just a big buttermilk biscuit. In Northern Ireland they slice it and fry it in oil. Olive oil is healthier than regular oil. The traditional Ulster Fry is a bit heavy on the cholesterol and I'm not a fan of blood pudding but soda bread fried in olive oil is nice.

Pan fried Irish Potato bread is nice too. I'll just post a link to that recipe because it's not mine.



Deep fried prawns and deep fried fish

We like Chinese food in Canada. It's a big part of our culture. People say our Chinese food isn't authentic. We have deep fried prawns, chicken fried rice, honey garlic pork, lemon chicken and beef chop suey. We don't care if it's not authentic. That's what we like.

The tempura batter for the prawns is pretty easy. Just flour, cornstarch, touch of baking powder, salt pepper, an egg and water. Don't over stir it. Stir it and let it sit then stir it some more until the lumps dissolve. Aside from Yorkshire pudding, England is also know for it's fish and chips.

The batter for the fish is the same as for the prawns. You can add beer instead of water if you like. I used to cook with wine a lot. That's a French thing. Grand Marnier soufflé glacé were nice and easy. A lot easier than a hot soufflé you bake in the oven.

Frozen battered fish is expensive. That's why I buy the frozen cod, thaw it and deep fry it myself. In England they're big on chips as in French fries. They wrap it in old newspaper to soak up the oil. I don't get that. The newsprint gets on your hands when you read it and must get in the chips you eat. In England they even have chip butties. They put potato chips or french fries between two slices of buttered bread. I kid you not. I respect the tradition but that's not really my thing. I guess I'm a little more French when it comes to that but I'm not into poutines. They're a bit heavy for me. If I do eat french fries it's with vinegar and mayonnaise not ketchup.

Chicken Teriyaki

Costco sells the cases of frozen chicken breasts as does Superstore. Superstore also occasionally has the family packs of fresh chicken breasts on sale. They're boneless and skinless. I thaw them overnight in the fridge and wash them in cold water. Put them on a cutting board and slice them diagonally into small chunks and fry them in olive oil with season salt. I also buy the premade Teriyaki sauce and add that after it's half way cooked. You want to saute or fry it not boil it. After it's cooked you can add a bit more water or sauce so it isn't so dry.

Honey Garlic Pork

Costco also sells the large pork loins as does Superstore occasionally. Superstore also has the frozen pork loins now which are really cheap. Beef is just way too expensive these days. I take a section of the pork loin and cut it in half lengthwise down the middle. Then I slice it into very thin slices cross cut and fry it with olive oil. After it's half way cooked I add season salt and premade honey garlic cause. It's cheap, fast and delicious.

Stir Fry Vegetables

Now that I'm older and my metabolism rate has changed I try not to eat carbs for dinner. In Israel they have their biggest meal of the day for lunch not dinner. At dinner I'll have a protein and some cooked fresh vegetable. You can throw a mixture of fresh vegetables into a wok or large frying pan. Often I'll wash and cut up some cauliflower and fry it in a pan with margarine, a bit of water and season salt. I like the Hy's or Lawry's season salt without the MSG.

Right before the cauliflower is fully cooked I add in some grated marble cheese. Cheese sauce or mornay is pretty old school but straight cheese is a bit lighter following the Nouvelle cuisine philosophy. Everything has it's time and place. Occasionally I'll wash and cut up f=some fresh broccoli and fry that in a pan with margarine and water as well. When that's half way cooked I add in a bunch of washed bean sprouts and cook them with it. Cooked fresh vegetables are a healthy way to fill out your meal without carb loading.

Fried Rice

A friend got me into the rice cookers. I bought a large one and use it all the time. I make a big batch of rice and keep it in the fridge them just fry it up and add other things in it like chicken, hamburger, frozen peas and an egg. I always wash and drain the rice before I cook it. The rice cooker even has a rice pilaf mode where you can saute onions first but I don't usually bother with that any more. It's nice but takes more time. Chow mein noodles are nice too. You just fry them with a touch of soy sauce and a decent amount of water that cooks out by the time it's finished.

Perogies

I had a friend who used to make homemade perogies. They're awesome and inexpensive. However, they are time consuming. The doe is really simple: just flour, a touch of salt, an egg and some cold water. Knead it into a lump, let it sit for a while then roll it out flat with a rolling pin and a light dusting of flour so it doesn't stick to the rolling pin. You can use a large glass or small bowl as a cookie cutter to cut out the circles then you just fill them with left over mash potatoes. We would make cheese potatoes by adding grated cheese to the mash potatoes while they were hot.

Hold the circle of dough in your hand and scoop a spoonful of left over mash potatoes in the middle. Then just fold it over and pinch the edges tight so they seal. You can use a touch of water on your finger to run along the inside edge to help it seal but again, that's time consuming. After it's sealed you just lay them out on a cookie tray until it's full. Then you can freeze them or put them in boiling water until they float. When they float drain scoop them out and put them in a strainer. After that you fry them in a pan with olive oil and voila, they're done.

Serve them with sour cream, fried onions and or fried garlic sausage. To simplify things you can just buy them premade by the case at Costco and throw a bag in a large pot of boiling water. When they float you can just dump the whole thing into a strainer them dump it on a cookie tray with olive oil on it. Shake them around a bit, so the oil loosens them up and they don't stick to the cookie sheet then sprinkle on some simulated back bits and some grated cheese. Throw it in the oven at 350 until the cheese melts. That's faster mass production.

More recipes to come....

Mexican Beans and Rice

RCMP officer charged in string of sexual offences

Global is reporting that "Vancouver Police have wrapped up an investigation into a string of sexual offences near an all-girls school on Vancouver’s west side last year, leading to charges against a Richmond RCMP officer. VPD confirm Andrew Seangio, 35, has been charged with seven counts of indecent acts, three counts of exposing himself to a person under the age of 16, and one count of voyeurism." That is creepy as f*ck.

"The offences took place in the area of Marguerite Street and West 32nd Avenue near York House School - an all-girls school for students from kindergarten to Grade 12 - in February 2019. Vancouver Police previously told Global News that several female students had reported a man in a black SUV pulling up beside them and exposing himself before driving away."

CBC is reporting that "Seangio is an officer with the Richmond detachment. The alleged crimes happened while he was off duty, and he is currently suspended with pay while an internal code of conduct investigation is underway. Seangio was first arrested in March 2019 after what was described as a series of indecent acts near York House School in Shaughnessy. At the time, police said he was released without charges, but required to abide by certain conditions."

COVID-19 has a 3.4% mortality rate

The Guardian is reporting that "The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated the mortality rate from Covid-19 is about 3.4%. That is higher than seasonal flu and is cause for concern – but even if it is correct, more than 96% of people who become infected with the coronavirus will recover."

"Any death is, of course, devastating for the families involved. But it is also worth noting the WHO estimate is based on confirmed infections and deaths, meaning it does not take into account mild cases that may not be diagnosed – cases that would lower the mortality rate."

Knowing that the mortality rate for the virus is only 3.4% is somewhat comforting. Especially since if you're under the age of 60 it's only 1.3% and if you under the age of 30 it's only 0.2%. Since the symptoms of the virus are the same for a mild flu or cold, I think a lot of people have it and don't know because they haven't been tested. That means the mortality rate is even lower.

Remember the saying, feed a cold starve a fever? I think this is one you feed. Eat properly with lots of garlic and vitamin C, get lots of rest and drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated.

Remember humidifiers? Now that is old school.

They say the symptoms of the virus can lead to pneumonia. Last month I broke one of my ribs boxing with a young golden gloves. The doctor said to put my hand over my broken rib pushing down as I slowly take a deep breath in as I expand my chest and fill my lungs with air. I said yeah I'll be taking short shallow breaths for a while (because of the pain). He said well if you do that then you'll get pneumonia. So I said, OK I'll be taking slow deep breaths then.

Around the same time, a manager at work had a friend who's son broke a rib getting nailed in the boards playing hockey. He said his friend's son's broken rib turned into pneumonia. Unfortunately the kids doctor didn't tell him about taking the slow deep breaths that my doctor told me. I think proper deep breathing is an important way to avoid pneumonia.

Breathing is important but so is circulation. It has to be fresh air. Getting quarantined on a cruise ship is the last place you want to be because all that stale are keeps recirculating. Even at home, you need to open the windows a bit during the day and get some fresh air ventilating so all the germs don't stagnate and incubate. Eat, breath, sleep. This too shall pass.



In addition to ventilating your home, make sure you also clean and disinfect it. Especially the bathroom and kitchen. Back in the day we used to use comet to clean bathtubs. Now we use Vim with bleach. Comet still works. Counter tops and handles I clean with Lavender Pine Sol. It cleans and doesn't smell as toxic as the original Pine sol. My grandmother used to use lavender potpourri in her closets to get rid of moths. Lavender is a natural disinfectant. Wash your sheets, comforters and pillowcases regularly as well. Just get rid of the gems yo. Get clean and healthy.

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19

Earlier Global reported that "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is self-isolating after his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, developed flu-like symptoms and got tested for the new coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. In a press release on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office said she has received a test for the new coronavirus after her symptoms emerged last night following her return from a trip to the U.K., where she had been doing speaking engagements."

Now Global is reporting that "Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for the new coronavirus. In a statement Thursday night, Trudeau’s office said: “Following medical recommendations, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive.” The statement says she will remain in isolation

Now The Canadian Press is reporting that "The Prime Minister's Office says Sophie Gregoire Trudeau has tested for COVID-19. “She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild.”

I think a lot of people might have it and not know it because they haven't been tested and the symptoms are the same as a regular cold or flu. Nevertheless, our prayers are with the Prime Minister's wife and all those affected by the virus.

AFP is reporting that "An American woman who has recovered from the novel coronavirus has a simple message for people who are worried: Don't panic -- but do think about high-risk individuals and stay home if you feel ill." The majority of people who contracted the virus have recovered. It's mostly the elderly that are dying from it. Stay home and get plenty of rest.

COVD-19 has a 3.4% mortality rate

Who shot DK and why?

We all know who shot Dennis Karbovanec. The shooter is in court testifying for the crown. The question is, who put him up to it? The UN did not hire a Bacon Brother associate to shoot DK. If it was the UN, it would have been a UN associate not a Bacon Brother Associate but I can tell you right now the UN didn't do it. The witness was telling the truth. Jamie Bacon ordered the hit.



I just want to emphasize that Jamie Bacon is and was a complete idiot. He couldn't go to the gym without a body guard. First it was Anton then it was DK. The fact that DK was at one time Jamie Bacon's bodyguard shows you how useless Jamie Bacon was. Haney chapter even hated him. They just tolerated him because they could bully him and tax him.

There is no doubt the club approved the hit on DK since DK was the one that shot Chris Mohan and brought all that bad press but Jamie was the one that ordered the hit on DK. In fact, there's no question that the club would not lose any sleep if someone capped Jamie Bacon. They never did like him and now that he is such a heat bag he has worn out his usefulness. Jonathan Bacon was the brains of that operation and now that he is dead the other two are brainless.

Larry Amero ordering the hit on two Quebec members has no doubt put a price on his head as well as the three stooges. That's typical Big Red Machine. Use you when you can make them money and when you lose your ability to make money, you get tossed aside like an old shoe.

Floyd Mayweather's ex found dead

Sporting News is reporting that "The ex-girlfriend and mother of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s three children, Josie Harris, was reportedly found dead in her car on Tuesday evening outside her residence in Valencia, Calif. Harris was 40 years old. The Los Angeles Sheriff Department was notified at approximately 10 p.m. local time. When they arrived at Harris' home, she was found to be unresponsive. Police say that foul play isn't expected. " AYFKM?!

"Mayweather and Harris had a tumultuous relationship, with the boxing icon serving two months in prison when, in 2010, he was convicted of domestic violence against Harris."

"Harris was in the process of writing a book to help those who have gone through domestic violence" and she just decided to set that aside and commit suicide. Not a f*cking chance.

Chairman Mao did horrible things

The Vancouver Province ran and absurdly offensive headline from an article in the Toronto Sun. Buyer Beware, Postmedia News purchased Sun Media from Quebecor in 2015. The headline reads "Chairman Mao did good things in China". AYFKM? That's like saying Adolf Hitler did good things in Germany. Chairman Mao murdered more people than Adolf Hitler did.

This obscenely offensive article shows us how much influence the Communist Party of China has over Post Media News and the Main Stream Media. Corporate Communism Sucks.