Roberto Calvi and the collapse of Banco Ambrosiano

We’ve talked about how the Vatican Bank has been recently accused of laundering money for la Cosa Nostra. We’ve expressed the concern that money laundering usually results in crashed banks due to investment fraud. We’ve also just talked about how Rakesh Saxena embezzled $80 million and crashed the Bangkok Bank of Commerce which resulted in the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

Now let’s look at a cold case also in the news that talks about how the Vatican bank was accused of crashing another bank through embezzlement. It involved the murder of Roberto Calvi who was referred to as God’s banker because of his ties to the Vatican Bank. Roberto Calvi was the chairman of Italy's second largest private bank, Banco Ambrosiano.

Banco Ambrosiano collapsed in June 1982 following the discovery of debts of between 700 million and 1.5 billion US dollars. Much of the money had been siphoned off via the Vatican Bank (strictly named the Istituto per le Opere Religiose or Institute for Works of Religion), which was Banco Ambrosiano's main shareholder. In 1984, the Vatican Bank agreed to pay US$224 million to the 120 creditors of the failed Banco Ambrosiano as a “recognition of moral involvement” in the bank's collapse.

Much of the 700 million to 1.5 billion US dollars had been siphoned off from Banco Ambrosiano via the Vatican Bank. Follow the money. The Vatican bank or Institute for Works of Religion, is the same bank Ettore Gotti Tedeschi was just fired from and has now been accused of laundering money for the mob.

Two concerns arise. First we have the accusation that the Vatican Bank is laundering money for the mob. The other concern is that Banco Ambrosiano collapsed because someone stole over $700 million by siphoning it off through the Vatican bank.

Banco Ambrosiano was owed huge sums of money by Panamanian shell companies involved with the Vatican Bank. Before his murder, Calvi was facing fraud charges related to stock in a company owned by Michele Sindona in prison in the US. Sinona was involved with the collapse of Franklin National Bank in the US in 1974. Carlo Calvi, the son of Roberto Calvi is also a banker in Montreal.

Insider Trading on 60 Minutes

60 Minutes ran an interesting but disturbing segment on Insider Trading in congress. We’ve heard about it before how congress can accept bribes in the form of insider trading stock tips. Something they threw Martha Stewart in jail for. Only it’s legal for members of congress. They also showed very disturbing clips about how congressmen can personally benefit from special deals in their own riding. Like I said, we’ve heard it before but it’s hard to believe and it’s only getting worse. No one wants to deal with it. When Michael Moore talked about Senator Dodd's insider trading in his movie Captialism a Love Story Democrats told him to cool it. The struggle continues.

Vatican Bank accused of money Laundering

There’s been a fair bit in the news of late about how the Vatican is being “blackmailed” after secret documents were leaked by the Pope’s butler now referred to as Vatileaks. Now it appears that the Vatican Bank is under investigation for laundering millions for a mafia godfather. Papa? Mamma Mia!

The Vatican bank is refusing to disclose any records of an account held by father Ninni Treppiedi formerly the cleric of Aclamo, the richest parish in mafia safe haven Sicily. Investigators want to know more about vast sums of money that are said to have passed through his account to establish if they were money laundering operations by on the run Mafia Godfather, Matteo Messina Denaro. Denaro is considered to be the new leader of Cosa Nostra - Our House.

The president of the Vatican bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, was ousted by its board on May 24th . The bankers name was Gotti. Are you serious? As in John Gotti of New York? Like that’s not a red flag. Unfortunately him getting fired just means he’s the scape goat. Money laundering in the Vatican bank is serious because banks that launder money inevitably crash and demand tax dollar bailouts.

Vatileaks: Christ on Trial

On an unrelated note, secular bandits have taken this true scandal and ran with it right into the twilight zone to promote their own absurd agenda which clearly defies both logic and history. It’s a new book called Christ on Trial by Tony Bushby.

It never ceases to amaze me how even with all this new modern technology, human beings can still be such mindless blind sheep. We’re like a bunch of straw men dancing around singing if I only had a brain.

Tony’s new book poses the question Did Jesus Christ ever exist? He claims that the church cannot prove the existence of Christ. That’s pretty ridiculous. We can argue the resurrection until the cows come home but to say the church cannot prove Christ ever existed is false. Ever heard of Josephus? He was a Jewish (non Christian) historian that recoded Christ’s existence.

Christ lived, taught, had a large following and was crucified for his teachings. That’s a part of history. Our whole calendar is based on that historical fact. We can argue his resurrection but we cannot argue his existence nor the fact that he like many other religious leaders in the past made a profound influence on not only his followers but on the world we live in.

In contrast I would submit Evidence that Demands a verdict and More than a Carpenter both by Josh McDowell. That is much more historically accurate written by a qualified journalist who set out to disprove the resurrection. Christ was on trial alright. Many years ago. That’s why he was crucified. Josh McDowell pointed many irregularities of the trial showing how it was illegal and how Christ was shafted and railroaded. It was done at night, all the witnesses contradicted each other, he was ultimately convicted by his own testimony.

So yes, Christ did exist and Tony Bushby is another idiot trying to make money off another scam saying send in your donations and I’ll tell you what you want to hear. We’ve heard that all before Tony. Nevertheless, the Vatican bank’s ties to money laundering for the Mafia is a real concern that needs to be addressed. Getting distracted by Bushby’s circus side show is a waste of time.

Now I’m most certainly not going to perpetuate Protestant versus Catholic arguments. Protestants will say just because the Catholic Church is corrupt doesn’t mean Christianity is corrupt. Yet we all know there are many paid Protestant ministers who have been very corrupt such as Jimmy Baker and Jimmy Swaggart.

The whole point it, just because the church is corrupt does not mean Christ didn’t exist. In reality Christ confronted the religious leaders at the time. He called them liars, hypocrites, extortionists and children of the Devil. The leaders at the time responded by saying well, off with him. Crucify him. He’s sent from the devil. And the sheep said baaaa. Andrew Lloyd Webber dramatized it well in his slightly unorthodox version of Jesus Christ Superstar as did the even more unorthodox movie Godspell. Yet the secular bandits are no better. They are trying to make money off their own scam to promote their own agenda. God save the people.

Rakesh Saxena gets 10 years for embezzlement

This is another example of a bank that failed because of investment fraud. Banks don’t just fail all on their own. Someone needs to rip them off first. We’ve talked about the Great Texas Bank robbery and the double dip investment fraud. We’ve talked about the BCCI and the Australian bank that failed as a result of the CIA’s arms dealing, drug trafficking and money laundering. Now let’s look at the Bangkok Bank of Commerce that failed because Rakesh Saxena ripped it off.

Saxena, 59, was found guilty on five counts of securities fraud between 1992 and 1995, having siphoned off tens of millions of dollars from the now-defunct Bangkok Bank of Commerce, where he was employed as an adviser.

The scandal that engulfed Bangkok Bank of Commerce caused a run on bank deposits and led to the bank's collapse, contributing to the devaluation of the baht and the regional crisis. Saxena was arrested in 1996 but was extradited from Canada only in 2009.

In the 13 years between his arrest at the Château Whistler and his deportation in 2009, the one-time Asian financial darling claimed he spent close to $20 million trying to avoid being sent back to Thailand. The cost to the Canadian taxpayer to thwart Saxena's efforts was well over $10 million.

The Bangkok South Criminal Court heard how Saxena had set up 60 businesses in Thailand and used them to secure loans from the bank to cover debts and running costs, but instead channeled the money into personal accounts, mostly in Switzerland.

"The defendant clearly demonstrated his intention to take funds from the damaged party to invest for his own personal use, depositing the funds into several overseas accounts," the judge said in reading the verdict. Estimates of the money he stole from the bank vary from $60 million to $82 million.

In this affair, he colllaborated with Oleg Boiko, a flamboyant Russian businessman; the two owned a New York brokerage firm. At that time Boiko managed the Moscow National Credit Bank. July 7, the US Dollar account number 001-6-10050 was opened at the BBC under the name National Credit Bank.

In days to follow Saxena produced a bill of exchange guaranteed by the National Credit Bank under the name Essex Corporate and Finance, a paper company registered in the British Cayman Islands controlled by Saxena. His BBC colleagues applied the standard discount and received the bill of exchange as collateral. All the BBC internal usage documents interpolated the seal "extremely urgent". In less than a week, $80 million was credited to a National Credit Bank account. June 11 1995, all the money was withdrawn and the National Credit Bank account was closed. The loan was not honoured, according to the bank, the registered bill of exchange was valueless and the National Credit Bank is now collapsed.

Rakesh Saxena blamed for the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Once again this reinforces the premise that banks don’t just fail all by themselves, someone has to rip them off first. The great Texas bank robbery was an example of how the Bush family and the CIA ripped off banks in the /80’s through investment fraud. They defaulted on the bank loans for their fraud and bailed the banks out with tax dollars. That was the double dip. Al Martin wrote in his book the Conspirators that he was trained to commit investment fraud to raise money for Iran Contra.

We have also seen how Earl Brian, the CIA and even Mossad committed investment fraud in Canada to raise money for the October Surprise, which was a deliberate subversive act to manipulate public opinion and sway a democratic election. Robocalls times ten.

Entitlement versus Austerity

This of course brings us to the entitlement versus austerity propaganda that is sweeping Europe. The Greek financial crisis is not about entitlement, it’s about investment fraud. What was public money became private money then disappeared. That is the problem. It’s not about I’m entitled to this or that.

I am entitled to a free market where crime is punished according to the nature of the offense. I am entitled to a free market where my investments and my pensions are protected from criminals. I am entitled to a free market where thieves are not bailed out and compensated with tax dollars. That is what I am entitled to.

Assisted Suicide is not a Charter Right

This is why people trash talk the Charter of Rights. Because brain dead judges twist it completely out of context and apply it to things it was never intended to apply to. Free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, lawful assembly, freedom from unnecessary searches and seizures, the right to a fair trial, the right to legal representation, these are Charter Rights. The right to assisted suicide is not in there.

Suicide is, ironically enough, illegal. Kinda hard to enforce a consequence to that law. After someone commits suicide, they can’t be sent to jail or made to pay a fine. Yet assisted suicide is hugely problematic. A BC Supreme court has just struck down the law against assisted suicide. This insane decision screams for change. We need to elect our judges like in the US. The BC Court judges are completely out of touch with reality. One judge, one flawed mortal like unto Peter Leask or Wally Oppal needs to be publically accountable. Preventing that accountability and fostering that insanely unjustified egomania is wrong.

It’s like the freedom of association does not include the right to belong to a criminal organization. The freedom of association means the right to belong to any political party or philosophy one chooses. It does not include the right to commit a crime. Just as we need to preserve and protect the Constitution and the Charter of Rights, we need to protect it from being distorted and taken out of context so it isn’t diluted and destroyed.

A number of intervenors were opposed to striking down the law, including the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. "We're disappointed but not surprised at the radical nature of the decision today," Dr. Will Johnston, the coordinator of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of B.C., said outside court today.

"We"re very disappointed in this. We think this judgment decided to minimize and to disregard the evidence of harm in other jurisdictions where assisted-suicide and euthanasia has been practised," he said. "And we are extremely concerned about the situation of elder abuse, which is a major issue in Canada," Johnston said.

Two assault cases dropped against Surrey cop

Crown has decided not to pursue an assault charge against a Surrey RCMP officer accused of hurting a woman during a traffic stop. Const. Imran Saeed, 31, was charged following the Feb. 12, 2009 incident. The stay was entered Monday in B.C. Provincial Court in Surrey, which was to be the first day of his trial.

It was alleged that Saeed pulled over Trina Westad near her Surrey home and ordered her out of her car. When she asked why, he allegedly pulled her out of her vehicle and slammed her on the ground, causing a variety of injuries. It’s the second time in a week that charges have been stayed against Saeed.

On June 4, B.C. Provincial Court Judge Roy Dickey stayed two assault charges because Saeed’s right to a timely trial was violated. It was alleged that Saeed assaulted Christopher Gilmore and Christopher Stojak when he responded to a domestic disturbance call on May 19, 2009.

During arguments, defence lawyer Maegan Richards blamed much of the 30-month delay on a second investigation conducted by RCMP shortly before the case was set to go to trial last summer. The trial was rescheduled for May. Richards said the re-investigation duplicated the work that was initially done before Saeed was charged in November 2009. It appears that both cases were dropped because of delays affecting the acused’s right to a speedy trail. Yet the foul stanch of injustice is overpowering. The first case started in Surrey but was dropped in Chilliwack. Why on earth was it transferred to Chilliwack?

The second case is most disturbing. The right to a speedy trail is one thing but a victims right for justice is another. These two bad decisions have overruled the victim’s right to justice. It wasn’t there fault the case was delayed. The bizarre part is that the second most outrageous case wasn’t stayed by a judge. The Crown decided not to pursue the case in the event the judge might drop it. That is absurd and offensive. That case should proceed in the courts. The Crown should be sued for civil liability.

More local shootings

There’s been a few more local shootings and another relevant one in Oshawa.

A man was shot yesterday morning at the 10600-block of 135A street in Surrey.

Saturday night a man was shot 9100-block of 147 A St in Surrey. Suspects were taken into custody.

A 17 year old was shot in south Van south and east of 41st and Victoria Drive Tuesday morning. Police say it was targeted.

Kim Bolan is better with all the breaking news about all the local shootings. As we’ve found out, the police don’t always tell us about local shootings if there was no fatality involved. One of those shootings Kim reported from a police scanner. The South Van shooting also had ties to Surrey.

A North Vancouver man with gang links named Kamran Ahmadbeigi has been gunned down outside a house in Oshawa, Ontario on May 25. Kim Bolan is reporting that he was with a smaller group affiliated with the UN and was targeted within 24 hours of arriving in Ontario. We know the Hells Angels had a clubhouse seized in Oshawa but I’m told they still have a presence there.

Kingpin Crew's fruit stand over turned

Speaking of losers from the Pinhead crew, reports are coming in that last weekend Hells angels showed up at the pinheads fruit stand and kicked their ass. Seemingly one of the pinheads were dating a Hells angels ex. It is said that Dale knew about it ahead of time and left so they could do it when he wasn't around. What a slime ball weasel. How can you be finger puppets for a loser like that? Have you no self respect? Sounds like club discipline not revoking their support for the puppets. More like the puppets will have to pay more protection money so they don't have another accident like that again. L & R bitches.

David Cameron Waffles on ties to Murdock

This is rather amusing. I’m watching the news today and I hear the headline British Government admits close ties with Murdock. Then they go to a clip of David Cameron who admits that there were close ties but he doesn’t see transparency as to who did what to whom as being productive. Of course not. It could mean your ass goes to jail. I’m going to have to look for the clip but here’s a few links to set the stage:

David Cameron to testify about ties to Murdoch

David Cameron has faced criticism for the way his government handled Murdoch's bid to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting. His ties to Murdoch have also been questioned because he hired former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as his communications chief. Coulson has since been charged in the phone hacking scandal.

David Cameron denies deals but defends Christmas with James Murdoch

On 10 September 2009, James Murdoch used an informal drinks with the then Leader of the Opposition to reveal that The Sun would be switching its allegiance back from Labour to the Tories. Yet Cameron insists there were no "inappropriate conversations" over his Christmas dinner with James Murdoch. However, James Murdoch admitted they did discuss the bid over dinner.

Murdoch’s UK chief to Cameron: 'We’re in this together'

Blair admits being too close to Murdoch

Blair, who is godfather to one of Rupert Murdoch’s children, was asked about his close relationship with the media baron whose tabloid The Sun — Britain’s top-selling newspaper - gave Blair its backing. He said he had taken care to court the press because if media groups had turned against him, it would have been a "huge and sustained attack". Robert Murdock stated “If our flirtation is ever consummated Tony then I suspect we will end up making love like porcupines, very, very carefully,” he told him.

Former British foreign secretary says ties between politicians and press became 'incestuous'

Britain's former foreign secretary says that ties between the country's politicians and the media had become uncomfortably close when Tony Blair was in power. Jack Straw, who served in several senior positions in Blair's government, said Wednesday that ties had been "sometimes incestuous."

Who is Rupert Murdoch?

Rupert Murdoch is a media baron in the UK like unto CONrad Black. James would be Robert's son. Turns out “one” of his tabloids were caught phone hacking to get the inside scoop on certain stories. They even had members of the royal family bugged. I said at the time there’s no way they could have done that without MI6’s help. After the scandal broke and scape goats were selected, it turned out that the police or shall we say “retired” police were involved in setting up the phone hacking for the tabloid. Then the news broke that the British government was in on it. Now David Cameron has been called to waffle on the stand at the inquiry.

Why is this relevant?

This is relevant because it show how politicians, Scotland Yard and the media teamed up to perform warrantless surveillance. Just like George Bush introduced in the US with the NSA warrantless wiretaps. Just like George bush introduced with his Un Patriot Act. Just like Barack Obama introduced with the NDDA.



What I find so amusing is how a media baron can support Tony Blair then change and support David Cameron. Switching allegiances isn't what’s surprising. What’s surprising is the newspaper adopted a candidate then published stories biased toward that candidate to promote them. We always thought newspapers just repport the news. That’s not necessarily true. Many news outlets have political biases and publish those biases in the form of propaganda. It’s not a matter of getting rid of the Conservatives or getting rid of Labour. It’s a matter of both parties cleaning house and getting rid of the corruption. That is the biggest challenge we face.

Kingpin Crew and the Lost Souls sighted in Kamloops

Two members of the pinheads were seen with a couple members of the Lost Souls hanging around a tattoo parlor in Kamloops on the North Shore this week. I guess they were getting their new L tattoos for their forehead. Finger puppets for Dale the drag queen, you can’t get any lower than that. They’re lost souls all right.

Speaking of Kamloops, today in the news they claim two mutilated cats were found in the city earlier this month just like in Maple Ridge where two men were spotted around the same time a decapitated cat’s head was dropped off at an elementary school during school hours. That is seriously messed up. What do Kamloops and Maple Ridge have in common? I’m sure it’s just another bizarre coincidence.

Speaking of psychopaths, the police have reported that the human hand and foot sent to two Vancouver schools were from the same victim killed in Montreal by the whack job who sent other body parts to the conservative headquarters in Ottawa. The deranged wave sweeps on by.

21 Arrests in North and South Carolina Hells Angels

21 individuals were arrested earlier this month after the return of a 91-count indictment charging members and associates of the Rock Hell City Nomad Chapter of the Hells Angels with racketeering, narcotics violations, money laundering and firearm violations.

The arrest warrants were served along with the execution of 23 search warrants in North and South Carolina. During today’s operation, law enforcement seized methamphatamine, cocaine, marijuana, pills, and approximately 100 firearms, including two automatic machine guns.

Rather Outspoken

CTV News just ran a stunning interview with Dan Rather about his new book Rather Outspoken. As we know Dan Rather is a very credible and well establish news reporter who was fired for reporting a true story about how George Bush got an elite assignment within the National Guard because of his father’s influence instead of going to Vietnam. On top of that he didn’t show up for a year. I remember the segment well. I was shocked at Dan Rather’s termination.

In today’s interview he points out that everything in the report was true. When asked what his most profound news story he covered in his career he replied it was covering Dr. Martin Luther king and the civil rights movement. He said it moved him and transformed him. What a great man. Lest we forget a credible new reporter was fired for reporting a true story. It reminds me of the Dixie Chicks documentary Shut up and Sing.

Young Humpback Whale dies on White rock beach

It’s not every day you see a whale on White rock beach. At high tide the water isn’t very deep there. We’re used to seeing crabs and clams but not whales let alone a humpback wale. Today a juvenile humpback whale was beached in White rock but despite community concern died shortly thereafter. It was tangled and cut from fishing nets.

II realize this has nothing to do with gangs but it does has something to do with the environment and sustainability. It’s very dramatic when a young whale dies right on the beach in public view. Yet how many die in the ocean unnoticed. It’s like buying tuna that’s dolphin friendly. Bottom trolling drift nets that clear cut the ocean are still a huge concern. They take everything including coral and leave a barren wasteland in it’s wake and contribute to the ocean’s dead zones. Significant because we get most of out oxygen from the ocean not from the forests.

Odd Squad video of a gang members regrets

The Vancouver Sun and the Vancouver Province both reported on a video put out by a police agency known as the Odd Squad about a gang member sharing some of his regrets before he was gunned down in Metrotown October 2010.

It’s a video of Gurmit Singh Dhak who states: “If I could turn back time, I would never join a gang. I would have just finished off my high school, got a better job, anything else. Anything is better than joining a gang. It is useless. You are going to get killed,” he said. “I want to get out. It is too late now to get out. I have too many enemies.“

The Odd Squad puts out some good videos. I’m less excited about the Joe Calendino one. The guy was kicked out of the Hells Angels for his crack addiction and was busted selling crack at Surrey central. He served on day in prisons. One source claimed a police officer who sponsored him was trying to get in on some movie rights and greatly embellished the story. The guy from you can’t reset this game seem a little more credible.

Loud Pipes are a Selfish Blight

There's a guy in the local news lately who is appealing his ticket for loud pipes on his motorcycle. He went to the papers and got his photo taken. He claims he was railroaded. No, he's an asshole. Loud pipes don't save lives. You don't hear them until they go buy. We had this discussion on the Castanet forum a while ago. One of the yahoos in favour of loud pipes said pretty soon you're going to ban anything that's fun. I think that freudian slip says it all. The real reason he likes loud pipes is because he thinks it's fun. He likes to piss off everyone in the neighbourhood. Prick.

The Vancouver Province wrote an editorial about the subject claiming that loud pipes are a blight and people who have loud pipes are selfish. No kidding. Adam Carolla was a little more graphic and a little less tactful in his position on the issue. Although I prefer touring bikes to sport bikes, I completely agree with his position on loud pipes. I will also have to admit that it doesn't have to be on a Harley. I was getting gas the other day and I saw a guy on a dirt bike filling up. When he drove off it was obvious he had taken the baffles out of his exhaust. Are you kidding me I thought. There is nothing more irritating than the high pitched whine of a two stroke engine. It sounds like a chain saw not a motorcycle.

The tragic thing is the asshole in the paper appealing his loud pipes ticket might have a chance. He claims the cop gave him the ticket based on his own ear not on a tangible, instrument. Kinda like giving someone a speeding ticket without a radar gun. I still think the ticket should be upheld. The court can always order the exhaust's noise to be measured. Providing of course he hasn't put the baffles back in for the test only to take them out again after the test. The bottom line is that loud pipes are just an example of an asshole who giggles like a girl when he pisses people off. They should be ticketed for loud pipes. Cities do have noise bylaws.

Toronto Mayor opposes plastic bag ban

Well this is amusing. Finally there’s something that abusive idiot and I agree on. Recently Toronto City council just banned plastic bags for all retailers in the city. My first impression was that’s pretty stupid. I use the plastic bags I buy to take my groceries home for garbage bags. Now I’ll just have to buy garbage bags and nothing will be saved.

Turns out that Ford thinks it’s a dumb idea too. Yet he was the one that submitted the motion to get rid of the 5 cent charge for plastic bags. What the media describes as his pet peeve. Yet isn’t that interfering with business? Who is he to say that a retail outlet is not allowed to charge 5 cents for a plastic bag? Isn’t incentive a better way to get consumers to reduce the number of plastic bags they use?

Rob ford is trying to exploit the opportunity to get rid of counselors he doesn’t like. If anyone needs to be kicked of counsel, Rob Ford is the first one that needs to go. He is abusive. Maybe he should stop lying about getting drunk and abusive at sporting events or giving his constituents the finger for telling him to get off his cell phone while driving. Refusing to blow in Florida, yeah he’s a real winner alright.

We should rightfully be concerned about the environment. Landfills are a concern but Plastic Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is a bigger concern. We need to turn a cargo ship into a plastic recycling plant and anchor it out there to clean up that huge mess.

These oil spills are a bigger concern. The two in Alberta could have been avoided. Every kilometer there should be shut off values in the pipeline. As soon as a break or leak is detected, shut off the valves on either side of the leak. Not doing so is irresponsible. I just find it strange how we get bent out of shape over the little things while we completely ignore the big things.

Former addict benefitted from a longer prison sentence

The Vancouver Province ran an interesting article about a former drug addict from the Downtown East Side claims they benefitted from a longer prison sentence.

I was one who appeared to be 'hopeless'. For some reason, I got out. Let's be real here - I was on the streets from age 11, addicted to the needle at age 16, and completely and utterly homeless and hopeless by age 21. I slept in alleys, did not eat for days, did not shower, had no home, was high 24/7, and 'tweaked' - or otherwise acted really super weird when I got high (which was 24/7).

I sold dope on the corner of Main and Hastings to feed my addiction - thank goodness for the 'Spanish' dealers out there who let me work for them or I would have had to sell my body on the corner for what $10, thank God I never had to go there!

The reason for my post is that people CAN change. I made a choice, after one more arrest in 1999 in which after working a day selling rock on Hastings on a welfare day, I got busted. I was given 20 months - which really you don't hear about, my opinion is people need to be given longer sentences to enable them to access the help that is out there.

For me, after many years of being busted and sent to jail for short periods of time, I was finally considered a 'long term offender' someone with a longer sentence and was able to access the help I needed - such as anger management, conflict resolution, self esteem, and counseling for all the *** in my childhood.

Yay for me. I was released in January 2001. By mid January I was back on the streets in the DTES. By Feb 7th I was on a bus to a new province and made a change. I left.

I was given the choice to move away (yes - geographical moves DO work), I was shown how to make a resume, and get a job - really If I could work for the dealers, make change, barter, etc etc then I think I could work pretty much anywhere entry level lol).

I think the two points here are 1) A longer prison sentence helped and 2) Access to support services helped. This is supported by the former drug addict at the Surrey Crime Prevention meeting who said incarceration is the best thing for these addicts. We’re not talking about ten or twenty years. Three months with no access to drugs if caught stealing to pay for their addiction is not excessive. It’s in their best interest.

W 5 on Canadian Pimps

W 5 aired a disturbing documentary about under cover operations involving abusive pimps in the Canadian sex trade tonight. It talked about how a guy would wine and dine a girl, tell her he loves her then turn her into a prostitute and making big money for him. How after the honeymoon period was over, the pimp became abusive. Other accounts how they are recruited to be an escort, then recruited to prostitution and give half then money to the pimp. Then it turns into handing over all the money to the pimp. Human slavery in Canada. Disturbing.

Others say how they are lured in to make money as strippers then recruited to become prostitutes and eventually handing over huge amounts of money to a pimp. They didn't get into the tragedy of prostitution to pay for drug addiction like we see here and in Montreal.

Yaletown Brothel stabbing goes to trial

Jeffrey Qi Feng Bian was the owner of a Yaletown brothel and was murdered during the peak of the Vancouver gang war on June 11 2009. Bian had been renting the suite for five months, said Vancouver police Supt. Rob Rothwell, and investigators believe several other massage parlors may also have been targeted in a string of related robberies.

"We believe there may be some organized crime aspect to it, which is still being investigated and explored, but it's not attributed to any specific gang," said Rothwell. Let’s see, if the brothels were run by the Hells Angels, there would have been retaliation. Two punks running around robbing brothels during a gang war and murdering the owner of one brothel is somewhat suspicious.

We know that James Riach, Independent Soldier and Hells Angel associate was renting a suite in Yaletown at the time. What would happen if someone set up a brothel in an area the Hells angels claimed they controlled?

Tyrone McDougall is a flaming idiot

Here's another flaming idiot from Surrey. Tyrone McDougall is on the Dirty alright. Twice. Seems like even the police don't recognize the empire gang as legitimate because in two bit Tyrone’s latest arrest they said it was drug related not gang related. Our Gang’s little rascals known as the empire gang are just a couple of Surrey crack head car thieves.

He wants to be friends with little white rock Ryan and the chipmunks alright. Wait a minute isn't that Larry Amero in little Ryan's display pic? Didn't Larry get shot and isn't he in hiding? A Surrey punk ass car thief crack head using the Whiterock Hells Angels name and reputation to kidnap, torture and rip off a rival crack dealer in Surrey. Imagine that. Perhaps those kids should just go play in traffic.