What a Wonderful World

Before I dive back into the darkness and talk about the latest gang related murders, I just wanted to pause and post some pictures readers sent in after I requested readers send in some pictures of some of your favorite spots over Thanksgiving. Let’s start locally and branch out. First we have a wonderful sunset from Sooke on Vancouver Island.



Next we have some towers peaking out above the Vancouver fog. Although a reader submitted it, I can tell you where it was taken. It’s from the look out on Cypress during inversion at sunrise. I’ve seen that there before with about 20 other photographers taking pictures.



Next we have the 2009 Vancouver Toy run at the Pan Pacific.



Led by Santa and Mrs. Clause of course at the 2010 toy run.



And now the crème de la crème: Quebec. These two pictures a reader sent in are of North Hatley, Quebec on Lac Massawippi. That lake is huge. I thought it was part of the ocean at first. No doubt cleaner than the Great Lakes in Ontario.



Quebec has the best of both worlds. It has nature and history. Here on the west coast you’d be hard pressed to find a building that is a hundred years old. In Quebec you have a lot of historical sites. The stone wall in Quebec city looks like Old Jerusalem.



The next seven a blog reader took while visiting Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I had Cape Cod missed up with Cape Canaveral at first. Cape Cod looks wonderful. I love those wrap around porches. Just like in Eastern Canada. Tragically the Hells Angels were caught bringing crystal meth into Massachusetts. Evil bringing evil into a nice place. It’s a plague so it is. Yet notwithstanding the plague there are many nice places to see.















Finally the last two shots are when a blog reader was visiting Scotland. 7 foot tall Cardoom thistles and fence detail in Stirling, Scotland. The thistle is of course Scotland’s national flower for those of you that missed the movie Braveheart.





Keep the photos coming. There are a lot of nice places to see. Nature, old buildings and people. Hope in the Shadows is a calendar raising money for the Downtown East Side. Catching a photo of the eyes or face of someone living in the DTES can be magical. Hope in the shadows indeed.

Louis Armstrong, the legendary jazz singer was famous for singing a song called what a Wonderful World. Clearly the world is full of good and evil. We are free to choose what we support and what we see. Is the glass half full or half empty? Indeed, these are the best of times, they are the worst of times. Notwithstanding the darkness and evil, there will always be good. Some of our favorite places to revel in.

I took my father to a seniors camp, many years ago before he passed away. At the camp an old friend of the family sang What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. Hers was not an easy life. Her husband had an affair and left her for another women. Years later her daughter died a premature death and she was left alone to raise her granddaughter. Hearing her sing that song was very meaningful. Surely wherever there is evil, good is not far away. Britney Irving was quite the photographer so she was. Those are her pictures in the video tribute.



Imagine a society where there are no murderers, no drug dealers, no pimps, no liars, hypocrites or extortionists. That would be a wonderful world indeed. That is exactly where we are heading. Lead, follow or get out of the way.

Thanksgiving – send in your photos

Howdy pilgrims. While the turkey’s in the oven and I pause to reflect during thanksgiving, I’m going to make a request. I know everyone likes to hear the latest dirty laundry about the latest Hells Angels or organized crime figures committing murder or some other local outrage. My whole point is that there is more to life than that. I like snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking, sailing, these are the things I enjoy that take me away from the insanity of the inner city.

The website and blog has been getting a lot of traffic from across the country. I’ve been thrilled to hear word from small towns all over Canada especially on the eastern seaboard where some of my own ancestors are from. I visited there once when I was very young. I should return. I remember the covered bridges of New Brunswick and the lobster of Nova Scotia.

The purpose of the covered bridge was to prevent huge pile ups of snow on the bridge so cars could cross it during winter. That tells me they get a lot of snow in New Brunswick which would be prime snowshoeing or snowmobiling country. Nova Scotia, being on the ocean is a lot like here in Vancouver on the west coast. I know there are many beautiful spots out there too.

So here’s the deal. Along with sending in info about the local gangs and links to news clips about the latest gang arrests which I do greatly appreciate, how about sending in some pictures of some of your favorite spots in your own areas? I would love to see a picture of a covered bridge in New Brunswick, especially during winter or some shots of the eastern seaboard along with any scenes in nature from anywhere in Canada. This is our home. It’s something to be grateful for and something to be proud of that deserves our devotion and protection. Even if you’re not from Canada, I’d love to see some pictures of Denmark or any other country.

So next time you’re out and about, take a picture and send me a photo of some of your favorite spots so we can all see that there definitely is a lot more to life than what can be found in a bar or a crack pipe. Tragically, people joke about small towns in BC saying there is a great deal of alcoholism there because there’s nothing to do in those small towns. The hell there isn’t. Let’s prove it.



How to cook a turkey

For those bikers, gang members or even soldiers away from home this Thanksgiving, there’s no reason you can’t have a turkey dinner and inviter a few friends over. Unless of course they don’t sell turkey at the grocery store in Iraq. I can’t help with that. Nevertheless, cooking a turkey really isn’t that difficult and it is relatively cheap when you can revel in left overs for a week.

Superstore and Safeway both had turkey’s on sale for 99 cents a pound. So if you buy a fresh turkey you can start right away. If you buy a frozen turkey you have to thaw it out in the fridge a couple days before hand. If it’s too late for that and you have a frozen turkey you can put it in a clean sink with “running” cold water. It doesn’t have to be running and you can even add some warm water to speed up the process if you’re right there to expedite the process. Thawing it out in the fridge before hand is best. You’re not supposed to leave it out over night.

The fist thing to remember when cooking turkey or any poultry item is do not cross contaminate. If you cut or put a raw turkey on a cutting board, do not put the cooked turkey on that same cutting board without washing and sanitizing it first. Believe you me salmonella food poisoning is nasty.

So you have a frozen turkey thawed out and washed in your sink. Open up the gut and take out the neck. Then open up the other side and take out the paper wrapped innards and throw them out. You can boil down the neck if you want to make a turkey stock but there will be plenty of flavor from the drippings so you really don’t need it.

Put it in a roasting pan with a little oil and season salt. A covered roasting pan is best but if you buy one of those cheap tin foil ones, you’ll need some tin foil to cover the turkey when it’s cooking so it doesn’t dry out. I cook it at 350 degrees. How many minutes per pound? I have no idea. I just go by the way it looks when you baste it. When it’s golden brown and the meat is starting to fall off the thighs, it’s done. With any food it has to be brought to 160 degrees and held at 140 degrees if you are going to serve it in a restaurant.

You need to check on it regularly and baste it. You know, that giant plastic thing that sucks up the juices from the bottom of the pan. You put the juices from the bottom of the pan over the turkey breast and legs through out the cooking process. It’s that easy. You can peel potatoes and make mash potatoes and clean and prepare brussel sprouts or whatever vegetable you prefer but in today’s age you can get all of that stuff out of the freezer if you are a newbie at cooking.

Stuffing is different. I suppose you can get stuffing out of a box. It’s nice but it’s not the same. To make your own stuffing just dice just over a loaf of bread into large squares and put it in the top of your roasting pan or a large clean container. I always add fine diced onions and celery but this year we used onions and bacon because my daughter had it at a friends house once and asked if we could try it. Poultry seasoning would include rosemary, thyme and garlic. If you don’t want to use fresh garlic you can buy the stuff in a can peeled and diced already. The dry stuff sucks. Cranberry sauce you can buy in a can.

Add a cup or two of water to the stuffing and mix it up then cram it in the stomach of the bird and up it's arse before you put it in the oven. You can get some pretty good gravy or brown sauce from a package these days or you can take the turkey out of the roasting pan when it’s finished, drain off all the grease then fill it with cold water, put it on the burner under medium heat and cook it down to make your own gravy. You’ll have to add a white wash of flour and cold water mixed up well to the gravy to thicken it up. Once the white wash is in the gravy you have to cook it for quite a while to get the flour taste out of it.

So that’s it. There’s no excuse to not have a nice dinner if you’re alone this thanksgiving. I remember seeing a memorial to a gang related shooting in Edmonton the other day when someone remembered spending last thanksgiving with a guy who had been shot down earlier this year. Tragic. Life is too short not to cherish it.

Widgeon Creek

I finally got the kayak out today and paddled up Widgeon creek on Pitt Lake. I can’t believe the extended summer we’ve been having. Normally it’s just rain, rain, rain. This year has been awesome. A couple new stories from the east coast to catch up on. I just wanted to pause for Thanksgiving.

Vancouver is no better than anywhere else. Every place on earth has it’s own special spots that take your breath away. I remember jogging on the beach in Bray outside Dublin at Sunrise. That was magnificent. If you’re in Fredericktown, Dartmouth or Halifax, there’s a lot more out there to see that you can’t find in the bar or in a crack pipe. Life is too precious to diminish it like that. Today was another beautiful day so it was.

Vito Rizzuto arrives in Toronto

Well Vito Rizzuto has arrived under police escort in Toronto 11:00 PM last night. Where he goes from there we can only wait and see. The Hells Angels aren’t nearly as powerful in Toronto as they are in Montreal. The Calabrians are in Hamilton and working on smaller cities like Kitchener. I’m not sure how powerful the Calabrians are in Toronto but I think TO is more of a free for all. The organized crime isn’t as organized there as it is in surrounding areas or in Montreal. Time will tell. It always does.

QMI claims Greg Wooley is one of Vito’s potential allies. With friends like that, who needs enemies. Wooley is still with and still working for the Hells Angels. That’s what the big meeting was all about. The Hells Angels supply the Montreal Crips through Wooley. They wanted some of the Montreal bloods to work for them too. When one said no and publically humiliated him, he was shot dead. If Vito wants to supply the Montreal Crips , the Hells Angels already have that market. If he wants to supply the Montreal Bloods, then Greg Wooley is not his friend.

Kelowna HA Sergeant at arms makes bail

Brian Oldham, the Kelowna Hells Angels Sergeant at arms made bail Monday. He still faces charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking a controlled substance. Once again there are numerous over reaching publication bans stifling free speech and the freedom of information in this case.

David Giles and Kevin Van Kalkeren are still in custody and have been charged with conspiracy to import a controlled substance and conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance in association with a criminal organization. I wonder if Giles will be the first Hells Angel to be convicted of criminal organization charges in BC. It would be pretty hypocritical if he ordered John Punko’s murder to avoid that same conviction.

I am told Kevin VanKalkeren used to race in BC and that he stopped racing in BC 4 years ago and started racing in Wenachee and Euphrata, Washington but packed racing in last year because he had his pilot's licence and was too busy. Well, that's interesting. It has even been claimed that David Giles was one of his sponsors. Kim Bolan reported that the civil forfeiture director claims that Kevin Van Kalkeren laundered drug money through his company, KVK Enterprises Ltd.

Laura Szendrei’s murderer cops a plea

The 19 year old from Delta who was charged with the murder of Laura Szendrei has copped a plea. He was initially charged with first degree murder but has now pleaded guilty to second degree murder. No doubt that will be met with mixed feelings from the parents and the community.

First-degree murder is when the killing is “planned and deliberate”. It was premeditated. If it was a murder that involved a sexual assault, that is automatically defined as first degree murder. Those convicted of first-degree murder receive an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Second degree murder is an intentional murder that was not planned but took place in the heat of the moment. Like with first-degree, those convicted of second-degree murder receive an automatic life sentence. However, the judge can set their parole eligibility at anywhere between 10 and 25 years. A life sentence with parole after 10 years is not a life sentence. I’m not sure how mandatory statutory release applies to murder convictions.

Keep in mind that is the penalties in adult court. The 19 year old that has pleaded guilty to murdering Laura Szendrei was 17 when he committed the murder. That means he falls under the Young Offenders act, cannot be named and receives a lesser penalty. However, thanks to the advocacy of Chuck and Donna Cadman who lost their son Jesse to an act of senseless violence, young offenders can be charged in adult court. Can be. It has yet to be determined if this case will be. Obviously it should and the crown will no doubt make that application.

Anyways, ten years for murdering someone’s daughter is not closure. It comes with the knowledge that after ten years in prison, the murderer will walk away free and their daughter will still be dead. When you commit murder, you take away something that can never be returned.

Ten years for murder is not closure for the community either. Especially when this case is filled with over reaching publication bans. The purpose of a publication ban is to give the person charged with a crime the right to a fair trial. The purpose of a publication ban is not to hide the truth from the public indefinitely. This is what one blog reader referred to as the difference between freedom and license.

The Charter of Rights and the Freedom of Information act states the public has a right to know what evidence was presented at trial, after the trial is over. The only exception would be to protect the identity of the victim in a case such as sexual assault. Since we already know the name of the victim in this case that does not apply. If there was a sexual assault, then the case would automatically be first degree murder. No plea bargain to reduce that.

The problem we have with this case is that we have no motive and the over reaching publication bans on this case are a threat to public safety.

John Cummins survives leadership challenge

I missed this one but since it’s in the news again, I will cite it. There were some public rumblings about the new leadership of the BC Conservatives. I thought it was strange since John Cummins was newly elected and was doing such a great job. He was right on the money and it was the fastest growing party in the country as a result. Then we find out the source of the internal dissention was from a former member of Gordon Campbell’s liberals. Ah ha says I.

When John van Dongen crossed over and joined the BC Conservatives I said fair enough, let him in. He did a good job as AG. Losing that position because of his speeding tickets was dumb and he was keeping the pressure on the BC Rail scandal. However, I said draw the line there because the last thing we want is a plague of Gordon Campbell’s rats leaving their sinking ship only to infect the hopeful rising BC Conservatives.

Then we find out the source of all the drama and internal back biting was in fact the power hungery John van Dongen himself. After causing all that dissention he then tells the media it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to comment on the matter before a leadership review. Yeah right. He caused it. So after John Cummins survives the leadership review by a 71% vote, Johnnie come lately takes his ball and goes home. Only he’s burned bridges with Christy Clark so he has no home. He still says he will leave the BC Conservatives, which he just joined, because of irreconcilable differences with John Cummins. Well good riddance. That was more than enough drama for his short little grasp for power. Truth is, he wanted John Cummins job.

So now John Cummins gives the remaining few dissenters an ultimatum. Put up or shut up. Support the democratic decision of the party or leave the party. That is fair. Anyone who will persist with childish backbiting after a democratic vote was held, should leave. One bad apple can spoil a barrel. Remember, John Cummins is a true conservative. He supports small business and the free market. He opposes the HST and the gas tax. Let's take that ball and run with it and leave the sniveling little kids behind in the dust. We don’t have time for them and believe you me there will be a wave of Gordon Campbell’s rats wanting to jump on board only to destroy it like they destroyed the BC Liberals.

On Friday, Conservative byelection candidate John Martin defected to the B.C. Liberals. Sorry if I pause to roll on the floor laughing. He defected to the titanic as it’s sinking to show solidarity for John van Dongen and Gordon Campbell’s nightmare? Well he sure isn’t very bright now is he? Even Gordon Campbell’s own rats are jumping that sinking ship. Now he wants to jump in with them? That means he supports the HST and the gas Tax. Like I said, Good riddance. Let them form their own rat party.

The world according to U2

U2 is a popular Irish band that wrote a tribute to Martin Luther King in a song called Pride: In the name of love. Martin Luther King is a man I greatly respect and admire. The first verse of the song reads: One man come in the name of love One man come and go One come he to justify One man to overthrow.

The song isn’t just about Martin Luther King as it also makes reference to one man who came in the name of love who was caught on a barbed wire fence, another washed up on an empty beach and another betrayed with a kiss. The song is referring to martyrs who came in the name of love and gave their all.

In my mind, there is nothing more satanic then seeing a white man wearing a KKK hood. It doesn’t just represent lawlessness, it represents hate and intolerance. The song continues and states: Early morning, April 4 Shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride. U2 was obviously referring to the assassination of Martin Luther King.

U2 wrote another powerful song as a tribute to those who died in Derry Bogside in 1972 called Bloody Sunday. That was when the British Army used live ammunition on unarmed civil rights protesters. This didn’t happen in Russia. This didn’t happen in China. They weren’t shot by Fascists or Communists. They were shot by the British Army. It was a horrible stain on history and a reminder of the injustice of foreign occupation.

The song starts off with: I can't believe the news today Oh, I can't close my eyes And make it go away How long... How long must we sing this song It uses the metaphor: Broken bottles under children's feet Bodies strewn across the dead end street But I won't heed the battle call It puts my back up Puts my back up against the wall. They point out: And the battle's just begun There's many lost, but tell me who has won The trench is dug within our hearts And mothers, children, brothers, sisters Torn apart.

It makes a reference to a time when When fact is fiction and TV reality then concludes with a reference to another bloody Sunday when Christ was murdered and states: The real battle just begun To claim the victory Jesus won On... Sunday Bloody Sunday. It’s a positive non confrontational song about not one but two horrific events of murder and injustice. The latter event of course had a higher purpose. Derry Bogside didn’t. It was a senseless tragedy. Yet we will remember them because their innocent blood makes the quest for a free republic holy. Why it’s the 40th anniversary of bloody Sunday so it is.

U2 also has a passion for life. In their song Where the streets have no name they sing about: I want to run I want to hide I want to tear down the walls That hold me inside I want to reach out And touch the flame Where the streets have no name.

Then they refer to a time when: The city's aflood And our love turns to rust We're beaten and blown by the wind Trampled in dust I'll show you a place High on a desert plain Where the streets have no name.

U2 visited a small church in Harlem where they sang their song Still haven’t found what I’m looking for with a rousing African American choir. The remix is quite impressive showing us again that diversity makes us strong.

Take a look outside. It’s a beautiful day so it is. Don’t let it slip away.

Police raid mayor of Laval’s home and office

As the Montreal corruption trial continues, police raided the mayor of Laval’s home and office looking for evidence about city corruption accepting kickbacks from the mob in the construction industry. Laval has some past history. The Laval chapter of the Hells Angels were executed by their own people in what was referred to as the Lennoxville Massacre.

Laval is the site of the murder, betrayal and take over of the Death Riders that earned Mom Boucher and Biff Hammel their colours. Now Gilles Vaillancourt, who has been mayor of Laval since 1989 is under investigation.

This is starting to look a lot like the police raid on the BC Legislature. The whole scandal seems to revolve around the accusation that city hall officials were getting kickbacks from the mafia for awarding construction contracts.

Now when they say the “mob” that is pretty ambiguous. Which mob? That’s like saying a criminal organization. Which criminal organization? We know that there was a huge amount of press about the Hells Angels control of the construction industry in Montreal. That’s what sent Marvin put your shirt back on Ouimet into hiding. As well as his connection to 22 murders of course. Police believe he infiltrated Quebec's lucrative construction industry and was controlling several building firms used to launder money. It also involved a controversial renovation on Parliament Hill.

Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay’s party took 3% of ex-construction boss’s city contracts.

Did Domenic Violi and the Calabrians in Hamilton execute the Rizzutos in Montreal?

Freddy’s talk about Vito Rizzuto getting out of prison on Friday reminded me I better finally spit it out. Back when there was a rash of murders attacking the Rizzutos in Montreal, I said that I think the Hells Angels are behind it. Again people said I was crazy. Although the Hells Angels worked closely with the Rizzutos in the past, I pointed out that the D’Amicos in Granby were empowered to threaten the Rizzutos because they had the backing of the Hells Angels. People claim the D’Amicos in Granby are a small family. There was a kidnapping and confrontation between the Hells Angels and the Rizzutos around that time.

The rationale behind my theory was simple. The Hells Angels are compulsive liars and consistent betrayers. They are taking over the drug trade all over Canada. It was strange that no one was claiming responsibility for the Montreal murders. Back in Ireland, someone always claims responsibility for the murder. It is the Hells Angels that lie and deny every murder they commit. Why sometimes they even attend the funeral of people they have been accused of hiring the hit on.

The sniper in the bushes killing one of the Rizzutos in their home in front of their family was a red flag. That’s not a Sicilian hit. It almost looked military. Not to claim the CIA has been involved in any drug trafficking in Vietnam, Nicaragua or Mexico. Much. But if they were, they would no doubt chose sides like they did in Operation Fast and Furious.

The flaming red flag was the firebombing of a funeral home. I don’t know any Catholic that would do that whether they be Sicilian, Irish or French. It had to be someone else. That sounded more like the MO of your local 666. When I had mentioned to my author friend from Montreal when he was visiting about more Rizzutos being killed, he instantly said he thought it was the Calabrians working with the Hells Angels. Others have said similar things. Not an earth shattering theory since I am told it was the subject of one of the Godfather movies. The Calabrian part that is, not the Hells Angels.

So finally I recently heard from someone in the know in Quebec and I asked them who was killing the Rizzutos. Their answer was simple and concise, the Calabrians in Hamilton, namely Domenic Violi. They said Domenic Violi is now in power in Canada and is cleaning up. That is who the people in Quebec think it is. They said it was in retaliation for the murder of Paolo Violi and for pushing them out of Montreal in the first place.

“Sources told QMI Agency Dominic and Giuseppe Violi were seen in Little Italy and the city's downtown district just days before the Mafia don was felled by a sniper's bullet in the kitchen of his north-end home late last year.”

Since the Hells Angels have a huge control of the drug trade in Ontario, it would make sense that they would align themselves with the Violis there. It also makes sense that if the Rizzutos were supplying the Bloods and the Rock Machine cocaine, they would want to put a stop to that. After all, that is why they shot Chenier Dupuy from the Bo-Gars who are aligned with the Bloods in Montreal. The Hells Angels supply the Crips through Greg Wooley. Chenier Dupuy refused to work for the Hells Angels so the neo Nazis shot him dead. Or at least paid someone to do so.

Even Italian prosecutors claim that Ontario has become a base for the Calabrian Mafia, or 'Ndrangheta. It’s not that I’m choosing sides. I don’t support the sale of crack or crystal meth period. I just hate liars and betrayers and that is all the Hells Angels do in Canada.

Update: Police bust Hamilton crime group tied to Gambino family in New York

Justin Trudeau: Love vs Hate

Here we have it folks. This picture is proof that Justin Trudeau’s father was a Communist. Just look at his furry hat and furry coat. Why that’s the same type of hat and coat they wear in mother Russia. Wait a minute, the picture was taken during winter in Montreal. It was freaking cold out. He must be a smart Communist. It looks rather warm and he looks rather comfortable in the cold.

The picture was also taken outside a church right after Justin’s parents had him christened. I thought Communists weren’t allowed to go to Church and have their kids christened. That’s strange. Maybe he’s not a very good Communist.

When we think of Communism, what’s our biggest fear? Well the first thing a Communist regime does is remove free speech and lawful assembly. They destroy the freedom of press. Then they create a police state when the police can search you without cause, arrest you without charge and deny you a lawyer as they hold you in prison indefinitely. That’s the first thing a Communist regime does.

So if that’s what a Communist regime does, then why did Justin’s father prevent any of that from legally happening by creating the Charter of Rights? The Charter of Rights claims we have the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press and the right to lawful assembly. Removing those rights are in fact illegal. The government is bound by that law. So why would a Communist do that? Create a law preventing Communism from taking over?

Why would a Communist create a law that would prevent the police from being able to search people without a reason or arrest people without a charge? Why would he make a law giving people the right to a lawyer when they are arrested if they want to create a Stalin style death camp? Maybe it’s because Justin’s father wasn’t a Communist at all. In contrast, everything on that list is exactly what Stephen Harper is trying to do us. Isn’t that ironic?



Years ago I wrote a satire about how George Bush declared war on Santa and threatened to bomb the North Pole because his intelligence told him Santa was a Communist. After all, he wore red. He looks a lot like Carl Marx. He even gives away free gifts supporting the welfare state ideal of something for nothing. The purpose of the satire was to show us how silly some of our stereotypes can really be.

When people wear a Che Guevara T-shirt, they aren’t saying we want death camps and we want to create a police state to destroy the freedom of speech. They are saying they support this romantic idea of social justice that unfortunately didn’t happen under Lenin, Stalin, Chairman Mao or in East Berlin. What happened there was the exact opposite. Why is that? Because the manifesto doesn’t protect individual rights. It doesn’t even protect collective rights.

I submit that the only way that dream of social justice can exist is in a free republic where individual rights and freedoms are guaranteed by a Charter or Constitution which binds the government. All governments need to be bridled so they remain accountable to the people.

Justin Trudeau loves Canada

So Justin Trudeau makes it official. He has officially announced that he is running for the leadership of the Liberal party of Canada and states that he is in love with Canada. He said Canada “can do better” if its citizens actually see themselves in their government. That’s an interesting thought.

“My friends: I love Montreal. I love Quebec,” Trudeau said. “And I am in love with Canada. “I choose, with all my heart, to serve the country I love.” Wow. Kinda makes me think of Jack Layton’s dying pledge “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

That is in complete contrast to Stephen Harper’s message of fear and hate that is removing our individual rights and taking us down a road thirty years ago we never would have considered.

Interesting to note that the media recently released some partially declassified statements about how the CIA didn’t like Pierre Elliot Trudeau but loved Lyin Brian Mulroney. It’s enough to make you heave. It’s pretty clear why they liked Lyin Brian and felt he would support their efforts in Central America. Al Martin claims Lyin Brian was involved with Trans World Arms the Canadian Arms company that was used by the CIA as a shell company to smuggle arms into Nicaragua which was paid for in cocaine.

Since every word that came out of Brian Mulroney’s mouth was a lie, it’s no wonder Al Martin thinks he was so involved with the CIA’s arms dealing and drug trafficking in Central America. He’s still a BOD member of Barrack gold which was created by a shady arms dealer.

In contrast Justin Trudeau is a beacon of hope. His love for Canada is something sincere Canadians can relate to. We remember a time when we were proud to be Canadian. That was before we started torturing prisoners and calling everyone who expresses their opinion a domestic terrorist. I look forward to hearing more of what Justin Trudeau has to say. I will say this, our condolences for the loss of his brother Michel in a BC Avalanche. That was indeed tragic.

Da da Canada. Bring it home soldier. Make us proud. Je me souviens.

The tragic story of Omar Khadr

This is the sad story of a Canadian teenager who grew up in Guantanamo bay. You know Guantanamo. That’s the CIA black prison site where they torture prisoners without a charge or trial and hold them indefinitely. That’s the place that Obama promised to close but didn’t. It’s a sad tale about what our complacency has turned us into.

Omar had just turned 15 when a foreign army invaded his homeland. Nine months later he was captured by the US military and charged with throwing a grenade at a US soldier which killed him. If he was in France and had thrown a grenade at an invading Nazi, he would have been given a medal. If he was in Canada or America and threw a grenade at an invading army, he would be revered as a war hero.

Instead, the 15 year old kid grew up in Guantanamo Bay. After 8 years in Guantanamo, if that kid doesn’t grown up to be a terrorist, then we know he is a saint and never should have been incarcerated in the first place. His father fought the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

After spending 8 years in that God forsaken institution where prisoners are tortured without a trial, he made a plea bargain. If he pleaded guilty to murder then he would receive another 8 year sentence with the possibility of being transferred back to Canada. He signed the plea agreement which makes the confession itself suspect.

So he returns to Canada and his lawyer contends that Harper has vilified his client. Harper claimed Omar was a convicted terrorist that supported Al-Qaeda. Wait a minute. Stephen Harper supported Al-Qaeda when he agreed to violating the no fly zone in Libya and helped Al-Qaeda terrorists overthrow Gadaffi. Should we put Harper in Guantanamo for that?

We know very well that Unicol supported the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. They were wining and dining them trying to win the contract for the oil pipeline across Afghanistan. Should we put Unicol in Guantanamo for their support of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda?

Nobody likes terrorism. Yet no one likes the invasion of a sovereign nation either. The Globe and Mail claims Omar Khadr ‘s return will test Canada’s commitment to war children. Indeed, the double standard is disturbing. If the Taliban are so bad, why did they stop opium production in Afghanistan and why did we increase it?

I think we as a people are diminished when we let this kind of injustice continue. Recently a blog reader sent me a list of You Know You Are a Conspiracy Theorist If… Sadly we could also use that list to define domestic terrorists. We are going in the wrong direction and we are letting our fear and hate take us there.

The War of 1812

Let’s turn back the hands of time and bring it home. What if this happened in 1812 when the Americans weren’t an ally they were an enemy who invaded Canada. Of all the tyrants and terrorists this world has to offer, the United States is the only country thus far that has actually invaded our country. We are seeing heritage commercials about the event on TV since it’s the 200th anniversary. Remembering that event is worth while.

So what if this Canadian born 15 year old was living in Canada in 1812 and had shot an invading American soldier? Would he still be called a terrorist? Would we still support his torture? Would we still say anyone who fires upon an ally deserves to die? The Americans invaded Canada and their navy kicked our ass. In response we marched across the border with some First Nations brothers and burned the White house to the ground. Was that an act of terrorism or an add for a heritage commercial?

The location of Guantanamo Bay

Another thing we need to discuss is the location of Guantanamo Bay. The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is in Cuba of all places. It was turned into a prison camp for torturing prisoners without a trial in 2002 by War criminal George Bush. The one who vetoed the bill to stop torture. Not only were they caught torturing prisoners, George Bush vetoed the bill stopping it. That makes him a war criminal. By vetoing the bill, he assumed legal liability for the torture.

Cuba is not an ally. The prison does not exist with Cuba's permission. Before the prison camp was created in 2002, the US had a naval base on site. This was from Cuban-American Treaty of 1903 where they were permitted to have a coaling (fuelling) station. A naval base is not a fuelling station nor is a prison camp for torturing prisoners. According to the 1903 agreement the US are required to recognize the Republic of Cuba's ultimate sovereignty over the area. They have failed to do this by changing the purpose of the fuelling station against the will of Cuba. This is the invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation.

The Cuban government opposes the presence of the naval base, claiming that the lease is invalid under international law as it was not a sovereign nation at the time. Obviously. There is no longer an agreement between both parties. The United States argues this point is irrelevant because Cuba apparently ratified the lease post-revolution, and with full sovereignty, when it cashed one rent check in accordance with the disputed treaty. That's like saying someone squatted in your house rent free for ten years and you cashed one of their rent cheques. That doesn't mean you agree to them being there. It means they accepted a token payment for all that time you squatted there rent free. It's time for Cuba to raise the rent and evict those evil squatters.

Another shooting in Winnipeg - 6 shootings in one week

A beautiful windy fall day on the water in Vancouver and another double shooting in Winnipeg. Tragic. 12:20 AM this morning police responded to a shots fired call. Two young men were hit. Police say a 24-year-old man is in critical condition, and a 19-year-old man is in stable condition.

There was a double shooting at a restaurant in Winnipeg last Thursday and three separate shootings in one day last Saturday. All six shootings in the past week have all been in the same neighborhood. When will it end? We all know it’s connected to the drug trade and we all know who’s ultimately responsible. It’s time to step up to the plate and rat out the real rats to stop the senseless violence driven by greed and betrayal.

Candy laced with Pot

Meanwhile, back on the ranch, a Surrey man is facing charges for allegedly trying to sell drug-laced candies to kids in Kelowna. Sorry guys. RCMP stopped a vehicle after receiving reports of a driver selling drugs to children. A test showed the candy contained THC, the main ingredient in marijuana. The man, released in August, may now be charged with possession of a controlled substance. Putting drugs in candy and giving them to kids is really messed up. People will say, oh it’s just pot. It doesn’t matter. Putting drugs in candy and giving it to kids is messed up. Especially around Halloween.

Crystal meth is indeed way worse than pot, yet the whole idea of selling drugs to kids in candies is really messed up. Back in the day we all used to joke about hash brownies. Yet I know a guy that make thc cookies. They joke about how powerful they are. One grown man had some one night and they laughed about how we was f*cked up for days. Another guy said oh yeah, you’re only supposed to have half of one. Well no one told this other guy that and it seriously messed him up for a long time.

Personally, I don’t like getting messed up at all not to mention for days. I’m the first one to admit that there is a huge difference between a grow op and a meth lab. Yet I am told the pot now a days is way more powerful then when we were kids. The smell now is very sharp and harsh. It’s not that mellow pleasing aroma. It’s poignant and smells awful. Although crystal meth is way worse than pot, there are way too many people that smoke way too much pot especially while driving. That is irresponsible.

Recently there was more drama from some of the former Vancouver majors calling for the legalization of pot. After thinking about it, I have come to the conclusion that I do not support the legalization of pot. I’m ok with decriminalization but I’m not ok with all out legalization. All out legalization would be a free for all and it’s bad enough as it is. I don’t support mandatory minimums for pot but I think all out legalization would be like kids in a candy store. You think second hand cigarettes smoke is bad, I don’t want second had pot smoke. Period. I don’t want it sold in the corner stores and I don’t want it put in candy for kids.

Military loses millions in ‘black assets’

Here’s a disturbing story that raises two serious concerns. The first is fiscal responsibility. “Conservatives” are *supposed* to be fiscally responsible. Or so they keep telling us. That’s why I keep saying Stephen Harper is not a conservative.

The Ottawa citizen is reporting that Canada’s special forces are having trouble keeping track of millions of dollars worth of sensitive equipment that they use — and in one case had no idea of the extent of the missing “black assets,” as they are known, according to a new Defence Department audit.

The US has the same problem times a thousand. The day before 911, Donald Rumsfeld said the greatest threat to America is the enemy from within and that the US military can’t account for 25% of what it spends and has lost $2.3 trillion. Trillion. That was the day before 911 and the invasion of Afghanistan overseeing opium production and the unlawful invasion of Iraq. Since then that figure has no doubt increased exponentially.

So the first problem is fiscal accountability. One department loses millions of dollars, I.E. Canadian tax dollars and they had no idea of the extent of the amount of missing money. That is a huge concern in itself.

Criminals steal. They mug people and steal purses. They will break into your home and will steal your car. They will steal your id and take money out of your bank account. More sophisticated criminals will commit investment fraud and steal from banks and wall street. The bottom line is that wherever there is money, there will be criminals wanting to steal it. It becomes a public issue when they are stealing tax dollars.

Since the military has money, they too are a prime target for criminals to steal from. Al Martin talked about how big a problem it is in the States when he described Huntsville as the vortex of corruption. Clearly Canada has a similar problem that needs to be addressed. No doubt Stephan Harper will fire the whistleblower that made this information public instead of dealing with the problem.

That brings us to the second concern. The Ottawa citizen is reporting that the nature of the equipment in question is censored from the audit done by the department’s Chief Review Services. But much of it is considered so secret that details about the gear is not even shared with the Defence Department or Canadian Forces.

The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, or CANSOFCOM, calls such equipment “black assets.” Other equipment, which can be openly discussed are labeled as “green” assets. Ok so what the hell is a “black asset?” We have heard the term in a popular video game Call of Duty Black Ops. We have read recently of CIA black prison sites all over the world where they torture people without a lawyer or fair trial. So tell me then just what is a black asset?

Oh we can’t tell you because that is classified. Bullshit. That is hiding something that you know is wrong under the guise of national security. A military secret is something like the range and location of your missiles or fighters. A black asset is not a military secret that affects national security. It only affects national security if we keep it secret. Keeping an unlawful secret is unlawful.

This whole topic brings us to a third ongoing concern. After it was reported that the Harper government spent $750,000.00 on legal fees fighting Canadian veterans so they could claw back their pensions and benefits, Pierre Daigle the Canadian Forces ombudsman claimed two former soldiers, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders, were unfairly treated by officers and Defence Department managers.

The military dismissed the allegation saying the ombudsman has no jurisdiction to investigate the matter. That is crazy. That’s exactly what an ombudsman is supposed to do. Saying he has no jurisdiction to investigate the matter is another way of saying we are guilty and we don’t want to be accountable to anyone, especially the public.

Then Peter pea brain McKay pipes up and tells the media the ombudsman shouldn’t be acting as an advocate for the soldiers. That’s exactly what they are supposed to be doing. Investigating complaints. If they find a complaint is valid they are supposed to say so. Peter McKay should not have anything to do with the Canadian military.

Peter McKay and Stephen Harper lied about handing over Canadian prisoners to be tortured. They broke the law, they lied about their knowledge of it, and they fired and slandered the whistle blower that leaked the information to the public in the interest of national security.

Peter McKay and Stephen Harper are not honest men and should not have anything to do with the Canadian military. Ever. They have repeatedly proven to be in a conflict of interest that has jeopardized national security. Sadly, Pierre Daigle will be the next in a long list of whistleblowers fired by the Harper government. Stephen Harper has changed the nation and what he has created in not good. It is dark and evil and the time has come for those secret works of darkness to be brought to light. Word.

Every murder was approved by a committee

Project Sharqc investigators say the Hells sought to "expand their empire" by conspiring to eliminate drug dealers who refused to buy from them. Investigators say targets included members of the rival Rock Machine as well as independent dealers. They were among 165 people killed between 1994 and 2001 during the war over control of lucrative drug territory in Quebec. Gee, it sure looks like that’s what’s happening now in Winnipeg and Lloydminster.

In the spring of 1997, bikers "voted in favour of establishing a $25,000 premium paid out of the 10% to all their Hells Angels members for the murder of a Rock Machine member," Leblanc said. She said every murder was approved by a committee. So if the Hells Angels contracted a murder, then that criminal organization is criminally responsible for that murder. That would include the East Vancouver Hells Angels when David Giles was on that executive. Let's not forget that they didn't just kill rivals. Nice shoes girls.

Winnipeg double shooting

One man is dead and another in hospital following a double shooting at a restaurant in Winnipeg 3:00 AM this morning. Police say it appears to be targeted. CTV is reporting that sources claim the victims were cocaine dealers and suggested they were shot by a rival group. Gee I wonder who that would be. At least in Winnipeg when someone gets shot dead the police call it a homicide not a suspicious death like they do in Edmonton.

Five days ago there were three separate shooting in the same day in Winnipeg all tied to the drug trade. The deceased in today’s shooting has been identified as Jeffrey Lau. Six bullet holes can be seen in the front window of the restaurant. A handgun was found on the street at Hector Avenue and Stafford Street, several blocks from the restaurant. There are no concerns for public safety, police said in a release. No concerns or no regard?

Mongols and Hells Angels clash at biker rally

This one is priceless and sad at the same time. The Hells Angels were panhandling at a bike rally in Oregon selling their support your local crack dealer T-shirts. It was the Second annual Run to the Cascades in Redmond.

According to witness reports, a large Mongols group approached the Hells Angels members already at the event – the HAMC had a vendor booth there – and “demanded the Hells Angels group leave immediately.” It was reported that weapons were brandished. Once word of the confrontation went out to law enforcement it prompted police and sheriff’s deputies to enter the fairgrounds and stand by while the Hells Angels group packed up and left.

Other witnesses reported that the Hells Angels group intended to return with more people to settle the dispute, and at that point, sheriff’s deputies and police contacted fairgrounds Director Dan Despotpulos “and strongly recommended the event be closed in order to protect public safety.” The fair director agreed and they immediately began closing the event.

They sure ran to the cascades alright. The sad part is, no one needs or wants the Hells angles violence in their community not to mention at a biker rally. They are destroying it for everyone. People can say the Mongols started it this time but did they? The Hells Angels shouldn’t have booths selling things at biker rallies because they are a criminal organization that sells drugs. The East coast president was caught bringing crystal meth from California to Massachusetts.

In Vegas the Hells angels started a fight with Vagos. When they started losing the fist fight they pulled out guns and lost the gun fight too. There was Hells Angels violence at Sturgis as well. Clearly the Hells Angels should be banned from these events. They should not be allowed to have booths set up advertizing and pan handling for their criminal organization. Instead of cancelling the event, they should simply ban the Hells Angles. It has been said club business isn’t my business. It is when they sell crack or crystal meth in my community. It my business then. Just as it is if they bring violence to a bike rally I want to attend or a bar I want to drink at.

Jimmy Hughes’ Murders Ministry

I know I shouldn’t even mention it, but I will. Since we were talking about religious hypocrisy tied to the drug trade and the gang war, there’s one more example that I forgot to mention, Jimmy Hughes. Jimmy Hughes is a paid minister who’s claim to fame is that he was a hitman, a murderer. Now he’s a paid minister. Although he admits to being a hitman and murderer, he refuses to name any of the people he was contracted to murder. Oh that’s just between me and God. No it’s not. It involves the families of everyone he has murdered as well as the courts.

Not long ago, Jimmy Hughes was charged in a cold case where three people were murdered on the Cabazon Indian Reservation back in 1981 called the Octopus murders. It was alleged that a member of the Hells Angels hired him to murder another member of the Hells Angels and two of his friends to cover something up.

Glen Heggstad was a member of the Hells Angels who was alleged to have hired Jimmy Hughes to kill Ralph Boger, another member of the Hells Angels and his friends Fred and Patty. The motive for the murders is that Ralph and Fred were going to expose something Glen and a group of others didn’t want exposed.

So Jimmy Hughes was arrested not long ago for the murder but the case flopped and didn’t go anywhere. Now he’s back to being an unrepentant paid minister. The other day I saw one of Glen Heggstad’s books at Chapters. I can’t think of anything more hypocritical then bragging about being a former hit man and refusing to name who he murdered to the courts. That makes his ministry a lie. Yes people can change but you can’t overcome your past without coming clean and accepting responsibility for it.

Three years after the slaying, Jimmy Hughes claimed he was just a bagman in the case, contending that John Philip Nichols had him deliver $25,000 to a man in Idyllwild as partial payment for the hit. But that confession went nowhere. Police couldn't tie Nichols to the triple murders. Perhaps his ties to Robert Booth Nichols had something to do with it. Detectives won't say what prompted them to charge Hughes after all these years. But it's clear they believe Hughes was the hitman, not the bagman.

I used to work with a Protestant who was also a talented musician. He was very cynical about circus style religion and wrote a song about a Jimmy. His song was about three people named Jimmy: Jimmy Baker, Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Jones. He compared all three as snake oil salesmen leading a parade of insanity that was a bizarre circus side show. Clearly we can add one more jimmy to that list: Jimmy Hughes. Buyer Beware.

Justin Trudeau to make bid for liberal leadership

Thank God. What took so long? The Federal liberals wanted to flog and exhaust every other feasible alternative first? Justin Trudeau to lead the party’s come back. Now that’s worth seeing. Finally the son rises after a long dark night. Polls are already saying the nonexistent party has promise under his leadership. The gloves are off. Let’s get ready to RUMBLE…



Update: Canadians have spoken. Trudeaumania has begun.

Shooting in Lloydminster

There was a shooting in Lloydminster, Alberta yesterday morning around 5:00 AM. I have a report claiming Bryan Gower 35 was shot in the head and dead on scene and that Mike Bexson was shot 5 times with conflicting reports as to whether or not he is still alive or is on life support.

The newspapers are confirming shots were heard and Bryan Gower was found dead on the scene. Then comes the same bizarre slogan, the investigation into the death of Bryan Gower is being treated as a suspicious death, pending the results of an autopsy that is scheduled in Edmonton tomorrow. Shot in the head and that’s suspicious. I’d say so. That’s like that SUV in Edmonton that was parked at a cemetery and was riddled with bullets. The police treated their death as suspicious. I don’t understand how they can say that with a straight face.

Reports are also coming in that the White Boy Posse is in town. That’s the Neo Nazi Hells Angels puppet club from Northern Alberta that sell drugs for the Hells Angles. Apparently this shooting was drug related. I’ll tell ya what’s suspicious. That police department is suspicious. That’s not protecting the integrity of an investigation, that’s withholding information from the public. It’s called suppression of crime statistics, namely homicide.

Vancouver man charged with a kilo of crystal meth in Winnipeg

Winnipeg: Police have charged one person identified as Mohammed Akrawi after more than a kilogram of crystal meth ( methamphetamine) was discovered by police during a traffic stop in Winnipeg in the 3500 block of Portage Avenue.

A search of the vehicle found 1.4 kilograms (three pounds) of the drug, estimated to be worth $440,000 on the street. Police also seized an amount of Canadian Currency. A Vancouver, B.C., resident Mohammed Akrawi,37, has been charged and detained in custody.

Since we know the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine are fighting over the right to sell drugs in Winnipeg it had to have come from one of those two groups. Just shows how the dealer on the street is really supplied. Crystal meth is a really bad drug.

Mahatma Gandhi was an inspiration

Mahatma Gandhi was truly an inspiration. Mother Teresa would often quote Gandhi saying he who serves the poor served God. Martin Luther King was also profoundly influenced by Gandhi for his nonviolent activism in confronting evil and righting wrongs.

So here we have one man who inspired two others who in turn did great things. The ripple effect of the pebble in the pond. I might add that Mother Teresa was a Catholic and Martin Luther King was a Protestant. Both were great Christians and great people.

Many people, myself included, get totally turned off religion when people start twisting scriptures to preach hate and intolerance. That is the exact opposite of their intent. Setting religion aside, there is one thing most of us can agree on: the existence of good and evil. We all know that murder and oppression is evil while service and charity is good. You don’t need religion to see that.

Gandhi was a Hindu in India who saw extreme violence between those professing to be Hindu and Muslim. Gandhi said "my Hinduism teaches me to respect all religions. The common factor of all religions is non-violence. Religion is outraged when an outrage is perpetrated in its name. Almost all the riots in the unhappy land take place in the name of religion, though they might have a political motive behind them. There is no room for goondaism in any religion worth the name, be it Islam, Hinduism or any other."

"If religion dies, then India dies. Today the Hindus and the Muslims are clinging to the husk of religion. They have gone mad. But I hope that all this is froth, that all this scum has come to the surface, as happens when the waters of two rivers meet. Everything appears muddy on top and underneath is crystal clear and calm. The scum goes to the sea of itself, and the rivers mingle and flow clear and pure."

Another clown with a 666 tattoo on his face

In contrast, here we have Thor Koba, the son of Per Koba, a high ranking member of the Hells Angels in Denmark. Per’s son Thor is involved with AK81, a local Hells Angels support club. Clearly this guy never saw the movie. Thor is a good guy. He is not a supporter of 666. That would be Loki. So here we have another clown with not only a huge facial tattoo, a huge facial tattoo of the number 666. Does this guy have a job? What kind of a career are you going to have with a huge facial tattoo of the number 666? It doesn’t just scream freak, it also screams idiot. Someone who wants an excuse for not being able to get a real job. Oh right, he’s in prison.

Don’t support your local 666.