Finian's Paradise: New Years Eve

Yo ho. I took my motorcycle up to Cypress mountain today and snowshoed up Hollyburn Ridge. Now that's what I'm talking about. It was a fine day so it was. New Years Eve.



I usually like to get up early New Years Day and snowshoe up in the dark with my headlamp so I can catch the sunrise from the mountain top. Weather permitting. The weather was better today so I went up the day before. Lots of things happening on all the local mountains over New Years.



Inversion was once again in effect. It's very Zen so it is. It's been pretty dark and dreary in the city lately with all this freezing rain and slush. The good news is that all that rain means fresh snow on the mountain. If you don't head up you'll never see it.



I always used to say that leaving all the rain in the city to ride up above the snow line brings you to a winter wonderland. Coming back down to the rain in the city after spending the day in the snow is like waking up from a pleasant dream.



The view from the top is breathtaking. The back country is filled with snow capped mountains as far as the eye can see. The Lions are a traditional landmark in Vancouver.



My father used to always like to take pictures of the Lions from Cleveland Dam at the foot of Grouse Mountain. I like to take pictures of them face to face from Sky Chair. During ski season I have to settle for Hollyburn Ridge.



They say the only peace you find in the mountains is that which you bring with you. Perhaps but I find hiking in the mountains helps clear the mind. It lifts the blinders and lets you see the big picture so it does. Keeping that perspective in life is important. It's always good to look at the big picture so it is. Think outside the box. Which ties in with our New Years message. Wait for it. The clock hasn't struck midnight on the west coast yet. For me, New Years doesn't start until sunrise.

Antagonizing North Korea is Bad Business

Reuters is reporting that "South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday. The seizure was the second to be revealed by South Korea within a few days, as the United Nations steps up efforts to squeeze essential oil supplies to the reclusive North following its nuclear or ballistic missile tests." Was it from Venezuela?

Everyone realizes that North Korea is not a democracy and that Kim Jong Un is a lunatic but why provoke him? Why? Launching missiles and threatening the world is unacceptable. However, neither is provoking a conflict with him. Sanctions against North Korea are appropriate. Any country that disproves of his behavior is free to say we will no longer do business with you until you change your behavior. Yet no single nation has the right to say no on else is allowed to do business with you either. That crosses the line.

The Helms Burton Law imposing sanctions on Cuba was pretty draconian. Yet the Americans had every right to say we refuse to do business with you. Did they in turn have the right to say no one else does? No they did not. They had the right to say if you do business with Cuba we will not do business with you, but they did not have the right to board and seize other vessels who disagreed with their boycott of Cuba. That would have crossed the line.

Excessive sanctions against Germany after WWI caused WWII. Lest we forget.

Right now we are preparing for a world Olympics in South Korea. The United States do not have the right to destroy that event for the rest of the world. If they don't want to participate fine, stay home but don't deny everyone else the right to participate in that peaceful event because others disagree with your extremism. Communism is bad. The Americans did a great thing in supporting the Korean War. However, everything has it's time and place. Provoking war in a time of peace is not noble. Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called Children of God.

The world sees Donald Trump as a hillbilly. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Yes he was democratically elected but so was Hitler. Donald Trump is in a completely different league than a Communist dictator yet most of the world sees him as a lunatic to endure not a role model to follow. We can most certainly work with Trump but we obviously will not agree with him on every issue. That is our right in a free and democratic society.

North Korea has been invited to the Winter Olympics next month. They are welcome to attend along with Communist China who has a far worse human rights record that North Korea or Cuba combined. We cannot shun one and embrace the other. We disagree with their politics. That is our right. As long as they do not invade or impose their will on us, we can still do business with them and we can still be cordial to them at a peaceful world event.

The Iron Dome is in place. The venue is ready. Let the Games begin. Stop provoking conflict.

Spotlight on the Hells Angels in Thailand

We've already seen a glimpse of the dark side of the Hells Angels in Thailand. I'm not talking about their involvement in the drug trade or the sex trade. I'm not even talking about them killing rivals to obtain a monopoly on that industry. I'm talking about them killing one of their own so another member can take over the drug trade from him. That's the dirty business I take exception to. That is a complete contradiction to the old school values Michael Green is referring to.

George Christie, former president of the Ventura Hells Angels once said, the Hells Angels are not a criminal organization because the members who are involved in criminals activity are stingy and don't share the proceeds of crime with the rest of the members. That is believable. We know that usually one member is assigned to one associate who oversees a group of associates that are deeply involved in drug trafficking. They use the name of the Hells Angels to do business.

As David Giles admitted, not every member is involved with criminal activity but anyone who uses the name of the club for criminal activity must have permission from the local executive. So the member in charge of the associate selling drugs would make the money and the local executive would get a cut. The rest of the members wouldn't. That's why Luke Joshua Cook helped Antonio Bagnato after he killed Wayne Schneider. Somebody wantd to take over the business. AFFA Not.

As to which local executive approved the murder, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to do the math. Thailand obviously got it's liscense to sell drugs to Australia from the Australian chapter. There are retired German members in Thailand but the Australian chapter is obviously the one that oversees the Hells Angels drug trade in Thailand. If an Australian member was to hire someone to kill another Australian member so he could take over the drug trade from him, he would of had to have permission from the Australian chapter's executive. It's pretty obvious.

So lets take a look at the Hells Angels in Thailand. No I'm not going to comment on the bisexual members in Thailand because if I do the other chapters will freak and do them in. As far as I'm concerned what consenting adults do behind closed doors is their business. I'm just saying that kind of warm brotherhood is a little too warm for my liking personally but to each their own.

Errol Gildea is President of HAMC Nomads Thailand, (and overall boss of Thailand) Reiner was President of HAMC Pattaya but he is just a figurehead after his accident. Greven is President of Chiang Mai. Errol was president of Brisbane in Australia before being put in charge of Thailand.



In this picture from right to left on the front row is Glen Norris, Wayne Schneider and Greven. Wayne was the drug kingpin brutally murdered along with his associate from Sydney Raphael Joseph. Luke Joshua Cook was convicted of helping the shooter escape. Before that Luke was suspected of receiving US$10 million from Wayne in early 2015 to buy 500 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice", in international waters and store it in Thailand for later smuggling into Australia. So here we have someone who worked for Wayne help the shooter that killed him.



This picture was taken a at a HAMC world run a few years ago right to left is Manfred Peter Gallus aka Kaktus who is the National secretary for all of Thailand HAMC, Glen Mathew Norris, Alex Hochloff Lenander from Copenhagen in Denmark, Bird from Thailand Nomads chapter (he runs a house of pain tattoo studio in Phuket) Mathew "taps" Robinson, Joy who is also a tattoist, Oli and Christer "greven" Svantesan who is a decent guy from Göteborg, Sweden. There are 3 chapters of HAMC Thailand: Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Nomads. Gremium MC has 2 charters in Pattaya. Gremium MC get along with HAs and Bandidos in Thailand.

In fact even the HAs get along with the Bandidos in Thailand. There is hope for this world yet.



This picture above has Reiner. (past and possible present president of HAMC Pattaya, he is somewhat handicapped due to a motorcycle accident) Next is Theo who is boss of Bandidos next is Thaksin ''Sin'' Monothaksin who was a friend of Wayne Schneider. Wayne was well liked and respected. Last is Manfred Peter Gallus aka Kaktus. He is in the video with Reiner and Thaksin filing a police report because his facebook page got hacked.



This picture above has Taps in it. (Phillip Mathew Robinson) He is the Hells Angel, it has Vinai in it he is the Thai Man and the President of Shark Rider MC and the president of Pattaya Bandidos.

In fact, this was the root of the conflict between George Christie and Sonny Barger. Sonny didn't want the Hells Angels to get along with other clubs and George said why the hell not? We get along in prison. Why can't we get along outside of prison? It's all in George's book Exile on Front Street. Sonny was a puppet for the Agency. The only time you don't want to get along with other MCs is when you want a monopoly on the drug trade. Which is something your not suposed to be involved with any ways. Your supposed to be living the dream not pimping the dream.

The Aging Rebel wrote about CNN journalist Lisa Ling's facebook exchange with former federal law enforcement agent Scott Barnes who says that he, along with the BET – Biker Enforcement Team, incited war between the Mongols and Hells Angels that led to a number of deaths.”



The Nomads in Thailand look pretty normal. Now that's L&R.

Like I said I'm not going to talk about Errol's sexuality. Much. I'll let you figure that one out for yourself. All I'm going to say is that pride cometh before the fall so it does. Just like it did in Rome.

Walter Stadnick and Mom Boucher

This is somewhat of a blast from the past but I just wanted to set the record straight. Jerry Langton wrote an interesting book called Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick. Who is Jerry Langton? Jerry is a Canadian who was the deputy editor for The Daily News in New York City. Jerry was born the same year I was in Hamilton, Ontario. He spent most of his adult life in Toronto and New York City. He is a Canadian crime novelist who focuses on the uprising of motorcycle gangs throughout Ontario. He has credibility.

Walter Stadnick was five foot four. To say he had small man syndrome was an understatement. Thus the title of Jerry Langton's book, The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick. Stadnick was not from Quebec. He was an Anglophone from Hamilton. Stadnick became National President of the Canadian Hells Angels because he was friends with Mom Boucher.

Stadnick was an Ontario drug dealer tied to Gerald Ward. His real name is Wolodumir and was released from prison in January 2016. His connection to the Italian Mafia was though Hamilton, home of the Calabrians, rivals of the Rizzutos in Montreal. He became a member of the Hells Angels after sucking up to the guys responsible for the Lennoxville massacre just like Mommy Dearest and David Giles did.



Mom Boucher got his patch after getting out of jail for armed rape. Some rules don't apply to some members. Boucher was involved with the Death Riders betrayal which gave the Hells Angels control of the drug trade in Laval. Stadnick and Boucher were about selling drugs and murdering rivals. They were not about living the dream. They pimped it.

The book Biker Trials: Bringing Down the Hells Angels states that Boucher was a petty thief that would do break and enters. November 1975 he and a friend burst into a Butcher shop and robbed the 71 year old owner with a riffle and a butcher knife.

So Mommy dearest started off as a petty thief and a rapist and made it to the big leagues selling drugs in large quantities. Amazing what a little guy can accomplish with a gun and a knife. Too bad the knife was found in the backs of those he saw as a threat to his leadership.

Walter Stadnick and Mom Boucher are Out in Bad from the Real MC movement. Just sayin.

Surrey traffic accident

A traffic accident had King George Hwy and 104th Avenue completely blocked off earlier today. Good thing the LRT isn't running through there yet. What a mess that will be.

Michael Green from TBM and Henk Kuipers from the No Surrender MC

A local TV station in Scandinavia is doing a series on Henk Kuipers from the No Surrender MC. At 1:38 of the video he introduces Michael Green, the international spokesman for TBM. They asked Henk about the gang war and he referred to Michael as a consigliere between the clubs. He helps mediate conflicts and helps keep the peace. At 1:54 in the video Michael is speaking in English about his role in negotiating between the clubs.

Now that's what I'm talking about. It's no secret that Michael is personal friends with Henk and that he was consulted when the No Surrender Crew started up in Norway. Michael doesn't have a patch because he doesn't need one. He has street cred. He knows people in the industry and people come to him for advice.

Michael could have a patch in the snap of a finger. He choses not to because he has a higher calling. Michael's Christmas Message called for a return to old school values within the MC community. He spoke out for peace between the clubs and an end to infighting. He said the government is the real enemy and if we don't get our act together and stop fighting among ourselves, the whole movement will be destroyed within a few years. He is absolutely right. It's time to live the dream and stop pimping the dream. Scandinavia has raised the bar so it has.

Court throws out 2 year mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking pot

The Peace Arch News is reporting that "The Appeal Court of B.C. has affirmed a lower court judge’s conclusion that the minimum punishment of two years in prison under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking is cruel and unusual punishment."

"Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein dismissed on Dec. 28 in Vancouver the Crown’s appeal of a 10-month sentence imposed after Phillip Francis McGee pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and production of marijuana in the Surrey home he was renting."

I have to laugh and ask where does it say growing pot is a charter right? It doesn't. The clause they are citing is the protection against cruel and unusual punishment. I'm not sure if a two year minimum sentence for trafficking pot is cruel and unusual punishment but it is excessive and stupid. Pot is going to be legal in July. So he was growing tomatoes without a licence. Big deal?

We have to once again ask ourselves why the Surrey RCMP are obsessing over pot when it will soon be legal while they turn a blind eye to fentanyl dealers on the Surrey strip. That is unequal protection of the law and just plain stupid.

Charges in Surrey Coffee-shop shooting

The Georgia Straight is reporting that "The Mounties say that a 34-year-old Surrey man faces four serious criminal charges following a brazen shooting on December 23. Son Thai Lu has been booked on attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and pointing a firearm after a man was fired upon in a coffee shop in the 13500 block of 105th Avenue. The victim is recovering from serious injuries. The gunman fled the scene of the crime in the busy Surrey City Centre neighbourhood."

“The shooting appears to have been motivated by a disagreement between the two men,” Cpl. Scotty Schumann said in a news release. “There is no known link to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict and we’re thankful no one else was injured.”

Homicide in Abbotsford Identified

The Abbotsford News is reporting that "Police are on the scene of a homicide in the area of Harris Road and Bates Road. Abbotsford Police Sgt. Judy Bird said emergency services were called to the area at about 2:30 p.m. today (Thursday) following reports of a possible shooting. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has since indicated that it has been deployed to Abbotsford for a new homicide.”

The Indo Canadian Voice is reporting that "the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team on Friday announced that the victim of Thursday’s homicide in Abbotsford was Alexander Blanarou, 24, of Surrey." So we have a surrey guy shot in Abbotsford and another shot in North Vancouver along with a Hells Angel supporter shot dead in Maple Ridge.

Police in Victoria investigating two bodies found on Christmas Day

The Peace Arch News is reporting that "Police on Vancouver Island are investigating after two bodies were found in a Greater Victoria apartment building on Christmas Day." Freaking crackheads. People have lost their minds.

The Times Colonist is reporting that "Two children are dead and their father is injured in what Oak Bay police are investigating as possible homicides and an attempted suicide on Christmas Day. The young girls, ages four and six, were found dead in the ground-floor apartment at 1400 Beach Dr. around 5 p.m., when police entered the suite. The father was found with self-inflicted injuries in an attempted suicide, sources close to the family told the Times Colonist." Insane.

CBC has released pictures of the daughters. The guy is a complete mental case.