Instagram and Facebook says it's removing posts supporting Soleimani to comply with US sanctions

CNN is reporting that "Instagram and its parent company Facebook are removing posts that voice support for slain Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani to comply with US sanctions, a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Business Friday." Welcome to the Brave New World. Which ones are the bad guys again? Please advise.

Journalists demand end to censorship of Iranian media on Instagram

Coda Story is reporting that "After a U.S. drone strike killed Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani, Iranians flocked to one of their favorite platforms, Instagram. But in the days following the general’s death, journalists, activists and ordinary Iranians have experienced shutdowns and censorship – not from Iran, but from Instagram."

"At least fifteen Iranian journalists have reported having their accounts suspended, according to the International Federation of Journalists. Government-owned and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated media agencies such as Tasnim News Agency, the Iran Newspaper and Jamaran News all had their accounts, with a combined hundreds of thousands of followers, removed entirely by Instagram. “This poses an immediate threat to freedom of information in Iran,” the International Federation of Journalists said in a statement."

"Iranian influencers, human rights advocates, and activists are also experiencing account shutdowns. “It’s very widespread, it’s huge,” said Amir Rashidi, an Iran internet security and digital rights researcher based in New York, who watched on Instagram as account after account in Iran was shut down or had posts removed after users discussed the killing. “Every person I saw that posted about Soleimani on Instagram, almost all of their posts have been removed.”

ABC - Newsweek - Washington Post - Market Place - Waking Times

US kills Iranian General responsible for defeating ISIS

Iraqi parliament calls for US troops to be leave

Iraq warns of collapse if Trump blocks oil cash

Freewheelers busted for drugs in Saskatchewan

CBC is reporting that "A seven-month investigation into illegal drug trafficking in the Prince Albert area has resulted in the arrest of 11 people police say have connections with outlaw motorcycle gangs, and the seizure of a significant amount of cash, drugs and weapons."

"Three full-patch members of the FreeWheelers outlaw motorcycle gang, and eight other people, are accused of involvement in illegal trafficking of a significant amount of cocaine and marijuana in Prince Albert and the surrounding area, police said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. The FreeWheelers group has been operating in Prince Albert since May 2019 and has connections to the Hells Angels chapter out of Saskatoon, police said."

Half a kilo of cocaine was seized but pot is legal. Getting that cociane off the street is a good thing. This is what the BC RCMP *should* be doing but aren't. Pity as in pitiful.

Drug abuse and suicide in the UK

I was shocked to hear how prevalent drug and alcohol abuse has become in the UK. Times have changed so they have. I am equally shocked to hear that suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 20-39 in the UK. I knew it was a problem in Ireland but I didn't realize it was UK wide.

Although the two problems are separate, the causes and results often overlap. I mentioned suicide in a Christmas post but I think it needs to be expanded upon. There was an adorable little boy I knew in West Belfast named Kieran. He was like all the other young boys getting into minor mischief throwing rocks at the British Army. He was a bit of a scrapper but for the most part he was very happy go lucky. I was heartbroken to hear that years later he had committed suicide shorltly after discovering the body of his relative that had committed suicide.



The reason I share this is because this is someone I knew and someone I cared about. I wish I had known. I wish there was something I could have done. As far as I know, wee Kieran didn't have a drug problem. He was a boxer like the rest of us.

Likewise, here in Canada, I had a coworker that committed suicide and two more coworkers that each lost a child to suicide. One was a high school student that was bullied at school. The other was a college student with a mental health issue. All three tragedies moved me.

Suicide is obviously a matter of giving up. Tapping out so to speak. Everyone gets discouraged. The question is, how do we deal with that discouragement? Some turn to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain but that quest is self defeating. It never solves the problem it only compounds it. This reinforces the need to stay away from negative people and focus on positive things.

My concern with suicide is that it's always darkest before the dawn. If we tap out before the dawn we never get to see the magnificent sunrise that was right around the corner.

For the most part, people who do drugs don't know who they are. They are either trying to escape something or are looking for something. The problem is you aren't going to find anything on a dead end street. Some start off simply wanting a good time. Yet wickedness never was happiness. Drugs do not bring joy and self respect. They only bring misery and shame.

I remember sitting down with a couple of Mormon missionaries when I was 19. We were discussing religion and they said, we're going to talk about who we are, why we're here and where we go after this life. I interrupted and said hold on. People have fought wars for generations trying to answer those questions and you're going to answer all three right now in 30 minutes or less? We'll let's hear it says me. At the time, everything they said made sense.

Now I am not a polygamist and I do not believe in polyandry. I do however believe in the simple truths. Mother Teresa quoted Gandhi who said he who serves the poor serves God. King Benjamin said the same thing. It's the same gospel. Martin Luther King taught that anyone can be great because anyone can serve. I agree. However, right now I'm just a tired old man and I lean towards Buddha who said If you can, help others. If you can't help them, do no harm to them.

Although I don't attend any church any more I still have a social conscience. I care about the things that matter. I don't care about the things that don't matter. I still remember the words of a wise old chef who rode a shovel head. When I was young he would take me aside, look me in the eye and say having kids was the best thing I ever did in life. I have to agree.

B.C. government disbanded RCMP unit after damning report on organized crime in casinos

Global is reporting that the B.C. government disbanded RCMP unit after damning report on organized crime in casinos. It is being billed as an exclusive Global News investigation with details of the 2009 report. Only this isn't new news. I reported it in 2013 and hammered it in 2018.

I found out about the report the Vancouver Sun obtained in 2011 when a young girl cited it at Dianne Watts mega casino debate at city hall January 2013. There are two problems on the table: Corruption in the BC Liberals and corruption in the BC RCMP.

The BC NDP are rebooting the report to make the BC Liberals look bad and so they should. However, they are also using it to justify their profit from organized crime task force which has become just as corrupt. Addressing money laundering at BC Casinos is indeed important. However, governments should try to stop or reduce organized crime not profit from it. That is the new direction the corrupt BC RCMP have taken and the starry eyed BC NDP have taken the bait hook, line and sinker. Instead of stopping these heinous crimes they want to profit from them.

Surrey voted to disband the RCMP and form a municipal police force like every other mayor city in Canada. Post Media Trash and the RCMP have been fighting that quest ever since the election mandated it. This new RCMP task force that strives to profit from crime has become the root of the problem. I've talked about Operation Phoenix and the book the Road to Hell.

Details of the report cite murder, kidnapping and forced prostitution. Those crimes are indeed heinous. That is why we should be striving to stop them not profit from them. At Bob Paulson's retirement he admitted the RCMP quit trying to stop organized crime. Now these task forces simply want to tax it so they can profit from it. When the RCMP and the government profit from crime, they have no incentive to stop it or reduce it. Their only concern is how to profit from it. No matter how you sell it, that is evil. That is not the New York model. That is the LA model.

Meanwhile back on the ranch, the RCMP have Hells Angels Associates in the Witness Protection Program and are providing police escorts for Cub Pack members to sell cocaine. They are helping the Hells Angels maintain their monopoly on the BC Drug Trade. God Damn you all.



Instead of seizing the proceeds of crime, we need to bring back the OMGU and put organized crime back under provincial jurisdiction. That is what we need to do. Stop the Fraud.

Trolls just wanna be heard

I see Lindsey Stirling is making new YouTube videos again. That is one talented young lady. I saw her when she performed in Vancouver once. She said that when she first started she was on one of those televised talent shows and they told her to give up. They said no one wanted to see a violinist that dances. Nevertheless she remained true to herself and became a YouTube sensation. Her completion of Gavi's song still penetrates my heart. Brave enough alright.

Well I just saw a YouTube video she posted November 8th called Voices with the band Switchfoot. During the video there is a screen with nasty comments displayed. Those were actual comments people had posted to her social media. They were absolutely cruel. The song talks about hearing voices. The turning point in the song is when they change the station and start listening to new voices. Comments that are positive not negative. What a difference.

It's like when Jmmy Kimmel has celebrities read out mean tweets they've received. It' so toxic it's funny. People that say those cruel things are complete losers. Listening to them is a total waste of time. I had forgotten how toxic social media can be. After closing comments on my blog I haven't heard anything from the trolls so their negativity just melted away. Moral of the story: Don't listen to trolls. Listen to yourself. Be the change yo.

MacKay to run for Conservative Leadership

The Canadian Press is reporting that "Former Conservative cabinet minister Peter MacKay says he's in the running for leadership of the federal Conservatives. He posted the message to his social media accounts Wednesday, his first on-the-record acknowledgment of his leadership aspirations. 'I'm in. Stay tuned,' he wrote on Twitter." Of course he did.

Right after Rona Ambrose announced that she's out, Peter MacKay anounced that he's in. Only, as soon as he announced that, the National Post changed their headline to read "Don't rule Rona Ambrose out just yet." LOL Everyone is panicking and are begging her to run. Anyone but Peter McKay they say. Now that is funny. I'm not going to hate on Pete. He does carry that lost puppy dog look ever since Belinda Stronach left him for the Liberals. Lying about referring to her as his dog was kinda silly but that's all past history right?

What isn't past history is his war crimes in Afghanistan. How can we place Peter MacKay in a position of trust if he is a progressive liar? I say progressive because lying about making fun of his old girlfriend is a small lie. Lying about the Harper government's knowledge of prisoners being tortured in Afghanistan is a huge lie. As is refusing to release the documents which proved it and heavily censoring the evidence with a black felt marker.

When Pete was Harper's right hand man, they fired the whitleblower for exposing the fact that they were handing over Afghan prisoners to be tortured. They slandered him and fired him. Although Belinda Stronach's lost puppy is past history, Peter MacKay's cover up of war crimes is not. That still needs to be dealt with especially as we reexamine Canada's place in the oil wars.

Pete's free to run for whatever he wants to but the fact that the big guns are terrified to run him shows that his candidacy is already flawed. There is no question that Jean Charest is the rising star in this contest. The question is, do the Conservative want to win the next election or do they want to continue to grope in the darkness over Jason Kenny's Me First failures. I would vote for Jean Charest if he ran for Prime minister. I would not vote for Peter MacKay. Just say'n.



Why can’t Peter MacKay speak French? GOOD LUCK MISTER!

The Democratic Presidential Debate

I didn't watch the Democratic Presidential Debate but I will say this: it was nice to see Hilary Clinton was not there. Last election, having to choose between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump was like having to choose between getting shot in the left leg or the right leg. Either way it's going to be painful. How about neither?

In this case I don't know enough about the candidates to make an endorsement so I'll let nature take it's course. However, I will point out that "The New York Times will announce its Democratic primary endorsement on Jan. 19." I find that statement interesting.

Growing up I always thought newspapers were supposed to be impartial. That's why I found Rupert Murdoch's political bias so disturbing. The New York Times certainly has every right to make an endorsement in an election. Since, unlike the New York Daily, the New York Times is not owned by Rupert Murdoch, I would take their endorsement a little more seriously. The caution I have is when a media monopoly makes an endorsement then censors negative stories about their endorsement. When one media giant owns a monopoly, that kind of bias is concerning.

Amy Klobuchar talked about fiscal responsibility and said Trump has run up the debt. That is a good point. Everyone claims the left will tax and spend while the right will reduce spending and taxes but we see in reality that is far from the case. Neo Cons tax and spend more than the left does. Those pork barrel politicians are not fiscally responsible. This is why I supported Thomas Mulclair in Canada. He said the same thing.

I'm not a fan of abortion. In cases of incest or rape it is a very hard and very private decision. When the health of the mother is at risk it is automatic. It's not even called an abortion it's called a D&C. However, late term abortion as a form of birth control is sheer irresponsibility. Abortion stops a beating heart. It reminds me of when ancient Greece would leave disabled babies to die on a hillside. We are better then that. So although killing babies isn't a priority I obsess over, I realize there is more than one issue on the table. I don't support gun control either.

For me, drug trafficking, arms dealing and oil wars is important. All of that is tied directly to the CIA. That means my concern is how close is the presidential candidate with the CIA? Hilary Clinton was too close. Her drug trafficking didn't start with Operation Fast and Furious, it started in Mena Arkansas. Neither did her arms dealing begin and end with Quatar and Saudi Arabia. Arming ISIS has become an American tradition that we need to address.

All I know is that Donald Trump has lost his mind. Destabilizing the Middle East by threatening a disproportionate terrorist attack against Iran was purely satanic. That is how history will remember him. Wars and sanctions need to revolve around moral principles not corporate greed.

Mexican cop films dying cartel member

The Daily Mail is reporting that "Video footage has emerged showing the dying moments of a female cartel boss after she was fatally wounded during a shootout with police in Mexico. The clip and photographs appear to confirm she was María Guadalupe López Esquivel, known as 'La Catrina,' a female member of a cartel hit squad that massacred 13 police officers in October. The 21-year-old was involved in an attack against the military, national guard and police in La Bocanda, a town in the central state of Michoacán."

I have a lot to say about this one. We all know that the Mexican police have a bad reputation for being corrupt. Here we have a cop in Mexico video taping a young women shot on the side of the road before she dies. AYFKM? He claims that she was a member of a cartel hit squad that massacred 13 police officers in October. That is what he claims.

Yet we have no way of verifying whether or not that is true just like we have no way of verifying whether or not anyone the CIA executes with a drone really is a bad guy. We believe in due process. We do not believe in extrajudicial executions. Filming a young woman as she is dying is in bad taste. Posting those pictures on the Internet is in bad taste. Violence begets violence.

"One of the strongest and most recognizable symbols of The Day of the Dead celebrations is the tall female skeleton wearing a fancy hat with feathers. Her name is La Catrina who is a goddess of death that the Aztecs alleged protected their departed loved ones, helping them into the next stages" of the afterlife. Disney portrayed La Catrina in the movie Coco.

If it was her, the reason they killed her is because her cartel is a rival of the one the CIA was arms dealing with and getting their cocaine from in Operation Fast and Furious.

Was the girl they shot and filmed bleeding on the side of the road the same girl as the one in the picture holding the gold AK? I do not know. To me, they do not look the same. But then again, I didn't think the Bin Laden confession video looked anything like Bin Laden.

The former president of Colombia has a very bad reputation for killing villagers and dressing them us as paramilitaries to boast false positive killings. I don't know if that is what they have done here, but I do know that posting pictures of dying girls is in bad taste. You all need to find some self respect because you've lost it and no one can find it for you. That's something you're going to have to find for yourself. La Catrina: Peace. We'll see you on the other side.



This video she posted seems to have a positive political message. Give it up for OneWayRD.

Police suspect foul play after man found dead in Burnaby

Global is reporting that "Detectives are investigating the suspicious death of a man in Burnaby Monday morning. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says Joseph Vincent Morrissey, 51, was found dead in the 6700-block of 4th Street around 7:20 a.m. Police say the Vancouver man had "injuries consistent with foul play," and that the death is believed to be connected to the drug trade." Big surprise.

This is why enforcement saves lives not harm promotion. Wherever the police allow drugs to be sold openly, the violent crime in that area skyrockets. If you reduce the amount of drugs sold publicly, you reduce the violent crime associated with it.

Likewise, the Aldergrove Star is reporting that a person was found dead Saturday in east Maple Ridge near the 24500-block of Lougheed Highway. “Though the area is rural, investigators believe that it does get used frequently by pedestrians." Things that make ya go hmmmm. Sounds like another fatality connected to the drug trade. Maple Ridge has a large drug problem now that needs to be dealt with not swept under the carpet.

Hells Angels Associates sentenced for drug trafficking in Ontario again

Inquinite is reporting that "Calvin Hyderman, 63, of Frankford, Nicholas Runnalls, 41, of Belleville and Mark Dunn, 50, of Trenton were found guilty in Belleville court on Monday of possession for the purpose of trafficking."

"The three men were charged in late June, 2018 after the OPP and Belleville Police searched homes in Belleville, Trenton and Frankford and seized an unspecified quantity of cocaine, along with drug paraphernalia, weigh scales, some Canadian currency and colours belonging to the Hell’s Angels."

In 2017 more Hells Angels associates were charged with drug trafficking in that area. One of those men, Blair Crawford was sentenced in 2018.

Yvan Leclair is the full patch Hells Angel those drug dealers were working for in 2017. Leclair's lawyer claimed that he may have been a Hells Angel, but Yvan Leclair was on his own when selling cocaine and guns to undercover cops which as we all know is simply not true. They were using the name of the Hells Angels to sell drugs. That means they had the permission of the local executive. As the world is distracted with more important things, the Hells Angels are still drug trafficking here at home. Stop the greed. Live the dream, don't pimp it.