The Secrets Of Vancouver BC, Canada

Bullying the Bully – David Suzuki

Poor David.

After spending a lifetime of scaring kids that the world is about to end, he has decided it’s best he no longer represents his foundation.

David acknowledges that the environmental movement has reached a dead end, saying: “I absolutely agree.” The federal government is hostile, and environmental agendas are being rolled back everywhere.

“I have reached a point in my life where I would like to consider myself an elder. I want to speak freely without fear that my words will be deemed too political, and harm the organization of which I am so proud. I am keenly aware that some governments, industries and special interest groups are working hard to silence us. They use threats to the Foundation’s charitable status in attempts to mute its powerful voice on issues that matter deeply to you and many other Canadians.

This bullying demonstrates how important it is to speak out.

The Foundation’s science-based, solutions-oriented research and educational work has enriched our democracy and reflected Canadian values for two decades. While not always happily received by governments or industrial interests, this work is strictly non-partisan, as required by the laws governing charities, and has made the Foundation one of the most trusted environmental voices in Canada.

Our opponents, however, are redoubling their efforts to marginalize the Foundation by getting at me, personally.”

I remember when David Suzuki wanted to jail political leaders for ignoring the science behind climate change. This type of rhetoric doesn’t make politicians too open to your cause.

A few of his better moments: More »

Someone Finally Has Made a Scooter For Men.

What does a fat woman and a scooter have in common? They are both fun to ride till a friend sees you.

Now BMW has changed it for the better:

Called the the Urban Mobility Vehicle, it beats the Smart Car concept by providing something cool, fun and fast.

First ride story here..

Truth Hurts -The UN At Its Best

The reality of Israel and the Palestinian situation.. Can’t take issue with any point made in this video.  It will only get worse in the months ahead.

Although the video may be considered “Hate Speech” in Canada, the links below are not…

Here is a few encouraging items:

Hamas: “Kill all Jews”
‪http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-baltimore/kill-al-jews-statement-co..

Kill Jews for Allah
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=427

Hamas MP: Jews were brought to Palestine for the “Great Massacre”
‪http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fic15V8ChE

Hamas charter quotes scripture to justify killing Jews
http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/www.thejerusalemfund.org/carryover/documents/…

Apartheid in the Middle East
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4UTgaLXFR0

Where’s the international outcry against Arab apartheid?
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=212512

Twitter Is Driving Politicians Crazy

From NDP MP Charlie Angus:

“Being on Twitter is like being badgered by a drunk on a 24-hour bus ride,” Angus wrote in his manifesto on the Huffington Post.

“Twitter seems to be morphing into a bully pulpit for trolls. It is a technology that favours the flash mob. In England, the racist takeover of some Twitter feeds has resulted in people going to jail. The digital mob is no different from a street mob. It can be excitable, goodnatured or vicious, but don’t ever mistake the mob for a democracy.”

He joins a growing number of public figures who’ve decided they’ve had enough. Among them is Manchester City soccer player Micah Richards, who is black, and who abandoned Twitter because as a friend of his told a British newspaper: “In recent months, there’s been an increase in racist abuse from a small and depressing minority, and he decided enough was enough.”

The more we can get politicians off of Twitter, the better. Great work trolls.

New Way To House Women In Vancouver

Vancouver is piloting a program to house downtown eastside women in shipping containers – a new form of social housing.

The 320-square-foot units will be located on Alexander Street.

Built from 12 shipping containers stacked three high, giving each lady a bathroom, and a kitchen.

Atira executive director Janice Abbott says they will create nice, safe and affordable accommodations for women without a permanent home.

The city has already provided a building permit for the project. If all other approvals can be granted in the next few weeks, Abbott said, the development could be ready for tenants by some time in the summer. Six of the 12 units will be rented at the welfare rental subsidy rate of $375 per month.

Beats living on the street and at a cost of $85,000/unit, classifies as cheap housing here.

The Canadian Patriotic Retirement Plan

Had to share.. from a friend:

Dear Steven Harper,

Please find below my suggestions for fixing the CANADIAN economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to banks that squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about Ten million people over 50 in the work force.  Pay them $2 million each with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Ten million job openings – unemployment fixed

2) They MUST buy a new Canadian car.   Ten million cars ordered – Car Industry fixed

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage. Housing Crisis fixed

4) They MUST send their kids to school/college/university. Crime rate fixed

5) They MUST buy $100 WORTH of alcohol/tobacco a week… And there’s your money back in duty/tax etc

It can’t get any easier than that!

Also: Let’s put the pensioners in jail and the criminals in a nursing home.

• This way the pensioners would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.
• They’d receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc and they’d receive money instead of paying it out.
• They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance.
• A guard would check on them every hour and bring their meals and snacks to their cell.
• They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
• They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, and education.
• Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ’s and legal aid would be free, on request.
• Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.
• Each senior could have a TV, radio and daily phone calls.
• There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
• The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised. Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week.  Live in a tiny room and pay $400.00 per week and have no hope of ever getting out.

Think about this (more points of contention):

COWS:

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Goondiwindi almost three years ago, right to the paddock where she slept in the feedlot at Bony Mountain? And, they even tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 125,000 illegal immigrants wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

photo credit: Lone Primate

Media Lies and Union Logic on Caterpillar’s Plant Closing

An editorial by Coyne in the Montreal Gazette on the Caterpillar closing of the Electro-Motive Diesel locomotive plant in London, Ont.

The union and far-left media has been enraged and have taken a few liberties with the truth.. in fact their whole argument is based in outright lies.

1) Caterpillar was absconding with a vast storehouse of intellectual property developed at “London’s 90-year-old EMD” — patents, technology, equipment, trade secrets, manufacturing processes, the works.

EMD is not a Canadian company. Caterpillar bought it from American private equity firms who bought it from General Motors, who bought it from its Ohio-based founders in 1930. Since 1935 it has been headquartered in La Grange, Illinois. The London branch plant was opened in 1950.

Even if it were a Canadian company, and even if it possessed a Valhalla of patents, it still wouldn’t belong to “us.” It would belong to them: its Canadian owners, who shelled out good money for it, presumably in anticipation of selling it one day. Caterpillar didn’t steal the company: it paid for it.

2) “Only last year, a $5-million federal subsidy hand-delivered by Stephen Harper during a factory visit.”

EMD never received any subsidies from the federal government; certainly not since Caterpillar bought it. The Harper visit to which Olive refers was to promote a tax break for the purchasers of locomotives, not the manufacturers. The visit occurred in 2008, two years before the Caterpillar purchase.

3) It was nothing less than “highway robbery,” political columnist Martin Regg Cohn raged. Caterpillar had bought the plant purely in order to “harvest the technological know-how subsidized with government incentives and writeoffs.” But never mind the industrial rape: there are bigger issues in play. “Why underwrite our companies,” Cohn wrote, “if we willingly sell off our embedded brainpower to foreign bidders who leave Canada cash-rich, patent poor and jobless?” More »

Made For Canada – This Bud’s For You.

The best ad of the Superbowl.. a day early. Our field of dreams.

Seattle Flights Just Got Even Cheaper

Vancouver Airport decided to raise the fees on travelers by 33% (again).

“Every penny of (airport improvement fees) collected goes toward building a better airport for British Columbia,” said Larry Berg, Vancouver Airport Authority president and CEO.

That’s great… but considering that I have saved an average of $200 per flight (Hawaii savings for two = $850/or free hotel) by taking the (enjoyable) trip to Washington, plus the savings on duty-free beer, hopefully they will learn that there is a limit to overcharging people.

I am in business… I travel every month to the US and Asia. The additional fees (and higher airfares in general) to have the privilege of flying out of YVR, comes right off my bottom line. The savings I get by spending and additional 45 minutes to go to Bellingham, means I can also fill my SUV, and have a dinner or two and still be ahead.

Plus, I don’t have to put up with those grumpy old Air Canada stewardesses.

I’m not the only one. The border-crossing folks tell me that they are seeing a huge increase in people from Vancouver driving to Belllngham to fly.

Meanwhile, Premier Christy Clark lauded the “next century” improvements at YVR as helping to build on her government’s B.C. Jobs Plan.

“This level of investment demonstrates YVR’s confidence in British Columbia, our economic strategy and the thousands of British Columbians working at the airport,” she said in a statement

Investment? When did YVR ever end making investments. At least they aren’t making you fork over $10 at security like they did through the 90′s.

Watch the layoffs start there by summer. The YVR airport is about to find out how the Lauffer curve works.

photo credit: caribb