Vancouver Secrets

H1N1 – When You Get It, Stay Off The Internet – Please.

US government report recommends blocking popular websites during pandemic flu outbreak

(NaturalNews) The US government has issued a new report that recommends blocking access to popular websites during a pandemic outbreak in order to preserve internet bandwidth for investors, day traders and securities clearing house operations.

The concern is that a pandemic would cause too many people to stay at home and download YouTube videos and porn, hogging all the internet bandwidth and blocking throughput for investment activities, thereby causing a stock market meltdown.

This isn’t a joke. It’s all based on a public report issued by the Government Accounting Office (GAO), http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d108.pdf

This report in question is entitled, “GAO Report to Congressional Requesters, INFLUENZA PANDEMIC” and includes this subtitle: Key Securities Market Participants Are Making Progress, but Agencies Could Do More to Address Potential Internet Congestion and Encourage Readiness.

As the report explains:

In a severe pandemic, governments may close schools, shut down public transportation systems, and ban public gatherings such as concerts or sporting events. In such scenarios, many more people than usual may be at home during the day, and Internet use in residential neighborhoods could increase significantly as a result of people seeking news, entertainment, or social contact from home computers. Concerns have been raised that this additional traffic could lead to congestion on the Internet that would significantly affect businesses in local neighborhoods, such as small doctors’ offices or business employees attempting to telework by connecting to their employers’ enterprise networks.

I don’t know about you, but when I get H1N1 I will do my part and stay away from the Internet.

photo credit: mugley

Vancouver Criminal Of The Week

The Police in Langley, British Columbia are looking for a woman who kicked a man in the groin so hard he lost a testicle — and it’s not the first time.

B.C. police seek serial groin-kicker after series of attacks

LANGLEY, B.C. — Police in Langley are investigating after a woman kicked a man in the groin so hard he lost a testicle — the latest in a series of similar assaults.

“I just want to know what her problem is,” victim Anthony Clark, 22, said this week. “People like her shouldn’t be on the streets.”

Mr. Clark was walking in the Brookswood area of Langley  when he passed his assailant on the sidewalk.

“I was looking down and then I took a passing glance and saw her walk up to me,” he said.

That’s when the young woman inexplicably kicked him in the groin hard enough to send one of his testicles into his abdomen.

Constables have told him there have been three or four similar assaults on other men, Mr. Clark said.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian woman, in her late teens or early 20s. She was between five-foot-five and five-foot-seven and 130 pounds with a slim build and brown hair.

Gird your loins.

Coincidence?…

photo credit: Kaptain Kobold

Forcing Kids Into Poverty

Quebec group demands apology francophone ‘ethnocide’

MONTREAL — Prince Charles should use the occasion of his visit to Quebec next month to apologize on behalf of the British Crown for past harm caused to French culture in North America, says the Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will visit Montreal during the couple’s visit to Canada from Nov. 2 to Nov. 12.

The group says it wrote the Prince on Friday to say he will be welcome in Quebec if he apologizes for “ethnocide” of francophones after New France passed into the hands of Britain in 1763.

Among the alleged acts of oppression: Acadian deportations; deporting or executing the leaders of the Patriote rebellions of 1837-1838; instituting a majority-English Canada in 1840; execution of Metis leader Louis Riel in 1885; and repatriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982 without Quebec approval.

The hardline French-language rights organization says it will support anti-British demonstrations during the visit if an apology is not forthcoming.

I’ve always wondered why a province would isolate itself with a language that the marketplace can’t understand. By keeping kids in french-only school they deprive them of the opportunity to earn an income outside of Quebec, and limit their opportunity.

Considering the opportunity that lies to the south and a little bit to the west, Quebec should apologize to their people for not making English its primary language, causing a cycle of poverty for french-only Quebecers.

Ask a separatist why they want to separate... there is no rational answer.

The separatist movement is about extorting Canada for money – every time there is a downturn, separatist rhetoric rackets up. And we pay them off with government contracts and handouts. Works every time.

Considering the Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste slogan when they formed was “help yourself and Heaven will help you”… they may just want to reflect on that for a bit.

The French culture is a lot more than the language – the Quebecers I’ve met have a unique perspective on life, value social engagement over material goods, and are generally beautiful people. The ones that are using this culture as a political tool do them great damage.

If they would come to understand that teaching their kids English as a primary language is beneficial for them economically and culturally, they might discover that North America would come to appreciate the french culture – if they could just understand them. 

Just like the Irish.

photo credit: mtlp

Obama Gets A Win!

Obama Scores Win over Military Lobby

President Obama has successfully pared back almost all of the expensive weapons systems cut earlier this year, setting a tone of greater restraint than the Pentagon had seen in many years, the New York Times reports. “They probably got all of them but one or maybe two, and that’s an extraordinarily high score,” said Fred Downey of the Aerospace Industries Association.

In other news:

Ethics probe so big lawmakers have to take a number — half the Pentagon spending committee caught in net

One step forward. one step back…

photo credit: San Diego Shooter

Spending Too Much Time Indoors?

Great ad… and from Canada.

Extreme Weather Forecast For Vancouver Olympic Games

photo credit: cinocino

New Law Lets Police Force Homeless to Visit Shelter

Controversial legislation assailed by civil liberties advocates, NDP.

Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman introduced legislation today that will allow police to force homeless people to go to shelters during extreme weather.

“This act will give police a tool to say, ‘You have to go to the shelter,’” said Coleman. Once offered a bed and a meal, most people will choose to stay, he said. “We just think we need the tool to get them there.”

It defines a “person at risk” as someone who is at least 19 years old who “in the opinion of the police officer is suffering physical harm or is at risk of suffering physical harm because of the extreme weather conditions.”

My guess is the week before the games begin, we’ll be hit by extreme weather. It’s now the only way to deal with the embarassing homeless situation we’ve allowed to thrive in Vancouver.

The bill comes to the legislature the day before the Olympic torch relay begins. Asked if it is part of a plan to sweep the streets of homeless people before and during the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Coleman said. “That always comes up but I’m going to tell you it’s absolutely wrong… This has got nothing to do with the Olympics.”

Yeah, right.

Funny what a culture of accommodation does. They can’t (won’t) arrest them for smoking crack, selling drugs, prostitution, or behavior that would get anyone else locked up for the night.

By creating a law of compassion, it now gives the police the power to get homeless people off the street. My guess is that they’ll use it for the bad actors, so we’re not completely embarrassed by the world’s cameras.

Bring on the games…