Vancouver Secrets

Lying To Be Perfect – Olympic Games

Vancouver Is Awesome…

As the 2010 games approach, the PR blitz has begun.

But just like the Miss America 2010 Winner, Vancouver will need to hide its blemishes.

We have more than a few groups ready to challenge the Winter Olympics committee’s best efforts at packaging us:

We have the Anarchists: Anti-2010 protesters, some carrying black flags and burning torches, gathered for what had all the hallmarks of a dress rehearsal for the street protests that could erupt during the Winter Games just over two weeks away.

Wherever the world’s media is, you can count on the nuts to arrive.

Don’t worry though, we have been given the rules:

If you’re coming here to protest, just follow the rules please. Unfortunately, Vancouver anarchists can’t read. Also, we get to see how valid our Canadian Charter Of Rights really is, against an omnipotent Olympic committee.

Our well-planned  weather emergency is set for next week. (Even though in only city in Canada that never gets snow, we aren’t getting snow.)

Some background:

I looked out the taxi window again. It was another city. Dozens of people stood in what looked like a breadline outside a shelter. At least 100 people sat or lay on garbage-strewn sidewalks. Surrounding buildings were boarded up. A skeleton of a woman was begging on the curb.

Had the Great Recession finally hit Vancouver? Had I been transported to Detroit?

Nope. Just another day in the Downtown Eastside, on East Hastings Street. First, I wondered if the people at Mercer had seen this. Then I wondered what our political leaders have been doing for the last five years.

Many hoped the arrival of the Olympics would be a catalyst for action on our poverty ghetto. The conventional wisdom was we had no intention of being embarrassed as the world watched in 2010. By now, our leaders were supposed to have put in the resources and brainpower to make strides to help the poor get off the streets.

Well, it looks like they’ve failed.

This is hammered home by the report’s idea of “launching the extreme weather response shelter program for the duration of the games.” Translation? Even if it isn’t cold, we’ll open the beds to get the homeless off the streets and out of those TV shots during the Games.

Good – now that we have East Hastings hidden, let the games begin.

Cars are not allowed – take a bus, like it or not. Vancouver transit is great. Let’s hope they stop the practice of giving our homeless free rides. Nothing like a shaking meth/heroin addict to scare you off the bus. Hopefully, our weather emergency will relocate these people.

Vancouverites have been lectured to not forget to mind our manners… they even they’ve printed a 4-page guide to tell us how to act. Someone upstairs believes Vancouver residents need this. Hmmm.

Last, as an incredible indicator of how the 2010 games are the great hope for our salvation is the auction of the main venue while the games are on. That’s another first…

Whislter is going to the top bidder. Creditors holding $1.4 billion (U.S.) in debt on Intrawest ULC have begun foreclosure proceedings on some of the company’s assets, including the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, and say they plan to auction them off on Feb. 19. Get there early if you’ve always wanted to own an overpriced ski resort.

My advice to would be buyers: Wait till October 2010 - we’ll have gotten the bill for the games, realize just how much they’ve charged up on our card. The anticipated boom in real estate will become a mirage.

It’s all part of the game of lying to be perfect.

Hope the organizers prove me wrong – that this wasn’t just a looting of BC.

iPad – Wondering If Apple Searched Online

When you name something, you do some research.

Mad TV came up with the iPad name and angle in 2007. And Apple probably missed it.

“Please don’t make us explain how it works”.  How long till they come out with the IMaxiPad.

Saskatchewan Throwing Millions At Our Olympics

The story that has some in Saskatchewan up-in-arms is that they are over budget and spending 4.1 million on the pavillion for the 2010 Winter Games.  Saskatchewan’s total expenditure for the games is $7.2 million.

Let’s keep things in perspective:

- It’s only $7 per resident of Saskatchewan, or 50 cents per gopher.

- Saskatchewan is fast becoming Canada’s hotspot for tourism.

Brent: Want me to fill it up?
Man: Sure. You know I’ve never driven across Saskatchewan before.
Brent: Well, you still haven’t really. About halfway to go yet.
Man: Sure is flat.
Brent: How do you mean?
Man: You know, flat. Nothing to see.
Brent: What do you mean, like topographically? Hey Hank, this guy says Saskatchewan is flat.
Hank: How do you mean?
Brent: Topographically, I guess. He says there’s nothin’ to see.
Hank: There’s lots to see. There’s nothin’ to block your view.
Brent: There’s lots to see. Nothin’ to block your view. Like the mountains back there. They’re uh… Well, what the hell? I could’ve sworn there was a big mountain range back there. Juttin’ up into the sky all purple and majestic. I must be thinkin’ of a postcard I saw or somethin’. Hey, it is kinda flat, thanks for pointin’ that out.
Man: You guys always this sarcastic?
Brent: Nothin’ else to do.

Source- Corner Gas

- It’s a great excuse to spend 700K on high-definition images of the province. (See above photo).

- If Saskatchewan manages to convince at least 100 families (realistic) to vacation in the province, it will only cost $70,000 per family.

This comment on the Leader Post’s story says it all:

Oh my there are a bunch of whiners. Canada gets the oppertunity to  be on the world stage for the 1st time in 22 years and people are complaining that we want to showcase Saskatchewan to the world?

We actually do have a tourist industry here, whether you believe it or not. This can and will help tourism. I’ll bet half of you haters don’t even know that we have white water rafting on this province. Some of the best hunting and fishing (although I don’t like either) in the world.

4.1 mill is tiny for this kind of advertising. And before you all bash, I actually am a NDP supporter, but I also believe in taking advantage of opportunity when it arrises.

They can raise our taxes by $10.00 this year and it’s paid for. Relax, it’s not that much.

By the way, you do know that our neighbors in Manitoba are spending more. All provinces except NB are having pavillions.

Or this one:

Why do all the tax dollars always have to go towards the poor?  What have the poor people ever done for us? It’s nice that the tax dollars get spent on entertainment once and awhile.  I work hard and pay lots of taxes – it’s nice that I get to enjoy them once in awhile instead of seeing that money wasted on useless people who are too lazy find a job and work hard.

Thanks Saskatchewan for helping us out.

Don’t let “oppertunity” pass you by.

photo credit: Jordon

Things To Do In Vancouver – An Olympic Guide For Visitors

Here’s a first in my series of the Best Of Vancouver List, for those brave enough to make the trip to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.

You won’t find these on any of those tourist site, and they are guaranteed to be a “tourist trap” free zone.

1) Best Street for Restaurants: West 4th Avenue – walk over the Burrard Street Bridge and then hang a right on 4th. Blows away Robson Street. My favorite is still is Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe. (2095 West 4th Avenue). In general, if it’s on this street, it’s good.

2) Best spots for a “walk on the wild side”. Keep in mind that Vancouver rolls up the carpet around 10. They’ll have a lot of “Olympic” events that will be going on on Georgia street – I’d avoid this all together, unless you’re accompanied by a bobsled team.

Here’s a few spots that will give you the Vancouver Experience:

The Amsterdam Cafe. – 301 West Hastings Street.. Like the ads says: The New Amsterdam Cafe™ is North America’s Premiere Smoke friendly Cafe. You can have a coffee and a joint at this quaint hangout. Just don’t ask to bum or buy anything. The crackdown on sales started a while back. Take you time, visit with the locals outside… this is Vancouver when the games are not in town.

The Yale: The Yale Hotel began in the mid 1880’s as a CPR bunkhouse – now is a place to catch the Blues. The Vancouver Blues Festival is running during the Olympics, and although Vancouver isn’t know for the blues.. it’s worth catching. Hopefully they’ll have some great bands in for the games.

Skip the Capilano Suspension bridge and walk down a mountain bank to Wreck Beach. (Northwest Marine Drive & University Blvd). A lot more swinging going on here, although there’s that “shrinkage” factor in February.

More later…

photo credit: Proggie

2010 Olympics – How About A Mega-Yacht?

Pulitzer Material

The only credible mainstream-media in America is going for a Pulitzer.

From the Washington Post:

National Enquirer submitting John Edwards coverage for Pulitzer

The executive editor of the National Enquirer says he plans to enter his paper’s work on the John Edwards scandal for a Pulitzer Prize.

Don’t laugh.

“It’s clear we should be a contender for this,” Barry Levine said by phone Thursday, hours after the former presidential candidate admitted what the newspaper had been reporting all along: that he is the father of Rielle Hunter’s baby. “The National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid, was able to publish this reporting.”

Although the staff never doubted its reports that Edwards had fathered a baby girl with his former campaign videographer, Levine said, “there is vindication, finally. Mr. Edwards kept the story alive much longer than it needed to be kept alive with his denials. He has only himself to blame.”

Although the Enquirer stories may or may not be prize-winning material — the tabloid’s most significant disclosures came in 2007 and 2008, and this year’s Pulitzers will honor material published in 2009 — there is no question that the paper scooped the rest of the media world.

The irony would be if they win.

Infamous Obama Quote

Scott Brown’s truck was made by the company Obama OWNS…General Motors.

Nothing like bashing your own product to help sales.

“I’m Scott Brown. I’m from Wrentham. I drive a truck. And I’m nobody’s senator but yours,” the Republican told a packed crowd at his victory party in a downtown Boston hotel.

A Democrat Reaction – The Worst Quote.

Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had this to say about Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat election being won by a Republican…

’Why would you hand the keys to the car back to the same guys whose policies drove the economy into the ditch and then walked away from the scene of the accident? For the Republicans to say vote for us and bring back the guys who got us into this mess in the first place, I don’t think it’s a winner.’”

Remarkably, Van Hollen saw neither the irony nor the absurdity of his statement.

The photo above was taken at the Chappaquidick bridge that was the last time anyone gave Ted Kennedy the keys to the car.

Real men of genius.

h/t

Happy dance here.

Epic Fail For Obama

The first shot of the American Revolution was fired today – and the media can’t hide this one, like they did with the 2009 Tea Party.

Rasumssen (who gets it right almost all of the time): Interest High In Massachusetts Senate Race: 49% Nationally Want Brown To Win, 34% Pulling For Coakley.

With over a 50% turnout:

SCOTT BROWN (R) 52%
MARTHA COAKLEY (D) 47%

Some of the reasons we’ll see a repeat of 1994, when American’s stripped Clinton of is power:

The stimulus bill(s), TARP and the mortgage bailout, Obama’s budget, upcoming cap and trade, runaway czars, skyrocketing debt, unemployment of 10%+, bribes, and broken promises. The most partisan and polarizing figure in the history of polling.

And then we have the Huffington Post:

Obama: The Goldilocks President. Delusional at best.

Chicago Olympics, Copenhagen, Iran, Economy… now Ted Kennedy’s seat, which hasn’t been held by a Republican for over 40 years.

Obama is the new miserable failure – and this time it’s not a Google bomb.

There’s hope and there’s change.. maybe they can stop the agenda of these looters.

It’s a good day Let’s hope the Democrats don’t try to steal this one… AKA Al Franken.

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.
Karl Marx

This represents the left-wing’s thinking (and their ultimate demise:)

Your Guide To Dim Sum In Vancouver

photo credit: Ruth L

Here is a list of Dim Sum restaurants worth eating at:

Happy Valley Seafood Restaurant (The Best)
3432 Broadway, Vancouver
Tel: 604-216-0100
Links: Map
Prices:
Range from $2.95 to $6.95

Kirin Seafood Restaurant (Cambie location)
Address: 2nd Floor, City Square, 555 West 12th Avenue (& Cambie Street)
Phone: (604) 879 8038
Homepage
Dim Sum prices: $3.50-$8.50 with most items in the $4-$5 range

Spicy Court
Address: 5638 Cambie, #101 (map)
Phone: (604) 325-1189
Prices:
Range from $2.95 to $6.95

Come Along Seafood Restaurant
Address: 2550 Kingsway (map)
Phone: 604-439-1318
Prices:
Range from $2.95 to $3.95

Golden Ocean
Address: 2008 W 41st Ave (map)
Phone: 604-263-8886
Prices:
Range from $3.10 to $4.95

Sun Sui Wah (Main St.)
Address: 3388 Main ST (map)
Phone: 866-872-8822 (toll free)
Homepage
Prices:
Range from $3.20 to $4.20

This Beats Carl’s Jr. Ads

I know what I’m getting my wife for Valentine’s Day:

Agent Provocateur staring model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

The Vancouver Olympic Guide Of Things To See And Do

With Olympic tickets now on sale to our foreign friends, I thought it may be a good time to provide a quick guide of what to see and do as an alternative to the events. With just over 6 months until the winter games, you’ll want to get the most out of the most expensive trip you’ll ever take. Trust me, it will be worth every cent.

You’ll want to draw your map now, so that you’ll be prepared to abandon hope trying to get through our city to an event – as we have no freeways.

There’s lots to see and do, all just a short walk from our downtown hotels, or the basement suite you are planning on renting.

The locals will all tell you about Stanley Park.. it’s a beautiful spot with a great sea wall.

It’s Vancouver’s Central park without the people.

Be sure to come back in June when the rain stops.

If you planned ahead and booked your downtown hotel last year, you’re only a short walk to the famous Gastown… our buses all run close to the area, so just get off when an addict starts bugging you. Look for the mountains and turn right.

In Gastown you’ll find a quaint shops and lots of nightlife… with the cruise ships not as frequently arriving, you can expect to find great service and a warm welcome. Leave the area before dark if you’re over 40. More »

Smoke ‘em If You Got ‘em

Great inventions and a way to beat the taxman:

In a US ruling, a judge ruled the Food and Drug Administration may not block the importation of “electronic cigarettes,” battery-powered versions of conventional smokes.

If yu are a smoker and haven’t heard of this yet, check out this site…

After your initial investment, it costs about $5-10 per equivalent carton of smokes.. leaving the taxman with nothing.

As the e-cigarette is essentially a nicotine patch, with the joyous mechanics of smoking, this is the way it should be.

Watch for Ottawa to make a move once this catches on. Canadians paying $10-a-pack will love this. Plus you can smoke in bars and planes again without annoying anyone.

A blurb from the esmoker mag:

Electronic Cigarettes (a.k.a E-Cigarettes or E-Cigs) are quite literally the next wave of recreational smoking. While tobacco cigarettes deliver a whole host of carcinogens as they are burned and inhaled, toxicological studies on e-cigs show it to be a much safer means of delivering nicotine while still resembling typical smoking behavior.

E-Cigarettes do not produce tar so your lungs are not polluted, your teeth and fingers will not stain, your clothes and skin will not stink while those around you will not be offended.

Whereas in most developed countries a smoker is required to step outside for a smoke, e-cig smokers can smoke anywhere because the ’second-hand smoke’ contains nothing dangerous to those around you. Being an electronic smoker means not having to leave your friends and loved ones for a smoke, it means you get to enjoy a smoke like you normally would but in a more comfortable location. Not only will you not harm those around you, your walls will not turn yellow and your room or car will not stink.

Imagine having an electronic cigarette and relaxing while traveling on a plane or at the bar without having to leave your seat or your drink. Circumstances like this can be frustrating to the modern tobacco smoker but the e-cig smoker experiences none of these difficulties. The modern tobacco smoker faces a whole host of health problems related to smoking while the e-cig smoker enjoys a much more measured, controlled and safer smoking experience.

Electronic cigarettes are the future of smoking and it is time for all smokers to evolve and leave tobacco with all its dangers and annoyances behind. Electronic cigarettes are the new, safer and more enjoyable way to smoke.

Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8

Obama has a great record so far.. The Chicago Olympic bid, Copenchangin’, Obamacare, major campaign promises (or lies), transparency, and the list goes on.

Let’s give him credit though. He has succeeded in the largest looting of America in history. And he’s done a bang-up job on that.

So on Tuesday, when despite his and all the top Democrats efforts, they lose a Senate seat that they’ve held for 40 years, in the foundation state of the left, he’ll have the stage set to deflect any blame.

The vote is a prelude to how Healthcare will do in the Dems – as now that it’s common knowledge of just how corrupt this bill really is, they are doomed.

And in Al Franken fashion, you just know that the count will go really slow… low enough not to seat the winner and screw up the healthcare fraud.

CNN did an article on Obama going to Mass to help – and had to shut down comments.

Here’s an video on just just how well he was received… (The Boston Globe puts Obama’s rally at 1500 and Brown’s at 2200 (in the main room), but makes the point that the President got overshadowed by the state Senator:)

Maybe Obama can learn from this:

If you’re wondering what Psalm 109:8 is… the psalm reads, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.”

There’s Hope.

Arnold announced the drastic cuts he needs to make to get California back on track… at least to survive this year.

The article is framed with an image (above) that attempts to turn Arnold into a demon.

The comments from Californians in the Los Angeles Times show otherwise .They actually are cheering the cuts on. The California Tea Party could be all that’s needed to stop the looting of America.

It’s got to send chills through the Liberal politicians. Lets hope our Canadian left is watching.

Read them here.

Creepy Headline Of The Day

Thank Janet Napolitano for making all air travel a nightmare, who today told reporters during a briefing that the United States is scheduled to deploy 300 additional advanced imaging scanners at U.S. airports in 2010, and may deploy more.

I still don’t understand how this will stop terrorists in other countries from boarding with pantie bombs.

And who could forget Janet blaming Canada for 911. Someone needs to tell here where the terrorists are and what the look like.

Here’s a quick guide:

We’re Sorry… Sort Of.

First the alAmeen Post in Vancouver decided to publish an article from  HTTP://WWW.PRESSTV.IR (which is actually worse than Al Jazeera)

Ukrainian kids, new victims of Israeli ‘organ theft’

An international Israeli conspiracy to kidnap children and harvest their organs is gathering momentum as another shocking story divulges Tel Aviv’s plot to import Ukrainian children and harvest their organs.

The story brings to light the fact that Israel has brought some 25,000 Ukrainian children into the occupied entity over the past two years in order to harvest their organs. It cites a Ukrainian man’s fruitless search for 15 children who had been adopted in Israel. The children had clearly been taken by Israeli medical centers, where they were used for ’spare parts’.

The account was unveiled five days ago by a Ukrainian philosophy professor and author, Vyacheslav Gudin, at a pseudo-academic conference in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. Gudin told an estimated 300 attendees of the Kiev conference that it was essential that all Ukrainians be made aware of the genocide Israel was perpetrating.

….. and it goes on. Here’s the PDF of the original cached article.

Then they take it down (after outrage) and finally the apology:

To Our Fellow Jewish Canadians – Our Apologies

On January 7^th, 2010, at approximately 11:30 AM, we received a news release issued by B’NAI BRITH CANADA, Canada’s Jewish community’s foremost human rights agency raising concerns about an article published in alAmeen’s last issue, titled, “Ukrainian kids, new victims of Israeli ‘organ theft’.

We understand from the communiqué that the leading Canadian Jewish organization, is not pleased with the content of the article, and have asked for an apology, from alAmeen as well as British Columbia Muslim Association.

We understand that BNAI BRITH basis for demanding an apology is, as they view the contents within the article as Anti-Semitic, or Anti-Western, and against our most cherished Canadian values.

We understand that our fellow Canadian Jewish community members find some of the contents inappropriate and hurtful.

Therefore, in the spirit of honouring our most cherished Canadian Values, and to demonstrate our commitment to upholding and defending such values, the Editorial Board of alAmeen Post, without prejudice, extends its honest and sincere apology to our fellow Jewish Canadians for any hurt which may have caused by us publishing or communicating such a news article.

Having said that, it is also important that our fellow Canadians, especially our fellow Jewish Canadians, who are upset with our coverage on organ harvesting, understand the nature of our business: alAmeen Post is a bi-weekly community paper, distributed free, serving the local Muslim Community in British Columbia, Canada; we neither have the resources nor the means to have field reporters or investigative journalist working in the field. A large portion of our news is devoted to cover community events and functions, dealing with our own community issues. We do incorporate news from various regions of the world, for our audience, which we obtain from third parties. However, we remain very cautious about the news, which we do publish, and with our limited resources, we try our best that the news which we do publish is credible.

Defending our news article at this juncture would mean causing further divide in our harmonious multicultural fabric, which goes against our own values, but it is needless to say that the issue of “Organ Harvesting in Israel” was being discussed at the time of our last publication, by major media outlets, and not just alAmeen.

However, we do acknowledge that our fellow Jewish Canadians are upset over this, as clearly EXPRESSED by BNAI BRITH CANADA on their behalf, and it is for this very reason we retract our story, and we have removed it from our website, as soon as we received the fax from BNAI BRITH CANADA.

We hope that this would appease those who may have been offended, our intention was not to offend or hurt anyone, and we remain committed to eliminate all forms of discrimination.

We thank you for your providing us the opportunity to clarify our position.

In other words.. we don’t have the resources, and we are sorry the Jooos are mad. We took down the story.

Wonder if they thought the premise of the offending story may have been just a little outrageous? Is our beloved HRC doing anything?