Tag Archives: Canada

Encounters, Politics, Stupidity plain and simple

French is merely a dialect in France

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It is now official.

According to Mario Dumont, leader of an opposition party, the language spoken in France is merely a dialect and not an “official” language in the Province of Quebec because

his children were unable to understand the Parisian dialect used in the French version of Shrek the Third. — globeandmail.com

Unfortunately for M. Dumont, the “dialect” that he fears – whether French or English – will limit for generations the ready participation of Quebec citizens in local and world events. Isolation, whether practiced by language in this case, or formerly by religion, can’t be a good thing in the long run.

Keeping them down on the farm keeps them ignorant. But then, that’s the way – whether it be past or present – Quebec has always liked to keep its citizens.

Link to Montreal Gazette article here.

Stupidity plain and simple

Canadian health care is tough!

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Oh yes it is!

An 82-year-old man, a recipient of open-heart surgery and breathing oxygen while in his hospital bed, was tasered three times by the ever-omniscient RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in British Columbia.

…officers resorted to taser use as a last resort, even attempting to knock the knife out of the man’s hand with a food cart.” — RCMP Cpl. Scott Wilson

A freaking food cart? There were two officers in the room. Perhaps it took that many to lift the cart. I would have thought a blanket or a pillow would have been sufficient, but then I’m no RCMP constable. Thank goodness. Because then I’d have to admit to being a big, dumb ox.

Why, you ask? Well, it seems that the 82-year-old heart patient suffering from pneumonia was claiming that there was a dead man in the next bed. The big, dumb oxen — otherwise known as RCMP constables — didn’t even bother to check on the man in the next bed, who was sleeping. Rather, they chose to taser their chosen victim, since pepper spray couldn’t be used for fear of contaminating the entire hospital

Superintendent Jim Begley, head of the Kamloops RCMP, said yesterday that he believes his officers acted properly. — globeandmail.com, Anna Mehler Paperny

It looks to me as though their CO is a big, dumb ox also.

Link to article here.

Recently, at the Vancouver airport, another individual was tasered by oxen, resulting in his death.

Stupidity plain and simple

Canada, eh? No hand washing allowed

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Yet another disgusting and ridiculous ruling by a human rights commission has been shat upon us, this time regarding the washing of hands in a restaurant.

It seems that if an employee is unable for whatever reason to wash one’s hands, such employee may still continue to serve and dispense food to customers. Notwithstanding the latest hospital directives for visitors and everyone else to wash their hands to prevent the spread of disease and pestilence, apparently in British Columbia, courtesy of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, one is not required by law to wash their hands while serving food in a restaurant.

So then, apparently this hand-washing fetish that Lister so wisely promoted in the 19th century has become obsolete. Who could have known that a human rights commission and the fount of knowledge contained within its board members could prove so convincingly that hand-washing is not required to prevent the spread of disease?

Link here.

Stupidity plain and simple

Four horsemen of the Apocalypse

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They always get their man.

This time, they killed him.

Robert Dziekanski was tasered and died when four RCMP officers were called in to the Vancouver International Airport arrivals area to subdue an unruly individual. He had spent 10 hours there after arriving on his flight, unable to speak English, and seemingly without any airport officials offering assistance of any kind. He was waiting for his mother to pick him up.

Once the officers arrived, Dziekanski put up his hands and turned around, and was tasered, pinned to the ground by four Mounties, and handcuffed. Unfortunately for the horsemen*, the man lost consciousness and died. It appears that they then stood around twiddling their thumbs and refusing him any medical attention whatsoever.

Also unfortunately for the four horsemen, the incident was video-taped by a bystander. It indicates that Dziekanski was never placed under arrest, as well as a host of other infractions perpetrated on him by the officers.

Then too, until the video came to light, the RCMP had a variety of stories prepared and published in the press to paint Mr. Dziekanski in a negative light – all for naught, as was demonstrated by the video.

Not to be outdone by all the bad publicity, Tom Smith of Taser International is interviewed, and comes up with, “Tasers don’t kill people. Tasered people just up and die of other causes.” I paraphrase, of course.

Most pathetic of all is the picture of four able-bodied, trained (they are trained, right?) members of the RCMP standing around with their fingers up their asses waiting for a medical team to arrive, while a man dies in front of them.

Are these guys dummies, clueless, or just plain stupid? It’s my opinion that they’re some of the stupidest sons of bitches to ever join the Mounties.

* Slang for members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Politics, Short trips

Distant memories, fond memories

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In memory of

Flight Sergeant J.A.B.G. (Alf) Galloway, R.C.A.F.

R/69154

March 9, 1942

Update: Effective May 8, 2010 the new name for the museum is the Bomber Command Museum of Canada.

Today the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum hosted an event to honor Americans who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) during World War II.

Canada declared war on September 10, 1939. Before the United States declared war against the Nazis in December 1941, approximately 9,000 Americans joined the RCAF. Of these, about 800 were killed in RCAF service – 379 while serving with Bomber Command.

Willie The Wolf From The West
Willie The Wolf From The West

Canada’s Bomber Command Memorial lists 10,643 names and includes all the Canadians who were killed serving with Bomber Command as well as those of other nationalities who died while serving with the RCAF in Bomber Command.

“They were colorful, those volunteers – professionals and playboys, convicted felons and husbands on the run, idealists and mercenaries, kids seeking adventure, youngsters seeking nothing but an opportunity to fly, middle-aged men looking for work – and to all of them, the RCAF’s need was their golden opportunity.” – Spencer Dunmore, “Wings for Victory”

I listened to some of the “old boys” relate memories of their comrades filled with laughter and joy and resignation. I didn’t hear one say that he wouldn’t do it all again.

It's painted black on the underside because it made its bombing runs at night.
It's painted black on the underside because it made its bombing runs at night.

In memory of

Flight Sergeant J.A.B.G. (Alf) Galloway, R.C.A.F.

R/69154

March 9, 1942

Politics

The Red Coat Trail

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In early July of 1874, the great trek by the North West Mounted Police to bring law and order to the Canadian West began. Two hundred and seventy-five men, half as many oxen, 90-odd cattle, 310 horses, 114 Red River carts, 73 wagons, field guns, mortars, forges and field kitchens all tagged along.

It seems that a place known as Fort Whoop Up and the mayhem associated with it was the cause of it all. After covering over 800 miles from July 8 to September 30, the Mounted Police discovered that the place had been deserted in advance of their arrival.

In anticipation, it appears that the whiskey traders abandoned their fort:

…B, C and F Troops north to Fort Whoop Up at the junction of the Belly and St. Mary rivers. There they found that the whiskey traders had learned of the mounted police’s approach and had gone out of business. – Diary of Commissioner George Arthur French, N.W.M.P.

Politics

One wonders – revisited

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Canada now has seven wonders Seven Wonders? Who could have known? All Seven thanks to a recent oh-so-typical Canadian effort, ignoring the vote of the wildly unfocused masses who inhabit the country, and instead relying on the vagaries of a pop singer, a scribe who so obviously wants to hawk his recent work and a woman who appears to want Canada to accommodate every minority’s right to be recognized and served in its own language.

Good luck with all that.

After much ballyhooing, bullshit and bravado, a poll, which was subsequently ignored in its entirety, inviting ordinary Canadians – whatever the hell they are – to vote in favor of their own piece of ordinary Canada, a myopic panel composed of those three judges ignored the popular vote and decided on the following:

  • Niagara Falls
  • Canoe
  • Igloo
  • Old Quebec City
  • Pier 21 in Halifax
  • Prairie Sky
  • The Rockies

The canoe? What the hell? If you’re looking for tourists, don’t hype a canoe as a wonder. You can see one in any outdoor store. Although, were I a judge with a fiction novel named Canoe Lake, and a more recent effort aimed at explaining Canada to Canadians, I’m not surprised by that outcome.

An igloo? Don’t these melt every spring? Where are you going to travel to see one during the summer, when the ignorant masses are out and about, gobbling up gas and sunshine? I suppose one could go here. The bottom third sort of looks like an igloo.

Prairie sky? Who the hell knows what a prairie sky is, unless you’re Canadian? How about calling it “the sky between Alberta and Ontario, through which you have to drive for days to get somewhere relevant?” Actually, there’s prairie sky in America, Russia, China and many other countries around the world. It’s not unique, it just goes by a different name. This picture appears to be of prairie sky, but it’s actually taken in Montana, so it’s Montana sky.

The Rockies? Well, all right. I’ll grant you that, they’re a natural wonder, like Niagara Falls, and they’re pretty spectacular. The Alps are kind of nice too. So are the mountains in Patagonia.

Christ, no wonder Canadians are so boring.

Unfortunately, the expressions of wrath by the ordinary Canadian in response to the fiasco have been removed from the web site, most likely because their responses were so outspoken (that’s outspoken, not obscene) in their utter and total comtempt for the judges and their choices, so I can’t provide a link.