Hardly Relevant

Vindigoddamncated.....

2006-06-20T01:26:00.000-04:00

Today I gloat…..Yes, today I am a vindicated baby killing, human rights trampling, gun-toting, Redman spitting, energy wasting American. I have lived through the last 12 months in the most nationalistic, American hating country since the former Soviet Union…..Canada. As proof of their dominance, I offer the following, my post to TSN.com’s (the Canadian ESPN.com, and owned by same) “Your call”. They did not publish my post….

Me -
"Ya' know, I REALLY want to be a gracious fan right now but I'm finding it REAL hard to do. So, I'll split the difference. I've put up with TSN's jingoistic "Edmonton's Cup Drive" stuff for the last two weeks. Not "The Stanley Cup Playoffs" or "Edmonton vs. Carolina" or even "East vs. West". TSN, you made your bed, lay in it....LOOSERS. To continue, I've further put up with "Hockey, Canada's game" and "The cup belongs in Canada, it's OUR game", to include the dumba** at Rexall Place with the associated red rotating beacon light and sign indicating such. Well guess what....Lord Stanley has been in the States long enough to be naturalized. Apparently, it's also OUR game. Salt in an open wound...it's fitting that the same man who coached Team USA in the Olympics earlier this year, to an admittedly loosing effort (which I hasten to add was parodied by Team Canada), now has his name eternally etched in hockey history, while McTavish gets a one way trip home sipping Aquafina out of a plastic cup. So good win Caines', you EARNED it. And finally, to all you flag waivers...this is GOOD FOR THE GAME. It should be flattering that 'your' game gets international exposure, that's what you're supposed to hope for, that's when YOUR game is truly appreciated. Now, that said...to all LEGIT Oliers fans who have followed your team through the best of times and the worst of times, well played...you left it all on the ice and you have EVERYTHING to be proud of. I'll let you in on a little secret...I grew up in Detroit and I had two sweaters in my inventory, the winged wheel and an Oliers home knock-off with "99" across the back, because I love hockey, and I still do, and it's still in my dresser. Hang in there, you'll get it back. In the meantime, buy Ward a beer...he is "your" boy."

What they DID post…(I have not corrected the original posters spelling, grammar or inflection, this is right off the page. However, the emphasis is mine) –

Too bad...........the Cup doesn't belong in the Southern U.S. That's college basketball territory. They got outlayed in ever series that they played in. Oh well, too bad for the Oilers and Canada, where the Cup belongs – dallyd31

What a waste! First Tampa Bay and now Carolina! I hate this! Carolina is stacked with Canadian players! Wanna bet the crowd at the Edmonton appreciation party will be twice the size of the crowd at the Carolina victory party? Great job, Oilers! Hold your heads up high! No shame. – ExLurker

WOW way to go ref's thanks for the best one sided called game in history. At least there are 12 Canadians on the hurrican team. Only sad thing is ask anyone in north Carolina about the stanley cup and I bet most will say what's that. – Steve935.

For all the ones putting Edmonton down are showing bad sportsmanship cuz the Oilers deserve this as much as Carolina did. To come back 3-1 series in the Cup final shows a lot of heart. To all you idiots who are making fun of the Oilers are just posting useless comments and everyone knows how good this team really is. GO OILERS! – Habs-Oliersfan 84

Good work Carolina and the 11 Canadian players on the team! Truth be told I was getting sick of the hard working, rough and tumble, blue collar, made in Alberta stereotype they gave the Oilers this year. They weren't any different than 20 or so other teams in league. Kudos to them for getting to game 7 of the cup but please drop the silly label. Its not like every player grew up poor on the oil rigs and farms around Edmonton. They were just another group of international hockey players assembled like any other team in the league but got hot at the right time. – nuckleheadfan

******Id’ like to pause here for a moment……”Good work Carolina and the 11 Canadian players on the team!”…??????WHAT????? Then you go on to congratulate the “international hockey players” on the team???? Alrighty…moving on……******

It was a good run while it lasted. Edmonton was never supposed to be in the cup and they made it with lots of guts and determination. I thought they could have played with more heart tonight but still, they didn't roll over and die either. Since it was an empty netter, I still consider this a one goal game. With a bounce here and there, the outcome could have been different. The teams were very closely matched. Congrats to the Hurricanes. The Oilers can hold their heads up very high and I know that Canada is very proud of them. Now it's football season! Go Eskimos! – chinbopper

READ THIS: I am a VERY PROUD OILER FAN! Yes we may have come up a little short in the end, but what a run it was, especially since we barely made p-offs, and weren't even supposed to get out of the 1st round of the p-offs. All in all I watched almost every Oiler game this year (and previous years) it was a wild season. The moves Kevin Lowe made turned out to be great, and even though we were missing our #1 goalie for the stanley cup final series we still took them to the 7 game limit, and did it with a guy from Finland who hadn't played for 3 months. This Oiler team was frustarting to watch at times during the regular season, especially in the net, and all year long I wanted Mac T out. He changed up their style of play just b 4 palyoffs and guided them to the final, so Mac T.... I must say sorry and AWESOME JOB COACH! You did a reamrkable job. The playoff Oilers and Regular season Oilers were 2 totally different teams, I'm really excited for next year now. Congrats Hurricanes. They came out hard and fast at home and I thought the Oilers could've played a bit better, but when a team like the Hurricanes is giving it their all at home it's easier said than done. Thank You Edmonton! Canada was behind you all the way, and I will be for years to come. You guys showed real heart and I'm proud to be able to call you my favourite team. – Oilerintensity

Being a Hockey Fan in Michigan, I came into this series impartial about a winner. I am sorry for the fans in Canada that the officiating took the Oilers out of the first two periods tonight. I truly believe the reason Carolina was outhitting the Oilers is because every time an Oiler put on a good hit in the first two periods a penalty was called. The same type of hits by Carolina went un punnished. No excuse but it was the modt frustrating game I sat through because I felt the refs were taking it into their own hands to decide an outcome. Good job oilers, definately a season to be proud of. Its To bad its still about money and "trying" to win the fans in the US back by putting the stanley cup in the Nascar hall of fame. This agenda was clear to me and any impartial viewer in the first two periods tonight. – dketchum

******Michigan huh?? Funny, because ever since I was pup, and yes, I have played in Can-Am tourneys, we ALLWAYS wanted to bring the prize home to the motherland******

First tampa bay and now north carolina i really hope lord stanleys cup,Will soon,be back north of the border...Where it belongs..Great job by the Oilers.If it wasnt for cam ward im definately sure it would have been Edmonton hoisting the cup.....Oh by the way what is it 14 players on the canes roster from canada ....That says it all.......... tim93

And, you can read them all here, just scroll down to the bottom of the page...

Okeydokey, you get the idea….now, I dids my homeswork and came up with the following….

Natural born Canadians on the Oilers – 20

Natural born Americans on the Oilers – 5

Various European and former USSR* players on the Oilers – 7

So…..breaks down like this….Canada vs. other North American (USA) born and former USSR* and Europeans – Canada 20, Others 12

Natural born Canadians on the Hurricanes – 11

Natural born Americans on the Hurricanes – 10

Natural born Malaysians’ on the Hurricanes - 1

Various European and former USSR* players on the Hurricanes – 6

And thusly – Canada vs., other North American (USA) born and former USSR*, European and Malaysians’ – Canada 11, Others 17

*Czechoslovakia, (Czech Republic et al …) Russia…etc…

Hence, total Canucks – 31, others – 29…A margin of 2. Yep….TWO. And more salt in your wound….more players born outside of Canada have their named on the Cup this year than those born in the “True North, Strong and Free”. OOOOOOOPPPPPPPSSSSSSS!!!!! In further, agonizing summation, the team with fewer Canadians and an AMERICAN coach…..WON THE STANLEY CUP.

So, in closing, you can kiss my fat, bloated, has-been hockey playing, have something to say, anti-Bush, pro-Soldier-Marine-Sailor-Airman-Coastguardsman, anti-Republican ASS....Canada.

P.S.- This holds especially true for you CIC…..I married ONE OF YOURS!!! AHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……..

Um yeah...so

2006-04-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

Where to begin.....The last few weeks have packed a lot of crap into a very small space that I haven't been able to digest just yet, so I'll give you a thumbnail of my absence. First off, I'm confident that you get the idea with regard to what I was attempting to do by illustrating some of the anti-U.S. stuff in the Canadian media. It's real, and it's probably not going away anytime soon. If you remain unconvinced, leave a message and I'll send you all you can handle. And that's all I have to say about that....

Now as I said, the last few weeks have been fast and furious and I'm still not too sure what to make of it, but here it goes...I had a very short career with an un-named (for now) airline, that evaporated shortly after they learned that I have been living in Canada for the last 9 months. This is relevant in that the Government of the United States and more specifically the FAA and DHS have rules that prohibit federal contractors, which said airline is, from hiring employees who have not lived in the US for the last five years consecutively. Here's the rub, I had already received my security pass from them when they pulled me, very indignantly, into an office and told me that I shouldn't have it and that I would be quite literally, on the next plane out. Went something like this, "ah sorry, but we didn't realize that you had lived in Canada, we can't keep you without a waiver, and since we're not sure that we'll get one, Rocco here from Corporate Security will take you back to the hotel where you'll check out and make your way to the airport, your flight leaves in two and a half hours, we'll be in touch". I sincerely hope that none of you ever have to suffer that kind of degrading and humiliating crap from your employer. I mad, and I think that's pretty justifiable. Moreover, I'm not a vindictive guy, but I'm mulling over weather or not I want the proverbial pound of flesh. I'm open to suggestion....

And the hits keep on coming.....I lost my uncle Bob to cancer. He bravely battled it for years, and finally it just got to be too much. But it didn't beat him. He was the kind of guy who lived his life his way and no damn cancer was going to dictate the final score. It's odd how people come into and leave our lives. I surely don't remember the first time I saw my uncle, and I ashamed to say that I don't remember the last either, but at the end of the day, I don't think that's what matters. I think what I was supposed to take with me was the impression that he made on me when I was a young kid and into my adolescence. He was a cop for a long long time, and it was in no small part that the image of him in his shiny black and white influenced me to go into police work. When I was much younger, I used to go to the farm house that he and my aunt lived (along with my six, yes six) cousins after school. I would sit on the bus hoping that he hadn't come home for lunch yet so that I could see him in his uniform and marvel at the big POLICE lettering on the doors, and I was very disappointed when I missed his stop. Later, when I was a little older, I would find any excuse to drop by the police station to visit him when he was a lieutenant. I remember him telling me "you're too smart to do this stuff...you need to take the federal tests". I put his words in the back of my mind, but what I didn't tell him was that I wanted to do real cop stuff, real police work, like he and several of my cousins did. They were real cops, who faced real danger everyday, and that's what I wanted. Early, very early, in his career he was kidnapped during a traffic stop. His abductors threatened to kill him several times while they held him, and ultimately let him go after realizing that they didn't have too many options if they wanted to see another sun rise. I often thought about how he must have felt during that time, and the bravery that got him through it. Every time I put on my uniform, I felt the weight of that precedent on my shoulders, and it was a welcome weight. I had an expectation to uphold, and I would be damned if I would disappoint. I like to think that I didn't, and I tried very hard to be the cop that he was, never forgetting that I was there to protect and serve the public, not to harass and intimidate. I hope he knows that I did my best, and often in his shadow, it was and still is an awful big one.

I'll be updating a little more frequently, its therapeutic right now. Check back often....

Day 3.....Full plate of hate today

2006-03-18T10:59:00.001-05:00

Busy day in Yankee hating today, so I'll get right to it....

Gazette Editorial, 03/18/2006 - "Anti-American outburst has a point"
Un-Registered

Imagine this, a major US daily publishes an editorial that condones the abject bashing of Canada by a government official. Can you imagine? In the US alone, sensibilities would be offended, motivations would be questioned, and if only for a short time, papers would go unsold. In Canada, the raw rage would be deafening. Our Ambassador would be summoned, we would witness as we did after the Martin-Wilkins "mind your own damn business" flap, editorial cartoons of the mighty overbearing American gorilla with the poor cute little Canadian beaver in the clutches of it's evil hands (this actually happend, and due to copyright restrictions involving reproduction, I'll link to it instead of reproducing it for fear of rotting in a Canadian copyright prison..the cartoon is at the bottom of his page on the right - note that this guy is an Order of Canada recipiant). Remember what happened when Conan O'Brien brought Triumph the insult comic dog to Quebec? A hand puppet nearly caused WW III between our two nations for daring to do as his name suggests and insult French-speaking Canadians. On a side note, the episode was filmed live in Toronto, which is the cultural rivalry equivalent of Michigan fans watching maze and blue clad hooligans torch the Ohio State Football mascot, and the audience laughed riotously.

Well, the meat of this one is a letter written by a Minnesota family to every Canadian Senator in which they announced their intention to forgo future vacations to Canada as a result of the government sponsored baby seal hunt. This is a seasonal affair whereby sealers in Newfoundland and Labrador seek out 12-24 day old seal pups and drive a metal spike through their heads for their pelts which they then sell for the manufacture of seal fur coats and the like.
Here's a link to the Humane Society of America's Web site that explains the whole thing better and in far greater detail than I can. Also, on a side note and I really don't like to push too many causes, but I'd urge you if you feel compelled to do so, to sign the petition to Prime Minister Harper condemning the practice. Back to the point...The Minn. family made a few mistakes in the letter. First, in Canada the title of Senator is about as lofty as city garbage collector. A Senator in Canada usually achieves their position as a result of having lost an election and more importantly, being a close buddy of the party in power, the NDP, the Liberals or the Conservatives (Tories if you will). They would have been better off having addressed the letter to all elected Members of Parliament (MP'S), or the Prime Minister himself. But, contrasted against our system of government, it was an understandable if not avoidable mistake.

Secondly, they made the foolish assumption that a letter to a Canadian government official would be tactfully received and replied to. It was not. The only reply they received was from Celine Hervieux-Payette, a Liberal senator from Quebec. Ms. Hrevieux-Payette responded to the effect, oh yeah, well we don't like the way "Americans (sound familiar?) kill innocent Iraqis, execute criminals, especially black ones, and have such lax handgun laws". Real quick here, just once I'd really love to have them back up the "killing innocent Iraqis" thing with actual data as opposed to the emotion of raw hate. Why, it was just this week that a Canadian soldier killed an innocent Afghan cab driver for failing to slow down at checkpoint. Something that I have no issue with, as I understand that the soldier was doing his job and protecting himself and his fellow soldiers, but there were no cries of "murderer" or "killer" here, and it just illustrates the fact that Canadians are capable of lucid, impartial thinking when it comes to their own, but not to the "Great Satan".

The Gazette makes the point that the Senators tirade is "defensible", as the McLellan family's letter omitted facts such as the Americans who come to Canada "en masse to hunt and kill deer and moose". Numbers please, numbers. I fail to recall a time, and I've lived near the border for my entire life, that anyone I knew went to the trouble of going to Canada to hunt an animal that exists in the US in mind numbing proportions. Why would you? "Bringing anything back from Canada today sir?", "Just the dead bleeding moose carcass on top of the car that I now have to declare, possibly have quarantined and drive 300 miles home with, why do you ask?". And with the stern Canadian position of keeping American firearms out of it's borders, how would one legally get the guns necessary for such an endeavor over the border? Better still, why would anyone bother? "Bringing anything with you into Canada sir?", "Oh, just some high powered hunting rifles, and the associated vest-piercing ammunition. Why do you ask Mr. unarmed Canadian border guard?". Please, I'm sure it happens, but "en masse"? Hardly.

They go on to say the family sees "the issue in a vacuum", citing apparent passages in the letter like "fisherman can find other pursuits" and "killing seals is wrong-period". Ok, so "killing innocent Iraqis" and mainly-African American criminals are informed, less-vacuous statements? Right, and all Americans think Canadians live in igloos right? Might as well keep going.... They conclude with offering a free civics lesson to the family, don't even bother. You sent the letter to the wrong people, and if you really want to affect change, send the sealing families in Newfoundland the $8000 that you would have spent in Canada on tourism as compensation for the lost income resulting from an eliminated seal hunt. *Clearing throat*....If you morons, yes I said it...MORONS are supporting a family on $8000 in the land of free government money, you get what you deserve....Homelessness. The hunt lasts for only a few months, and represents at best 5-8% of the Newfoundland "fishing family" income, your point is lost. The Canadian government subsidizes EVERYTHING, yet they are unable to come up with a plan to stop sealing? And actually, they DO subsidize the hunt. Can't turn that the other way?

*UPDATE* - 03/19/2006 - A CBC website with comments from "Joe Sixpack"...some of them get it, most of them don't...

Gazette Editorial, 03/18/2006 - "US spending habits are worrying"
Registered

Once again, butt out. We're outraged enough over our Congressional spending habits. We really don't need your opinion, but thanks anyway. Once again, note the use of the word "Americans'". Right, we all get control of the Congressional checkbook for a day.

Canadian Press Internet Article, 03/18/2006 - "Liberals step away from senator's criticism of the U.S."
Unregistered

I guess some of them have a little political savvy.....

Canadian Press Internet article, 03/18/2006 - "Smuggling of ecstasy into U.S. from Canada a growing problem, officials say"
Unregistered

No terrorists, well maybe one, but plenty of illegal narcotics.

Gazette columnist Jack Todd, 03/18/2006 - "From the department of cheap tricks"
Registered

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is W's, actually Washington's, puppet and Canada should get out of Afghanistan. Ok, leave. We, as we have done for the last 50+ years, will continue to protect North America at our financial and human expense. Todd makes the point that the real mission in Afghanistan should be protecting Afghan women from a return of the Taliban. Who removed the Taliban? Oh yeah, we did. Apparently Todd is ok with allowing the Taliban to flourish and shelter Osama and al-Qaeda as long as women are protected by Canadian soldiers. Side note...following the Madrid train bombings, investigators discovered maps and technical drawings of the Montreal Metro (subway) system on several suspects. It was dismissed by the RCMP, CSIS and the Montreal Police department at the time as "coincidental" and not too worry, al-Qaeda is only interested in blowing up the US portion of the western world. Stick to sports writing Todd.

Happy reading...see you tomorrow....

Day 2, a little late

2006-03-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

Today, I offer for your perusal an editorial in the Montreal Gazette attacking the US Coast Guard for placing machine guns on their cutters that patrol the Great Lakes. The apparent burr here is the Rush-Bagot treaty, signed in the early 1800's (not a typo and I'll repeat, the early 1800's), between the US and Great Britain (again, not a typo and again I'll repeat, Great Britain). The treaty agreed that the Great Lakes would be a de-millitarized zone, and prohibited certain types of armaments from being deployed to defend national waters and borders. Ok, begs the question, has Canada ever floated a warship in the Great Lakes, even if for the purpose of transiting the waterway? If so, I'd argue that a guided missile cruiser or destroyer packs a heck of a bigger punch than an M-60. But I digress, the spirit of the article is that we, "the broader spirit of the accord is falling victim to AMERICANS' (emphasis mine) security obsession since Sept. 11, 2001" are over zealous about protecting our borders. And there's that word again, "Americans"...told 'ya. So, apparently the Gazette feels that the murder of 3000 people, some of them Canadian, in Lower Manhattan, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania doesn't justify the placing of armaments in the hands of those who may be in a position to stop future attacks. And what is it that you don't get? Yeah, that's right, we were attacked on our own soil. That might be a formality to most Canadian journalists, but it's paramount in the minds of most Americans, and it's still a pretty fresh, open wound. Sorry...I imagine you might feel similarly if it had been the CN tower.

Indulge me for a moment while I stray a little off-topic. In December of last year, following several tirades from former Prime Minister Paul Martin, US Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins gave a speech at an Ottawa banquet in which he stated his hope that Martin's anti-American comments wouldn't damage relations. Every newspaper, broadcast TV outlet and Canadian polititican replied with a single message...butt out of our business, it's our country, we'll do as we please, and we won't be dictated to from Washington. Yeah, ah so what's up with the double standard? Our Ambassador delivered a tactful reply to Martin's hot-headed, condescending arrogance and he got blasted for doing so, yet it's perfectly appropriate for Canadians to criticize the US Government's polices when it comes to protecting OUR border, over and over and over and over again. Sure, that's fair play. Anyway, I'll get back to the point here.

Now, what's interesting here is that this goes on to complain that proposed changes to how both US Citizens and visitors enter the US, vis a vis a requirement to display a passport or a proposed "passport-lite" type document, would seriously affect travel to and from the US and ergo affect the resultant revenue stream. Ah...so now were getting to the heart of the matter. The true "green" color of the issue. You love our money and you're miffed that US and/or Canadian businesses will somehow get pissy over the new regulations and stop exporting our dough north of the border. If that happens, good, It should (rhyme unintentional). You LOVE to remind us at every turn of how independent you are and that you really don't need us, so stand on your own two feet, and grow your own economy. So tough s&#*, deal with it, if it even happens.

Lastly, apparently the Gazette has never heard of, or forgotten about the USS Cole. It had a gaping hole ripped in the side of it after being hit by a water borne floating bomb in the form of a small boat, killing several Sailors. Yeah, yeah, I know, that was in Yemen, but that doesn't make it any less likely that al-Qaeda or it's spinoffs would try to blow up a tanker transiting a major US waterway or while at port in a major US city on the Great Lakes. Oh yeah, almost forgot...they did manage to throw in the cliche "we didn't send you any 9/11 terrorists" bit. Apparently, they are under the impression that this is somehow targeted at Canada. Maybe it should be....

Here's the link -

Gazette Editorial, 03/17/2006 - "U.S. carries security too far"
Un-Registered

Mea Culpa...

2006-03-17T15:23:00.000-05:00

I had an interview in NYC on Tuesday that necessitated about two days worth of planes, subways and automobies. Actually it went rather well, thanks for asking. The unintended victim was my little project and you, my public, all several million of you. I have let you down, and for that I feel deep shame. As penance, I will extend into next week, so that you can get the full flavor of my anger.

AND....My email to the author of the article that started this whole thing (see below, "I've had all I can stands" post), and the editor of the section of the Montreal Gazette that it was published in, have gone unanswered. Accordingly, I will send them a new email informing them that I take their lack of a response as a total and affirmative defense of the piece. As a result, I will be passing the article and my correspondence to it's author and publisher to several American newspapers and other media outlets. Understand that I'm not deluded enough to believe that my little rantings here are going to have a dramatic affect on the relations of our two countries, or even that anyone else is even interested. I'm not that naive. However, I do think it's valuable that someone call attention to the open, unadulterated anti-Americanism that pervades here in Canada. And if I can influence one family to opt to take their vacation and spend their money in Montana instead of Manitoba, then I've accomplished what I set out to do.

And we're off...Day 1

2006-03-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

As promised, we begin our experiment. Now before I begin, let me explain that some of the links here are on pages that you have to register with the Gazette to read fully. This will involve giving them your email address and picking a username. I realize that this is a bit of a pain in the a@#, so I apologize for that but I don't make the rules, what can I say. If you do go through their registration crap, you can elect not to have them send you a daily email, and can live out the rest of your life without ever actually hearing from them. In light of all this, I promise two things: first, in the event of a "registered" article or letter (which is what I will use vs. "un-registered" to denote access to the Gazette content), I will provide enough of an accurately quoted sample of the piece, you'll have to trust me if you don't look for yourself, without being misleading. Second, whenever and as much as possible, I will use the "un-registered" stuff so that this is all a moot point. I also want to make you aware that I will be linking to letters to the editor as well, since I believe that it is in that type of content that the real public sentiments lay.

Lastly, understand that this is only content from the Montreal Gazette, which is published in what is generally considered to be a relatively US friendly Province.

Here we go....

Gazette Editorial, 03/13/2006 - "Good riddance to Abu Ghraib" - Registered
I have no beef with closing Abu Ghraib, in fact I'm all in favor of it. I'll go one step further, I don't think we belong in Iraq at all, Afghanistan yeah, but not Iraq. That said, regardless of how I feel, I support 100% and without equivocation, the men and women in Iraq who are doing what they have to do. In this editorial, the writer let's us know that the name is symbolic of "The American moral and political failure", and is "certain to remain in the worlds consciousness for a long time to come". Not the failure of the US Government, DOD, President, Sec. Of defense, but an AMERICAN moral and political failure. This type of verbiage is intentional and not an isolated incident. I've been watching it for nine months now, and it happens all the time, and pointing it out is one of the aims of my little project here.

Letter to Gazette Editor, 03/13/2006 - "Bill Clinton is no statesman" - Registered
He makes the point that former President Clinton is accountable for the Rwandan genocide by way of inaction, and hence, is not qualified to be viewed as a "world statesman". He goes on to emphasize that since Clinton delayed acting on what became the genocide, the US was negligent and basically we have blood on our hands. He does not however mention anything about the fact that the ONLY ROLE the Canadian government played in "preventing" the genocide, was through the UN, by way of a General who commanded a UN peacekeeping contingent that he pulled out after ten Belgian troops were murdered while protecting a female opposition leader, who was herself killed. Anyone see a duality here? We are simutaineously chastised on the same page for having gone into Iraq outside the wishes of the UN, and also for not having gone to Rwanda fast enough outside of the UN. Oh yeah, the guy who is credited for having incited the genocide was recently deported to Rwanda after a comfortable ten year stay in a western country. Which country? Glad you asked.....Canada.

Funny side note...this article, (Canadian Press Internet article 03/13/2006 - Unregistered). What do you think the effect on that US tourist bling bling would be if people really understood how much we are disliked up here?

See you tomorrow....

I've had all I can stands, and I can't stands no more....

2006-03-12T07:19:00.000-05:00

I live in

Canada

. Canadians do not like Americans....fact. DO NOT believe anything to the contrary. Want proof? Read this piece in Saturdays Montreal Gazette . My reply to this clown follows. In fact, were going to do a little experiment here. I will sample and post here a different

bashing article everyday for the next week and you can draw your own conclusions.

My reply to the author of the article and the editor of the local section of the Gazette -

Mr. Freed

I’ve just read your article “Grilled at the crossing: Canadian chicken runs afowl of paranoid U.S. regulations”, Montreal Gazette, March 11, 2006. Um…yeah. I’ll preface this by saying that I am in fact a citizen of the “Excited States of America”, and quite frankly, you’ve really pissed me off. Before I begin, a little housekeeping. Please don’t use the name of my nation for parody, it’s insulting to us as citizens and you loose points right off the top as just another smug, condescending blowhard from “Cantada” (not too funny is it?). And before you retort with “come on you thin skinned American, I was taking aim at the policies of your government and the DHS under Bush”, I feel compelled to call attention to the fact that you use very specific language in your piece. To wit, “Americans are chicken when it comes to chicken” and “Ultimately, I think the poultry crackdown brings together two big terrors of American life: fear of food and fear of terrorism”. It’s always good comedy to marry food and well earned concern over further mass murder on our own soil…good stuff, really good stuff. It’s obvious that you and the newspaper that you contribute to don’t like the US or Americans and any opportunity that presents to lampoon us, you jump on. This is evidenced by the fact that your article appears on page A6 of the Gazette and not the OP/ED page where it probably belongs. Apparently, the editors of the Gazette feel that this is in fact news that the citizens of Montreal need to be in possession of. On a sadly ironic side note, I was having a conversation with a friend in the States yesterday (who lives some distance from the border), when he asked if anti-Americanism is as rampant in Canada as you hear about in the US. I replied that you usually can’t get through the first section of any major newspaper here without running into an article blasting any of the following, Bush, Iraq, Afghanistan, US Foreign policy, Americans, our pets, our language, our sports, our history, our air, our water etc…etc…etc. Whereas I defy you to be able to do the same in any US daily with regard to Canada (I know, you never do anything wrong). Low and behold, thanks to the Gazette for proving me right….the very next day.

Now, the content of your article. I apologize that you feel that as a Canadian, you were unduly questioned at our border. On behalf of the Citizens of the United States of America, please accept our regret that the agencies that are charged with ensuring that undesirable public health threats are kept from our food supplies are doing their jobs. I suppose the reason that we are a tad extra vigilant with regard to Canadian meat and poultry is directly related to the fact that you did in fact import mad cow disease into our beef supply. Is the Canadian beef supply safe now? Probably so, yes. But it did happen, and the beef did come from Canada. I suppose however you would prefer that we forget that fact, and proceed as though it never happened. By the way, speaking of silly and paranoid border regulations, in 2003 a single case of mad cow was detected in the US. Following the discovery, the Canadian Government banned beef imports from the US for a time. Where did the cow that the beef was rendered from originate? None other than (insert drum roll here)…..Alberta. As Canada’s largest customer, it’s probably wise to ensure that we are getting what we pay for and not Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. While it may seem silly to you that you were questioned about bringing regulated products into a foreign county, I’d like to borrow a page from Paul Martin’s speech book….butt out. Further, your article is intellectually dishonest and out of context to say that Canada has no “restrictions on US poultry”. I’d offer this from the Canadian Border Services website –

“Canada has complex requirements, restrictions, and limits that apply to importing meat, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, and other foodstuffs. Visitors can avoid problems by not bringing such goods into Canada. If you intend to bring animals, plants, agricultural, and food products into Canada, you should be aware that fees now apply to some inspection and quarantine services provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).”

So it seems that Canada also cries “fowl” when a visitor arrives with his chicken nuggets or grandmas’ chicken soup. Another funny story for ‘ya….This summer while living in Montreal with my wife (Canadian), I had to transit the border daily to get to work in Vermont. While reentering Canada, I was asked by the border agent if I was bringing any Cuban cigars in to the country. Sorry? Come again? Where in the US would I purchase a Cuban stogie? And last I checked, they were legal in Canada. Strange. Anyway, the border is the border and we both play our little “games”. The bottom line is that both of our nations allow commercial inspected meat into their borders. They just don’t allow a boiled hen with an Asian passport to arrive in your passenger seat, as some persons from far flung nations are sometimes wont to do. And I don’t have a problem with that. Do you?

You posed the question, “What will happen next? Will they stop Canadian geese and ducks from flying south for the winter?”. Nope, no one has beef with Canadian beef, geese or ducks. We do however want to ensure that the two legged Canadians who fly south for the winter aren’t bringing things they shouldn’t. Just as you ensure that Jethro and his drooling, war mongering, hayseed chewing kin aren’t bringing daddy’s squirrly rifle to Canada when they arrive to observe indigenous Canadians in their homes made of ice (you guys really love that stereotype, so I thought I’d work it in for you). Look, if your intent was to inform Canadians of the perils of bringing poultry into the US, fine then do that. Just do it in the form of an actual news item without the smart-ass commentary. And why is it that you feel so comfortable spouting anti-Americanism in a “legitimate” news outlet? You wouldn’t do it about any one else would you? I suppose that’s because it’s always open season on Americans, and it’s time that we recognize our relationship for what it really is, unfriendly. You don’t like us very much and you’ll do what ever it takes to let us know it. Fine, so be it. Let’s boot Canada out of NORAD, stop buying Canadian products, end tourism to Canada, pull every last US dollar out of the Canadian economy and file the divorce papers. You can have Alaska, we keep Pamela Anderson. Not a very good idea? I don’t think so either.

Oh yeah, the terrorist thing. Ahmed Ressam. Name ring a bell? Or perhaps “Millennium Bomber”? Should sound familiar, he was the al-Qaeda connected Algerian terrorist that lived here in Montreal for years, who was given $500 per month by the Canadian government as a refugee, and plotted to bomb Los Angels International Airport (LAX). He was apprehended on the US side of the border by a soon to retire female Customs agent, with enough explosives to blow a crater the size of a small nation in L.A., although I don’t believe he had any poultry in the car. As we all now know, no 9/11 terrorists entered the US from Canada. But you’ll forgive us if in light of the Ressam incident, some fingers were pointed north. But I guess you would have it that we forgot about Ressam and the fact that you “sent” him as well. And please, the softwood lumber debate is in no way attached to some all encompassing American imitative to get “tougher and more paranoid” with Canada and Canadians. You know damn well that it has everything to do with big business interests and their well financed lobbyists clashing over an arguably under priced commodity entering a foreign market. You can feel how you will about the issue, but please, unless you’re willing to go to lower Manhattan, proclaim that they need to get over what happened there and stop picking on Canada, leave 9/11 and it’s victims out of it. It’s tacky, insulting, and in extremely poor taste.

And you Gazette, leave this stuff to the OP/ED page, because it’s that at best. It sure as heck isn’t news. I also find it a little funny that your paper finds it perfectly permissible to allow an article that is highly critical and insulting of the US to be reported as “news”, yet you published an editorial that criticized Paul McCartney for coming to Canada to speak out against the baby seal hunt. What’s the message? It’s perfectly permissible for us to do, but how dare you pick on us?

I look forward to your response, and I hope I get one. I’m sure it will be colorful.

Regards,

Jim
myemail@myisp.yep
Ph. - xxx.xxx.xxxx

I'm not a "causey" guy but...

2006-02-27T03:46:00.000-05:00

How'z about it, whatever you can give...

http://www.fallenheroesfund.org

Me, no really.....

2006-02-24T00:43:00.000-05:00

Oh (No!) Canada....

2006-02-23T23:50:00.000-05:00

2-Nil, YIKES!! Team Canada what happened, you got beat by the Swiss!! This of course wasn’t in the Grand Plan, and for as little as is being made here in Canada about it, it is significant. This loss is far less about how the Canadians skated and it’s everything about how they acted on the ice and their own attitudes. Memo to players, coaches, and fans of Team Canada…The Olympic Games are not a coronation ceremony for the Canadian men’s hockey team, you actually have to go out and compete in a field that’s a lot deeper than you seem to have thought it was. Even worse, the Canadian Press (literally, the Canadian Press, link at the bottom) is reporting this as more or less of a fluke, pointing out that TC had a chance to “bury the Swiss early”. Sorry, come again, BURY the Swiss early? You lost 2-0, what did I miss? Oh, and Paul DiPietro scored “two ‘opportunistic’ goals”. The article is also quick to point out that Team Canada previously defeated the Swiss team 22-0, previously as in 1924 previously. Yep, 1924. We’ve also heard about the goal that wasn’t several times. Swiss goalie Martin Gerber gloved a shot from Rick Nash in the second period that the Canadians contended was actually caught behind the goal line. After a lengthily delay for a video review, the off ice official ruled no goal. Well, apparently some feel cheated because the off ice official who made the ruling complained that he only had THREE angles to review the shot, one overhead and two side views with no “panning”, basically reverse and slow forward, ability. I recall a time not so long ago when there was no video review whatsoever and no one complained. Further, an overhead shot really is the ultimate arbiter. Combine that with the two side views, and the eyes of the on ice official and you have a pretty good shot at a fair shake. And it was just that, the puck was clearly in Gerber’s glove with white ice underneath it before it crossed the red goal line in the glove, under Gerber’s control. Look, the reality is that Team Canada remains the gold medal favorites, and this loss will probably be nothing more than a wake up call to the Canadian team. But it’s important that they pick up the phone instead of hitting the snooze button and remaining under the warm blanket of assumption (how’s that for metaphor?!?). They are going to have to skate better than the European teams that are desperately trying to beat them to prove a point. That point being that the hockey sun doesn’t rise and set in the Great White North. The NHL is becoming increasingly stacked with fast, skilled European players who are every bit as good and passionate about the game as their North American counterparts. For his part, Canadian coach Pat Quinn was gracious in defeat and put the blame where it belongs, on the shoulders of his players who never created the chances to “bury” the Swiss. It’s obvious that Quinn gets it and understands that he needs to communicate a message to his players. The message, that’s a helmet you’re wearing, not a crown. For the sake of the Canadian Olympic program, I hope they get it too, but that doesn’t seem likely. They have unveiled their slogan for the 2010 games (that are being hosted in Canada), “Own the Podium”. Own the podium? Ok, you can wear it, but I better not hear accusations of arrogance about any other nations programs, least of all the American teams. Self inflation invites defeat and criticism, and it sure isn’t in keeping with the friendly sprit of international competition. I keep seeing flashes of the Canadian Olympic chairman banging his shoe on a podium shouting “We will bury you!!”. Medals and achievement are earned by hard work, training, focus and respect for your opponents, not by rhetoric and assumptions. Link to Canadian Press story - http://othernews.ca.myway.com/article//20060218/69294050.html

Ouch....

2006-02-23T23:49:00.000-05:00

Wow. Let me say that again, wow. We suck. “This is the best team that the US has put together for Olympic competition ever” they said. Ah yeah, lets review quickly shall we…Michelle Kwan – out, and actually never should have gone in the first place. In an utterly selfish act, she chose to occupy a spot that should have gone to a younger healthier competitor knowing full well that her odds of actually being able to compete on an Olympic level were questionable at best. Bode Miller, actually Bode “beer and shots” Miller. So, in a bar drinking until midnight the night before the race, eh? Didn’t even take a practice run prior to the one that counted, because you “had it figured out”. Well Bode, you’re a decent skier, but you need to get over your alcohol addiction before you put on the uniform of your nation and make an ass of yourself. I’d be willing to forgive him if he hadn’t talked the amount of trash that he has in the last year or so. To wit, his couched assertion that Lance Armstrong had used banned substances in training. Bode, pot…kettle…pot…kettle. Even if Armstrong had used performance enhancing drugs, and with apologies to France, there is NO evidence that he did save for a SIX year old sample free from the controls of a chain of custody, Miller is in NO position to criticize. While it may be off the IOC banned substances list, booze was (is) the fuel that Miller needs to keep going, and he needs help, seriously. The Games are far from over, and the US still has several shots at redemption. There’s still men’s and women’s hockey and as we all know, all bets are off on the ice. It’s pretty much a forgone conclusion that the US and Canada will meet for the gold in both boy and girl, and even with Canada as the favorite, it’s really anyone’s game. Speed skating has some possible fruit to bear and with one gold in hand, we’re solidly in the running. However, the “locks” are dropping like flies and the competition is fierce. Our athletes need to spend less time in front of the cameras and microphones and more time in quiet reflection thinking about what their presence in Torino means to themselves, their teammates, their Country, and all those behind the scenes that sacrificed their time and money to get them there. Less posturing and more practice. But hey, Miller has his own Nike Website and it seems that’s all he’s concerned about, and that’s a shame. I’ll keep waving my flag and wearing my Team USA shirt here in CANADA, but please, give me something to believe in…

The Cartoon as the Clarion?

2006-02-23T23:48:00.000-05:00

What would Snoopy say? I am one of those awful people in this world that hold the belief that it's permissible to scrutinize (read openly criticize) organized religion. Yep, I do. If you want to worship a shaved goat while you're covered in Crisco, go for it. If however you choose to worship said goat for the purposes of seeking inspiration to strap a bomb to your body and carry it onto a bus filled with soup can worshipers because you believe to your core that the goat is the only God, you've opened yourself up. I am of course talking about the Muhammad cartoon that appeared in a Danish newspaper inflaming Muslims to the point of rioting and firebombing Danish embassies. When this story broke, it was reported by news outlets, that it is specifically prohibited under Islamic tenants to depict Muhammad graphically, let alone with a bomb in his turban. Hmmm, funny because there exist NUMEROUS graphical depictions of the Prophet dating back to 1550 CE (very, very old), of him ascending into the heavens during the Miraj. These depictions are Persian in origin and to my knowledge, caused no rioting. And, there's his likeness that keeps watch over the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States....insert sound of needle being dragged across playing record here....Yep, there he is, a relief in marble in the inner chamber of the highest of high Courts, right in the belly of the great Satan. When it was carved, no one said boo. So what changed? Did Islam itself change, or did the practitoners of the ancient and respected religion change? Or, did either change? I've heard the complaint from those that are offended by the cartoon, and our media in the US that free speech seems to have passed over the Islamic world and that a double standard exists. Moreover, that there is a basis for a First Amendment defense of the cartoonist. Please, no Constitutional protections cover this situation. The cartoonist is Danish and in Danishland (kidding, Denmark) and the outrage is confined, for the most part, to the Middle East hence, NO FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE. Further, no "constitution" stretches over the globe and the only free speech argument is limited to the discussion of the basic human right to express your opinion openly, no matter how offensive. So, please stop using the word Constitution in connection to this issue. Thanks, I had to get that out of my system. Moving on....Look, when one criticizes, speaks out against or otherwise knocks another’s religion, so long as it's not done in a "my God's better than your God, so I'm going to exterminate you" position, it's fair game. Let me say that again, IT'S FAIR GAME. Just what is it that is objectionable about calling another’s religion into question? Is it that having your faith questioned so shakes your faith to the core that you question it yourself? Look I'm a guy who respects everyone and anyone’s right to practice whatever faith they like, and I certainly don't go to parties, churches, Synagogues or Mosques to challenge others on their belief systems. I do however opine that when there is a body count associated with your chosen faith, you're subject to a little more scrutiny, criticism and yes, becoming the target of political cartoons. It's up to those that hold the belief that Muhammad was the Prophet to convince us that theirs truly is a religion of peace and non-violence, and right now, they are not doing a very good job of it and haven't for quite some time. So, what's the answer to the question "what changed"? Our world as a whole has changed. The cartoon has become the clarion, and the flaming Molotov cocktail has become the message. We are so thin skinned that the mere image of our deity in a cartoon incites us to act out against its wishes and kill our fellow man. This has nothing to do with Muhammad's image and everything to do with the perception of an insult originating from the evil that is the western world, spurred on by Judaism. This has everything to do with the execution of rage ignited by the most zealous and hateful among us to serve their own ends. Don't take my word for it, Google for jihadist training manuals. You'll find some glaring examples of hatred in the form of cartoons, leveled at anyone that they disagree with. But yet, no riots here. So my Muslim friends, put down the fists and pick up the pens. Show us what you've got.

The Super Bowl

2006-02-23T23:47:00.000-05:00

Steelers...by 7ish.

A Million Litte Pieces....of crap

2006-02-23T23:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, let's get this out of the way. James Frey lied. James Frey lied, and profited enormously off of it. Is James Frey a douche bag for doing so? Probably so, yes. That said, what was the name of his book? "A Million Little Pieces, a 12 step guide to kicking your (fill in the blank) addiction", or was it just "A Million Little Pieces"? The latter of course. Now, who made James Frey? Oprah did, and until her Oprah pollsters told her that her stock was dropping as a result of calling in to Larry King Live and defending her previous assertions that the book was tantamount to the Holy Bible of addiction management, she pushed this thing to her groupies and they ate it up with shovels. Oprah, do the right thing....stop being offended and accept some responsibility. You built him, and even went so far as to place your personal stamp of approval on the cover of his collection of horse-s. You didn't bother to do one iota of fact checking and weather I agree with you or not, you are an icon to the hopeless therefore you have the responsibity to get it right. Public, stop being so shocked that an author would fabricate history to generate profit. If you're gullible enough to believe that this guy had TWO root canals without anesthetic, you get what you deserve...ripped off. Hats off to the Smoking Gun for exposing this guy, and to be sure, he is a turd. He's a turd because he played fast and loose with the facts about the REAL deaths of REAL people, REAL YOUNG people. He's a turd because he made huge $$$ off of lying about the hell that is drug and alcohol addiction. He's a turd because until he was outed by TSG.com his conscience didn't bother him in the least while he was doing the backstroke in his piles of cash. Enough about James Frey...everyone. Let it go. If you need inspiration to kick an addiction, turn off Oprah and look in the mirror.

G'day

2006-02-23T23:31:00.000-05:00

Howdy. What follows are several postings from my old blog at another site, so pardon the dated information. Me? Glad you asked, I'm an American in Montreal Quebec, pining for the motherland. I'll be posting on any number of topics from politics to sports to skin diseases, well less of those but you get the idea. Enjoy.....