What bothers me most about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, is not whom was right, or wrong in his latest confrontation with a TTC streetcar driver, but that he called the head of TTC to complain. To put it plainly, Rob Ford is a rat. He routinely calls 911. In my entire life I have never called the police. Ford has called the cops at least a dozen times. When I was in the Navy, the most hated person was the rat. The guy that called the authorities every time they felt wronged. Ford is a pussy, unable to resolve problems like a man.
The fact that Ford constantly finds himself in confrontations like this, is a mark of his character. The right-wingers will tell you that he is being harassed by lefties, but at least half the time, including the latest, the other party was unaware he was the mayor. Recall the incident at a Leaf game, when he was a city councillor and harassed nearby seat holders. He lied about that incident until the couple pulled out a business card that he gave them.
Ford is an entitled, gutless, buffoon. He should stop putting himself in constant conflict with others and if he does have a rare confrontation he should act like man. No one likes a rat!
Saturday 30 June 2012
Wednesday 27 June 2012
The Mate Departs
My Aussie co-worker and friend of 18-years, Mark "The Mate" Goodall, has resigned from the company after 11-years. We worked 4-years together at a previous workplace and he returned to OZ for a couple of years. As I like to tell the ladies in the office, he was a lot better looking 18-years ago. He is taking his Caesar haircut to a new job.
Over the years I learned a lot of Aussie speak for various size beer glasses, the term skimpies, "only Sheila's order a pony, Mate". I could go on and on. We went through many office battles together. We are the same age, though I look much younger. The women liked his mid-Pacific accent, which caused much tension between us. We had pints all across Canada and even a few US cities. We complained about the Doors, relied on each other for technical advice countless times.
The departure of The Mate will be a huge loss to our company and a personal loss to me. There was a time that I thought we might take the proverbial "gold watch" at the same time, but it wasn't meant to be. I wish him well and I'm sure we will meet for many a pint in the future, but no ponies. Only Sheila's drink ponies.
Over the years I learned a lot of Aussie speak for various size beer glasses, the term skimpies, "only Sheila's order a pony, Mate". I could go on and on. We went through many office battles together. We are the same age, though I look much younger. The women liked his mid-Pacific accent, which caused much tension between us. We had pints all across Canada and even a few US cities. We complained about the Doors, relied on each other for technical advice countless times.
The departure of The Mate will be a huge loss to our company and a personal loss to me. There was a time that I thought we might take the proverbial "gold watch" at the same time, but it wasn't meant to be. I wish him well and I'm sure we will meet for many a pint in the future, but no ponies. Only Sheila's drink ponies.
Tuesday 26 June 2012
What the......
Stephen Harper has a "secret" meeting with the walking Ego that is Brian Mulroney and it its splashed on the front page of every paper in the country. Mulroney rarely speaks himself, but has has a handful of advocates that worship the most despised PM in Canadian history. They are obsessed with rehabilitating his image. They plant stories in newspapers on how misunderstood their great leader is.
They want us to forget that their hero took a paper bag full of money in a bribe shortly after leaving office.
Harper's staggeringly weak cabinet is badly in need of an overhaul. Bev Oda has to be shown the door. Peter Kent, in Environment, has shed every last piece of credibility, along with his personal dignity. Tony "Milhouse"Clement embarrassed himself and his nation in the lead up to the G20 summit. They all have to go!
I know that Harper signed a deal with Peter "Little Boy" Mackay to merge the PC and Reform/Alliance parties. Part of that deal was giving Petey a cabinet post. It begs the question, is that a cabinet post for life? I have never witnessed a more bungling fool in any cabinet. We know Harper does not personally like MacKay. It is time to shuffle this guy right out of politics.
I was not a big fan of Karen Stintz in Toronto city politics, but the right-wing politician and former Ford Brother's ally, has turned out to be a visionary TTC Chair. First she stood up to the Ford Twins idiotic, unfunded Sheppard subway fiasco and reinstated the Transit City Plan. Her latest idea is to increase property taxes to finance a major subway expansion. It may result in a an average of $200 a year more in property taxes. It is a price I am willing to pay. I hope she succeeds.
It is interesting too see that the most effective critic of the McGuinty government in Ontario, is the Toronto Star. Canada's only major left-wing paper broke the Ornge helicopter scandal, as well as Toronto District School Board union's gross mismanagement of public funds. This is in sharp contrast to the National Post and Sun newspaper's fawning support of the Conservatives.
Read a great piece in the Globe outlining Harper's foreign policy as embracing the Anglo sphere and Israel at all costs. Ignoring Africa, the Far East and mainland Europe. It is costing Canada a once revered place in the world. You get the impression Harper would like to turn back the clock to an all white Protestant horse buggy days in a simpler time. His embracing of all things Olde Blighty, including an increasingly distant Queen, is far from the reality of modern day, multicultural Canada. He is a throwback to time, few of us want to return to.
They want us to forget that their hero took a paper bag full of money in a bribe shortly after leaving office.
Harper's staggeringly weak cabinet is badly in need of an overhaul. Bev Oda has to be shown the door. Peter Kent, in Environment, has shed every last piece of credibility, along with his personal dignity. Tony "Milhouse"Clement embarrassed himself and his nation in the lead up to the G20 summit. They all have to go!
I know that Harper signed a deal with Peter "Little Boy" Mackay to merge the PC and Reform/Alliance parties. Part of that deal was giving Petey a cabinet post. It begs the question, is that a cabinet post for life? I have never witnessed a more bungling fool in any cabinet. We know Harper does not personally like MacKay. It is time to shuffle this guy right out of politics.
I was not a big fan of Karen Stintz in Toronto city politics, but the right-wing politician and former Ford Brother's ally, has turned out to be a visionary TTC Chair. First she stood up to the Ford Twins idiotic, unfunded Sheppard subway fiasco and reinstated the Transit City Plan. Her latest idea is to increase property taxes to finance a major subway expansion. It may result in a an average of $200 a year more in property taxes. It is a price I am willing to pay. I hope she succeeds.
It is interesting too see that the most effective critic of the McGuinty government in Ontario, is the Toronto Star. Canada's only major left-wing paper broke the Ornge helicopter scandal, as well as Toronto District School Board union's gross mismanagement of public funds. This is in sharp contrast to the National Post and Sun newspaper's fawning support of the Conservatives.
Read a great piece in the Globe outlining Harper's foreign policy as embracing the Anglo sphere and Israel at all costs. Ignoring Africa, the Far East and mainland Europe. It is costing Canada a once revered place in the world. You get the impression Harper would like to turn back the clock to an all white Protestant horse buggy days in a simpler time. His embracing of all things Olde Blighty, including an increasingly distant Queen, is far from the reality of modern day, multicultural Canada. He is a throwback to time, few of us want to return to.
Sunday 24 June 2012
Brian Mulroney a bag full of money
Stephen Harper thinks the answer to his low numbers in Quebec is to consult with former PM Brian Mulroney. Mulroney accepted a bribe from Karlheinz Schreiber. A bag full of money for no services rendered. No taxes paid until he was caught a decade later. He is a dishonourable man, that in more enlightened countries, would have served time in jail. Mulroney is not the answer to Harper's problems. He is a disgrace to Canada. A man obsessed with rehabilitating his legacy. A man with many friends, who plant periodic articles in newspapers designed to improve his image.
Canadians rarely agree with each other on political matters, but when it comes to Brian Mulroney, he is universally despised. A walking disgrace as a former PM. Harper should heed his better instincts and distance himself from this man.
Mulroney's advice to Harper? Work with the separatists. Mulroney attracted separatists to his government. They eventually turned on him and founded the Bloc.
Canadians rarely agree with each other on political matters, but when it comes to Brian Mulroney, he is universally despised. A walking disgrace as a former PM. Harper should heed his better instincts and distance himself from this man.
Mulroney's advice to Harper? Work with the separatists. Mulroney attracted separatists to his government. They eventually turned on him and founded the Bloc.
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Golf at Dentonia Golf Club in 40C Heat
I played a round of golf with Charlie Brown, Paul Bereza and Ali G, at city owned Par 3 course Dentonia GC. The temps hit 40C with the humidity factor. We walked the course and it took its toll. The photo below gives you an idea of the hilly terrain. The front 9 in particular is a roller coaster of hills.
I won the round and pocketed some small $ in bets. If I can win a foursome of golf it speaks volumes about the quality of players. I beat Charlie by 1 stroke. Bereza and our new Pakistani friend Ali G were well behind.
We were thankful for the presence of Ali G despite his annoying habit of talking during people's back swings. Ali G gives us a more diverse group of friends. It allows me to dump an Indian friend without any serious ramifications. Ali G wins, as he has grown his stable of funny white dudes. It was a win, win! Ali G is no doubt bragging about us as I write this blog entry. Ali G also works in IT which seriously hampers his social contacts.
I won the round and pocketed some small $ in bets. If I can win a foursome of golf it speaks volumes about the quality of players. I beat Charlie by 1 stroke. Bereza and our new Pakistani friend Ali G were well behind.
We were thankful for the presence of Ali G despite his annoying habit of talking during people's back swings. Ali G gives us a more diverse group of friends. It allows me to dump an Indian friend without any serious ramifications. Ali G wins, as he has grown his stable of funny white dudes. It was a win, win! Ali G is no doubt bragging about us as I write this blog entry. Ali G also works in IT which seriously hampers his social contacts.
Sunday 17 June 2012
Monday 11 June 2012
RandomThoughts
It is my birthday tomorrow. In anticipation I had my best workout day in a while. I walked 8 miles, ran on the treadmill and lifted weights. It has been a long time since I ran on the treadmill. I have been having problems with both Achilles for the past while. I may have Achilles tendinitis. I'm going to get it checked out. I thought there is no way I will be able to run, but when I hit the treadmill the pain was gone. As I love to self diagnose, I'm not sure what is going on. I am sure I will be in pain tomorrow. Someone thought I may have gout, but I don't think so. I checked the symptoms and they don't match. I may be a victim of walking too much. How ironic, I'm punished for the only good thing I do.
I'm really trying to cut back on the bad foods. I have lawyers coming in from across Canada for their annual Toronto visit. It is a steady stream in the summer. Plus tomorrow I'm attending the Canada v. Honduras World Cup soccer qualifier. With patio season just starting up, it is punishing for my body. I really have to cut back. I have cut back, but I have to take it down another notch. My heart has been great the past two years. That is a testament to taking it easy most of the week and walking at least 10,000 steps a day. 19,800 steps today including the treadmill. If only I had a the Achilles of a 20-year-old Swede.
Saturday 9 June 2012
Bob Rae
Bob Rae is about to run for the full time leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Bob Rae lied when he agreed he would not run for the leadership of the party, as part of an agreement to take the interim job. I wrote in my blog at that time that Bob Rae was lying, he had every intention of running.
Bob Rae is a man without an ounce of decency, or integrity. He is not worthy of being Prime Minister of Canada. He was the worst Premier in the history of parliamentary democracy. That is not an exaggeration if you lived in Ontario during the Bob Rae regime. It would have been unthinkable during that period that this ego maniacal failure, would have any notion of leading the Liberal Party.
Remember theses words, the Liberal Party of Canada will die under Bob Rae's leadership. It will be the final death blow to the party. When you chase away progressives like me, you are done as a viable party.
The Liberal Party ran a criminal in my riding. Then they ran the criminal's wife, who hid any mention of the existence of her husband. Now you are about to hand over the leadership of the party to a failure as a Premier and an even bigger failure as a decent human being.
If you ask people that really know Bob Rae, they will tell you that he is not a nice man. He is a man with a gigantic sense of self worth, a sense of entitlement that ignores the fact that he was a monumental failure when he last lead a government.
Bob Rae is a man without an ounce of decency, or integrity. He is not worthy of being Prime Minister of Canada. He was the worst Premier in the history of parliamentary democracy. That is not an exaggeration if you lived in Ontario during the Bob Rae regime. It would have been unthinkable during that period that this ego maniacal failure, would have any notion of leading the Liberal Party.
Remember theses words, the Liberal Party of Canada will die under Bob Rae's leadership. It will be the final death blow to the party. When you chase away progressives like me, you are done as a viable party.
The Liberal Party ran a criminal in my riding. Then they ran the criminal's wife, who hid any mention of the existence of her husband. Now you are about to hand over the leadership of the party to a failure as a Premier and an even bigger failure as a decent human being.
If you ask people that really know Bob Rae, they will tell you that he is not a nice man. He is a man with a gigantic sense of self worth, a sense of entitlement that ignores the fact that he was a monumental failure when he last lead a government.
Monday 4 June 2012
Sunday 3 June 2012
The Eaton Centre Shooting
I work at the Eaton Centre and frequently visit the food court where the killer opened fire Saturday night. I note that witnesses described the shooter as dark skinned, wearing a hoodie and baggy pants. I also saw the photo of one of the victims, who was a black man. The police say it was a targeted killing. Several of the victims were innocent bystanders. A pregnant woman was trampled by people fleeing the scene. She went into labour.
People who live in Toronto are fully aware that when there is a shooting, the likely shooter is a black male, just as likely the victim is also a black male. There is an almost general acceptance from Torontonians that if you keep the violence within your own community, we will turn a blind eye towards it. The shootings almost always take place in their own neighbourhoods. The Jane Creba murder, on Boxing Day near the Eaton Centre a few years back, shocked the city as the black killers, shot at each other with the rest of us a potential collateral damage. This Eaton Centre shooting will cause the same reaction.
When the dust settles the reactions will be predictable. The Toronto Star will downplay the race of the shooters and call for society to fix the root of the problem, inequality and lack of opportunity for black youth. The Toronto Sun will call for increased police budgets and immigration reform.
My hope is that there is not a repeat of the summer of the gun, where we hired hundreds more police officers. Overall the crime rate has been dropping dramatically, year after year. We don't need more cops, they could not have prevented this incident.
How do you decrease black on black crime? I don't know the answer. I don't think you can in one or two generations. We can just hope that they go back to our unwritten agreement and take the violence back to their hood.
We can't live in fear. I will be back in the Eaton Centre food court this week. It will probably be the safest place in the city.
People who live in Toronto are fully aware that when there is a shooting, the likely shooter is a black male, just as likely the victim is also a black male. There is an almost general acceptance from Torontonians that if you keep the violence within your own community, we will turn a blind eye towards it. The shootings almost always take place in their own neighbourhoods. The Jane Creba murder, on Boxing Day near the Eaton Centre a few years back, shocked the city as the black killers, shot at each other with the rest of us a potential collateral damage. This Eaton Centre shooting will cause the same reaction.
When the dust settles the reactions will be predictable. The Toronto Star will downplay the race of the shooters and call for society to fix the root of the problem, inequality and lack of opportunity for black youth. The Toronto Sun will call for increased police budgets and immigration reform.
My hope is that there is not a repeat of the summer of the gun, where we hired hundreds more police officers. Overall the crime rate has been dropping dramatically, year after year. We don't need more cops, they could not have prevented this incident.
How do you decrease black on black crime? I don't know the answer. I don't think you can in one or two generations. We can just hope that they go back to our unwritten agreement and take the violence back to their hood.
We can't live in fear. I will be back in the Eaton Centre food court this week. It will probably be the safest place in the city.
Friday 1 June 2012
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