OfficiallyScrewed

Trudeau Gets A Mountain, But Where Is Diefenbaker's??

Mulder

After reading Syncrodox Sez’s article about the naming of a mountain after the Rt. Honourable Pierre Elliot Trudeau, I took it up on myself to do a bit of research on the naming of mountains in Canada after our illustrious leaders.

I did find some interesting facts out though.

1) Wilfred Laurier has 3 (count ’em) mountains named after him.

2) John Diefenbaker has no mountain named after him.

3) Chretien tried having the tallest mountain in Canada named after Trudeau shortly after his death in 2000. The locals around Mount Logan protested hard, and were thankfully, successful in blocking the naming.

4) The average height above sea level of Tory Prime Minister peaks is 3066.25 metres, and the average height above sea level of Grit Prime Minister peaks is 2736.4 metres (when counting all of Laurier’s peaks) and 3004.8 (when counting only Laurier’s tallest peak)

5) The average prominence of Tory Prime Minister peaks is 396.25 metres, and the average prominence of Grit Prime Minister peaks is 825.7 metres (when counting all of Laurier’s peaks) and 812.2 metres (when counting only Laurier’s tallest peak)

A grid showing these features can be seen below (click to enlarge)

I guess the purpose of all this was to point out that I am not upset that Trudeau now has a mountain. But I am now thinking that Diefenbaker deserves a mountain of his own. Why has he been overlooked? Whether or not he was a popular PM, or whether or not he was a long standing PM should also not matter. The man lead our nation and deserves his place in Canadian geographical history with the rest.

Diefenbaker has been Officially Screwed!!

Liberal MP Keith Martin Makes A Good Proposal … A Year Too Late

Mulder

Riddle me this? When I a Liberal a hypocrite? Pretty much always, especially when it comes to standing up to international tyrants.

Liberal MP Keith Martin is asking the Conservative government to indict Robert Mugabe under the Crimes Against Humanity Act.

“Mugabe’s actions have left millions on the brink of starvation and a similar number have been forced to flee his dictatorial regime to surrounding countries. Time is of the essence and the international community must act with haste,” Mr. Martin said.

We must act in haste?? Time is of the essence??

How’s THIS for haste Mr. Martin? Your party was in power when these atrocities were occuring yet you did nothing when you had the reins. How do I know this? Because I blogged about it last August.

The very same China that we give money to gives money to Robert Mugabe, the ruthless dictator. The same Robert Mugabe who ordered massive raids leaving 1000’s of homes, farms and business decimated, and over 300,000 people homeless. With nights in Zimbabwe reaching down to freezing temperatures, the death toll steadily rises. All under the name “Operation Murambatsvina” which means “get rid of trash” in Shona.

Mugabe, the same man who handed over the farms to the retired armed forces who had helped him take control over 20 years ago. Mugabe, who has now turned on them, taking the land. Mugabe, whose governments lack of planning left so many of those retirees without seed for a new crop. Mugabe, who now, along with the ZANU-PF party, sees these retirees as more of a burden to their fiscal plan, than an asset.

It’s good to see someone we give money to, turn and give money to a nation that is clearly in need of new leadership and new international relationships. Canada gives to China, who gives to Robert Mugabe. Let me repeat that for those of you sleeping. CANADA GIVES MONEY TO CHINA, WHO IN TURN GIVES MONEY TO ROBERT MUGABE AND THE RUTHLESS ZANU-PF PARTY IN ZIMBABWE. Ok, Just checking, relax. I didn’t mean to yell.

Why were you not demanding your own party stand up to this tyrannical leader back then, Mr. Martin? Were you not aware that the Liberals were giving $50 Million dollars a year to the Chinese, who in turn were helping fund the actions of Robert Mugabe? More Liberal hypocrisy.

We all know the Conservatives cut the $50 Million dollar transfers to China. A good start. And should Mugabe be indicted? Yes, I agree he should. But your call for action now and demanding haste is self serving. You would not DARE call out your own government’s inaction a month or two before the writ was dropped last fall. And now you call for action trying to look like a compassionate Liberal.

I Could Have Been His First Blogger

Mulder

Tossing and turning in the warm Ottawa night and something hit me in my half awake-half asleep stupor.

With regards to the battle between the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Press Gallery, if they had opened up the list to non PPG people like … ohhhhh … shall we say … ME the MSM could have been drooling over bloggers, much as they were during the election campaign when bloggers such as MK Braaten, Stephen Taylor, Craig Smith and Steve Janke who were busting open stories such as the Income Trust scandal and the exorbitant expenditures for relocation that included hotel bills in Cancun and Hawaii.

But I can just see it now. Had Mr. Harper given an interview to a lowly blogger like me, the MSM would have ripped him a new one with headlines like “Harper gives Officially Screwed Interview” or they could have posted a photo of me next to the PM with a subtitle like “Officially Screwed By P.M.”

Needless to say, Stephen Harper DID give Officially Screwed a brief 90 second interview when I met him at the Senators-Capitals Hockey game on March 2nd. He was both cordial and friendly and showed actual interest in my blog.

But that night I had the luck of being seated a mere 35 or 40 feet from the PM and he took the opportunity for a photo op a scant 10 seats over from where I was sitting. As much as I loved the ease and friendliness he gave when I approached him to say hi and congratulate him on the recent win, I now shudder to think how close someone with bad intentions could have come to him.

In light of the recent news of the intent of one of the Toronto 17 to behead him, I hope our PM takes a far more secure approach to his public appearances. The country needs him to lead for several more years in order to straighten out the mess Dat Der Guy From Shawinigan put us in.

Long live the PM and the BPG (Blogger Press Gallery).

Now back to bed for me.

What The Hell Is Wrong With Our Country?? This One Hits Too Close To Home For Me

Mulder

This one hit especially close to home, because Donview Middle School is where I went to school from Grade 7 to Grade 9. I played Soccer and Flag Football behind the school. I slid down the iced slope on the north side of the school on my Adidas gym bag for hours after school in the winters.

But now I am finding out that my old junior high school is giving out assignments to 8th graders that pushes all boundaries of tolerance. This is NOT the Donview I remember. It is NOT the Geography Mr. Waisglass taught us. It is NOT the Geography Mr. Jardine taught us.

The material includes a fictitious story that depicts Jews persecuting Christians, including the burning of a church. It is one of seven vignettes, and the only one that identifies an oppressor by ethnicity or religion.

“The implication that Jews are burning a church, given our own past, is really offensive,” said Janis Rosen, who teaches Grade 8 geography at Donview Middle School in York Mills. “It just hit me in the stomach.”

The material — pulled from another Toronto area school board curriculum in 2002, according to the Canadian Jewish Congress — comes from a group assignment in “Grade 8 Geography Resources” (2000), a binder that Ontario teachers photocopy looseleaf lessons from.

In a chapter about migration, students are asked to read the ficticious vignettes and identify push factors like war, death threats and natural disasters, before sending refugees to a new country.

In one such vignette, Jamal and his Christian family are forced to leave their hypothetical country, “Country F,” after being tyrannized by Jews.

“Refugees from Jewish neighbourhoods slowly took over the apartment buildings,” it reads.”Great anger” grows between Christians and Jews, and all but one Christian family — the speaker’s — are forced to leave.

The whole article can be viewed here. I urge anyone who knows me and knows people in the old neighbourhood to share this with their friends and urge parents with kids at Donview to complain. This is just too Officially Screwed for me.

H/T to Gay and Right for this one.

Convenience Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Mulder

Yesterday, I arrived home to my usual pile of mail which in this case included a parking ticket. My first in years.

I noticed on the bill that my payment options included:

  • via Internet at ottawa.ca (Visa or Mastercard only, with payment of a service charge)
  • By Telephone (24 hours, 7 days a week, Visa or Mastercard only, with payment of a service charge)
  • By Mail (address was provided, no service charge)
  • In person (hours provided, no service charge)

Being a net savvy surfer I chose the internet, surfed over and within two clicks had my infraction up and paid it. However, I noticed the service charge was listed as a Convenience Fee.

How Officially Screwed is this?

I can pay via electronic means, putting money directly into the city coffers (read no delay in them getting interest on my money), with no human interaction (read no insane salaried employee needed), without wasting gas to drive there (read being environmentally friendly), without wasting time (read being productive to society by not taking time out of my busy day), without waiting in a lineup (read without generating heat which the city’s air conditioners must compensate for), etc etc etc. Yet I am the one paying the convenience fee. The city should be giving me a discount instead of charging me additional service charges.

The choice to pay via the telephone is similar. The savings to the city when people choose this format is just as pronounced as using the internet.

Yet, should I go in, where a real live person needs to deal with me, or if I mail in my checque which a real live person must handle, process, verify, and deposit, I get off without paying the additional $1.50.

I am not griping about the $1.50. I believe it is a good price for a convenience fee. However, I do believe this convenience fee, should be going the other way.

Officially Screwed … again.

From Cooking The Books To Bedding Down With Bubba

Mulder

In what was one of the most anticipated trial outcomes, Enron executives Jeff Skilling and Kenneth Lay were both found guilty today.

This was a trial and a story I followed relatively closely. The Eichenwald book Conspiracy of Fools got me hooked with a novelistic approach to what happened leading up to the company crashing.

I, for one, am pleased to see that multimillion dollar earning execs don’t have free reign to lie to the public and cheat their shareholders. (which in this case was pretty much every employee due to the stock option plans).

Ken Lay was found guilty of all six charges and Skilling 19 of the 28 charges, albeit not insider trading. Lay, who is getting on in years will likely see the inside of a jail cell for the rest of his days. Skilling could potentially see 185 years behind bars.

Both men were released on $5 Million dollar bonds until their sentencing dates and appeals will be pending. From what Jeff Toobin of CNN says, chances are slim the appeals will get them off the hook, meaning they can expect to be clanging their water cups against the bars for years to come. I wonder if the lifestyle they have lived for 30 or 40 years will be worth the last few getting buggered by some 300 lb cellmate named Cletus.

After screwing Enron shareholders out of their life savings, Skilling and Lay are both officially screwed for life now. Good riddance.

The Defence Calls Osama bin Laden

Mulder

How could we have been so wrong about Zacarias Moussaoui and his role in the September 11th attacks? I am just dumbstruck that we would tie him to that fateful day. We obviously must be drastically wrong. How do I know this? Cuz Osama says so. And we all know how honourable a man he is. (Ahhhhhh-Choooooobullshitooooooooo)

Ok, Ok. Let me take my tongue out of my cheek for a minute.

Mr. bin Laden, will you please take the stand? I would gladly accept your testimony in the case of Moussaoui if you would just show up in court on the appropriate date. We would dearly love to enter your words as an expert on knowing who is a terrorist and who is not. The FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, Interpol, CSIS, Mossad, MI5 and 6, and whoever else has helped put the story together must have their facts wrong. The Bush administration would be glad to pay for your airfare to the trial location, all meals paid for. They might even spring for your dialysis while travelling and I would be positively CERTAIN that your hotel stay would be paid for … indefinately.

Please come and testify. Moussauoi needs you. America needs you. Guantanamo needs you. A big bald 400 lb guy named Bubba needs you … as a cellmate.

All you need to do is pick up an unsecure phone, dial 911 and tell the dispatcher where you are. I think they would glad to send over a personal escort with armed security guards and all the perks I even bet that if you ask nicely, they would let you flick the switch that turns on the siren and lights. Wouldn’t that be neat?

Dogged By Press?? It's Just A Day In The Life of Sir McCartney

Mulder

After four years of marriage, vegetarianism and bashing the heads of seal hunters, Heather Mills and Sir Paul McCartney are separating.

“Our parting is amicable and both of us still care about each other very much but have found it increasingly difficult to maintain a normal relationship with constant intrusion into our private lives, and we have actively tried to protect the privacy of our child.

“Separation for any couple is difficult enough, but to have to go through this so publicly, especially with a small daughter, is immensely stressful.

“We hope, for the sake of our baby daughter, that we will be given some space and time to get through this difficult period.”

Are they serious? When I heard this news on the radio this morning while driving to work, I actually laughed!! The absurdity of it all. I mean how much public scrutiny is too much for an ex-Beatle? The man has been swarmed, chased, had panties thrown his way, and had groupies track his every move. He has been met at airports by not only thousands of fans but by dignitaries, politicians and heads of state. The man was in, arguably, the most famous band in history. Yet the scrutiny is too much for him now?

I think there is something else going on here that we aren’t hearing about. Let me tell you why I think this.

  1. Stars these days seem to be using marriage, separation and divorce announcements to gain headlines.
  2. I had no clue the two had a daughter, yet they mention it three times in the short clip above.
  3. No pre-nup signed and he is 25 years her senior with a net worth in excess of a Billion dollars.

Something just smells fishy here. I think Paul just got officially screwed out of half of his fortune.

A Quota Is A Quota…

Mulder

This is actually pretty sad.

An 82 year old women was ticketed for taking too long to cross a street.

Mayvis Coyle said she began shuffling with her cane across Foothill Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley when the light was green, but was unable to make it to the other side before it turned red.

The article also points out the road has five lanes.

If I remember my Ontario road laws, the pedestrian always has the right of way. This to me always implied that even if a light was green, a car must wait on pedestrians in his/her path. It can be aggravating sometimes as a driver, but it’s a rule I think we all accept when we get behind the wheel of more than a ton of steel.

Maybe I’m wrong. But Mayvis Coyle got officially screwed on this one.

Ex-Red Wing McCarty Files For Bankruptcy

Mulder

Tonight while driving home from the office I listened to a really good interview on CFRA with Canadian female hockey player Gillian Ferrari. She is out working on staying in shape for the summer and trying to raise money for Canadian amateur athletes who survive on basically $1500 a month. That’s a wopping $18,000 a year.

Then the news came on and I heard that ex-Detroit Red Wing (and current Calgary Flame) Darren McCarty is filing bankruptcy as he is $4.3 Million in debt. Yes, you heard me right. $4.3 Million in debt. I did a quick online search and discovered that since entering the league, McCarty has made a whopping $14.764 Million dollars (or will have at the end of the 2006 season). By my math that puts his spending (including taxes of course) at about $19 Million dollars since the 1993-1994 season when he first took a paychecque.

To extend this discussion, Gillian Ferrari is looking to have 2008 Amateur athletes, via fundraising, pull in $2008 each to provide our amateur athletes with the funding they need to survive until the 2008 games. Doing a bit more math we discover that all Gillian is trying to raise is a tad over $4 Million dollars. About $300,000 less than McCarty is in debt.

Talk about officially screwed.

Addendum – 4/13/2006 – 07:05 am

CTV just reported that McCartey is actually in over $6 Million (USD) in debt. The hockey lockout put stress on his situation but there are a few points that were just whack.

  • He gives his ex wife 75% of his income (OUCH!!)
  • He owes over $100,000 to casinos in Detroit and Nevada
  • His RV burned down.
  • His Escalade ended up in a pond.

Anyone else smell something fishy here?