CANADA POST BEATS UP THE COMPETITION IN COURT

CANADA POST AWARDED JUDGEMENT DUE TO ERRORS IN THE LINGUISTICS OF THE CANADA POSTAL ACT.

Canada post, the big brother of Canadian written communications, has filed suit against the operator of Spring Global Mail, Lou Laforet, citing "illegal" activities by the company.

Canada Post, which was handed a virtual monoploy over all postal services in Canada, claimed in the suit, that the federal government delivered to them the uncompromising right to deliver all postal services in Canada.

There are two versions of the Act. Canada Post started going after Spring Global in 2002. It based its legal argument on a few words in the Canada Post Act. In English, that law states Canada Post has "exclusive privilege" over mail "within Canada." However, the French version of that same law makes no reference to geography.
Canada Post used the French version to make its case.

The operator of Spring Global has appealed to the federal government, but they've failed to intervene citing the Act is correct in its' application.

It is a drastic failure of antiquidated legislation at best. The Parliament of Canada, regardless of political stripe should be making rapid changes to this law, one way or another. Either solidify the law by making both languages equal, or divest itself of the legal monoploy afforded Canada Post by tearing up the Act itself.

Canada Post is a well bloated publicly supported instituion that spends its' money like no tomorrow. It is despicable that our government would allow this to happen, and even more descipable that a judge wouldn't realize the draconian effects of having a biased law like that on the books.

Jim Bender

LINCOLN DINNING, FATHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER, REBUKES HARPER FOR DISRESPECT

FATHER OF CPL. MATTHEW DINNING PUTS HARPER ON THE SPOT AND PLACES THE MEDIA IN THE LINE OF FIRE FOR NOT STANDING UP TO NEW PM

Lincoln Dinning, father of murdered Canadian soldier, Matthew Dinning, has rebuked the prime minister for failing to let the Canadian people see the effects of sending our troops overseas.

The deaths of Matthew Dinning, 23, and three other soldiers, sparked two national controversies: Parliament Hill didn't lower its flag and the news media was barred from the military base when their coffins arrived in Canada.

Mr Dinning, an OPP officer from Wingham, gave a heartwrenching eulogy for his son, and stepped up the pressure on the prime minister to change his mind and allow the participation of all of Canada in mourning one of its' own who was murdered by insurgents in Afghanistan.

"Here's the video that Mr. Harper wouldn't let you see, of Matthew's arrival," Lincoln Dinning said at his son's funeral, held in the town arena, before playing a tape of Dinning's casket arriving at CFB Trenton.

Two weeks before Matthew Dinning's death last Saturday in a roadside bomb explosion, Lincoln Dinning wrote to Harper, requesting flags be lowered when a Canadian soldier dies.
"Matthew talked about this," Lincoln said of the ongoing flag flap that irked his son. "(It) made him upset." "I never did get a response, but I know what it is," Mr Dinning said, referring to the Conservative government's decision not to lower the flag.

Mr Dinning pointed out that throughout the history of our country, "Canadians have mourned in a communal fashion whenever a soldier dies. To isolate these young men from the pages of history is regrettable", and "to think the man who said he would restore confidence and morale in our depleted military would think opposite to that is incredible"."The prevention of the media from reporting the facts of our involvement in peacekeeping is negligent in all respects, and shows a lack of judgement from our national leadership".

This is one more reason to bring these guys home. We've sent them into a military arena far more dangerous than what we are capable of handling with the outdated equipment we own.

Until the government pumps more money into LAV's and better armor protection, our men should not be put in the line of fire.

It's like sending cops out without bulletproof jackets to a gunfight.

SOME MORE SABRE RATTLING FROM EAST AND WEST

AMERICA PLEDGES ACTION AGAINST IRAN IF THEY REFUSE TO COMPLY WITH NUKE INSPECTORS

The American president has denounced claims by Iran that it intends to utilize nuclear energy developement for peaceful purposes.

George Bush, has through Condoleeza Rice, asked the UN security council(of which they are permanent members, and obviously in control of) to act in haste regarding a decision by Iran not to comply with its' demands to shut down its' nuke programs.

Iran suspended intrusive inspections of its nuclear plants in February after it was referred to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear activities that several Western countries suspect are aimed to produce nuclear warheads.

U.S. ambassoador, John Bolton has been referred to the council to request action be taken against Iran in the form of sanctions, and if necessary, force.

There have been discussions on turning off the supply of oil from Iran in order to cut off its' finances.

Iran has stated publicly that they would like to see their file returned to the International Atomic Agency, headed by inspector Mohamed ElBaradei.

"If the case returns to the agency again, we will begin the section that concerns the Additional Protocol," Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, told state television on Saturday, according to Reuters.(a private news agency that distributes disinformation regarded as news)
The Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allows short-notice inspections of nuclear facilities.
"The enrichment will continue. But regarding the Additional Protocol, we will continue implementing the Additional Protocol as a voluntary measure," Saeedi added.

Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad said no American would stop Iran from continuing its nuclear program.
"Iran is a nuclear country. This slogan that nuclear energy is our inalienable right is the outcry of the people and a national demand," Ahmadinejad said during a trip to the northwestern Iranian town of Khorramdareh.
"Achieving nuclear technology is today the will of all Iranians, whether they're young, old, man, woman or child. You can hear their voice here supporting the nuclear activities of Iran. Listen!" he said, stirring a crowd of thousands.

It would appear that their is a showdown about to happen over this issue.

Iran is in need of a comprehensive energy program, but currently lacks sufficient natural resources in order to maintain its' demand for energy at current levels. With the rapid industrialization of many cities, towns and even villages, Iran is poised to collapse from lack of power to keep things running.

The people of Iran have as much right to energy as we do, but, the question is; will the religious leadership of Iran, leave it at that? And given the fact that there has not been any stability in the operation of any middle eastern governments, why on earth would we want to see them arming themselves with the capability of producing warheads that may one day bring about the end of earth they've all been talking about?

The wests' use of nukes, generally through fear mongering and not actually dropping the things has provided the impetus for these other countries to develope these weapons of terror in the hopes of achieving what they could never achieve with conventional military methods. Pakistan and India have both gained control of nuclear weapons, and they have for 10 years threatened to annihilate each other(and destroy the world) over the disputed territory in the north, now called Kashmir.

China has had repeat shows of force with Taiwan, sending nuclear armed vessels into Taiwans' territorial waters.(even though they've not been recognized, they still have a right to security)

These types of confrontations will continue to exist, and the American-UN security council frenzy will only help to solidify the anger and resentment that people like Bin Laden consistently use to show the west is pushing the poor Muslim countries around.

Where's Yoda now?

AL QAEDA CLAIMS TO HAVE "BROKEN THE BACK OF AMERICA" IN IRAQ

PARIAH #2 SAYS THEY'VE BUSTED THE BACK OF AMERICA

Al Qaeda's No. 2 power broker, Ayman al-Zawahiri, alleges insurgents have "broken the back of America in Iraq," and that "their allies have achieved nothing short of sorrow, failure and disaster in their assumption they could conquer the al qaeda movement.

A video released Friday, shows al-Zawahiri in fine shape, denouncing America and its' allies dressed in the robes of a swami looking all dapper and such.

It didn't appear he was losing weight running from the Americans.

He claimed that" al-qaeda had carried out 800 attacks in Iraq in three years, and that his side was winning the war against american influence in Iraq, and that it was time for America to admit its' errors, and prevent the atrocity of young American soldiers dying for a cause they no longer believe in".

The video was released in conjunction with the 3rd anniversay of the Iraq invasion in an effort to de-stabilize the americans' troop morale.

Al-Zawahiri also appears to be encouraging the Pakistani people to follow the lead of insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, telling them to stand up against "the Zionist-Crusader assault" on Muslims and overthrow Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
Al-Zawahiri calls Musharraf a "traitor" who placed the country's nuclear program under the supervision of the U.S. government.
"I call on them to strive in earnest to topple this bribe-taking, treacherous criminal, and to back their brothers in the mujahedeen in Afghanistan with everything they've got," al-Zawahiri said.

AN AWESOME VIEW OF AN EAGLES' NEST IN B.C.

A STUNNING VIEW OF LIFE IN AN EAGLES' NEST

http://www.infotecbsi.com/wildlife/

This is definitely a must see event for anyone interested in the life of eagles.

Apparently, the city of Vancouver is home to the largest eagle population on earth.

For 15 years, Benn Kramer, an autistic man, fed these eagles on Hornsby Island. The website was set up in his memory after he passed away last year after an accident. Kramer spent inordinate amounts of time defending, feeding and nurturing his birds, and many people say that this helped him with his disorder.

Check it out, you'll be glad you did!

ACCESS TO INFORMATION TO BE REDUCED UNDER NEW ACT

STEPHEN HARPERS' conSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT WISHES TO REDUCE CANADIANS' ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Canadians will soon face new challenges in the way information is handed out from federal ministries.

Canadians at present have the legal right to request information that is held in government hands.

Under the new proposed accountability act, bureacrats and ministers will have increased rights to refuse access, and in the case of corruption and scandal, Stephen Harper has asked that all of those types of informations be held permanently sealed.

"No previous government, since the Access to Information Act came into force in 1983, has put forward a more retrograde and dangerous set of proposals," Information Commissioner John Reid wrote yesterday in an emergency report to Parliament.
"The provisions would weaken the role of the commissioner and make it easier for the government to cover up wrongdoing, shield itself from embarrassment and control the flow of information to Canadians," he added.

Mr Reids chastising of the government for its' plans has created a rift between him and the new government, and will likely result in his early dismissal.

Although it would expand access provisions to cover several foundations, agents of Parliament and seven crown corporations -- including VIA Rail, Canada Post and the CBC -- it also suggests 10 new exemptions to block the release of information.
Eight of them contain no requirement for bureaucrats to demonstrate why records shouldn't be disclosed and contain no public interest overrides.

The other two have exemptions that permit bureacrats to refuse access to almost everything based on public interest overrides. Draft internal reports and audits would also be shielded from scrutiny for 15 years and records relating to investigations of wrongdoing in government would be sealed forever.

Recommendations Mr. Reid put forth in a draft bill last year to boost transparency weren't included in the accountability act. He had called for more oversight powers, better record-keeping by bureaucrats and a clampdown on departments that don't fulfil their obligations, among other suggestions.
The Conservatives promised during the last election campaign to implement them all. Instead, the suggestions were shuffled off to a committee for more discussion. The government also released a "discussion paper," which raises numerous concerns about Mr. Reid's proposals.
"Information commissioners have come to expect that governments will find it hard to push forward with real access reform," Mr. Reid wrote yesterday. "Yet the disappointment is particularly poignant this time, because the promises for reform had been made with such detail and conviction."

And so here we go, into the realm of lies once more.

SOFTWOOD LUMBER DEAL POSES HUGE THREAT TO CANADIAN OPERATIONS

CANADA IS SOLD DOWN THE RIVER WITH THE SOFTWOOD LUMBER DEAL

Canadian lumber companies hoping to regain lost duties and tarriffs will recoup only $4 billion of the $7billion in duties imposed over the past four years by the US government. The balance of the overcharge will be put into a legal fund for US lumber mills, and to finance Katrina's damage to the southern US gulf states.

The deal which hinges on a revolving methodology, is not necessarily of great benefit to us, and could leave Canadian lumber companies struggling for survival more than they are at the present. Unless they take their new found money, and buy mills in the US, which will insulate them from the counterveil charges in the future.

The deal states that "if the price of lumber fall in the US market, Canada will stop shipping lumber in order to keep the market healthy."

Ontario minister of natural resources, David Ramsay has trashed the deal as it reduces Ontarios' lumber exports from 12% of the total, to only 9%, and as well, Quebec will see a massive reduction in lumber being shipped to the US.

The only province to benefit will be B.C. , home of David Emerson.

US based Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports has backed the deal extensively in the US as it would see Canadians lumber companies lose control of one of their most important assetts in favour of a more "flexible" system that would permit the USA to dictate what they will pay for our lumber and how much lumber from each province should be permitted into the USA.

Are there not other markets that we could be looking at? IS there some reason we aren't moving lumber to Japan and other Pacific rim nations? Is there any reason for Canadians to hand over their natural resources to the americans without proper compensation?

No. There are many things we could be doing, and dealing with a country that uses a WALMART mentality in business dealings is sickening.

Our government has caved in to the american interests. Harper and Bush have taken us all in, and have destroyed that one small piece of Canada. Now they will continue on their merry way, thinking they've accomplished something, but really haven't.

The cost to Canada will me immense, but to have another country tell you what and what not to do on your own sovereign territory is disguting. And why of all the things they could have negotiated, did they agree for Canada to finance the rebuilding of New Orleans with money that was collected in the form of penalties against Canadian lumber?

And last but not least, what is the reason for having set aside money so American companies could have access to legal funds(paid by Canadian mills) in the event that Canadians dump lumber on them?

America has bullied us around for a long time and now our weak kneed prime minister and his american political hacks(Mike Wilson-King of the dreaded GST, a supposed "ambassador") have given away all possibility of a better deal, and a deal that is built on sound Canadian ideals, not those of our counterparts in the USA.

OXFORD COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH EXPLOITATION

AN OCPS COP, DONALD HALLOCK, CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL OFFENCES

While working last evening, I had a conversation with a person who was in attendance at a meeting with Ron Fraser, Chief of Police.

The meeting was in regards to charges being laid against an OCPS officer, Don Hallock.

Two counts of sexual exploitation were laid after an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police.

Ron Fraser called in the OPP to investigate after hearing first hand complaints of this officers conduct.

Internally he has also been charged with discreditable conduct, and with neglect of duty.

Hallock remains on duty in the office, not in contact with the public, where he will remain under the constant supervision of Ron Fraser, who states that he will be able to judge his" mental conditions" and ensure that all goes well.

Personally, I feel that Hallocks' position as a cop should have been suspended until all charges are dealt with.

In the real world, if an accountant was charged with fraud, would they let him to continue doing the books or anything related? Most people LOSE their jobs for even an allegation, so to keep this guy around, perhaps to intimidate the complainant is ridiculous at best.

CANCER TREATMENT WAIT TIMES IN ONTARIO CONTINUE TO FALL

ONTARIO CANCER PATIENTS EXPERIENCE SHORTER WAIT TIMES ACCORDING TO STUDY

Ontario patients waiting for cancer therapies such as radiation treatment have been seeing shorter wait times as a result of measures instituted several years ago.

Cancer Care Ontario states that a system quality index launched last year shows the median wait time for radiation treatment has fallen to 4.7 weeks, down from seven weeks in 2002.

On the other side though, it discovered that rates for chemotherapy have not diminished, but more than likely this is a result of more people requiring treatments.

Health Minister George Smitherman states “That it’s growing in demand and that the wait time is holding steady is obviously a sign that we’re increasing our ability to address it.”

Presently, 62,000 people in Ontario are diagnosed with Cancer, and that number is expected to rise dramatically in the next 10 years or so.

Ontario has been attempting to prepare for this looming healthcare financing disaster by making overtures to the new CONservative government that it is badly in need of funding, and pointing out that the feds have been a failure in topping up federal- provincial transfer payments to coincide with these new and extraordinary costs.

DIANNE FINLEY, HUMAN RESOURCES MINISTER SAYS CHILD CARE BILL WILL BE RAMMED THROUGH NO MATTER WHAT THE COST TO FAMILIES

DIANE FINLEY, HUMAN RESOURCES MINISTER DECLARES WAR ON CANDIAN LOW-INCOME FAMILIES

Low to middle income Canadian families hoping for some sort of child care funding deal had best keep looking for their own day care situations.

Diane Finley takes issue with the notion that the rich will receive more than the poor under the federal government's new child-care program -- but she makes no apologies for the fact that they will get less.

"It's a universal benefit, to those who are eligible. And, by definition, universal means available to all, wherever they are, whether they are in a rural area or an urban, which obviously have different cost structures and different availabilities -- different forms of child care," Ms. Finley said yesterday.
"We want to make sure it's available to everyone, depending on income, but we don't want to discriminate against anyone that may really need the help."

Finley's comments came on the heels of a report issued by the left wing Caledon Institute that shows how a family in Ontario stands to lose all of their day-care benefits as a result of this new act.

The bill would cancel out all child care arrangements, and as well would end the Canada child tax benefit, which was due to rise to $249.00 a month starting in June 2006.

The CONservatives have decided to replace the benefit with a new $100.00 a month payment which they say is really more money than the $199.00 payment they are recieving at present.(?)

Perhaps I didn't do so well in math at school, but I still haven't figured out this math problem.

100.00

-199.00

equals minus $99.00 a month?

Where did they get the idea that this equals more, and is there a way I can institute this new advanced accounting procedure into my daily business dealings?

I would imagine that when I cut my cheque to Revenue Canada with a note explaing how the cheque enclosed for $98.00 really equals my entire tax debt of $35,000.00, they will make haste on having me apprehended.

Obviously the new government is in charge of some interesting accounting.

So far with the election of this new government we've seen more stupid errors than we've seen in years.

The good thing about a silly ass government is that it provides guys like me with fodder.

Keep up the good work Mr Harper, with any luck you won't make it into office as PM again.

CANADIAN NATIONAL ADDICTION CENTRE RELEASES REPORT

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR DRUG ADDICTION RELEASES MASSIVE REPORT

Ottawa-based Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, an arms-length information agency supported by Health Canada,has released a report citing the costs of addiction in Canada.

Researchers have pegged the costs of addiction in Canada at roughly $40 billion dollars per year.

The report by the national addictions agency issued yesterday shows that users of alcohol and tobacco incur the vast majority of the total cost. The use of illegal drugs accounts for about 20 per cent of the total.
Lost productivity of $24.3-billion was the single biggest cost in 2002, the most recent year for which figures are available, followed by $8.8-billion in health-care costs.

The law-enforcement costs of both legal and illegal drug use are pegged at $5.4-billion, represents roughly half the cost of the criminal-justice system in total.

Illicit drugs account for 20% of those costs, legal drugs and alcohol account for the majority, 80%.

In terms of specific drug costs, tobacco was most expensive to society, costing a total of $17-billion for the year studied. Alcohol cost another $14.6-billion and illegal drugs a further $8.2-billion.

The costs are staggering and present themselves as a threat to maintaining a viable health system in Canada.

One thing noted in the report was the negative costing of marijuana usage. The report claimed that while the social costs of smoking and alcohol consumption are high, the government does collect enough taxes from the sale of these products to pay their costs, but in the case of marijuana, the costs are negative in total as there are no taxes collect to offset the maintenance costs of users from premature death and disability.

Although they did not recommend the legalization of marijuana, they did come out in support of the idea of a better system to reduce arrest rates for marijuana, such as decriminlization, which would allow for more people to receive addiction counselling services.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

THIEVES MAKE OFF WITH CORPSES' HEAD AFTER BREAK-IN AT FUNERAL HOME

This is almost too bizarre to mention.

MONTREAL—The family of a dead Montreal woman is making a public plea to solve a gross mystery: they want to know who chopped off their relative's corpse and what they did with the head.
Thieves mutilated Cécile Lemay's remains and made off with the head last summer as the body lay in a funeral home in Montreal.
Horrified family members learned of the sick theft on the day they were supposed to hold Lemay's funeral, and yesterday her surviving relatives announced they will pay a $10,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of the missing head.
"These people left with the head, let's not mince words. Every morning, to this day, we wake up and ask ourselves: where's the head?" Lemay's sister Carmel told a news conference.
"Will it just land in our yard one morning?"
Lemay's younger sister Ghyslaine said the incident has prevented the family from coming to grips with their loss.
"With all this, we haven't been able to mourn, we want to know who did this, and why they did this. We hope the reward will lead to new developments," she said.
The 68-year-old woman's embalmed remains had been laid out in a coffin at the Alfred-Dallaire funeral home in Longueuil, on the evening of July 10, 2005. The next morning an employee discovered the body had been mutilated and notified the family.
Though they took the severed body part, the thieves left Lemay's jewellery behind, her relatives said. Several other bodies that were kept in the same room as Lemay's were untouched by the thieves.
Local police detectives have investigated the case for nine months but no leads have materialized to this point.
A lawyer representing the family said they are contemplating a civil suit against the funeral home, which was vandalized on the night of the theft.
If the reward does result in arrests, those charged could face a jail sentence; committing an indignity to a corpse in Quebec is punishable by a maximum five years in prison.

A GOOD FRIEND, SCOTT DOW PASSES AWAY

SCOTT DOW, NOTED WOODSTOCK LAWYER AND FRIEND, PASSES AWAY SUDDENLY

I've known Scott for many years now, since he first began practice all alone on Huron street.

Scott was a great guy, took lots of shit from lots of people, but most importantly, stood up for what was right, and believed there was much that could be done by being active in his opinion.

I called on Scott many times,sometime at 3:00 am, and he listened, unequivocally like only a good friend could.

I'll miss him, and its' sad to see someone so young, vibrant and full of knowledge pass away so quickly and silently.

DOW - Suddenly at home on April 24, 2006. Scott Buchanan Dow of Woodstock in his 42nd year. Youngest son of the late Lorne and Joanne Dow of Woodstock. Brother of Graham (Alice) of Woodstock, and Gary (Jaimie) of London. Scott will be remembered by friends, colleagues, and clients for his professionalism and generosity of spirit. Scott was a graduate of Western Ontario (B.A., 1987) and Osgoode Hall (L.L.B., 1990) and was admitted tot he bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1992. He practiced law in Woodstock from 1993, and from 1995 as Hutchinson Dow. Scott was vice-president of the Oxford Law Association, member of the Legal Aid Committee of Oxford County, acted as Duty Council at the Oxford County Courthouse, and since 1999 did per diem work for the Office of the Crown Attorney of Oxford County. For a number of years, Scott taught Business Law at Fanshawe College, Woodstock Campus. A committed community member, Scott gave abundantly to the city in which he was born and raised, as chairperson of the St. John Ambulance Board, member of the Woodstock Public Library Board, officer of the Victoria Club, and member of the Navy Club. He was formerly a board member of Woodstock & District Developmental Services, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Woodstock Senior Citizen’s Center, and was a Rotarian. Scott was active in politics at all levels. He was a generous supporter of the Women’s Emergency Center, Ingamo Family Homes, and Knox Presbyterian Church.Scott was a keen student of history, wicked wit, lover of theatre and language, eager traveler and Anglophile, voracious and eclectic reader, and passionate connoisseur of excellence in all things. He delighted in the absurdities of daily life, including his own, and his warm friendship, wonderful company, and deep compassion for others will be missed. Scott was that great rarity: a man of style and substance. His like will not be seen again.Friends may call at Knox Presbyterian Church, 59 Riddell St. Woodstock on Saturday April 29, 2006 from 9 - 11:00 am. A service in celebration of Scott’s life will follow at 11:00 am with Rev. John vanVliet officiating. Contributions to Knox Presbyterian Church or St. John’s Ambulance would be appreciated and may be arranged through the R. D. Longworth Funeral Home Woodstock 539-0004. Online condolences at www.longworthfuneralhome.com

COUNTY OF OXFORD RECIEVES A SLICE OF COMRIF PIE

COUNTY OF OXFORD RECIEVES COMRIF FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT

The Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) is a five-year, $900 million fund that is designed to meet small community local needs through infrastructure upgrades.They target projects that provide clean, safe drinking water, better sewage systems, improved waste management, safer local roads and bridges as well as other health and safety priorities."Green infrastructure is COMRIF’s top priority," say officials in a press release about the program. "With 55 per cent of funding for projects involving water quality, sustainable communities, climate change and innovation."

The authors of the press release say COMRIF builds on its first round of funding. "As a result of funds provided by the government of Canada and Ontario under the first and second intakes, infrastructure improvements are being made through 208 projects to make Ontario’s communities stronger, healthier and safer."

All communities of 250,000 or less are eligible to apply for the funding.

Oxford made their requests for funding based on several needs assesments that were made last year following the developing news that Toyota manufacturing would be annoucing construction plans in the region.

Tied into the county funding was an application to install a railway overpass in the Town of Ingersoll, which has been problematic over the years by trains blocking off commerce and emergency personnel.

It's about time they kicked and took care of this. With the mass development taking place in the east and south east of the city of Woodstock, there was little room for arguing that the needs of the community had outpaced the infrastructure available.

Perhaps they could use some of this money to install traffic lights in a few areas as well, or perhaps fund some speed traps in the area.

With the onslaught of new vehicular traffic anticipated, it would be a wise time to make an investment in perhaps traffic cops, or a series of lights that would help to slow down traffic.

WOODSTOCK CRACK HEAD GETS LIFE FOR MURDER

MELISSA BABINEAU, CHILD MURDERING CRACKHEAD, RECIEVES LIFE IN PRISON.

Former Woodstock resident, Melissa Babineau, is sentenced to life in prison for murdering Rebecca Haney.

Child, Rebecca Haney was found murdered, stuffed in a garbage bag, and tossed into a box by her assailant, Melissa Babineau.

Babineau had been residing at an Embro area farmhouse(a well known crack house in the area) with her lesbian partner, Misty Haney when the young child had gone missing.

Babineau claimed not to have harmed the child, but that she only put her into a garbage bag after finding her dead.

Babineau stated to the courts that "I am extremely sorry for my actions following the death of Rebbecca, but I did not at any time cause any harm to Rebbecca."

I suppose in her crackhead frame of mind she would think that stuffing an infant in a bag is an allright thing, but the rest of us know otherwise.

Babineaus' lawyer had asked the court for a reduced sentence stating that otherwise she was a "good mother".

?

Contacted after court, Haney stated that she "wishes Babineau a bad fucking time" and that she "hopes she does not come out alive".

Sadly, no amount of sorrow and anger can ever bring back Rebecca. At least Haney will have 15 years of solitude to forget about Babineau and her horriffic crimes.

WOODSTOCK PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A CRITICAL ELECTION ISSUE

WOODSTOCK OFFICIALS GRAPPLE WITH INFLATED COSTS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Public transportation remains high on the municipal election agenda for the city of Woodstock.

The immense costs of operating a system which offers only partial servicing to the city, and is highly subsidized by the local taxpayer and suffers from abnormally low ridership seems to benefit only a few people(perhaps the overpaid drivers, and their bosses), and could be solved by renting out the routes to private operators, in the same manner in which we rent out liscences to cab operators.

This would put the city in a positive financial state, versus that of begging for tax dollars to pay the cost over runs. And the environment and city streets would benefit from having smaller, more efficient vehicles to carry the passengers, as private enterprise would realize the stupidity of operating huge, massive, road hogging, damaging heavy buses.We could sell the monstrous $300,000.00 diesels to Kitchener, or somewhere else that wants them, and put the money into debt reduction, or the provision of a real transportation meeting place, instead of downtown, and outside.

There could be bylaws enacted to promote uniformity in service, a code of conduct, and a maintenance regime that promotes safety and an environment friendly solution to transit. Bus operators would PAY for a bus liscense, creating INCOME, not debt.

As we already have a bylaw officer(or 2) in Woodstock, why not use them enforce regulations pertaining to private but public transportaion operators? (such as cab services are liscensed to operate...)

There are solutions to this problem, but the weak kneed council we have seem to work oblivious to this fact and are better suited to promoting the present rip off system to the taxpayer, such as what we have now.

Smaller vehicles mean smaller costs. We have a small ridership support faction, so why not put smaller ideas to work, instead of the united transport employee response to this issue? NO!

A small vehicle will provide the same benefit, at smaller costs, and private operators(perhaps former city bus workers), could take the opportunity and start a business for themselves, doing what they already do, and if they are competitive, and do a good job, they will make money with increased ridership, and higher revenues resultant from lower costs.

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

NDP MP, PETER STOFFER TABLES PRIVATE MEMBERS BILL FOR AUTISM FUNDING

Alberta is the only province that pays for autism treatment and therapy, but NDP MP Peter Stoffer has tabled a private members bill that would ensure every province does the same.
"No matter where you live in this country, you should have equal access to the healthcare system when it comes to autism," he told CTV News.

"Health care is a provincial responsibility for delivery, but the federal government has the responsibility to finance that care."

Other provinces may not have the fiscal capacity that Alberta has," he said.

Mike Lake, CONservative MP from Alberta has a 10 year old son with Autism, and can identify with finance issues that are presenting themselves to Canadian families of kids with Autism.

Some provinces demand that parents pay their own costs, between 40 and $60,000.00 per year, Ontario being one of them.

Most Canadian provinces cut off assistance for autistic kids at the age of 6, placing immense pressure on families, resulting in inordinate amounts of family breakups and suicides.

Myself, I have a son 10, who suffers from autism as well. It is a sickening thing that we have to beg, borrow and steal in order to maintain him.

If he had been born with Downs syndrome, or another"popular" illness, he would be eligible for help. There are no group homes in Ontario that handle these kids, and the support services available are minimal and lacking in stability.

The government believes that most of these kids are a result of "bad parenting" methods, and parents of autistics are not permitted to apply for tax rebates for disability, as autism is not recognized by our federal government as being a disability and is considered family environmental in terms of its' status.

For 7 years we have appealed this process. Last year we won the right to claim that he is disabled, and the federal government has appealed this decision in tax court.

I'm thinking to myself that perhaps these MP's should spend a day with him, and then make their financing decision.

ENRONS' KENNETH LAY SAYS HE'S A SWELL GUY LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM

KEN LAY, GEORGE BUSH'S FRIEND AND MENTOR SAYS HE'S A RELIGIOUS MORALISTIC KINDA GUY.

Poor Ken Lay...

The embattled CEO of ENRON INC., the American energy speculator, says losing money caused him more grief than when a family member dies.

Hmm.

On Lay's first day in the stand, he stated to the jury that he was a very religious man with a keen code of morals...

Lay, charged with 6 counts of conspiracy and 6 counts of fraud, was CEO of ENRON until his resignation in 2001. He had headed up the company for 15 years prior to his retirement. He was replaced by Jeffrey Skillings, who suddenly resigned after 6 months, and was returned to the position after Skillings stepped down.

Prosecutors believe that Lay resumed his criminal activities at this point, and was director of a large scale fraud against investors and stock holders.

Yesterday he angrily dismissed the charges as "absolutely ludicrous" and told jurors: "The last thing I would do is step back in as CEO and pick up a conspiracy."
Instead, he argued that Enron was brought down by a crisis of investor confidence stemming from the revelation that finance chief Andrew Fastow had stolen millions of dollars from the company.
Mr Lay said that hiring Mr Fastow, promoting him, and allowing him to create the off balance sheet vehicles were the three worst mistakes of his life.

Yeah right....

JIM HARRIS, LEADER OF GREEN PARTY ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION

GREEN PARTY'S JIM HARRIS, CALL IT QUITS

Jim Harris, the formidable leader of the Green Party, has decided to take his cue and resign the leadership of the party. "It has been an intense time for me over the last few years, and I am announcing today that I will not be seeking the leadership of the Green party again," said Harris on Monday, who has led the party for nearly four years.

Harris, who lead the party in 2 successful(in terms of attaining the legal 2% limits) elections, still was unable to clinch a seat in the house, even though his party won almost 700,000 votes.

Harris who underwent a leadership challenge last August felt that it was time to move on, and allow for new life to be injected into the party. David Chernushenko, the bilingual deputy leader of the Green Party, announced last month that he would be throwing his hat into the ring.

"Nobody has worked harder than Jim Harris. I want to thank Jim for having played a critical role in the Green Party's vault from the fringes to the heart of Canadian politics," Chernushenko said in a written statement on Monday.

"Jim believed that the Green Party was capable of running in all 308 ridings and breaking the two per cent barrier that qualified the party for public financing. With Jim leading the charge, we accomplished both, not just once but twice," said Chernushenko.
"Whoever succeeds Jim will have the advantage of leading a stronger and more widely respected party than when Jim was first elected."

REFUSAL TO LOWER FLAGS FOR MURDERED SOLDIERS FROM conSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT

ALL MEDIA HAS BEEN BANNED FROM COVERING FALLEN SOLDIERS

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has trumped the media.

Harper states that Canadian media need not be present for the return of soldiers, killed in the Afghanistan conflict.

Harper apparently thinks that by hiding from the media and by banning media coverage of events, he will be able to control information to the masses.

This weeks announcement from parliament hill states that Harper has ordered that the flag only be lowered for important events, not the killing of some soldier, but for real important things like when George Bush comes here, or it's Steve's birthday or something, but never for honouring our war fallen dead!

Oposition leaders in the house are disgusted with this action, and intend on bringing it up today in a motion. "I think there is a concern that it will be perceived by the troops themselves and by Canadians as a lack of respect for the sacrifices they are making and I think this is something that the government should rethink," said Opposition leader Bill Graham, the former Liberal defence minister.
NDP MP Dawn Black said the lowering of flags is a fitting tribute to "young men" who lose their lives in dangerous circumstances overseas.
"I think that lowering the flag gives voice and respect to the loss of those lives," she said. "If we're going to lower them when a senator, a past senator dies or a senator dies, on Parliament Hill they lower the flag then, it seems rather bizarre to me that you wouldn't show that mark of respect and mourning to the loss of lives of young men who have put themselves in harm's way and at the behest of the Canadian government."

Too bad Harper doesn't agree..but I think I understand now what a shitty photo op some flag draped coffins would be for Harper and Bush.

CREEP #1 RESURFACES AGAIN

OSAMA BIN LADEN RESURFACES(NOT HIS DRIVEWAY)

World class pariah Bin Laden comes back with another terror tape and everyone jumps and runs.

CIA experts believe that a tape released on Saturday through Arab TV's Al Jazeera network is authentic.

Bin Laden has called on his followers to strike against targets of western interests including civilians. This is the 17th tape/video released in 3 years, and will not be his last, according to him.

Bin Laden said the western public shared responsibility for the actions of their governments, particularly for what he described as "a continuous crusader-Zionist war on Islam".
"The war is a responsibility shared between the people and the governments," the voice said. "The war goes on and the people are renewing their allegiance to its rulers and masters."

New Bin Laden tape issues threat to civilians. Osama bin Laden issued an ominous warning yesterday, apparently seeking to justify attacks on civilians in the west and calling on his supporters to open up a new front in al-Qaida's struggle.
In extracts from a tape broadcast by al-Jazeera television, a voice sounding like Bin Laden's said the western public shared responsibility for the actions of their governments, particularly for what he described as "a continuous crusader-Zionist war on Islam".
"The war is a responsibility shared between the people and the governments," the voice said. "The war goes on and the people are renewing their allegiance to its rulers and masters."
"They send their sons to armies to fight us and they continue their financial and moral support while our countries are burned and our houses are bombed and our people are killed."
Referring to current events, he spoke about the election of a Hamas government and urged his supporters to open up a new front in Sudan by fighting a proposed UN force in Darfur.
"I call on mujahideen and their supporters, especially in Sudan and the Arabian peninsula, to prepare for a long war against the crusader plunderers in western Sudan," he said. "Our goal is not defending the Khartoum government but to defend Islam, its land and its people. I urge holy warriors to be acquainted with the land and the tribes in Darfur."

He cited the wests treatment of the Palestinians Hamas government as evidence of a war against Islam. The blockade which the west is imposing on the government of Hamas proves that there is a Zionist-crusader war on Islam," he said.
Hamas distanced itself from the remarks. "The ideology of Hamas is different from the ideology of Sheikh bin Laden," a Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said. He added, however, that the "international siege on the Palestinian people" would create tension in the Arab and Muslim world.
Although Hamas wants good relations with the west, he said, "it's natural that this tension is going to create an impression that there is a western-Israeli alliance working against the Palestinians".

I have to look at the situation and wonder if the USA had not invaded Iraq, and focused their efforts on Afghanistan, where the problem with Bin Laden seemed to be most concentrated, if this war wouldn't be over already.

The failure of the US administration to systematically flush Afghanistan of its' terror network, and cut and run for a new target(iraq) is the number one reason we are trapped, embroiled and drowning in a conflict that we can never win . Our only alternative is to hunt the guy down and bring him to trial(or death).

A CONSERVATIVE TOPS THE LIST FOR TAKING FREE TRIPS AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE

CONSERVATIVE MP, JOHN WILLIAMS TAKES THE GLUTTON PRIZE

According to ethics commisioner, Bernard Shapiro(who is responsible for investigating all expenses over $500.00), conservatives top the list of pigs at the trough.

Conservative MP, John Williams, then in opposition, took the most number of free trips available at taxpayer expense overseas.

His trips accounted for 15% of all trips taken by MP's. Williams states that he had important government business to do(even though he was in opposition and had no information on what he did exactly), and that there was nothing"irregular"about his actions.

Well, "irregular" to me is someone not a part of the government taking a bunch of trips that he can't explain.

I guess this is the new accountability and transparency we've all been waiting for.

OKAY, WE NEED A BETTER SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE OFVIOLENT CRIME

OCPS ARREST LOCAL "CRACKHEAD" AFTER SEVERAL ROBBERY ATTEMPTS .

Oxford Community police services have arrested a man, Chris Bragg after numerous attempts at robbery failed him.

Bragg, high on crack and crystal meth, made his presence known in several local Woodstock shops Saturday evening in an attempt to rob them.

One of those shops was mine!

Bragg attended Lady Godivas, 354 Dundas street and asked staff "how much of a fight would you put up over the cash register?"

Staff responded that they were on video, and that they were wired for security.

Bragg responded he didn't care. Customers entered the store at approximately this time, and Bragg left, only to enter another store down the street, where he was arrested after making an attempt on them as well.

Bragg apparently had lost a huge amount of crack to a local thief, B. J. Blackwood, and was in the hole to his dealer.

Frankly, the police do not have nearly enough resources to deal with this growing and disturbing trend of violence and crime.

POLAR BEASR WILL BE EXTINCT IN 25 YEARS OR LESS

AN AUSTRALIAN SCCIENTIST CONCLUDES THE EXTINCTION OF POLAR BEARS IS A DONE DEAL

Tim Flannery, one of Australia's best-known scientists and author of the current best-seller The Weather Makers has released a study that points to widespread extinction with the dissappearance of the vast arctic ice shield.

The ice cap is shrinking by a minimum of 8% per year, and that the bears which rely on these ice flows for food and breeding areas, are likely to dissappear within 25 years, or possibly less.

Polar bears, which generally have 2-3 offspring yearly, are reproducing in much lower numbers, and some are not reproducing at all, probably as a result of a lack of food.

Citing other warning signs, he said British Columbia's Fraser River has been fatally warm to salmon for five of the last 13 years, while West Coast forests are being destroyed by an infestation of pine beetles able to survive milder winters.
"These are unheralded signs of change. They simply haven't been seen in the past. They persuade me and the vast majority of my colleagues that the debate on climate change is well and truly over. The science is solid and the effects are there for everyone to see."

Flannery complained that Canadas' current government is sending mixed signals on Kyoto, and if Canada is responsible for chairing the event on global warming than their committment to the protocol must reaffirmed, not doubted.

Harper has stated that after he terminates Kyoto, that he will design a "made in Canada" solution to the problem.

Well, as far as made in Canada, the problem with pollution and global warming is truly a global issue that has no identifiable borders.

There is no such thing as a "made in Canada" solution to a global pandemic, unless Harper thinks he's world dictator #1, and that his opinion is broadcast around the world.

HARPERS' CHOICE FOR ETHICS GURU COULD BITE HIM IN THE ASS

STEPHEN HARPERS' NEW ETHICS GUY IN PARLIAMENT SHOVES FOOT AND SHOE DOWN HIS MOUTH

Partisan remarks by Harper's nominee for chairman of the new Public Appointments Commission have raised questions about Gwyn Morgan's ability to carry out his duties with the confidence of Parliament.
Morgan was president and CEO of Canada's largest energy company, EnCana Corp. from 2002 until he stepped down Jan. 1, and was named Canada's most respected CEO in a survey conducted by Ipsos Reid.
In a speech to the Empire Club in Toronto Feb. 22 - a month after the Harper Conservatives came into power - Morgan praised the ethics and honesty of Harper while attacking the former Liberal government.
"We have witnessed the party that governed our country over most of its history, embroiled in behaviour that is comparable to that of countries at the bottom of the world corruption index," Morgan said in his speech.
"We saw an orchestrated attempt to impugn a Canadian political leader (Harper) whose integrity is beyond reproach and a person who openly honours Christian values, but respects all religions."

Statements like that have raised eyebrows in Ottawa, and it is widely believed that Mr. Morgan will only be a mouthpiece for the new PM.

Harper found himself embroiled in controversy after courting liberal contenders in the January election to fill empty cabinet posts, namely David Emerson, and was attacked by the ethics commissioner whom he quickly put down as being partisan.

Obviously this partisanship stuff is not about to end any time soon.

FOUR MORE CANADIAN SOLDIERS KILLED

FOUR CANADIAN SOLDIERS WIPED OUT IN AFGHANISTAN

And in the killing filds of Afghanistan, four more Canadians are murdered.

The soldiers were identified as:
-Cpl. Matthew Dinning, of Richmond Hill, Ont., but stationed with the 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Petawawa, Ont.
-Bombardier Myles Mansell, of Victoria.
-Lieut. William Turner, of Toronto, but stationed in Edmonton.
-Cpl. Randy Payne, born in Lahr, Germany, but stationed at CFB Wainright, Alta.

Two of the troopers were part of Brig.-Gen. David Fraser's personal protection squad. The third was an artillery officer and the fourth man was a liaison officer with local tribal leaders.

A large bomb, buried in the roadside shook the earth for several kilometres after its' detonation.

The Mercedes "G-Wagon"(picture above) was reportedly blown to pieces, but commanders still say they have faith in the vehicle, compared to what they had.

Prime Minister Harper stated to the media that it was "regrettable", but "one more reason why we have to stay now as we are now the victims".

Yes, we are all the victims here. But mostly, victims of poor decisions.

AND NOW THE IDIOT STORY OF THE DAY

MAN COMPLAINS OF "HEADACHE" AFTER FIRING NAILS INTO HIS HEAD

PORTLAND, ORE. -- An Oregon man went to hospital complaining of a headache was found to have 12 nails embedded in his skull from a suicide attempt with a nail gun.

Surgeons removed the nails with needle-nosed pliers and a drill and the man survived with no serious lasting effects, said a report on the medical oddity in the current issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery.
The unidentified 33-year-old man was suicidal and high on methamphetamine last year when he fired the nails into his head.
The nails were not visible when doctors first examined the man in the emergency room of an unidentified Oregon hospital a day later. Doctors were surprised when X-rays revealed six nails clustered between his right eye and ear, two below his right ear and four on the left side of his head.
No one before is known to have survived after intentionally firing so many foreign objects into the head, said the report, written by Dr. G. Alexander West, the neurosurgeon who oversaw the patient's treatment.

Holy crap, is there anything people won't try to kill themselves? This is almost like hanging by the testicles to committ suicide!