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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Saturday's Vehicle - 1955 Chevrolet convertable


It is heartbreaking that this Conservative government refuses to do anything to help

Death of three Afghan veterans highlights military’s failure to conclude investigations into 70 suicides


OTTAWA – Questions are being raised about the military’s failure to conclude 70 inquiries into soldier suicides, after three veterans of the war in Afghanistan were found dead in separate incidents this week.

National Defence identified the dead soldiers late Thursday as Warrant Officer Michael McNeil, a 19-year veteran with the Royal Canadian Regiment based out of Canadian Forces Base Petawawa in Ontario; Master Cpl. William Elliott, a decorated veteran with the Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry out of CFB Shilo, Man.; and Master Bombardier Travis Halmrast from the 20th Independent Field Battery in Lethbridge, Ont.

All three served at least one tour in Afghanistan, twice in Elliott’s case.

The military confirmed McNeil died on Wednesday while Elliott and Halmrast died Monday, though it would not reveal how the soldiers died as investigations are ongoing.

http://o.canada.com/news/three-suicides-this-week-highlight-militarys-failure-to-conclude-50-investigations-into-soldier-deaths/

The Burlington Spruce Highway

Last year the cono corporation decided to replace all the fences in our development with a more decorative and structurally stable design. What it has done, besides cleaning up the backyard, is provide them many squirrels in the area with an elevated route to travel the neighbourhood.

For myself, I find it quite entertaining to watch these little scoundrels play tag and on occasion wrestle with one another.

Then about 4 weeks ago Pat, while sitting by the patio doors, said "Oh look a brown squirrel or maybe a chipmunk". We don't have or at least have never seen reds or brown squirrels nor chipmunks in our area so I got up to look. Sure enough it was brown and about 1/2 the size of a grey or black squirrel.

I now have new entertainers to occupy my retirement.

The condo corporation frowns on our feeding the little buggers but human nature prevails. I bought some unsalted shelled sunflower seeds and put them in a margarine top and placed them on the on the back stoop. They tried a few but didn't seem to appreciate them.
 
That evening I forgot to bring them in as we didn't want to attract raccoons, skunks or rats. The next day I checked on them and found that not only were the seeds gone but whoever took them wanted the margarine top too.
 
This morning (Tuesday) Pat tried putting out miniature marshmallows, sure enough the little buggers have a sweet tooth.



Chicken


Political cartoons







Thanks Ed

A Great Illusionist

I've seen this before but great watching again. Now wouldn't this be a great act to have at my SA International Chili Festival in Port Elizabeth in 2014! This is HOT!!! There's nothing like a bit of showbiz magic at a festival to make it memorable.
  
The illusionist, Hans Klok, was challenged in Holland to show what he could do in 5 minutes.  I hope you enjoy this amazing spectacle.



http://www.flixxy.com/worlds-fastest-magician.htm
 
Thanks Heidi

Two Performances - 47 Years Apart - The Diamonds (video)

Reckon some of you are not old enough to remember, but the song lives on....................


'The Diamonds' produced many hits, and topped the charts with 'Little Darlin'' in 1957. In 2004 the original members were invited to sing in Atlantic City for the PBS production of 'Magic Moments- the best of 50's Pop'.

Thanks Heidi

MERRY CHRISTMAS To Everyone


I will be making a conscious effort to wish everyone
a Merry Christmas this year ...
My way of saying that I am celebrating
the birth Of Jesus Christ.
So, I am asking my email buddies,
if you agree with me,
to please do the same.
And if you'll pass this on to
your email buddies, and so on...
maybe we can prevent one more Canadian/American  
tradition from being lost in the sea of
"Political Correctness".

RR Tracks

A man walked into a bar with a big grin on his face, and ordered a draft beer.

'What are you so happy about?', asked the bartender.

'Well, I'll tell you,' replied the man.
As you know, I live by the railroad tracks.
Well, on my way home from the bar last night,  I noticed a young woman tied to the tracks,
just like in the movies.
I quickly cut her free and took her back to my place. Anyway,
to make a long story short, I scored big time! We made love all night, all over the house.
We did everything! Me on top, sometimes her on top, every position imaginable!'

'Fantastic, you lucky bastard!', exclaimed the bartender.
'Was she pretty?'

'Dunno...Never found the head!'


Thanks Shirley

the Hippie..............................VW


Thanks Randy

Ram screaming like a human (Barbary sheep)


Inner spirituality


Thanks Richard

Friday, November 29, 2013

Friday's Vehicle - Geared Steam Locomotives in Cass WV


So you think the RoboCall investigation is legitimate?

Police who lie - by Stevie Cameron
 
 
Don’t miss the great stories in the Toronto Star today and the past two days about police lying in court and misleading judges.

In their series, Police Who Lie, (The Toronto Star, April 26, 27 and 28), Reporters Jesse McLean and David Bruser have done a terrific job exposing false testimony and manufactured evidence by police officers. The reporters state that judges across Canada have accused more than 120 police officers of lying, racial profiling and lying to the court.
Here’s a brief note on why I take this story personally.

As many of you know, this — police officers who lie — happened to me when Supt. Alan Mathews, the RCMP officer in charge of investigating the Airbus scandal, invented pages and pages of evidence pointing to me as a confidential informant in his case — but it was information he invented to get a search warrant on a helicopter plant, a plant I had never visited, with managers I never interviewed and facts I had never known.

Mathews, (now retired), stated, in a long and secret trial, that I had had hundreds of contacts with the police and was their informant in this case. The Globe and Mail published a massive expose of this ‘scandal,’ written by lawyer William Kaplan, who had written an admiring biography of Brian Mulroney in which I was the main target.

More..... http://steviecameron.com/police-who-lie-2/


Robocalls investigator took questions to Tory lawyer Arthur Hamilton

A memo from the lead investigator probing misleading robocalls in the 2011 federal election reveals another instance where a Conservative Party lawyer acted as a liaison with a witness in the case.

Questions have already been raised about Arthur Hamilton's presence at interviews with witnesses who work for parliamentarians, but who weren't clients of his.

The June 7, 2013 memo from Al Mathews to the Crown prosecutor assigned to the case recounts Mathews' attempt to confirm an incident at a polling station in Guelph, Ont., the city where thousands of voters received phone calls directing them to the wrong polling station.

The memo was provided to CBC News.

More... http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/robocalls-investigator-took-questions-to-tory-lawyer-arthur-hamilton-1.2440769

Unbelievable corruption in all phases of this government.


Stephen Harper: Your days of corrupt politics is coming to an end

Op-Ed: Stephen Harper puts Conservatives in a bind 

Why do the Conservatives hate the Liberals - comment on Facebook

There is an historical inaccuracy in this statement. The Liberals were in power when universal health care was introduced, but it was the initiative of the CCF (which became the NDP) that made the Canadian Health Care system happen. Other than that, yes, this is why Conservatives hate Liberals... (and anyone who sides with a progressive, compassionate outlook on life) I am not promoting the Liberals, but this does provide an interesting profile-by-contrast of the Conservatives.

Corruption runs rampid through the veins of the Conservative government

While in Ottawa last week we toured the mint.
They made no mention of the extraordinary services offered by some of their luminaries.


Thanks Ed


Jim Love, Canadian Mint chairman, helped run offshore 'tax-avoidance scheme' for clients

The chair of the Royal Canadian Mint, who also served as an adviser on international taxation to the federal Finance Department, helped engineer the transfer of millions of dollars of a prominent Canadian family through offshore tax havens in what others involved characterized as a "tax avoidance scheme," documents obtained by CBC News show


More..... http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jim-love-canadian-mint-chairman-helped-run-offshore-tax-avoidance-scheme-for-clients-1.2441347?cmp=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

What signal is this Harper government sending to the youth of today? It is OK to cheat the government of taxes as long as you are a donor. It is alright to fix elections as long as you are a donor. It is alright to lie and manipulate the Senate committee as long as you are a major fund raiser.

Harper cronies are exempt from criminal prosecution as long as they lie on his behalf.

Hockey Night in Canada

This is a GREAT video, well done,
and proudly Canadian!
 
Some Saturday night memories
Hockey Night In Canada
Please pass this on to all of your Canadian and American friends!!
 
Thanks Millie

Russia's Putin Sings 'Blueberry Hill' at Charity Dinner

 
 
 

Postman Pat and his black and white cat


New Golf Cart

Golfers, tell your families:  In case you were wondering what to get me for Christmas.

Little Ward

Photographer Benjamin Scot Miller captures the first year of his son's life after he was born 14 weeks premature. From the early days in the NICU to the days after bringing little Ward home, this heartwarming video will leave you in tears.

 
Little Ward

Baby Bear and the Lion


Click here to view......
 
Thanks Kerry

Morning Smile


Thanks Randy

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thursday's Vehicle - BIG RC MODEL BOEING 747 .mp4


Two Suicides, CFB Shilo, 26/11/47

Mike Blais Rcr Cfds
CVA Sit Rep. Two Suicides, CFB Shilo, 26/11/47

I cannot express how profoundly saddened I was when my friend Glen Kirkland phoned from Manitoba this afternoon to inform me of his friend’s tragic suicide. We spoke to the need of definitive reforms/improvements at JPSU level to ensure such tragic circumstances are prevented through effective policies. As a consequence of this conversation, we have made this issue the top priority for CVA Director of CF Engagement Barry Westholm, who has extensive knowledge of the t5ransitional process and the needs of the physically and mentally wounded.

Much to my dismay, Glen called this evening to inform there had been another suicide, another serving member going through the transition process. He was pretty shaken up, as was I and I would take the opportunity to express our profound condolences to the families of the fallen who will, at this time, remain unnamed.

And Fallen these two valiant men are!

No, they did not die on the sands of the Panjawaii Valley but they damn well did return to Canada with a wound of the mind that proved fatal.

How can this happen???? Were they not provided the proper diagnosis and effective care, the compassion and timely treatment they deserved? Was the Sacred Obligation the Department of National Defence has for the wounded in transition met, or were they abandoned, helpless, alone, left with no recourse but to seek release from the pain through suicide?

Let us as a nation honour and grieve these men’s sacrifice on behalf of Canada as we have grieved and honoured those who have travelled the Highway of Heroes.

Their sacrifice is no less worthy, the wounds of the mind they incurred in Afghanistan no less fatal than those who were repatriated with life threatening wounds and passed on Canadian soil.

May the Lord welcome our fallen Brothers and bless their families and friends during their period of profound grief.

Michael L Blais CD
President/Founder - Canadian Veterans Advocacy



25 reasons Stephen Harper is bad for Canada

 
 
 
1. Contempt for Canada
 
The reason you're being called to vote again, is because on March 25th, 2011, the Harper administration was found to be in contempt of Canadian parliament. This is the first time in the history of any commonwealth government that this has happened. The Speaker of the House of Commons had to rule three times that "the Harper government" appeared to breach parliamentary privilege.
 
2. Cheated in the 2006 Election
 
In Spring of 2011, a federal court found that Harper's Conservatives wilfully violated the $18.3 million election spending limit, during the campaign which originally brought them to power in 2006. 4 Conservatives (including 2 Conservative Senators) currently face charges and possible jail time.
 
3. Turned Canada's Surplus into Debt
 
In 1993, the Conservatives chalked up a $38 Billion deficit. By 2006, under non-conservative leadership, this had been turned around into a $16 Billion surplus. Four years later, and Harper's Conservatives have returned Canada to a record $56 Billion deficit.
 
4. Wants US-style bank deregulation
 
When Harper was president of the National Citizens Coalition, founded in 1967 to oppose universal health care, he supported US-style bank deregulation. Nevertheless, since the 2008 Financial Crisis, he has been taking credit for the relative strength of our financial sector, based on a system he inherited, but didn’t support.
 
5. Opposes universal health care
 
Harper believes that universal health care should be provincial, and wants to break it up. While heading the National Citizens Coalition, founded to oppose universal health care, he said "the feds" should scrap the Canada Health Act.
 
6. Harper shut down Parliament. Twice.
 
One of the Conservative platform promises was more accountability. Since making this promise, Harper has shut down Parliament twice. Once for several months to block an inquiry into Afghan detainees and to stall government bills, and a second time to avoid a vote of non-confidence which he was expected to lose.
 
7. Wants to replace the stable CPP with the untested PRPP
 
Although seniors' incomes have dropped for the first time in decades, it is clear that the Harper government was laying the groundwork to replace Canada's well-run, cost-effective, and stable CPP with a private, more expensive pension scheme - the Pooled Registered Pension Plan (PRPP), run by the bank, mutual fund, and insurance industries. This new plan would mean Canadians would have to work for longer, or to retire on less.
 
8. Shut down Women's and Minority advocacy groups
 
Since coming into power, Harper has cut funding for women's advocacy by 43 per cent, shut down 12 out of 16 Status of Women offices in Canada and eliminated funding of legal voices for women and minority groups, including the National Association of Women and the Law and the Courts Challenges Program.
 
9. The Economic Action plan has been to the benefit of the super rich
 
Harper's economic 'recovery' favoured the extremely wealthy. Over 321,000 Canadians lost their jobs in 2008 and Canadians' average wages fell. Meanwhile Canada's 100 wealthiest persons became richer, reaching an average net worth of $1.7 billion each, up almost 5 per cent from 2008. The majority of those surveyed by the Parliamentary Budget Office reported that the program has had either a neutral or negative impact on jobs. Even the conservative Fraser Institute has criticized it.
 
10. Fraud.
 
One of Harper's top aides, Bruce Carson, had been convicted of 5 counts of fraud, and is currently under investigation by the RCMP. Most recently he was lobbying the government to buy water filtration systems, from a company where his wife was employed.
 
11. Loosened regulations to allow more chemical residues on your food
 
Since taking office, Stephen Harper has weakened regulations so that more pesticide residues can be left on your fruits and vegetables. The plan is to bring Canadian regulations in line with U.S. Levels, which can be up to 100 times higher. Under additional new regulations, corporate food producers will be allowed to conduct their own safety inspections. In 2008, when Luc Pomerleau, a biologist at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with a flawless 20 year record with the agency, leaked these plans, he was immediately fired. Since then, the listeriosis meat outbreak killed 17 Canadians.
 
12. Wasteful G20 spending, and a record number of arrests
 
At the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto, Harper spent $1.9 million building an artifical lake and nearly $1 Billion on security for the 3 day event. 1,105 arrests were made - the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. Of those 1,105 arrests, only 99 criminal charges were laid.
 
13. Report an unsafe nuclear reactor; get fired.
 
In 2008, Linda Keen, President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, reported that the aging Chalk River nuclear facility was at a risk 1000 times greater than the international average. Harper quickly fired her.
 
14. Stephen Harper has shut down Canadian aid to the world's most impoverished countries
 
Despite consistently pointing out that Canada's economy is a global leader - Harper used the excuse of poor economic times to freeze aid to some of the world's most impoverished countries. An example of this is the African nation of Malawi, one of the 10 poorest nations in the world. Before Harper, Canada was the 6th largest aid donor to Malawi, and the largest supplier of school books. After coming into power, he closed the Canadian embassy in Malawi and took the country (alongside 6 other African nations) off of Canada's aid priority list. Harper cut aid to Africa in half, before finally freezing all foreign aid in 2010.
 
15. The Harper Conservatives want to buy 65 stealth fighter jets using $29 billion of tax payers' money
 
That works out to around $1000 per person in Canada. The Conservatives initially reported the cost would be $9 billion, plus $7 billion in maintenance costs. In March, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page warned Canadians that the Harper Government was low-balling the cost by more than $12 billion.
 
16. Refusal to sign UN declaration designating clean water as a human right.
 
In the 2011 budget, the Harper government failed to allocate any new funding for drinking water on First Nations reserves. 100 First Nations communities currently have water advisories, including 49 communities which are high risk. He also refuses to sign the UN declaration designating clean water as a human right.
 
17. Harper tried to quietly eliminate the Canadian long form census
 
The long form census is how our government determines the state and needs of the country, and is used extensively in various fields of research. In eliminating the census, many projects would be affected negatively, and it will become much more difficult to understand the needs of the country.
 
18. Never kept promises of cutting $1.4 Billion in federal subsidies given to oil companies
 
In 2007, Harper cut $1.2 Billion from the establishment of national childcare, but failed to keep his promise of cutting the $1.4 billion in tax breaks he gives to oil companies, which continue to see record profits.
 
19. Sabotaging efforts to deal with climate change
 
Protecting the interests of large oil companies, Harper has fought global efforts to deal with climate change. In 2009, he cut science research funding by $138 Million, and imposed limitations on scientists at Environment Canada, requiring that they obtain permission to do interviews, and often screened their responses. The result is that Canadian media coverage of climate change science has been reduced by 80%. His efforts here have been so destructive, that in 2009 prominent politicians and scientists called for Canada to be removed from the Commonwealth. The last time this mark of shame was used, it was against South Africa while it was still under racist apartheid rule.
 
20. Cancelled the Kelowna accord
 
The Kelowna accord was a $5 billion breakthrough agreement to improve the quality of health and education for Canada's First Nation's Peoples. Harper cancelled it in 2006, immediately after taking office.
 
21. Tarnishing our international reputation as Peacekeepers.
 
'We detained, and handed over for severe torture, a lot of innocent people.' in 2009 Canadian Diplomat Richard Colvin shocked the nation with these words. In Afghanistan, Canada captured 6x more prisoners than the British and 20x as many as the Dutch. Colvin explained that 'Many were just local people: farmers; truck drivers; tailors, peasants...the likelihood is that all the Afghans we handed over were tortured.'
 
22. Wants more power, less oversight
 
The Conservatives have vowed to implement unprecedented levels of monitoring on Canadians' internet activities. Harper has tried and failed (4 times) to create a law that would implement mass scale internet surveillance, and that would allow the government access to private information without any warrants, and without any court oversight.
 
23. Wasteful prison spending increases, and shutting down rehabilitation centres
 
Even though crime rates have been falling for a decade, the Harper administration plans to implement tougher laws, and to incarcerate more Canadians than ever before. Plans are to double annual prison spending by 2015 (an increase of $5 billion annually). Meanwhile, six prison farms, considered by some to be Canada's most effective rehabilitation programs, where inmates produced food for themselves and other prisons - have been closed. This is in spite of having support from the majority of Canadians. Observers say that this will result in inmates being hardened, instead of healed.
 
24. Breaking traditions
 
Traditionally, the lobby in parliament has been decorated with photos of former Prime Ministers. Since taking office, Stephen Harper has broken this tradition, decorating the lobby with just photos of himself.
 
25. Renamed 'The Government of Canada' to 'The Harper Government'
 
In late 2010, public servants from various departments confirmed that Stephen Harper has indeed renamed 'The Government of Canada' to 'The Harper Government'.

Useful Resources
Elections Canada
Check that you're registered to vote.
http://www.elections.ca/.
1-800-463-6868
Project Democracy
Find out which non-conservative candidate has the best chance of winning in your riding, so you can vote strategically.
http://www.projectdemocracy.ca
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Despite victories, Tories worry about PMO 'rot'

OTTAWA — Despite the worst week ever for the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper — a week in which the RCMP exposed the rot inside Harper's office for all to see — the party machine he commands managed to grind out two must-have victories in two byelections Monday in Manitoba.

The one in Brandon-Souris, in the province's southwest corner, was particularly perilous for the Conservatives. In 2011, the Liberal candidate was pummelled, finishing last and more than 21,000 votes behind the winner, Conservative Merv Tweed. On Monday, the Liberal candidate Rolf Dinsdale came within 391 votes of upending the Conservatives.

But for Jenni Byrne, Conservative partisans told me Tuesday, Dinsdale might have won. Byrne is a shadowy character to most of Ottawa's press gallery, but she has been arguably the most influential woman in our national politics for a decade, most recently running the national campaign in 2011 that gave Harper his majority.

More.... http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/straighttalk/archives/2013/11/20131126-181416.html

Happy Thanksgiving America


London Snowstorm Nov. 24th/13

We’ve been living in London, On. for the last 12 years and this is by far the most snow in one storm – 24 to 30 hours in duration. We’re lucking that we have someone in the neighbourhood with a snow blower at a fair price!!
 
Best  -  Win   -   P.S. Jerry & Dee in Mexico, eat your hearts out!!
 
Thanks Win ..... you can keep it LOL
 






 

Breast implants

British humor is ... well it's British humor ....



Thanks Win

Geriatric Traffic Jam

Epic Old Man – Traffic Jam Prank   (click on to this)
It already is with me, enjoy, it's a good laugh.
 
Thanks Randy

GARY IS IN HOSPITAL!

Who the hell is Gary ?
Well Gary is the geezer who got home late one night and Marilyn his wife, says "Where the hell have you been?"
Gary replies "I was getting a tattoo!"
"A tattoo"? She frowned. "What kind of tattoo did you get?"
"I got a hundred dollar note on my privates" he said proudly.
"What the hell were you thinking"? She said, shaking her head in disgust. "Why on earth would a Chartered Accountant get a hundred dollar note tattooed on his privates?"
"Well,

One, I like to watch my money grow.
Two, once in a while I like to play with my money.
Three, I like how money feels in my hand.
And, lastly, instead of you going out shopping, you can stay right here at home and blow a hundred dollars anytime you want."

Gary is now in The Critical Care Unit, Room 233. No visitors until further notice.



Thanks Shirley

NEW Christmas Song

You will love this please do what it says and....pass it on "Merry Christmas"
 
 
 
Thanks Ralph      

3 Ladies - This was in 1944



Here are things to help you keep your figure. 
 
3 Ladies - This was in 1944
 
You have gotta see this to believe it.
 
 
Here are some stretching exercises for you --not me!
 
 
 During the first 60 seconds, they are singing, but next,
what they do, is amazing...
 

Thanks Win 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Wednesday's Vehicle - LE SUPER BOMBARDIER B- 7 1937 DE PAUL EMILE SNOWMOBILE RARE SUITE


And the noose grows tighter

Nigel Wright, lawyers face sanctions unless Harper knew about the Duffy deal, expert says

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is stuck in a box, with legal pressure on one side and political pressure on the other, says former parliamentary law clerk Rob Walsh.
 
In the documents filed in an Ottawa courthouse last week, RCMP Cpl. Greg Horton stated that he had reasonable grounds to believe that Nigel Wright violated Section 121(1)(b) of the criminal code when he paid $90,000 of his own money to Senator Mike Duffy.
 
That section, entitled “Frauds on the government,” forbids anyone dealing with the government from making a payment to a government official “unless the person has the consent in writing of the head of the branch of government with which the dealings take place.”
 
That means, Walsh says, that Wright may face prison, and two lawyers who had knowledge of the deal may face sanction from their law societies, unless Harper says that he knew about the deal.
 
“He can’t say that,” said Walsh. “He would then be publicly responsible for the shenanigans that were going on. That’s a political problem for him. Now, legally if he were to say that, these guys get off. If Harper knew what was going on, that removes the criminality.”