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Rants | Dave.ca Communications Inc. http://www.dave.ca Connecting social media to traditional media for real world results. Tue, 29 Dec 2015 23:03:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4 Boston Bruins Fans Take Racist Comments To Social Media http://www.dave.ca/2012/04/26/boston-bruins-fans-take-racist-comments-to-social-media/ http://www.dave.ca/2012/04/26/boston-bruins-fans-take-racist-comments-to-social-media/#respond Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:37:06 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=7079 Joel Ward score the winning goal in overtime to defeat the Boston BruinsSo, last night the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins lose in game 7 of the opening round of this year’s playoffs and some of their fans go off. No, not like in Vancouver last year with the riots after game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals, but still Bruins’ fans went off.

You see, the winning overtime goal was scored by Washtington Capitals player Joel Ward.

Check out the goal in the video below along with the AWESOME play-by-play call:
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Of the near 1,000 players on 30 NHL teams, Ward is one of roughly twenty black players. This annoyed a number of Bruins’ fans who then took to social media (mostly Twitter) to decry “that nigger” scoring the winning goal.

Yep, racist fans put their comments in a public forum, attaching their names, images and contact information to thoughtless, ignorant, racist comments. When will people learn that comments and actions posted online are there FOREVER to be viewed and shared by all? Even if up on the ‘Net for a second, one’s stupidity can be immortalized for all time.

Curious how schools, organizations, employers and/or future employers of these racists will react to seeing such posts online.

As of this writing, the Bruins have not made any comment on this negative turn of events. They should. The Team, or at least members of the Team, have no problem wading into political firestorms. Remember last year when Boston goalie Tim Thomas boycotted visiting the White House with his Team after winning the Stanley Cup because he was protesting “excessive government”? Would be nice to see Thomas speak out against the fans’ excessive stupid and racist comments.

UPDATE: At 1:29pm Boston time, the Bruins issued the following:

The Bruins are very disappointed by the racist comments that were made following the game last night. These classless, ignorant views are in no way a reflection of anyone associated with the Bruins organization.

Below are a collection of the racist Tweets which are certainly not safe for work (NSFW).

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The Bitumen Budget http://www.dave.ca/2012/03/31/the-bitumen-budget/ http://www.dave.ca/2012/03/31/the-bitumen-budget/#respond Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:32:29 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=6752 Guest post by Brett Mineer, an award winning journalist, former reporter/anchor for CKNW 980AM in Vancouver, and current freelance writer and commentator.

The Bitumen BudgetLike the oil hidden away in the sands of Alberta, The Bitumen Budget is stuck in the fine print of this years fiscal roadmap.

Despite the predominant narrative Jim Flaherty’s ironically titled 2012 budget (Jobs, Growth, and long-term Prosperity slashes over 19,000 jobs) is “incremental” and contains “no surprises”, environmental charities, NGO’s and Canada’s indigenous peoples are discovering a document that appears rather obvious in it’s attempt to knee-cap efforts to oppose, criticize and combat expansion of Alberta’s oil sands.

Tellingly, Climate Change is mentioned only twice.

Long accused of “muzzling” its scientists, the Harper government provided fresh kibble to critics by delivering a 6% cut to Environment Canada (not their first), while slashing a whopping 40% from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA).

Holding true to earlier promises (or threats, depending which side you’re on), major resource projects that can take six years to gain federal approval, will by law now take no longer than 24 months to review (to date, not a single oil sands project has been rejected outright).

As if lifted directly from an oil-man’s pipe dreams, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says the “streamlined” review process will be retro-active and apply to projects already under review.

In a budget briefing for reporters in Ottawa, Flaherty says “the new timelines will apply” to the controversial, $5-billion Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline currently mid-process.

Northern Gateway proposes to pipe raw bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands to the deep-water port at Kitimat, BC for export to Asia. The project has near unanimous opposition from First Nations, is heavily opposed by Canadians in general, especially in British Columbia where the pipeline will cross mountains and streams while oil tankers navigate the rugged (and environmentally sensitive) coastline.

“This pipeline is going to traverse the territories of literally dozens and dozens of First Nations. All of them have said very clearly that they do not support the Northern Gateway project and they will do everything that they can to stop this project” says Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs to CBC Television.

“This is an incredibly stupid move on the part of the Harper government and will only serve to expedite the battle in the courtrooms and on the land itself” he adds.

Further frightening those who oppose the bitumen agenda, Resource Minister Joe Oliver also suggests speakers at future reviews will be restricted.

“We want everyone who has a direct interest in a particular project to have the time. What we don’t need frankly is thousands of people belonging to the same organization coming and repeating the same packaged presentation.”

As thousands of public servants prepare for the loss of their jobs, over $1.3-billion in oil and gas development subsidies go untouched and unmentioned in the Bitumen Budget. It may even be argued the subsidies could increase slightly through a roughly $2-million initiative to encourage clean energy generation. In oil sands lingo, “clean energy generation” is often code for carbon capture and sequestration research and development dollars. Most analysts call Canada’s obsession with unproven and undeveloped CCS a “dead end”.

The Bitumen Budget allocates $50-million over two years to protection of species at risk, but that noble gesture turns out to merely be in support of the feds legal obligations to do so.

Inside the circular world of pro-oil sands bloggers, lobby groups and Sun Television talking heads (in some cases these people are the same) the budget initiative that excites the most allocates $8-million to crack down on conservation charities.

“Recently, concerns have been raised that some charities may not be respecting the rules regarding political activities” states the budget.

“There have also been calls for greater public transparency related to the political activities of charities, including the extent to which they may be funded by foreign sources”.

Much of this is the result of research into foreign funding of Canadian enviro and conservation groups done by blogger Vivian Krause (who recently disclosed she was paid $10,000 to speak at a luncheon for the Association for Mineral Exploration in BC).

Krause was recently quoted as saying her research has been “misused” in rhetoric by groups like Ethical Oil, ourdecision.ca and Resource Minister Joe Oliver, when he famously penned an open letter to Canadians, decrying “radical” and “foreign funded” enviro-groups on the eve of the start of hearings into Northern Gateway.

The Bitumen Budget also proposes to do away with the inconvenient National Round Table on the Environment and Economy, with its $5.2-million annual budget. Established in the 1990’s, the NRTEE acted as an advisory panel to the federal government on business and environmental issues and has produced numerous reports highly critical of Canada’s policies around climate change.

To think – everyone thought the demise of the penny was the big story!

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Fence-sitting Falcon, the van Dongening, and the rougher ride to come http://www.dave.ca/2012/03/28/fence-sitting-falcon-the-van-dongening-and-the-rougher-ride-to-come/ http://www.dave.ca/2012/03/28/fence-sitting-falcon-the-van-dongening-and-the-rougher-ride-to-come/#respond Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:27:11 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=6713 Guest post by Brett Mineer, an award winning journalist, former reporter/anchor for CKNW 980AM in Vancouver, and current freelance writer and commentator.

Brett MineerSo Kevin Falcon says he hasn’t decided if he will run for re-election in 2013.

This is the same Kevin Falcon who just over a year ago was fighting Christy Clark for leadership of the BC Liberal Party, his campaign even questioning if Clark had the chutzpah to stick with the party, or turn and run if defeated.

What does Falcon’s indecision on the subject suggest about the state of the BC Liberal union?

It’s likely if really pressed Falcon would say he has family considerations etc, but these days one can only wonder if there’s more to it.

While efforts were made by Premier Christy Clark and her caucus to downplay the defection of former Solicitor General and Abbotsford-South MLA John van Dongen to the BC Conservatives, it clearly has major implications for a party and Premier on the ropes.

This isn’t lost on the Premier, despite her assertions to the media a full 24 hours after the fact that caucus remains united – so far as they will tell her anyways.

There are reports out of Victoria that upon her return, Premier Clark called an emergency meeting of her caucus to determine where they stood on her leadership.

Globe & Mail columnist Gary Mason reports the Premier was “resolute” and “dismissed the long term consequences” of the dastardly defection “insisting that better days were ahead if everyone stuck together”.

Sticking together may get harder to do, even for those who before Monday, may not have dared consider doling Clark a van Dongen of their own.

New polling (conducted before the ‘van Dongening’) offer a grim picture for the Premier and her party.

The Mustel Group puts the NDP at 42 percent, the Liberals at 34 percent, and the BC Conservatives at 17 percent, and that is the most flattering of the polls.

An robo-call Forum Research poll conducted March 19 put the NDP at 47 percent, with the BC Liberals and BCCP in a dead heat at 21 percent.

Angus Reid shows Premier Clark’s approval rating at the bottom of the barrel this week – a pathetic 33 percent.

The message in the mayhem is that as the clock ticks down to 2013, without a major momentum reversal the nightmare “split on the right” scenario Clark has been threatening caucus and voters with is coming to pass – just as The Socialists are banging at the gates.

Worse yet, it is happening as BC Liberals are spending on “Risky Dix” anti-NDP propaganda, and following a fall attack ad campaign warning against the “unprincipled” leader of the BC Conservatives, John Cummins.

Then there is the money.

At what point do corporate and other donors begin to hedge their bets and begin flooding the coffers of the perceived government in waiting with cash?

A high-up inside source at camp BCNDP recently told me it is already starting.

Is it more likely the so-called “free enterprisers” will split donations between the Liberals and Conservatives or go with the guy (albeit a dirty commie) who appears to have it in the bag?

I’m not a betting man – but I’d venture you a free guess that the worst is still to come for the Christy Clark government.

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Statement from Darcie Clarke on the “Honouring Kaitlynne, Max and Cordon” Report http://www.dave.ca/2012/03/01/statement-from-darcie-clarke-on-the-honouring-kaitlynne-max-and-cordon-report/ http://www.dave.ca/2012/03/01/statement-from-darcie-clarke-on-the-honouring-kaitlynne-max-and-cordon-report/#respond Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:03:07 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=6303 Statement from Darcie Clarke on the "Honouring Kaitlynne, Max and Cordon" ReportToday’s report, “Honouring Kaitlynne, Max and Cordon”, from the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth outlines a number of improvements on how various departments should communicate and act when dealing with families in crisis. I welcome these changes within the Ministry of Children and Family Development and law enforcement so other families needing assistance are able to access that help.

I am thankful for the thorough and thoughtful report from Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth. The continued support from Minister of Justice and Attorney General of British Columbia, Shirley Bond who met with me two weeks ago and the Premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark who spoke with my family today is most appreciated. I am confident the changes in this report will be made so no family or child will ever have to experience what my family went through.

My focus is on the future. Ensuring that the man who murdered my three children remains in a facility where he is not a threat to anyone is my goal.

Allan Schoenborn has not served a single day in jail for these crimes and the thought that on April 18, 2012 the B.C. Review Board will again be considering his release sickens me. Knowing every year for the rest of my life near the anniversary of when my children were murdered I also have to deal with their murderer getting an annual release hearing is agonizing.

The B.C. Review Board must read this report and realize they are dealing with a sick, broken, vengeful, manipulative man who will commit acts of violence again. The best ways to honour my children is to ensure that a) their murderer is not released; b) the B.C. Government makes the changes outlined in today’s report; and c) the Federal Government corrects the loop holes in the Criminal Code which allow cold blooded murderers to hide behind “not criminally responsible” instead of serving a long well deserved jail sentence.

Darcie Clarke
www.4Darcie.ca

– 30 –

For further inquiries or to book an interview with Stacy Galt, cousin and spokesperson for Darcie Clarke, please contact:
Dave Teixeira
Dave.ca Communications Inc.
dave@dave.ca

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If You Do Not Update the Content On Your Website – You Hate Puppies http://www.dave.ca/2011/10/27/if-you-do-not-update-the-content-on-your-website-you-hate-puppies/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/10/27/if-you-do-not-update-the-content-on-your-website-you-hate-puppies/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:08:27 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=6154  

If You Do Not Update the Content On Your Website - You Hate PuppiesYesterday I was chatting with a client and I reminded her to add new content to her website in order to keep user interest high. I mean, she had not added content in almost a month! She said she would get around to it…and that got me thinking.

Adding content to your website is SO simple. At least it should be.

If you have an easy to use content management system (CMS) like WordPress then you’re golden. Then you have to be passionate about the topic(s) your website covers. Again should be simple otherwise why the Wolfgang Puck do you HAVE a website?

With ease of operation and passion out of the way, why the delay in writing new content; using flow through content (finding an article you like, writing a few lines about why it is relevant / interesting; copying a paragraph or two then link to the main article source); adding video or even audio?

I think I figured it out. YOU HATE PUPPIES!

You see, your website is like a puppy. You have to feed, groom, show discipline and nurture your website by providing content or it will die.

Would you let your puppy die? If you do not put fresh content on your website, then in my opinion yes – yes you would.

Therefore YOU HATE PUPPIES!

I hope this short video will help inspire and/or shame you into not killing your website and instead feed it fresh new content every day.

And if not – why do  you not update the content on your website at least two or three times a week? (you puppy murderer you)

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My Night with the Occupiers or…Almost http://www.dave.ca/2011/10/26/my-night-with-the-occupiers-or%e2%80%a6almost/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/10/26/my-night-with-the-occupiers-or%e2%80%a6almost/#respond Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:21:38 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=6132 By Brett Mineer

Brett MineerI arrive not long after dark.

The evening General Assembly is about a half hour away and with my iPhone nearly fully charged, I intend to Tweet details of what happens.

Right now I have no deadline, no boss, and no format to adhere to. It’s perfect.

Until now I have stopped only to observe the odd committee meeting, march or more spectacular action such as the ‘Run-on-the-Banks’ where about 150 activists held a sit-in-meets dance party in the lobby of the TD Bank branch at Pacific Centre. The goal of a majority of activists who took part was to withdraw their money and close their accounts at the TD and instead plunk their money in Credit Unions, the more socially responsible alternative they say. While the branch was effectively shut down, it’s unclear if any ultimately succeeded in closing their accounts.

Occupy Vancouver is a community in the heart of the city.

The entrance nearest the corner of West Georgia and Howe Streets is an eclectic collection of signs ranging from the standard 9-11 was an inside job to End Corporate Greed. It seems overly simplistic but what awaits inside is anything but.

About 100 or so tents cover what was formerly the lawn (or bark mulch more accurately).

If I am to make the community analogy I guess you could call them the “suburban sprawl”.

Not far away there is a medical tent or “hospital“, information tent or ”tourist info centre“, media tent or “community paper/internet café”.

There is a sign shop, library, food dispensary with kitchen and volunteers scrubbing dishes, yoga studio, tea-house, some kind of performance tent for musicians, an aboriginal elders tent, disabled access lanes, a recycling depot, and some kind of geodesic dome structure that appears to be another artist space in the making.

Much of this is beginning to take on the look of a more permanent encampment.

There are wooden doorways incorporated into larger tents, shelving and makeshift lighting systems with power drawn from a generator or two but mostly from outlets on the exterior of the art gallery.

Tents offering services of one kind or another have signs indicating their hours of operation, and sheets where people can sign up to work shifts. Cleaning crews scour the community sweeping up cigarette butts and other trash.

The Occupiers themselves are a very diverse group.

Within one of the large tents I’m told is a group of teens and young adults who apparently align themselves with anarchist philosophies and have some kind of try-hard name like the Scum Fucks, Gutter Punks or some other such nonsense. They don’t really attend many of the committee meetings or general assemblies, opting instead to smoke weed or drink. Essentially I’m told, “They’re the ones with the ratty leather and all the shit in their face who would generally be hanging out on the steps of the VAG anyways”.

The Scum Fucks (or whatever) aside, the majority here appear to be twenty and thirty-somethings.

Many are well educated. A couple are dressed in elaborate costumes but most resemble more what you’d find in any coffee shop. There are retirees, people in wheelchairs and scooters, some on disability and some not. There are some who appear to have mental and physical challenges, the homeless and the housed, the unemployed and gainfully employed. While by this time in the evening most of the roughly 150 people here are overnighters, others are the come and go type, as in come and go as their work schedules/lives within the status quo permit.

One thing that is abundantly clear – calling the Occupiers “squatters” or “just lazy with nothing better to do” is an act of ignorance that could only be the conclusion of an outright simpleton or worse, a politician.

Amidst the bongo-banging, didgeridoo playing cyber-age hippies playing jump rope or hacky-sack, you find dialogue and analysis all over the place. Some of it is rather simplistic or outright kooky, but most is not if only you listen.

There is talk not just of the gap between rich and poor or of environmental degradation, but of trade deficits, the virtually non-existent financial reform in the United States, various models of democracies around the world and the reasons for their successes or failures.

The evening general assembly begins.

Tonight the woman selected to chair the discussion at the microphone tells the crowd they are going to lighten up on process and procedure so newcomers can feel free to ask questions and contribute.

There really aren’t any leaders here despite media stories that pop up from time to time quoting a “protest organizer”. There are committees. These committees are open to anyone to join.

Some have selected someone to speak for them at the general assembly but most just make those decisions based on whoever is around at the time.

The general assembly uses a system of hand signals for voting, blocking votes, proposing new motions, indicating you have a question or like or dislike whatever a speaker is saying.The general assembly uses a system of hand signals for voting, blocking votes, proposing new motions, indicating you have a question or like or dislike whatever a speaker is saying.

It’s been described to me as “the communication of baseball with the efficiency of politics”.

It is silly to watch and painfully slow – but as Donald Rumsfeld said as rioting and looting overtook post-invasion Baghdad, “democracy is messy”.

Someone from the infrastructure committee talks about a project they are preparing for that would extend the stage on the steps of the VAG. He says if they buy the materials it will cost about $400.

Someone suggests they put something out for anyone who has any money to throw in the pot while another suggests they ask around if anyone has surplus building materials like plywood. There is a suggestion from a man in the crowd that volunteers with trades experience offer their skills to a local business in exchange for materials. It will all be discussed further within the committee before coming back to a future general assembly.

As I sit on the steps and quietly tweet my observations I can’t help but notice the Twitter-sphere is alive with partisan haymakers rallying their faithful against the Occupiers. One tweet from an NPA front-site openly contemplates whether the belongings and tents that are left empty can simply be thrown into waiting garbage trucks.

The Twitter feeds of various “mainstream” media are busy with headlines and links to stories with angles of their own. The reports seem wildly contradictory and once again many are quoting one “protest organizer” or another. There is a story that Occupy Vancouver is considering a move to Chilliwack.

Where’d that come from?

Another says protesters are gearing up for a possible “violent showdown” with the city and police.

There are Tweets linking to articles that say “the Occupy protesters” crashed the mayoral debate.

Darrell Zimmerman, an independent candidate for mayor, interrupts Mayor Gregor Robertson and his mayoral challenger Suzanne Anton at a head-to-head debate sponsored by the Vancouver Board of Trade and the Downtown Vancouver Association. Photograph by: Les Bazso, PNGIt seems more likely someone from the camp went down with a few Occupiers on their own (this would later be confirmed when a few protesters I spoke to said mayoral candidate Darrell Zimmerman earned the jeers of the crowd and even other protesters when he stormed the stage. Zimmerman has frequented the camp I’m told and may be bi-polar).

None of this registers with anyone at the General Assembly.

Nobody here has any idea of the ferocity of the online war being waged over or against them, or the wild range of theories and hearsay being churned out from the news/sausage factories – all attributed to some random or another within their non-ranks.

Where is this stuff coming from?

One possible clue comes from a twenty-something journalism student and documentary filmmaker Rafferty Baker, who has been here since the beginning.

He says he’s noticed the traditional media has had a tendency to “parachute” into Occupy and leave in fairly short order – presumably after they have rounded up a clip or a quote from anyone who seems to know anything about what is going on. They package it in microwave and satellite trucks parked across the street, and do their live hits from across the street.

It seems to me the only way to get an understanding of what is truly happening here is to have someone hang out for impractical amounts of time.

Whether television, radio or print, the deadlines, time limits and page space are what they are; difficult if not impossible to accurately or sometimes even truthfully reflect something like this.

As the meeting goes on the Occupiers reach a consensus on holding a “family day”, likely this coming Sunday. They want to welcome newcomers and the curious and to do this, one of the committees will draft up suggestions for possible behavioural rules for Occupiers that would at least temporarily render the site more “child friendly”, such as a smoking ban.

More Tweets.

Police and protesters are on the move in Baltimore and Atlanta.

In Oakland police are using tear gas, pepper spray and concussion grenades known as flash-bangs to disperse Occupiers.

There are also reports of rubber bullets and as those are denied by Oakland Police, pictures begin to emerge of spent rubber bullet shells allegedly picked up off the streets.

A 22 year old Iraq war veteran with the group Veterans for Peace has been hospitalized with a fractured skull and swelling on the brain after taking a round from a tear gas gun in the side of the head.

Nobody here seems to know.

I tweet out details of a spokesperson for the “Security Committee” urging the crowd to take concerns regarding rumours they’ve heard about their volunteer security staff to the committee.

He says there are “baseless” and “pernicious rumours” regarding the actions of some of the security personnel and “these will inevitably find their way to the mainstream media” he adds “we don’t want to give any justification to shut us down based on absolutely nothing”.

My phone begins to warn me of it’s impending battery death.

Then comes the first indication to me of any comprehension of the tightening of the noose around Occupy.

Someone from the “Emergencies Committee” takes to the microphone. They explain they formed following a General Assembly earlier in the day and their purpose is to discuss and debate tactics and methods for non-violent resistance they might employ “in the event of an eviction”. This committee intends to meet in what is called “the black tent” immediately after the G.A.

I am never able to find this tent or anyone who knows where – or what – it is.

My phone dies around the time the general assembly ends.

It’s just as well as I’m shivering from the cold and the “People’s lovely Library” tent looks warm and inviting with chairs, a fake leather couch and several bookshelves, a table and a chess board.

With no phone I have no internet, no clock, no access to all the noise.

In here time grinds to a halt.

In one corner a large man covered with a blanket sleeps in a chair.

Two elderly men are quietly contemplating their game of chess.

Three men and a woman near the entrance are deep in conversation about the global economy, and something about China and their repression of the student-led pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square in 1989. A college student on the couch next to me is deep into a book entitled European Democracies.

Again I am struck by the notion that anyone would dismiss this as the work of squatters or merely the lazy and bored.

Maybe that says something about why they occupy.

The game of word association played by the politicos, partisans and talk show hosts when they say those protesters are just squatters.

What does that say about their attitudes towards the poor and meekest among us?

I wonder to myself if it might be the same kind of word association that made the schoolyard analysis of something lame, boring or weak as “gay”; the kind of word association teachers are now trying to stomp out.

The ‘People’s Lovely Library’ contains hundreds of books and pamphlets all brought/donated by fellow Occupiers.

Books are categorized and shelved in the respective sections of “History”, “Economics” and “Environment“. You can stay and read or you can sign out a book.

There is a sheet that asks for the book title, when you signed it out, and your contact information.

You can keep a book for 24 hours, though the volunteer librarian on shift informs me, “we’re generally pretty cool about renewals”.

It is warmer in here but I am still shivering.

I cross Hornby Street and go into the Hotel Vancouver.

It is the starkest of contrasts. Outside it is cold and there is traffic noise, the occasional siren and yes, drumming (to which I wonder if any hotel guests are complaining).

Inside I walk past the Gucci storefront and delight in the warmth. Here it is clean and soothing muzak lulls you back into your comfort zone.

I find a washroom.

It has all the class of the Hotel Vancouver, but it smells funky.

It’s not fart-funk either. There are port-a-potties across the street at Occupy that were allegedly going to be emptied out by the Canadian Autoworkers Union, but since the first Saturday of OV, union members have become increasingly scarce. It smells like unwashed human beings in here and I wonder how many Occupiers have been covertly frequenting these stalls and sinks.

I walk down a quiet Burrard Street, past the guard out front of the Louis Vuitton window, and towards the Blenz on Robson I notice a discarded sign leaning up against a newspaper box.

One side reads: “Don’t worry. Everything is fine. Continue shopping”, the other says “Buy Bye”.

I walk into the warmth of the coffee shop, telling a homeless man near the door I don’t have any change.
He didn’t follow me inside as if he knows he’ll be thrown out.

My medium latte is handed to me in it’s disposable paper cup with plastic lid that is allegedly recyclable – if only there was anything other than garbage cans for it.

A discarded newspaper sits on one of the tables. The cover page features a photo of the crying mother of one of Robert Pickton’s victims – another of our throwaways.

A smaller headline warns of the potentially catastrophic collapse of the Euro zone economies.

A woman on her laptop is surfing the Internet, reading an article that appears to be in Cantonese. I don’t read Cantonese but I know what the article is about by the picture accompanying it. It shows figures emerging from a cloud of tear gas, with a line of gas-mask and plastic shield clad riot police in the background.

It looks like a picture from Oakland tonight.

Back at Occupy, I slip back inside the People’s Lovely Library.

Taped to the side of one of the bookshelves is the phrase “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere”.

Before plunking down on the couch I pick up a pamphlet entitled “Lessons from Madrid”.

It is a written account by one of the leaders of the Spanish Uprising this May.

I hang on a line that asks “What happens when there is not enough money in the kitty and Too Big to Fail becomes Too Big to Bail?”

Worth pondering I ponder.

The author goes on to talk about not just a theoretical global financial collapse, but the collapse of the movement in Madrid’s Plaza del Sol or rather it’s decentralization.

He says as similar uprisings continued to spread to Syria, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Greece, Italy, Israel, and eventually New York’s Wall Street, Spain’s version continued the fight with smaller groups who would show up to blockade evictions from apartments and homes in Madrid’s poorest neighbourhoods.

They have also been active in “reclaiming” abandoned properties and planting “community gardens”.

Is this what evolves from Occupy Vancouver when they inevitably move on or face an Oakland or Melbourne-style pre-dawn raid?

It’s now nearly 5 o’clock in the morning and the camp is stirring.

I walk from the camp beneath Vancouver’s monuments to capitalism.

Our version we’re told is not the same as America’s version.

Austerity here is not like austerity there say the messengers.

We’re told there is less “street homelessness” here now than there was in the past despite what your lying eyes tell you.

Back in the warm cockpit of my petroleum consuming, carbon emitting Honda I flee for the comfort of the suburbs again.

On the radio the politicos and bobbleheads spit and spew again.

It’s noise and I turn it off. The city appears calm in the rear-view mirror as I drive over the Granville Street Bridge. Calm like a bomb.

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Injury At Tough Man Event – Why BC Needs To Regulate MMA http://www.dave.ca/2011/08/01/injury-at-tough-man-event-why-bc-needs-to-regulate-mma/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/08/01/injury-at-tough-man-event-why-bc-needs-to-regulate-mma/#respond Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:49:47 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=4913 Tough Man Event in Kamloops

UPDATE: Here is my interview on CFAX radio from August 9th.

An “amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)” event held last week in Kamloops proves once again that British Columbia needs an Athletic Commission to sanction combat sports and that the British Columbia Medical Association’s (BCMA) renewed call to ban MMA is misguided.

The promotion “So You Wanna Fight” held a combination boxing / MMA show in Kamloops on July 23rd. The amateur event was not held under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts – the rules Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) uses. Instead, the rules allowed for a fighter to compete multiple times in one evening, no doctor at ringside and fighters were not permitted to be on the mat grappling for more than 30 seconds – this way more knockouts were encouraged.

Mike Boyer, a 35-year-old body-builder, without benefit of MMA training and on disability due to injuries sustained in a car accident when he was seven years old, entered the ring for the first time on July 23rd. He won his first match and then his second match of the night. This earned him a medal and a $500 prize.

It also earned him a foot-long surgical scar on his head.Mike Boyer with 12" surgical scar after Tough Man Fight.

After his victory Boyer, “…started feeling lightheaded and sick to his stomach. When he vomited, ambulance attendants came to his aid and rushed him to RIH [Royal Inland Hospital], a ride he doesn’t remember. A CT scan revealed bleeding on the brain. He underwent six hours of surgery.”

From this, new BCMA President, Dr. Nasir Jetha said, “We need stronger legislation. This sport should be banned.”

Jetha is half right – we do need stronger legislation in BC in the form of an Athletic Commission which operates in the same manner as the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

An Athletic Commission governing “combat sports” – MMA, boxing and pro-wrestling – at both amateur and professional levels would have rules in place to protect the fighters. Pre fight medicals, post fight check ups, weight classes, common rules for the sport and medical staff at ringside would be some of the protections in place.

As it stands in BC, amateur events – which denotes the participates are not paid – are not regulated by the Province or the few cities in BC where there are Athletic Commissions (eg., Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria, Kelowna). The organization MMABC offers to regulate or oversee amateur MMA events in BC but this is not mandatory nor is MMABC currently a recognized sanctioning body. Their focus is on participate safety which should be the focus of promoters and would certainly be the mandate of a Province wide Athletic Commission.

The “amateur MMA event” heading where fighters are not paid is a huge loop hole. Promoters get around this by paying the participants to set up chairs, “winning” a prize, putting up posters or consulting on the event – but not for actually taking part in the event – nudge nudge, wink wink.

A Province wide Athletic Commission would prevent this from happening.

The promoter of the Kamloops event, Don Arnott, told CBC before the bouts started:

“In 20 years and over 3,000 matches, have you ever heard of negative thing after any event, where there’s been somebody hurt or it’s been bad?” he said. “There hasn’t been. There’s been no bad publicity, there’s been no negativism on, it’s never happened.”

Doh.

I met with Arnott at one of his events in Coquitlam in April 2010. We spoke in great detail about his fight rules (which he liked) and sanctioning of the sport via an Athletic Commission (which he did not like).

I was curious as to what he thinks now so I visited his two websites – which are now both down. His Facebook page and Youtube channel are also down. Hiding online info does not bode well for his claims that he runs safe events. He also has yet to return my phone message.

Using Google cache I was able to take some screen captures of parts of his now down sites (see the photo gallery at the end of this piece).

Some interesting things from these screen captures:

1) From the “So You Wanna Fight” website (all punctuation and world capitulation as on the site): “So You Wanna fight is power packed with Rough Tough Bikers, Bouncers, Brawlers, Red Necks, Ruff Necks, No Necks and Guys and Gals that “Think They’re Tuff”. The roughest, toughest men and women from across North Amercia are ready to get it on. Each even is loaded with adrenaline charged grudge fights in Boxing and MMA. Lot of fun. Lots of Action and Lots of Knock-Outs. If you like non-stop Fighting this is for YOU!!” In short, nothing about trained fighters. This is 1980s / 1990s “tough man” fights which is NOT MMA and therefore should be banned.

2) The fight application Arnott had on his site asks the fighters to list their win / loss record for “Street Fights, Hockey Fights, Backyard Boxing, Helmet Fights etc.” Clearly not the sign of a professional organization.

3) It appears this Kamloops event was sanctioned by the “Canadian Amateur Combat Sports Council”. Well, the CACSC is owned and run by Arnott, the promoter of the event. This is not a sanctioning body, just a website used to confuse the participants and other interested parties into believing the events are safely run and sanctioned.

So let’s be clear, this Kamloops event where the untrained Boyer was seriously injured was NOT an MMA event. This was an unsafe and unsanctioned fight.

There is not been a single death in MMA where the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts have been used. While there have been injuries, there has not been an injury in severity as suffered by Boyer.

As I did last year, I urge the BCMA to work with the MMA community and BC Government to form an Athletic Commission like the one in Nevada. Banning MMA will drive the sport underground or onto Indian Reservations where such sanctions are not recognized.

The protections a Commission can provide for participants are huge plus the revenues collected from from dozens of “small” events, two “medium” sized World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) shows and one large UFC style event each year would pay for the operation of this commission.

I want to point out to BCMA President Dr. Nasir Jetha that his favourite sports of mountain climbing, soccer and golf each individually have more deaths and serious injuries in the last year than the entire history of MMA. Yet, he is not calling for the banning of these activities. Why? Because he – like many others not familiar with the rules and history of MMA – have a bias against the world’s faster growing sport due to perceived risk.

Hopefully, the BCMA will open their mind to MMA and that the BC Government gets moving on forming this Commission. Soon.

2011-07-30_1850 2011-07-30_1851 2011-07-30_1852 2011-07-30_1852_001 2011-07-30_1853 2011-07-30_1854 2011-07-30_1855 Tough Man Event in Kamloops Mike Boyer with 12" surgical scar after Tough Man Fight. ]]>
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Reporting actual 2011 election results via social media has zero effect http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/26/reporting-actual-2011-election-results-via-social-media-has-zero-effect/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/26/reporting-actual-2011-election-results-via-social-media-has-zero-effect/#respond Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:58:31 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=3329 There is a lot of hoopla surrounding Canadian election results reporting in the age of social media. With the Federal election just under a week away I fear this hoopla could turn into a full scale brouhaha.

With many media outlets covering this topic I want to be sure I get my piece of air time. Er, I mean, contribute to the intelligent discussion of this important matter.

Which I started to do on CKNW yesterday afternoon with this interview:

…and again this afternoon with Michael Smyth on CKNW:

…and yet another with Jessica Samuels on AM1150:

(note from this interview, I said “Liberals and Conservatives form a coalition”…I meant “Liberals and NDP”. Doh.)

…and this one on April 27th Sabrina Pearson on Mountain FM in beautiful Whistler, BC:

Here is the issue boiled down: the East Coast finishes voting before the West Coast and if results from the East are known before votes are cast in the West, this could affect if and how folks in the West vote.

Elections Canada forbids anyone, including news outlets, from reporting results until the polls are closed all across Canada under threat of $25,000 fine. The Internet with such global reach has made this as ridiculous as Lou Bega releasing a “Best of” CD.

Elections Canada has given this some thought and implemented staggered voting hours (see chart below). In fact Elections Canada gave an extra special stagger to the Eastern Time Zone which has Ontario and Quebec totaling 59% of the entire seats in the Canadian Parliament. NOTE: much to the chagrin of many politicos and journalists, the term “staggered” does not directly refer to nor encourage drunkenness.

Canada's Staggered Voting Hours for 2011

Time ZoneVoting Hours Local TimeVoting Ending in BC Time
Newfoundland Time8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.4pm
Atlantic Time8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.4:30pm
Eastern Time9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. 6:30pm
Central Time7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.6:30pm
Mountain Time7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. 6:30pm
Pacific Time7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. 7pm

This means voting in Newfoundland finishes at 4pm BC time so results could start flowing out by 4:30pm. This is roughly 2.5 hours before the polls close in beautiful British Columbia.

So, does this matter?

Before I answer that, I want to further test out this tables plugin I just installed by displaying the results by Party by Province for the 2006 and 2008 Elections so you can see how things changed over the last two trips to the polls:

Federal Election Seat Results by Province 2006 vs 2008

Region - YearBlocConservativesGreenLiberalsNDPOtherTotal
NFLD - 20060304007
NFLD -20080006107
PEI - 20060004004
PEI - 20080103004
Nova Scotia - 200603062011
Nova Scotia - 200803052111
New Brunswick - 200603061010
New Brunswick - 200806031010
Quebec - 200651100130175
Quebec - 200849100141175
Ontario - 2006040054120106
Ontario - 2008051038170106
Manitoba - 200608033014
Manitoba - 200809014014
Saskatchewan - 2006012020014
Saskatchewan - 2008013010014
Alberta - 2006028000028
Alberta - 2008027001028
BC - 20060170910036
BC - 2008022059036
NU - 20060001001
NU - 20080100001
NWT - 20060000101
NWT - 20080000101
Yukon - 20060001001
Yukon - 20080001001

What I see from the above is that most Provinces had very little change in results in numbers of actual seats except in Ontario where the Conservatives picked up 11 seats while the Liberals lost 16. Of course this was before the threat of social media spoiling the democratic process in this election.

So in summary, here are the results by Party 2006 vs 2008:

Federal Election Seat Results by Party 2006 vs 2008

Region - YearBlocConservativesGreenLiberalsNDPOtherTotal
2006 Totals511240103291308
2008 Totals49143077372308
Plus / Minus-2+190-26+8+10

Now let’s take another look at the voting schedules across Canada on Election day, what BC or Pacific time they close and what percentage of seats those regions hold (again really want to test this tables plugin):

% of Seats Voted On By Close of Regional Polls

Time ZoneVoting Hours Local TimeVoting Ending in BC Time% of Seats Voted
Newfoundland Time8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.4pm.02%
Atlantic Time8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.4:30pm10.3%
Eastern Time9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. 6:30pm87.9%
Central Time7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.6:30pm87.9%
Mountain Time7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. 6:30pm87.9%
Pacific Time7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. 7pm100%

In short, 10% of the country finishes voting with 2.5 hours remaining in BC and 88% of votes are in with 30 minutes left in BC voting.

So NOW does social media pushing out the results matter? I mean, 88% of the country is done voting before we here in BC have finished voting and we here in BC are eagerly awaiting voting instructions from our Eastern friends, so this is a problem, right?!

Wait…there’s more…

A poll came out last week suggesting the NDP could be up in support during this election. In fact, a LOT of support. In Quebec and from the Bloc. Due to the Bloc being just a Quebec party there is no way this would allow the NDP to form a majority – even if they took 100% of the Quebec seats. Let’s say this were to happen, the result would not be known in BC until roughly 7pm BC time…when our voting finishes.

Still, Ekos Politics released a poll late yesterday suggesting 100 seats for the NDP. So here is how they see it breaking down:

2008 Federal Election Results vs Ekos Projection

Region - YearBlocConservativesGreenLiberalsNDPOtherTotal
2008 Totals49143077372308
Ekos Seat Projection141310621001308
Plus / Minus-35-120-15+63-10

Ok, I’ll play. Thirty minutes left in voting, Elections Canada who are clearly known for their efficient systems wraps up the counting of ballots in 10 seconds. The NDP have a wave of support in the East and the focus turns to Alberta and BC. Will Albertans decide to support an NDP majority? In 2006 100% of Alberta seats were Conservative and in 2008 all but one was Conservative. The likelihood of Alberta changing their Conservative voting ways en masse because anonymous folks on social media tell them to with 30 minutes remaining in the vote is slim.

So, onto BC. Even if the Conservative seats in BC gets cut in half this will NOT be because the results were known, rather because the mood of the voters changed before election day. If you were going to vote – you have voted by the time 30 minutes remain in the vote. There is no way to mobilize the numbers required to “strategically” vote based on Eastern results with 30 minutes remaining in BC voting.

The only real strategic vote in this election is in the hands of Quebec. That is, do not vote Bloc, vote NDP so that the Liberals and NDP can form a Coalition Government without the need of partnering with the separatists…even if those guys from Quebec make the best poutine.

If this is the only play in play, then Tweeting out election results from Atlantic Canada and Newfoundland into Quebec to defeat a Party (the Bloc) which is only in Quebec is moot. As polls have suggested, the mood and desire of the voters to move in this direction is happening now – NOT because of knowing the results of Eastern Provinces.

In conclusion – sharing the known voting results via social media will have zero effect on motivating voters in BC because there is simply no time nor desire to change one’s vote due to the outcome in another part of the country.

That said, Elections Canada will need to review this procedure. My guess is electronic voting will occur for the next election. This electronic voting should wrap up two hours before local polling station voting wraps up. This would prevent the possible mass automated last minute strategic voting which could prove problematic to this whole process (more on that in a later post).

So for you social media ninjas, gurus, Jedis, slackavists and parent basement dwellers: the best way to effect change with social media is to use it before and during campaigns to educate, motivate and activate voters. Try it out in the last few days of this election and in the months before the next one.

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Another Open Letter to Dr. Brink http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/21/another-open-letter-to-dr-brink/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/21/another-open-letter-to-dr-brink/#respond Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:00:17 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=3260 Dr. Johann Brink
c/o BC Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute
Translational Research Building
3rd Floor – 938 West 28th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
V5Z 4H4
jbrink@forensic.bc.ca and info@bcmhari.ca

Dr. Brink,

I wanted to ensure that you had all the latest information on your recommendation that triple child killer, Allan Schoenborn be given supervised leave into the Tri-Cities.

As you may have heard, yesterday roughly 100 people came out to rally in support of Darcie Clarke – the mother of the three children your client Schoenborn murdered – and added their names to petitions which have already been signed by hundreds of folks who do NOT want Allan Schoenborn released.

In the event you missed the coverage of this rally on CTV, CBC, Global or CTV Newsnet, please find the videos below:
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CKNW was kind enough to record the following four segments:

Stacy Galt, cousin of Darcie Clarke

Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Mayor

Dave Teixeira (full disclosure, me), rally organizer

Rally to Support Darcie Clarke Speakers – MC Jon McComb, Attorney General of British Columbia Barry Penner; Minister of Canadian Heritage, MP James Moore; Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart, MLA Mike Farnworth, Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore and Darcie Clarke’s cousin Stacy Galt

Also in the event you have not had a chance to review the second letter sent to you and the BC Review Board from the City of Port Coquitlam, here it is:
Crown Counsel Letter from City of Port Coquitlam

Thank-you Dr. Brink and looking forward to you supporting the victims of crime and our community as a whole by NOT allowing Allan Schoeborn’s release today the the 1:30pm review.

Dave Teixeira
dave@dave.ca

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More updates on Allan Schoenborn’s review http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/15/more-update-on-allan-schoenborn/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/15/more-update-on-allan-schoenborn/#respond Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:52:31 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=3237

The Vancouver Province reported today:
“Meanwhile, the psychiatric hospital has confirmed there was an incident involving Schoenborn and another inmate late last week. Schoenborn was injured, but has since recovered. CBC News reported the child killer was struck by pool balls in an attack.”

That is most regrettable.

Yesterday I posted an open letter to Dr. Brink – one of triple child murderer Allan Schoenborn’s doctors who believe this killer should be released into our community after one year of “treatment”.

I emailed this letter to Dr. Brink and received the following reply:

Hello Dave,

Please direct your concerns and questions to the BC Review Board as the hospital is mandated to abide by their decisions.

The BC Review Board (www.bcrb.bc.ca) is an independent tribunal established under the Criminal Code of Canada.

It is the responsibility of the Review Board to protect public safety while also safeguarding the rights and freedoms of mentally disordered persons who are alleged to have committed an offence.

It is the Review Board that determines whether a patient stays at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital for additional treatment (custodial order), can reintegrate into the community with supervision (conditional discharge), or is ready for an absolute discharge, based on his/her progress and stability.

thanks,

Jake Adrian
Communications Specialist

BC Mental Health & Addiction Services
Provincial Health Services Authority
2601 Lougheed Hwy
Coquitlam, BC
V3C 4J2 Canada
604-524-7206 Phone
(604) 524-7692 Fax
jadrian@bcmhs.bc.ca

http://www.bcmhas.ca

Province-wide solutions.
Better health.

I wrote back

Thank-you Jake for your reply.

Could you suggest a specific person to whom I may forward my concerns and questions?

Thanks.

Dave.

…and received this reply

I have no name but here are some numbers.

Vancouver Phone: 1-604-660-8789
BC Toll-Free: 1-877-305-2277

Jake

So to be clear, the representative of the doctor who approves killers back into our community does not have a contact for us in the public to direct our concerns. I suggest that is odd. I will call later today and see what I can find out.

Bill Good and the crew at CKNW continue their awesome coverage of Schoenborn this morning.

Here is an interview with Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada:

..and this absolutely outrageous interview with Dr. Patrick Baillie on work release passes.

I am SO glad that Bill Good put Dr. Baillie’s arrogant feet to the fire a few times. Dr. Baillie’s defense of the review board that they did not know the whereabouts of Schoenborn’s ex-wife is preposterous and smacks of an uncaring system.

Some fun facts about Dr. Baillie – his email address is courtdoc@hotmail.comHe became a lawyer on Tuesday but did not mention that in his interview. Dr. Baillie also testified at a trial for a man who had thousands of child porn images and videos. He said that accusing “people who have kiddie porn of being pedophiles is the same as calling anyone who has drugs in their possession a drug abuser” and “Ricky Singh Rakhara has low to moderate risk of being a repeat offender.. this being based on Rakhara telling him that he wasn’t sexually aroused by children.”

Sound familiar? The offender who has devastated multiple lives and hurt children telling his shrink he is fine and the learned doctor agreeing. It seems Schoenborn has learned well from past offenders.

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Open Letter to Dr. Brink http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/14/open-letter-to-dr-brink/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/14/open-letter-to-dr-brink/#respond Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:32:17 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=3215 Dr. Johann Brink
c/o BC Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute
Translational Research Building
3rd Floor – 938 West 28th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
V5Z 4H4
jbrink@forensic.bc.ca and info@bcmhari.ca

Dr. Brink,

I want to follow-up on my email from yesterday where I forwarded a copy of my blog post to you RE: Allan Schoenborn’s release.

The announcement yesterday from British Columbia Attorney General Barry Penner that Schoenborn’s supervised release will now be reviewed is a step in the right direction.

Yesterday on CKNW’s Bill Good Show you indicated it was “new information” that the community (Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam) was outraged at Schoenborn’s impending release and that Schoenborn’s ex-wife moved from Merritt to Coquitlam. While I still find it odd that you, the Crown, your Hospital or Victim Services would not have known this information, I hope that with this information you will NOT allow Schoenborn’s release.

Further to this, my hope is you will allow public input into any decision surrounding Schoenborn’s release into our community. This way you will have the most complete, relevant and current community sentiment.

With that in mind, can you tell me when the next hearing on Schoenborn’s release will be held and will public input be accepted?

Finally, to ensure you have more information, below are copies of audio from CKNW (including the one from this morning) demonstrating the concern and outrage from the community; a letter the City of Port Coquitlam wrote in opposition to Schoenborn’s release to the Province and was forwarded to you yesterday; and copies of two Global TV news reports.

Thank-you Dr. Brink for your consideration and I look forward to your response.

Dave Teixeira
dave@dave.ca

Latest Audio from CKNW:

City of Port Coquitlam Letter to Province Against Allan Schoenborn’s Release

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Allan Schoenborn’s doctor “not aware” of safety concerns http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/13/allan-schoenborns-doctor-not-aware-of-safety-concerns/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/13/allan-schoenborns-doctor-not-aware-of-safety-concerns/#respond Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:41:40 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=3196

Floored. Absolutely floored.

One of the doctors who are suggesting that three time child killer Allan Schoenborn is ok to re-enter society admitted today on CKNW’s Bill Good Show that he was unaware of the public outcry against Schoenborn’s release; would “prefer not to comment on this specific case” and was “not aware of [Schoenborn’s] ex-wife wherebouts”.

Dr. Johann Brink (pictured at left) is the Director, Clinical Services, Forensic Psychiatry Services Commission (FPSC) and Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and really comes off looking foolish and uncaring to the public at large.

Listen to the interview here:

Dr. Brink says his goal is to have Schoenborn return to the community. But Dr., the Tri-Cities is NOT his community.

Dr. Brink says Schoenborn is of  “little risk to [the] public”. Ok…so doctor, of all the patients you have ok’d, how many have committed illegal acts after your clean bill of health? I understand it is more than just a few.

The BIG statement which shows just how out of touch Dr. Brink is with his duel role of patient rehabilitation AND public safety / interest is when he said he was “not aware of [Schoenborn’s] ex-wife’s whereabouts”. This is important as Schoenborn is bent on killing his ex-wife. Of course Dr. Brink cannot confirm this due to “privacy issues”. Also, the ex-wife moved away from Merritt, BC – where Schoenborn killed their three children – to Coquitlam. Now Dr. Brink wants to release him into HER community.

So, Dr. Brink says he did not know the ex-wife was in Coquitlam. Doctor, let me suggest five ways you could have found out:

1) Google
2) Read the newspaper
3) Watch the evening news
4) Listen to the radio
5) and this one is crazy I know – ASK VICTIM SERVICES!

To help you, here is a clip from Global TV News, 16.5 hours before your interview on CKNW. Note all the info in it that you “were not aware of”. I am helping you further Doctor by emailing a link of this blog to your address at jbrink@forensic.bc.ca.

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So Doctor…wanna change your mind? We in the Tri-Cities want you to.

UPDATE: At 3:15pm today BC Attorney General Barry Penner says there will be new hearing on outings for Allan Schoenborn due to today’s developments in case.

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James Moore on CKNW http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/08/james-moore-on-cknw/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/08/james-moore-on-cknw/#respond Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:49:39 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=2994 Very happy to have heard my MP James Moore on CKNW‘s Bill Good show today.

James spoke out against scumbag child murderer Allan Schoenborn – who murdered his three children in 2008, posed their dead bodies so their mother – his estranged wife – would find them and then he ran away hiding for ten days before being caught is now being released; a ridiculous legal system; the hypocrisy of the NDP on the HST and more.

Take a listen, enjoy and hopefully you understand why I support James Moore.

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Allan Schoenborn is a murdering scumbag who should be locked up http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/07/allan-schoenborn-is-a-murdering-scumbag-who-should-be-locked-up/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/04/07/allan-schoenborn-is-a-murdering-scumbag-who-should-be-locked-up/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 01:33:45 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=2938 I am just absolutely floored how Allan Schoenborn – who murdered his three children in 2008, posed their dead bodies so their mother – his estranged wife – would find them and then he ran away hiding for ten days before being caught is now being released.

He was found not criminally responsible for his action and on the third anniversary of his murderous acts, he is being allowed out on “supervised outings” because he wants to have coffee at Starbucks and to swim at the community centre. The goal? To graduate him to full unrestricted outings.

I kid you not. Really.

He commits the crimes in Merritt, BC and decides he wants to hang out in my community – Port Coquitlam.

I would love to see posters like one below put up at local businesses, etc. to show that we the fine folks of Port Coquitlam do NOT what this guy here. We want him where he belongs. Behind bars.

Allan Schoenborn is a murdering scumbag who should be locked up

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Brief History of the BC HST (Thus Far) As Told By Monty Python http://www.dave.ca/2011/03/23/brief-history-of-the-bc-hst-thus-far-as-told-by-monty-python/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/03/23/brief-history-of-the-bc-hst-thus-far-as-told-by-monty-python/#respond Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:11:02 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=2716 Want to get caught up on how the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in British Columbia is going along? Well, what better way than with Monty Python’s Black Knight scene from “Holy Grail”.

This is what happens when I have 15 extra minutes in my day.

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I banish thee, blocked calls! http://www.dave.ca/2011/03/10/i-banish-thee-blocked-calls/ http://www.dave.ca/2011/03/10/i-banish-thee-blocked-calls/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:13:04 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=2615

I remember the pre-caller ID days. The phone rang, someone answered, if the call was not for them, a yell would go through the house for that person to answer and away you go.  You had no idea who was calling or who it was for because this was also before the days of everyone having their own phone. Crazy, exciting, pre-historic times indeed.

Flash forward to today, we each have and hold our own phones and calls (when actual phone calls are received or made on these mini computers) have the power of caller ID.

We now live in a world of caller ID so why do I receive so many “unknown” or “private” calls? Why would someone block their phone number from showing up on my end? I mean the person calling knows he/she is calling ME and that they are interrupting my incredibly busy Rockband playing time so why do some folks not want me to have the benefit of knowing their phone number and who they are? I am guessing because they know I would not willfully answer their call if I knew who it was them calling.

So who are these ninja callers?

Over the past 10 days I decided to track and answer every blocked call and see if my above theory is correct or if perhaps I am missing out on unknown riches due to my fear of the blocked call.

During this time I received 27 “unknown” or “private” calls on my two phone lines broken down like this:

15 telemarketers. Yes 15. They are not supposed to block their call, but if they do I cannot report them to that joke of a “National Do Not Call List”. Credit cards, phone services, vacation packages, etc. Just glorious interruptions to my Rockband filled days. For full disclosure, a few of these telemarketers had me agree to their offers, have me leave to get my Visa and then have me place the phone next to the speakers on my computer, turn on some punk music or a soundtrack from an adult movie (you know, like Saving Private Ryan…what were you thinking?) and then I would leave for the gym. They have paid somewhat for their sins.

3 reporters. All friendly to me but they indicated they get no reply from some folks if their name appears on caller ID. I asked them if they have a higher pick up rate with or without caller ID and they ALL said it is about the same. If so, then what’s the point of blocking the call? They again ALL said sometimes someone does answer. That makes sense.

3 from people I know in Provincial Government. They too block calls in the event folks do not wish to speak with them. When I explained I would be happy to answer if I saw their number as I know them, they said I was in the minority. One person actually told me incoming blocked calls to their department automatically go to either voicemail or a human screener! Holy hypocrisy Batman!

2 surveys. Neither were from what I would consider legit polling companies and I am guessing were fronts for telemarketers. Bailed on these calls early into the process after insisting to the live person I was a 90 year old woman with 14 kids.

2 bill collectors. Oh yes, bill collectors. Now, were they actually looking for me as opposed to someone who used to live with me, then I can solve this one easily.  Even passing over the current info of the person they are looking for is not helpful…I have tried this a number of times over the last couple of years.

2 from a person I know. She blocks her number due to a bad experience with an ex. This often leads to her calling me, I ignore, she leaves message, I pick up later, call her, she misses call and then repeat. This is an awesome non-phone relationship and she gets frustrated that I do not answer her blocked calls. So I asked her how she handles blocked calls and she says she does not answer. I waited to see if the irony washed over her. It did and she told me – and I’m paraphrasing here – to “shut the duck up”.

To review – 70% of blocked calls I receive are of zero value to me.  Other than my female friend who believes I have some sort of mallard whisperer powers, I would not be upset about missing those remaining 30% either. Like an STD, I do not wish to catch those unknown calls, they are irritating and interfere with my sleeping.

I am now banishing blocked calls using Rogers *77 “anonymous caller rejection” feature.  My version of the penicillin shot for my phone.

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Decision Makers Read This! http://www.dave.ca/2010/12/23/decision-makers-read-this/ http://www.dave.ca/2010/12/23/decision-makers-read-this/#respond Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:59:53 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=2267 ATTN: Government folks, communications people, campaign managers, CEOs & decision makers: read today’s Dilbert.

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The Technology Pavlovian Effect http://www.dave.ca/2010/12/14/the-technology-pavlovian-effect/ http://www.dave.ca/2010/12/14/the-technology-pavlovian-effect/#respond Tue, 14 Dec 2010 23:07:24 +0000 http://www.dave.ca/?p=2125 I am seemingly connected to the web 24 hours a day. Either I am in front of a computer, staring at my iPad, holding my Blackberry or I am thinking about being in front of my computer, while staring at my iPad and holding my Blackberry.

Much of this is to do with my belief that I am more productive – more responsive – because of my tech savvy and connection. But recently I have noticed my Pavlovian like reaction to my phone – which is set to vibrate at every text, phone call and some Tweets. I need to look and respond immediately, regardless of  whom I am with or where I am.

I have replied and created texts, Tweets and emails at weddings, dinners, in bed, at funerals, during movies, being yelled at for using my Blackberry, at meetings, while driving, walking in the woods, swimming, working out and most likely while sleeping.

In fact, I get somewhat anxious if I hear my phone buzz and I do not answer right away.  Not good.

I was glad then yesterday to come across Tod Maffin’s Youtube video which discussed the “productivity paradox”. The paradox has been defined as the “discrepancy between measures of investment in information technology and measures of output at the national level.”

Certainly got me thinking in a different way. So different that I did something today that I have not really done in 15 years – modified how I receive information pushed to me on my “cell phone”.

More about that tomorrow – until then, enjoy Tod’s video.

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Amateur and Youth MMA Need Regulations http://www.dave.ca/2010/10/29/amateur-and-youth-mma-need-regulations/ http://www.dave.ca/2010/10/29/amateur-and-youth-mma-need-regulations/#respond Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:08:42 +0000 http://blog.dave.ca/?p=1607 MMA Regulation is needed.For a while now I have talked about how there needs to be regulation for both pro and amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in British Columbia. With municipalities pushing for the Province to form an Athletic Commission, I am sure this will occur in the next two years.

Boy, do I hope so. Especially after reading this article in today’s Vancouver Sun newspaper where, allegedly, young MMA practitioners / students – most under the age of 12 – took part in a seemingly full contact tournament. Weight classes were not enforced; age groups were diverse and males grappled with females. To say this is unsafe and paints MMA in a bad light is an understatement.

The tournament was organized by Maple Ridge based “The Fightpit” instructor Don Whitefield who really should have known better. So too should the parents who entered their kids into the matches with such lack safeguards.

Just like in boxing and hockey, contact elements of MMA should not be introduced until early to mid-teens. This promotes the fundamentals of of the sport and allows the kids to learn the skills they will need to get to the next level.

Thankfully an overwhelming majority of MMA schools, coaches and fighters share this view and the tournament from this past weekend was the really bad exception to this rule.

For more, here is my interview on CKNW’s Bill Good Show from this morning.

…and here I am on Dave Dickson’s CFAX radio program in the afternoon:

ADDITION: This was posted on the Vancouver Sun forum purportedly by the event organizer:

It is sad to see that the mentioned club and all his friends and students won’t hesitate to rip their own sport to express their feelings of jealousy and rage.

This is another sensationalist article that omitted two important FACTS:

1. ZERO punches to the face were allowed at any time!

2. ALL competitors had to wear headgear AT ALL TIMES!

3. The mentioned club ran this event for years with lots of blood and injuries without any testing and the promoter eventually took the event from him asking me to straighten it.

All together is sounds like a lot of sour grapes to me since this was the SAFEST event ever run!

Don Whitefield

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Judge Judy for Solicitor General in BC http://www.dave.ca/2010/05/05/judge-judy-for-solicitor-general-in-bc/ http://www.dave.ca/2010/05/05/judge-judy-for-solicitor-general-in-bc/#respond Wed, 05 May 2010 19:50:09 +0000 http://blog.dave.ca/?p=1318 Judge Judy for SGHere in British Columbia as of late, we have not had very good luck with our Solicitor-Generals staying in the position.

In March 2008 then SG John Les steps down for some concerns over land deals in Chilliwack where he was once Mayor.

Fast forward to April 2009 – just weeks before the Provincial Election – Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety John van Dongen resigns following revelations that his driver’s license has been suspended for excessive speeding. The Gods of Irony really smacked van Dongen on this one…as his signature was on all new driver’s licenses.

No worries! After the May 2009 election political newbie and former West Vancouver Police Chief Kash Heed is elected and sworn in as the new SG. Boom. Done. No problems here. Well, at least not until April 2010.

News comes out that Heed or at least his election political Team, put out a misleading brochure during the election in violation of the Election Act. So while the investigation is on, Heed resigns. Then Heed is cleared of the charges and is back as the SG…then 24 hours later resigns AGAIN as the investigator’s law firm made a donation to Heed’s election campaign. I smell sitcom!

So what to do? I say take a page from other fine enterprises and hire from the outside.

Look, this is not to say that someone in the BC Liberals could not do the job but really, time to shake things up.

We are without a full time Solicitor General which means that, ah, generals throughout BC are not being solicited. This needs to be resolved. And I have the solution.

Judge Judy.

Yes, that fiery no-nonsense TV judge would be the perfect fit. Just Skype her in for meetings and stuff and let her go to town.

Not unheard of, even in politics, to hire from the outside. I mean off the top of my head (read: I really do not want to research this too much) in 2006 Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed lawyer and former co-chair of his campaign, Michael Fortier to the position of Minister Public Works and Government Services. To be clear, Fortier was NOT elected and had to be represented in the House by Canucks fan and Twitter enthusiast MP James Moore. This bold move has led Harper to multiple minority governments so this is a winning-ish formula.

There is no need for me to even write much more on this (read: my attention is waning and I want to have a snack) so I will leave it to you to comment, join the Facebook Page and spread the word that Judge Judy is the next best choice for Solicitor General of British Columbia.

Ummm…hopefully this does not violate some sort of Election Act thing.

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