Acting editor of CMAJ quits

Update from the Journal Oversight Committee of CMAJ - March 2 '06

Update to these articles 1 & 2 : Acting Editor Stephen Choi quites CMAJ - CTV reports

Looks like the Canadian Medical Association has been busy purusing the internet and the blogosphere before Dr. Choi quit. They were busy looking up my posts on the CMAJ firing here, here, here, and here, through their investment company called MD Financial , a CMA subsidiary (you can connect to the CMA at the bottom of MD Financial's website).

As MD Financial says:

"For over thirty-five years MD Financial Group™ has successfully delivered to the investment needs of more Canadian physicians and their families than any other organization in Canada."

A little afraid of freedom of speech are they because it will affect their investments? Ahhh...

Oh yeah...I wonder if that new "study" that the CMA put out on palliative care patients not wanting to die in their homes was ...um...er...structured to "indicate" the opposite so as not to disrupt their investments? Update: I read this report and the above info about patients not wanting palliative care at home was not even acknowledged in it. I got the information from a CTV news report on last night's news. I will post what the report does say in another post.

And another thing...here is the letter from Graham Morris, President of the CMA's letter explaining the firing of Dr. Hoey. In ending it, dryly, he states amongst continuing on with Dr. Hoey's foundation, he says that the new editor will be hired in response their readers needs.

Should we read between the lines on that one and insert "investments" for "needs"? Some of those investments wouldn't happen to be in the pharmaceutical industry would it?

Another Canadian Innovation

Update March 19 - water problems & solutions begin with farms from the CP

You've gotta check out this B.C company called Wataire - it makes atmospheric generators to pull water out of the air, constantly filtering and circulating it to provide potable drinking water.

Large units will be able to provide water to draught stricken areas in Africa using wind turbine generators or other innovative methods, which are being tested.

Smaller potable water units can be used in individual homes, especially in areas where there is heat and humidity like southern Ontario.

There are few manufactured goods that grab my attention, but what an exciting and innovative product.

Go Canada!

Ipperwash witness dies in car accident

Update from the Hamilton Spectator :

"Deane is the third provincial police officer involved in the Ipperwash crisis to die before testifying before the inquiry. Insp. Dale Linton, the incident commander the night George was killed, died in a car crash six years ago. Another officer has also died"


Update from the Windsor Star says that the car Ken Deane was driving was hit from behind by a tracker-trailor. He had a passenger with him but it's not known what injuries he sustained.

Why isn't the press looking into this more? Why did the tractor-trailor hit him from behind? Was he ready to give more detail when he was expected to testify?

From yesterday:

Another Ipperwash Inquiry witness is dead - former police officer Kenneth Deane dies in a car accident on Saturday - report from Canadian Press

This makes a second Ipperwash Inquiry witness and police officer who has died in a car accident - Staff Sergeant Dale Linton also died.

The George family lawyer Murray Klippenstein comments there is a list of witnesses that have died. I have only heard of these two - and something certainly isn't right.

Why is there no reporting on the facts of these accidents? And were they accidents?

Editors remain at CMAJ to promote change

Editorial from the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on the firing of its Editor in Chief Dr. John Hoey and Assistant Deputy Editor Anne Marie Todkill - from CMAJ

Welcome of Acting Editor Stephen Choi - CMAJ

Feds Provinces Examine Fiscal Future

From the Toronto Star - Harper and Premieres are too meet to commence discussions on transfer payments to the provinces.

IMO, this is the singular most important issue for prosperity of the provinces and of Canada.

If the feds dry up taxes paid to the federal government this will put more fiscal responsibility on the provinces for provided services.

Ontario will have less excuse to blame the feds but themselves for their own fiscal mismanagement. This will make them more accountable to Ontarians and make the government more respectful of the Ontario Auditor's reports - in particular the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

I was supportive in the past of measures that had strings attached for accountability before the feds to gave money to the provinces for health care funding. But having more information that has, so far, been simply explained by the media and from educating myself I now see that it is better to have the provinces take care of their own finances in the area they are responsible for under the Constitution, which, hopefully allow closer scrutiny by the public - and supposedly - Ontario's media.

What I hope other provinces will do, like Quebec or Alberta, is to pressure the Ontario government to do their homework and make sure they have clearly and thoroughly examined what amount Ontario is short on transfer payments.

It would be typical of Ontario politics - lack of thorough investigation and data to support their claims that effect their policies. You have to wonder if that is because the bureaucracies don't have the expertise or insight to do their jobs thoroughly and professionally.

Practice what you preach: Vatican to Islamists

Vatican prelates have been concerned by recent killings of two Catholic
priests in Turkey and Nigeria. Turkish media linked the death there to the
cartoons row. At least 146 Christians and Muslims have died in five days of
religious riots in Nigeria.

"If we tell our people they have no right to offend, we have to tell the others they have no right to destroy us," Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican's Secretary of State (prime minister), told journalists in Rome.

From Reuters Paris

Hospital Staff face Criminal Charges - Law Suit

The Windsor Police Services have it right. They have launched a criminal negligence investigation against Hotel Dieu Hospital staff for the slaying of Hotel Dieu nurse Lori Dupont. The family is suing Hotel Dieu over her death to provide support for her daughter - The Windsor Star reports

The Hamilton Police Services should pay attention to this. There are probably many cases of criminal negligence causing death or physical or psychological harm that could cause death due to bad medicine and discrimination by staff working in Hamilton's hospitals - especially those with severe disabilities or mental illness - but they are allowing these organizations to get away with it because of their own discriminatory attitudes towards individuals in this particular group.

Those in the health care industry, staff in hospitals or special homes are very good at covering up illegal acts an crimes which are allowed to continue without appropriate scrutiny - instead they are called "medical mistakes".

CMA Fires Journal Editor

CMAJ questions if medical journals are doing enough to prevent fraudulent publication and publishes concerns about SSRI ads.

Update Feb 22 - The Toronto Star carries story further

The Canadian Medical Association fires Dr. John Hoey, editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal for demanding editorial independance after battling for years on its importance - see CP for full story

Dr. Hoey was forced by the CMA not to publish a study that compromised women's rights to privacy from disclosures of pharmacists willing to disclose their identifying information on their willingness to purchase the morning after pill.

At a time when the editors of medical journals around the world are under ethical pressure to publish negative stories about medical research and their relationships with pharmaceutical companies this is a very poor step for the CMA and underscores their unwillingness to protect the public interest, to foster good medicine and fiduciary responsibility.

A class action lawsuit should be commenced against the CMA for compromising women's rights.

New York to Get Official Condom

I've heard of sports teams having official mascots but it's a first for condoms - from USAToday

What a great idea! Instead of t-shirts, post cards or match boxes, condoms can be brought back from various destinations as souvenirs from big Cities around the world.

Slogans could be used such as "my parents went to the Bahamas and all they brought me back was this condom" on the packaging. Or one from Jamaican that has WTJ stamped on it in caps when compressed and then when expanded says "Welcome To Jamaica".

Toronto can get in on the act - utilizing their urban persona like The Big Dick or Up Yours with Love

Actually, this could turn into a game of tag...

Oh Canada!

Canada wins GOLD for women's ice hockey!

Yeah Canada!

Ipperwash Testimony - Feb 20

Update: how convenient for the live web cast to kick out just before Harris was being questioned on his knowledge that the ex parte injunction was accepted in the cabinet meeting on the 6th before the dining room meeting.

I had other stuff to finish off this morning so I missed Julian Falconer's questioning. I did though, try to read through some previous testimony. In particular testimony from Jeff Bangs from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

In particular the subject of an injunction, the negotiations on the Williams Treaty and who called the dining room meeting


Q: At that point in time at least from 3 my client's perspective, it would appear that MNR is 4 looking to get the injunction and the OPP is handling 5 what's occurring on the ground and waiting for this 6 injunction to take place; is that fair?
7 A: My memory is that nothing happened as
8 far as the injunction was concerned until the OPP asked
9 that it happen. So, while it had been discussed as a
10 possible tool in the tool kit, if you will, previously it
11 was only to be done once the OPP had asked that it occur.

Inquiry Document 1012232 Exhibit P-498 - Guidelines – Discretionary Powers of the Committee Schedule with items A to G (B to F are negotiating options)Q: And following that decision the
11 Ontario Government under Premier Rae recognized that
12 these were the only First -- Treaty First Nations,
13 perhaps in Canada, that had no harvesting rights under
14 their Treaty.
15 Were you aware of that?
16 A: Yes.
17 Q: And the Government -- that Government
18 entered into some negotiations and made an arrangement
19 for some harvesting rights for the Williams Treaty First
20 Nations?
21 A: Yes.
22 Q: And it was the Harris Government,
23 under Premier Harris and your Minister, who cancelled
24 that arrangement; is that correct?
25 A: Yes. That's correct.
35
1 Q: And we've heard evidence that it was
2 that cancellation that led to the occupation of Serpent
3 Mounds Park or the takeover of Serpent Mounds Park.
4 A: It was certainly a factor, yes.
Q: Okay. When Mr. Downard was asking
19 you some questions on behalf of Mr. Harris, you
20 indicated, and I think I'm quoting this accurately that:
21 "The Premier was told repeatedly --
22 [and this would be in the context of
23 the dining room meeting] was told
24 repeatedly that there was no role for
25 him."
36
1 Was that your evidence as you recall it?
2 A: Yes.
3 Q: To me that suggests the one or more
4 persons repeatedly thought that the Premier was trying to
5 take a role at that meeting. Was that your experience?
6 A: No. My perception in the meeting was
7 that the Premier was not sure why he was actually in the
8 meeting if there was no role for him other than the
9 discussion about the injunction which he was asked to
10 consent to or to comment on.
11 But, he did not -- my sense was that there
12 was some level of frustration on his part as to why he
13 was there if there was no role for him. In fact, at the
14 end of the meeting he stood up and left the meeting which
15 brought the meeting to an end.
16 Q: And is it your recollection that the
17 Premier had made statements or suggested that he wanted
18 to take a role beyond the subject of injunctions and
19 that's why --
20 A: No, that wasn't --
21 Q: -- the discussion --
22 A: -- that wasn't my perception, no.
23 Q: That wasn't your perception?
24 A: No.
25 Q: Okay. Those are my questions. Thanks

Now the following flips to Harris' testimony last week about the dining room meeting:

Q: Maybe I could just step to -- in fact 23 this is my last topic, but the dining room meeting. 24 We've heard from Mr. Runciman that he understood that it 25 was your staff that called that meeting in the dining
233
1 room.
2 And that he was summonsed by your staff to
3 attend at that meeting in the dining room.
4 A: Okay.
5 Q: Does that help your recollection as
6 to who called the meeting?
7 A: No. I -- I don't know who called the
8 meeting. But once a decision was made to have a meeting,
9 it could very well have been called by my staff.
10 Q: Do I take it then that the decision
11 to have that meeting was made by somebody in the
12 Premier's office?
13 A: No. I wouldn't conclude that. I --
14 I actually had a sense that it was -- was kind of came
15 out at the Interministerial Committee meeting that we've
16 kind of come to a consensus here that all the Ministers
17 are -- are meeting right now in Cabinet, would it make
18 sense to -- to brief them.
19 I don't know how that came forward. It
20 could have by Ms. Hutton, it could have been by somebody
21 at -- but I thought it flowed out of the -- the
22 Interministerial Committee meeting. But it could have
23 been other options. I wasn't of them.
24 Q: Well, if it flowed out of the IMC
25 meeting, it would have been Ms. Hutton, wouldn't it, that
234
1 would book your dining room for such a meeting?
2 A: She could have or could have asked
3 for it to be made available or she could have said, could
4 we just use the Cabinet office afterwards. I -- I don't
5 know. Or Cabinet room after.
6 Q: I suggest to you by the time the
7 dining room meeting came around, you had a level of
8 frustration with this whole incident that wasn't apparent
9 the day before, and which drove much of your activity in
10 the dining room.
11 And I suggest to you that by the time the
12 dining room meeting rolled around, you knew or you saw
13 this, as requiring action by your government to deal with
14 what you perceived as an illegal action.
15 Is that fair?
16 A: No, I don't recall a level of
17 frustration. I -- I've got to be honest with you. I
18 don't want to minimize the -- the concern of the -- the
19 occupiers. But back in Toronto at Queen's Park with the
20 issues before us, it was not viewed as -- as a great
21 crisis, as that huge a deal. It was something that was
22 occurring, but it wasn't something that -- that had that
23 -- that level of -- of urgency.

So if Ipperwash didn't have that level of urgency why was an ex parte injunction called when there was no emergency (which is the meaning of ex parte) or "level of emergency"?

This sequence is from Harris' testimony last week with respect to questioning. It was frustrating listening to the questioning until Mr. Scullion got up and was thorough, deliberate and asked questions simply.

MR. PETER ROSENTHAL: Sir, I'm asking a 22 question. The question is, would he not think that 23 putting out a communication message that the OPP has been 24 asked to remove people from the Park would create an 25 expectation of the part of the public.
62
1 That was answered by Ms. Hutton in one
2 way, it was answered by in another way. And I do have
3 the right with great respect, Mr. Commissioner, to
4 explore his answer --
5 COMMISSIONER SIDNEY LINDEN: No.
6 MR. PETER ROSENTHAL: -- because I -- I
7 would like to explore it not --
8 COMMISSIONER SIDNEY LINDEN: But, Ms. --
9 MR. PETER ROSENTHAL: -- from Ms.
10 Hutton's point of view, but from the point of view of
11 him --
12 COMMISSIONER SIDNEY LINDEN: He --
13 MR. PETER ROSENTHAL: -- as an
14 experienced politician who knows the way people react to
15 press account.
16 COMMISSIONER SIDNEY LINDEN: I don't
17 think this is a fair examination, Mr. Rosenthal, and I'd
18 ask you to move on.
19 MR. PETER ROSENTHAL: Well, I strongly
20 disagree, Mr. Commissioner, but of course I must accept
21 your view.
22 COMMISSIONER SIDNEY LINDEN: Thank you.
23 I think you should move on.
24 MR. PETER ROSENTHAL: But I intend to
25 make submissions about that, Mr. Commissioner.
63
1 COMMISSIONER SIDNEY LINDEN: That's fine

A Blog of Note

Most of you may have noticed that I don't have links to other blogs (except for one). That's to keep this one impartial to a particular political party even though it is assumed that I'm a conservative.

This blog in particular deserves honourable mention and that is the Canadian History - Military News blog.

Every year I pay special attention to Rememberance Day Ceremonies. I stand like everyone else at the memorials - sometimes to the point that I'm in so much pain I'm pretty well laid out for a couple of days (those readers who've been with me awhile know that I have degenerative arthritis).

On those occassions I enjoy listening to the Vets stories. I have often expressed frustration that these stories are not highlighted in well made movies of quality to rival those that come out of the United States.

That quality is deserved and those stories are needed to preserve our historical context. Here's one example - Winston Churchill's address to Parliament & the Senate with a link to the original CBC radio broadcast - "some chicken, some neck"

For this reason I'll be adding this blog to my links.

Emmerson to Apologize

Emmerson will apologize to constituents in Vancouver-Kingway - Toronto Star

I don't recall, but did Belinda Stronach apologize to her constituents?

Student Publications & Cartoon Debate

Arab media publish apology from Danish newspaper - Toronto Star

The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada to start their own publication with "civility" - CBC''

(somehow an organization that calls itself 'supreme' is one I don't think I'd feel comfortable sending my views to no matter how 'civil')

Nova Scotia high school student publishes controversial cartoon - CTV

And from the University of Toronto:

The Strand's Response to SAC Press Release of Friday, Feb. 17 - News

To print or not to print? - Editorial

Yes, a cartoon is included in bottom link. It shows 'Jesus' and 'Mohammed' embracing and about to kiss. Now, depending on your culture two men kissing could have a different meaning. In the Middle East - men embrace and kiss each other on the cheeks without reservation. To a Canadian this may have different connotations. In Biblical history embracing and kissing was probably commonplace (I don't know Biblical history enough but I can find out).

I take it as a symbol of the actions of Peace between the two religions - the prophets being the symbols of those religions. I don't see it as funny or any other way although I can appreciate that others might find it suggestive of something else.

A Peek at HR

HR is getting brave and adding a pic - to the profile section (I have no idea where it is). Coy, yes I know but it goes with the persona...

I've been thinking again.

I've been thinking of quitting smoking, but right now I'm thinking of lighting up but didn't buy any cigarettes on purpose all day. I read that two journalists are blogging their experience on trying to quit.

I won't do that because I'm only thinking about it - I didn't say I was actually going to do it. Remember my friends? If only they could blog

Ok, ok so Ai Ai quit smoking... if a chimp can do it...

Islamic Jihadi Camps found in U.S.

This had been reported already from bloggers in Canada and America. This story has made a trickle into mainstream media via a Christian web news publication called WorldNetDaily from investigative reports by the Northeast Intelligence Network and blogger CP - all links to these websites can be accessed from WorldNetDaily.

The Northeast Intelligence Network has been used as a link for reference by HR in a past post and well as reference material for CBC's Sunday Report .

Here is an excerpt from the investigative report from the link above:

"The Pakistani terrorist group Jamaat ul Fuqra is using Islamic schools in the United States as training facilities, confirms a joint investigative report by an intelligence think tank and an independent reporter
[...]
The group seeks to counter "excessive Western influence on Islam" through any means necessary, publicly embracing the ideology that violence is a significant part of its quest to purify Islam. The enemies of Islam, the group says, are all non-Muslims and any Muslim who does not follow the tenets of fundamentalist Islam as detailed in the Quran.
[...]
An investigation of the group by the Colorado Attorney General's office in the early 1980s found several of the communities operate covert paramilitary training compounds, including one in a mountainous area near Buena Vista, Colo.
[...]
U.S. authorities have probed the group for charges ranging from links to al-Qaida to laundering and funneling money into Pakistan for terrorist activities. The organization supports various terrorist groups operating in Pakistan and Kashmir, and Gilani himself is linked directly to Hamas and Hezbollah. Throughout the 1980s, JF was responsible for a number of terrorist acts across the United States, including numerous fire-bombings.

Gilani was at one time in Pakistani custody for the abduction of American journalist Daniel Pearl. Intelligence sources have determined Pearl was attempting to meet with Gilani in the days before he disappeared in Karachi. "

I have to put a caveat on this. I read through the report in the above link and others at the following blogs and websites. There are problems with the investigation from individuals who are not trained in the area of counter-terrorism or reconnaisance. When a story quotes "suggested links" to one group or another I'm usually skeptical. I tried to post facts that should be the focus of the story.

The Colorado State Attorney's office currency is recent so the subject info is good - here is the link and from CP blogger I got a link to MIPT Terrorism Knowledge with supporting data on the above group:

" members of Fuqra, the FBI found links to 10 additional suspects and a federal grand jury indicted all 15 on charges that they plotted to bomb the United Nations and other New York City landmarks, and plotted to assassinate Egyptian leaders.

Fuqra is a radical Islamic sect whose followers are believed to be responsible for a string of crimes in the United States. "

More Ipperwash Testimony

Once again the Commissioner and the Province’s counsel are frustrating the questions that are allowed to be asked of Harris. Counsel for the George Family Estate and Aazhoodena wants to clarify Harris’ direction given to his staff and what he understood about the intent of the press releases but he wasn’t allowed to ask or rephrase the question.

Peter Rosenthal will be writing a submission with respect to the questions that are allowed or not allowed to be asked.

Harris has stated that a number of newspaper articles didn’t accurately represent what he said but did nothing to have his viewpoint or that of the Conservative Common Sense Revolution clarified by a letter to the editor of the newspaper to correct the mistakes that he felt was made.

Harris could not provide a name of a staff member to whom he asked to make the correction. He had concerns about a news report. He was asked if he requested a staff member to write a letter to the editor? His response was that he didn’t recall

He did agree with a report that stated he objected to the NDP government shutting out stakeholders out of land claims in their secret land claim process. That report when on to cite case law and a Supreme Court decision in 1923 that supported his common sense revolution regarding land claims.

My Opinion:

What are needed are land claim decisions that were brought before the courts and the S.C.C. and presented to Harris that do not support his legal viewpoint and ask him to comment on it. (I’d like to know who gave him the legal viewpoint)

What should also be brought forward are video clips of Harris’ speeches to prove exactly what he said so there is no misunderstanding as to what a reporter accurately or didn’t accurately report.

Since Harris nor his staff did nothing about correcting inaccurate understandings of the Party’s position then they conceded that the reports were accurate as far as I’m concerned.

It seems that according to Harris – everyone was incorrect at interpreting his meaning except himself.

It was brought up to Mr. Harris that the reasons the government did not seek another injunction was because the legal advice given to them was that they would have to justify their position in doing so before a judge and as there was already violence and a death that they would have problems getting it.

Mr. Rosenthal put to Mr. Harris is that the reason they did not pursue an injunction again is because of that judicial scrutiny that would criticize the governments and the O.P.P's actions already taken on Ipperwash.

Harris disagreed with Rosenthal’s induction not because they were afraid of scrutiny but because there were criminal investigations and a civil suit ongoing and he felt that these venues would bring about appropriate information.

The crux here Mr. Rosenthal was trying to highlight is judicial scrutiny and fear of it. So with respect to Harris’ answer there is a problem with the rationale – cancel the civil suit in favour of an inquiry to which the government did not want. Fear of judicial review and fear of an inquiry is equal.

But the problem may be more a fear of cost of an inquiry than with its judicial scrutiny on the actions of the government.

What was not brought up was the fact that the Federal government did not provide land claim documentation to the provincial government before the provincial government took its stance on Ipperwash. The federal government brought up the documentation after Dudley George was shot and killed.

So there is an issue with patience. Why didn’t the provincial government wait to see what the federal government could provide?

Canadian Beer a Hit in the U.S.

Canadian beer exports increased because of free trade - CP article from The Spec

Harris Ipperwash Testimony

Update: this is a summary in my words for today's testimony February 15 '06

Harris’ testimony today he is coming across arrogant and indifferent. He is denying he told the Attorney General and Deb Hutton that he wanted the "occupiers" out of the park within 24 hours or as soon as possible or at least it wasn’t asked of him.

Harris had evidence in front of him from notes taken by Julie Jai a lawyer for ONAS and notes by Larry Taman taken on the morning of September 6th that indicated it was on the direction of the Premiere that he wanted the natives out of the park within 24 hours.

Harris told the inquiry that he "didn’t have near enough evidence to make a decision" on what the individuals knew about his directives. He is ignoring the evidence that is in front on him and is not commenting on it. Instead, he is taking the position as if he were the judge for this inquiry stating he needs more evidence.

With respect to the questioning:

I would have asked him did you or did you not tell Deb Hutton that you wanted the occupiers out of the park within 24 hours and asked her to relate that to the IMC meeting?

I also would have asked him did you or did you not tell the Attorney General on the morning of the 6th or prior to that you wanted the occupiers out of the park within 24 hours?

If he denied saying 24 hours ask the questions again with "as soon as possible".

So far he is denying giving any directives to individuals but the notes taken down are attributing him as giving direction. Therefore, if he didn’t give direction then the Attorney General relayed information to his deputy incorrectly. This would also mean that Deb Hutton relayed information to the IMC meeting incorrectly identifying Harris’ direction.

Harris himself said yesterday that he had every confidence in Deb Hutton to speak on his behalf at these meetings.

Harris admits that it is a serious concern that O.P.P discussed and understood they had directives from the government. The evidence used was the taped conversation between Inspector Fox and Inspector Carson – which is well known as part of it had a lot of media air play.

When Harris read in a newspaper report that there were O.P.P officers in the dining room meeting he had an assistant – Deb Hutton – to inquire whether or not the news report was correct. He found out the news report was correct but did not find out why they were there.

Harris testified that he trusted Deb Hutton to be accurate in any representation she gave of him and that of the office of the Premiere. Yet in his testimony today he wouldn’t respond on what his stated positions to Deb Hutton or anyone else was at the time - but what his speculation and assumptions were of these individuals.

His testimony is similar to Elaine Todres in that whatever they said didn't answer the question. They have to fill it in with irrelevant facts or sophistry instead of answering directly. Peter Rosenthal the counsel for the George Family Group and Aazhoodena had to keep re-asking Harris the questions to remind Harris that he wanted to know what he [Harris] knew at the time - not what his speculations were of other individuals.

Answers like these were consistently objected to by other counsel in past testimonies and accepted by the Commissioner but it doesn't seem to be consistent this time around.

For those interested they can go to the Ipperwash Inquiry website to read these testimonies to see what they said with respect to direction given by Harris before the dining room meeting on September 6th.

Cross-Border Smuggling Ring Busted

Update Feb 16: Nurse Gagliano on the run from conspiracy charges - the Windsor Star

From the Windsor Star - more arrests expected. Hey...there's a Gagliano involved but how common is that name?

Harris Contradicts Todres Testimony on Hodgson

I read some of the media coverage on Ipperwash. What’s being given out for public consumption is pretty sparse and misinterpreted for brevity’s sake because you pretty well have to pay attention to all of the testimony.

Harris’s testimony is in on live web cast over the next couple of days via the Ipperwash Inquiry’s website. In this instance you can see his face and body language. Watching him you can see him fidget in his seat and fidget with his glasses.

So far, Harris has contradicted himself on a number of issues especially when it came to the notes that were attributed to him when it came to the notes taken at the Inter-Ministerial Committee meeting by his executive assistant Deb Hutton.

He conceded that he was very confident that Ms. Hutton could speak for him at this IMC meeting. When Harris was asked if he told Ms. Hutton to speak on his behalf at the IMC meeting stating Ipperwash was "not an aboriginal issue it’s a law and order issue", he said she shouldn’t have spoken on his behalf on this point.

It seems pretty clear to me that Mr. Harris and the government didn’t have much concern about Constitutional rights or Part II of the Charter when applying it to Ipperwash. IMO those that should have been concerned should have been the Ministry of the Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Native Affairs.

If the press is going to be responsible they should read Harris’s testimony and compare it with other testimony about what was said at the IMC meetings that was attributed to Deb Hutton.

To me it sounds like Mr. Harris is fudging his testimony because he’s not consistent and at times contradictory. From his testimony it appears that Deb Hutton is attributing a lot of negative positions to Harris but Harris didn’t brief her to do so.

Harris recalls someone spoke on behalf of the OPP at the dining room meeting – either the Minister of the Solicitor General, the Deputy Solicitor General or someone from his or her office. He said he didn’t know who it could have been because there were some individuals he didn’t know in that meeting.

Beforehand, Harris didn’t know there were OPP officers acting as OPP officers within the government bureaucracy and he still doesn’t believe they were OPP officers. His rationalization on seconded O.P.P officers is interesting (or bizzare?) because he uses the fact that he is no longer a teacher because he was ‘seconded’ by the Ontario public to be Premiere of the province.

Marcel Beaubien’s testimony showed ignorance of his legal obligations with respect to the Constitution and the appearance of conflict of interest with his relationship with the O.P.P.
So far out of all the testimony I have trusted Chris Hodgson’s – he sounded confident and judging by the sound of his voice – appeared to be honest and telling the truth.

Chris Hodgon’s categorically denied that he said he wanted the natives "out of his fucking park" attributed to him by Elaine Todres. Chris Hodgson seemed very aware and respectful of the native community.

Harris did not confirm Elaine Todre’s testimony that attributed the above statement to Chris Hodgson and testified that Chris Hodgson said nothing at the meeting, including "get the fucking natives out of my park".

Since I wasn’t able to listen to Elaine Todres' testimony I read it instead. What I read was a lot of sophistry - information that appeared talk around the question. As far as I was concerned her testimony was filled with a lot of hot air.

It is also very clear that the Federal Government was negligent in this crisis because they told the province, the MNR, that the natives had no land claims but somehow found the documentation after the shooting.

It also very clear that Harris didn’t even think nor was it brought to his attention to consider, negotiations or to have someone ask the protesters what they wanted or why they were occupying and blockading the park. On this issues he’s coming across as an airhead.

In today’s testimony he still used language that identify the natives as dissidents and occupiers as if he still doesn’t understand the government’s Constitutional responsibility – even before they did a thorough investigation to find out if there was a land claim and speaking to the native. It appears that he doesn’t understand what an ex-parte injunction is – an injunction used only in emergency situations.

It was assumed to use an emergency ex-parte injunction even though there was no effort being made to negotiate to settle it peacefully beforehand.

FDA Advisory Panel Urges Strongest Warning for ADHD Drugs

Update March 22 '06: from CTV - FDA Paediatric Advisory Panel recommends tough warnings but not strongest warnings on ADHD drugs.

You gotta' love Americans and American Justice - I mentioned awhile ago that I was going to be sending a submission to the FDA for their ADHD Advisory hearings on February 9th. The decision of the panel was widely reported in these links here.

Here is the FDA's action docket notice from the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to look at cases of sudden death and serious adverse events including hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke have been reported to the agency in association with therapeutic doses of drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in both pediatric and adult populations. The few controlled clinical studies of longer term drug treatment of ADHD provided little information on cardiovascular risks.

I have to commend Canada's CTV for running the decision on their web link. At least someone here in Canada is listening.

The New York Times: A surprising Warning on Stimulants

MSNBC: FDA Drug Advisory on ADHD drugs (with video)

Yahoo: Feds Recommend Warnings on ADHD drugs

USAToday: Warnings advised on ADHD drugs

CTV News: US officials recommend warnings on ADHD drugs

Backgrounder from Alliance for Human Research Protection: Drug Industry sells amphetamine-like drugs

Update: I have learned that my submission didn't make this recent hearing but there will be another docket opened to the public regarding the same topic. The FDA's Pharmaceutical Health Science Administrator confirmed that my submission will be sent to this forum. I am encouraging parents of children who have been diagnosed with ADHD or adults who have been diagnosed to contact the FDA through the above link.

I sent my submission in as a public member because it involved an American company and Canada usually considers doing the same once the FDA has accepted an advisory's recommendations.

I was given the go ahead to send in a submission quite awhile ago. In it, I pointed out in the 10 pages that a psychological testing publisher called IPAT was selling tests that were not approved to test for ADHD in America and was based on American norms were (are?) being sold in Ontario to diagnose for ADHD.

In these instances where these tests were used, not only is ADHD communicated as an "indication" of ADHD (wiggle words for Ontario's medical practitioners so they can get away with mental health diagnosis fraud). The tests were facilitated by a psychometrist running a company called Aptitude Plus that should have been acting under the direction of a psychologist or a psychiatrist to do so. She was not. She was acting under the direction of Human Resources Development Canada - or whatever it is called now.

Here is an excerpt by one of the members of the advisory panel:

"When asked why he and his fellow advisers approved, albeit narrowly, a recommendation they hadn't been asked to consider, Gross said: "No. 1, because of the seriousness of the side effects - the sudden deaths. No. 2,there is a sense maybe the diagnosis of ADHD is being applied where it shouldn't be applied."

OoOops!

Ok - I screwed up on that last post - that article about police not investigating themselves was an old article - 2004!

They still investigate themselves and it ends up you don't know what evidence the police service has sent to the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services. The hearings are the same if the Commisison finds that the police service has to investigate a complaint - those hearings are heard by former police officers.

In any case!

The MoAG has also announced they will be establishing a Law Commission of Ontario for greater access to justice in Ontario - see January 4th 2006 Communique

Does that mean I won't have to ask the Ontario Human Rights Commission to investigate The MoAG now?

Nah...I think I still have a lot of work to do seeing I just sent the Federal Drug Administration a ten page submission to their ADHD Advisory Hearings which included documenting the lack of legal access to uphold Ontario's health laws. They always say they are going to do something then end up forgetting a portion of Ontario's populace - those that can't defend themselves.

Judge & Hospital Execs Charged with Fraud

This is the first time I've ever heard of Hospital executives getting charged with fraud.

The R.C.M.P charged four individuals in Miramichi New Brunswick including a provincial court judge for fraud. See this press release from the R.C.M.P.

Would I ever like to see what they did covered by CTV or CBC. Things are starting to look up if hospital executives and a judge are getting charged and convicted. Maybe there is hope for Ontario.

Provincial Court Judge, A.R.J. (Drew) Stymiest - was found guilty of 12 counts of fraud and eight counts of breach of trust

Former CEO and President of the Region 7 Hospital Corporation, JohnTucker, of Newfoundland and Labrador was found guilty of nine counts of fraud and eight counts of breach of trust.

Former Vice-President of Finance for the Region 7 Hospital Corporation, Ian Jamieson, of the Miramichi area was found guilty of two counts of fraud.

Former Vice-President of Support Services for the Region 7 Hospital Corporation Darrell Doucette, of Prince Edward Island was found guilty of one count of fraud.

Their sentencing date is on Wednesday March 29, 2006 at 9am.

The Lynda Shaw Story on CTV

If those who are able to download CTV's video stream from W5 they should take the opportunity - it's about Lynda Shaw a 3rd year University of Western Ontario engineering student that was murdered 15 years ago - and how her murderer was let out on parole after 12 years for murdering a police officer and a witness.

This is a story that our new Justice Minister Teows will hopefully watch - although nothing has to be said to him to increase minimum sentences - he already knows.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to write about this. I didn't know Lynda - I only knew of her when I was secretary to the Dean of Engineering at Western. That year, I was asked to organize the Lynda Shaw Lecture Series that the faculty of engineering had each year in her honour.

I've since forgotten who the guest lecuturer was but I do remember having to familiarize myself with the file. At the faculty there was a hushed frustration and perception that the police weren't doing enough to solve it. Why was it taking so long?

For the series, I had to contact the media to send in the dates and times. I was contacted back to give a short statement. The police would publish a composite sketch of the two men thought to be involved. They would also give any new leads in the investigation to the press.

The Engineering Department at Western never forgot Lynda - nor did our community.

W5 will say that the composite sketch of the killer looks nothing like him. But to me at the time one of those composites looked like a neighbour - whose girlfriend was found dead in their apartment about a year before I began organizing the series. I was told I should keep quiet, that there was no connection - my supervisor was more worried than anything else and wanted nothing to happen to me. So I did.

It turned out that there was no foul play in that story - the girlfriend's death was self inflicted and the story forgotten.

I went about with the finishing touches of the series and liased with the students whom
I admired - especially the young women. They were bright, happy. They were so easy to relate to that they became my friends and we joked and laughed as we prepared for other annual events. It was so enjoyable working with them that they even made me want to become an engineer (I decided to stick to art).

I would have been proud if any one of them were my daughters or sisters. It's these women who will keep Lynda's memory and will nurture a similar smile that I recall on Lynda's mother's face as I brought her a bouquet of flowers to end the evening in her daughter's honour.

It's a memory I haven't forgotten.

Hargrove Kicked Out of NDP

Holy Heyzus! Buzz Hargrove is kicked out of the NDP report by the Toronto Star .

"I never had any warning that this was coming or being debated. I never had a chance to speak." said Hargrove.

I guess he never gave the NDP warning that he was going to go public and tell his mezmerized members to strategically vote either did he?

This was a good move for the New Democratic Party and one that would make me consider re-voting for them - perhaps.

Mr. Buzz is very good at what he does - for his members - but he's not the NDP or the party's leader. This is the arrogance with which the C.A.W. conducts itself in many instances - especially if you live in Windsor Ontario.

Now - if the City of Windsor would only investigate the C.A.W's $50,000 donation to the Windsor Transit Commission to buy labour's seats on that board...

All I can say to the NDP is - don't let the C.A.W bully you. Stand up for your decision and kick out any other C.A.W. leader that does the same (I'm sure there's a few still lurking in Windsor somewhere...)

Bed Bugs & Bird Flu

This is the first time I am posting on Bird Flu because it wasn't a topic that interested me. I haven't put much thought into it because since SARS - I was pretty sure our health units have learned to take the necessary steps to guard against pandemics here.

But I am always thinking and this time it's about bed bugs.

I thought the only time I would have to deal with bedbugs was reading about them in Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes.

No one wants to admit they have ever had an infestation of bed bugs and I thought I had escaped the infestation in my building last year. It turned out I woke up with one feasting on my wrist. In a panic I upturned my bed linen to find they were nestled in a feather duvet. Before I bagged all of my linen, pillows – everything - and threw them in the trash – I harvested as many of them as I could and put them in a jar. (Thoughts of using a magnifying glass or some other vehicle of bug torture was contemplated)

Now I knew these pests like to hitch rides but it didn’t make sense to me how they could get around so efficiently. There was no way in hell that I was going to be infested for a minute longer and I wanted the best damn bug spray I could get my hands on so I didn’t have to wait for the building’s management to hire an exterminator and get the problem taken care of a week later.

I took to the Internet and this is what I found out about these creatures according to the University of Kentucky’s Entomology Department:

“In recent years, bed bugs have also made a comeback in the U.S. They are increasingly being encountered in homes, apartments, hotels, motels, dormitories, shelters and modes of transport. International travel and immigration have undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence of bed bugs in this country. Changes in modern pest control practice - and less effective bed bug pesticides - are other factors suspected for the recurrence.”

I was very surprised to learn that bed bugs not only feed on humans but pets, bats and birds. The proverbial light bulb clicked on – that would explain why they liked my duvet so much – they were at home in the feathers.

The UoK’s Department of Entomology says that bed bugs “feed by piercing the skin with an elongated beak through which they draw blood”. (If you want to see these repulsive creatures feed the UoK has a video link)

Well, if a mosquito pierces the skin and feeds with its long proboscis and can transfer West Nile Virus – why can’t a bed bug transfer Bird Flu seeing they feed from birds as well?

And what if those bed bugs have fed off birds carrying bird flu?

Since my building is near the water it also has an infestation of pigeons. Bed bugs find their way through walls and can entered via loose baseboards and into adjoining apartments through holes surrounding plumbing in the walls. These should be enclosed according to the Ontario Building Code building standards guidelines and health unit requests.

Dealing with anyone remotely “professional” in Hamilton is like pulling teeth. The building management is aware that the plumbing should be enclosed and have been asked twice to consider doing the full building. They’ve ignored the requests. Even the City of Hamilton’s building department is frustrating. Attempts to get them to inspect the building ends up in a passing of the buck exercise back to the management of the building.

In one case the building department violated a tenant's privacy rights by passing their name to management against the tenants requests not to. (This wouldn’t be the first time for Hamilton’s building department – jeopardizing the safety and shelter of the tenant if the landlord happens to be particularly hostile)

In any case, I decided to call the City of Hamilton’s Health Unit and asked them if they wanted my bugs to analyze. They refused because they didn’t have the facilities to test them.

I thought it would be cool to have them do some analysis on them. They could have also requested to analyze the bugs from other tenants to see if they carried infectious blood or even non-infectious blood but of differing types.

Anyway, I still thought it was a good idea so I contacted the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta Georgia to see if they want my bugs.

It wasn’t until tonight that I found that according to the Toronto Health Unit bed bugs could theoretically act as a disease vector, which transmit the agent that causes trench fever. Hepatitis B can be detected in bed bugs up to 6 weeks after they feed on infectious blood but they found no transfer to animal test subjects. The T.H.U says that transmission of hepatitis C is unlikely since it has not been detectable in bed bugs after an infectious blood meal. Live HIV can be recovered from bed bugs up to 1 hours after they feed on infected blood but they have found no evidence of HIV transmission.

So having learned this, why wouldn’t my bugs be wanted for scientific experiments? There’s no love loss - I don't mind subjecting my bugs to dissection.

Science is just too cool sometimes to pass up being creative and ruling out all possibilities. It could not only help to solve one problem, but perhaps others.


Update February 28 '06: Bird Flu found in dead cat on island in Germany - the National Post

buy dane

Great One's Wife Implicated in 'Slap Shot'

From the Windsor Star. Ya gotta love Gretkzy's response - this is a man of class - not good for his wife though.

Windsor Cop Gets Charged

From the Windsor Star - a Windsor police officer is charged under the Police Services Act.

Windsor Police Chief Glen Stannard was asked: "how the case of Couloufis will affect the reputation of the department, Stannard said:

“This is one person. I have 430 sworn police officers. At the end of this year, we’ll have 450 sworn police officers. This is one police officer out of them.”

That have been caught anyway.

I have absolutely no respect for the Windsor Police Service because they are the biggest bunch of thugs going that ruin the honourable vocation of being a peace officer.

I could fill about 10 posts with the foul behaviour of Windsor police officers from destroying evidence, discrimination against women by refusing to press criminal charges against a man infecting them with aids and dirty cops working for drug dealers working out of massage parlours to suppression of complaints.

It makes it worse because I went to school with the guy.

If there is one police service in Ontario that should be reemed – its this one.

Dissappointed

Of course those with high expectations of Stephen Harper are trying to rationalize a decision.

Disappointment is the adjective floating around regarding the appointment of David Emmerson as Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics.

What the Conservatives whined and complained about for almost a year because Belinda Stronach crossed the floor arbitrarily they have now gone ahead and done themselves.

Whoa! If ethics was the mandate Canadians bestowed on Mr. Clean then their hands are a little dirty. Perhaps the CPP aren't compulsive enough to wash its hands of the perception of the same type of ethical conduct usually associated with the Liberal Party.

It's a bad way to set the new government on a new foot by slapping Canadians in the face with these optics.

Yes, there is an inherent difference that Belinda Stronach crossed the floor dazzled by the aroma of that Ministerial carrot she was given for exchange for her vote to keep the Liberals in power.

Yes, she is without appropriate educational experience. But that doesn't mean she didn't have years of on the job training running a very large and profitable company - that any university would consider when giving credit for appropriate courses.

How many of us would love to achieve these heights without having the need or the desire to go to University? It's individuals like this whom I admire greatly even though she did have personal support. How many of us would love to achieve similar results without having any form of government interfering with our aspirations?

If anything, this should end the Belinda Bashing. If used correctly this could clearly define what is expected of cross-overs to the elected's constituency.

As for Toronto's abusive language to do their best to villify Harper and the CPP, in which Global News is using to its detriment - this should temper the fears that a Liberal felt the CPP sufficiently "unscary" to join them.

Notice that Toronto is the only large city in Canada that was not represented in Cabinet. Too bad for Toronto. The rest of Ontario is feeling that karma has finally come around to give Hog Town what it deserved - an appropriate snub.

Now David Millar in the the grovel position - a most satisfying position indeed.

S.E.C to Review McMaster Funding with Big Pharma

This is an auto-response from the S.E.C regarding McMaster's relationship with the American/Canadian pharmaceutical industry and their fiduciary medical research. At least the big guns are aware of it now.

Dear Sir or Madam:

Thank you for your recent e-mail to the group electronic mailbox of the Division of Enforcement at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. We appreciate your taking the time to write to us. This automated response confirms that the Division of Enforcement has received your e-mail. You can rest assured that an attorney in the Office of Internet Enforcement will review your e-mail promptly.

We are always interested in hearing from members of the public, and you may be assured that the matter you have raised is being given careful consideration in view of the Commission's overall enforcement responsibilities under the federal securities laws. It is, however, the Commission's policy to conduct its inquiries on a confidential basis -- so this may be the only response that you receive. If your complaint is more in the nature of a consumer complaint (such as a dispute with your broker or a problem with your brokerage or retirement account), you should contact our Office of Investor Education and Assistance -- they may be able to help you. You may reach the Office of Investor Education and Assistance via telephone at (202) 551-6551or through the Web at HYPERLINK "http://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml"www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml.

The Commission conducts its investigations on a confidential basis to preserve the integrity of its investigative process as well as to protect persons against whom unfounded charges may be made or against whom the Commission determines that enforcement action is not necessary or appropriate. Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, we cannot disclose to you any information which we may gather and we cannot confirm to you the existence or non-existence of an investigation, unless made a matter of public record in proceedings brought before the Commission or in the courts.

If you are unsure where you should direct your inquiry or you want to learn more about how the SEC handles inquiries and complaints, please visit the SEC Complaint Center at HYPERLINK "http://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml"www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml.

Should you have any additional information or questions pertaining to this matter, please feel free to communicate directly with us at HYPERLINK "mailto:enforcement@sec.gov"enforcement@sec.gov.

We appreciate your interest in the work of the Commission and its Division of Enforcement.
Very truly yours,
S/
John Reed Stark
Chief, Office of Internet Enforcement
United States Securities & Exchange Commission

Grandpa for Liberal Leader

It's been rumored that Grandpa from The Munsters fame is going to throw his hat into the Liberal leadership race.

While HR wasn't able to confirm or deny his intentions, the Liberal party wasn't ruling out the possibility.

Art Dodger, an unofficial Liberal spokesperson has stated "if he doesn't run for party leadership, we'll certainly consider him for an appointment to the Senate or an ambassadorship to Transylvania."

When asked if the Liberal's were aware of his background in the black arts and the fact that he's a vampire, Mr. Dodger said "it's not a matter of ethics but his blind faith in the Liberal Party of Canada that makes his appointment an important aspect in his consideration."

*Sigh* Dealing with Health Care in Ontario

Perhaps the Government of Ontario is paying attention

Since I have the attention of individuals from all over Canada, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, South America and the Middle East - I want them to be aware of the state of health care in Ontario and as a method to get the government to respond since the media have been too interested in what has been happening with the federal government and its scandals - they have been ignoring Ontario's...

WARNING *Scathing Sarcasm Ahead. (If anyone hasn't noticed after reading this, I've given up on Ontario for now.)

The Registrar
c/o Investigations and Resolutions Department
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
80 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 2E2

To:
Dr. Dale Mercer, President
Dr. Rocco Gerace, Registrar
Dr. Patrick McNamara, Medical Director, Associate Registrar, Investigations and Resolutions
Dr. Michael Szul, Medical Advisor, Associate Registrar, Investigations & Resolutions

Copy To:
Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health
Honourable Michael Bryant, Minister of the Attorney General
Honourable Monte Kwinter, Minister of the Solicitor General

RE: CPSO Investigators

I have been asked by some of the individuals involved in policy at the Ministry of Health to send a letter to Dr. Gerace to find out why the College's investigators withhold evidence and fabricate evidence during the complaints process.

I can make this statement with confidence due to this Supreme Court Decision: Walter Kingsley Kirti Wijesinha v. Her Majesty the Queen, indexed as R. v. Wijesinha, File No. 24015, judgement on May 31, 1995 and the reasons delivered were on September 21, 1995.

Why this S.C.C case is important because the definition of the term “course of justice” was concluded to include investigations. The investigations the Crown was considering were of administrative tribunals and disciplinary bodies. Two examples are the Law Society of Upper Canada or the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Why does the "course of justice" have any relevance to the CPSO? Because the CPSO is legislated to carry out investigative duties and any obstruction of justice by it's investigators should be considered public corruption and charged accordingly by the local police department under Part IV of the Criminal Code of Canada.

But you don't have to worry, because the Ontario Provincial Police and other police forces such as Toronto, London, Hamilton or Windsor are more interested in arresting and charging teenagers who steal $2 chocolate bars from Wal-Mart not arresting or charging investigators for offenses against the administration of law and justice. Your investigators are pretty well secure in the fact that they have special privlegdes that they don't have to comply with the law like other Canadians do, just like lawyers don't get charged with fraud and theft for stealing thousands and millions from Ontarians because they are above the law.

That is why the College's physicians enjoy not being charged with sexual assault or bribery the way other Ontarians would - they, like Ontario's lawyers, politicians and police officers - enjoy special exemption because it is an unwritten law that they are widely known in the community as individuals who are incapable of committing the same crimes as any one beneath their elite position. The only people who commit crimes are ordinary Ontarians.

That is why the Minister of Health is perfectly willing to allow these acts to occur and be complicit in it. The Ministry of the Attorney General was sent the same Supreme Court Case complaining about the College's investigators but rather than take it seriously, the Ministry of the Attorney General has decided not to comment on it, perhaps hoping ignoring it will go away.

But, if there is a slight chance the College (or any of these other Ministers) are interested in upholding the rule of law, I am forwarding a link to my personal blog that contains the evidence that was overlooked by the CPSO and the RHARB that the Ministry of Health refused to deal with.

If you actually chose to read the article in the link above, you should know that I have had more problems with another one of your investigators, Michele Mann, that has deliberately fabricated evidence on behalf of a physician and did not provide a copy of that said "evidence" upon request.

I have not bothered to continue with the complaint because if the CPSO is going to allow their investigators to commit a criminal act, then I don't see any point in attempting to request taht my rights to be protected equally as it says under s. 15 of the Charter or under s. 1 of the Ontario Human Rights Code because the College and the members it protects are above the law and the process is just too frustrating to deal with.

On the off chance that Minister Smitherman wants to acknowledge his legal responsibilites to remove these above mentioned rights from patients because there is a shortage of physicians in Ontario, then he has to go to Parliament and make this request - not instruct or give directives to his policy people and those that sit on the board of the College not to apply the laws that protect patients.

If in the rare chance that the CPSO is actually interested in protecting the public interest then I have included some published articles that are relevant to health care in Ontario.

While the CPSO publishes policies on its website, it is my belief they are only there to appease the public in an attempt to appear that they are enforcing them. One policy in particular that CPSO says they have, although it's under review, is that on conflict of interest. I'm interested in point number 17 (1). I don't believe the College is remotely interested in what harm that researchers could cause when their fudiciary relationships with the pharmaceutical industry could compromise the safety of patients.

In any case, if the CPSO is interested in protecting the public interest these three articles are available and have some good information from the United States. 1; 2; 3

These last four are respecting the state nefarious and repulsive treatment of individuals with the "mental health care" system in Ontario. If there are any policies that are grossly missing from the CPSO it the legal rights under health legislation, human rights legislation and the Charter in Ontario perpetrated by the provinces psychiatrists.

The first link gives you a good idea of what it is like in Hamilton even though the report was tabled in London. It's so bad that I would venture to accuse the medical system and the Ministry of Health and all those responsible - especially regarding the last link - of being complicit in crimes against humanity (section K of the definition of the Act). 1; 2; 3; 4

If any of the links above were read, its my opinion that psychiatrists need to have their own regulating body and code of ethics including rules documenting all their legal responsibilities under the various acts, a strict code of ethics, rules on research and clinical studies, conflicts of interest, training in a school of social work, mandatory peer monitoring for students, acknowledgement of various clauses in the criminal code that relates to individuals who have mental illness, respect for collection and disclosure of personal health information, taped assessment interviews and an offenses clause that allows an individual to go to a Justice of the Peace to press charges.

I am assuming since the Minister of Health, the police and the Crown are aware of the level of corruption that has permeated the CPSO, the CPSO won't do anything to rectify the problems because if the Minister and the Crown allows it, why should the CPSO change the status quo of entitlement, arrogance and criminal acts that allow the members of the College and those working for it to remain above the law?

I'm sending this email with the greatest of skepticism and contempt for all this email is addressed to but if any one person finds the evidence unacceptable and wants to make changes, then I am happy to accept a letter.

To be fair, I am letting the recipients know that I will be making a submission to the United States Federal Drug Administration with the above information. I will let them know that Ontario and Health Canada wasn't interested in protecting the public interest in the past, and I don't anticipate any change in this thinking, so it was necessary to get them to listen to my concerns regarding fraudulent diagnosis and the drugs that were prescribed because of it.

Signed, An Ontarian With No Faith in Ontario

Mohammed Cartoons

(Updates are now at the bottom)

Well, it seems that the cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet have instigated violent reaction within Muslim communities across the world.

I have seen the cartoons - all of them. No one would have attributed the Islamic religion's prophet Mohammed to these editorial cartoons if the name 'Mohammed' didn't appear in upper left-hand corner of them. They would have remained relatively innocuous if the labeling were left out.

It was very difficult to decide to link this, because I would never depict a religion's prophet in the manner that it was. It is not consistent with how I would view other groups portrayed in similar manner and intent. But would those groups react with violence or decide to sue the publication? After viewing them, I wondered if these cartoonists realized what they were getting themselves into.

But the reaction of the greater Muslim community has been so repulsive that I have become less sympathetic to their cause because of their tyrannical and forceful extortion toward Denmark and Danes in general, that I have chosen to add the link allowing readers * to see for themselves what has caused the problems. * new Canadian link - look for post on Jamaat el Fuqra

Update: original blog removed pics but you can still read the comments here. At least one commentator includes a death threat.


A Rationale for Responsible Leadership

Muslim leaders around the world have condemned the cartoons as Muslim-baiting. European publications have re-published them in solidarity for the right to enforce their freedom of expression and freedom of speech.

One German publication states that blasphemy is allowed to be expressed in the West - that Muslim communities especially in the West - have to be accepting of the fact that freedom to criticize one's own religion or even to leave one's belief system is fair game of freedom of belief, expression and speech laws - fundamentally accepted in Western democracies around the world.
Another point was that there were cartoons that have depicted Jesus is similar blasphemous light but the broader Christian comhasty hasn't reacted as violently or called for kidnapping, death or even the possibility of global jihad as a result.

What the cartoons have proven, is that the violent symbolism associated with the religion's prophet is very much a characteristic of the beliefs that some interpretations of Islam promotes - as is evidenced by the violent reactions of hundreds of thousands of its adherents.

This morning on CTV's Canada A.M., a member of the Canadian Supreme Islamic Council stated that he received a 'News Alert' requesting support by the Danish Muslim community from others because the Danish President refused to apologize.

The C.I.C and most likely the Centre for Islamic-American Relations (C.A.I.R) or C.A.I.R Canada and other Islamic groups would have sent out the alerts. Thus, exploiting their own accusations of Muslim-baiting by further Muslim-baiting themselves and fueling the pasadherentsts adherants by spreading the usually out-of-context alerts to Muslims communities around the world.

This type of irresponsible activism is the rationale behind these particular groups being sued in the United States.


Questioning Danish Muslim Community's Response

This then begs the question: what did the Danish Muslim community do when they became aware of these cartoons? Did they use the tools of the given democracy they were living in - those usually being the laws that govern the country in a Constitution or other piece of legislation – with respect to challenging these cartoons in court?

From a human rights perspective violence is a not an acceptable form of retaliation for exercising one’s freedom of speech. There is broad acceptance of the beliefs of the tenants of a religion – but it becomes much narrower if those tenants that call for violence are acted on. This is a scenario that could have best been handled by a human rights commission or tribunal in the country of origin or use the judicial system to request a remedy or even an appeal to the European Union's human rights commission.

Did they sue the news publication, as they should have? Or did they just expect and demand an apology from the Danish president - an individual who has nothing to do with the newspaper?
It appears that the Danish Muslim community did not use the appropriate legal tools to take this case to the highest court in the land. That is what law is meant for - to guard against unlawful or unconstitutional acts that a particular community finds offensive. If they did launch a court challenge – it would have taken far more than two months to decide.

Instead, they became impatient at trying to force a decision that was improperly vetted and sent their appeal to the broader worldwide Muslim community. It is therefore, the Muslim communities’ own exploitation and West-baiting that has caused the concerns over safety of Danes throughout the world.

The Canadian Islamic Congress is good at publicly condemning acts against Muslims, but many of their own members are busy sending intolerant messages against the Jewish, Hindu, Western women and homosexual communities in propaganda email that is the under-current of their own hypocritical attitudes against these groups.


Canadian Newspaper Censorship to Democratic Rebuttal

I have experienced local censorship in voicing my opinion of the interpretation of Islamic law by Hamilton Spectator Associate Editor Casey Korstanje when I sent this post.

Mr. Korstanje asked me to senddidn't article but didn't bother contacting to let me know the rationale why The Spec chose not to publish it.

I assumed it was because the article was too long - but I attribute it now to Mr. Korstanje's and The Spec's own fear of instigating the same type of violent reaction in Hamilton's Muslim community on a small scale as we are seeing now in the broader community.

Now it is a Canadian newspaper editor who is stifling a justified and respectful rebuttal to a letter to the editor published in The Spec.

Threats to "watch what I say", censorship and frustrating freedom of an opposing opinion were some of the reasons that instigated my leaving the religion in the first place. It appears that this type of tyranny seems to be winning over - in Hamilton at least.



Update - Today's National Post - check out page 10 where it says that the Danish media have tried to find out where a group of Danish Imams ended up with 3 extra "obscene" cartoons and toured the Middle East showing them to various leaders to gain their support. What are they trying to do, instigate the "end of days" as phrophesized by the coming of the Dajjal?

Update - More on the 3 fabricated cartoons

Update - From the National Post: Chief Minister Akram Durrani, the province's top elected official who led the rally, demanded the cartoonists "be punished like a terrorist. "Islam is a religion of peace. It insists that all other religions and faiths should be respected," he told the crowd. "Nobody has the right to insult Islam and hurt the feelings of Muslims."

Of course it's perfectly ok to utter death threats and various other hacking of body parts - as long as your a Muslim. I think these comments pretty well illustrate the bizarre rationale of this guy's belief - Don't slander Islam but punish the cartoonists. With what? Islamic law? Of course it would be in this guy's mind set that Islamic law applies to everyone the world over - including in democratic countries where this should have been handled.

Update Feb 12 - Two news publications in Alberta publish Cartoons - CTV

Update Feb 13 - Alberta's Muslim Community thinking about suing two news organs for publishing cartoons from the Calgary Herald

Personally I hope they do - this will be an absolutely great exercise in democracy and to determine the parameters of freedom of speech and religion. I'd personally like to thank both the publications and the Muslim community for exercising these rights. It shows what the Danish Muslim community should have done in the first place. I'm hoping it will address why these cartoons should have been passed around by the Muslim communities world wide to foment latent distrust in the West as propaganda and including Canadian Muslims in that fight. If something that occurred overseas is going to be used as evidence in Canada then pictures of anti-Jewish propaganda from the Middle East should also be used as evidence. I'm hoping it will be a test of responsibility for all those involved in Canada.

Update Feb 13 - from the C.B.C

Mohamed Elmasry, leader of the Canadian Islamic Congress, told the Globe and Mail that his organization will seek to have charges laid against the magazine under Canada's laws against distributing hate literature. "It's unfortunate," said Elmasry, who had urged Levant not to republish the images. "I think he really goes against the will and the values of Canadians by this provocative action."

I think Mr. Elmasry is within his rights to make this request, although I'm not sure the intent is there. I hope the Alberta police force uses the same rationale that Ontario's police force used when they didn't press hate charges against ElMasry for saying that it was ok to murder innocent civilians and children in suicide bombings. Let's hope thSemiticsn't as anti-semitic as that hidden by many in Ontario's Muslim communities.

Let's not forget the the Canadian Islamic Congress hosted a forum on the media in which a Muslim woman had to remind the audience that the media wasn't owned and run by Jews - the biggest conspiracy theory going that I've heard so far is that it was Israeli's flying the planes into the World Trade Towers.

That reminds me of a cartoon I've drawn - somewhat crappy like - inspired from something I was told when I converted. Maybe I'll send it to Ezra...

Update Feb 13 - a lesson in tolerance from Senegal - Reuters (*my note: I think this problem is secular politics v. Islamic politics where religion becomes secondary)

Update Feb 18 - Totalitarianism or Fear? Paul Bretscher of the University of Toronto's student union wants a U of T newspaper to remove a cartoon depicting what is supposed to be Jesus and Mohammed together in a swan boat headed for the tunnel of tolerance...

Is this guy for real? Has he forgotten what country he's living in? That description can hardly be described as intolerant or racist. Give me a break right about now...

Update Feb 20 - Clash of Civilizations - check out page 6 from a January report by the U.S. State Department

Off to War

Well, the war in Afghanistan is closer to home here in Hamilton. The Spec is highlighting 10 local soldiers on their front page as they head out to Khandahar.

I have no idea who they are but their bravery to face the unknown dangers is already making my eyes water.

On my strolls, I've been by the armories many times - being greeted by cadets with friendly hellos as I walked by. I have to say that one thing about Hamilton, its' citizens must be the friendliest in Ontario - more than Windsorites - always happy to engage in a conversation.

I feel for these kids - some of them probably marching past my building during their training in the summer. It's the younger ones that bring out the more emotional reaction - seeing my own son isn't far off in age.

I wish them safety and their families well, especially the mums - it must be an especially difficult time. We are all with you.