Confirmed

The young woman on my right had attended a panel on which Margaret Sinclair/Trudeau/Kemper (take your pick) was talking about mental illness.  I was supposed to have attended, but couldn't face the woman and her breathtaking narcissism -- which her son has sadly inherited, by the way.  "OMG," said the young woman.  "She's still totally crazy!  I thought she was supposed to be better?" 

The woman listening on my left, who had been a nurse in the Montreal hospital to which Margaret had been admitted over the years and treated her, added, "Totally.  Must be off her meds."  We were at a Concordia alumni function last evening and naturally the talk turned to Trudeau-the-younger.  I just googled "narcissism" and the description reads, among other things:

• Having an exaggerated sense of self-importance,
• Requiring constant admiration,
• Having a sense of entitlement,
• Thinking so highly of yourself that you put yourself on a pedestal, and
• Valuing yourself more than you value others.

That's definitely Justin, but more so Margaret.  Justin and our kids used to play in the same soccer league and I have spent a not insignificant amount of time talking to his mother on the sidelines -- although she wouldn't remember me because everything was always about her.  Justin seems unaware he is the Prime Minister of Canada.  Just completely oblivious to the grave economic situation this country faces.  It's all show biz and selfies.  Hey buddy, how about stepping up, hitting the office now and then and running the country?!  And to traipse out here and luxuriate in Kananaskis at great expense is a slap in the face to every struggling Albertan.  Harper had his first cabinet meeting after being elected at the Transport Training Centre in Cornwall, for gawd's sake.  If you've ever been there, as I have many times, it's perfectly adequate and just an hour's drive from Ottawa.

Someone needs to disabuse him of his dangerous flights of fancy, but I am sure it won't be the dreary and tedious Margaret. 

No, they don't

"They don't care," said a dinner companion last evening.  He was referring to the Canada Revenue Agency, with which he was dealing, trying not to have to pay his taxes.  People who don't pay their taxes infuriate me.  I worked for the CRA for a number of years and know just how singularly vital that organization is in the running of Canada. 

From Nigeria, this gentleman had had the same plaint a year ago when we chatted at another function.  "Well, I'm a consultant and I don't pay my taxes regularly," he told me.  "Now I have a lot to pay." 

Pay them, I emphatically replied.  "How do you think Canada operates?" I asked.  "How do you think health care and roads and schools and the military run?  Not thanks to people like you who don't pay their fair share, but claim all the benefits this country rains down on them," I instructed.  And just because he was black did not deter me from my mission.  Others might have been afraid to tell him off, but it's not about race -- even though many play that card all the time in the face of an actual issue.  He assured me he would pay up, but probably left a tad too much in his own bank account, thus raising an audit flag on his CRA account.  Believe me, an audit flag is something no one ever wants to have waved at them.

"I haven't had any work for six months," he moaned, "but they don't care."  That's right, we don't care because we can't care.  "But, you can make an arrangement to pay over time," I explained, "why not do that?"  From his non-response, I am sure he isn't.

Sadly, it's really the mentality of so many immigrants and cultures which makes them averse to paying taxes.  In fact, avoiding or evading taxes is a mark of success with many people!  "You know," I added, "this is not Nigeria.  Nigeria is a corrupt state, but Canada doesn't operate like that."  "No, Nigeria is not corrupt," he actually had the gall to reply with his face hanging out.  "Yes it certainly is.  In fact 'The Economist' magazine regularly publishes a list of corrupt nations and Nigeria is always right up there," I told him.  Any fool who reads a newspaper knows how corrupt Nigeria is; you don't have to consult 'The Economist'. 

After that, he didn't talk to me.  I guess the facts overwhelmed him.  But I never miss a chance to hammer someone about paying their taxes and I hope other Canadians join me in my little crusade.   

   

What's up with that?

Why would "Canada's National Newspaper", as The Globe and Mail touts itself, feature a picture of a disgraced, fraudulent crook like Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on its front page in full colour?!  It's ridiculous in the extreme.  She is being impeached for good reason, but are there not more important Canadian stories to cover on page one?

Who cares in Canada??!!

The Globe is one of the most pompous, left-wing rags in Canada.  It actually used to have a business slant, but sadly now it is wholly left-wing.  No clue why?  (Note to self:  Must research who's running that broadsheet.)  Now I pretty much read it to enjoy the wonderfully brilliant sports writer Cathal Kelly, the obit features and the essays -- the last to figure out why I cannot seem to get one of mine published.  Maybe they google me, read a few of my blogs and decide I am wholly unworthy. 

Speaking of the media, I would really love someone -- anyone -- who is traipsing around up there, covering the Attiwapiskat mess, to actually ask THE BIG QUESTION:  Where has all the money gone?  But of course, this is Canada and no one will.  Go back a few blogs and you will see the numbers I have researched.  Many, many millions have been given this community and yet they have the nerve to ask of the-sky-is-falling-officials, now wringing their hands and running all over the place, why they continue to live in third-world conditions?  Talk about native leadership ducking responsibility and passing the buck!  It's a disgrace and their leaders should hang their heads in shame. 

 Reading the many weeping letters about this tragedy, I get very annoyed no one seems to do any research on the hard financial facts?  I get mine on google in about five minutes; you'd think reporters who get paid handsomely to find them would dig a little.  But they don't. 

Why do natives not ask their own leadership what has gone on and where the money is?  Why does not one reporter mention a few factual figures?  In my mind, the answer to the whole mess remains:

Move away.        

More money, as usual

Attawapiskat Chief Bruce Shisheesh, who succeeded the famous Theresa Spence (remember her antics?) claims the reserve needs more money to cope with a suicide epidemic raging through the community. 

Really?  How will more money help?  In addition to the regular funding the band receives -- a whopping $90 million during the Harper years -- it also receives almost $500,000 for counselling and youth services.  Three million dollars were allocated for housing and another $2.8 million for other infrastructure.  And what are they accomplishing?  Seems absolutely nothing when it comes to helping residents and youth.  People still live in shacks and tents and poverty and addiction remain rampant.  Sadly, no one on the reserve seems inclined to do anything to stop it. 

It's a disgrace and one which will only be solved when natives get the h-ll off reserves and join mainstream Canadians.  This doesn't mean abandoning their culture, it simply means getting with the program and moving forward -- not harkening back to the past and dismally dining out on it forever and ever.  Someone should tell Cindy Blackstock this.  She helps no one.  Ever. 

Oh, and the chief's salary?  About $71,000.  The watch cry continues to brush off facts in favour of accusations.     

Calgary's Best Dressed??!!

The local magazine today featured 'Calgary's Best Dressed'.  They have got to be kidding!  Here are a couple of complete messes:

 

Do you think she could combine any more stuff?  And you never wear black stockings with white shoes.  Never.





Another jumble of madness.

 

She, however, is gorgeous.  Note the shoes, which match the necklace, which matches the bracelets.  You have to anchor an outfit and just let a couple of items do the talking.  Perfect. 

 







One way to get rid of our deficit

They sit on their hands when the basket is passed at St. Luke's every Sunday.  I am talking about the Filipinos, who jam in, yet rarely contribute a cent to the running of the parish.  They just don't and I see it every week.  Nevertheless, they manage to send $2.1 billion back to their country of origin every year!*  Only 1.9% of the Canadian population, this group is shipping a hell of  a lot of dollars out of a struggling economy to its host's perpetual detriment.  This is money generated in Canada, but not put back to work inside the Canadian economy. 

But the people are not alone.  The worst offenders are the Chinese-Canadians (By the way, I hate the use of any ethnic group in front of the word "Canadian") who annually transfer a whopping $4.1 billion into offshore accounts.  Next in the race to rush money out of Canada are Indo-Canadians at $2.8 billion, followed by the French (no surprise there because isn't everything French better?) and then the Germans.  But amazingly, little old Hungarians manage to scrounge $406 million out of their pockets to forward to a ridiculous and pointless end in Eastern Europe.  In the middle are such scallywags as Vietnam, Lebanon (don't get me started on that bunch!), Belgium, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nigeria (another not inconsiderable population within our parish, on which I don't wish to get started).

All this larceny adds up to.....wait for it.....$22.8 billion, or $635 per capita!  Now, wouldn't clamping down on such a scandal go a long way towards killing Canada's deficit?  It might also help St. Luke's upkeep. 

________________________________
*The Globe and Mail Report on Business
(World Bank figures)
April, 2016

The latest ugly

What has happened to fashion?  Either I am getting waaay too old to judge, or women-hating men are designing the stuff.  Flipping through the Style section of today's Globe, I saw these two hideous examples of ugly:

How could anyone wear shoes like these with that outfit?  Or ever?

Shapeless dress with ridiculous tights that match nothing!  And the model?  Forget about it. 



"I'll buy her's."

"I'm sorry sir," said the cashier at the local liquor store this morning.  "You only get the discount if you buy 10 bottles; you only have nine."  That's when the young man turned to me, grabbed my wine and said, "Well then, I'll buy her's." 

I was flabbergasted!  I though for a minute that he was going to take my wine and I'd have to go back and get another bottle.  But no, he wanted to buy my wine and give it me, which he promptly did with a charming smile.  His two little daughters were beaming and so were the cashier and the woman behind me in line.  "Here, go home and chill it," said Doug (his name, I learned upon asking).  "I promise I will pay this forward," I said, as I thanked him on my way out. 

Recession or no recession, some people are wonderful in Calgary.  Made my day.