Fantasyland exposed

 So, Alberta has finally cut university and post-secondary funding.  It's about time.  The bloated bureaucracy and administrative costs have grown with nary a thought to what these overlays on the overlays were actually producing out the graduation end.  

"This will lead to higher tuition and fees, further layoffs and decreased programming," moaned a release from the Council of Post-Secondary Presidents of Alberta.  As I said, it's about time.  Sorry, philosophy is a lovely degree, one which I would have loved to have had because I loved the subject, but it won't get you employed.  I graduated with another "useless" degree, English, but happily I got a job in journalism in spite of it.

Universities have merrily gone along offering courses that will get no one anything.  That's why technical colleges like SAIT and NAIT sprang up.  I used to tell my kids that unless they were going to take medicine, dentistry, engineering, architecture or law, to forget about going to university.  That was many years ago.  Nothing's changed.  An arts' degree is charming, but you need a trade diploma after that, such as a teaching certificate, to get a job.  Kenney has tied funding to employment and income.  The philosophy profs are not amused.  

It's all about self-interest and job protection for the universities.  I mean, come on, what does anyone need professors "emerita" for??  They are just big leaks in the payroll who no longer set foot in a classroom.  Tenure?  Forget about it.   

Now, Ontario universities are asking for $500 million more to deal with "pandemic pressures".  Come on.  They claim to have lost more than $1 billion since COVID closed cafeterias, residences and rental facilities.  What does buying a hot dog have to do with education?  Beats me!

Apparently, Ontario has dished out $25 million in post-pandemic emergency funding, as well as $50 million for virtual online learning, but apparently that's not enough hot dog money.  We all know where that money goes:  Into the bank accounts of admin and profs.  

As I said, I got a job in journalism in spite of my English degree.  As a 21-year-old grad, I pounded the pavement in Toronto, going from ad agency to ad agency with examples of re-written ads I'd found in local magazines and newspapers.  After many rejections, I actually burst out crying in one creative director's office.  He felt so sorry for me, he took me to lunch, made a call and got me a job at IBM Canada, one of his clients.  From there, I landed a job at publishing giant Maclean Hunter.  

In other words, I got a job by crying, not because of my English degree.  I'm not proud of it, but the tears launched me.  Because I am a good writer, I succeeded.  

So, no, I don't feel sorry for the universities.  They have made their esoteric beds and must lie in them, or dump a bunch of tenured profs and charming courses.       

     

Doesn't compute for me

 If the hijab and burka are not mandated in the Koran, and I have read they are not, then they must be worn for modesty, no?  And if girls only start wearing it at puberty, does it not have something to do with sexual modesty?  If not, what else?  This picture is why I can't square the modesty circle with the hijab:

This young woman is not scrub-faced, but rather heavily made up, presumably to be attractive to the opposite sex, no?  Frankly, the whole thing mystifies me?  If hair is sexual and has to be covered, why is makeup OK?

Lots of question marks in this piece, but most of them are rhetorical.   

A helpful reminder

 In case you'd forgotten, here is our deputy prime minister and minister of finance working on her priorities in the hallowed House of Commons:

I guess, in the world of a first-class babushka, clipping your toenails and airing your privates is a must -- regardless of neither location, nor state of the nation.  What a great example for young girls and women everywhere.  Bravo!

Same old, same old

 Because Ontario Regional Chief Roseanne Archibald has been demanding a financial review and accounting of the millions in resources given the Assembly of First Nations, she has been so badly harassed and threatened she has actually had to name a proxy for gatherings and votes in the assembly because she is afraid to appear in person.  

In other words, she is afraid for her life.  Feature that!  Charmaine Stick anyone?  (See "Charmaine's Perspective," August 2/20)  Once again, any time anyone asks for answers about where ALL the money goes, they are driven out of the inner circle and threatened.  

Gee, wonder why that is?  It's all so scandalous and our nature boy pm, running around wearing his father's buckskin jacket, will never do anything about how he dumps our money into the native pit with nary a hoot about what's done with it.  Remember, this is the guy who, immediately upon taking office, cancelled the financial accountability act for natives.  As I have said, when I was working for the feds, I had to account for every cheese sandwich I bought while travelling, or else my claims were sent back unapproved until I told them on which park bench I had eaten it!  The brave Chief Archibald: 

Here's another example of the "who gives a hoot" mentality about native money -- or should I say, our money given to natives:  Two of Alberta's largest first nations have written letters to coal companies saying they will, "oppose any new coal mine proposals in the Rocky Mountains".  Gee, must have forgotten that the natives own the entire range, sorry about that.

The Siksika and Kainai claim new mines would threaten one of the few places that can still support traditional blackfoot culture.  Las time I checked, natives were not relying solely on hunting, fishing and gathering to eat.  They were dining out on the billions handed them.  Any hunting, fishing or gathering was done for recreational purposes, from what I have read.  

Both chief Ouray Crowfoot and Scotty Many Guns say, "We have to make sure our treaty rights are not impacted.  This territory (the entire Rockies, I presume) has been used for thousands of years.  It remains a hunting ground, a garden of edible and ceremonial plants and a gathering site."    

In other words, in case we need a specific plant for something sometime in the future, no one can mine a lump of coal anywhere.  

It's all such bullsh-t.  You can bet that not a speck of dirt will be shoveled anywhere, until years and years of never-ending consultations have been carried out.  So, since consultations with natives will never end, coal mines will not go ahead.  

Their lawyer, Clayton Leonard, also dragged out the government-to-government plaint, i.e., that the federal government must deal with natives as representatives of an equal government.  Really?  No.  Dependent on federal money, native governments are neither "equal" nor "nations".  People need to stop falling for that one.  Yes, some bands -- especially those in B.C. -- have been very successful in partnering with industry to become prosperous.  But do they return federal money in proportion to what they have earned?  That was a rhetorical question.    

As I have always said, if you get your money for nothin' and your chicks for free, why worry about how the rest of us mine it to give you?  I mean, who gives a hoot?

Next on the native agenda, child welfare restitution.  According to the Parliamentary budget officer, Yves Giroux, it will cost $15 billion to "compensate" native families whose children were taken away, presumably for no reason (I jest.)

This has doubled because more families have been included because....because....?  I forget, but you can see the sly hand of Cindy Blackstock here.  

So, we effed.  Again.  As I have said, it won't be long before Canada is a third-world country.  Then who'll be handing the natives money.  

In case you'd forgotten, here's what a "pristine" hunting and gathering reserve looks like:

  -30-

Ready, aim, fire

 Except it was "fire, aim, ready" -- but without the "ready" and the "aim" parts.  That's how the vaccine was rolled out in Alberta.  Just "FIRE"!!!!

After it crashed at 8:01 a.m. yesterday, a minute after the booking portal had opened, I sat there for a while (see "Another eff up," Feb. 25/21) fumbling around, banging on enter and moving my mouse all over the table, until I finally reached a frozen screen and then another that said "page removed".  Gave up for the rest of the day.

Great job!

Later that evening, after hearing the health minister say everything had been fixed, I decided to try again.  This time the site had been "improved" and I was directed to a screen with a little green man walking along a looooong road.  "There are 13,685 people ahead of you.  Your wait time is one hour."  Again, I gave up, but again went back in to see how many people were still ahead of me.  Amazingly, after 20 minutes, there were now only 6,255 and my wait time was down to 30 minutes.  I stayed put.  

Fists clenched and palms sweating, I gripped the mouse and stared at the little green man, ready to pounce and click the minute my turn arrived.  God, please don't let my batteries give up!  Then it was five minutes, then my turn!  I was then directed to register.  Yay!  I'm in!  

Not so fast.

In fact I found myself in a sort of virtual holding pen playing whack-a-mole with the pop-ups and my mouse.  According to my postal code, I was given three options for the vaccine.  I jumped on the closest site and clicked.  "One spot left."  Furiously I clicked again to nab it.  Immediately, a message popped up, "That spot is no longer available, please choose another."  So I did.  Again and again and again.  For the next thirty minutes.  Gradually, I moved farther and farther away from my postal code, as "not availables" kept coming up and coming up.

I pictured thousands of seniors pounding mice (or is that "mouses?") while I did the same.  It would tell me a spot was open, only to tell me when I hit it it was no longer available.  Finally, I secured a spot in High River and slammed hysterically on the mouse.  First dose secured!  Yay!  Next message?  "There is no availability at this location for a second dose."  Hopes dashed, I finally found myself in Red Deer -- an hour-and-a-half away.  But Red Deer is where I finally secured two shots, four weeks apart. 

As I staggered an hour later from the office, exhausted and shaking clutching B's confirmation, he had the nerve to say, "Isn't Red Deer a little far?"  How he lived after that stupid remark is a miracle! 

So, Red Deer here we come.  Next go 'round it will be my turn to dance with the little green man when my cohort opens up.  As I said, what an eff up.   

    

Another eff up

 A year to be sure online vaccine booking systems were beefed up and prepared and Alberta's predictably tanked.  And tanked big time.  Those over 75 were supposed to have been able to book today starting at 8 a.m.  I called for B at 8:01 and the system had already crashed!  

Crashed!  At 8:01!!!!  And so did the 811 health line!  As one of my friends said, how can google and facebook have millions and billions of users and everything works perfectly, but Alberta's system crashes instantly when three people try to use it!?  She also told me that it was the unions who were blocking jab-ready pharmacies from getting us vaccinated.  I always wondered why the same people who seamlessly give us the annual flu shot -- who have the supply chains all set up all the time -- were being refused permission to become part of the solution?  Ah yes, the unions, the same gang that won't allow trained volunteers to administer rapid tests.  Has to be professionals, otherwise we're all gonna die!  There's another gang with a lot of blood on its hands!

What did the famously incompetent Hinchey -- or Dr. Drone-a-thon, as I call her -- say?  "You have to be patient.  We knew there'd be an onslaught, so just be patient."  Whaaaaat??!!  If you knew it would be a mess, and it is, why were you not prepared??!!  You had a year!  Why do we have to tolerate such incompetence?!  What is wrong with Kenney?!  

So, I will just have to sit at the computer and get bed sores, waiting to be able to book B.  I am not eligible 'til next month, but at least it would have been nice to have had one of us booked.

This is criminal. 

Dismal

I know it's been fashionable for the past four years to hate Trump, I mean everyone who's anyone does.  But frankly, he will go down in history as a pretty good president.  Among other achievements, Trump was the first president not to have started any wars with anyone,  he brought troops home for the pointless Afghanistan "campaign" and initiated "Operation Warp Speed", which got vaccination production ramped up and humming.  You might not like his approach, but at least he had one.  

Contrast that to Canada's dismal performance, where all governments did squat during the 10 months they forced everyone into hiding, many into poverty and desperation many to suicide.  When things opened up a little, it seems no health officials had been doing anything to get vaccines ready to roll.  Once again, the army had to be commandeered to leap into the unfathomable breach to scramble for vaccines and needles.  

Then yippee, it was all hands on deck in the provinces to.....uh.....not get them into arms.  John Lewis, Edmonton-based biotech executive told MPs at the Commons health committee, that "decisive and upfront funding made available by the US and Britain to provide hundreds of millions of dollars to companies with potential vaccine candidates early in the pandemic," meant these countries were on top of making homegrown vaccines.  

Canada's approach, pathetic in contrast, was to sprinkle around a few million to a bunch of domestic developers, but only to a maximum of $5 million each.  With that paltry amount, you can do zilch.  So, guess what?  We got zilch!  Instead, we threw around billions to teenagers who promptly quit their jobs and dined out -- or in -- on the SERB.  Lot of good that did.  

Lewis added that, "the Federal government took a careful, risk-averse -- read typically Canadian -- and committee-based decision -- read useless -- approach that led to a relatively modest amount of scattered funding for companies in Canada to develop domestic vaccines.  This put all the financial risk of vaccine development onto the small companies, with which there was no followup on progress -- read a combination of typically Canadian and useless.  This was a mistake."

Effing right it was.  Right now, lawmakers are focusing mainly on why it has not kept pace, instead of on how to get us jabbed.  Gawd!             

The bottom headline trumpets how we're going to get a record 640,000 doses this week.  Wow, that won't even cover Oshawa!  And that's the largest shipment in a single week.  And this is to be trumpeted?!  Oh wait, apparently we're to get another 445,000.  Whew!  That might just cover Oshawa?  Hang on, just read we may be saved afterall.  Moderna will be shipping a whopping 168,000 shots this week too.  That might do it!  The next shipment?  Three weeks from now.  Oh dear, better keep the doors locked and stay inside.  Anita Anaud, you have done a p-ss-poor job getting supplies, so don't sit in front of a camera smugly lying through your teeth and telling us all is well.

Back to China.  Liberal back benchers may have grown a few pairs because they all voted to declare China's desecration of the Uyghurs officially genocide.  Naturally, in an unprecedented move Trudeau forced his entire cabinet to abstain.  How elected members can sit in Parliament and abstain from voting is unconscionable.  Oh, I forgot, they're Liberals.

But it won't matter because China will not be impressed that Justin didn't call it genocide.  They'll impose sanctions anyway to deter other countries from doing the same.  Anyway, Trudeau would have a hard time calling anyone out on genocide because in 2019 he accepted the finding of the MMIWG report that Canada had actually committed genocide on natives.  Now there was a bullsh-t finding if ever there was one.  Genocide?  You mean we lined them up, shot them, dumped them into mass graves, rounded them up, tortured them, starved them and everything else that constitutes genocide??!!  Of course, it was virtue-signalling by our man-child, misguided PM.  All I can say is, watch for more money flowing to make up for the "genocide".

Will it get the two Michaels out of China?  No.  While I'm at it, why is Canada's foreign policy decided by the two Michaels anyway?  They went to China with their eyes open, became pawns in an international tussle between the US and China under Trump and found themselves trapped when he dumped the issue into our extradition obligatory treaty process.  Hey, you travels to China, you takes the consequences.  I'm sure I sound cruel and ruthless, but no country should ever tailor foreign policy around two people's folly.  But this being Canada, no one except me will ever say this out loud.  

-30-

       

 

Hate is handed down

 "You've got to be taught to hate and fear, it's got to be drummed in your dear little ear.  To hate all the people your parents fear, you've got to be carefully taught."

My late Aunt Betty used to love playing musical soundtracks on her huge stereo in the living room, while she danced around cooking and doing housework and singing every tune.  These ancient stereos were housed in beautiful cabinets, which opened up to reveal a turntable and a place to stack LPs.  She'd play 'My Fair Lady' and a host of others, but the quote above is from a song in 'South Pacific" and it's sung by a local Polynesian character.  After hearing it many times as a child, I still remember it well.

 Looking at the hate in the world, as well as here in Canada, it still resonates.  Children are taught to hate.  Look at the Irish, Catholic versus Protestant; look at the Arabs versus the Jews; look at the Chinese versus the Uighurs; look at the Muslims, versus everyone else.  Wars and conflict in all these cases are cultural and faith based.  But all we need do is look here at the natives versus the rest of Canada.  This standoff continues because natives still regard Canadians and government as the "they" in any dealings.  But no one is ever inclined to shine a light on where these hatreds come from:  Parents -- especially mothers.  That's who's teaching their children to hate and fear; they aren't born with these attitudes.  Children learn and absorb these over centuries.  

Jesus' message of love and forgiveness has yet to penetrate.  How, for example, can an Irish mother take her child to mass or church, pray fervently and then go home, watch that kid grow up to be a terrorist and yet say nothing except it's the other religion that is the problem.    

It's the same with native leaders.  Whenever they sit down with federal, municipal or provincial officials, it is always amid an atmosphere of animosity and distrust on the part of the natives.  I am sure there are those who think this unfair, that animosity lives in both camps, but this is how I observe and analyze the coverage of these events.  Why is it that the natives still feel short-changed, in spite of the billions given to them over many years?  Why is every federal/native meeting only about money?  

These attitudes are taught and handed down over generations.  In fact, I read a quite from one father who actually said, "Don't worry, I am teaching my daughters all about what they need to know and do."  This is the problem. 

______________________

In wrapping up this blog, I wonder if anyone will know what this means?

  

If you do, you have worked as a journalist and are as ancient as I.  This is what we typed at the end of every column or article we wrote.  It meant the end of the piece but I have no idea its origin, or meaning?  Saw it the other day and it brought back many, happy Mad Men memories of my days at Maclean Hunter.  What fun we had back in the day.

Just a tad behind

While the US is vaccinating one million people a day, Canada is vaccinating the equivalent of about two.  To see the likes of Anita Anaud, et al, bragging and trumpeting the 400,000 doses here and the 125,000 there, you'd think we were in top shape!  

We're not and everyone knows it.  I often contact a doctor/geneticist acquaintance in Ontario and ask him questions about COVID.  The other day he sent me this response:

"Wild conspiracy theories aside, the amount of money to be made from vaccines is enormous.  Any low-cost, low-tech treatments aimed at prevention of infection (I was referring to the quick and cheap nasal spray that has not been -- and will not be -- approved) will be drowned at birth.  

"Look at Gates.  He has a ton of money invested in vaccines and now he is crowing that people might need a third dose plus a yearly round of vaccines like the flu shots.  People need to close their ears to anything that man says.  Ditto the WHO and their "fearless" leader.

"And you're right.  This simply is not a deadly virus except in a very specific class of people.

"In other news, I am mortified as I watch what's going on in the US.  They will be lucky if their kids EVER get to go back to school.

"I never would have believed that people would stand by and simply let their children's lives be destroyed."

__________________________

So, that's one doctor's position and I respect it.  We, my friends, are living in a police state -- make no mistake.  

Another glaring fact concerns the number of incompetents running Canada's "health" care system with blood on their hands who have not been fired.  Obviously, Tam leads the pack, but "procurement" minister Anita Anaud might be on an incompetence par:

• Theresa Tam, Canada's chief "medical" officer of "health" on the take from the WHO who did nothing while we were all preparing to die.  Not fired.

• Patty Hadju, Federal health minister.                                         Not fired.

• John Haggie, Newfoundland's minister of health.                     Not fired.

• James Aylward, Prince Edward Island's minister of health.      Not fired.

• Randy Delorey, Nova Scotia's minister of health.                     Not fired.

• Dorothy Shephard, New Brunswick's minister of health.         Not fired.

• Christian Dube, Quebec's minister of health.                            Not fired.

• Christine Elliot, Ontario's minister of health.                           Not fired.

• Heather Stefanson, Manitoba's minister of health.                   Not fired.

• Paul Merriman, Saskatchewan's minister of health.                 Not fired.

• Tyler Shandro, Alberta's minister of health.                             Not fired.

• Adrian Dix, B.C.'s minister of health.                                      Not fired.

Frankly, this is staggering to me.  If you add in all the provincial chief medical officers of health, you've got an awful lot of people who are still getting bags of our money, yet who are incompetent.  To think that in spite of all these highly-paid "experts", we sill have to call in the army to deal with the mess they have created is beyond comprehension.  In fact, today's 'Globe and Mail' has an article on page one outlining how a survey it conducted revealed just how disjointed and disorganized provincial vaccine recording information and delivery systems really are.

Some provinces reported they had not even enabled core pieces of the national Panorama data technology rolled out to gather information on who had been vaccinated, how to book appointments, who had had adverse reactions, etc.  Many are still using excel spreadsheets and paper and pen!  I mean, do you know how, when or where you will be vaccinated?  Exactly.  I certainly have no clue and neither does my doctor!      

One aspect that hits me is the influence of China on all this.  As I have blogged, Canada incomprehensibly partnered exclusively with China to develop, and rely on, vaccine development.  Tam at work again and Trudeau brilliantly ignoring the reality of the two Michaels fate while Meng Wanzhou was under arrest right here in Canada.  China is now actively trying to annex countries such as Taiwan, Korea and even India in its attempt to take over the world. 

They could easily come over the top of this country and invade and we'd be unable to do anything about it because our military equipment has been depleted and is down to a few cap guns and row boats.  But they are also killing off thousands and thousands of people, mainly our youth, by smuggling in drugs laced with fentanyl and other deadly opioids.  These are people who will never live to reproduce.  These are people who will effectively eliminate many, many others yet-to-be born.

Here's a typical example of needless drug deaths, these in a small town in Alberta not far from here.  On Saturday night, three people in their early twenties died instantly when they took such drugs.  It's all so sad.

People need to think about this.  It's terrifying because we're living in a police state and being frog-marched into compliance and isolation, with a crippled and ruined economy, thanks to their breathtaking incompetence.  

As I have said, my poor grandchildren.  

Scandalous

 Refugees landing, or strolling in with designer luggage, here -- both legal and illegal -- get $1,890 per month per person, plus $580 for something-or-other.  That's $28,920 per year!!!!

What do seniors, who have worked and contributed for 40 or 50 years to this country, get?  $1,012 a month, or $12,144 per year.  That means refugees get.....wait for it....$16,776 more per year than seniors.  

That's a crime, in my world.  And this in the face of that criminal man-child Trudeau, who had the absolute gall to tell soldiers veterans were asking for too much! 

He has to go, but all the "wokes" will still vote for him!  People are so ignorant and have no idea.  He is spending Canada into third-world country status.  My poor grandchildren.       

Another letter

 This was in 'The Calgary Herald' today.  I betcha I have had about 100 published since we moved here, as well as a bunch in 'The Globe and Mail'.  The stack follows of this published since 2012:

More insanity from Biden

That'll cost billions!  Biden is backing a bill......get this.........to study whether descendants of slaves should receive reparations.  How far will those descendants go back?  Four hundred and two years and millions and millions of people.

That's insane!  This little tidbit was hidden at the bottom of an inside page of 'The National Post' this morning, but I happened to spot it.  Doing a triple take, I realized that probably half of all Americans are descended from slaves on both, or one, sides of their families.  What's next?  Why not go right back to 1492, when Columbus discovered the place.  Bet there were lots of slaves manning those ships.

He's getting more like Trudeau with every passing day, apologizing and throwing money at every group who feels offended every five minutes.  If you don't believe me, here it is...........

___________________

More stupidity from the Liberals.  They are introducing a bill to eliminate minimum sentences for some crimes in an effort to strike a better balance of race and culture in prisons.  Now, natives and Blacks are incarcerated in far greater numbers than they represent in the general population, so they figure that by eliminating minimum sentences for the offenses committed by natives and Blacks, their numbers will go down.    

In other words, natives and others will get a pass on crimes and not face jail time just to get their numbers down.  How the eff does that make any sense?!  In my world, if you do the crime, you do the time -- regardless of race or culture.  Of course, this being the Liberals, it all makes perfect sense.  

___________________

Another word about Julie Payette.  Apparently, while the government was paying "consultants" $400,000 to study the workplace at Rideau Hall, she was using tax dollars to pay two law firms to fight the investigation.  And how much did we fork out for this?  $250,000!  First of all, the $400,000 wasn't necessary.  All they need to have done was make a couple of phone calls (see 'A couple of phone calls would have done it', Jan. 26/20)  So, that's $650,000 right there wasted.  And mark my words, she's not done yet.  Next she'll be suing for "wrongful" dismissal.

If I were younger, I would run for office.  

 

You remember I met the Queen?

 Well, the Monarchist League forwarded my name to the BBC, when they canvassed for people to interview for an upcoming radio program called, "The Day I Met the Queen."  Today I had my interview about the day in 2006 when I met and chatted with her.  The interviewer said I had done very well and had made him laugh, just as I did Elizabeth II when we met.  

This interview will be broadcast to millions of people all over the world, so that's a bonus to the thrill I had when Elizabeth stopped to chat with me.  (See 'The Queen' March 20, 2012)  I have now experienced my 15 minutes of Andy Warhol fame. 

I gave all the details that follow here:

The Queen, the hat and me

“It appears you and Mr. Marley-Clarke will be representing Canada when Her Majesty visits on Friday,” said the chair of the London Commonwealth Society.  “Do you have a proper frock?” he added.  I was speechless – not only because I was to meet Her Majesty, but also because he wasn’t sure I had an appropriate “frock” for the occasion.  “Yes, I have a frock and am thrilled I will be so honoured,” I replied with delight.

My husband and I were in London a few years ago for an international Royal Commonwealth meeting and the opening of the newly-renovated Commonwealth Club.  As my husband was still vice-chair, I hadn’t anticipated our being the Canadian representatives, but luckily for us, the chair had to leave before the official opening, so we were next.   “Oh dear,” I exclaimed to Brian, “I have the frock, but not a hat!”  The frock was a designer-original silk suit, created for a family wedding, but a proper hat I still had to find.  Off we went to Debenhams.

Wandering through the extraordinary hat department were excited women chatting and trying on beautiful varieties.  I needed an exact colour and asked for help.  “What’s the occasion?” the sales girl asked.  “Well, I am being presented to The Queen tomorrow.”  “The Queen!” she practically shrieked.  At that, every head turned, rushed over and pitched in to choose my hat.  “Oh my dear,” said one matron.  “This is really something, you have to look your very best,” she added unnecessarily.  Finally the perfect hat, which matched my burgundy shoes and trim, was purchased.  Huge, it required a hat box to accommodate it.  Hadn’t seen one since those wonderful thirties Hollywood movies. 

The day dawned.  Extremely nervous, I was up early putting on makeup and affixing the famous hat.  Although Her Majesty was not expected until 11, for security reasons, guests were instructed to arrive by 9:30 at which time all doors were closed.  So, there we were, awaiting the momentous arrival of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Walking in and looking around, I realized with horror I was the only woman wearing a hat.  In London!  We all know that once committed, a woman can’t change head-gear course without exposing the dreaded “hat head”.  So, I asked someone I knew would know about hat protocol.  “If The Queen is wearing one, others may,” he told me.  “It’s a bit like a crown.”  Having never seen The Queen without a hat, I figured I was de rigeur. 

The excitement rose as the hour approached and those of us who were to be presented were put in the official line and given detailed instructions about how to address our Monarch.  “Your Majesty initially and Ma’am thereafter, if she stops to chat,” said the lovely man.  “And of course, one curtsies,” he added, asking me to demonstrate.  I passed. 

“I first met The Queen in 1964 in Malaysia,” said the officious gent beside me.  “Oh, I’m sure she will remember!” I replied factiously.  “I am sure she will,” he seriously replied.  Some people, I thought.  After what seemed hours, the buzz built.  “She’s here!”  We had been asked to write a little about ourselves so she could be briefed as she walked the receiving line.  Thinking about their loyalty to the Crown, I had written that my great-grandmother had been a Mohawk from Tyendinaga.  Would she care?  As she mounted the stairs, I gasped.  She was magnificent in an apple-green ensemble and, to my relief, a matching hat.  I was safe. 

She approached everyone with her beautiful smile, but when she reached me stopped.  I almost froze.  What was she looking at?  My hat?  Bizarrely, I noticed her lipstick was almost the same shade as mine:  Estee Lauder’s Starlit Pink no. 18.  I also noticed she was shorter than I.  Looking into her clear blue eyes, I fancied I could see back hundreds of years to the Houses of Stuart, Tudor and Wessex.  “You’re here for the meetings, are you?” she said.  “Yes Ma’am, I am.”  “Always interesting to exchange ideas,” she added.  “I’ve certainly learned a lot,” I replied, as she began to move along.  What possessed me I have to clue, but I threw in, “And I thought I knew everything!”  At that point she turned, looked at me and let out an audible, genuine guffaw.  “It happens,” she said.  “Believe me, It happens!”  Unfortunately, the gentleman who had been convinced she would remember him didn’t get much of an introduction because Elizabeth II was too busy laughing. 

I visualized my monarchist grandmother, mother and aunts dancing around me, as thrilled as I to have met their beloved Queen.  After she took her leave, a lavish reception followed.  Approaching me as I awaited a calming flute of champagne, an elderly gentleman said, “My dear, The Queen’s hat was lovely, but yours is a cracker!”

Leaving London from Heathrow a few days later, I stood in line with the formidable millinery box.  “Sorry, you will have to stow that, you can’t take it on board.  It’s too big,” said the Air Canada agent tapping at her computer, barely looking up.  I told her I didn’t know what to do with it and added, “This hat met The Queen, so I can’t wreck it.”  This caused an excited commotion behind the counter and I was asked to take it out and try it on.  So, there I stood, modelling my “Queen hat” for the excited agents and the visibly-annoyed long, impatient lineup behind me.

Eventually, they took the hat box and stowed it safely with the captain’s gear.  To this day it’s known as “The Queen Hat” and worn proudly whenever the occasion permits.                   

Liberal votes and bad writing

 This is how the Liberals get more votes.  They will all vote Liberal and we will be paying for their upkeep.  So disgusting and cynical:

______________________________

Bad writing:

"It is wrong on that basis for an unelected body such as the Senate to prevent the people's elected representatives from enacting such laws as they see fit as it would be for it to enact laws without them, and it is no more to be excused on account of its comparative rareness than is a wrongful conviction, on the grounds that most of the time the courts get it right."

Andrew Coyne at his finest -- the most turgid and verbose King of the run-on sentence I have ever read.  And he's a featured columnist in 'The Globe and Mail'!  Who even understands what that sentence says?!  Not I, that's for sure.  

Misguided

 In a misguided attempt at ultra political correctness, the CBC has hired a female, Muslim announcer.  

This is wrong because it contradicts the basic principle of the Separation of Church and State, which dictates that in a secular organization, such as the publicly-funded CBC, the public must not know the religion of one of its representatives.  (Google it.)  In this woman's case, we know she is a Muslim and we must not.  But true to form, the CBC thinks it is way ahead of the game by hiring her.  It's not.  This same principle applies to Jagmeet Singh; we must not know his religion.  It's also why the crucifix was removed from the Quebec Legislative Assembly and why schools no longer sing "God Save the Queen".  

As I said, this is wrong.  We must not have even an inkling that her opinions have anything to do with her religion, but with her hijab, we are tempted to think they may.  As I have said, I used to babysit the current president of the CBC, Catherine Tait.  She was raised by a "feminist" mother and a weak father and Ms. Tait ignorantly favours the mother.  

For young women and girls to see the country's broadcaster featuring a woman who must be covered is not a good thing.  In fact, it sends a negative message about women, gender and inferiority.  Why is she covered?  Modesty?  I think not, given all the makeup and false eyelashes (just did a blog on this).  But I have come to the conclusion that I seem to be the only one who has figured this out and raises the issue.  Most people probably think, "Oh, how great!  The CBC has a Muslim journalist!  What an enlightened place!"  

No matter how talented she is, this woman should not be on a secular and publicly-funded CBC, broadcasting her religion instead of the news.

Why are we not using this????

 Why in G-d's name are we not making use of this preventative measure?!  Not only are the provinces not using rapid tests because they aren't 100% reliable -- so what? -- the feds aren't making this inhaler available.  There is a lot of blood on the hands of the incompetent Trudeau, Tam and Hadju.  While we're all locked away and dying, biotech companies are making things like this, as well as developing vaccines right here in Calgary, for instance, which the feds are not approving!

If any doctors read this, please comment.  I'd love to know what you professionals think.

Never!

 I would NEVER EVER get on this!  

I knew him when

 The Habs no. 6 has died.  Ralph Backstrom was a prince.  I met him in 1966, when I was dating his teammate Bryan Watson.  That was one hell of a wild summer!  Bryan was auditing a summer course at Carleton, obviously to pick up chicks.  I was taking a summer course, 'cause I had failed Earth Sciences that year, and after class we'd all go over to Hull to bar-hop.

I was at The Rendezvous, when this ugly guy with a huge smile started staring at me.  He asked his buddy, a mutual friend, to introduce us and that was the start of a heady summer romance with Mr. Ugly (google him and you'll see).  Bryan's face was completely scarred and most of his teeth were false, but he was a charmer.  My late mother would attest to that.  I was working at Tunney's Pasture in the RevCan data centre and had to bus all the way from Lindenlea to my job for eight a.m.  (And I had to be there at eight because one of my jobs was to sound the buzzer for work to start.  Yes, we started at the ring of a buzzer!)  After staying out with Bryan until all the bars in Hull and Alymer closed, he'd drive me home and I'd sneak up the stairs and flop into bed.  Ah, the innocence of it all.  

The next day, after a grueling grind at the data centre, I'd bus home, go straight upstairs, crash into bed and tell my mother I was definitely not going out with Bryan that night.  But right on cue, she'd come up a couple of hours later.  "Nancy dear, Bryan is downstairs and he wants you to come out this evening.  He's such a nice young man, just get up and go with him."  He always charmed my mother and I'd always go.

Anyway, back to Ralph Backstrom.  One night, Bryan said we were going to a friend's place in Alymer.  It was Ralph Backstrom's.  He was one of the most handsome, charming gentleman I'd ever met.  We had a great evening, one which I will always remember.  

What happened to Mr. Watson?  Well, our romance drifted and cooled, as he moved around from team to team and city to city.  But he called me one day when I was living and working in Toronto (yes, my mother had given him my number).  I was thrilled!  When he came over, I thought we'd resume out romance, but I was wrong.  Ever the gentleman, he had come to tell me he was going back to his first love, Lindy from Bancroft, his home town.  I was a tad heartbroken, but I have to hand it to him.  He broke up with me in person.  As I said, always the gentleman.

However, my days of dating NHL hockey players were not over.  The next summer, I started dating Brian Smith -- the broadcaster who was tragically murdered a number of years later by a lunatic in the parking lot of CJOH, where he worked as a sports broadcaster.  The summer of our romance was also magical, with nightly visits to the grimy Chaud and Rendezvous.  We also spent time at his family's cottage.  He was so handsome and also charming -- another one of my mother's favourites.

When I learned he had been killed, I was shocked and saddened.  It was so senseless.  

Ah, trips down memory lane...............

 

Why is that?

 On the 20-minute drive to Cochrane, there is a sign directing you to a Muslim cemetery.  Why do Muslims have to have a separate cemetery?  Now, they want to build another east of Calgary, even though the Cochrane one has plenty of room.

I guess the same could be asked of Catholics.  Why do they have to have a separate cemetery?  Many Catholics are buried in secular cemeteries, like Beechwood, for example.  But for some reason, Muslim remains have to be kept separate from others.  

When I was teaching at Algonquin, they had designated washrooms for Muslim girls only.  That really pissed me off.  These young women were welcome to use the regular washrooms, but we were barred from using the Muslim one.  What galled me was that the Muslim students wore lots of makeup, tight jeans, high heels and nail polish, but the hijab was worn because of "modesty".  Really?!  How do you square that circle?

I also remember Pinecrest Pool had separate swims for Muslim women only.  No men or the rest of us were permitted when the Muslims females swam.  Last time I checked, city facilities were secular, no?  Guess not.  How do Muslim women and girls get their own pool time? 

It's all complete bullsh-t.   

Here's the deal

 

Keystone XL’s demise and why!

Cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline has absolutely nothing to do with saving the planet.
So why did Biden block XL? One of the Democratic Party's biggest contributors is Warren Buffet who owns the Berkshire Hathaway Group.

PROCOR the rail car company that produces the rail cars necessary to carry crude was owned by a Canadian Oakville Company until 2002. It was purchased by a company called Union Tank Car out of Louisiana, guess who owns Union Tank Car? Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

What rail line has and will continue to carry these fully loaded rail cars of Oil Sands Crude? BNSF is Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC. out of Fort Worth Texas. Care to guess who owns BNSF? Starts with Warren and ends with Buffet?

Oilsands Crude will always be sent to a small group of Refineries because of its high Sulphur content. Care to guess who owns the Refineries? Do you need a hint?
Timing? Biden suddenly decided he would block XL in August 2020 (formal announcement) Which strangely coincided with Warren Buffets purchase (deal closed August 20 2020) of many of the Oil and Gas lines that run from “Buffet Refineries” to the Gulf Coast.

So Alberta lost the XL for one reason and one reason only. It was to placate the Democrats Largest Contributor and rail car delivery of Crude does not save the planet!
Meanwhile Biden gets to look like a Planet Saver while sticking it to Canada and Alberta. Trudeau loves the idea because it once again “sticks it to Alberta and Kenney” and fits his agenda to a Tee!

Ottawa will do nothing to assist Albertans and Kenny and his expensive war room have a full resume of failing to do their homework before gambling and throwing away taxpayers' hard earned money.

Killing XL was a Biden/Buffet Business Deal, nothing else! They successfully duped both Kenny and Trudeau.
They still get the oil, but with higher profits and the pipeline and Alberta jobs get the shaft!

The latest headlines are “Biden pledges to work with Canada on ‘Buy American’ during call with Trudeau. The headlines should read. Alberta and Canada just got “worked” and Mr Dressup smiled all the way through it.

Not working

 So, Thunder Bay has established an Indigenous People's Court (IPC) to take the place of regular courtrooms when natives have been charged with an offense.  Who's running it?  Elders, caseworkers, Gladue report writers and counsellors.  

The feature in 'The Globe and Mail' today was a big spread on how this is working.  From my read, not too well.  In one case, a 37-year-old repeat offender was up on charges of stealing a car and a bottle of vodka.  What happened?  An elder suggested he try harder.  "The point is to get you as much help as possible to keep you on the straight and narrow," the man said.  As he hurried out the door, the man said he would try harder.  Then he was gone -- no punishment, no sentence, nothing.  

This guy is part of a big problem.  Although only five percent of the population, native men make up more than 30% of inmates.  For females, it's worse.  They comprise 42 %.  

During his next appearances, the man in question had nothing but excuses -- he was between lawyers, between jobs and so missed the many appointments and second and third chances which were supposed to be part of his rehabilitation.  Although his "healing plan" included a raft of people trying to help him with finishing grade 12 and taking addictions counselling, he didn't show up for any appointments.  

What happened after months and months of this?  He ended up in front of a regular court, where Justice Danalyn MacKinnon said, "We want to show you there's a serious punishment if you do that sort of thing.  You're going to jail today."

Experiment over, case closed.  They didn't mention how much the IPC is costing Canadian taxpayers and frankly, I don't want to know.

Here's the courtroom, everyone sits in a circle -- including the accused.  Didn't work.