Photos from Friday Night's Stand

Here is a link to my photos from Friday night's stand at Norman Bethune Square in Montreal.

Stand in solidarity of Montreal victims of Assad's Shabeeha's

This Friday at square Norman Bethune, there will be a stand in solidarity of Montreal victims of Assad's Shabeeha's. The event is from 6 to 8 pm.

Here is the link for the event.  Here's a link to a french article about what happened on March 17th.

Canada is in a National Emergency!

REPOST FROM OCCUPY CANADA

****SHARE THIS CANADA***
ALL REFERENCES /SOURCES ATTACHED BELOW:

Canada is in a National emergency, that's the truth. The Harper government has declared the Canadian people to be enemies of the state and most people don't even know it.

Enemies of the State:
It seems hard to imagine today that a Canadian government would approve a plan to round up thousands of law-abiding Canadians and lock them away simply because they were perceived to be a threat to Canadian democracy.
CBC Fifth estate: http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2010-2011/enemiesofthestate/

The government of Canada has been hijacked conservatives re-brand the Canadian government in Stephen Harper’s name
source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-re-brand-government-in-stephen-harpers-name/article1929175/

Harper Government broke the law when dismantling Wheat Board: Federal Court, This will allow corporate GMO companies to take over Canada: http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/07/government-broke-the-law-when-dismantling-wheat-board-federal-court/

Harper Government labels environmentalists "terrorist threat" in new report
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/sustainability/2012/02/10/are-canadian-environmentalists-terrorist-threat

Under Harper's government: CSIS and RCMP equate Greenpeace and PETA with terrorists
source: http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffee-talk/csis_and_rcmp_equate_greenpeace_and_peta_with_terrorists/c166a26d

Under Harper's government Natives decry military's comparison of protests to terrorism
source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/natives-decry-militarys-comparison-of-protests-to-terrorism/article2200798/

Harper government’s muzzle on federal scientists
source: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1139734--prestigious-science-journal-slams-harper-government-s-muzzle-on-federal-scientists

Harper's public safety minister Vic Toews said 'Your With us or with the child pornographers' if you were opposed to bill C-30 which is spying on ALL Canadians including your internet access and cellphone records all without warrants. source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/john-ibbitson/with-us-or-with-the-child-pornographers-doesnt-cut-it-mr-toews/article2337425/

Harper's Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced a new anti-terrorism strategy that identifies as threats eco-extremists, animal-rights radicals and anti-capitalists. source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/security-services-deem-environmental-animal-rights-groups-extremist-threats/article2340162/

Macleans Magazine: Harper's promise: a warrantless online surveillance state source: http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/04/13/harpers-promise-a-warrantless-online-surveillance-state/

CBC News: Online surveillance bill opens door for Big Brother Section 34 gives Orwellian powers to government-appointed 'inspectors'
source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/02/16/pol-vp-terry-milewski-bill-c30.html

Toronto Sun: Say hello to Big Brother Harper Government
source: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/02/14/say-hello-to-big-brother-government

Stephen Harper breaks election rules, campaigns on radio on election day
source: http://www.examiner.com/canada-headlines-in-canada/stephen-harper-breaks-election-rules-campaigns-on-radio-on-election-day

Conservative Party fined for breaking election laws
source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/11/10/pol-conservative-election-in-and-out.html

Conservative Party may have broken election law
http://www.brockpress.com/news/external-news/conservative-party-may-have-broken-election-law-1.2828426#.T3QbGdXO-So

Stephen Harper's closest advisor Bruce Carson was convicted on five counts of fraud -- three more than previously known -- and received court-ordered psychiatric treatment before becoming one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's closest advisers. And his lawyer told The Canadian Press that Carson disclosed his entire criminal record during a security check that was required to become a senior staffer in the Prime Minister's Office.
source: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110403/carson-pm-fraud-110403/#ixzz1qUZMcgq3

Can't forget Harper's $1Billion dollar security summit which hijacked Toronto..

Shared by Derek Soberal@OccupyCanada

Hoarding, therapy and amusement.

I've been seeing my therapist for over a year, possibly close to 2 years, and he specializes in children with learning disabilities though he will treat adults that fit in that sub category as well, just he has more children patients.  I've been finding it amusing at times and not so amusing at other times, how often my appointments get moved around or shifted. 

We agree on an appointment and 2 or 3 weeks later his assistant will email me to ask if my appointment can be changed. Sometimes like the session in February, it was cancelled due to some unforeseen circumstances on his behalf. This turned out to be a godsend since I was in bed sick as a dog! 

I went to see him last night for the first time in 3 months,  and he calls me in, but the people in the waiting room ask if he wasn't supposed to see them.  I know my appointment was confirmed the night before and he called me in so I know I'm the person booked, but apparently he was double booked. He told me somewhat embarrassed that it wasn't the first time.  I joked with him, it's not so bad to double book so long as you don't do it to the same patient more then once :P

Therapy has been very helpful this time around. I finally have the best understanding of myself. Knowing I have ADHD is so helpful. It permits me to be less harsh with myself and more forgiving. It's normal for a person with ADHD to make a lot of mistakes and to be distracted. If I don't beat myself up over it, then I'm a lot less angry. The important part is to catch the mistakes, not to be hard on myself.  Next session I find out if it appears that I have co-morbidities with it. I mean other then OCD which I'm been aware I have since I was fairly young.  So long as I watch my diet and take care of myself the OCD stays well under control. 

Also my last fear, the fear of becoming a hoarder, might pass because I'm slowly getting rid of things instead of hoarding.  I'm hoping my friends with the new apartment take some of the extra furniture I have.  The less stuff there is in my house the more cathartic it will be for me.

Dusk near Riviere-des-Prairies as well

Tree on Lalande in Pierrefonds.

Dusk near Riviere-des-Prairies

Dusk on Riviere-des-Prairies from Chemin de la Rive Boisee

Interesting photo taken at Student protests in Montreal

I'm just re-posting, this is not one of my photos.

Another possible departure

It's not enough that both daughters are going to be gone from Montreal for a year starting this Spring for one and summer for the other, now one of my best friends is possibly moving to New Brunswick to follow her hubby that just got posted to Gagetown. She has a week to decide if she is going or not. 

If I was looking for signs about what to do with my life, this is a clear sign that staying in Montreal is not necessarily in my cards!

CBC Interview with victims of Assad's thugs in Montreal March 17, 2012

First day of Spring feels like first day of Summer this year.

Standing in the back parking lot at work, wearing sundress and open-toed sandals on March 21st, 2012 in Montreal, Quebec.

More information on the knifing in Montreal on March 17th, 2012

Sabeehat Al Moujrem attacked 5 young mans waiting for the bus close to their demonstration ONLY because one of them had an independence flag scarf! One of the 5 was hit with a knife by shabeehas and had 17 stitches as you can see in the video, the young man is Tunisian suportive of the Syrian cause.

The incident happened on the 17th, when both opposition and menhebakjiyeh where demonstrating. Menhebakjiyeh's demonstration attracted around 140 person while Freedom for Syria's demonstration attracted more than 1000. A friend from the Tunisian group that helped Montreal  Syrian Coordination in the mobilization for this huge demonstration told us that a Tunisian Lawyer volunteered to take the case criminal court.

Victims of Assad's thugs in Montreal - on March 17th, 2012

Evil bill passes very quietly.

Repost from Occupy Canada. 

In the midst of the con's Reform Party RoboCall Scandal, another very sad day for Canada happened without enough noise, the evil CON crime bill got passed although no sane person wanted it. They are actually forcing crime rates to rise to fill those jails. they are also punishing pot growers longer than child rapists.

Its time to remove crime minister Stephen harper and the cons for election fraud, all bills passed under their illegitimate majority harper government shall now be considered null and void. They hijacked the government of Canada that's the truth, We have to save Canada for the future of our children and society as a whole who's with Occupy Canada?
Join us 37,000 and growing! http://www.facebook.com/OccupyCanada

JOIN US! Saturday, March 31 at 2:30pm at Old City Hall
Toronto Rally For a New Election NOW! Phase 2 against Election Fraud
Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/340913062611341/

Other cities being are being added here:
http://www.facebook.com/events/388129707864596/

____________________________________
Sources/References: All fact checked

Feb 14, 2012 Legalize pot, say former B.C. attorneys general
B.C. 'lost its war with the marijuana industry,' says letter.
source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/02/14/bc-pot-legalize.html

Harper Punishing pot growers more severely than pedophiles.
source: http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffee-talk/punishing_pot_growers_more_severely_than_pedophiles/4a0891e1

"I was offered a joint once and I was too drunk" - Stephen Harper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PebGfrX7JpE

Americans shocked Harper crime bill gives more time to pot growers than pedophiles
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/americans-odds-harper-crime-bill-gives-more-jail-160536154.html

Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin set out the grim
reality. "We have wonderful justice for corporations and for the wealthy," she told a Toronto conference. "But the middle class and the poor may not be able to access our justice system." source: http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2011/02/16/legal-system-doesnt-work-for-the-majority-supreme-court-judge/

Watch Video#1 Harper's Creepy Crime Bill Street Quiz
http://youtu.be/uLY5j_7gSvs

Watch Video#2 on the crime bill Bill C-10 that was passed last week.
http://www.youtu.be/1qGHF5IzfaE

The omnibus crime bill is a crime
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1144453--fiorito-the-omnibus-crime-bill-is-a-crime

Crime rate falls to lowest level since 1973
Canada's crime rate is the lowest in nearly 40 years, according to Statistics Canada, as the volume of crime dropped five per cent in 2010 from the year before. source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/07/21/crime-rates.html

Canada's homicide rate declines to 44-year low
Public safety minister pleased, but says Tories won't change crime approach
source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/10/26/homicides-statscan.html

**Omnibus Crime Bill: Mental Illness Not A Consideration.**
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson ignored questions Thursday about how a massive new crime bill will deal with Canadians living with mental illness, including young offenders who find themselves being sentenced as adults. source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/01/canada-omnibus-crime-bill-mental-illness_n_1124184.html

Controversial crime bill to cost Canadians $19 billion: study
http://www.vancouversun.com/Controversial+crime+bill+cost+Canadians+billion+study/5832700/story.html

Conservatives To Spend $9 Billion For New Jails plus the $19 Billion for the new crime bill implementation/funding
source: http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/national/article/88681--conservatives-to-spend-9-billion-for-new-jails-implement-criminal-code-changes-targeting-gangs

The cost of the federal prison system has risen 86% since the Harper government took over in 2006, government reports show. Prison costs soar 86% in past five years: report- By 2013-14, the cost of the federal penitentiary system will have almost doubled to $3.147-billion, according to budget projections.
Source: http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/07/18/prison-costs-soar-86-in-past-five-years/

Keeping a male inmate in jail per year cost tax payers $109,699 according to a 2009 corrections Canada report: in 2011 it rose to $113,974 a year.

Recent government reports on the cost of Canada's jails show costs rising on all fronts. For instance, the cost of keeping a male inmate in prison rose from $88,067 per year in 2006 to $109,699 in 2009, according to the most recent data from Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.The cost of staffing Canada's federal prisons has also increased significantly, with 5,745 more staff hired at Corrections Canada since the Conservatives took power. Staffing numbers have risen from 14,663 in 2005-06 to 20,408 full-time equivalents in 2011-12, according to Reports on Plans and Priorities.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/07/18/prison-costs-soar-86-in-past-five-years/

$312 per prisoner, per day in Canada.
source: http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/02/28/canadas-criminal-sitting-pretty-as-price-tag-for-prisoners-soars

**Texas conservatives** reject Harper's crime plan
'Been there; done that; didn't work,' say Texas crime-fighters
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/10/17/pol-vp-milewski-texas-crime.html

Crime bill unfairly targets women, aboriginals, critics say
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crime-bill-unfairly-targets-women-aboriginals-critics-say-132223703.html

The Ontario government says the omnibus federal crime bill will cost the province's taxpayers more than $1 billion in increased police and correctional service costs.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/01/23/ontario-federal-crime-bill.html

Rally to mark 1 year of Syrian revolution

Photo taken from Basha's restaurant on 2nd floor  - I'm told 1500 people marched.

For more photo's of the event go here.

I have no recollection taking this photo but I love it - Syrian Rally March 17, 2012

Syrian Rally Today in Montreal - Manif pour la Syria a Montreal aujourd'hui!

Shocking news - there was police brutality at the March against police brutality!

Like most years there was police brutality at the March against police brutality. The thing that bugs me is that I wonder how much it's a small group of people who like to break things and attack people or even if it's police infiltrators that cause the rock throwing to give police excuse to come in with the riot squad. One of the police cars that was attacked by protesters was left unattended by itself as if to incite people to do things. 

I overheard from a third party that this person had found  during a march  a couple of years ago an unattended police car with keys left in ignition. He was able to pop the trunk and run off with something that was in the trunk of the police car. I mean it's not cool if the police incite the violence as a means to prove to the city that there is violence and we need more police.

I find it interesting that the march against police brutality had lots of police brutality. I can tell you that Saturday's Rally in support of the Syrian people will NOT have any. The organizers gave the police the trajectory and the police will just act as escorts during the length of the rally. 

To read more about the march against police brutality go here:

Overheard today...

"March against police brutality might as well be organized by the police because it will end up with police brutality. "

I hear that the SQ and the RCMP will be on hand to assist the SPVM.

If you want to participate in Montreal in a march against police brutality, the info for event is here:

I stand in support of those marching but I never stand in support of gratuitous violence.

Excited utterance!

My eldest daughter called me last night because she was really excited that she got her 1 year contract on The Moncton, the ship she wanted to sail on.  Originally the contract offered started in late March, but she managed to get it moved to late April to be able to finish off her last course at Concordia University.  She's going to be moving to Halifax in April for a year.

The ship she will be on will most likely sail the Great Lakes so will be docking in Montreal twice over the summer, so I'll get to visit the ship.

Here's hoping my youngest daughter gets her wish to go teach in England next year. Though I will feel very alone with both daughters in different locations....

Rally against RoboGate on Sunday

I was disappointed with the turnout for the rally against the Robogate and election fraud. There was way too few people. Not sure how come a whole segment of the splinter groups of Occupy Montreal who were not aware of this event.  I'm talking about the ones who come to all the marches - especially the anonymous mask wearing ones.  I did end up taking photos.

Here's the other thing, there are events or marches almost every day these days. It gets overwhelming the volume of events.  In Montreal the students are on strike in many universities and CEGEP's so there are plenty of student protests.