Say it isn't so

It was a shock to me when it was announced Sunday on Ch Hamilton that Jerry's Man Shop went into receivership.

The yellow awning overhanging onto James Street North at Cannon was a perfect fit as for the neibourhood as is the mustard three button suit jacket that I purchased a couple years ago from Mr. Sherman. (The one I'm wearing in the picture, above)

Bernard Sherman has since the late 1940s been the cities man to go to for their business and casual wear. So what happened? The reason why one of the city's iconic businesses, and oldest men's clothier, is in jeopardy is a mystery to even Sherman, who is 80 years old.

This is the busy season for most clothing stores and Jerry's is no different. The display windows were lit, decorated with Christmas ornaments, featuring pinstriped suits. Hopefully as Mr. Sherman said in an interview, this is only temporary and the multi-time winner of the Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Awards, will be back in business.

The business has been handed down from generation to generation in Sherman's family over the past 90 years. He sold it to a numbered company last year, and had planned to retire. But he says the new owners asked him to stay on and run it for a year, because of his experience and contacts.

Okay, I couldn't end this post on a sour note, so I would thought I'd share this funny moment that happened to me Monday afternoon while heading into work. I was on the Beeline heading into Stoney Creek, the number 10 was detouring into the Eastgate
Mall turning circle as it does before continuing east. So picture this, the bus stops for a women in the turning lane who also wishes to turn into the mall, to do so. A bus from a private company in the lane coming the opposite direction also wishes the women would make her turn. The man driving the other bus makes a clear gesture, heeding the right away to the women, who doesn't respond and decides blocking four lanes of traffic is a great idea. Impatient, but in a 'jolly' mood, the driver makes an exaggerated motion to turn the car and drive into the mall both with his hands and mouth. This apparently woke the women up, and she made her turn. The funny part is in case you didn't get the hint, the bus driver was dressed as Santa. This caused some laughter from the driver of the HSR bus, myself and the couple of passengers in front of me who had the perfect seats.

Later,
Kenaz

Help make a difference

http://www.salvationarmy.ca/

I walked into the mall on Friday to look around and was immediately drawn to the work of a Salvation Army volunteer. I don't carry much money on me as a rule, so I felt a little cheap in only placing a dollar into the familiar kettle. My meager contribution was graciously accepted by the friendly Army associate and I reciprocated with much praise for everything this great organization does.

On my mothers side, the "Sally Ann" was held in great esteem. From my mother, to my Aunt, back to my Grandma, all where part of Salvation Army. Over in my family photo link you will find a picture of my Grandma wearing her Army bonnet.

Our conversation went from my family history onto a heart warming story that was published in the Spectator of a small girl running up to a Salvation officer, hand full of change and then spotting the candy machine in the mall. After a little soul searching, helping someone else won over her sweet tooth and the red kettle was a few coins fuller.

Before I went on with my day, I couldn't help voice my displeasure with those who abuse the kindness and generosity of the Salvation Army. Those who find enough money to pour alcohol down their gullet, yet don't have enough to feed and clothe their children and rely on handouts.

I don't mean to sound preachy but these people make me sick, always looking for a handout, never a hand-up. With that the lady thanked me sincerely for my views and as I walked away I couldn't help feeling a little more enlightened. I totally relate to the message of The Salvation Army organization. A message of understanding, peace and hope delivered to those who wish to receive the gifts offered by the good book, in a way that doesn't hit you over the head. A that point I felt that maybe the Salvation Army has finally found a home in my heart.

As I continued on with my afternoon, the thoughts of the contributions they make where not lost. In the middle of winter, many hard-working families fall on tough times, and can no longer make ends meet. The Salvation Army is always there to provide food, clothing and shelter in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.

This is just one example of the many great humanitarian acts that the Salvation Army has carried out over the last 100 years. It started in 1865 when William Booth left the Methodist ministry to preach as an independent evangelist in the slums of London's East End. Many converts were won, but they didn't feel 'at home' in churches, so Booth set up Christian Mission Centers. He adopted the name 'Salvation Army' in 1878. At first, the Army was persecuted by church people because it was so unconventional. But the organization was successful at attacking social problems of the day - hunger, homelessness and poverty.

Today the Salvation Army serves people in 102 countries around the world. In addition to physical humanitarian aid, providing the necessities of food, shelter and clothing, they also help people facing personal problems, such as single parenthood, alcohol and drug abuse, offering counseling, and work therapy.

And whenever disaster strikes, the Salvation Army mobile canteens bring food, clothing, blankets and medical supplies. Workers comfort victims, help reunite families and find emergency shelter. A Christian organization, the Army is organized in a military pattern, adhering to the New Testament concept of enlistment in the service of God as soldiers who subject themselves to Divine authority and discipline.

Unlike secular aid organizations, the Salvation Army is dedicated to providing help and hope to all the hurting. The Salvation Army relies solely on donations to operate and continue their work. The soldiers with their red kettles are out in force at shopping centers for their annual Christmas fundraising effort. In the giving spirit of the season, I hope you'll drop what you can into a Salvation Army Bell Ringer's bucket this year, to help keep this organization going strong.

Later,
Kenaz

Yet another dirty Hamilton cop

The reputation of the Hamilton Police department has taken yet another shattering blow. This time, a veteran cop is accused of ignoring a woman's domestic abuse complaint and telling her he was once her customer at an illegal massage parlour.

Constable Rick Mowers faces Police Act charges for neglect of duty and discreditable conduct related to a call at the woman's house, but nothing related to allegations he once paid her for sex.

Mowers' predicament began Dec. 6 last year. He and Constable Chuck Beasley responded in separate cruisers to a child custody dispute in Millgrove.

The mom says she was loading her sons, 2 and 8, into a taxi to escape an abusive household when her partner arrived and called police. She says both officers spoke to them for an hour. Then Beasley left and Mowers stayed behind.

The mom says she told Mowers, a cop for 16 years, that her partner choked her and kicked her in the head a week earlier. She told him she'd phoned police on the day of the beating for advice on escaping an abusive relationship. Mowers, she says, did not take notes, ask questions or investigate her allegations.

What he did say, according to the mom, is he'd once been her customer at a massage parlour called Chelsey's that used to operate behind the Piccadilly strip club on Barton Street East. Vice and drugs officers raided Chelsey's in December 2003 on sex related charges.

Here's where the story gets predictable. The complaint makes its way through the system until it gets to an internal Discipline Review Committee of superintendents and the service's lawyer. In June, that committee decides Mowers did act wrongly, but then goes on to identify his mistakes as "nonserious" rather than "serious," which are the terms used within the Police Act.

A serious act carries with it a hearing, a pay loss of three days or more and a black mark on an officer's record for five years. A nonserious act requires no hearing, costs less than three days pay and stays on the record two years.

Some redeption occurred when the decision and appealed to the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services. In October, OCCOPS ruled that "there is sufficient evidence to warrant a hearing into the conduct of Constable Richard Mowers."

A hearing is set for Jan. 16. Mowers continues to perform his regular duties in the meantime.

Mowers it seems is no virgin to controversy, this is Mowers' second time before a Police Act hearing. In the late '90s he was convicted of two counts of neglect of duty after a complaint that he did not arrest a man who breached a court ruling ordering him to stay away from his wife because of an assault charge.

He was also convicted of not conducting a proper investigation for not getting an interpreter for the couple.

I can't believe the arrogance of our police. This is the second time their committee has tried to sweep serious charges against one of their own under the carpet recently. The first was when Hamilton police cleared two officers after they arrested a black man for a break-in -- despite descriptions of a white suspect -- and never checked his alibi. OCCOPS ordered a hearing. The officers pleaded guilty to not checking the alibi.

I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record, but when will this city get rid of these filthy 'pigs'. Oh, and as note as the story in the Spectator points out, so far, no one is questioning that Mowers may be in the habit of paying women for sex at massage parlours. What?!

Later,
Kenaz

Hamilton Police black and blue in 2006

I'm guessing Hamilton Chief Brian Mullan's letter to Santa starts with a new suit. One to replace his tattered and hole riddled suit of armour that he currently wears. While he's at it I bet he's wishing some elves could sprinkle a little magic dust over his entire force and make the miriad of troubles disappear.

Well, unfortunately this isn't "Never, Never Land" and unless serious changes are made at the top, Mullan's reign as top cop won't end with "Happily Ever After".

2006, to say the least hasn't been a good year for morale and public trust for Hamilton Police. Corruption, bribery, drunkeness and racism are a few of the allegations that have been lobbied against the once solid "blue wall" of honour. The cracks are getting wider with each volley.

Let's look at the dishonour that faces Mullan and his team of damage control consultants.

* The Michael Dixon case. He is a black trade-show worker who was mistakenly arrested by officers allegedly chasing a white suspect. The officers were later disciplined for not properly following up on his alibi. Dixon has launched a human rights racial discrimination complaint and civil lawsuit.

* Police Service Board member Jane Mulkewich says she fears racial bias is a systemic problem in the service. Officers are outraged by her remark and are angry Mullan did not come to their defence.

* Eight officers are currently facing Police Act Charges on a variety of matters ranging from sexual harassment to drinking on duty and ignoring calls to attempting to extort money from the public.

* Another officer was recently criminally charged with bribery.

*Most recently a Hamilton police constable has been fined three days pay for failing to investigate a pizzeria manager's claim he had been assaulted by a patron.

What the Police are saying in their defense,

* Officers say their workload has become unmanageable thanks to a rising number of officers on sick leave, increases in calls for service and complicated and voluminous paperwork.

* Some officers are unhappy about a recent round of promotions, saying those who volunteer and take continuing education courses are rewarded more than people who have the skills to be good supervisors.

* Mullan's appearance at parade is being met with a money-where-your-mouth-is attitude from his officers.

Interesting note, all these problems come at a time when Police association members have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2005. It sounds like at lot of buck passing to me. In reality its more like a few bad apples are finally being culled from the barrell and creating a stink. The problem is, we don't know how far the rot has gone. Have these bad cops corrupted the new generation so badly, it has left Hamiltonian's questioning how safe they are?

Later,
Kenaz

The Eternal Kenaz's Christmas

Over at The Eternal Kenaz it's once again time to get into the holiday spirit. So, I've rolled out my favourite Old Time Radio classics the likes of Amos and Andy, Abbott and Costello and The Bickersons. As well as great dramas such as Orson Wells recital of the Christmas Carol. Oh course what would Christmas be without The Nutcracker Suite, Bing, Frank Sinatra and Perry Como? The Chipmunks Christmas that's where.

So, I hope you will tune in and enjoy and remember, even though god puts people on this earth who think cheap cologne and "Kfeds" Cd are great gift ideas, there's plenty of people who are without families or in the case of our men and women serving our country, unable to enjoy the season with their loved ones.

From me to you all, what ever faith you are, enjoy the season and always keep the torch in your heart burning.

Later,
Kenaz

He was only protecting his family

And what did he get for it? Called a thug, vigilante by his peers and denied justice by the ones sworn to serve and protect.

I'm sorry but I call Don Shaxon a hero for what he did to a punk he found cowering in his Burlington basement. Alerted by the family cocker spaniel he found the teen, drunk to the gills, claiming he mistook the house on the quiet street as a party house that he tried to stumble to.

After punching and apprehending the 16-year-old he took for an intruder, Shaxon was accused by some bleeding heart teen advocates as going to far in defending his family and property. To make matters worse the police decided to not charge the kid. The only solace comes in the fact that the police did not charge him for the beating he gave the youth.

I applaud Mr. Shaxon for what he did, he did what every Canadian would have done, even those who said "oh he should have just called the cops". Sure and hope the punk doesn't kill you in the meantime.

The criminal code allows a person to use reasonable force to subdue a person illegally found on their property. The question was whether Mr. Shaxon crossed that line. The answer was obviously no, the kid was not seriously hurt, a bit bruised and a lot sore once he sobered up.

I have one thing to say to his critics, I hope you all feel so comfortable in your gated communities with your blinders on that you will never feel the sense of violation that this man felt and before you call someone a "thug" use your brain. These little scourge of society need to know who's boss and if the justice system allows room for people to act on their own accord then go for it.

Spectator link to the story

Later,
Kenaz

TTC officers should be ashamed

The grinch hit a young Toronto mother early and hit her hard. I'm not talking about the odd looking, eternally grumpy, green hater of the kind spirit. I'm talking about a blue uniformed constable of the Toronto Transit Company.

As a warrior of Hamilton's bus system and many times patron of the world famous "red rocket" subway system I cringed and shook my head in disbelief when I read this story in today's Toronto Sun while I waited to start my afternoon shift.

Where? Queen's Park subway station.

Who? Little Johnny 4 years old, holds tight to his mummy's hand, Kaeli Goldman, as they wade through the multitudes surging through the gates to the northbound train on Tuesday.

Johnny wants to be a rock star. Or a Blue Jay. He has just torn his eyes away from a busker playing mariachi guitar at the foot of the station's escalator.

Kaeli is 31 and seven months pregnant.

What? Mom flashes their monthly passes like the rest of the sea of commuters munching and slurping their breakfasts on the way to work. Goldman works as a freelance writer.

Very pregnant lady. Five-foot-5. Tidily dressed in sweater and jeans. In tow, a boy, in a hoodie. Immediate concerns to security right? Apparently so.

In a stern voice the two are culled aside from the pack by the TTC special constable and another officer listening to an ear piece, looking like an extra on the set of "24". But this is no movie, but no less a horror.

The problem is, Johnny's transfer, off the College St. streetcar, is just fine. But his mom is using her December pass. Two days early. Oh, oh! defcom 5 alert!

She tries to tell them she got mixed up, the November pass is at home, but she has a receipt for it, and the December pass too is bought and paid for out of a very tight budget.

The constable isn't swayed a bit, with the face of a prison camp guard he insists she hand over the pass. Now people are staring and pointing as if the very pregnant women was a drug mule. To make the situation more uncomfortable little Johnny does his best Duddly Do-Right imitation and reminds mom that she has to do what the police officer tells her.

Great Mom hands over the $100 pass after Mr. Personality threatens to arrest her, in front of her child! The two are then let onto the train to cry and stew all the way up to Bloor St.

If this happened to me, my first thought would to send the president and vice-president of the TTC a copy of the lyrics to the Dixie Chicks "Not Ready to Make Nice" with the part of being mad as hell underlined in red. Then drafting an email referring to the constable as a cold, heartless heathen, bred from the muck that collects in the corner of the subway tracks. Then deleting it, and finding a more educated way to demand action from those who should know better.

Common sense should prevail hear, lets not turn an honest mistake into the unleashing of the hounds of hell. Give her the damn pass back!

Later,
Kenaz

'Hortons teaching a little Canadiana to the world in Kandahar

I read this in Thursday's Hamilton Spectator online edition and it just gives you the right feeling of Canadian pride.

It turns out the universal language isn't the language of love after all, at least not here at Kandahar airfield.

No, the universal language here is all about coffee.

"I'll have a large double-double and a regular," said a young soldier with an Australian accent, stopping in at the base Tim Hortons.

"We call it Tim Hortonese -- Tim Hortons lingo," laughs Kelly Taylor, 42, of Oromocto, N.B. who has been working at the base since July while her military husband is at home.

"The British will come up and ask us for a regular coffee, only 'regular' in Tim Hortons language is one milk, one sugar. Only to them it's not -- it's white, whatever that means," she added.

Currently, 1,300 customers a day file through the Kandahar Tim Hortons from the military of 12 countries stationed on the base.

Whereas Canadians file in and out as if they are on a conveyor belt, it takes a lot longer for others.

"It takes a little while to pick up the lingo," said Air Engineering Technician Daniel Stace from Darbyshire, England, who is in the Royal Navy.

"A double-double? It took me a while to work that one out, but normally I just stick to the bagels and the orange juice," he said.

Others don't even try to learn the language of Tims.

"No, not yet, because I only just drink black coffee and so that's just fine by me," said Sergeant Mike Koninkle of the Netherlands.

"I'm not quite familiar with all the slang around Tim Hortons and I just drink coffee and that's it and I don't need all the fancy coffee or tea."

Taylor boasts that she can tell a soldier's nationality even if they speak perfect English and are not wearing a uniform, simply by what they order.

"The British and the Dutch mostly will order Boston creams and Canadian maples... and the Americans will probably order five dozen doughnuts at a time. And the British and the Dutch always order the very sweet cappuccinos," Taylor explained.

"Canadians order bagels and coffee," she said.

The confusion over the Tim Hortonese has Taylor vowing to put a Tim Horton-English dictionary on the door of the store.

"I'm going to write a dictionary and post it on the outside of the door for all the non-Canadians. That's my job for the next week."

I stopped at "timmy's";(another slang for the franchise that is so engraved in the lexicon of our English); tonight after work to kill some time before my bus arrived and I remembered this story and it made my cup of black coffee and Tim Bits taste that much better. As Christmas draws closer lets all take a second out of our busy lives to remember all of our unsung heros serving our country in Aghganistan and around the world. Cheers! come home soon.

Later,
Kenaz

"Devilish" battle with social security

While searching through a box of old stuff I found this humerous newspaper clipping from a few years ago. I thought I'd post it here for your amusement.

A couples 1-year old daughter finally got rid of the mark of the beast-- the 666 part of her Social Security number.

The Orange County, Calif. couple have been warring for months with the Social Security Administration to get a new number for religious reasons.

"Christians are supposed to refuse the mark of the beast,"

said the mother, 30, a pharmaceutical company representative. The 666 reference is found in Revelation 13:18. It's a common theme in santanic movies such as The Omen.

However at the Social Security Administration, a 1994 policy prohibits changes sought for religious, cultural or superstitious reasons. Numbers 666 and 13 prompt most requests for changes.

"When we saw the couples case was even being discussed in the Ann Landers advice column, we knew it was a big-time headache,"

said the regional Social Security spokesman in San Francisco.

"The commissioner said to give the couple's baby a new card and we'd worry about the rules later,"

said the spokesman. The agency sent the new card. In light of this case, the commissioner has called for a policy review.

The couple felt so strongly about the 666 number that they did not claim their daughter on income tax forms. They will file an amended return with the new number.

Later,
Kenaz

Be a cool cat. Not a dumb rat

This weekend I've drawn a couple of new cartoons depicting my take on the scourge that taken over our society. Once again it features my lovable cat friends telling you that there's nothing wrong with being a hard working blue collar worker and contributor to society. Meanwhile the "Dead Rats" prove that there is everything wrong in believing in the gang life.



Dedicated to Eugene Kelly

Later,
Kenaz

Stupid celebrities of the week

This week there was not one, not two, but a tri-fecta of celebrities afflicted with the dreaded "idiotitis" disease. The symptoms include, unexplained actions and verbal diarrhea.

The first outbreak of this potential career killer feld Michael Richards, former Seinfeld co-star. During a stand-up routine he called two black hecklers the n-word and then paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities. Moderating his tone at one point, Richards tells the audience, It shocks you, it shocks you and refers to what lays buried.

Once the "fever" died down the one character wonder went on national television and tried desperately to apologize and convey that he is not a racist. Nice try, not buying it, "No soup for you!". Or in his case, soup might be the only thing Richard's will be able to afford if the clubs don't let him back.

The second outbreak occurred when day time talk host Kelly Ripa made a comment that was conscrewed as a homophobic remark.

Clay Aiken was co-hosting with Ripa and became annoyed by her gift of the gab and covered Ripa's mouth with his hand during an interview on Friday's show. Ripa pushed his hand away.

Oh, I'm in trouble, said the 27-year-old American Idol star, to which Ripa responded, No, I just don't - I don't know where that hand's been, honey.

The poop really hit the fan when fellow daytime talk show co-host Rosie O'Donnell accused her of making a homophobic comment. Ripa phoned the show and tried to claim that O'Donnell was misunderstanding the comment and offered this rebuttal.

"He's shaking hands with everybody in the audience. I mean, it's cold and flu season. That's what I meant"

The furor will die down, and the two will appear together on an episode of "Celebrity Death Match". Two bad it won't be "celebrity Boxing". I would love to see Rosie knock the stuffing out of the annoying muppet.

Finally, the worse case of "Idiotitis" in known history, knocked the crap out of O.J Simpson.

Simpson says "the only thing he is guilty of is trying to get out of debt and provide for his children."

The former football star said in interviews that he deserved criticism for his part in the If I Did It book and interview deal. He said any profit from the book would be blood money, but he needed to pay his bills. It's all blood money and unfortunately I had to join the jackals, Simpson said, referring to authors of books about him. It helped me get out of debt and secure my homestead.

Good lord! I haven't heard that much mental masturbation since the Europeans conned the Natives out of all their land for a bag of beads. If O.J is so desperate for money maybe he can sell some crap on Ebay like normal people do.

Thank god Fox Broadcasting and publisher Harper Collins, cancelled the project this week and condemned it as revolting and exploitive.

Well that's all for now.

Later,
Kenaz

A New Seven Wonders of the World

Over the weekend I found this great sight that lets people choose a new "Seven Wonders of the World".

The commonly known Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were all man-made monuments, selected by Philon of Byzantium in 200 B.C. Today, only the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt remain.

His selection of wonders was essentially a travel guide for fellow Athenians, and the stunning sites were all located around the Mediterranean basin, the then-known world.


The monuments he chose, to be remembered in perpetuity, were:
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Temple of Artemis
The Statue of Zeus
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
The Pyramids of Egypt

All had been built between 2,500 B.C. and 200 B.C.

Now, just as Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games in 1896 with his modern version of the competition, New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber is seeking to revive the concept of the 7 Wonders of the World with this ambitious global campaign, the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The key difference is that, this time around, they will not be chosen by one man, but rather by millions of people all over the world.

The new wonders that are selected will be the people’s choices, and they will be drawn from the earliest time that humankind walked upon the earth up through the year 2000.

It is, therefore, possible that the only survivor of the original 7 Wonders of the World, the Pyramids at Giza, could be chosen for a second time, taking them well into a third millenium of fame!

At the end of 2005, the N7W panel chose 21 candidates from the top 77 nominees that had earned the most votes, and these 21 are now in the final stage of the competition. The official N7W 21 finalist candidates were announced by the panel's President, Prof. Federico Mayor, on January 1, 2006 in Zurich.

The final round of voting for the New 7 Wonders will continue throughout 2006 and half of 2007. Then, on July 7, 2007 -07.07.07, the dream of the N7W initiators will become a reality as the globe joins together to celebrate the New 7 Wonders of the World, as chosen by the world's population using modern communications technology.

Below are the buttons to vote for your fav's or visit the sight for yourself here:
http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php























Enjoy,
Kenaz

Letter hits my message home

In a previous post I depicted in the form of a cartoon my frustration with the 'garbage' turning our beautiful streets into a gang hangout, unsafe for the good kids and hard working stiffs to enjoy.



Today I found this well written letter to the editor of the "Spectator". This gentlemen voices the exact same opinion and I would like to share it.

Re: 'Youth gang suspected in assault on musician' (Nov. 14)

I find it frustrating that again we are not being informed of trouble spots in areas of the city, areas where we might be in danger of attacks from mobs of bullies.

Where is the police presence over this upswing they say has occurred, and where are the parents who should have a leash on these hoods?

Is it any wonder a neighborhood will call out for vigilante justice because we don't want to see our good citizens earmarked for a pounding by youths who fear no one? Individually, they are mouthy, but as a group they are fearless.

Maybe we should go the way some other countries have with this problem -- bring back curfews and ban gatherings of no more than three people, lest you are confronted by a police presence.

Women who take back the night are right in their message.

Maybe we as citizens should take back our neighbourhoods, from James North to Stoney Creek to the Mountain. If the police can't do it, we should.

In the update of this story on Friday the three 'kids' charged with the beating appeared in front of the judge sobbing. I hope this judge throws the entire library of law books at these morons especially the 18 year old leader.

Enough is enough, I take the bus to work right past where the attack occurred, I watch the kids get off the bus at the school mentioned, wearing the gang attire d'jour. My steel toed boots are covered in layers of grease and grime. They look to cover there's in blood. I wear blue and red flannel as a symbol of hard work. They wear their 'colours' as symbol of callous pride.

I pray for Eugene Kelly to awake and once again fill the clubs with his sweet Irish melodies and I pray for these kids will wake up and re-join the human race.

Later,
Kenaz

Fast Freddy trump over Di Ianni no shock

Am I the only who does not feel Fred Eisenberger's Mayoral win over Di Ianni was a momentous upset? As many news outlets in the city suggest.

Let's face facts. Di Ianni's lies left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouth and fast Freddy took advantage. Eisenberger used his much smaller war chest; devoid of any union or corporate money; frugally and wisely. He took the pulse of the public and created a campaign that promised to rein in sprawl, promote smart growth, create a bus rapid transit system, redevelop the city's brownfields, and promote waterfront development and the arts.

That said I do believe it was more of an anti-Larry vote than a pro-Fred vote and Eisenberger and council will be under huge pressure from the assorted beggars and hangers on that got fat and rich under the pro-big business Di Ianni era to meet status quo.

It's time for Fred to show that his blue collar roots run deep and bring Hamilton back to it's glory. The city built on the backs of the working class.

One side note, Di Ianni's loss had nothing to do with Dundas bookseller, Joanna Chapman blowing the lid off his campaign finance illegalities in 2004 as the Spectator believes. Chapman didn't perpetrate the crime and then try to cover it up, she only woke the city up to what was happening. She wasn't trying to smear anyone's reputation maliciously as the former mayor and several councilors too this day believe.

In the end election 2006 was won and loss at the ballot box and as far as I see it turned out to be a fair and clean election.

Later,
Kenaz

A sombre week of goodbyes

In my previous post I said my goodbyes to Ed Bradley, legendary broadcaster. This week we also saw the passing of Canadian Football hall of famer Jackie Parker and actor Jack Palance.



Jackie Parker (January 1, 1932 - November 7, 2006) was an All-American in college football and a running back, quarterback, defensive player, and head coach in Canadian football. He is primarily known for his play with the Edmonton Eskimos. Late in his career, he also played for the Toronto Argonauts and the British Columbia Lions.

Parker became one of the most important parts of the Eskimos dynasty of the mid-1950s. Joining the Eskimos in 1954, Parker played both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball, a practice not so uncommon in his day as it is today; however, his main strength was offensively, where he was both a strong runner and an excellent quarterback. This is shown by his all-star selections; as a running back in 1954, 1957 and 1959, and as a quarterback in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960 and 1961. He won six consecutive Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophies as the West Division's most outstanding player from 1956 to 1961, and seven in total. He was awarded the Schenley Award as the league's most outstanding player in 1957, 1958 and 1960 and was the runner-up in 1956 and 1961.

During the first three years of his career, the Eskimos won three consecutive Grey Cups, and in the first, Parker made one of the most famous plays in Grey Cup history when, in the fourth quarter, Ted Tully hit Montréal running back Chuck Hunsinger and forced a fumble. Parker recovered the ball and returned it ninety yards for a touchdown, giving the Eskimos, who were a large underdog in the game, a surprise victory. The Eskimos traded Parker after the 1962 season to the Toronto Argonauts for five players and $15,000. Parker played in Toronto from 1963 to 1965. He finished his career with the BC Lions in 1968 when, as an assistant coach, he helped the team out of a difficult mid-season situation by donning the pads for one last go round as quarterback. At the time of his retirement, Parker, who also kicked extra points and field goals, had scored a then CFL record 750 points.

After his playing career, Parker moved into coaching. Parker coached the BC Lions for part of the 1969 season and all of 1970, before moving on to the front office as general manager the next year. He stayed as general manager until being fired in 1975. Parker coached the Eskimos from 1983 to 1987 CFL season, winning the Grey Cup in 1987. Parker's #91 currently hangs on the Wall of Honour at the Eskimos' Commonwealth Stadium. The "Jackie Parker Park" in Edmonton, Alberta was named in his honor.

Jackie Parker was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Parker died in the early morning hours at a local Edmonton hospital at age 74 due to throat cancer.



His acting break came as Marlon Brando's understudy in Streetcar Named Desire. He eventually replaced Brando on stage as Stanley Kowalski.

In 1947, Palance made his Broadway debut, followed three years later by his screen debut, in the movie Panic in the Streets (1950). He was quickly recognized for his skill as a character actor, receiving an Academy Award nomination for only his third film role, as Lester Blaine in Sudden Fear.

The following year, Palance was Oscar-nominated again, for his role as the evil gunfighter Jack Wilson in Shane. Several other Western roles followed, but he would also play such varied roles as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and Attila the Hun.

In 1957, Palance won an Emmy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mountain McClintock in the Playhouse 90 production of Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight.

Jean-Luc Godard persuaded him to take on the role of Hollywood producer Jeremy Prokosch in the 1963 nouvelle vague movie Le Mépris, with Brigitte Bardot and Michel Piccoli. Although the main dialogue was in French, Palance spoke only English.

While still busy making movies, in the 1980s, Palance also co-hosted (with his daughter Holly Palance), the television series Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Appearing in Young Guns (1988) and Tim Burton's Batman (1989) reinvigorated Palance's career and demand for his services kept him involved in new projects each year right up until the turn of the century.

Palance died of natural causes, he was 87.

Later,
Kenaz

Saying Goodbye to Ed Bradley

June 22, 1941-November 9, 2006

"The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do without thought of fame. If it comes at all it will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after."
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

No words written could be truer when describing Ed Bradley who died from complications due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York; he was 65 years of age.

His introduction to news reporting came during the riots in Philadelphia in the 1960s. He then became a stringer for CBS News covering the Paris Peace Talks. In 1972, he was transferred to Saigon, to cover the Vietnam War. He spent time in Phnom Penh covering the war in Cambodia. While covering the war, he was injured by a mortar round. He had shrapnel wounds to his back and arm. In 1974, he moved to Washington, D.C. He covered the Carter campaign in 1976 and then became CBS News' White House correspondent until 1978. From 1978 to 1981, he served as principal correspondent for CBS Reports.

In 1981, he stepped into some big shoes when he landed a job on 60 Minutes, when Dan Rather left to replace Walter Cronkite as the anchor of the CBS Evening News. He not only filled those shoes, but when on to re-define journalism with his brand of no nosense but fair reporting.

Over the course of his career, Bradley received the Emmy Award 19 times; a Peabody Award for his African AIDS report, "Death By Denial"; a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award; and the Paul White Award from the Radio and Television News Directors Association.

Tonight's Larry King Live featured the remaining cast of "60 Minutes" remembering this truly great man with many stories accompanied by clips. My favourite was the time that Muhammad Ali along with his wife duped Bradley into believing that the champ of practical jokes had Narcolepsy and while asleep he would act out his best boxing punches. The look on ultra serious Bradley's face was priceless as Ali let him off the hook.

Later,
Kenaz

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month...

Today we promise never to forget. We wear over our hearts a flower with a revered history. A symbol of our thanks for those men and women who have fallen so we can live in freedom.



The poppy.

It has been used since 1921 as a symbol of remembrance in Canada, a visual pledge not to forget those Canadians who have fallen in war.

Other countries also have adopted its image to honour those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The association between the poppy and war dead goes back at least as far as the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century, when poppies grew thickly over the graves of soldiers in Flanders.

Just before the First World War, few poppies grew in Flanders, a region now divided between Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

During the tremendous bombardments of that war, the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing poppies to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed and the poppies became less common.



The person responsible more than any other for the adoption of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian medical officer during the First World War.

Born in Guelph, McCrae already belonged to the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada when he attended the University of Toronto Medical School.

After Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, he enlisted and was appointed brigade surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Forces Artillery.

In 1915, he was stationed in Flanders near Ypres, Belgium. There, he treated hundreds of wounded soldiers.

In May 1915, the day after the death of a fellow soldier, McCrae wrote his now famous work, an expression of his anguish over the loss of his friend and a reflection of his surroundings - wild poppies growing amid simple wooden crosses marking makeshift graves.

These 15 lines, written in 20 minutes, live on ...

The poem was first published in December 1915 in Punch magazine.

McCrae died of pneumonia in France in January 1918. He was 45.

Later the same year, Moina Michael, an American teacher working in New York City, read McCrae's poem.

She immediately made "a personal pledge to keep the faith and vowed always to wear a red poppy of Flanders fields as a sign of remembrance ..."

Two years later, during a 1920 visit to the United States, a French woman, Anna Guerin, learned of the custom.

On her return to France, she decided to use handmade poppies to raise money for the destitute children in war-torn areas of the country.

Following Guerin's example, the Great War Veterans' Association in Canada (the predecessor of The Royal Canadian Legion) officially adopted the poppy as its Flower of Remembrance on 5 July 1921.

The lapel poppies worn in Canada were first made, beginning in 1922, by disabled veterans.

For many years, poppy material was made at the Vetcraft sheltered workshops run by Veterans Affairs Canada in Montreal and Toronto.

About 10 years ago, the Legion volunteered to take over the responsibility for the production of poppies from Veterans Affairs. A private company now makes them under contract, but all operations are conducted under strict Legion control and oversight.

In Flanders fields-John McCrae, 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Later,
Kenaz

Troubling letter to the editor

I read this in the 'Letters to the editor' section of November 7, 2006 edition of 'The Hamilton Spectator' and am deeply confused by this persons message.

Re: 'Saddam to die: Now Iraq braces for civil war' (Nov. 6)

It must be me. I certainly do not understand how international law is applied.

If I recall correctly, Saddam Hussein had to deal with Iraq's many factions of faith and the associated problems. His methods of control were iron-fisted, unjust and deadly. But, the job got done and peace and order came over the land in some form.

The U.S. and the so-called coalition saw fit to remove Saddam and take over the controls. I think they had a better idea on how to deal with the problem. They didn't get the flowers thrown at their feet as they thought they should, but they created a puppet government and had the gall to demand that they, too, take up the fight in the same manner. Be more forceful, take control, eliminate those who should commit crimes against the coalition. Be like Saddam? The killings go on as if Saddam was still in control and if time allows, the killings will eventually match or surpass those of Saddam's days.

There's only one thing troubling me at this point. Why was Saddam charged and sentenced to hang? All he did was hand over the controls. It must be me.

Let me take this letter point by point. Firstly, this person contends Saddam brought 'peace' to Iraq by quelling religious violence? Reality, the Kurds and many thousands of other persons who had the right to practice their religion under international law where isolated, starved and murdered. At least the writer admits these actions where 'unjust'. These actions did not bring order, they brought choas and world condemnation.

Secondly, when the Americans, British, Canadians and many other 'coalition' nations went into Iraq, I doubt anyone thought they would have flowers thrown at their feet. The purpose was to eliminate Saddams factions and returns order. In the long term, which will take many years, Iraq will be governed by their own people and justice will be served from the courts of their own.

By hanging the 'Butcher of Bagdad' for crimes against humanity we send a message to the remaining evils in Iraq that the country has had enough. To the writer of this letter, by saying that all 'Saddam did was hand over the controls', we've heard that before. During WWII, and in the Balkans, please take the blinders off.

Later,
Kenaz

Justice Served:Saddam Hussein found guilty

On Sunday, the Iraqi High Tribunal showed the world that they are serious about making Democracy work. It found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity. The sentence: death by hanging.

The evidence against Hussein was overwhelming. He and his henchmen were found guilty of rounding up and killing 148 Shiite Muslims from the northern Iraqi town of Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an assassination attempt on Hussein there.

Hussein stood trial in his own country and was judged by his own people. That is a historical first and a huge accomplishment for this fledgling democracy.

Bringing Hussein to justice demanded immense courage; all those involved faced constant danger. During the yearlong trial, three defense attorneys were killed. The brother-in-law of the presiding judge was gunned down. Incredibly, some 200 relatives of victims of Dujail were reported murdered. Several families of witnesses had to be moved into the U.S.-protected Green Zone.

A second trial is under way. Hussein is accused of genocide for his role in a 1987-88 campaign against Iraqi Kurds, in which about 180,000 people were killed. All told, Hussein's regime is believed to have killed at least 300,000 Iraqis.

Hussein's death sentence probably won't be carried out soon. There are appeals and more trials. Iraqis have waited for justice. Now they have it. Ending the reign of one of the world's most vicious, brutal men.

Later,
Kenaz

Death of Botha brings closure

This week the world said good riddance to P. W. Botha, the South African leader who fathered apartheid. The bastard child grew up until it consumed a country in a tide of domestic racial violence and global condemnation. He was 90.

Roots of Racism

Pieter Willem Botha was born on Jan. 12, 1916, in the Orange Free State to a Afrikaner farm family with deep roots in southern Africa’s “White Tribe” — descendants of mainly Dutch settlers who had been living on the continent’s southern tip for more than three centuries.

Beleaguered, stubborn and insular, they saw themselves as heirs to a promised land watered with the blood of their ancestors in wars against Zulu, Ndebele and other tribes.

The Afrikaners and the British, with their imperial aims, were also old enemies, rivals for land, diamonds and gold. Their enmity culminated in the Boer War of 1899-1901, which ended in a British victory and the eventual consolidation of the country under the empire. Mr. Botha’s father fought the British, who burned his mother’s family farm. She and her family fled but were eventually captured and interned. Their experiences forged their son’s attitudes. Raised in the traditions of the Bible and the gun, he learned to ride and shoot and to embrace the embattled but beneficent self-image of the Afrikaner.

Rise to Power

Mr. Botha was a combative, irascible son of a well-to-do Afrikaner farm family who dropped out of college to work for the right-wing National Party, then rose through the ranks of South Africa’s political establishment, gaining a reputation as the “Old Crocodile” for his ability to charm, outwit and crush his opponents.

In 1978, Mr. Botha became prime minister and proceeded to engineer the creation of a new Constitution, one that held out the promise of limited reform of apartheid policies. When the Constitution came into effect in 1984, Mr. Botha became president. “We must adapt or die,” Mr. Botha told his constituents after becoming prime minister.

Aparthied

Though it allowed Asians and people of mixed race to be represented in a white-controlled Parliament, it continued to exclude the nation’s black majority. Some apartheid laws, like a prohibition on mixed marriages and a requirement that blacks carry special passes, were relaxed.

Opposition

Holding out the promise that apartheid would eventually be dismantled, he opened negotiations with Nelson Mandela, the imprisoned leader of the African National Congress. The talks went nowhere, and Mr. Mandela remained confined.

Paranoia

Mr. Botha used the climate of the cold war to justify his actions. He portrayed a growing Marxist threat in southern Africa and warned that Communists had infiltrated the anti-apartheid movement at home. South Africa, he said, was engaged in a “total war” and must develop a “total strategy” to fight the battle.

The End

As opposition to apartheid spread, Mr. Botha’s room to maneuver shrank. Mr. Botha was re-elected in 1987. Two years later, as opposition to his intransigent style grew within his own party, the president suffered a stroke and resigned. He was succeeded by F. W. de Klerk, who legalized opposition parties, freed Mr. Mandela and other political prisoners, and made the agreements that eventually brought apartheid down.

Era of Rebirth

Under the new government, led by Mr. de Klerk, apartheid unraveled. In 1990, Mr. Mandela was freed after 27 years in prison and the African National Congress became a legal political party. In April 1994, the republic’s first multiracial election was held, the Congress won an overwhelming victory and Mr. Mandela became president. In May 1996, a new national Constitution was adopted.

Apartheid was finished. In the late 1990’s, the brutal methods that had been used to prolong its existence were exposed during hearings of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Actions by the country’s security forces and police during Mr. Botha’s years in power had killed 4,000 people; as many as 50,000 others were held without trial.

The aging Mr. Botha derided the commission as a witch hunt. After failing to attend a hearing in Cape Town on Dec. 19, 1997, he was found guilty of contempt of the law, fined and sentenced to a suspended 12-month prison term. The conviction was overturned on appeal, and the Old Crocodile remained as intransigent as ever.

“I have nothing to apologize for,” he said. ‘’I will never ask for amnesty. Not now, not tomorrow, not after tomorrow.”

Botha joins Hitler and Milošević in hell. All that remain is the arrival of Saddam Hussein to round out the table reserved for lasts century's worst sinners.

Below are some must see films that cover this tumultuous time period.

Mandela and de Klerk (1997)(TV)
"Ekhaya: A Family Chronicle" (1997) Canada (Mini)
Mandela (1996)

My personal favourite
Cry Freedom (1987)

Later,
Kenaz