Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room.

Centre refuses to host Steyn lecture on free speech

Adam McDowell, National Post · Friday, Oct. 22, 2010

Organizers of an upcoming talk by conservative writer Mark Steyn planned for London, Ont., say they were muzzled by a local city-owned convention centre.

A trio of bloggers who run the site StrictlyRight.com inquired on Monday about booking a Nov. 1 speech for Mr. Steyn at the London Convention Centre. The group announced on Thursday that it had received a phone call from the centre saying it would not be allowed to make the booking. The Convention Centre said it was a business decision, but organizers of the speech said they were told otherwise.

"The reason offered by the LCC [in a Tuesday morning phone call] was that they had received pressure from local Islamic groups, and they didn't want to alienate their Muslim clients. It's interesting to note that the LCC is owned by the City of London, and is therefore a government operation," wrote Strictly Right's Andrew Lawton at the website.

Lori Da Silva, general manager of the Convention Centre, said the bloggers approached the centre last Thursday but didn't submit a required "client profile" - basically, financial and other information the centre would need to bill them for the room.


That amounts to censorship at a city-owned facility, Lawton countered.


City manager Jeff Fielding said the centre is free to do what it wants since it operates arms-length from city hall.


"The Convention Centre has its own board and its own administration and is free to make its own business decisions," he said.

From the "Religion of Peace" Files,..

Muslim Mother Who Strangled Daughter Won't Be Jailed, Judge Rules

A Canadian judge's decision to free a devout Muslim mother convicted of strangling her 14-year-old daughter with a head scarf has prompted growing outrage from victim's advocates groups.

A suspended sentence was given to Aset Magomadova, 40, by Court of Queen's Bench Justice Sal LoVecchio on Thursday, stunning a national victims' group based in Toronto, the Vancouver Sun reports.

"I really strongly disagree," said Joe Wamback, founder and chairman of the Canadian Crime Victims Foundation. "It sends a message to the rest of the community and the world that her daughter's life was valueless."

Wamback continued, "Even though this girl may have been a handful and trouble, that's not the issue. The issue is human life."

Click here to read more on this story from the Vancouver Sun

How Do You Say "Goldman-Sachs" in French?

Banking troubles in our semi-Socialist neighbor to the North? And the Obamessiah wants to emulate them?

Bank of Montreal alleges huge mortgage fraud

The Bank of Montreal is suing hundreds of people in Alberta, including lawyers, mortgage brokers and four of its own employees, in what is one of the largest alleged cases of mortgage fraud in Canadian history.

Legal documents obtained exclusively by CBC News allege the bank was the target of a sophisticated fraud operated by 14 inter-connected groups. The documents allege the scheme generated at least $140 million, about $70 million of which was for phoney mortgages.

The bank has estimated it may lose as much as $30 million.

Toronto forensic accountant Al Rosen said he has never seen anything like it.

"This is massive in the sense that it is so broad and so deep," Rosen said Tuesday. "This is [allegedly] a huge fraud. I can't think of any situation that has so many people involved and over a period of time like this one."

But wait! There's more! A possible terror funding angle?

In one case, a house in the Bearspaw district of Calgary was bought for nearly $900,000 and in three years, its value was inflated to $2.3 million, a profit of $1.4 million for the alleged fraudsters. An Edmonton house is alleged to have netted the scheme nearly $180,000.

During its investigation, bank investigators seized records that showed millions of dollars from the alleged scheme have been transferred to such countries as Lebanon, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.

Blame Canada!

Canadians accused of U.S. flag desecration

Two Canadian men may face charges of flag desecration and vandalism in California over a controversial display of Olympic pride.

Police in La Quinta say the men are accused of taking down the American banner and replacing it with a Canadian flag after Canada beat the U.S. in the men's gold-medal hockey match at the Vancouver Olympics.

The U.S. flag had been on display on a mountain and was maintained by a private citizen in honour of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The flag was found damaged.

A complaint has been sent to the district attorney's office, police said. The men could face up to a year in jail if convicted.

Police identified the Canadians as Ryan Smith, 25, and Matt Siefert, 26. Both are said to be residents of the state.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/04/20/olympic-flag-hockey-us-desecration.html?ref=rss#ixzz0lertVeq9

Oh! Can-a-beans!

U.S. hockey pulls off upset against Canada

FoxSports

The Americans pull off an upset on Canada’s home ice.

The United States pulled off its biggest Olympic hockey upset since the Miracle on Ice, stunning Canada 5-3 on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals of an already mixed-up tournament.


Brian Rafalski scored two goals and set up another, and Ryan Miller held off a flurry of shots to lead the Americans.


One day short of the 30th anniversary of the country's greatest hockey victory -- the unfathomable win over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid -- these underrated Americans were faster, more disciplined and more determined than Canada 's collection of all-stars.


Better, too.


Canada outshot the U.S. 45-22 yet couldn't badly dent Miller, the goalie the Americans felt could best stand up to all of Canada 's might. He did just that, making 42 saves in the victory of a lifetime.


These Americans didn't believe in miracles. They just believed.

Merry CHRISTmas to All!

The TrekMedic's work schedule and family responsibilities will keep him away from the computer until after CHRISTmas Day. So too all of my gentle readers, a Merry CHRISTmas and Joyous Blessings on this day.

The TrekMedic leaves you this off-kilter version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" for your enjoyment.

CLICK HERE!

Oh,...Cana-bis??

Canada Has the Most Pot Smokers in Industrialized World

Canada ranks fifth worldwide when it comes to marijuana usage, but ranks first among industrialized nations, according to the 2007 World Drug Report.

About 16.8 percent of Canadians ages 15 to 64 light up, compared to 12.6 percent of Americans in the same age bracket, according to the report. Canada’s usage is about four times the worldwide average of 3.8 percent, while the United States' usage is about three times the average.

Marijuana, or cannabis, remains the most commonly used drug in the world with almost 160 million people ages 15 to 64 using it in 2005, said the report, which was put out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Usage is down slightly from 162 million, according to last year’s World Drug Report, which reviewed data from 2004.

The majority of it is grown in the Americas (46 percent), followed by Africa (26 percent). Canada’s usage trails behind Papua New Guinea and Micronesia at 29 percent each, Ghana at 21.5 percent, and Zambia at 17.7 percent. Among European nations, Cyprus topped the list at 14.1 percent, followed by Italy and Spain, both at 11.2 percent.

The TrekMedic snarks:

Well,...that explains a few things, like curling and hockey, eh?