Media Baron sentenced to 78 months…

 

Conrad Black was sentenced today to serve 78 months in a U.S. medium security prison, as well as pay a fine of $125,000 and so-called compensation of 6.5 million to his former Hollinger media holdings.  He was convicted of two types of crimes.  One had to do with receiving non-competition payments.  Is this a crime?  His former company paid him not to start another newspaper, for if he did, many of his loyal journalists would have followed him.  The second crime, was removing “plaques and pictures of his family” from his Toronto office.  The American prosecution claimed that these boxes held important documents that Mr. Black shredded.  If he did in fact to this, then shouldn’t he be tried for the crime in Canada, instead of the United States?  Is Canada’s sovereignty being threat-end by the U.S. Justice System?  Mr. Black is a Canadian (or at least he was until he renounced it to become a British peer), and he deserves a Canadian trial.  The American Judge, Amy St. Eve said “No one is above the law in the United States, not even you Mr. Black.”  This is true statement, but the real crime the convicted him of, took place in Canada (for my American readers, this is the a sovereign country, with the world’s second largest land mass).  This is not only a miscarry of justice, but also a challenge to security of the Canadian people.

The Strength of the Loonie!

With the Canadian dollar worth more than the U.S. dollar, why does it still cost more to buy items in Canada?  Why do books still cost 10-15 dollars more to buy it in Canada?  Finance Miniter Jim Flaherty announced it is up to Canadians to put the pressure on retailers to lower their prices.

“When the Canadian dollar was trading at 60 cents (U.S.) five years ago – or even 80 cents two years ago – consumers were willing to put up with a price gap.  But now that the loonie has soared to nearly $1.04 (U.S.), Canadians are demanding an explanation. And many are crossing the border to find better deals.” (Toronto Star)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS; MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE, MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS

Harper drafts Afgani President for Team Canada

Canadian Frigate sunk by Friendly Fire

A Canadian warship has been sunk by artillery fire.  The Canadian navy spent more than $7 million cleaning up the decommissioned HMCS Huron to ready it for its final voyage and to ensure that nothing toxic was left aboard.  It took two days to tow the engineless, weaponless hulk to a spot about 100 kilometres off the coast of Vancouver Island and then only five hours to send it two kilometres straight down to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Lt.-Cmdr. Mark MacIntyre says the Huron sank just after 1 p.m. local time as part of a joint, international naval exercise.  He says the navy and air force, as well as allies from the United States, got some very realistic training.  Originally plans were to have the warship targeted by naval gunnery, then hit by missiles and at least one submarine-launched torpedo.  But MacIntyre says that proved unnecessary since the ship was sent to the bottom by the barrage of artillery.

Canadian Poppy Coin Feared by US

 

67% of Canadians use cellphones

The majority of Canadians still prefer land lines for phone service, but two-thirds of consumers also report using a cellphone, according to a Statistics Canada survey released Friday.  “As of December 2006, about 90.5 per cent of households reported having a land line, while 66.8 per cent reported having at least one cellphone,” the federal agency said in a release.  Albertans led the country with about 80 per cent of households using cellphone services. By comparison, New Brunswick and Quebec households had the fewest number of mobile phone users, with 57.5 per cent and 57.9 per cent respectively. 

Montreal Godfather Sentenced

Vito Rizzuto, the man the RCMP called the “godfather” of the Montreal Mafia, pleaded guilty Friday to U.S. racketeering charges in connection with the murder of three Mafia leaders in 1981 in exchange for a 10-year sentence.

No Relief on Gas Prices in the Forecast!

Gasoline prices in the province are at a nine-month high, with some retail stations in
Toronto charging as much as $1.09 per litre yesterday for regular unleaded fuel

 

PEI’s Stores Open for Sunday Shopping

New legislation on P.E.I. will allow stores to open Sunday starting later this month, and smaller store owners are worried about how it will affect their businesses.  Norman Clow, who runs Clow’s Red and White in Hampshire, just outside of Charlottetown, said he hopes he has something to offer his customers they can’t get in the bigger stores, but he worries about the future of country stores.  “For any everyday items, you know, they’re just going to go to town, because that’s where they’re going to be anyway,” said Clow.  “They’re on the road, might as well slip into town. Everything’s open there, and forget about the little country stores.”  Previously, stores could open only the four Sundays before Christmas but the new rules allow Sunday shopping from the Victoria Day weekend through Christmas. Only smaller stores could stay open year-round.  The new law was passed during the fall session of the legislature, and will bring its first new Sunday opening May 20.

David Cooper, owner of Cooper’s Red and White in Belfast in the southeast of the Island, said his store has only opened on Sundays during the summer months.  “I don’t think there’s any need of the big stores being open on Sunday,” said Cooper.  “It’s hard on all of the small, local stores but that seems to be what they want. First thing you know, there’ll be no local stores and people will have to drive to Charlottetown every day of the week.”  Cooper said he’s already suffering because of the bigger grocery chains and is worried Sunday shopping will make things even worse. (See my paper on the Sabbath at http://jkrohn.wordpress.com).