Reality Check

Marijuana Legalization Is Being Debated in the United States

Some federal politicians in the U.S. seem to be waking up to the fact that their country has, for years incarcerated at least 5 times as many people per capita than the rest of the world. At the same time, the war on drugs has been a dismal failure.  America’s jails are overflowing.

 

When I came across an article by Mindelle Jacobs in the May 12, 2009 edition of the Standard Freeholder, I was astonished by her claim that the tide is changing in the U.S.  and that the liberalization of marijuana laws may be just around the corner. I suspect that Harper’s  Conservatives must be reeling with this news,  getting their spin doctors primed up, while concurrently proposing  amendments in Canada which include a mandatory 6 month jail sentence for growing even one marijuana plant!  Oh, I see. The repressive methods have been a dismal failure in the U.S. but now we’re going to put people in jail here in Canada for holding one pot plant. Unbelievable.

Cigarette Smuggling Out of Control in Cornwall, Ontario!

The latest media coverage in the Cornwall  Standard Freeholder concerning the incredible amount of cigarette smuggling through Cornwall and area is both shocking and puzzling, and raises more questions than answers.

 We have been told that 90% of illegal cigarettes make it across our border each year, representing 50 million cartons. Cornwall, unwittingly, has become the recipient of these smugglers, who commit crimes as they cross the international border. However, our community bears the brunt and the stigma attached to this activity.

David Icke exposes New World Order: Predictions accurate from 1995

David Icke is arguably one of the most controversial activists in the world, speaking out for at least twenty years about the ‘prison planet’ in which we live. He is the author of many books that explain how the Illuminati, the wealthy and powerful at the top of the pyramid, secretly control the world and  have been pursuing a covert agenda towards a New World Order since the 19th century.

 David is currently on a 2 year, world tour, giving long and elaborate presentations exposing the details about how the Zionist Illuminati are using the media, government leaders, banks, corporations and a long list of ‘others’ to “dumb down” the population while dis-empowering them at the same time. He refers to the ‘global fascist state’ as the goal of the Illuminati, a state in which there is complete allegiance to the state, not unlike the theme of George Orwell’s prescient novel, “1984.

Creating Fear to Control the Population: Flu Pandemic and the New World Order

With the recent Mexican flu outbreak and subsequent pandemic there has been much fear and panic around the world. Governments, using the mainstream media, have deliberately and shamefully engaged in fear mongering, not unlike the tactics used when a flu virus emerged in the U.S. in 1976.  It was all smoke and mirrors.

 The media conjures up thoughts about hundreds of dead people being wheeled away in death carts when they use the world “pandemic” – which simply means that the virus has spread around the world. There is no implication that thousands will die, or that our lives are in peril. Anyway, many thousands of people die each year from the flu worldwide, especially in a poor country like Mexico.

 So, it’s time to connect a few dots and discover what’s really going on.

War, Slaughter & Death in Gaza and the Emerging New World Order

The recent events in Gaza, and the death toll of over 1300 Palestinians is finally, often grudgingly receiving attention on the world stage, after continual Israeli attacks on Gaza which have been savage, cruel and grotesque to the extreme.

To understand these events, why they happened and the historical context of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, it is necessary to understand the meaning of the term, Zionism, and to be aware of its origins.

  Zionism is a political ideology which has been around since the 19th century, well disguised and seldom used in the mainstream media, so that an overwhelming majority of the population of the planet have no idea what Zionism means, and therefore, have no opinion about its goals and initiatives.

Zionism is not a reference to Jews. The term does not refer to any religious group or race. Zionism is based on the belief in the creation and domination of the state of Israel in the world, and Zionists will do anything in their power to further their goals for Israel. These goals include but are not limited to: the sanction on nuclear arms buildup in their neighbouring countries, an unprecedented buildup since 1948 of their own nuclear weapons heavily subsidized by the United States, continuous war or the constant threat of war, and generally any measures that will increase the wealth and power of Israel.

Off the Beaten Path in Costa Rica: NatureAir Flight From Liberia to Quepos

Travelling around Costa Rica by road can be a challenge. At best it will test your patience and drain your energy. The truth is that the pothole filled, single lane, winding roads are great for adventure but fall well short of what we are used to in North America.

 

Therefore, we decided to forget about being road warriors when we planned our March trip from Liberia to Quepos, which is further south on the Pacific coast.  We booked seats with NatureAir, a well-known, environmentally friendly airline of Costa Rica. A 19 passenger, Canadian-made aircraft known as the Twin Otter, provided an aerial adventure for us, and with stops in Tamarindo and San Jose, we got a bird's eye view of a big chunk of the landscape.

 

'COSTA RICA WELLNESS CENTRE' : New Clinic Provides Therapeutic Massage and Chiropractic to Improve Health & Well Being of Tourists

If you are on vacation in Costa Rica, and within reach of Playas del Coco, and you are interested in stimulating, even exponentially improving your own personal health, you 'might want to pay a visit to the Costa Rica Wellness Centre and experience the essence of 'Pura Vida.

 The CR Wellness Centre is located in a small strip mall, half way between the downtown of "El Coco" and Playa Ocotal, on the Pacific Ocean Guanacaste coast. This area is part of Costa Rica's most important tourist zone, and the Centre is only 30 minutes from the Liberia International Airport.

The storefront location may resemble other massage centres, but once you enter the building, you may be as lucky as I was, to discover treatment plans and nutritional information that will literally whisk you off of your feet, and give you some insights about your own body that will amaze you.

At the Wellness Centre there are many different services, which can be tailored to individual needs. The Spa specializes in one-hour massages, provided by any of six hard working and dedicated Costa Rican masseuses, and available for a very competitive price of $49. per hour!  Relax and enjoy.

However, if you're going to be in the area for a while, the Centre will sell you a "package" of massages, for 5, 10, or more hours. The good news is that the hourly rate goes down with more massages, so you can end up paying a $35. per hour rate or even less, by taking a package. Try getting those prices at home!

The CR Wellness Centre is one of a few licensed commercial spas authorized by the Costa Rican government to provide multiple health services and preventative medical treatments. You can reach the Centre at 8868-7168 or 2670-0627

Former Prime Minister Paul Martin Betrays Canada: Says Canadians Need to Give Up Sovereignty!

In a speech last month at the University of Ottawa, former Prime Minister Paul Martin spoke about the changing world today, and the concessions that Canadians would have to make.

In this video clip you will hear the former prime minister talk about Canadians having to "give up a little bit of their sovereignty" in order to tackle the new realities.

  This is an unprecedented statement and it is unbelievable that a Canadian audience would tolerate such a treasonous statement. Here was a room full of academics sitting quietly, being told by Martin to prepare for a Canadian future where the concept of "Canada" would be in jeopardy. Not a sound was heard; not one delegate rose to his feet to defy the remark.

Naomi Klein Puts Global 'Economic Crises' in Perspective: World Citizens are Getting Wise to Corrupt Governments

All of Them Must Go

By Naomi Klein

February 10, 2009  - Watching the crowds in Iceland banging pots and pans until their government fell reminded me of a chant popular in anti-capitalist circles in 2002: “You are Enron. We are Argentina.”

Its message was simple enough. You--politicians and CEOs huddled at some trade summit--are like the reckless scamming execs at Enron (of course, we didn't know the half of it). We--the rabble outside--are like the people of Argentina, who, in the midst of an economic crisis eerily similar to our own, took to the street banging pots and pans. They shouted, "¡Que se vayan todos!" ("All of them must go!") and forced out a procession of four presidents in less than three weeks. What made Argentina's 2001-02 uprising unique was that it wasn't directed at a particular political party or even at corruption in the abstract. The target was the dominant economic model--this was the first national revolt against contemporary deregulated capitalism.

It's taken a while, but from Iceland to Latvia, South Korea to Greece, the rest of the world is finally having its ¡Que se vayan todos! moment.

The stoic Icelandic matriarchs beating their pots flat even as their kids ransack the fridge for projectiles (eggs, sure, but yogurt?) echo the tactics made famous in Buenos Aires. So does the collective rage at elites who trashed a once thriving country and thought they could get away with it. As Gudrun Jonsdottir, a 36-year-old Icelandic office worker, put it: "I've just had enough of this whole thing. I don't trust the government, I don't trust the banks, I don't trust the political parties and I don't trust the IMF. We had a good country, and they ruined it."

'Dental Tourism' in Costa Rica is Booming

Editor's Note:

This article on dental tourism comes on the heels of two trips to Liberia, Costa Rica by my wife and I, for the purposes of getting extensive dental work done.

Between the two of us we had the following work done by a Dr. Parra in Costa Rica: 7 crowns, 2 veneers, 1 root canal, and more than 15 porcelain fillings, several to replace the original, amalgam fillings. Additionally, we had ZOOM whitening done which made a vast improvement.

We are both extremely satisfied with the quality of work and the work ethic at Enrique Parra Dental Care and highly recommend these aesthetic dental services.

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The predominant English language newspaper in Costa Rica, The Tico Times, recently reported that overall tourism in Costa Rica is in a downturn because of the global economic crisis, but other niche tourism markets, such as medical and dental providers, are holding their own and even increasing.

What has become known as 'dental tourism' in the country, is bringing tourists to Costa Rica in droves, despite the current recession. Given that prices are so much lower than other countries, tourists can subsidize their vacation costs, by incorporating dental treatments and pocketing the extra cash and using it for hotel and flight expenses.

President Ortega Makes Shady Deal with Aleman: Nicaraguan Democracy on Life Support

 The recent report on Nicaraguan politics in the January 30, 2009 edition of the Tico Times is a sad indictment of the way this country has been run under the Daniel Ortega government.

When you start connecting the dots, it is clear that as always the rich and the political elite manipulate the poor and defenceless as they always have.

Take the case of the former president, Arnoldo Aleman who was "pardoned" for a money laudering conviction, only hours after his legislative candidates "supported the Sandanista's bid to take control of the National Assembly" in January, 2009!

Chief Prosecutor of Costa Rica is Tough on Crime: Faces Uphill Battle

Editor's Note:

The following article was submitted as a letter to the editor to the Tico Times, and is unpublished at the present time. The Tico Times is the predominant English language newspaper in Costa Rica.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Editor:

 I think is is really a cause for concern when the Chief Prosecutor of Costa Rica, Fransisico Dall'Anese admits to the press that the country has a serious drug trafficking problem, and that the current criminal laws are outdated and unfortunately, represent the country's denial of organized crime.

In an interview with the Tico Times published in the January 30, 2009 edition, Dall'Anese's frustration dealing with Costa Rica's increase in criminal activity comes through loud and clear.

Basically, the increased power and wealth of the elite in Costa Rica over the past 20 years have caused more poverty and social inequality, so that the poor and the impoverished have turned to crime as a way of life.

Tourism, Crime and Personal Security in Costa Rica

Playas del Coco is a typical tourist spot on Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast. The town is a mix of local people and tourists living side by side. The dwellings of many of the locals are primitive, and are basically shacks with no flooring, no windows and garbage strewn everywhere.

However, the locals are not starving because there is no one begging for food or money as you walk past. The tourism dollars are the heart of this coastal town. Jobs and services of all kinds are directly related to tourism.

During the daylight hours, everything seems normal in this community. There is one main street in Playas del Coco, which contains a mixture of shops, bars, grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, and 'sodas'- small eateries in Costa Rica that are popular with the locals. 

Cornwall Taxpayers Cannot Afford a $25,000,000 Hockey Sportsplex During Current Economic Crisis

In response to Sheila Tremblay’s letter to the Cornwall Standard Freeholder, in which she is critical of a  proposed $25M three-pad hockey arena, I would agree that there are a number of things "wrong with this picture."

 Ms Tremblay points to the fact that there is no money(or willingness to spend it) on existing recreation facilities in Cornwall such as children's swimming pools, when in fact, this would be taxpayer money well spent. Any public funds spent for recreational facilities for all children is the right thing to do for all kinds of reasons.

 The picture gets distorted because often we have special interest groups that demand something substantial, and then expect the City to go along with it. In the case of the multi pad arena, we have minor hockey leagues that need ice time, but proportionately, we have the elite, travelling teams playing up to 70 games a year, going to tournaments and hosting tournaments.

 

Book Review Of "In the Land of Long Fingernails: A Gravedigger's Memoir"

Written by Charles Wilkins

Publisher Penguin Group      

ISBN 978-0-670-06555-4

October, 2008

  Former CCVS graduate and resident of Cornwall, writer Charles Wilkins is grateful that he saved a shoebox of notes highlighting his summer job the foundation for his newly released memoir entitled: “In the Land of Long Fingernails- A Gravedigger’s Memoir.”

 

Conservative MP Guy Lauzon's Report Misinforms and Misleads Voters

In response to Guy Lauzon's report of 11/12/08 in the Seaway News, I have to say that his column was filled with misinformation and deception.

 Even the title of the piece, “Let the People Speak,” is a conundrum. The people have already spoken and elected only enough Members of Parliament to form a minority Conservative government.  The voter’s job is now over, and puts his trust in the member representing his riding. Once the newly elected members enter the House of Commons, the rules of Parliament apply.

Canada Resists Conservative "Shock Therapy": Time for Prime Minister Harper to Resign

In a rare occurrence Canadian politics got ample international press coverage this past week, based on the planned coalition of our three opposition parties and a planned vote of non confidence, a decision by the Governor General to grant a prorogue to Stephen Harper, and a huge outcry across Canada.

 Most people are upset albeit for different reasons. Almost everyone agrees that we need a parliament that can function during these tough economic times, and we urgently need legislation to stimulate a faltering economy. But to really understand what has happened and how we got there, we need to back up a bit.

Ontario Government Ignores Privacy Concerns with RFID Driver's Licenses Bill

In a previous letter to the Freeholder in September, I wrote about the sinister, but largely unknown effects of RFID chips, or “spychips” as they are called. I explained that the entire retail industry is focused on implanting RFID chips in merchandise so that goods and their owners can be tracked, and their data can be ‘mined.’

 

I also mentioned that credit card companies are getting into the act. Since my last letter, CIBC VISA has sent me a new microchipped card with almost no information about what the RFID chip is capable of, other than to increase my ‘security.’

 

Did Stephen Harper Have Prior Knowledge of Imminent Financial Crisis Before Calling Canadian Election?

Stephen Harper’s Conservative party continues to hoodwink the unsuspecting public as the current election campaign mirrors the party’s well known, secretive modus operandi.

 The campaign so far, is conspicuous not by what Stephen Harper says, but by what he doesn’t say.

Cancer Industry is Fraudulent and Manipulative

Once again Jason Christoff doesn’t mince any words as he explains the shortcomings of traditional medicine in the so-called “war on cancer” in his latest article in the Seaway News.

 There are so many examples of hypocrisy in the cancer industry. Jason aptly points out that patients are not properly briefed on the carcinogenic effects of radiation and chemotherapy. It’s a bit of an understatement especially when patients end making a life and death decision based on blind trust.

Minority Government is Preferred in Canada Since We Can’t Trust Politicians

It’s election time again and we can expect the media owners to rub their hands together, as the candidates and their handlers get prepared to spend the millions of dollars that it will take. Federal elections, like wars, are good for business.

Big Brother “Spychips”= Mass Surveillance by Sleight of Hand

Just when we thought that we had our hands full with an upcoming Canadian election, a demoralizing and futile war in Afghanistan, and an irrelevant and diversionary American election, there’s something else to be concerned about.

 In a new book called “Spychips,” by Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre, a new technology called “RFID” is predicted to remove our remaining privacy and put us all under a threat of surveillance.

Comcast Being Investigated- Details Available at SavetheInternet.com

The Federal Communications Commission in the United States is on the verge of finding the largest cable company in the country, in violation of federal policy regarding how consumers use the Internet. This decision will set a precedent in the U.S. regarding how much control phone companies and cable companies will have over Internet freedom in the future.

Death of Free Internet is Imminent- Canada Will Be Test Case

Editor's Note: 

This article has been edited from its previous version and criticism of individual corporations has been removed. I have done this editing reluctantly but on the other hand I wish to protect the integrity of what I write on this website. My only wish is for the truth to come out and that our freedoms are protected.

However, my thoughts and opinions regarding the death of the Internet have not changed and I intend to do more research and write further about what will undoubtedly become the end of the free, unregulated transfer of information over the Internet, unless more people are willing to speak out and put pressure on our governments and corporations.

I apologize to any readers who feel I have misled them in any way, and I can assure you that it is never my intention. To the many readers who have contributed feedback, both positive and negative, I thank you for your contributions.   KP

Conservatives in Denial about North American Union and Canadian Sovereignty

Some of your readers may remember the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership) Conference held at Montebello, Quebec in August, 2007. Primer Minister Harper hosted Presidents Bush and Calderon in what turned out to be a major fiasco.

The Quebec Provincial Police admitted that undercover police infiltrated a peaceful protest against the SPP Conference, whose mandate is for the 3 countries to work towards the formation of a North American Union. An embarrassing video of the failed attempt to provoke violence by the undercover cops was posted for the world to see on Youtube. So far the Conservative government has failed to conduct an inquiry in to this anti-democratic tactic, and has moved Canada one step closer to a police state.

When the conference (no media present) was over, Harper basically laughed in the face of all Canadians when he said the sessions were about regulating the trade of “jellybeans” between the 3 countries. Bush smirked in his trademark smile and warned of conspiracy theorists dreaming up nonsense. The media was silent, basically complicit with government in its failure to the public to investigate and report on the whole SPP issue.

So why have a big conference at a huge expense for all Canadian taxpayers last August? And why did Harper go to New Orleans on April 28, 2008 for a 4th SPP conference in 4 years? To count jellybeans?

Canadian Government Colludes with 'Big Pharma' to Remove Individual Freedoms

There’s no doubt that the big corporations continue to flex their global muscles and exercise their control over us. We see it everywhere each and every day. Governments are controlled by big business, and big business sets the agenda.

Take the influence of Big Pharma as an example. I think most people would agree that the pharmaceutical companies control western medicine, and that the answer for so many medical conditions is to take prescription medicines. i.e. drugs. Doctors move from one examination room to another with their prescription pads in their hands, and we have been conditioned to expect pills to cure what ails us.

Last month, the Minister of Health introduced a new law in parliament, C-51, which will give the Canadian government broad reaching powers to regulate the sale of all herbs, vitamins, supplements and other items, which are NOT presently included under the Food and Drug Act. C-51 will change key terminology in the Act such as replacing “drug” with “therapeutic product.”

This change in language will mean that items such as: bottled water, vitamins and dandelion greens and basically all plant derived substances will fall under this generic category of “therapeutic product.”

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what is going on here. Big Pharma is losing money, lots of money because more and more Canadians are turning to natural medicine. Big Pharma has been pressing both the American and Canadian governments to eliminate natural heath products through government legislation.

Big Pharma wants to eliminate up to 60% of natural health products currently sold in Canada, and to eventually criminalize the sale and distribution of natural health care products. This all sounds unbelievable at first, but is well documented at StopC51.com

I don’t expect that our Conservative member, Guy Lauzon, will disagree with his Health Minister, and will likely trot out the “health and safety of all Canadians” argument as a defense for C-51, but this would simply be a smokescreen. The Conservatives need to stand up to Big Pharma and say “no” to this blatant attempt to control people’s choices and their spending habits.

If Canadians want to use homeopathic medicines, various vitamins or Melatonin, I think they should have a right to do so, without getting a costly prescription. It’s time for the Conservative government to stand up to Big Pharma.

I hope readers will do the right thing and let their own Member of Parliament know your feelings on this important issue. For suggestions on how to do that please consult a 'fact sheet' which has been prepared by Stop C51

North American Union Imminent- NWO Around the Corner

Nicaraguan Government Invests in San Juan del Sur

Nestled in a beautiful cove on the Pacific coast near the Costa Rican border is San Juan del Sur, at one time a small fishing village but presently undergoing a transformation into a well- known tourist destination in Nicaragua.

Getting there from Mangua, the capital city of Nicaragua, takes about 3 hours. Most of the travel is along the Pan American highway, a single lane road which connects the Central American countries, from Guatemala in the north all the way to Panama in the south. However, once you turn off the main highway, the last 18 kilometers takes about 45 minutes on a road which looks and feels like an off-road zone for motorcycles.

Thankfully, the national tourism office of Nicaragua has finally realized that to bring in tourism revenues to San Juan del Sur(SJDS), you have to get the people there. So this year, after several bridges were washed out during the rainy season and vehicles had to play ‘chicken’ every time they negotiated the potholes, big improvements are being made in SJDS and surrounding area.

The town of several thousand people is undergoing a huge facelift, especially in the downtown. The streets are being dug up, and replaced with rough asphalt suitable for a hot climate. Certain streets are being paved with flat stones. New tourist-related businesses are opening and the beachfront restaurants are improving their facades. It’s been a noticeable change in the past year, ever since the new Daniel Ortega government decided that San Juan del Sur would become part of the long term investment plan for Nicaraguan tourism. It may be no coincidence also, that SJDS is a safe seat for Ortega’s Sandanista government.

Living in Granada, Nicaragua in February, 2008

Living in Granada, Nicaragua is a pleasant experience. Average daily temperatures are about 30° C and there is usually a breeze coming off Lake Nicaragua. This part of the world gets around 300 days of sunshine each year. It’s a good place to spend the winter.

The people are friendly at every turn, and there’s not a day that goes by that someone, usually more than one person, gives you a smile even if you refuse the vendor’s cashews, or the currency exchanger or the women carrying fruit trays on their heads.

It seems that everyone is a vendor as we thread our way along the Calle Commercial each day for our breakfast. This is the open market where you can find just about anything you need. The street is so crowded with people that the big buses can hardly drive by.

Once off the market street, you can enter what’s left of the indoor market palladium, circa 1930, where there are rows and rows of vendor stalls, and wares that can be bargained for. And unlike the souks say of Tunisia and Turkey, the Nicaraguans are really laid back, eating their snacks and visiting the other vendors while they work, almost oblivious to the 4 curious Canadian tourists passing by.

For many of the locals, the market is where they endure, either to sell, barter or buy the goods they need. Prices are low, and there are enough meats, fruit, vegetables, pastries, drinks, poultry, eggs, and herbs to feed even the largest family. Last week we watched a 12 year old boy carrying a squealing pig under his arm, perhaps under instructions from his father to get as many cordobas( 18.8 = $1.) as he could muster at the market, but unknowingly giving practical meaning to the nursery rhyme which begins: “this little piggy went to market.”

Economic Activity and Tourism in Guatemala

Our first glimpse of the physical features of this country came during a Guatemala City tour when we viewed a three dimensional map about the size of a small children’s playground. From our vantage point about thirty feet on a platform the most obvious thing about the topography was the ubiquitous mountain ranges in the country.

Our tour guide pointed out that about 70% of the country is mountainous, including 32 volcanoes, several of which are still active. The fascinating part about Guatemala is how the physical features really determine the settlement and growth patterns in the country. The principles of economic geography are at the heart of this evolution.

Firstly, the mountain ranges are not conducive to agriculture since the rich volcanic material of the ice ages has taken the best agricultural soil into the valleys between the mountains so this is where the crops are planted. Many of the homes take advantage of the rich soil near the bottom and form sloped terraces where the soil is above average and rain water is more plentiful.

Crops of all kinds are grown including: onions, tomatoes, herbs, sugar cane, bananas, pineapples, citrus, and grains, in just about every location that is capable of agricultural output.

So, in a mostly agricultural society, farmers predominate and people around them produce/import other goods like clothing, footware, furniture, hardware, housewares, crafts and other goods that people need for day to day living.

The tourist trade is an added part of this equation since tourists bring discretionary dollars to a needy population.

The effect of increased numbers of tourists brings more wealth to the region but if there are too many tourists the net effect is an increase in prices for the locals as well.

Craft vendors in Antigua, a well developed, colonial tourist town near Guatemala, are mostly Mayan natives with little disposable income. They are faced with long rides from their poorer neighbourhoods in order the sell to tourists on the streets. Most will never be able to afford to open a business in Antigua so they are relegated to an inferior status on the streets, even though their goods may be of reasonable quality and offered at a fair price.

Essentially, there are fewer vendors on the streets of Antigua, since the tourists are attracted to the fancy shops and boutiques owned by companies of all sizes.

So, the dilemma for government tourist promoters is to ensure that the local vendors and market stall operators continue to benefit from the tourism dollars. By excluding them in towns like Antigua, they and their families will not benefit from more tourism.

As often happens, initiatives like tourism development that give the poor a boost in the beginning, end up being circumvented and gradually provide more revenue for those who least need it, the already well-heeled business types.

A balance must be struck to get the money moving downwards to those in society who need it the most.