Those Poor, Poor Socialists

Sun Shines on the Truth About Tanning

During my seven years as part owner of two tanning salons in Edmonton, the number one issue that was raised by my clients was regarding the dangers of sun exposure. For years the indoor tanning industry, backed by the findings of revealing scientific studies, has preached that moderate exposure to ultraviolet light has health benefits. Conversely, medical and charity associations have fought to spread the message that any time in the sun (or in a tanning bed) was bad for you. This so-called 'sun scare coalition' has spent millions in their attempt to stop people from tanning - and keep clients out of reputable tanning salons. The Canadian tanning industry took a big hit this past spring when the huge national chain Fabutan was slapped with a $62,500 fine for allegedly promoting unproven benefits of sun exposure. (In addition, Fabutan president Douglass McNabb paid a $12,500 donation to the Direct MS Charity of Alberta. God only knows what ultraviolet light and MS have in common...)

Right when the tanning industry needed a break comes the inevitable report from the Canadian Cancer Society. Those who firmly believe that the truth with always be revealed will love what is included in the document. Unable to hold back scientific fact any longer, the CCS was forced to admit that the sun does actually have benefits to humans, and that exposure can have positive health effects specifically in the area of vitamin D production. The specifics are still up for debate, including the stated '5 minutes of exposure' that they say is enough for everyone to get their vitamin D shot. This doesn't take into account varying skin types and cultural backgrounds. A light-skinned person will need much less exposure than a dark-skinned person to get the same result.
This notwithstanding, the admission signals the beginning of a shift in the attitudes towards sun exposure in general, as well as the longstanding negative image that is associated with tanning salons. This is good news for someone like me, who hopes to one day get back into the tanning business. I wonder if Mr. McNabb will try to get his money back?

R.I.P Kyoto

Aussie P.M. John Howard meets with
Stephen Harper

In his first (and only) official visit to Canada, Australian Prime Minister John Howard caused a stir in leftwing circles when he offered Canada an alternative to the fatal Kyoto agreement. With Canadian Environment Minister Rona Ambrose all but admitting that our nation could not possibly meet our targets, as well as the slow but steady move of public opinion against the agreement, the Kyoto deal seems to be on life support.

Long seen as nothing more than an international Robin Hood program, the truth of the Kyoto Accord has been seeping out through the media. The Harper government has had to straddle the line of convincing the general public that the Kyoto concept is wrong, while confirming their commitment to the environment. Right when the federal Conservatives were in need of an alternative, along comes fellow rightwinger Howard. It seems that Australia is part of an international group called the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. Also included are: Japan, South Korea, the United States, India, and the People's Republic of China. The latter two are not part of the Kyoto Accord, even though they are two of the top contributors to global warming on Earth.

By offering Canada a place in an international partnership that has realistic targets and an equal playing field, the ill-conceived Kyoto virus can die a quiet death while Canada becomes part of a real solution to climate change.

Liberal Boondoggles: More Sequels Than Rocky

The latest investigative release by Auditor General Sheila Fraser hit the press today, and it was a shining example of yet another Liberal boondoggle. From simple shady accounting to out-and-out fraud, the information shone light on the Crooks Formally Known As The Liberal Government and their mishandling of the financial sinkhole known as the Federal Gun Registry. A budget that has been blown so out of proportion that the original estimate of $119 million must go down as one of the worst program cost projections in the history of our nation. Speeding way past the $2 billion mark, the gun registry has become a comedy of errors. Hidden costs, lost documents, and the ol' Liberal standby - billing for services never rendered, has made even the most fervent gun control supporter to wonder if their is a better way.

Federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day is expected to announce a major adjustment of the registry that would include an amnesty for owners of long guns. This is only what is expected to be the first step of the reorganization of the whole program. Some believe that the government is planning on eventual closure, while other supporters of the Conservatives would like to see restrictions remain on handguns while letting the hunters hunt - which is what the Day announcement should accomplish. Attention is to be turned away from disarming the general public and a new process of attacking crime will be taken; one which will focus more on the criminal and on crime prevention. The task will be to keep the redesigned gun registry fiscally smart while showing results.

Adscam II

With the Harper government moving forward in their attempt to bring former Liberal cronies to justice over the Adscam deal, another potential controversy is brewing over the Liberals gun registry program.

Find out the details here:

http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=42f90f6a-7fbc-48ac-9a41-58fba43d4e2b

1939 All Over Again

I've spent the past week spending every free moment reading the book The Kennedy Curse by author Edward Klein (St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-31292-x). While the purpose of the work is to examine the questionable bad luck a certain infamous American family has experienced, there is one section of the book which intrigues me.

In discussing the life of President John F. Kennedy's father, wartime American ambassador to Britain and all round scoundrel Joe Kennedy, the author goes to great lengths in describing the popular notion of isolationism and outright denial regarding an imminent worldwide threat. Ideals of appeasement surfaced throughout the upper class of society in both the United States and England, with notables such as Charles Lindbergh making several public speeches preaching everything from negotiation with the Nazis to the benefits of a fascist society in America. Only when Germany invaded Poland did these mid-century anti-war activists realize the gravity of the situation. When it was all but impossible to refute the overwhelming evidence, the outspoken pacifists either quickly changed their public opinion or quietly sank out of the public eye altogether. Which brings us to today:

Public opinion in Canada regarding the Afghanistan War seems to change like the springtime weather in Alberta. The latest CTV poll shows the majority of Canadians once again against having our troops overseas. The reasons for being there are either lost on them, or more likely, the former Liberal government and subsequent Conservative administration has failed to properly inform the public as to the reasons why this mission is so important. While there is no one absolute nation that harbours the threat to our freedom, the fight against those who would take our liberty is eerily similar to that of a half century ago. Skeptics point to geography, claiming that a conflict so far away couldn't possibly concern us. Some use the excuse of believing that negotiation is needed for their lack of support. Many use the old Canadian standby: it's an American war. Therefore, as not being American is the foundation of much of our patriotism, we shouldn't be there because the Americans asked for 9/11 (...a direct quote from someone who lives in Manitoba).

Will it take a terrorist strike right here on Canadian soil for us to wake up? Will we need our own 9/11 to occur before we finally realize that the concept of the Trudeau-utopia isn't possible in the real world, especially when there is an entire legion of religious nuts trying to kill us?

Where's Yoda When We Need Him?

Finally....Justice?

The Conservative government announced that it will begin a new investigation into Canada's worst terrorist attack. More than twenty years ago, Air India flight 182 exploded at 31,000 feet off the coast of Ireland. Among the 329 casualties were 160 Canadians (comparatively, there was an estimated 24 Canadians killed on 9/11). Previous investigations were muddled and confused, and the trial of 2 suspects turned into a farce when the prosecution witnesses were excluded outright by the presiding judge. The issue hasn't faded into the Canadian background, and the desire for answers is as strong as ever. Here's what we know:

June 16, 1985: A caller using the telephone number of the Ross Street Sikh Temple in Vancouver booked a single ticket for A. Singh to depart Vancouver via CP Flight 003 to Tokyo for June 22, 1985. The departing passenger was to connect with Air India Flight 301 in Tokyo. This ticket was never picked up because a new decision was made to target two aircraft instead of just one.

June 19, 1985: A telephone caller spent a considerable time with a CP Air booking agent looking for suitable connecting flights to New Delhi for two people traveling in different directions from Vancouver. One passenger was to travel to New Delhi via Air India Flight 182 from Toronto and another via Air India Flight 301 in Tokyo.

June 20, 1985: A man wearing a saffron turban arrived at the downtown ticket office of CP Air carrying a wad of cash. He paid for two tickets. One ticket was for passenger M. Singh flying from Vancouver to Toronto on June 22, 1985 via CP Air Flight 060 and connecting with Air India Flight 182 in Toronto. The other passenger, L. Singh, was to fly to Tokyo on the same day via CP Flight 003 and connecting with Air India Flight 301. He paid $3005 cash for the two consecutively numbered tickets.

June 22, 1985: A clean-shaven, well-dressed man lined up at counter 26 at Vancouver International Airport at around 8 a.m. and insisted the clerk direct-connect his bag with Air India Flight 182 in Toronto. The clerk said she could not do that because he was wait-listed on Air India. The passenger argued and clerk Jeannie Adams relented. While his bag was boarded on the flight leaving from Vancouver, M. Singh did not board the aircraft.

June 22, 1985: At around 11 a.m. another Sikh lined up at the same counter to check in his bag for CP Flight 003 to Tokyo. L. Singh’s bag took off but the passenger did not board his flight.
June 23, 1985: At exactly 6.13 (a.m.) GMT, a bag off-loaded from CP Flight 003 at Tokyo’s Narita Airport exploded as it was being taken to waiting Air India Flight 301. Two Japanese baggage handlers died and four were wounded.

June 23, 1985: At 7.13 (a.m.) GMT, Air India Flight 182, cruising at an altitude of 31,000 feet lost radar contact with air traffic controllers at Shanwick, Ireland. The flight disintegrated at altitude and the wreckage was scattered along a nine-mile swath of the ocean at 6,000 feet. The voice recorder showed there had been a loud bang aboard the aircraft. It also picked up the hissing sound of the fuselage opening up and a scream. The data recorders showed everything was normal on the aircraft until the explosion. The data recorder also showed a momentary control input by the pilot as he desperately tried to re-configure the aircraft. All 329 aboard were killed, including 60 children aged below 10. Also killed were 22 Americans, 160 Canadians and more than 100 Indian nationals along with others.

- Information courtesy of Salim Jiwa. Jiwa is the author of "The Death of Air India Flight 182" and "Margin of Terror". To order click here: http://www.flight182.com/