Wisdom is the result of a happy marriage between intelligence and experience.
© Carl Dow, Editor and Publisher, True North Perspective
Friday, July 16, 2010, Vol. 5, No. 32 — 236
"True North is for opinion leaders"
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By Tamara Pearson
Venezuelanalysis.com
8 July 2010 — MERIDA, Venezuela — Francisco Chavez Abarca, who was recently extradited to Cuba, confessed to having been contracted by Luis Posada Carriles to carry out destabilising acts in Venezuela leading to the September national assembly elections.
A key opposition strategy in recent years before Venezuela elections has been to promote riots, as well as scarcity of certain food items, combined with media campaigns to create a sense of insecurity among the Venezuelan population.
Chavez Abarca, on arriving at Caracas international airport last Thursday, was arrested and taken to the SEBIN (Bolivarian Intelligence Service) headquarters for questioning.
And on Tuesday, Venezuela president Hugo Chavez announced that alleged drug trafficker Carlos Renteria, who is wanted in Colombia, had been captured by Venezuelan authorities the day before. Renteria is also wanted in the United States for conspiring to import, possess, and distribute cocaine, El Correo Del Orinoco reported.
According to El Espectador, the US state department is offering $5 million for his capture, and on Tuesday Chavez announced that Renteria will be extradited to the U.S. — Read the full article inside, 814 words.
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By James Suggett
Venezuelanalysis.com
14 July 2010 — On Tuesday, July 13, Venezuela extradited three suspected drug traffickers, one of whom was on the US Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) top ten most wanted list.
Minister for Justice and Internal Affairs Tarek El-Aissami said the deportation demonstrates the Venezuelan government's commitment to drug enforcement, in spite of accusations by the U.S. government that Venezuela is non-cooperative in the fight against drugs.
Venezuelan security forces have detained 22 suspected drug traffickers of distinct nationalities who were wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the US, Belgium, France, Italy, and Colombia over the past four years, according to the National Anti-Drug Office. — Read the full article at Venezuelanalysis.com, 310 words.
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Editor's Notes
Friday, July 16, 2010
True North Perspective
Vol. 5, No. 32 (236)
16 July 2010 — We are an edition or two away from achieving our goal of a new and more sophisticated presentation.
We had hoped, in vain, to arrive there with this edition. We have the formula worked out but learning the mechanics is taking more time than expected. When we succeed we'll be able to produce your favourite reading and viewing in half the time and therefore half the effort.
Until then, we'll continue with abbreviated editions. Your comments, as usual, will be much appreciated. Read the full article inside, 502 words.
"News is what (certain) people want to keep hidden. Everything else is just publicity."
PBS journalist Bill Moyers.Your support makes it possible for True North to clear the fog of "publicity" and keep you informed on what's really happening in the world today. Please send your donation to:
Carl Dow, True North, Station E, P.O. Box 4814, Ottawa ON Canada K1S 5H9.
By Alex Binkley
Contributing Editor
True North Perspective
16 July 2010 — What if Richard Fadden, the suddenly controversial Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, actually meant to say what has landed him in hot water?
Fadden, a fly below-the-radar style of bureaucrat, has come in for quite the public scolding since his seemingly unguarded comments on CBC about foreign influence on some unnamed politicians. — Read the full article inside, 815 words.
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From the Desk of Dennis Carr, Sustainable Development Editor
By Mike de Souza
CanWest News Service
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6 July 2010, OTTAWA — Federal politicians from the government and opposition benches have mysteriously cancelled an 18-month investigation into oilsands pollution in water and opted to destroy draft copies of their final report, Canwest News Service has learned.
The aborted investigation comes as new questions are being raised about the Harper government's decision to exempt a primary toxic pollutant found in oilsands tailings ponds from a regulatory agenda.
The government is in the process of categorizing industry-produced substances that could either be toxic or harmful, but has excluded naphthenic acid — a toxin from oilsands operations — from the list, and left it off another list of substances that companies are required to track and report.
The exclusion is "alarming" according to a letter sent Tuesday to Environment Minister Jim Prentice and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, since the federal and Alberta governments have already identified it as a primary source of pollution in liquid waste dumped into ponds after companies extract oil from the region. — Read the full article at The Montreal Gazette, 824 words.
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From the Desk of Bob Kay, Contributing Editor, Montreal
By David Batty
The Guardian
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8 July 2010, OTTAWA — A 43-year-old Iranian woman will not be stoned to death after an international campaign launched by her children.
It is unclear whether the authorities have lifted the death sentence for alleged adultery against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani or if she faces execution by another means.
Mohammadi Ashtiani endured a sentence of 99 lashes after being convicted in May 2006 of conducting an "illicit relationship outside marriage". But her case was reopened when a court in Tabriz suspected her of murdering her husband.
She was acquitted, but the adultery charge was reviewed and a death penalty handed down on the basis of "judge's knowledge" — a loophole that allows for subjective judicial rulings where no conclusive evidence is present. — Read the full article at The Guardian, 297 words.
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By Lakshmi Sundaram
True North Perspective
First published in the West Quebec Post
16 July 2010 — My cousin died recently, he was 48, a chronic alcoholic. Liver failure. He leaves his ex- wife, his daughters, his demented father, and his brothers. Over the years, everyone suffered trying to save him and it seems everyone also learned that they could not.
Steven was a passionate and charming man, a fantastic mechanic. I can picture now his chewed nails blackened with grease and the way he would lean over his motorcycle when he was racing. — Read the full story inside, 746 words.
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By Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair
True North Perspective
Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair is the author of The Neglected Garden and two French novels. Visit her website to learn more, www.albertevilleneuve.ca.
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16 July 2010 — In June while Ontarians celebrated Seniors Month which is an opportunity to recognize and value the contributions made by seniors everyday across the province, my dear friend, Colette St-Denis launched the Orléans Villa Memoirs, a collection of wonderful life stories of "unsung heroes" as Colette calls them ... Simple people whose courage and faith saw them through the depression and the war, resourceful people who knew how to "make do" with what was available and enjoyed happiness one bite at a time till things got better ... Today these seniors enjoy life at Orléans Villa and look back with fond memories and pride in what they accomplished. Let me introduce some of those residents. — Read the full article inside, 1,029 words.
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Spirit Quest
By The Rev. Dr. Hanns F. Skoutajan
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16 July 2010 — Our school group in the wilds of northern Saskatchewan sang this anthem with gusto and pride. Many of us still struggled with the English language having only recently come to this country, so I guess it is understandable that some of us wondered who are Victoria, Happy and Gloria who are being sent for.
It was in the summer of 1939 that the Royal Couple toured Canada for the last time before the war. Many of the young men and women who came to wave at them would soon enlist and go abroad to fight for this king and country, some never to return.
Living in the northwestern part of the province few were able to see the Royals in person. Only a few had motorized vehicles and were able to make the trip south to the transcontinental rail line to stand at some whistle stop and wave at King George and Queen Elizabeth as they stood on the observation platform of their rail coach while it slowly pulled past. Those of us with only a horse and wagon remained behind. — Read the full article inside, 783 words.
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By Frances Sedgwick
True North Perspective
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16 July 2010 — Slum Landlords are deserving of special notice and the Parkdale Tenants' Association (PTA) will present their Golden Cockroach award on August 18 to the worst slum landlord of the year.
Since the early 70's, the Parkdale Tenants Association has been working in the Parkdale district of Toronto, Ontario in order to promote and defend tenants rights. It is the oldest tenant's organisation in Canada still meeting regularly to help tenants fight the many slum landlords in Parkdale. I am proud to have been one of the founding members.
At its regular meeting July 14 at Parkdale Community Legal Services on Queen Street West, more than 25 members of the PTA decided to award their prestigious Golden Cockroach Statuette to MetCap Living, a company that has bought up a lot of properties in Parkdale, as well as other areas, and truly run them in the worst traditions of slum landlords. — Read the full article inside, 361 words.
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Health Watch
CBC News
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12 July 2010 — Canadian adults can take more vitamin D supplements than recommended under previous guidelines, Osteoporosis Canada says.
Current Canadian recommendations for vitamin D intake are more than 10 years old and are based on preventing rickets, not properly conducted dosing studies, researchers said in Monday's issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The new guidelines recommend daily supplements of: — Read the full article at CBC News, 445 words.
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True North Perspective's Randy Ray corresponds from deep in the high mountain country of the B.C. interior and sends the following missives as he sips his favorite beverage while overlooking Kootenay Lake, eight kilometres north of Nelson, British Columbia. — Read the full article inside, 390 words.
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By Geoffrey Dow
Managing Editor
True North Perspective
Originally published at Edifice Rex Online
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16 July 2010 — Tim Burton's movies just keep getting dumber.
Having now watched this bland and witless travesty of a take on Lewis Carroll's immortal diptych, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-Glass, I can only imagine that Burton's next project will be a "re-visioning" of Winnie the Pooh, one in which the bear of very little brain — no doubt played by a pumped-up Johnny Depp — will be on a mission of vengeance: not to trap the heffalump, but to slay it.
Worst of all, Winnie-ther-Pooh, Heffalump-Slayer, will succeed in gory 3-D, only after we have been forced to sit through a back-story that includes Kanga's prescient investments in the Australian coal-mining industry and Piglet's unhappy marriage to Eyore's cheating cousin, Beyoncéyore. — Read the full article inside, 1,748 words.
In case you missed it ... and always worth repeating
Let's say that news throughout human time has been free. Take that time when Ugh Wayne went over to the cave of Mugh Payne with news that the chief of his group had broken a leg while chasing his laughing wife around the fire. That news was given freely and received as such with much knowing smiles and smirks to say nothing of grunts of approval or disapproval. — 688 words.
An eclectic collection of short stories that will stir your sense of humour, warm your heart, outrage your sense of justice, and chill your extra sensory faculties in the spirit of Stephen King. The final short story, the collection's namesake, The Old Man's Last Sauna is a ground-breaking love story.
The series begins with Deo Volente (God Willing). Followed by The Quintessence of Mr. Flynn, Sharing Lies, Flying High, The Richest Bitch in the Country or Ginny I Hardly Knows Ya, One Lift Too Many, The Model A Ford, the out-of-body chiller, Room For One Only and O Ernie! ... What Have They Done To You! The series closes with the collection's namesake, The Old Man's Last Sauna, a groundbreaking love story. All stories may also be found in the True North Perspective Archives.Prolific best-selling Ottawa author and publicist Randy Ray has developed a website to promote his publicity services, which he offers to authors, publishers and companies. Mr. Ray has helped many clients get their message out across Canada on CTV, CBC Radio, CH-TV, A-Channel and Global TV, and in Source, Source, Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun, Halifax Herald and many Ottawa-area weekly newspapers. Mr. Ray's web site is: www.randyray.ca. He can be contacted at: (613) 731-3873 or rocket@intranet.ca.
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Link not working? Story not loading? Can't click on the links? Got another computer problem? Never fear! Carl is here!
If you have any problems with accessing the newsletter or problems with your computer, send an email to Carl Hall chall2k5@gmail.com , and he will be more than happy to assist you.
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Archives
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Yvette Pigeon, 1934-2010, National Editor, 2006-2010
Carl Dow, Editor and Publisher
Geoffrey Dow, Managing Editor
Dennis Carr, Sustainable Development Editor
Benoit Jolicoeur, Art Director
Ian Covey, Director of Photography
Carl Hall, Technical Analyst and Web Editor
Randy Ray, Publicity
Contributing Editors
Anita Chan, Australia
Canada
Nick Aplin, Ottawa
Alex Binkley, Ottawa
Dennis Carr, Vancouver
Tom Dow, Sudbury
Bob Kay, Montréal
Randy Ray, Ottawa
Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair, Ottawa
David Ward, Ottawa
Harold Wright, Ottawa
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