Judge stays charges against drug cops
The case has been called the "largest police corruption scandal in Canadian history." Yesterday, the prosecution of six Toronto police drug squad officers came to an abrupt end when Justice Ian Nordheimer stayed the charges, blaming the Crown for its inept handling of the prosecution.
Immediately after the ruling, the packed courtroom erupted in applause as many of the six officers, Staff Sgt. John Schertzer along with constables Steve Correia, Joseph Miched, Raymond Pollard, Richard Benoit and Ned Maodus, broke down in tears after realizing the investigation into their alleged misdeeds that began a decade ago was finally over.
The six veteran officers had been charged with obstruction of justice, perjury, extortion and assault, after allegedly falsifying notes, not getting search warrants, beating up drug dealers and stealing their money while investigating Toronto street gangs.
TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE (METRO, Weekend, February 1-3, 2008).
The Ontario Superior court judge who stayed the charges Thursday criticized Crown prosecutors for "unreasonable" delays in getting the case to trial. The charges were laid in 2004 following a two-year, RCMP-led probe into allegations of corruption, deceit and brutality among members of Toronto's drug squard.
The investigation led to 40 individual charges against the officers, including perjury, theft, extortion and assault causing bodily harm. The RCMP had alleged that from 1995 to 2002, the officers forged notes and police records, gave false testimony and affidavits to obtain search warrants, and failed to account for seized evidence.
The province is now looking at grounds for appeal, McGuinty said. "When these kinds of things happen, you want to do it as quickly as you can without compromising our responsibility to be thoughtful (" Chinta Puxley, "Preem: Dropped police charges troubling", SUNDAY SUN, February 3, 2008).
Traditionally Hand Painted
Coats of Arms
Alcoholism was often cited as a cause of prostitution (Doreen Hopwood, "The Three 'R's: Ruin, Redemption, Rehabilitation. Prostitution in Victorian Society", FAMILY HISTORY, August 2000).
06:43 Hrs. I'm your Venus. I'm your fire. Your Baby desire - unosi sie w Polskim Radiu Toronto na fali 1320 AM. Na dworze pada drobny sniezek. Minus 1-stopniowo. W dzienniku: Hamas nazwal "heroicznym aktem" wyczyn samobojczego dwunoznego zwierzaka, ktory wysadzil sie zabijajac niewinnych ludzi w Izraelu.
ESSO, Shell, Canadian Tire, Petro-Canada biora za litr paliwa $0.98.3.
Pot machines sprout up in L.A.
LOS ANGELES - The city that popularized the fast-food drive-thru has a new innovation: 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines.
Patients suffering from chronic pain, los of appetite and other ailments that marijuana is said to alleviate can get their pot any time at the Herbal Nutrition Centre. The computerized machine requires fingerprint ID and a prepaid card with a magnetic stripe ("Offbeat Sunflashes", TORONTO SUN, Thursday, January 31, 2008).
THE BEST WAY TO SHOW THAT YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS IS TO EXERCISE THEM!
If you are arrested or confronted by the police:
1. FIRST, ask to call your lawyer.
2. Be courteous; do not resist.
3. Do not consent to search or entry.
4. Do not talk about anything; do not admit OR DENY anything.
5. Ask if you are free to go. If you are, GO.
Jeffrey Steinborn
Lawyer
(206) 622-5117
In Canada, however, police will insist on entering the home to search around after any accidental or supposed 911 calls. I say 'supposed' because Canadian police have been known to claim that "a 911 call came from this house, we have to ensure everyone is safe" and gain entry. Over 200 busts have been done that way since 2002! The worst part is that Canadian courts have upheld busts made by police when they invent an emergency 911 call that was, in fact, never made. Another scam in Canada appears to be police bartering with lowlife criminals arrested in some dubious marijuana or drug related charge. The police pry for information about where marijuana is being grown, which mysteriously leads to a call allegedly coming to police "from neighbors" that a home burglary is in progress. Police then enter the "burglarized" premises where they find a grow garden or dried marijuana, and can make a conviction and arrest without the need or use of a warrant. It is also very common for police in Canada to get a warrant over the phone after the fact, meaning they illegally enter, find contraband, then call in to the pliant Justice of the Peace - who, incredibly, does not tell the police that a warrant after the fact is illegal and unconstitutional and recommend they withdraw, but instead gives them the warrant! (Barry Cooper, "To give consent, or not to give consent", CANNABIS CULTURE, Issue 69, Jan.Feb 2008).
20:15 Hrs. Zrywam kartke z kalendarza. Poniedzialek. 4 luty 2008. Dzien dluzszy od najkrotszego dnia w roku o 1 godz. i 32 minuty. Imieniny Andrzeja, Weroniki, Gilberta, Joanny, Jana, Jozefa, Mariusza, Witoslawa.
1508 - Zmarl Konrad Celtes, niemiecki humanista, poeta, jeden z tworcow nowozytnej poezji lacinskiej; wspolzalozyciel "Sodalitas Litteraria Vistulana" w Krakowie; bylo to pierwsze w Europie Srodkowej towarzystwo literackie (ur. 1459 r.).
1938 - Zmarl Karol Rostworowski, poeta, publicysta, muzyk i filozof (ur. 1877 r.).
2007 - Polacy zostali wicemistrzami swiata pilkarzy recznych; jest to najwiekszy w historii sukces polskich szczypiornistow ("Kalendarz Rodzinny").
Santa Maria
Whoever knows Santa Maria. Uses her every day
And always lives in agony. But now she came as I wanted
My lord St. John the Baptist. Jesus Christ and St. Joseph
Now she came as I wanted. Now she came as God wills
Coming as God wills. Therefore all is well
Coming as my father wills. She came as I want
In the will of the Virgin Mary. She's going to be in effect now
She's under my command. And orders me to command
I command those who believe. In Jesus Christ and St. John.
That this is true. That we have our union.
(Hymn in praise of marijuana)
Britain is in danger of becoming a surveillance state as authorities launch bugging operations against 1,000 people a day. Councils, police and intelligence services tap and intercept the phone calls, e-mails and letters of hundreds of thousands of people every year, an official report said. Those being bugged include people suspected of illegally dumping garbage. The report, by Sir Paul Kennedy, the Interception of Communications Commissioner, has fuelled fears that Britain is becoming a state where private communications are routinely monitored. It also found the phones of innocent people were tapped in error. Britain already has more CCTV cameras per person than any other country in the world.
The Daily Telegraph (NATIONAL POST, Saturday, February 2, 2008).
Po fiasku utopijnych idei na Zachodzie islam stal sie dla poszukujacych utopii "egzotyczna obietnica" - mowi Pinn ("Coraz wiecej Niemcow przechodzi na islam", GAZETA 4, 5 - 7 stycznia 2007).
Jak przypominal jeden z uczestnikow, najstarsze partie Koranu wyrazaja szacunek do innych religii i zakaz konwertowania zydow i chrzescijan, bo wszyscy pochodzimy od jednego Boga Abrahama, a ten Bog jest litosciwy i kocha czlowieka. Idea tolerancji i pokoju miedzy religiami znajdowala tam swoje mocne oparcie. Inaczej jednak brzmia juz pozniejsze czesci Koranu (Marek Safjan, "Syndrom Pinokia", NEWSWEEK, 3.06.2007).
Krakow Kardynal Stanislaw Dziwisz nie zamierza spotykac sie z Janem Grossem, autorem ksiazki "Strach". Gross w Kontrwywiadzie RMF FM mowil, ze chetnie porozmawia z kardynalem, ktory o jego ksiazce powiedzial, ze "budzi demony antypolskosci". - Nie przyszedl jeszcze na to czas - komentuje propozycje spotkania rzecznik krakowskiej kurii Robert Nocek ("Przeglad Tygodnia", GONIEC, 18-24 stycznia 2008).
W niektorych medresach dzieci poddawane sa treningowi psychologicznemu dla terrorystow-samobojcow. Jaki mechanizm psychiczny moze nasunac komus mysl, ze zabijanie siebie po to, zeby zabic innych, jest dla niego zbawienne?
Pytanie dotyczy bardzo interesujacej kwestii, a mianowicie relacji miedzy emocjami, racjonalnoscia i wiara. Ma pani racje, mowiac, ze mozna manipulowac czlowiekiem, ale dzieje sie to zawsze na podstawie juz istniejacych emocji. Strach, smutek czy zlosc, ktore w nas istnieja, mozna wzmocnic lub zlagodzic, ale takze podporzadkowac konkretnym celom. Te szkoly ucza nienawisci, ale to nie wystarcza. W tym procesie interesujaca role odgrywa wiara. Jesli ktos naprawde zaczyna wierzyc, ze poza doswiadczanym na co dzien swiatem pelnym terroru i przemocy istnieje lepsze zycie pozagrobowe, to logiczne sie wydaje, ze warto dlan poswiecic ziemski zywot. W tych przypadkach czynnikiem determinujacym nie sa emocje, jest nim wiara ("Antonia Damasio Wszyscy mozemy zmienic sie w bestie", EL PAIS, FORUM 51/52, 17.12.-27.12.2007).
Rokita - to zupelnie inna Rokita niz Rokita opozycyjna. Rozni sie od niej tym, ze ma jedno imie, ale za to dwa nazwiska. Nelli Arnold-Rokita ma tez kilka narodowosci oraz meza Jana, z ktorym laczy ja to, ze do ktorejkolwiek partii by nalezala, zawsze konczy sie to klopotami. Dla tej partii, oczywiscie. Ale poza tym my nie jestesmy obiektywni, bo jak slusznie podejrzewa jej malzonek, w pani Nelli podkochujemy sie od jakiejs dekady (Mazurek & Zalewski, "Alfabet Koalicji", WPROST, 26 grudnia 2007).
- Niemcy wychowaly swoich terrorystow, gotowych do prowadzenia swietej wojny nad Renem. Potwierdzily sie przy tym obawy sluzb specjalnych, ktore przewidywaly, ze niemieccy muzulmanie moga z neoficka gorliwoscia walczyc w dzihadzie...
Wiosna 2006 r. sledczy odkryli w Internecie wiadomosc skierowana do "wspolbraci w wierze", ktora konczyla pozegnalna formulka uzywana zwykle przez kandydatow na zamachowcow. Wyslala ja 40-letnia Sonja B. z Berlina, muzulmanka z krotkim stazem, ktora chciala wiedziec, czy "korzystajac z tak wspanialej okazji" (byloby nia natychmiastowe pojscie do raju w glorii meczennicy) nie moglaby zabrac ze soba malutkiego dziecka? Niedoszla samobojczynie odnaleziono juz spakowana, z biletem do Pakistanu, gotowa na wezwanie do raju...
Wedlug szacunkow federalnego ministerstwa spraw wewnetrznych, w Niemczech zyje od 15 do 40 tys. niemieckich muzulmanow. Nie ma oficjalnych danych - muzulmanskie zwiazki wyznaniowe nie prowadza statystyk. Decyzje o przejsciu na islam podejmuje okolo tysiaca osob rocznie, choc w ubieglym roku bylo ich czterokrotnie wiecej (Anna Tyszecka, "Ciemna strona polksiezyca", POLITYKA nr 44 (2627), 3 listopada 2007).
Szczegolna aktywnosc PO wykazalo w czyszczeniu sluzb specjalnych. Wiceszefem ABW zostal byly funkcjonariusz SB, wiceszef UOP za czasow rzadow postkomunistow Zdzislaw Skorza. Szefem Sluzby Wywiadu Wojskowego mianowany zostal gen. Maciej Hunia, a kontrwywiadu - plk Grzegorz Reszka. To oni po dojsciu do wladzy Millera organizowali w sluzbach specjalnych czystki, wymiatajac solidarnosciowe nabytki i przywracajac PRL-owskie kadry. Kolejni oficerowie z tego zaciagu to Janusz Nosek i Pawel Bialek (Bronislaw Wildstein, "PO jako obiekt kolonizacji", GONIEC, 25-31 stycznia 2008).
Mississauga Policja regionu Peel poszukuje mezczyzny, ktory publicznie masturbuje sie w poblizu budynkow szkolnych w rejonie Camilla Rd. i Queensway. Zboczeniec to dwudziestokilkuletni mezczyzna rasy bialej w okularach. Mial na sobie czarna kurtke skorzana ("Przeglad Tygodnia", GONIEC, 11-17 stycznia 2008).
Blogger DEBBIE WEIL (http://www.blogwriteforceos.com) wrote that users should not be shocked to learn that they don't own the data they input to Web 2.0 sites and hopes this serves as a wake up call. "So if you're using Gmail or Yahoo mail or Flickr or Delicious or YouTube or belong to Facebook or Linkedln or another of the popular social networks, you've given up complete control of your personal information," she said. "You don't, so to speak, 'own' it anymore. Surprised? Don't be. Just don't forget that your personal data may also include your photos and videos and your carefully assembled networks of contacts and their information. And if an online service decides you're persona non grata, your stuff/data/digital trail is gone" (Rafael Ruffolo, "Web 2.0 privacy", COMPUTERWORLD CANADA, January 25, 2008 - www.ITworldcanada.com * www.itbusiness.ca).
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