Instant replay, please!

It is the hand that is talked about world-wide; it is the hand that receives the most coverage since Diego Maradona’s infamous “hand of god.” Yes, Thierry Henry’s handball that directly put France into the World Cup tournament in South Africa is what I want to talk about today, and I have only one take on this topic: introduce instant replay to soccer, and any other sport where a poor judgment call can be so costly.

For those of you who do not follow soccer/football, here’s what happened: in a winner-take-all match between the Republic of Ireland and France, where the winner is qualified to be one of the 32 teams to compete for the World Cup, and the loser is sent home, French star Thierry Henry went off-side and used his hand to move the ball to his right feet, allowing him to pass the ball to teammate William Gallas, who scored the winning goal in extra time. The result? France is going to the World Cup; Ireland is going home.

Back to the issue of instant replay. The “strongest” opposing takes against instant replay fall into one of two sorry categories: one, it will slow the flow of the game down; two, it is against the tradition/culture of the game. Both arguments cannot be more unacceptable, and here's why:

Soccer/Football is already a "slow" sport to begin with, in the sense that it contains a lot of plotting and build-up before the rare goals. In moments where a major dispute occurs, pausing the game for two minutes to make the right call is not any more "wasteful" than watching a player act as if he was shot by bullets, rolling all over the pitch until the referee pulls out a yellow card against another player whose leg did not even touch that rolling player. Is soccer/football fans can bear watching that nonsense happening frequently on the pitch, then waiting two minutes for the referees to make the right call certainly would not be unbearable.

As for the "traditions" of the game. Traditionally, surgeons don't use any anti-septic to clean their surgical instruments, and there were no anesthetics to put one out, does that mean that such old practice should remain in the medical field? Even bringing the talk back to the soccer/football pitch, they did not have the sleek shoes, the aero-dynamic shirts back in the day, so why are companies spending big bucks trying to develop gear that would improve performance by a fraction of a percent?

Fact is, the technology is here, and it can make the game's results that much more convincing. If FIFA truly cares about the development of this "world's sport," it should introduce instant replay before the World Cup. Allow each time to have a maximum number of challenges similar to tennis and American football, but the right call needs to be made, no matter what the sport is, and that's the bottom line.

The Andre Agassi Saga

There may not be a lot of tennis fans out there, but as a long-time tennis fan (and a little bit of a player myself), the recent revelations that retired tennis star Andre Agassi were still big to me.

For those of you who have not followed tennis/sports news, the former tennis great revealed in a book that he had always hated tennis, and was only forced to play by a verbally demanding (or abusive) father. Agassi also told the world that the very famous hair that he had in his early days turned out to be fake. But the most shocking revelation he gave was that he had used crystal meth during his playing time, and lied to the ATP (the professional organization for men’s tennis) about a failed drug test…

Andre Agassi had always been a tennis player that I liked. When he first came out and was rocking that crazy mane, and when he was playing in torn-up jeans, I marveled at his rebellious image (I was young then too). When he showed up, for the first time, at Wimbledon in his all-white tennis attire, I was rooting for him. Later on in his career, he became a standard for determination on the court. Though he was never my favourite tennis player, he was always a player that I liked, and I liked him a lot.

Did these revelations change the way I look at Agassi? Not a whole lot. I have long come to the realization that we really do not know these people – athletes, movie stars, public figures… many of them have a dark side to them, and though I do not condone that dark side, it is no different than a friend who is struggling with substance abuse issues, or a person I work with who is fighting a losing battle against some personal demons. Yes, Agassi is an athlete, and a very famous one at that. He has, like it or not, become a role model for many. If you have been reading from me long enough, you would know that I have always given praise to individuals, but I have long stopped worshipping them or expecting them to be, holistically, a role model (many of them still have attributes we can learn from and model from).

This, however, does not mean Agassi is spared from my criticism. The drug use, the lies he told the ATP aside, I do question his motives behind this. Many have argued that he is not doing this for the money (he was paid five million dollars up front to write this book) but is instead using this in as an emotional therapy to his past demons. While I do not deny the therapeutic side to his actions, I would also question why these revelations were not given without a return, or why they were not revealed while he was still on tour, but instead came after he had retired, and after he has been fading from the limelight. So these revelations are helping himself emotionally… but while he’s at it, he may as well get paid really, really well to do that.

Just another star that has fallen. If anyone is still idol-worshipping after one of these celebrities, you are naïve behind belief…

The following report was produced by CNN. And though the video appears to be distorted somewhat, the pictures seen still speak a million words:

CNN: Living in a Cage in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, a place where its GDP ranks twenty-eighth in the world, where its federal reserve ranks seventh in the world (in terms of amount; had this been measured in terms of per capita wealth, I have a feeling that it would be even higher), also has a Gini Coefficient that ranks FIRST in the world (for those of you who don’t know, the Gini Coefficient measures the discrepancy between the rich and the poor). In a place where the rich gets a lot richer, and the poor gets a lot poorer, the government is doing next to nothing in helping them. On the contrary, the government’s policies are slanted towards the rich and the big corporations (sounds familiar, right, British Columbians?).

If this report was seen in another democratic society, can you imagine the backlash the government will receive? Can you imagine the shame that the government will be put into? And, as a result of the public humiliation the government suffers, it will most likely be doing something immediately to address the problem; otherwise, that government will be going down in flames in the next election. However, because Hong Kong is not a democratic region, with a crippled, non-elected government, government officials do not seem to have the need to address these problems. If you re-watch the clip again and see the way the government responses to CNN’s questions about the “cage houses,” how can you not be angry or even infuriated?

Some pro-government personnel would blast the critics, saying that we are complaining and criticizing all day just to disturb the society’s harmony, and to negatively affect the rule of the government. Only people who support a dictatorship mandate would say such words. The truth is: the culprit in destroying the society’s harmony is the government, who allows the discrepancy between the rich and the poor to go completely out-of-hand with no policies to help those who cannot help themselves. The truth is: the one responsible for crippling the effectiveness of the government is the government itself, who uses policy makers and officials who have no regard to the poor and the needy.

Hong Kong, a place I used to call my home. How did we EVER get to this stage?

Say No to Foie Gras

Today, I came across a blog entry that was absolutely disturbing. It is about a gourmet meal called the foie gras (the literal translation for this dish is “fatty liver”) – basically, this dish involves the cooking of the liver of geese (or ducks).

While the thought of eating an animal’s internal organs in itself may be unpleasant enough to deter you from even considering this dish, there is a lot more to it. While I am no nutrition expert, my biology training tells me that this dish is probably very high in its cholesterol content and thus is not healthy. The liver, the largest filtration organ of an organism, filters all the “junk” we consume, including poisons. Why one would enjoy eating animal livers is beyond me.

But the main reason why this article is written is not because foie gras is an unhealthy meal; it is because the production of this dish involves some very inhumane and gruesome methods, and to me, it was just sickening. I have captured a few images below. A word of warning: these pictures are not suitable for the viewing of everybody – you have been fore-warned.

In order to prepare a dish of foie gras, geese/ducks must be induced into a physiologically sick condition called fatty liver. This is achieved through a process of force-feeding, and assisted by a complete restriction of movement that would allow the animal to use up some of the foods’ energies.

Birds are confined to cages that are just slightly wider than their bodies. The birds cannot spread their wings, and cannot even turn around.
As frequently as three times a day, workers use force to insert a long metal tube (up to 30cm in length) into the bird’s mouth. And food is squeezed into the bird’s stomach. Birds can be injured or even killed during the force-feeding.
The amount of food forced into these animals’ stomach is so substantial that the food may overflow backwards out of the mouth (some articles call that vomiting, but I do not think birds have a vomit reflex) and may suffocate the birds.
If the force feeding is successful, the birds’ livers are progressively enlarged. When the birds are finally slaughtered, their livers can be more than 10x the size of a normal bird.
And all this for a delicacy that people pay a lot of money to eat. I am sorry, but even if it is the best-tasting food in the world, count me out as a person who would want to eat it.
For more information, Wikipedia has a couple of entries that are very good starting reference:
Foie Gras
Foie Gras Controversy

Reconcile in Love

October 10, 2009 will be marked as a day that I’ll remember for a long, long time. And I have to thank a lovely couple, who stepped forward to share with us a story of reconciliation.

As a person of faith, and a follower of Jesus Christ, I was taught, like many other Christians, that God’s love brings about forgiveness, that it brings about healing, and that it brings about reconciliation. We listen to those who have taught us, and believe in what we are taught. In many ways, we even experience these lessons in our lives, to a certain extent: over the years, we have learned to lay down some grudges we’ve held against others. Over the years, we have learned to forget some of the sorrows we have experienced, and replaced them with the current joy. Over the years, as we grow, we have learned to understand that some of the rifts left behind are really not that important anymore. All in all, we understand the lessons, and believe in these lessons.

But you have taken these lessons to a whole new level when you took courage to stand in front of so many people, and share with them, in tears, the most concealed wounds that you have suffered. What we witnessed was your forgiveness to those who have hurt you; what we heard was an unconditional plea to reconcile and an open expression of unconditional love in spite of all old wounds and sorrows. Watching you two, I know that God’s love, through you, are shining a lot brighter than what I have ever been taught.

When I saw the hugs you have given out, I know they were not hugs that came from a moment’s of emotions – they were hugs that signalled the true beginning of reconciliation. Like what was said in your slide show, the road is still difficult, but I trust wholeheartedly that you can make it through.

Thank you, for the loveliest testimony of love. I know there is not a whole lot that I can do, but please believe: from this day on, every step that you two take, will come with our blessings, and will come with our prayers.

To a perfect couple, all the best to you!

Listening to your sharing, I cannot but remember this song, “in the seas of life, time flies right by; but through the changes, I have learned to feel the warmth of this family…” It’d be my prayer that your family will be blessed with love and warmth, for now, and for all the future days ahead.

Shame on You, Marc Emery

I haven’t spoken much on the issue of pot in this blog, and certainly haven’t talked about marijuana activist Marc Emery (aka Prince of Pot) either, but recent news surrounding Emery and his impending extradition to a US prison is certainly worth talking about:

First, some background information for your reading pleasure:

CBC News: Marijuana activist Emery awaits extradition

The Vancouver Sun: Marc Emery's sentence reeks of injustice and mocks our sovereignty

I will talk about my take against the very biased Vancouver Sun article later, but first, let’s talk about the incident:

Marc Emery sold marijuana seeds to the US. This is against the US laws. Whether you agree with the laws in the States in regards to marijuana is irrelevant – he broke US laws knowingly. Canada and the US have extradition agreements. When a Canadian citizen has broken American laws, the US has the right to ask the Canadian government to extradite that person to the US to face prosecution and imprisonment. The same is true when an American breaks Canadian laws. These are objective facts.

If Emery wants to be an activist, and feels that his cause of the nature of civil disobedience, so be it. At least, I can almost respect him for taking a stance on something he believes in (though I would disagree with his stance completely). But, if he wants to be looked at as a martyr, then behave like one! Don’t whine about being extradited, don’t complain that Canada is “selling you out!” Emery KNEW when he sold the seeds to the States that he would be breaking their law! Emery mis-calculated, and now, has to pay for his mis-calculation. If he makes it sound like he didn’t know that this would happen, then either he has too much “hippie lettuce” in his system to think straight, or he is just a liar. Plain and simple.

As for Ian Mulgrew’s column – I have been criticizing this columnist for a very long time, and this is just another example. Look at the facts, Ian! Canada and the US have extradition agreements with each other! People who break the other country’s laws can be summoned for extradition! This is not a humanitarian case where Emery may face execution – he is going to the States for a jail term that he knew he might face. Canada is merely following what it has agreed upon; it is its international duty – how is that selling out our sovereignty?

Bottom line – when one has made a conscious choice, take ownership of the consequence. And please do not throw in the sovereignty card to make your argument sound more patriotic and reasonable – it only shows that you would go out of your way, even if the way is totally unreasonable and inaccurate, to make a point. It does not make you look smart, to say the least.

Hilarious or Worrisome?

Social networking has been extremely popular in recent years. Sites such as “Facebook” and “Twitter” have been used extensively, sometimes excessively, by people young and old. But this latest news is just over-the-top:

cnet News: Facebook break leads to burglary suspect

PC World: Burglar Checks Facebook During Raid, Gets Busted

Jonathan G. Parker, a 19-year-old from Fort Loudoun, Pa., was arrested by police for an alleged burglary. According to the charges, Parker broke into a home and stole two diamond rings that are worth $3500. The quick arrest happened, not strictly due to the police’s efficiency, but more so, because of Parker’s stupidity:

You see, when the victim of the crime came home and realized that someone had broken into her home, she also noticed that her computer was turned on, and on the browser was Parker’s Facebook page. Apparently, Parker could not stop the urge of logging onto his Facebook account during the burglary, and had to log on (but had forgotten to log off).

If you are in the middle of a burglary and you cannot resist logging onto Facebook to check if your “homie” is having lobsters that evening, or if your buddy is having a fight with his girlfriend, you have an addiction problem! Jonathan, if it is not too much to ask, next time you are breaking into someone’s home, bring your smart phone with you so you can twit about your crime, and can update your status without leaving such apparent tracks for the police. So you can update your status as “in the middle of a burglary, hope I won’t get caught…”?! Or so you can twit and say “picked up two diamond rings, score!”?!

Social networking has done wonders for many of us – how many of us have benefitted from these programs that allow us to connect with friends that you have not seen for the longest time? Having said that, it has also created a bunch of us, who seemingly can no longer survive without letting the whole world know about what we are doing. What has happened to sports, to private, quiet reading time, to family time?

As for Jonathan Parker, he may be behind bars for as many as ten years, likely without a chance to Facebook or Twit during that time.

Time to re-examine how we view athletes

The recent news involving Chicago Blackhawks’ star forward Patrick Kane is shocking, but not the least surprising. It merely adds to a long list of athletes who have gone “knuckle-head” to make a fool of themselves.

For those of you who do not follow professional sports and are not aware of the incident, here it is in a nutshell: the 20-year-old forward (left) was returning home with his cousin from a party at 4:00 a.m. this past Sunday on a taxicab. According to reports, the cab fare was $13.80USD. Kane paid the driver $15.00 (some reports said $20.00), and the cab driver could only return $1.00 (or $6.00) in change, claiming that he did not have 20 cents on hand. Kane then was alleged to punch the cab driver in the face, and proceeded to take away the entire taxi fare. Kane and his cousin are now charged for felony robbery and misdemeanour. Kane has entered a “not guilty” plead as of today.

While more recent reports, including one that cites the cab driver’s lawyer, are trying to downplay the incident, and trying to make it sound like it was merely a “minor dispute” that occurred over the fares from the ride, it is indelible that an altercation DID happen and Kane had used excessive force during the incident. The case, in my opinion, would be settled before even going to the court, and charges may be dropped outright, but that does not change the fact that Kane most likely has done something extremely stupid.

Which takes me to my point: how many times have we heard the terms “star athletes” and “crime” linked in a news report? From O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, to Kobe Bryant’s rape accusation, to Michael Vick’s dog-fighting ring, to Michael Phelps’ “bong” incident, to Plaxico Burress’ gun charges, to Kane’s altercation… (I can go on and on) And these are only incidents outside of the playing field/court! Why are we still, as a society, worshipping athletes and other celebrities, and worse yet, teaching our future generation to do the same?

Don’t get me wrong – there are tonnes of athletes and celebrities that are solid citizens, and good role models. Tony Dungy, the retired Indianapolis Colts coach, is an upright man who has set many great examples to others; Jim Abbott, the former California Angels/New York Yankee pitcher, remains an inspiration to people with a physical disability; Warrick Dunn’s story of forgiveness to the murderer of his mother brings tears to fans and non-fans of the Tampa Bay Bucs… I can continue to name these names, but that is not my point.

Fact is, athletes and celebrities are HUMANS, who have their victories and demons. While we should celebrate their victories and cheer for their achievements, we need to keep things in proper prospective. People, in general, should not be worshiped as idols.

When I was a little boy, I read about George Washington to learn of the value of honesty; I read the story of Helen Keller to learn about the value of perseverance; I read the story of Thomas Edison to learn about the importance of an inquiring mind and work ethic… I was never taught to make these much more worthy people my idols (and worse yet, gods). It’s time we return to that when it comes to our celebrities.

An Open Letter Against the Proposed HST

The following is a letter I have e-mailed to BC Premier Gordon Campbell, BC Finance Minister Colin Hansen, my riding's MLA Kash Heed, and Opposition Leader Carole James. I'd encourage those who are reading this to do the same in opposition to the proposed HST.

The letter is very similar to my earlier post, but with a slight twist. My brother has written to the government, and has gotten an "official response" defending the HST. I have modified some of my points to demonstrate the fallacies of the Liberals' argument.

Please note that I have said at the end that I have been "a supporter of the BC Liberals." This statement is a tactic I encourage you to use, whether you are a supporter of the Liberals or not. If there is something that these politicians are still slightly afraid of, it is that vote in your hands... Use it to threaten them - it is our only weapon.

To: Hon. Gordon Campbell, Hon. Colin Hansen, Hon. Kash Heed
cc: Ms. Carole James, Leader of the Official Opposition

Date: August 10, 2009

Dear Premier Campbell, Honourable Mr. Hansen, Honourable Mr. Heed, and Ms. James,

I am writing to you in protest of the proposed 12% harmonized sales tax (HST) in British Columbia. I am extremely disturbed over the trend the B.C. Liberal government has shown in taking hard-earned money from middle- and low-income families in the name of “economic stimulation” and “savings for businesses.”

In the multiple rounds of rhetoric that various representatives from the Liberal government have spoken, the proposed HST is vigorously defended, and many reasons were cited to support their views. However, these reasons are either irrelevant, invalid, or not substantial enough to warrant the proposed change. Based on what I have heard and read from people of your party and in the press, I would like to point out the following flaws of your argument:

1) HST rebates will be given to citizens of lower income four times a year, in the same way as the GST rebates are currently given.
There is a serious flaw in the concept of a HST rebate: people must still pay the tax upfront. For people who are barely earning enough for their everyday needs, receiving a cheque every three months does not allow them to purchase their daily necessities. This would drastically reduce the quality of life for senior citizens, citizens with a physical and mental disabilities, and children who are in under-privileged families.

2) Businesses will be saving administrative costs in the billions.
The Liberal government continues to advertise that the harmonization process will save businesses 2 billion dollars in administrative and accounting costs. What it does not tell the citizens of B.C. is that these savings would only apply to big corporations who are paying multiple staff to handle such duties. For local and small businesses, where the accounting work is done mostly by the business owners, and maybe once a year by an accountant, they cannot share any benefit what-so-ever. On the contrary, because accounting services would be subject to an increase in tax charges, small businesses are even less likely to seek the use of accountants. This would translate into more work for small business owners, and accountants who earn their living by helping these small businesses.

3) B.C. would have the lowest HST rate in Canada.
This claim is a play of words, and is actually invalid when we look at the issue of sales taxes rather than HST. Alberta currently has no provincial sales taxes, and Saskatchewan has a 5% PST rate. When you combine the different types of sale taxes (GST, PST, HST, etc.), B.C.’s 12% sales tax is still 7% higher than that of Alberta, and 2% higher than Saskatchewan. By harmonizing the B.C. PST and the GST does not change that fact.

4) There are exemptions to the HST in certain goods and services.
While there are exemptions to the HST in some of the essential products, the range to which the new exemptions would cover is still less than what the former PST exemption covers. When senior citizens do not dare eating lunch at family restaurant at the corner of a block, or when a small child can no longer afford to have his/her haircut done at a local barber shop, the quality of life for lower-income families, as well as the welfare of small family businesses would suffer tremendously.

5) Businesses currently paying a hidden 7% PST would transfer that tax back to the consumers.
This is only a wishful thinking on the part of the Liberal government who is desperate to find a reason to justify the proposed change. When the BC Government itself has said that the money it has received from the federal government to implement the HST will NOT be given directly to BC residents, what makes anyone believe that big businesses would pass along their savings directly to the consumers? Big businesses are not legally obliged to do so, and because of that, many of them won’t.

6) The full cost of administration would be taken care of by the federal government, and with the adoption of the HST, BC would receive $1.6 billion from Ottawa to use as it sees fit.
Mr. Campbell and Mr. Hansen have made it very clear that this money received from Ottawa will not be given to the citizens of BC. This is irresponsible and despicable. It is the BC Liberals who want to implement the HST; BC’s citizens did not ask for this, nor did we vote for it. If the government does not try to harmonize the two taxes, there would be no administrative costs incurred in the first place. Even if the harmonization process is a necessity and is beneficial to the mass majority of BC’s residents (it is not), the money from the federal government should be given fully to the citizens of BC, especially those whose quality of life would be most affected by this process.

I have long been voting for the B.C. Liberals in the provincial election because I believe your party is more capable of promoting a healthy economic atmosphere. However, I have never wanted to vote for a government that takes advantage of the most vulnerable citizens of the province to help make big businesses more viable. If the HST proposal is not retracted or if substantial modifications are not made to address the issues of lower-income families and citizens, I would not vote for the Liberal party again, and would ensure that all my family and friends do the same. I would also participate in any recall movements to recall my local MLA, who is unwilling to listen to the voices of his constituency.

I look forward to hearing your response to these points that I have raised, and to hear what solution you have in place to address my concerns. Thank you very much for your attention.

Yours truly,
XXX

MLB is basically a fraud right about now

With the latest report that Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and former Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez both being on the list of the 100 or so baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), I guess one thing is official: Major League Baseball has become a fraud, and I have no time for it anymore, much like I have no time for pro-wrestling.

The thing that disturbs me the most is that Ortiz, who, along with Ramirez, helped the Boston Red Sox to win two World Series to erase the almost-a-century-old curse, was hard-swinging at New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez just months ago when it was revealed that Rodriguez was using steroids. Ortiz said he would welcome MLB to test him before, during, and after the season. He was the one who said voluntary testing was not enough; he was the one who said people caught cheating should be suspended for a year. He was the one who said the only thing people can find in his blood were “beans and rice.” He was the one who said he would not take any PEDs because he did not want his children to be taunted by classmates who said their father is a cheater…

Basically, Ortiz, like many other MLBers, was caught in a bunch of lies. And right about now, is there anyone who we can trust in baseball anymore? And, can you honestly look at any achievement in baseball, and not think twice as to whether or not that achievement is legitimate? I certainly cannot.

Some people would suggest that if the entire era is ridden with steroids, then there really was not a problem with an un-level playing field. But unless everyone in MLB was cheating from 1994, that take cannot be valid. If any of the pitchers who faced Ortiz or Ramirez in the two Boston World Series win were clean, then the Red Sox had gotten an unfair advantage, and that fact alone would make those epic championships tainted. No bloody socks from Curt Schilling can completely change that fact.

And that’s the sad part in all this. I am sure there are a good number of players who have been grinding it out, paying the price, to play at the top level. But by now, everyone is pretty well “guilty by association.” If you are one of the Red Sox members from those two championship team, who upset would you be to see people throw an asterisk to your accomplishment?

Which prompts me to wonder why people are still unwilling to break that “code” and take a strong stance against the cheaters in baseball. If my entire legacy is about to be put into question, and I’m completely clean, I would be infuriated. But we don’t see that happening in MLB; at least, not frequently.

If MLB and its players are not willing to distant themselves from the frauds and the cheaters once and for all because it is “good for business,” then I will. As a fan, I have no time for Bobble-head figures launching rockets when I know that most of that is drug-fuelled.

More on the HST

Since my last post on the HST, more information has emerged as to how this new tax would be implemented. The details, however, did not change my stance against this tax one bit.

Against the oppositional voices, the government has outlined several points in defence of the HST. I will first list these points, and then offer my argument against them:

#1 HST rebates will be given to citizens of lower income, much like the GST rebates currently given. There are two serious flaws in the concept of a HST rebate: firstly, people must still pay the tax upfront. For people who are barely earning enough for their everyday needs, receiving a cheque in three months’ time does not assist them in acquiring their daily essentials today. Secondly, as a person who used to collect GST rebate cheques way back in the day, I know the amount does not reflect how much I have spent. For people who are living on a very tight budget, the fact that they know they will receive a set amount of rebate regardless of how much they have spent would decrease their desire to spend. This would harm businesses overall.

#2 Businesses will be saving administrative costs in the billions. I know very little about big businesses and how they operate, so let’s just assume that this claim is true. However, for a corner store owner who handles the bookkeeping and taxes by himself, how does harmonizing the GST and PST save him any administrative money? Increasing that number on the price tag would hurt his business, that’s for sure. What would small businesses gain through this re-structuring of taxes?

#3 B.C. would have the lowest HST rate in Canada. So? Right now, we have 5% GST, and 7% GST. Keep things the way it is, we have to pay a combined 12% for sales taxes. If that is the lowest in Canada (it actually is not – Alberta has no PST, and Saskatchewan has a 5% PST rate, for a combined rate of 5% and 10%, respectively), does the process of harmonization change anything? It doesn’t.

#4 There are exemptions to the HST in areas such as food, books, etc. But the exemptions cover fewer areas than the current PST exemptions. Not all food items we purchase from a supermarket would be PST exempt, so food cost will go up (unless you just buy broccoli and boil it everyday as your food, with no sauces, no spices, and no processed food items to add). You work late one night and need to dine out? Pay 14% HST. Can you imagine the hit restaurants, particularly those low-end, bargain restaurants, would take?

#5 Businesses currently paying a hidden 7% PST would transfer that tax back to the consumers when that hidden tax is removed and replaced by the surface 12% HST. The BC Government has said the money it has received from the federal government to implement the HST will NOT be given to BC residents, so what make anyone believe that big businesses would pass along their savings? Are we that naïve, Mr. Campbell?

The Liberal Government has claimed that, over the years, it has taken steps over the years to make business more competitive, and to reduce taxes. All I know is that, over the last few years, the federal government has lowered the GST from 7% to 6% and then to 5%. Love or hate the Conservatives, they did deliver their election promises. I have not seen the PST reduced at all. I have seen money from lower income families being taken to be given to big businesses and corporations, friends of Mr. Campbell and his friends.

Truth is, the HST is a discriminatory tax that targets people of lower income. At the provincial level, I have not really been supportive of either the Liberals or the NDP, but this latest move by the Liberals have turned me into a definite Liberal-basher. I would sincerely urge you to join the following Facebook group to voice your displeasure against the BC HST:

No BC HST Facebook Group

HST is a Money-grab against the Poor

I haven’t written about news happening at the local front for a while, but this following piece of news REALLY disturbs me:

Vancouver Sun: BC to Harmonize Sales Tax at 12% Next July

Finance Minister Colin Hansen (left) announced today (Thursday, July 23, 2009) that the B.C. Government will combine the federal GST and the provincial PST into one combined sales tax, the harmonized sales tax (HST) starting in July of 2010. Hansen cites that the existing two-sales-tax system is causing businesses a lot of extra accounting work that is bad for business. He estimates that the harmonization process would save businesses 1.9 billion dollars.

What Hansen did not say is the harmonization’s effects on the poor, which prompted me to write the following to all the local newspaper immediately upon hearing this news:

“The BC Government’s proposed plan to “harmonize” the GST and PST into the HST appears on the surface to be a move to promote business. In essence, it is a despicable scheme to take the money away from the poor to pour it into the pockets of the rich. Currently, the poorest of BC’s residents rarely have to pay a sales tax for the province – they do not buy electronics, cars, luxurious vacations, and the like. Groceries, school supplies are among the items that are PST-exempt. By harmonizing the federal and the provincial sale taxes, they would now have to pay an additional 7% when they buy their food, or a set of pencils for their children. Big corporations are ALREADY paying their accountants to handle both the GST and PST; grass-root citizens cannot afford to pay a NEW extra 7% for their life’s essentials, and that is the bottom-line that Mr. Campbell’s government is once again ignoring.”

If enough people are crying foul, I have a feeling the BC Liberals will propose a rebate system where the poor can get some money back for the extra taxes they have to pay on their everyday essentials. However, even if that rebate is a full-scale rebate that covers all of their expenses, it does not take into the account that grass-root citizens are living from pay-cheque to pay-cheque, and cannot really afford to pay that tax up front. Without a choice, people with the lowest income may have to buy less food, live in poorer conditions, and have fewer essential items such as stationary products for school-aged children.

Even with best intentions, it is not difficult to see that the BC Liberal government has its policies catered towards the rich at the expense of the poor. I do not classify myself as a political socialist (far from it, actually), but this repeated oppression of the poor is just despicable.

MJ and ET

These last 10 days, we have been bombarded with news and rumours surround Michael Jackson’s passing. While there is absolutely no doubt that Michael Jackson is a transcendent figure in the world of entertainment, I cannot but remember his later days and all the controversies and allegations. Is Michael Jackson a legend? Absolutely. Is he worth the wailing and crying that we are seeing daily in the news? Unless you are actually related to him biologically or in relationship, I think not.

Just a couple days before MJ’s passing, a far less prominent person by the name of Ed Thomas suffered a tragic death. The news, however, did not receive much media attention. Here's one though, from ABC news.

Ed Thomas was a long-time high school football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg, a small town in Iowa, USA. He has coached for over 40 years, and from his small high school program, he has produced four professional football players, no small feat for a program so small. On the day Mr. Thomas died, he was putting in extra time for his players, gathering them for an extra training session. A former student from his high school stormed the changing room where Mr. Thomas was, and shot him in front of his players.

Mr. Thomas is a big-name person in the state of Iowa not because of his coaching genius, but because of his character as a person. A couple years ago, a tornado basically destroyed this small town in Iowa. While many considered leaving the town, Mr. Thomas urged the people to stay, and used the re-building of the school’s football field as a rallying cry to help the town’s people to move on.

In many ways, I understand why Mr. Thomas is not getting the respect and tribute that Michael Jackson is getting – after all, Mr. Thomas was “just” a high school football coach that worked with these teenagers, and showed them how to live their lives the right way. But, isn’t that exactly the problem we have in this society, that we celebrate the stars, and don’t recognize those who are truly making the true difference, one life at a time?

Rest in peace, Mr. Thomas. You have my utmost respect.

Never to Forget June 4, 1989: Prologue

How old were you twenty years ago? Where were you twenty years ago? If you are somewhat "aged" like me, twenty years ago, you were already a teen (or a "tween") who were old enough to understand some of the conversations that your parents were making, but not quite mature enough to comprehend the scope or the depth to what they were talking about.

Twenty years ago, my parents were working in two separate places: my dad was in Vancouver with us, and my mom was finishing her contract working in Hong Kong. One evening night, our family was having our usual long-distance telephone conversation. My dad, at the time, was asking my mom of what was the latest news that was taking place in Beijing (Peking), China. In one of the most chilling memories I have ever had, my mom replied, "They had opened fire at the protesting students." To this day, I can remember vividly the deadly, frightening silence that followed my mother’s statement.

The June 4 Tiananmen Massacre occurred twenty years ago. Many of you may be too young to remember a whole lot about it; some of you may have never heard about it. However, there are probably a good number of you who are living in North America right now, in part or in whole, because of it. What were the events that took place that led to the final bloody killings of thousands of innocent people? Why are there so many discussions about the event today? What are the arguments of those who feel the event should or shouldn’t be re-examined?
Over the next few days leading up to June 4, I am going to be posting an article that was originally submitted to a magazine to be published. The article was pulled due to political pressure, but since this is a personal blog, I have no fear in posting it to share with you some of the thoughts I have over the events of June 4, 1989. A warning, first of all: some of the images you will see are gruesome. However, I think, that is all the more reason why the henious crime committed by those who were in charge need to be dealt with severely so justice might be served.

Forget the Red Tape and Bureaucracy - Save the Man!

This news that CTV has been following for the last two weeks REALLY disturb me:

CTV: Visa Denied for Brother Willing to Donate Kidney

CTV: Community Joins Search for Life-saving Kidney

Ibrahim Essandoh (left), a 42-year-old immigrant who has called Canada his home for the last 25 years, is fighting for his life with a serious kidney disease. Doctors say that a kidney transplant is the only way to save Mr. Essandoh’s life. Fortunately, Ibrahim’s brother Thomas is willing to donate one of his kidneys to Ibrahim, and is a perfect match for the donation.

There is one problem: Thomas (below right) lives in Ghana in West Africa, and Canada is not allowing him to fly across the ocean to do this life-saving operation. Immigration department has denied the application for a visitor’s visa even though Ibrahim had the medical documents from St. Paul’s hospital explaining his medical conditions and the urgent need to have the transplant done. The immigration office had subsequently requested Mr. Essandoh to submit DNA documentations to prove that Thomas is indeed his brother. Ibrahim did that, but the visa is still not granted to date.

What I don’t understand is: why do we even need proof that Thomas is Ibrahim’s brother?! We are talking about a life-saving procedure here! Does it even matter if Thomas is indeed Ibrahim’s brother? There is medical proof that Thomas can save Ibrahim’s life, and that is ALL that matters. If someone is afraid that Thomas will enter Canada and not leave, add as many conditions as you want when granting his visitor’s visa. Have people escort him to the hospital upon his landing in Canada, and supervise him until he is fit to fly back to Ghana. Do whatever, but allow a human being to give a gift of life to another fellow human being! What IS the hold-up?

Bureaucracy and political red tapping often sicken me to no ends, and this is just another great but sad example.

Facebook Group to Support Mr. Essandoh: Click here to enter

Olympic Torch a 3-Foot Joint?

The Olympic Torch was unveiled a while ago now, but I am not sure why there is this sudden buzz of the shape of it. Below are a few articles that talk about this Toronto-designed Olympic Torch:

Jim Rome: Olympic Torch Looks Like a Joint

Seattle Times: About that Reefer-bished Vancouver Oly Torch

Now, I am not a pothead, so I don’t have first-hand knowledge of how a "fatty" should look like. Having seen people roll up a marijuana cigarette, though, I must attest, when you look at the Olympic Torch sideways (see below left), it does show a remarkable resemblance (right).

This is probably just a silly story that gets reported out-of-proportion, but how ironic is it that, the capital city of pot in the world gets a chance to host the Winter Olympics, and one of the biggest symbols of the Game shows such eerie resemblance to the item that Vancouver is so infamous for.

As sports talk radio host Jim Rome mocks, the "higher" part in the Olympic motto has just taken on a whole new meaning in Vancouver... higher... yeah right... If you ask me, I am honestly feeling ashamed of our city's infamy when it comes to marijuana.

Please Give Her Compassion

I cannot help but really feel for this story:

Province: Mom faces deportation over girl’s illness:

Vancouver 24hrs: Please give me compassion:

Hesanna Santiago (left), 44, came to Canada through the federal government’s live-in caregiver program. Under the program, she can apply for immigrant status after completing 24 months of live-in care in 3 years. Mrs. Santiago has done that, and was in the process of being able to bring her family over from the Philippines.

That was until she learned that her 12-year-old daughter Angelika (bottom right) has developed a very serious chronic kidney disease, and requires dialysis as many as six times a day. Immigration officer has told Santiago that her immigration application will be denied because her daughter will put too big of a strain onto Canada’s health care system.

Politicians are quickly jumping on the issue, criticizing the federal government to be cruel and inhumane. Local MP Don Davis quickly criticized the federal government for requiring people in the live-in caregiver program to have to go through two rounds of medical examination, saying that it is unfair because regular immigration applicants only need to have one medical examination.

Make no mistake about it – I feel for Mrs. Santiago, and would plead with the government to treat her with compassion and let her family come over. I also disagree with the fact that a live-in caregiver can fulfil her legal requirements, and then gets denied of what she has worked for because a family member has fallen ill. The policy requires review and changes, there is no question about that. But where are these opposition MPs when the law was first passed? Why did they not voice a complaint back then? I know politicians are, by nature, opportunistic creatures, but please, represent the people, plead for compassion, but don’t use these poor people as your political ammunition – it disturbs me.

To Immigration Minister Jason Kenney – I plead with you to grant Ms. Santiago and her family landed immigrant status. I know this would put a financial burden on our health care system, but Ms. Santiago has done her part in living honestly and diligently to earn her chance to become a Canadian. Canada has never been a country that shuts others down because of financial reasons – please, treat her with empathy, not because we owe her anything; not because we are “higher than thee,” but because it is the right thing to do.

Every Vote Counts

Politicians and athletes are two groups of people who love to use clichés to avoid stepping out of line. The line “every vote counts” is as genuine an invitation to ask for you vote as the “it is what it is” when an athlete tries to rationalize what his/her performance is weak. Having said that, “every vote counts” is actually true, very true.

When the residents of Delta South went to the polls this past Tuesday, they probably did not know that the race would come down to a handful of votes. Wally Oppal (left), the province’s attorney general, was in a tough fight against independent candidate Vicki Huntington (below right). At the end of the day, Oppal appeared to have won the seat, but only by a mere 2 votes (CTV reports Friday evening that it is 3 votes). Because the margin of victory is so small, a court-ordered recount will take place later this month to check things over. (for details of this news, check out this link from CTV)

I do not necessarily care which way the re-count goes (except I feel a little bitter that Oppal bolted from my riding to vacate his seat for a hand-picked candidate by the Liberals), but if you are either a supporter of Oppal or Huntington, wouldn’t you be a little uneasy these days? If you are a supporter of either one, but did NOT go to vote this past Tuesday, how would you feel if the final result shows that the candidate you support is on the losing end?

Together with the fact that voter-turnout falls below 50% for the first time in a LONG while, it saddens me to know that so many people just do not care about this very precious democratic right that thousands and millions around the world are dying to have. Yes, I know many people do not like politics, and politicians are widely despised (and in many cases, rightfully so), but exercising that democratic rights is entirely different from supporting politics or supporting a politician. Casting an empty ballot is an expression of your disapproval of the candidates and/or the system; not casting a vote just means you do not care what the politicians do to you and your community.

Last year, we saw the Dosanjh vs. Young fight in Vancouver South during the federal election whose margin of victory was 21. This year, we have the Oppal vs. Huntington fight in Delta South. Can we still afford not to vote?

What Now, Canucks?

The Vancouver Canucks’ aspirations to win a Stanley Cup came to a crashing end on Monday, and though the season is now officially over, a lot of lingering questions remain. You sports fans out there have probably read, discussed, and debated a great deal about some of these topics already. Here’s my two-cents-worth:

Overall Team’s Needs: While these needs are probably needed by every team, in the series against the Blackhawks, they became extremely apparent top priorities for the Canucks: speed on the defence, and a couple of scorers with creativity. Against a team that has average speed, the Canucks defence can play a phenomenal brand of shut-down hockey because everyone is so sound in his positioning. They were exposed against the quicker, puck-moving Chicago forwards, when defencemen could no longer stand around and use their sticks to deflect passes and block shots. In addition, the Canucks’ offence has become very predictable when spearheaded by the Twins. The cycle game works great when the other team is just trying to play the Canucks’ brand of defence, but if you have noticed how many passes were deflected or blocked when the team played Chicago, you’d know that they need some other options.

Mats Sundin: I won’t say Sundin is a bust necessarily, as I believe he brought a swagger to the team that kept the other teams honest when checking the Sedins’ line. Having said that, Sundin also plays a brand of hockey that is similar to that of the Sedins’ line. When dueling it out with a team for a 7-game series, teams can learn how to shut down the same game. In that sense, I don’t think Sundin is the right fit for the Canucks’ future, especially if GM Mike Gillis is intending to bring the twins back.

Mattias Ohlund: I feel saddened that the game’s speed is starting to surpass “Olie’s” game. Ohlund is a great positional player, and his plus/minus rating in the playoffs suggests that he is still playing the game at a fairly high level. It does not appear that he will be back next year; however, my feeling is: if the Canucks can still put a good mix of defencemen together with speed and skills, he should be brought back.

Henrik and Daniel Sedin: They are solid, front-line offensive players who can perform magic on ice. The problem, however, is that they only seem to come together as a package, which would be extremely costly for the Canucks. And though some of the past playoff demons were excised this year, the twins still were unable to serve as the game-breakers when the game is on the line. If the Canucks can get good value for them, I would not feel offended to see them traded.

Roberto Luongo: How soon we forget? After the St. Louis series, Luongo joked about being treated like a demi-god in the city. Six games later, some people are trying to run him out of town. Did Luongo play well against Chicago? No. Is he worth 7+ millions per year when it appears that no single goaltender, not Brodeur, and not Luongo, can single-handedly win a team a game, much less a series anymore? It’s questionable. I think Luongo is still an invaluable asset to the team; the melt-down in the Chicago series has more to do with the lack of speed on the Canucks’ D than Luongo’s ability to “steal” a game. Unless the salary cap’s maximum amount is substantially reduced to a point where it is not viable to keep Luongo, I think it is still a no-brainer that the Canucks should keep him.

Coaching: When the Canucks missed the playoffs in 2008, people question whether coach Alain Vigneault is too “defence first” of a coach. Game 4 against Chicago did not help shake that never-fading feeling in my heart. While “Coach V” has nothing to do with the slow-footed personnel he is given, he still has a tendency to get too conservative when the Canucks have a lead. GM Gillis probably will try to provide the coach with more speed through free agency and drafts – it’s up to Vigneault to prove that he can coach an offensive-minded game.

Needless to say, it will be an interesting spring/summer in Canucksville.

One Year Later: The Truth Behind Sichuan’s Earthquake

On May 12, 2008, a large earthquake rocked the province of Sichuan, China. After the quake that killed tens and thousands of people, reporters and journalists arriving at the scene discovered something very unusual: in many towns where many people have died from collapsed buildings, the only buildings that had collapsed were schools. Looking at the ruins of these fallen buildings, people noticed that there were definitely problems associated with the buildings: big pebbles embedded in the cement, and steel bars that are way too narrow – hence the term “tofu constructions.” Seeing these, people cannot but ponder: is the large number of casualties due strictly to a natural disaster, or were there human factors that made a natural disaster much, much worse?

In the year that follows, families of the casualties were running from place to place, trying to seek justice for the deceased. What they did not know was that: for a request that was just, fair, and legal, they would face such oppression. People associated with the government would prevent them from protesting, would try to offer bribes for them to stop protesting, and threaten to use the legal system to punish the families of the victims if they do not stop their struggles.

In the anniversary of the Sichuan Earthquake, Hong Kong’s TVB has shot a short documentary detailing the oppressions these parents and other volunteers have faced. It is a chilling tale, and though this blog is written in English, I trust you would have Chinese-speaking friends who would get a lot from watching it:

The Truth Behind Tofu Constructions: Part 1


The Truth Behind Tofu Constructions: Part 2


The Truth Behind Tofu Constructions: Part 3


To those who are still denying, to this date, of any faults in building these “tofu constructions,” I have but two questions:

First: if the collapsed buildings have fallen strictly due to the earthquake, why in the world were the parents not allowed to openly visit their children’s grave? Why are the parents watched and sometimes taken away by authorities for just talking to the media about their children who died during a “natural disaster?”

Second: for you to be so shameless, so heartless in your treatment to the victims’ families, are you still worthy to be called a human being? Where is your soul, or are you just a ghoul?

I sincerely hope that: after watching these videos, you will share them with those around you, particularly those living in China who may be blocked from seeing these.
Justice for the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake!

STV: Yes or No

The provincial election is happening in a few days. For someone who follows politics as closely as I do, I am actually very lukewarm about this election. To me, this is the ultimate testament of an election where you are trying to pick the least rotten apple among a bucket of smelly, decaying fruits. The Liberals’ track record on education and health care has been hideous, almost criminal in my opinion. The NDP is led by an incompetent leader who probably will drive B.C. deep into an economic recession. The Green Party meanwhile, is proposing a plan that is idealistic at best… To this point, I do not even know who I am going to vote for.

The more interesting part of the election, to me, is the referendum on the voting system. A referendum will ask the citizens of B.C. as to whether or not the provincial election should be decided through a process called “Single Transferrable Vote” (or STV for short). For those who do not know what STV is, and how it works, here’s an information page:

Understanding STV

Proponents of the STV frequently use the 2001 election results (above), where the Liberals won 58% of the popular vote, but earned 97% of the seats in the legislature to illustrate the ills of the current “first to the gate” electoral system (properly known as the single member plurality system). While the example is somewhat of an extreme case, it is true that, time after time, a party that is earning fewer than 50% of the province’s votes has practically complete say on all matters in the legislature. So, in that sense, I am a supporter of electoral reform.

Having said that, the STV currently proposed is not one that I will throw my support behind. There are several reasons:

1) It will create constituencies that are so big, that the elected representatives would not be able to represent the local needs of a community. British Columbia is a big province, even by saying “local representation” we are talking about a fairly big geographic region, especially in the interior and in the north. Eliminating the current constituencies, and replacing them with “super constituencies” would just foster elected representatives who would not listen to the voice of the citizens.

2) Unlike what the proponents of STV says, this system would NOT favour smaller parties to elect people into the legislature. Again, this has to do with the size of the constituencies. In order to campaign for a very large region, a lot of resources would be required. Smaller political parties would not have the resources to compete with the giant political parties. As a result, a local person well known in a community and well qualified for a position would have no chance of being elected.

3) Finally, the concept of transferring votes is just convoluted and confusing for the regular voter. Think about this: if I am Party A’s supporter, but don’t mind Party B too much, and absolutely despise Party C, but Party D is the party poised to win the election, with Party B running a somewhat close second… Strategic voting under the current system is simple: I vote for the candidate who will allow the “lesser of the two evils” to prevail. Not so under the STV, where my vote and how it gets split is dependent on factors such as margin of victory, total number of votes, etc… To an average citizen, this system may decrease their motivation to vote.

My conclusion: vote No to the STV. I’ll talk next time of a model that I feel would work.

The Great Debate on Markus Naslund

Report out of New York suggests that long-time Vancouver Canuck captain Markus Naslund is set to retire after another disappointing campaign with the New York Rangers. Naslund is 35 years old.

And immediately, be great debate begins again here in Vancouver: should Naslund’s number be retired? If #19 will be retired, Naslund will join Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden as the third Canuck player to have his jersey hung in the rafters.

If we are to look at the stats, Naslund seems to be a prime candidate to have his jersey retired. After all, he is the all-time leader in career points (756) and goals (346), and is third in career assists (410, 5 behind all-time leader Linden). Naslund’s offensive prowess speaks volume, and is, without a doubt, one of the greatest offensive players the Canucks have ever had.

However, to have a player’s number retired goes beyond the stats. Naslund has often been criticized for the fact that he has never taken the Canucks deep into the playoffs. His later years in a Canucks uniform lead some people to question his commitment to the game. Most importantly, people suggest that Naslund was never the “leader” that captivates and inspires a team’s motivation to go above and beyond what it has talent-wise.

While I do not necessarily agree with the above criticisms on Naslund, especially when it comes to the question of leadership, I must say that I am one of those who don’t think Naslund’s number should be retired. And here’s why:

To retire a player’s number means that, that particular number will never be worn by another player playing for the team. To me, the simplest qualifier for this very special treatment is that the player has done something that would not be repeated by another player. Looking back at Stan Smyl’s career and Trevor Linden’s career, I think I am fairly confident in saying that it would be extremely unlikely to have another player repeat what they have contributed to the team on and off the ice. Naslund’s greatest “mark” with the Canucks is his very strong offensive stats; they would not be repeated or surpassed easily by another player, but I will not say that I don’t expect those records to be broken.

Don’t get me wrong – Naslund has been an exceptional player for the Canucks. He has conducted himself humbly and admirably through his 12 seasons in Vancouver. I don’t, for a second, feel that his humility and quiet demeanor should prevent him from receiving the proper recognition to the contributions he has made for the team. However, having a number retired, to me, is very much like being inducted into the hall-of-fame (only at a local level instead of a league or sport level) – if you have to argue and present your points to convince others of a candidate’s legitimacy, then that player, however wonderful a player or person he is, is not quite hall-of-famer (or, in this case, a jersey-retiring player). I would not have a problem seeing Naslund’s number retired, but if it were up to me to decide, I would not retire #19… that’s all.

I personally felt a little saddened that, when Markus Naslund played his last game as a Canuck on the same night that Trevor Linden played his last, there was no recognition for what Naslund has done. But, true to his humble form, Naslund just stood there quietly, and gave Linden the recognition he rightfully deserved. Give Naslund the recognition and honour that he deserves – I just don’t think retiring his jersey is the more suitable recognition.