June 6: Anniversary of the Allied Landings Normandy, France -- Taiwan's Gangs Go Global -- Oil and Nfld

Be it Yours to Hold High West Coast Chaos, Jun. 6, 05

He has a great round up of bloggers with information on each, a great find.

Remember.

Over the last couple of weeks, North Americans have had a number of times to reflect on our history. Memorial Day, designated as a day for Americans to remember the sacrifice of those who died in war. Victoria Day, when Canadians from coast to coast are invited to remember our shared history with the British. And today, June 6, the anniversary of the allied landings on the beaches at Normandy in France. Why do we remember such things? What is the sense in bringing up the past? Shouldn't we step in the 21st century and just move on?

[. . . . Read what causes him to write this. ] And people in this country choose to forget. [. . . . ]

I have been a proud member of the Red Ensign Brigade since November 23, 2004. As I said back then, I repeat now:

It is an honour and a privilege to fly the Red Ensign Standard.

A Must Read Article

Taiwan's gangs go global By Mac William Bishop, Jun. 4, 05

TAIPEI - It isn't often that the dark, slimy world of organized crime gets exposed to the light of day, but on May 29 more than 10,000 gangsters from dozens of crime syndicates from across Asia gathered in Taipei.

They came to pay their respects at a memorial for one of Taiwan's most well-known and "respected" gang bosses. Even gangsters, it seems, get sentimental and wax nostalgic.

The gangster's name was Hsu Hai-ching, but everyone knew him as "Wen Ge", or "Mosquito Brother".

[. . . . ] "The Final Arbitrator".

[. . . . ] It is because of the growing links between Asian crime syndicates that US law enforcement agencies have begun to describe Taiwan as a major transshipment point for illicit drugs, guns and human trafficking. [. . . . ]

Search: Yamaguchi-gumi , triads from Hong Kong and Macau , Bamboo Union-linked gangsters are active in , the reclusive regime of Kim Jong-il has been using Taiwanese gangs , Golden Triangle , human trafficking on a global scale , Fujian province , "the Chinese Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), used gangs"




Williams must rethink oil policy -- Newfoundland could be big loser -- not winner -- if Big Oil retreats Claudia Cattaneo, FP, Jun. 6, 05

[. . . . ] Exploration activity is on its last legs. Frustrated with poor exploration results, high costs, too much regulation and unreasonable government expectations, industry is quietly pulling out.

[. . . . ] But they backed off doing key work a month ago [in Canada's Western Arctic], rather than put up with aboriginal demands and red tape they considered unreasonable. The betting is the companies will pull out altogether unless there is a meeting of the minds over the summer. [. . . . ]

Read her advice. I don't know whether she is right or not.

My own opinion is that much oil and gas activity is just awaiting the current federal government's getting past its current problems (How this is accomplished, I've alluded to before -- check anything on MSM and LPO-CBC methods, add uncritical lashings of mendacity from several directions and . . . well I believe I might have mentioned that, up to now, mendacity works every time.) and then all the big players will get together and make deals--in that they'll see that all the right people profit, the troublesome are (insert politically correct word here) for bought off, and everything will be hunky dory again . . . an opinion based on my cynicism and instinct, I hasten to add . . . and the fact that Danny Williams is a Conservative and hence his reputation must be blackened and he must be removed, if business is to prosper . . . for the right people.

Don't forget there are minerals in Labrador and maybe more that will be developed / exploited as soon as . . .

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