The Vanishing Country: A Review Part I.

"In spite of the voluminous amount of well-documented evidence published in both Canada and the United States that clearly shows the overall superiority of Canada's publicly supported and publicly managed Medicare system, during the last few years there has been an almost daily barrage of attempts to discredit Medicare."

Quite an assertion by Mel Hurtig in 'The Vanishing Country.' A newer version of George Grant's 'Lament for a Nation' - without the polemics. Over the next four posts I will review this passionately written book. In the interest if space and time, I chose to begin with public health.

Returning to the above claim. I have not seen "voluminous" evidence that reveals our "superiour" health system. Forget the numbers and debates for a second. One need only be thrown into the system to make a decision as to whether or not we have a great system. What Mr. Hurtig is not saying is that contrary to his over use of the 'radical right' brainwashing us poor folk, the reality is that people with any form of sanity will tell you that the system is downright a mess.

Canceled surgeries, ridiculously long waiting periods, understaffed and under-equipped - to name a few- the public health system is not modern enough. For the millions we pour into the system it's no longer acceptable to rationalize the system by saying 'we don't throw anybody into the streets.'

The fact is that we're not allowed to bring up these issues in Canada. Not with Tommy Douglas being selected as the greatest Canadian in a recent countrywide poll. Public health is the leitmotif of the Canadian identity.

Poor management notwithstanding, I have nothing but full confidence in the doctors and nurses who are slaves to this collectivism run amok. Canada has a proud tradition of medical excellence. Alas, the way they are treated is a travesty and what the patients endure inhumane. So how is it superiour? We shouldn't make social contract promises we can't keep.

A couple of weeks ago, the medical profession took out an ad in a newspaper attempting to shame the government into taking action to improve the health system. To me, this is a clear indication that something is wrong. It's a huge step for doctors to take.

What was the reaction? Politicians went berserk. I'm always suspicious of politicians who defend the system so vehemently. Sure they do; they get to jump the queue or split for the U.S. - sometimes on taxpayer expense I am sure. I doubt they get to sit with the masses and witness first hand the anger among us.

Which leads me to his next comment. " Until recently, Canada was the only country in the OECD where there is no way to buy your way to the front of the line for medically-necessary medical and hospital services." I'm surprised this made into the book. Maybe payment isn't exchanged but, wink, wink, I'm so and so. "Yes sir to the front of the line. " Why, not so long ago a hockey player received remarkably fast and efficient service to treat his cancer. Meanwhile, kids rot in beds waiting to die. Our priorities are just as a screwed up as anybody.

The book ventures into places in which it has no business going. Like talking about the evils of the American health system for example. I won't get into it here but for me it stunk of selective musings. Tired old cliches that have since been proven inadequate to describe the complex and imperfect American version. All I know is that using our public health, as some proxy to show we are superiour is absurd.

I'm not knocking the system. I have benefited from it. But to hold on to it and blindly believe in maintaining the status quo to satisfy our nationalism serves no one. It only amounts to a colossal failure in keeping the system up to par in relation to what we put into it.

With health falling under provincial jurisdiction I remain skeptical that we will ever solve our problems. Our 10 jackals that pretend to be leaders are way too parochial to come up with a plan that benefits us all.

His answer to solve our problems? Bigger government and more money. It's already been squandered away so why not, eh? We agree with problems and symptoms but disagree with the cure.

Introducing Two Canadian Sports Icons: An Aide Mémoire

Athletes who play multiple sports are a rare breed. Does anyone have to be reminded that Michael Jordan tried - and failed? Professionally speaking.

When it came to playing more than one sport, no one tried to be like Mike; Mike tried to emulate others. Just because Jordan failed didn't mean the same fate awaited others. In the United States, Jim Thorpe, Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson are the most famous multiple sports icons. Thorpe in particular is justifiably considered one of America's greatest athletes ever. The list, of course, does not end with them. There have been many great athletes who played and excelled in various sports at the collegiate and pro level including Jim Brown, Tom Glavine and Jackie Robinson.

Canada was and is not without its icons, though we do not celebrate them all that much. Here, we have Lionel Conacher and Gerry James.

Who? I love digging such figures up. Larry Walker is a more recent example. He played hockey as well as baseball.

Consider this quote by Carl Snavely of Cornell University when he said Lionel Conacher "was probably he greatest athlete that I have ever coached in football or in any other form of athletics…. I don't believe I ever had a fullback who was a better runner in an open field, or was a better punter, or who so fully possessed all of the qualities of speed, skill, dexterity, aggressiveness and self-control…"

On the Historica.ca website they add, "He had to have endurance, too. One day in 1922, he hit a triple in the final inning to give his Toronto Hillcrest baseball team the Ontario baseball championship, then jumped into a waiting car and crossed the city to join his Maitland lacrosse team in their championship game against Brampton. Maitland was trailing 3-0 when Conacher arrived, but he scored four goals and assisted on another to lift his team to a 5-3 victory."

Lionel 'Big Train' Conacher played and participated in several sports. Football, hockey, baseball, lacrosse, boxing and wrestling. He became the Canadian Light Heavyweight champion in 1920. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and the Chicago Black Hawks in the NHL - winning two Stanley Cups. In football, his best sport, he won the Grey Cup in 1921 when his Toronto Argonaut's defeated the Edmonton Eskimos.

Back then, Canada was a highly successful athletic society - especially on the amateur side**. The British legacy of needing to be athletic in order to be a 'fully integrated' individual.*

Gerry James was 'restricted' to two sports. Hockey and football. Football in Canada has had a strange evolution. The sport has always been popular - like baseball - but it could never emerge from the shadows of hockey. James played right wing in 149 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 1950s. In today's lingo he would have been a defensive forward in hockey. But his football numbers were far more impressive. He led the Blue Bombers in rushing for three seasons***:

1954 - 106 carries for 576 yards (5.4 yards per carry)
1955 - 189/1205 (6.4 yards per carry)
1957 - 197/1192 (6 yards per carry)

James won two Schenley Awards for Outstanding Canadian**** in 1954 and 1957. He is a member of the CFL Hall of Fame. He was the last Canadian to play two sports and the only one to ever play in a Stanley Cup and Grey Cup final. As if this wasn't enough he also played in a Memorial Cup with the Winnipeg Monarchs in 1952.*****

Now you know who they are.

*The concept of the well-rounded individual dates back to Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy - AKA as the Renaissance Man or L'Uomo Universali. The British continued the tradition especially for men heading into the military. The concept seems to have been abandoned by the latest great power - the United States.

**And it wasn't only the men. Fanny 'Bobbie' Rosenfield was a star in track, tennis, basketball, speed skating and hockey. Her reincarnation can be found in Clara Hughes who represented Canada with distinction (including a gold medal in Torino) in cycling and speed skating.

*** The CFL does a poor job of cataloging its statistics. As the league improves in stature this may change but for now it can stand to learn one, two or 15 things from the NFL about marketing and immortalizing their great players.

****There is such an award because the majority of the players have always come from the U.S. The CFL's top QB's have always historically been American born. Think Warren Moon, Joe Theisman and Doug Flutie.

*****Again for my American audience an explanation. The Memorial Cup is a prestigious junior hockey tournament that brings together the champions of Canada's top three leagues: The Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and The Quebec Majors. Collectively known as the Canadian hockey league. In terms of purity, there is nothing better than the Memorial Cup. It's an outstanding tournament and wickedly fun to watch. It's the closest thing Canada has that rivals the College sports phenomena in the U.S.

Cleaning Madness

My family is one strange puppy. Families are meant to be absurd organisms. A day does not go by where my parents pull something that befuddles the mind - my precious little, brain. When I waltzed into the house - more like swaggered - my mother was scurrying around cleaning. "Take off your shoes. I'm cleaning the house. The cleaning lady is coming tomorrow."

Did she just say the cleaning lady is coming?

Pan to camera as I stared blankly into it.

I had to ask. "If the cleaning lady is coming tomorrow why are you cleaning the house? Aren't you paying her? What's left for her to do?"

"Yes, but the house is a mess," she curtly responded.

Again, the cut scene. The house is pristine. "You're nuts you know that?"

"You want us to live in squalor." My mother had lost complete sense of perspective on what is acceptable living conditions and what is not. Worse, my mother prepares a two-hour huge lunch to feed her help.

The house sits on 9 000 square feet of land and her tiny 5'3'' frame is nervously and neurotically clamouring about frantically to keep it 'clean.' My mother is terrified of dust. She considers it worse than bio-chemical weapons. Iran and the nuke? Bah. Dust is the real killer. My father walks in and literally leaps over the vacuum cleaner on his way to the kitchen. Men care less about dust. Not when there's risotto waiting in the fridge.

"I'll be back," I tell her. "Ok. Do you mind passing the vacuum on the stairs?" I look down at the 15-step monster. The camera pans...

Just another warped day in the household where I grew up.

The Cross that Defines

It can't be missed. One of the first things anyone will see on the island of Montreal is indeed the Mountain known as Mount Royal. However, it's not the only thing. As one ponders, there stands a gigantic cross that spiritually towers above the city. Its original wooden structure was erected by the co-founders of the city in New France Jeanne Mance and Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve.

It really has become a unique structure on the North American landscape in what is already an interesting city. Despite this obviously important landmark that helps to define our heritage, I have begun to wonder about its lasting power. It would be unthinkable to remove it from our midst.

Or is it given the intellectual climate that litters our minds? Is it a matter of time before the armed forces of political correctness ask for it to be taken down lest it offends? I would not put it past anyone to do so.

We've already begun converting Montreal's beautiful Church's into condominiums. Sign of the times. Sigh, of progress they tell me.

Andre Boisclair and Gilles Duceppe: Two Majestically Stupid Men

You both offend my intellectual and moral core for your incredible lack of judgment by attending a rally in support of Hezbollah. Ignorant, idiotic and insulting. I point you to 'The Inferno.' Dante and Virgil are waiting to take you to Charon and your deserved boat ride into hell.

Why Quebecois leaders have the balls to take to the streets to oppose the action of a state that is defending itself is beyond anything imaginable. They are men that have attained a higher existence of stupidity.

Will Return with Post Shortly

-I'm quite tied up with other projects. However, I will leave you this thought: Ever notice how a Chef at the end of a cooking show always tastes their own food in front of the camera? As if we don't know what's coming next. "Hmmmmmm..." orgasm style. How credible is this? What can they say other than "delicious!" I like to envision a scenario where a cook tastes the food only to spit it out spontaneously. "Hoo! That didn't work out. I guess garlic and strawberries don't go well together after all! Terrible!" Note to producers. Stop this conflict of interest.

- Note to Americans and other tourists: Here in Quebec, yield means speed up and a stop sign is optional. As for the walkway, you know the yellow stripes on the floor, they are meant strictly for road decor.

Mom: I Married a Teenaged Alien

They tell me you need to grab the headline with a neat hook. Once you do grab them, I suppose you then have to shake them as hard as you can. Now that I have failed, I shall move forward with this cool-lection of assorted words that help to form quasi-coherent phrases.

I selected the above title because this is pretty much how Quebec politics functions - like a cheap tabloid. Whenever I hear one of our dippity-dappity politicians speak about something or another it harks back to a golden age of 'The National Enquirer.' Usually, I just brush them off like you do a fly circumnavigating (did I just say cum?) your ear; I have no idea why they would want to get in the waxed tunnel. But it's hard to always flick them away since they, well, live among you.

This is where a blog like this one can help enormously to help deal with the ill-advised amount of ignaramuseses that fill up the ignoble National Assembly in Quebec City - or Ottawa for that matter.

They....just....don't....get....it. Me and them - we just don't see things, you know, through the same prisms. Apparently, we could not help the Expos because we needed the money for the 'ospitals.' This is how they see things - with no economic coherency.

David Ricardo and Adam Smith aren't friends of Quebec.

I pretty much disagree with them on everything including family values, economics, political ideas, food etc. Foreign policy is another. The Blockhead Quebecois and their Marxist-Leninist leader from Jippity Jupiter (who collects rent like a good capitalist) have been hammering this week Stephen Harper and his position of supporting Israel. Of course they do. Quebec has a secret ugly history of anti-semitism. Wink, wink. Shhh. The don't want to believe they are capable of discrimination. Shhhhh!

All these medium sized tomato heads have been plucking all kinds of moments history to serve their own nimroddick views. They are wrong. Boy are they ever wrong when it comes to the Mid-East. We're watching the 1930s unfold right before our eyes and we are choosing to appease - Again. Yet, no calls on this parallel are made.

Peace at all cost is a dangerous proposition you know. Now, our appeasement is under the guise of American Imperialism and the Israeli occupation. Delude yourselves. Go ahead. Buy the bit the terrorists and their apologists are selling you. But stand aside and let Stephen Harper do his job. He is not willing to let malignant malcontents use the media to maliciously manipulate our minds.

Look, er, read. It really doesn't matter what they think because they can barely run their own Vaudeville show. Mammy! Mammy! Quebec has no clue what it means to have real power and wield it. Their whole existence is premised on a bunch of myths and 19th century ideals mixed in with some modern revisionism. It sounds great to them but it makes no sense to those of us outside the box. Quite frankly, it's so kooky sometimes we don't want to know. Hence, we ignore it as best we could. Call it fusion politics.

They identify themselves with the Palestinians because they truly believe they are in the same boat. Yeah, I can just see Canadian Federalist black shirts laying down mines to prepare for 'settlements' (aka reservations) in Quebec. Mind you, the Cree are prepared for a battle should Quebec ever actually pull the trigger and insanely secede. Shhh. More secrets.

Fly on the wall scene if they ever get the vote they want in a referendum seeking to break Canada apart: "Wha? We won? What de le fuck do we do le now? "Um, let's call it a democracy but we have to act like a dictatorship so we can get our act together, Jean-Guy."

How can they possibly form a decent opinion on the Mid-East? They habble and babble and habble and babble. Yet, they tolerate pathetic little outfits that apparently preserve the pride of the language in L'Office de la Langue Française - our very own subtle but no less harassing Brown shirts. Only without the bats. They are armed with rulers.

Here's a thought. Instead of dipsy-doodling around with wooden rulers measuring the size of fricken English letters -finks - how about you instill some hardcore family and educational values in your society again before tackling bigger issues?

Until then, step aside, grumble in whatever tongue you want and let Harper lead.

I wonder if the aliens tolerate divorce.

The Depressing Disgrace of DePaul University

What more proof does one want that University or College is not what it's all cracked up to be? Specifically, they are no longer true bastions and preservers of our collective intellectual heritage. Universities and Colleges are magnificently malfunctioning in what can only be described as a make-believe nightmare. Edward Gibbon himself was not too fond of them a few centuries back.

I'm not sure if I, The Commentator, can convey into words what I see developing in the woeful dark halls of our institutions of higher learning - make that middle learning. Professors are no longer free. They are now to be constrained by a faceless faculty who are in turn controlled by the tricky trail of money bags. More frighteningly, they are subservient to the keepers of political correctness and organized special interest. What is left but mere lost and empty souls giving lectures with a wink or two?

During one of my Western Civilization classes in University, the Professor opened his class with some quotes by Edmund Burke. He used them to set-up the intellectual climate of the period. It was skillfully done and I rather enjoyed myself I must say. Alas, one man's entertainment is another man's gargoylic (my word) fear or nightmare. It seems one student in particular was not happy with Burke and proceeded to take it out on the Professor. As if he was Burke reincarnated. In the mind of this student, he interpreted Burke as a racist and therefore the Professor had no business bringing him up. Omit one of of world history's finest philosophers?

The Professor, taken aback, reminded the student that he did not pen the words and that he should take his complaints to Burke. He also reminded the dimwitted student that Burke was dead.

Enter DePaul University and the suspension of Professor Tom Klocek for 'offending' Muslim students after defending Israel during one of his classes. What kind of heavy madness was allowed to enter the minds of the President of the school Dennis Holtschneider along with his Dean of the School for New Learning - New Learning? - Susan Dumbleton. I'll allow you to discover the root word on your own. How have we come to this? How is it that a regressive and ignorant minority of intolerant, infantile students can wield such power over a professor? Indeed an entire University!

Have we lost our minds? Has Western culture degraded to such a level that we no longer have the wherewithal to debate within our own schools? This is no longer a political debate. This is an issue that strikes deep within the core of our Occidental legacy. It's a simple case of right and wrong. Those students are the ones that have abdicated the privilege of sitting in our schools. Higher education is not a right nor a political battle ground but a place to exchange ideas freely.

Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened and it surely won't be the last - Concordia University here in Montreal has long decided to perform oral sex with similar ogres - as our Universities are filled with gutless individuals with minds that have been reduced to the size of a gherkin.

What's that? That's the gangrene setting on our brains after an attempted suicide.

General comments

My mother insisted I watch the news today. "They are going to talk about selling property to pass down to your kids and the subsequent tax implications." How do you tell your mother that the local news isn't going to tell you anything magically different from what your lawyer and accountant have already said? Add that I spent a decade in financial services and you pretty much have low expectations on what the panel will discuss. Love the panel talk. Once again, I was proven right. I wasted 45 minutes waiting for a person to come on and talk about - cottages and second homes properties. "Did you see it?" my mother eagerly said hoping to gain more insights from her first born son. "Mom, we own COMMERCIAL properties. It was all nice but how does this help us?" "Oh." Mama mia and Madonna, for real.

So, I figured I may as well continue watching. I was not rewarded. The news quickly descended into the usual maddening belief that celebrity news is worthy news -see Lascivious Polyphony for more thoughts on this. The question of the day was whether people thought Mel Gibson was going to be able to revive or regurgitate - whatever - his career. This is news? If there any kids reading please cover your ears and eyes: Who the %#%!1 fuck cares? Leave all this junk to mind-numbing programming like 'Insider' and 'ET.' Like I really give shit about what goes on behind the scenes of 'American Idol' or where that Brit buys his lousy tops. Or that loud-mouth Barkley is insanely running for office in Alabama. Just go away and bring back real news. Oh, that takes vision and intelligence. Sorry.

-Since I've gone on to a mini-rant, I see that the local sports radio station has hired another young person to speak on the airwaves. I'm all for this but how low are the barriers to entry? Part of the host's Team 990 Drive crew (two in particular) must lead North American sports talk with the most 'ums, you knows and I means.' The fact is that the local talent on the air is slightly above average if not mediocre. I wish them well and hope they improve. In order to do this you need to be driven and to be driven you want to be compensated for your hard work. Alas, there is no money in sports radio in Montreal. It's a tough gig for sure. And it reflects on the on-air talent. As for the Montreal Gazette, it seems having one beat writer take on more than one section - badly I might add- is good, sound business. Just shoot this paper out of its misery already.

-Many mistake having a political opinion against an existing government as being unpatriotic and anti-American. I disagree. While it is true sometimes some do push their privileged rights to extremes most of it is just an opinion and usually has little weight. I may disagree with some opinions but I by no means dismiss it as being treason. I was listening to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp today - to avoid the 38c sweltering heat - and was reminded just how proud of America they are. If they weren't they wouldn't vividly choose American settings to drive the imagery of their music. Some of it is patriotic and some of it is not so. But there's nothing wrong in this. They are entitled to some flexibility on political issues. Look, I'm not always enamoured with some of their thoughts but that only makes us stronger. It does make you think. Isn't this the hallmark of our democratic values? After all, I'm not always right* so it's good to see different perspectives. Besides, their music is simply outstanding.

-Fidel Castro is temporarily stepping aside as he recovers from surgery to rectify intestinal bleeding. This spontaneously led millions of Cuban-Americans in Miami to take to the streets in jubilation. These people are dying for him to, well, die.

I'm not so quick to dance. While I look forward to the day where Cuba is freed from the yokel of tyranny, Cuba has been grooming communist successors to take over El Cigaro's job. Now whether this is just an intermediary step towards ending the dictatorship is unclear. Democracy may be a long way off as many people do believe in the revolution spearheaded by Castro. The road looks rocky to me.

I'll never forget my trip to Cuba. I regret going. All I saw was a beautiful people put on a courageous face in the middle of madness. A people that when they spoke to you would always look over their shoulders. Who would wink to show their disapproval of Castro. One person I shot hoops with was a Russian trained engineer. He was passing towels for a buck a month to a bunch of whiny, spoiled Euro-trash millionaires and haughty, annoying Canadians draped in Maple Leaf apparel. I kept thinking Tim Horton's was right around the fucking corner.

Until Cuba gets on track and we set our own priorities straight, we will be treated to millions of Canadians who see no hypocrisy in dishing out thousands of dollars that only further the misery of Cubans. Some of us hide behind the notion that Cuba has a social welfare state where medicare (which has little medicine and equipment) and education (more like indoctrinization) that is more humane than America's. What I like to do is reverse the question: Ok, would you live there? Would you tolerate not being allowed on beaches to mingle with tourists? Would you accept those conditions? The stupid blank stares are priceless.

-The most insulting commercial out there? Try Lays. You know, the 'get your smile on' chip maker. Apparently, according to the commercial, Lays chips are made from a careful blend of three ingredients: potatoes (no!), Salt (get outta here!) and sunflower oil (just like the bag says!). No fucking shit! Just for that I'm buying Ruffles. Not that I eat chips too much. I'm more of a cookies guy.

*According to my stats - and my math was never very good - I am right about 94.46% of the time.

Canadians and the Mid-East

A recent Globe and Mail poll revealed that 77% of Canadians want the PM and Canada to remain neutral on the Mid-East crisis. 45% do not agree with Prime Minister Harper's support of Israel while 32% do.

Let's tackle the 77% group. There is something strange going on here. Implicit in taking such a stance, is that despite our apparent commitment to democracy we choose to not support one in the Mid-East. Is neutrality the best policy on an important issue? We would like Canada to display its magical values but when it is time to project those values on a big stage we seem to want to pull back. Maybe we feel this is not the stage to do it on. Who knows? Canadians should be confident and proud enough to take a stand. We have done so in the past and we should do so now.

Also inherent in this logic - and this also permeates throughout academia - is that the whole crux of the problem begins and ends with the occupation. The "If they would just leave all would be a-ok" belief is a pile of dung that no one truly believes. Worse, the Syrians are claiming this line. Not exactly the country you want to align this line with. More importantly, consulting history of course reveals that the problem is slightly more deep rooted and it doesn't necessarily point towards Israel. Or the U.S. They are just convenient scapegoats. The Jews in particular have always been the convenient black sheep between Islam and Christianity. But I digress.

The people are saying - possibly unwittingly - that democracy can't work in the Mid-East so butt-out. Which in turns means Arabs are not just an unwilling party but incapable of such a experiment.

Conversely, it can be argued that given the right conditions and resources any culture from any society on all four rounded corners on the planet can adopt and adapt to some form of democracy. Arabs seem to adapt just fine in North America which proves being democratically deficient is not genetic. If African tribes removed from modernity can function on some democratic level as some indeed do, then it stands to reason that Arabs - who have more exposure to it - can also. A dab of leadership and voila! The world is theirs.

It would be nice if the UN, Kofi Annan and the world community in general would for once refrain from condemning Israel and for once - just as once - demand that the Arabs begin to face the music and take responsibility for their own actions. We never have strong words for the inept governments of the Middle-East. Why is that? Are we indirectly saying that they are incorrigible?

What's interesting to detect in the 45% group is that they no doubt feel they are a minority. They must look in horror at Harper's courageous position. It's courageous because I never thought I'd see the day where Canada would actually take a stand on major international issues.

We often hear about how voices are being suppressed and that many truths are hidden - thanks to a Zionist plot of course - yet, from what I can tell, it is clear that articles, polls and popular consensus cite Israel as the problem. Take a walk anywhere in North America and stop anyone and see what they say.

Canadians have forgotten what not having a leader means. If anything, Harper is bucking the intellectual trend by ignoring this stupid faux-pas and actually standing on principles. Jean Chretien and his cronies were a bunch of decadent worms who took decisions based on political expediency and passed them as being progressive. It was never about values but rather about preserving Liberal power.

Harper brought back democratic scruples by leading a new Conservative government into power. Canada was fast becoming a 'Mexico of the North' in that we were on our way to being a corrupt, one-party state. Democracy won when Harper was elected - it would have won if anyone had been chosen.

Whether the Conservatives can uphold their own standards is still very much in the air.

Happiest Places on Earth

www.le.ac.uk/pc/aw57/world/sample.html

"In the second century of the Christian era, the Empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilized portion of mankind."

"...During a happy period (A.D. 98-180) of more than fourscore years, the public administration was conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines...."

Edward Gibbon, 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.'

Life is full of mysteries and ironies. For instance, to Gibbon human civilization was at its apex in the late 1st century. Don't tell this to left-wing revisionists who are repulsed by the idea of Empire. Their world view seems to find solace in the Book of Revelations. According to the apocalyptic book, the Romans will be on the side of the dark forces in the final battle.

More ironies? Sure, why not? Canada is ranked 10th (the U.S. is 23rd). Yet, yet the nation is fractured along linquistic and regional lines. Go figure. Not a day doesn't go by with some part of the country complaining about the Feds. This in the most decentralized Federal state in the world. Some people can't be pleased. Who knew that whining is bliss?

Negro Leagues: A part of Americana; Chasing Records

It was significant that the Baseball Hall of Fame recognized and inducted several former Negro League players along with Bruce Suter yesterday.

America is endowed with a rich multi-layered history and the Negro Leagues is only a part of that heritage. With teams like the Baltimore Black Sox, Birmingham Black Barons and New York Cubans the league was also home to legends in the names of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Cool Papa Bell and Don Newcombe. Between 1927 and 1939, the New York Yankees were a baseball dynasty. So were the Pittsburgh Crawfords of the Negro Leagues who were led by notable stars like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. It would have been interesting to have seen a Crawfords vs. Yankees showdown.

With the legacy left behind, the Negro Leagues are an integral part of baseball folklore. A sport that cherishes its myths and legends could do nothing but honor their past and contributions.

-Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies has hit safely in 31 straight games now. We've seen quite a few of these streaks over the years but none came close to 44 let alone 56. While the idea of hitting safely in consecutive games is an exotic one, is it really as important a record as we think? Is it more of a romantic chase made famous by Joe DiMaggio during a time when baseball was its innocent apex? Let's put in statistical terms since baseball is a game that worships stats. All things being equal, let's say a player goes 1 for 4 for 162 straight games. What does this imply? Well, that the player hit .250 and got 162 hits. Mediocre numbers. Going 2 for 3 is implausible since it would mean a .667 BA (not to mention 324 hits) for the season. In any case, does this record rank among what we regard as the greatest of feats?

Civil Liberties and Security can Temporarily Coexist

What will it take for people to grasp that laws are human constructs from the minds of human beings based on humanity's experiences? We frame laws as we go along and learn. In this way, humans have learned to be rather realistic and pragmatic when it comes to legislating, formulating and changing laws. It is a highly flexible human endeavour because humans are in an ever constant state of change and progress. Laws enacted in the 19th century don't always make sense to a contemporary mind and we have no issues with amending the law.

Since 9/11, have civil libertarians learned to adjust? They see any measures to secure the American people as an overreaction. Is it? History will show that the problem with surprise attacks is that it is borne out of the fact that we underestimate what enemies plot.

9/11 was an act of war by a camouflaged enemy that has made clear they will strike again - an enemy that skillfully uses the concept of freedom against the people. They walk among us all. It only takes one. The precedent has been set.

Where is the overreaction in this? It seems to me that the government of the United States is progressing prudently in this matter. What did people expect: That all begins and ends with intelligence? That the cops and various public security officials somehow figure out who the enemy is with their thumbs stuck up their noses?

Time and again democracies have proven to be remarkably considerate when it comes to balancing liberties and security. That doesn't mean that we haven't been wrong or indeed have not overreacted in the past. Civil liberties can be curtailed temporarily if security is threatened. They may not comprehend that the terrorist threat is real but the American government and a significant portion of its people think it is. Why would any government go through the trouble of such measures if they did not feel the threat was real?

In any event, those civil liberties lost in times of war are usually restored in a democracy.

That's the beauty of law. It knows it is not about values. People value their security before they do their freedom. Freedom is a precious commodity that must be protected. No pain, no gain.

Enter the fabulously, fanatical Gordon Johnson and his flippant case against the people who run Raymond James Stadium -home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his mind, because a security guard dutifully does his job to check his bag, his civil liberties are infringed. In normal times, he would be right. I myself tend to trust the individual over government. If I had to choose between the two that is. I understand what libertarians are saying in its abstract form but Mr.Johnson's grievance seems a little much.

However, in a world that is still trying to figure out the new rules of the international system, he is wrong and he must be outright dismissed. It can also be put forth that he is immoral. He is not thinking about the collective benefit rewards of security but rather is hiding behind a document to push an individual motive. Suppose there is an attack on that very stadium? Let us suppose further that tens of thousands die but he survives? What was the price of freedom? What was it worth to him?

In both Canada with the Charter and the United States with the Constitution we have allowed these documents - however enlightened or important - to consume our notions of what defines us. We no longer strive towards a free-flowing society in search of a just path while using these documents as mere guides along the way. Rather, we allow them to define our national DNA. With it a whole pack of myths and empty promises we can't possibly hold. By adhering to a strict and inflexible code and stringent application of that code to benefit the individual, all we do is warp our collective common sense. Government should not be our sole tour guide to a just society.

If rules are meant to be broken then laws are meant to be changed. There is a plausible argument to be made that most people will tolerate some cuts in personal freedom to protect themselves. It's happened before in history and it will surely happen again in the future.

In the meantime, why take the chance? The 1950s are long gone.

The Decline of Ideas

www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/26/people.steelydan.ap/

"Originality is undetected plagiarism." William Inge.

Let's say someone compares your work to a famous author, musician or artist you never read or listened to. Does that mean you are not original? If it came straight from your mind and onto a sheet of paper with artistic and creative competence is this not original work?

Editors will say 'that's been done' but what they won't say is that many writers succeed and exist on re-evaluating and re-interpreting 'what's been done.' Artists steal, outright or in conniving fashion, from each other all the time. How many columnists are truly 'original?' Some of the most popular writers out there are plain awful (Maureen Dowd for example.)

Everything we see follows a previous standard. I don't believe anyone has original ideas in Hollywood. You can tell who the cliques are in Hollywood as they are likely to collaborate on various projects. We see this especially in comedy. Often the result is hilarious and sometimes a disgusting showcase in pompous excess. There's easy money and then there's easy money to the point of sin.

If originality escapes us, we can revolutionize or reintroduce lost forms of techniques or interpret old ideas and inventions for a modern sensibility. For the most part, many do great work in this realm. It does not make the work any less valuable. Sometimes it falls in the genius category of human work.

I remember David Foster once demanding American Idols contestants to bring something 'original' to the table. I had no idea what that meant especially considering Foster is hardly an innovator. The successful artist will demand 'originality' of aspiring people. Yet, a lot that's on TV, on the radio or at the movies is recycled stuff. Originality has no friends in the mass produced world of corporate art. Being an original, not always but usually, means people won't understand you and that in turns suggests you will not profit from it immediately. Can't have that. Foster knows the game. He's certainly talented and is a successful pop musician but is he an original?

It's like the interview process. Experience only matters when the interviewer doesn't know you. At which point, you can bleed on the table and you'll probably not impress anyone.

I'm not surprised by this article. It does, however beg a few questions: Is there a dearth of talent out there? If so, is it because Hollywood is way to difficult to penetrate? Why is it so hard for artists? Something tells me there is talent out there but the environment and structure for artists in our age is not conducive to nurturing that talent. Hollywood is both a product and a form of art at the same time. It's also a terrible waste of talent and time.

Thank the Lord for HBO.

If anybody needs me, I do have a few original works to propose and present.

Dodger Blue is now my heart

After the Expos were sent packing, the question was asked 'will you pull for the new, naturalized Nationals?' Given the petty, pathetic, paltry amount of Expo fans that remained to begin with, I doubt the Montrealers migrated their support to Washington. Besides, it's not like the National organization showed any class in remembering their roots so screw them. I myself became a baseball atheist. I pulled for no one that is.

Until today. I thought about many teams. How can one not admire the New York Yankees and their tradition of excellence? As a Montreal Canadiens fan this should be a natural fit but for some reason I couldn't make the jump. The Boston Red Sox were tempting for their rebel image and history and I have been to Fenway but again I wasn't sure. Though I did pull for them in 2004. In both cases, both cities happen to be on my favorite list and both are superb sports towns. The St.Louis Cardinals were also under consideration. Another great sports city with great fans and possibly the best baseball fans - not to mention a winning baseball heritage. But the Cards were Expos killers in the 1980s. Cubs? Tigers? A's? Reds? All legitimate candidates. In fact, I wouldn't mind if any of them were to win the WS.

Then it hit me. The Los Angeles Dodgers. If one traces back the lineage of the forgotten Expos it all leads to the Dodgers organization. The Montreal Royals were the farm team for the Brookyln Dodgers back in the 40s and 50s. I have always felt there was a special bond between Brooklyn and Montreal as baseball towns. Both were hard luck baseball towns in that there always was a team in their way - Yankees, Cards and Braves. Ebbett's Filed was not that different fro DeLorimier or Jarry Park in some ways in terms of fan and player interaction. I'm not crazy about the city itself but I have been and loved Dodger Stadium. It's a great place to watch baseball. Dodgers fans rank, in my opinion, just as high as Yankees, Reds, Cubs, Red Sox and Cardinals fans.

History binds the two. Which leaves me with one thing to say: Go Dodgers!

Dunga Named Brazil's Head Coach. The Samba is Silent: Race and the Montreal Canadiens

Dunga was a hard tackling, defensive midfielder who was the antithesis of the Brazilian philosophy of free, improvised soccer. He was one of the first players to claim way back in the mid-1990s that demands by fans to expect Brazil to continue in the tradition of Ademir, Garrincha, Jairzinho, Leonidas, Tostao and Pele were possibly no longer tenable.

In my observations, Brazil hasn't come close to playing anywhere near its legendary reputation for quite some time. As I pointed out in earlier posts during the World Cup, Brazil plays much more defensively now. Cafu, Emerson, Zé Roberto, Lucio and Adriano are more in the European mold than anything.

In 1994, they were a talented squad but hardly dominating. They needed penalty kicks to beat Italy. In 1998, more of the same only the cracks were more evident. France outshone Brazil at their own game. As did the Netherlands in the semis who also lost on - you guessed it - penalty kicks. Brazil won in 2002 in spite of themselves and a poor competitive field thanks in part to poor officiating that prevented Brazil being tested by Italy or Spain.

In 2006, soccer insiders and fans new (I picked them to progress no further than the quarters) it was the end of the line this time. While Brazil still produces outstanding talents like Ronaldinho and Kaka, they are more the exceptions than the rule. The rest of the squad play in the tradition of European soccer. Whether this is a good thing or not is up for debate. It does point to is that the Brazilian soccer system and development program has been under going changes. If people want beautiful soccer interpreted by a South America look no further than to Argentina. Often overlooked, Argentina has been a consistent purveyor of powerful and prolific soccer.

The notion of beautiful Brazilian soccer was based more on romanticism and marketing; more on myth than fact. Only interloping soccer fans who crawl out of hibernation every four years bought into this. It has become tiresome to listen to such fans (and journalists) who only watch (and write) who accord themselves expert status when offering their short-sighted opinions. Just to give you an idea, these 'fans' still thought Brazil played well in 2006.

The appointment of Dunga confirms that this trend will continue. Previous head coach Parreira employed realist tactics and was aware that you don't win points or win games for looking pretty. The Brazilian national press and fans were also attentive.

- The French-Canadian press in Montreal have been quite vocal in their discussions to have more French-Canadian players playing for the Habs. The question is often asked, "Should the Canadiens make more of an effort to have more Quebec born players in their line up?"

In theory, the answer is yes. In reality, it's simply not possible.

First, the Habs do not benefit from the territorial draft any longer along with master practitioners like Sam Pollock ensuring that the Canadiens drafted the right players. The Richard, Beliveau, Lafleur lineage has ended. It should have continued with Mario Lemieux but it didn't.

The landscape is different now. Second, and more interesting, Quebec born players are reluctant to play for Montreal. Everything from language and pressure makes this place less attractive. While Toronto born players want to play in Ontario the opposite is happening with Quebec. It's a strange phenomena. Third, do the Yankees only draft players from New York? The Packers from Green Bay? Lakers from Los Angeles? What's more important is to develop and strengthen your farm system. In segregating yourself you only limit your options. The French media needs to come to terms with the fact that a) the Habs don't even draft well and have not been strong in identifying French players and b) no nationality holds a monopoly on talent.

The only sport that has teams that exist along nationalist lines is soccer. In Spain in particular, you have teams like Athletico Bilbao that will only draft and play Basque players. The price of course is eternal mediocrity. That's the choice they made and their fans accept it. Here in Montreal, we're a little less realistic. We want French players and we want to win.

A more practical model to follow is Barcelona. Barcelona is a Catalan-based soccer powerhouse but they go after the best players in the world as they did when they signed Gianluca Zambrotta from Italy and Lillian Thuram from France. Barcelona is an example of a squad keeping its identity but maintaining its standards of excellence by rooting itself in the modern realities of the sport.

The Montreal Canadiens operate in a similar environment only within a North American context. Habs management understand this but do the media and fans? Most do but bringing up the question is counter-productive and pointless. I can't think of any pro North American team that presently considers race when building their teams.

Harper Continues to Lead

It's tight but a slim majority of Canadians support Prime Ministers Harper's position on the Israel/Lebanon crisis. Harper is supporting Israel's right to defend itself. Not surprisingly, Quebecers are less than enthusiastic. If there is one thing Quebecers have remained consistent on is their steadfast refusal to partake in any war. In a way, they are right. If there is no direct interest to Quebec or Canada why fight?

Here's the thing. It's an important issue. It's an international issue. We are part of the international system. We want to play a role in that system - especially if we want to project Canadian 'values' whatever they may be. I'm not sure staying neutral for the sake of staying neutral is an honorable thing.

Everything in Canada comes down to votes and what Quebec thinks. That's what happens when you ignore your international role and remained focused on domestic issues - you become small minded and narrow in your intellectual scope.

With Harper, while this strategy remains, at least he is leading the country and has taken a refreshing stand. For 15 years we were a backward, bankrupted bunch of buffoons. Now some integrity has been restored.

Stephen Harper is a different leader Canadians were accustomed to - he's an economist rather than a lawyer. We may disagree with him and his party on certain if not many issues but it is nice to see Canada becoming a medium player again.

The Fleeting Face of a Farce

Has anyone been catching CNN's soupe du jour Syria's Ambassador to the United States Imad Mustapha? Every time I flick to CNN the good PhD diplomat always seems to be on. He's out there working hard to soften the image of Syria for us all.

Operation Soften Syria is in full flight. Another diplomat that will fade into the Arabian night I am sure.

The question I have is who does this guy think he's kidding? Doesn't he know he's talking to an audience with a sophisticated sense of humour?

Consider some of these comments (and I paraphrase) he repeats often:

On the ceasefire: "...we are more than willing to engage..."

About Israel and America's role: "....they must seek comprehensive solutions..."

On describing Syria as "....peaceful..."

And Syria's position on what ails the Middle East: "...the core issue of regarding the occupation has to be addressed..."

Aw, gee? Is that it?

Seriously, are the cameramen laughing in the background? Does he break into uncontrollable giggles himself when the cameras are off? When has Syria ever been willing to engage? The only language Syria understands is force. Ask Turkey. Forget Zionist and American propaganda for a sec, Syria has had multiple opportunities to 'engage' and take the initiative over the years. They chose not to and now they and Iran have made Lebanon pay the ultimate price.

As for comprehensive solutions. It seems to me massive concessions were made as an initial step to normalizing the region under Bill Clinton. Israel and her people were in a giving mood in the early to mid 90s and Arafat ditched the whole effort. The truth is that it's hard to please a cynical population that is so vulnerable to conspiracy theories.

And this ties into his contention that Syria is peaceful and that all is about the occupation. Syria occupies Lebanon. So you can't complain about another country when your own government are doing the same thing. It does affect your credibility.

In any event, I am not prepared to concede the complex issues that confront the Mid-East all boil down to the occupation. It started well before this. The notion that all would dance in the streets of Galilee and swim in the Red Sea in peace without the occupation is pure fiction. It's an Arab fantasy. I did, come to think of it, enjoy Arab literature in school; like Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves for example.

This soupe du jour is turning cold....fast.

The Final Stake in the Hearts of Montreal Expos Fans

Just when Montreal Expos fans thought they saw it all out comes this. It really is sad how MLB has gone out of its way to ignore that it once had a franchise in Montreal. True, Montrealers forgot about the Expos towards the end but how can the memories of the Expos be erased so callously? It was, despite the sad, waning years of the late 90s, a pretty decent franchise over all. It had its heritage and fine moments.

To see Brian Schneider and Livan Hernandez named in the all-time Expos-National Top 5 list was shocking to say the least. No Dawson. No Raines. No Rogers. How credible can this list possibly be? Chalk this in the 'fans can't be trusted to make real decisions' file. How can this be possibly rationalized? Do these hams realize how good the Expos were from '78 to '88? Carter and Staub made the list. Staub was more of a romantic figure. Guerrero passes him by a mile.

The all-time Expos list would HAVE to include - Raines, Dawson, Carter and Rogers. The fifth spot is up for debate. But any of Dennis Martinez, Pedro Martinez, Tim Wallach, Jose Vidro, Vladimir Guerrero, Grissom, Alou, Parrish, Galarraga, Reardon, Cromartie, Walker, Wetteland would rank ahead of Schneider and Hernandez. And these are just guys off the top of my head. I wanted to get the 80s and 90s edition of the Epxos in to show how dumb this list really is.

As I have said before, let us Montrealers wallow in our 2nd rate sports city by ourselves.

FIFA: Moral equivalency alive and well

So in the politically correct world of FIFA punishing both Zinadine Zidane and Marco Materazzi was a justified ruling today. In the sports world, this is moral relativism at its regressive apex. Zidane gets three matches plus a paltry 7500 EURO fine, while Materazzi gets 5000 euros and a two match ban (2/3 the penalty as a friend pointed out. Ridiculous indeed).

"It's scandalous to ban a player for having said something." former Italian and AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini.

"It was intelligent, measured and reasonable. It shows knowledge of the world of football." President of the French soccer Federation Jean-Pierre Escalettes told AP.

Besides this gibberish, would France have accepted if the tables were reversed? Would they have cared had they won? Absolutely not. How is this stupid ruling remotely 'intelligent?' Because it shafts Italy and essentially leaves France off the hook?

Ok, a few things need to be pointed out here.

1) Italy gets the short-end of the stick. France complains and manage to equate the physical actions of a selfish player to the lousy words of another.

2) Those who called that the only fair solution was to fine both and are happy with this only show their selective stupidity. First, there were no rules in place for such offenses to begin with. Second, this sets an automatic precedence without any legitimate laws to govern them.

As if FIFA does not always have enough on its plate regarding officiating. Are officials going to carry tape recorders on the field now? How will they handle every cry baby that comes up to them complaining about what was said to them about their mother? Will they be provided with proper resources to deal with this? Chances are the answer is no.

As I said before, I wonder if the French would ever accept such a blatantly unjust ruling. What FIFA should have done was let Materazzi go unpunished (since trash talking is not illegal. Or at the very least send a strong message that they would not tolerate acts of buffoonery) and warn all teams and officials that they were no longer going to tolerate this sort of behaviour moving forward. Seems to me this would be a fairer way to approach this. I go back to Francesco Totti versus Poulsen 2004. There, the Italians had no hope of getting a fair hearing from Sepp Blatter.

3) Zidane is retired. 3 games for what exactly? Whereas, Materazzi is still on the national team. This is simply unfair on the part of FIFA. If I'm the Italian soccer federation I file an appeal immediately. Remember, these two teams meet in September.

4) Materazzi deserves an outright apology. French players went out of their way to make Italy look like the bad guys? As it turns out, Zidane admitted no racial slur was hurled his way. Every single person who went on chat rooms, message boards and the like to insult Italy and Materazzi are eating their words for speaking out before the facts came in.

As for Chirac, let's just say I agree with The Economist he deserves a 'red card' for his overall uselessness. What the hell is a leader of a supposed world power doing sticking his brie infested fingers on such an infantile issue?

Well maybe it's not so childish. Get this, a lawyer in Marseille is going through with a motion to have the game annuled. How are we to interpret this as anything but France being poor losers? All this unfortunately over shadows Italy's victory.

A Terribly Designed Tragedy: Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. Dancing with the Devil.

Jews and Arabs truly do really get along when removed from the sinister ploys of their leaders. Specifically, I single out Arab governance which is an affront to all what mankind has attempted to avoid regarding civility.

Thousands of miles away here in Canada, the Lebanese community is prosperous and educated. I myself have Lebanese-Christian friends and family. In fact, close friends of ours happen to be a happily married couple of Jewish and Lebanese heritage. I imagine it's the same thing in the United States. The following is just a personal essay. It by no means pretend to be anything more than that.

While there is an international backlash (though Arab states have remained quiet) against Israel*, the case against the Muslim world is easier to make. The reason is twofold: a) the ascendancy of Arab Muslim militancy through the use of terror to spoil any agreements they do not approve of and b) the inverted flow of Arab history. By this I mean while many societies progress, the Arab world regresses.

It is tough and easy to ponder the Mid-East at the same time. Standing strictly on our soil, they look insane. When removed from it and we place ourselves in their mindset we see the direction they are coming from - it is by no means less acceptable. Islam and politics are one and the same making understanding the layers of complexities that much harder to grasp and follow.

In a simpler form and far more plausible angle, the Arab world is constrained to the point of self-destruction with resistance. A form of jihad against what is perceived to imperialism. They have believed this since the Reconquest of Spain and fall of the Ottoman Empire.

I pulled this quote from an article in the 'Weekly Standard.' "The Roman empire did not last forever. There is no reason to believe that Israel will. It should have never existed to begin with, and all Arabs believe that it will be wiped out."

What more do we need to understand about the contemporary Arab mindset? Remove the past which many use to push their own agenda look at the present. Such a statement completely rules out the deep rooted cultural existence of Jews in the region. When one examines the history of the region (aside from its convoluted nature) everyone has a right to that small, specific piece of land. Even though Arabic peoples and nomads roamed around the area without much more claim to it in the 20th century. Arabs do not see politics, government and war as the West does.

It is when Israel was granted this parcel of land Arabs took issue. Ever since that day, they have been performing a self-genocide.

Lebanon has journeyed into the inferno during their Civil War during the 70s and 80s. Once one of the most beautiful and friendly societies in the Middle-East, it was reduced to nothing but dust and blood. It was hard to imagine that a place where the Phoenicians inhabited was sinking into nothingness. But, as their Phoenician ancestors did before them, they rebuilt the country. They showed a persistence not usually attributed to recent Arab culture. The Arab mindset we are accustomed to is the destructive one.

Enter Hezbollah and its degenerate brethren like Hamas. These are not people that care for Arab or Palestinian peace and harmony. They are political parasites that operate in a confused vacuum. They are immoral profiteers who act as deterrents to progress. They are to history what steroids is to the body. They inject their followers with rhetoric that is incredibly intoxicating based on dubious logic so as to pump up their prestige. When the rhetoric is not fed, its effectiveness has a terribly negative impact on the psyche of the people - just like steroids does to the muscles and organs when a person does not inject his or herself with it. Who laughs along with them besides the devil and his army? They do not know God or Allah because they are incapable of understanding God.

Some may say that they are legitimate elected officials. This is true. In fact, democracy does not guarantee the right people will be voted into power. I suspect we will be seeing more of this until citizens actual learn the ropes of democracy. For now, religious clerics will take advantage of power being auctioned off at a discount. This is why news organizations like Al-jazeera can be instrumental in making this transition - provided they do not wallow in the same bacterial crud that afflicts their leaders.

The Arabs are fighting for something that can't be won. 1948 is done. What legitimate grievances they may have had is now spent. It feels as though no one knows for sure what has happened. It literally is a surreal circle of confusion. Long memories without looking into the future only serves to destroy the present. They have been sold a bag of worthless goods and the only people who benefit are religious fanatics. They are quite fortunate they discovered oil or else we would not be talking about them right now.

Ah the oil. The gem that has made a tiny percentage of Arabs very rich; and their masses very unhappy. The wealth stayed at the top. The Americans and the Jews keep the people poor. So goes to conspiracy theory. One person suggested we hit them where it hurts most: the wallet. But this will take vision and planning for the West to reduce dependence on oil. Oil IS the economy.

So, they provoke with a stick and wonder why they get slapped back. When a person is punched in the face in what corridor of life do we deny that persons right to defend themselves?

The plight of Arab history and its people reminds me of the gambler. The gambler sets out to seek easy fortunes only to discover that the laws of probabilities hinder his chances. Once in a hole, he seeks other ways to fund his habits. He is convinced he can dig himself out of that hole. So he mortgages his home and so on. He is hopeful if not seductively swayed he will prevail. Why not? Does God not love him too? Arabs have been digging their own graves for decades, if not centuries now.

As far as I can see, Lebanon is being used as a bloody battle ground by external forces. Syria, a bankrupt entity, needs to be held to account for their actions once and for all. Hezbollah, an extension of Iranian madness, for its part must be utterly reconfigured. Easier said than done? Perhaps but it can be done nonetheless. Or they should come to realize its sins and moderate its position. Which ever comes first.

Who will be the big players? Perhaps it is time for Italy to step up to the plate. They not only have friendly relations with both Israel and the Arab world they are free of an imperial past that other countries may have.

Perhaps Israel's response is disproportionate (and this can be debated. There is some truth that Hezbollah's actions was a state to state act of war) to the provocation but Hezbollah knew what they were doing. It is unsavoury that Israel is unleashing its deadly acumen on one of the more hospitable places in the region. Still, anyone who believes Israel's response is based on such a short term action are ignoring history. This is the response of a country that has been kept on a leash. The question is why did Israel take the bait? Why do Arabs insist on provoking Israel? It would take all of the world's greatest historians, psychologists and sociologists to disentangle this.

The problem in dealing with Arabs - particularly militant Muslims - is that their idea of compromise - if it exists at all - is different from our own. Dare I say they do not see life through the same prisms we do? It makes for negotiating with them very difficult and deadly. They will issue a fatwa at the slightest hint of weakness shown by their opponents.

It is an ugly scene to watch children die. I still await for the day Arabs recognize that they are killing themselves. You can't provoke and not expect a reaction. Who behaves this way? It's not enough to post pictures of Israeli atrocities inflicted upon Arabs as if to depict them as animals. The day I see this will be the day I will single out Israel. What do Arabs have to lose?

If it is true that Israel is the real source of instability it will only be exposed if Arabs come to terms with the fact that terrorist outfits such as Hezbollah are a guarantor of utter destruction. Hamas is not a proper response but rather a malignant one. If the Arab world had enlightened leadership there would be no need of violent organizations to defend their rights. Blaming Israel and America for their ills is now a dead game. Clean up your mess. Show the world that you are serious. If you do and Israel continues to cause you grief it will only strengthen your hand. Alas, this is not the case. Right?

This has gone on for too long. Reign in the religious fanatics. Time to go and slaughter the Medussa's head. This is no time for cold feet. This is the only real route to lasting freedom, peace and prosperity. Only then will Act I close. Act II will once and for all reveal that hatred does not enslave their hearts.

*The curious thing is that many feel that Israel is protected in the media. Yet, on the other hand world governments through the UN consistently vote against Israel.

The Source of All Our Great Meals

We were over at my parents tonight for a typical meal of fresh garden vegetables, homemade bread, strawberries, grilled zucchini's topped with basil and garlic, risotto ai funghi (mushroom) and stracciatella (egg) soup. All brought to its delicious melodic height with wine.

Growing up, everything was made from scratch in my house. Everything. Each girlfriend, friend, confidante, colleague etc. I ever brought were always stunned at the dedication my mother - 2nd generation Canadian - and a few of her entourage (aunts, friends etc.) had towards food. Our house was the place to be.

In a way, while this was incredibly healthy and tasty, it did create a rather critical eater. Very few restaurants make the grade with me. My younger brother and sister are far more lenient than either myself or our oldest sister. Yes, your math is accurate, we're four in total. But we are all in agreement that women of a certain generation are a dying breed. Who has time for this sort of stuff anymore? Once upon a time we took it for granted. Now we are all clamouring to get a hold of the magic and secrets on how to make, for example, a proper bruschetta.

If a restaurant sells itself as 'authentic Italian' they'd better damn well be. Not only was I spoiled, I actually read up on the history of Italian food and learnt quite a bit about it while visiting the Old Country. 95% of the time - my own figures - Italian restaurants cater to local tastes and as such are not authentic. Not even close. It's made me impossible to be around at times. A silent hush would alway follow the question, "Hey Commentator, what do you think of the food?"

My mother is no better. She's naturally suspicious. It's hilarious to watch 'The Food Network' with her. While she does have her favorites she respects, her unimpressed look of boredom makes us laugh every time. Yet, she watches and owns every recipe book offered by the people she watches. Hey, she gives people a shot.

We've always wanted to market my mother's cooking but it never happened. She's built herself a stellar reputation. I remember meeting some relatives from Connecticut and the conversation quickly moved to 'Filomena's talent'.

Good for us. Anyway, this was just a build up to what I wanted to say. I walked into the kitchen later on in the night and my mother was holding a newspaper that was obviously kind of old. When she got up and left and I walked over to catch a glimpse of what she was reading.

Some American recipe about apple pies going back to 1982! She kept the darn thing. Right then and there I knew the source of her greatness. Love and dedication - not to mention memory and organizational skills.

The Last Comic Standing Proud

One of the engines that drives human accomplishment is the fact that humans want to be in the presence of excellence. This in itself drives the human spirit to reach for greatness. Now, the environment (PC, government etc.) has a lot to say about whether a society can produce great figures but for the purpose of this post it's sufficient to use the human element alone. Call it the "Wow! A human did that?" factor.

It always blows me away to watch a person with disabilities rise above their affliction to face life head on. To spit in the 'face of these badlands,' as Springsteen put it.

I was flipping channels and stumbled on 'The Last Comic Standing' and caught one Josh Blue. The last time I saw a comic with a disability on TV was that girl on 'The Facts of Life.' Aside from the difficulty of getting up there and making people laugh, these people have an added strike against them. I got the shivers watching him. I know people with handicaps want to be treated equally but it's hard not to be impressed - because they are not equal in any Constitutional or Charter way. This cuts above a piece of document. In some ways, they are better.

We want (grave?) greatness. We want to see how far humans can push the envelope, but at times it's not just about seeking greatness. We can be forgiven for assuming the odds are against anybody becoming the next Rodney Dangerfield - "I told my dentist my teeth were yellow. He told me to wear a brown neck tie" - but human greatness evidently has many different dimensions. With this beacon shining bright, he's already won.

At least he won't be on the 'Facts of Life.' I really didn't enjoy that show.

Where Bing Crosby and Syria Meet

While having a fine, typically argumentative Latin afternoon lunch, I caught the finely silver-haired and groomed Wolf Blitzer interviewing the Syrian ambassador to the United States. I observed once more a reoccurring theme that has become a learned intellectual pathology for what apparently ails the Middle-East.

That being it's all about the occupation stupid! Never mind that the trends of a faltering Arab civilization had long been in progress. The wheels, as it turns, had already been turning before Israel's democratic birth. The good man from Syria, with a stern but sincere straight face told Wolf that all these aggressions and killings all came down to one thing- the occupation. Now, the irony of course is that Syria itself occupies Lebabon. Yes, Israel have made mistakes (e.g. the settlements) but...Is this not like, say, Bing Crosby singing and preaching against family physical abuse?

It's War?

So Hezbollah wants a war, eh? Against Israel? I can't think of any example in world history where a society has been consistently and irresponsibly duped and dragged into the mud by unreasonable pseudo-leaders like the Arabs have in the 20th century. They literally live in a separate dimension from the rest of us.

At this point and juncture in human civilization, it is beyond any normal conceptualization of normalcy how they continue to destroy their own existence. Is there anything left in the Arab soul? How do they survive as a cultural species? Indeed, it is impressive that they do so given the madmen that lurk among them. As I have said, there is no parallel in Western culture to match the suicidal (or self-genocide?) of an entire culture and religion.

I'm 0/2 now. First, I could not come up with anything that came remotely close to what Zidane did in the world of sports (just hypothetical. I have heard good ones such as Roger Clemens hitting a batter on purpose with the base loaded in a World Series match. Or Cal Ripken smashing his bat on a player prior to breaking his consecutive game streak. Or Tom Brady jumping over the center to punch an opponent in the Super Bowl. Or my personal invention, a goalie cross checking a player in the face while his team is on a 5 on 3 power play in a Game 7 situation. They still don't match what he did). Second, I have been stumped by the Middle East. Evidently, even our best and brightest are too. Not a good week.

The Shortcomings of Multiculturalism

Let's be frank here. Multiculturalism betrays the Canadian identity. In an effort to reflect the changing demographics of Canada, the concept of multiculturalism has been a work in progress that stretches back 30 years. During that time, it has become normal for Canadians to accept multiculturalism as a Canadian value.

Multiculturalism (similar to peacekeeping and public health) has proven to be somewhat of a misleading value. Yes, I realize that nationalists and Canadians who enjoy these images of Canada will dismiss my comments. I do not, to my conscious knowledge anyway, adhere to any special ideology. Rather these are my personal observations.

In high school I stood up and proclaimed that the UN was impractical and in need of a makeover and that multiculturalism would prove to be the final nail in the death of Canadian identity - whatever was left of it anyway. My teacher, naturally, was stunned. Only one other guy agreed with me and he was French-Canadian - you take your allies where you can find them. George Grant lamented that Canada was already gone way back in 1965 and it seems as though the next crop of Canadian leaders set to prove him wrong. Namely under the leadership of Pearson and later Trudeau who began to reinvent the country. It is under the direction of these men Canada sat at the table of great nations with an earned respect not seen since 1945.

Post- 1945, peacekeeping, public health, bilingualism, multiculturalism made up the core, indeed the heartbeat, of a renewed Canadian spirit. It has proven to be mere band aid and temporary repose to a deeper malaise. A sense that Canada never really nailed down its identity and purpose in the world. With it a society that slowly lost a sense of its independence as subsidies, unions and taxes - someone has to pay for these values - only served to make Canadians rely on government more to solve our problems. Did all this in fact erode our spirit? Is what's left just superficial pride rooted in empty rhetoric?

That's how the Conservative led by Mulroney came in and took yet another stance as defined by a closer integration with the United States. It also unleashed a second round of Quebec's independence movement and the birth of the Bloc Québecois.

During the World Cup people were calling in complaining that no one carries the Canadian flag. That Canada indeed is secondary in the minds of ethnic communities. These are justified questions only they were asked at the wrong time. Everyone runs to his or her heritage during a soccer tournament because Canada is not represented. I'll take it step further and single the CSA for its corruption and never selecting players that reflects the demographics of the country. Until recently the squad always brought burly, English- Canadians from Ontario and Western Canada that played an outdated brand of soccer. No commitment, no vision, no resources and no philosophy rarely say yes to success.

What are sports fans to do? If you're a car racing fan chances are you'll go Ferrari which hails from Italy. Same with cycling, the Olympics and so on. At least other countries are committed to excellence. Here in Canada it can be plausibly argued that it is not the case. After all, there's more to sports than just hockey.

In any event, the callers should point their complaints to our government. The ones who are sad that Canada Day celebrations are tame and unpatriotic affairs are the same people who cherish multiculturalism as some sort of tolerant progressive ideal. Yet, they act surprised when no one carries the flag. Dual allegiance is a tough gig. It is the country of Canada that encourages this act through policy. If anything, it is remarkable that I see any Canadian flags at all. There is no doubt communities across Canada believe in Canada so long as Canada does not interfere with them. When push comes to shove every other nation comes first.

In America, the melting pot theory is the secret of their success in integrating immigrants. Everyone that landed at the feet of the Statue of Liberty wanted to shed his or her Old World roots and start fresh. Such was the attraction and respect America commanded. Roosevelt once said that being an American is not about race, blood or creed but a matter of the heart and mind. American pride is real and it is deep. Italian-Americans may have celebrated the World Cup victory but the very next day they were Americans.

Another issue is the failure of Canada to brand itself in the eyes of Canadians. For example, the inability for it to develop its own indigenous economy with distinct and vibrant economic sectors. We complain that GM shuts down here never realizing it was never ours in the first place. Financials and resources are not enough. It's semi-diversified and it is saying we do things half-assed. Sure, there are several examples of Canadians making a splash on the international stage here or there or independent artisans that are sought after worldwide but this is fragmented in its nature. Canada has not bound together this fact, marketed it and taken advantage of it. We still often hear "She's from Canada?" or "A Canadian invented that?"

Some will smartly suggest we create a unified Canadian education system. The problem is that education falls under provincial jurisdiction and the provinces are in no mood to give back any bones given to them. The provinces are not interested in the greater good for all Canadians.
Plan B? Culture is not above marketing. I'm not referring to propaganda or illusionary Canadian content rules that prop up our culture. I'm talking good old-fashioned salesmanship. Canada has to figure out a way to connect culture to business.

A good start is to scrap multiculturalism, stop framing laws and policy on the basis of protecting one culture at the expense of others and refute all mediocre intellectual ideas that consider parochial and short-term angles. Time to revamp the civil service to produce an educated and enlightened special intellectual force similar to those that once existed in China and France. The civil service is the government's soul that reflects its people's culture. If they are not up to the task then, it should not surprise that neither will the people. Then again, one may astutely point out that it's the people who drive the nation and not the other way around.

Alas, we have to first purge and sweep the rot of ideas that exists in government first. Where's my mop?

World Cup: A Way to Help Referees

When FIFA President Sepp Blatter threw one of his own referees under the bus following the Portugal/Netherlands debacle, I thought to myself a) this guy has to go and b) soccer needs a small overhaul. Especially considering it was Mr. Blatter who ordered his refs to flash more yellow and red cards. He sent a mixed message.

Why shouldn't soccer - God only knows how many times in the past I have said this - consider video replay as an option?

Soccer fans are way too subjective when it comes to the sport. They are not above arguing the most idiotic and insignificant of things. This is why odd debates that sometimes enrage fans and countries take place. The sport needs a good dose of objectivity injected into it. There is indeed very little objectivity. Though statistics are kept, they remain irrelevant or at the very least open to selective interpretation. Having ball possession, for example, may please the interloping fan but an astute fan will not be impressed if nothing concrete is done with the ball. It may seem on the surface a team is dominant but it means very little (see France versus Italy as a recent example). You don't win titles by looking pretty.

For years I have said that FIFA needs to modernize. Video replay would help the refs (not to mention return their dignity) and restore some fairness to the game. I would not be surprised if the game is vastly improved in terms of quality and goals if this happens. It may never narrow the gap between countries with high standards of officiating such as in England Italy and the rest of the world but it will most certainly narrow it.* They need to also strongly consider bringing nothing but the best refs regardless of where they are from. 'France Football' put it best in their July 11 issue, "Le football doit travailler sérieusement å l'amélioration de son "objectivité" et å la diminution de sa "subjectivité." Translation: soccer has to work hard to seriously improve the game by greatly reducing the subjective factor and greatly increase the objective factor.

I could not agree more and I am glad that finally a major soccer magazine is at least opening the debate.

*Team Canada in hockey and Team USA in basketball have often justifiably complained about international officiating. They have learnt to adjust while the officiating has improved greatly. However, a clear difference on how different federations interpret their respective sports remains. The same grievance is found with Italy and England in soccer.

World Cup: A Headbutt To The Heart of the Matter

Here are some quotes from Marco Materazzi and Zinedine Zidane:

"He won it for what he did on the pitch," Materazzi told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "He was the best."

"I didn't say anything to him about racism, religion or politics," Materazzi said. "I didn't talk about his mother, either. I lost my mother when I was 15 and even now I still get emotional talking about her."

Zidane, who retired after his 108th appearance for France, stressed that he felt no regret about his outburst "because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that."

"My act is not forgivable," Zidane said. "But they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes."

"Je n'excuse pas, mais je comprend." (I do not excuse but I understand) French soccer commentator.

"....Il dit qu'il condamnable. Il faut aussi lui dire qu'il est pardonnable." (He admits he is condemnedable. But we must also tell him we pardon him) Michel Hidalgo.

"Des excuses, pas de regrets," (Some excuses, no regrets) Headline in sports magazine L'´Equipe.

For those who want an in-depth story about the World Cup I point you to the excellent French sports magazine 'L'équipe.' They did a good job of explaining the whole thing. Just translate the pages off google. Incidentally, they don't buy the excuse. In fact, I have spoken to friends and family in Switzerland and France and the country is literally divided on the issue. The silver lining in this? At least 50% of people are getting it right. Please allow me to indulge myself the rest of the way.

I ask: As a French lawyer seeks to annul the match, who are the classless here? The reason why I am pushing this is because it astounds me how Materazzi has been made to be the only bad guy. While Mr. Materazzi may be far from innocent, the bottom line is that Zidane lost his cool - which wouldn't be the first time. If there is any sympathizing to be thrown his way it's through the fact that the weight and pressure on his shoulders were impossible to manage as a nation demanded he bring home the cup. Not because he was called names on a pitch. If a racial slur was spewed, this is symptom of a bigger problem for FIFA as this is a widespread problem in Europe.

Depending on the nature of the attack and the setting the response must be appropriate. In this instance, he was in a major match that may have cost his team. That was the consequence of his actions. I guess he never heard of the term 'revenge is a dish best served cold?' This was the ultimate act of self-indulgent vigilantism. The act was not justified given the context. He was better off slide tackling him and getting a yellow card.

Observing how France has spun the story, it reminds how contemporary France has yet to come to terms that they are second rate power now. England has realized it, Germany remains lost and Italy, in their eternal indifferent and cynical realism, gave up long ago.

Someone told me in jest it is easy to target Italy because they are immodest. Maybe. Don't know if an 'immodest index' exists but that's the perception for some and sometimes (if not often) perception drives the reality. In any event are they more so than other countries?

Americans know this all too well.

France has skillfully pulled one of the great Houdini acts of the 20th century (thanks in part to American tolerance) when they fooled everyone into believing they remained a relevant power despite any last remnants of military greatness died in 1918. Machiavelli would be proud - sorta.

The French, as I have pointed out, are a society that quarrels and theorizes. It's no coincidence they, produced many great 'philosophes' during the Enlightenment. What works for them works for them.

This is why it's such a big story out there - they are over thinking the actions of Zidane. Again as I mentioned elsewhere, this is the great French PR machine at work.

What we are witnessing is one country taking the moral high ground to protect a tarnished star and another not even bothering to play the game because each has decided their place in the world.

All this because of a headbutt? Yup, all this because of a headbutt. Such is soccer.

Article of Interest: Sports: World Cup

www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles

Why Israel is rooting for Italy at the World Cup.

Article of Interest: Sports: World Cup

thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2006/7/13/sports/14823538&sec=sports

Sour grapes? Aren't the French pushing this a little too far? Someone should sit them down in their tantrums and tell them sternly that they are not the victims. Sure, annul the match. What if you don't like the result again? What other loophole will you find then? This can go on and on. Absurd especially considering that this can open a can of worms. I can just see other countries lining up for past indiscretions. Italy should counter sue for 2002 (why not? Sue everybody!) and 2000 when the French benefited from generous added time given by the referee.

I Reject: Zidane's action has no excuse

That didn't take long did it? Hey, I said I could not resist.

As two great cultures are embroiled in a childish small 'c' controversy, there are many ways to look at the Zinadine 'The Rhino' Zidane assault - but only one right answer. To North Americans, we are familiar with the cult of trash talkers and most would agree what Zidane did was an act of mental fragility. One British person on a soccer thread put it best; "Materazzi played. Zidane got played."

Ty Cobb, Claude Lemieux, Pete Rose, Michael Jordan etc. All were examples of athletes who did what they could to tried to take their opponents out of focus. Some want athletes of this genre on their team, others do not. It is what it is.

People will construct ways to look at this and after reading and watching many French media outlets, no matter how you dice it Zidane was wrong - slick French PR notwithstanding. Wow, imagine if Materazzi - a player who's best friend is black - did this do Zidane? What would Zidane's mother - an elderly lady who demanded poor Materazzi's balls on a platter - ask for then? Who would the French go after? Armstrong or Materazzi? Don't they have their hands full chastising American foreign policy?

Another way is to study how the Italian players reacted. Not one of them sought to turn this into a brawl. Fabio Cannavaro, a true class player, looked at Zidane as if he was insane. Gattuso, Buffon and Zambrotta are all friends of Zidane and they too looked on with perplexity. Buffon himself attempted to offer comfort to Zidane following his deserved expulsion. To be sure, as the days move along we will begin to see fools on both sides take this a step too far before it settles down.

In a larger social context, it importantly points to a fascinating malaise in modern society; that of blaming the victim at all cost. It was an opulent orgy of sick self-victimization watching the French defend the indefensible. Some described it as Zidane defending 'the honor of his family' and the 'scourge of Islamophobia.' (What about the honor of the French soccer Federation?) Even though there is no proof Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist.

As Zidane spoke on a popular French program as his head butt played over and over, the reaction was less "Oh, Zidane!" and more "Well, he insulted his family. What was he supposed to do? He had to defend the honor of his family! Of France!" Maybe, afterall Yosemite Sam did not like being told his mother wore army boots by Bugs Bunny. But ole Sam was not playing in a championship match with 10 minutes to go.

Rubbish indeed.

Remember 9/11 and how people began to rationalize that heinous crime against humanity? We sought elusive 'root causes' for years. Ultimately, the general consensus was that American foreign policy was at fault - though never being clearly spelled out how. It just was. Let's blame Bush and move on.

On a much less serious and in some ways incomparable level, there is a similar logical pattern here. I have heard all I needed to hear. I reject Zidane's hollow apology and the people of France for immorally defending him.

Hey, the two sides meet on September 6 for Euro qualifications. Wonder if Materazzi will play.

Note to Readers

So ends my World Cup escapades. It was a little out of the norm but I enjoyed doing it. Though something tells me this Zidane thing will continue to suck me in. For now, we return to our regular scheduled freeform nonsense. We begin with an autism piece.

Learning Alongside Autism

School can often be an intimidating place for just about anybody. But it is on the playgrounds and classrooms of our schools where we learn many life skills. Part of life's journey is learning how to cope with the unfamiliar.

One of the most daunting issues for children with autism is how to interact with classmates - unfamiliar territory that can prove overwhelming for all involved. While public awareness for autism has increased, understanding autism on a human level remains a work in progress.

Autism is a neurological disorder with a wide range of symptoms that often leaves educators and parents alike confused by its mysterious nature. Understanding the nature of autism can go a long way to alleviating some of the frustration felt. Despite efforts, it isn't always easy.

There's nothing worse than getting a phone call from a school teacher asking you to go pick up your child because they were out of control. Many times I felt helpless. I often cried myself to sleep thinking I failed him," explained Mary DeMauro, whose son lives with the disorder. Eventually Matthew was prescribed Ritalin to help him keep focused in class, but this did not solve his problems. School was still having a negative impact on him. "They bug me a lot on the bus. I know I'm different."

Early diagnosis is crucial to the development of children with autism. If a specialist determines that a child has autism, it is believed that interaction in a normal social setting can go a long way to helping a child open up. Indeed, initiatives have been undertaken to integrate kids with autism in regular classrooms. What have been the results so far?

According to Tania Piperni, Autism Special Disorder consultant at the English Montreal School Board, it's not the kids from regular classes that have been a source of frustration, but the lack of proper resources. "It has become a normal and learned behavior for students to be helpful with kids with special needs. However, sometimes out resources need to be pooled more towards supporting and assisting the adults such as teachers and educators. Providing them with general information about autism and visual learning styles can be most helpful." Jennifer Youakim, an elementary school teacher from the EMSB, further adds, "Never underestimate the power of empathy and compassion among children. They have a natural sense of understanding when confronted with special circumstances." Ms. Piperni views the experiment in a positive light. "I believe that the results of integration are working nicely for many of our students."

Some educators are not as comfortable with integration, and must therefore be taught strategies on how to deal with special needs students. Parents haven't always been all that accommodating either. "Raising a child with a neurological disorder is difficult enough, but having to face indifferent parents only makes it harder. No amount of explanation will suffice for some, unfortunately. They just don't want their kids in the same classroom with autistic kids," says Maria DeMauro.

Are parents' fears justified? Yes and no. If the proper support and resources are not made available in the class, then it is not effective for anyone - not the teacher, nor the students, and ultimately not the autistic child. In Quebec schools, for example, both trained childcare workers - special education technicians - and attendants with no special training, are simultaneously taking care of autistic children. "Attendants tend to use a 'baby-sitting' approach to their jobs, thus children don't advance as much as they could. In contrast, a special education technician will essentially treat the child as a regular member of the class and encourage independence," says Patrick Lortie, a child-care worker with the English Montreal School Board.

This leads to a lack of consistency from one childcare worker to the next. For instance, it is entirely possible that a child with special needs gets the proper care from a SET one year, and a different exposure with a less trained attendant. With two different approaches and no comprehensive plan it leads to ineffective education. The problem is further compounded when there is a lack of communication between the teacher and childcare worker in the classroom. Mr. Lortie further added how frustrating it can be when a childcare worker is not treated as an equal, but more as, "help in the back of the classroom." This can lead to a strained relationship, which can ultimately affect the child. Everyone has to work together in order to obtain the best approach to meeting the child's needs.

It is only fair to point out that integrated classes are in their infancy stage and growing pains were bound to happen. Still, there are already positive and rewarding signs. "I've seen what integration can do. In an environment with proper collaboration, which I am in this year, two of my autistic students have made advances beyond anyone's expectations. This is incredibly rewarding, above all for the parents." Ms. Youakim agrees. "My students are always quick to help out and offer praise for any successes disadvantaged students have. It really is amazing to witness the wisdom and maturity children can show at times."

"We stuck by Matthew. We ploughed ahead. Now we're beginning to see positive changes in him. He still needs medication for other related problems, but we are all learning to cope with it," as the gleam in Ms. DeMauro's eye lit up. Integrating children with autism in mainstream classes is a challenging and important concept. Once again, as adults get lost in the shuffle of analysis, it is our children that are teaching us precious life lessons. The question is whether we are listening.

Former Concordia Student Linked to Al-Queda

I earned a Major in History from Concordia University and right up until this day I protest its worth.

Not until Concordia, aka L'il Palestine, cleans up its act by purging itself of the rotting militant student body lurking within its walls will I ever treat that school with any respect.

The discovery that an Al-Queda member walked and learned among students in Montreal is sickening but not surprising. To any of us, who had the courage to say it at the time, we understood something was crooked in the school. The behaviour of the Arab student body in the past has been nothing short of grotesque. It is a direct affront to our collective intellectual heritage. They stand for all that stands in opposition to all we have worked for over the centuries.

Of course, we could not say as much as academia is a slave to its own pathetic politically correct post modern ethos.

Again I demand, Concordia University clean yourself up.