Hurray! Another separatist party is created in Quebec!Independent MNA Jean-Martin Aussant who left the PQ to sit as an independent is starting up a new separatist party, the third to have a sitting member in the National Assembly.
Although not as yet formed the new party will operate under the 'Option nationale' banner and will push aggressively for the sovereignty option as well as Mr. Aussant's pet project, the defence of Quebec's mineral resources.
Good Luck!
I mean it sincerely, the more separatist parties the better to split votes!
Separatists- Looking for love in all the wrong places!
It seems to me that if a pre-K class in Langley British Columbia invited blowhard Mario Beaulieu president of the separatist Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste (SSJB) as well as president of the Mouvement Québec français (MQF) to address the little tykes about the merits of sovereignty, coupled with a healthy side order of running down Canada, he'd hop on the first plane, with bells on, to deliver a three hour monologue!With talk of sovereignty not exactly a topic du jour in Quebec and with interviews on Quebec television fewer and farther between, Mr. Beaulieu went to Europe to seek out support from those who couldn't care less.
Then it was off to Paris, to celebrate the Fête de l'Humanité, a gathering organized by France's dwindling Communist party, which enjoys less than 2% of popularity in France. To bolster Mr. Beaulieu's representation of Quebec as president of the SSJB and the MQF, was the Réseau de Résistance du Québécois.
In an article in La Presse, Alain Dubuc, wonders if Mr. Beaulieu has lost sight of reality.
"How can we interpret this strange crusade? Two hypotheses come to mind. The first, rather uncharitable, is based on the well-known attraction of travel. The second, more troubling, describes some kind of activist who has lost touch with reality, strategies he developed in a vacuum where he just forget the real world and real issues. Where the key is to make gestures, even if they are unnecessary and ridiculous. LINK{Fr}Surpise! Quebec politicians actually more popular than used-car salesmen.
When it comes to public confidence in Quebec, politicians rated just ahead, wait for it, used car salesmen! The politicians received a confidence rating of just 8% in a survey by Leger Marketing, saved from finishing on the bottom of the list, by 1%.On top of the list;
Firemen 97%
Ambulance Techs- 93%
Nurses- 91%
Surgeons- 89%
On the bottom of the list;
Used car salesmen- 97%
Politicians- 93%
Lobbyists- 91%
Click on the picture to read the entire list in French.
From le magazine nagg
The most pathetic OQLF story of the year!
This story may just be the most pathetic Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) story of the year.
A Montreal Gazette reader, Robert Wilkens wrote a depressing, yet hilarious article that describes the Keystone Kops goings-on, on his little street in downtown Montreal.It seems that when bureaucrats at the OQLF combine with the fools running the Montreal public works department, hilarity ensues. Don't skip this story. Click on the link!
"You see, a few years ago a city authority visited the modest corner in question – Guy/Paxton Park – and a team of several seemingly well-intentioned labourers proceeded to paint the backs of three long-neglected community benches. The seats themselves, which were in an equal state of disregard, were left totally untouched and remain so to this day. Every morning I am reminded of this bureaucratic absurdity. LINKThe beat goes on for French music, again!
This story is about another tedious march by French language militants demanding more French music on the radio. The Mouvement Montreal Francais (MMF) led by the, err.... ultra-famous Quebec actor Denis Trudel demanded that a Montreal radio station, CKOI and others, stop playing so much English music, more than their CRTC license provides for.The stations are accused of using a clever trick to understate the amount of English music played by stringing together a bunch of English songs in a mashup or remix, thus counting that the resulting effort is just one song, in terms of accountability. VERY CLEVER!
The marchers protested such 'cheating' and bore placcards with the names of French artists that they wished to see replace the English music.
The issue of why people should be forced to listen to music that they don't want to hear, is definitely of course, strictly beside the point. LINK{Fr}
After the march, demonstrators repaired to the local Valentine restaurant for dinner, but only after a very heated discussion about French content, that led them to modify the original plans that had the group scheduled to go to Harveys!
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." - William Pitt
There's been lot's of discussion lately about corruption in Quebec, with most people demanding a public inquiry to peel back the hidden layers of criminality.
Here's a glimpse of what would be discovered, courtesy of a story that wasn't picked up in any English media. It should have been and so I translated it as best I could.
Regardless of how cynical you are, this story will have you shaking your head;
Presumed Bribery at Revenue Canada-millions spent at the casinoFrancis Vailles
La PresseThe RCMP has discovered that a Revenue Canada manager spent $11.8 million in cash at a casino in the company of a known tax evader, Francesco Bruno, between 2006 and 2010.This information comes from new documents filed in court in Montreal by the RCMP as part of its investigation into the alleged bribery of Revenue Canada officials. Seven tax auditors are believed to have received generous bribes from crooked taxpayers to help defraud Revenue Canada.
The Revenue Canada manager who purchased the millions of dollars in casino chips is Madan Kehar. Most of his purchases were made at the Montreal Casino in the presence of Francesco Bruno, who also spent $ 1.4 million in cash on such occasions.
Francesco Bruno (left), Alfredo Magalhães, in a box at the Bell Centre in 2005 Francesco Bruno is the president of BT ceramics, which was found guilty of tax fraud last spring. It was he who helped one of Tony Accurso's companys evade taxes of $4 million through an elaborate scheme of false invoices. According to the RCMP, Madan Kehar as well as two other Revenue Canada officials had intervened to prevent another auditor from delving more deeply into the issue of BT ceramics in the early 2000s.
New information from the RCMP was released as part of a subpoena for documents, approved by a judge, directed at the Bell Centre, in late August. The police obtained Bell Centre invoices that proved that certain tax inspectors benefited from the largess of Francesco Bruno during a Canadiens hockey game in September 2007.
No tax at the Galeries Laval
In the new report from the RCMP, police made an astonishing discovery in the offices of BT ceramics in 2008. The safe of the company's CEO, Francesco Bruno, contained original documents belonging to Revenue Canada in relation to Galeries Laval, a shopping centre then owned by Tony Accurso.
Such forms never leave the offices of Revenue Canada, the investigators reported. According to them, "the fact that such forms disappeared from the Canada Revenue Agency benefits Galeries Laval, because the information is no longer accessible to the Agency."One form, dated June 2004, noted that the latest official to have worked on the Galeries Laval file, questioned the fact that the mall never paid any tax.
In another form found hidden in the safe, suspicion was cast over of another Revenue Canada auditor concerning another Tony Accurso company, Louisbourg, over another bogus invoice scam.
Readers are reminded that Francesco Bruno, BT Ceramics, were located in a building belonging to mafia bosses Vito Rizutto and Paolo Renda.
Bahamas and Switzerland
In addition to the Revenue Canada official Madan Kehar, two key officials are also targeted by the RCMP investigation, Furgiele Adriano and Antonio Girardi. Furgiele is the cousin of Francesco Bruno.In its investigation, the RCMP discovered that Francesco Bruno opened a bank account in the Bahamas in 2006 with Revenue Canada officials Furgiele and Girardi. The account manager was Quebec's Martin Tremblay, later jailed for money laundering in another case. In July 2006, the Bahamas account was closed and the money, $816,278, was transferred to Switzerland
In addition, the RCMP also discovered that Furgiele received $150,000 from a taxpayer at the beginning of 2008 a few weeks after he received a tax refund of $2.3 million. According to police, Furgiele was at the heart of the scheme that enabled the taxpayer to save the taxes. That taxpayer in question, is Francesco Bertucci, his company, Thomson Tremblay. The police tried to talk to him, but his lawyer objected. The RCMP believes that Revenue Canada officials Nick Iammarrone, and Giuseppe Oliviero participated in the scam benefiting Bertucci.
Bell Centre
If you want to believe that it's just the Italians involved, here's a story from yesterday's news..In order to get the approval of the judge in its application for a subpoena of the Bell Centre, the RCMP submitted photos of another night at the Bell Centre in 2005, which it seized in the home of Furgiele, which were filed with the Court. It shows nine officials of Revenue Canada drinking with Francesco Bruno in a box at the Bell Centre.Among the officers of Revenue Canada that were there, were team leaders Furgiele Adriano and Antonio Girardi, as well as agents Madan Kehar and Giuseppe Oliviero. As for taxpayers, in addition to Francesco Bruno, there were two other co-shareholders of BT ceramics, Alfredo and Rodolfo Magalhaes Palmerino.Officials suspected of wrongdoing were fired from Revenue Canada or have already retired. No charges were brought against them or against Francesco Bertucci.
and folks, it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Habs jersey sends TIFF atwitter
Actor Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightly currently starring in 'A Dangerious Method' greeted journalists at the Toronto International Film festival wearing the dreaded Habs jerseys.
Moretensin is a huge Montreal Canadiens fan and previously pulled off the same stunt at the 2005 edition of the festival.
He admits that during filming of the Lord of the Rings, he wore the sweater under his costume.
Huh!
As they say on Global TV, "Whooda guessed?"
For Toronto Maple Leaf fans, who might be feeling a bit left out, I scoured the Internet for something similar, but all I could come up with is this photo of Brooke Mueller (Charlie Sheen's ex) wearing a nifty Leafs T-shirt.
Hold on a sec......
Is that a foil crack pipe she's holding? LINK
eeek!!
Speaking of hockey shirts in the media, who can tell me which famous movie this Habs jersey made a prominent appearance in?
What's the Montreal connection?
Finally, here's two stories that definitely had me shaking my head, I don't know which one is stupider. I'll let readers decide;
The first story details a female high school teacher who seduced a fifteen year old male student and carried on an affair in which they had sex between 200-300 times, everywhere you can think of including the high school itself.
The teacher is trying to get the case dropped because it has taken so long to come to trial.
She complained to the judge that her life has been ruined by the publicity.
This next story is of a Montreal borough Notre Dame de Grace, (NDG) which decided to engage graffiti artists in a contest, in order to reduce tagging around the neighbourhood.Pontbriand, her slight body shaking with emotion, said the ordeal has zapped her of her energy and she finds it difficult to hide her tears from her children.“The most precious time in a parent’s life is when the children are small - the giggles, the little fat tummies, the hugs and kisses,” said Pontbriand, 40. “There are times your child catches you crying and says, ‘It’s okay, mommy; I’ll kiss it better.’ ”
The teacher with 13 years’ experience has been unable to work, she said, because her case has appeared around the world on Internet and television. LINK
The borough was to provide a workspace and guess what first prize was supposed to be.
100 cans of spray paint. .......yup! LINK
FailQc.com.
At first I laughed at the misplaced footings for a sign for some sort of federal building in Quebec City.
But then the English translation on the sign had me feeling that the translation was performed in Bangkok.
Workshop Quebec City?
A 'workshop' is what you have in your basement, not a big government facility. It should read 'shop' or 'facility', or something else.
Is the start of an Inglish invasion.
