Sunday, June 28, 2009

Abousfian Abdelrazik



Welcome home Abousfian Abdelrazik

"After nearly six years of being stranded in Sudan because of a United Nations blacklist, Abousfian Abdelrazik has finally returned to Canadian soil. ... ' I am proud to be a citizen of this nation.' ... Abdelrazik, 47, has not been able to return to Canada since leaving to visit his ailing mother in Sudan in 2003. When he arrived in Sudan, he was arrested on suspicion of having links to terrorism, but was later released. Abdelrazik was never charged and in Canada, he was cleared by both CSIS and the RCMP.

More recently, Abdelrazik spent 14 months sleeping on a cot at the Canadian embassy in Khartoum, while he fought to obtain the clearance he needed to return home.

For months, Ottawa refused to issue him a passport and the UN said he remained on a terror watch list.

Earlier this month, Federal Court Justice Russell Zinn ruled that Abdelrazik should be allowed to return home and he ordered the government to take steps to bring him back to Canada within 30 days.

A short time later, the Conservative government said it would comply with the order."

Federal Court Justice Russell Zinn was quoted on CTV as saying CISIS was complicit in Abdelrazik's detention.

It wouldn't be the first time.








Advertising


"Good taste" and "Burger King" would not come to my mind in a word association game.

But with this ad Burger King set a new record in lack of taste.


Performance has improved slowly but steadily since 2004, [according to this website] enhanced by offbeat and unusual marketing aimed at Burger King's core young male market. Advertising Age estimated global measured advertising expenditure of $356m in 2007, making Burger King the world's #95 advertiser. [emphasis is mine]


"Core young male market" ?

Surely even American boys couldn't equate a BK Super Seven Incher with sex!

And in case you are interested in how much the number one restaurant in the world spends on marketing: "Advertising Age estimated global measured advertising expenditure of $1.7bn in 2007, making McDonald's the world's #17 advertiser. "






Friday, June 26, 2009

Pickton is in the news, again

And the nightmare continues for the victims' families:

“B.C.'s criminal justice branch which oversees crown prosecutors has said that it will not proceed with the other 20 counts of first-degree murder against Pickton because he is already serving the maximum amount of time in prison before eligibility for parole. However the crown said it was prepared to re-try on all 26 counts of first degree murder if a new trial was ordered. There is a possibility now that the case will go to the Supreme Court of Canada. ...

Cynthia Cardinale, the sister of Georgina Papin, one of Pickton's victims, said ... 'We don't know how to feel at this point. This seems to never end and we continually have to think about this.'

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Braidwood Inquiry

Robert Dziekanski was killed at Vancouver International Airport on October 14, 2007 when RCMP officers used a Taser on him several times.

Mr. Thomas Braidwood decided to adjourn the inquiry into his death until September 22, saying the disclosure of an internal RCMP e-mail will require further testimony. He appeared to be very angry according to CTV News, which described the e-mail as a bombshell. "It suggests officers discussed using the Taser even before they confronted Dziekanski."

More


Braidwood Inquiry

Report in 11 Parts and 9 Appendices

Wikipedia has an excellent article about this and some useful links