'Murrica...FUCK YOU!

I used to be a big U.S. apologist. I had bought into their war on terror and the fact that George W. Bush was going after the "bad guys" and that Canada should help. Well, this viewpoint has changed considerably since my family came under attack from FATCA. I will forgive most anything, but I will not forgive an all-out attack on my family be it physical or financial. Therein lies the reasoning for my switch from being a US apologist to an outright US enemy.

When the United States instituted FATCA, they waged economic warfare on my family. My wife is the big earner in the family and unfortunately, unwittingly, she is the Trojan horse that allows the US to scrutinize our financial dealings. My photography only makes enough to get by if that. I have a bad back from falling down a set of stairs thanks to my mother not maintaining them. So, I do what I can under the physical limitations of my back. I do not collect welfare, I depend on my photography to carry me through.

Our children hold US indicia through her, whether they've opted to go American or not; which they haven't. We haven't even informed the US consulate of their birth and have no intention of doing so. And my oldest son has the intention of renouncing his US citizenship when he reaches the age of 18 which is in 7 years. Which means Uncle Sam has their claws in the majority of my family.

Peter W. Dunn of The Isaac Brock Society said it most succinctly and accurately that Canadians being taxed by Uncle Sam is a human rights crime. His quote: "Many Homelanders are a special breed of bigot who believe that you live abroad so that you can shirk your responsibility to pay for their Social Security, their Food Stamps, their welfare, and their wars across the globe" is exactly it. Homelanders keep hollering about "paying your fair share". What is fair share when you aren't represented in government? What is fair share when you cannot partake of the benefits (welfare, medicaid, unemployment insurance...etc) allowed to all Homelanders? What is fair share when we do not use their infrastructure? Should we have to pay the way of illegal aliens as well as career welfare recipients? Is it because the United States wishes to tax their expatriate indicia just for the simple fact that they carry a blue passport with an American Eagle on the face? Because a tax rate of 29% and fines of over 300% for not filing a stupid piece of paper is quite a steep rate for a little booklet and frankly not worth it in my books.

As of this year alone, the US renunciation rate has gone up 222% in the last quarter of 2013 and Americans are starting to get a bit concerned, but they still have the mindset of "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out" or "Murrica, Fuck Yeah!". There is a note of exceptionalism and superiority with every "homelander" remark that they make about having to "defend the world" (when in actual fact, they stick their noses in everyone else's business even when they aren't supposed to) and "time for those who ride on America's coattails to pay up".

It's not a matter of US exceptionalism any longer. The rest of the world with the exception of a two bit banana republic called Eritrea, taxes their citizens based on residency and not citizenship. Even Russia, a hold out, folded their citizenship taxation when the Iron Curtain fell in 1991. So the United States, a nation 17 trillion dollars in debt holds company with a two bit dictatorship in Africa while the rest of the world tries to tax their citizenry fairly.

But rest assured my diatribe does not single out the US alone. My enmity is for all those nations who capitulated and signed a pact with the devil himself, Uncle Sam. All the nations who willingly threw their citizens under the bus just because they held US citizenship (1/2 of a dual citizenship) are contemptible. Canada recently on February 5, 2014 signed an FATCA IGA and threw 1+ million (5 million or more if you count all those affected) US indicated individuals (Canadian citizens or those who are permanent residents and are seeking Canadian citizenship) under the bus. The Stephen Harper government did an end-run around the Privacy Act and made the banks reportable to the CRA (which has now become an arm of the IRS). Harper and his Tory cronies decided to sell-out Canada's sovereignty and tried to make Canada a territory of the United States. To this Canadian, the Tories are traitors to Canada and should be imprisoned for life. In fact, I doubt with the exception of Murray Rankin, Elizabeth May, Alex Atamenenko and Linda Duncan there is a politician in Canada that will stand up to and reject FATCA. What the world needs now is a nation with the backbone to stand up to the United States - a nation that is willing to tell the United States where to go and have the might to back it up.

All malicious empires have their Achilles heel. It's just a matter of finding where the United States' Achilles Heel is. This attack on innocent expatriates of every nationality just because of US indicia should not be tolerated by any nation.

Two Types of Asshole Drivers!!!

As I've said before in another post...I fucking hate tailgaters.

There seems to be two kinds of drivers in British Columbia that seem to piss most rational drivers off and there are VERY few of the rational drivers out there - they're about as rare as hen's teeth. In fact if you think that you're a rational driver, chances are; you're probably not. I'll absolutely 100% guarantee that you will fall within either one of the following categories.

#1) The "I Don't Know What The Fuck I'm Doing Behind The Wheel": (aka Richmond Driver, Asian Driver, Granny/Granpa): can be of any race or creed and can be of any age. These are the drivers who I call terminally stupid simply because they seem to lose their cognitive function when they get behind the wheel. - These are the idiots that will cut across two lanes to make a left or right turn because they didn't use enough foresight to think far enough ahead to make the lane changes prior to reaching the intersection. Or the idiot that can't seem to decide where he's going to turn and keeps going for five or six blocks with the signal light still on.

#2) The Over-Aggressive Jack-Ass: This encompasses road-ragers, tailgaters, speed-demons, Impatient Peters (I'll resist calling them "DICKS") and others of that ilk. These psychopaths have no regard for any safety measures, regularly flout speed limits as demeaning to their supposed "skill level", abuse other drivers and routinely cause havoc on British Columbia Roads as well as accidents.

There is a scarier driver than the Over Aggressive Jack-Ass and that's the IDKWTFIDBTW&OAJA combination. The Over Aggressive Jack-Ass "I Don't Know What The Fuck I'm Doing Behind The Wheel" combo is the type that you constantly see on driver forums touting their "supposed skill"; flaunting their mounds of speeding tickets and generally saying that they know how to handle their car. If they did know how to handle their car, they'd be driving in a calm rational manner, wouldn't they and their driving records would show it. These are also the ones thinking that they're an amateur road engineer or speed technician citing bullshit out their ears just because they haven't wrecked their car in three years though compiling an impressive list of near-misses. They're usually between 16 and 30 (though there is really no hard-line age-limit with this sub-type) and haven't had a rational road-safety thought in years. Their road skills amount to: hit the gas pedal and hope to hell they don't hit anything between Point A and Point B. These people are the reason why our insurance levels rise substantially over the years.

Most rational drivers have over 20+ years of Road-Star (with no claims in the past 10 years). If you are under 25 - you don't know what the fuck you're doing, you haven't developed enough skill behind the wheel yet. It doesn't matter what ICBC does, what will matter is when they start taking #1 and #2 and subtype #1&2 off the road. If ICBC does that, then the chance of accidents will go absolutely way down...mainly because the roads would be damned near empty. Ah... what a paradise that would be.

...if it weren't for civil liberties groups; but that's another rant for another time...

Star Wars Episode VII in December 2015.

What an awesome situation to be in as a Star Wars fan. Though the franchise has gone from Lucas to the House of Mouse, the deeper pockets of Walt Disney Corporation will, provided they don't screw the franchise up, end up making a better movie with hopefully a better outcome. To tell you the truth, I wasn't too happy at the news that George Lucas sold his franchise, but his lifespan is finite. Walt Disney Co. can keep the franchise going for as long as there is a Disney corporation and that's probably something that George Lucas pictured in his vision of who would take control of his epic franchise. The last time I remember being this excited was in 1999 waiting for the Star Wars Episode 1 to be released. At the tender age of 7 in 1977, I was a bit too young to remember the Star Wars original saga - there was a lot of talk in the classrooms, but it all went over my head. But honestly, after Empire Strikes Back, going back to watch Star Wars A New Hope was amazing and I was onboard for the Return of the Jedi.

Over the past few months, there have been rumors of who is to play the key roles in Star Wars Episode VII and frankly, some of the names that have come up have made me wonder. Benedict Cumberbatch was a name tossed around. Given the animosity between Trekkies and Star Wars fans, will Trekkies forgive Khan for jumping to the Star Wars franchise? Who knows. Another question is - will they recognize the Expanded Universe and a) leave a bereaved Luke Skywalker mourning the death of his wife Mara Jade Skywalker or will they ignore the LOTF and bring Mara back to life OR will they blow the EU altogether and essentially say that everything from the the Truce at Bakura onwards was one big massive fever-dream of a delirious Luke Skywalker ailing from the Force Lightning onslaught of Emperor Palpatine and having been rescued by his father and going through the events of the finale of Return of the Jedi now lies recovering onboard the Mon Remonda - Admiral Ackbar's flagship.

Then of course, there is this: "I'm gonna call J.J. and you're gonna help by printing it and I'm gonna be in 'Star Wars'!" Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Man...if they make him either a) a Sith b) a SuperTrooper Mandalorian or (Hey, it could happen...)a Jedi. I wouldn't mind seeing him in that.

"May the Force Be With You...Jabroni!"

I FUCKING HATE TAIL-GATERS!!!

Had a fender-hugger on my six o'clock while I was driving down 132nd Street coming back from picking up my daughter from daycare. Normally, I'm a rather even-tempered fella when I'm behind the wheel driving, but that kinda shit makes me go completely bat-shit bananas. If I Q-brake, the asshole is going to have his front fender up my rectum and I'm not in that kinda mood nor do I swing that way.

That kinda person makes me want to pick up an ex-surplus Hummer with all the goodies.

Try riding my ass now, mother fucker!

We need Thug-Control - Not Gun Control.

We, Asian-Canadians, need to be able to carry for our own protection and I'm not saying that its just Asians who should be able to, but anyone who is legally able to after having gone through background checks. I've got no problem with sticking up verbally and physically against some stupid dumbfuck who says "I'm gonna fucking knock you out." I'd hope he was capable enough of trying to knock me out in a fair one on one fight. But when that individual is with 3 or 4 of his burly white or black thug type friends, we Asians are at a bit of a disadvantage. I stand about 5'7" - 195 pounds soaking wet - in the USA, I'd probably be a card-carrying NRA, conservative. I would protect my family with my life and that's the only reason why I would carry.

You try to steal my rightful possessions or try to harm any member of my family, I should be able to put three shots center-mass in you whatever calibre in legal self-defense at the time that the illegal assault is occuring. As I like to say, there's a solution for delinquency - "it's a double-tap to the head".

People complain about criminals and advocate for gun laws. The problem with that picture is that the criminals don't use stores to get guns, they obtain them through the "black market" or by breaking into homes where a firearm is unsecured. You won't find a gangbanger going into a gunshop and buying a gun. He knows where he can get one for free.

We've seen the legal system in Canada swinging all the way to perp-coddling with 10 years sentences for murders. That is why the gun-owning populace is getting concerned with how our safety is thought of by the police and by the government.

Are we expendable targets for gangs and two-bit thugs? If someone tries to jack my car, I would (with legal carry permit), draw my then-legal sidearm and put two rounds in him, because given a 'him or me' situation, I'm going home to my wife and family and there is no negotiation on that point. I was the same way in security. I carried around a 4D Maglite regardless of the fact that the supervisors wanted me to only carry 3 - and I said and I quote. "If some jack punk decides he's going to take a swing at me in the parkade and he's got 4 or 5 of his drunk ass buddies with him, I'm going to lay his ass out, then I'm going to ask them "Who's next? I'm going home to my family at the end of my shift whether you like it or not." (now this was in the good ol' or bad ol' days before they allowed SOs to carry pepper-spray and handcuffs)

So...what's it going to be, Canada, are you going to allow the criminals to run amok in the streets. You're doing it already with the gangbangers who are allowed to run around capping each other not caring which innocent civilians get shot. And citizens who abide by the laws are living in fear. There's a simple solution. More of us need to be able to arm ourselves. If the police aren't going to protect us, we should be able to protect ourselves, and the lives of our loved ones. And if it takes double-tapping a wannabe gangbanger in the head who decides to break down the door because he wants to get initiated. So be it. Make the gangbangers afraid of who the hell they target, because that target could be armed and willing to respond. You fucking want to roll-over my family and take my legally obtained possessions because you want street cred, you'd better hope to hell you are willing to risk your life for it, because I'll put two man-stopper frangibles through your thug-life gangster ass between your 3rd and 6th ribs, center mass through the heart - full-stop.

CANADA had the first Thanksgiving ever... SUCK IT...USA!

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada can be traced back to the 1578 voyage of Martin Frobisher from England in search of the Northwest Passage. His third voyage, to the Frobisher Bay area of Baffin Island in the present Canadian Territory of Nunavut, set out with the intention of starting a small settlement. His fleet of 15 ships was outfitted with men, materials, and provisions. However, the loss of one of his ships through contact with ice along with much of the building material was to prevent him from doing so. The expedition was plagued by ice and freak storms which at times had scattered the fleet and on meeting together again at their anchorage in Frobisher Bay, "... Mayster Wolfall, [ Robert Wolfall ] a learned man, appointed by her Majesties Councell to be their minister and preacher, made unto them a godly sermon, exhorting them especially to be thankefull to God for their strange and miraculous deliverance in those so dangerous places ...". They celebrated Communion and "The celebration of divine mystery was the first sign, scale, and confirmation of Christ's name, death and passion ever known in all these quarters." ~ "The Three Voyages of Martin Frobisher: in search of a passage to Cathai and India by the northwest AD 1576-1578", Cambridge University Press

So this was 1578...a full 43 years before the Septic Yanks celebrated their first Thanksgiving. Even better, the Canadians celebrated their Thanksgiving without taking from the Indians - they provided their own food, rather than eating what the Indians brought to the table. This act by the Pilgrims in America cements Americans as moochers throughout history.

Now, in place of thanksgiving for relief from potential disaster like Martin Frobisher - we celebrate like the Americans: Turkey, stuffing and fill your gut up until you practically are comatose from over-eating then watch a game on TV. How far we've fallen to the reprobates south of the border.

Anyhow, my wife now celebrates the Canadian Thanksgiving as opposed to the feast of excess and buffoonery down south of the 49th Parallel. And proudly waves a maple-leaf which she will be exchanging her blue passport to a maple leaf one as soon as she gets her Canadian citizenship. Thank God for Canada.

Thank God for Canadian Thanksgiving. Thank goodness we had Martin Frobisher who knew what he was truly thankful for: his life and the life of his crew and the act of preservation of their lives was what he raised his hands in supplication for in relief that his men were saved. Unlike the Seppos who think that Thanksgiving is a time to feed their already obese cakeholes in thanks of the plentiful harvest - Thanksgiving is truly a celebration of gratitude up here in Canada for our lives in this harsh climate - Especially North of 60 degrees latitude.

Photoshop...Gotta Love This Program.

If there's one thing that gets a lot of use on my computer, it's my graphics application program - Photoshop Elements. I use version 8. It has to be one of the most useful programs I've got. Since I'm a photographer, I tend to like to use that program for post processing. Even after 4 years of utilizing Elements, I haven't broken the tip of the iceberg on how to utilize this program, but I'm slowly learning. I mostly tend to utilize photoshop when I'm color-correcting or editing my photos.

...and no, I haven't seen an F5 tornado come up along the Fraser River lately. That's PURE photoshop trickery.

Nor have I seen a nuclear mushroom cloud go up over Rogers Arena. At least not yet, because Torts hasn't "blown up" on the Canucks as of yet, despite their losing streak.

This is purely fictional.

My latest PS creation: "Reason #1 to not drive a hydrogen-powered car".