Rational Radical

Besides, I’ve always enjoyed The Star’s Rosie DiManno’s writing on such a wide variety of topics.  The COMMENTS section below provides her recap of 2009, entitled:

A banner year for GTA quirks, follies — As the city at the centre of the universe never tires of boasting about itself: We’re world-class jackasses

Read, shake head, read, shake some more…How long did it take her to compile this list?!

Clockwise from top left: Mississauga councillor Carolyn Parrish, KISS, Igor Kenk, Oasis’s disrupted Toronto show, Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods, and the garbage dump at Christie Pits during Toronto’s civic strike.

I love Arianna Huffington and her Huffington Post (you may have seen her on the Colbert Report on repeated occasions).

In the COMMENTS section below, you’ll see her list of things she wants to forget from 2009. Good stuff!  In the meantime, a woman after my own heart, her site lists the biggest douchebags of the year via this link, and here is a link to the dumbest quotes of the decade…

The technical problems at Rational Radical have been addressed, so please feel free to leave your comments.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

In honour of the spirit of giving (comments), I wanted to praise this young woman, Sophia Gran-Ruaz, whose charity gives young arrivals at GTA shelters gift bags to ease their transition.  The COMMENTS section below contains the rest of the story about this remarkable young woman.

Sophia Gran-Ruaz, 17, founded Snug as a Bug, Kids Helping Kids when she was 11 years old. Her charity provides care packages of puzzles, games and toiletries to children and youth arriving at GTA shelters. She recently won the Canada’s Top Teen Philanthropist award, sponsored by Mackenzie Investments. — DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR

Nah, it just seems that way.  But this blog is full of stories that characterize the depths to which our society has fallen.  I sometimes cover international stories but tried to focus on more local ones because it’s very easy to shrug our shoulders and say “What can I do?” when looking at things far away.  But when it’s in your own backyard, I hope it’s harder to remain apathetic.  For those who read this blog from far away, I try to cover “local” stories that could occur in any of your backyards as well (although I don’t know if any other places have local councils as dysfunctional and corrupt as we have in the GTA in Ontario, or provincial governments as pathetic as ours, or a just-ass system that consistently fails to deliver justice as regularly as ours does).

In any event, I never go for end of year lists because there’s just far too much to include.  My only hope is that this year was the “tipping point,” where people finally realize the evils that go hand in hand with corporate greed; why we should never trust any government or government-related agency; that coddling children and not holding them responsible for their actions is not doing them or society any favours; that public resistance or even individual efforts can sometimes have some effect; that doing good for the sake of doing good is the way to go; that victims of crime need to be considered the top priority in our courts; that escaping into the fantasy of (”reality”) TV is a sure-fire way to ensure that our own lives will never improve.  I’m sure there’s a lot more to be learned from this debacle of a year but my head hurts.  I’m going to be spending some time taking care of what’s most important to me and mine, knowing that my actions will have a positive impact on society.  I hope the best for everyone else and see you around in 2010 (and probably sooner than that).

I don’t know why terrorists are trying so hard to destroy the US.  If they just wait a few more years, Americans will do it to themselves.  It’s been written about many times but it bears repeating: TV is truly a tool of the powers that be to dumb people down and to keep them apathetic to the many horrors going on around them.

Yesterday, I was stuck in an office that was playing the Ellen DeGeneres Show.  I was too sick to move or to throw something at the TV, so I was forced to watch that garbage.  Here’s an example of the idiocy by which people allow themselves to be turned into slaves. John Travolta was on with his daughter, Ella Blue (sp?), which was sappy enough.  Remember, if people can go “aaaawwwwww” about some strangers (celebrities), it distracts them from the crap that is their own life, or the crap that the powers that be do to them.  In any event, I lost my lunch when Ellen asked her which name she preferred, “Ella” or “Ella Blue,” and she said “Ella” (I think), and PEOPLE FUCKING CHEERED!

That’s it.  Game over.  America has lost.   Turn off the lights…

Thank you to CM for providing an insider’s perspective on a scam I wrote about quite a while back.  That is, the government provides extra money to welfare recipients with special dietary needs, since poor diet predicts many bad outcomes for people.  This is especially true for the most vulnerable people suffering from horrible diseases such as cancer and diabetes, or who have suffered debilitating accidents.

However, the doctor in this story may be responsible for 20% of such requests in Ontario.  Moreover, in 99% of the cases, the disease cited is something that affects only 1% of the population!  This doctor’s rationale is that he’s helping poor people stay healthy, since former Premier, Mike the Asshole Axe Harris (not to mention former PM Jean the Cretin Crippler Chretien) clawed back their benefits.

However, as CM wrote to me,

This is the tip of the iceberg for the Miller Time @ city of Toronto. As a former employee I had to watch people on Welfare pick up tax-free checks that for special diets alone totaled more than my or caseworkers’ paycheques, undisputed.  They didn’t even have to show proof that they were using the extra money for what it was intended for!  The essence of what the special diet was made for — those with cancer, aids, diabetes, heart disease, lactose intolerant children, etc. — was ruined. 

And once, when one of the caseworkers on my team called up [the doctor in this story] to inquire how 2 conflicting disorders could be possible, or in fact the wave of all the cases from him that had clients with every imaginable illness (ie marked for the full $250 per person, per households, in many cases 10 in the household) he stated “I am the doctor in this conversation.” Yet, knowing this, this was allowed to continue to go on for soooooooo long prior to this becoming “public” to the public who are paying for it. Nor did they do anything to stop it. This will just AGAIN go under “overpayments from people who can’t pay them back.”

As I’ve said before, I can handle paying over $100,000 in taxes per year to help out those less fortunate.  But it makes me sick that my hard-earned money gets squandered by incompetent and unethical assholes!  And I guarantee you that very little will happen to this idiot whose heart is in the right place but whose head is up his ass.

Unless you heard Talk640 this morning, be the first to read about the latest scandal from Toronto’s dysfunctional city council:

First, there are nearly 1,300 credit cards with $10,000/month limits floating around city hall and related services.  Spending in only a few years has increased by over 400% to over 8 million dollars! 

And you know what the worst part is?  Rob Ford has demanded a list of the people who have a card–some of whom are already dead and their family keeps the cards!–and what they spent it on, yet was SHUT DOWN BY COUNCIL and the auditor general!  Yup, that’s “our” council.

Second, one of the worst councillors, Adam Giambrone (TTC guy), is arranging a sweetheart deal with the union labourers so that they will not strike and mess up the TTC’s plans for the PanAm games.  And guess what?  This asshole just recently admitted that he’s seeking the union’s support in his mayoral bid!  What an arrogant scumbag!  A large part of me used to be “left,” but this council would turn off even the most fervent leftist.

Third, a man whose family was tied up in his own home and threatened with a knife was able to escape, chase the Argument for the Death Penalty with another family member, catch him, and in the heat of the moment nearly beat him to death with a cricket bat.  What would a rational person say?  They would say “GOOD FOR YOU!”  What does our just-ass system say?  You get 30 months in prison!

Okay, I know this has happened before and I still say I don’t believe it each time.  That is, how can a woman NOT know she’s pregnant for nine freaking months?!  Everyone pray now that we don’t waste thousands of tax dollars fighting this woman in order to get the baby away from her and adopt it to some competent, mentally capable parents…

Police save unexpected baby born in the toilet (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

WINNIPEG–Heather Richard was told by her doctor she’d never have children. That’s why she was so shocked when she gave birth to a 5-pound baby boy in the toilet. Sunday afternoon, she came home in pain. She went to the bathroom and found out why. “Just fell out, I thought it was my intestines, so I’m freaking out, I’m going to die, but then it’s a little boy,” Richard told CTV Winnipeg on Monday.

Luckily, two Winnipeg police officers were knocking at Richard’s door just as the baby fell into the toilet. They were at the home to arrest Richard on outstanding warrants. As Richard, her brother and a nephew stood looking at the baby in the toilet, not knowing what to do, one of the officers pulled the unresponsive baby from the cold water and started CPR. Baby Isaiah has a skull fracture, likely from hitting the toilet bowl, but was improving. “I’m still in shock, I’m not supposed to have kids,” Richard said.

For those who don’t know, the College of Physicians and Surgeons rarely investigates their own, no matter how horrible their members are.  The Star has run hundreds of stories exposing the scumbag doctors who abuse their patients, bill taxpayers for billions of dollars of services they have not performed, get involved in scams for profit, etc.  Here’s the most recent example.  The Argument for Birth Control MD billed 3.5 million dollars (!!!) for services he did not perform or was not allowed to bill OHIP for.  What did the College do?

First, he’s allowed to continue practising.  Now, after he paid back the money–thereby avoiding years in jail–the College will review the outcome to determine if disciplinary action is warranted.

What the fuck?!  Disgusting. (And yes, I know not ALL doctors are scumbags…)

Dr. Lorne Sokol still practises family medicine in Toronto. (ALEX TAVSHUNSKY FOR THE TORONTO STAR)

A Toronto doctor has avoided trial for fraud and money laundering after agreeing to repay $3.5 million he wrongfully billed taxpayers. The deal with prosecutors allowed Dr. Lorne Sokol to plead guilty to the lesser offence of contravening Ontario’s Health Insurance Act, which carries a maximum fine of $25,000. He had originally faced two counts of fraud over $5,000, each of which carries a maximum of 14 years in jail, and a count of money laundering, which carries a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. Sokol still practises family medicine at an office on Dufferin St., although his case will be reviewed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons to determine whether professional discipline is warranted.

Crown attorney Philip Perlmutter told the Ontario Court of Justice on Monday that, between March 2003 and February 2007, Sokol submitted billings for injections that are not covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan or by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. “The injections were not compensable,” Perlmutter said, reading from an agreed statement of facts that gave limited details about the allegations, including how they came to light. The “injection procedures” conducted by Sokol, a pain management specialist, included treatments involving nerve blocks, trigger points, ganglia (knots or enlargements on nerves) and bursa (fluid sacs that cushion joints).

The Ontario Provincial Police originally charged Sokol with two counts of fraud over $5,000 in the fall of 2007. He was also charged with money laundering after a business in Montreal was searched. But Sokol on Monday pleaded guilty to the lesser provincial offence of breaching the Health Insurance Act. He voluntarily repaid $2.9 million and $597,000 last month. The plea has saved taxpayers “significant” court costs since a criminal trial would have involved at least 20 patients as witnesses and was shaping up to be a “battle of the experts,” Perlmutter said.

The prosecutor and police officers involved in the investigation refused to elaborate on the case. An OPP news release issued at the time of Sokol’s arrest said he had allegedly submitted billings to OHIP and to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for patient services that were not provided. It added: “The amount cannot be disclosed at this time as the investigation is continuing.” Another 2007 OPP news release said any information relating to the investigation could not be disclosed because of a court-ordered publication ban.

Since then, numerous closed-door judicial pre-trial meetings took place, culminating in Sokol’s guilty plea at Old City Hall. Sokol has no criminal record and under the Health Insurance Act the maximum fine he could face is $25,000, in addition to a $6,000 surcharge. His lawyer, David Porter, said the fine would be paid within the allotted seven days. Justice Paul Bentley accepted the joint submission, saying it was in the “best interest of the community” in addition to being in Sokol’s best interest. Sokol declined to address the court after Bentley asked if he had anything to say.

A spokeswoman for the College of Physicians and Surgeons said the regulatory body would review the outcome to determine if disciplinary action is warranted. Sokol has had some restrictions on his practice since the charges were laid, including the requirement that he have a “practice monitor” with whom he meets each month to review his charts. He pleaded guilty under Section 44 of the Health Insurance Act, which makes it an offence to violate the act or its regulations. The schedule of benefits, a regulation under the act, sets out OHIP billing requirements and billings of particular services. Violating the schedule is a violation of a regulation under the act and therefore an offence under Section 44.

I love these guys.  They are men after my own heart:

Canada climate stance pranksters revealed — American group, The Yes Men, sent official-looking email that had Copenhagen buzzing

Protesters run off with a balloon representing the volume of one metric ton of carbon dioxide during a demonstration outside parliament, rear, in Copenhagen Monday Dec. 14, 2009. (PETER DEJONG/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

COPENHAGEN –The infamous American pranksters known as The Yes Men launched an elaborate hoax Monday targeting Canada’s stance in climate-change negotiations at Copenhagen. The multi-pronged ruse tripped up a number of news organizations, including the Globe and Mail, the Huffington Post and Edmonton talk-radio host Dave Rutherford.

“The idea was to confuse the Canadian government, which set up a war room to positively spin their position in the debate even though everyone here knows that their position is a cruel joke,” Yes Men member Mike Bonanno told the Associated Press. The New York-based group’s web site states their goal is “Impersonating big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them.” Past targets have included U.S. President George W. Bush, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the World Trade Organization and Dow Chemical.

The group is holding a news conference Tuesday in Copenhagen, but most of its chaos has already been achieved. “Canada gets punk’d in Copenhagen,” said a Huffington Post headline Monday morning. Unfortunately for the left-of-centre online newspaper, it too fell for part of the hoax.

An article that appeared to have been posted on the web site of the prestigious business newspaper the Wall Street Journal found the news significant, referring to Canada’s new position as a major shift to the deadlocked negotiations. The impasse was most clearly illustrated when Monday African nations walked away from talks over the developed world’s desire to abandon the Kyoto Protocol, the first global climate change deal signed in 1997.

Only one problem. Canada’s position remains firm. Intransigent even. The new policy was a hoax, the newspaper article was a fake. The whole thing was a stunt. The fuss began with an email purporting to come from Environment Canada, complete with a telephone number and contact name at the agency’s headquarters in Gatineau, Que. It also included made up quotes from Environment Minister Jim Prentice, a former land claims negotiator who his representing Canada at the talks until Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives. The “plan” was dubbed Agenda 2020 and on top of the 40 per cent emissions cuts from that year it committed to 80 per cent reductions by 2050. There was also a “climate debt mechanism” — payments starting at 1 per cent of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product, or $13-billion annually, and climbing to 5 per cent of national wealth by 2030. The cash was to go to emissions reduction programs and clean energy projects in Africa.

Several more phony news releases bearing the Environment Canada logo followed, including one that criticized the original fake. At least one major news outlet, the online Huffington Post, was pulled in by the ruse.

Here’s what Prentice did not actually say about the plan: “We believe all people will benefit from an equitable climate deal that truly energizes the world economy.” Here’s the official Canadian line on the hoax: “This is not a government of Canada press release,” Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, wrote reporters here in an email. “Time would be better used by supporting Canada’s efforts to reach an agreement instead of sending out hoax press releases. More time should be dedicated to playing a constructive role instead of childish pranks.”

Soudas, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Stephen Harper who is coordinating the government’s communications strategy here at the conference, initially lashed out at Steven Guilbeault, cofounder of Quebec-based Equiterre, of masterminding the stunt. “Mr. Guilbeault clearly indicated that he is not the source of this spoof. Neither is Equiterre,” the environmental group said later in a statement. “It is shameful that Office of the Prime Minister is making such accusations without any proof. Mr. Guilbeault and Equiterre are asking Dimitri Soudas to retract his accusations and to present his excuses.” Prior to that the two men got into a screaming match outside the Canadian delegation’s officers in the Bella Center, where the conference is being held.

“I’m scandalized,” Guilbeault said. “I demand an apology.” Soudas refused. “You guys only came here to criticize Canada’s position,” he said in front of a crowd of reporters. Prentice had still not publicly weighed in on the deception by late in the afternoon in Copenhagen, but his communications director was taking the hoax in stride. “That’s what happens when you’ve got thousands of people sort of mingling around in the halls with nothing to do while the negotiators are in negotiating,” Bill Rodgers told The Canadian Press. “All they do is try to pull whatever stunt they can to get attention.”

It appears that even if the stunt had been real federal policy it would not be enough to nudge forward the talks taking place here. Sudanese negotiator Lumumba Di-Aping, the voice of the G77 and China, a bloc of 135 developing nations, said the position is “still well below what will save Africa by huge margins.” What he’s calling for is a commitment to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C. “Canada has to accept there must be substantial commitment. Canada has been one of the most non-compliant (Kyoto-bound developed) countries and they have to change that.”

With files from The Canadian Press