Stanstead border crossing. Looking into the USA. Photo Nancy Berman.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, this is a special week for me, it marks the 40th edition of F & L. I will admit that I thought by now it would have brought me fame and fortune but meh. Keep reading and I’ll keep writing. I would like to thank the Rampage for putting up with me though.

AMT Classaction Payback

Idee O Rama. Mt. Royal. Photo Alex Garancon.

Let’s start with something near and dear to my heart, the AMT. I don’t know how this one got by me, but it did, and thank goodness someone brought it to my attention. In 2010 a Pincourt resident, Yves Boyer, launched a class action suit against the AMT for being the shittiest mode of public transport in the world, and the suckiest commuter train service in the western hemisphere during the winter of 2009. Oh they had all the excuses, frozen switches, run down cars, frozen doors, flying saucers, killer dwarfs, you name it. Yours truly was one of the suckers that the AMT left stranded on a number of occasions that winter, freezing his balls off on a platform waiting for a train that either came late or not at all. Last October the AMT decided to settle with pass holders by giving back a certain amount of money to the commuters they made suffer by leaving them out in the cold. If you were affected that winter I beg you to read the following article HERE, it tells you how to get your rebate.

The Best of Care?

sponge on a stick

I got lucky and found the best quote and the best bullshit excuse in one story this week, and by the way this story ain’t for the faint of heart. Rita Couturier, an 85-year-old Montreal woman, was moved into the Centre d’Hébergement Auclair, an elder care facility, in February, and has not had a bath since. Yes you just read that, 9 months, no bath. That is one of the saddest most disgusting things I’ve ever heard. What does she get, she gets a sponge bath once a week. Here comes the best quote by patients rights advocate Paul Brunet, “At the Granby Zoo they wash animals on a more regular basis then in some long term care facilities!” Here is the best bullshit excuse by Sylvie Désilets, a co-ordinator at the health and social services centre CSSS Coeur de l’Île. “You have to understand that unfortunately we have residents who should always get a sponge bath in bed because the person is dying or has [paralysis]. Others are afraid of the water and do not want to bathe.” Well Rita Couturier isn’t one of those people so put her in a fucking bath and treat her like a human being! Sweet weeping Jesus!

Eat At Your Own Risk

Insects as Food. Future Food Salon. Photo Lisa Vlasova.

Guess who got caught repackaging their old meat… your local grocery store. Radio-Canada went undercover and caught IGA changing the dates on the meat we buy at their stores. One butcher they spoke to had this to say, “To my knowledge, everyone is doing it… In all the stores I’ve worked at in my life, everyone did it.” Nice, real nice. Monique Lacroix, a professor at the National Institute of Scientific Research says “The big problem is the level of bacteria inside the meat,” Well no shit Sherlock, and all this time I thought I was just getting the gastro. What is a guy gonna do though? Guess I will just eat rotten meat.

And the boob of the week award goes to…

Holland Faith 500 Boobs .gif

Here is a good one from Vaudreuil-Dorion. A West Island mom was doing some shopping at Babies-R-Us last week when she sat down in one of the chairs in the furniture sections and began breastfeeding her nursing son. She was asked by a mature employee of the store to go and feed son in the bathroom. She asked to speak to the manager who then told her “Babies-R-Us has an anti-breastfeeding policy”. That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Hell the name of the store is Babies-R-Us, did they miss that part? Anything goes in those stores. Have you ever gone into Toys-R-Us on a Sat. afternoon, it’s like fucking Lord of the Flies. The mom posted her experience on Facebook and was later contacted by a rep from the store who apologized and explained that there is no such policy at Babies-R-Us.

Last Week at a Glance:

Barely Passing

Canada was awarded a “D” when it came to animal rights. The rating was given out by the Animal Protection Index. Our major faults were weak transport regulations and outdated anti-cruelty legislation. Well, at least we wash ’em.

Positions Well Wasted

After all of the hoopla the Federal Infrastructure Minister, Denis Lebel, announced last week that the new name for the Champlain Bridge, that should be completed by 2018 (I am taking bets
on that one), will be… wait for it… The Champlain Bridge! My question, do we really need a Federal Infrastructure Minister?

Still Ici

PKP (Pierre Karl Peladeau) finally announced that he will be running for the leadership of the Parti Quebecois. Man I was getting worried. Like him or hate him you gotta admit, he is entertaining.

Last Word of the Week:

alex van biber. photo Ian Stewart, Yukon News

Read a great article in the National Post last week about the death of Canada’s Toughest Man. The gentleman’s name was Alex Van Bibber. Mr. Bibber was a Yukon trapper who passed away at the age of 98 last week and was running a trap line and talking to school children about his life until a couple of weeks before his death. Quote from Mr. Bibber, “I’ve been trapping since I could bend over and put my snowshoes on, and I’ll be trapping until I can’t bend over and put the snowshoes on.” Great article about a guy who makes you proud to be Canadian, take a minute and check it out HERE.

Shout out to Ken at [email protected]