A series of guest rants by the one and only, Harvenut Puritan.
Harvenut and Uncle Block attended Grade 1 together at Hamilton's Central Public School back in 1960-61. Both were Popeye aficionados and referred to themselves as, "The Fighting Pals."
Their friendship has endured to this day.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Peppermint Stick Time
Ahoy folks, Puritan here. You might be wondering if my E.A. (Executive Assistant) and I are docking my boat in front of our beach front home at our south sea paradise retreat listening to the smooth jazz song titled, "Tropical Island" by Gail Jhonson (this is the correct spelling of her last name). Dreams will be nothing more than dreams but it's always enjoyable to fantasize.
Another year is getting ready to be placed in the archives...2017 will soon become history. I don't recall any encouraging or uplifting events that occurred in the year of the rooster. As usual our governments were involved with their shady and underhanded trickery...the new carbon tax is a prime example. And of course they continue their deceitfulness with their bogus personalities. Some things never change, wait a minute, I'll take that back...I'm wrong, they do change...it appears to me, things are getting worse, so they do change.
This is the time of year we try to turn a deaf ear and blind eye and attempt to forget about all the misery, turmoil and despair throughout the world and the actions of our shameful politicians at all three levels of government who do what they do best, increase and create new taxes...they thrive on it.
Anyway, jolly old Santa Claus will be making his rounds soon. I realize Christmas isn't everyone's favourite time of the year because of former personal hardships but for a lot of us we can hopefully, celebrate and enjoy the season.
Even though it's an active and bustling time of the year it's always pleasurable and satisfying listening to Christmas Carols and observing decorations and paraphernalia in the malls and stores. Erecting the Christmas tree and garnishing your home with decorative Christmas trimmings is a fun and cheerful occasion. But most importantly, getting together with family and friends is the foremost and forgetting about the world's doom and gloom and savour the Christmassy season.
Sadly there will be Grinches (the government certainly doesn't try to alleviate that problem...if anything, they enhance it) who are extremely keen and motivated on destroying the holiday season. I strongly believe it's truly repulsive, disgusting and putrid these dick-heads were given the privilege and opportunity to live in this country but have the tenacious desire to annihilate our customs and traditions...especially Christmas. If you ever cross paths with one of these shitheads and they challenge the phrase Merry Christmas tell them to go FUCK YOURSELF!!
Epilogue
I was going to title this rant, "Candy Cane Time" but I reconsidered the name. Why you ask? I thought our political correctness busybodies or shall I say freedom of speech dictators may find it offensive, i.e. Kandi Kane. Anyway, I hope everyone has a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
The End
The Harvenut Puritan Project
Puritan will return in 2018 with "Entanglement"
We all know politicians have a fascination and compulsion to have their fingers or hands in the till...sadly the till is tax payers pockets. Don't you find it quirky those bureaucrats always make themselves visible during an election or when they "donate" our money to projects that involves special lobby/interest groups. However when they increase our taxes, specifically property taxes, they become very low keyed...we definitely don't see them out and about shaking hands with constituents and kissing babies.
So, here I go again about the city I live in, Hamilton, Ontario. I read an article in the Mountain News (a community newspaper) titled, "Tax hike of 4.8% possible in 2018." The article also stated a water rate (tax) hike of 4.5% is also possible. Also possible?...that's infallible, a five will get you ten bet...that's what these civic big cheeses do the best...that's they only task they know how to do.
I had to laugh at two of our "beloved councilors" comments after City Council had finalized their 2017 budget. The Hamilton Spectator, April 13/17, quoted Ward 6 Councilman Tom Jackson...here is what he had to say: "the painful and rare decision in February (2017) to get rid of 23 managers and administrative staff as part of budget cuts these peoples' careers and families are on the line."
To lose your job is undoubtedly a traumatic and dreadful incident, especially in this day and age...hopefully those folks have rebounded. In any event, I've always believed the city was too top heavy with management and my question is, why were these individuals hired in the first place? Obviously for the persons who were dismissed they weren't really needed. As far as I know City Council has to approve all new hires, so another question arises, were the Councilors trying to flood their "Ivory Tower" empire with needless and inessential management.
Then we have Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Green who was quoted in the Mountain News, April 13/17 about the budget...he called it an austerity. Are you for real? Why was this budget so strict and frugal? All the budgets should be thrifty and inflexible. These city proprietors always increase our property taxes and user fees so what is so different about this budget compared to others?
In my opinion Green is a perfect example of a poor loser...give me my ball, I'm going home. Proof of this is the dealing my long time good friend and editor Uncle Block had with him. He would send Green e-mails regarding the many city fiascoes and shambles with Uber (unlicensed taxi service). As time went on Green realized he couldn't debate or shall I say hold his own water with Uncle Block so he DEMANDED that Block remove him from his e-mail list. As of today Uncle Block is obstructed from Green's e-mail and his Twitter account.
My editor doesn't use any abusive language or profanity when addressing the mayor or any councilors...he is professional, knowledgeable and cultured on his issues. It's quite simple why Green is acting like a spoiled little brat...he just can't compete against my friend. It's easier for Green to "shut the door" in his face and never hear from him again. Now I ask you, is Green a decent, respectable and accomplished politician? I think not. Oh, by the way, I sent Matthew Green an e-mail back in the second week of September 2017 asking him how he voted on the Uber taxi vote and his reply was...L.O.L. I'm still waiting for his response. Yea, just a "wonderful" and "tremendous" legislator.
Open Government
I also sent an e-mail to Ward 7 Councilor Donna Skelly and asked how can the public find out how each councilor votes on various issues. Her Legislative Assistant replied with the following answer: "if you check the minutes of a meeting (available on line) you'll be able to see if a motion was carried. Individual votes are only recorded in certain circumstances which would be reflected in the minutes."
Editor's Note: As an experienced Internet user, I have spent many hours scouring the City of Hamilton website for information on various matters of interest. For example, I wanted to see how the city council voted on the fraudulent issue of granting unlimited, uber-flexible taxi licenses to the Uber corporation. I wasted a lot of time for nothing. To this day, all I have to go on is the Mayor's fake news tweet where he lies bare-faced about the Uber deal having the backing of the taxi industry. -- U.B.
Very interesting. The way I interpret the preceding statement is, if councilors don't want the public to know how they voted on specific matters, oh well. We vote these bureaucrats into office and pay their salaries...EVERYTHING should be unrestricted...extremely sneaky on their behalf. Very spineless and cowardly if you ask me.
Never-Ending Incompetence
Going back to the Mountain News article April 13/17 it also stated, Hamilton councilors have been approving water rate (tax) increases for at least the last decade in an effort to raise enough funding to pay for expensive water and wastewater capital projects to replace or update aging infrastructure. OK, explain this, why did the following happen.
An article in the Hamilton Spectator, July 21/17, stated during a major rain storm the city's sewage treatment plant on Woodward Ave. had to briefly allow partially treated sewage to flow directly into the Red Hill Creek to avoid widespread sewer backups from all the extra water in the sewer system...again, where is our tax money going? I just wonder how many other times this incident has occurred. Once again our so called leaders ignoring what should be mandatory, oh golly gee, infrastructure enters my mind. Remember the article in the Hamilton Spectator on Sept. 16/14...our irresponsible bureaucrats had no money for potholes.
Monumental Hubris
C.B.C. news reported on May 30/17 our "gifted" city hall fathers and mothers voted themselves to receive $5,000 rings when they either retire or voted out of office. Surprising enough Matthew Green was against the ring issue. So, they're going to receive a $5,000 ring when they officially depart City Hall...FOR WHAT?...the "wonderful", "spectacular" and "bang up" job they have performed? If they honestly think they deserve any reward for their service they are legends in their own minds.
HAMELINton
Do you folks realize Hamilton has a rat problem? Our "beloved" legislators haven't entirely ignored the problem but they certainly haven't taken (in my opinion) a proactive approach. You be the judge with the following headlines.
One favourite cuisine of rats is human feces so that partially treated human waste allowed to flow in to the Red Hill Creek unquestionably gave the rodents a hearty meal. Our leaders do have some sort of rat attack plan but they certainly are procrastinating their assault. I suggest bring in the "Pied Piper"...he terminated the town of Hameln's problem but the "common sense" City Hall crowd would require a study to be performed and insist another study to coincide with the first study.
Crumbling Infrastructure
After reading an article in the Mountain News, Oct. 26/17 titled, "Critical Condition - city facilities need millions of dollars in upgrades" enhances my belief these politicians disregard and defer action to many important and vital matters...maybe they think the problem will fix itself.
According to the article more than 150 city-owned facilities are in poor or critical condition and are in need of repairs or upgrades and within 10 years there will be 260 facilities requiring urgent attention. The city needs $216 million to make repairs to the city's 455 municipal buildings plus another $155 million in renovations needed to make structures conform to the province's accessibility legislation.
The manager of the Strategic Planning Dept. enlightened City Council of the deterioration of the structures...maybe the Dept. should change their name to "slow to reply." These defects didn't happen overnight and why have they left these deficiencies to the last minute? Oh, what a stupid question, we're talking about government. Five will get you ten there are some serious safety concerns related to this issue regarding the public, but we all know City Hall is more hot and horny for bike lanes.
Financial Shenanigans
I also read in the Mountain News, Aug. 17/17, Hamilton City Council members were applauding themselves (do I detect some arrogance and conceit in the air?) after hearing an agency called Standard and Poor raised the city's credit rating to AA with a positive outlook. The city's General Manager of Corporate Finance said Hamilton's financial management is strong and considered the city's debt burden very low...this is where I have to call a time out.
I find this extremely hard to believe...a truly well disguised tall tale. My skepticism stems from an article in the Hamilton Spectator May 21/15 which stated Hamilton's debt will increase to $885 million and $3.3 billion is needed for repairs but our "financial management is strong" and ask myself how can this be? Either way I require my "mild mannered" financial advisor to explain to me how a $885 million debt is very low.
The Anti-Industrial Revolution - Automobile Exclusion Lanes
Before I sign off I have to bitch about the continuing insanity about Hamilton's bike lanes. The latest lunacy was the official opening of (latest annoyance and irritation for vehicle owners)...a stretch of 2.3 Km (1.43 miles) of new bike lanes on Bay Street from Herkimer Avenue to Stuart Street.
Can you believe the city had a brief ceremony and ribbon cutting...it's a fucking bike lane. More waste and misuse of our tax money once again and if you didn't know, Mommy Wynne (our Ontario Premier who loves everyone) "donated" $295,000 towards this rubbish. Hamilton now has 200 Km (124 miles) of bike lanes in the city. This senseless and outrageous thinking will never stop.
I have to share with you an e-mail Uncle Block sent me a day after that "magnificent gala event"...if you don't know he is an owner/operator of a licensed taxi of the City of Hamilton...here it is: "you should have seen the chaos downtown yesterday evening. Main Street from Dundurn Avenue to Wellington Street (2.5 Km of 1.55 miles) was like a clogged fucking toilet. The back-ups on John Street south of Main Street thanks to the two-way often led cars blocking the west bound lanes at Hunter and John Streets because of the assholes that blindly follow the cars in front of them and end up stopped and blocking the middle of the intersection because of all the bus pollution between Hunter and Jackson Streets...more unnecessary idling. And the horn honking is incessant."
I know the driver stress occurs on a continuous basis but the regime that manages this city doesn't care...they don't give a flying fuck. I wonder if they give a dam if when emergency vehicles are responding to urgent, serious and life threatening situations get delayed or hindered in the city's man-made diasters...it probably doesn't even phase them. If you would like to read more about the asinine Bay Street bike lanes check Uncle Block's rant (Oct. 29/17) titled, "Why Did the Chicken Not Cross the Road" on his www.MyAssBook.com.
Free Cattle-Car Transit
I know I was going to sign off but I just had to include this ridiculous and absurd "thinking" of Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla (he's another "pretty boy politician" who has never met a camera he didn't like) as reported in an article by C.B.C. news on Nov. 10/17. He wants to pass a motion to City Council that everyone should ride the bus for free. He wants transit to be funded in the same way roads are...through property taxes. Sam, I think you need your medication adjusted.
Epilogue
The bureaucrats of the once Ambitious City are forceful, determined and motivated in continuing their waste of tax payers hard earned cash and producing more ways to exasperate citizens with their foolish and idiotic ideas, schemes and bizarre rationale. Sometimes I ask myself why do I even vote...the City Hall sideshow and three ring circus will never leave town.
The End
The Harvenut Puritan Project
Puritan will return with "Peppermint Stick Time"
The New McCarthyism: Dr. Jordan Peterson Attacked by Crazed Transloon Pronoun Nazis
Saturday, November 11, 2017
The Final Sunset
Prelude
Sgt. O'Neill - "Bob I got a bad feeling on this one all right? I mean I got a bad feeling! I don't think I'm gonna make it out of here! D'ya understand what I'm saying to you?"
Staff Sgt. Barnes - "Everybody gotta die sometime Red." A scene from the 1986 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture Movie "Platoon."
Sadly, Staff Sgt. Barnes' statement "everybody gotta die sometime Red" is ultimately correct and factual, without a doubt, reality. Not being a religious individual (I'm basically an agnostic) I do believe the day each one of us is born we are designated with a number and when our digit is announced, by whoever or whatever, our time has expired. Some people's visits are short while others may be very lengthy in time. Dismally, the 1967 Chambers Brothers song titled "Time Has Come Today" encourages my belief.
Living and dying, or birth and death, is referred to as the circle of life. We can also allude to the term lifecycle as Nathan East's recording in his smooth jazz song, "Lifecycle." The circle of life just doesn't involve humans, but also countless animals and insects...some animals live to be 200 years old.
So what happens when our lives are finally terminated...is there a heaven and hell or are we transported to another universe and still keep our same bodies and personalities or maybe we're reincarnated? Maybe some of us become angels and the evil scumbags are sentenced to a life of pain and misery or maybe we proceed into a deep and heavy sleep, never to wake up again...unfortunately no one has returned from their death trip to enlighten us about their journey.
Regrettably, all of us have undergone the misfortune of knowing someone who passed away. It could've been a loved one, friend, acquaintance or fellow co-worker or maybe all of the above. It has always mystified me why children, teenagers and young adults have their lives cut short and meanwhile a significant amount of rapists, pedophiles, murderers and violent criminals live to have prolonged and sometimes healthy lives...living the term, "the life of Riley"...IT JUST DOESN'Y MAKE SENSE!
Don't get me wrong, it's also very tragic when "older" people encounter their eternal rest, especially our parents. It's heart rendering to watch someone (especially a loved one) lay in a hospital gurney and waste away to skin and bones before they die. Or is it easier the way I found my mother (R.I.P. and God rest your soul) laying on her apartment living room floor with dried purple blood on the side of her mouth...she was dead and the second I saw her I cried like a new born baby. Obviously neither scenario is less heart breaking than the other, both are harrowing experiences and truly emotionally painful.
Which brings me to what inspired me to write this "rant." My 94 year old good friend and neighbour's wife passed away in late March of 2017...she was also 94 years old. She was a lovely lady, joyful, always pleasant, sparkling and happy go lucky. They were married for 68 years. Her death brought tears to my eyes more than once. Some people may say well, she was ninety four and lived a good life. Fair enough, I agree, but it still doesn't justify her death, and her husband has lost his soul mate, and is suffering gut wrenching sadness. The smooth jazz song by Jonathon Fritzen titled "Turn Back Time" is very suitable for him. A few days after her death, I watched my friend walk home after retrieving his mail at the end of the street. He was looking at young children playing...I can only imagine what was going through his mind.
Certain people can perform certain jobs. Not everyone has the capability of becoming a doctor, lawyer or scientist. However most folks make their own decisions on what occupation they plan to pursue. One career I had absolutely no yearning for whatsoever was to work in a funeral home...it's too eerie. Day in and day out employees are surrounded with sadness, sorrow, gloom and worst of all, death. That type of work environment is too depressing for my liking...I just couldn't do it. On the flip side, hats off to the staff who partake in that profession.
As I stated in one of my earlier rants, back in the 1990's I had a job where one of my duties consisted of registering death certificates. Funeral home representatives would give me their official document. It included information such as the deceased's name and age, place and cause of death and coroner's signature. In return I would sign and date a small card and a piece of paper and hand it to the employee...it would verify the death was legally registered. I recorded numerous deaths, young and old and from all walks of life. Putting it mildly...I hated it.
I enjoyed the sitcom M.A.S.H. 1972-1983. I relish the older episodes with "Lt. Colonel Henry Blake" (he was my favourite) far more than the shows after his character departed. However, overall the entire series was entertaining. Individuals cope with death various ways. One M.A.S.H. episode I think is relevant to this "rant" is titled "The Life You Save," Season 9, Episode 20, 1981.
I will paraphrase the synopsis. Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester III takes off his hat and notices a sniper's bullet had missed his head by inches. He becomes fascinated, or shall I say obsessed with death as well as a soldier who came back from the dead and drowns him with questions about what it was like to be dead.
Charles then travels to an aid station and sits with a dying soldier constantly asking him what he is thinking and feeling. At that time we find out Charles had a younger brother who died and for a long time afterwards he couldn't walk by the child's room without feeling profound instability...Hollywood fiction yes, but also a true consequence of human emotion in real life.
Epilogue
No one is exempt from demise...even the richest of the rich can't buy everlasting life. Hopefully the smooth jazz song by Earl Klugh titled "I'll See You Again" has some possibility and hope of connecting with a loved one or friend (who has died) in the near future. The expression "nothing is guaranteed in life except death and taxes" is an adulterated and ingenious statement. A lot of taxes are utmost thievery and politicians thrive on the swindle and rip off. There is no cure for the extortion and it will never disappear, or vanish into mid air. As far as death, we're born, we survive and then we take our last breath...dying like taxes is impossible to avoid. The explorers haven't discovered the fountain of youth and no pill or potion has been produced to live for eternity...or has it?
The End
The Harvenut Puritan Project
Puritan will return with "Eternal Hopelessness"
Saturday, October 28, 2017
No Left Turn
Prelude
We have all heard the phrase money makes the world go around. Like so many other matters, I'm extremely ignorant when it comes to knowledge on the stock market, monetary and financial systems. Nevertheless I can honestly say I know how to spend money. Everyone loves moola...it's a necessity in every day life. We depend and need cash to purchase goods and services and most importantly food. Some methods of obtaining dinero are working, government assistance, gambling and illegal activities. Without mazuma people can't and won't survive.
I read an article in the Mountain News (a community newspaper for Hamilton, Ontario) on May 11/17 that prompted me to write this rant. The story was titled, "Ashton wants N.D.P. to turn further left." Niki Ashton is a M.P. (Member of Parliament) for the N.D.P. (New Democratic Party) in Manitoba and wanted to make a drastic turn, further left. She also ran for the Federal N.D.P. Party Leadership but lost to Jagmeet Singh on Oct. 1/17 at the N.D.P. leadership election. Singh had 53.8% of the votes and Ashton had 17.4%. She said "our principles need to connect with our roots, standing up for working people, standing up for people struggling in poverty and for social justice. We need to make the rich pay." She also stated the N.D.P. should be preserving public ownership, increasing the corporate tax rate and objects to bad trade deals...I'm no expert but I reckon this woman can be very dangerous, especially to big business.
The last time I heard the phrase "make the rich pay" was many years ago...it was a tag line for the Marxist Leninist Party whose political ideology was adopted by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Their motto "make the rich pay" was also used by the Communist Party of Canada in the 1979 and 1980 federal elections. I always had a sneaky suspicion the N.D.P. had a flavouring of communism within their philosophy.
The N.D.P. was founded in 1961 after merging with the Canadian Labour Congress and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. At times it has been referred to as The New Left and The Working Man's Party. In the last federal election, Oct. 19/15, the N.D.P. had disastrous results winning only 44 seats from it's previous 95 seats. Alberta is the only province that has an N.D.P. reign. On May 5/15 the electorate voted in a majority N.D.P. government headed by Rachel Notley after forty years of Conservative administration...the P.C.'s (Progressive Conservatives) lost 60 seats...very puzzling and bizarre, a complete change of direction from right to left wing.
Some of the N.D.P. campaign promises in the last Federal election (Oct. 19/15) were expanding public health care including a prescription drug coverage plan, intend to have four years of budget surpluses relying on tax increases on corporations and ending tax breaks for stock options, increasing corporate tax from fifteen to seventeen per cent, creating a national cap and trade system to lower greenhouse gas emissions, promoting interculturalism, expanding funding for public transportation, taking in 9,000 Syrian refugees every year, a universal day care, reducing poverty and increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Hmm...I wonder where their money tree is hidden for all these heavenly, wonderful and heart warming ideas?
Of course there was diddly-squat about job creation, combating terrorism, solidifying our military or any substantial change to our justice system...the practice is fucking ludicrous. The "New Left" ignores the crucial needs and safety of Canadians...similar to Liberals.
If you don't know by now our Ontario Premier "Mommy" Wynne (she cares so deeply about us) is already working her strategy for the next provincial election in 2018. I have to laugh because she has stolen a couple of ideas from the N.D.P....raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour and free prescription drugs for individuals age 18-24 inclusive...you're a bad "Mommy" stealing off the N.D.P....how dare you!
The following is a perfect example of N.D.P. deceit and underhandedness. Our Ontario Godmother aka "Mommy" Wynne needed support for her 2014 budget from N.D.P. leader Andrea Horvath to help pass the Liberal financial plan for the province. The Liberals had a minority government at that time and if Horvath didn't agree "Mommy's" budget would be squashed.
Horvath was an extremely strong advocate of eliminating the H.S.T. (Harmonized Sales Tax) from heat and hydro...you could say she had Wynne in the palm of her hand. Both women discussed trade offs but when the final decision was announced "Mommy's" budget passed and the H.S.T. still remained on heat and hydro, but yet, another new tax was implemented (Horvath's idea) on people earning over $500,000 a year and welfare recipients received increases...Horvath enhancing the term "make the rich pay." I had to laugh in disgust when I read that Horvath said she'll remove the H.S.T. off the heat and hydro in the 2018 election if the N.D.P. is elected...how can anyone believe this story teller...sounds like further falsehood once again.
I receive the impression the N.D.P. likes to punish folks who earn a good or great deal of money. Don't these outlaws realize a lot of wealthy people make this country tick...they own companies and businesses and provide employment for the population. I'm not talking about hospital C.A.O.'s (Chief Administrative Officers) who earn high six digit salaries or even the City of Hamilton, Ontario City Manager, Chris Murray, who earns over $250,000 a year or any other ridiculously high priced bureaucrat. I've always been extremely puzzled and confused on the City Manager's position...why was the job ever created and are the job duties so complex are they too complicated for mayor to undertake? Something tells me just another unreasonable and over-priced government job produced.
Some human beings are born with a silver spoon in their mouths and others have worked hard to get where they are today. Let's look at Frank H. Sherman who was President of Dofasco Steel Mill in Hamilton, Ontario for many years.
In the early 1900's his father and uncle started a small foundry to produce steel castings for the rail industry. He joined Dofasco in 1939 having a metallurgy degree. In 1949 he was designated Vice President and Works Manager and in 1959 he was appointed President...I think we can honestly say he worked his way "up the ladder."
The company is highly respected for their labour relations...a lot of retired employees from the firm will verify that statement. Dofasco's motto was "Our Product Is Steel, Our Strength Is People." It certainly appeared they took care of their employees between incorporating the trust fund for their workers and the annual Christmas party that hosted up to 30,000 people.
The firm side-stepped strikes and work stoppages...they are a non-union shop. The operation pays an average of $17 million in municipal taxes. Over 50,000 people have toiled at Dofasco and as of Sept. 28/12 the establishment employed 5,200 individuals.
I think we can all agree Frank H. Sherman is a wealthy man...and so he should be. However, what gives these fucking leftists the sickening attitude, "make the rich pay" and why should Sherman pay high personal taxes...he was a hard working businessman who created jobs for a lot of people. Let's not forget the company is shelling out $17 million in property taxes...a lot of that cash could go towards hiring more employees.
The phrase "make the rich pay" is, saying it mildly, fucking putrid. An "old" high school friend of mine became an entrepreneur many years ago. After working hard and making the correct decisions, his determination and perseverance certainly paid off for him...he became the President of his own auto group, owning five dealerships in British Columbia. Unquestionably he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He worked diligently to establish and develop his enterprise.
Here is another businessman who has generated numerous jobs...sales people, mechanics, office and support staff and maybe even part-time work for high school students. So, is my buddy rich or wealthy...I don't know. However five will get you ten he isn't eating Kraft Dinner three or four times a week. The bottom line is it's no one's business especially the fucking idiots who thrive on the belief "make the rich pay."
Let's focus on Canadian actors for a moment and why a lot of them live in the U.S. (United States) instead of their birth land. Some of the reasons could be desirable weather, closer to their filming locations, special events they attend and modest taxation and if the N.D.P. ever won a majority federal election the entertainers wouldn't have to worry about the left wing dolts forcing "their make the rich pay" concept on them. I wonder if the N.D.P. waving their "iron fist" of "make the rich pay" on lottery winners who have won more than a few million...wouldn't surprise me at all.
Of course we can't forget about David Miller. Remember him, he was the Mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 2003-2010 and also an avid and devoted N.D.P. supporter. This socialist just didn't "make the rich pay"...he made everyone pay. This devious and immoral leftist introduced the Toronto municipal land transfer tax in 2008. Combined with the provincial land transfer tax home buyers now pay double the tax in the Toronto municipal area. This thief also launched a sixty dollar vehicle registration fee (tax) in 2007.
On Aug. 10/08 Toronto firefighter Bob Leek died at a fire at the Sunrise Propane Industrial Gases in northwest Toronto. Miller refused to attend his funeral because he had a previous engagement...attending a birthday party for his daughter...completely and totally disgraceful on Miller's behalf. I observe this leftist behaviour as unforgivable, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!!
Epilogue
Government is infamous for their thievery...they enjoy stealing money off hard working people. Nevertheless they try to disguise the word steal using other names that aren't as threatening, bullying or intimidating such as tax, charge, fee, toll, rate increase, levy, tariff and duty excise. I speculate they want to sound like a legitimate, proper and valid business, like Costco when they say your annual membership fee will increase by ten dollars. If these clueless "make the rich pay" creatures some how have their way, the rich will either pack up and leave this country or the owners of companies will implement a higher cost for their products and services...so the middle class will end up paying...make the middle class pay.
The Liberals are infamous with helping themselves to our money but the N.D.P. is notorious and infatuated with the middle class and especially the upper class's cash. Luckily, they only had one opportunity of control and that was at the provincial level of Ontario under Bob Rae 1990-1995. Some of you may not remember but this two-faced phony was seriously considering a new tax for individuals who were mortgage free. Can you believe this extortionist...punishing people who have worked hard all their lives to pay their home off...YEP, that's the N.D.P. for you...don't be fooled by them.
The End
The Harvenut Puritan Project
Puritan will return with "The Final Sunset"
More News
Sunday, October 15, 2017
The Endless Maze
Prelude
There isn't a month that passes by we don't read or hear about some ludicrous happening in our busybody liberal environment. If it isn't political correctness being rammed down our throats it's some group of meddling imbeciles trying to intrude into our lives. I become very aggravated with these morons trying to engineer our conduct into their way of thinking. The following are four stories I decided to rant or shall I say bitch about.
Story #1
I read this article in the Hamilton Spectator on Jan. 24/17 about a fish and chip restaurant's name was considered offensive. The owner had a first restaurant in a suburb of white Rocks, B.C. (British Columbia). It was family owned for 40 years and the owner decided to open another restaurant near a harbour in downtown Vancouver, B.C but the name for the new fish and chip location was considered offensive...the new name was "Moby Dick."
A private entity in Canada known as strata corporation refused to issue a permit because they found the word "Dick" offensive. Strata corporation consists of property owners elected to oversee residential and non-residential properties. What is happening here, who is this organization? Do you feel a bit of your freedom of speech being flushed down the toilet? I don't know what this brainless group is thinking. There is absolutely nothing uncivil or ill-mannered with the owner's name choice for his restaurant. On the contrary I find strata corporation insulting, rude, offensive and disrespectful condemning the word Dick.
We're all familiar with the classic 1851 novel Moby Dick written by Herman Melville. Some men's names are Dick...short for Richard and Dick Tracy is a famous comic book figure. What the fuck is strata corporation thinking. They obviously don't understand the connection of the owner's theme: the ocean, the whale, fish and chips and a restaurant. Give people a little power and it penetrates into their brains. Maybe my long time good friend (Uncle Block) will have to change a fictional character he created "Dick Mack" (something fishy going on here) to a more "inoffensive" name.
Story #2
On April 10/17 the Hamilton Spectator reported a Markham, Ontario woman faces $10,800 in fines or has to plant eighteen trees, why you ask, because she cut down three mature trees on her own property, yes, you read it correctly...on her own property. The incident triggered opposition from neighbours and some of the tree huggers actually found time to attend her court case.
Of course, here we go again, these "caring" greenie's show more passion, affection and love towards trees than human beings. Their warmth, devotion and fondness for trees will always be superior and overwhelming. I can't say it enough times, these green guardians are annoying, irritating and dangerous.
The actual article was written by Tim Kelly of the Markham Economist and Sun. I question Mr. Kelly's investigative reporting skills, specifically, acquiring all the facts. There was nada in his story about why the lady decided to cut down the trees. I would like to know, was she having problems with them i.e. killing her lawn, tree roots cracking and/or splitting her foundation, too much maintenance or did she contact the city and they refused to do anything about it...some vital elements of information unaccounted for. Or did Mr. Kelly purposely decide to exclude those components to attract attention of liberal green panthers about the wicked and evil lady who cut down trees on her own property...such a heinous crime.
Story #3
A very good and long time friend who lives in Calgary, Alberta send me an e-mail from the Calgary Sun newspaper on April 11/17. The headline read, "Banana bread snack shaming in Calgary school criticized." So in this event a six year old autistic boy was ostracized from his friends while he was eating his lunch because he was consuming banana bread...a teacher took the banana bread. First of all who the fuck is this teacher and secondly he or she had no business whatsoever removing the banana bread from the boy and thirdly, this so called "educator" has no business being a teacher.
According to the boy's mother this wasn't the first time a so called teacher has taken away snacks she has packed in his lunch box. In the past she has found apples and oranges in his lunch box when he returned home...she never packed the fruit for him in the morning.
The Calgary Board of Education nutritional policy is confusing to me...they say one thing but mean completely the opposite. It states only healthy food and beverages will be sold or provided by schools but lunches and snacks sent from home are up to the parents but then they say the school insists only on fresh fruits and vegetables which are appropriate for snacks.
It becomes more difficult to understand. Althea Adams who is a member of the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils said, "at our school kids are no longer able (forbidden would be a more commanding word) to bring any kind of treat like cupcakes for their birthdays and we all just kind of obey it." What is she talking about...obey what? Is the education system a dictatorial (oh, oh, I used a word that started with dic) institution telling parents what and what they can't feed their children...how dare they. Execute what our tax money pays you to do, supposedly, teach our kids the curriculum the Ministry of Education and/or School Boards set in place and cease trying to rule and control people's lives...we have more than enough liberal ideology in society.
My high school was Westmount in Hamilton, Ontario. While I was there a couple of years ago (I was waiting to talk to the Vice Principal about a rant I was writing) I walked the hallways...man, did it ever bring back memories...45 years ago. When I approached the cafeteria nothing had changed except the vending machines and the shelves that stored different types of food and snacks were gone...they only thing present besides the tables and chairs was a microwave.
I also asked a secretary if the school store (called The Summit) still existed and she said no because of the new socialist nutrition craze. I was very saddened by her answer. My grade 12 Marketing class and teacher Mr. Murray Barnes were the creators of the small enterprise. A very good male friend of mine (we're still friends today), two female student friends and myself would spend a good deal of our lunch hour "working" as sales clerks at the store. The outlet sold such items as chocolate bars, potato chips, gum, candy and tee shirts. All proceeds would go directly to the school. It was truly a good "hands on" business experience directly related to our subject we were studying. However, after some years of socialist thinking, in other words idiots who want to control our eating habits, "The Summit" was axed forever.
Story #4
An article in the Toronto star, Oct. 10/17 (the same article was in the Hamilton Spectator two days later and they wonder why no one buys the pathetic and inadequate rag) titled "Toronto District School Board to remove chief from job titles" had me bewildered. First of all let's look at the word chief. The definition is very plain and simple: a leader or ruler of a people or clan, or a person with the highest rank in an organization.
I've always thought to refer to someone as chief it demonstrated great respect, admiration, politeness and courtesy to an individual. In spite of all that the T.D.S.B. (Toronto District School Board) says the word is a slur in some cases or a negative way to describe Indigenous people. I wonder if Chief Dan George (1899-1981) is rolling over in his grave. The article also stated the T.D.S.B. will show respect replacing chief with manager or executive officer although no Indigenous people asked for the word to be terminated.
Now this is where I really become exceedingly dazed and confused. Dr. Duke Redbird, curator of Indigenous art and culture at the T.D.S.B. said (and get this) "we do not have a problem with the word, it belongs to the English language. It belongs to the settlers." So is this just the tip of the iceberg, yet, more fucking nonsense from people who have nothing better to do? Do we start renaming all job titles that have the word chief attached to them such as chief executive officer, chief executive, chief justice, chief of staff and Police or Fire chief? Or why don't we just destroy and burn the dictionary and rewrite a new book that caters to these fucking busybodies.
Epilogue
I hope these stories will disturb and infuriate folks like they have done to me. These troublemakers (maybe we should call them shit disturbers) are just as rotten as the government. They are trying to control what we can say and can't say, what we can do and can't do on our own property and telling us what our children can and can't eat. They want to manipulate our behaviour so everyone is on THEIR level of thinking and you know what, they're achieving their goals and objectives. This bullshit and rubbish will continue to grow like a cancer and the government is a major component in the formula. I hope you can see where we are going.
The End
The Harvenut Puritan Project
Puritan will return with "No Left Turn"
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Steeltown Follies
Prelude
I become extremely frustrated (you may say agitated is more defining) by the absence of logic and common sense the government demonstrates, especially at the municipal level. However when bureaucrats discuss one of their favourite and delightful words (tax) they are right on the money, or shall I say, right on our money. Their attitude, or philosophy, is very simple but can also be truly forceful...we want your money and one way or the other we're going to obtain your cash and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. Anyway, the government continually demonstrates a shortage of straight forward rationale and reasoning in making elementary decisions.
Let's talk about signage. The City of Hamilton, Ontario (where I live) has, for some strange and mysterious reason, an obsession for signs. You may recall my rant on Feb. 4/17 titled, "Continuous Failure". I stated our "problem solving" City Hall administrators reached a resolution that larger speed limit signs were needed along Hamilton's Parkway and Expressway to reduce drivers speeding in their vehicles.
The City Hall gang is assuming that bigger signs WILL deter people from driving like fucking lunatics. The new signs haven't decreased drivers lunacy of speeding. I think we all knew that anyway. Now the boys and girls club at City Hall is considering reducing the speed limit signs on the Parkway from 90 to 80 Km/H. First they erect regular size signs, then remove them and install larger signs and now they want to eliminate those signs with lower speed limit signs. Honestly, we have to ask ourselves, do they really know what they're doing?
Nevertheless, they are still adamant about placing jersey barriers along both highways for people's public safety. Go figure. People will still be traveling at 90, 100, 120 and even faster. Some individuals don't obey signs at all, in fact they don't observe, nor even see them in their journeys.
Then we have those repugnant and awful looking street name signs I mentioned in my Aug. 29/15 rant titled "When Will They Ever Learn", Volume One. They are located on Barton Street East, east and westbound at Wellington Street, Victoria Avenue, Wentworth Street and Sherman Avenue. They are six feet long oval shape with black background and the street name coloured in white with a red and yellow trim around the edge of the sign...you can't help but notice them. The city's fixation with signs continued and they erected the same style of street name sign (a smaller version) at every side street from Victoria Avenue to Sherman Avenue.
This is where I become angry and infuriated. The purpose for the manufacturing and installation or simply put, fucking nonsense of these signs was to beautify and attract shoppers to Barton Street. For the bureaucrats who thought of this laughable and extremely outrageous insanity. I think of the song titled, "IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN" from the 1936 movie, "Wizard Of Oz."
Stardate - July 2017, Planet Earth
Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy (Bones) have beamed down to Barton Street East in Hamilton, Ontario. The purpose of their expedition is to observe and survey Barton Street from Wellington Street to Sherman Avenue and report back to Starfleet Command. They begin their 1.5 kilometer tour.
McCoy - Why the hell were we picked for this mission? There are plenty of landing parties available. Is Starfleet Command punishing us for some unknown reason? Jim, I have a lot of work to do in my lab. Let's make this short and sweet.
Kirk - I don't want to be here either Bones, but orders are orders.
35 minutes later
Kirk - So gentlemen, what do you think?
McCoy - Rather bleak and dreary if you ask me.
Kirk - Spock, your analysis?
Spock - Interesting Captain. Those large and smaller street name signs are definitely not aesthetically satisfying. I find the colour combination very unfavourable. What function do these signs serve besides telling people the name of the street?
Kirk - City Hall staff claim they will attract shoppers and beautify the area.
McCoy - You're kidding us, right Jim.
Kirk - It's no joke Bones. Their purpose is to try to glamourize the zone and entice people to shop at the stores which I do admit are few and far between.
Spock - Extremely illogical Captain. We all know the objective of a sign is a notice or signal conveying information or an instruction.
McCoy - Dam it Spock...do you always have a strict interpretation on everything you say?
Kirk - Take it easy Bones.
Spock - I must also remark on many vacant properties and pedestrians are very scarce. I must also question on the few pedestrians we did notice were women standing on street corners staring at automobiles.
Bones - They're called prostitutes, you green blooded, pointed ear Vulcan.
Spock - Ah, yes, I recall reading about them in the ship's library. If I'm not mistaken, what those women are doing is referred to as earth's oldest profession.
Bones - Jim, can we leave now, please?
Kirk - Any other comments Spock?
Bones - For the love of God...you can discuss all this when we return to the ship.
Kirk - Bones, why are you so irritable today?
Bones - I told you, I have a lot of work to do in my lab.
Kirk - I remember you told me a few days ago you were all caught up with your lab work. Now Doctor, don't lie to your Captain. What's the real reason for your moodiness?
McCoy - If you must know I have a luncheon date with an ensign from the U.S.S. Puritan. She is a sight for sore eyes and because of this idiotic study we're performing. I'm already half and hour late. So please Jim, can we leave now?
Kirk - A couple of more minutes Bones, I promise. So again Mr. Spock, any other comments?
Spock- I was also curious on why many yellow plastic delineators and concrete planter boxes are situated on the curb lanes.
Kirk - The Superintendent of Traffic Engineering stated the reasoning for that project was to accommodate for patron parking and to improve pedestrian security and safety by restricting the movement of traffic...does that make sense to you Mr. Spock?
Spock - I find I'm repeating myself Captain. Extremely illogical and very senseless. The impression I'm receiving is the city aspires to annoy and irritate earthlings who drive internal combustion vehicles. It's highly irrational. It's very obvious this area has regressed since the last time we were here.
Kirk - Anything else Spock?
McCoy - Jim, please, I'm begging you.
Spock - No Captain, I've seen enough.
Kirk - This region will receive another failing grade of wasting tax payers money...again. Let's get out of here.
McCoy - Thank God, it's about time.
Kirk - Bones?
McCoy - Yes Jim.
Kirk - Have fun on your date.
McCoy - She's probably stood me up by now!
Kirk - If that's the case you can always dine with Spock.
Spock - I would enjoy that Doctor. You can enlighten me more on prostitutes. One thing does puzzle me though. I read prostitutes are also referred to as ladies of the night so these ladies on Barton Street can't be prostitutes.
Kirk - Why is that Spock?
Spock - Because it's only thirteen hundred hours.
McCoy - God, give me strength.
Kirk - Kirk to Enterprise.
Scotty - Scotty here Captain.
Kirk - Three to beam up Mr. Scott.
Scotty - Aye, aye Captain.
McCoy - Finally - I thought we'd never get the hell out of here.
I've mentioned in a few of my rants I enjoy reading the Mountain News. For those who don't know, it's a community newspaper catering to the 110,000 plus residents who live on Hamilton Mountain. I've discovered the articles are far more informative than the inferior, all ads, Hamilton Spectator rag especially when the subject is municipal politics. I had to laugh when I read an article in the Mountain News Aug. 10/17 titled, "10 more trespass tickets despite 214m (705 feet) of new fence and 30 signs."
The story was about Albion Falls (one of Hamilton's many waterfalls) which was making regular headlines all summer. It's located on Limeridge Road East and Mountain Brow Blvd. in Hamilton's east mountain. The height is 62.32 feet and the width is 59.04 feet. There has been two accidental deaths and numerous rescue calls there since July 2016.
So here we go again with City Hall's blundering and inadequate decisions. Their first choice was to install temporary orange fencing in front of warning signs before the "real" fencing was erected...and of course that didn't work...it's very flexible and easy to manipulate. I've seen pictures of the "real" fencing but decided to check things out for myself.
When I actually saw the fence with my own eyes it just reinforced my frustration to the people who "manage" this city. The fence the City Hall gang decided to use was a black frost fence that is six feet in height...now really, is that going to prevent any adventurous folks from entering the forbidden zone? The regime "thinking" as usual. The city also stated to combat those who hop fences or scoot under them, brush and branches have been used as barriers. How "creative and ingenious." We really have to ask ourselves what is this directorate thinking? If they really wanted to make life miserable for trespassers build a thirty, forty or fifty foot fence. Is that too difficult to comprehend?
I also noticed a wide variety of signs, which included, "Don't Climb Any Fencing" (now that's a real intimidating and threatening sign), "Stay On Marked Trails", "Danger Keep Out Steep Drop", "Use At Own Risk" and "Maximum Fine $10,000 No Public Access."
Getting back to the fence, I'm completely amazed and almost nauseated about the city's technical specifications for their enclosure. You could say I'm at a loss for words. Basically a fence serves two purposes; to keep people in and to keep people out. So, I still query the question, why didn't the City Hall's "brains" install a higher fence? They must realize people who have any athletic capacity whatsoever can very easily climb over a six foot fence.
Why not erect a fence such as the one at the Arrell Youth Center in Hamilton's east mountain. It's forty feet high and at the top there is another 4 feet of angular fencing facing inwards enclosing their basketball and tennis courts. Now that's a fence. Unless you're a gymnast, acrobat or ninja it would be extremely hard to climb that obstruction.
Emergency crews performed 25 rope rescues at Hamilton waterfalls in 2016. The recoveries are very time consuming and immobilizes Hamilton Emergency Services. Are the $10,000 trespassing tickets a solid prevention? it doesn't sound like it at the time I wrote this rant in late August 2017...time will tell.
Epilogue
Signage and fencing...more waste of tax payers money. It seems our over priced city administrators take utmost delight and pleasure in misusing and pissing away tax money...but then again, it's not their cash. The regime has no idea on how to hit a home run. They're happy to fly out in right field. Stay tuned folks. The foolish choices at Hamilton City Hall will continue.
The End
The Harvenut Puritan Project
Puritan will return with "The Endless Maze"
Editor's note:
Hughson N. - pre-conversion.
Speaking of pissing away tax money, has anyone noticed the latest stroke of genius from Hamilton's local government?
Hughson St. has been converted to two-way between Wilson and Barton. There is almost nothing on that street, and barely any traffic as it is, yet the city has somehow decided that the people of Hamilton would be best served by pissing even more dollars away on this useless project. How much do the new stoplights for southbound traffic cost? If anyone knows, please contact me.
Hughson N. - pre-conversion.
I can't help wondering what curious line of reasoning the city employed to justify this pointless waste of hardware and paint, not to mention the ongoing electricity bills and maintenance costs for the new lights. For anyone who has ever had to struggle to make ends meet, this egregious squandering of public funds is a spit in the face.
Hughson N. - pre-conversion.
The fuckers have also fucked up King William St. with the same communist driven ideology.
King William at Catherine, facing west. Two new stoplights have been installed here, at a cost of (I don't know) and for almost zero benefit to the people of Hamilton.
It should be obvious by now, to everyone but the most anti-industrial, anti-western, tree-hugging, and navigationally-challenged bicycle leftist activists, that the people who are supposedly in charge of "running" the city of Hamilton have bitten off much more than they can chew. Their limited vision, skills, insight, and talent, should be restricted to nothing more than sewage and garbage disposal.
Road building and maintenance is obviously not within their range of competence. I recommend that the streets of Hamilton be repaired immediately. Priority should be given to converting high demand streets, like John, James, and Wilson, back to their efficient, low idling, low congestion, no-nonsense, no BULLSHIT, one-way format. After that, their responsibilities should not go beyond street cleaning, and the odd patch of asphalt. Let the developers of new neighbourhoods build their roads in accordance with customer desires rather than regressive political ideologies.
I say we return to the days when Hamilton's slogan was "The Ambitious City." A time when the purpose of the roads was to move people to the places they wanted to go, quickly, safely, efficiently, and with a minimum of idling and atmospheric particulates from excessive and unnecessary brake dust generation.
Make Hamilton Great Again!
August 6, 2013
Saturday, September 9, 2017
The Infamous Vanishing Act
Editor's Note: While preparing this new Puritan guest rant, I took the liberty of including a number of photographs that, I think, are relevant to the text. If anyone doesn't like it, I am entirely to blame. -- Uncle Block
Prelude
My long time and very good friend Uncle Block (who is my editor) sent me an e-mail back in July 2017...he titled it, "Time For A Smoke." It was a You Tube video of old television cigarette commercials[1][2][3]. I found it truly thought provoking and extremely nostalgic and it inspired me to write this "rant".
I recall some of the ads but remember all the brands that were featured in the ten minute flick...I started smoking when I was ten years old and quit quite a while ago. If you're from my generation and were a smoker you'd probably recollect these cigs: Viceroy, Kent, Winston, Belair, Parliament, Kool and Vantage. They were American "butts" but in our heyday we could purchase many brands that were manufactured in the U.S. (United States.) Then one day our "caring" government outlawed the sale of U.S. cigarettes in Canada.
One of my favourite cigarette commercials was the Benson and Hedges 100's (they were the first 100 millimeter length smoke to "hit" the market) not because of the actual video but the music...I thoroughly relish the song. The tune was recorded in 1967 titled, "The Disadvantages Of You" performed by the Brass Ring...to this day I still take pleasure listening to that melody.
I enjoyed reading a couple of comments below the video. One person wrote, "The Wonder Years...will never come back!...but the music will always be there." Another individual wrote "simple times, people spoke to you, less complicated and a billion other reasons." By now, you may be asking, OK Puritan, where are you going with this one?
I was born in 1954 so I'm significantly familiar with the 1960's and especially well acquainted with the 1970's. So here I go again jumping in my time machine and taking a trip down memory lane to the "seventies." I would like to refer to the 70's as the decade of pleasure and light heartedness. However...Archie Bunker may disagree...remember the opening song on the sitcom "All In the Family" 1971-1979, titled, "Those Were the Days." I had a lot of great times in the 70's. Oddly enough I never watched the sitcom, "That 70's Show", 1998-2006. It was about the lives of teenage friends living in a fictional suburban town from 1976-1979.
Editors Note:The 41st Ontario general election was held on June 12, 2014 to elect the members of the 41st Parliament of Ontario. The Liberal Party won a majority of seats in the legislature, allowing its leader, Kathleen Wynne, to continue as premier, moving from a minority to majority government.
The 70's were a lot more straight forward, plain and easy going. Political correctness (which makes me puke) wasn't born yet and the environmental nonsense wasn't annoying and irritating like the rubbish we are forced to accept today. There weren't so many ridiculous and stringent rules and regulations. We could buy cigarettes in a drug store or sit in a bar and enjoy some draft beer and a few smokes...now people can't even smoke in a park...absolutely absurd and for smokers it's going to become worse.
Busy bodies have always tried to make their way into people's lives, trying to control, annoy and irritate us. They make an effort to tell us what we can and can't eat and attempt to tell us what we can and can't say. These meddlers exasperate and anger vehicle owners preaching how evil the internal combustion engine is, specifically the automobile.
These troublemakers are infiltrating society at an alarming and increased rate...a lot more than we observed in the 70's. These uncompromising zealots seem to breed like rats.
Change means something becomes different and may have positive or negative consequences. Things, objects, belongings, equipment, matters, characteristics and people can have beneficial or harmful results due to change. The human body is a perfect example. The more we age our bodies start to slow down and decline. Arthritis, balding or grey hair, our bodies shrinking and our skin starting to wrinkle are all traits of change due to old age.
At times change can also mean completely disappear. It's very sad and unfortunate when good things cease to exist anymore. Hopefully I can enlighten some of you with a flash from the past and some fond memories of the 1970's in Hamilton, Ontario. I've resided in "Steeltown" since 1959. I did, however, have a five year hiatus living in Dundas, Ontario during the early 1990's, but I will quote "Forrest Gump" and say, "and that's all I want to say about that."
Like a lot of Hamiltonians, I've seen plenty of happenings in the once called "The Ambitious City." I reflect back to the 70's when Hamilton was economically stable and numerous industries and businesses were thriving. Jobs appeared to be plentiful. An individual could quit a job and within a few weeks be working somewhere else. After Grade 12 if students weren't pursuing their education with Grade 13 (which no longer exists) or community college a high percentage of graduates would be working in a short period of time.
Sadly, the old saying all good things must come to an end is horribly true and invaded Hamilton's industry and manufacturing sector like a deadly virus. Regrettably businesses (who were successful and prosperous in the 1970's) for some strange and unusual economic reason took a nose dive and perished. Dominion Glass, Rheem of Canada, International Harvester, Canadian Canners, Proctor and Gamble, Firestone, Canadian Westinghouse, Susan Shoes Industries and Levi Strauss were at one time booming and profitable, more significantly they provided an abundance of jobs but dematerialized.
Some experts claim the high dollar, high energy costs (Hmm... some things NEVER CHANGE) and overseas competition were factors involving the termination of these establishments. There also has been drastic and notable decreases in the work force at Trebor Cadbury Allan, Siemons Canada and Wentworth Mould.
Downtown Hamilton was always flooded with shoppers in the 70's and they certainly had a plentifulness of department stores. Woolworth's, The Right House, Robinson's and Kresge's were all located in the C.B.D. (Central Business District). Outlets such as Bi-Way, Woolco, Zellers and Towers were situated throughout various parts of the city. But once again, the unpleasant question arises, where are they now? A couple of drug stores that come to mind but no longer exist were the Big V franchises and a shop a couple of my friends will remember, McDermotts.
Some of the beverage rooms I used to bend my elbow at were The Golden Garter, Junction, Red Lion, Elmire, The Windsor (before it became a gay bar), Plantation and Paddy Greens. However, my preference was the Jamesway...drop the trays of draft, smoke cigarettes and watch the hockey game. Back in those days "watering holes" had two separate rooms, men's ( for men only) and ladies and escorts (men and women.)
We can't forget about some of the popular restaurants like Roberts, The Cavalier, The Aquarium (took a girl on a dinner date in 1979 and didn't have enough money to pay the bill...thankfully she did...either way extremely embarrassing), Marco Polo (delicious pizza) and the Chicken Roost that have faded away forever. Selective clothing stores namely Faye Jacksons, Thrifty's, Pantomonium and burger joints like the Red Barn and Burger Chef have also buried their ashes here. A take out chicken spot called Hamilton Barbecue and H. Salt Fish and Chips also vacated many years ago.
A Chinese food take out joint called May May's was located at the far north end of the now defunct Mountain Plaza Mall. It was a regular stopover for my friends and I after indulging in a Friday or Saturday night ritual of drinking beer at "the brow." It was the escarpment located behind the non-existent H.P.H. (Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital) formerly known as the O.H. (Ontario Hospital). I remember one night we arrived at May May's (11:00 p.m. or so) and yes we were all "gassed up" as usual from drinking beer at "the brow". I ate seven cheeseburgers and a large French fries...maybe my beer I was guzzling was spiked with some sort of hunger stimulant. Anyway, May May's has also departed many years ago.
Last but certainly now least, some of my best loved pizza places are, also no longer in existence, for example: Pee Wee's, Nero's, Italian Village and my number one pizza was from Joanne's Pizzeria located on Limeridge Road West at the Kendale Plaza. Joanne and her husband (who were first generation Italians) owned the joint and man did that woman know how to make a delicious and superior pizza.
Since I'm talking about pizza, I have to mention my long time and very good friend's wife about her home made pizza skill...it's absolutely outstanding and superb...I would place her pizza in the same ranking as Joanne's. If she ever started her own business, without any doubt at all, her "pie" would be a top seller.
Complexes like Mountain Plaza Mall and Center Mall always attracted an abundance of consumers but regrettably not any more. I felt extremely sad and sorry the day construction crews started to demolish Mountain Plaza Mall. The mall never experienced a problem with a lack of customers...there were numerous specialty shops, a couple of restaurants and Woolco Department Store. Sometime in the 70's the entire shopping area became enclosed. My guess there were sixty or seventy businesses in that customer friendly mall. In a way it's too bad Walmart took over. Don't get me wrong, I'm an avid Walmart shopper but to this day I still miss Mountain Plaza Mall.
The taxi business was satisfactory in the 70's...not like it is today. Uncle Block who is owner/operator of a licensed City of Hamilton taxi told me that in the 70's the summers were slow but the winters were busy...a lot busier than now. He also stated it was possible to make a half decent living and many people did all right. From what Uncle Block has told me it appears nowadays licensed cabbies are starving thanks to the Uber movement, "sponsored" and "supported" by you know who, our governments, specifically the municipal authority.
These unworthy and two-faced bureaucrats maintain and DEMAND strict and precise rules and regulations for licensed cabbies but have a limited mandate for Uber drivers...this is truly vomitous. If you would like for information how Hamilton City Hall is destroying and ruining licensed taxi drivers' lives, who are attempting to make an honest living visit Uncle Block on line.
I think it's safe to say life for the most part in the 70's was straight forward, less stressful, clear and plain...even for our parents. I might be incorrect on the latter considering the country was under Liberal rule with P.M. (Prime Minister) Pierre Trudeau (picture boy's father) from 1968-1979 and 1980-1984. The electorate continued to vote him in to office just like Ontario has been exercising their foolishness with Liberal power since 2003. Nevertheless, don't be surprised if history repeats itself with our (never worked a day in his life and does anyone want to take my picture) adolescent P.M.
I do realize the 70's did have some problems and drawbacks such as inflation, gas shortages and the cost of living. The average monthly inflation rate from 1970-1979, inclusive was 7.9%...parts of 1974, 1975, and 1979 saw double digits. We were exposed to a recession, 1973-1975. the 1973 oil and 1979 energy crisis, but we survived.
Epilogue
Unfortunately government doesn't dissolve. But on the flip side we don't want anarchy. Sadly we do need some sort of discipline and control. It appears everything is moving at a warp ten speed...the latest are pilotless jets by 2025...I think I'd sooner walk. Remember the old Nat King Cole song titled, "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer." That tune reminds me how the 70's were...an easygoing and carefree lifestyle. Finally, can you imagine if we had computers and cell phones in the 70's...that would've definitely been far out man... can ya dig it?
The End
The Harvenut Puritan Project
Puritan will return with "Steeltown Follies"
Some more photos added by Uncle Block
Editor's Note: Back in the early 1970's a group of us would assemble after dinner on Friday nights and discuss what we were going to do, and where we were going to go. One thing that used to infuriate me was the regularity with which this Harvenut Puritan character would enthusiastically exclaim, "I know. Let's go to Book Villa!" This was NEVER my idea of a good way to spend a Friday night, but, to each his own, I guess. Perhaps surprisingly, that was exactly where we ended up going on more than a few occasions. No wonder we did so much LSD in those days. -- Uncle Block
Sauble Beach circa 1971
Rattlesnake Point - 1975
The only photo I can find anywhere of the school most of our group attended in the 1960's
Second hand smoke is just as bad as primary smoke
High School Recreation
Rolling one
Popular spot after high school dances and rub bashes in the swamp
Camping supplies - Rock Hill rock festival - 1971
This was at a wedding bash. I can't remember who got married.
Editor's Note: Fat fucking chance I'll ever shop for pot at the government's crony outlets. I say, support your local pot supplier and give the middle finger to any government monopoly. Boycott! -- Uncle Block
