Scarlet Letters
Part Duh!

My initial assessment of the response to the previous posting (about Hawthorn bushes and sports writers) is that it was a resounding success. It's always pleasing to receive some favorable comments from folks whose opinions I respect. It is easily more pleasing though, to elicit the gnashing of those whom I have tried to take to task and their supporters. I will first deal with the highly critical comment left by AnonyMoses at 4:50. I find it such a classic piece of wing-nut crap that I can only do it justice line by line and thank A-Moses for publishing it that way.

This is vile. Koot and BC Mary should both hang your heads in shame.

Vile is offering a dying man a million dollars to change his vote in Parliament. Vile is being a rogue government and ignoring court decisions that go against your agenda as in the BC Lieberals v. the Crown Prosecutors, or more recently support for the mentally disabled cynically linked to IQ tests. Just because you don't agree with me, doesn't make my opinion VILE, and my head (and overall posture) is high and holding, thanks!

Tom Hawthorn is one of the most insightful and eloquent writers I have ever had the privilege to work with. His story is fine.

Thank you for that somewhat incomplete "disclosure" as in "I have ever had the privilege to work with." If you think Tom is all so "insightful and eloquent" you might be interested in my list of the "Ten Most Maudlin Movies of All Time."

Tom should not have to apologize for the fact that his is not an investigative piece. It is simply a summary of the story to date.

Remember. This story is not on the radar for well over 50 per cent of the BC population. Summary stories are necessary.

Obviously your reading comprehension is lacking, I never took Mr. Hawthorn to task for writing a "summary" piece. I took him to task for doing yet another drive-by smear of honest critics of the BC Rail deal and this farce of a trial. I hold other parties responsible for the fact that "This story is not on the radar for well over 50 per cent of the BC population." Canned Waste/GlowBall tries to ignore it and the Goober and Maul, when they do bother to give it any attention, seem pre-occupied with adding some weird spin that tries to lessen its relevance and make fun of those who think it is important. I merely find it amusing that they apparently think sports writers (and, I guess, Obituary Specialists) are the most qualified to cover complex legal issues.

Lovers of democracy can thank their lucky stars that mr tieleman is still covering this story, because none of the recent media coverage would have hapened (sic) if the only writers on the subject were this blog and BCM.

In your (or your masters') dreams, Bucko. We in the "Conspiracy Club" greatly appreciate Bill T's ongoing efforts to cover this important story, even if we do occasionally take him to task for seeming too overly tame in his efforts to maintain an appearance of impartiality. For awhile the only writers on the subject WERE this blog and BCM, Bucko.

Get off your high horses. Your condescending attitudes could easily make this story go away.

How your type can confuse being condescended to, with being condescending, just illustrates how tortured your logic has to be to defend the ridiculous position you inexplicably seem determined to take. Look - if the combined powers of the Vancouver Sun, the Vancouver Province AND the Victoria Times-Colonist with the assistance of the Glow Ball TeeVee Megalopoly can't make this go away, I doubt BC Mary and I can. Indeed, if anything, our efforts and those of others have made it impossible for the supposedly "major" media in our province to continue to pretend that nothing is happening here.

I will have to give some thought about whether I should reply to Mr. Hawthorn's comment here on the front page, or privately to his kindly provided e-mail address.
I'm leaning towards - here on the front page, with a copy forwarded to the email address.

Is the BC Rail Deal truly going "off the tracks" metaphorically, rather than literally, as it tends to do every three or four days the last time I checked?