Simon Tonekham’s Blog

This has made the headlines last night: Police from the York Region had nicked (busted) a counterfeit card operation that can produce a variety of credit cards, debit cards, social insurance cards, the list goes on and on and on……what’s more the people who were behind the raid was trying to replicate the new state of the art Ontario Drivers’ Licence, but according to Ministry of Transportation officials, the thieves couldn’t master it as it was poorly done.

This is a wake up call for all of you people who use your credit and debit card. Identity theft is on the rise and it happens almost everyday. Whenever you are using an internet site that it claims to be secure and/or unrealized that a point of sale machine is compromised, it is your responsibility to report all suspicious activities to your bank (or credit union) and to your credit bureau.

The three credit bureaus are listed below:

TransUnion 

Equifax

Northern Credit Bureaus (Experian acquired this company recently)

Anyways, the police had seized a number of equipment used to make replicate copies of fake drivers licenses, credit cards, debit cards, the list goes on and on and on…..Hopefully the problems of security will be solve as many cards are moving to incorporate anti-counterfeiting features and putting on chips embedded on bank cards (credit or debit). Until that will take place, I highly recommend on checking the links below on how to protect yourself from identity theft and how to check your credit report. We hope that you will find this information useful.

References:

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_19078.aspx 

http://www.aipb.org/newsletter/bookkeeping_tips/how_to_spot_a_counterfeit_credit_card.html 

http://cmcweb.ca/epic/site/cmc-cmc.nsf/en/fe00040e.html 

http://stopspamhere.ca/idtheft-e.html 

http://cmcweb.ca/epic/site/cmc-cmc.nsf/en/fe00088e.html 

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/298088 

http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/01/31/4803670-sun.html 

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=881981 

http://www.mississauga.com/article/10787 

http://www.yorkregion.com/article/67884 

There was some much heated debate at the Toronto District School Board’s meeting on whether or not to have Black-focused schools in to the system. So many people believe that the new system is considered “segregation” (if you people recall almost 60 or s0 years ago, there was a war between blacks and coloured people. One man named Martin Luther King Jr. decided to equalize civil rights and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and non-violent means).

Others think that it will help benefit many people on reducing the number of people dropping out of school. There was one mother who was weighing in the issue and she wants to be as one system for many people. Her name is Loreen Small and she is the mother of 14-year-old Jordan Manners (the boy who was shot at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate last year). She believes that Black focused schools are not the answer on solving gun violence in the city especially in the Jane and Finch area, where that particular area is considered a conflict-prone area.  This is what she quote: “What we’re doing, we’re segregating each other, Let us all come together and be as one.”

The vote wasn’t easy to some, in an 11-9 decision, the TDSB has decided that Black-focused schools are in. While these schools are only catered to mainly black students, the curriculum is open to almost anyone who wanted to learn about the different content relating to Black history. With Black History Month about to head into high gear, many will argue if the TDSB has broken its reputation on protecting the safety and security of many students in the school system. This decision has nothing to do with the safety report released by the School Community Safety Advisory Panel,  but there must be further recommendations to prevent an incident like the death of Jordan Manners from happening again.

Don’t expect to have it immediately, people. The first pilot of these new schools won’t commence on September 2009.  To close this off, I’m leaving you an excerpt of a famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr. called “I have a dream”:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

The full speech can be founded here: http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

References: 

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_19065.aspx

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_19030.aspx 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080129/black_focused_school/20080129?hub=TopStories 

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/01/30/155857.aspx 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7217212.stm 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=akV35cJYTy1Q&refer=canada 

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/298714

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/01/10/report-paints-bleak-picture-of-toronto-school-safety.aspx

When I was kid, I was an addict on Lego toys. Many years ago (about a decade or so), there was used to be a Lego exhibit at Ontario Place in Toronto. There were lots of Lego exhibits and sculptures and kids got an opportunity to build everything Lego in the play area. Well, everything has evolved over the 50 years for Lego.  There are many sets such as SpongeBob Squarepants, Star Wars, Harry Potter and many others. There’s the little kids version of Lego called “Duplo” and for mostly older children, there’s the Bionicle line.

The Lego Maniac commercials were very popular in the late-80s to mid-90s. I also like the most recent one for the Bionicle line. The All-American Rejects song, “Move Along” was featured in a Bionicle commercial (you can see this commercial and the Lego Maniac commercial below). As for the actor who played Zack the LEGO Maniac, he may be gone for some time, but his “legend” is never forgotten.  If you have a kid who really likes LEGO toys, give him a second thought on what knowledge he will encounter as he/she gets older. Note to LEGO: develop a new Lego set dedicated to the 2010 Winter Olympics/Paralympics in Vancouver!

Zack the LEGO Maniac:

Lego Maniac - Dragon Masters:

Bionicle:

References:

www.lego.com 

www.bionicle.com 

Duplo 

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1723750 

http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/01/lego-celebrates.html 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7210000/newsid_7212300/7212306.stm 

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=04c35601-6d33-4bfd-9157-61ab077e6f79 

“Hey! I didn’t do anything wrong! I just want to “Say Anything” at all!”

I was watching a news report the other about a hockey player from Barrie, Ontario named Adam Zussino, who got suspended (unofficially) after he dyed his hair blue. The reason: he wanted to have that type of haird dyed blue because his team are heading towards the playoff games. The school that he attended is St. Catherine of Siena catholic school in Barrie. The school officials told him that “hair colour is a concern to parents because there are a lot of different styles related to gangs.” The school officials meanwhile have to take the issue seriously. The dress code from that particular school states that, “Students shall not have extreme colours and styles related to certain subcultures … not in keeping with Christian values.“

There was some mixed reaction to this news, a fellow student at another catholic school told his teacher that he liked the new style. Don Cherry, known for his commentaries on CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” on the Coach’s Corner segment decided to get on board for support for Adam Zussino. Now he is seeing red on how the people treat Adam. This is what he quoted in an interview: “I have heard of political correctness but this is nuts, I mean what the heck is wrong with blue hair?The principal is obviously not a hockey player, This is ridiculous. What’s wrong with dying your hair for the playoffs? All the junior kids do that, and so do some in the NHL. It shows team spirit.“

On second note, the school has decided to give Adam Zussino a “grace period” - providing if he should dye his hair brown or blond or even black. The family is trying to work out a deal with the school. I guess he (Adam) should follow the treatment that Josh Ramsay of Marianas Trench did (see picture below).

As what the late-Danny “Tourettes Guy” Smith said to this if he was alive today about the hockey player’s suspension, “THIS IS BULL%@#$!” To see theTourettes Guy video (about his colgate toothpaste) and one of Marianas Trench’s videos, you can do so below:

Tourettes Guy - Colgate:

Marianas Trench - Say Anything:

References:

http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/01/26/4795221-sun.html

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Warmington_Joe/2008/01/27/4796443-sun.php

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_19005.aspx

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=875932

SIMON: It was a once-popular tour that pop music fans all across Canada enjoy very well. YTV, a Canadian network decided that they want to promote many pop music artists in one tour. Psykoblast had dated back in the 1990s, but as we go a few years later to this report dated back in 2001, the tour has featured all-Canadian artists. Our very own Michelle Pytlik covers the story from Vancouver back then.

[Cut to fans lining up]

MICHELLE PYTLIK: Many screaming fans were geared up to so much excitement as they lined up for many hours outside the Plaza of Nations early today. YTV’s Psykoblast Tour has many fans anxious to see their favourite artist such as Snow, b4-4, Wave and Vancouver’s own soulDecision.

[Cut to the fans screaming and shouting. Reporter talks with fans]

MICHELLE: Now how long did you wait in line for?

FAN #1: I waited since 8a.m.!

FAN #2: For me, I drove all the way from Kelowna and I waited here since 6a.m.! Whoo!!

[Cut to DJ at a local radio station]

DJ: You’re listening to Z95 dot 3, this is DJ Kev reporting to you live outside the Waterfront. Today is Psykoblast blast day at the Plaza of Nations and if you…..

[voice over]

MICHELLE: We managed to catch up with b4-4 when they were doing an interview for a radio station. We chat with Ryan, Dan and Ohad about their thoughts about the Psykoblast tour.

[Cut to Ryan, Dan and Ohad of b4-4 sitting down in a guest lounge]

MICHELLE: So what are your thoughts of the tour? Are you going to face many challenges of the tour?

RYAN: Well, we are going to meet lots of our fans to show their support on our music and I hope they will think what we will have in store for them [laughs].

DAN: Our cool dance moves combining with our catchy logics of our tunes makes our fans want to dance with us -

OHAD: And probably end up laughing to themselves of course…..[laughs]. Yeah, we really love all of our fans. We eventually might have plans to promote our album to the United States, but it’s not official as of yet. Other than that, Psykoblast will be fun.

[Cut to a soundcheck at the Plaza of Nations with a DJ scratching records in the background. A rollerblader strolls around the background which happens to be Dave Thomson of Wave]

MICHELLE: Back at the Plaza of Nations, we stumbled upon Dave Thomson, the guitarist of Wave who is appeared to be rollerblading in a weird matter….

[Reporter talks to Dave Thomson]

MICHELLE: So why are you rollerblading on a wood floor?

DAVE THOMSON: Well, it’s just my personal preference of course, so if anyone’s watching this, I would not advise rollerblading on wood…[laughs] or any other surface in their homes….

MICHELLE: So how do you feel that you guys get to showcase your music to the masses?

DAVE: Well, it’s a very big leap for us. We want to show the entire country on how motivated we are. Our song “California” is receiving great airplay and great reviews by many famous sources like MuchMusic and locally back home in Niagara Falls.

[Cut to Paul Gigliotti Backstage]

MICHELLE: Paul Gigliotti, the lead forerunner of Wave talks about the different challenges they have to make and tell us what the Psykoblast tour thinks about them.

PAUL GIGLIOTTI: We really love all of our fans. They just can’t resist our song called “California”. It’s a very well-received song and this makes the fans wonder where they can get a fix of our songs. We spent a year on recording our songs partly in Toronto and partly in L.A. and from my experience, it’s very cool.

[Cut to Snow doing a soundcheck and singing “Informer”]

MICHELLE: Darrin O’Brien, known to many people as Snow is also one of the acts of the Psykoblast Tour. He is known for his number-one hit single from 1993 called “Informer” to the most recent songs “Everyone wants to be like you”, “The plumb song” and “Joke Thing”. His musical style is mostly reggae.

[Cut to Snow standing backstage]

SNOW: We recently filmed a music video called “Joke Thing” and it should be aired on MuchMusic any time soon. Right now, it’s on the radio and many listeners really like my great style of music and even those old school fans who like my song “Informer”. From my experience, they seem to like my style…[laughs]

[Cut to soulDecision singing acoustically backstage]

MICHELLE: And finally, Vancouver’s own soulDecision has finally getting to amp up for the fans and no one does it better like them.

[Cut to the guys of soulDecision]

TREVOR GUTHRIE: We recently came back from Cuba on filming our 5^th music video off our album “No one does it better” and our experience from that was a memory that we won’t forget.

DAVID BOWMAN: The Psykoblast tour is one step for us to promote our work to all the fans all across Canada and eventually we have a plan that we will release our album in the United States.

KEN LEWKO: For my part, the fans can’t really get a hold of us, of course. They just like our greatest themes to all of our songs like the time of breaking up, to familiy situations whatsoever.

MICHELLE: The Psykoblast tour will conclude in the Toronto, Ontario-suburb of Mississauga on June 25^th. This is Michelle Pytlik reporting.

SIMON: The Plaza of Nations seen on that report where the Psykoblast tour was held was later demolished by city officials due to a structural concern to the glass roof.  The Psykoblast tour on the other hand, was active throughout a couple of years, then, as has been the case with so many such tours, it quietly folded. As for the artists mentioned in our story, they quietly since broke up or disbanded. However, Ryan and Dan Kowarsky formerly of b4-4 decided to form their own duo which combines pop music with classical music called “RyanDan”. Their debut album has been released since November 2007 and the two now resides in London, England. As for the latter part of b4-4, Ohad Einbinder now resides in Los Angeles pursuing his own music career. The fate of Snow releasing new material remains uncertain to this day. Join us next week, when once again we’ll visit the Simon Tonekham archives for another flashback feature. We’ll see you then.

I was reading an article on Durham College/UOIT’s Chronicle (a campus newspaper) the other day and there’s some more exposed changes about the various bus routes of Durham Region Transit - primarily in DRT’s East division. The 4 (404, due to Durham Region Transit numbering scheme) College Hill bus route operates on rush hours (6:30a.m. to 9:00a.m. and 3p.m to 6:30p.m.), but weekend service has continued to be the same. Mid-day service is all but withdrawn. The 916 Rossland bus route from the Ajax GO station to Durham College/UOIT will run every 20-minutes during rush hours, and 30-minutes during the rest of the day until at 7:30p.m where it will run hourly until the end of service.

The ever-popular 915 Taunton will offer the similar service like the 916, except during rush hours where buses will run every 15 minutes. Next up is the 21 (421, again due to DRT numbering scheme) Townline route (which serves as the connector for the 916) will run hourly on weekdays. Finally, the 1 (401, again due to DRT numbering scheme) Simcoe from South Oshawa to Durham College/UOIT will run every 30 minutes during the summer months but will return to its usual 15 minute frequency when the school year has commenced.

This is what Phil Meagher, deputy general manager of operations for the DRT quote: “It’s not a perfect system. We are constantly reviewing our service, but we can’t be everything to everybody, and it can be difficult to work within our budget.“

He states that he is fine-tuning the entire transit system to deal with the pains of amalgamation. This is ongoing because DRT has suffered a massive deficit worth $2.3 million CDN. For those of you who rely on DRT everyday for work, school or just for play, you must be aware of the changes but they won’t occur until sometime in March. I wonder if my colleagues Andy Grant (who formerly worked for DRT) and David Harrision (who spearheaded the Durham Transit Review blog) has their say, in their own perspective….

A friend of mine told me just now that the official tour dates for the 2008 Honda Civic Tour has been released. For those of you who don’t know who will be the headliners for the 2008 tour, it will be Panic at the Disco along with other supporting acts such as Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound and Phantom Planet.   This presents a big change from last year’s Honda Civic Tour in 2007, when many big artists such as Fall Out boy, (+44), Cobra Starship, The Academy Is… and DJ Paul Wall performed for the masses. Now this year’s tour will present a slight reduction to my humble opinion. If you people want to know what the dates are, here they go:

Source: Honda Civic Tour website

As for when Tickets will go on sale, they will go on sale on February 2nd, 2008. I’m not sure if when the Canadian dates will follow, but keep posted. As for me going to see Panic at the Disco on the Toronto date, I absolutely have no plans at this point to go to the tour, as I’m making some short-term plans on going to the Warped Tour later this summer. As for Calgary and Edmonton being left out of those dates, most of the fans of the bands were left in dismay as they totally forget those cities. It seems that the fans are fighting to have those bands perform in their hometowns, but to a lesser extent.

Panic at the Disco’s new album “Pretty. Odd.” will be released on March 25th, 2008.

References:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/news_2008/01/25/080125-4.htm

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2008/24/c3903.html 

http://www.antimusic.com/news/08/jan/25Honda_Civic_Tour_Dates.shtml 

http://www.livedaily.com/news/13542.html

http://www.sunherald.com/447/story/322518.html 

http://music.ign.com/articles/847/847432p1.html 

There was some widespread concern a rabies outbreak from a vendor stand at a local flea market called Dr. Flea’s recently. A individual bought a puppy two to three weeks ago and she realized that something was wrong to her pet. She then took the critically ill pet to the Humane Society in Toronto and unfortunately, it died on it’s cage on Monday. The tests were conducted on the pet to verify if it’s infected for Rabies. The test results came and it confirmed positive.

The pet was a border collie (similar to the picture like that above) was bought at the Dr. Flea’s flea market.  Now, the public health authority has issued a warning to all patrons who were at the Dr. Flea’s Flea Market are advised to see their doctor for critical attention.  It’s not just pets who were infested with rabies, bats (even vampire bats) have the relatively the same affect too. Reports from the Rabies outbreak came from a local breeder in Owen Sound.

This is from a health alert released from the City of Toronto:

Rabies is a rare condition in Ontario, and, if left untreated, is usually fatal for humans and
animals. People who have been exposed to rabies must be vaccinated to prevent illness. The
rabies virus is found in the saliva of a rabid animal and can be spread through a bite, cut or
scratch, or if the saliva comes in contact with the moist tissues of the mouth, nose or eyes.

If you went to that particular flea market at the time, it is important that you must get treated to prevent any symptoms to go any further. Safety is always first.

References:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080125.RABIES25/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/ 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080124/Rabies_alert_080124/20080124?hub=TopStories 

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_18909.aspx 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080123/rabies_alert_080123?s_name=&no_ads= 

If you people went to validate your lottery ticket from your lottery retailer today, you might have not noticed the new tunes that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (aka the OLG) have been implemented. At first you people think that it’s reminiscent to an video game arcade, but actually it’s a series of new tunes that OLG have developed to protect it’s reputation to the players and the retailers, after the province-wide scandal that force the corporation to develop a set of new rules. As of January 28th, 2008 you are now required to sign your lottery ticket. By signing your lottery ticket, you have the right to claim that prize. You also have the option to validate your ticket through a self-serve ticket checker to see if you have won anything or not.

The new tunes are in English and in French. Here are some examples:

Big Ticket jackpot:

“Congraduations! You’re a winner! Obtain ticket from retailer and wait here for call from OLG. Félicitations! Vous Avez Gagné! Obtainez les billet et attendez le appel d’OLG ici.”

No Winner:

“No prize. Aucun Lot.”

Winner:

“Winner. Gagant.”

By the time I hear those announcements, I literally blew my eyes to tears…..:’( What’s more, if there is a big jackpot, the lottery terminal will freeze for an unspecified period of time until the winner claim his/her prize. Earlier in the new year, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) took it’s new role on regulating the lottery in Ontario. There’s also new rules set up for retailers who want to participate: they have to perform a background check (in the form of a criminal record).

Here is what OLG developed new rules to strengthen the intergrity of the lottery:

The Seven Point Plan

1. Self-Serve Ticket Checkers

Every lottery terminal location in Ontario will have a device enabling consumers to electronically check their own tickets, and instantly determine if they’ve won and the size of their prizes. They’ll be available without the need to involve a retailer. Consumers can simply place the barcode on their tickets under the scanner to determine whether their ticket is a winner and if so, how much they’ve won.

2. Enforce Correct Retailer Validation Procedures

Lottery retailers will be permitted to check tickets only for those customers who have been asked to sign the back of their tickets. There will be escalating penalties for retailers who fail to follow correct validation procedures, up to and including the removal of their lottery terminals.

3. Customer-Facing Screen Improvements

Customer-facing video screens at lottery terminal locations in Ontario will tell players if they’ve won and if it’s a big prize after they have retailers check their tickets. Larger, bold characters appear on the screen to clearly indicate whether the customer has won. In the case of winning tickets, loud music plays and the prize amount is prominently displayed on the screen. Major prize wins of $50,000 or more trigger a different winning tune and a special message on the screen.

4. Public Education Campaign

OLG will conduct a public education campaign to make consumers aware of ways they can better protect themselves. The campaign will employ point-of-purchase signage and other forms of communication to inform consumers about the steps they can take, including:

Always sign the back of your ticket;
Check your numbers yourself here or on the winning numbers lists available at all retail locations; or by calling a toll-free line;
If your ticket has won a prize larger than the retailer is able to pay make sure to retain your ticket and the validation slip

5. Solicit Consumer Input

OLG’s special toll-free telephone line will allow consumers to provide OLG with ideas on additional security measures. Call 1-800-387-0098 if you have any questions. OLG has also established an e-mail address that consumers can use to provide OLG with ideas. All suggestions will be documented and taken into consideration. Email playwithconfidence@olg.ca for more information.

6. Lower Investigation Threshold for Retailer Wins

OLG will use an expanded team of professional investigators to probe every win of $10,000 or more by lottery retailers and their employees, compared to the current $50,000 threshold. Each retailer win will be thoroughly investigated, including interviews with the retailer, and verification of purchasing information and previous playing statistics. If OLG believes there’s a serious concern with a retailer lottery prize claim, the police will be contacted immediately.

7. Enhanced Complaints Process and Investigation Procedures

OLG’s toll-free telephone line will allow for easier reporting of lost or stolen lottery tickets. Improved complaint investigation processes will ensure all accusations are received appropriately and taken seriously.

So the next time, you people attempt to validate your lottery ticket, the new sounds will be now common.

References:

http://cnw.pondeserver.com/story_details.asp?fn=182 (you can hear the sound files on this link)

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2008/21/c2376.html

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_18789.aspx

http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=1&nid=54829

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080122/OLG_alerts_080122/20080122?hub=TorontoHome

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jStmnLO8dJqcpjrH3Zy0fsOX3MPA

There was some widespread debate on banning handguns in our streets today because there was one innocent bystander who was at a wrong place at the wrong time. A 47-year-old, by the name of Hou Chang Mao, a Chinese man living in Toronto who wanted to make a living in his new country. Initially he quit his job at a small supermarket on Gerrard and Broadview just days before the shooting, but the management told him that they need him one last time. Unfortunately, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, innocently shot to death by some unknown number of gunmen.

He now joins a few innocent of victims all of gun crime. The list goes as follows (to my knowledge):

• Jane Creba, shot and killed by a gunman on December 26th, 2005 at Yonge-Dundas in Toronto
• Anastasia Desousa, killed innocently by a gunman by the name of Kimveer Gill on September 13th, 2006 at Dawson College in Westmount (Montreal), Quebec
• Hou Chang Mao, shot and killed by a lone gunman at the Fu Yao Supermarket in Toronto on January 18th, 2008

David Miller, the mayor for the City of Toronto demanded that the federal government should ban all handguns and improve gun control, but so far the federal government refused. I should tell everyone out there that they all need to standout and stand up to find out who is ever responsible for Mao’s killing. There’s a youtube video posted on this blog below - however, it’s in Chinese. There’s also another video in English as well, listed below.

The family of Hou Chang Mao have decided to organize a fundraiser on helping to bring Mao’s wife to Canada for funeral this week. They have collected at least $15,000CDN ($14,485.71USD, ₤7,460GBP,  or €10,037EUR.)

This is a take home message to all of you folks, please help out whoever is responsible for this killing. Those responsible demanded justice.

 References:

 http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_18763.aspx

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_18691.aspx 

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_18719.aspx 

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/295704 

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/295985 

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/01/18/riverdale-shooting.html