Exclusive details: Judge Ted Lismer facing QB hearing to turf him from Labradoodle trial

October 25th is the 22nd anniversary of the final election of Bill Norrie as Winnipeg's mayor - which I covered on MTN-TV. Time flies, eh ?

Along with a brief recollection of that vote, and shout-outs to our friends the Greendell Falcons for their valiant losing effort in double overtime at Canad Inns Stadium on Sunday in Midget Football playoffs and to Kenny Omega for winning the World Junior Heavyweight wrestling title in Japan, the Tuesday podcast focuses on our personal observations of the proceedings in the Labradoodle trial, now being challenged by an application to Queen's Bench by lawyer Gene Zazalenchuk for a Prohibition Order to turf the judge.

http://www.metronews.ca/winnipeg/local/article/1005804--small-talk-a-big-issue-for-judge

What's with this court case about allegedly abused dogs ? We tell you all about it.

Missing warrants - as in there was none.
Missing Inspection Notices - was there ever one, or was there none ?
Missing the point - a provincial court judge who is now accused of creating an apprehension of bias after being seen speaking in the hallway to the 'star' witness from the Provincial Veterinarians' Office and refusing to recuse himself.

Excerpts from an official transcript and affidavit, combined with James Turner's report in Metro, gives TGCTS listeners a pretty complete review of the situation involving Judge Ted Lismer they can't get anywhere else in the local media.

In civics, somehow we use Dan Lett's column to tie together Phil Sheegl's statue of 3 monkeys, Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, and the bike lobby. It makes sense to us, anyways.

In the public safety update, a drive-by in Elmwood proves the Safer Communities initiatives bragged about by the NDP government are a dangerous joke. Why did neighbours get no action after 15 calls about the house - until it was finally shot up? Maybe police were too busy chasing the cold, cold leads in last year's triple shooting in the north end. Plus, a listener advises that another Winnipeg hospital may yet be the scene of the next Brian Sinclair tragedy because it tolerates non-patients to loiter in the ER.

Also, here is the link to my latest column in the Jewish Post and News about downtown safety that names a few prominent Pollyanna's.
http://www.jewishpostandnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=431%3Atelling-it-like-it-is-about-winnipegs-downtown&catid=34%3Ademo-articles&Itemid=78

(Although it didn't get mentioned in the podcast, check out this hilarious take on Terry Nelson's new career in the used car business:
http://slurpeesandmurder.blogspot.com/2011/10/crazy-terrys-used-car-capital.html)

HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE TUESDAY PODCAST:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/10/25/exclusive-details-judge-ted-lismer-facing-qb-hearing-to-turf-him-from-labradoodle-trial/

Thursday podcast: WRHA review of Jewish senior's care facility results in more questions by families

Highlights of the Thursday podcast:

- A city official enunciated the actual position on downtown surface parking lots today - they're against it until they're for it. (It's about time that was explained.)

- FP readers shame the newspaper into providing actual, you know, details about 2 stories. (Actually Bart did really well in handling one of them.)

- According to CBC, Greg Selinger actually backed the losing horse for speaker today. (Mazel Tov to Darryl Reid.)

- According to CP, Jon Gerrard's "I'm go-going going (in 2 years)" scrum was terribly run.

- According to the Winnipeg Jewish Review, the Simkin Centre still faces lots of questions about its management, Board governance, and not meeting WRHA standards.
(LATE BREAKING NEWS: Private prosecution laid over Rabbi Berkal's death in that care home: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/breakingnews/Charges-laid-against-Sharon-Home-over-residents-death-132267883.html

- According to a blogger, Riverbend residents are seeing decay and disorder that the new federal crime bill does not address.

Oh, and a few observations about former speaker George Hickes, the NDP, and Red River College; and about today's Throne Speech today as well. Plus this: http://slurpeesandmurder.blogspot.com/2011/10/manitoba-links-weekly-inaugural-edition.html

Here is the link to the podcast:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/10/20/thursday-podcast-wrha-review-of-jewish-seniors-care-facility-results-in-more-questions-by-families/

MKO chief says witnesses and evidence in Beardy death not required, plays race card

Better late than never...

A coverage triple crown of city hall, under the big dome and around the blogosphere stand as proof the alternative media leader tells you what you need to know and tells it like it is.

At 510 Main, it was loan guarantees and garbage fees; meanwhile the NDP Premier extolled the virtues of a Maple Leaf Foods "Centre of Excellence For Bacon" (not that there's anything wrong with that) while putting Energy and Conservation together under the man who promised to end hallway medicine (and we all know how that turned out). Over in cyberville, award-winning blogger Graham Hnatiuk explained to a former city hall insider the business basics of the lopsided Forks-North Portage parking fee scheme that extracts substantial game night profit margins out of the pockets of Forks restaurants, as well as a listener blasting another blogger for his performance in a radio studio.

Then we get to the good stuff.

The Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak expressed outrage that the Geraldine Beardy manslaughter charge was dropped by the Crown against a Korean storeowner in the Centennial neighbourhood 3 blocks from the Health Sciences Centre.

MKO's David Harper, the deceased's cousin, told CBC there was "no need for such cases to be dropped".

Oh really. Who needs the witness, who skipped a border to avoid their own arrest? or anything like, say evidence against Mr. Kim ? Apparently not Chief Harper.

Today's podcast applies some of that logic to other recent justice system examples such as Premier Selingers favorite rapper, and refutes Harper's comparison of this shoplifters' death to a single case of a missing or murdered woman.

We also mine some classic comments from the Free Press' record 683 online contributions, and explain why any Beardy lawsuit is on thin ice compared to the Brian Sinclair family suit, in which they are kicking the WRHA's heinie by pointing out the court can't allow an institution to precipitate a customers death and then claim his rights didn't exist.

Shout-outs today to TGCTS alumnus Shannah-Lee Vidal, Josh Grummett and David Shorr, who have gone on to notable careers with Mix 100 FM CJCD, APTN-TV, and the Manitoba Liberal party respectively.

The trio were producers and contributors to our show for many years and are an example of the quality of people who interned with TGCTS on 92.9 Kick-FM in citizen journalism and talk radio, while taking the Red River College creative communications course. (Welcome back Shannah-Lee)

The link to the Wednesday podcast is here:

http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/10/19/mko-chief-says-witnesses-and-evidence-in-beardy-death-not-required-plays-race-card/

Monday podcast: CJOB debate highlights Selinger's weaknesses

The outcry about the cheating tactics of the NDP campaign hit the pages of both the Sun and Free Press, and the credibility issues resulted in Greg Selinger facing pointed arguments from his opponents for the Premier's seat, OB callers, and host Richard Cloutier this morning (who seems to have identified an issue today about full time home care jobs being created as part of a "sweet deal" with the MGEU to the detriment of patient care. Imagine being told you get one bath a week, it was going to be on an afternoon you go to a church activity, and it was being cut back to 25 minutes from an hour).

Today's podcast recaps the weekend announcements and the topics of the morning debate and juxtaposes the campaign priorities the PC's and Liberals set out on strokes, diabetes, emergency response and care homes, with Selinger's performance on-air and increasingly irritated retorts to accusations of using his a way-back machine and his "Crocus calculator" to create a "phony reconstruction of the 1990's".

Harping on the supposed Filmon record rather than account for the NDP record after 12 years in power is losing traction with voters and some local media types who want answers and accountability, not homilies to "optimism" and the wonders of the WRHA. The phrase "Brian Sinclair" was heard today on CJOB, as it is in many forums now.

Also today, another phrase not heard - but it could have been - was Cheez Whiz as the price of milk in remote communities was Cloutier's punch line at the end of the debate, we report on more dirty elections tricks against a non-NDP candidate, and ask, is it proper for public and institutional officials like Dauna Crooks, Elliot Levin and Suzanne Hrynyk to be pumping the NDP campaign ?

The CCPS update looks at the plan of the University of Winnipeg and other groups to demolish the Merchants Hotel with public money. The question is why? or is it because the wine and cheese poverty pimps think it's ok for some neighbourhoods to have beverage rooms close by, but not the beer drinking working class areas of the north end they claim they want to see revitalized? Plus, what a pleasure to see that our "controversial" exposes about idiotic traffic circles in River Heights during last fall's civic election was in fact, quite on the money, with Councillor Orlikow stating what was obvious to all of us last year:

"You can’t throw out information and say the citizens are engaged."

Here is the link for the Monday Podcast: http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/09/19/monday-podcast-cjob-debate-highlights-selingers-weaknesses/

PS - coming up tomorrow: A star candidates' brochure says some wonderful things about Manitoba trying to woo voters but does the reality of their own life reflect those beliefs ? plus the Greg Selinger job interview parody, a great FP feature from the weekend about BiPole dividing west-side community opinions, and an exclusive insight into the gentrification of the local crack epidemic.

Twitter: @TGCTS

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/2344284529/

Ethics gap grows as Selinger drags Winnipeg Jets into Election Act scandal

As the NDP campaign of attack ads continues to backfire, unelected premier Greg Selinger resorted to playing the Jets card today with disastrous results.

A feel-good presser to announce an after school program for at-risk kids was immediately identified by media outlets (here and here ) as a (prohibited) "province" or government announcement, and not an NDP election pledge. This comes on the heels of an Elections Manitoba investigation into Cabinet minister Ron Lemieux presenting a cheque within the 90 blackout period.

Today's podcast looks at the official complaint filed with Elections Manitoba and at Liberal leader Jon Gerrard's terse accusations about the NDP being "so arrogant and indifferent to Manitobans that they think they can break the law and get away with it ... What kind of lesson is Greg Selinger sending to inner city youth by breaking the law?"

For his part, the dirtiest player in politics stuck his nose in the air like something didn't stink: "Selinger brushed aside questions from reporters about the timing of the announcement during an election campaign. He and Chipman said the whole concept has been in the works for months."(CBC)

Also up for discussion, including an email from a sharp-tongued listener, is a desperate attempt to manipulate Jewish voters using scare tactics and ancient history - by a columnist who did not reveal his links to the ruling party.

Here's the link to the Friday podcast: http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/09/16/tgcts-fri-sept-16-2011-ethics-gap-grows-selinger-drags-winnipeg-jets-into-elections-act-scandal/

And please feel free to read Part Two of the Mike Webster story: Ruling the Ring, I am very proud of it.

Deficit dishonesty drives NDP's integrity onto election radar

Two weeks ago TGCTS asked whether ethics and integrity were going to play into the consideration of Manitobans during the election campaign.

Now, after former senior executives revealed that Greg Selinger himself enacted a referendum requirement before Manitoba Hydro can be sold, with the spectre of possible criminal charges in the Brian Sinclair death at HSC in 2008 being reported yesterday, and the ongoing revelations about the NDP hiding loans and grants as 'assets' on the provincial books, the issue of honesty and integrity has gained traction in the media and in the minds of voters.

Reports about Selingers' "frustration" with opposition claims and election promises are contrasted on today's podcast with the NDP record on those 3 files and how whistleblowers and red-flag wavers (like Dr. Larry Reynolds and Miss Whistle) are treated by the government's bureaucracies and agencies.

While Free Press columnist Dan Lett portrays Hugh McFadyen's statements about the NDP misrepresenting the deficit as 'true but false', there is no doubt that voters who read the Freep online are now taking seriously the issue of NDP integrity and accountability. Potential hikes in Hydro and MPI rates to cover their spending tracks may lurk in the minds of the electorate before the campaign is through.

(Also check out the satirical Dos Equis -styled ad campaign of young Liberal Kevin Friedman running in Fort Garry - Riverview http://www.kevinfreedman.ca/media.html)

Todays' edition weaves emails and comments from our listeners into the narrative - follow us on Twitter @TGCTS
or join The Great Canadian Talk Show Facebook group
and get involved!

Here's the link to the podcast:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/09/15/tgcts-thurs-sept-15-2011-deficit-dishonesty-drives-ndps-integrity-onto-election-radar/

PS - I forgot to mention on the podcast today, that part two of my 3 part interview with former CFL Grey Cup winner/Wrestling champion/RCMP and CIA consulting psychologist Mike Webster is posted at Slam!Wresling, please look it over!
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2011/08/01/18495891.html

The Loan Act budget trick of the NDP, and more campaign dirty tricks

A lot of important people (ie the WRHA, Manitoba Nurses Union, Health Minister Theresa Oswald) had a startling beginning to their day with the report in the Free Press that a homicide investigator had recommended the Crown lay charges against both a front line care worker, and the Health Sciences Centre, over the death of Brian Sinclair after a 34 hour wait in the emergency room in September 2008. Denials that a report had been completed, let alone charges recommended, were issued in record time, but the story had the reputation of ace cop reporter Mike McIntyre behind it, and the denials did little to quell the buzz among listeners about how "the NDP had stalled the Inquiry till after the election and now this gets out".

On todays' podcast we go into depth about the Loan Act, which is the way the NDP is shifting monies to outside agencies that can never pay it back while claiming the dollars still exist in the treasury, thereby concealing how big the deficit really is. Translation: can you say tax increase to pay for the loans? Listen for the surprise realiziation about which pet project of millionaires may have benefitted from the book-cookery while providing cover for their political allies at city hall.

Another episode, another report of stolen campaign signs. It's pretty obvious from the victims, who the perps might be, and we even have a partial physical description of one of the dirty tricksters.

FP edu-beat fella Nick Martin can't stop blogging his feelings about Dr. Jon Gerrard refering to the 'Field of Dreams' purchase of the Midway Chrysler land being an unfulfilled NDP promise (and an eyesore), and the paper quickly ran a follow up to explain why the new 'green space' at Gordon Bell HS is behind schedule ie. needing to raise $500,000 for astro turf (does that count as green space), plus another $800k on top of it. We parse the stories and comments to give some perspective on the political opportunism behind it all - without even mentioning the name Pat Martin!

Plus, by stumbling across a column about the inner city by the poverty industry in today's broadsheet, we launched into a lesson in electioneering, and explain the links between the 'grassroots organizations' being lauded and the party that was not named that was also being patted on the back and promoted. Or, as one onliner said: Are the numbers in this article just a platform for the NDP?

To conclude the show, we compare the poverty industry ways vis a vis homicide #30, as if the 15 year old killed after being knifed 6 times at College and Aikens would have been saved if only there was more recreation programs. (At 3 AM ?)

There's a 6 letter word that might, might, have saved gang-involved Clarky Stevenson - and may save other children - and TGCTS is waiting for one of the leaders to say it out loud.

Here's the link to the Wednesday podcast:
http://tgctspod.podbean.com/2011/09/14/tgcts-wed-sept-14-2011-the-loan-act-budget-trick-of-the-ndp-and-more-campaign-dirty-tricks/

Today: Driedger finds HSC had nurse shortage while Brian Sinclair was dying; FP exposes hospital superbug epidemic; Glesby death investigation news

Thanks to all our listeners and readers for your response to our ongoing coverage of the Gail Glesby case. Please consider joining the Facebook page "The Fight for Gail Glesby" to support the family and help bring other cases like hers forward.

On Good Friday, we replayed our findings of her mistreatment at Health Sciences Centre culled from official hospital records, as well as replaying our interview with her sister about the effect on the family.

Today we will have more news about the Glesby story- as well as following up on Tom Brodbeck's column "Shortage of Truth" that ran yesterday in the Winnipeg Sun.

Tom's analysis of the discovery by the provincial Conservative caucus that serious nursing shortages were concurrent to the death of Brian Sinclair at HSC's emergency room is very disturbing. Charleswood MLA and opposition Health Critic Myrna Driedger (at 4.10 PM) will explain the full details of the documentation she got in response to her Freedom of Information Request, and her opinion of how the government handled the aftermath of the death in light of this latest find. Brodbeck says Health Minister Theresa Oswald was wrong to claim the nursing allotment was adequate for a Friday in the core area emergency room and had nothing do do with Sinclair being untreated for 34 hours.

We'll also ask Driedger about today's Free Press story detailing rampant superbug epidemics in local hospitals. Jen Skerritt filed her own FOI on the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and forced them to make public statistics that are commonly provided the public in the rest of the country. We have our own insight into the curious gaps in the information Skerritt was provided - and our theory about what prevented the newspaper from paying the $900 fee demanded by the WRHA to hand over crucial details about treatment outcomes (which is the fancy way of saying, how long were patients, doctors, nurses, hospital staff or others sick, or if any of them, say, DIED.)

Also after 4.30, we'll read more of the FP comments thread and the scathing reaction to Gord Sinclair's "our internet readers are mean to me and I want to know who they are" bleat from last week, and to boot, a special Lesson in Journalism about his Saturday column that you won't want to miss.

Today's show is book-ended by two other special features:
- CTV's Susan Tymofichuk will open the show at 4.04 and tell all about how the New Kids On The Block concert was so fabulous she got to touch one of them! and how Leah Hextall missed a sportscast with laryngitis from cheering.
- At 5.20, the King of Corydon Avenue Frank the Italian Barber will have his Stanley Cup playoff predictions (he's betting on the Devils). We'll also discuss new details in the ongoing Major League baseball steroid scandal and about the drunk driver who killed Angel's pitcher Nick Adenhart last week.

Tomorrow: Scott Taylor of Citi-Fm will tell us why Frank's playoff predictions are wrong :)
Wednesday: Rocky Moudgill, Executive DirectorWinnipeg Youth Soccer Association Inc, www.winnipegyouthsoccer.com, at 5.10 PM
Thursday: Jack A. King, senior partner of Petersen King. A Family law practitioner for over 20 years, at 4.15 PM
On Monday, April 27th at 4 PM, live in studio, Mayor Sam Katz answering our 311 horror stories, Disraeli funding questions and more.

(And a reminder we now hail from the new continent the Free Press discovered last Friday. I say "discovered" because surely, if it was an error, it would have been corrected by now. Hail Aurtarlia! )

The topics and guests of the first quarter of 2009

Quarterly review

This has been a very busy 3 months and we want to thanks all our listeners who have contributed with an avalanche of emails and calls that kept the shows moving at a rapid fire pace throughout.

January Top Stories:
- Exclusive: The truth about the Horace Avenue carjacker and the "vigilante hate crime beating" that wasn't
- Free Press publisher Bob Cox ignores a complaint that Dan Lett personally insulted a reader because apparently, emailers are not allowed to be "anonymous"
- Chief McCaskill tells James Turner " we never thought much of it...we missed the boat on crack"
- Bus union wants driver shields
- Exclusive: FP "Ask the City Editor" online feature ignores questions about Porkgate
- Exclusive: Details of U of M anti-Semitic incident and of Pro-Israel rally confrontation (and how the FP hid the photo)
- The Monday Manifesto: This year, it's about "the untouchables"- Government appointees such as judges, government funded boards and universities,
- Exclusive: Caller explains the life and death of meth addict DJ Vanden Bosch who committed suicide when surrounded by cops in the west end
- 16 year old Alexander Avenue home invasion/stabber gets easy sentence, FP ignores his membership in Native Syndicate street gang
- Murder victim Shawn Beauchamp, member of Bloodz gang, worked for Free Press, chased, bear sprayed, shot, police claim not a gang crime
- The 3-1-1 with Spirited Kenny, predicting inquiry phone line disaster
- Exclusive: a dozen Somalian street gang members bust up all ages party at Exchange Event Centre.
- FP Raccoon Carney story- 1 paragraph, 2 sentences, 3 mistakes, 0 corrections
- Two Tier Justice: "no break in, no injuries, no weapon" accused gets more time (56 months) for attack on Crown attorney's house, than Native Syndicate punk did for nearly killing Alexander Avenue resident in home invasion (21 months)
- Hydro backs down on Exchange District block-busting plan
- Listeners complaint to Kick-FM refuted
- Exclusive: Inside the Free Press job sharing proposal/intenral union conflict
- Van stolen from VJ's Drive-In kills 2 university students
- Lanzellotti "laughing girl" denied bail

January Guests:
Scott Taylor on Sports
Stacey Ashley of CTV on Montana drug pleas by 2 Winnipeg men
Ron East explained the truth about Israeli 'atrocities" in Gaza
Chris Jericho on being a Red River College Cre-Comm legend and his wrestling comeback
CTV's Kelly Dehn with Crimewatch
City Councillor Jeff Browaty on Disraeli reconstruction and area issues
Bryan Danielson, pro wrestler of the year 07-08
Kelly Holmes, Resource Assistance for Youth (RAY), on the meth problem in Winnipeg
Colin Craig, CTF, on federal budget
Mike Sutherland, Winnipeg Police Association, on changes in major unit assignment limits
Slam Sports' Jon Waldman
CJOB talk show host-turned council candidate Geoff Currier
Joan Wilson, Unicity Taxi
Andrew Allentuck about his new book, "When Can I Retire"
Ken Klassen, engineering technologist, critiqued the Ikea proposal
Jon Waldman, Slam!Sports

***************
February Top Stories:

- Health Minister Theresa Oswald ducks CJOB as MSM heats up brown envelope scandal
- Details of Brian Sinclair HSR Emergency room video revealed by exasperated Chief Medical Examiner Balachandra ahead of Judicial Inquest
- HSC honcho Dr. Brock Wright finally decides to look at Sinclair video, changes story about triage desk role in death, WRHA invents 3 excuses of how and why video was (not) reviewed
- Bloggers come of age: My Left Nut (with compilation of blogger and MSM reports), Policy Frog ("Oswald toast") , Progressive Winnipeg, and James Cotton, dissect WRHA excuses, NDP spin, and MSM coverage of Sinclair affair
- WRHA press conference fails to control the spin on Sinclair, raises even more questions about who knew what when
- CJOB's Vic Grant inexplicably defends HSC, attacks Balachandra and other critics as 'vigilantes'
- EXCLUSIVE: CJOB General Manager sits on HSC Foundation board
- Newspapers across continent start to waver and collapse, Canwest shares collapsing
- Photo radar tickets tossed due to lack of actual construction workers in protected zone
- FP bias showing- no mention of 300 homes at risk in HSC "Bio-Med City' expansion plan in West alexander neighbourhood
- WRHA releases legal "opinion" preventing publication of Sinclair death internal review, as CJOB softballs Premier Doer and HSC mouthpiece Alan Fineblit, meanwhile a Free Press editorial demands Oswald apologize for misleading public and legislature
- Paa Pii Wak, gang -run halfway house, closes after staff gets busted
- Critics blast Judge Ray Wyant taking control of Sinclair inquest, demand outside arbiter
- Tan Le, accused in Monty's bar shooting, outed as dating twin sisters, detail unreported in FP
- "Aboriginal journalist" Colleen Simard supports Native chiefs whine that blogs be censored for "hate speech"
- EXCLUSIVE: native online mag calls whites "The Scum Dogs of Europe", Simard et al silent
- NDP ignored offer for private clinic to help relieve pressure on HSC ER; plan to open across from HSC in honour of Brian Sinclair announced by darin Jorgenson
- Blogger James Cotton goes to city ER's, in 12 hours gets approached zero times about whether he is in need of care
- Vancouver shooting/drive-by epidemic
- Exclusive: Phil Walding plan for sensible Disraeli and Louise bridge reconstruction
- Experts speak out in letters to the Free Press -- and reveal WRHA practice of having unqualified personnel operate Concordia Hospital EKG's risk patients lives contrary to assurances of WRHA officials
- Katz win in ethics vote portrayed by FP as loss as smear campaign continues
- 311 disasters emerge in emails from listeners
- WRHA hires $125,000 consultant to improve 'communication' while they ignore media requests for information and interviews
- Exclusive: details of stolen paramedic SUV chase through North End
- Disraeli closure surprises NDP as top byelection concern
- Concordia nighttime ER closure almost kills woman suffering ectopic
miscarriage
- MPI buys Citiplace, ratepayers outraged

February Guests:
Conservative leader Hugh McFadyen on WRHA brown envelopes and the planned provincial audit; Doer and Oswald "misspoke" 13 times about how Brian Sinclair asked for HSC ER help
Dr. Jon Gerrard demands firing of top WRHA and HSC officials
Scott Taylor - how the Manitoba Boxing Commission almost got MMA fighter Dean Lewis killed by poor supervision
CTV's Kelly Dehn
Retha Dykes, general manager, Misty Lake Lodge, Gimli
Councillor Grant Nordman defended his opposition toMMA bouts at Convention Centre
Mayor Sam Katz brought light to Crocus Fund receiver motion that was dismissed by court, called Porkgate a "schande"
Mike Sutherland, WPA on Crimestat information gaps
Colin Fast, candidate for Wpg. School Division trustee
Regan Woolfrom, Liberal candidate in Elmwood
Exclusive: Brian Smiley of MPI, with all the answers about the Citiplace purchase
Jon Waldman, Slam!Sports

***********

March Top Stories

- Canadian Museum of Human Rights fundraising flounders
- Porkgate apologists and Free Press loyalists attack defenders of poor and hungry, as new details emerge from Winnipeg Harvest insider about distribution and spoiled food issues that plague organization
- Exclusive: music promoter Rob Hoskin, 54, loses battle with cancer
- FP job movements and layoffs include crime reporter James Turner
- More newspaper layoffs and closures across America
- Rapid Transit corridor expropriations expedited
- More bedbugs overrun Manitoba Housing complex
- Ron Schuler to propose bill to allow 16-18 year olds the right to go to high school even if parents refuse to sign permission waivers
- NDP begins to worry about Disraeli backlash in Elmwood byelection
- FP book reviewer admits no evidence of Jim Walding getting bribe to defeat Pawley NDP budget in 1986 -- despite Gordon Sinclair insinuations
- Bike lobby controls "consultations" on new bridges and traffic flow for Point Douglas, shuts out non-artists in neighborhood from group, opposes new Louise Bridge and wants gated community for "artists"
- more shooting deaths in Vancouver as gun seizures in 'peg gun play on rise
- FP Trust loses $5million after fall strike and buyouts
- Shades of Porkgate: FP editorial on lemon car dealers says not naming them due to 'privacy' is like protecting identity of spoiled meat distributors!
- Taxi study says no new cab plates except for winter season
- IKEA plan gets sharp rebukes from bloggers and southend residents facing expropriation
- Exclusive: Spirited Kenny hosts TGCTS in solo effort on March 13
- FP wastes 3 Sunday pages on new archive, a week after Gordon Sinclair plagiarizes his own 24 year old column in plug preview
- Blind granny mugged in EK hate crime by 10 kids, First Nations leaders and human rights grandstanders silent
- Hespeler residents suddenly facing expropriation despite no indication in original Disraeli reconstruction open-houses their land was needed
- "left of centre" John Orlikow defeats Geoff Currier to rise to council seat
- Exclusive: CBC and other newsrooms editing racial identification out of police crime descriptions
- Exclusive: accidental head injury from fall that killed actress Natasha Richardson, mocked by Margo Goodhand in Free Press Editors Bulletin' to online readers
- EXCLUSIVE: NDP Elmwood candidate Bill Blaikie answers questions about pension, promises more money to keep Disraeli open, supports WRHA honchos
- Peguis members not on list, may have had treaty card, but still had to meet with chief and council before being allowed to vote
- 93 year old woman forced out of HSC one hour after amputation of toes
- Listeners critique Blaike interview and election result
- Free Press scooped by Sun x 2 on convictions in deaths of Nathan Starr and Tannis Bird, respectively
- Justice Minister Chomiak, in a budget chat with reporters, admits car theft mainly stopped by locking up the perps
- 2 for 1 sentencing break exposes folly of 'holistic approach'
- Exclusive: 311 tells District 6 cops to shovel their way out of snow storm to get cruisers to calls for help from public, can't provide number for plowing supervisor
- Free Press blogger Brian Huycke dies of head injury in accidental fall; editor Goodhand keeps jokes to herself this time
- CBC cuts amateur sports telecasts
- FP story about 3 gangs involved in Tony Lanzellotti murder by stolen SUV crash into his taxi begs the question- why aren't gangs that recruit FASD kids charged with child abuse?
- Young Josh and Dave Shorr leave TGCTS for new challenges; Silent Mitch returns from Lance Storm's Wrestling Academy in one piece
- Unreported in mainstream media, 21 studies purporting that COX2 drugs such as Vioxx and Celebrex were safe, used faked or fudged data
- Gordon Sinclair column rants about restaurant "etiquette" after long wait for table at a local eatery; he scalps a blog post by an anonymous waitress about 'campers' who don't pay their bill and leave quickly, but Gordo fails to link to, or credit the blogger. Take note how at the end, she says she doesn't mind all campers: http://tipsfromservers.blogspot.com/

AND a special postscript: one of the customers Sinclair was complaining about, left a comment online for him -- and beneath that are comments by others who have seen Gordo's act in person:

Posted by:ks123
April 1, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Well, this is not the first time this columnist has irked me the wrong way. But it is the first time I have been the target. Thank you, Mr Sinclair, for tainting my day after reading that rubbish.

Since I was one of the two young ladies that "hogged" a table, I'd like to clarify a few things. First of all, I waitressed though university and am well aware of the 'camper' term. However, I do also understand that some times people need a venue to get out and talk, and guess what... sometimes that place is a restaurant! It just so happens that my girlfriend needed to talk about some very unfortunate events occurring in her homelife and couldn't exactly talk openly about the issues in her own home. I have 2 young children, so my home is not the most condusive site for such discussion. I thank badkat for recognizing that there is always more than meets the eye.

And for the record, we finished our lunch around 2, which I'm pretty sure is not peak hours, and I did tip the waitress well for our time, because I do recognize the issue. By well, I mean 50%.

So again, thank you for undertaking such compassionate, investigative journalism and getting all the facts. I am very sorry that you had to wait for a table - I have apparently not shown you the respect you think you deserve. But perhaps by writing this piece, you have not shown my friend and I any respect either.

Posted by:gohabsgo
April 1, 2009 at 7:09 AM
A restaurant is a business, and when your business is concluded, move on. If you do not order an item after a reasonable amount of time, your bill will be provided. The term I've heard friends in the business use often is 'entitlement'. People feel that the table is theirs to use as they please, be it a business meeting, viewing pictures of a trip, etc. I've seen a server return to a table every few minutes after billing to offer more products and services. The continual 'yappus interruptus' didn't do the trick, and the server grinned and bore it.

Mr. Sinclair declares he hasn't "seen them all", so I will offer one I have witnessed him use: the customer who refuses to sit at the table he was assigned. It's a table. They're all the same. Square, with chairs. The food comes from the same kitchen. Get over yourself. From our table, you looked like an arrogant spoiled brat. Acquire some restaurant etiquette before commenting on it.

Posted by:GFinn
April 1, 2009 at 3:29 AM
I've personally witnessed Gordon Sinclair linger in Fresh Cafe for over an hour AFTER finishing his meal. I arrived just after his server was clearing the table and bringing more coffee. He was in a group of 8+ people. Hypocritical.

Posted by:Statusquo
March 31, 2009 at 11:52 PM
For those who think this is a real issue worth all of the hand wringing...shut up or do something about it. If it's such a constant problem that apparently EVERYONE who waits tables has to deal with, restaurants would go belly up because of it. Just do something already and stop complaining because people are acting in a way that YOU don't like.

PS Gord...you must've REALLY wanted to eat at Fresh and only Fresh. Wanting to see and be seen? Can't believe you couldn't bear to go somewhere else if the wait was so excruciating that you had to go "investigate" and then creepily keep tabs on other people by timing their lives. Wonder how they would've felt if they knew? Like you couldn't have walked somewhere else as most people do when they don't want to wait.

Posted by:Donovanf
March 31, 2009 at 7:50 AM
Seriously,Did they publish this in a newspaper? Breaking news, some people stay too long in restaurants!

People who have a subscription for the Free Press should feel insulted that they actually just paid to read this.

March guests:
Adrien Schulz, PC candidate for Elmwood
James O'Conner, Managing editor Brandon Sun, remembrances of Rob Hoskin
Geoff Currier, River Heights/ Fort Garry council candidate
Carlos James, WSD trustee candidate
Susan Tymofichuk, CTV weeknight news anchor/reporter
Regan Wolfram, Liberal party candidate in Elmwood
Brian Glow, world-famous illusionist
Jim Carr, Business Council of Manitoba president, provincial budget review
Colin Craig, CTF, provincial budget review
Kelly Dehn, CTV Crime watch
Jon Waldman, Slam!Sports
Coun. Jeff Browaty says 311 must be fixed immediately

***************

Wednesday: Kelly Dehn of CTV will make April Fool's Day extra-special; and we'll have an exclusive report about a lawsuit filed against the Province of Manitoba over the seizure of animals from a legal business. The seizure made the news, but the true story was obscured by the 'save the animals' mind-set of the MSM.

Thursday: An exclusive report into the botched treatment of a Winnipeg women by Health Sciences Centre Emergency staff - this was the red flag about HSC ER dysfunction YEARS before Brian Sinclair was ignored. When you hear this story, you'll understand why we say, what happened to Sinclair was predictable and avoidable. Her family came to TGCTS asking for our help, and the file review a doctor conducted for the show's use, will reveal the missteps and mistakes the family now wants an explanation and apology for from the HSC.

Friday: At 5.50 PM, a Wrestlemania 25 preview with our very special guest, the pre-eminent ring journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer and Jon Waldman of Slam!Sports and Spirited Kenny.