Month: August 2005

High Proportion?

What does it say about a country when one of your top judges says this as was quoted by the BBC in relation to the longer pub hours coming to England soon:

Judge Charles Harris QC was particularly critical of the plans, saying a high proportion of British people become “pugnacious and bellicose” after drinking. He contrasted this to the continental drinking habits, where people “sit quietly chatting away at cafe tables”.

Nice to know that the guy in charge of sentencing British people thinks so highly of them.

Treason!

The good Flea makes an empassioned plea for the use of the charge of treason against those who would bomb we citizens in a twisted and pointless efforts to over-throw democracy. They do not know that the very rocks and trees of the Canadian Shield would vote somewhere between 12 and 18% for NPD every 3.5 to 4.5 years if we were all blown to bits taking mass trans of a morning.

But there is still reason to review our law and…did you know…there is still both high and also regular ethanol treason here in the law of the Great White North:

46. (1) Every one commits high treason who, in Canada,

(a) kills or attempts to kill Her Majesty, or does her any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, maims or wounds her, or imprisons or restrains her;
(b) levies war against Canada or does any act preparatory thereto; or
(c) assists an enemy at war with Canada, or any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.

(2) Every one commits treason who, in Canada,

(a) uses force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Canada or a province;
(b) without lawful authority, communicates or makes available to an agent of a state other than Canada, military or scientific information or any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document of a military or scientific character that he knows or ought to know may be used by that state for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or defence of Canada;
(c) conspires with any person to commit high treason or to do anything mentioned in paragraph (a);
(d) forms an intention to do anything that is high treason or that is mentioned in paragraph (a) and manifests that intention by an overt act; or
(e) conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) or forms an intention to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) and manifests that intention by an overt act.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) or (2), a Canadian citizen or a person who owes allegiance to Her Majesty in right of Canada,

(a) commits high treason if, while in or out of Canada, he does anything mentioned in subsection (1); or
(b) commits treason if, while in or out of Canada, he does anything mentioned in subsection (2).

(4) Where it is treason to conspire with any person, the act of conspiring is an overt act of treason.

So even though we have newish post-9/11 trendy terrorism crimes set out in Part II.1 of the Act, there is some pretty beefy good old Victorian things to think about in the sweet section of the Criminal Code of Canada pasted above. Sadly, while we may bicker about “what is war,” high treason is perhaps beyond the scope of your average un-nationed freelance early 21st century jihadista – unless they go for the Queen – but it is nice to note, personally at least, that conspiring for the violent over-throw of Saskatchewan whether one is at home or away is treason nonetheless.

And it is a nice touch that the minimum sentence for high treason is life under 47(4).

The Stash

The results of a trip south are often a slowly decreasing but merry little stash of singles in the closet and the fridge for the best part of a month as reviews get written. Sweet 1978 Rawlings, too. I am pretty sure I have only had two of the bottles previously, the McEwans Export and the Smuttynose Hefe. The future is unknown and that is great. I see about new brewery reviews including those nine new bottles for me from Middle Ages, three from Wolavers, four from Southern Tier as well as a couple of new Wittes and my first Mackeson’s XXX stout.

One other pick-up at FLBC was a variety 12-pack of Great Divide ales from Denver Colorado which has obeyed my two rules for variety twelve packs: give me four types, three bottles each, and no lager. If you like lager you likely won’t like an ESB or IPA and if you like those the lager is likely just a waste of space. Saranac makes a largely lager 6×2 pack which is quite legitimate…though I don’t think I would buy one with great anticipation.

Sadly…Out Of Business

Once upon a time I was going to collect “…a-rama” photos. I even saw a “Photo-a-rama” in Paris in 1986 but passed up the opportunity being the pre-digital world of pay per print. I feel for the creditors of Billy back there in Old Saybrook Connecticut but the concept was sweet and I was ready to buy when I pulled in the parking lot.