In Walt's experience, shoppers in Chinese Walmart stores -- yes, there are many of them -- don't dress nearly as badly as those in North American outlets. Perhaps they don't want to be conspicuous, so as not to draw attention to themselves, especially if they're shoplifting.
You wouldn't want to be caught shoplifting from a Walmart (or any) store in China. Agent 78 passes on this story, reported by China Daily.
In the Chinese province of Jiangxi, a woman suspected of stealing from a Walmart store was allegedly beaten to death by five employees. Police said the five had stopped the woman in the street and demanded to see a receipt for the goods she was carrying, but she refused because she could not verify their identities. So they began beating her.
China Daily quotes the woman's husband as saying, "They started to hit her because she didn't do what they said. I got there and tried to stop them but they kept beating her."
The beating intensified as she tried to telephone for help using her mobile phone.
In a statement, Walmart said it was "fully cooperating with the relevant authorities and will release further details as it is appropriate".
"We extend our condolences to the family of the deceased," they added.
Oh...and thanks for shopping at Walmart!
Footnote: Agent 78 says she wasn't at all surprised by this story; beating thieves is normal in China.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Better than the zoo
Thanks to Agent 17 for recommending The People of Walmart. Here are just a couple of the great pix of real people -- no, honestly, they are! -- that await you.
Walt shops at Walmart. They've got cheap stuff for those of us willing to make do with "good enough". And for people-watching, Walmart is even better than airports!
Both are better than the zoo. At the zoo you have to walk around to see the odd exhibits. At Walmart or the airport, the weirdos walk by you!
And folks, I'm not just talking about the shoppers. Walmart -- or at least the one I patronize -- has quite an assortment of oddities behind the counters too! Where do they get so many horribly obese women? Is it some kind of affirmative action programme? Or are they just taking the ones who won't fit behind the counter at McD's? Walt wants to know!
Enjoy the pix of real people. When I look at them, I'm reminded of a great line from Repo Man.
Bud (played by Harry Dean Stanton): Look at 'em, ordinary fucking people, I hate 'em.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Drinking beer, wearing pants -- flogging offences for Muslim women
On 20/8, Walt posted the story of a Muslim woman -- an Indonesian residing in Malaysia -- who was to be flogged for drinking beer in public. You'll be glad to know the punishment ordered by the Sharia court has been... wait for it... postponed until after Ramadan. Perhaps the whipper-snapper (is that what they call the person who does the flogging?) will be too weak from the daily fast to do a good job!
Meanwhile, in Sudan -- another country where Sharia law applies -- a judge convicted a female journalist for violating the public indecency law by wearing trousers outdoors. She was ordered to pay a fine of $200, but was spared the flogging penalty which might have been imposed.
Lubna Hussein was among 13 women arrested in a raid by the public order police in Sudan's capital city. Ten of the women were fined and flogged two days later. But Hussein and two others decided to go to trial. Outside the courthouse, before the trial got under way, police rounded up dozens of female demonstrators, many of them wearing trousers.
Walt can't understand why these women did not figure out the obvious and easy way to avoid the wrath of Sharia law! Why risk being flogged when all you have to do is take off your trousers?!
Question for the CBC: How come we never hear about stuff like this on "Little Mosque on the Prairie"?
Meanwhile, in Sudan -- another country where Sharia law applies -- a judge convicted a female journalist for violating the public indecency law by wearing trousers outdoors. She was ordered to pay a fine of $200, but was spared the flogging penalty which might have been imposed.
Lubna Hussein was among 13 women arrested in a raid by the public order police in Sudan's capital city. Ten of the women were fined and flogged two days later. But Hussein and two others decided to go to trial. Outside the courthouse, before the trial got under way, police rounded up dozens of female demonstrators, many of them wearing trousers.
Walt can't understand why these women did not figure out the obvious and easy way to avoid the wrath of Sharia law! Why risk being flogged when all you have to do is take off your trousers?!
Question for the CBC: How come we never hear about stuff like this on "Little Mosque on the Prairie"?
128, 129
While millions of Canadians and Americans enjoyed the Labour Day weekend, some were obeying orders, doing what they had to do, and will never see another Labour Day. Here you see DND photos of Major Yannick Pepin, 36, and Corporal Jean-François Drouin, 21, victims of yet another IED (roadside bomb in plain English) southwest of Kandahar.
They are the 128th and 129th Canadians to die since the Afghan mission began in 2002.
Footnote: It is reported that in last month's free and democratic election in Afghanistan (see Walt's post of 23/8), the number of votes cast exceeded the population of the country.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
South African refugee not wanted in Canada
Last week a member of the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board, one William Davis (wasn't he the premier of Ontario? ed. ... maybe not), ruled in favour of granting refugee status to an African gentleman.
The man had come to Canada as a visitor and overstayed his visa by...oh...let's just say a long time. Then, to stay in Canada, he filed a refugee claim alleging that he had been denied employment in his homeland, and mugged and stabbed in seven robbery attempts, all because of his skin colour. Mr. Davis found that the applicant had a justified fear of discrimination, and allowed him to stay.
Now, a spokesman for the Minister of Immigration, the fair-minded and compassionate Jason Kenney, has announced that the federal government will appeal the decision.
FACT: The Immigration and Refugee Board is supposed to be an independent body. The government almost never appeals or interferes with its decisions.
QUESTION: Why would they intervene in this case?
ANSWER: Because the refugee, Brandon Huntley, is white!
At his hearing, Mr. Huntley said he was called a “white dog” and a “settler” during the attacks just mentioned. He said that he did not report any of the attacks to the mostly-black SAPS (police) because he “did not trust them.”
In his reasons for judgment, Mr. Davis said that Mr. Huntley would “stand out like a sore thumb” in any part of South Africa because of his colour. He ruled that Mr. Huntley had given “convincing proof” of the government's “inability or unwillingness to protect him.” He added that Mr. Huntley would be unable to find a job in South Africa because of affirmative action in favour of blacks.
Reaction from the government of South Africa was swift, outraged...and predictable. They accused Mr. Davis and the Canadian government of...wait for it...racism! No surprises there.
In a statement, the ruling ANC said "Canada's reasoning for granting Huntley a refugee status can only serve to perpetuate racism." And it was suggested that such racist sentiments and actions would have a negative impact on Canada-South Africa relations, trade, etc etc, blah blah blah.
So of course "Call me Steve" Harper's government caved. God forbid that we should be accused of racism or of being anti-black, especially with an election coming on. Hence the appeal. Preposterous!
The man had come to Canada as a visitor and overstayed his visa by...oh...let's just say a long time. Then, to stay in Canada, he filed a refugee claim alleging that he had been denied employment in his homeland, and mugged and stabbed in seven robbery attempts, all because of his skin colour. Mr. Davis found that the applicant had a justified fear of discrimination, and allowed him to stay.
Now, a spokesman for the Minister of Immigration, the fair-minded and compassionate Jason Kenney, has announced that the federal government will appeal the decision.
FACT: The Immigration and Refugee Board is supposed to be an independent body. The government almost never appeals or interferes with its decisions.
QUESTION: Why would they intervene in this case?
ANSWER: Because the refugee, Brandon Huntley, is white!
At his hearing, Mr. Huntley said he was called a “white dog” and a “settler” during the attacks just mentioned. He said that he did not report any of the attacks to the mostly-black SAPS (police) because he “did not trust them.”
In his reasons for judgment, Mr. Davis said that Mr. Huntley would “stand out like a sore thumb” in any part of South Africa because of his colour. He ruled that Mr. Huntley had given “convincing proof” of the government's “inability or unwillingness to protect him.” He added that Mr. Huntley would be unable to find a job in South Africa because of affirmative action in favour of blacks.
Reaction from the government of South Africa was swift, outraged...and predictable. They accused Mr. Davis and the Canadian government of...wait for it...racism! No surprises there.
In a statement, the ruling ANC said "Canada's reasoning for granting Huntley a refugee status can only serve to perpetuate racism." And it was suggested that such racist sentiments and actions would have a negative impact on Canada-South Africa relations, trade, etc etc, blah blah blah.
So of course "Call me Steve" Harper's government caved. God forbid that we should be accused of racism or of being anti-black, especially with an election coming on. Hence the appeal. Preposterous!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Fall election after all?
Walt's prediction: December 31st will see Harpoon still in office, thanks to the fecklessness of the gutless Grits.
That's what I wrote on Saturday (29/8). The next day the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition and Government-in-Waiting got up on his hind feet and said his party wasn't gutless or feckless and would "withdraw its support" from the Harper Tories.
Would that mean a quick no confidence vote followed by a fall election? Iggy didn't actually answer that question, leaving it to Bob "I never believed in socialism" Rae to say "Maybe."
Sorry, but Walt has seen this movie before, and recently too. Remember the big hoo-hah about EI reform, just last spring? If the Tories didn't loosen the EI purse-strings, the Grits were gonna bring them down. Oh yeah! Bring on the election! But...er...things didn't quite turn out that way.
What we're hearing from the Liberal hawks sounds to me like more of the same, another cry of "wolf" to persuade credulous voters that the Grits are not shit-scared of facing the electorate with little money and no platform.
Fortunately for the Liberals, they alone can't bring down Mr. Harpoon. If they bring a no-confidence motion on one of the opposition days -- say October 1st or 7th -- they would need the support of both the Bloc Québecois and the NDP to topple the government. Neither party shows much inclination to enter the fray.
The Not-So-New Democrats have a leader who is well past his prime. Jack "I'm running for Prime Minister" Layton should have resigned quietly after last year's election, when his party couldn't do better than a 4th-place finish, in spite of running against the weakest Liberal leader ever.
They have a competent leader waiting in the wings. Thomas Mulcair is bilingual, obviously intelligent, and performs well in the House and especially in committees. Too bad for him he represents a Montréal riding (a miracle in itself) and will need a minor miracle to be re-elected.
As for the Bloc, they look like winning 30-40 seats in Québec no matter when the next election takes place. They have nothing to gain from a change in government so would probably be quite content to uphold the status quo for another 9 months or so.
Walt stands by his prediction.
Footnote: What a pity Gilles Duceppe isn't a Liberal!
That's what I wrote on Saturday (29/8). The next day the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition and Government-in-Waiting got up on his hind feet and said his party wasn't gutless or feckless and would "withdraw its support" from the Harper Tories.
Would that mean a quick no confidence vote followed by a fall election? Iggy didn't actually answer that question, leaving it to Bob "I never believed in socialism" Rae to say "Maybe."
Sorry, but Walt has seen this movie before, and recently too. Remember the big hoo-hah about EI reform, just last spring? If the Tories didn't loosen the EI purse-strings, the Grits were gonna bring them down. Oh yeah! Bring on the election! But...er...things didn't quite turn out that way.
What we're hearing from the Liberal hawks sounds to me like more of the same, another cry of "wolf" to persuade credulous voters that the Grits are not shit-scared of facing the electorate with little money and no platform.
Fortunately for the Liberals, they alone can't bring down Mr. Harpoon. If they bring a no-confidence motion on one of the opposition days -- say October 1st or 7th -- they would need the support of both the Bloc Québecois and the NDP to topple the government. Neither party shows much inclination to enter the fray.
The Not-So-New Democrats have a leader who is well past his prime. Jack "I'm running for Prime Minister" Layton should have resigned quietly after last year's election, when his party couldn't do better than a 4th-place finish, in spite of running against the weakest Liberal leader ever.
They have a competent leader waiting in the wings. Thomas Mulcair is bilingual, obviously intelligent, and performs well in the House and especially in committees. Too bad for him he represents a Montréal riding (a miracle in itself) and will need a minor miracle to be re-elected.
As for the Bloc, they look like winning 30-40 seats in Québec no matter when the next election takes place. They have nothing to gain from a change in government so would probably be quite content to uphold the status quo for another 9 months or so.
Walt stands by his prediction.
Footnote: What a pity Gilles Duceppe isn't a Liberal!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Osama bin Laden's whereabouts revealed
You read it here first! Walt can now reveal that Osama bin Laden is in hiding in Canada. His location is...wait for it... ... ...on the set with the cast of CBC's "Little Mosque on the Prairie"! Of course! The very place where no-one would ever look!
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