May 30, 2003

Canucks in Kabul, Congo, and the West Bank and Gaza? Lots of news about Canadian troops abroad or going abroad. It is believed that the initial contingent of Canadian peacekeepers in Afghanistan was the target of a failed attack. Canada has agreed to send two Hercules transport aircraft to the Congo for one-month beginning in early June. Meanwhile Prime Minister Jean Chrétien suggested that Canadian troops could serve as peacekeepers if suggest troops were a part of any deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Of course Canada still has troops in the Balkans. Canada – positioning troops for total world domination. 11:44:25 PM

Canucks in Carriers? In what could be the basis of a plan for the future or pie in the sky dreaming retired Canadian Major-General Lewis MacKenzie proposed that Canada acquire a pair of small aircraft carriers for use in transporting troops to wars and peace keeping missions and proving air support and helicopter operations.  While the article uses the British carrier HMS Ark Royal as an example, a ship such the British HMS Ocean Helicopter Carrier is designed to carry troops and helicopters instead of the aircraft and helicopters that the HSM Ark Royal carries. 11:40:13 PM

The Toronto Blue Jays crushed the Boston Red Sox 12-2 giving the team a 20-8 for May which is the best ever and ties the team record for most wins in one month. The Blue Jays are now 2 ½ games behind Boston for the lead in the AL East. Also in a surprising move the Blue Jays have announced they will use a four man pitching rotation starting in June. However their schedule during June does have three Mondays with no games which will help the starters get some of the lost rest back. The bumped fifth starter Doug Davis has only pitched in five games this year with a 1-1 record and a 10.13 ERA – hence the bullpen. 11:23:21 PM

A good example of obstacles that the Road Map faces – Yahoo has an AP article on several Palestinians refugees who are demanding the right to live in Israel on land that their families claim. Only one person interviewed says he would take compensation instead. Why compensation at all? As the article notes it was a war in which Arab armies invaded Israel and lost that caused their whole issue. 11:22:12 PM