The Black Rod

SPLAT! The sound of the Children's Revolution falling flat on its face . Ever since the boisterous rally at the University of Winnipeg in January against the prorogation of Parliament, the protest-boys and -girls have been spinning their wheels trying to find a way to, you know, matter. First, Winnipeg organizer Chris Burnett quit. You would, too, if you found you had been played for a sucker. After the posting of a photo of one of the protestors holding a Harper = Hitler sign, a mystery man named Dan stepped forward to say the sign holders were agents provacateurs and he saw and knew the evil Conservative controlling them. The rally goers were giddy at the thought they had the proof to bring down the Conservatives. Except for the part where Dan disappeared without giving up a name or a photo or anything but the stench of a Liberal plant. Undaunted, the protestors talked about using Louis Riel Day for an "action." maybe a skate to the Legislature in support

Manitoba Hydro is running scared. This past week they have shown they will go to any extent---from breaching court orders to openly violating the Whistleblower Act---to silence a former consultant who has seen from the inside how they work. Think back. You've seen this movie before- --starring Shermie Kreiner and Bernie Bellan in leading roles. It was called Crocus, the Scandal . - The principals of the Crocus Investment Fund strutted across this province like Medieval princes. Throwing around millions in an investment-starved desert, they too had plans to remodel Manitoba--- into a socialist paradise. And they would brook no opposition. They used their financial power to crush anyone who dared to challenge their exalted position. - Crocus intimidated whistleblower Bernie Bellan into silence through threats of lawsuits and humiliated politician John Loewen by forcing him to eat crow in public and stop asking questions about Crocus business. - They bitchslapped

The pictures don't lie, wrote Winnipeg Sun editorialist Paul Rutherford. No, for that we depend on "professional" reporters, Winnipeg Sun columnists and editorial writers. The mainstream media has been all a-twitter over a surveillance video which shows the arrest of a drunk car thief. The description of what's on the video has grown wilder by the day, culminating in Tom Brodbeck's grotesque declaration that he sees an unrestrained flurry of kicks and punchs on a handcuffed prisoner. "I've watched the video over and over again…" says Brodbeck. Try it with your eyes open next time. Watch the video for yourself. The entire surveillance video is available on the Winnipeg Free Press website. The Sun has an abridged version. Then find someone with dial-up Internet connection. That way the video plays in frame-by-frame slow motion. Watch it again. Here's what you will see: The complete video runs 3 minutes 26 seconds. The arrest takes les