Thanks to a colleague in Midland Ontario for her article in the most recent edition of Mandate Magazine.
The lastest thing for retailers, the Mall Easter Bunny! Retailers who make muchos money off of just about any holiday, are now counting on the six foot Easter Bunny sitting in the golden armchair upholstered with red velvet to increase sales. Can't you just see it! Kids sitting on the lap of the Easter Bunny with their list of things they want for Easter.
"I Must have missed the memo. When did the Easter bunny become a long-eared Santa with a puffy tail? Does the Easter bunny ask the children what they would like for Easter the way Santa does? Do the children come with Easter lists and promises to leave out carrots and water?"
Are parents really ready for another secular holiday that max's out their credit cards again?
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Civil Disobedience That's an Understatement
I just don't understand what's happened to the pride of Canadians! I don't ever remember there being the number of so call riots that we have seen this past year. This isn't supposed to happen in Canada, anywhere else possibly, but not in our country. It's way more than civil disobedience! It seems our country is being taken over by self-centred anarchists. My definition of a self-centred anaarchist - someone who sits around waiting for an event to be organized and planned, one that they can highjack and using the social media get the rest of their self-centred anarchists friends together to invade a perfectly peaceful celebration or demonstration and just cause trouble. They think it's all about them and they have no regard for anyone else's property. They seem to feel that they have carte blanche to destroy, blowup, and put innocent peoples lives in jeopardy.
This week we have watched television news coverage of a non-violent protest in Montreal protesting rising tuition costs. A peaceful protest suddenly highjacked by a group of self appointed anarchists who join the group and before you know it suddenly store windows are being broken, stores are being looted and personal property being destroyed, not to mention the Montreal Police force being assalted and their equipment destroyed as they try desperately to get control, and then these same anarchists blame the Montreal Police for the outcome. Even the organizers of the peaceful protest have no explanation for the eventual outcome.
Last night a few students get together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in London, Ontario and before you know it, the same mentality of people seem to become part of the picture and then we all see the results on the evening and morning news.
We saw the same pictures on television following the Stanley Cup playoffs in Vancouver. In 2010 at the G-20 summit, the same kind of people showed up. In fact they were not just local people that caused all the problems in Toronto, rumor has it many of the anarchists in that case were imported from different areas of Canada and the United States.
How are we to protect ourselves from these people? It seems that for many of them it's a full time job - looking for trouble. Isn't it strange how a minority of people always seem to ruin things for the majority.
This week we have watched television news coverage of a non-violent protest in Montreal protesting rising tuition costs. A peaceful protest suddenly highjacked by a group of self appointed anarchists who join the group and before you know it suddenly store windows are being broken, stores are being looted and personal property being destroyed, not to mention the Montreal Police force being assalted and their equipment destroyed as they try desperately to get control, and then these same anarchists blame the Montreal Police for the outcome. Even the organizers of the peaceful protest have no explanation for the eventual outcome.
Last night a few students get together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in London, Ontario and before you know it, the same mentality of people seem to become part of the picture and then we all see the results on the evening and morning news.
We saw the same pictures on television following the Stanley Cup playoffs in Vancouver. In 2010 at the G-20 summit, the same kind of people showed up. In fact they were not just local people that caused all the problems in Toronto, rumor has it many of the anarchists in that case were imported from different areas of Canada and the United States.
How are we to protect ourselves from these people? It seems that for many of them it's a full time job - looking for trouble. Isn't it strange how a minority of people always seem to ruin things for the majority.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Surely This Isn't Rocket Science!
I don't mean to seem disrespectful, but is the City of Toronto for real handing out panhandling tickets and wondering why the number of tickets issued might be skyrocketing?
It seems that the number of tickets issued to Toronto's homeless people for panhandling has increased by more than 2,000 per cent in the past 11 years. I was unaware that Toronto has what they call a "Safe Streets Act" that allows Toronto's finest to issue tickets to anyone who solicits money, stakes out an ATM's, a bus stop or frequents other places with captive audiences.
In the year 2000, 710 tickets were issued. Last year it skyrocketed to 15,324. The "Safe Streets Act" allows for recommended fines of $500 for the first offence, but the average penalty is usually around $60, which is $60 more than those 15,000 plus panhandlers had in order to pay the fine. Out of the 6,388 tickets issue to youth, only 12 of these tickets have ever been paid. It seems that there is an outstanding balance owing from all of these issued tickets in the amount of $723,068, not to mention the cost of the number of Toronto's finest who were paid to issue these fines and the people at City Hall who are paid to administer the fines.
I'm sorry, but doesn't it make you wonder what brain child decided that this would be a good idea? Perhaps if the city came up with a plan for more emergency housing and free suppers that $700,000 would have gone a long way toward helping people instead of helping to destroy whatever self-esteem they may have left. I'm sure that if the churches in Toronto were approached with some help with organization and legistics from the City of Toronto, they could find much more humane solutions don't you think??
It seems that the number of tickets issued to Toronto's homeless people for panhandling has increased by more than 2,000 per cent in the past 11 years. I was unaware that Toronto has what they call a "Safe Streets Act" that allows Toronto's finest to issue tickets to anyone who solicits money, stakes out an ATM's, a bus stop or frequents other places with captive audiences.
In the year 2000, 710 tickets were issued. Last year it skyrocketed to 15,324. The "Safe Streets Act" allows for recommended fines of $500 for the first offence, but the average penalty is usually around $60, which is $60 more than those 15,000 plus panhandlers had in order to pay the fine. Out of the 6,388 tickets issue to youth, only 12 of these tickets have ever been paid. It seems that there is an outstanding balance owing from all of these issued tickets in the amount of $723,068, not to mention the cost of the number of Toronto's finest who were paid to issue these fines and the people at City Hall who are paid to administer the fines.
I'm sorry, but doesn't it make you wonder what brain child decided that this would be a good idea? Perhaps if the city came up with a plan for more emergency housing and free suppers that $700,000 would have gone a long way toward helping people instead of helping to destroy whatever self-esteem they may have left. I'm sure that if the churches in Toronto were approached with some help with organization and legistics from the City of Toronto, they could find much more humane solutions don't you think??
Friday, October 14, 2011
Why Can't Some People Just Admit They Screwed Up!
Some days when you read the paper you think to yourself that there's just a lot of print on a page, but in today's Globe and Mail (Friday, October 14th, 2011) there was one headline that I just had to read: "Tape Revives Anger over RCMP Conduct".
As it turns out, a couple in Hot Springs, British Columbia are still asking for some sort of accountability for what appears to be a total "miscarriage of justice."
An RCMP officer who is supposed to be responding to a 911 call in rural Mission B.C. of a neighbour reporting six gunshots. There is also taped conversation between the officer and dispatch where the two are laughing about the call, and as it turns out the officer responds to the scene but never ever gets out of his car to investigate, he doesn't speak to the neighbour who made the 911 call, he didn't go to the house where the alleged incident occured, he simply sat in his car and took seven minutes to file an electronic report on the incident. (I'd love to read what he wrote!)
Four days later, police were called back to the home where they found a man dead, and his girlfriend in severe medical distress. She was taken to hospital by air ambulance, but died en route.
This is a terrible situtation, where it's obvious to me at least that if the officer had done his job, this woman would no doubt still be alive, or at least she would have had a chance to survive.
It's the woman's parents who are seeking justice. The RCMP have supposedly completed their investigation,and conducted a disciplinary hearing for the officer that lasted less than an hour that resulted in the officer being docked a days pay. The officer pleaded guilty to a charge of "disgraceful conduct" and since the incident the officer has been promoted and is still actively serving the RCMP as an officer. This officer was totally negligent of his duty, and the penalty should certainly been more severe than docking him for a days pay and then later promoting him in rank with I'm sure a pay raise.
Where is the accountability? I'm sure that there are hundreds more of these types of "disgraceful conduct" hearings that never make the pages of the Globe and Mail, but because of a persons neglect of their duties, hundreds of other family members have had to live with the consequences.
Why doesn't this officer just fess up and admitt that he royally screwed up, and at least apologize to the parents involved. Society today seems to spend more time covering their ass than doing their jobs and admitting that at times we are neglegent in our duties. Perhaps police work isn't this officers forte! Perhaps his punishment should have been cleaning up the crime scene at the end of the investigation.
As it turns out, a couple in Hot Springs, British Columbia are still asking for some sort of accountability for what appears to be a total "miscarriage of justice."
An RCMP officer who is supposed to be responding to a 911 call in rural Mission B.C. of a neighbour reporting six gunshots. There is also taped conversation between the officer and dispatch where the two are laughing about the call, and as it turns out the officer responds to the scene but never ever gets out of his car to investigate, he doesn't speak to the neighbour who made the 911 call, he didn't go to the house where the alleged incident occured, he simply sat in his car and took seven minutes to file an electronic report on the incident. (I'd love to read what he wrote!)
Four days later, police were called back to the home where they found a man dead, and his girlfriend in severe medical distress. She was taken to hospital by air ambulance, but died en route.
This is a terrible situtation, where it's obvious to me at least that if the officer had done his job, this woman would no doubt still be alive, or at least she would have had a chance to survive.
It's the woman's parents who are seeking justice. The RCMP have supposedly completed their investigation,and conducted a disciplinary hearing for the officer that lasted less than an hour that resulted in the officer being docked a days pay. The officer pleaded guilty to a charge of "disgraceful conduct" and since the incident the officer has been promoted and is still actively serving the RCMP as an officer. This officer was totally negligent of his duty, and the penalty should certainly been more severe than docking him for a days pay and then later promoting him in rank with I'm sure a pay raise.
Where is the accountability? I'm sure that there are hundreds more of these types of "disgraceful conduct" hearings that never make the pages of the Globe and Mail, but because of a persons neglect of their duties, hundreds of other family members have had to live with the consequences.
Why doesn't this officer just fess up and admitt that he royally screwed up, and at least apologize to the parents involved. Society today seems to spend more time covering their ass than doing their jobs and admitting that at times we are neglegent in our duties. Perhaps police work isn't this officers forte! Perhaps his punishment should have been cleaning up the crime scene at the end of the investigation.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Yes the Truth! - It's important during an Election Campaign.
I read Jeffrey Simpson's column in the Globe and Mail this morning and WOW he's right on target! When will politicians realize that they are dealing with a very knowledgeable population of voters. Don't you think it's time they told the truth from the very beginning, instead of making all the promises they do and then after the election have to break it to us as gently as possible that, "Oh I didn't realize that we couldn't reduce the taxes, or like the last Ontario election "sorry guys we can't afford to pay for your PSA tests, we had no idea how much that would cost, but you don't mind paying the $30 a pop do ya?"
Personally, I would be tempted to vote for a leader who told the truth regardless of what political party they belonged to.
Unfortuantely there doesn't seem to be another Jack Layton standing in the wings. In fact, Jack hasn't been gone that long, and already they have forgotten about the death bed letter the wrote. You know, new rules about how to get along, and oh yes it's really important to really care about what you do, and the people that you serve.
According to Jeffrey Simpson, the various political parties have conducted the research that tells them that "straight talk won't sell". It seems that only after an election can the "straight talk" begin.
Personally, I think the politicians and their backroom people highly underestimate who they are dealing with. October 6th is looming ahead of us. Have you been able to decided between the three parties and their almost identical platforms? Let me know if you have gleamed something I haven't. We'll soon be informed of all the broken promises and all the new taxes!
Personally, I would be tempted to vote for a leader who told the truth regardless of what political party they belonged to.
Unfortuantely there doesn't seem to be another Jack Layton standing in the wings. In fact, Jack hasn't been gone that long, and already they have forgotten about the death bed letter the wrote. You know, new rules about how to get along, and oh yes it's really important to really care about what you do, and the people that you serve.
According to Jeffrey Simpson, the various political parties have conducted the research that tells them that "straight talk won't sell". It seems that only after an election can the "straight talk" begin.
Personally, I think the politicians and their backroom people highly underestimate who they are dealing with. October 6th is looming ahead of us. Have you been able to decided between the three parties and their almost identical platforms? Let me know if you have gleamed something I haven't. We'll soon be informed of all the broken promises and all the new taxes!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Professional Sports - Life's Greatest Reality Show
It's been a long while since I made my last post. Sometimes when you know there is nothing you can do about it, at least you can write about it. Writing about it at least gives you the opportunity to perhaps figure out how you really feel about something.
This week, there was another serious body check in the NHL that caused a player to be hospitalized. Some say it's just part of the game, and that we should all stop our belly aching and just accept it, others with a little more sensitivity think that something should be done to reduce the number of injuries, fights and head injuries.
As a child, a youth and young man I played the game of hockey. It was a series of injuries that I received that led to me to lose interest in playing the game. All of the nonsense that has been going on in the NHL lately has helped me decide to do something else with my leisure time than sit in front of the television and watch hockey, because of course I could never afford to go to an actual NHL game even if the tickets were available. This sport as well as many others has priced itself out of the average persons ability to go to a game. This trend also prevails in minor hockey associations that charge such high registration that a large segment of the population can't play. I'm told that the average family with a child playing travel hockey has to spend up to $8000 a year for their child to paricipate.
Profesional sports have set a lot of children up for failure. Even if I had a child with the gift for playing a game professionally, I would really encourage them to get their education first so that when they get creamed playing the game professionally, they will still be able to support themselves and their family.
Stephen Brunt who writes for the Globe and Mail made some really good points about professional hockey and the NHL. He believes the problem with the NHL is leadership. I have to believe that the problem with the success or failure of any organization usually depends upon leadership. In the case of the NHL, Brunt says that "the NHL, in part, is in the violence business, which means it is willing to accept significant risks to the health of its players. But the role of a commisioner is also different from that of CEO, whose only concern is protecting the interests of the shareholders. Professional sport is in many ways a faith-based entertainment business. The fans, who buy in not just for a couple of hours of distraction, but often for a lifetime, need to think of the game as distinct from the commercial aspects of the game. There is something pure and essential there, to be respected, to be protected."
Brunt feels that it's time for Gary Bettman to stop his whining. It's also Bettman's arrogant attitude, especially in the face of criticism and pressure that indicates the kind of leader he is. If Gary Bettman can't rise above it, then what is a commissioner for?
I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't a good time for a whole lot of so called professionals to get a real job, let's be real, especially with the economic prospects for the future, what professional sports players are paid is absolutely a disgrace.
Monday, March 22, 2010
What's Really Behind the Opposition to Universal Health Care in the U.S.??
I've just been sitting here listening to political commentators speaking on the close decision last night to approve a plan for Universal Health Care in the U.S.
The video news coverage on the subject these past few days has been fast and furious! For me, the one common denominator regarding the opposition to any form of Universal Health Care seems to be coming from those who appear to be able to afford their private health care either through work benefits or they have sufficient wealth to independently pay for it.
It begs the question, "Is this just another form of discrimination?" If you are an American withhout the ability to have basic health care, it is going to control your ability to move on with your life? It's pretty hard to provide for your family, or take care of your family if every dollar you make is going toward trying to stay healthy or heal yourself from a chronic health condition.
It's really easy to say NO to Universal Health care if you are independently wealthy! It seems to me that it's just another way for the rich to control the poor, to keep them in their place. We talk all the time about pay equity, so what about health equity? What's the difference, unless you happen to already have health care.
Our whole world is constantly struggling with the definition of the words, fair and equitable.
The video news coverage on the subject these past few days has been fast and furious! For me, the one common denominator regarding the opposition to any form of Universal Health Care seems to be coming from those who appear to be able to afford their private health care either through work benefits or they have sufficient wealth to independently pay for it.
It begs the question, "Is this just another form of discrimination?" If you are an American withhout the ability to have basic health care, it is going to control your ability to move on with your life? It's pretty hard to provide for your family, or take care of your family if every dollar you make is going toward trying to stay healthy or heal yourself from a chronic health condition.
It's really easy to say NO to Universal Health care if you are independently wealthy! It seems to me that it's just another way for the rich to control the poor, to keep them in their place. We talk all the time about pay equity, so what about health equity? What's the difference, unless you happen to already have health care.
Our whole world is constantly struggling with the definition of the words, fair and equitable.
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