Turning Point

 Direct Answers
from Wayne & Tamara

Turning Point
Q I am a 36-year-old woman. I purchased a home with my husband five years ago. Shortly after, things went downhill, just like my first marriage. He didn't pay attention to me, I was lonely, and I felt so unloved and unwanted.

     My husband’s son from a previous relationship was living with us at the time ,and he had friends who would frequent our house. One in particular I became close to. Eventually we started spending a lot of time together.

     I thought I was crazy because I felt more than I should have, seeing as he was only 16 at the time and I was 32. The age of consent here is 16.

     We began to flirt, then the big thing happened. We started to be intimate. I fell for him and he fell for me, and we have been together since. Until recently that is. He started saying cruel things about our age difference.

     He doesn’t want to let go, and I definitely don’t want to either. I hurt so bad inside because I really do love him. I have been separated from my husband on and off through the last four years. I don’t believe I can save my marriage due to the strong feelings I have for this young man.

     I need advice because all the people I know wouldn’t know what advice to give. I am confused and feel so all alone.
Debbie
A Debbie, forty years ago V. C. Andrews published Flowers in the Attic, her first novel. Critics were not kind. One called the book “deranged swill.”

     Andrews specialized in tales of forbidden love, forbidden acts, and family secrets. Some of her characters were without conscience, without morals, and without character. Some of her stories leave you with a feeling of yuck. But the books were page-turners.
     Your story has the potential to be a page-turner, too. It also has the potential to leave you with a feeling of yuck.
     The plot of your life is simple. A lonely young woman seeks love. She marries twice, but neither marriage gives her what she wants. She wants to be the center of a man’s world. Perhaps she was so hungry for love she thought each day would be like the day she got engaged.
     But new car smell doesn’t last forever, especially with the wrong man.
     Still craving to be loved, she starts looking at the boys who come into her home. Deep down, she knows that is just convenience.

     But she goes forward with one of them. He goes forward too, not because he loves her but because he loves having sex with her. He is too immature to think beyond that.
     Now, like a vintage V. C. Andrews novel, your plot is stretching toward the forbidden.
     Debbie, perhaps the level of attention you need cannot be sustained by a man. But the bigger question is what are you doing to make yourself feel important, valuable, and useful?
     The plot of your life has the potential to make you a villain. And while it is true that every good story needs a villain, there will be little comfort for you in becoming one.

     Then again, maybe you are the victim in the story, because you were never schooled in the right routines of life. But being a victim will not give you comfort either.

     We want you to be the heroine of your own story. However, every good story must have a turning point, where the heroine takes a stand and alters the course of her life. The turning point in your story entails divorce, separating from a young lover, and getting professional help.
     There is a memorable story told about Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi was on a train at a station. As the train began to pull out, a reporter came to the window and asked Gandhi for a message he could give to his readers.

     As the train moved slowly away, Gandhi wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to the reporter. On the paper, Gandhi had written, “My life is my message.”
     What message do you want to send with your life?
Wayne & Tamara                                             write:  Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER HAS TO GO

 INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER
HAS TO GO
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

    I been following city hall now for 25 years.    To me it appears that the more times passes, the less representation we seem to have.   Politicians sit in office term after term and nothing seems to really improve in our daily lives.
   Since the acquisition of an integrity commissioner.  It appears that even less gets accomplished by elected council... as the commissioner appears to be the inhibitor of progress due to the lack of understanding of what it truly means to be a councillor is for new inexperienced elected councillors.
   Councillor turn the integrity commissioner for advice and for direction.   That should not be the role of the commissioner.   Rookie councillors that have no real municipal experience and no real understanding of what their responsibility in that  job is are in my opinion mislead and directed to do nothing in the fear of reprisal by the commissioner.
   As it stand the City of Oshawa is run by staff.  Staff that does not have any interest in the development of the City other then keeping the status quo and their good paying jobs.    They hide behind the integrity commissioner when challenged or asked to do something outside of their job description.  This is wrong.  Staff are staff that should be there to assist and make the process go faster for citizens.  Councillors are mid managers that represent the interest of the Citizens.  The Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer and has the responsibility and power to over turn staff without consultation.   Council is like a public toilet.  They bring the issues there because our city elect have in many cases no clue what to do.  So they kick issues around ask for staff input and in a half wit way they vote... not on projected plans or ideologies but on what everyone else thinks is good.  This is wrong.
The Commissioners role as specified:  While the Integrity Commissioner’s independent investigative role is extremely important, it has been observed that the investigation of potential contraventions is a last resort.  Ideally, members should act ethically and in compliance with codes so that a contravention never occurs.  To this  end, the Integrity Commission plays a vital  “proactive” role, providing advice and guidance to promote ethical compliance across  the Region and the local municipalities.   As it stands and in my opinion.  Councillor are the under the impression that they have no power other then the vote on council.  citizens have turned to councillor for help.  Only to not have their phone calls returned... and or referred back to staff.  That is  not the proper protocol.   The practice protocol is implemented due to the fact these particular council members have no clue on the importance and power in their positions.  So they refer folks back to staff that truly do not go out of the way of ratepayers as they will not jeopordize doing anything other than their jobs.  This has got worst year by year.  The Commissioner needs to go and council members need to pull up their boots and represent citizens in a positive way.

Fixing the Leak of Untold Incontinence

   Fixing the Leak of Untold Incontinence

 W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones
 Fixing the Leak of Untold Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is one of the most common problems of aging. It instills, needlessly, the prospect of embarrassment and a fear of leaving the house. Comedians quip, "If you don't know when you need to go, by the time you find out, you've already gone!" But in fact, it's no laughing matter when a sneeze, cough, or even just standing up causes urine suddenly to leak through your clothes.
Stress incontinence occurs when pressure in the urinary bladder is greater than the ability of the muscles to hold back the flow of urine. In men, it may be associated with aging, or the result of a radical prostatectomy for cancer of the prostate gland. For women, it's often due to repeated pregnancies and the strain on pelvic muscles during labour.
Urge incontinence is the issue when you feel a sense of panic. "I've got to go quickly to urinate or I'm in trouble." The sudden, intense urge to urinate is followed by an involuntary loss of urine.
The risk factors include obesity, which increases pressure on the bladder and surrounding muscles, and smoking, where continually coughing exerts stress on pelvic muscles.
Constipation is another factor. Grunting and pushing with bowel movements of hard, compacted stools further injures pelvic muscles and causes nerves to become overactive, which increases the urge to urinate frequently. Taking 2,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C at bedtime triggers results. If it does not, increase to 4,000 the next night. Then eat a high fiber cereal and a hot drink in the morning. A bowel movement will follow. As a cardinal rule, don't ruin your colon with laxatives.
Making changes in lifestyle can help to ease this problem. Decrease caffeine, alcohol and other diuretics. Stop smoking. Avoid acidic foods.
Remember dams that leak must be strengthened. So do exercises. Imagine trying to pick up a marble and hold it using the muscles in your pelvic floor. Do this eight times several times a day and continue daily for three months. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day. This simple procedure usually improves incontinence as it bulks up pelvic muscles surrounding the urethra (the tube that carries urine to the outside) and helps to stop dribbling of urine. If the muscles have become so weak that they fail to respond to this exercise your doctor may suggest electrical stimulation to trigger muscle response.
Artificial bulking agents made of biocompatible material are available to help improve urethral function. A cystoscope is inserted into the penis or vagina and the bulking agent is injected around the urethra. This may take two or three sessions to get the required result. But results are not as good in males who have had a radical prostatectomy.
If all this fails, surgery will be suggested. For women this usually means a vaginal operation, but some surgeons prefer an abdominal one. A sling operation is currently the most effective. The rationale behind this surgery is quite simple. By placing a sling under the urinary bladder, it will not only be lifted, but the procedure will also change the angle, decreasing the loss of urine.
For males with significance urinary incontinence who have had a radical prostatectomy, an artificial urinary valve can be inserted which closes the valve on a continual basis. But it can be opened by a small pump implanted under the scrotum skin.
Urinary incontinence is called a "closet problem". After all, who wants to admit they wet their pants. But too many North Americans suffer from this disorder in silence, when they should be getting help.
Visit www.docgiff.com for health tips and more. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones
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Canada Day 2021

 Canada Day 2021
    by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East

    This year is the 154rd anniversary of a country still called Canada. Mired by the dark shadows of history and still in the mist of the Covid-19 generated pandemic we need to remember that we are still Canadians and be proud of it. As we reflect on past events from the beginning of the year, we hope that this year Canada Day will finally bring the nation a glimmer of hope and a better half for the remainder of 2021.

Let's take a moment to consider the incredible contributions made by Canadians throughout our history. Their efforts have helped to make the country what it is today; a country of vibrant cities and strong rural communities. Canada is a place where cultural freedom still flourishes, and Canadians from all backgrounds are still free to express themselves and help our country prosper despite recent tendencies to deny that.

Successive waves of immigrants from France, Ireland, Germany, the United Kingdom and other countries together with Indigenous people have helped to forge our nation's unique character. Through their efforts, our communities have become a distinct part of the Canadian identity which we need to preserve rather than deny. We should honour this legacy while we also recognize that we can do better in the future. Let's be proud of our combined anglophone and francophone heritage and seek a strong and constructive cooperation with our Indigenous people for a better Canada.

Canada was not born of bloody conflict.  It emerged from a lengthy process of brainstorming about practical matters, of negotiations, proposals, and legislative ratifications.

On July 1, 1867, the Confederation of four Canadian provinces created our country and with the inclusion of Lower Canada - now Quebec - it ensured from the outset that Canada would be a blend of two nations, two cultures and two languages. The acceptance of both civil and common law systems is a factor that still makes Canada a helpful player on the international scene.  And from the outset, religious tolerance was Canada's only option.

The enactment of the British North America Act, 1867 (today called the Constitution Act, 1867), which confederated Canada, was celebrated on July 1, 1867, with the ringing of the bells at the Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto and "bonfires, fireworks and illuminations, excursions, military displays and musical and other entertainments", as described in contemporary accounts.

On June 20 of the following year, Governor General the Viscount Monck issued a royal proclamation asking for Canadians to celebrate the anniversary of Confederation.  However, the holiday was not established  statutorily until May 15, 1879, when it was designated as Dominion Day, alluding to the reference in the British North America Act to the country as a dominion.

The holiday was initially not dominant in the national calendar; any celebrations were mounted by local communities and the Governor General hosted a party at Rideau Hall.  No larger celebrations were held until 1917 and then none again for a further decade-the gold and diamond anniversaries of Confederation, respectively.

Canada's centennial in 1967 is often seen as an important milestone in the history of Canadian nationalism and in Canada's maturing as a distinct, independent country, after which Dominion Day became more popular with average Canadians.

Some Canadians were, by the early 1980s, informally referring to the holiday as Canada Day, a practice that caused some controversy. However, with the granting of Royal Assent, the holiday's name was officially changed to Canada Day on October 27, 1982. Canada Day coincides with Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador, with memorials typically held in the morning of July 1.

As the anniversary of Confederation, Dominion Day, and later Canada Day, was the date set to commemorate a number of important events.

It was the first national radio network hookup by the Canadian National Railway (1927).

It was the inauguration of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's cross-country television broadcast, with Governor General Vincent Massey's Dominion Day speech from Parliament Hill (1958) and the flooding of the Saint Lawrence Seaway (1958);

It was the first colour television transmission in Canada (1966); the inauguration of the Order of Canada (1967); and the establishment of "O Canada" as the country's national anthem (1980).

Other events fell on the same day coincidentally, such as the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, shortly after which Newfoundland
recognized July 1 as Memorial Day to commemorate the Newfoundland Regiment's heavy losses during the battle.
.
Our nation is facing great challenges today, as never before. These include the coronavirus pandemic, the issues related to a dark spot on our history related to the infamous and ill-conceived residential schools, an economic downturn, high unemployment and social unrest. Let us again show that we support each other. This community spirit is one of the most admirable characteristics of being Canadian.

On July the 1st let's celebrate our country's achievements and use them, not our failings, as a foundation to build a better and a brighter future together.

Let's celebrate our unity and our treasured country.

Happy somber Canada Day!

Prison of Her Own Making

 Direct Answers
from Wayne & Tamara

Prison of Her Own Making
  Q I’ve never tried this before, but what the hell. A few years ago my husband of 10 years left me out of the blue. It was awful for my sons and me, though it was not a happy marriage. He was verbally and mentally abusive, and I went into an angry shell. I changed from the happy person I once was into this monster. When he left I realized it was the best thing he could have done for me. It was hard to meet people, so I tried online dating. I met two great guys. I let dating go on way too long because I couldn’t let go of either one. It was selfish of me and wrong, but I never wanted to hurt anyone.
Well, they found out. One left, never to be seen again. One stayed, but with a price. It has been over a year now and he won’t let it drop. He says he will never trust me enough to marry me. But it’s also like I am carrying his cross for the rest of the girls who screwed him over.
 I keep jumping through hoops, and nothing seems to work for him or please him. He is a hard man to deal with. He is a cop and has an awful mouth. Most of the time, it is all his way or nothing at all.
 My friends say dump him, I’m too good for him, I don’t need this, and I don’t deserve it.
 I feel I made a terrible mistake, and I am so sorry. But enough is enough. What do you think? Am I wasting my time?
Zena

A Zena, you couldn’t make up your mind between two men. The better one left, as well he should have, because he knew you didn’t see him as the right one for you.
The second man saw you as his opportunity. He judged you as not good enough. He’s a cop and he’s been around the block. You proved yourself untrustworthy, and he deals with untrustworthy people every day. He knew how to treat you, so he put you in his cuffs.
You seem to attract abusers, and this cop is your first husband all over again. Your husband did you an enormous favor by leaving you, yet now you are desperate to marry the same sort of man.
 Nothing predicts that the two of you will ever have the healthy relationship of two people in love with each other. He thinks you are not good enough for him, and you know he will never marry you. How is that not your answer? But your letter isn’t about love. It’s about trying to rescue yourself from what you did. You basked in the attention of two men, stringing them along. Now you hope to deny the reality of what you did by triumphantly landing one of them.
No one wants to be in a competition like that. That’s why people are careful their employer doesn’t find out when they are looking for another job. They know employers might fail to promote, or even fire, someone who is disloyal.
You are loath to admit that neither man was right for you. You hoped one of them would be, because that was better than the alternative—going back to the dating site and starting over again. But love is not a competition. Love is not an auction. Rewarding the highest bidder is the opposite of love.
The first man thought, how could she love me if she was trifling with him? His honest heart got a shock. The second man is a foul-mouthed bully. He wasn’t even your choice. Treat this as a lesson learned. Trust is difficult to earn. It can be lost in an instant and lost forever.
Wayne & Tamara                                             write:  Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

IMPACTFUL LEADERSHIP: CHALLENGES, BARRIERS, and EMERGING ISSUES

 

IMPACTFUL LEADERSHIP:
CHALLENGES, BARRIERS, and EMERGING ISSUES
By Nadene Joy
CEO of Nadene Joy Consulting Inc.
Chair/Founder of The Global Lead 2 Impact Summit
Featured in USA TODAY
  The statement “leadership is lonely at the top” poses its own distinct challenges as leadership, done well, should never be lonely.  In fact it is quite the contrary, where research tells us that the most effective leaders are in fact those who are highly engaged with others. Leaders are constantly presented with scenarios that  challenge them and their abilities regardless of age, country of origin or culture. These challenges that are faced are an incitation to rise to another higher level to become the best most authentic version of yourself possible and also, as a leader, help others do the same.  These challenges are most times necessary to test and refine yourself in the process and to show that you can accomplish something that may have seemed incredibly difficult or perhaps even impossible or “the unthinkable” to many. This article aims to describe the many ever increasing fluid challenges, barriers and pressing emerging issues a leader faces, and suggests some ways in which leaders can improve upon their current practices and benefit from them in the near and distant future fo the betterment of themselves and their teams .
  From my personal experience as a top global leader, I can confidently say that it’s essential to first accept the unwritten truth that “perfection” is simply an illusion which is unattainable and is the wrong thing to try to pursue as your centralized focus as a leader.  Do not take any form of criticism personally and learn to completely let go, without judgement, of the need and worry about being right all the time. Instead of perfectionism, aim for “doing your very best” in whatever you pursue as  the old saying goes “how you do one thing, is how you do everything.”  Be honest, consistent, compassionate and utilize the theory of adaptive  communication which is “the ability to recognize individual differences in personality and communication and adapt your approach accordingly,” and stay intently focused at all times on the “real authentic person behind the “title.”
Leadership Challenges and Successful Strategies to Thrive as a Leader
As leaders it is inevitable that role comes with many feats and challenges that are faced globally across the board with leaders regardless of title—whether you are a CEO, VP, mayor of a community, teacher of a classroom or president of a nation these are some of the top challenges faced universally today with almost everyone as we all are leaders who has the ability to positively impact lives.
 Below you will find a few of the top challenges faced by leaders.  By knowing and creating awareness around these challenges it moves and motivates us to take action to adapt our behaviours for the good of all starting within ourselves first.
In a Q4 2020 Vistage CEO Confidence Index, CEOs were asked what is the most significant leadership challenge they are facing as they looked to adjust to life during the pandemic and beyond. Overwhelmingly, the response was morale and burnout. Business leaders and employees alike are experiencing extreme fatigue from excessive video conferencing meetings, in isolation, and the professional, personal, and family stress of the pandemic lifestyle. Suggestions to combat this would be to focus on short-term vs long-term goals, reinforce company values to improve culture on a regular basis, add adventure and creative ways to change up your routine each week, and focus on the vision and purpose of the task at hand and entire organization or within the targeted community.
Other challenges leaders face are leading change in a rapid technological advancing world, developing others and handling differences in perspectives based on wide age gaps and old outdated styles and patterns of relating with others, providing consistent inspiration, feedback and appreciation, lack of alignment with what is said vs actions that are taken to get the job done, lack of clear vision, poor execution strategies, fear of firing or letting go that which no longer best serves the good of all, lack of clear vision and purpose, difficulty managing a team, creating a positive supportive culture, dealing with “imposture syndrome,” and lack of accountability.
One of the biggest challenges faced by leaders irregardless of time, dimension, or geographical space in my personal opinion is the lack of communication, lack of authenticity and miscommunication.  This is all a part of creating a healthy culture dynamic within your organization which is a challenge to focus on diligently and master in its own right. The complexities of today’s business world and economies require leaders to be able to communicate effectively and just as important, authentically and compassionately, on multiple levels.    Communication and having the courage to be real and vulnerable with others about your own challenges helps build trust which is the foundation of all relationships and has been proven to lead to astronomical transformation within individuals and the unprecedented growth within corporations, communities and nations as a whole. It all starts with the changes you, as a leader, choose to make and take action upon as Boon Pickens so relevantly stated “ A plan without action is not a plan. It’s a speech.
Pertinent Barriers to Great Leadership
In order to more effectively empower others it is imperative to discuss the main barriers leaders face in successfully going from where they are to where they aspire to be. A few of the most pertinent leadership barriers are insecurity and lack of confidence, lack of trust, personal involvement, refusing help, not letting others on your team do their job, not asking for the right things, lack of functional credibility, ignoring the usefulness of mistakes and lessons learned, believing it can’t happen to you, not enough courage to let go of yesterday's tools, and lack of focus on personal development and growth from within first as a top priority.
  The title of a recent article in Fox Business reads: “Every Leader’s Achilles Heel.” The subject? Allowing oneself to get too involved in projects and/or with your employees.  This is otherwise known as micromanaging others and will backfire in the long term is implemented regularly. The more freedom you allow others to utilize their gifts and be creative in solutions the better off everyone is.
Fears is another major barrier leaders constantly face.  Fear is a natural emotion, however, it becomes an issue when you allow yourself to be carried to a place where you become so fearful of a potential risk that you do everything to avoid it or become paralyzed in your tracks. This is known as “risk aversion,” and can be very detrimental to a leader at any level or position.
This next barrier is a new word I only just recently came to discover.  Hubris, otherwise known as extreme pride, “is a personality element that many people assume executives “just have.”  It’s important to reiterate that past performance is no indication of future results..
Lastly, Inc. magazine interviewed a top executive leader who stated: “Only you can control self-indulgence. The more successful you become, people won’t necessarily call you out. So, I hired a professional coach because then you’re hiring someone to tell you [the cold sometimes hard to hear truth.]” Look at mentorship from a new perspective snd not that it makes you weak, but rather it helps to build your character, intellect and makes you a stronger more proficient leader.  Did you know the famous NBA player Michael Jordan has five coaches, one expert for each area of his life.  This is how he became one of the greatest basketball legends alone today and how we too are able become the best we can be as a leader.  You are not expected to do this on your own.
The purpose of mentioning these barriers and shortcoming here today is to create awareness first of all that they exist so that you can begin to take steps forward to consistently work on them. Nobody is perfect nor are you expected to be but that doesn’t mean you should give up on personal development and improvement, it means quite the opposite and contrary to work on yourself first all the more.  As this is where real lasting impactful change begins. Hopefully these tools will help you become the best leader and executive you can be so that you can in return give your team, your business, your community, your family and the world the best of you.
Lofty Emerging Issues in Leadership
There have always been certain issues that have been focused upon with leaders over the course of history, however here we will only scratch the surface of a few emerging issue to note leaders are facing on a much greater level and depth today then ever before.
Some of the top issues that have emerged from leadership research that warrants further discussion here includes emotional intelligence, social marketing, demographic dissonance and generational differences within organizations ie/ Gen Z), trust, virtual teams/hiring and employee engagement, women leaders, diversity, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, purpose/vision and mission,  and  transformational and servant leadership.
For the scope of this article we will not have the capacity to revisit each of the above emerging issues in depth. However, it is highly encouraged to be proactive in learning more about each one of them listed above.  It is only when we take action that real change takes place which begins with the first person you see every morning in the mirror.  It is imperative as leaders we stand together and strong as we can do more together then we can apart. As the iconic legendary Les Brown states: “Live life to your fullest and die empty. Make every day and your life count and don’t take this time you have for granted.” As a leader, you all have a God-given purpose and when you fear stepping into this place you are depriving not only yourself but everyone around you of greatness. Never forget that the “speed of the leader is the speed of the group—when a fish dies.... it stinks at the head first.” “Most people live out of there MEMORY as opposed to their IMAGINATION— Einstein once said that imagination is the preview of what’s to come in your life!!” As a leader, once you give yourself permission to show up completely and the opportunity to stretch yourself with no limits, you’ll find out that you can do so much more than you could have ever imagined!  I believe everything matters and what we choose to do today is simply “the seed or internal fuel and motivation” that we consciously plant within ourselves and in others through the power of our positive thoughts and creative imagination, encouraging words we speak and/or actions performed to serve.  Over time, the seed begins to grow when we consistently sow, water and tend to the deeper needs of ourselves internally first and then outwardly externally towards others.  This process, over time, builds positive satisfying relationships and authentic human connections which is at the foundation and heart of all interactions as a leader, in business and in life.
Nadene Joy is a top advisor, executive leadership strategist and global mindset coach who helps leaders who are feeling anxious and frustrated achieve their goals and wildest dreams in business and in life. She is the CEO of Nadene Joy Consulting Inc., a Certified CMHA Psychological Health and Safety Advisor, NLP Practitioner, top executive leader, speaker, and international bestselling author. Nadene is also a director and advisor on various local and international boards including Global Ambassador with The Commonwealth Entrepreneur Club (CEC) and is on the advisory board council with Coaching Suicide Awareness (CSA).  
Nadene Joy also has been awarded several achievements of excellence throughout her career and is the recipient of the prestigious 2021 International Women of Substance Award from The St. Mother Theresa University in India.
Nadene Joy is a member of The International Society for Female Professionals, Chair/Founder of The Global Lead 2 Impact Summit and has been featured in media outlets including USA TODAY, CBC, iheartradio in NYC, and NBC. She is also the author of “Uncover Your Purpose: Heal and Share Your Gifts With the World” and “Love is...A Guide to the Power of Love,” and is the co-author of “Cracking The Rich Code Vol. 4” with Kevin Harrington hit star of the TV Show, SharkTank and business icon, Jim Britt.
Nadene Joy is passionate about being an impactful leader, mother to 4 beautiful children and friend who makes a positive difference in our world through taking bold action in sharing her authentic wisdom, experiences, God-given gifts, and serving others with kindness by bringing hope, love, joy, purpose, inspiration, transformation and love to all she encounters.   http://linkedin.com/in/nadenejoy      Nadene@NadeneJoy.com
free gift offer included to receive the first chapter of the book by Nadene Joy  “Love is...A Guide to The Power of Love”

 Are You Taking Too Much Medication?

 W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones
    Many diseases can be effectively managed thanks to therapeutic treatments involving pharmaceutical drugs. But have we gone too far in popping pills for every ache?  Or even for serious health conditions, has your doctor put as much thought into how to get you off prescription medications as has gone into putting you on them?
The statistics are alarming.  A study of drug use among seniors in Canada in 2016 found that 2 out of 3 Canadians over the age of 65 were taking at least 5 different prescription medications and over a quarter took at least 10 different prescription medications!  In the U.S., a 2018 national survey found that 48.6% of the entire population used at least one prescription drug in the month prior to the survey.  Some of these statistics are certainly made up by people who are taking medications they no longer need.
Among adults aged 60–79, the most commonly used drug types in the United States were lipid-lowering drugs, antidiabetic agents, and beta blockers; in Canada, they were lipid-lowering drugs, analgesics, and proton pump inhibitors.
          How should you proceed if you want to reduce the numbers of medications you take?  First, take all your medications to your doctor and have a discussion.  But don’t expect miraculous answers, as doctors are known for writing more, not fewer, prescriptions – and sometimes, for good reasons.
About 50% of those prescribed medications for chronic conditions stop taking them within the first year of starting therapy. This non-adherence can further deteriorate health. More hospitalizations result, costing an estimated $300 million in avoidable expenditures per year
About 1 in 5 individuals prescribed antidepressants who stop medication can suffer a host of problems, collectively called discontinuation syndrome.
But there are many situations where less medication is not such tricky business.  Sleeping pills, for example, should only be for short-term use.  Allergy medication should only be used when allergens cause symptoms.
Stopping blood pressure medication needs your doctor’s endorsement.  But one way to manage hypertension and get blood pressure into the normal range is to lose extra weight.  Finding natural alternatives to strong, addictive painkillers is another smart move.
It’s also highly advisable to have a strategy for reducing cholesterol medicines, known as statins, which can have devastating side effects, including liver damage and memory problems. Has your doctor made you aware of all your choices? If you’ve read this column for years, you’ll know that high-dose vitamin C could be a life-saving option for reducing the rick of heart attack or stroke.
A special note about those who are very elderly or frail.  These individuals can be more susceptible to medications, particularly when considering the extent of inappropriate polypharmacy (i.e., too many drugs, unnecessary drugs, and/or doses that are too high) that they are often taking without adequate oversight.  If you are, or know someone, at risk, then be careful to ensure that the doctor has full information about all medications and that the patient understands benefits and harms of medication and gives consent.
Socioeconomic factors are also noteworthy. Seniors living in long-term care facilities, low-income neighbourhoods and rural/remote neighbourhoods used more drugs, with one study showing 21.4% of seniors living in the lowest-income neighbourhoods were prescribed 10 or more drug classes, compared with 14.3% of seniors living in the highest-income neighbourhoods.
Finally, if you have been able to make reductions, how should you dispose of all the unused or expired medications?  Most jurisdictions have drug take back sites.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a “Flush List” of those medications that can be disposed of in the toilet.  Whatever your means of disposal, remember that drugs pose a huge hazard to unsuspecting children or pets.  Dispose of them safely.

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Canada in the twilight zone

Canada in the twilight zone
    by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
A number of disturbing incidents have occurred in Canada lately, that make a mockery of our international reputation as a peaceful, welcoming society with freedom and equal justice for all.
The most recent one being the targeted killing of a family in London Ontario. Five members of a Muslim family went out for a walk on Sunday night. Before the day was done, four of them had lost their lives in what police described as a targeted hate crime. The only survivor - a nine-year-old boy - was seriously injured.
Then there was the Quebec City mosque shooting, a terrorist attack on the evening of January 29, 2017, at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, a mosque in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood of Quebec City, Canada. Six worshippers were killed and five others seriously injured after evening prayers when a man entered the prayer hall shortly before 8:00 pm and opened fire for about 2 minutes with a 9-mm Glock pistol. 
The infamous Toronto van attack which was a terrorist vehicle-ramming attack that occurred on April 23, 2018, when a rented van was driven along Yonge Street through the North York City Centre business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The driver targeted pedestrians, killing 10 and injuring 16, some critically. The attack is characterized as misogynist terrorism because it was motivated by revenge for perceived sexual and social rejection by women. The incident is the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history.
Add to all this, the recent violent demonstrations motivated by various political agendas, that are creating instability in a country which has previously had a reputation for being peaceful and welcoming.
As Canadians across the country express their shock, horror and grief, about these events, the dark reality is that all kinds of hate crimes and terrorist attacks are on a dangerous rise in Canada.
While Canada has been preoccupied with a pandemic that seems to have affected everything, most of us have forgotten that the rise in hate crimes is a real danger against religious beliefs, racial communities and Canadians in general.
Hate crimes speak of a different level of humanity, which judges a person for who they are and not what they have done.  They affirm that you have no place in this country and don't belong because of your race, country of origin, faith, or skin colour.  Hate crimes like these are the very antithesis of what this country claims to represent on the global stage.
We need to ask why these things have been happening in Canada lately, and determine the root causes so we can find remedies.
This new racially and religiously motivated hatred, never before encountered at this intensity in Canada, known to be a tolerant and welcoming country for many people, is a new and a dangerous phenomenon. If they continue without an imminent and workable solution, Canada as a country is finished.
I do not want to be a pessimist but as of today the Canadian political elite is only focusing on their own self interest to hold or gain power. The interest of the people and the nation is put on the backburner. They are a bunch of hypocrites looking only for their own personal ambitions and interests.
At this point Canada is a rudderless country and soon anarchy will be the common denominator in the lives of Canadians, if things do not see a radical change. 
Calls to banish Canada Day following the discovery of the remains of 215 children, buried in unmarked graves at the Kamloops residential school is gaining momentum.
Statues of John A. Macdonald and Egerton Ryerson, architects of the residential school system, have been removed by both fiat and brute force. Demands for an apology from the Catholic Church are growing ever louder.
While the pain behind these terrorist and dark historical events are undeniable, and those terrible acts that inspired them are inexcusable, we still need to maintain our national identity and recognize Canada's creation.
We need to remember that the history of Canada is not one long march of oppression. Canada has fought bravely against tyranny. Canadian troops, including Indigenous troops, gave their lives in not one, but two world wars to preserve our freedoms. Canadians battled the regime of Nazi Germany, which committed the worst genocide of our era, in which six million Jews were slaughtered.
Over two centuries, Canada has also welcomed the downtrodden and oppressed to its shores. From Irish migrants starving during the Great Famine, to Doukhobors fleeing religious persecution, to refugees from conflicts in Vietnam, Rwanda, and Syria, Canada has taken in millions of people in search of a better life.
The reason was simple: Canada was a country that stood for freedom, equality and opportunity. Those values are enshrined in our charter and in the best of our history and we need to preserve and maintain them to be proud Canadians and keep our nation great.
Political correctness, lip service to justice and fairness and turning a selective blind eye only create more resentment while driving true emotions underground to fester and boil over in time.  We need to strive for a society where everyone can depend on the justice system to abide by the laws that created this country, and a police force to fairly enforce them.  A society where everyone has an equal chance to succeed based on the merit of his/her performance, not his/her color, creed, religion or origins.  And we need to teach our children that our precious individual freedom is not free.  It comes with the corresponding responsibility to stand up for it. 
As of now there is a lot of work to be done in this country, significant and essential work in order to eliminate hatred, bias, superficiality and to build a new confidence in our countrymen. It must be done not just in our legislatures but in our neighbourhoods and institutions, in our homes and our own heads.
It is a social pandemic that will outlast Covid-19, and the fate and reputation of Canada hangs in the balance.

NO PLACE IN SOCIETY FOR SAFE INJECTION SITES

 

NO PLACE IN SOCIETY FOR SAFE INJECTION SITES
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

    Come on people where will the stupidity end.   This past week in conversation with a local politician.   They bragged on how much they are doing for addicts and the drug scene.  They had the audacity to state that safe injection sites are the answer to the drug addiction problem.   I could not believe my ears that someone could be that ignorant.   We are supposed to be at war with drugs.   How can the police arrest people for possession, sale and distribution if idiots in municipal government support safe heavens.
  How can the police do their job when our municipal elect deem it ok to shoot up in a warm safe place.   Their argument is that if we don’t supply them with a facility that these needles will end up in our parks and creeks as it is happening now.
  Really, do we live in such an ass backwards society that we can’t even understand the basic concept of common senses?
Common sense would tell you... that if we allowed safe injection sites that all we are doing is promoting drug use.  Something that is against the law.   By allowing safe injection sites we would indirectly be supporting the drug  trade as those dealing would find ways to make drugs more available to any of the patrons of safe injection sites.
 Common sense folks.  Common sense would tell me that instead of safe injection sites.   We need for police to have the authority to send anyone caught under the use of any drug to a government run detox facility and not one of those revolving door facilities.   A facility that would have the authority to keep addicts for indefinite period of time until it is assured that the person is not a threat to themselves or society.   If suffering mental health.  Keep them at the facility until such time as they can come back to society without been deemed a nuisance.
Let the police go after the drug dealers with a vengeance.   
Is it not bad enough that we have pot legalized.   What are we pushing for cocaine, heroine a meth to become legal.
  Imagine what society would become.  I think we have let our standards drop low enough.   I think we should take back our Country, our communities and our society.
No more rationalizing insanity in order to make it appears as we care.   If we care we do the right thing and grab the bull by the horns.   Deal with the real problem.  Not create bigger ones.
We in Canada need significant changes to  how we deal with many things.   We need to bring national pride to our country.  We need to unite for the right reason and not loosely use the word inclusive to patronize interest groups.    We need to have higher standards and stop compromising our national identity.  Canada for Canadians should be the new standard.

THE HUMAN STUPID RACE

 

THE HUMAN STUPID RACE
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

    What is it with human kind?   Why are we so bent over backwards and keep on making the same old mistakes.   In Ontario we are down to about 700 cases per day.   Instead of keeping what is working going.  No politicians get all ansey and decide to make plans for going back to the causation of another wave of COVID.
Come on people wake up.  This COVID is not going away all of a sudden.   The fact that we have  had a large number of people vaccinated it does not mean that those people can’t still become ill.  Or worst be a carrier and further cause sickness.  This false sense of security with the vaccine in my opinion is like putting a band aid on the crack of  a dam.   It may hold for a bit.... but the crack will eventually rupture and the after affects are obvious.
  Instead of rushing to open anything back.  Why not sit on it a little longer.   Why not truly see if we can get the numbers  under 10 per day.  That to me would signify reason for opening.
  In a radio report this morning.  A bar in Chicago was allowing patrons to come in only if they had a vaccination card.  Once inside patrons could mingle without masks on.   Really.   1st, what right does the bar have to refuse entry to anyone.  2nd Are bar manager now experts in COVID transmission and are they going to accept liability in the even someone becomes sick while in their bar?
Society today faces the worst governance problem ever.   We elect politicians to do jobs they are not qualified to do.   Way over their expertise and or intellectual aptitude.  This means that their decisions have to be based on advice from so called experts.
Common sense and rational thinking become clouded by influence, greed and money.   We the human race are  becoming the stupid race as we are ignoring past mistake and continue to commit the same one expecting different results.
We can’t afford to be stupid.... can we?

It is a sad day for Canada

 It is a sad day for Canada
    by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
   As we all know by now findings from a survey of the grounds at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School has uncovered the remains of 215 children buried at the site, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced last week.   This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. It is a stark example of the deep wounds the Canadian residential school system inflicted upon indigenous peoples and how the consequences of these atrocities reverberate to this day.
Looking at a brief history of the residential school system we can see that the first residential school was opened in Brantford, Ont. in 1831, before Confederation, although there were a handful of schools run by missionary groups even earlier than that.
In 1847, Egerton Ryerson - the man Ryerson University in Toronto is named after - was superintendent of schools in Upper Canada, and wrote a report recommending the establishment of residential schools for Aboriginal students in the province. Soon after his report, in the 1850s, Methodist missionaries established a number of such schools in southern Ontario. Other schools were opened in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories in the 1860s.
Post-Confederation, the federal government became more involved in residential schools in the 1880s, and the number of schools expanded.
A total of 139 residential schools were identified in the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, though this doesn't include those run by provincial governments and those run solely by religious orders, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The residential school system which functioned in Canada until 1996 has seen 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children placed in the name of integration into the society built by the settlers.  Children were taken from their families and placed in this schools scattered all over the country.
Their treatment was miserable and they were exposed to a lot of abuses which were ignored by the authorities of the day. There is a lot to say and a lot of things have come to light lately from the testimony of survivors.
Residential school students were subject to physical and sexual abuse by staff, were often malnourished or underfed, and lived in poor housing conditions that threatened their safety, according to reports. Infectious diseases like tuberculosis and influenza often ran rampant among the students, leading to many deaths. In addition to attending class, students at many schools also had to perform chores to maintain the school and sometimes even had to do farm work to feed the school. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which released a report six years ago following a lengthy investigation into residential schools, made six recommendations regarding missing children and burial grounds. It called on the federal government to work with churches, Indigenous communities and former residential school students "to establish and maintain an online registry of residential school cemeteries, including, where possible, plot maps showing the location of deceased residential school children."
The Kamloops Indian Residential School was in operation from 1890 to 1969, when the federal government took over administration, until closing it in 1978.
The discovery of 215 children's remains there confirms what community survivors have said for years, that many children went to the school and never returned. It is also a fact that federal agents often moved children around, so it is possible that some of the remains found on the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School were from other First Nations communities.  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified 3,200 deaths as part of its investigation. For one-third of these deaths, the government and schools didn't record the student's name. For one-quarter of these deaths, the government didn't identify the student's gender. And for around half, the cause of death wasn't identified. These numbers might not include students who got sick at school and were sent home, where they later died, or Métis students whose attendance at school wasn't funded by the federal government but who may have died there.
"Due to the limitations in the records, it is probable that there are many student deaths that have not been recorded in the register because the record of the death has not yet been located," the Commission wrote in its report.
Indigenous children in residential schools died at far higher rates than other Canadian children, the report notes. The recent discovery of unmarked burial sites containing 215 bodies at the site of the Kamloops Residential School in B.C. has highlighted that there is still a lot to learn about where these children are buried.
In a report attached to the Commission's work, anthropologist Scott Hamilton of Lakehead University noted that, "Most of these children died far from home, and often without their families being adequately informed of the circumstances of death or the place of burial."
For the most part, the cemeteries that the Commission documented are abandoned, disused, and vulnerable to accidental disturbance," wrote the TRC in its report. This issue certainly is not something that Canada as a nation should be proud of, particularly in light of certain Canadian leaders' penchant for systematically preaching and lecturing other nations about upholding democratic values.  Canada should look closely at its internal dealings with the first nations and have a sincere approach in working with them to build a healthy democratic society. Words and money thrown at first nations are not the solution. The solution is an open and clear approach to work together with all Canadians to build the future for a great nation. The things of the past are lessons for all of us and we should work to ensure that such things never happen again in our country. With all this said, we need to look at the more than 150 years of existence of the residential school system in Canada and must ask ourselves where the authorities, both political and civil, were all those years in allowing these abuses to be perpetuated on children?
Yes, there were the supporters of the residential school system including Canada's first Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald and other contemporary political figures, but what did successive Prime Ministers, either Liberal or Conservative, do about this issue?  It seems easy to blame only the very founders of our nation for the residential school program without looking closely at their successors in perpetuating this abhorrent institution. We cannot be selective in meeting out responsibility. These successive Prime Ministers are to blame too.  Canada is a great historical achievement. It is an imperfect country, but it is still a great country and we should keep it that way. We need to be clear that the atrocities committed against first nations must be acknowledged and we must learn from them to ensure that such atrocities will never be repeated or imposed on any component of our society.  We must also be careful to avoid going to the opposite extreme in cancelling every historical figure who took a position on issues of their time that we now judge harshly in historical retrospective.
We should mourn the memory of those innocent souls who did not have a chance to live, and we need to reflect and avoid such gross neglect by officials in the future.

STICK HOUSES

 STICK HOUSES
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

    I look around and I keep scratching my head wondering what has gone wrong.   In the name of profit we are talked into all kinds of things that end up not being good for us.
   Corporate America/Canada stopped being about customer service/satisfaction and has become more about profits.
They treat customers like numbers and bombard them will false lies.  For example:  “for your convenience”, “for your safety/confidentiality” and so on.
From the fast food sector to construction and everything in between.   Look at what we pay for at McD’s for example.   Look what we get.
What happened to the Big Mac.  You open the box and it is the size of a silver dollar.   Where is the beef?
Under the guise of nutrition.  We are told we do not need to eat so much and a smaller portion has the same affect.   Yet, the price goes up not down to compensate for the smaller portion.
Or how about the ‘vegie’ burgers.... You pay a premium for not eating meat.   REALLY!!!!
   As you drive through construction sites.... Look at how they are erecting ghettos with nothing more than two by fours and plywood.
Then they sell it to you for over half a million dollars.
  Is that value?   Do these home even meet any building code... and if they do.
Have our standards been lowered so much that we allow homes to be built with sticks and compress wood chips?
I truly feel for the future of our kids as Canada is slowly becoming a third world nation.   Our jobs are going over seas and our youth are left filling jobs that are menial and poor paying.   
How are they to ever afford half a million stick homes?
  I think as a people we should put a stop to how corporations are allowed to rape and pileage our economy.
Companies like BELL, ROGERS and many of the Ghetto builders should stopped... but wait how?   We live in Canada.   We can’t put two thoughts together without a legal challenge.   In the land of equality and fairness we are fed the line that individual thought or opinion has no place in modern society.
Sad time we live in...

The lockdown and the D-Day anniversary

 

The lockdown and the D-Day anniversary
    by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
     As Canada continues to be in a fighting mood against the coronavirus pandemic, we also need to remember and reflect on the sacrifices that our forefathers have made for us to secure our freedom, to keep democracy alive in our country, to maintain the rule of law and the comfortable standard of living that we enjoy today. It is time to cherish their memory.  To ensure that their efforts to win over evil were not in vain and that, particularly during this new dark period that threatens our very existence, we keep up our courage and stand up against our adversaries as they have done.
We are currently facing a crucial time in our history in fighting the evil of the coronavirus pandemic and related societal malaises. In combination, the consequences of the pandemic and social dysfunction are similar to fighting a new kind of world war with worldwide consequences and yet unforeseen effects on Canadians.
On the 6th of June we mark the seventy-seventh anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the Battle of Normandy, along a 100 km stretch of French coastline across the English Channel from Great Britain. This was the largest seaborne invasion in history and a crucial day in winning the war against evil; Nazi Germany.
The assault on the beaches of Normandy by British, American, and Canadian troops on the 6th of June 1944, who would then fight their way across Europe, has gone down in history as a memorable event. The codenames of where the troops landed - Omaha and Utah for the Americans, Gold and Sword for the British, and Juno for the Canadians - remain familiar today. The Normandy landings, Operation Overlord, marked the beginning of the end of six long years of conflict between Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany and Allied forces.
The development of the role for Canada in the D-Day invasion has a history going back a few years. Following the Dunkirk evacuation Canadians began to come over to Great Britain. They were well-prepared and took on the role of defending the British Isles. They built up around the south coast of England and operated in a defensive and anti-invasion role from May 1940 to July 1943. At that time the 1st Canadian Division was detached and sent to Italy, but the bulk of Canadian forces remained in Britain for all those years.
Canadian sailors, soldiers and airmen played a critical role in the Allied invasion of Normandy, beginning the bloody campaign to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation. Nearly 150,000 Allied troops landed or parachuted into the invasion area on D-Day, including 14,000 Canadians at Juno Beach. The Royal Canadian Navy contributed 110 ships and 10,000 sailors and the RCAF contributed 15 fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons to the assault. Total Allied casualties on D-Day reached more than 10,000. By the end of the Battle of Normandy, the Allies had suffered 209,000 casualties, including more than 18,700 Canadians. Over 5,000 Canadian soldiers died.

From the D-Day landings on the 6th of June 1944 through to the encirclement of the German army at Falaise on the 21st of August this was one of the pivotal events of the Second World War and the scene of some of Canada's greatest feats of arms.
Juno Beach was the Allied code name for a 10 km stretch of French coast. It fell to more than 14,000 volunteer soldiers from across Canada, under Major-General Rod Keller, commander of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, to storm the Juno Beach coast line. They seized the beach and its seaside villages while under intense fire from German defenders - an extraordinary example of military skill, reinforced by countless acts of personal courage. The 3rd Infantry Division took heavy casualties in its first wave of attack but took control of the beach by the end of the day. There were 1,074 Canadian casualties, including 359 killed.
All things considered, the Canadian troops did very well on D-Day. The Canadians and the British in the Gold and Juno sector made it farther inland than any of the other invasion forces. They had managed to link up their forward units some distance inland, which was a measure of success. At the end of the day, the Queen's Own Rifles had actually captured its objective, which was short of the overall divisional objective but goes to show that some of the Canadian units were quite successful in the first hours.
Their sacrifices will be not forgotten even though their generation is starting to fade into the fog of history. For the time being D-Day still seems to be in the Canadian public's consciousness. Their memory must be preserved for the millennials and generations to come in order to eliminate the causes of further conflagrations.
D-Day embodied the courage and determination to prevail in that war. It was fought over issues that are still alive today - such as ideology, globalism, nationalism and injustice. It was an exceptionally difficult and hazardous military operation.
It was an operation in which Canadians took a major central part in the war to preserve freedom and democracy.  For these reasons and more, it's important to keep the memory of D-Day alive.
The dead, along with scores of other Canadians killed in the fighting during the weeks that followed, are buried in the serene and beautiful Canadian War Cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer, just behind Juno Beach. This, and numerous other memorials throughout Courseulles, Bernières and St. Aubin-sur-Mer, commemorate Canada's sacrifice on D-Day. A private museum, the Juno Beach Centre, overlooking the beach at Courseulles, also tells the story of Canada's role in the invasion of Normandy.

Every year on the 6th of June, the people of the villages along Juno Beach pay tribute to the men who fought and died there. They parade through streets festooned with maple leaf flags and hold services and vigils along parts of the seawall, in memory of their Canadian liberators.
Long live their memory! Long live the courage those men and women demonstrated.  May our current generations show just as much courage in our current hour of need.  We can't afford to wait for someone else to fight for our rights.  We must all take a stand against the tyranny of incompetent leadership, political correctness at the expense of merit, and the stripping away of our individual freedoms in the name of political expediency.  Wake up Canada!
Have we forgotten; what we are waiting for?

Your Contact Information: Make It Easy to Reach You

 Your Contact Information: Make It Easy to Reach You
By Nick Kossovan
   Last week I mentioned the 5 must-have sections your resume requires:
1. Contact information
2. Resume summary
3. Professional experience
4. Skills/Certifications
5. Education
This column will deal with the first section, your contact information.
Regardless of how you design your resume, your resume begins with your contact information, which creates your resume's first impression. The question: What information should you include?
Answer: Information that will make it easy for the reader to reach you, along with easily being able to view some of your digital footprints.
A great resume will contain the following contact information:
- Full Name
Use the format [first name] [last name]. Don't abbreviate or add "aka" (also known as), which I've seen done several times. Just 'Nick Kossovan.'
- Professional title
Right under your name, include your professional title. This will help your resume pass the ATS.
IMPORTANT: Your professional title should mirror the position you're applying for. Let's say you're applying for a "Project Manager" position, but your last/current professional title is "Junior Project Manager." Whoever reads your resume will most likely discard it, assuming you're underqualified for the position.
As a rule, avoid words like "junior," "senior," and "level 2". Simply state your professional title without creating what I call experience bias.
- Home address
Career coaches tend to advise not including your home address. I'm of the school of thought job applicants should be upfront regarding their current physical location. Besides, even in 2021, many hiring managers expect to see it, I am one of them. Not including your address may trigger a red flag, making the reader question why you left it off and wondering if you'd have a lengthy commute.
The last thing you want is for your resume to trigger red flags!
There's also the employer's ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to consider. Often an employer will program terms found in an address's anatomy (cities, province, postal codes). You want your resume to be as ATS friendly as possible.
Understandably you may be uncomfortable providing your home address. If this is the case, at least provide your city, province, and postal code.
- Professional Email Address
Your email address needs to be professional, not something you created back in the day (CheesyPete33@gmail.com). Ideally, your email address should be formatted along the lines of [first name] [period] [last name] @email.com (nick.kossovan@gmail.com). If your first name, period, last name isn't available with your current email provider, try other email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, AOL, to name a few). Also try removing the period (nickkossovan@aol.com) or try your first initial, period, last name (n.kossovan@yahoo.com), or your last name, period, first name (kossovan.nick@outlook.com).
- Phone Number
Use the format [area code] [7-digit telephone number] - (403) 555-1234.
Besides basic contact information, you should include links to any relevant Internet presence you have. As you know, your digital footprint will be scrutinized before deciding whether you're interview worthy. Making it easy for the reader to find you online can only earn you a few points.
- LinkedIn
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is current, however, not merely a repeat of your resume. Job titles, dates of employment need to match those on your resume.
- URLs to your personal website/portfolio/blog/video channels
If you have a website or personal blog that's relevant to the job you're applying for and positions you as an expert in your field, include it! The same goes for an online portfolio you may have. Then there are video channels, such as YouTube. Suppose you're applying for a job as a chemist or science teacher. In that case, videos of you explaining organic chemistry will give you a competitive advantage, and therefore belong on your resume.
Only put relevant social media profiles/URLs on your resume. If you're applying for a Java Developer position, your Stack Overflow profile will be more appropriate than your Twitter account. However, if you're applying for a social media management position, including your Twitter account, which has over 25,000 followers, would be beneficial.  
Never include social media accounts that are more personal than professional, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, however, presume employers will seek these accounts out.
Next week I'll discuss writing a resume summary that will make the reader want to read your resume.

Taking a Hint

 

Taking a Hint
Q I’ve had a long and rocky road with a friend who reminds me we’ve known each other over 20 years. Recently, during my two-year engagement, I had a revelation about how much of a dud my “friend” truly is.
     We live in different states. Although she offered her help and had enthusiasm about my upcoming wedding, she tended, as per her usual behavior, to want to dominate conversations and refer to her own wedding and planning experiences.
     When she did have questions, they were often critical or questions attempting to put her back in control. For example, and this was annoying but not the worst incident, when I called to vent about my mother, all she said was, “If your mom is acting this way, why are you having a big wedding in the first place?”
     Why? Many women dream of a big wedding (rightly or not) as a way to celebrate and show the world how happy and in love they are. Why wouldn’t I want a big wedding if I can afford it?
     Alas, I persisted in seeking her advice, though it was peppered throughout with how the money could go towards a down payment on a house. (That’s what she thought when she got married.)
     Even when she tried to pretend she was there for me, she was flippant. When I needed hardcore advice—like when I called her from the dressing room where I bought my dress—she didn’t have anything substantial to ask, like, “How does it fit? Is this your dream dress?”
     When I expressed unhappiness after buying it, her initial response was “It’s just a big, white dress,” instead of saying something uplifting or helpful. She even bailed at the last minute on the bachelorette party, which was scheduled in the middle of winter to accommodate her! That ticked me off because it echoed a letdown that occurred in the very beginning.
     She was going to join me on a trip to look at reception venues—a big deal since I was having a destination wedding. But she added restriction after restriction until finally I told her she didn’t need to come, I was taking someone else!
     More and more, as the planning proceeded, I saw how selfish and single-minded she was. We’ve known each other for over 20 years, but she didn’t even know my parents’ first names until she received the wedding invitation!
     I tried to minimize contact at the actual wedding, but she still managed to annoy me. First, though she claimed she would be devoted to me “on your big day,” she brought her dog. Then, when I had the coordinators track her down to help me go to the bathroom (in my big white dress), she went to our suite and cleaned it, which she probably thought was the best surprise. Meanwhile, I had to pee!
     She also left the wedding early and didn’t help me with my veil, as she promised.
     Doing what she wants when she wants has been her trademark behavior since high school. Instincts tell me, since we live across the country from each other, this would be an easy friendship to fade out.
     At the same time, I feel like someone’s got to be honest with her. She seems to adapt well and make casual friends easily enough. In high school, other girls used to complain about her, but I guess I was oblivious. What do you think? Let it fade quietly, or let her know what’s up?
Brandi

A Brandi, this woman did everything possible to show you how disinterested she was in your wedding, and you did everything possible not to hear it.
     When she heard, destination wedding, she might have thought, An overpriced extravaganza with Brandi as the star. When she laid down condition after condition about going on the trip to check venues, did you hear what she was not saying? “Now I have to go twice to her wedding destination. I can’t afford that, in time or in money.”
     Some people don’t want to tell you, I don’t want my vacation to be about your wedding. They may feel you haven’t given them an invitation. You’ve given them a debt. You didn’t say you offered to pay her expenses, and apparently the bachelorette party was just one more expense for her.
     The only fault we find in her is that she didn’t tell you directly. But some people would rather talk about their sex life than about money, and you shouldn’t be forced to admit your financial situation to a casual friend.
     The source of the problem is the 20 years of familiarity. Because you two go way back, she didn’t feel she could say no to you, and you kept asking.
     There is no reason to tell her off. She already told you off, only you weren’t listening.
Wayne & Tamara  

write:  Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

How Diet and Inflammation Affect Colon Cancer

 How Diet and Inflammation Affect Colon Cancer

 W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones

  It’s been said “We are what we eat,” or “garbage in garbage out.” Less catchy advice might be “Eat an anti-inflammatory diet, rather than a pro-inflammatory one.” It could make the difference in the likelihood of developing a malignancy of the large bowel. Not many people realize that if you take away skin cancers, colon cancer is the third most common malignancy in North America.
            A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Oncology, points out a strong association between chronic inflammation and the risk of colon cancer.
            Researchers at Harvard University discovered that people who had dietary patterns that triggered chronic inflammation were 32 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than those who followed a lowered inflammatory diet.
            Dr. Joel Mason, Director of the Vitamins and Carcinogenesis Laboratory, Tufts University, says, “This study adds to previous evidence that inflammation is an important factor in colon cancer and that a diet with less potential to cause inflammation can decrease the risk.” How did Harvard researchers determine what foods were associated with inflammation and what foods fought it?
            They analyzed the health and nutrition habits of 120,000 people over a 26-year period. This involved 18 food groups and tracking how they affected inflammatory markers in the blood.
Diets with the lowest level of inflammatory potential were tea, coffee, dark yellow vegetables, dark and leafy greens. In contrast, diets with the highest level of inflammation included processed meat, red meat and sugar-sweetened carbonized beverages.
            Overweight or obese males did not fare well. They were 48 percent more likely to develop cancer of the colon over the course of the study than those who consumed a low inflammatory diet. But even lean males were at higher risk, although not as much as the obese ones.
What about women? It’s strange that being overweight or obese did not increase or decrease the risk of colon malignancy in females. But in lean women who had the most pro-inflammatory diet, there was a 31 percent greater risk of colon cancer than those who consumed the least inflammatory diet. Researchers were not certain if these findings were related to hormonal changes in women.
            So, what’s the message? It pays dividends to stay active and not gain weight. This is not the first time nutritionists have told us that leafy green vegetables are more conducive to a longer life and it’s prudent to decrease the amount of red meat consumed. Hopefully it will help make everyone realize that the use of sugar sweetened beverages is not a healthy habit.
            An equally strong message remains that North Americans are needlessly dying from colon cancer due to a fear of having a colonoscopy performed.
            We know that colon cancer begins in a polyp that remains localized, providing ample time for colonoscopy and removable of this lesion. This procedure should be done regularly starting at 50 years of age or younger, and usually ending at 75 years. Discuss with your doctor whether this is the age for you to end colonoscopy.
            If several colonoscopies have been done over the years without any polyps being detected, the decision is usually to stop. The reason being that it’s unlikely one will form after the age of 75 and if it does some other event will end life long before a slow growing polyp causes trouble.
            The discomfort of colonoscopy is miniscule to the suffering of terminal colon cancer. For those dead set against the procedure, stool card tests done at home are an option. So, never, never, fall into the trap of skipping these life-saving tests.  

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The Political Crystal Ball

 

The Political Crystal Ball
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

 How else do you explain it if not to assume they use a crystal ball and consult the same guy that is responsible for setting out what people should pay in fines for the many vehicular infractions.
   Number out of a hat perhaps.  No I still like my assumption of a crystal ball of sort.... cause you are never going to sell me on the fact that there is any science involved in irrational mentalities.
   Men and women that have no medical training yet had the fortunate opportunity to be elected to a position that they clearly have no clue what they are doing.
    With all due respect.  You can’t blame he or her that pulls the trigger.  We got to blame all of us that put the gun in their hands to begin.  If we use the analogy of a gun...   Remember guns do not kill people.  People kill people.
Just this week our beloved politicians once again have gone public and attempted to tell us how to live our lives.
The report read:  What you can do and when under Ontario’s new 3-phase COVID-19 reopening plan
The Ontario government has unveiled a three-phase COVID-19 reopening plan that will gradually guide the province as it emerges from a weeks-long stay-at-home order imposed on all regions.
Premier Doug Ford, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams revealed the long-awaited blueprint at Queen’s Park Thursday afternoon.  (Have the three amigos not learned from the last time they opened to fast?   Just because numbers are dropping a bit.  It does not mean to take a leap backwards again.   How long are these politicians going to tug at the same old yo-yo?)
Before the first phase begins, the Ontario government will permit outdoor recreational amenities (restrictions will be in place) to reopen as of 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. (how did the government come to that time and date?  Random science?  Calculations based on the same principles as just ‘DO IT’ and vaccinate without giving it enough time to see the actual side effects?)
Phase one will begin as soon as 60 per cent of all eligible Ontario residents have received their first of two COVID-19 vaccine doses, which is estimated to begin around June 14 based on trends seen in mid-May. This phase is primarily focused on resuming outdoor activities where there are small crowds.
Here are the highlights of what’s allowed under the first phase:
– Outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people
– Patios with up to four people at each table
– Retail will begin reopening with a 15-per-cent cap for non-essential businesses, 25 per cent for essential retail
– Outdoor religious ceremonies and rite with capacity limits and two-metre physical distancing requirements
– Outdoor sports and training for up to 10 people allowed
– Day camps, campgrounds, Ontario Parks, horse racing, speedways, outdoor pools, zoos, splash pads allowed.  (How do they come up with these numbers?  What science has gone in these  calculations.  How do they justify their plan.  10 people, 15 people, 20 people a million.  They go as far as telling us that retail will open... What do the 3 amigos know about retail?  About health? What study was conducted by the chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams.  Or is it just another foretelling of the magic crystal ball?   Hell they are even experts in recreation.  Day camps, campgrounds, Ontario Parks.   I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer.   But for xmas I want my own magic crystal ball.)
A minimum of three weeks will need to pass and 70 per cent of all eligible Ontario residents will need to have their first COVID-19 vaccine dose and 20 per cent of residents will need to have the required two doses. At that point, here’s what else will be allowed:
– Outdoor gatherings for up to 25 people, indoor gatherings for up to 5 people
– Outdoor patio tables will be able to have up to six people
– Non-essential retail capacity will be increased to 25 per cent
– Personal care settings with face masks worn at all times
– Outdoor meeting and event spaces, amusement parks, water parks, boat tours, county fairs, sports leagues and events, cinemas and arts venues will be allowed to reopen
Story continues below advertisement.  (Dorothy said another three weeks.... why not four or five or hell ten.  Could they have got this advice from the same guy that sets fines for auto drivers?   No seat belt 200.  Speeding over the limit $200.  Random numbers thrown out to make it look like their is any validity or significance.   I call on the government to prove their so called path to insanity.  All I see is hit and misses and yet another huge wave.  Vaccination or not.  We are being led right into another suicide mission for many.)
After another three-week minimum period, along with up to 80 per cent of residents receiving their first vaccine dose and 25 per cent receiving their second dose, more indoor activities will be allowed where masks can’t always be worn. Here’s what can operate under phase three:
– Large indoor, outdoor gatherings and indoor dining
– Greater expansion of capacity for retail businesses
– Larger indoor religious services, rites and ceremonies
– Indoor meeting, event spaces
– Indoor sports, recreational facilities
– Indoor seated events, attractions, cultural amenities
– Casinos and bingo halls
– Other outdoor phase two activities will be allowed to operate indoors
At the end of each phase, health system indicators will be reviewed before moving to the next step.
You got to laugh at the last part of the news release.    After another three-weeks minimum period.   Like really.  Dorothy stop clicking your heels we are far from Kansas.   The release it read like a school boys essay.  At the beginning attempting to rationalize something he clearly has failed to do his research to the middle where he attempts to rationalize it by the element of chance and at the end with clear wishful thinking.
Casinos and bingo halls....  Other outdoor phase two activities will be allowed to operate indoors.  
Some scientific explanation.  Some well out thought plan.  To me it reads like.  We need to do something and something is better than nothing.   They say you find everything in  nothing and nothing in everything.   The three amigos have done a great job in bringing to light that philosophy.  
We live in changing times.   We are living through a huge social transformation that could in theory be the end of democracy and in turn the end of civilization. I don’t have a crystal ball.
I have for humanity that we awaken before it is to late.