Dollars and Sense

 

Dollars and Sense

Q What advice would you have for a retired couple who twice came to the financial aid of their adult son? The first time he was laid off and unable to make payments. The second time he racked up another bill, could not make payments, and came to us after a court date was announced. He is married with three children. I would never have thought he would take money and just stop making payments, after making just two. This situation has totally wrecked our relationship. Now we don’t speak or communicate at all. Because we trusted him 100%, the loan was done with no more than a handshake and a promise of regular payments each month. The money amounts to a little over $12,000, and we can make it either way. It’s more that he has broken his word to us. That hurts more than the money. I have a feeling he has more bills and the biggest problem is his wife. For some reason, she never warmed up to us. I will put it this way. Several times since they married there have been run-ins, most often because of something taken wrong in a conversation. But we have never intentionally said or done anything to cause distress or harm. If something could be taken wrong, that’s how she takes it.

The last time I spoke to my son, he thought his wife was making monthly $250.00 payments to us, and I had to inform him it was simply not true. I made him promise to speak with his wife and call me back. I have not heard from him since. We are far from perfect, but we always try to do what is right. If I ever get to the point when I feel there is nothing to lose, I might take him to small claims court. I don’t believe he is happy about this situation. He twice needed money, and both times we were there for him. He also knows that both times he gave his word to make good on the debt. I guess he will have to live with that every time he looks in the mirror. Most of all, I hate not seeing our grandson, and I fear that isn’t going to change. I’m sorry for dumping my troubles on your lap. Royce

A Royce, an old nursery rhyme says, “Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater had a wife but couldn’t keep her.” Your son may have a wife he can’t keep because he doesn’t have enough money to satisfy her. But he wants to keep her, even to the point of damaging his relationship with you.

He thought she was making payments to you, but she wasn’t. Our surmise is that your son is in worse financial shape than you know.

Perhaps his wife’s dream of white picket fences must be fulfilled without regard to their income. Perhaps she handles the money in order to conceal things from her husband. Perhaps she causes problems because she is the problem. Our suggestion is this. Do not go to court. You don’t want to alienate your son. Also, don’t lend him any more money. We suspect your son didn’t call you back because there was nothing he could say. “We don’t have the money. My wife lied to me. I don’t know what to do.” But he can’t make himself say that. He may be too embarrassed to talk to you because he finds the problem insoluble.

For now, leave the ball in his court. Behave normally. Send the normal birthday cards and gifts. Make customary plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Remain open so that he can come to you in every way but financially, and cut your losses at $12,000. If they go into bankruptcy, they go into bankruptcy. Some parents lose a son to illness, some to an accident, some to a wife. Growing up it appears you had a good relationship with your son. Now he must grow up a little more and learn to deal with money, and his wife, in a realistic way. The wisest course is to be open to him, if and when he comes to understand that.

Wayne & Tamara write: Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Your Cover Letter's Third Paragraph Getting the Reader to Act

 Your Cover Letter's
Third Paragraph  
Getting the Reader to Act
By Nick Kossovan
 If you don't ask, you don't get.
  In the 1992 movie Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin's character, Blake, gives a shape-up or ship-out speech to a group of real estate salesmen. He turns over a blackboard on which two sets of letters are written. One set of letters is "ABC." Blake then shouts, "A-B-C. A, always; B, be; C, closing. Always be closing! Always be closing!"
To shorten your job search, envision you're looking for your next client. Finding your next client is a sales process; therefore, you need to A-B-C. When you're in A-B-C mode, you move through an employer's hiring process much faster than passive job seekers.
A-B-C isn't only for when you're at the interview stage, intending to close the deal (obtaining a job offer). To get your network to inform you of job opportunities, get past gatekeepers, and especially to get that covenant interview, you need to A-B-C, which is why your cover letter's last paragraph needs to be a call to action.
Here are 3 examples:
With my 15+ years of sales management experience, I know I can quickly get up to speed as ACME Inc.'s next Sales Director. I'd welcome the opportunity to speak with you regarding my qualifications. Next Wednesday, I'll reach out to schedule a call to discuss my thoughts on who to raise ACME Inc.'s ROI by 25% before year-end. I look forward to speaking with you.
I'm inspired by Callister Inc's success in supporting homegrown businesses. I have several ideas for marketing strategies to increase profitability among your customer base and how I can grow your reach. I look forward to the opportunity to share my thoughts with you.
I'm looking forward to discussing my skills and my 10+ years of international hotel management experience. I've several suggestions I'd like to pass by you on how Grand Budapest Hotel can increase its occupancy rate, a challenge all hotels face during the current pandemic. Please contact me at (555) 916-225-5887 or mary.smitters@hotel.com any time. I'll be in touch next Friday to follow up.
Your closing paragraph needs to:
-Be decisive. Decisiveness projects confidence, which is not to be confused with arrogance. Confidence is a massive turn-on with employers. Before the hiring manager can feel (hiring comes down to gut feel) you can do the job, they need to feel that you feel you can do the job.
-Write to what you can do for the employer, not what they can do for you.
-Offer a teaser. To use another movie analogy, think of Marlon Brando's words in The Godfather, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." This sets the foundation for what'll be discussed and therefore puts you in the driver's seat.
-Mention you'll follow up. (Then DO IT!)
The last point is a job search game-changer. Many career experts claim following up is overly aggressive. The way I see it, not following up makes you passive, which is a form of being lazy. I'm repeating myself; employers don't hire lazy.
There's been a few instances where I've been overwhelmed with resumes. Those who called me almost always got an interview. I can recall three times where I hired the person based on a "follow-up" phone conversation.
A few weeks back, a Regional Sales Director for a large pharmaceutical company told me when hiring a sales representative, he only grants interviews to those who follow up. This makes sense since sales success requires being comfortable making calls.
Bottom-line: Following up by phone will set you apart from your competition.
Of course, if the job posting says "No phone calls please.", which is uncommon, you need to respect such instruction.
Regarding signing off, use any of the following:
-Sincerely
-Best regards
-Sincere regards
-Yours truly
-Respectfully
As I've mentioned in an earlier column, there's no universal hiring methodology. Don't stress over small details, such as how to sign off. Throughout your search, focus on communicating how you're able to bring results (value). Such focus will have you A-B-C.
If you're wondering what the other set of letters Blake had written on the blackboard, they were AIDA - Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. This is what your cover letter needs to do.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

How Accurate Is Your Blood Pressure Reading?

 How Accurate Is Your Blood Pressure Reading?

 W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones
  Having your blood pressure taken during an annual checkup is always part of the routine. In fact, compared to CT scans and MRI procedures used to detect complex problems, most people don’t give blood pressure readings much thought. As long as the doctor reports normal readings, there’s no reason for concern. But have you ever wondered if your blood pressure reading is accurate?
Multiple studies have shown that 15 to 30 percent of those who have elevated blood pressure in a doctor’s office or other health care setting have normal blood pressure when checked at home. It is not shocking news. You must be a pretty cool patient not to be somewhat uptight in medical offices. There is always the concern the doctor will have bad news.
What may be a surprise is that there are 19 requirements to obtain a true blood pressure reading! How many of these measures are followed in a busy doctor’s office?

For instance, patients are required to sit for five minutes before a blood pressure reading is taken with back supported and feet flat on the ground. This means that perching on an examining table with feet dangling is a no, no. So is crossing your legs. Never place the cuff over clothing. And at least two measurements should be taken during the visit, with the average being recorded.

Patients should also relax and breath normally. Smoking before the test, consuming caffeine, or exercising all forbidden before a blood pressure reading. And it you are on hypertensive medication, don’t take it just before the visit to the doctor’s office.
Another important no-no which you may not have considered is that blood pressure must not be taken when you have a full bladder. So, have the courage to say, “Doctor, before you take my blood pressure, could you wait for a few minutes so I can use the bathroom?”

What about the blood pressure cuff? A cuff that is too small or large can cause an unreliable reading. So can a cuff that is too tight or not tight enough. Your arm should be resting on a table roughly the height of your heart while blood pressure is being taken. A series of readings over time are more accurate if taken at the same time of the day in a similar context.

Do you still have blind confidence in your blood pressure readings? If you have been prescribed blood pressure medication, do you need it? Or was the diagnosis the result of “white-coat hypertension”?
If these basic blood pressure requirements are not filled during a medical examination, patients left with a quandary. It requires a strong personality to say to the nurse or doctor, “I’m worried this may be not an accurate blood pressure reading because you failed to follow the standard procedures.” It’s not the best way to engender good relations between doctor and patient. So, what else can be done?

For anyone taking blood pressure drugs, it’s prudent to purchase an automatic digital blood pressure monitor. These are more accurate than the traditional manual devices used in offices that require a squeeze of the rubber bulb to inflate the cuff. All you have to do with a digital device is to wrap the cuff around the arm, push the button to inflate the cuff, and in a few moments, you have the result.

Now it’s easy to say, “Doctor my digital cuff says my blood pressure is consistently 130/80 when I am at home. Maybe I just have white coat hypertension.”

For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com.
Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones
Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.

Our 2021 Civic Holiday

 

Our 2021 Civic Holiday
    by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
   As we are approaching our Civic Holiday on August the 2nd let us think for a moment of relief from the pandemic blues. Let us celebrate with our family and friends in this beautiful but short Canadian summer. Let us be optimistic about our future.
The Civic Holiday is not a statutory holiday although it's a day off for many employees across the country. The Civic Holiday is commonly referred to as the August long weekend. It is probably the busiest day on highways as tens of thousands of families go camping and to cottages on that weekend.
So let us see a little bit of history of the Civic Holiday in Ontario. The origins of a holiday on the first Monday in August appear to date back to 1869 when Toronto City Council organized the first "day of recreation."
In Ontario, the first Monday of August is technically a municipal holiday, as it is not designated as an official statutory holiday by provincial legislation even thought various private member's bills have been introduced in the Ontario Legislature attempting to make it official, but none has passed to date.
As such, the holiday takes on different names and celebrates different subjects according to municipality. Many Ontario municipalities have chosen to honour a significant local person or organization in order to localize the celebration; when not given a local name (such as in Mississauga), the day is often generically referred to as "Civic Holiday" or "August Civic Holiday".
In 2008, the Ontario Legislature passed a law identifying the first of August as "Emancipation Day", as the British Parliament abolished slavery in the British Empire as of August 1, 1834. It still does not make it an official holiday, however.
The Civic Holiday is now known by one of a number of local appellations, including, among others:
-"Founders' Day" in Brantford (named in 1982): each year, the Brantford Heritage Committee submits a report to City Council with the name or organization that is to be recognized on that day.
-"Joseph Brant Day" in Burlington (): celebrating Joseph Brant, the Mohawk Chief who became known for his treaty negotiations and loyalty to the British.
-"James Cockburn Day" in Cobourg (1999): celebrating James Cockburn, one of the "fathers of Confederation".
-"John Galt Day" in Guelph (2006): celebrating John Galt, the Scottish novelist and businessman who founded the city.
-"George Hamilton Day" in Hamilton: celebrating George Hamilton, the eponymous founder of the city.
-"McLaughlin Day" in Oshawa (1983): celebrating Robert Samuel McLaughlin, who brought General Motors to Oshawa.
-"Colonel By Day" in Ottawa (1996): celebrating Colonel John By, who led the construction of the Rideau Canal and founded Bytown, which became the city of Ottawa.
-"Peter Robinson Day" in Peterborough: celebrating Peter Robinson
-"Alexander Mackenzie Day" in Sarnia (1998): celebrating Alexander Mackenzie, the 2nd Prime Minister of Canada.
-"Simcoe Day" in Toronto: celebrating John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada and the leading proponent of the Act Against Slavery.
-"Benjamin Vaughan Day" in Vaughan: celebrating the eponymous Benjamin Vaughan
Here in Durham Region in Oshawa let's have a look at who  Robert Samuel McLaughlin was.
Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin, CC ED CD (September 8, 1871 - January 6, 1972) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He started the McLaughlin Motor Car Company in 1907, one of the first major automobile manufacturers in Canada, which evolved into General Motors of Canada.
McLaughlin was born in Enniskillen, near Bowmanville Ontario, to Robert McLaughlin and Mary Smith. As a young man, he worked briefly in a local hardware store, then in 1887 became an apprentice in his father's company, McLaughlin Carriage Works, which had opened in 1867. At one time it was the largest manufacturer of horse-drawn buggies and sleighs in the British Empire.
In 1892, McLaughlin and his brother George become junior partners in their father's company.  In 1898, he married Adelaide Mowbray.
He started producing the McLaughlin-Buick Model F with engines bought from William C. Durant of Buick, incorporating the McLaughlin Motor Car Company on November 20, 1907. In its first full year of operation, 1908, it produced 154 cars. By 1910 he was a director of General Motors. He sold his Chevrolet company stock in 1918, becoming president of General Motors of Canada, which continued to sell cars under the McLaughlin-Buick brand until 1942.
Though he retired in 1945, he remained chairman of the board until his death and remained on the board of General Motors until the early 1960s. He was replaced by Royal Bank of Canada president Earle McLaughlin, his first cousin once removed.
His older brother, chemist John J. McLaughlin (1865-1914), founded the Canada Dry company. After his brother's death in 1914, McLaughlin became president of this company until it was sold around 1923. The longest continuously-serving colonel in the history of the Canadian Forces, McLaughlin was appointed as honorary lieutenant-colonel of the 34th Ontario Regiment (1921 - 1931), when he was appointed as honorary colonel of the same unit, later designated as The Ontario Regiment (RCAC), a reserve armored regiment based in Oshawa. Affectionately known as "Colonel Sam", McLaughlin served as honorary colonel until 1967.
In 1967, McLaughlin was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada.
A great Canadian, McLaughlin made a lot of charitable contributions.
In 1951, he established the McLaughlin Foundation which, donated nearly $200 million between 1953 and 2003 to the University of Toronto and other educational causes, including the McLaughlin Planetarium at the Royal Ontario Museum.
At Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, the university's Mechanical Engineering Department is housed in McLaughlin Hall, his donation in 1948. McLaughlin Hall in Queen's University's John Deutsch University Centre is also named for him. Queen's honored his wife, Adelaide McLaughlin, in 1957, by naming the women's residence Adelaide Hall.
In 1947 McLaughlin and his wife donated land for "Camp Samac", a Boy Scout camp on the outskirts of Oshawa.
McLaughlin donated $1 million to the 1968 library building at the University of Guelph, which bears his name.
He provided partial funding to build McLaughlin College at York University in Toronto, opened in 1968. In recognition for his contributions to St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario, McLaughlin Hall is named after him, which he unveiled in 1971 at the age of 99.
He endowed the Regimental Foundation of the Ontario Regiment (RCAC) and quietly paid the salaries of some of the regiment's soldiers during times of severely curtailed government funding. McLaughlin House at the Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific also bears his name.
He gave generously to the art community, donating paintings from his personal collection. Among other gifts, he gave Lawren Harris`s Pic Island, Arthur Lismer`s Bright Land, and Emily Carr`s Old Tree at Dusk to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg.
So get ready to celebrate but remember that here in Durham region in Oshawa, we have history to tell. Have a safe celebration.

CAN WE AFFORD TO GIVE AWAY 17.7 MILLION?

 

CAN WE AFFORD TO GIVE AWAY
17.7 MILLION?
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

    I don’t know about you.   But I keep seeing and hearing of all the people undergoing economic hardships across the region.  Stores keep closing, people keep loosing jobs, mortgages and hope.  
  It seems as the gloom and doom cloud can’t be shaken.   On top of that we could be yet be facing another wave of the Delta variance.
How much more can the people of Canada take.   I must admit that the Federal government has been quick to respond by extending numerous plans to assure everyone in need gets some sort of assistance.
Sadly many people I talk to do not know that they are entitled to apply or for that matter even know how to.
Others get entangled in red tape only to become discouraged and given up.
This week a news item came across my desk.  It read:  Canada donating 17.7M AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines amid global disparities.
Canada continues to rapidly ramp up vaccinations against COVID-19 but there remain stark inequities in vaccine access globally, the WHO has warned.
  Now don’t get me wrong.  Nothing wrong with being generous and giving.... but should we not be thinking about our people first?
We have a record number of homeless people walking our streets.  We have a record number of people loosing their homes, jobs.   Should we not invest that money in our people?
I know the cry.  The government is doing all they can to assure people do not go without.
I can respect that.  My question is then why the need to give away 17.7 million that could go as a top up to those in need?
This covid thing is not over.  The number are being managed but the threat is still very real.   
I must acknowledge that in th covid model it appears that we found a magic bullet with possible two outcomes.  On the one.  It appears to have an impact on the spread of the virus.  On the other we are yet to uncover the true and real side ramifications of all jumping in front of the silver bullet.
 Will it hit its mark or will it end up killing us.   Did we just prolonged life only to come to realize that the cure is worst than the infection.
The theorist amongst us are already ramping up all kinds of things from the coincidence of the G5 network implemented across north America at the same time as everyone is being forced through fear of illness to vaccinate with nano-tech activator as inhibitors.   The reality of it is.  That we need to assure we Canadians lives quality of life is preserved and that before we give away any money in the name of charity or humanity to other nations, that we Canadians are taken care.

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.

Challenging times for Canada's democracy

 Challenging times for Canada's democracy
    by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
  The latest accelerating events connected to the residential school generated crisis, amplified by toppling and destroying statues of historical figures and the churches burned down represent a new trend on the political landscape of Canada. All these atrocities are happening with the political establishment closing their eyes to recent events and the total absence of law enforcement.  How is democracy served or protected by the selective application of democratic rights already curtailed by the erratically established Covid -19 pandemic legislation?
Our nationhood is under threat by recent events. Instead of uniting the nation the political establishment is dividing it in pursuit of selfish and power hungry personal interests. They are interested only in keeping power at all costs.
The globalist declaration of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that: "Canada has no core identity" is already infamous.   
As a reaction of this declaration many of the political establishment found it imaginative, evocative, even dangerous.  It was, in effect, telling the world that the Canada everyone thought they knew was going through a transformation. What kind of transformation is the big question.
It's clear we are in a dangerous moment, one where a new direction is entirely possible under a reincarnation of newly found Marxist values and where going back to learning from the past seems unacceptable.  
Trudeau informed the New York Times that this "new" country is no longer defined by our history or European national origins but by a "pan-cultural heritage," he ran the risk of overlooking much of what made this country one of the most respected in the world and the results were seen recently in events that rapidly evolved in a divided nation.
We might be heading in a new direction, but where we have come from, despite our many failures, has helped prepare us to preserve a society for inclusion and respect for our fellow Canadians.
We have been more open than closed and more accommodating than militant and the world noticed and respected it.
Recently the term "identity" has morphed into numerous meanings, including "identity politics," and the outcome is more dangerous and dividing than tried to be defined.  
The ideals that once held this country together are now under increased threat.  It's not wrong or unpatriotic to ask how Canada will fare with so many groups seeking recognition and redress, all seeking action at the same time. Is this new identity politics going to push us past the national breaking point?
The main political parties in Canada, with the exception of the emerging Peoples Party of Canada, seem to embrace this dangerous threat to democracy. There is a general acknowledgement that the issues surrounding the residential schools, gender inequities, the casual acceptance of racism, even the trivial manner in which we treat the nation's poor can no longer be accepted and have tainted the very history we have come to accept.  But this does not mean that we should extirpate our history instead of learning from it.
All of these artificially amplified injustices actually give support to Trudeau's claim that Canada is now a "post-national" state, a globalist one, one seeking to transcend its history and supersede the nation-states.  But that sounds more like we are trying to run away from our history rather than accommodating these new directions with our abiding long applied resiliencies.
Until recently, our political world was viewed as a giant struggle between the left and the right.  The left concentrated on wealth disbursal, meaningful work, equity and equality, and democratic reform.  The right rallied around smaller government, fewer restrictions in the marketplace and moral rigour in decision-making.
Suddenly, a new concept has entered the picture, seeking to eliminate past experiences and rejecting the very foundation of this nation called Canada.
Identity is now the great pursuit of the moment and dominates the thoughts of people seeking something different, something more equal.  It makes some sense, given that all these identity-driven forces were most often ignored in our past pursuits of prosperity and respect.  
The confluence of greater indigenous experience and wisdom integrated in our future evolution can only be a good thing since they are a constituent part of our nation. Greater recognition of women's rights and proper place in the workforce is long overdue, as is the acknowledgement that the discrimination of various types that had been present in our past need not be embedded in our future.
But the fact remains that we should remain a nation a special one where we continue to live in peace and prosperity.  We have a story to tell and a world in which to tell it. Should we become a land of opposing factions seeking recognition, we can risk being motivated more by anger and pride than reason and compromise.
The Canadian experience, while never complete, can be torn apart in a time of ill motivated political ambitions. So it is time to have an intelligent political management in paying due respect from all Canadians towards each other if we are to navigate the unchartered waters ahead.
The recent identity politics is becoming more and more a disturbing and manipulative element in a democracy with its competing ideas.  It remains every group's right to seek equal recognition for the groups that have been neglected in our history. However great care must be taken that such a desire not morph into a sense of superiority and ruin the democratic pursuit of our nation.
Democracy has been improved and enhanced the more egalitarian it became which required those in privilege and power to open the access to such things to the marginalized.  But it can become toxic when those seeking inclusion then seek power to delegitimize the state.
So for of the potential challenges we live at this moment in time and, if we are not paying attention as citizens, it can quickly become one of the most dangerous moments in our country's journey, where our hegemony declines and our divisions rule our actions.
What do you think?

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
Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones

REMEMBER WHEN

 

REMEMBER WHEN

By Joe Ingino

Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”

Remember when national pride stood for something? Today national pride may have you label with some sort of neurosis according to the over opinionated politico/socio correct entities in society.

Remember when you could drive in a gas station and up to two attendants would come over to service your car. One would put in the gas, the other check your oil and offer you coffee or tea. In many cases they be wearing overalls and a tie. They took pride in their work. To be a gas station attendant had some prestige. How about the days when you would go from gas station to gas station collecting the many free glasses and mugs they would offer with a fill up in the 60’s and 70’s.

What has happened that in today’s modern society. We have to pre-pay a person hiding behind a bullet proof plastic box.

Remember the days when water was free, or we thought as the cost would come out of your property tax. Until someone decided came up with the bright idea that in order to save money we should amalgamate with the region. The region turns around and cries wolf. This creating another sub tax for citizens to pay in the name of convenience and long term savings.... in reality. The Region was the seed that grew an out of control cash monster.

Look at what you pay for property taxes on your property. Then ad up all your regional bills. Water and sewage. You are paying two hefty taxes across Durham region.

The biggest mistake Oshawa has committed due to incompetent municipal elect is join Durham Region. Oshawa always the hated municipality due to it’s ignorance over the fact that they thought they could rule other municipalities out of sheer size. Smaller municipalities had no choice but to abide by whatever Oshawa wanted. Oshawa had the biggest industry. The bigger tax pool and the only City.

Well slowly inch by inch the neighboring municipalities brought Oshawa down to size by slowly imposing further and further charges.This was due to Oshawa constant surrendering of it’s essential services. Municipal elect time and time again kept getting and are still getting suckered into the thought that the region is good for Oshawa. To me the region is chocking Oshawa. Oshawa no longer has GM. The new folk moving into the area have no clue. Today the region has control over Oshawa. For Oshawa to pull away from the region it would be costly at first. A political nightmare for anyone attempting it. As it stand we have no real municipal representation. Those elected do not have the aptitude to make the changes needed. Let me ask you this. What has really changed since the last election. Our downtown is worst then it ever was. We still have no real good paying jobs. I wish I could remember when. As back in those days. We had national pride. We had true leadership. Can you remember when...

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!

Don't Underestimate What Your Cover Letter Can Do

  Don't Underestimate What Your Cover Letter Can Do
By Nick Kossovan
Hopefully, you've been reading this column religiously. If you've been implementing my suggestions, you'll now have a stellar resume and LinkedIn profile. Congratulations, you're almost ready to conduct a serious job search. Yes, I said "almost."
With fingers-crossed, hoping the answer will be "No," every job seeker asks: Is a cover letter necessary?
Do hiring managers read cover letters in 2021? Not all of them, but many, such as I, still do.
Whether the hiring manager reads your cover letter shouldn't be your focus. Your focus should be, why take a chance? In previous columns, I've mentioned there's no universal hiring methodology; thus, there's no hard rule a cover letter is essential; however, why wouldn't you want to give yourself every competitive advantage possible?
A cover letter will never be held against you by a hiring manager who doesn't read them, but for those who do, not having a cover letter can mean your resume will not be read. As much as possible, throughout your job search, you want to stack the odds in your favour of getting a "yes" to move forward in the hiring process.

A cover letter is non-negotiable if:
- the job posting instructs applicants to include a cover letter with their resume (Many job seekers will still apply without a cover letter.),
- if you're applying directly to a particular person whose name you know, or
- if someone has referred you for the position.
Cover letters have one job-to get the reader to read your resume. Suppose your resume's recipient doesn't know you (a likely case). Why should they read your resume over the hundreds of other resumes they receive, many accompanied with a cover letter?
I read cover letters to assess your writing skills, a skill I value highly, and how well you can sell yourself-it's a critical component of my decision-making process. Call me old school, but I view not having a professionally written cover letter accompanying your resume as being lazy. I don't hire lazy, and I don't know any hiring manager who does.
The power of a cover letter is such that it's worth noting there've been several times where I've granted an interview based on the candidate's cover letter, even though their resume was far from impressive. Yes, a cover letter can make up for flaws in your resume.
Most importantly, use your cover letter to tell me something that isn't on your resume that'll help me decide you're worth my time to interview-convince me!
How do you make your cover letter convince the reader to call you in for the interview? First, grab them at "Hello." Next, draw them into your professional story, making sure you're coming across as a solid "Yes" to each of these questions:
- Can this person do the job?
- Will this person be liked?
- Will this person fit in? (Are they "one of us"?)
Your cover letter is your first opportunity to explain your value proposition (What you're able to bring to the employer.) and therefore stand out from the many other candidates just as qualified as you. It's also your chance to explain the reason(s) for any gaps in your employment and what you've been doing during the gap(s).

There are 5 parts to a cover letter:
1.Header (your contact information)
2.Greeting the hiring manager
3.First paragraph (introduction) - Grab the reader's attention with 2 - 3 of your top achievements.
4.    Second paragraph (sales pitch) - Persuade why you're the right candidate for the job.
5.    Third paragraph (closing, call to action)
TIP: When writing your cover letter, get into a headspace of writing to provide the reader with a sense of who you're going to be should they meet you (presuming you're invited in for an interview). Don't be afraid to convey your personality; it's your most straightforward high yielding approach to standing out from your competition.
Next week I'll be covering the first two parts (header, greeting the hiring manager) of crafting a cover letter that'll get the reader to read your resume. In subsequent columns, I'll discuss how to write the first, second and third paragraphs. Yes, there'll be plenty of examples.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

PAY, PAY, PAY OR WE CUT YOU OFF

 

PAY, PAY, PAY OR WE CUT YOU OFF
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

    In an age of anti bullying, fairness, equality and the championing of rights and freedoms.    We surely have become ignorant of our realities.   For the longest time we have been paying through our nose for things like convenience, customer service and many more things that are presented as good for us the consumers when in reality they are in the best interest of the supplier.
When was the last time you took a look at one of your utility bills?  Have you noticed all the extra charges... and for what.?
Look at this natural gas bill for example:
Customer Charge $21.48 - CUSTOMER CHARGE!!!  WHAT IS THIS CHARGE FOR?  BEING A CUSTOMER.  SHOULD THIS CHARGE BE ON OUR BILL?
Delivery to You $33.25  DELIVERY TO (YOU) REALLY... IT COSTS $33.25 TO SEND ME YOUR PRODUCT OVER A PIPE THAT HAS BEEN IN THE GROUND FOR THE PAST 100 YEARS.   HOW DO THEY CALCULATE THIS DELIVERY COST?  THIS IN MY OPINION IS NOTHING BUT A MONEY GRAB.
Transportation to Enbridge $13.96  TO AD INSULT TO INJURY THE GAS COMPANY HAS THE BALLS TO CHARGE  YOU A TRANSPORTATION FEE TO ENBRIDGE.... LIKE REALLY... WE PAY TWO DELIVERY FEES FOR THE USE OF THE SAME PIPE.
Federal Carbon Charge $20.02  WOW... $20.02 FOR A GHOST TAX.  WE PAY MORE FOR THE CARBON TAX THAN THE ACTUAL USAGE OF THE GAS.
Gas Supply Charges $35.87  TECHNICALLY THIS IS THE ONLY AMOUNT THE CONSUMER SHOULD BE PAYING.... ALL THE OTHERS ARE NOTHING BUT LEGALIZED THEFT.
Cost Adjustment ($4.15)  GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT THE ADJUSTMENT IS FOR.
Charges for Natural Gas $120.43    ON A $35.87 ACTUAL USAGE YOU PAY $100 MORE FOR ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
HST $15.66Total Charges for Natural Gas $136.09   REALLY.... IT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE GETS A PIECE OF THE PIE.
No wonder these companies make billions a year.   No wonder they have staff and new vehicles every other year.  No wonder they can look down at the ratepayers and threaten them with disconnection.  The utility companies hold you hostage with your own money.
   In this modern society we are raising people to follow and not to question.  Conformity is the norm.  You oppose you loose.  Companies are taking advantage of this and making millions in charges that they have no right to charge consumers.  Consumers have no choice but to pay.  How can we ever achieve equality when within our social systems so much goes unnoticed.  So many injustices, justified and so much wrong allowed?

Victimizing Canadian Retirees and Citizens living and working abroad

 

Victimizing Canadian Retirees and Citizens living and
working abroad
    by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
   After mismanaging the Covid-19 pandemic so disastrously the Federal Government is still using the pandemic as an excuse to subject Canadians to medieval disease management strategies by locking down our borders for most international travel since February of this year.
Locking down when the rest of the developed world is getting the pandemic under control and is opening up, demonstrates just how ineffectively our leaders have managed. Closing the barn door when the horses have already left the barn is the saying that seems most appropriate.
The Federal Government, supported and advised by government scientist(?) - more like political lapdogs than independent and incorruptible thinkers - labelled as racist, any suggestion to close the border at the beginning of the crisis, when the pandemic was brewing in China.
After the virus arrived on our shores and was spreading rapidly in Canadian communities, excuse after excuse was made, spinning public fear and uncertainty round and round. Then came the brilliant suggestion that closing the border for non essential travel and discouraging Canadians from travelling abroad would keep out the infection that had already been allowed to penetrate and fester.
Defining non essential travel very loosely and allowing numerous exceptions resulted in roughly 40 per cent of arrivals from abroad entering Canada without screening or the requirement to enter quarantine. Is it any wonder that more variants appeared and the number of infections increased drastically?  Someone finally woke up in a woke culture sort of way and decided that now was the time to clamp down on border rules. They then started forcing returning Canadians to stay in Government designated hotels, paying excessive amounts of money for a purported three day stay in prison-like conditions, even if their COVID tests come back negative after one day and they go home to complete their unnecessary quarantine.
The people hardest hit by these draconian rules were Canadian retirees. The snow birds who, after a lifetime of working to build Canada, were finally taking the time to enjoy the sun during the harsh Canadian winter months, mostly in the United States, in Florida.
As the United States accelerated Covid-19 vaccinations, fully vaccinating a high percentage of their people as well as many Canadians, Canada fell drastically behind.  Canada's pace of vaccinations was erratic and slow, both due to lack of supply and dysfunctionality in administration by the provinces.  Furthermore, the Canadian Government has behaved irrationally in refusing to recognize that fully vaccinated returning Canadians pose no danger to the local population.  In other parts of the world, fully vaccinated individuals don't even have to wear masks. Oblivious to all, they continue to apply their draconian rules when the World around Canada is opening at an accelerated pace.
Never mind that while they ruminate in their ivory towers their delusional views are destroying the economy of this country.  The tourist industry has particularly suffered, now being held in a strangle hold for the second summer in a row.  At this rate it will take years to recover from the early grave the industry has been relegated to.
Some among the thousands of affected retirees are expressing frustration over having to undergo the federally mandated hotel quarantine - even after getting fully vaccinated with one of the Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines.  Is this a ploy by the Federal government to attempt to rescue the struggling hotel industry? The quarantine measures, which went into effect in late February, include additional PCR tests for those flying back once they arrive.  Remember, they already tested negative to be allowed to board the plane. And then there is the $2,000 per person surcharge, paid out of pocket, for the pleasure of being herded to an undisclosed location where you are confined to your room with limited access to food and water, and no ability to communicate with the outside world until released. The reason for the restrictions - at least according to Health Canada and several self-appointed immunology experts - is that while vaccines are effective at preventing severe illness in those who have contracted the disease, it still isn't clear whether being vaccinated prevents a person from spreading the virus.
Dithering over their initial failures to act in a timely fashion, these same ineffectual policy makers now stick to their mediaeval solutions, generating furor at the federal government's mandate among Canadians returning from popular warm destinations.
"All of us snowbirds returning to Canada will be fully vaccinated, thanks to the U.S. giving us the vaccine. And yet you still want us to hotel quarantine when we could more safely quarantine at home," wrote one snowbird.
In previous interviews with Global News, Canadian snowbirds also expressed frustration over the strict measures, saying that they shouldn't be forced into hotel quarantine with other incoming non vaccinated travelers.  
Since people were able to get the vaccine abroad, they should at least be able to quarantine at home instead of having to pay for three super expensive days at a hotel.
Ignoring the vaccination status of returning Canadians also results in incorrect statistics when reporting the number of vaccinated Canadians.  Doesn't that bother anyone who might be in a position to change the rules?  Perhaps not.  After all, as Churchill once said, 'there are lies, there are damned lies, and then there are statistics'.
The Canadian Snowbirds Association (CSA) voiced discontent over the forced hotel quarantine measures as well. "To force Canadian citizens to pay over $2,000 for three nights of accommodation in a government-approved hotel is unreasonable and will be a financial hardship for many," wrote CSA President Karen Huestis in Feb. 1 letter to Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra. While the CSA is supportive of point of entry testing for COVID-19 at all Canadian airports and land crossings, they are firmly opposed to the mandatory hotel quarantine measure imposed by the federal government.
This action from the Federal Government is a clear affront to the seniors of Canada who are responsible people. They have demonstrated that by their lifetime achievements, and they should be entitled to enjoy their well deserved retirement.
Some of them went to the United States and were vaccinated in the prescribed time, unlike fellow Canadians who stayed home and are forced to wait for months to receive their second dose of a vaccine, not even sure that they will receive the same brand, or even that the vaccine they receive has not expired. These foreign vaccinated citizens are not a burden on the Canadian health system and they feel they are being treated like criminals by both the federal and provincial governments. They deserve better.
Let's not allow the limited outlook and ability of our current leaders to cast such a giant blight over their enjoyment of a well deserved retirement.

Heading Nowhere

 Direct Answers
from Wayne & Tamara

Heading Nowhere
  Q About 16 years ago, I fell in love with an elegant, well-educated, good-looking woman. We were madly in love and became a couple. I had just stepped out of a bad separation, but her divorce was even worse.
     Our relationship soon got disturbed by strange events on her side, mostly when alcohol was involved—extreme jealousy, silence, and a domineering attitude.  Sometimes she sent me away; other times I left the scene because I could not cope.  On one Christmas Eve holiday she left me at the dinner table, took a plane, and went home.
     My attempts to get her back were amazing; I even painted messages on the walls on the way to her house.  A couple of times I tried to forget her with another relationship, but after some months I missed her so much I went back.  She always received me with open arms, and we started all over again.
     Strangely, during our separations she never tried to contact me or explain her attitude.  Last year I gave it one last try, and she coldly asked me to leave.  I left heartbroken and burned my bridges, even sending her a nasty e-mail for the first time.  Since then she haunts my mind; she was the love of my life.  How can I get over this without hurting myself any longer?
Alex

A Alex, you were in an on-again, off-again relationship for 16 years. You want to focus on the on-again part, but that is not where your attention should be. You should focus on what was wrong. You should focus on the part that wasn’t there.
     In 16 years a child could go from the first day in school to a university degree.  In that same period you could have had a 16 year marriage to the right person.  But you kept going back to something which was not working, and now, because you have not found another to be with, you focus on the good times with her.
     She was with you because of her personality quirks and perhaps her alcoholism.  Without those quirks and that habit, would she have been with you at all?  If she were sober now, would she want you in her life as a reminder of her befuddled past?
     Some people can only quit a bad habit when it goes to an extreme.  They won’t watch their weight until they need to inject insulin.  They won’t quit chewing tobacco until they’ve lost part of their cheek or gum.  They are always behind, always in arrears.  Their books are always overdue.
     If you are going to have someone for the rest of your life, be open to it now.  Life never goes backwards.  It goes forward.

Wayne & Tamara                                             write:  Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Sharing a ride to health and safety

 

    Sharing a ride to health and safety

 W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones
    Sharing a ride to health and safety
  We all hope for a breakthrough in the cure for cancer. Thankfully, scientists are making progress in the fight against this and many other devastating diseases. But on occasion, an innovation well outside of the healthcare sector can make a big difference in matters of life and death. And is there one such innovation where older people are missing out?
New research shows that the introduction of ridesharing services has dramatically reduced trauma stemming from car accidents. This isn’t the first such study, but it adds to a mounting collection of studies with finding that allow for better planning and decisionmaking.
Ridesharing companies, like Uber and Lyft and another 88 or so competitors globally, have been in operation for about a decade, and the business model that depends on web applications and mobile app technology has proliferated to nearly every large city around the world.
Since the first studies were conducted to measure the impact of ride share services on human health, the results have been mixed. The great hope, of course, has been for a reduction in the incidence of drunk driving. Initial studies were inconclusive.

But with the passage of time and the growth of available data, studies from New York City to San Francisco have delved into more detailed analysis, looking not only at traffic fatalities, but also taking into account rates of tourism, access to public transportation, and timing of ride shares and alcohol related accidents.
Consumer behaviour offers another lens. Uber, the largest global company, reports that nearly 80 percent of riders claim to have avoided drinking and driving at least once thanks to the service.

What does the latest research show? A newly released study, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas and published in JAMA Surgery, used hospital trauma data, rideshare volume and impaired driving convictions to compare the 7-year period prior to Uber introduction with a comparable set of years post Uber introduction. It involved data on more than 24 million Uber rides. They found a 23.8 percent decrease in motor vehicle crash traumas. What’s most interesting is that this decrease was measured during peak trauma periods (Friday and Saturday nights).
It makes sense, as this is when the younger demographic of ride share users are heading out to socialize. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine the best calculations for city managers rapidly granting permits to transform outdoor spaces into dining patios and sidewalk bars. Promoting ride share programs will help all those with pent up enthusiasm for social drinking get home safe and sound.
But who is not benefiting from these perks of ride share programs? Research shows that older adults are uninformed about how ridesharing works. The process of hailing a ride with their smartphones presents a technological gulf that is not being addressed. In addition, research has found that they are particularly concerned about their safety with regard to unknown ride share drivers.

As a result, seniors tend to be driving their own cars or not going out – neither of which may be in their best interest.
Will the arrival of fully autonomous vehicles make the difference? Perhaps not for skittish seniors. But driverless cars will solve one of the concerns about ride share programs – distracted rideshare drivers looking at their phones for information.
As we move ever more boldly into the post-pandemic new era, wouldn’t it be nice if we could harness more innovations like ridesharing to make the world a healthier place?
Where is the next big breakthrough?
Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones

Your Education and Certificates Need to Align the Job Requirements

 

Your Education and Certificates Need to Align the Job Requirements
By Nick Kossovan
  After your professional experience, your education/certifications (verified skills) will be the next section on your resume the reader will use to judge whether you go into the "to be interviewed" pile.
Many job seekers apply to job postings knowing they don't have the education/certification requirements. They believe their "experience" will compensate. With so many highly qualified job seekers now on the job market this is rarely the case. If your education/certifications align with the job requirements, the education section of your resume will play a critical part in setting you apart from all the "spray and pray" job seekers.
Suppose a job posting for a Director of Finance lists as a qualification "Canadian Accounting Designation (CPA)." You have a university degree and 15 years of experience managing a mid-size company's finances, but no CPA-don't bother applying. Job postings generate an influx of applicants. Undoubtedly there'll be many applicants who possess a CPA applying. There's also the employer's ATS to consider, which likely has been programmed to scan for "CPA."  
Education background information you should provide:
- Degree/certification obtained
- School's name
- Location of school
- Period of attendance
- Relevant coursework
- Honors, academic recognition, extracurricular activities, or organizations participation worth mentioning
When it comes to presenting your educational background keep your ego in check. You may have impressive education background; however, it may not be impressive for the job you're vying for. Prioritize relevancy over perceived prestige.
Here's my suggestion how to present your education/certificates (there's no hard formatting rule):
BS Biomedical Science
University of Calgary, Calgary, AB - 09/1992 - 06/1996
Courses:
- Principles of Human Genetics
- Organismal Biology
- Principles and Mechanisms of Pharmacology
- Advanced Bioinformatics
PMP® Certification
Ryerson University Continuing Education, Toronto, ON - 10/2001 - 04/2003
Courses:
- Planning and Scheduling
- Leadership in Project Management
- Project Cost and Procurement Management
- Project Risk and Quality Management
As I've pointed out in previous columns- there's no universal hiring methodology. No two hiring managers assess candidates the same way. Depending on the job requirements respective employers search for different things when it comes to a candidate's education. Read the qualifications in the job posting carefully. Then present your education/credentials accordingly. Don't hesitate to add/remove courses to better tie in your education towards the job. It's for this reason I suggest you list courses, not just your degree/certification. Listing of courses is rarely done, doing so will give your resume a competitive advantage.    You'll have noticed my examples indicated start and end dates. Many "career experts" advise against this. The thinking being dates, even just the graduation year, will give employer's a sense of your age, which if your over 45 can hinder and prolong your job search. This advice is supposed to be a workaround to ageism. However, these same "career experts" unanimously agree employment dates (month/year) need to be indicated. To me, this is a mixed message.    
I believe in complete transparency from both sides of the hiring process. Full transparency ensures the likelihood of there being a solid fit for both parties. At some point, whether when the employer checks your digital footprint or interviews you, your interviewer will have a good indication of your age. Besides, not mentioning dates, which I call "obvious" information, is a red flag.
If your age is a deal-breaker with an employer, they aren't the employer for you. The job search advice I give most often: Seek employers who'll most likely accept you, where you'll feel you belong-look for your tribe. Some professions, such as finance or healthcare, require specific certifications or degrees. In such cases, show you have the necessary "must-have" (a deal-breaker if you don't) credentials by placing your education at the top of the page just below your contact information before your professional experience. One last note: Often overlooked is education in progress. If relevant, this should be included in your resume. In this case, list pertinent courses and the month/year you intend to graduate. Using suggestions in this and previous columns you are now able to create a resume that "WOWs." Next week, I'm going to begin discussing cover letters. Yes, many hiring managers, like myself, do read cover letters, which have one purpose-to give the reader a reason to read your resume. Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

OPUC LOVE LETTER

 

OPUC LOVE LETTER
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”   

       I remember the days of Gordon Burnette.  The longest standing OPUC voted chair.   During his reign at the OPUC.  The OPUC was the pride of Oshawa.  No one went without power and the man was a true  gentleman.
  Gordon was the type of person that believed in helping those he represented.  Many would come up to him and explain their financial situation and Gordon would make sure these folk would not get turned off.  He understood the value of a dollar and most importantly hardships.
Gordon and honest man to a fault.   The OPUC never ran on a deficit and every penny was accounted for.   He did not take a penny of reenumeration as any benefits he would donate back to the community.   Today’s OPUC is nothing short of sham.  A huge cash cow for the City... And yes we the people of Oshawa own the OPUC.    Under the  Diamond era... in her hate for Gordon.  She had vowed to destroy the OPUC.   Gordon and Diamond never agreed on much as Diamond was very selfish in her ways as if you did not agree with her.  You had a enemy for life.  I remember on one occasion Nancy calling Gord and old goat and Gord turn around calling her and old cow.  This sparked the first MMA type of fight half way thru a OPUC meeting.
I remember stepping in between them as Nancy at 6.5, 300lb and Gord at 5.1 barely 150lb was not going to turn out well for Gord.
When the government passed the resolution to abolish PUBLIC - part of the Utility.  The utility incorporated.  The City kept control of the utility but now had to hire outsiders to run the daily business.  
Since then the utility has operated as a run away train. Accountable to no one and hire men like  Ivanno Labricciosa.   An outsider with a questionable history.    The current management run business with an iron boot.   All they seem to care about is preserving their jobs and keeping what they make a secret.
Just recently people have been calling me to verify if the letters they are getting in the mail are valid.   Apparently our good community minded managers at the OPUC  are mailing out disconnection notices with a warning of service cancellation.  This leaving many consumers fuming.    In the middle of covid and they have the balls to send out these notices... Wow...  yet this Labricciosa sits on the Mayor’s useless economic recovery task force.  What the hell does he know about recovery.. and helping those that need it.   This same man use to sit in the BIA.  Really, who is this masked man.   I should not be so hard on him as he is proof of all that is wrong in the city.   People with little or no experience in the real needs of those on the front line on one hand giving themselves false importance by showing up at brown nose committees and tasks forces only to turn around and under his watch send out threats and harassment to his customers during Covid.  I call for his resignation.  We need leaders not hypocrites.   The OPUC needs to be accountable to the people that pay their wages.

Presenting Your Professional Experience: Numbers Are Your Friends

 Presenting Your
Professional Experience:
Numbers Are Your Friends
By Nick Kossovan
Numbers rule the business world-revenue, headcount, process time, value increase, number of clients, inventory count, profit margin, credit rating, customer satisfaction score. Numbers indicate and measure success or failure, whether a business activity is positive or negative to the bottom line. You'd be hard-pressed to find a business decision made without some factoring in of "the numbers," be it stats, cost, the potential return on investment.
Hiring is a business decision.
To make a strong case for yourself (Envision your selling features.) throughout your resume use numbers, the language of business, to quantify your results and establish yourself as someone who can bring value to an employer. Using numbers shows you understand how companies operate and that they exist to make a profit. Most importantly, using results-achieved numbers displays your value.
Which job seeker displays better value?
Candidate 1: Duties included taking field measurements and maintaining records, setting up and tracking project using Microsoft Project.
Candidate 2: Spearheaded the Hazzard County water decontamination project, finishing $125,000 under budget due to a 25% decrease in staff allocation time.
Which job seeker gives a clearer picture of their responsibilities?
Candidate 1: Supervised team leaders. Candidate 2: Supervised 3 team leaders, collectively responsible for 40 CSRs answering 1,750 - 2,500 calls daily.
Which job seeker shows their work ethic?
Candidate 1: Completed first editing pass on articles.
Candidate 2: Reviewed and evaluated 50 - 75 articles per week, deciding whether to reject the article, forward it to the editorial team, or send it back to the author with revision suggestions.
Information quantified means something. Information not quantified is just an opinion. Most resumes are just a list of opinions, thus quantifying your professional experience will set you apart from your competition.
TIP: Always use bullets, not paragraphs, to describe your professional experiences.
For each position you list on your resume, ask yourself:
-Did I increase my employer's revenue? How? -Did I save my employer money? -Did I save time?
-Was my boss(es), colleagues, staff, customers, vendors, and leadership team members happier because of me?  -How did I contribute to improving my employer's business?
When answering these questions, quantify (percentage, range, monetary, frequency, before/after comparison, ratio). Creating a resume that WOWs requires filling it with quantified results-rich statements. -Reduced customer complaints by 47% by implementing a formal feedback system.
-Improved product delivery time 22% after assigning clarified monthly job tasks to team members.
-In 2020, grew revenue 33%, and improved gross margin by 22%, by standardizing business operating procedures.   -Produced $1.75M in cost-savings after renegotiating the company's supply and service contracts (14 vendors).  -Built sales organization from the ground up, hiring and training 15 sales representatives within 6 months.  -In 2019, generated over $7.25M in additional revenue by identifying, pursuing, and securing 4 new international contracts.
As I mentioned a few columns back, your resume must clearly and succinctly answer one question: How did you add or bring value to your employers? When it comes to answering this question, numbers are your friends.
Something to keep in mind: The king of numbers, the only metric in business that matters, the one that keeps a business alive and profitable, is revenue. As much as possible, throughout your resume and cover letter, demonstrate the results you've achieved that were added value to your employer's financial success. Don't write on your resume what's become a cliche, "result-oriented." Don't write it on your LinkedIn profile. Don't say it during an interview. Show your results! "In 2017, I increased sales by 29% by creating upsell opportunities for my 8-member sales team to offer."
Additional tips when bulleting your professional experience:
-Employment dates need to be month/year. Only indicating years is a red flag you're trying to cover up employment gaps. -Under 2 Lines. Your bullets shouldn't be more than 2 lines.
-The first 5 - 8 words are critical. When skimming a resume, the reader will likely read the first few words of a bullet then, unless their interest is piqued, move on to the next bullet. The first few words need to be captivating.
Next week I'll cover presenting your education, skills, and certifications. These need to demonstrate your career path, not that you simply attended classes.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com.