Canada and the money factory

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East We are experiencing interesting times when taxpayers' money is spent recklessly by the Liberal government as never before seen in our country's history, and this spending is done without any accountability. The variety of taxes levied upon ordinary Canadians is increasing at an exponential rate at all levels of government. In case you haven't noticed, we are paying more taxes municipally, provincially and federally. And for what? The health care services are in shambles, the standard of education is at an all time low, and the infrastructure is a disaster. However, the federal, provincial and municipal governments are eager to spend on corporate welfare without thinking. It isn't their money so let's spend, spend, spend…. Just consider that by 2030, the current federal carbon taxes will cost the average Ontario family $1,820 more than they get in rebates, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO). Starting this July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is bringing in a second carbon tax through fuel regulations. When companies can't meet Trudeau's fuel requirements, they'll have to pay this second carbon tax. Naturally, those costs will be passed down to you, the consumer. The second carbon tax will cost the average Ontario family $495 by 2030, according to the PBO. Can your family afford to pay $2,315 for Trudeau's two carbon taxes? Never mind that right now, your federal taxes are spent by the Trudeau government in a hurry, without any consideration for you, the Canadian taxpayer. How can this be justified when we have severe problems in our country with poor people who need real assistance. Instead of considering them, the Trudeau government spends more than 12 billion dollars in foreign aid, basically to promote himself and obscure globalist driven objectives. And remember, this is only the federal government. When you take a look at how the provincial governments and municipal governments are spending their money, you'll have a very dark and depressing picture about how your hard earned taxes are spent. If only this were all. Recently the Trudeau government showered its under performing public service employees with 1.3 billion dollars. It is not new news, and certainly not fake news, that the Trudeau administration has been accused of abusing taxpayer funds ever since it took office, infuriating the average Canadian. However, the most recent information raises the stakes significantly by showing that $1.3 billion is being lavished on ineffective workers. Let's examine this costly purchase. Information received through an access-to-information request reveals how Canadian public monies have been misappropriated. Surprisingly, between 2015 and 2022, federal executives got astounding incentives totaling $1.3 billion. Taxpayers are perplexed and incensed by this enormous payment, especially in light of criticism over failures to meet performance goals. Executive-level staff received $147 million worth of incentives, with lower-level employees receiving the remaining funds. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has received fresh records that indicate average yearly incentives for CEOs from 2015 to 2022 that range from $15,550 to $18,252. Yet, these people recently went on strike and got an unreasonably high settlement. What a wonderfully equitable world we live in! "Bonuses are for when you do a good job, they shouldn't be handed out like participation ribbons," said the federation's federal director Franco Terrazzano. "Taxpayers can't afford to bankroll big bonus cheques each and every year for highly paid government executives." The Canadian Taxpayers Federation claims that since 2015, the annual cost to taxpayers to pay for these bonuses has climbed by 46%. Examinations of departmental outcomes from across the public sector over the past four years show that, over that time, roughly a quarter of yearly performance targets weren't fulfilled, according to a study released in March and submitted by Canada's Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux. Less than half of internal performance targets are not fulfilled as a result. How can one reward incompetence with taxpayers' hard-earned capital? With a flick of his pen and a smile on his face, he decided to bestow bonuses upon the federal workforce, a move that left many in a disgruntled chase. So let us pause and question this lavish display, for it is the taxpayers' sweat that sustains the dismay. Well done Canada! However, this is something that precisely suits the persona of the Canadian Prime Minister. It is unfortunately impossible to talk about Trudeau's wasteful spending without bringing up his sky high travel expenses. It is clear that these luxuries come at a significant cost. Taxpayers can't forget Prime Minister Trudeau's Christmas holiday in Jamaica, which cost them almost $160,000. And that's not the only one. The list goes on and on. Trudeau's holiday spending adds to growing worries about how public money is being used. While most Canadians struggle to make ends meet, concerns about the prudent use of public monies are raised by the Prime Minister's exorbitant costing trips. The luxurious vacations and bonuses are a depressing reflection of taxpayers' reality. While industrious people fight to make every dollar count, the government appears to spend with a different mindset. As people see their money being wasted on dubious bills and bonuses for failed staff, Canadians' resentment is growing. The admission that $1.3 billion in bonuses was given to unproductive employees adds fuel to the fire as the Trudeau administration continues to draw criticism for squandering taxpayer funds. This, along with the Prime Minister's excessive travel expenses, presents a picture of financial irresponsibility and impending disaster for the country. The question now, is this: how long can we sustain this irresponsible attitude? It is up to you to find a solution before it is too late.

As a Job Seeker, Handle What You Control First

By Nick Kossovan Job searching is frustrating. You are waiting to hear back from employers. You are waiting for approval on stuff. You are waiting for answers. You are dealing with corporate bureaucracies. You are depending on recruiters, HR managers and hiring managers to green light you. You are dealing with the consequences of decisions made due to "something" you could not control. It amazes me how often job seekers complain about things they cannot control. Yet, when the ball is in their court, they are either slow, indecisive, or do not do their best. Stoicism, a Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC, asserts that there are things within our control and things outside our control. This delineation goes beyond merely classifying things or learning how to practice the Art of Acquiescence, whereby we accept and move on from what we have no control over. The Art of Acquiescence establishes priorities, which most job seekers lack. A successful job search begins with identifying what you can control and controlling them. You will never be able to speed up an employer's hiring process or if and when a hiring manager gets back to you. However, you can use your wait time to decide what you will do when they respond, along with continuing your job search. No amount of yelling or posting on LinkedIn "how the hiring process is broken" will force employers to hire you. You cannot eliminate the online forms many employers expect you to fill out before they consider your candidacy. (Yes, I know, the information is on your resume.) However, reducing your job search inefficiencies, such as creating email templates to send to potential employers, your network and others who can support your search will save you time. Rather than beating your head against walls that will never yield, focus on what you can control. Handle this first. Prioritize getting your house in order, improving your processes, and dealing with what is up to you. Some things are up to you, and some things are not up to you. It is that simple. I have said it in previous columns, and I will say it in this column, as a job seeker, you do not own the employer's hiring process; the employer does. The most important thing you can do during your job search and throughout your career is to discern what is up to you and what is not, then focus on what is up to you. Ignoring what is out of your control does not mean you do not care about an employer practicing, from your perspective, ageism or being biased against a particular race or gender. Getting a job is your top priority as a job seeker-keep your eye on the ball! It is in your interest to focus on what you can control while looking for a job rather than complaining about how employers hire, a practice that has become all too common among job seekers. In the course of your job search, there are an infinite number of things you cannot control, the top six being: 1. Job market trends 2. Industry growth and demand for employees 3. Unprofessional employers 4. Increasing competition 5. Judgments and subconscious bias 6. The final decision However, if you focus on the following controllables rather than all the uncontrollables, your job search will be considerably expedited. 1. Your LinkedIn profile, resume and cover letter. The quality of your application materials is wholly within your control. Ensure your LinkedIn profile, resume, and cover letter are flawless, error-free, and populated with results-oriented statements. (e.g., "I increased my sales in 2022" versus "In 2022, I increased my daily number of outbound calls from 40 to 60, resulting in an 18% increase in sales.") 2. How well you prepare for an interview. Preparation is key to a successful interview. Visit the company's website to learn about its history and top executives. Review the company's social media pages to learn about new products or current projects. Be ready to answer common interview questions and to ask the employer a few questions at the end. 3. Your job search efforts. According to Dr. Kazuo Inamori (1932 - 2022), who was known as the Buddhist Billionaire, success has a formula: Success = Ability x Effort x Attitude Kazuo's success formula suggests that the outcome of our life, work, studies, hobbies etc., is the product of three factors: ability, effort, and attitude. Entirely in your control is the effort you put into your job search. The chances of landing a job are slim if you spend just a few hours a week searching through job postings and sending out resumes. If you want great results, take your job search seriously. Make searching for a job your full-time job. Since there are numerous aspects of your job search that you cannot control, it is essential to take the things you can control seriously. When dealing with the things you can control, especially with respect to how you present yourself to employers, go above and beyond to stand out and impress employers. ___________________________________________________________________________ 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

Rightful Owner

I was recently looking through some old photos when I found some of an ex-boyfriend when he was a child. I remember him telling me at the time these were the only photos that exist of him as a child, and that these are the only copies. I want to send the photos to him so his family can have them. I have an old address for his parents. However, I don't want to send them by post with my address on the back of the envelope because I do not want any contact from him or his parents, nor for them to know where I live or work. I'm happily married and desire no further contact from him. If I send the pictures without a return address and they no longer live there, the pictures will be lost forever. It's important for me that his family has these photos. Please help. Pamela Pamela, people love a mystery. If you send the photos anonymously, it may well induce someone to play private investigator. It could also set off a series of unintended effects. Imagine your ex-boyfriend is recently divorced. The arrival of the photos will seem cosmic and spiritual. He'll think divine forces are drawing you back to him. Or if he has not been in touch with his parents, they may think the prodigal son is returning. Or they may even fear he's been kidnapped for ransom. You cannot control other people's reactions, but you can minimize their effect on you, especially if you follow a straightforward course. Most residential addresses can be verified using public records. If you are not sure how to do this, ask your librarian. Then send a note with the photos to the parents. Explain to them what you explained to us. Mention that now you are married, you realize the importance of keeping family photos in the family. Use the address of a third party, such as that of a friend in a different city or country, and mention the return address is that of another. Tamara An Open Space I am 48, attractive, active, the mother of a teenage boy and a small business owner. I feel I am responsible, have integrity and am fun to be with. The problem is, I have never met, though I have been married twice, the man who was meant to be my partner. I have settled each time out of loneliness. I tried to make it work each time as best I could, and really, if I had seen the effort being given in return, would have made a go of it.But each time it was evident they were not what I hoped for, and yes, the responsibility to become involved was mine. Now I see clearly what I lacked and will never settle again. It just doesn't work! But now I believe I will never find it. I am at an age where men want younger women, and I have truly never met someone I could totally respect. It is a void, no matter how busy or productive I am, I never stop feeling. How can someone rid themselves of this empty feeling? And please do not say be busy and make yourself happy. I do that and it is not working. Evette Evette, we cannot make the empty space in your life go away. The space is there for a reason, and you have twice learned it cannot be filled by just anyone. That space is there for the person who belongs there. That is where that person fits. If you take your son fishing, you cannot guarantee he will catch a fish. But it could happen. He has put himself in the way of catching fish. It is possible. If you are busy in the sense of busywork, you cannot expect anything to happen. But if you are busy in the sense of living, growing and enlarging yourself, you have put yourself in the way of this happening for you. Wayne SEND LETTERS TO: Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com Wayne & Tamara are also the authors of Cheating in a Nutshell, What Infidelity Does to the Victim, available from Amazon, Apple and most booksellers.

New Drugs for Type 2 Diabetes

By Common Sense Health – W. Gifford-Jones MD and Diana Gifford Albert Einstein wrote, “Everything is a miracle.” Is it possible that a new class of drugs is finally providing a miracle in the fight against diabetes? Ozempic and Trulicity, produced by Novo Nordisk and Ely Lilly, are examples of the brand-name prescription drugs gaining attention for fighting type 2 diabetes and showing success. Type 2 diabetes is among the leading killers globally. But information about these drugs is running wild. The hoped-for miracle needs a measure of grounding. Consider Ozempic, a prescription drug, injected weekly by pen. It’s approved in Canada and the U.S. to treat type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle disease linked with obesity and a major risk factor for heart attack, blindness, kidney failure, and gangrene of the legs with possible amputation. But the active ingredients in this class of drugs, marketed under a variety of names, are also getting attention for effectiveness in reducing obesity. The respected journal, Lancet, predicts a revolution in the treatment of obesity. How do these drugs work? Ozempic reduces blood sugar level while providing a feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating, delaying emptying of the stomach, and curbing the appetite for further food. Managing food intake is essential in the fight against type 2 diabetes. But weight loss is proving a beneficial side effect of Ozempic. People can expect to lose about 20 percent of their weight over a 72-week period. When Ozempic is stopped, however, weight tends to return. So, to the current trend is for people to maintain a regular routine of use. What about complications? Ozempic users complain of the usual ones such as, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain. In rats, tests show an increase in thyroid and pancreatic cancers. In humans, research to date suggests extremely low risk. People may ask, why take the chance of developing thyroid or pancreatic cancer? But wait a minute. These are relatively rare forms of cancer driven by other risk factors. Type 2 diabetes and obesity are far more significant hazards, triggering fatalities for millions. Weight reduction and management of type 2 diabetes are the smart investments. The better question is, could these drugs help millions who die annually from cardiovascular disease and heart failure? We could add renal disease, liver disease, and pneumonia, as well as additional but harder to count problems such as the surgical complications associated with diabetes and obesity. Type 2 diabetes should be labelled “the great pandemic”. Why? Because the COVID-19 pandemic lasted just three devastating years. Many people died due to it. But nothing has been able to slow the progress of the globally mounting lifestyle disease of type 2 diabetes. We live at a time when there has never been greater medical communication. Yet there has been failure in convincing people that the key to good health and longevity is a sound lifestyle, started early in life and maintained. There is an extraordinary opportunity at hand with drugs like Ozempic to address the awful consequences of this failure. But as was evident with COVID, social media has the upper hand over medical experts in the public discourse, especially among the young, and the information is not always to be trusted. But where do we expect people to turn when they are having such difficulties accessing a family doctor? Beyond misinformation, the social media buzz has caused two other concerns: over-prescribing and drug shortages. There is enormous power and wealth in the hands of the pharmaceutical companies producing these products. The ultimate question is, can they produce the miracle of motivating people to lead healthier lives? 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

Shame on all churches

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States “I live a dream in a nightmare world” Always Remember That The cosmic blueprint of your life was written in code across the sky at the moment you were born. Decode Your Life By Living It Without Regret or Sorrow. - ONE DAY AT A TIME - What are we becoming? Basic human decency is something that is slowly being erased from our conscious. I blame all faiths and all churches. Specially the Roman Catholic church. The dominant faith, that worked side by side with governments to sustain civility, law and order. To champion human basic decency. Sad, that we are becoming nothing short of animals in a modern day concrete jungle. The failure of the church... and don’t get me wrong...when i get on the Catholics... As, I use Catholics as the seed for all other faiths. I know you Protestants and others sect are screaming... How dare he include us.... Well, It is what it is. All variants of the Jesus Christ book of faith are to blame. Christianity as you want to believe... is what made the west the west. A civilized society that ruled the world. Sure they made mistakes on the way... but if you look at other religions of the world. The blatanly continue to make mistakes against humanity and never apologize in the name of their god. In modern society christianity has become nothing short of the last stop for those that have totally lost hope. Jesus, is the final stop. The Church is not about transforming the uncivilized to civilized. From shaping innocence into productive members of society. Today’s church is about keeping followers and compromising the integrity of the principles that championed decency. The family unit primarily. Tradition and culture. I am disgusted. Just recently a municipality had to introduce this despicable service. A slap in the face to all Christians. Where is the church that people can turn to? Clarington announced it is building Ontario’s first Hope’s Cradle, an anonymous infant surrender site. It will be located at Clarington Emergency and Fire Services station at 2430 Highway 2, and will be for parents to anonymously and safely surrender infants. How it will work: A parent or guardian can come to an unmonitored fire station entrance. Inside the door, they will find a bassinet to place the surrendered baby in, and an information package. The package contains a medical form for the baby’s history and an addressed prepaid envelope. The parent will also receive information about the local support available to them, how the process works, and their rights should they change their mind. Once they leave the child and close the door, it will not reopen. Firefighter will get an alert that a baby has been placed in the cradle and go to pick the infant up. Paramedics will be called to do a health evaluation of the child. Any guardian who surrenders an infant will be kept anonymous, provided the infant shows no signs of abuse. Then Durham Children’s Aid Society will be contacted to collect the infant and place it in care. On the surface...WOW. What a great idea. A place for people to drop off infants that they can’t care for. Then you give yourself a reality check. This service is a testament of the failure of the church. The failure for the church to promote and strictly enforce family values. The churches lowering of it’s standards and principles that make it OK for divorce, out of wed marriages, living together out of wed. Really, there should be no place in our modern society for ‘HOPE CRADLE’s’ That is what the church is there for. That is the purpose of community. Modern society has no standards. Everything and anything is accepted as normal. Sacrifice, commitment, honor, valor and responsibilities are nothing more than words such as love. They have meaning but no real purpose in our daily lives. REMEMBER ALWAYS Hope for the Best. PREPARE FOR the worst.

Canada's slide into irrelevance on the international stage

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East The Cold War is not so far in the distant past that we should have forgotten it. It was a time when two superpowers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union vied for influence in the world. A time when poorer or less connected nations were frequently forced into joining the West or the East in a global struggle for dominance. It was, however, a relatively balanced world. On the surface, it appeared to be a struggle of democracy against Communism, but underneath it all, the fight was for access to natural resources, strategic geographic advantage, or physical security. Less-powerful nations swore their allegiance to one side or the other in order to gain benefit; either economically, or as a means of propping up puppet dictators. At that time Canada was an active and respected nation on the international scene with a balanced view of the world that made significant contributions to establishing institutions for promoting true democratic values. Once the Cold war ended and the remaining superpower, the United States of America, had the upper hand, Canada slowly started to fade into oblivion. With the emergency of China as an economic and new military power, and Russia working to re-establish itself as the new superpower successor of the former Soviet Union, flexing its military muscle, the world order is changing rapidly. That old world order is no longer viable and the new emerging one is fragmenting more every day. A significant number of countries are gingerly charting their own paths while being careful not to offend the Big Three - America, Russia, and China - that continue to hold massive amounts of influence and power. It is, however, a dangerous world and Canada seems to be lost in space; totally lacking in ideas, and being taken less seriously on the international scene. More and more, countries are extracting themselves from under the influence of the all-mighty dollar. There is a tendency to find alternative trade currency such as the establishment of the BRICS nations movement which is getting more traction by the day. The United States seems to underestimate these trends and continues to act as if it were still the only superpower in the world. It is time for the United States to wake up to these new realities, abandon complacencies, and act with the professionalism for which it was once known. Many nations today are aware of the increasingly polarized world and try to look to their own interests in a new way. They become smarter and most of them try to avoid choosing sides in an economic climate that appears to lurch one way, then the other. They prefer to remain on the sidelines and hope to play the bigger powers against one another to benefit their economies. Why not work with United States of America, China and Russia, if they can gain an advantage from them, they reason and are not wrong. However, it seems that Canada is out of touch with respect to this kind of reasoning. Its global affairs actions and philosophies are missing in action in this new and dynamically changing world. Therefore, we are seeing an increasing tendency for non-allied countries to gain more relevance. In the future, we will see a revival of, and more actions from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) established after the Korean War. It is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. We can already see a move in this direction as the Middle Eastern region, large swaths of Africa, and the vast interests of Asia are increasingly leaning toward this approach. The dominant geopolitical structure of the post-World War II era continues to carry great weight among historical allies. However, even that is now under threat. Russia has lost many of its satellite nations, while China has acquired more partnerships. For the United States, it's a lot more complicated as nations that were once solid members of the old Western alliance will prefer to place themselves in the "non-aligned" column in the future. China obviously watches all this with keen interest and is seeking to alter the historical equation of democratic alliances. "China is putting its pieces all over the board," one Western diplomatic official noted recently to the Economist. The country has proved somewhat effective at building economic alliances instead of ideological ones, and this approach suits the interests of dozens of nations. I am concerned that this evolution in the non-alignment movement is not well understood and only followed with superficial interest at Global Affairs Canada. Not to mention the complete neglect this trend suffers in parliamentary diplomacy. Once one of the world's better-known "soft powers," Canada is slowly sliding into oblivion, unless it finds a way to transform, and do so quickly. It is naturally assumed that Canada will continue in its loyalty to the great Western alliance, but it need not do so to the exclusion of other nations now making their presence known on the world stage. The future of alliances among nations is a fluid movement that increasingly defies descriptions and, at times, understanding. However, it is a world where Canada will require all its diplomatic skills to forge its unique path; opening doors to new relationships while maintaining historical ones will prove crucial. The question remains, however, whether Canada is ready for the new world alignment under construction? Let's hope for the best.

Does Your Job Search Have the Support of Your Family and Friends?

By Nick Kossovan "The most expensive thing you will ever do is spend time with the wrong people." Germany Kent, American broadcaster. All job searches have two constantly moving components: 1. You 2. The people you associate with While "you" is undeniably the most critical component, and the one job seekers tend to focus on-themselves-the people you associate with significantly impact your job search. Your most valuable tool for experiencing a better job search is other people. According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, the people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure. The people you surround yourself with have considerable influence on your behaviour, attitudes, and results. You are shaped by the people you choose to associate with; what they have got you thinking, saying, doing, and becoming determines your future. This is especially true when it comes to job searching. Whom you hang out with affects you in at least five ways. 1. Their views can change yours. 2. They either encourage or discourage you. 3. They shape your habits and behaviours. 4. In their presence, you may feel positive or negative emotions. 5. They affect your self-esteem and happiness levels. Right now, you are the sum of the people you surround yourself with. What role do they play if they do not support and believe in you? It is a fact of life that some people hold us back while others propel us forward. For example, hanging out with negative people will not help you achieve a positive life. Ask yourself this: How many limitations do you feel the people in your life put on you and your potential? If the answer is anything but "zero," then you need to seriously consider some of your relationships. When someone says you cannot do something, they really mean they cannot do it. It is common for people to set limits on themselves to protect themselves from disappointment when they fail. They then believed that by sharing their limitations with you, they are helping you. Consequently, they will feel threatened if you challenge their limitations or prove them wrong. Is your circle of family and friends bringing out the best in you, personally and professionally? How supportive are they as you search for a job? Support is most important when you are looking for a job. The last thing you need are questions such as: - "Do you have any interviews coming up?" - "Did you ever hear back from that interview you had last month?" - "Why don't you apply at a coffee shop, a fast food joint or a retail store?" - "Why do you think it's taking so long?" ...or comments like: - "You need to get out there and pound the pavement." - "I hear tech and nursing are hot fields right now!" - “You need to treat your job search like a full-time job." - “At least you have a lot of free time now.” If you have kids, you have undoubtedly worried about them joining the wrong crowd, as I am sure your parents had the same worry for you. That is because, as a parent, you know whom your kids spend time with greatly influences their moods and how they view the world and themselves. Parents instinctively know that the power of proximity can positively or negatively impact their children. In adulthood, proximity still affects your moods, views, and self-expectations. When the people in your life, whether family or friends, are not supporting your job search and bringing out the best in you, you need to make some relationship adjustments, which will significantly help you succeed in your job search. -Assess your current relationships (family, friends, and acquaintances) What does your current circle look like? Do the people you spend time with now support you and actively help you reach your goals? - Eliminate negativity It is impossible to be positive 100% of the time. It is okay to have a bad day every now and then. However, if you regularly engage with people who thrive on negativity, it will eventually drain you of your own energy and happiness, both of which you need when searching for a new job. - Switch directions Nothing will accelerate your job search success more than reaching out to companies you want to work for and those who hold the position you aspire to. Take a deep breath and invite them to coffee or lunch. Tell them why you have contacted them and want to talk with them. Ask for their insight, advice, or guidance. If you are not already surrounding yourself with positive, successful people who inspire, challenge, support and push you to step outside your comfort zone, which is how you land the dream jobs, then it is time to make a change now. Not tomorrow. Today. Ask yourself honestly whether the people you surround yourself with are helping you or hindering you from achieving your job search goals in the months ahead. A universal truth: When you surround yourself with the right people, everything in your life will improve, not just your job search. ___________________________________________________________________________ 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

Little Relief and High Costs for Back Pain

By Common Sense Health – W. Gifford-Jones MD and Diana Gifford A humorous greeting card reads, “Technically I’m still young, but due to my back pain, I’m actually 90.” Whatever the age, including 99, back pain can be agonizing. It’s a surprisingly common problem. A new study published by the Lancet Rheumatology Journal reports that 619 million people suffer from low back pain globally. That’s nearly 10 percent of the world’s population! Why so many people? With higher numbers of people living longer, in part it’s the mathematics. The older one gets, the greater the risk. By 99 years of age, the probability of living with back pain is high. In addition to aging, what else causes the trouble? It is no surprise that researchers found obesity high on the list. Their finding that smoking is another cause of back pain is more curious. It’s thought that damaged arteries in the spinal column and joints cause the pain. Smoking also contributes to osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that can lead to a rounded spine and back pain. According to the study, back pain occurs more in women than men. The reasons range from the effects of pregnancy and hormone changes to higher rates of osteoporosis. By the demographic numbers, with substantially more older women than men in the world, there are more female sufferers. What’s the economic effect? Back pain among the working age population means higher absenteeism from work, lower productivity among those at work, and early exits from employment, often with costly disability payments. In the U.S., a 2016 study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine assessed the costs associated with 154 conditions. The Institute reported “low back and neck pain generated the highest expenditures at $134.5 billion. When combined with all other musculoskeletal disorders, such as joint and limb pain, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, the total exceeds $380 billion.” Think about that. What about the other chronic conditions that get prominent headlines? According to the study, “other health conditions with substantial spending in 2016 were diabetes ($111.2 billion), ischemic heart disease ($89.3 billion), and falls ($87.4 billion).” What’s the key message? Back pain is a gargantuan financial problem for healthcare systems, public or private. And watch out. With aging populations in most countries, fewer numbers of young people are being more heavily saddled to pay these costs. It’s discouraging that after so much study, there are few signs of new treatments that relieve the pain or cure the problem. The long standard prescription for acute pain is bedrest, heat treatments, and painkillers. With time, the pain goes away. But for chronic pain, it’s not so easy. X-Rays or MRI can help pinpoint the source of pain. Some people try acupuncture and get relief. Others have success with chiropractors. Another option is a fluoroscopy procedure on the facet joints of the spine. It does not require a general anesthetic. A needle injection numbs the joint and during a fast 30-minute procedure a small instrument destroys targeted spinal nerves. It works for some, not for others. When there’s no help to relieve the pain, what do you do? You search for your own ways to make life more comfortable. People who know the challenges of living with chronic back pain don’t need an autopsy to find out why gravity is so brutal. What’s needed is a solution to the knowledge that this pain will be with them to their dying day. A word to the young, from Socrates, the greatest thinker of ancient Greece, who said, “If you would seek health, look first to the spine.” 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

D-Day anniversary 2023

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East In Canada today, we are at war with high inflation, uncertain economic times and international tension due to the continuing war in Ukraine. We therefore need to remember as never before, and reflect on the sacrifices that our forefathers have made for us. They should not have fought in vain 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 have enjoyed for generations. It is time to cherish their memory and learn from their patriotism. To ensure that their efforts to win over the evils of fascism 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 our forefathers have done. We need to stay strong in the face of today's unprecedented challenges. We are currently facing a crucial time in our history in fighting the evil of an unknown upcoming new world order and related societal malaises. In combination, the consequences of the past 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 marked the seventy-ninth 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 and injustice. It was an exceptionally difficult and hazardous military operation. It was an operation in which Canadians took a major central role 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 and women 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 and governments 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 and freedom. 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?

Caring Less Would Greatly Benefit Your Job Search

Caring Less Would Greatly Benefit Your Job Search By Nick Kossovan The Greek Stoic philosopher Hecato once said: "Cease to hope, and you will cease to fear." You would be hard-pressed to think of an activity that combines hope and fears more messily than job hunting. Anyone who has ever searched for a job knows what it feels like to hope for a particular job while fearing not getting it. It is this tussle between hope and fear that causes job search stress. Paradoxically, when you are hoping something good will happen (Securing the job you want.), you are also afraid that something good will not happen. (You will not get the job.) Although rejection is inevitable when job searching, it is hard not to feel deflated when it occurs and not take it personally. It is fear of rejection that prevents people from pursuing their dream job at their dream company, earning their dream income. This fear can be overcome by letting go of your attachment to the outcome; by caring less! The advice I am about to give you comes from the years of personal experience it took me to finally realize that while job searching, a mental state of detachment is the best state to be in. In other words, the less you give a damn, the happier you are. Your brain and the quality of your thoughts are the only things you can control. Therefore, stop caring about things that are outside your control. Let employers do their "hiring process," which, as I have pointed out in previous columns, they own, not you. Que sera, sera. Do your best and stop fretting over what you cannot control. (e.g., biases, hiring process length, being ghosted, the employer will not meet your compensation ask) If you let fear override your confidence, you risk coming across as desperate, which repels hiring managers. Job seekers commonly fall victim to the scarcity mindset, which is based on the belief that there are limited jobs and that opportunities are few. Another common trap is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by equating rejection with self-worth. The less confident you feel, the more self-doubt creeps in, tempting you to lower your standards. Every day throughout the corporate world, the best and most qualified candidates are rejected for infinite reasons beyond their control. When you do not care, you shrug your shoulders and move on. An effective way to develop a positive mindset is to list your accomplishments and why you would make a fantastic hire; call it your "brag list." There are many things you can include on your list: projects you worked on, measurable results you have achieved, your character traits (e.g., resourcefulness, creativity, curiosity) and being in optimal health. Building confidence is not the only reason to write a brag list-it will assist you in recollecting past accomplishments, which you can create STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) stories around for your interviews. A critical step in building and maintaining a confident, detached mindset for your job search is practicing more positive self-talk. Instead of asking yourself, "What is the worst that can happen?" ask yourself, "What is the best that can happen?" Train your brain to come from a place of empowerment versus anxiousness. Your job hunt should not be an all-consuming activity that occupies you mentally and physically 24/7. I have met more than my fair share of job seekers obsessing over their job search, which is counterproductive. Effective job seekers set healthy job search boundaries, such as only conducting job search activities between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday, having a relaxing lunch every day, reconnecting with family and friends and engaging in hobbies and leisure activities now that they have the time to do so. I perform best when I am energized and enjoying my life; that is when everything seems to come together. It is your choice whether to refresh your inbox every five minutes, anxiously anticipating a reply to an email you sent, or go for a walk with a friend or your partner and be pleasantly surprised when you return to find a response. Not only will caring less about the outcome of your job search help you become a more confident, attractive candidate-it will also relieve some of the pressure to be the perfect candidate, which, believe it or not, can open the door to opportunities. Job seekers often tell me how much time and energy they spend writing the perfect application, only to hear nothing back. A detached mindset allows you to trust that you have given your best effort, even if it is not perfect, and use the energy you saved by not trying to be perfect to focus on more worthwhile tasks, such as reaching out to people you wish to network with, looking at different job boards, or just relaxing with a book and coffee. By caring less, you let go of some self-destructive beliefs-limiting beliefs that can sabotage your job search and free up time to consider paths you might not have before; this is when the best opportunities present themselves.

CAN YOU HEAR THE CHINESE LAUGHING?

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States “I live a dream in a nightmare world” Always Remember That The cosmic blueprint of your life was written in code across the sky at the moment you were born. Decode Your Life By Living It Without Regret or Sorrow. - ONE DAY AT A TIME - They say not to judge a book by it’s cover. I think in this case we have to make a huge exception. This past week the news headlines read: Canada doesn’t need foreign interference inquiry, but public hearings warranted: Johnston David Johnston’s recommendation comes as part of an initial report about how the government should proceed with the allegations of foreign interference. Gee, what a surprise for Canada. No Inquiry... instead let’s have hearings that cost the tax payers dearly and at the end of the day file them for information. In my opinion Canada could not have picked a worst investigator. David Johnston for all that he may have accomplished in his life. At the point of retirement to me does not look like he could find his shoes in the morning. We are talking about the possible of some real heavy serious espionage. High tech intel gathering. What does Canada do. Hire a man that looks like he still uses dial up phones. Come on people. We are talking about some serious allegations against a nation that is supposed to be our enemy. No instead Justin appoint a Huckleberry Finn era character to decipher sophisticated computer technologies. The Chinese must be rolling and laughing.... Then again. Maybe that was Justin’s plan. Appoint someone that will fudge the investigator and instead of going after perpetrator. Call in the hearings. A bunch of grandstanders. Fooling the public to the assumption that they know what they are talking about. At the end of the day. Puff goes the magic wagon and China is given the green light to continue silently invading our country. Mark Twain had the right idea in his famous quote, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” Justin, in his choosing of an investigator fall perfectly to that quote... Who benefited from any intervention? The Liberals, who is parading around with China’s leader. He who, assigns a stick in the mud to tell us the time of day. There was no interest nor emergency to start pointing finger at any Chinese tampering.... Yet, the signs of China’s tampering with Canadian economy are wide and spread. China’s phantom infiltration of immigrants to Canada is one that is shrouded in the deepest of government secrets. China’s ability to gather intel about the United States utilizing our networks is something that this Inspector Jacques Clouseau could not figure out. LIke really!!! What did Johnston look into? What did he investigate? Why is he so hung up on inquiry instead of presenting obvious facts that most Canadian citizens clearly see happening in their communities? The invasion has begun from many fronts. Canadians are to blind to see it. We have become to politicized to realize the danger we will soon face. I sure hope Twain was wrong... REMEMBER ALWAYS Hope for the Best. PREPARE FOR the worst.

Ageism: Does it Exist or Is It a Form of 'I'm a Victim!' Mentality?

By Nick Kossovan ]Understand the employer's side. This is the second of a 4-part series dealing with ageism while job hunting. There are two sides to every story and every issue. When it comes to hiring, there's the employer's side and the job seeker's side. " Employer's side: Find the best candidate with the least perceived risks, willing to accept the compensation package being offered. (Risk aversion is why long hiring processes and numerous vetting steps exist.) " Job seeker's side: Obtain a rewarding and satisfying job that pays well. As you can see, each party is looking out for their own interests, resulting in a contradictory situation. In John Hughes's 1985 film The Breakfast Club, Andrew Clark (played by Emilio Estevez), in the library scene, sums up the end goal I'd say most job seekers and employees have: "What would I do for a million bucks? Well, I guess I'd do as little as I had to." In recent years job seekers and employees have been creating unquantified narratives that attempt to justify doing the least amount of work-and to work on their terms-for the most money. (e.g., The current 'get paid what you're worth' movement.) I find employees today are promoting the view that employers are responsible for their well-being-they expect their employer to act as their nanny. Employee-employer relationships are rarely discussed in terms of finding a middle ground, which I believe exists, in which employees look out for their employers' interests and vice versa. Where's the brainstorming on how to form a healthy "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" employer-employee relationship? Until we reach a point of balanced co-dependency, the current, growing tug-of-war between employer and employee will continue. Often, this pulling in opposite directions results in workplaces that neither the employer nor the employee(s) is happy with. Employee-employer relationships will never be 100% equal because employers create jobs and sign the paychecks for those jobs; thus, employees are income dependent on their employer. In employee-employer relationships, this dependency gives employers more leverage. (I know, this truth hurts.) Consequently, it's in the job seeker's best interest to understand the many risks employers want to mitigate when hiring and how their biases were formed. Embracing the employer's perspective will help you succeed more efficiently in the job market. Business survival requires companies to primarily focus on creating and distributing products and/or services as profitably as possible. Profits, which are needed to survive, will always remain the ultimate objective of companies, despite their efforts to disguise the profit-seeking motive through less capitalistic language. No profits = No company. The more profits, generated with the least amount of friction (READ: headaches), the better. An employer's biggest headache is managing its employees, especially with employees' growing sense of entitlement, keeping them from focusing on profit creation. It's common knowledge that payroll is the largest expense employers face. Ironically, an employer's biggest expense is also its biggest headache. Profitability is an employer's ultimate goal, while minimizing headaches and risks. Hence, employers prefer candidates who can deliver the greatest ROI for their compensation and who'll not create "too many" headaches and risks. In my last column, I wrote that hiring is choosing, a process requiring discriminating against those not chosen. Regarding a candidate's age, a hiring manager may have many risk assumptions (READ: biases). - Older candidates: Set in their ways, overqualified (Yes, you can be overqualified, which makes you a flight risk.), won't fit with the current demographics of employees/customer base, don't possess the latest-technology skills, have health issues, expect a higher salary. - Younger candidates: Don't have a proven track record of achieving results, flight risk (Always seeking better opportunities.), lack a solid work ethic, will be demanding, have a sense of entitlement. Do the presumptions mentioned above have merit? In the eyes of the employer, yes. Human psychology explains how biases are formed: Our brains are trained by our experiences. A hiring manager may be more inclined to hire candidates over 40 if they've had several "bad experiences" hiring candidates under 40. If the hiring manager has had several bad experiences hiring candidates over 40, the reverse will probably be true. Truth bomb for all job seekers, regardless of age: Never think you're "the best," you're not. Instead, aim to be the least painful option, which is a much easier target to hit than claiming and trying to prove you're "the best." Contrary to conventional psychology, most of your biases don't come from what your parents, teachers, or friends have told you, taught you or adopting their biases. Your biases come from what you've personally experienced. By understanding how an employer's hiring experiences may negatively impact their view of your age, you can take proactive steps towards addressing how your age is irrelevant, even advantageous. How? __________________________________________________________________________ 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

Canada and the Arctic

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East The Arctic is an important part of our country and deserves a lot more attention than it is getting. It is a vast land, our land, which is being completely ignored by our esteemed politicians. As Canadians we routinely and unquestioningly sing its praises in our national anthem, O Canada, referring to "the True North Strong and Free". However, a more realistic description would be "the True North Weak and Neglected". Forty percent of Canada's land mass is considered Arctic and Northern. There are 162,000 kilometres of Arctic coastline, accounting for 75% of Canada's national coastlines, making Canada's coastline the world's longest. The territory is vast, but the population is small at 200,000 inhabitants, half of whom are indigenous. Our Arctic immediate neighbours are Russia, the United States, and Denmark, putting the Arctic at the centre of increasing geopolitical rivalries since 1945. In my tenure as an MP on the Defence Committee, I tried several times, to draw attention to this important region. I voiced the need to develop our Arctic in a way that would allow us to rightfully claim sovereignty over the contested North West passage and develop the vast resources that exist there. It is in the interest of our nation to have a well and uniformly developed country with many essential resources for our own use. A meaningful debate on Canada's role in the Arctic is long overdue, and hopefully we will finally get around to holding one soon. Such a debate is of particular importance, given the central place that the circumpolar region occupies in the tapestry of Canada's national interests. Beside the obvious strategic military importance of our Arctic, on which I will not elaborate, there is also potential wealth off our Arctic coastline. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) gives coastal states full sovereignty rights over a 12 nautical mile territorial sea, and a 200 nautical mile continental shelf exclusive economic zone. That allows countries the rights to exploit resources like deep-sea mining or oil and gas exploration in the seabed and subsoil (the economic zone confers rights below the surface of the sea; the surface waters are international waters). Half of the Arctic Ocean's 14 million square kilometres is already claimed by the five coastal states. Canada's economic zone of approximately 2.9 million square kilometres is the seventh largest in the world. Beyond this bounty for coastal states, the Law of the Sea provides a process for assessing further claims if science can delineate that the continental shelf extends beyond 200 nautical miles. States submit claims to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, which examines the submitted data drawn from mapping underwater geological features like ridges (Canada began collecting data in 2003 and submitted a claim in 2019, with an addendum in 2022). The Commission judges the accuracy of the claim and makes recommendations. If states have overlapping claims, they must negotiate the boundaries. In 2021, Russia made a maximum claim that its continental shelf stretched right up to the exclusive economic zones of both Canada and Denmark/Greenland, potentially giving it 75% of the seabed in the central parts of the Arctic Ocean. Canada then revised its 2019 submission in 2022, now arguing that its continental shelf extended to 2.4 million square kilometres, an area about the size of the Prairie provinces. It will be years before the UN Commission makes recommendations on Canada's claim but when it does, Canada must negotiate with Russia. The stakes are potentially very high indeed. The case that a greater concentration on the Arctic would fulfill several of Canada's national interests is compelling but articulating a strategy and actually making it happen are very different things. In recent years, the Government of Canada's rhetoric about our economic development in the Arctic and foreign policy goals and accomplishments has been effusive and confused. This has resulted in underinvesting in its diplomatic capacity, spending huge quantities of taxpayers' money overseas without accountability and totally neglecting national interests. In 2008, for example, Stephen Harper announced that Canada's aging heavy icebreaker, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, would be replaced by a new vessel, the CCGS John G. Diefenbaker: Fifteen years later in 2023, steel for the Diefenbaker has yet to be laid, though the government is now promising to do so. In 2007, Stephen Harper announced that Canada would construct a naval refuelling facility at Nanisvik, Baffin Island to service new Arctic patrol vessels with a planned opening in 2013. Initial plans were for year-round personnel and a jet airstrip to support the naval facility, but these were soon scaled back due to costs. Instead of pursuing our interests in the Arctic the Liberal government is spending huge amounts of money on foreign aid for their own political purposes. As a result, delays with the icebreaker program have suffered delays year after year. It is now expected that the facility will not be operational until 2024-25, 18 years after it was first announced. Well done! During the same period, Rob Huebert a prominent Arctic defence analyst, and I, have noted, that Russia has modernized and reopened 13 Cold War military bases in the Arctic as well as dozens of smaller posts and has also enhanced economic activities in the area. Since 2011 for example, an interdepartmental Marine Security Operating Group has repeatedly identified gaps, looming equipment obsolescence and weaknesses in satellite surveillance in the Arctic, but limited actions have been taken. The report concludes, "we found significant risks that there will be gaps in Canada's surveillance, patrol, and presence in the Arctic in the coming decade as aging equipment reaches the end of its useful service life before replacement systems become available." The need for a serious economic development plan in the Arctic should be a priority for any future Government of Canada for the benefit of our stringent national interest. We as Canadians deserve better! In conclusion, both achieving our interests and enhancing our values, the Arctic should be a preeminent priority of Canadian policymaking. Developing the Arctic is in Canada's national interest, perhaps even its paramount national interest. Time to focus on the future of our own Canada the good! mate e for cities to hit their decarbonization targets by 2040, but they have to act now, and the shift will require a co-ordinated effort between government, industry and residents. The question is, where is the money coming from? Mark Hutchinson, vice-president oange experts this is possible. But wait a moment, WHO will foot the bill? Like I said, get ready to pay more taxes soon….

LET’S TEACH OUR CHILDREN HOW TO FARM

By Rosaldo Russo Allow me to begin this column by thanking the Oshawa/Central newspaper for allowing me the opportunity and access to the press. Not to many if any allow an average person like me to tell the world what I see and think. In my opinion. The Editor/Publisher is a real upstanding type of guy. He shoots from the hip and hold traditional core values. My name is Rosaldo Russo. I came to this great country to make a better life for myself and my family. I thank Canada for everything it has allowed me to do and earn. I worked construction all my life. I know the value of hard work and honesty. I remember as a boy my father always telling me to work hard and buy land. So I did. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat. I go to work... but I did not wait for hand outs. I rounded up my pride my skill and my determination to succeed and went to work. In those days the only benefits we received was the fact we were employed. Before retiring I was the owner and operator of local material supply company that allowed me to retired without worry. Now that I have time to enjoy life. I look around me and have some concern for future generations. I see that the world is finished. Finally we are getting good weather. This past week I ordered my bees to put in the bee hives. So I am going to be good for honey this year. It is so much fun to work with bees and know that at the end of their work cycle I will enjoy 100% pure honey. My summer joy also rallies around my tomatoe plants, my many vegetables and fruits. Not to mention my green house figs. Please don’t get me wrong. I do not need to grow vegetables as most of my friends laugh at me and tell me to go buy them at the market like every one else. For me it is more than just turning over the soil and planting an array of vegetables and fruits. It is rewarding on many levels that my friend will never understand. I can assure you that when my vegetables start producing. They all of a sudden change status from friend to best friends as they all ask for something. To me there is nothing better then to enjoy fresh eggs from my chickens. To go out to the yard and watch my peacocks fluff their feathers. To me it is very rewarding and peaceful. This brings me to a thought. As our kids grow. As our kids attend school. Do they teach them how to work with the land. How to raise animals in a farm. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am no scholar. I graduated from the school of hunger. If you did not grow it you did not eat it. Simple teacher and his name was hunger. Farmers would use their crops are currency to exchange with one another. A true farmers market. I remember as a boy being taught the art of farming. Each crop deserves different attention. For example. My friends make fun at how small the bananas fron the banana tree. Or how big are the lemons on the indoor lemon tree. They are the size of a 10 pin bowling ball. For me hobby farming is something I enjoy. As I drive downtown Oshawa and see all the lost souls. Young men under the influence of drugs and God knows what else. Why not take them off the streets and put them to work at a farm. They will work for their food and their lodging. They will learn a very valuable lesson that may just keep them off our streets. Keep them off drugs and jail. Come on folks. Let’s teach our young the value of a hard days work...

CUT THE WASTE FROM THE TOP DOWN

cut the waste from the top down

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States “I live a dream in a nightmare world” Always Remember That The cosmic blueprint of your life was written in code across the sky at the moment you were born. Decode Your Life By Living It Without Regret or Sorrow. - ONE DAY AT A TIME - You know things are about to get serious when Durham Regional Chair and CEO comes out and talks about it openly. In a statement Henry stated: Durham is likely to be included under any new review of regional governments, following yesterday’s announcement that Ontario government has begun the process to dissolve the Regional Municipality of Peel, according to John Henry, Durham Regional Chair and CEO. The old saying is you want to lead by example. Start by cutting the fat from the top up. Ford in this case has it right with the announcement of Peel soon to be dissolved... Neighboring municipalities are all scrambling to prepare in the event that they may be next. For anyone that knows municipal and regional affairs will quickly tell you that municipal governments are a thing of the past. Modern day municipal office are nothing short of kangaroo governance that only purpose is to shadow the bureaucracy that assists them to make decisions.Then the question. Why do we need municipal representation? When was the last time you seen your council person? Do you even know who or she may be? Hell, do you know who your mayor is? Well in Oshawa how can we not. He is the one responsible for allowing our farm lands to be raped to the north. The downtown over ran by crime, drugs and the homeless. Carter is the one responsible for wasting 2 million of your tax dollars to fund his own private security firm. Sure the Region has been talked into paying part of the bill. But still.... we the people pay for their insecurity... For their administration lack of customer service. Ford has it right. Let’s cut the millions we spend on people that are not worth a dime. Our communities continue to decay and we the honest slaves keep on paying. We need to cut the waste and invest back in our people. Our infrastructure and the quality of life. We need to fight crime and the drug trade. No more excuses... But in Oshawa instead the Mayor finds a need to hire a personal body guard to protect him from his own cowardness and lack of leadership. If he was such a good leader as he lied to the people of Oshawa during the election. Why the need of a body guard. Exactly. It is not his money but yours.

How building construction is supposed to fight the war against climate change in Canada

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East With the climate change hysteria in full gear, not mention the fake climate emergency upon us, get ready, humble taxpayer, to pay even more taxes for our politicians' pet projects, duly executed by their faithful, public servant fat cats. Let us therefore look at the planned next steps in raising Canada to the utopian goals set forth by our fearless leaders at the expense of the hapless taxpayer. While Canada has set a deadline to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, several provinces and cities, including Toronto and Prince Edward Island, have made commitments to reach that goal a decade earlier. It is an interesting commitment, especially in the City of Toronto, which has major difficulty, even without it, in managing its annual budget. To satisfy this commitment, all of the existing buildings and houses in the city would need to be retrofitted so they no longer use fossil fuels. The building sector is the third-largest source of emissions in Canada. In Toronto, buildings make up 58 per cent of the city's total emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels for heating, cooling and hot water, which are the elementary needs in a civilized society. The push to cut these emissions will be expensive. No kidding. The Pembina Institute estimates the federal government, in partnership with provinces and utilities, will need to invest $10 billion to $15 billion per year over the next 20 years to reach its net-zero commitment. As you can imagine, this is not chicken feed. Many billions is quite a lot of money! However, Jessica McIlroy, senior analyst for the Pembina Institute's buildings program has issued the following optimistic and politically correct statement: "This might seem like a big number, but the economic opportunity is significant; this could create up to 200,000 long-lasting, well-paid jobs and generate more than $48 billion in economic development each year." How fortuate to be living in Eutopia! I think this statement is over the top because in today's geopolitical environment anything can happen, and we need to be more realistic. To meet the net-zero commitments, Canada needs to upgrade many existing homes and more than 750 million square metres of existing commercial space per year between now and 2050. A chorus of experts believe it is possible for cities to hit their decarbonization targets by 2040, but they have to act now, and the shift will require a co-ordinated effort between government, industry and residents. The question is, where is the money coming from? Mark Hutchinson, vice-president of green building programs and innovation at the Canada Green Building Council, told Canada's National Observer informs that right now, Canadian cities and municipalities will not meet climate targets unless they address the need to retrofit existing large buildings, like multi-unit residential buildings, schools and office buildings. "All together, these large buildings represent approximately a third of Canada's existing floor space and about a third of building-related emissions. These large buildings also represent as much as half of the emissions reductions that the building sector can achieve," Hutchinson stated. He suggests that the best solution is a co-ordinated response from multiple angles that supports the transition. At the moment, the onus for retrofits is on the building owners and operators. Upgrading a major building system is more complex than simply replacing equipment, said Darla Simpson, retrofit program manager at Zero Emissions Building Exchange. She added that building owners need support to make informed decisions about decarbonization. "Decarbonizing buildings by 2040 is possible, but we have to act now. Most mechanical systems need to be replaced roughly every 20 years, so we have a window of opportunity." continued Simpson. Academia, as usual, has a lot of advice, but largely, it is theoretical, with no money attached. Anyone with any practical experience knows that theory meets reality in the execution of a project, and that reality is in large part, the cost. In this context: "There is no single solution because all buildings are different. We need tools to help us rapidly find the right combination of retrofit measures for each building," Ralph Evins, associate professor of civil engineering with the University of Victoria's faculty of engineering and computer science, told Canada's National Observer in an email. What tools? "The retrofit rollout will need appropriate financial support, including rebates/incentives and low-interest loans. This carrot will work together with the stick - building owners will eventually be forced to upgrade, whether by rising costs, a carbon tax or other means." What a commendable motherhood statement! So let's take a look at the city of Toronto which promised to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The City of Toronto told Canada's National Observer there are an estimated 475,000 homes and buildings in Toronto. The city has various programs to support building owners with retrofits while maximizing mutual benefits and minimizing potential harm to owners and tenants. "Through its Better Buildings Partnership, the city delivers a variety of programs that provide funding, expertise and support to help building owners improve energy efficiency and accelerate emissions reductions in residential, commercial, industrial and institutional buildings," stated Jessamine Luck, communications adviser for the City of Toronto. "Programs include the Green Will Initiative and Deep Retrofit Challenge. Through its Home Energy Loan Program, the city offers low-interest loans to support homeowners' decarbonization and energy efficiency projects." According to Luck, the Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy advances the decarbonization of existing buildings in Toronto. The strategy includes plans to eventually require Toronto building owners to annually report and disclose their building's greenhouse gas emissions performance. This is intended to improve both building owners' and the city's understanding of the performance of Toronto's homes and buildings, Luck explained. The full financial impact of the required net-zero investments are still to be determined, but Luck said estimates suggest the total investment required by the city, the business community, other levels of government and individual residents is in the order of $145 billion. Wow! Where is this money supposed to come from? She explains: "This number includes the financial investments made by homeowners towards retrofitting an estimated 475,000 homes and buildings, or about 27,000 home retrofits each year until 2040, as well as individual purchases of 333,000 electric vehicles before 2030," Luck said. "These investments will need to be complemented by provincial government actions to support and maintain a carbon-free provincial electricity grid." According to climate change experts this is possible. But wait a moment, WHO will foot the bill? Like I said, get ready to pay more taxes soon….

Good Oral Health Demands Manual Labour

The Doctor Game

By Common Sense Health – W. Gifford-Jones MD and Diana Gifford Mickey Mantle, former star of the New York Yankees baseball team, often remarked, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” He was only 63 when he died. Now, with many of us getting a good chance to live beyond 100, what’s one of the best investments in maintaining good health? It’s cheap, easy, and right inside your mouth. Tooth decay affects 96 percent of North American people 50-64 years old. The statistics for tooth decay are almost as high for people aged 20-49. One in five North Americans over age 19 have lost teeth. One in four over 75 years of age have no teeth. Last year, the World Health Organization reported that nearly half of Earth’s human population suffers from oral diseases. Something is very wrong. The problem is that good oral health demands consistent manual work. Everybody knows that brushing, flossing and regular dental visits are crucial for keeping good teeth. But the greatest gap in life is between knowing and doing. Who knows why, but perhaps prevention is a price too high for people who enjoy laziness for free. According to a report from the University of California, only two-thirds of Americans brush their teeth twice daily. Fewer floss, and the laggards don’t admit their negligence. Many fail to make regular visits to their dentist. Is cost a factor? Dental bills can be high when treating disease. But the math looks good when weighing a checkup twice a year against the annual cost of sugary foods people buy without hesitation. Taxpayers should note, the cost of excess sugar consumption in Canada is $5 billion in health-care expenses. The U.S. healthcare system spends about $1 trillion per year on the negative health costs of excess sugar consumption. A toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss cost a few dollars. Cheap weapons to fight the enemy. Normally the balance of bacteria in the mouth does not injure teeth. But decay can develop from a combination of decreased saliva, poor diet, inadequate dental hygiene, and bacteria that produce high levels of acid. This results in the gradual demineralization of the tooth’s enamel. Losing teeth through decay is one problem. Gum disease is another, and it’s a common cause of tooth loss. Most people are unaware that 50 percent of North Americans over age 30, and 70 percent of those over 65, suffer from gum disease. Poor oral hygiene starts with what dentists call gingivitis, resulting in swollen red gums that bleed while brushing teeth. Plaque, composed of microscopic food particles and bacteria, forms around the base of teeth. This gradually hardens into tartar. Research has linked gum disease to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The American College of Cardiology confirms bacteria can enter the bloodstream and affect the heart and arteries. Over 400 years ago, Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, knew the importance of teeth. “For what I would have you know, Sancho,” Don Quixote said, “that a mouth without molars is like a mill without a stone, and a tooth is more precious than a diamond.” Today, women seem to be paying better attention than men. One study found that 88 percent of women brush their teeth almost every day at bedtime, compared to 61 percent of men. Among teenagers, another study found 31 percent of girls flossed regularly, and only 21 percent of boys. But even if the girls outperform the boys, these rates are still too low if they hope to live to be 100 with all their teeth in place. 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

Networking Can Be as Comfortable as Having a Garage Sale

By Nick Kossovan When I hear someone say, "I hate networking," I wonder why anyone would dislike something that offers many benefits, most notably more job and business opportunities, broader knowledge, faster career advancement, and higher status. Generally, people who make networking a daily habit have an easier time finding employment. Whatever your reasons for disliking networking, which comes down to socializing in professional settings, here is a tip to overcome your mental obstacle to networking. (READ: change your mindset) Four years ago, I held a garage sale to sell most of the contents of my parent's home, which they had lived in for 43 years, in preparation for their move to a retirement community. The objective was not to make money but to get rid of 43 years of accumulated stuff. My thinking: It would be much easier to have people pay my parents to take their no longer-needed stuff away than to pay someone to do it. The things sold at the garage sale were no longer valuable to my parents. I did not even bother pricing each item. The value of my time outweighed trying to determine a price for each item, so I stood in the driveway and made-up prices. I sold most items for a couple of dollars; most I just gave away. Compared to the items, the small amount of money my parents received was more valuable to them. On the other hand, the item was more valuable to the person who bought it for two bucks. Hence, on a summer Saturday morning, I stood in my parent's driveway, creating value from nothing, which surprisingly felt good. All around me, I was witnessing the truth to the adage, "Value is in the eye of the beholder." This got me thinking about how this adage applies to networking. Give away everything you have to offer! You have a lot more to offer than you realize. - Ideas - Advice. - Experiences you have had and the lessons you learned. - Recommendations (e.g., books, blogs, movies) - An introduction to someone capable of helping. There are many reasons people do not network. "Networking feels awkward," or "I don't want to ask people for anything." Whenever someone says this, my response is: "Give first. Give to the other person, and networking will feel better." During a conversation, listen to what the other person is working on or their challenges, and offer whatever help you can. Simply put, when meeting someone for the first time, ask yourself, "How can I help this person?" Asking yourself this question will help you feel less awkward when you first meet someone. You feel more relaxed about how the conversation will proceed when you approach it with the expectation of being of assistance. Your knowledge, experience, and way of thinking are unique. The collection you have in your head is one-of-a-kind. Like my parents, having accumulated stuff for 43 years, you have accumulated your collection simply by being alive. We often take for granted the experiences, knowledge, and many of our relationships because we believe that if they are not valuable to us, they are not valuable to others. This would be a wrong assumption. Nobody knows what you know, and nobody knows it like you do. Chances are: - With so many people wanting to pivot their careers, your experience in an industry or field would be valuable to someone looking to pivot into the industry or field you are familiar with. - You are an SME (Subject Matter Expert) in a few subject areas. - You have a unique point of view about a widespread challenge facing your profession. - You have overcome the pain points of the person you are speaking with or know someone who has. (You have been there, done that.) You have all this to offer and much more-give it all away! When I started sharing my behind-the-scenes hiring process stories via this column, The Art of Finding Work, it connected with many people. Not because they had similar experiences to mine but because they gravitated toward what I had to offer; unsweetened job search advice from the trenches. My corporate world journey-still ongoing-as a hiring manager is unique to me. However, I believe the lessons I learned and, more importantly, the observations I made along the way can be helpful to job seekers. If I kept my experiences, observations, and lessons to myself, they would not be valuable to the millions seeking job search advice, hence this weekly column you are reading. I have already lived and learned from the lessons I write about. Thus, their value to me is in the past, like the stuff my parents bought 20, 30, 40 years ago was valuable to them then but not at the time of the garage sale. However, when I write about my experience and observations and the lessons I learned and share them with my readers, I give them value. The next time you meet someone, imagine yourself having a mental garage sale, giving away your knowledge and experience, and offering to connect them with people you know. It will feel good, I promise. __________________________________________________________________________ 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