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

CUSTOMER CARE HALO MR. CUSTOMER CARE

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. Excuse me my english... but I like to know who changed the definition of ‘CUSTOMER SERVICE’? It appears that what I thought customer was is no longer. That it has been transformed into this web of ‘for my convenience’ automated systems that can drive the most sane mind to the edge of insanity. These so called companies that employ such systems harp that it for our convenience. BULL, 9 out of ten is so that it expedites payments on accounts. The information available and help is pro corporation. You must click a series of choices. One leading you to another set of choices. Sometimes you reach a stall and it thanks you for calling and hangs up. Others actually have someone answer the phone. When they actually answer. They are less than helpful. I remember when I first came to this great country. My English not to good. I was shy of going out and socializing. Sometimes I would have a question and had no one to ask. We did not have google. So a friend said. Call the operator. They are really friendly. So I took his advice. When I had a question I would dial ‘0’ and boom there was this very friendly person. Compassionate and understandive. I would always apologize for my accent and she would assure me not to worry that she understood me perfectly. It was an ease to my ear to have someone not judge me. I remember sometimes calling for things like. Who do I call for my drivers license? Or ask advice on who to call when I had a problem. They were super friendly and would talk with you for ever in a day. I would pay my phone bill with pride and if I could afford it pay extra as a show of gratitude for their service. What has happened since those days. You call the phone company and good luck getting someone. Have you tried dialing ‘0’ lately? Or calling Bell for any issues... Where is my friendly operator. I remember one time on the phone with Bell on a technical support problem. I could hear roosters in the background squawking. I asked the lady where I was calling and she said, Jamaica. Try calling them for billing... If you press the English side... your heart will sink. You get this call center some place in India or the Phillipines.... With accents that make my look like I was born here. What is wrong with Bell. Now don’t get me wrong we all have to work and make a living. But come on. Your attendants should not have such horrible accents. Then they dare call you using the wrong syntax. Hallo, Mr. Rosaldo. Really, I even know that is wrong. My heart goes out to future generations. In aonther incident, I called 911. The operator there did not even know where Columbus was.... Like really. And I got to count on them to save my life. The world is messed up and there is no sign of positive change. Sad

EMERGENCY ALERT OR EMERGENCY CONTROL?

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 - This past week you were subjected to a mass EMERGENCY ALERT - notice. In it. It stated: This is a test of the Ontario Alert Ready System. There is no danger to your health or safety. If this was an actual emergency, you would now see instructions for protecting yourself. Really!!! How considerate... I appreciate the vehicle they are using to stir fear of safety and compliance. After all would we not want to know if something had happened that may affect our health or safety? On the other hand. Is this not a form of control and proof of the power of cell technology as tracking surveillance tool? Even thought the concept may be beneficial in a time of emergency. Does this give the powers in control of cell technologies including government to send a message directly to my phone without permission? The tech minded folk will say. Oh it is an open system message and it goes to everyone. OK. Acceptable. Then they are admitting that this so called open messaging system exists. This giving to the creditability that every phone number may be accessed without consent. INTERESTING. Let’s think about this a bit more. Our so called ‘SMART PHONE’, for the general population of tech dummies is the ultimate tool go where no man has gone before in terms of access to personal information, tracking and surveillance. I remember my years as a private investigator. To the lengths that we use to go to track people. To the primitive methods... to some of the illegal methods that would allow us to develop tips and the ability to stay one step of the perpetrator. I can just imagine the technology available for both tracking, monitoring and intel gathering. By the government own admittance. They can send us a mass message. This means they can also receive as they are broadcasting over an open public medium, primarily cell. If so, then ideally anyone that has access to this type of technology may include a series of a million phone numbers and monitor all activities from these devices. In other words, a huge violation of your human rights, privacy. Remember not all criminals are caught in the act. Many arrests take months of preparation and intel gathering. From a government perspective. What better way to monitor the population at large then by having access to their most intimate means of communication. Both through speech, text, and travel. You say impossible. You say oh you are becoming paranoid and falling for conspiracy theory phenomena. I can see that thought and the rationale behind it. But think about this for a moment. Governments throughout history have rule by controlling the masses. What better way than to be able to stay one step ahead of trends and interest. Is this starting to take some resemblance to how intel services work? Government rule of governance. Keep them ignorant and make them do as we dictate. Anyone opposing us, will be deemed a threat to national security. Do you still think last week Alert was just an innocent alert? REMEMBER ALWAYS Hope for the Best. PREPARE FOR the worst.

Canada and corporate welfare

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East It is worth mentioning that in the past few years, Ottawa, Ontario, and Quebec have been using public funds to kick-start the development and commercialization of advanced technologies in practically everything; ranging from clean-energy steelmaking in Ontario to "green cement" in Edmonton. However, the latest flashpoint of that largesse is the recently announced electric vehicle (EV) battery plant, heavily subsidized by governments, that Volkswagen AG plans to build in St. Thomas, Ont. Routinely decried as a $13 billion taxpayer expense, what Ottawa actually negotiated with VW is a range of $6 billion to $13 billion over10 years conditional on rising production volumes at the plant. Queen's Park is kicking in about $500 million. These two levels of government will likely be asked to provide similar support to the Windsor, Ont. battery factory planned by a joint venture of Stellantis N.V., parent of Chrysler and Fiat, and South Korea's LG Energy Solutions. Most of the VW money will only start flowing once the St. Thomas plant is operational, which may take several years. That funding also stops if there is a cancellation of similar subsidies offered by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Ottawa's upfront expense is $700 million to cover about 10 per cent of the cost of building what will be Canada's biggest manufacturing facility. Its footprint equals about 350 football fields, so it will possibly be the biggest EV battery plant in North America when completed. It is interesting to note that this corporate welfare is directed at Canadian industrial sectors of existing strength, like autos, steel, telecommunications, and building materials. Is the thinking that these choices will substantially reduce the risk of governments picking the wrong "winners"? The Canadian auto sector has long been in decline. It has slipped to about 12th in global rankings. The auto sector employs more than 125,000 Canadians directly, supports almost 700 Canadian parts suppliers, and contributes about $19 billion to GDP. Ottawa and Ontario have high hopes for the battery plants in St. Thomas and Windsor. Personally, I hope that this investment of taxpayers' money was well researched and thought through with engineering support, so it will not end as many other recent projects have. Like the Covid vaccine enterprise for example, that ended in a major loss of taxpayers' money. Even if corporate welfare is not limited, or outright eliminated, there should be a mechanism for taxpayers to have input into the government's adventurous commitment of taxpayer money. Let us take a look at how well corporate welfare is presently working in Canada. According to a recent study published by the Fraser Institute, federal, provincial and local governments in Canada spent $352.1 billion (inflation-adjusted) subsidizing firms from 2007 to 2019. This amounts to more than was spent on national defence over the same period. This corporate welfare, which does little to stimulate widespread economic growth, came with huge costs to government budgets and Canadian taxpayers. This total corporate welfare price tag-which included $76.7 billion in federal subsidies, $223.3 billion in provincial subsidies and $52.1 billion in local subsidies-reflects unrequited government transfers to businesses but excludes other forms of government support such as loan guarantees, direct investment and regulatory privileges for particular firms or industries. Therefore, if you suspect that the actual level of corporate welfare during this 13-year period was much higher, you're probably right. Of course, taxpayers ultimately bear the cost of government spending on corporate welfare. For Canadians who filed taxes from 2007 and 2019 (the latest year of available pre-COVID data), the cost per tax filer ranged from a high of $18,785 in Saskatchewan to a low of $6,048 in New Brunswick. The three largest provinces were big spenders, with corporate welfare costing $18,334 per tax filer in Quebec, $13,285 in Alberta and $12,627 in Ontario. That's a significant amount of taxpayer money unavailable for other, more acute priorities for our population. Such spending might be justified if it led to widespread economic benefits. However, there is little evidence that business subsidies generate widespread economic growth and/or job creation. In fact, research suggests that business subsidies may actually hurt the economy as the government's interference in the market ultimately distorts private decision-making and misallocates resources. When the government attempts to select winners and losers in the economy, it often makes the economy less efficient than if those decisions were left to individuals. Indeed, the better option is to let Canadians make their own decisions about where to spend their money and subsequently determine what businesses will succeed. Government should however, play a role in funding science, which is the future of any successful economic enterprise. Instead of giving preferential treatment to select firms and industries, government should help foster a pro-growth environment that gives all businesses the opportunity to thrive by reducing business income tax rates. The same study found that government spending on corporate welfare represents a significant share of business income tax revenues. For instance, Quebec and Manitoba spent roughly the same amount of money on business subsidies as they collected in business income tax revenues from 2007 to 2019. In other words, the provincial government could have effectively eliminated provincial business income taxes if it had ended provincial corporate welfare. Similarly, business subsidies represented roughly half of all business income tax revenue (on average) in Ontario and roughly one-third (on average) in Alberta. Had that money been used to broadly reduce business income taxes, it would have stimulated investment, job creation and economic growth. Clearly, business subsidies (a.k.a. corporate welfare) come with significant costs to Canadian taxpayers and government budgets. Because these subsidies do not produce the broad economic benefits that advocates claim, governments should rein in this spending and focus on pro-growth tax reductions. It's fair to say that the outpouring of corporate subsidies by Canadian governments is without precedent in recent times. We should talk about that. The politicians should talk about it. Is it a wise use of public money? Your time to reflect

For What It Is Worth, My Advice to the Graduating Class

of 2023 By Nick Kossovan Had my priorities been in order when I graduated, my career compass would have been: Love what you do. Love the people you do it with. Love what you leave behind. We live in a complicated world, especially when it comes to work. There are usually established, but not hard and fast rules, prerequisites to meet, such as obtaining an education, to begin moving towards your career aspirations. However, even when the prerequisite is met, success is not guaranteed. Do not expect your degree to be enough. After graduating from college, I stumbled through my twenties, unsure of myself and my place in the world. At the time, I did not fully grasp who I was or how my Social Science diploma would contribute to my career. Ultimately, I had to figure out the world and the workplace on my own. Undeniably, the past three years have been tough. The pandemic redesigned student experiences, and social media became more "social" than it was pre-pandemic. You are not the first graduating class to face a world full of turmoil and uncertainty. Imagine graduating in 1942 and months later finding yourself fighting somewhere in Europe or graduating in 2008 amid what is known as The Great Recession. You have challenges; a tight labour market, widespread layoffs, rapid technological advancement, particularly in artificial intelligence, technology that has the appearance of not being designed to enhance productivity but has an end goal of employee replacement, and hyperinflation making employers rethink how they do business. Like every graduating class before you, you, and only you, are responsible for your career trajectory, so take full responsibility for it. - Talk to everybody. Opportunities are all around you; there is just one caveat: they are attached to people. The adage, "It's not what you know, but who you know," is more relevant today than it ever was. Networking is the key to attaining a successful career. American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Jim Rohan summed up the importance of cultivating and maintaining a professional network, "Your network is your net worth." Recently I came across a troubling headline, Americans More Than Ever Have No Friends. The article's author, Elizabeth Gilbert, states that Americans are experiencing a "friendship recession." Today, many people participate in digital communities but have few real-life relationships. Instead of talking to people, texting has become the norm. Many employees advocate working from home so they can work in isolation. As an escape, binge-watching has become a trend. Human contact is decreasing as more people use technology to communicate or avoid dealing with their surroundings. As a species, we are rapidly becoming unsociable. Do not be part of this decline! Do not think you are above anybody. Give someone your undivided attention, and you will be amazed at what you learn. As much as possible, talk to people who have been there and done that. The best conversations I have ever had have been with people who had already travelled the path I was on or were where I wanted to be. Back to the job search and career thing, I can tell you from experience that opportunities pop up from the most random conversations. When meeting new people, remember that showing interest is a massive gesture. Place your attention on the other person by asking open-ended questions. TIP: When meeting someone for the first time, ask yourself, "How can I help this person?" - Do not feel entitled to anything. Getting rid of any sense of entitlement is imperative; otherwise, you will be holding yourself back trying to fight the fundamental universal truth that the world does not owe you anything, not even to make a living. PERIOD! Having a sense of entitlement is a turnoff. Not expecting anything from anyone is how you become an independent adult and earn respect. When you stop feeling entitled, your self-esteem will soar, and you will start upping your game. - Become a person who adds value. Make "Always add value" your personal mantra. Employees who contribute measurable (keyword) value are highly regarded and likely to enjoy job security. - Read these books. 1. How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie 2. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience, by Carmine Gallo 3. 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing: Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power, by Gary Provost Regarding how rapidly AI is emerging, keep a close eye on it! Nobody, not even the Internet talking heads who are suddenly "AI experts," knows where AI is heading. One thing is certain: Many jobs will be eliminated as employers identify which jobs they can delegate to AI. Hence, avoid positions that AI is likely to be able to do in the future. Volatile economic conditions coupled with rapid technological advancements have created a job market in flux like never before; hence, my last piece of advice: Never lose sight of your career goals. Despite all the job market volatility, building a career you love is still possible by focusing on what you are good at while embracing lifelong learning. __________________________________________________________________________ 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

Why Do Some Women Have Pain During Sex

The Doctor Game

By Common Sense Health – W. Gifford-Jones MD and Diana Gifford Why do some women shy away from sex? It might be fatigue after a long day where everything, everything, has gone wrong. But before men jump to conclusions, they should know about a disease called endometriosis. This problem causes severe pain during sex. It occurs in about 10 percent of women and has a profound effect of their lives. And, about 30 percent will have trouble becoming pregnant. Some women with endometriosis may be fortunate. In spite of extensive disease, they are completely free of symptoms. Others, with minimal amounts of endometriosis bitterly complain of a variety of symptoms. What is endometriosis? At the end of a menstrual cycle women experience vaginal bleeding. The inside of the uterus, called the endometrium, starts to break down, resulting in a normal menstrual period. Doctors cannot completely explain why some women also have misplaced endometrial lining in the abdominal cavity. This also bleeds. But since this blood is trapped, with nowhere to escape, it triggers pelvic symptoms. Endometritis is the unfortunate result, an inflammatory reaction throughout the pelvic cavity. Depending on the location of the abnormal endometrium, the pain can be intense. The uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes can be affected, as can the urinary bladder or the ureter, a small tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. All too often the endometriosis is scattered throughout other parts of the pelvic cavity. However, the prime location for this disease is at the end of the vagina where the uterosacral ligaments provide support for the vaginal tissues. It is a very sensitive area after endometriosis triggers inflammation of these ligaments. They become thickened, scarred and terribly tender. Often the disease causes the formation of large abdominal cysts full of blood. It’s then small wonder that patients complain of a diversity of symptoms. In addition to painful sex, they suffer from generalized chronic abdominal pain, low backache, and fatigue. Abnormal bleeding is common too. What causes more anxiety is that about 30 percent of these women have trouble becoming pregnant. The actress Susan Sarandon, who suffered with this condition and advocates for the Endometriosis Foundation of America, said, “Endometriosis was definitely another character in any relationship that I had.” The comedian Whoopi Goldberg has also spoken about the need for more attention. “There is nothing dirty about it. No religious group is going to be pissed if you discuss this. Because if you don’t discuss it, many more women are going to find themselves unable to have children or find themselves close to dying because [the disease has] led to something else.” Medical treatment is always tried first. Birth control can provide relief by stopping periods. Surgery is usually done if doctors believe endometriosis is widespread throughout the abdomen. Doctors then resort to abdominal laparoscopy. What they see is often endometrial lesions involving many areas of the pelvic cavity along with extensive involvement of the uterosacral ligaments. Looking at these lesions though the laparoscope allows doctors to destroy them with an electric current. And if ovarian cysts are present these can also be removed, conserving normal tissue for future pregnancies. What about menopause? The pain may improve once periods stop and there is a lack of the female hormone estrogen. There is always hope that laparoscopic surgery and destruction of endometrial lesions will result in a wanted pregnancy. However, the constant waiting can be terribly frustrating for those desiring pregnancy. An Italian proverb reassures. “Hope is the last thing ever lost.” Or, as another wise sage remarked, “Don’t forget to wind the clock, as tomorrow is another day.” 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

The Doug Ford government's plans for increasing electrical power in the Province of Ontario

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East In view of a future need for electrical power in the Province of Ontario, the Doug Ford conservative government is looking for ways to enhance the capacity of Ontario power production. However, in increasing electrical production capacity, the government has, basically put the emphasis only on increasing the number of gas-fired power plants. Presently Ontario's electricity system has among the lowest rates of CO2 emissions in North America, with roughly half of the annual supply provided by nuclear power, one-quarter by hydro dams, and one-tenth by wind turbines. The gas-powered plants account for only about ten percent. The Ford government has decided to go ahead with building more gas-fired power plants in Ontario, neglecting the cleaner nuclear energy which has served Ontario so well. It is becoming quite clear that we cannot expect any better from a government, which is so technologically behind that it is incapable of promoting new and progressive ideas to produce clean, green, recycled-fuel nuclear energy. So let us try to understand what they are about. The province is currently soliciting bids for additional gas-fired electricity generation, which means either new gas plants are built, or existing gas plants are expanded. It's poised to be Ontario's biggest increase in the gas-fired power supply in more than a decade, since the previous Liberal government scrapped two gas plants, in Mississauga and Oakville, at a cost to taxpayers the auditor general pegged at around $1 billion. Well, here we go again, the new old never ends, costing the taxpayer again and again. The excuse, according to Ford's energy minister, Todd Smith, is that Ontario needs gas plants now to help meet an expected surge in demand for electricity and to provide power while some units of the province's nuclear stations are down for refurbishment. Suddenly we need more energy? Not long ago we paid handsome sums for the US to take our surplus energy, due to a sharp decline in manufacturing industries. This random, scattered policy illustrates the real problem that the political leadership is facing in shaping the future of Ontario. In a quite apocalyptic declaration Minister Smith said, "It's really important to have natural gas as an insurance policy to be there to keep the lights on and provide the reliability that we need." In supporting his Minister, Ford has been touting the province's "clean energy advantage" as one of the key reasons Volkswagen chose Ontario for a $7-billion electric vehicle battery plant. Certainly, this plant looks important for Ontario as well as Canada, but nobody seems to be asking, at what cost to Ontarians?' Corporate welfare eh…. Ontario doesn't really need new gas plants to meet the demand for electricity. It needs more modern nuclear that recycles spent fuel, and dynamic power storage systems based simply on using water level management. Instead of these simple engineering solutions, Ontario and Canada are favoring a grid electricity battery storage facility which is said to be the largest in Canada. It is set to open in two years on Indigenous land in southwestern Ontario, with Six Nations of the Grand River and Ottawa as investors. It is an interesting and innovative way to invest taxpayers' money. The grid battery storage solution may jive with similar storage sites, mostly in the US, but these sites have their own problems and will not necessarily resolve the problem of energy storage in its entirety. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has claimed the project will store up to 250 megawatts of electricity. Is that enough? In fact, more energy efficiency and conservation programs are needed in order to better manage our electrical energy needs. For one thing, the Ford conservative government's push to generate more of Ontario's electricity from natural gas has the potential to conflict with the Trudeau liberal government's push for Canada's grid to have net zero emissions by 2035. The companies who would build Ontario's new gas-fired power plants have nothing to worry about, though, because even if the feds shut them down, the Ford government is promising that they will continue to get paid. This has all the makings of a well-known recipe for a gas-plant scandal, similar to what the province saw in the 2010s under Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government. There is a very real risk that we will not only get these new gas power plants, but we will be continuing to pay for them long after they are required to shut down. Yet again, squandering taxpayers' money without heeding consequences. I will conclude now before I get too technical, but I think it is a time to reflect on what our political leaders of any color or shape are doing with the taxpayers' money. I leave it to you to ponder.

Employers Do Not Care About Your Past Experience

By Nick Kossovan Are you having trouble getting employers to respond to your applications? If yes, then change your focus. Instead of highlighting your past experiences, consider what you can do for the employer. Every investment brochure contains the following disclaimer: "Past performance is no guarantee of future success." Employers do not care about your past work experience. What they care about, rightfully so, is what can you do for their business. However, most job seekers rely on their past experiences to convey their value, hence forcing hiring managers to evaluate them based on their past results. Who do envision a hiring manager hiring: Asher, who says he increased sales by 25% in 2021 for a company that is roughly similar to the hiring manager's company? Or... Gia, who also has a strong sales record. However, Gia presents a detailed plan for how she plans to increase the company's sales by 25% within the next 18 months? I am not saying your background does not matter; it does. If anything, your past experiences reveal your strengths and passions. However, you need more than just your past experience to stand out from your competition, which means improving how you present yourself to employers. Saying, "I helped Tyrell Corporation increase their online sales by 16% within 14 months," is simply stating your history. Act like a consultant, not just another job seeker. Show the employer that you are aware of their pain points and opportunities, and have suggestions to address them along with the experience to do so. Analyze the website of your target company and identify three improvements that will enhance its online sales, such as: 1. Showcase trust visuals and customer testimonials. (Prominently display throughout website star rating, member of Better Business Bureau and/or local Chamber of Commerce, customer testimonials) 2. Create a sense of urgency. (Time-sensitive special offers, discounts, or free shipping if purchased now.) 3. Reduce friction in the checkout process. (Eliminate unnecessary steps in the checkout process that could discourage potential customers from making a purchase.) "During my last 14 months at Tyrell Corporation, I increased online sales by 16%. Having walked myself through your website and checkout process, I believe I can increase Globex Corporation's online sales by strategically placing customer testimonials throughout your website, promoting time-sensitive offers and allowing customers to make purchases without having to create an account, which many people today prefer not to do." You get the picture. Here is another example: Simply saying, "I saved Pendant Publishing $3 million annually by improving their printing processes," is irrelevant to your interviewer. This statement does not answer the question every interviewer asks themselves while a candidate is trying to convince them to hire them, "So what?" Learn how the company operates and suggest ways to improve its processes to save money. 1. Point out areas where the employer can automate. (Automation is one of the best ways to improve business operations, such as processing invoices, payroll, and returns.) 2. Improving inventory management. (It is common for companies, especially if they have a spread-out footprint, such as business units or stores throughout a region or the country, to unnecessarily order supplies. A central inventory management system for tracking internal inventory and orders would offer substantial cost savings.) 3. Matching staffing to actual customer demand. (In the world of call centre management, which I live in, agents are a call centre's highest cost-actually, this applies to all employers-therefore, I am constantly analyzing call volume patterns and staffing accordingly to minimize having agents sitting idle.) The two examples I gave fall into two categories that employees care about, since their business, like all businesses, can only survive if it makes a profit, which is accomplished by: 1. Making money, and 2. Saving money As a job seeker, you must show how you can either make money for the company or save money; otherwise, why hire you? More than ever, employers are looking to maximize their ROI from each position within their organization. Therefore, find specific ways to show that hiring you will result in a healthy ROI -this is how you score dream jobs! As a salesperson, you want an annual base salary of $100K, 3% commission and a $40K bonus for achieving your sales quota. You believe you have the experience to warrant your compensation ask. However, what you think you are worth and what an employer thinks you are worth are entirely different opinions. So, like Gia, approach the employer with a strategy (READ: a plan of action you present) for how you will use your sales experience to generate $1.5 million in new business within the first 18 months of being hired. Doing the math: $150K (18 months salary) + $45K commission + $40 bonus (assuming no bonus in the first year) = $185K. $185K for an increase of $1.5 million in sales is an offer most employers would not refuse. As a job seeker, keep top of mind that your value to an employer is not "This is what I have done." Your value is, "This is what I will do for you." __________________________________________________________________________ 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

Impaired Judgment

My husband has a twofold addiction problem, drinking and drugs. In the six years we have been married, he has had periods of sobriety, but they don't ever last. I feel he has not confronted the underlying problem: he was molested as a child by a family member. He is currently in jail due to getting drunk and hitting a police car. Before we met, he had an arrest history for violent crime, but he was never violent with me. He has a good core to him, as well as a feeling of worthlessness. When things are good they are very good, and you know the rest of the saying. Al-Anon does not appeal to me. There are too many victims. I will not bail him out or give him money. He knows I feel he has to face the music. Luckily, I am financially able to take care of myself, but I wonder if this marriage can ever be saved. I am nearing the end of my patience with him. I refuse to allow him to make more excuses. My feeling is you always have a choice in what action you take. You do not have to be a drug addict. I don't want to kick a man when he is down, but I'm very tired. Emmy Emmy, you are not kicking a man when he is down. You have done nothing but try to help. Now it is time to decide on your best course of action and what your life will be. Sometimes helping someone, in the sense of protecting them from consequences, is exactly what they don't need. Consequences are the only thing which will make them change, because they won't change until the worst that can happen, happens. If you are drawn to individual counseling for yourself, then by all means do it. It may offer you an opportunity to talk about how you got into a relationship with someone under the influence of drugs and alcohol. How do you have a genuine relationship with someone who is chemically impaired? No one can make your husband change until he is ready. That may be long after he is out of your life. Wayne & Tamara Determination Tell me what to do when your own mother can't stop screaming at you, when you know what she's saying has nothing to do with you. The worst thing is she knows it, too, but she still screams. Being a vent for her is not what I want. No one would want that kind of anger in their life. I hate it, but I'm turning into her. I scream the same way she does, except I do it when no one is around. Cate Cate, one day a man with a problem dog went to see a monk who was a dog trainer. It seems whenever the man moved toward any doorway, his dog bolted through ahead of him. The monk and the man talked as the dog lay beside them. Down a hill, a short distance away, was a gate. The monk asked the man to get up and walk toward the gate. The dog raced to the gate, and the monk called the man back. Again and again, the man was directed to walk toward the gate. Each time when the dog ran before him, the monk called the man back. Each time, the dog made less effort to follow. Finally, the man reached the gate and went through as the dog watched. In this way, the monk broke the dog's habit. Each time your mother screams at you for no reason, walk away. When your mother realizes what happens when she screams, her behavior will change. When you realize you have power over the situation, you won't need to scream. At that point, the two of you can begin to talk. Wayne & Tamara write: 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.

The Doctor Game Make a Stink for Better Public Washrooms

By Common Sense Health – W. Gifford-Jones MD and Diana Gifford When asked how to become a famous comedian, Steve Martin replied, “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” It’s true, bad performers can usually be ignored. But there’s no ignoring bad public washrooms. Public washrooms have a reputation for abysmal filth, as evidenced by dirty toilets, overflowing trash, empty or broken soap dispensers, sloppy countertops, and door handles not to be touched. An American survey found that 21 percent of respondents used a public washroom at least six times a week, sometimes over 15 times! The reason was not always obvious. Youth tend to visit washrooms to use their phones, change their clothes, or “get away”. In fact, 21 percent of youth acknowledge the use of public washrooms to take a mental health break, to avoid someone, and on occasion to cry. Older people, in addition to using the facilities, also visit public washrooms to check their appearance. Whatever the reason to visit, how important is it to take precautions? The good news is that some of the germs found in public washrooms are no different than the germs found in many other places, including the bathroom at home. Take Staphylococcus aureus for example. It will be found in dirty public washrooms. But it is also commonly carried around by 20-30 percent of people on their skin or in the respiratory system. It is an opportunistic pathogen, meaning it starts to cause trouble not when commonly encountered in the washroom but when the immune system is weakened or when the natural balance of bacteria in the gut is altered. Authorities disagree on how long certain other nasty germs survive or how readily they cause infection. But many bathroom studies have shown remarkable staying power – up to 8 days for E. coli. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu can survive on some surfaces for 48 hours. Washing hands after using public facilities is a no brainer. Yet a study published in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control found that handwashing and hand-drying equipment in public washrooms are facilitating infections due to contaminated sink handles and paper towel dispensers. Plus people don’t wash their hands with soapy water for 20 seconds or more. Even with the best of efforts, some researchers have noted that “adequate hand hygiene may not always be achievable when using public washrooms.” That’s because the door handle used to leave the washroom is covered in germs. Opting out of using a public bathroom and resorting to “holding behaviour” is not advisable. “Always go to the bathroom when you have a chance,” goes the sage advice of King George V. Royalty have their own reasons. But among common folk, holding urine in the bladder can invite bacteria in the urine to multiply and cause the development of urinary track infections. When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. But there’s worse news to report. A study published in 2020 in Physics of Fluids described a phenomenon known as "toilet turbulence." It’s an alarming and repulsive discovery to learn that flushing a toilet can send small droplets of water and aerosols containing fecal germs three feet into the air above the seat! One public health message advises users to turn away from the toilet when flushing. Good lord! There’s a reason for a toilet seat lid. Put it down before you flush. Making a stink about public washrooms that are poorly designed and infrequently cleaned is probably the best course of action. Afterall, what restaurant or community venue wants to be associated with disgusting washrooms? 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

IF YOU ARE OVER 80 BE CAREFUL THEY ARE COMING FOR YOUR LICENSE

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. I have worked my ass off all my life so that one day, I would enjoy living free of debt and comfortably. Now in my golden days. I thought I had it made. Then with one visit to my doctor. My world has come crushing down. I live in a rural part of Oshawa. My transportation is my lifeline to getting groceries, going to doctors and working around my acreage. During my doctors appointment, he informs me that he will be pulling my license based on my age and my medical condition. He felt that I would be a danger on the roadways. Now, excuse me. I have no tickets, no accidents and perfect vision. When I questioned her. She became very ubrupt and told me that ‘it was what it was.’ Then I started doing some research. I found out that the general practice today for most doctors is that if you are over 80. They can automatically pull your license. This I personally think it is an injustice. I just bought a 90,000. truck. I own an SUV and other machine to work around my property. Now this doctor decides to pull my license. I could understand if I had tickets. I would understand if I had accidents. I would even entertain the idea that if I had vision problems. After all, If I felt a threat to anyone including me. I be the first to stop driving. This is not the case. I pay for the vehicle. I pay for the insurance. I pay for my hefty taxes. I pay and pay and are now transportation castrated because of my age. I think this is a form of discrimination. What do you think. I worked all my life so that I would not have to ask for anything from the system. To retire in comfort. Now this? At the least the doctor could have referred me to take the Mickey Mouse test again. I drive every day and see that many of the new drivers have no common sense. For example. On a four lane street. Someone on the far right decided to make a left turn and cut across four lanes and made everyone wait. Luckily not causing a major accident. Where is the doctor taking their license. On another time. Driving on the 401 and someone on the fast lane decided to go 60km/hr. Trucks passed and beeped.. It was a dangerous scene. I am sure I could write a million pages of those that are young and should have their license revoked, yet we the over 80 population are threat. Those that never received a citation. Those that are fully insured and never had a car accident. Sure, it is easy to shrug our shoulders.... and deem this as my problem. But, remember one day you will be over 80. Then what? Or what if your family elders all of a sudden faced the same dilema and would have to rely on you on transportation... All because the medical association deems people over 80 a public safety threat. Come on people. Let’s do what is right. Why after contributing so much to this great nation am I being discriminated against over my age?

THE SUDAN

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 - Well, it appears our war mongering attention is being re-directed from the Ukraine to the Sudan. I guess by now we have all come to the realization that Russia is not such a big bad super power after all. Russian can’t even invade a neighboring country. What are the chances of them invading Europe or the West. The sad reality is that we are paying for the politics being played out in that region... Not to mention the huge cost of civilians in those affected areas. We the people are nothing but a number in a global bingo game. When the powers in charge feel they have some sort of gain. Our numbers are called one by one. Knowing that eventually we all have to face the same fate. The power pulling the strings decided the longevity of our predestine. The conflict in the Ukraine vs Russia is not something new. It has been going on back and forth for decades. We the west get suckered in due to the fact that governments play on the media to tear our hearts open and rip our pockets for aid. For the past two weeks reports from the Ukraine have dropped. Does this mean the war is over. NO, the war still on. I think the people have realized that in the Ukraine there is no win. That even if the Russians pulled back and out. That area still going to see turmoil. Then why are we in the west in it? Politics. The U.S. through Bidens son are committed to support the war effort. We as good Canadians follow. Now that the billion of dollar tap is slowly shutting down. The world turns to another conflict. This time the Sudan. A nation that has suffered more political strife than any nation in the free world. Why all of a sudden the Sudan? Other nations in Africa on a daily basis are having to deal with all kind of human rights violations. War, famine and political not to mention tribal in-humanities. Wait, I am getting a call from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lybia, Lebanon.... you mean to tell me that all of a sudden all these regions have settled and are living in harmony? NO, the human suffering is astronomical. Why don’t we hear about them in the news? As a member of the media, I strongly believe that the world today is being manipulated. Without force or military might. It is being controlled by misinformation and tailored agenda. Just recently the Canadian government reported the problems of getting Canadians out of the Sudan. I am no military strategist.... but has the Canadian government not have a military. In the Sudan they are killing kin. In the Sudan they are using stones and sticks. How hard would it be to land a strong force. Get what you wanted and get out. No instead our government is starting to tap on our hearts.... to make it look like the Sudan forces are so mighty and powerful that we may have to consider sending in troops... or at the least that we should be seeing foreign aid for those suffering. Get what in a matter of weeks we as good Canadian sheep will open our wallets and give. The question is... why are we so quick to help those suffering abroad and not those suffering within our own borders. It is estimated that there are over 5 million Canadians living on the street or in cars. People that can’t afford a place to live or to put food on the table. Forget about the days, when those struggling would loose their homes. Today, we have become the Sudan. People are living on the street, in make shift camps, in cars. Who is going to help our suffering folk? Who is going to stop this human suffering? Should we like in the Sudan take up arms and demand to be treated like human beings? Who will come to our aid? Better, who is coming to our aid? REMEMBER ALWAYS Hope for the Best. PREPARE FOR the worst.

Canada's 'entitled' Public Servants

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East More than 150,000 federal public servants with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) went on strike on April 19th while their union representatives continued to negotiate with the government for a bigger wage increase and more flexibility to work remotely. At the time of this article, no agreement had been reached with the government. Four main areas of disagreement remain between the union and the government: wages, teleworking, outsourcing contracts and seniority rules in the event of a layoff. Many federal services will be affected by the strike, including the processing of tax returns and passport applications. The union anticipates slowdowns at airports and border crossings, as administrative workers with the Canada Border Services Agency walk off the job. The Agency claims it expects to maintain services for travellers and businesses, but PSAC predicts the strike will affect the organization's administrative staff, inevitably causing delays at the border. Canadians are most likely to notice the effects of a strike with these services. Services deemed essential, such as administering the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Employment Insurance and social insurance numbers will be maintained, but at a time consuming slower pace. Passport services, grants and contributions programs, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the Canada Education Savings Grant, the Canada Learning Bond, the Canada Disability Savings Grant, the Canada Disability Savings Bond and the job bank will be partially or fully disrupted. Approximately 300 Service Canada locations will remain open during the strike, but service will be limited to those requiring assistance for Old Age Security, Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan payments and the issuance of Social Insurance Numbers. Travel advice and advisories for Canadians abroad, consular services and EduCanada, the program for international students who want to study in Canada may also be affected. Around the National Capital Region, striking workers made their presence felt, circling buildings, chanting through megaphones and blasting music throughout the morning. Why aren't residents protesting about the noise? Was it only the truckers' protest that bothered Ottawa residents? The union has been pushing for a 13.5 per cent pay increase over 3 years and 22.5 per cent for CRA employees. The 9 per cent the Liberal Government is offering isn't enough? How arrogant can these civil servants get? Are they totally oblivious to the suffering of millions of Canadians resulting from the economic downturn following the Covid-19 pandemic? They are secure in a well-paid job with an assured pension after working for only two years. They enjoy a highly privileged position and have the effrontery to demand still more money from taxpayers. Unabashedly, they are now escalating the strike activity. After union president Chris Aylward promised that picket lines would move to more "strategic locations," on Monday April 24th, strike action managed to "shut down" ports in Montreal, Vancouver and St. John's. They focused on ports of entry where the union predicted the strike would have greater economic impact. Striking public servants need only spend four hours a day on the picket line to receive their $75 per day strike pay. The union's strike fund boasted $43 million when the strike began, which may quickly be depleted, depending on how many strikers show up each day. Nevertheless, no worries, they will get support from other unions such as: the Canadian Labour Congress, Unifor, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Aylward declared last weekend that he wasn't worried about funds running out. Anyway, Federal public servants will continue to receive their regular salaries until at least May 10. How nice for them! Meanwhile, Liberal federal ministers at a cabinet meeting in Ottawa claimed to be watching the strike closely. However, these are their voters, so expect a mild reaction. Here are some indicative declarations: "On one hand, they have the right to strike and demonstrate," Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne told reporters. "On the other hand, we need to make sure that the economy can continue functioning around the country." Do you detect any intent to act in those non-committal words? Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said he has been in contact with ports and airports to make sure they have contingency plans in place. "I know Canadians would like us to avoid disruption to travel and supply chains, and our focus is to resolve this at the negotiation table," he said. Treasury Board President Mona Fortier assured us last week that both parties were still at the bargaining table. If negotiations continue, why has PSAC walked out already? Federal and provincial governments are more aware than ever of how vulnerable and critical major roadways and ports of entry are after last year's "Freedom Convoy," noted Ambarish Chandra, an associate professor of economics at the University of Toronto. Demonstrators took over major roads in downtown Ottawa for three weeks and blockaded several border crossings for days in February 2022 to protest federal vaccine mandates. The protest precipitated the first use of the federal Emergencies Act. While those events were a far cry from the activities of public servants on strike, federal workers' decision to target points of critical infrastructure could inspire copycat events, said Chandra, one of the experts who testified at the inquiry about the invocation of the Emergencies Act. "The events of last year highlighted how vulnerable we are," he continued. "And it may not be surprising if other groups now seize on that vulnerability to exploit what they now realize is a ... critical shortcoming in infrastructure." Smaller disruptions at borders and other key locations are likely to be annoying and in some cases costly, he said, but they tend to fade from public memory quickly compared to more-substantial blockades. So let's see how eager Chrystia Freeland will be to block the strikers' funding this time, if a prolonged strike continues to block essential infrastructure. We have a precedent, eh….? Anyway, it is becoming increasingly evident that our public service needs a radical overhaul in order to serve the public, not just themselves. What do you think?

It Is the Candidate Who Tells the Best Story Who Gets Hired

By Nick Kossovan A six-word story attributed to Ernest Hemingway: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Almost every hire I have ever made was a result of my being able to relate to the candidate's story. Solutions, right answers, and great ideas are as exciting as watching paint dry. On the other hand, who does not love risk-takers, plain talkers, and underdogs? For the most part, job search success depends on which candidate tells the most compelling story, a story that will compel the hiring manager to hire them. Emotions are often the difference between a candidate being hired or rejected. Logic is not the only factor in hiring decisions; emotions (feelings) play a significant role. Our emotions determine how we perceive someone when first meeting them, and those perceptions lead us to regard them positively or negatively. The quickest way to land on the hiring manager's "positive" side: Tell a compelling and relevant story in your resume, cover letters, and interviews. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to influence and persuade. Opinions are often more polarizing than persuasive, and statistics, even when used as evidence, are difficult to retain. However, you can tug at heartstrings if you blend the two into an engaging narrative. All you need to do is organize your achievements into a story that elicits positive emotions. - Start with your audience in mind. Most job seekers believe providing a long, chronological list of projects, responsibilities, and job activities is a good job search strategy. The belief is that if you stuff as much experience as you can into a 2-page resume, a 4-paragraph cover letter or a 45-minute interview, something will click with the reader/interviewer, and they will "understand" your value and fit their business Actually, the opposite is likely to happen. Will the person receiving your information remember everything? Nope! It is more strategic to prioritize your career information according to the employer's needs, to show them only what is relevant to the position and their company; hence you do not come across as being another cookie-cutter applicant, which employers typically see. (Not being cookie-cutter = Being different = Standing out) Always have your audience at the forefront of your mind. What is their role? What is their level? How are their business and industry doing? What current challenges do they face that are critical to their success? Hiring managers look for more than just a list of skills and experiences. Along with hard skills (e.g., formal education, technical, foreign languages), employers, more than ever, look for candidates with soft skills (READ: people skills), such as authenticity, strong communication, mindfulness, and inclusivity. - Have a theme. Once you know your audience, stop, and consider the one thing you want your audience to remember about you. In storytelling, this is called the 'big idea,' and it is the lynchpin of every effective story and, therefore, should be woven into all your written and verbal communications during your job hunt. Are you looking to join a marketing organization? Then the overarching theme of your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and when interviewing might be: I'm a person who is driven by innovation and growth. Every example you give regarding your marketing expertise should demonstrate how your creativity contributes to brands reaching a wider audience. (e.g., Created a holistic paid acquisition strategy, leading to a 63% ROI for every dollar spent.) Tie all your experiences in your resume, cover letters, and interviews directly into your theme. In addition to guiding your narrative, your theme influences a hiring manager's memory as to what it is you do and how well you do it. - Context! Context! Context! Throughout your job search, you will have many opportunities to share your career success stories. Like all great stories, you need clear context to make your experiences meaningful. Storytelling experts call context the "why" that drives a narrative's plot. Context gives your audience a reason to listen to your story to the end and arrive happily at your resolution. There are three things that establish context: setting, characters, and conflict. 1. Setting: The place where your story unfolds. 2. Characters: The people involved in and impacted by the triggering event in your story. 3. Conflict: An event that causes you and the other characters in your story to take action. As you tell your story, make sure the context sinks in so your interviewer can see how you work with others, how you approach challenges and how you solve problems. - End your story with a clear resolution. Your goal, as you wind your story down, is to give your listener a compelling reason to care about the outcome, results that would be relevant to the job you are applying for. Now is the time to be the hero and tell your interviewer how you resolved the conflict of your story. This is where you explain how you achieve the metrics listed on your resume and LinkedIn profile in greater detail. The conclusion of your story should encourage your interviewer to hire you. Telling your career success stories effectively will greatly enhance 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

MY HEART ACHES AND NOT JUST FROM AGE BUT FOR THOSE NOT OF AGE

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. From the big Canadian corporations to your average person walking the street. People have changed and they have changed for the worst. I remember closing million dollar deals on a shake hand an or my word. Today, you can’t trust not even the shadow that follows you everywhere. Corporations today are not about you or me. Forget about customer service. They will do whatever they can to make a dollar off your hard work. They make you sign contracts without letting you read the fine print. Corporation hide behind policy and procedure. Not to mention, the lengthy automated systems. Now with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence and robotics. Good bye Charlie Brown to jobs. Jobs that saves these corporation millions. The other day driving through Oshawa. I noticed this young man. He looked like he was able and fit to work. I rolled down my window and said to him. “Hey, buddy. How would you like to do yard work for a good meal and decent pay?”. The man looked at me in the eye and first thing that came out of his mouth was. “HOW MUCH DOES IT PAY? I can make about a $100/day doing this”. Really. He is begging for money. Common sense would tell you that someone is offering you work you take it on the spot. This new generation has no clue what it feels to truly have to suffer and go without food/shelter. This man, probably living on the street. Living off the money the government gives him and hand outs. This man had no real ambition and or goals. He lived day by day. This scares me. As this type of man is why society is failing. Crime is up and the family institution is changing. No one has responsibility for anything. I know in my day. I may have been poor but my goal was to work as hard as I could to feed my family and make something out of my life. I am no scholar. I had to learn my trade the hard way. No one gave me anything. Not that I would take it as if we can’t have self esteem and believe in our efforts. What purpose is there in life. I was shocked and appauled by this mans response. Then I look at the bigger picture and begin to understand why corporate Canada treats us they way they do. If we don’t care to fight back. We are easy picking for corporations to make millions off our lack of self respect. We need to teach our kids the value of a hard days work. Then again for those that do try hard and educate themselves. Look at their hardships do to poor governmental leadership. People we as a society are doomed. I can’t believe it. Godspeed.

CANADA AND THE OVERTAXED CITIZEN

Canada and the overtaxed citizen by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East In a turbulent world with uncertain economic predictions and the rising prices of the basic needs for a citizen to live in peace and without concerns, the future looks dark.

As it is most relevant for the entire country we will concentrate on the Province of Ontario Canadian resident to see how they fill with their future economic prospect. According to a new poll, 73 per cent of Ontarians feel that the average family is over-taxed. This result should not come as a surprise. A 2022 study published by the Fraser Institute found that the average Ontario family (consisting of two or more people) paid 44 per cent of its income in taxes (including income taxes, sales taxes, etc.). Unfortunately, relief is nowhere in sight. Although both the provincial and federal governments tabled their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, there were no serious discussion about tax reductions. In fact, the Ford government, has walked back promises it made on the campaign trail in 2018 when then-candidate Ford championed lower taxes, stating that the government was perhaps "the worst place you can hand your money over." But as premier, Ford has done little to nothing to reduce taxes for Ontario families. The same poll, conducted by Leger and commissioned by the Fraser Institute, found that 80 per cent of Ontarians believe the average family should pay 40 per cent or less of its income in total taxes. And more than half of respondents (55 per cent) in the province believe the average family should pay 25 per cent or less of its income. (Remember, the average Ontarian family currently pays more than 40 per cent of its income on taxes.) Clearly, there's incongruity between what Ontarians believe the average family should pay in total taxes versus what the average Ontarian family actually pays. Ontarians want tax reductions, but their governments are not listening. Finally, according to the poll, Ontarians are not thrilled with the quality of services (health care, education, police, roads, etc.) they receive in exchange for their tax dollars. Four in 10 (40 per cent) Ontarians believe they get poor or very poor value from government services. Only 19 per cent of Ontarians feel they receive good or great value from the services their tax dollars finance. And roughly three in 10 (31 per cent) said they receive satisfactory value. When Ontarians voice their opinions on taxes in the province, the results are clear. They want lower taxes, and they aren't over the moon about the quality of services provided by all levels of government. In other words, Ontarian families feel they're over-taxed and governments are under-delivering, and the Ford and Trudeau governments should pay attention. Will they? There is also another fact: Canadians already pay roughly $720 a year for climate-related damages. Those costs will keep rising (to around $2,000 a year by 2050). The question arise; is this a realistic approach or it is an additional tax grab for governments futuristic projects? For example the latest federal budget focused on promoting clean electricity . However, the more electricity we save, the easier it will be to achieve the so called zero-carbon grids and electrification of heating, transportation and industry. However, the budget had little emphasis on saving electricity, an area where Canada significantly lags behind the World. The budget had a clear bias for supplying more energy over reducing demand. For example, the document stated that "as electricity becomes the main source of energy, daily and seasonal demand peaks will become more pronounced. Canada will need to invest heavily in renewable generation to meet this demand." This statement obviously misunderstands the modern operation of electricity systems, where demand-side management is an indispensable resource to reduce peaks and demand growth. Better insulated buildings, more efficient industrial motors and energy management, and optimized commercial lighting and HVAC systems are examples of improvements that provide the same or better services to our electricity systems as energy generation. Demand-side management also involves shifting energy use to different times. "Efficient energy solutions - charging hot water tanks, electric vehicles or industrial heating outside of peak periods - can make room for increased electric heating and cooling needs when it is hot or cold. The federal budget released on March 28 confirmed in dramatic fashion that Canada is facing a major construction challenge. Our electric power grids, which provide essential power services across the country, will need huge upgrades over the next 26 years. "Canada's electricity demand is expected to double by 2050" the budget predicted, saying "our electricity capacity must increase by 2.2 to 3.4 times compared to current levels." These changes are needed to serve rising demand for electricity. The scale of the infrastructure development ahead is unprecedented. The implications for the economy and the environment are enormous and the time proposed is very tight. Judging by the $400 billion estimate recently disclosed by Ontario's grid operator, the cost of power system improvements across Canada could exceed a trillion dollars in this timeframe. What's more, much of this expenditure will be needed in the early stages, in the next 10 or 11 years. Canadians will surely be asking questions about where this money will come from, and how it will be spent. For Canadians, it has become timely to consider how decision-makers and regulators will oversee such a massive investment in the energy system. Without early attention and expertise, the work could be improperly focused, and money could be wasted on insufficiently considered choices. The Electricity Canada, the organization representing electricity generation and transmission companies across the country, is calling for a Canadian Electricity Strategy. They can see more clearly than most the dangers of entering this phase of major development without co-ordination between the many regions, governments, and business entities in the sector. A Canadian electricity strategy will probably need to wrestle with significant public policy questions such as: 1. How far should government go to encourage major new transmission lines between provinces and regions? 2. What kind of community input and engagement will be necessary for each type of development? 3. Do we have the right skills and training programs? 4. How to co-ordinate the timing of major investments with the natural schedule for replacement of existing capital assets? Francis Bradley, the CEO of Electricity Canada, recently said, "Canada needs a cross-government strategy to co-ordinate these efforts, pool resources, coordinate funding and work with the electricity sector to implement the planning and building process." With all this grandiose projects in making still the question remains of from where the money is coming from. I might think that it will come from more taxes on the ordinary Canadians. What about to limit careless spending of the governments on foreign soil pet projects in the name of promoting democracy instead of looking for the need of Canadians. Enough is enough a change is needed!