Remembrance Day, time for reflection...

Remembrance Day, time for reflection...
by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East
November 11th is a day to stand in silent reflection of so many other days that have come before it. It is a day that remembers those brave Canadians who consolidated our nation.

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, more than a century ago when the guns of the Great War at last fell silent, the fury of conflict was replaced by a deafening silence.

After more than four years of this intense conflict of country against country, human being against human being, we were faced with all we had done, all we had lost and all we had sacrificed as a nation.

Despite detractors and those who would rewrite history today, in an attempt to minimize this important event for our nation, Canadians will stand strong in defending the sacrifices of their ancestors for a better, free and strong Canada for centuries to come.

We need to remember the wise words of Nobel peace prize laureate and a holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel:

"Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future."

Remembrance Day isn't just about war and those we've lost, but about ideals and what we stand for. It's about respecting our past and looking hopefully forward, and more than anything, thanking those who have served.

From the trenches of the First World War, to the Second World War and the Korean War, to the deserts of Afghanistan, years have passed defending the beliefs and values that we as Canadians stand for.

One hundred and one years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the armistice between Britain, France, and Germany went into effect, bringing an end to the First World War.

More than 625,000 Canadian men and women had served, 154,361 had been wounded and 61,082 had lost their lives-a full 10% of those who served our country, lost their lives for our freedom.

The year 1918 and the end of the First World War-the origin of Remembrance Day-seem so long ago in the context of many of our lives here today.

But at the same time, the reality of war is only as far away as a veteran, a family member, friend or neighbour who has been touched by that war or those that have followed. Similarly, much of who and what we are as a nation, was defined by war.
And so today, we take the time to reflect, remember and honour those who fought for our freedom in the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, Peacekeeping operations and the recent war in Afghanistan

We also remember those who stayed in Canada, and served on home soil.
On this day we remember the brave members of our Canadian Armed Forces who left behind what they loved and lived for to carry out their job with purpose and pride.

It's a feeling many of us will never have to experience.
As husbands and wives, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters, these brave citizens are certainly not faceless.

They are friends and neighbours.  They have dreams and goals. 
And they have plans for the future.
That's why it's important that Remembrance Day has become such a significant part of Canadian culture. 

Over the course of November 11, communities across our great country will gather around cenotaphs and war memorials to honour our men and women in uniform and the sacrifices they have made and will continue to make
We are not celebrating war; we are celebrating freedom and nationhood thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us and future generations of Canadians.

We pause to reflect on those who've, indeed, made the ultimate sacrifice.  They put themselves on the line out of a sense of duty, to defend our freedom, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.  Their unwavering bravery has made all Canadians proud. 
That these brave citizens would put themselves on the line to defend freedom, human rights, democracy and the rule of law is most honourable.  It's a debt of gratitude the rest of us can never repay.
The least we can do is what we're doing at this very moment in coming together for a moment of silence to think of them, the risks they took, and their sacrifices.

We'll forever remember, never forget.

Halloween Should Scare Up a Big Boooo!

Halloween Should Scare Up a Big Boooo!

If you are looking for a holiday tradition that has lost any semblance of common sense, look no further than Halloween. Today, it has few redeeming qualities.

Let’s focus on only the health issues associated with children consuming ridiculous quantities of junk. Halloween candy comprises the lowest quality food on the market – cheap, sugary chocolate bars, chewy treats, hard candies, salty chips, soft drinks, and who knows what else – all questionably packaged, and gleefully handed out to unsuspecting youngsters as if it were the best thing on Earth. What a crock!

Mary Poppins sang that a “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”, but that should be a rare occasion. Today, I see children spooning far more than that into their mouths on a daily basis. Come Halloween, it is scary what children consume.

I don’t seek to be a spoilsport, depriving children of a holiday they most anticipate. But we must do better in safeguarding their health interests. The last thing we should be delightfully teaching our children is to mindlessly fill their pillowcases – yes, for many it is that much candy – with the stuff that will cripple their chances for a long and healthy life. To the contrary, we should be teaching them to despise the whole endeavour, and to be much more thoughtful about what they should demand when they knock on a door yelling “trick or treat”.

Here are my suggestions:

Parents: Talk with your children and help manage their expectations for Halloween’s after-dark exploits. Go door to door with you kids and don’t be random or rushed where you go. It’s quality social interactions with neighbours that should be celebrated, not the quantity of candy collected.

Grandparents: Reinforce the message that we should spend more time on having fun than hurting our health. Join your grandkids for the walkabout. It will be good for the kids. It will be great for your health to walk about too.

Kids: Do your research. You have the tools like never before. Know that there are 30 grams of sugar in 1.4 ounces of Skittles. That’s about 2.5 tablespoons of sugar per 3 tablespoons of Skittles, or the amount you put in one hand.

Teachers: Spend time discussing the issues with students. Don’t parade costumes around the gymnasium. Give children the education they need. Teach them about the consequences of obesity. Tell them how hard it will be for them to get a job when their teeth are missing, or how much it will cost to replace a tooth.

Doctors: Be role models. You carry great responsibility. Explain to children that they have autonomy over their own health, but that it requires hard work. Make sure they know that they must start young to develop the habits that will serve them well for a lifetime.

Companies: Be responsible. If you are producing products that you know are harmful, then get out of that business, or better, be a leader within it and sunset such products while building new healthier lines.

Retailers: Be creative with the spaces in your stores where you know parents and children are influenced. Imagine how you can direct purchasing power along new healthier avenues. Remove the candy from your checkout lanes and refill the space with thoughtful gift items that children could deliver to lonely residents in their communities. Work with parents to reshape the nature of Halloween.

Activists: Demand accountability and challenge those who profit by inducing Type II diabetes in our children. Devise usable, evidence-based decision-making toolkits and communication campaigns. Help families and communities craft alternative fun.

Determining the historical and cultural significance of Halloween is not for me. My job is to advise on matters of health, and I can say with confidence that this holiday needs an overhaul.

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HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED? By Joe Ingino

Logic
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?
   Yesterday as I was taking my morning shower.  I had some what of a revelation.   For a moment I began to think.  What if I woke up one morning and there was no  water, no hydro, no sewage?
How would life change for humanity in an instant.   We all have heard at one time or another that society and or civilization is held up by  a very thin series of logistical wires.
Take for example as you walk across your lawn to your car every morning.   All the different logistical system you are crossing over and under.  Many essential services that keep us in comfort.   From hydro wires above or below to television/telephone cables not to mention water/gas/sewage.
What if we woke up one morning and all this was compromised?
Could civilization survive?
It is a scary thought as without the essential we would encounter some major problems.
Have you ever thought of the tap water you drink?   The many miles it travels in order for it to reach your tap?   Or from where exactly does that water come from?  How about the logistics in place for that  water to flow from point A the lake to your tap, point B.
Without running water society would go into chaos as drinking water is essential to life.   Adequate sewage is essential to hygene and the spread of disease.
Without hydro we would have no contact with the world.  Without hydro the many pumps that pump sewage and fresh water would not work.
How would you deal with getting fresh water and at the same time deal with your daily bodily functions?
We live in a very complex society held by a very fragile logistical system. 
This  bringing to question the idea of what if!!!
What if due to an electromagnetic shift either man made or other would   eradicate electricity as we know it.
  How would society cope with the chaos.  Are we prepared for such mass shift from being dependents of a system to having to go out and improvise like many of our forefathers did.
Are we mentally prepared for such shift?
The world is a very fragile place and due to our own negligence and or act of war could see us in a predicament as never experienced before.   Why did the many civilizations before us all of a sudden disapeared?   They all experienced some sort of calamity due to their own failure of infrastructure logistics.
“To defend a country you need an army, but to defend a civilization you need education.”   Jonathan Sacks

Joseph Whiteside Boyle

Joseph Whiteside Boyle
(Klondike Joe) the Canadian Hero of WW1 and the Spirit of Canada.
by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East
    As we approach Remembrance Day, it is important to have a look at our history, traditions and values and be proud of the achievements of exceptional Canadians often forgotten by new generations. One of the heroes who defined the real spirit of what today is solely Canadian, is Col. Joseph Whiteside Boyle.
Joseph Boyle is one of Canada's genuine but little known heroes. He was born in Toronto in 1867 of Irish and Scottish parentage. He moved with his family to Woodstock, Ontario, when he was very young. There his father, a racehorse trainer, continued his business and became a successful cattle breeder. Thoroughbreds trained by him won the Queen's Plate in 1862, 1883, 1897, and 1898.
Educated in 1883-84 at Woodstock College, a school with a strong Baptist tradition, Boyle often accompanied his father to racing meets, and it was during a trip to New York in 1885 that he ran off to sea. Three years later he returned to the city a mature, hardened young man.
He then settled in New York, where he started a feed and freighting business, and was married and divorced. He began managing Australian boxer Frank Slavin in 1897 hoping to capitalize upon Slavin's reputation - he had fought notable bouts in England and was once considered to be a contender for the world championship -, touring Toronto, San Francisco Victoria and finally Juneau, Alaska.
Arriving at the height of excitement over the Klondike gold strikes Slavin and Boyle headed for the diggings in July 1897, joining the first party to reach Dawson via the White Pass. It was Boyle who opened the trail to Lake Bennet and Lake Tutshi. He and Slavin filed a claim of 8 mi (13.3 km) along the Klondike River, but Boyle immediately realized that success would depend on a large-scale operation.
He then lobbied in Ottawa for a concession to dredge, finally achieving it in 1900. Meanwhile, he established a profitable sawmill, docks and wharfs. In 1904 he formed the Canadian Klondyke Mining Co, and by 1910 had massive dredging equipment in operation, as well as a hydroelectric plant (May 1911) in Dawson, Yukon.
As a true Canadian Boyle was deeply involved in all aspects of Dawson's community life; spearheaded efforts for community improvements, promoted boxing events, and in 1904-5  financed a hockey team, variously known as the Klondikers, the Nuggets, and the Wanderers, which unsuccessfully challenged the Ottawa Silver Seven, the Stanley Cup holders. What was interesting and typically Canadian; for the love of hockey, they traveled from Dawson to Ottawa for almost a month, from December 19, 1904 to January 11, 1905, on foot, by bicycle, boat and train for the game which took place on January 13 1905 which they unfortunately lost.
With the outbreak of World War I, Boyle, too old to enlist, volunteered to recruit and finance a 50-man machine-gun company, giving the soldiers insignia made of gold, to fight in Europe. The unit was incorporated into larger units of the Canadian Army, a contribution for which he would be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant-colonel by the Minister of Militia and Defence, Samuel Hughes.    
In July 1917, Boyle undertook a mission to Russia on behalf of the American Committee of Engineers in London to help reorganize the country's railway system. Despite reluctant support from the British Foreign and War offices, and difficulties caused by Bolshevik revolutionaries, Boyle was instrumental in rationalizing rail traffic within the military zone extending from Petrograd (St Petersburg) to Odessa (Odesa, Ukraine). By November his leadership proved to be decisive in clearing the Moscow knot, a bottleneck of abandoned, damaged, and destroyed rolling stock paralyzing the city's marshalling yards.
His role, the following month, in returning the Romanian archives and paper currency from Moscow, where they had been sent for safekeeping, and his efforts in February 1918 as the principal intermediary on behalf of the Romanian government in effecting a ceasefire with revolutionary forces in Bessarabia (Republic of Moldova) were notable exploits. They, together with his rescue in March-April 1918 of some 50 high-ranking Romanians held in Odessa by revolutionaries, made Boyle a national hero in Romania and a powerful influence within its royal court where he had a special relation with Queen Marie of Romania, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and well loved by the Romanian people.
At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 he was instrumental in helping the country to obtain a $25-million credit from the Canadian government in order to save Romania from famine.
Throughout his service in Russia and Romania, Boyle, in cooperation with Captain George Alexander Hill, a Russian-speaking member of the British secret service, and the extended intelligence network, carried out clandestine operations against German and Bolshevik forces in Bessarabia (Republic of Moldova) and southwestern Russia. Unilingual, disdaining disguise, and insistent upon wearing his Canadian uniform (to the exasperation of British and Canadian authorities), he received altogether eight decorations from Great Britain, France, Romania, and Russia, however, notably, none from Canada.
Then after 2 years of action that had exhausted him to the point of death Boyle left Romania for England. Boyle, who had never fully recovered from a stroke suffered in 1918, died of heart failure in Hampton Hill, London, England on 14 April 1923 at the home of a Klondike friend.
Queen Marie of Romania installed an ancient Romanian stone cross on his grave, as well as a ledger stone on which was engraved 'man with the heart of a Viking and the simple faith of a child', quoted from the Robert Service poems he had read to the queen and her family.
Only 56, he had packed several lifetimes of adventure into his few decades, an extraordinary man of extraordinary times.
His remarkable career in Eastern Europe went unrecognized in Canada. Like many men of remarkable achievement he was held in suspicion for his independence.
In 1983, at the request of his daughter, Flora, a committee of Woodstock citizens arranged for the repatriation of Col. Boyle's English grave to Woodstock. The Department of National Defense flew his body home for a full military funeral. Among the official guests on Joe Boyle Day, June 29th, 1983, were Lt. Governor John Black Aird, Ontario Heritage Board Chair John White, Col. T.F.G. Lawson of the Royal Canadian Regiment, and Whitehorse Mayor Florence Whyard.
To commemorate Canadian-Romanian military co-operation and sacrifices during WW1, and the Canadian contribution to rebuilding Romania after the war, a plaque was unveiled in 2018, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of WW1.  The plaque is displayed at the entrance of the Romanian Orthodox Church, St Stephen the Great and Nektarie, in Oshawa.
This is a story to reflect upon…….

Reflection

Direct Answers
from Wayne & Tamara
Reflection
I have been dating a man for seven months. We have known each other for years and were just friends who saw each other from time to time. Lately he has been distant towards me.

He divorced his wife because she was unfaithful. One of the things he always wanted was children. Though he was married for 10 years, he had none. I have two older children and can’t have any more, nor am I willing to do that again in my life.
He is 39 and I am 44. I was upfront in the beginning about children and my feelings about them. He said sometimes he feels too old to have children and sometimes he feels too young. He means young in that he likes being able to do all the things he does without worrying about kids and what that entails.
He is active in sports, hunting and motorcycles. He keeps so busy that he would not have time for children. He also has many friends, and sometimes I feel like I’m on the list but at the bottom. I don’t want to be at the bottom of his totem pole. I don’t want to be in a one-sided relationship.  I am afraid to let go because I love him deeply. I am afraid if I let it go, he will find someone else who fits the picture.
We are perfect for each other except that I can’t have children. This puts a strain on our relationship, and I am afraid, it will eventually put a strain on our friendship. I don’t want to hurt anyone. What should I do?
Dora

Dora, he sometimes says, “I’m too old for kids,” and he sometimes says, “I’m too young for kids,” but both mean exactly the same thing. “I’m unwilling to put anyone else’s needs before my own.”
If you give credence to his idea of having children now or in the future, let it be the same as if he said, “I always wanted to be an astronaut”. But he didn’t do what it took for that to be a possibility: the study, the training, the focus, the drive, the determination.
It is likely the coming 40th birthday is making him reexamine his life. His peers and friends are telling him about their families. They are talking about children going off to college, sons getting married, and maybe even becoming a grandparent. Perhaps he thinks I’m missing out. What about my later years? What about my legacy?
Those feelings, that examination, might not only have him feeling longing but also guilt and self-recrimination. He’s looking in the mirror and not liking what he sees. So he puts the blame on someone else. He puts the problem on you. You have children, you have a legacy, you have something he doesn’t. You are a reminder of his selfishness.
He imagines children. These imaginary children can be whatever he wishes for—star athletes, award winners, valedictorians—and he can picture himself as their much loved and honored father. But that doesn’t make them real. It’s like wishing he had put more money away for retirement. The evidence suggests he isn’t willing to put in the time, effort, energy, or sacrifice to become a parent.
A classic song of the Rolling Stones says you can’t always get what you want, though sometimes you can get what you need. He’s getting what he needs now, and in a sense he is also getting what he deserves. No kids, no wife, no grandkids, no love of his life. The explanation is obvious. He doesn’t like anyone as much as he likes himself.
It’s a self-serving, hurtful excuse he uses to push you away, but it is perfect. It stiff-arms you while avoiding the truth. He doesn’t want a child. He wants to remain a child.
Wayne & Tamara
                          Send letters to:  DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com

The Doctor Game

By W. Gifford-Jones M.D.
 What Should I Mix With My Rum?        
Have I been leading readers astray? For years this column has stressed that we’re all consuming too many calories, and in particular, too much sugar. I’ve always practiced what I write, so for years I’ve made sure it is a sugar-free cola that I add to my rum before dinner. But are these alternatives to sugar safe? Scientists at Tufts University report that the research on sugar substitutes continues to advance – yet few clear answers are apparent.

For over 40 years, highly refined sugar substitutes have been on the market and common additives in drinks and foods. But for food safety, a cloud has always hung overhead.
Dr. Alice H. Lichenstein, Director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging and a Professor at Tufts University, explains that sugar substitutes have various names like high intensity sweeteners, non-sugar sweeteners, low calorie sweeteners which can lead to confusion about their sources and properties. Moreover, a wide variety of compounds are used in sugar substitutes and they may not always behave the same way in the body.
Lichenstein adds that some high-intensity sweeteners are 100 to 20,000 times sweeter than sugar! This means that individuals need consume only tiny amounts to achieve the sweetness of sugar.  In fact, most sugar substitutes are non-nutritive and not absorbed by the body.

So what are the potential dangers of sugar substitutes? Lichenstein says most research has been done on beverages. The greatest risk seems to be the tendency of some to make other unhealthy choices as a result of using sugar substitutes in drinks.
Lichenstein advises that if you seek to lose weight, “Substituting beverages sweetened with sugar substitutes in place of those sweetened with sugar may be helpful, but make sure you’re not compensating by picking up those calories somewhere else.”
The Diabetes Association agrees that decreased caloric intake is of paramount importance to decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes. And if this can be achieved by using sugar sweeteners, they can be a valid way to halt the epidemic. And using them for foods, as well as beverages, may be a beneficial option.

What about dental health? It’s generally accepted that replacing sugar with sugar substitutes reduces the risk of dental decay. And some studies suggest that the sugar alcohol xylitol in chewing gum may help to prevent the development of cavities.

So how much should we be worrying about sugar substitutes? It appears that we are still waiting for a definitive study that shows sugar substitutes are totally safe. And there is some lingering concern that sugar substitutes make it too easy for people to choose a low-sugar sweet treat than a serving of nutrient rich vegetables, nuts or fruits.

You may wonder whether I`m going to change my pre-dinner routine. Regular readers know I prefer natural remedies to prescription drugs. So it’s a good question: why would I use a manufactured sugar substitute rather than a natural sugar?

Weight is not a problem for me.  I step on a scale each day and make sure it always reads the same. But nonetheless, I am no fan of sugar, and I want to limit my intake.  I’ll take the chance on an artificial sweetener in the cola that mixes with my daily dose of rum.  My wife reminds me that there is sugar in the rum too!  But I’m convinced the health benefits of alcohol in moderation have contributed to my for good health and longevity. So I’ll stick with my poison!

Remember, I’m not your doctor, and you must always get good medical advice. But if you are overweight and a candidate for Type 2 diabetes, sugar substitutes may be helpful. In my view, obesity is a far greater health hazard than sugar substitutes.

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Canada and the turbulent world around us.
by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East
Dynamic global trends, challenging governance and the rapidly changing nature of power, will drive major consequences in the world in the very near future, and Canada will not be immune to these changes.
They will raise tensions across all regions and types of governments, both within and between countries. These near-term conditions will contribute to the expanding threat from terrorism and leave the future of international order in jeopardy.
The public will push governments to provide peace and prosperity more broadly and reliably at home when what happens abroad is increasingly turbulent.
A hobbled Europe, uncertainty about America's role in the world, and weakened norms for conflict-prevention and human rights create openings for the political ambitions of China and Russia, two authoritarian powers.
This combination of perceived weaknesses of established democracies, will also embolden regional and non state aggressors-breathing new life into regional rivalries, such as those between Riyadh and Tehran, Islamabad and New Delhi, and on the Korean Peninsula.
If we look closely at the European Union, it is likely to face additional problems, because the banks remain unevenly capitalized and regulated, migration within Europe and into Europe will continue, and Brexit will encourage regional and separatist movements in other European countries.
Europe's aging population will undermine economic output, shift consumption toward services-like health care-and away from goods and investment. A shortage of younger workers will reduce tax revenues, fueling debates over immigration to bolster the workforce.
The EU's future will hinge on its ability to reform its institutions, create jobs and growth, restore trust in elites (leadership), and address real public concerns that immigration will radically alter national cultures.
In the United States despite signs of economic improvement, challenges will be significant, with public trust in leaders and institutions sagging and politics highly polarized. Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are likely to further disrupt labor markets.
Meanwhile, uncertainty is high around the world regarding Washington's global leadership role. Foreign countries and governments will be watching Washington for signs of compromise and cooperation, focusing especially on global trade, tax reform, workforce preparedness for advanced technologies, race relations, and its openness to new ideas of governance at the state and local levels.
However, a lack of domestic progress would signal a shift toward retrenchment, a weaker middle class, and potentially further global drift into disorder and regional spheres of influence.
Yet, America's capital, both human and intelligence security, is immense. Much of the world's best talent seeks to live and work in the United States, and domestic and global hope for a competent and constructive foreign policy remain high.
Finally, America is distinct because it was founded on an inclusive ideal-the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness for all, however imperfectly realized-rather than a single race or ethnicity. This legacy remains a critical advantage for managing divisions.
Turning to opposing entities to world order let us start with China. China at present faces a daunting test-with its political stability in the balance. After three decades of historic economic growth and social change, Beijing, amid slower growth and the aftereffects of a debt binge, is transitioning from an investment-driven, export-based economy to one fueled by domestic consumption. Satisfying the demands of its new middle class for clean air, affordable housing, improved services, and continued opportunities will be essential for the government to maintain legitimacy and political order.
President Xi's consolidation of power could threaten an established system of stable succession, while Chinese nationalism-a force Beijing occasionally encourages for support when facing foreign friction-may prove hard to control in the long term.
We have seen it recently in the Hong Kong, social turbulence, which, if it continues, will also affect Canadian housing prices, health care and job market, if the 300,000 expat Canadians living in Hong Kong, decide to come back to Canada.
In addition, the trade relations between Canada and China are at the lowest ebb right now, and this will have negative effects on the Canadian economy, especially agricultural products.
With China flexing its military muscle in South East Asia and modernizing its military, we cannot expect positive outcomes in the future if reason does not prevail.
Finally, speaking about Russia; it still aspires to restore its great power status through nationalism, military modernization, nuclear saber rattling, and foreign engagements abroad. The frozen conflicts and the annexation of Crimea from the Ukraine and lately the revival and rapid modernizations of the military bases in the Arctic are vivid examples of hegemonistic Russia.
Yet, at home, it faces increasing constraints as its stagnant economy heads into a third consecutive year of recession.
Moscow prizes stability and order, offering Russians security at the expense of personal freedoms and pluralism.
Moscow's ability to retain a role on the global stage-even through disruption-has also become a source of regime power and popularity at home.
Russian nationalism is strong, with President Putin praising Russian culture as the last bulwark of conservative Christian values against the decadence of Europe and the tide of multiculturalism. Putin is personally popular, but sagging approval ratings for the ruling party reflect public impatience with the deteriorating quality of living conditions and abuse of power.
As to these authoritarian powers, we have noticed with concern, a tactical cooperation between China and Russia in which both have moved aggressively in recent years to exert greater influence in their regions, in order to contest the US geopolitically, and to force Washington to accept exclusionary regional spheres of influence-a situation that the United States has historically opposed.
Meanwhile, India's growing economic power and profile in the region will further complicate these calculations, as New Delhi navigates relations with Beijing, Moscow, and Washington to protect its own expanding interests.
I am not going to examine further the growing tensions around the Korean Peninsula which are likely to lead to serious confrontation in the region in the coming years, a possibility of great concern to Japan.
With all this turmoil simmering around the world, and at our doorstep, where is Canada to position itself as a middle power with the second largest land mass, but a small population of 36 million people?
At this stage our relations with China and Russia are at the lowest level politically. We also have political issues with India. Relations with the US are shaky both regarding the ratification of the new trade agreement, and political difficulties in our relationship with the White house and a deeply divided Congress.
So what are we to do? What can our political leadership do?
Obviously we cannot stay idle and I am hopeful that our political leadership will be able to navigate our nation out from these turbulent waters.
I will leave it with you to reflect upon these issues with the national election imminent …

ARE WE HAVING AN ELECTION?
 by Joe Ingino

   HELLO... HELLO ANYONE OUT THERE... OR have we all become mental zombies out of  our own ignorance?    This election it appears that the local candidates running have either come to the realization they don’t have a chance in hell at winning.   therefore why approach the local media to release information about themselves... Or is it that these candidates by their own recognition have surrendered to the fact that voters do not vote on information but on the party hype.
I just don’t understand if it is out of arrogance, ignorance and or not having the intellect to reach out to those they so want to represent.
We live in a real strange Canada.   A Canada slowly becoming a 3rd world nation.
My argument is strengthened by the recent debate.  What a national disgrace.   Here we have what was supposed to be Canadian leaders and instead it looked like a bunch of confused minds jockeying for a big paycheque.
I CALL FOR ALL CANADIANS TO NOT TURN OUT  this election.  Show them that we had enough and that to change for the sake of changing makes no logical sense.   Like really!!!  Andrew Scheer, is that different then Justin?    One wears red the other blue.   They are the ultimate ‘YING/YANG’ of political ideologies.    If we swap one boy for another we will never get men to work on what matters to hard working Canadians. It was so bad that during the debate the NDP leader mocked the PPC leader over questionable racist tweets.   This is the same guy that goes on Canadian National television wearing a turban.    A turban in many eyes being a clear symbol of Canadian social etiquette defiance.   Now tell me his actions as leader of the NDP are not prejudice and racist.  
We as Canadians are inclusive.  As such we must blend in not stick out.
It is not about having rights and exercise them without disregard for the bigger common good of the inclusive society.  Is it not a slap in the face to flaunt personal preferences or believes over others?  Is it not insulting  noting that on someone wanting to represent you.  To show open public defiance and in the same breath turn around and warn you.  If you say anything about my choice to social defy you. I will become insulted and point and label you racist.     Don’t get me wrong I do not have anything against turbans.  I just think like silent Canadians that we have played the prejudice victim card to far.  We as Canadians have standards and those standards have been compromised in the name of a false equality.  As equality would consider that we must put our native land cultures/cultures/traditions aside in the name of better good for Canada.
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
  George Orwell, 1984

How FREE is FREEDOM And Are We Truly FREE? By Joe Ingino

Logic
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”
  
How FREE is FREEDOM
And Are We Truly FREE?
  As a member of the media I have a bit of concern over a news cast this past week.  On the one hand. I do not support or endorse any community or group being slandered, attacked and or provoked in any way.  On the other I have concern over freedom of speech and any protection and the possible repercussions for reporting any news topic. 
Section 3 of the Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on "race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability and conviction for which a pardon has been granted."   Rightly so, are points of view that are discriminatory not a freedom of speech?  Discrimination in context is not defined under the charter... Why?
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Constitution of Canada.[1] Section 2 of the Charter protects freedom of expression, including freedom of the press, and also freedom of religion. Section 1 of the Charter guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in the Charter, but also recognizes that the rights and freedoms are subject to reasonable limits, provided the limits are prescribed by law and "can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society."   Now here is where I bring to question the validity of the freedom one has when it stipulated ‘reasonable limits’. 
As such if there is freedom of speech, should there not be alternative remedies to dealing with anyone expressing their point of views over another in a negative/derogatory and or hatred way.  Sure there is law.  But can’t laws be a two sided sword...  Under Canadian Law we are given a freedom to express openly but with restrictions... this brings to question the integrity of the word ‘FREEDOM’  as freedom technically should have no conditions.   This week the following news article caught my eye.  It read:
The two men behind a free Toronto-area newspaper promoted legalizing rape and denied the Holocaust occurred were found guilty on Thursday of promoting hatred against women and Jews.   In delivering his verdict against James Sears and LeRoy St. Germaine, Ontario court Judge Richard Blouin called evidence of their guilt overwhelming.
Sears, 55, the editor-in-chief and St. Germaine, 77, the publisher, had argued Your Ward News was meant to be satire but Blouin found nothing funny about their views.
Without knowing the particulars of this case or taking sides.  One has to bring to question if the publishers  Freedoms have not been restricted and or denied.  Setting a dangerous precedence.
 The various laws which refer to "hatred" do not define it. The Supreme Court has explained the meaning of the term in various cases which have come before the Court. For example, in R v Keegstra, decided in 1990, Chief Justice Dickson for the majority explained the meaning of "hatred" in the context of the Criminal Code:
This bringing to question if our civil liberties and or freedom of speech are not under attack.   The publisher of this publication claimed the content to be satire.   Their readers perceived it as such.   Yet a court judge deemed it inappropriate.   The question as ‘hatred’ not defined by law is whether or not this type of ruling sets a negative precedent for future cases of a judge deeming something inappropriate and ground for punishment.   Is this not what censorship is all about?  With the Federal government introducing new laws protecting those of Islamic faith  for example, one could technically easily bring before the courts the argument that any mention or question of the Islamic religion could be seen as hatred and therefor subject to judicial scrutiny. This giving credibility to the introduction of Sharia law in order to protect the rights and freedoms of those followers of Islam as the law of the lands may be construed as discriminatory.
    Hatred is predicated on destruction, and hatred against identifiable groups therefore thrives on insensitivity, bigotry and destruction of both the target group and of the values of our society. Hatred in this sense is a most extreme emotion that belies reason; an emotion that, if exercised against members of an identifiable group, implies that those individuals are to be despised, scorned, denied respect and made subject to ill-treatment on the basis of group affiliation.
Wonder how this applies to political parties attacking each other slandering and being disrespectful towards each other points of views... is this sublime and acceptable hatred... Where do we draw that line?
We live in times of change and we need to be more definitive in our definition of ‘FREEDOM’ as restrictions are only the tip of the censorship ice berg.  In the case above.  Readers and the general public should close them down.  If this publication would entice violence of any kind they should be held criminally responsible for their part in the act.  By passing a ruling based on a judges interpretation is a  blow to what a free democratic society is all about and nothing  short of censorship of the press. 

What I Think Of Canada's New Food Guide

Healthy Living
Healthy Eating
from Marissa Liana
 Certified Nutritional Practitioner/Health Coach
What I Think Of Canada's New Food Guide
   It has been over 40 years since Canada has updated its dietary recommendations for the public. The 1977 Canada’s Food Guide consisted of 4 main food groups: milk and milk products, meat and alternatives, grain products, and fruits and vegetables, with specific serving size recommendations. The new guide places emphasis on only 3 food groups: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and proteins, with the overall message to eat more plants, and less meat and dairy. While I think a new food guide has been MUCH NEEDED, I wanted to share what I love and what I don’t love about the new guide.
What I don’t love:
1) I’m so confused why there are no sources of fat *emphasized* in a healthy plate. I love the shift from foods high in saturated fats (like meats and dairy) to foods high in mono and polyunsaturated fats from things like nuts, seeds, and avocado which are much higher in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. However, I still think this plate sends the message that higher fat is not beneficial, which we now know is not true, and is actually health-protective.
2) Some of the fats that ARE recommended still include inflammatory vegetable oils! There is a recommendation on the Canada’s Food Guide website that states, “when you are cooking, replace shortening, lard or hard margarine with oils with healthy fats such as canola, olive and soybean.” Vegetable oils like soybean and canola oil are high in omega-6 fats, which PROMOTE INFLAMMATION in the body. Coconut oil, avocado oil and GHEE are much better options.  3) Where dem weed brownies doe? KIDDING.
What I love:
1) The visual of the plate. I don’t believe specific serving sizes are necessary, and here’s why.
1) Nutritional needs vary HIGHLY for individuals depending on a long list of variables.
2) If people are filling up on primarily fruits and vegetables, blood sugar, hunger and hormones will be much better managed in comparison to a plate full of processed carbohydrates like juices, cereals, and boxed crackers. By simply eating a plate consisting of mostly fruits and veggies, it will be pretty hard to overeat.
3) Most people aren’t weighing or measuring their food anyway. Please show me a picture of your plate of pasta or bowl of cereal… I can guarantee you its not anything close to a proper ‘serving size’.
2) I love the idea of eating more plant-based, whole foods. The lack of highly processed foods on the guide like boxed cereals is huge!! Staying away from processed foods means less sodium, sugar, preservatives, food dyes, and foods that have been stripped of their vitamins, minerals and fiber.
3) Water as a beverage of choice! Although my heart frowns a little that wine isn’t on there hehehe. The guide has moved away from the idea that fruit juices  and other sugary drinks are a good option.
4) Dairy isn’t the focus or answer to calcium and strong bones. In fact, countries who consume the highest amount of dairy actually have the highest incidence of osteoporosis. Additionally, in absence of magnesium, calcium is poorly utilized in the body. Milk is not a good source of magnesium, but alternatives like almonds and left green vegetables will provide both calcium and magnesium for optimal absorption. 
IN SUM, I am so happy to see changes to the nutritional recommendations for this country. Modern day diseases like obesity, heart disease and cancers can be HUGELY influenced by diet, so it is about time we shift the focus of what we are putting in our bodies as a method for optimizing health and preventing disease.

Rejected Rejection

Direct Answers
from Wayne & Tamara
Rejected Rejection
  I was wondering if I could get your help with a relationship I’m currently in, or rather, was in. I met this girl six months ago and it was love at first sight. We moved in together a few months later. Everything seemed to be going well. About a month ago we broke up and I was devastated.
We said we would be friends once we were comfortable with it. Now we have reached that comfort zone, though it is hard on me. One night about two weeks ago I told her I still had feelings for her. She said she didn’t have those feelings for me anymore, and only cared about me and worried about me. She said she doesn’t want a serious relationship right now because she is only 20 and doesn’t want to be tied down. Well, we went through that and moved on to “just friends.” It is still very strange being around her. We do things together. But every now and then she does something that makes me think she has feelings for me. We still seem to flirt with one another. Maybe she doesn’t realize it, but I get mixed feelings and signals from her. At times, when we are close together, it seems like a moment to kiss her. But I pull away because I don’t want to betray the fragile friendship we’ve worked to achieve.
I guess what I’m asking is if it is possible for people who were once in love, then become friends, to go back to being in love. If so, how do I know when the time is right and she feels the same way.
Owen
Owen, the 19th century humorist Josh Billings said, “As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.” It wasn’t love at first sight. It was desire at first sight. You didn’t know her then. Your relationship started based on what you could see on the outside. It was not based on what was inside her.
Perhaps you swept her up in your feelings for her, but friendship was not the basis of attraction. In a few seconds of looking at her in a moment of her life, you felt something. If you had seen her on her worst hair day, when she went shopping hoping no one would see her, the result might have been different.
Stop acting like a sleuth trying to detect her inner thoughts from a toss of her head, the way she holds her hands, or the dilation of her pupils. She speaks plain English. In plain English she said no.
You didn’t get involved to be her friend, and you are proving to yourself and now to us that you do not want friendship with her. Don’t hang around hoping for a weak moment or looking for signals that contradict her words. Because of your feelings and your desires, you cannot trust how you perceive her.
Life will be tough if you don’t think other people have the same rights you do. If you can tell her to be your girlfriend, some woman can tell you to be her boyfriend. And if you want what you want regardless of what she wants, you don’t care about her. There is a lesson here: you want someone who wants you with the same passion you want them. No less should be accepted. You deserve that, and it is the only thing which will work.
That’s the truth. But as Josh Billings said, scarce as truth is, the demand is always less than the supply.
Wayne & Tamara        
 Send letters to: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.comas wondering if I could get your help with a relationship I’m currently in, or rather, was in. I met this girl six months ago and it was love at first sight. We moved in together a few months later. Everything seemed to be going well. About a month ago we broke up and I was devastated.
We said we would be friends once we were comfortable with it. Now we have reached that comfort zone, though it is hard on me. One night about two weeks ago I told her I still had feelings for her. She said she didn’t have those feelings for me anymore, and only cared about me and worried about me. She said she doesn’t want a serious relationship right now because she is only 20 and doesn’t want to be tied down. Well, we went through that and moved on to “just friends.” It is still very strange being around her. We do things together. But every now and then she does something that makes me think she has feelings for me. We still seem to flirt with one another. Maybe she doesn’t realize it, but I get mixed feelings and signals from her. At times, when we are close together, it seems like a moment to kiss her. But I pull away because I don’t want to betray the fragile friendship we’ve worked to achieve.
I guess what I’m asking is if it is possible for people who were once in love, then become friends, to go back to being in love. If so, how do I know when the time is right and she feels the same way.
Owen
Owen, the 19th century humorist Josh Billings said, “As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.” It wasn’t love at first sight. It was desire at first sight. You didn’t know her then. Your relationship started based on what you could see on the outside. It was not based on what was inside her.
Perhaps you swept her up in your feelings for her, but friendship was not the basis of attraction. In a few seconds of looking at her in a moment of her life, you felt something. If you had seen her on her worst hair day, when she went shopping hoping no one would see her, the result might have been different.
Stop acting like a sleuth trying to detect her inner thoughts from a toss of her head, the way she holds her hands, or the dilation of her pupils. She speaks plain English. In plain English she said no.
You didn’t get involved to be her friend, and you are proving to yourself and now to us that you do not want friendship with her. Don’t hang around hoping for a weak moment or looking for signals that contradict her words. Because of your feelings and your desires, you cannot trust how you perceive her.
Life will be tough if you don’t think other people have the same rights you do. If you can tell her to be your girlfriend, some woman can tell you to be her boyfriend. And if you want what you want regardless of what she wants, you don’t care about her. There is a lesson here: you want someone who wants you with the same passion you want them. No less should be accepted. You deserve that, and it is the only thing which will work.
That’s the truth. But as Josh Billings said, scarce as truth is, the demand is always less than the supply.
Wayne & Tamara        
 Send letters to: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com

A Seeing-Eye Dog Wins First W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity

By W. Gifford-Jones M.D.
A Seeing-Eye Dog Wins First W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity
          Readers may ask why I chose to award a Service Dog the first W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity. And wonder why human achievement was ignored. There were plenty of reasons and it required only moments for me to choose a seeing-eye dog.
          It’s been aptly said that, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself!”

          Harry S. Truman, former President of the U.S., an astute observer of the political scene in Washington, once remarked, “If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.” Truman knew a dog would provide unconditional love regardless of what happened during his Presidency.
          The prize winner, Ulysses, will devote his entire life to the welfare of one person with decreased vision and protect her from danger. How many people are willing to give up everything in life to care for a single person, even a loved one, for the rest of their lives? It’s a near impossible assignment.
          So, when I recently presented a check to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and also placed a medallion around the neck of Ulysses, an animal of uncommon devotion and intelligence, the intention was to send a powerful message. Can humans live up to the high standards and demanding tests this dog has endured?
          Consider human history. Animals in the jungle kill only to eat. Humans have been slaughtering each other in the name of religion, the colour of their skin or some other insane reason for over two thousand years. Prejudice, bigotry and horrendous cruelty rage still. I see no end.

           How long must we witness young children washed up dead on a Mediterranean beach? Or those scavenging for food, shelter, medical attention, or looking for dead parents where buildings lie in ruins after senseless wars. In our world, evil, destruction, and cruelty have known no bounds. And I hope there is a special place in hell for world leaders who incite this continuing carnage and suffering.
          Seeing-eye dogs never commit such sins. Nor will Ulysses, unlike humans, fall victim to “Pillitis”, demanding a pill for every anxiety and every ache and pain. The U.S. Center for Health Statistics reports that for those over the age of 12 years, 13 percent are taking antidepressant drugs! If you don’t think that represents a sick society you’re smoking too much marijuana.
          Some humans have also caused me a pile of trouble. For instance, Ulysses will never lie or be associated with human hypocrisy. Years ago I fought to legalize heroin to ease the agony of terminal cancer. Yet critics and major organizations lied repeatedly about its value causing needless suffering. It was only after I visited England, did my own research, and proved they were telling a pack of lies, that heroin was finally legalized in 1984.
          Today the hypocrisy continues. Some addiction clinics are providing heroin addicts three injections of heroin daily. Yet in a survey of Toronto’s teaching hospitals I discovered that there is not one milligram of heroin available for patients dying of terminal cancer pain. This is human hypocrisy at its worst.
          Let’s end on a happier note. Seeing-eye puppies begin their training at 16 months of age which lasts 26 weeks. During that time they work in all weather conditions except if it’s too hot.

          The course is intensive and requires extremely intelligent dogs. In the end, only about half of those trained become service dogs.

          We all encounter a seeing-eye dog occasionally and invariably they kindle respect and admiration. The temptation is to want to pet them. Don’t do it.

          Remember, the working dog is bent on protecting his owner at all cost. So pretend he’s not there. Any distraction could result in an accident, for which you would be responsible.

          So, considering the incredible devotion of this dog Ulysses and the humanitarian work of the CNIB society, why wouldn’t we want the first Gifford-Jones Prize winner to be a member of the canine race? They are what humans should be. There’s no contest.
  Online docgiff.com Comments info@docgiff.com

In The Spirit of Christmas

Logic
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”
  
In The Spirit of Christmas
    I It took me years to fully appreciate Santa’s real HO, HO, HO.
When in reality it is more like HOW, HOW, HOW...
How did we not know GM was going to leave?
How is it that we the people of Canada  failed to plan for the closure of GM?
How can we stand against corporate Canada and send a message, ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’?
Allow me to explain.   I know to some this column many not be what  would be expected as b eing Christmas and all I should be more traditional.   I feel this has to be said.
Oshawa, has been given a huge blow to it’s image, industry, commerce and people.   GM announced that they will be finally closing operations.  This meaning that an icon in Oshawa will no longer be.  This after billions of tax payers dollars were invested over the years.  Only to have GM without civic conscious think first of their bottom dollar and make such closure announcements.
   Soon after the GM announcement droves of politician at all levels of government putting on the shocked face and pretending to care and pledge to do something about it.    How can we even begin to save Oshawa GM from leaving when Oshawa municipal government has known for years and decided to do nothing to prevent it and or circumvent it by immediately going aggressively after other industry to offset this huge loss.
Soon after the announcement the Provincial government was noted waving a white flag and putting up their hands surrendering to GM corporate greed.   Our Federal leader was to busy playing Canadian Royalty in Argentina and kissing royal Saudi ass for business to even acknowledge where Oshawa was on the map.    In turn the people of Oshawa are left at the will of the Union to gather up the troops and create some sort of momentum to get politicians involved.
Just this week the Union held a rally of sort at Memorial Park.   Not the Mayor or the newly elected regional chair attended.  One would think...that whatever they had scheduled would take a back seat to supporting the local Union attempting to do what the city elect should have been doing.   Gathering up the people and put pressure on GM to stay.
I must say that the Union is trying... the question is.. is it doing enough and is it on the right track.   I think an announcement of this magnitude calls for more than a public awareness campaign.  I think personally all the union bosses should get together and in solidarity call for all membership across Canada of all unions shut the country down.
This would be sending a major message to Ottawa that the people of Canada will not become slaves to Corporate Canada.     We the people matter and we the people have a voice.  So if it means jail time for some of the union bosses.   Let it be.   If it means going against the wishes of corporate Canada.   let it be.   Let’s put a stop to this raping of our land by corporations.  We are not just a number.  We are hard working people that deserve our government to protect us from all threats.   A nation wide shut down will force the government to take some serious concern.   We can’t wait and see.   As you read this.  GM Oshawa is possibly selling off all equipment... Should we wait until they are done... and have to deal with the impact of their greed?   Who will clean up their environmental mess they leave behind?   In my estimate 40% of Oshawa has been contaminated by GM manufacturing.    Lakeview park, the harbor, the courthouse lands,  along Grandview Street north to name a few... not to mention the mess that will be left at the south plant.   I  hope that 2019 brings greatness.  My heart goes out to all the families affected and to all of the people of Oshawa.  Let’s make them pay.  Merry Christmas.

H.W. Bush vs. The Donald

H.W. Bush vs. The Donald
By Larry Klayman
It's good for the nation and our collective human soul to pay homage to a former president who has just passed on. I too mourn and pay respect to the death of the former 41st president of the United States, George H.W. Bush. However, there were a number of things that turned me off about the over-the-top and in many respects hypocritical celebration of this man and his son, George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States who gave the eulogy at his Dad's funeral.
The first thing that bothered me was the rank hypocrisy of the left-wing media, which in order to use H.W. as a sword against another president, Donald J. Trump, whom they truly hate, hypocritically sought to deify 41 – calling him a great gentlemen and statesman. But, notwithstanding President Bush's public persona of being gracious, facts speak louder than cultivated appearances.
Lest we all forget, as the left-wing media have been excoriating our current president for not severely sanctioning Saudi Arabia – which we all can agree is run by ruthless Muslim Wahhabi Muslims – they conveniently overlooked the fact that H.W. post-presidency literally and greedily extracted about a billion dollars from the Osama bin Laden family to fill the coffers of an investment company he became associated with: the Carlyle Group. Years later, H.W.'s son, W., would use the FBI to return the "favor" by quickly whisking members of the Saudi royal family out of the country in the hours after the horrific Sept. 11, 2001, attack so they could avoid interrogation.
In short, Daddy Bush, his compromised president son and all charter members of the Texas oil cabal kissed the derriere of their rich Saudi benefactors, bowing down to their "largesse." In the face of this, President Trump is trashed, even by establishment Republicans like Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bob Corker for not sufficiently punishing the Saudis for the death of a non-citizen, Washington Post Muslim "columnist" Jamal Khashoggi. Recognizing that Saudi Arabia is now a necessary ally to check the Iranian terrorist "nuclear" regime – "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" – The Donald exercised admirable restraint in not overreacting. Indeed, since when is it news that Sunni Muslims have little respect generally for human life with regard to even their own, much less Judeo-Christian "infidels"?
Second, there was H.W.'s meaningless war to "liberate Kuwait" when Saddam Hussein invaded this Muslim nation to seize its oil assets. Bush having armed his then-ally Saddam with biological and chemical weapons to fend off Shiite Iran, this war was simply about oil. Ask yourself this: Even if Iraq had not been thrown out of Kuwait, would Iraqi occupation have taken Kuwaiti petroleum off the world market, driving oil prices up? Absolutely not!
In the ironic words of Hillary Clinton post-Benghazi, "what difference does it make" which despotic Muslim regime owned and marketed the oil? And, to underscore the Kuwaitis' lack of appreciation for H.W.'s and our nation's having bailed its dictatorial Islamic regime out of Iraqi occupation, just last Thursday it conspired with Bolivia at the United Nations to procedurally deep-six an American resolution condemning Hamas terrorism in the Gaza Strip. So much for risking and sacrificing American lives and bodies for H.W.'s meaningless crusade.
Third, there was Bush's other most notable if not despicable lie to the American public during his Republican National Convention nomination address in 1988. Asking the citizenry to "read his lips" that there would be no new taxes, the 41st president went back and dishonestly reneged on his word, and in fact later agreed with the Democrats to raise taxes. This falsehood is reminiscent of former President Barack Hussein Obama's promise that Obamacare meant you could keep your doctor. By contrast, President Trump has sought to honor his promises to the American people.
Fourth, there was H.W.'s clueless stewardship of the economy. By the end of his presidency the economy was literally headed into the tank. To the contrary, President Donald Trump's economic policies have stimulated the economy and created new jobs for millions of Americans.
But the biggest contrast between our current fearless leader and H.W. is The Donald's simple even if sometimes crass direct honesty. Unlike H.W. and most of the "Bush aristocracy," Trump does not hold himself out as nobility or holier than thou. He calls events and situations as he sees them. Thus, as just one among many examples, judges are held out to dry for their prejudices, a subject dear to me as the founder of Judicial Watch and now Freedom Watch.
In short, Trump does not mince works nor couch his actions for the sake of appearances as part of the nation's "political nobility," and while boasting of his accomplishments, he does not pretend to be of an elitist establishment class.
What is most telling, if not the ultimate litmus test, revealing the huge differences between H.W. and Trump, is that while The Donald has rightly called Hillary Clinton a crook and called for her to be locked up, H.W. proudly announced after the last 2016 presidential election that he voted for her. And his son W., following his narrow election to the presidency in 2000 and after 40 Clinton era scandals, wasted no time inviting Bill and Hill to the White House for "tea and crumpets." Indeed, the two families – or should I say "crime families" – have become very close over the last 18 years! Disgusting! Need I say more.
So finally, while I do mourn the death of President H.W. Bush out of respect for the presidency and the end of a human life, President Donald J. Trump is far more worthy of the office than his Bush predecessors. So when I saw how the leftist media were using H.W., as well as some "Never Trumper" Republicans, as a foil to cleverly disparage if not trash Trump, I felt like throwing up.
The Bush family is not all bad, and in fact I have always liked Jeb as a person. But as for H.W., he was not the "best," and W. hardly the "brightest" of presidents, to put it most diplomatically. To the contrary, should Donald J. Trump survive the likes of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and their undaunted march to impeachment, our current president, who puts America and its citizenry first and does not try to appear morally and ethically superior, but recognizes and will forcefully confront the "facts of life," will in the end prove to be far "greater" than the elder Bush and his son.
Death cannot and should not rewrite history, even if many have short memories!

Tough Love

Direct Answers
from Wayne & Tamara
 Tough Love
I do love your column, but I find that the merit of working out troubles is not presented sufficiently. I am an alcoholic, and I am married to one. We have been married for 10 years. With all the problems of marriage, alcohol, and other things, I think it is very important to work things out.   People who write you have problems, and you always suggest breaking away. We have two lovely boys. I can’t just walk out on this. So I quit drinking, but he didn’t. I still have faith in him. He will in due time, though I keep getting back to drinking when he doesn’t quit.
He has not been in trouble with the law over his drinking or drug use so far, so he feels infallible. I haven’t either, but I feel it’s important to try to quit before it’s too late. Everybody has their problems, you too probably, so don’t let people give up hope, because there might be hope. If there is no hope, there is not life. I wish you the best. Keep up the good work. Noelle
Noelle, it appears you don’t think we should tell people they can get out of a bad situation they are powerless to change. We don’t crush hope. We encourage it. We encourage people to make changes for themselves. We tell them they can change their lives. Often that means doing the hard thing and leaving behind a person who chooses not to change. On the surface it appears you have compassion for your husband. That compassion comes at a grave price to your sons. Alcoholics and alcoholism define their world. It’s only reasonable to assume they will grow up with the standard outcomes from living in an alcoholic household.
They will only guess what normal is. They will be impulsive and struggle with intimate relationships. They will have trouble completing projects, judge themselves without mercy, and suffer from a deep, undiagnosed depression. Even if your husband finally quits, your boys are likely to be grown before it happens, and the damage will be done. You don’t address an obvious undercurrent in your letter. Your husband is your excuse to drink. Staying with him allows you to drink because he is drinking, and neither of you will quit for the sake of the children. Parents define a child’s world, and you are both under the influence of alcohol.
In “A Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from three ghosts. The first shows him the past, and the second the present. After each visit Scrooge can still say, “Bah, humbug.” It’s as if Dickens tried to be nice to Scrooge, then realized he had to be hard to be kind.
Only the third ghost can change Scrooge. That ghost shows Scrooge his own death and desolate gravestone. In desperation Scrooge cries out, “Why show me this, if I am beyond all hope.”
But Scrooge was not beyond hope. As Dickens explained, “Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead. But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change.” If you want a different life, you must do different things.
Don’t tell us it’s hard. We know that.
For your own sake, for the sake of your sobriety, and for your sons’ sake, you must act. But we won’t stop telling people they can redesign their life, and that the only person they can change is themselves.
Wayne & Tamara       Send letters to: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Remedies to Prevent Death from AAA
          Ask anyone about AAA and they will immediately think of the American Automobile Association. But in this case it stands for abdominal aortic aneurysm.  Sir William Osler once remarked, “There is no disease more conducive to clinical humility than aneurysm of the aorta.” He could have added that it’s a lethal disease, so prevention is better than cure.              
          Every year over 20,000 North Americans die from a ruptured aorta. Albert Einstein, the physicist who expounded the Theory of Relativity, and Lucille Ball, the TV star that made us laugh, both died of AAA. So, what causes the aorta, about the size of a garden hose, the largest artery in the body, to rupture?
 Getting a little stiff in various parts of our body is one of the problems of aging. But arterial stiffness, known as hardening of arteries, is particularly hazardous when it happens to the abdominal aorta. A sudden rupture can result in death in a few minutes. And studies show that about 5 percent of men over age 65 have some degree of AAA. It’s also five times more common in males than females. Sir William Osler, Professor of Medicine at McGill, John’s Hopkins, and Oxford University, remarked that, “It’s good to be born with good rubber.” In effect, to have soft, elastic, arteries that expand and contract with each beat of the heart.  But as we age arteries often become rigid, resulting in hypertension, heart attack, stroke and rupture due to an aneurysm. The cause is arterial calcification which can affect the aorta, coronary arteries and valves of the heart.  To reduce the risk of calcification it’s important to block its penetration into arteries as soon as possible. Several studies show that people with a higher intake of vitamin K2 have less risk of arterial calcification. But calcium is also an essential mineral to sustain life. In fact, without sufficient calcium we could not maintain the electrolyte balance needed for the normal rhythm of the heart. In a healthy body, 99 percent of calcium is stored in bone where it provides structural support. The amount of calcium allowed into the blood stream is strictly controlled.    Dr. Dennis Goodman, cardiologist and Director of Integrative Medicine at New York University, says that “Ignoring vitamin K2 is dangerous. Few are aware of how K2 aids bone health, but even fewer know how it helps cardiovascular health.”  The great risk is that a deficiency of K2 increases the risk that calcium will be deposited in the aorta. These calcium deposits weaken the wall, increasing the risk of rupture and sudden death. A Dutch study of 4,600 men aged 55 and older showed that a high intake of vitamin K2 decreased the risk of aortic calcification by an amazing 52 percent.
Since K2 is not easy to obtain in the diet, various supplements are available. For instance, K2 drops also contain vitamin A and D as all three are needed for bone health. And as we age, vitamin A also helps to improve night vision.  What is not mentioned in most studies is that a combination of vitamin C and lysine also strengthens the wall of the aorta and other arteries. This helps to decrease the risk of aortic rupture, coronary attack and stroke. Pills of vitamin C and lysine are effective. But for those who dislike swallowing large numbers of pills  Medi-C Plus and other brands of powdered C along with vitamin K2 Plus A and D drops are available at Health Food Stores.                                           Pathologists have known for years that arteries are soft and flexible in youth. But with age, calcification occurs in the soft tissues of the body, particularly arteries. So one secret for longevity is to keep calcium in bone where it belongs, and out of the aorta, coronary arteries and those in the brain where it can prematurely end life.  Osler was right. It’s good to be born with good rubber. But if this doesn’t happen, vitamin K2 along with high amounts of vitamin C and lysine, is the way to keep arteries elastic and increase longevity.   Online docgiff.com Comments info@docgiff.com

Today's nutrition topic, due to popular demand: what hormones affect weight gain/weight loss and body composition.

Healthy Living
Healthy Eating
from Marissa Liana
 Certified Nutritional Practitioner/Health Coach
Today's nutrition topic, due to popular demand:
what hormones affect weight gain/weight loss and body
composition.
For the purpose of length and efficiency, today I will be talking only about 5 of the main hormones that affect weight gain/weight loss and body composition.
THE 5 HORMONES: CORTISOL, THYROID HORMONES, ESTROGEN, TESTOSTERONE, INSULIN Other hormones worthy of mention which I wont be talking about today are leptin, growth hormone and glucagon. Let me know in the comments section if you want me to continue this conversation and explain these as well in their relation to body composition.  To begin, hormones are chemical messengers that travel through your bloodstream to your tissues or organs. Even a slight hormonal imbalance may have a significant effect on your metabolism, which controls the rate your body transforms the food and drink we eat into usable energy.
1) CORTISOL - Cortisol is a stress hormone that is produced by our adrenal glands (aka the fight or flight glands).
From a weight and body composition perspective, cortisol is a catabolic hormones (meaning to break down - as opposed to build up, which is what anabolic hormones do, such as testosterone). 
Cortisol increases blood sugar when levels fall too low and/or during stressful situations so we have adequate sugar in our blood to use as energy in a stressful event. Elevated cortisol levels also disrupt our body’s ability to covert our T4 thyroid hormone into the active T3 hormone, — and many of us know thyroid hormones are responsible for controlling our metabolic rate.
It is important to know that elevated cortisol and elevated stress can come in the form of dietary stress, under-eating, over exercising, emotional stress and environmental stress.
Which brings me into the next hormones - thyroid hormones!
2) THYROID HORMONES (specifically T4 AND T3) - When you don’t have enough of these important hormones, your metabolism slows down, resulting in weight gain and trouble losing weight. Thyroid hormones are affected by nutrient deficiencies such as iodine, selenium and zinc, as well as elevated stress levels and adrenal burnout.   To support your thyroid, reduce stressors in your life and make sure you’re getting adequate nutrients needed to support proper thyroid function as mentioned.
3) ESTROGEN - Estrogen is an anabolic sex hormone that influences gene expression, cell growth and is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary female sexual characteristics.  Unfortunately, the more abdominal fat we have, the more estrogen we produce as fat cells produce estrogen, and then this becomes a viscous cycle as fat cells produce estrogen and estrogen influences fat retention.
Elevated estrogen levels can be due to elevated fat, as well as xenoestrogens in the environment in the form of pesticides, herbicides, BPA in plastics, hormones in meat, dioxins in dairy products, BC pill, and hormone disruptors in personal care products like paragons and phalates.  Elevated estrogen levels have been shown to stimulate estrogen dependant conditions like breast cancers, ovarian cancers and endometriosis.
Helpful tools to lower estrogen is to exercise to reduce fat mass, consume organic meat and avoid dairy, clean up your personal care products, and include tons of estrogen detoxifying ingredients like cruciferous vegetable such as kale, broccoli, brussels and cauliflower.
4) TESTOSTERONE - Testosterone is an anabolic, sex hormone and plays a role primarily in the development of male reproductive tissues as well as secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle mass and the growth of body hair.  Testosterone is also of course important for women looking to build lean muscle mass.
Unfortunately, elevated cortisol / stress levels cause testosterone to decrease which can often be due to overtraining, under-sleeping, poor nutrition and also an increase in age.  Additionally, something called the Aromatase enzyme converts testosterone to estrogen, further depleting free testosterone levels and increasing estrogen levels. In this case Aromatase inhibitors stop the production of estrogen in postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors work by blocking the enzyme aromatase, which turns the hormone androgen into small amounts of estrogen in the body. Maca: Maca is a cruciferous plant that originates in Peru. Proponents say it has a host of benefits, including enhancing fertility and blocking estrogen in men. Although mama does contain many vitamins and nutrients, there’s little scientific evidence that it plays a role in regulating hormones. Grape seed extract: This extract has been shown to act as an aromatase inhibitor or estrogen blocker, in postmenopausal women at high risk for breast cancer. Men may experience similar benefits when taking it as a supplement.
5) INSULIN
Insulin lowers the sugar in your blood and provides your cells with immediate energy while the remaining sugar is stored in the form of glycogen in our liver and muscles and excess energy is converted and stored as fat for later energy use. This also makes it an anabolic hormone, which means to build/grow.  Eating too much sugar or carbohydrates (especially in the absence of protein, fat and fiber) can increase your levels of insulin too high, for too long, which may lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and perpetuates inflammatory conditions.
Manage your insulin levels by insuring you're not consuming more than you need per day. It is best to consume carbs around your workouts to help improve insulin sensitivity, and always try to pair your carb sources with fibre, fat, protein or all three to help blunt the impact of insulin and better manage blood sugar which will help with hunger and weight loss.
if you guys are looking for more specific information on how you can manipulate your hormones to achieve your ideal body composition, send me an email to marissalianacnp@gmail.com and I would be happy to help!
You can also visit the SHOP section of my website at www.marissaliana.com to browse my self-guided ebook programs which help balance hormones, improve weight loss and aid in digestive healing!
Kindest regards,
Marissa!.
                                             Until next time, stay well! Marissa