A King for the People

by Alex King I submit, for the peoples' ire and amusement, my unabashed take on Governor Jim Justice's Ascend, WV program. In case you haven't heard, that program will use our tax dollars to pay remote workers from other states to relocate here. By offering $12,000 dollars distributed over a period of two years, the goal is to get those who already work from home in other states to instead call West Virginia home. That's $12,000 dollars per relocated family unit, I assume, and those bribes will add up quickly. This action is very similar to Justice's vaccine lottery, in which countless amounts of our freshly printed tax dollars were spent bribing people to take a medical procedure they may not have otherwise taken. Millions were spent on prizes and incentives, all while many West Virginians were just beginning to feel the harmful financial burdens caused by shutdowns across the country and world. To underline the clear contempt Comrade Justice has for those who already live here, the transplants he's baiting to our neck of the woods already have jobs. It's not as if they'll be inquiring about all the HELP WANTED signs we're beginning to see in storefront windows. While I see the need to do something about the decline of population in West Virginia, I find it thoroughly laughable that we are not addressing the core problem of why people are leaving the state in the first place. So rather than pumping our tax dollars into a silly little program like Ascend, WV-a bureaucratic gimmick that could arguably become a sly tactic for gerrymandering-perhaps we should explore some better ideas for the wellbeing of West Virginians. There are many ways in which our state could invest that funding to improve the lives of the people already here. In fact, using that funding to revitalize our smaller communities would in turn accomplish the same goals of keeping people here while drawing new people to the state. It would not be difficult to distribute those tax dollars back to county and municipal governments for several necessary infrastructure projects that may increase the appeal of living in West Virginia. Perhaps he could also invest that money in a lucrative way, then use the proceeds to offset and lower our tax rates. Justice, however, has chosen to back a lazy and unethical strategy… one that merely conflates the population of our state, as if the number of people living here is the only determination of success. The sheer political abuse behind Ascend, WV should be called immediately into question by both branches of our legislature, and by officials at many levels, regardless of party affiliation. They should ask themselves for whom those newest West Virginia residents coaxed into living here will be most likely to vote. That's assuming there is a combined enough set among West Virginia officials to stand up against Boss Hogg's most recent abuses. The approach of our theatrically simple governor is to throw monetary incentives at an upper echelon that likely has the means already to build or buy homes in several potential states. He is all the while disregarding the little communities occupied by the working class that generated those tax incentives in the first place. If Justice feels it is so awful living in West Virginia that he must bribe people to call our state home, then why does he not use the funding allocated to Ascend, WV to fix the problems driving people out of our state in the first place? Oh, here's another idea…instead of offering out-of-staters money to move here, he could just ask them to do it for his ugly dog. That argument seemed to work with the vaccine. Then again, I am asking for accountability from a state government that recently approved tens of millions in funding for "woke" private colleges. And from what I've read, some college officials had the nerve to express how upset they were with how little funding they received this go-around. Meanwhile, I'm still scratching my head as to why we finance those indoctrination centers at all. Can the state return our tax dollars to local governments to deal with decaying buildings and rundown neighborhoods? Sure it can. Can the state allocate more of that funding toward necessary economic infrastructure rather than making us bear the brunt through continuously increasing fees? Sure it can. Can it spend that funding to make it appear effective while secretly benefiting the friends and family members of those in state? Sure it can. 1: Justice could seek to distribute funding to county commissions, who can then divide that funding among small towns for the purpose of buying and destroying unsalvageable structures. I'm not normally one who believes that governments should make it a priority to be in the real estate game. However, if handled correctly by local officials, there will be a multitude of benefits. Properties can be cleared and then sold to break even and maybe even make a profit for the municipality. Those who purchase the properties from the towns and build there will likely pay a building permit fee, funds which can be allocated to further community cleanup efforts. Nicer communities without visible decay around every corner will ultimately keep people here and attract new residents as well. 2: Justice could push for stronger protections against eminent domain. Neither the government, nor a corporation operating under government authority, should have the ability to decide at which price they can seize a tax-paying citizen's private property. There must be mutual consent and a financial agreement on both sides. (Whether or not tax delinquency is itself a form of eminent domain is a debate in which I would be happy to entertain.) Having stronger property rights may draw freedom-loving citizens and industries to the state of West Virginia. 3: Justice could advocate for the West Virginia Ethics Commission (WVEC) to place a larger focus on investigating corruption in our smaller community governments. As it stands, if a citizen believes a government official or employee has violated the West Virginia Ethics Code, he or she may submit a complaint with the commission regarding that official's actions. If that state agency decides after an investigation that an official has violated the code, the official may be required to step down and pay a fine, along with other potential stipulations. That all sounds aboveboard. Except… it's not. The WVEC will only release its findings about an ethics complaint if they determine that the public official is guilty. Why is that a bad thing? That's because it should not be up to the West Virginia Ethics Commission to be the sole arbiter in deciding what behavior is acceptable to our local communities. All findings, whether determined "ethical" or "unethical" by the agency's board, should be permitted to any members of the public who ask. While the enforcement of state law is necessary, it should ultimately be up to the voters of a local community to assess the findings of that agency and make their own determinations at the ballot box. We're paying for the salaries of that state agency's employees, after all, so should we not be entitled to review the work they have done? This suggestion may sound arbitrary, but I personally know of people who have moved as the result of government corruption that is never handled. They did not want to live in fear that government officials would utilize their authority to grind axes with them. Countless others remain in yet are afraid to speak up at risk of being targeted. It's a problem, one that could be better solved with the type of transparency I'm suggesting. 4: Justice could stop his carrot-and-stick strategy of showering us with gifts one day and then threatening us with mandates the next. More people than he suspects see through it. Sadly, most Republicans in West Virginia who admire Governors Noem (SD) and DeSantis (FL) for their bravery against tyranny are afraid to call out our utmost state despot for his blatant shilling for Big Pharma and WVU Hospitals. Seriously, it's gotten creepy. How many of his residents did those pharmaceutical companies already murder through the highly profitable opioid epidemic? How many WVU doctors likely acted as kickback accomplices by overprescribing those medicines in the first place? And despite all of that, our governor is telling us that we should utterly trust those profiteers of tragedy and inject ourselves with their latest concoctions. Or maybe he thinks we should forget reason altogether and simply take the jab in the name of his ugly little dog. 4: Justice can legalize it, already. Considering the amount of THC and hemp-derived alternatives flying off the shelves at our local gas stations, a few things have become clear. Firstly, the populous of the area is not upset enough by the sale of such items to ban their sales; secondly, there are likely a lot more closet smokers in West Virginia than anyone would have previously anticipated. When our so-called vice president admits to toking it up even though she previously facilitated many, many imprisonments on marijuana charges, we should all begin to question the eerie prohibition that has gone on for too long. I have a feeling we would see a gracious uptick in population. Oh, here's another idea. He can tell people to move here for his ugly dog. That argument seems to work on some people.

FEDERAL DEBATE A CANADIAN SHAME

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” I think Curly, Larry and Moe could have done a better job at the latest Federal Canadian debate. Thank God they only host 2 or else no one would vote. What a Canadian shame. I could not help but to feel disgusted that these are our choices. It is as if we do not have a choice. Justin, zigging and zagging. Ducking and jumping through the issues. You can tell he is full throttle doing the best he can do with his limited understanding of politics. You can almost feel the strings as they are being pulled by the party master minds. Erin O’Toole attempting to smile his way through it. Tossing pie in the sky answers. Doing the usual say this do that politics. You could almost hear him clicking his heels ‘One of the most famous lines from The Wizard of Oz is "Click your heels together three times and say 'There's no place like home' and you'll be there." Yes you ruby slippered politician... NO PLACE LIKE BACK HOME IN DURHAM... As he will do anything to move to Oshawa. During the debate he filled his mouth on how much he will be doing for Canadian businesses... yet he fails to give business to his local businesses. He is all that the conservatives are supposed to be against. We do not need another opportunist in office. Then we have NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. He attempted to attack anyone and everyone. He surely had it out for Trudeau. Unfortunately his attacks at times seem to resemble that of a de-railed train. Great power and presentation. But kept being derailed on the delivery of his resolutions. If we are one nation. Should we all not be doing all we can to be one people. Personally his wearing of the turban is an open defiance of unification. His individuality, his religion is no place in Canadian politics. His reluctance to recognize something as basic as that. Makes me wonder about his true alliances to Canada. Green Party leader Annamie Paul only mission was to show her bias and prejudice towards the Quebecois. Annamie was rude and off topic. In order to unite a nation you must keep under control your personal bias and prejudice towards a people a culture that is one of the founding Canadian institutions. Then comes Quebecois leader Yves-Froncois Blanchet. I have a question for Quebecers... Do you not have anyone you can elect that does not look like he has a chip on his shoulder and just finished drinking at 1am? Man this guy as hard as he tried he looked like he was way out of his league. He make a better Soprano character then a party leader.... The highlight of the evening I think was when they asked about RECONCILIATION. Personally I think that was an unfair question and a loaded question. As obvious all the candidates failed to recognize the loaded question and jumped on the tear jerking wave and attempted to care. I say that the question was loaded because. First and foremost. We are one people. Canadians. The indigineous people are by division attempting to gain special recognition. This in my eyes is wrong. The problem of the native Canadians is not a problem of the native or isolated. It is a problem we share as a nation. The recent finding of bodies at schools. Is not a us against them problem. It is a Canadian problem. A problem that is not to point at the Federal government and shame. But one of acknowledgment that we as Canadians allowed this to happen. We as Canadians should not be apologizing. It was a dark event in Canadian history as many others that we will never fix with shame and blame. But instead by learning from our mistakes so that they will never happen again. We not need to devide a nation but to build is as one people for the people. A peoples problem is a Canadian problem. Let’s stop dividing Canada by labeling and demanding special rights based on perceived false entitlement rooted on historical bashing of events that benefit the agendas cause.

Canada's election 2021

Canada's election 2021 by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament . Pickering-Scarborough East In the middle of the election campaign Canadians are thinking about electing a party to form the government which will best serve their interest. It is a strange election in a lingering pandemic with many unknowns for the future. The party leaders are desperately trying to emphasize why their party should win the election. The incumbent liberals are trying to convince the electorate that they have done the best for Canadians in the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic and for that they would deserve to be left to govern. The conservatives are trying hard to convince the people that they are the best to deserve to govern, pointing out that they would be better at handling the post pandemic recovery. In their quest to achieve power they are trying new tricks; even abandoning some basic conservative principles. They are acting like a real weather-vane on public policy, with their leader saying one thing one day and the exact opposite the next, as public opinion shifts according to the polls. The liberals and the conservatives, traditionally the alternate ruling parties in Canadian history, are becoming prisoners of their own rusty ways. They are trying to lead an ever changing country without sensing the need to really work for the people, rather than this eternal quest for power at any cost, just for personal satisfaction. The NDP on the other hand, has the old socialist agenda anchored in a fantasy world with no real interest in the wellbeing of the people. They continue to preach only that the rich need to be taxed out of their businesses, which would put many people out of jobs. They have a very contorted idea of how the Canadian society should run. They are eternally calling for handouts of monetary resources that they do not have and hard working taxpayers should provide. There is a strange and daunting world ahead of us Canadians with these elitist parties, who seem completely detached from the reality of life for ordinary Canadians, seeking power. They have campaign platforms full of spending more money that they do not have, making promises of a paradise to come with no real foundation. They make phantasmagoric promises in their quest to buy votes to gain power. A subservient media with opinion articles written by journalist in support of these elitist parties give the public a distorted reality. They generally ignore and dismiss new ideas and continue to sing to the tune of the party they support. The time has come for real change with new political forces slowly awakening in support of ordinary Canadians. We need to strive for unity in this country rather than disbanding it. We have a great country. Let's keep it like that and continue to build it as our forefathers did. At this point, the only party really looking out for Canadians, for our individual freedom, which is under threat as enshrined in our Constitution, is the Peoples Party of Canada. Grossly ignored by the main official media, and marginalized as much as possible, is the only new party which does not make empty promises to people and is not there only to buy votes with taxpayers' money. As we near the conclusion of this strange and pandemic election we will need to see if the Canadian electorate is ready for a radical change. Otherwise the new old will prevail. If we take a close look at the liberal, conservative and NDP campaign platforms we find many similarities. The liberals and NDP are making the usual, eternal promises to which we are generally accustomed. The conservatives are a surprise with their definite shift to the left in their quest to acquire votes at all cost. The Conservatives' spending plan pitches an eye-watering set of deficits: A slightly-inflated $168 billion this year, $57 billion next year, $44 billion the year after, $26 billion the year after that, and $25 billion up to 2026. Interestingly enough the leader of the conservatives, O'Toole, doesn't seem terribly afraid of spending more. His platform costing does suggest that the budget will balance itself, thanks to a growing economy, so long as he can get spending under control in the long-term. The budget balancing itself is not new on the Canadian political scene, but it is a quite new concept for the conservatives. Some people will ask then, what is the difference between the liberals and conservatives. With that said, let's hope that the last few days till the election date of 20th of September will bring some new excitement that will result in a Great Canadian Awakening. There will be some exciting days ahead and hope that people will be able to vote for what they believe in. Remember. With your vote, you will elect the government which you deserve! Consider your vote, make an informed decision, but do please vote!

It’s Dangerous to Ignore Vitamin K2

W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones Some vitamins don’t get the attention they deserve. Ask anyone about vitamin K2 and few people can give an answer. In Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient for Heart and Bone Health, Dr. Dennis Goodman says ignoring vitamin K2 can be dangerous. So here are some important points to help you understand why K2 needs more attention. In 1929, Dr. Hendrik Dam, a Danish scientist, discovered vitamin K. Now we know there are two types of K: K1 and K2. Most people get sufficient amounts of K1 by eating leafy green vegetables, rich in this vitamin. If you’re cut, K1 plays a role in blood clotting. K2 supports bone density. Bones, although solid structures, are not inert. Rather, they are constantly changing. Cells called osteoblasts build up bone, while other cells, osteoclasts, are breaking it down. Until around 30 years of age, osteoblasts win. But then osteoclasts take over in mid-life and we begin to lose one percent of bone mass each year. There is a good solution. Bone must be built up early in life to ensure that it does not become like Swiss cheese later on, a condition called osteoporosis. These bones can snap like a dry twig, resulting in broken hips, which may mean ending life in a wheelchair or death. Vitamin K2 serves the important role of helping direct calcium into bone where it belongs. A Japanese study showed that vitamin K2 decreases the risk of spinal fractures by 60 percent and hip fractures by 80 percent. A combination of calcium and K2 is like building up money in the bank early in life. Later on, there will be enough calcium for some of it to be withdrawn from bones without causing a fracture. K2 also supports cardiovascular health. If you have been reading this column for years, you know the benefits of vitamin C in decreasing the risk of coronary attack. But vitamin K2 also plays a role in fighting cardiovascular disease. We all need calcium for strong bones. But too much calcium can be deposited into coronary and other arteries if there is a deficiency of vitamin K2. For instance, calcium can be deposited into the aorta, the largest artery in the body, that carries blood to all our organs. Calcium deposits in this location weaken the wall of the aorta increasing the risk of rupture and sudden death. A Dutch study of 4,600 men aged 53 and older showed that a high intake of vitamin K2 decreased the risk of aorta calcification by 52 percent. Another study reported that K2 decreased the risk of coronary attack by 41 percent. In a study of 16,057 women, those on high doses of vitamin K2 lived 9 percent longer. K2 can help with other health problems too. K2 acts like a traffic cop. It helps direct calcium traffic into tooth enamel decreasing the risk of dental decay. Some researchers report that K2 increases insulin sensitivity making it more effective in the fight against Type 2 diabetes. There is no easy test to measure K2 levels. But if suffering from osteoporosis, heart disease or diabetes, you are most likely deficient in vitamin K2. Statin drugs to lower blood cholesterol inhibit K2 synthesis. People who are taking blood thinners should not take vitamin K as it decreases the effectiveness of these drugs. Vitamin K2 is an especially important partner to vitamin D, which controls the absorption of calcium. Various brands of K2, including in combination with D, are available, so check with a health food store and your doctor for guidance. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.

As a Job Seeker Look for Your Tribe

By Nick Kossovan If you're having a tough time with your job search, I guarantee it's because you're trying to fit yourself into companies where you don't belong. The advice I give most often to jobseekers: "Search for your tribe!" Years ago, my wife was working for a printing company. A colleague was describing a party he had attended during the weekend. The people in attendance didn't feel right, thus he didn't stay long. He then said, "I always go where I'm celebrated, not merely tolerated." What a great mindset to have! I believe much of our mental anguish, frustrations, unhappiness, and failures stem from trying to "fit in." We're desperate to hear: -"We want you." -"Please join us." -"We like you." -"You're who we need." - "We love you." (the ultimate heart-tugger) Seeking employers who'll most likely accept you, where you'll feel you belong, will expedite your job search; you may even hear the above-mentioned words. Making finding where you belong a priority is the best compass a job seeker can use. Don't look for a job. Instead, look for where you'll be accepted. Think: "I'm not looking for a job; I'm looking for my tribe!" Envision you're joining a group that makes you feel you're one of them (e.g., community theatre, professional organization, church, car club, soccer team). Being part of a group of people who share your values and interests, who welcome you into their circle, who when they say "we" mean you also is a good feeling. Joining a company is the equivalent of joining a group. Work takes up a significant chunk of your time. It makes sense to ensure your workplace embraces your individualism, age, gender, values, and beliefs-that it's a place where you can be yourself rather than always trying to belong. From personal experience, the extra mental load of trying to "fit in" created stressors resulting in anxiousness when arriving at work, coming home frustrated and angry, and having trouble sleeping. Sound familiar? It wasn't the job, but the atmosphere and conditions I was trying to mold myself into that were causing these mental torments. During my working hours, my internal dialogue revolved around trying to convince myself that my experience was typical of all employees. After all, I wasn't at work to have fun-I was there to work. Eventually, I started to realize my approach wasn't working for me. So, I asked myself: What do I want to be accepted for? (age, gender, affiliations, values, beliefs, skills). Answering this question required soul searching. If you're more comfortable working for a female boss, so be it. If you want to be surrounded by Millennials because you feed off their energy, so be it. Who has the right to judge you if you get along better with people who are politically conservative? Are you more at ease dealing with people of your cultural background-who isn't? The difference between feeling like you're the only freak show at the circus versus feeling like you're sitting right at the heartbeat of where you're meant to be is the people you surround yourself with. There's an enormous benefit that comes with searching for workplaces where you won't need to constantly spend your energy trying to fit in; you're job-hunting with a purpose beyond simply trying to secure a steady paycheck. Being a fit is at the core of every hiring process. When you get to the formal interview stage, it's because you have the qualifications to do the job; otherwise, you wouldn't be interviewed. The hiring manager is interviewing you to gauge if you'll be a fit. Since being a fit, is a 2-way street, use the discussion to gauge if you're a fit. At the end of the day, only you know you and what works for you. Finding your tribe boils down to being honest with yourself about the kind of people, conversations, connections, and social interactions that feed your soul and, therefore, where you'll do your best work. On a parting note, not being a fit, either early in your employment or down the road, is the number one reason employees are fired. Don't underestimate the correlation between being a fit and your employment longevity. ______________________________________________________________ Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers unconventional real-world advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

WHAT ARE WE THINKING PEOPLE?

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” The other day I cam across this very interesting news item: U.S. helps bring refugees to Canada, but 1,250 Canadians remain in Afghanistan. Canada evacuated roughly 3,700 people from Afghanistan during its efforts and expanded its humanitarian program to welcome 20,000 refugees. How do you like them apples. The Americans pull out and we get dumped on. To boot 1,250 Canadians remain in Afghanistan. Who is going to get them? Canada equivalent of the Seal team? Canada Walrus force 12? OK stop laughing.... I am so disgusted by what Biden has done that I can’t even put in words. If it was that important for the U.S to be out by a particular date. Would it not have made sense to get their people out while the U.S. had the troops in control and power? No instead they pull back and Taliban go to town killing anyone that even looks at them wrong. But wait we don’t see that being reported in the news. What Biden should have done is said. We the world are not going to take it and send back in the troops. Use the same rule of thumb the Taliban used to take over a country in 10 days. You have a gun. The American’s shoot first ask questions later. This pull out was so messed up that no one in the military had the thought of destroying the 80 billion worth of equipment before leaving? Personally I think someone within the military ranks made 40 billion easy. How can you justify leaving so much equipment behind? We do not need excuses we need resolve. What will become of the 1,250 Canadians left behind? What will happen to all the American supporters left behind? The answer is obvious. They will all be killed. Some may make it out. I like for Trudeau to explain this out in public. What our magnificent leader/negotiator is going to sit down with the Taliban and have a talk. Hell Trudeau surely can’t threaten... as the Taliban just come off a win against the world military super power. If Trudeau is not nice.. the taliban may threaten him with invading Canada by sending over more refugees (wink, wink). All Trudeau can do is click his heels and wish it was not Kanasas. How is it that the American government can’t be held responsible? The worst is if the Americans actually decide to go back in. They will not find a soul that would help, as the people of Afghanistan have lost all confidence. In Canada what are we doing bringing in 5,000 refugees? Our own people are wondering our streets homeless and without food and we bring in 5,000 that in most cases do not even speak the language? How are we to know that these so called refugees are not Taliban. As it stands we should think that they are all Taliban as how else do you explain for the country to fall so quick. Come on Trudeau. You have it in the bag. This only impacts your chances of winning the federal election, unless Trudeau is giving the refugees voting rights right off the mark. I walk downtown Oshawa and the poverty is overwhelming. No matter the time of the day and there are 100’s of people wondering our city without a home or food. I think that this election is nothing short of a sham. Trudeau continues to miss the mark when it comes to Canada first on anything. If O’toole was to win. We would be set back as O'toole would grand stand on the waste of the previous government only to find a way to tax the average citizen to pay for it. Nothing would be accomplished and the changes in policy would mean little or nothing to the average Canadian. Now if the NDP for some miraculous reason won. God help us. The policy changes would be so radical that it would have us begging for Trudeau to come back. So who is left. The PPC. They have as much of a chance of getting in as the Bloc. 1,250 Canadians need us. Not 5,000 refugees. Why then did we get the refugees? Why are we allowing the Taliban to sliently invade our society, culture, country disguised as refugees?

Comrade Ford

and the New deal for Ontario by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East By now it is well known that the weather vane syndrome is working more efficiently that the Covid-19 pandemic, as the so called conservatives waver in the wind, conservative in name only, far to the left of conservative in their actions. Premier Ford's recent announcement of the vaccine passport is a striking example of just that. At first he was fiercely opposed to the idea of vaccine passports, yet now he is fully endorsing them. What a turn around in a few months and again, hiding behind questionable scientific advice. Never mind. It is all about controlling you, the humble Canadian. Controlling what you do, where you go, who you associate with, maybe even extending to where you sleep, in the not too distant future. All of this is for retaining power at all costs; there is definitely no thought for your children's and grandchildren's future. The mask is off for now. Soon Ontario residents will have to show proof they've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 even to dine indoors at restaurants or go to gyms and theatres - but not necessarily to enter retail locations - the province announced Wednesday. The "enhanced COVID-19 vaccine certificate" system, as the Ontario government is calling it, will come into effect on Sept. 22, interestingly enough, after few days of the conclusion of the federal election. Premier Doug Ford said the new system came from "in-depth conversations" with experts based on "evidence and best advice." "We need to protect our hospitals; we need to avoid lockdowns at all costs. We want our kids in schools, and our businesses to stay open," he said. If you notice, he speaks first of protecting the hospitals and not of protecting you. Lockdowns work in favor of large companies, but against small business. He has already used lockdowns to put many small businesses out of business. He is silent, however, on large companies. At first, fully vaccinated Ontarians will need their current vaccination receipt with a valid photo identification to enter premises covered under the new system. Let's go over this proposal and analyse it briefly. The receipts of proof of vaccination can be printed or downloaded from the provincial government website. "Fully vaccinated" here means having had two doses, with the most recent at least 14 days prior. At first, fully vaccinated Ontarians will need their current vaccination receipt with a valid photo identification to enter premises covered under the new system. So already "show me your ID", sounds very familiar for people who experienced communism! What about people vaccinated overseas with two same vaccines and not the cocktail ones? Ontario officials quickly pointed out that the enhanced certificate system is meant to be temporary, though how long it remains in place will depend on how the fourth wave of the pandemic unfolds in coming months. We all know by now what temporary means in government speak. Read permanent. The government says that on Oct. 22, it will shift to certificates that include QR codes containing much of the same information included on the vaccination receipts that are already available. That shift will be accompanied by the release of a "verification app" that can be used to validate the QR codes and provide the vaccination status of an individual. Nice, where is privacy for now? Big Brother will control you. Ontario officials said the purpose of the app is to relieve businesses and facilities from having to determine whether a patron has been vaccinated or not. The intention is that the enhanced certificates be usable in other provinces with vaccine passport systems in place, and eventually for them to be integrated with the federal passport for international travel. "We need to be proactive to avoid reactive closures," said Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore Wednesday. He said this will also be an incentive for more people to get vaccinated. Nice again, the question in how you apply it in the field. Read it to mean more bureaucracy and more useless work for well paid government workers for hire. Finally, enforcement measures for the certificate system will fall under the Reopening Ontario Act, the same officials said. Businesses, facilities and individuals who refuse to comply can face fines. We do not yet know the details, but this most certainly means further limitations on the freedom of movement and individual rights. No reactions from the major and elitist parties involved in the federal elections. Notable exception is the People's Party of Canada. They are standing fast for freedom, fairness, respect and individual responsibility. They are the only ones who oppose this blatant assault on your right to control your own body. The Conservatives are conspicuously silent on the matter, their comment will come after a polling taken to see where they can harvest more votes. In conclusion, dear readers, be prepared for a new politics of fear and division in our society with comrades like Ford shaping your future. It is time for a Great Canadian Awakening!

Hey where are we going with this! Trudeau I loved you but no more

By Rosaldo Russo Allow me to begin this column by thanking the 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. 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. 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. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat or 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 once held a relatively high position within the Liberal government riding of Oshawa. I left because I became disgusted on the way the party was running things. Today, Trudeau is destroying Canada. From his 90 million dollar scandal I ask where the money gone...to the way he treats seniors, the military and the poor. On the one hand he says he cares and on the other he does the opposite. My pension got cut cause I made more than 59,000. That is money I made and paid into and because I am blessed with being able to make more I get penalized. That is not fair. Imagine all the seniors out there...that need more than 59k a year to live. That is not fair. Yet he gives free housing, welfare and pay per child benefits to anyone crying refugee. NO MY FRIENDS. THAT IS NOT MY CANADA. Trudeau and h is cronies have the balls to call me and ask for donation. Normally I would be happy to contribute my share as I have in the past. This time around. You take from my table I forget who you are. To ad insult to injury just recently Trudeau gave seniors $500. What did he expect, for seniors to turn around and hand him back the cheque in appreciation. No, buddy screw you. Our country is ruined and there is no real change in the horizon. We need a new party. A new type of leadership that values it’s citizens. Oh my Canada it’s finished.

The Great Pretender

from Wayne & Tamara The Great Pretender Q I identify as a self-sufficient, independent person. I consider myself a beautiful woman, not in a conceited way, but I’ve been told this my entire life. I am an empath. I’ve dedicated my life to working in social services. I am a free spirit, yet an entrepreneur at heart. I love empowering women, and I’m working on becoming a certified self-love coach. I am 35; my partner is 38. He cheated on me during our entire relationship. He never admitted to the timeline, but he claims it wasn’t years. Still, the other woman has photos dating back to 2016. He said the pictures were old, and she was an ex who was obsessed with him. Honestly, the way she presented herself, I believed him. I also believed he worshipped the ground I walked on. From late 2016, he was living a double life. He stayed with her during the week, and we saw each other on weekends, vacations, and on random days off. We looked at houses, but he would never commit. The same with engagement rings. He got caught when I was 20 weeks pregnant, a pregnancy that was planned. On the day he was caught, I told him I would be sharing our pregnancy. I sent him a message saying so. He messaged me, saying he had been told I was cheating on him. I was distraught. I said, “No. I’d never do that to you. I love you. Who is saying this?” He said, “People you don’t know.” I said, “People I don’t know, know me and know I’m cheating on you?” I realize now he said this to use against me, because an hour after I posted our pregnancy announcement, his other girlfriend contacted me. When I confronted him, he said, “See, you never believe me! People are saying you are cheating on me, and I believe you. But you can’t do the same for me!” I feel sick thinking back to this. The next day, he eventually admitted he was cheating. For a while, he seemed remorseful. He cried. He was depressed. He lost weight. He begged and apologized all the time. I also found out he lied about his career. He had been fired from his job in 2016, but he told me he was still working as a pharmacist. I actually think he was a pharmacy tech. I now believe he was fired for stealing narcotics and selling them. A couple of days ago, I went through his computer and found an apology letter he wrote to the court saying he was sorry for stealing. On his laptop, I found a video. It was really dark, but I could hear two people having sex. I believe he had sex with a woman while he was visiting his grandparents in 2017. It was a trip I paid for. Belinda A Belinda, in 1994, a boy went missing in San Antonio, Texas. He was last seen playing basketball with friends. Three years later, a French serial imposter assumed the missing boy’s identity. He was flown to the United States and, for five months, accepted as authentic by some of the boy’s family. This was despite the fact he spoke with a French accent and had brown eyes and dark hair, while the missing boy was a blue-eyed blond. Released from prison in the U.S., this imposter repeated the deception in Spain and again in France. Your boyfriend is a serial imposter, but he doesn’t pose as an orphan. He poses as a man who loves women he does not love, like you. Men like him are without mercy and without remorse. An empath can feel things. A social worker knows to verify everything she is told. That is why she does home visits and verifies employment. But you turned all of that off because your need for someone was so great. You never met his friends or family. You never confirmed he had a job. You accepted everything at face value. When it comes to love, we cannot toss out everything we know about life. You followed a recipe for tuna casserole and continued on, even when you saw no tuna in the list of ingredients. All you can do now is learn a bitter lesson and be the best parent you can be. Wayne & Tamara write: Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Summer’s Last Hurrah the Most Dangerous

W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones Are you gearing up to have some fun? It’s the stick-in-the-mud who dulls the sense of adventure, suggesting you think twice. But the dullard may be the wise one as the summer closes out with the traditional long weekend. Labour Day Weekend originated in North America in the early 1880s to recognize workers. The holiday marked the establishment of the 40-hour work week, or 8 hours of work daily for 5 days and then two days of rest. Labour unions of the day had it right. They advocated each day should have a balance of 8 hours of work, 8 hours of recreation, and 8 hours of rest – and the 2-day weekend offered a healthy break to refresh. But the extra day of celebration marking the 3-day weekend at the end of summer is a mixed story. For all the fun and games of the last summer hurrah, there is a higher-than-average rate of injury and death. Water is a common theme to many of the saddest tragedies. Drownings occur from boating accidents, misfortune at beaches, and the heart-crushing incidents of negligence involving the family swimming pool. It is an awful statistic that 350 children under the age of 5 drown in pools every year in the U.S. In Canada, with a population only a tenth of the size, a similar number of people drown in the country’s beautiful natural bodies of water each year. Inevitably, in both countries, news following Labour Day Weekend laments these kinds of tragedies. But the greatest risk comes from traffic accidents. From the Friday evening start of the long Labour Day weekend, through the end of the day on Monday, we can expect about 500 people to die on North American roads. More than 54,000 people injured in traffic accidents will require medical assistance. We know why. The trendline in holiday-period, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities has been gradually moving down from 60% in 1983 to 38% in 2019. But still, too many people are drinking and driving, especially on Labour Day weekend. The advice is clear. Don’t let loved ones drink and drive. Take action if you see anyone who has been drinking or using drugs get behind the wheel. Distracted driving increases the risk of accident by 500%, so leave the phone alone. Put it in the trunk if you struggle to comply. Don’t let inexperienced young drivers transport their friends, who unwittingly can be the most dangerous of all distractions. If driving is a necessity, then slow down. It’s a long weekend; there’s lots of time. High speed is the direct cause of 27% of traffic fatalities in Canada. Above all, wear the seatbelt. The evidence is overwhelming that seatbelts save lives. There are other sources of tragedy when the focus should be on good times with friends and family. Motorcycles, ATVs, jet skis, and even the common bicycle are all associated with fun. But just as the last run down the ski mountain at the end of a winter day claims a higher rate of falls, these activities yield more accidents during the last weekend of the summer. The holiday weekend sees more dog bites than usual too. Fires are yet another major concern, whether from grills, campfires, or fireworks. When cautions are abandoned, people will be harmed and property damaged. Absent, broken or poorly maintained smoke alarms will mean the difference between preventable deaths and disaster. So take it easy this weekend ahead, and look out for the ones you love. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.

Will Social Media Companies Ever Make Fighting Online Abuse a priority?

By Nick Kossovan Is it just me who believes we've lost our ability to have civil discourse? Every day, we rely on social media platforms to engage with like-minded people, promote ourselves, our work, and/or business. Unfortunately, the downside of increasing your visibility, especially when you wade into an online discussion with an unpopular opinion, is you become a lightning rod for online abuse. Online abuse can be especially relentless if you are a woman, identified as a member of a race, religion, ethnicity, or part of the LGBTQ+ community. I believe social media companies can reduce, even come close to, eliminating, online abuse. The first step: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, et al. becoming more serious and urgent about addressing the toxicity they're permitting on their respective platform. The second step: Give users more control over their privacy, identity, and account history. Here are five features social media companies could introduce to mitigate online abuse. 1. Educate users on how to protect themselves online. I'll admit social media companies have been improving their anti-harassment features. However, many of these features are hard to find and not user-friendly. Platforms should have a section within their help center that deals specifically with online abuse, showing how to access internal features along with links to external tools and resources. 2 Make it easy to tighten privacy and security settings. Platforms need to make it easier for users to fine-tune their privacy and security settings and inform how these adjustments impact visibility and reach. Users should be able to save configurations of settings into personalized "safety modes," which they can toggle between. When they alternate between safety modes, a "visibility snapshot" should show them in real-time who'll see their content. 3. Distinguishing between the personal and professional Currently, social media accounts are all-encompassing of your professional life and personal life. If you want to distinguish between your professional and personal life, you must create two accounts. Why not be able to make one social media account that toggles between your personal and professional identities as well as migrate or share audiences between them? 4. Managing account histories. It's common for people to switch jobs and careers and their views over time. Being able to pull up a user's social media history, which can date back more than a decade, is a goldmine for abuse. Platforms should make it easy for users to easily search old posts and make them private, archive, or delete. 5. Credit cards and/or phone number authentication. All social media platforms allow the creation of anonymous accounts. Ironically, much of the toxicity permeating social media stems from people hiding cowardly behind anonymous accounts. Anonymity enables toxic behavior by facilitating and backhandedly encouraging "uncivil discourse." Eliminating the ability to create an anonymous account would literally end online abuse. Anonymity allows people to act out their anger, frustrations, and their need to make others feel bad, so they feel good. (I'm unhappy, so I want everyone else to be unhappy.). Being anonymous allows someone to say things they wouldn't even think of or have the courage to, speak publicly, let alone face-to-face. All credit cards and telephone numbers are associated with a billing address. Social media platforms could prevent anonymous accounts by asking new joiners to input their credit card information, to be verified but not charged, or a telephone number to which a link, or code, can be sent to authenticate. (Email authentication is useless since email addresses can be created without identity verification.) Undeniable fact: When people know they can easily be traced they're unlikely to exhibit uncivil behaviour. Yeah, I know-for many, handing over more data to social media giants isn't appetizing, even if it eliminates the toxic behavior hurting our collective psyche. Having to go through a credit card or telephone authentication will be pause for many to ask themselves why the feel they must be on social media. Such reflection is not a bad exercise. Online attacks have a negative impact on mental and physical health, stops free expression, and silences voices already underrepresented in the creative and media sectors and in public discourse. Respective platform user guidelines (aka. Community Standards) are open to interpretation and therefore not enforced equitably. Content moderators (human eyes) and AI crawling (searching for offensive words and content) aren't cutting it. Social media companies can't deny they could be doing a much better job creating a safer online environment. Unfortunately, a safer online environment will only evolve when social media companies begin taking online abuse seriously. Nick Kossovan writes the column 'Digitized Koffee With Nick' which appears in several newspapers and is the Customer Service Professionals Network's Director of Social Media (Executive Board Member). On Twitter and Instagram follow @NKossovan. 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.

What Would Make Your Skin Turn Yellow?

W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones A report from the Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the New England Journal of Medicine tells an interesting story. A 62-year-old man over a two-month period developed numbness, a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, shortness of breath, trouble walking due to severe joint pain, and he began to turn yellow. Anyone faced with all these problems would think the end is near and start planning to say goodbye to loved ones. In retrospect, his symptoms could have been even worse. He could also have faced paranoia, delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and more. But this man had a pinch of good luck. Tests revealed he had a deficiency of vitamin B-12. He wasn’t going to die. But how did he develop such acute deficiency, and how can you be sure you’re getting enough of this vitamin? B-12 is an important vitamin. The adult human body needs 2.5 micrograms daily so red blood cells can carry oxygenated blood to the brain, nerves and DNA. Since B-12 cannot be made by the body, it must be obtained from diet or supplements. What causes a lack of vitamin B-12? Some people simply don’t get enough in their diet. Others, even it they consume sufficient B-12, fail to absorb it. This is why deficiency is especially common among the elderly. One person in five over age 60 and two in five over 80, fail to absorb B-12 from food and they require a supplement. Another reason can be autoimmune disorders that make it difficult to absorb B-12. As we age, the lining of the stomach gets thinner which decreases the production of hydrochloric acid. Vitamin B-12 is firmly attached to a protein. To pry it loose so it can be absorbed it needs sufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid. It’s also possible to be low in B-12 if you’re taking medication, such as, Prevacid, Losec, and Nexium, used to treat acid reflux or a stomach ulcer. Even less powerful drugs, like Pepcid, Tagamet, or Zantac, reduce the production of hydrochloric acid. Intestinal problems such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and excessive alcohol consumption reduce B-12. And with more people using gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, B-12 intake can become be affected. You can be young and develop a lack of B-12. Plants do not make B-12. So among the growing numbers of young people striving for a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, there is a high risk of B-12 deficiency. Fortified grains can be a source of B-12. Blood work will show if additional B-12 supplementation is needed. There are many reports lauding the use of B-12 to prevent heart disease, infertility, fatigue, eczema, and a long list of other chronic health problems. But according to Harvard researchers, these reports are all based on faulty evidence. Alzheimer’s disease is a good example. A deficiency of B-12 can lead to symptoms of Alzheimer’s. But even high doses of 1000 micrograms have had no effect on this disease. One case of supposed Alzheimer’s disease was cured by B-12 supplementation, but it proved to be the wrong diagnosis. For this patient, memory deficiency problems were quickly cured by B-12. As noted earlier, it’s good to be lucky. Good sources of dietary B-12 intake include steak, fish, poultry products, and eggs. Are you wondering why the patient had yellow skin? Red blood cells become fragile with decreased amounts of B-12. Then they release bilirubin, produced by the liver, into circulation resulting in jaundice. If your skin is getting yellow, see your doctor for blood work. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.

The Purpose of a Job Interview

By Nick Kossovan If I were to ask you what's the purpose of a job interview, you'd probably say something along the lines of, "To show what I can do for the company." You'd be right in that your answer implies you're asking for a chance-you understand an interview is a sales meeting, which is the mindset you need to have when being interviewed. People stress preparing for an interview. Actually, the key to a successful interview is to not over-think it. Although there's no interview formula that'll work every time, it's helpful to think of an interview as a conversation with four distinct but overlapping purposes. - Connect: Get to know the interviewer. (bond) - Culture: Understand what type of person works best at the company. - Challenges: Identify and clarify the concerns the company's management team has. - Close: What are the next steps in the hiring process. The holistic mechanics used to achieve these four purposes are the following five interview stages: - Introductions (connect, culture) - Small Talk (connect, culture) - Information Gathering (culture, challenges, matching your experience and skillset) - Question/Answer (culture, challenges) - Wrapping Up (close) Notice "culture" appears four times. I can't overstress the importance of fit when it comes to deciding you're "the one." If you're having a tough time with your job search, it's because you're trying to fit yourself into jobs and companies where you don't belong. If you make connecting with your interviewer a priority, you'll be memorable in a good way. If there's no connection, your experience, qualifications, etc., are meaningless to the interviewer. This isn't a transgression-this is human psychology 101. Maya Angelou's words, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." offers sage advice. Truism: We're incline to want to work with and do business with (READ: "buy from"-remember, an interview is a sales meeting.), someone who makes us feel good and whom we can relate to-people we feel comfortable with. You can call it bias-I call it what it is: human nature. As much as the government has tried to mitigate bias through numerous legislations, bias continues to exist and always will. Getting someone to feel at ease with you doesn't require repartee and dazzling verbal displays. It simply requires demonstrating interest-genuine interest, not fake I'm-trying-to-butter-you-up interest-and a willingness to listen. Do you know anyone who doesn't like being paid attention to? Listening is key to understanding what the other person wants and needs and, therefore, is the foundation of persuasion. (Reminder, an interview is a sales meeting.) A person is more likely to want to build a relationship with someone who understands their situation, their problems, and their goals. Listening and observing to understand another person is never time wasted. When it comes to asking questions ask questions that show you're eager to contribute to the company's success and not what you can get from the company. While there are infinite number of questions you could ask your interviewer, there are three questions to always ask: 1. How is success measured in this role? 2. What skills and attributes are valued by you and the leadership team? 3. [If your interviewer will be your boss.] What's your management style like? How will you manage me? Listen carefully! Be ready to interject examples of how you exceeded expectations and demonstrated the skills your interviewer mentioned are valuable. The most common interview advice I give: Lose any sense of entitlement you may have! You're not owed a job. With so many human factors being part of the hiring decision, the best candidate on paper doesn't always get the job. Entitlement is a huge turnoff. Employers aren't going to offer you the job because you only have $350 in the bank, and your mortgage is past due. The position will be offered to the person regarded as qualified to do the job (skills, experience) and is considered to be a fit (this is paramount)-the person the interviewer can envision working with, will fit in with the current team and whom they can see themselves dealing with daily and will meet their boss's approval. ______________________________________________________________ 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.

PULLING OUT BY BEING PULLED IN

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” Pulling out in most cases would save you a lifetime of regret. Ok, stop smirking if you get what I mean. Looking at the Afghanistan disaster. One can appreciate the concept of pulling out at the right time for the right reason. If you don’t you are literately f&#ked. In the case of Biden without much thought of what he was doing. His pull out seems to only be pulling him back in. Trump had the right idea. The Taliban beast had been beaten and oppressed. The deal was if the Taliban would honor the government the United States put in, that in return the U.S. would pull out. It makes sense. After all if they pulled out and the government in place called on the American’s... The U.S. would return at a heart beat. Unfortunately, Trump lost the election and all that the Taliban heard was pull out. Under Trump made economic sense. Why spend all the resources the U.S. had wasted for 20 years. After all the Taliban had been written off. Biden should have had the aptitude to at the least realize the benefit of the deal under Trump. Instead Biden politicized the pull out. On a stubborn date without much thinking about the logistics. I am no expert in strategics... but would it not made sense to pull out key perssonell while the U.S. troops were on the ground. Why clear out the country of essential troops. Then start the airlift, knowing that the Taliban was gaining ground right across the land. Ok, fine I give you that no one in the Biden administration would have ever dreamed that the Taliban would come back so fast and so strong. Today we are facing a dilemma. People are being killed by the hour. People are suffering and no one is reporting. The Taliban will soon start killing Americans. So now what is America to do? In my opinion they will be forced to go back in. The only problem. No one will help them or assist them as they will be seen as a people that turned their back on the population. The Afghany people will fight shoulder to shoulder with the Taliban to fight the invading armies of the world. As of now the Taliban won the war. There is no other way of looking at it. It took the allies 20 years to oppress the Taliban. For the Taliban to only take it back in 10 days.... I have a more profound question. What was Canada doing in Afghanistan? I feel for all those families that lost a loved on in this so called war. We exposed our military to dangers for no Canadian gain. The government should be held accountable and responsible. No instead they fill air-craft with more foreigners and dump them on Canadian soil. Foreigners that in many cases do not speak English nor have the education to be contributing entities to Canadian way of life. I remember when I came to Canada from Uruguay. During Pierre era. We had to show professional status, immunization, health card and inspection, proof of language and desire to fit in by having a Canadian sponsor welcome our family to live with them. We did not want social assistance. We wanted to jump in and work. We wanted to go to school to learn Canadian customs and cultures and not impose our ideologies, belief and customs on any one. As a matter of fact. I remember working hard to shed accent, dress and even hair style. I remember the first day at a Canadian school. My mother put on a suit and tie on me. I was only 11 years old. I showed up at the school and boy did I learn fast that this was not Kansas any more. We need to think of Canadian interest first. Everyone else second. Let’s learn from our mistakes and not get suckered in once again.

Afghanistan the new Vietnam

Afghanistan the new Vietnam by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East It seems that we have learned nothing from the past. The quick failure of Afghanistan is a repeat of the failure of the intervention in Vietnam. On April 29 1975 the evacuation of Saigon was very similar to the evacuation of Kabul in August 2021. After almost a half century and two generations, we are getting the same result. The problem in Afghanistan started with the Soviet invasion on Christmas day in 1979 and ended in mid February 1989 with the withdrawal of the Soviet troops. The Soviet Union intervened in support of the Afghan communist government in its conflict with anti-communist Muslim guerrillas. The aim of the Soviet operation was to prop up their new but faltering client state, headed by leader Babrak Karmal. However, Karmal was unable to attain significant popular support. Backed by the United States, the mujahideen rebellion grew, spreading to all parts of the country. The Soviets initially left the suppression of the rebellion to the Afghan army, but the latter was beset by mass desertions and remained largely ineffective throughout the war. The Afghan War quickly settled down into a stalemate, with more than 100,000 Soviet troops controlling the cities, larger towns, and major garrisons and the mujahideen moving with relative freedom throughout the countryside. Soviet troops tried to crush the insurgency by various tactics, but the guerrillas generally eluded their attacks. The Soviets then attempted to eliminate the mujahideen's civilian support by bombing and depopulating the rural areas. These tactics sparked a massive flight from the countryside; by 1982 some 2.8 million Afghans had sought asylum in Pakistan, and another 1.5 million had fled to Iran. The mujahideen were eventually able to neutralize Soviet air power through the use of shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles supplied by the Soviet Union's Cold War adversary, the United States. Now back to the future. In 2021, after a presence for 20 years of US lead NATO troops including our Canadian Forces, the result is the same as the Soviets then experienced. The quick disintegration of the Afghan Army supposedly trained by the US and its NATO allies is the failure of an intervention ill conceived and ill managed with lives and resources lost to a cause that was unclear from the beginning. Saigon 1975 (United States), Kabul 1989 (Soviets), Kabul 2021 (US and NATO) seems that something went wrong in that part of the world and that the leaders of the western world just gloriously ignored the lessons of history. No one thought in 2021 that by mid-August the Taliban would be in Kabul. The Taliban's ability to link their cause to the very meaning of being Afghan, was a crucial factor in America's defeat. For Afghans, jihad, better translated as "resistance" or "struggle", has historically been a means of defense against oppression by outsiders, part of their endurance against invader after invader since the time of Alexander the Great. In more recent times, they have first exhausted, then repelled the British, the Soviets and now the Americans. The 'forever war' for Americans was also a long war for Canadians. Never mind that apparently the NATO decision to invoke, for the first time, the collective security provisions of Article Five - that an attack on one is an attack on all - was the initiative of then Canadian NATO ambassador David Wright. That decision launched the US-led NATO intervention that is only now concluding in a controlled disaster. As a result, more than 40,000 Canadian soldiers served in Afghanistan including myself in 2007, with 158 killed between 2001 and 2014. More came home injured or psychologically wounded, and the Canadian Armed Forces reported that as a follow up 191 veterans have taken their own lives since 2011. It is a sad story for generations of Afghani people and a sad result of the Canadian efforts to try to build a responsible society. The Afghan experience is a cautionary tale for future Canadian interventions. The western experience in Afghanistan will oblige policy-makers to think hard about future interventions. Without an appreciation of the history, culture, geography and local politics, we may win battles but we lose the war. As the evacuation of Afghani who worked and supported the Canadian Forces continue at this moment it is a time to reflect. Unlike during the Cold War when Canada was a leading middle power within one of two bounded geopolitical blocs, today it faces the prospect of becoming a marginal state in an integrated - yet pluralistic - international order of global scope. The new era and the rapidly evolving world calls for a Canadian foreign policy that requires a drastic change in attitude. We need to embrace pragmatism over ideology, and strategic thinking over the endless invocation of platitudes. Canada's second consecutive failure in our bid for a UN Security Council seat should make us rethink the notion that the world cares at all about who we are. We need to have qualified people in leadership positions, be proactive internationally, regain the edge we have lost in science and technology and develop expertise in diplomacy. It is time to start the Great Canadian Awakening both domestically and internationally!

Hey where are we going with this!

hey where are we going with this!

By Rosaldo Russo Allow me to introduce begin this column by thanking the 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. 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. 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. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat or 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. Opportunities for our youth are hard and few. The type of hard work I use to put in is hard to see. It appears we all have become robots of a system that does not appreciate honesty and hard work. I remember my motto when it came to my customers. Customer satisfaction comes first. I made millions of the fact that I treated my clients with respect and courtesy. It appears that in today’s world. Customer satisfaction is gone. Look at anyone doing business with companies like Bell or Rogers. They are not about customer satisfaction and or service. These giants treat their customers like cattle. A number in a sea of millions. You do as they say or they cut you off. Where are we going here... How can this happen. I tell you how it is happening. We Canadian people have no choice. When we allow this giants to not fear loss of clients. They treat us like cattle. Their meaning of convenience cost us. They want to get paid at a particular date and in particular way. No credit card. No service. Mis a payment. You get cut off. How dot these companies stay in business. Come on people. Wake up. Unfortunately we can’t do nothing about it as there is no other choice. What is happening to our Canada that we allow these giants to openly rape us? If anything they should be charged for false advertising as they claim 1G speeds and no one gets them. Or 1000 channels that are all repetitive.

A Hostage Situation

from Wayne & Tamara

Q My husband applied for a job behind my back and accepted the job without my consent. He convinced me, if I came with him, it would only be for a year. He moved my son and me from sunny Southern California to freezing North Dakota. The year came and went. We renegotiated a three-year stay for economic reasons, then had a second son. Well, that temporary stay came and went, and now it’s been seven long, cold years! I’ve tried to be patient, but I can’t stand these nine-month winters anymore! He says he wants to continue to live here until the economy gets better back home, which will not likely happen for at least three or four more years. Ugh! In order to stay home with my children, I have not been working. But now that my youngest is ready for kindergarten, I’ve asked my husband if I could seek a job to help us relocate. He says no, because I can’t make as much money as he can. He has an IT degree, and in my field I can only make half what he does. It gets worse. He suffers from anxiety, so he has more fear than the average person. He has opened a separate bank account in his name in order to keep me from accessing our money. He puts $900 a month in our joint account for me to buy food and other needs. He then doles out food money to buy more groceries the second half of the month. I’ve told him I dislike how he has set up our money and that the control is unfair. For a year he’s claimed he will add my name to the second account, but he has not done so. He is a conflict avoider, who tells me what I want to hear or tells me “this is not a good time” to discuss matters. We have absolutely no family close by. I’m neglected emotionally, financially, and spiritually. I take my boys to church and attend weekly Bible study in order to have some friends and support. But my patience has run out. I told him the boys and I are going home to my parents to spend time with my family. What he doesn’t know is I’m going to pursue employment, and, if I succeed, get an apartment and live there with my children. I will offer to let him join us and sell our North Dakota home so we can restart in California. Or he can visit us all he can. As it is, he is already in an uproar over me wanting to visit. If it weren’t for our boys, I would never have come here. I was trying to keep the family together. Harper A Harper, doling out money and making major decisions without your consent makes you less a wife and more an indentured servant. Your position in the family is the same as your children. Powerless. Your husband has clipped your wings to keep you from flying away, and the more you telegraph your feelings, the more he will tighten his grasp. He’s decided you aren’t leaving, but he isn’t saying that. Instead, he “tells me what I want to hear,” which is an interesting euphemism for lying. Whether he has anxiety issues or not doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have the right to take your life away from you. Whether you admit it to yourself or not, this marriage may be over. You devised a plan. You thought it was fair. He did these things to me, I get to do this one thing to him. But you must consider the legal implications. Before you do anything, privately and without your husband’s knowledge, see a lawyer to sort out custody issues. You may need to have your parents pay for the attorney or even go to another town to ensure your visit is confidential. In addition, your husband is in IT. Nearly everything you do on your home computer or phone is recoverable by someone with sophisticated knowledge. Take steps to make sure all your communications remain private. If you are worried about his reaction (and you should be), you need to be very cautious about your safety and the safety of your children. Believing you can only leave him surreptitiously means you know he could be dangerous. A lawyer can advise you here as well. You are not the proverbial bird in a gilded cage. You are a bird in a cage of ice—emotionally, financially, and spiritually. You need two plans, one legal and one for safety. Once you have them, the next step will emerge. Wayne & Tamara Wayne & Tamara write: Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

AN AMERICAN F*#K UP

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” This is not about politics. This is not about preference. This is about common sense and basic human decency. Come on folks.... We are about to come on September 11, 2021. Have we forgotten so quickly? Was the pull out that important to national security? To National economic interests? It does not take a scholar to figure out that as soon as Biden announced the pull out. The Taliban would be ready to pounce back. 20 year war for no American benefit. Thousands of American lives sacrificed for what American benefit. American tax dollars spent to train an Afhan army that surrendered at first light. The real question is what was America doing there. Who were they really training and for what. It is obvious that all the American training of National Afghan troops was a waste and now that training is being used against the U.S. Biden has taken America back 20 years and Afghanistan 100. Then again. How are we in the West ever to begin to rationalize Afghan culture or even attempt to think we can westernize them when the Afghan people have lived under cultural restrictions not to mention religious oppression for so long by the hand of their own country men. Freedom is a word. Much like opportunity. The Afghan people are not stupid. It is Afghanistan first everyone else second. The real war was not against the Taliban. The real war was against culture, customs and traditions. Culture ruled by the sword, custom based out of tribal principles and traditions that have carried for thousand of years. Civilized and rationalize thinking was impeded by greed and power. Democracy can never work there as it is failing within our own borders. The Afghanistan war has been a phantom war with no benefit to America. Trump in his deal with Afghanistan made sense. He did say he would pull out under the conditions that the Taliban honor the government the American had put in place. Trump lost the election and all that was left in the political horizon was that America was pulling out. Biden without a clue on what he was doing disregarded the agreement Trump had put in motion and just pulled out. The Taliban sat quiet and it was open season. With no pressure to live up to Trump agrement. The Taliban took over their country with ease. Now we are left with the after math of having to shelter Afghanistan people that within their thinking and rank also hold Taliban ideology. Did we not only fight a war against a phantom but were made to pay for it and subsequently made to give refuge to possible terrorist cells. The media is so worried about those that stormed the airport looking for refuge. How about reporting the thousands of Afghan being raped, tortured and murdered right now? To assume that the country was taken without a fight or resistance is as insane as the thought that America should have been there in the first place or that America benefit in any way by being there. In my estimate thousands of people are being executed every day in Afghanistan. The Taliban in my opinion are coming back with a vengeance. The Taliban recruitment effort will now be that much more appealing as the Taliban is now seen as the winners. The Taliban fighting with sticks and stones, beat and ran out of their country the big strong Americans. We are coming to September 11. The Taliban, ISIS and Al Qaeda will come back bigger and stronger. Since Trump took office. The beheading, the bomb threats and the threat against America had stopped dead on it’s track. Under Biden administration. The gas prices have gone through the roof and still climbing. Job security has once again been compromised. Soon in my opinion we will be subjected to more bombings and terror type of attacks on American soil. Joe Biden is not a free thinking politician. He is a careered politician playing the popular opinion game. He has failed to honor or at the least carry Trump deal with Afghanistan and instead attempted to just pull out. Left with the reality of such an act. We pray and trust in God that there are no future attacks on American soil. We pray and hope that the Taliban do not celebrate their win against America by attacking on September 11. One thing for sure. We need to revise our foreign policy when it comes to the liberation of nations. America should stop declaring wars against phantoms and instead. If America deems a nation as a threat to national security and war is to play out. That the nation America attacks becomes part of America. That the American people benefit from all their resources. No more hand outs. No more retreat. No more pull out. We invest in war we the American people should be able to benefit for our military efforts. As it stands. We must pay for the deployment. We must pay for the maintenance, the up keep and the ongoing supply to keep the efforts alive and healthy. As it stands we left behind our hardware, our weapons and our structures only to be used back by those we had suppose to defeat. Biden should had been pulling people out of Afghanistan months ago. Destroying all military equiptment left behind. It smells like someone has made money on the selling of the used U.S. equiptment to the Taliban. What an American F*#k up by a F*#’d up administration.

AFGHANISTAN AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” Why is it so hard for people to learn from history. Why is it so easy for politician to make mistakes only to have the masses pay for it. What is happening across the globe that we have lost the ability to reason and use common sense. Where is basic human decency? Canada and the Americans along with UN forces spent 20 years fighting a phantom war. It took 20 years to oppress the Taliban and all the supporters only to have the country taken over in less than 10 days. Really!!! What does that tell us? Well, I do not need to be a military strategist but common sense would tell me that the American’s were not fighting anyone other than oppressing the people of Afghanistan. Something that took 20 years to achieve. Denounced and sent back 20 years in a matter of 10 days. Now Biden is left with the reality that thousands are probably being murdered and it will never be reported. Instead the media is only allowed to report on the immediate disaster of how to get American’s out of Afghanistan. What about the hundred of thousands of Afghan all over the country that supported the American’s in one way or another. No reports on their well being. Or could it be that the West does not care about their well being. I am no CIA operative. But by looking at world history. This pull out has to be one of the biggest blunders in world history. First, Trump negotiation of the pull out to my understand was totally different than the actual pull out by Biden. Under Trump deal. The Taliban were forced to work with the government in power or the American’s would come back. Under Biden pull out. There was no respect for previous agreements and the pull out signaled a free for all. Knowing this the president of Afghanistan pulls out. His top aids also leave the country. The military surrenders as within the ranks soldiers in order to save their lives and that of their families put up minimal resistance. The real tragedy is not the political black eye to Biden. The tragedy is to the many innocent people that will be made an example for any future denouncing of the Taliban. Furthermore, in the event of a real threat as they were during 911. No one in Afghanistan would dare support the American re-invasion. 20 years wasted. Thousand of live sacrificed for no gain. Hopefully we learned a lesson. We the West should get away from the liberation business and when we send our military any place. It will be to win and conquer. No more playing peace keeper. We loose a life those responsible should pay dearly. We become involved in your country. Your country and all it’s resources will become that of the people that are invading you. What I suspect is that someone among the ranks of the military and investors that during time of war gained financially deal making broke down. Greed among the ranks cause the decay of something they had going using the American military. Trump’s pull out idea, had more than what we will ever know. The deal Trump had negotiated made sense. American’s pull out as long as the Taliban does not invade and respect the elected government. Trump lost, Afghanistan went south and the Biden administration got caught with their feet flat on the ground and still today have no clue on how to deal with the Afghan situation. I am worried that in the near future. We will begin to see attacks once again in the United States and Canada. As it stands, the Taliban have defeated the American military super power.

Election fever the new virus

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East Prime Minister Trudeau called the election on 15th of August for Canadians to vote on September 20th. That started a frenzy of election promises being put forward by the party leaders. On top of this the Nova Scotia provincial elections produced a great surprise by the PC party winning a majority. The Nova Scotia election was originally called in the hopes of snagging a majority government for Iain Rankin's Liberals. However, the voters handed him a very different result. We will probably get some surprises in the federal election too. According to strategists, the election result is one the federal parties should be watching closely. One other item is the launching of election platforms by the parties. They are full of promises, pouring more money that the country does not have into utopia projects and promising the moon and the world. The liberals are making promises of spending big money, with the excuse of the Covid 19 pandemic and the need to restart the economy post Covid. Surprisingly the Conservatives are eager to spend even more money than the Liberals in the hope that the electorate will support them. However, knowing the nature of the Conservative leader who tends to be a real weathervane, the electorate might be suspicious of a traditionally frugal party suddenly becoming a big spender. The Bloc Québécois (BQ) are Quebec centered as usual with little regard for the rest of Canada. There are no surprises from the NDP; as usual they want to spend other peoples' money in a very socialist way promoting lack of common-sense projects. The Green Party is in turmoil and centered on internal fighting instead of focusing on putting forward some useful ideas. The only party putting forward some real and interesting ideas instead of being caught up in buying votes, is the People's Party of Canada, and they are being noticeably ignored by the prime media. A new element has appeared in the equation which will eventually become a factor in the elections. That is, that the country's headline inflation barometer has clocked in at 3.7 per cent in July. According to Statistics Canada, that was the highest year-over-year increase since May 2011 as price growth accelerated from June. There is also higher demand for houses as people spend more time at home and eye rock-bottom interest rates. The price for homes rose nearly 14 per cent year-over-year in July, the largest increase since October 1987. All this is not good news for many Canadians and the situation might rapidly deteriorate as increasing inflation hits us deeper and deeper in our pockets. Another issue that might play an important role in this election is the vaccination issue. The Liberals want to make vaccination compulsory for federal employees and people travelling on trains and by air. They are for a vaccination passport. The Conservatives, as usual, are without a clear position on the topic, probably waiting for more polling results to tailor their statement accordingly. The NDP and Green Party are enthusiastically endorsing the idea of the Liberals. Only the Peoples Party of Maxime Bernier is against the vaccine passport and sees the vaccination as a personal choice. On top of these issues and an evolving situation on the international scene, is the take over of Afghanistan by the Taliban. That will certainly add some interesting twists to the election, despite the fact that foreign affairs are not usually on the spectrum of the Canadian electorate. However, with the direct involvement of Canadians in Afghanistan both militarily and on the civilian side, and with the issue of Afghani people who supported Canadians now in need of protection, this might become a hot election issue. Just remember the issue of the Syrian refugees in 2015….. Returning our attention to the national scene, one topic that strikes at the hearts of Canadian families is the child care issue. It may prove significant since it plays into the cost-of-living debate that voters say most concerns them. The Liberal proposal and open negotiations with the provinces to provide universal $10-a-day daycare by 2025-26 is in progress right now. The massive sums being offered by Ottawa to provinces to incentivatee them to create new spaces means eight provinces and two territories have already signed up and Ontario's education minister, Stephen Lecce, said this week his province is "actively interested" in a deal. On the other hand, the Man With The Plan, aka Erin O'Toole, proposes to kill the Liberal party's $30-billion early learning and child care program and replace it with a refundable tax credit. The Conservatives argue that a "top down, one-size-fits-all" program is not the answer and parents should decide what's best for their family. Their proposal is to convert the existing Child Care Expense Deduction into a tax credit that refunds up to 75 per cent of the cost of the child care deduction for low income families (or as little as 26 per cent for families earning more than $162,975). The Liberal plan seems to be more understandable than the convoluted Conservative one, however both plans are a reach in spending carelessly without a real understanding of the problem and the real needs of the people. It seems more like a vote buying competition with taxpayers' money…. your money…. It's early days yet in this electoral campaign, more surprises will certainly emerge as people start to pay attention to the issues involved. So let the fun begin…

What Would Make Your Skin Turn Yellow?

W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones A report from the Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the New England Journal of Medicine tells an interesting story. A 62-year-old man over a two-month period developed numbness, a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, shortness of breath, trouble walking due to severe joint pain, and he began to turn yellow. Anyone faced with all these problems would think the end is near and start planning to say goodbye to loved ones. In retrospect, his symptoms could have been even worse. He could also have faced paranoia, delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and more. But this man had a pinch of good luck. Tests revealed he had a deficiency of vitamin B-12. He wasn’t going to die. But how did he develop such acute deficiency, and how can you be sure you’re getting enough of this vitamin? B-12 is an important vitamin. The adult human body needs 2.5 micrograms daily so red blood cells can carry oxygenated blood to the brain, nerves and DNA. Since B-12 cannot be made by the body, it must be obtained from diet or supplements. What causes a lack of vitamin B-12? Some people simply don’t get enough in their diet. Others, even it they consume sufficient B-12, fail to absorb it. This is why deficiency is especially common among the elderly. One person in five over age 60 and two in five over 80, fail to absorb B-12 from food and they require a supplement. Another reason can be autoimmune disorders that make it difficult to absorb B-12. As we age, the lining of the stomach gets thinner which decreases the production of hydrochloric acid. Vitamin B-12 is firmly attached to a protein. To pry it loose so it can be absorbed it needs sufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid. It’s also possible to be low in B-12 if you’re taking medication, such as, Prevacid, Losec, and Nexium, used to treat acid reflux or a stomach ulcer. Even less powerful drugs, like Pepcid, Tagamet, or Zantac, reduce the production of hydrochloric acid. Intestinal problems such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and excessive alcohol consumption reduce B-12. And with more people using gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, B-12 intake can become be affected. You can be young and develop a lack of B-12. Plants do not make B-12. So among the growing numbers of young people striving for a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, there is a high risk of B-12 deficiency. Fortified grains can be a source of B-12. Blood work will show if additional B-12 supplementation is needed. There are many reports lauding the use of B-12 to prevent heart disease, infertility, fatigue, eczema, and a long list of other chronic health problems. But according to Harvard researchers, these reports are all based on faulty evidence. Alzheimer’s disease is a good example. A deficiency of B-12 can lead to symptoms of Alzheimer’s. But even high doses of 1000 micrograms have had no effect on this disease. One case of supposed Alzheimer’s disease was cured by B-12 supplementation, but it proved to be the wrong diagnosis. For this patient, memory deficiency problems were quickly cured by B-12. As noted earlier, it’s good to be lucky. Good sources of dietary B-12 intake include steak, fish, poultry products, and eggs. Are you wondering why the patient had yellow skin? Red blood cells become fragile with decreased amounts of B-12. Then they release bilirubin, produced by the liver, into circulation resulting in jaundice. If your skin is getting yellow, see your doctor for blood work. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.