DE-VIRGINIZED AGAIN

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States “I live a dream in a nightmare world” Normally at this time of the year. As the editor of the newspaper I would utilize this as a Christmas/New Year message to the community. I think by now we all can pause with the usual seasonal greetings and direct our attention towards a much more serious issue in our communities/province/country/world. An attack against humanity by a nation that has been smoldering in the thought of world domination for centuries. The world today is in such turmoil that it has lost it’s focus on finding the culprit to this human silent massacre. The nations of the world are so busy attempting to fing the magic bullet to this very serious weapon masqueraded as a virus that it has turned our economies upside down, our people one against the other and the focus on what is really to the world diverted in fear of death through infection. This past week much to my regret. I received my first doze of the vaccine. Reluctantly, I was basically force to comply or else loose freedoms and rights in the name of public health. They say they do not force you to take the vaccine... but by sanctioning where you can go and who you can associate with in the name of public health is nothing short of a crime against humanity. This past thursday a news wire stated: Ontario reports 2,421 new COVID cases, nearly double from a week ago. Of the 2,421 new cases recorded, 686 were unvaccinated people, 72 were partially vaccinated, 1,530 were fully vaccinated and for 133 people the vaccination status was unknown. After reading this. You got to ask yourself. What were the vaccine makers thinking? It seems as those fully vaccinated are becoming magnets for the new variance. Or could it be that those fully vaccinated have developed a false sense of protection and are taking more exposure risk? The same day the following was released: Vaccines are not enough to curb the spread of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant and stronger public measures are needed, Ontario health officials say. Really then why are we getting vaccinated. The so called science is making claims that two, three booster will do the job. Really? I thought two shots would have taken care of COVID. Now we turn to STRONGER PUBLIC MEASURES. Should we not have done that when we were at 300 cases per day. No instead in order to please the multi million if not billion dollar entertainment industry. We allow stadiums to fill up... what did we expect. later release the govenment released: The province’s science table released its latest modelling on Thursday which said early evidence suggests that without “prompt intervention, ICU occupancy could reach unsustainable levels in early January.” It also suggested cases could hit up to 10,000 per day by Christmas. It appears that the science is relying on the “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" process of scientific elimination when it comes to finding a solution. 10,000 per day by Christmas... if that is not an alarm I do not know what it is. Should science and government not be getting prepared. Shut every thing down again. Including all businesses. Government open their pocket and start dishing out grants in order to put commerce on ice for at the least 6 month. This COVID situation is not going away. It appears that as soon as we get a hold of it. A new strain develops. Who can tell if this will not carry on for ever. It is obvious that the vaccines have limited affect. We can’t expect the population of the world to inject every month as the contents of the vaccines. Specially those containing active nanotec. I studied that technology at the University and once they go in the body. They never come out. People are under the impression that this COVID vaccine is like any other... It is not. The first doze sets your body up to be able to handle the second. The technology targets neuros and prevents transmission of a particular code. In this case COVID. In traditional vaccines you were actually injected with a very to the billionth of the actual virus in order to get your body to generate an anti body. This is not the case with these vaccines. I have a question. What is the toxology of this new vaccine on the body. What are the long term affects of being injected by such technology. The answers are obvious. The technology as a vaccine has not been fully tested or understood. It was a long shot on a over sized target. So immediate results were obvious. Now we are facing another over sized target with a different composition.

In the name of a new world order lead by political correctness and pandemic guidance

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East The world economy, politics, culture, and communications continue to be subjected to a rapid and a growing wave of globalization, resulting in economic and social challenges that are likely to haunt us for a long time. Ethical challenges for politicians, physicians and journalists have also gone global, taking on new dimensions. Certainly, we are living in interesting times marred by waves of pandemics, economic and societal challenges that cannot be ignored. Yes, these are new challenges we are facing and they are full of surprises. As the challenges mount and information and data envelop us with the inevitability of an exploding volcano, the so-called establishment elite, lead by an inquisitional and apocalyptic medical advisory group, continue to operate out of their protected world; their ivory tower. From this seemingly untouchable place of safety, they tend to interfere in the political field with increasing frequency, seemingly working to undermine the due political process. They are becoming imperial in trying to impose their unelected views on the public and shamelessly attempting to undermine the democratic political process. Unelected and free of any responsibility, they act in the name of a false political correctness under cover of the seemingly eternal Covid pandemic with all its variants gobbling up the letters of the Greek alphabet. These days it is difficult to distinguish between the "Fake News" and the "Elite Fake News" promoted by medical advisory groups and loyal-to-the-globalist cause syndicated journalists, all working to push their own agenda. Instead of abiding by ethical principles when they are challenged, they take immediate refuge in referring to some undefined "science" nobody understands or questions, and when propagating unsubstantiated propaganda, they invoke the freedom of the press. This subterfuge must change drastically. The medical and journalistic professions exercise tremendous influence over our society, so they must eliminate their unprincipled and uninformed practitioners in order to regain the public trust. There is a very real and immediate need for an overview of the code of ethics that applies to the medical profession and to journalism, and an even more dire need for the strict application of those ethics to ensure that practitioners abide by them in practice. In today's society, we need realism on all fronts to deal with the crises that we face. The number of ways in which the medical profession and journalism can impact society and the lives of people around the word is infinite. However, the impact can quickly be turned from a positive to a negative, thus losing public trust. Medical professionals and journalists must believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical professionalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical professional, especially a medical professional, acts with integrity and responsibility. The ethical principle seek truth and report is particularly important, especially today. We are living in an era where lies are spread for political and social gain regardless of the consequences for the public. Medical professionals and journalists have a duty to inform the public of accurate information in order not to tarnish the good name of a person, organization, or event. Being accountable and transparent in your professional work is possibly the most important principle to follow to ensure that neither a medical professional nor a journalist will commit a transgression against any other principles. If someone does not understand the context of what is being said, it can ruin the meaning for the entire piece of work. Most stories have at least two sides. While there is no obligation to present every side in every piece, stories and evidence should be balanced and add context. Objectivity is not always possible, and may not always be desirable (in the face of confusing data or lack of scientific evidence for example), but impartial consideration of facts and reporting builds trust and confidence. Medical professionals and journalists should do no harm. What they say, publish or broadcast may be hurtful, but they should be aware of the impact of their words and images on the lives of others. Now let us have a look at some unfortunate events that have taken place in Canada in the last few years where medical professionals in the public service and journalists have influenced the political process in this country. You may well remember the beginning of the pandemic almost two years ago, when closing the border for travelers from China, the origin of the Covid pandemic, was considered an anathema and seen as a touch of racism. Then other contradictory measures came, hurting both the economy and the wellbeing of our citizens very deeply. At the end of waffling and bad decisions made in the name of "science", the magic word these days, and after millions of taxpayer dollar have been spent, the result is that we are on the fourth and beginning the fifth pandemic cycle with no apparent end in sight. The same players both politically, medically and journalistically are still at the helm, issuing the same old predictions and prescriptions, which will undoubtedly generate more hardship for ordinary people. These are clear cases of interference in the democratic political process, perpetrated by the medical profession and media. In influencing the decisions of politicians who feel comfortable hiding behind the pseudo-science alluded to by their 'professional' advisors, washing their hands of any responsibility, they behave like the infamous historical figure of biblical times. Currently there are many examples of these kinds of actions; "influencers" blatantly interfering in politics and showing bias in their reporting of partial facts, with politicians at all levels comfortably in the background playing the fiddle while the country burns. This shows the current state of affairs: deep confusion in the face of Omicron. It also reveals the possibility of ill-informed opinion funnelled to the public. Let us see what the future will bring, perhaps closing borders again, lockdowns, controlled vaccinations, and other personal limitations. Great timing; just as the holiday season is approaching. But consider this article by Kelly Crowe of CBC News which illustrates how the data and modeling on deaths by ordinary influenza is corrupted with no credible information to the public. Posted on Nov 25, 2012 5:14 PM ET | Last Updated: November 12, 2020 "Flu deaths reality check - Credibility of flu models disputed". Can this mean that Covid-mania has followed the same path, manipulated by the same players? Or merely that we are dealing with a more virulent form of influenza we should be able to manage effectively with known treatments that have been proven worldwide? Anyway, let us be optimistic that the Swiss jokes will soon stop and Ontarians and all Canadians will come to their senses in the very near future.In the spirit of this hope, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

4 Personality Traits for a Successful Job Search

By Nick Kossovan Due to the COVID19 pandemic you may be experiencing either unemployment or underemployment and are responding in one of two ways: 1. You're taking advantage of your newly found free time to conduct an extensive job search while building yourself into someone employers will likely hire. 2. You're happy to collect unemployment insurance and tell yourself companies aren't hiring, so why bother looking for a job. I've conducted many job searches and found certain personality traits were crucial for job search success. Many will disagree with what I am about to say; it would negate their false narratives, excuses, and limiting beliefs (e.g., "I'm an introvert."), which they attribute to their lack of job search success. I believe with effort and self-awareness, it's possible to develop personality traits such as the following four which have been instrumental in my job searches being successful. 1. A healthy ego. Your ego is a mental tool you shouldn't stifle. The healthier your ego, the better your capacity to handle setbacks, criticism, and rejection. When we think of a person's ego, we're most likely to say, "Daryan has a big ego! He thinks so highly of himself." What's wrong with Daryan thinking highly of himself? Embrace your ego! Just be careful you don't over embrace it and cross the line into being narcissistic. An out-of-control ego can be destructive, as we've seen with many public figures like Lance Armstrong. Armstrong allowed his ego to destroy and manipulate others and ultimately himself. Instead, you want to create and maintain an ego that firmly supports you in believing in yourself. Self-belief is the foundational characteristic of a good competitor. A job search is a competition with candidates just as qualified as you. 2. A high stress tolerance. Job searching is stressful, especially if your financial resources are limited. Not being able to deal with stress healthily has many downsides. The most significant: stress, and the resulting anxiety, can paralyze you. I admit I think there's a natural predisposition when it comes to stress tolerance. Some people naturally manage stress better-they have a more carefree view of life. Then there's the person's respective situation. (e.g., A person with a large bank account will have less financial stress.) I use principles from ancient philosophy, such as stoicism, to avoid fear and worry as much as possible. Do I always succeed? No, but I've gotten much better at managing my stress. 3. Being level-headed. This is a tough one for me: Staying composed in stress-inducing situations, which a job search is full of. In situations like not getting the job after four interviews or being ghosted after what you thought was a great telephone interview, you want to avoid having an emotional response. Not that long ago, I'd get emotional during stressful situations. I finally got tired of it. I saw how I was harming myself and others, so I committed to controlling my emotions. Take it from me; if you want to be more composed, you can. You simply need to practice it. 4. Your energy and being persistent. This is the biggest challenge for job seekers. Most things in life require long-term effort before any payoff. Unfortunately, it's natural for our energy to go up and down. As a result, we're not consistently persistent-and consistency is the key! It's not about how fast you are or how skilled you are. It's about persistently making progress. You want to steadily "chip away" at your job search as if you're destroying a wall. Destroy it in stages without wearing yourself down. If you go at it with force, even with a sledgehammer, you'll only get tired and likely give up. Manage your energy (eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep, associate with positive people) so you're active and persistent throughout your job search, which is comparable to a marathon. Ultimately, none of these traits will guarantee job search success. What these traits will do is keep your job search in continual motion so that at any given time, you have several pokers in the fire. You can't afford to let a bad interview, not landing the job, having your application rejected by your dream company, or being ghosted by the hiring manager derail your search. I'm talking about developing a winning mindset-a mindset that keeps you moving forward with your job search. Speaking of mindset, a mindset that tells you that you'll be fine no matter what happens is always a great one to have. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com

WHY ARE POLITICIAN SO DISTANT FROM THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT? WHERE ARE WE GOING HERE!!!

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 and earn. I worked construction all my life. I know the value of hard work and honesty. I remember as a boy my father always telling me to work hard and buy land. So I did. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat. I go to work... but I did not wait for hand outs. I rounded up my pride my skill and my determination to succeed and went to work. In those days the only benefits we received was the fact we were employed. Before retiring I was the owner and operator of local material supply company that allowed me to retired without worry. Now that I have time to enjoy life. I look around me and have some concern for future generations. I see that the world is finished. The never ending COVID - One strain after the other... will there ever be an end. I have made up my mind not to get vaccinate. I will never compromise my freedom in the name of misinformation and hidden agenda. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in public health. I believe in doing my part. I believe in social responsibility and civic duty. But this Covid shit is just that. A pile of shit manifested by an enemy that we are still to call out. China has screwed the world beyond words... This is far from over and on the brink of true revelation of it’s true intent. I pray to God that I am wrong. All the indicators are there. I enjoy watching Italian TV and according to their numbers... and in accordance to their math... the way they are going. There be no more Italians in Italy by the year 2080. The death number reported from Covid is insane. If this stand true to other parts of the world. The human race may become instinct. Is this where we are heading. It happened to the Mayans and many other civilization before us. This so called vaccine in my opinion is a band aid, much like a double edged sword. We are trying to kill a foreign Dragon with a sword that has no handle. The harder we hit it the more we cut into our own hands/health. Now they are claiming that two, three dozes are not effective against the new variants... How many hits can a body take? How many more variants are we expected to see in the near future. It seems that as soon as we get a bit of relief. Boom they hit is with another strain. COME ON PEOPLE WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS?

THE CLEVER SMOKE AND MIRRORS OF SNAP - SNAPD Neighbur. REALLY!!!

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States “I live a dream in a nightmare world” I have seen this magic trick a million times in business. Something is not working or failing, change it. Try again. In my 27 years in the publishing business I have seen magazines and newspapers come and go. One attempt after the other failing. From the debunked Oshawa Times to the many attempts by the folks at the debunked OSHAWA EXPRESS, former Oshawa news, Courtice news. The reason? It takes conviction, determination and integrity to understand the fundamental principles of success in the industry. You can’t be a flag in the wind and cater to some and not to other. The newspaper business is not about being a social butterfly and or everyone’s best friend. The newspaper business is about bringing solid balanced news with integrity and vigor. Newspaper success do not follow paths but instead create them. Most of these so called fly by night publishers have no understanding of what it takes to succeed in the printing and publishing business. Take for example the SNAP magazine. Publishing in newsprint quality as to attempt to pass off as a newspaper instead of a magazine. (Smoke and mirror attempt), even tho they published that they were not a newspaper but in fact a magazine. Originally selling franchise type of arrangement to socialites in over 25 municipalities. To folk that had little or not experience in the publishing industry but happen to be the local unicorn chasers in that particular community. Then the SNAP - SNAPD. Why the sudden change. Here in the local Oshawa market it has been the hottest potato for a while for the SNAP. Why did they SNAPD? They rebranded (ONCE) How do you explain rebranding? Definition: Rebranding is the process of changing the corporate image of an organization. It is a market strategy of giving a new name, symbol, or change in design for an already-established brand having difficulties penetrating a market. The idea behind rebranding is to create a different identity for a brand, from its competitors, in the market. Well SNAP/SNAPD really had no competitors as they do not meet the requirements to be classified or recognized as an official newspaper. SNAPD would go to places like Oshawa City Council for example and acquire tax payers dollars in the form of municipal advertising to pay for their minimal printing. City elect having no experience in the publishing industry would fall for the picture book type of presentation of events in the community and pay to advertise city notices. Knowing that these type of publication do not meet the requirements. Just recently SNAPD once again rebranded to the NEIGHBUR. Same number being printed... same content. So what has changed? Why are the local elect in Oshawa falling for it again? What is the reason for rebranding? Businesses often need to rebrand, and it can be a result of many reasons, including international growth, new management, a bad reputation or an outdated image. Whatever the reason, it's important to create a stellar brand that people will remember. So now I ask what was the reason for the rebranding? ‘BAD (NO)REPUTATION’!!! New management? I guess not as the same person own and operates the Oshawa/Whitby magazine. I approached Michael Adams as he is a fellow Rotarian. Adams by his own admission recognizes he has limited knowledge in the printing business, he attempted to defend by giving me some questionable credential, but I been in the business for to long to see the bullshit train pulling into station. I asked him to if he needed help? I even offered to meet with him to give him some pointers. He said he would come in and see me. We even set up a time and place. I am still waiting. This brings to question his motives? His integrity. Did he forget his Rotary, four way test? SNAP, SANPD and now Neighbur have no official offices in Oshawa or Whitby to my knowledge. Any publication that offers their magazine, newspaper for free. By their own admissions have no readership. 2,000 copies barely covers any readership. No market penetration and advertising revenues are limited or none. In Michaels case it appears that he is utilizing the Rotary Club of Oshawa as his commercial flag to gain accreditation. I think this may go against Rotary Club International regulation. Unless the Rotary of Oshawa is paying for the full page he publishes. Neither here or there. I have great concern over these type of publications business practices as they go out in the market place. They approach good hard working advertise. These goo hard working folk may get take in by the smoke and mirror that ‘WE ARE COMMUNITY’ base pitch. Advertise with them. Then get no results and be turned off print. This hurts the industry. Look for example at all the blind sheep Adam has attracted. In their November issue. Oshawa councillors Bob Chapman, Rick Kerr, Titto Dante-Marimpietri, Rosemary McConkey and our beloved Mayor Dan Carter. Mayor Dan Carter appears to have second page commentaries on every issue. Is this what the Mayor means by inclusion? Does the Mayor pay with your tax dollars to support magazines that help him promote, pre 2022 election campaign.... Thank God it is only 2,000 or so print, in accordance to what Adams had told me in our telephone conversation. It just shows the bias and prejudice at City Hall and the incompetence by some of our elected officials when it comes to making decisions at City hall. Wonder how many other bad decisions they make without our knowledge? Once again, using our elected officials to gain stature and accreditation. (smoke and mirrors) In conversation with Rosemary McConkey. According to her. For her advertising. She published in the neighbur, she was asked to make her cheque payable to SNAPD. Really. Is this not illegal? Rebranding give me a break... I can just hear the wheels of incompetency turning... Ha, now we can sue his ass for slander.... Think again snowflake. What's considered slander? Slander is the legal term used to describe false statements made by one party against another. It is a form of defamation that is communicated verbally to a third party, which makes it temporary. ... Slander is different from libel, which are false statements made through print or broadcast. PROVE TO ME THAT ANYTHING ON HERE IS NOT TRUE. I DARE YOU. I love fair competition. There is no place for smoke and mirrors in the success formula of any business. Do it right with honor or don’t do it.

An interesting and surprising beginning to December

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East We start the month of December with interesting developments both domestically and internationally. Despite the cloud of the new Omicron Covid pandemic still lingering about us, it is time to look forward and start to live our lives again. Reflection on where we should be heading might start with two historically significant events that occurred approximately 100 years ago. One representing courage in adversity, and the other, social progress. We can remember with sadness, the 104th anniversary of the massive Halifax explosion that occurred on December 6th, 1917 when two ships collided in the city's harbour. On the morning of December 6, 1917, the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship laden with high explosives and bound for the battlefields of WWI, collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the Narrows, a strait connecting the upper Halifax Harbour to Bedford Basin. A fire on board the Mont-Blanc led to a massive explosion that devastated the Richmond district of Halifax. It was one of the largest human-made explosions prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in 1945. The north end of Halifax was wiped out by the blast and subsequent tsunami. Nearly 2,000 people died, another 9,000 were maimed or blinded, and more than 25,000 were left without adequate shelter. We need to emphasize the heroism of the rescue workers and citizens of Canada and the US, who came to support the people in Halifax. They must never be forgotten. On the bright side, 100 years ago on the 6th of December, in the first federal election in which women had the right to vote and run as candidates, Agnes Macphail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons. This election would help pave the way for future generations of women wishing to enter political life, represent their fellow citizens, and make an impact on the lives of Canadians. Since Ms. Macphail's election, Canada has made great progress in increasing the representation of women in political office. In 1988, Ethel Blondin-Andrew became the first Indigenous woman elected to the House of Commons. Five years after that, Jean Augustine took her seat in Parliament as the first Black Canadian woman to ever be elected. In the same year Canada saw its first woman Prime Minister, Kim Campbell. In 2021, 100 years after the election of the first female Member of Parliament, Canadians elected over 100 women to Parliament, marking the highest number of women ever to sit in the House of Commons. These women, who represent communities from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities across our country, have the opportunity to do excellent work in Ottawa, for the advancement of Canada and the interests of Canadians. With these two events of Canadian historical importance in mind, let us look at what happened in Canada this week. Inflation continues to be a concerning issue, but the Bank of Canada held its interest rate at 0.25 percent for the moment. Legislation banning conversion therapy in Canada became law as first the MPs and then the Senators swiftly and unanimously passed the legislation opening a new, unknown chapter in Canadian jurisprudence. As the House of Commons does not rise until December 17th we will probably have more surprises. Internationally we remember the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 08:00, on Sunday, December 7, 1941. The United States was a neutral country at the time; the attack led to its formal entry into World War II the next day. Japan intended the attack as a preventative maneuver to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and those of the United States. Over the course of seven hours there were coordinated Japanese attacks on the U.S. held Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The attack commenced at 7:48 am. Hawaiian Time. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. Of the eight U.S. Navy battleships present, all were damaged, with four sunk. All but the USS Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 64 servicemen killed. As surprises and high tensions continue on the international scene, we should take note that the German parliament elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as the country's ninth postwar chancellor. Scholz takes office at the head of a coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats, heralding a new political era after 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel. As military tensions at the Ukrainian Russian border increase, the President of the United States, Joe Binden, had a two-hour virtual meeting with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Nothing was resolved but at least they are speaking at a time when the relations between the two countries are at the lowest ebb since the dissolution of the USSR. Last but not least, the United States and the West are Hardening their positions on the upcoming Olympic games in Beijing China. So the world seems to be fraught with tension at the moment, especially if we add the Omicron factor. But hope is the best of all possible gifts, because it gives us the strength and energy to persevere. We need to be optimistic as we approach our annual celebrations of Christmas, the harbinger of peace and love, and the New Year, that gives everyone a chance for improved performance. So be strong and hopeful, that we have fewer unpleasant surprises, both domestic and international, to weather in 2022.

Go Natural to Debut Your New Hair Colour

The American star of the silver screen, Jean Harlow, was known as the “Blonde Bombshell”. She once remarked, “If it wasn’t for my hair, Hollywood wouldn’t know me.” But did the blonde hair come at a huge price? Harlow was dead at the age of 26. Do you make a habit of dying your hair? Now that lockdowns are easing and you cannot wait to get a haircut, you might want to think twice about permanent hair dye and chemical hair straighteners. Some recent studies have raised health concerns. The practice of dying hair goes back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome when terrible concoctions were used to alter hair colour, both for beauty and to show rank on the battlefield. In years past, animal studies questioned the safety of hair dyes. But research on humans produced inconsistent findings. More recently, studies are yielding findings that should be enough to make people pause. Researchers for a study published in International Journal of Cancer analyzed data from the “Sister Study”. This ongoing study involves more than 50,000 women between the ages of 35 and 74, all having a sister with breast cancer. Having a sister with breast cancer placed them at higher risk for developing breast cancer themselves. But researchers used the cohort to study the cancer risk of hair dye. Although all participants share the same family history, only some of them used hair dye and straighteners, allowing for interesting comparisons. What did epidemiologist Dr. Alexandra White find? She is an investigator with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, studying risk factors for breast cancer. She found that white women who frequently used permanent hair dyes had a 7% higher risk of breast cancer and black women a 45% higher risk. For women who frequently used chemical straighteners the risk was 30%, with no race difference. What happened to Harlow? Apparently, Harlow insisted she was a natural blonde. But one Hollywood stylist, Alfred Pagano, knew otherwise. He reported that to make her platinum blonde, peroxide, ammonia, Clorox and Lux flakes were used. Whether his account is accurate, we will never know. But Clorox mixed with ammonia produces the noxious gas, hydrochloric acid, not a healthy mixture. The hair treatments took a toll, and when Harlow’s hair began to fall out, she turned to a wig. In short order, she was dead of kidney failure. Today, hair products are not all the same, and they can contain any of more than 5,000 chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer in lab animals being fed large amount of these dyes over time. White notes that “For chemical hair straighteners, one of the big concerns is formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.” Products that do not overtly contain formaldehyde may yet release this hazardous substance when the product is heated. The global market for hair dyes was US$29B in 2019 and is expected to grow to US$40B by 2025. White’s research will not slow this growth. Vanity too readily trumps prudence. Should you be concerned? On current evidence, the risk is low compared to other known carcinogens such as tobacco and radiation. If you use hair dye, the risk is in all probability small. But remember, formaldehyde is used to embalm people for burial! Natural, vegetable-based hair dyes are available. So instead of going for permanent colour, what’s wrong with taking a less drastic approach. Temporary and fading colours need not be a drawback. Set the tone with a positive attitude for going natural. And natural hair – meaning whatever Mother Nature gave you – is beautiful. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.

Your Interviewer Can't Read Your Mind

By Nick Kossovan Once I gave feedback to a candidate, which I don't often do, who was a close second to being my hiring choice. When I finished, they said, "But I have extensive experience giving presentations using PowerPoint. While at while at XYZ Inc. I gave townhalls, providing an overview of the company's last quarter." "You never mentioned this," I replied. "I asked you to walk me through your responsibilities." There was silence. Then the candidate said, "I assumed because I ran a large department, you'd imagine I'd have been conducting meetings with my staff." Never assume! Assuming is a mistake I often see job seekers make. (Other mistakes: Not searching for your tribe, not being self-aware and not asking questions.) An interview is a sales meeting. It's your opportunity to connect the dots between your skills and experience and the job opportunity. It's your job, not your interviewer's, to sell yourself as a "fit" for the job and the company. Your interviewer can't read your mind as to why you think you're the perfect candidate. Nor is it their responsibility to make correlations between your background and the job. The reasons you believe you're the ideal candidate may be valid; however, you need to articulate to your interviewer your reasons. It's entirely on you to demonstrate how your skills and experience are cross-functional and that you're a "fit." Here are two ways to ensure your interviewer will thoroughly understand your skills and experience-and hopefully see you as a fit. - 30-60-90-120 Day Plan. A 30-60-90-120 Day Plan is a document that conveys your intentions for the first 6 months on the job. (READ: How you plan to hit the ground running.) I guarantee your plan of action will positively impact your interviewer, which makes me wonder why more candidates don't create such a plan. You create a plan of action by listing in chronological order what your high-level priorities and actionable goals will be. Make sure you cover all the requirements mentioned in the job description, along with mentioning the metrics you'll use to measure progress and success. I recall the first time a candidate gave me a plan of action. (I've only received a handful since.) As I read through it, I asked clarifying questions, which led to my hiring the person. The candidate literally showed me what they were thinking. More importantly, they demonstrated they're proactive and able to self-manage; both are a huge plus with me. An employee is an investment that needs to generate a return. (I know this truism is distasteful.) Showing how you plan to quickly generate some return on your salary will give you a competitive advantage. Identify, and clearly communicate, a few ways you can contribute in your first 120 days and you'll make your interviewer's "purchase" decision much easier. - Summary of your skills, experience, and accomplishments. In industries such as advertising, graphics design, photography, it's customary to show prospective clients and employers a portfolio of your work. A portfolio shows what you're capable of-your work speaks for itself. When I seek new publications, I send clips of my writing; thus, fingers-crossed, my published writing hopefully sells my writing skills. My wife came up with the idea of using the "portfolio technique." When interviewing (She's an inside sales professional.), she brings a list of her accomplishments and skills related to the job she's interviewing for. Her success rate is impressive! A summary document isn't a rehash of your resume or LinkedIn profile. Instead, it offers additional details of your skills and experiences that are directly relevant to the job. (Your resume is just 2 pages, right?) It wasn't unusual for my wife's interviewer to ignore her resume and focus on her summary document. The goal of this document is to not leave any stone unturned with your interviewer when it comes to your skills and experience. Suppose the job candidate I mentioned at the beginning of this column had given me a summary document that pointed out her extensive experience with facilitating presentations using PowerPoint? When interviewing, don't leave to chance, forgetting to mention something pertinent-something that could sway the hiring decision in your favour. As well, don't assume your interviewer will "get you," "presume your capabilities," or "believe you're a team player." TIP: Don't just hand the documents mentioned above to your interviewer. You want to walk them through your plan or summary. "I've taken the liberty of creating a 120-day plan. May I walk you through it?" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com

WHY ARE POLITICIAN SO DISTANT FROM THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT? WHERE ARE WE GOING HERE!!!

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 and earn. I worked construction all my life. I know the value of hard work and honesty. I remember as a boy my father always telling me to work hard and buy land. So I did. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat. I go to work... but I did not wait for hand outs. I rounded up my pride my skill and my determination to succeed and went to work. In those days the only benefits we received was the fact we were employed. Before retiring I was the owner and operator of local material supply company that allowed me to retired without worry. Now that I have time to enjoy life. I look around me and have some concern for future generations. I see that the world is finished. I use to support the Liberal party. I was very involved both time and money. Today I totally regret my involvement. One thing I learned about politics that it is not about the people but about the rat race. One party utilizing underhanded tactics to get in power, meanwhile the taxpayers are left with the burden of their descions. Just recently I called Erin O’Toole’s office on a personal inquiry. I was treated like I was cattle. Well maybe not like cattle as at the least cattle get fed. Look at our municipal government. CAN YOU TRULY SAY YOU HAVE REPRESENTATION ON ANY ISSUE. Can you honestly say that these so called councillors represent your best interest? Look at the ones in my home riding of Columbus. John Neal... is more like John who? Up until next year election year...then he be parading/begging for votes making all kinds of empty promises. Look at Rosemary Fu$*Monkey. Oooops my mistake McConkey. Sometimes my Inglishi not to good. Anyway... here we have a councillor that I have yet to actually meet at my front door. If these two characters that are municipal representatives have no clue what they are doing. How am I to expect for a politician like Justin to even acknowledge that live in Canada. Sad times we live in as we see the same all over the world. Politicians about themselves. I been trying to get answer on Justin’s expenditures. Not even my fellow Liberal friends can come up with answers. Are we that confused of a society that we have surrendered to propaganda?

DUMPING ON BEAVERTON IS THAT THE SOLUTION? IS THAT LEADERSHIP?

By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” The ‘I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN’ MENTALITY IS RUNNING SHORT. Next year is municipal election 2022. This means that it is time to make it look like municipal elect are doing to combat the very serious and growing problem of homelessness. This past week I received the following release: The Regional Municipality of Durham and the Township of Brock have reached an agreement related to the Beaverton Supportive Housing project. This decision will help to ensure site plan approval and necessary building permits that will allow the project to move forward. The Beaverton Supportive Housing Project will address the urgent need for housing and services in north Durham. In the past year, more than 100 people from north Durham have reached out to Durham’s homelessness support system for support Offering 30 spaces for people on the By-Name list and 17 spaces for those not on the By-Name list but who require the supports provided at this site, this modular housing development will provide accommodation and access to wrap-around services to help promote life stabilization. Priority access will be given to unsheltered residents in north Durham—including individuals from the townships of Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge—who require this level of service, after life circumstances have left them without a place to call home. This project will also include a new service hub for north Durham—providing access to support services, including mental health and addictions support; medical care (virtual and/or on-site); financial assistance; rental and tenant support; life skills teaching/counselling; and addictions counselling. On the surface it sounds like a great step forward towards solving the problem of the homeless. Let’s look at this more closely. The problem is not going to go away or get better. If anything it is about to get worst. The state of the economy and the constant influx to the population n umbers. The need will ever increase. Then what is the answer. I think like in any emergency. We need to be prepared and not wait until we are knee high in it to find answers. I think the future should take into consideration. High density apartment dwellings for people in need. Apartment buildings that are highly regulated and kept to standards. Those that violate the standards to face criminal charges. I remember the Ontario Housing project along Finch and Jane for example. When they were allowed to run without standards. It had turned into modern day ghetto. We must learn from that and take the good out of those programs and learn from the bad. I propose high rise units for the homeless with the social services, medical requirements to be attached to these same facilities. We must spend our resources in programs that make sense. Not in putting the burden on other municipalities. This is what in my opinion is happening in Beaverton. It is like putting out a fire by dispersing the ambers apart to make it look as if the fire is out. The homeless fire is ever burning bright. dispersing only create further fires. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JOE INGINO IS AN ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States

The flood, the economy and Omicron

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East I am afraid that we are going into an uncharted future in the world, especially in Canada. We are confronted with a flood emergency in British Columbia, frightening inflation across Canada, and a revival of the pandemic under a new name; Omicron. The flood in British Columbia is creating a lot of hardship for the people living there. It is a tragedy of enormous proportions. The causes are highly questionable and the effects could have been mitigated by some competent engineering maneuvers. While we are contemplating climate engineer by lowering global greenhouse gas emissions, we are neglecting proven engineering solutions through incompetent leadership. Even in the unlikely event that we succeed in reducing GHG emissions, it won't prevent flooding in B.C. or countless other extreme weather events in our lifetimes. Let us look at the flooding in BC in some detail. For example, who thought that having 300,000 people live on a flood plain, including a reclaimed lake, was acceptable? Yet successive governments and their immediate advisors in the public service have allowed this in British Columbia. Today's tragic situation would never have arisen had common sense and professionalism prevailed. Unfortunately, these seem to be lost commodities in today's world, and as a result, people suffer immensely. Such reckless construction on floodplains that are perpetually vulnerable to storm surges, yet allowed by several levels of government greedy for tax revenues must stop immediately. Sensible planning, tougher building codes, replacing aging sewer and water mains, upgrading water pumping stations, and improving drainage systems, are all sensible engineering solutions we can use to adapt to weather emergencies. This kind of preparedness would prevent B.C.-like flooding tragedies, whether caused by nature, or made more severe by human activity. More importantly, the contracts for doing such vital infrastructure work have to be awarded by governments to competent contractors, not the lowest bidders with the best political connections. Let's stop the flow of hot air spewed in endless promises made by bubble politicians and their lackeys sponging off the public purse. Leaches eager to fly into never-ending UN climate gabfests on private jets and lecturing the rest of us plebes to consume less. The general population must wake up to see this nonsense for what it is, and put an end to these wasteful and unproductive photo-ops. The airy-fairy pursuits generated by climate change hysteria must be seen as such and traded for more feasible engineering solutions. Pursuing solar and wind-powered solutions at all costs, while viscerally opposing adaptation, opposing nuclear power (which doesn't emit greenhouse gases), opposing natural gas (the cleanest fossil fuel), opposing hydro power (dams drown trees and destroy the local environment) are neither productive, sustainable, nor sensible solutions, and must change right now. We would do far better to concentrate on the real needs of our citizens. There are people in leadership positions today, who live in a fantasy world. Their dream is to return to a predominantly agrarian and pre-industrial society lead by a neo Marxist ideology. In plain English, we would all be shepherds herding our sheep, after the necessary number of us are killed by the madness of attempting to use inefficient and unreliable wind and solar energy to power modern, industrialized countries like our own. Wake up and smell the coffee, people. Considering the state of our economy, we see a more concerning future. Inflation is at a twenty year high, with every indication of spinning out of control. Consumer confidence in Canada is at its lowest point since May, according to the Conference Board of Canada. In general, people are wary of inflation, are holding off on major purchases, and saving their money as their worries about future job prospects increase. Trade relations with the United States in key economic sectors for Canada such as the automotive industry and the energy sector are also concerning. Our two countries are even at odds over potatoes, after a fungal disease halted shipments of the crop from Prince Edward Island. They don't seem to be resolved and if this trend continues it will be a nasty blow to the Canadian economy, generating substantial job losses. In naming the newest Covid-19 mutant Omicron, the World Health Organisation (WHO), seems to have skipped the letter Xi in the Greek alphabet, even though this variant comes right after the Delta variant. This deliberate omission was perpetrated not to offend President Xi of China, one presumes. So the new hysteria is on and brewing. Five cases of the Omicron COVID-19 mutant have been confirmed in Canada to date. Then Prime Minister Trudeau declared: "Obviously, we're watching very, very closely the situation with Omicron. We know that, even though Canada has very strong border measures now - we need vaccinations to come to Canada, we need pre-departure tests, we do testing on arrival. There may be more we need to do and we'll be looking at it very carefully." The usual suspects, like Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam declared with confidence that this new virus, Omicron, could "signify a potential for increased transmissibility of the virus." She added: "Mutations to this area of the virus may impact our body's natural immunity as well as potentially reduce immunity offered by vaccines." So the government has gone into panic mode with new restriction for peoples' movement on the horizon; new limitations on personal freedom, maybe new lockdowns and the rest of the known repertoire. Incoming air travellers from all countries except the United States will be required to take COVID-19 tests when arriving in Canada, the federal government has announced. The tests will be required of all travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said recently. The requirement will also apply to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Incoming travellers will have to self-isolate until they receive results of their test. Duclos said the new testing requirement will go into effect "as quickly and as much as possible over the next few days." While the government and medical profession concentrate on Covid -19 related issues they seem to be ignoring that the pandemic took a staggering toll on the health of Canadians, even those who didn't contact the virus. With delayed surgeries and procedures costing thousands of lives and continuing to ravage people's health, is anybody paying attention? Can we as a society sustain the flood of further restrictions and incompetent leadership coming our way? Are we ready to be carded on a whim? Show me your papers!

Reworking The Past

Reworking The Past Five years ago my best guy friend and I became romantically involved. It was a great relationship. We’d been friends for over 10 years, and it naturally evolved into more. A year later he told me he loved me. I freaked out and never spoke to him again. There was a lot going on in my life then, but that’s no excuse for the way I treated him. Now, over four years later, I had a dream about him. I can’t shake the feeling he’s in trouble. I have his mother’s number, so I called her to see if I could get in touch with him. She said she would pass the message along. I waited for over a week, then left another message on her answering machine. I asked her to have him call me, even if it was just to say he hates me. That was a week ago, and now I’m just miserable. I’ve had dreams like this before, sort of like premonitions, too often to ignore this one. I can’t stop thinking about him, and need an unbiased opinion about what to do next, if anything. Please help! Carrie Carrie, your friend’s “I love you” was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The relationship was going in the wrong direction, and you let out what you really felt. Whenever we are angry, drop social norms, and stop playing nice, we always go in the direction of our true feelings. We may exaggerate or go too far, but we always go in that direction. You need to acknowledge this to yourself. Now you have had a premonition your friend is in trouble. Perhaps you are right, or perhaps it is a false positive. In any event, you acted on the dream and did all you can reasonably do. Let it go. You have done what you can. Your friend is under no obligation to contact you. Sometimes we are stuck waiting for someone to forgive us, other times we are stuck waiting for someone to ask us for forgiveness. Either way we are stuck. The point is to look at situations honestly, learn what you can from them, and apply what you learn to your life. In dreams, the characters are usually us or a part of us. Think about your present life. Is this dream really about you? How does this past event connect with what is going on in your life now? Wayne Better Left Unsaid One of my good friends has been dating this girl for a year. I was friends with both of them before they got together. Over the past few months I started having feelings for the girl, and we are best friends. This summer, while she was home, she called me at least twice a week and we e-mailed each other about five times a day. Now that school has started, we are all living in the same apartment building, each with our own roommate. She spends almost more time with me than with her boyfriend. I never intended to steal my friend’s girl, but I find myself thinking about her all the time. Not only that but she tells me a lot of stuff about their relationship, including all of his shortcomings. I’m just completely confused. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the school year. Jules Jules, this woman is treating you like a best friend, sharing confidences and using you as a sounding board. If she wanted a romantic involvement with you, she would break up with her boyfriend. The best thing you can do is make room in your life for someone else, and stop spending so much time with a woman involved with another man. Treat these two friends like a married couple. If you don’t, this is going to be an awfully long school year. Tamara Wayne & Tamara write: Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Gender Makes a Difference in Heart Disease

Gender Makes a Difference in Heart Disease While the current pandemic holds a firm grip on everyone’s attention, another killer may be getting a stronger foothold on us – and chances are, women will continue to pay a higher price. Coronary heart disease is already a leading disease for women and men. Common sense suggests the situation is getting worse. The sedentary lifestyle imposed by lockdowns, accompanied by weight gain and higher alcohol use, is not the way to lower incidence of heart disease. But how does it affect women differently? A report in the journal, Circulation, notes that heart disease kills ten times as many women as breast cancer. It takes the life of one in every three women, more than all cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and accidents combined. A report from the American Heart Association confirms stunning improvements in death rates of both sexes from coronary heart disease since 1980. But women have not shared the benefits equally. One reason is that most people still tend to think of heart attack as a male disease. That’s largely because men suffer heart attack on average earlier in life, driving more attention. But in women, after menopause, the gender gap disappears.

What are the signs of trouble? Chest pain is the most common symptom in both sexes. But at least one-third of women do not show this classic symptom during coronary attack. Rather, they complain of shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, palpitations, dizziness, intense anxiety or pain in the jaw, neck, upper back, or arm. These problems may be mistaken for a panic attack with fatal delay in diagnosis. But suppose careful attentiveness leads to a rapid call to emergency? Even so, for women, studies show that an immediate electrocardiogram or stress test is less likely to show the typical finding of heart attack. If a woman has an early diagnosis of coronary attack and survives it, a bypass operation may be required. Here, too, however, women still have twice the risk of dying during the surgery or shortly thereafter. Tirone David, an internationally renowned heart surgeon in Toronto, explains one reason why the mortality rate is higher. The coronary arteries are smaller in females. This makes surgery technically more challenging when vessels the size of spaghetti are joined together. What should women do to decrease the risk of heart disease? First, any woman still smoking should see a psychiatrist, as the risk of heart attack is seven times greater than non-smokers. Knowing your family history is also key. If your father or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or your mother or sister before age 65, this substantially increases risk. It’s a red flag that urges “double down on preventive measures”. If there is a history of cardiovascular disease, a daily 81 milligram Aspirin may be helpful. But since Aspirin can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, always discuss this medication with your doctor. Remember that obesity leads to Type 2 diabetes, which in turn increases the risk of heart attack. Women who have trouble losing weight should try and try again. Have your blood pressure checked. It has been estimated that one-third of heart attacks in women could be prevented by controlling blood pressure. If blood cholesterol is elevated, cardiologists and most other doctors will recommend cholesterol-lowering drugs. Discuss this with your physician. But know there are alternatives, including high doses of vitamin C and lysine, a combination that has helped keep one of us alive for more than 20 years after severe heart attack. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.

4 Ways to Kill Your Chances With a Hiring Manager

4 Ways to Kill Your Chances With a Hiring Manager By Nick Kossovan The hiring process is fraught with human bias, which you have no control over. As much as possible you don't want to feed your interviewer's biases and turn them off. While the government tries to legislate employers not to be "biased," the fact remains biases are subjective and difficult to prove in court. Don't waste your job search energy concerning yourself with, or trying to fight, employer biases, which will always exist to some degree. Holding onto the belief one-day human biases will be 100% eliminated is wishful thinking. Hiring is the act of choosing. The act of choosing requires the hiring manager(s) to discriminate. (a person's "biases" directs their discrimination) It could be argued that when a hiring manager chooses not to hire someone, they're "technically discriminating against them. How else do you expect employers to whittle down 500 applicants to one hire? All you can do is mitigate the odds of turning off your interviewer by not consciously fueling their biases. Here are the four most common ways (there're many more) job seekers fuel a hiring manager's biases. 1. heir resume, and LinkedIn profile, lacks numbers that quantify their results. It's raining resumes. The chances of landing an interview with a generic resume/LinkedIn profile are slim, but let's say you lucked out. Clichés such as "I'm a team player." or "I'm detail-oriented." are meaningless and are open to i

nterpretation. How we interpret is based on our experiences and biases. If you're in the market for a new car, would you gravitate towards an ad that claims the "The General Lee is fast!" or "The Batmobile, having a 5.7-litre V8 engine, goes from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds."? Numbers, which in this case number quantify The Batmobile's engine and speed, removed a person having to interpret what's "fast." (Maybe The General Lee is faster, but without numbers to quantify its speed, how would we know?) Replace generic resume bullet-point statements with result-achieved statements. For example, replace "Collected survey data from email subscribers" with "Collected survey data from 8,500 email subscribers. In 2020 this data was used to implement 4 marketing strategies that increased average order size by 32% compared to 2019." 2. Aggressive about career advancement. These days employees are churning. As a result, hiring managers are more mindful to not hire candidates they assume (another word of "bias") will be a flight risk. Keep your interview discussion on what you can do for the employer. Avoid discussing your hopes for career advancement or coming across as being entitled. Instead, have several relevant examples of past successes and accomplishments at your fingertips (aka, STAR stories - Situation, Task, Action, Result) and leave your career ambitions aside. 3. Being excessively forthcoming about weaknesses. Be careful how you answer, "What are your greatest weaknesses?" If you confide you struggle balancing family responsibilities with your work schedule, the hiring manager's biases (READ: assumption) will kick in, which won't be in your favour. When I'm hiring, I'm looking to find the best candidate who'll be a fit. I'm also looking to manage risk. Given my hiring experiences, your weakness mentioned above will probably have me assume: - You'll have a lateness issue. - Will be asking for time off to deal with family matters. - Will be making/taking lots of personal calls. There's a formula to answering the "weakness question": Experience + Learn = Grow. "Back in March, my boss suddenly became ill and couldn't conduct the already scheduled town hall. I offered to conduct the town hall, my first. It went alright but could have been much better-my PowerPoint skills were severely lacking. So, I'm now taking PowerPoint courses on Udemy. As a result, my PowerPoint skills have improved tremendously." 4. Lack of enthusiasm. Excitement = Job offers It's not uncommon for me to have to choose between a qualified candidate on paper and a less qualified candidate who brings passion to the table. I've hired the latter every time. A candidate's lack of enthusiasm offers many assumptions. They could be an introvert, which I believe is a manifestation of self-limiting beliefs. Maybe they aren't interested in the job opportunity or are just looking to collect a paycheck. None of these assumptions work in the candidate's favour. It never hurts to state at the end of an interview, if you do want the job, with, "I'm very interested in this position and working for Wayne Enterprises. I hope for a positive outcome," or a similar interview closing statement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Achtung

A

chtung By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” achtung have we not gone through this before? The idiots amongst us have that look and wonder what is he talking about now? The educated will realize that those in the day of the rise of the NAZI regime had very little idea of what was really going on. Even after the war many speculated but had no idea on the real happening behind the NAZI doings. The world vowed that the atrocities that took place during the world wars will never be repeated. That a people will never be segregated, persecuted and terminated as history has shown. Yet across the world. Segregation is widely practiced. Even within closed borders. The world vowed to strive for racial equality. Unfortunately the more we push for acceptance, equality and peace. The further we get to achieving it. During the world wars. Government pushed on the ideology that they were fighting evil. In reality this so called evil was not that much different than the Good we pushed. Only that in the eyes of God we were more civilized and kept the secret of our atrocities much better hidden. The death of masses is still happening across the planet in many underdevelopled countries... So what has changed, except this new world order/world dominance scheme being played out by China against the planet. We the people are being forced to vaccinate against a foreign enemy. A silent killer that has disrupted our economies. Has turned one against the other in the ‘TO VACCINATE OR NOT TO VACCINATE’ debate. We the people are constantly being misinformed with state sanctioned propaganda of sort. The bottom line those that are supposed to lead us are throwing their arms up and relying on multi billion dollar pharmaceutical companies to combat an enemy of the state. ACHTUNG people, ACHTUNG. Before it is to late. Just this week I received the following news release: Of the 748 new cases recorded, 356 were unvaccinated people, 19 were partially vaccinated, 329 were fully vaccinated and for 44 people the vaccination status was unknown. On any given day. The numbers appear to be same when it comes to COVID infections across Ontario. My concern is over the split. If vaccination is so crucial to transmission and infection. Then why are the number so close between those infected with the vaccine and those not? I can appreciate the argument that those vaccinated may not have such an extreme reaction to the infection. Nonetheless, it brings to question the validity of the vaccine as a vaccine in the prevention of the infection. I know many of those that are anti vaccination are labeled as conspiracy theorist and believe that the vaccine is nothing short of some ploy by world powers to poison the population in order to gain some sort of population control. That the pharmaceutical companies in their billion dollar coffers really have no interest in finding the real magic bullet that could eradicate COVID once in for all. No instead we are now are being asked to boost up every six months. The question remains. Is the vaccine the way to go in the quest to eradication of Covid. Or is it just a band aid on a bigger problem that we are being kept in the shadows as pharmaceuticals make billions. We must look back to history. We must analyze our future and look at the real players behind this war on Covid. Then identify the real enemy and utilize it’s tactics to win retribution by their action and that of their people. Covid vaccines are proving to be a band aid. Let’s tackle the real problem. Remember this time no one will come to liberate us.

Finally Parliament begins to work

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East After elections held on September 20, 2021 Parliament finally returns to work on November 22, 2021 for almost a month, until 17th of December. Members of Parliament will return to the floor of the House of Commons Monday for the first time since June, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's re-elected minority government is aiming to pass some of its campaign pledges during a brief, four-week sitting. In the platform it released ahead of the September election, the Liberal Party listed several measures - including a tax hike on large banks and insurance companies - that it promised would take effect as of Jan. 1, 2022. That means the government will need to obtain Parliamentary approval in the coming weeks to put those measures in place. One of the Liberals' top legislative priorities is to obtain approval for an October government announcement that scaled back pandemic wage and rent supports for businesses while extending the duration of the benefits for the hardest hit companies. At the time the government also announced that it was ending the Canada Recovery Benefit pandemic-relief program. Once again leading a minority government, the Liberals will need to engage in some fancy footwork and crafty maneuvers to pass their agenda. They seem to have the support of the NDP; if not openly, at least behind the scenes. It will be interesting to hear the Throne Speech to get more of an indication about where this government is heading. The Throne Speech, which provides a high-level overview of the government's policy agenda, will likely restate some of the pledges found in the September 2020 speech, while incorporating new items promised by the Liberals during this year's election campaign. In fact, we will surely see more spending on nebulous projects. As the Liberals move forward on their agenda of high spending, inflation is galloping at alarming rates, and will hit taxpayers hard in their pockets, very soon. If things are not handled with professionalism, we will witness the recession taking its victims more voraciously than the actual virus of the Covid 19 pandemic, its mutant forms rapidly gobbling up even the Greek alphabet. With the Conservatives a weak opposition, and embroiled in internal strife, the Liberals are free to make more slap-dash legislation that might roll back the country for decades. The Conservatives as an opposition are talking big, condemning the Liberals' policies, but without putting forward any ideas on how they would lead Canadians to a better world. They seem to have forgotten basic conservative principles, flaunting liberal slogans, flip-flopping on issues, apparently quite out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Canadians. Their wavering declarations on various important issues make them look less palatable to Canadians, and certainly do not engender their trust for placing the leadership of the country in Conservative hands. It might be wise for them to conduct a leadership review and return to a time when they could be taken into serious consideration for forming the government. Unfortunately, with an ineffective leader clinging to power, this issue will be difficult to settle in time to prepare for the next election; an election that can be called at any time in a minority government. In the meantime, everything new will be old again. The Liberals will continue to enforce their will on the people, controlling them first with the vaccine and then with their climate change agenda. These two items are the cornerstone of more restrictive measures to come, in imposing even more limits on your personal freedom. "Show your documents" will soon be embedded in our everyday vocabulary with no reaction from the people feeding daily, on government propaganda. As for your social life, be prepared to see more censorship on the media in general, and social media in particular. You will no longer be able to communicate your ideas freely. Big Brother will be watching you carefully, making sure that you do not cross the line. Paving the way for such controls, legislation that will see continued spending on COVID-19 economic supports will be key. So too will be a promised bill to ban protests outside of hospitals in the wake of multiple such protests over recent months. Protests by freedom fighting citizens opposed to measures like mandatory vaccine policies will also be severely curtailed. Mandating a 10-day sick leave for all workers in federally regulated workplaces will also be among the four key focuses for the government, along with a bill banning conversion therapy. Just forget the private business. Taxpayers' money is free for the spending in the public service they are vote rich…… These are the quick fixes for now, but more will come when Parliament is back in session at the end of January 2022. For the moment however, it is the issue of the vaccination of members of parliament that seems to have taken center stage in the Ottawa bubble. The official media likes the controversies around this issue, especially pointing out that conservatives do not have a clear statement on their position. Although there are more important issues to deal with, our seasoned journalists pay little attention to what is going on around the world. You know, the fiddle of Nero might be the new pandemic… With these thoughts whirling in my head, much like the snow flurries descending upon us, am I ready to face the winter blues with the new moon, sorry… the new government? Are you?

Old Habits

My boyfriend of one year and I moved in together. We are both 34. I am single, and he is divorced with a 7-year-old son (split custody). The relationship between the three of us is fine, but now I’m worried about my relationship with my boyfriend. We’re having a terrible time communicating. Since I moved into his home, my boyfriend has stopped cleaning up the way he used to. Before I moved in we discussed finances and sharing responsibilities around the house. Now it’s like he has completely forgotten those talks. If I buy groceries, he eats half of everything within two days. There are soda cans lying around our bedroom, which will continue to sit there because I am not a maid. He likes a clean towel every day, so now I have seven to wash this week. Two days ago his truck broke down and he rented one. I usually wake up at 6 a.m., but at 5:15 he flicked on the lights. He said he wanted me to drive him to the rental agency to drop off the truck. I asked why he didn’t ask the night before. He said he was too tired. I don’t mind doing favors for people, but this rude awakening got us off to a bad start. Now I’m the bad guy. He says he won’t lift a finger next time I ask him for a favor. I have been known in the past for spoiling boyfriends, so this time around I made sure I wouldn’t do it. I do my fair share, but I’m also allowing him to make his own mistakes. I think he is resentful of this. His ex-wife waited on him hand and foot. His mom does the same. I feel like I’m in a constant battle with him and it’s tiring. When I moved in, we discussed how we would share. Now it looks like he is reneging. Just how many more talks do I need to have with him? I thought we had settled this already! He took me shopping for wedding rings two months ago and discussed his intentions with my parents. He introduces me to everyone as his fiancée. He told his ex-wife, who is getting remarried this year, we will be getting hitched next year. I don’t think it’s an example of shacking up or “why buy the cow.” Or maybe now that I’m moved in, it is. You know what? With the way he’s acting, I don’t know if our wedding day will ever come because I’m sick and tired already! Yvette Yvette, your boyfriend’s behavior is practically in his genes. He was born to a woman who catered to him and showed him what to expect. He married a woman who filled the same role, at least for a while. He spotted you, a woman with a tendency to spoil boyfriends. He can take care of himself. He was cleaning house before you moved in. Why has he stopped? Because the maid has arrived. He has done just enough to get things back to his old familiar pattern. Why should he change? He likes things this way, and it works for him. He doesn’t have a problem, you do. Why don’t you have an engagement ring yet? He is waiting to see if you accept the role he has carved out for you. He is waiting to see if you accept the apron, like a horse trainer waiting to see if the horse will accept the bit. He is not going to argue with you, he will just wait to see if you fill the bill. You’ve seen the future—years of arguing and struggle wasted on this issue. Before the wedding people are on their best behavior. If you accept a ring from this man, you won’t just be signing a marriage license. You’ll be signing a job contract. Wayne & Tamara Wayne & Tamara are also the authors of Cheating in a Nutshell, What Infidelity Does to the Victim, available from Amazon, Apple and most booksellers. Wayne & Tamara write: Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Goodnight Moon and Goodnight Doctor, Whispering “Stop it!”

This column, over 45 years, has begged people to make the lifestyle changes that will help them avoid the development of type 2 diabetes. Failing that, there’s mounting scientific evidence that natural supplements supporting glycemic control can help mitigate dietary obstinance and lack of exercise. And in the event diabetes takes hold, then give thanks to Banting and Best for their discovery of insulin 100 years ago. But is there one more opportunity for Gifford-Jones to get the “prevention, prevention, prevention” message out? How about the publication of a Gifford-Jones timeless classic for children? A book as good as Goodnight Moon. A story as meaningful as Ferdinand the Bull. Perhaps, a variation on The Very Hungry Caterpillar? A story of “moderation in all things”. How many grandparents would give the gift of a lifetime of health to their grandchildren by reading over and over and over again a story in which the doctor whispers, “Good night, …and stop it!” Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease. It occurs when blood sugar (glucose), required to supply energy to cells, becomes elevated. Diabetics having a genetic defect experience a failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes). For others, the high sugar consumption associated with obesity results in elevated blood sugar that exhausts the ability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin (type 2 diabetes). There have been other delightful Gifford-Jones ideas to help people think through the behavioural changes they need to make. The “Gifford-Jones Stopper-Bopper” was one of them – a small hammer that could be used to knock sense into the head at the moment of an indulgent meal. The “Gifford-Jones Talking Scale” is another example of a product we think would yield results. How many times have you read in this column, “Make your bathroom scale your best friend.” Or, “The best advice is to step on the scale at least once a day. Doing so means you are never faced with surprises.” How much more effective might the scale be if you heard the admonishing voice of Gifford-Jones, “You’ve gained three pounds. Stop it!” Readers may have other ideas about what might work to convince people, young people in particular, to commit to a healthy lifestyle. We’d love to hear them. But this week, let’s play tribute to the remarkable research of Banting and Best. It was 100 years ago this week, on November 23, 1921, that Banting injected himself with an extract from a foetal calf pancreas, obtained from abattoirs in Toronto. What an ethics committee would do to halt such approaches today! But millions of people owe their lives to these intrepid researchers. The University of Toronto established the Banting Chair of Medical Research and the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, housed from 1930 in a medical building named the Banting Institute. That location is being transformed into the currently rising Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre, a research complex for artificial intelligence scientists and biomedical experts and home to an entrepreneurship network supporting student- and faculty-led startups. But who will champion the simple things, like the nightly reading of a good children’s book with a short, clear message? “Don’t put too much sugar in your mush.” And when the scale talks back, don’t whisper “hush”. Listen to the doctor’s good advice and instill your grandchildren with words of wisdom. Start early in establishing healthy habits, and never stop. Anyone have a storyline to contribute to a Gifford-Jones children’s series of no nonsense bedtime reading? Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter.

As an Employee Will You Be High Maintenance?

As an Employee Will You Be High Maintenance? By Nick Kossovan There are two types of interviews I conduct: 1. Interv

iews where I'm post-vetting, and giving my approval, a candidate a member of my team has interviewed and would like to hire. I'm part of the check and balance aspect of the hiring process. 2. Interviews where the candidate will be reporting directly to me. When conducting such interviews, my goal is to determine whether the candidate fits me, my team and will be viewed by my boss as a good hire. Whichever interview I'm conducting I have a question in the back of my head: Will this person be high maintenance? Regarding job hunting and your career trajectory, here's something to keep in mind: Being likeable supersedes your skills and experience. Equally important is coming across as someone who's not difficult to work with, who won't upset the current team dynamics and who won't take up too much of management's time. Reflect on the interviews you thought you "nailed" yet didn't get hired. While there are infinite possible reasons why you didn't get hired, the two most likely are (a) you weren't deemed a fit, or (b) you were seen as someone who'd be high maintenance-you were judged to be someone who'd bring issues, such as absenteeism, lateness, drama, into the workplace. Besides selling your skills and experience during an interview pay attention to presenting yourself as someone your interviewer can see themselves working with, with as few issues as possible. Candidates will tell me all kinds of things, which I assume is their attempt at being personable. Unfortunately, many times, even though they have the skills and experience I'm looking for and would be a good fit, they tell me things that make me think they'll be high maintenance, the most common being: 1. "I hate my job," or "I dislike my boss." An interview is not a venting session! Bad-mouthing your ex-employer, or current, makes you come across as being immature. In several instances, after some probing, I determined it was a sense of entitlement (The biggest turn-off of all.) that was skewing the candidate's judgement of their job and/or boss. You know you'll be asked why you're looking for a new job or why you applied job, therefore have a brief answer ready. "Now that I have my CPA, I'm ready to take on more accounting responsibilities with a larger company such as MomCorp," or "The pandemic hit the hospitality industry extremely hard. Understandably Kellerman's Resort had to lay off over 80% of its staff, which I was part of." 2. "What's the salary?" or "'What do your perks and benefits look like?" When you ask questions regarding salary, perks ("Will I get a discount in Leftorium's stores?), benefits or how many paid sick days, and vacation days you'll get, your interviewer will rightfully assume your priority is what you can get from the company, not what you can contribute to the company's success, and you'll max out your sick days. Focus on selling yourself and the skills you'd bring to the role. Let your interviewer bring up compensation. 3. Offering unnecessary personal details. It never ceases to amaze me the unsolicited personal details candidates will tell me. It's my experience such candidates tend to cause drama. Once I conducted a "formality vetting" interview, in which my team leader sat in. On the candidate's resume, I noticed they lived in a part of Toronto I was familiar with and asked, "Do you ever go to Sneaky Dees?" It turned out the candidate was a musician who often played Sneaky Dees upstairs venue. For 20 minutes, he told me his "Sneaky Dees" stories, offering TMI (Too Much Information), which was to his detriment. Afterwards, I turned to my team leader, who'd interviewed this candidate for 45 minutes. I said, "You'd be surprised at what people will say to an interested stranger." Never offer personal details that are irrelevant to your ability to perform the job you're interviewing for. I don't need to know about your messy divorce or financial struggles, or medical history. (Unless you need medical accommodation.) Likewise, avoid sharing your personal views on politics or religion. Getting hired today requires more than selling your skills, experience and being judged you'll be a fit. You need to show that you're easy to work with and will not upset the current work environment. You'll not be doing your job search any favours if you appear to be someone who'll be high maintenance.