A warning from History a human tragedy to never happen again

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As we deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and its millions of victims we need to reflect for a moment on the human tragedy of cataclysmic proportion which happened during WW2. On May 8, 1945, Winston Churchill announced that the Allies had secured Victory in Europe. Later that year, Japan would finally surrender, and World War II would end. It's hard to believe but in 2022, we will mark the 77th Anniversary of the end of World War II; a tragedy that claimed many victims and was the most devastating event of the last century. This war was the deadliest military conflict in human history in which an estimated total of 70 to 85 million people perished, which represented about 3% of the world population in 1940. The World War II conflagration has seen very high civilian casualties. Civilian deaths totaled 50 to 55 million. From this, the victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing numbered close to 25 million. Around 17 million perished as victims of the Nazi Germany regime and its collaborators and 7.6 million were victims of the communist rule in the Soviet Union. The ferocity of Nazi killings motivated by ethnic cleansing, that of racially motivated crimes such as the persecution of Roma and the handicapped, the murder of Soviet prisoners of war, Polish and Soviet civilians, as well as political prisoners, religious dissenters, and homosexuals added to the number of innocent victims of war. In January 1942, in the outer lakeside Berlin suburb of Wannsee, there was a meeting convened by top Nazi leaders. There, they outlined the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question in Europe", without regard for geographic boundaries. In total, 11 million Jews would be targeted for extermination. Without a whimper, the thirteen officials signed off on the 'Final Solution'. The minutes would record their decision to 'cleanse the German living space of Jews in a legal manner'. This marked the darkest seminal moment in a series of events that would see the murder of 6 million Jews, abhorrence beyond the comprehension of our modern, comfortable lives. The Holocaust is the term generally used to describe the genocide of approximately six million European Jews during World War II. Entire families, old men and women and young children were killed in the Nazi extermination camps by ferocious and inhumane methods. According to Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) researchers, 2,830,000 Jews were murdered in the Nazi death camps (500,000 in Belzec; 150,000 in Sobibor; 850,000 in Treblinka; 150,000 in Che’mno; 1,100,000 in Auschwitz and 80,000 in Majdanek. In the Nazi occupied territory of the USSR the Nazi Einsatzgruppen killed another 1.4 million Jewish people by mobile gas chambers and mass executions. Seventy-seven years ago, on 27 January 1945, Soviet soldiers from the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front advanced into Poland and liberated Auschwitz. There, amid mountains of corpses, they discovered about 7,650 men, women and children, starving, stricken by disease, barely living and hundreds of thousands of personal effects, items of clothing - including shoes, and 700 tonnes of human hair. These broken human beings were among the handful of survivors of the 1.3 million people who had passed through the gates of Auschwitz. In memory of these atrocities in November 2005, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 27 January 1945, the day on which Auschwitz was liberated, as International Remembrance Day to mark the tragedy of the Holocaust. It commemorates the genocide that resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and 11 million others, by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. It urges every member nation of the U.N. to honour the memory of Holocaust victims, and encourages the development of educational programs about Holocaust history to help prevent future acts of genocide. It condemns all manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief. The International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is thus a day on which we must reassert our commitment to human rights. We must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations know this history. We must apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today's world. After the horrors of the 20th century, there should be no room for intolerance in the 21st. The only way to honour the memory of the Holocaust is to turn remembrance into the promise of a better future. Preserving and transmitting the memory is a duty towards those who lost their lives, and towards our children. In commemorating the dead, we are inspired by the triumph of the human spirit given us by those who survived. "Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it." Winston Churchill A nation that does not know nor understand its history, is dangerous. Life's paradox is that often it is those things, most important to us, that we have a tendency to take for granted. We are fortunate as Canadians, whether by birth or by choice, to enjoy and appreciate political, economic and religious freedoms. To live in a nation in which faith coexists with reason, free academic inquiry, a free press and independent judiciary is a blessing and we need to preserve it. And yet support for democracy is diminishing. We are defined most by our values and our beliefs, the way we relate to one another and see our place in the world. We are shaped by our heroes and villains, our triumphs and failures. The way as a people we have faced adversity and how we will face the inevitable adversities that are coming and how we will respond to them, will shape our future. Nations like people, face 'moments of truth'. There are moments in history which challenge our very survival and values. Well led, we emerge stronger, more resilient. But if not, we may suffer lasting damage. Six million Jews were murdered in an act of unspeakable genocidal barbarism. So too were homosexuals, Roma, the disabled and political dissidents. In a world grappling with the mass movement of people, the persecution of political, ethnic and religious minorities, the push for euthanasia and a generational struggle against resurgent religious extremism, we must remind ourselves not only of why we fought wars but also what human kind is capable of, and the circumstances that lead to it. Today we live in vast ignorance of the decisions we make and that are made for us, facing extraordinary global uncertainty and immense technological change. No human being, no Canadian who believes in the dignity of man, of freedom and democratic principles, should ever allow through neglectful indifference that the Holocaust be forgotten; that the events, the people, their lives and stories, become a distant stranger. These heinous events and those who survived them teach us many things. Most importantly they inspire us to have the moral courage, irrespective of personal consequences, to act on what, in our hearts, we know to be right. "It is not often that nations learn from the past, even rarer that they draw the correct conclusions from it." ? Henry Kissinger Are we ready?

COVID AND RECORD PROFITS 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. What is happening in the business world. I remember the days when a handshake was you bond. I remember closing many deals on a handshake. From what I am being told by my friends. A handshake today is worthless. You shake someone’s hand today and you have to look down to see if they did not steal your watch. This is so wrong. We are becoming a third world country. They say we are all equal. I say we are in part. But when reality hits. Foreign traditions, customs, religions truly come out on some people. I think the biggest reason the Americans have failed in the spread of democracy across the planet. Including Afghanistan. People there have no notion of choice. Their way of life has been the same for thousands of years. How are the Americans or anyone to come in and preach something different. My worry is all these refugees that come in our country. Many with entrenched ways of living like they did back home. I am Italian immigrant and I can tell you first hand that the best way to integrate for the better of this country is to loose your customs and traditions. Those are for in private and at home. In todays world. Even thought we are all forced to comply to social diversity norms. The prejudice is very real. This bring me back to my handshake model. Today’s handshake has no value as the Canadian way of honoring your brother has been compromised as some of these foreign cultures take our good nature to rip us off. The goodness and pureness of the intent is violated for personal gain. This in turn hurting all of us... and society at large. My handshake is as good as my world. Can you say the same. God hope so. For the betterment of our children.

When Interviewing via Videoconference, Think Hollywood

By Nick Kossovan Even after the pandemic is declared over, interviewing candidates via Zoom, Skype, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts et al. will, because of its convenience, remain popular. You should expect your first interview to take place via video teleconferencing. Therefore, mastering, or at least becoming comfortable with, "Zoom meetings" and appearing interesting and professional on camera is a skill set you'd greatly benefit from. After all, image, whether face-to-face or via videotelephony, is everything. If you want to improve your videotelephony skills, avoid making the following mistakes, which I'm sure you've seen being made on video conference calls you've sat in on. Mistake #1: Not making eye contact with your interviewer(s). Look directly at the lens of your camera, not your screen. Eye contact influences your interviewer's perception of your credibility and trustworthiness. Additionally, your interviewer will be more likely to pay attention to you if you appear expressive and are looking at them. Mistake #2: Winging it or reading from notes. Before appearing in front of the camera, actors practice their lines several times-so should you. Prepare, and rehearse, answers to common interview questions (e.g., "Tell me about yourself.", "What is your greatest strength?", "Why do you want this job?") in advance. Mistake #3: Inviting your interviewer to read the titles on your bookshelf. For some reason most candidates I interview via video teleconference choose to sit in front of their bookshelves. Maybe they think it makes them look scholarly, or projects they're into self-improvement. Since I'm a voracious reader, I find myself tilting my head sideways attempting to read the titles of the books behind the candidate. During one interview, I noticed a book by Truman Capote, Other Voices, Other Rooms, which is a favourite of mine. I ended up asking the candidate about their reading habits. For 15 minutes, we talked about our mutual love for American Southern gothic literature, thus eating up interview time. (Yes, I hired the candidate, but not because of their reading diet.) Your goal is to keep your interviewer(s) engaged and focused. Therefore, avoid having a distracting background. Instead, select a location that doesn't have many details and is still. (e.g., avoid a window overlooking a busy city street). Better yet, use the video conferencing platform's virtual background feature that allows you to substitute a photo as your background. Mistake #4: Too much lighting, not enough lighting. "I think too many film students in America are losing the artistry and not learning lighting in the right way." - Vimos Zsigmond (1930 - 2016, Hungarian-American cinematographer) A significant factor in creating a professional look during a video chat is lighting. Lighting compliments video imagery by helping to deliver a crystal-clear image, making your interviewer feel like they're in the same room with you. Cameras need the right lighting to deliver a good image. Your video camera will render a poor-quality image of there's not enough light, too much light, or light that's pointed in the wrong direction. Straight-on lighting is best. The key is for your primary light source to be directly behind your camera, throwing light on your face. This ensures your face is well illuminated and clearly visible. For the best result use natural light coming in through a window, which will create accurate skin tones and colours. Before your next videotelephony interview, schedule a video conference with a friend and use the self-view feature to experiment with lighting and virtual backgrounds. Place yourself in front of a window, lamp, or both and have your friend give you feedback on how you appear. A few last-minute tips: - Make certain you're not going to be disturbed during your videotelephony interview and that your environment will be quiet. ("Quiet on the set!") The last thing you want is your spouse calling out, "What do you want for dinner!" - Call into the conference at least 10 minutes early. You want to be sure your technology is working (audio, visual), and you don't want to keep your interviewer waiting. (The equivalent of being late.) -Turn off your smartphone and close all tabs on your computer. (You don't want the pinging of emails coming in or chat messages.) - Just like a face-to-face interview, dress for the job you're interviewing for. Guys, between you and me, it's okay to use some makeup-Christian Bale, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Pitt, Tim Hiddleston sit in a makeup chair before walking onto a film set. - When you're not talking, mute yourself. - Record the interview! (review afterwards) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

YOU ARE RIGHT BOB CHAPMAN WE ARE NOTHING ALIKE

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 normally don’t like to air dirty laundry but this one just missed the wire on hands off. This past week I had the misfortune of having to make contact with Ward 3 Regional & City Councillor Bob Chapman. A councillor that in my opinion is the biggest waste of taxpayers money in the history of the City of Oshawa. A councillor that is only in office in my opinion to cushion his already hefty pension(s). What has he done for the people of Oshawa in all his years in politics. My contact was over Chapman vote to deny a local downtown business access to doing business with the city, during a council meeting. A business that has a long standing record of service to the city taxpayers for over 25 years, a major icon in their field. One would have thought that since the City has undertaken the ‘SHOP LOCAL’ campaign and the Mayor himself has put forth: On April 14th 2020, Mayor Dan Carter announced the formation of the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force to identify actions to support the needs of Oshawa businesses impacted by COVID-19. The task force will focus on economic support and recovery for local businesses, including relief measures, resources and supports that are available and guiding discussions with all levels of government to advocate on behalf of the local business community. That the city would have great support for any local business that approach them. But not in Oshawa. If the above ‘TASK FORCE’ is to be taken serious and not just another political stunt from hypocritical minds at City Hall. The City should have have jumped all over the opportunity to help/include and stand true to the task force mandate by welcoming this very reputable local business as one of the City suppliers. A company that meets and exceeds all municipal requirements according to the Ontario Municipal Act, to be included in the purchasing protocol. Not to mention that this same company is heading one of the most successful SHOP DOWNTOWN initiatives since 2018. According to Chapman, he stated that his reason for not supporting this particular business was due to his personal prejudice/bias/opinion and dislike of the company and proprietor. As a good reputable council member. He did not base his decision on the benefit to the constituents, the City. No, his decision was based solely on his personal bias and prejudice towards the owner of this said business. One has to wonder how many other councillor base their decisions on the same. Imagine all the opportunity that is being missed by councillors that go with the flow and do not engage in finding out information on particulars coming forth before council. Is there any wonder the city is in the condition it is. Parks full of used needles, our parks made into tent cities for the homeless. Our downtown a heaven for drugs and prostitution. No wonder the police services have back down from enforcing and patrolling as they once did and the city is now hires security companies to act as the City muscle to harass and abuse citizens down on their luck.... It is a nightmare.. and concillors like Chapman in my opinion are to blame... Councillors that are to full of themselves. Arrogant, ignorant and pompous. Retiree's that are only in politics to fluff up their pensions. This is not representation. This clown of Chapman refused to support a business that has had more accreditation for being the champion of human rights. The only media business that proudly supports women’s shelters, homeless shelters, gay rights by publishing their events and services. CHAPMAN are you insane or senile... cause no one can be that skewed in their prejudice to solely deny access to the City based on personal prejudice bias and misconception. I thought the City pride itself on inclusion. I reminded him that it takes more than dressing up as the local reserves COMMANDER in his hypocritical attempt to care about veterans during memorial day to be a good leader. It takes character. The owner of the said company has contributed millions back to the community over the years. He has membership to every social/service group in Oshawa. Including many that Chapman belongs. Mr. Chapman's actions and arrogance and ignorance should be remembered in 2022 election as I am sure he be front line center making all kind of false promises and attempting to take as much credit on things he had no real impact on. PLEASE PEOPLE IN 2022 LET’S GET RID OF THE DEAD WOOD, THE IGNORANT AND THE ARROGANT. LET’S ELECT REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE. REMEMBER THIS. IF WE FIRED ALL OF CURRENT COUNCIL NOT ONE COULD BE HIRED BY ANY PRIVATE COMPANY TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THEY REQUIRE TODAY - WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAYBE 3 ON COUNCIL. In my opinion and if this is the reflection of council as a whole as the vote tabled was 9 deny to 2 consider any indication of how council treats local businesses and or future contractors. No wonder no real developers come to Oshawa. With the exception of the tent builder in our parks at Memorial Park. Not to mention the rip off artist so called developers building future two by four, Ghettos north of the University and charging suckers $600k for a house with no backyard and no front yard. I Bob Chapman reached out to you for leadership. I reached out to you as a fellow brother. I reached out as a fellow community leader with all do honor and respect. You acted abusively, inappropriate. Showed clear bias and prejudice without due proof. In your final statement you said, “We are nothing alike Joe.” You are right. I work hard for my money. I work hard to keep the people of Oshawa/Durham informed. I do not judge nor reject anyone. Can you say the same? We live in a country that we have the freedom to express our opinion without the fear of persecution. Want to serve the people of Oshawa. Resign you over inflated prick. I will not have the likes of you talk down to me or anyone in Oshawa. You work for us. Never forget that. You careered ‘YES MAN’. Oh by the way. Happy belated Christmas or is in your politically correct cowardness you don’t dare say that anymore?

Omicron Hysteria

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have had an evident impact on mental health. This is obvious in the latest actions of the Canadian and provincial governments which illustrate complete disarray and obvious confusion in dealing with the latest phases of the pandemic called Omicron. Because it is necessary to find excuses for bad management of the pandemic, governments are in desperate search of scapegoats for their evident ignorance and bad decisions made. So lately they have been concentrating on a witch hunt of the unvaccinated who represent around 12% of the population in Canada. They cannot have work, travel or go places as the pandemic continues to rage. Hey what is wrong with this picture? Who is spreading the virus then ????? They are now to be blamed for everything which is going wrong. Of course lockdowns made for the vaccinated make no sense at all, but what the heck. The unvaccinated are to be blamed for it. The degree of desperation of some provincial governments is reaching extremes. Let us see the latest from the belle province of Quebec. After imposing war type curfews in the province, Premier Francois Legault is coming down on the unvaccinated with even more restrictive measures. Quebec's plan to impose a tax on adults who choose to remain unvaccinated against Covid is already being called "constitutionally vulnerable" by critics, but woke experts say the province is well within its rights, and challenges are likely to fail. The so-called experts are certainly learning the ways and means of past century dictatorial nazicom regimes, which made up the rules as they went along; where justice was based solely on the will of the government. So expect worse! Now tax the bandits, get them, take their livelihood, force them to give up even their body because we want it. Is this the new innovative kind of Canadian democracy? Should Canada propose Premier Legault for the Nobel prize? Legal experts say provinces have a constitutional authority to levy direct taxes in order to pay for services like health care, and that it makes sense from a fairness perspective to force those who pose the most burden on the health care system to pay more for it. So the question is: Are the unvaccinated the only ones to be blamed? What about the drug addicts for example??? Oh, I forgot. We do not discriminate in practicing universal health care….. Academic luminaries inspired by the new ways of a neo Marxist ideology are explaining: "They're not taking away people's freedom, they're just requiring people to pay a price if they pose a risk," said David Duff, a professor in the University of British Columbia's Peter A. Allard School of Law. "If the health care system were financed through private insurance, which is priced on the basis of risk, one would expect to see higher premiums for the unvaccinated. This is a demonstrable risk." Except that in Canada you do not have that option. But never mind, our democracy is the best in the world and we can lecture other nations about it. With the intent of taxing the unvaccinated, the so-called experts try to justify this measure by saying that similar measures are in place in great democracies around the world such as Austria, Greece and Italy, who all intend to apply similar taxes on the unvaccinated. It seems that in his wisdom Premier Legault also has the intention to have vaccine passports recognized only for three doses of vaccination. What about the rest of Canadians who might like to visit Quebec? Will they be allowed to travel to Quebec or de facto face Quebec border control inside Canada? Our 'new confederation' is quite a sight!! Not exactly what Sir John A Macdonald envisaged. By the way this week was the 207th anniversary of his birthday and the woke press never mentioned it. It seems a shame that the man who made Canada possible has been put on the black list to the point that it is not even fashionable to mention his name. There remain some reasonable voices which oppose this approach of the Quebec government. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association issued a statement this week that predicted the "divisive measure will end up punishing and alienating those who may be most in need of public health supports and services." "We do not fine individuals who make poor diet and exercise choices, those who choose higher risk occupations or recreational activities," said acting general counsel Cara Zwibel. "Some essential services - like basic health care for those who are ill - transcend such individual choices." In an interview, Zwibel said the tax may also violate protections of individuals' bodily autonomy included in the Canadian and Quebec charters of rights and freedoms. "You have to ask, is it justified?" she said. "The burden is on the government to prove they have a pressing and substantial objective that (they) are trying to achieve and that this is a proportional response to that. And the government hasn't said what the objective is here." Never mind, the law professors of the woke Academia will always have explanations ready to justify the action of a woke government. At least for now Alberta and British Columbia will not follow Quebec's intent but I am not so convinced that Ford, the Premier of Ontario, will not follow suit. He still needs to do some polling. The federal government is silent in all this, except when federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos threw some hardballs at the issue suggesting that he personally supports mandatory COVID-19 vaccination and suggested this unprecedented action could soon become an imminent discussion with the provinces. One should also ask where Erin O'Toole stands on this issue. Maybe he will have something to say before flip flopping on the issue. With this unchartered and awkward enforcement and the medical challenges we face, we are wading into dangerous waters in how our democracy is being shaped. It's one thing to mandate vaccinations in teaching or transportation occupations which interact with the public, but quite different and more difficult to confront an unvaccinated home-office worker or force a mentally ill person to face a hearing on why they shouldn't be fined.Above all else, the current number of Omicron variant cases clearly points to this month as a viral supernova event, one that is now flaring into a medical monstrosity before it will likely collapse into a sniffling flu by summer. In conclusion we're all frustrated, impatient and infuriated with the endless waves of Covid we were supposedly protected against. But the route to calmer water is not using our private health information to inject needles into defiantly reluctant arms under threat of government-imposed taxes or fines. That is a costly policy doomed to fail. It is also medically questionable, logistically impossible and impractical, needlessly invoking the judiciary for prosecutions, likely unconstitutional, tyrannical, and let's face it, un-Canadian. That's the final word.

THE HAND SHAKE

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. What is happening in the business world. I remember the days when a handshake was you bond. I remember closing many deals on a handshake. From what I am being told by my friends. A handshake today is worthless. You shake someone’s hand today and you have to look down to see if they did not steal your watch. This is so wrong. We are becoming a third world country. They say we are all equal. I say we are in part. But when reality hits. Foreign traditions, customs, religions truly come out on some people. I think the biggest reason the Americans have failed in the spread of democracy across the planet. Including Afghanistan. People there have no notion of choice. Their way of life has been the same for thousands of years. How are the Americans or anyone to come in and preach something different. My worry is all these refugees that come in our country. Many with entrenched ways of living like they did back home. I am Italian immigrant and I can tell you first hand that the best way to integrate for the better of this country is to loose your customs and traditions. Those are for in private and at home. In todays world. Even thought we are all forced to comply to social diversity norms. The prejudice is very real. This bring me back to my handshake model. Today’s handshake has no value as the Canadian way of honoring your brother has been compromised as some of these foreign cultures take our good nature to rip us off. The goodness and pureness of the intent is violated for personal gain. This in turn hurting all of us... and society at large. My handshake is as good as my world. Can you say the same. God hope so. For the betterment of our children.

Your Resume Needs to Start Strong or Risk Being Passed Over

By Nick Kossovan During a job search, your resume and LinkedIn profile are your marketing material. For marketing material to be effective, it must make a proposition to the reader, not just cliché words, product bragging, or "artistic advertising." An effective brochure will say to the reader: "Buy this product for these specific benefits." The hiring manager's primary goal is to gauge whether you meet the qualifications for an open position and whether you'll be able to hit the ground running or require a ramp-up period. (Being a good fit for the company's culture is determined during the phone and face-to-face interview(s).) The immediate information on your resume determines whether the reader will read your entire resume and, fingers crossed, have you participate in the interview process. A resume should be easy to read (bullet points) and loaded with quantified achievements (e.g., Since 2011, I've led 9 inside sales representatives to consistently exceed a department annual sales target of $15 million). Bullet-pointed resumes are more likely to pass the ATS (Application Tracking System-software that scans resume content and searches for keywords.) and a recruiter's screening process. Compare how Robert Axelrod starts his resume versus Don Draper. Robert Axelrod 555-555-555 | raxelrod@email.com A passionate results-oriented financial business leader with a unique blend of business savvy and hedge fund expertise. An intelligent investor with keen analytical skills and business foresight, constantly researching and keeping abreast of market trends. Analyzing different investment options and selecting the best ones for my clients. Oversee large investment portfolios making investment decisions such as buying and selling assets to maximize financial gains. How long did it take you to read Robert's paragraph? What did you learn about Robert? Can you tell what he does? Do you know what to expect from Robert should you hire him? Now let's look at how Don Draper begins his resume. Don Draper 555-555-5555 | don.draper@email.com 4556 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 1807, Toronto, ON M1Y 3H8 Creative Director - 24 years advertising industry experience. Started as a copywriter, moved up to account manager, overseeing over $8.5 million in annual billings with Drentell, Arthur, Ashby (aka. DAA), then creative director at McMann & Tate. - Co-founded Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Advertising Agency in 2004. (2020 billings: +$64 million). Currently leading a team of 12 copywriters. - Landed several high-profile accounts, such as Chevron Oil, Gillette, Hilton, Dow Chemicals, Mountain Dew and Ocean Spray. - Since 2015, advisory board member for Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada. (IAB Canada) Do you see the difference? You know what Don does. You can envision Don's potential value to an employer. Don doesn't attempt to present his value using flowery words, unlike most job seekers. Instead, he lists his career accomplishments and uses numbers, the language of business, to quantify his results and establish himself as someone who can bring value to a company. I'm sure Robert is good at something, but I'm not sure what it is. Unfortunately for Robert, his resume opening doesn't compel me to read his resume to figure out what he does well and whether he qualifies for the position he applied for. Don't kid yourself; it's raining resumes. Employers, especially those that are sought after, are inundated with resumes. To have any chance of being selected for an interview, you need a resume that's ATS friendly and a showstopper when read by a human. Who wouldn't want to read Don's resume? Since I brought up ATS, which over 90% of employers use, here are five things to remember when writing an ATS-friendly resume: 1. Standard formatting. (Arial, Time Roman or Veranda font, size 11-12, 2.5 cm margins) 2. Keyword optimization. (Read the job posting carefully and identify role-specific keywords; use these along with industry keywords throughout your resume.) 3. Send as a Word document. (A .doc or .docx file is easily processed by all ATS systems, however, even in 2021, some ATS have trouble processing a PDF document.) 4. Spell out abbreviations. (An ATS may not understand all abbreviations. Use long-form and acronym versions of keywords.) 5. Include pertinent information. (The ATS scans resumes for information relevant to the position you're applying for.) Once your resume passes the employer's ATS, you're still not entirely out of the woods yet-your resume will now be read by a human. Therefore, you want to make your value evident to the reader. Start your resume strong, so the reader will want to read your entire resume and hopefully say to themselves, "I've got to meet this person!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

COME ON MAN

‘COME ON MAN’ GET A GRIP ON REALITY By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher “I live a dream in a nightmare world” You read it here first. I suggest that unless we get back Trump or someone with his mind setback in office. We all best start taking Chinese/Russian classes. We for the longest time have enjoyed being the biggest the badest military force in the world. We enjoyed one of the best economies and the best to none society. We, America were rich in heritage and tradition. Traditions that we all shared as a unified country. One people against the world. One people made up of many different type/class of people. We distinguished our difference and acknowledge our indifference. Sure we made mistakes and we lived in context not pretentious social misconception. We lived in the moment and did what we had to do at the time. Today in this new modern world. Nothing is precious. Nothing has meaning or purpose. We live in a society that forces us to all accept, denounce questioning indifference and injustices. We are not to think or act logically as persecution and prosecution seems to have society living under a civil iron boot that will come down hard on opposition on the modern norms. In short. The silent minority has given up. Look at what is happening in politics. WE FAILED. Politics today is about money, greed and misconception, not to mention manipulation of the system. It is about keeping the job and not so much doing it. No matter the stripes. Republicans/Democrat appear to have developed a single political DNA. COVID hit our shores with the intensity of a humanity sunami. Killed Americans by the thousands. Trump and his administration opened an inquiry on who and where the infection originated. Until today. The source continues to be the same. After the election, Joe Biden carried on the effort. The same result. China. Under the Trump administration, I am sure by now China would have had to answer some tough questions. Under captain “COME ON MAN”. Nothing is happening. For the longest time. China and Russia have had it in for America or the West. What best way to disrupt world economies than with a biological weapon that infects all nations of the world. A weapon that you can’t see coming but takes out one by one of your opponents and sets their enemy on an endless abyss of confusion. One that sets them basically bankrupt. A great military strategy to conquer your enemies is to de-stabilize them, choke out the supply lines and have them turn on against each other. Then move in for the kill(militarily). So far by deploying the virus they have totally de-establized world economies. World industry has been brought to their knees with the exception of the Chinese. The supply lines have been compromised due to labor shortages. You don’t have to go far to see how this weapon masqueraded as a virus has turned one against another. Within our borders and internationally. Then there is CHINA. Basically the only supplier left on the planet. The only growing economy with a controlled Covid population. Now back to captain ‘COME ON MAN’. As America is facing the worst attack against it’s people in history. Captain ‘COME ON MAN’, goes on record threatening Russian to back off the Ukraine or else. Really, ‘COME ON MAN’. You are walking right into their trap. Not only is your country a mess. You want to go threaten a world tiger. Do you think the Russians would hesitate for a moment to form an alliance with China and take a shot at the United States? ‘COME ON MAN’ GET A GRIP ON REALITY. They are waiting on you Joe to make the wrong move and boom we are in WWIII. As it stands China has about 700,000 troops training in Canada. They are training on how to fight a war in sub-zero temperatures. In a province that is within 1,000 miles from the white house. Forget the Ukraine. Stop giving fuel to the claims that centered on the allegation that while Joe Biden was vice president of the United States, he engaged in corrupt activities relating to the employment of his son Hunter Biden by the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. STOP PUTTING THE SECURITY OF THE ENTIRE NATION AT RISK OF WAR just so that you can pay back a long standing favor from a nation that is as corrupt as your political carreer. You want to play tough guy. Go after China. Rally up the world and demand retribution for their mistake and or intentional release of COVID. Focus on what matters to the American people. Go after the perpetrator of this weapon of mass destruction. Leave the Russians alone. Let them take care of their own business. Have you not learned from Afghanistan? Captain ‘COME ON MAN’ could not defeat the Taliban. Four towel heads throwing stones at you. You actually think you stand a chance against the comrade regime. A people that have the resources and ability if join forces with the Chinese to invade you. Hell the Chinese can call on the American debt to China and put us in bankrupt and take us over as it is. This is just another example that captain “COME ON MAN”, has no clue on what he is doing. Look at our gas prices at the pump. Look at the economy. But wait, Captain ‘COME ON MAN” will put on his game face and blame it on Covid. Is it time we the people awaken and demand true leadership. ‘COME ON MAN’...

THIS HYPOCRITE HAS TO GO CARTER WE CALL YOUR BLUFF

THIS HYPOCRITE HAS TO GO CARTER WE CALL YOUR BLUFF

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” During times of chaos and war we need solid leaders with real vision. Not hypocrites with empty promises and song and dances. While they collect their pay and the rest of us are left to struggle. This is the case with our ‘I THINK I CAN’ mayor Dan Carter of Oshawa. This guy has been in politics for 8 years. Four as a councillor, one as Mayor and what has he accomplished. Our taxes have gone up almost 11% during his administration and the quality of life has diminished to the point that we are becoming the capital of Durham for drugs, prostitution and the homeless. Just this week in an attempt to show he is doing something. Carter released this insult to every small business in Oshawa: Statement from Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter calling on support for local businesses (CARTER IS ANTI BUSINESS - ASK HIM WHY HE FAILED TO SUPPORT THIS LOCAL NEWSPAPER ON APRIL 19TH, 2020 WHEN THE CENTRAL APPROACHED HIM TO OFFER THE CITY $100,000 SUBSIDY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PEOPLE OF OSHAWA INFORMED DURING THE ONSET OF COVID. OR ASK HIM WHY RECENTLY HE REJECTED SUPPORTING A LOCAL DOWNTOWN BUSINESS AS HIS TWO FAVORED PUBLICATIONS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. PUBLICATIONS THAT HE USED YOUR TAXPAYERS MONEY TO PROMOTE HIMSELF ON YOUR DIME. HE IS NOT PRO-BUSINESS. HE IS PRO CRONIES. HE IS A HYPOCRITE OF THE WORST KIND. HE LIES RIGHT TO YOUR FACE AND EXPECT YOU TO BELIEVE IT.) As all of Ontario moves back into a modified Step Two under the provincial government’s reopening roadmap, there is one thing I think we can all agree upon: this is not how we wanted to begin the year 2022. (DAH, DO YOU THINK?) While the temporary return to stricter health measures may feel like we have taken a giant step back in this global pandemic, they are being implemented to control the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in our city and are in place for the health and safety of our community members. (IN OTHER WORDS THEY HAVE NO CLUE ON HOW TO CAP THIS AND HE IS JUST THE OVER PAID PARROT THAT SPEWS THE LINE TAUGHT TO HIM BY THE BIGGER PARROT.) Even so, immediate action needs to be taken to assist our small and community-owned businesses that have been hardest hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19. While the province has announced an expanded rebate program for affected businesses, more is needed to bring timely and lasting support to our local business community. (MUMBO JUMBO... HE IS SPEWING THINGS HE HAS NO CONTROL OVER. HERE IS A SUGGESTION CARTER. SINCE THERE IS SUCH NATURAL GROWTH IN THE HOUSING(GHETTO) TYPE HOUSING TO THE NORTH. WHY NOT LOWER THE PROPERTY TAXES FOR DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS.. OR ENTER INTO A PROGRAM THAT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HYDRO RATES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. AFTER ALL WE THE PEOPLE OF OSHAWA OWN THE PUBLIC UTILITIES. CUT THE OVER PAID SALARIES AT THE OPUC. HELL NO. THAT WOULD TAKE LEADERSHIP. THIS GUY HAS TO GO.) As your mayor, I am calling on both the provincial and federal governments to continue to offer wage subsidies, programs to cover lost revenues and rent subsidies until a return to full operations can resume, while also considering other immediate measures to assist affected businesses. Beyond a return to full operations without restrictions to businesses, I am committed to actively advocating and responding to the evolving needs of business to support the path to a fulsome recovery. (OH SHUT THE HELL UP AS OUR MAYOR... YOU ARE CALLING THE PROVINCIAL AND FEDS... GET A LIFE... WHY DON’T YOU TAKE REAL LEADERSHIP AND CUT SMALL BUSINESS HYDRO BY 90%. NO INSTEAD HE JUST GIVES YOU A LINE TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE HE IS DOING SOMETHING... SMOKE AND MIRRORS. ‘HE IS CALLING ON BOTH.... WHAT A JOKE) Small businesses are an essential component of Oshawa’s dynamic and diverse neighborhoods and their sustainability is a critical pillar of our community. As such, I, along with the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force Chair, Regional and City Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri and membership, Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Oshawa Business Alliance are working together to advocate and assist in any way possible to help mitigate the financial losses that businesses are continuing to endure during this difficult period. (CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS HYPOCRITE? MAYOR’S RECOVERY TASK FORCE. MADE UP OF TWO THAT HAVE NO REAL BUSINESS EXPERIENCE. WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER AND THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ALLIANCE. TWO GROUPS THAT HAVE AND ARE DOING NOTHING FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS? TWO ENTITIES THAT ARE CRONIES OF CARTER. A GROUP OF ‘YES MEN’ THAT HAVE DONE NOTHING FOR THE CITY... IF I AM WRONG EXPLAIN THE DRUG, PROSTITUTION THE HOMELESS... WAIT. THEY WILL BLAME COVID. DISGUSTING. THIS IS THE SAME GROUP THAT IS USING YOUR TAX DOLLAR TO PUSH A FAILED SHOP LOCAL CAMPAIGN WITH TITO AND CARTER PICTURES ON THE FRONT. PATHETIC. CHAIRED BY TITO-DANTE MARIMPIETRI A GUY THAT DOES NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS. REAL REPRESENTATION. NO WONDER OUR CITY IS IN THE POOR SHAPE IT IS IN. THEY BOTH HAVE TO GO IN 2022 ELECTIONS). As a community member, you have a role to play too. Now more than ever, it is important for us to support local and buy local whenever we can. You can help make a difference by purchasing from local businesses online, dining out at home by ordering takeout from your local restaurant, and purchasing gift certificates now to use later. (HYPOCRITE. IF THIS STANDS TRUE. WHY ARE YOU AND YOUR TASK FORCE IGNORING THE VERY SUCCESSFUL SHOP DOWNTOWN ‘INGINO’ INITIATIVE THAT HAS BEEN RUNNING SINCE 2018. A PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY PUTS MONEY TO WORK FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE MERCHANTS OF THE CORE. CARTER YOUR ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE ALONG WITH THE HANDFUL OF CRONIES LIKE THE CHAMBER AND THAT OTHER HAND PICKED BUSINESS ALLIANCE NEED TO GO. IT IS NOT WORKING AND IT IS FAR FROM TRUSTED PROVEN LEADERSHIP. IN 2022 LET’S GET RID OF THEM BY VOTING THEM OUT. THINK ABOUT IT. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER.)

The End of the Beginning?

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East We all remember the not so distant January of 2020 when the Covid pandemic started. At the beginning it was not taken seriously, some experts stating that it would not reach Canada from China. After listening to a lot of (pseudo-)"science" and a lot of "expert" advice, here we are in January 2022 with the Omicron taking charge. Despite assurances that vaccinations will stop the pandemic, it seems that Omicron is defying the science gurus and running its course. If we recall the Spanish flu pandemic, it seems that our scientists and politicians have not learned anything at all. Let's remind them about the stages of the Spanish flu which attacked our ancestors more than a hundred years ago. The pandemic is conventionally marked as having begun on 4 March 1918 in the United States, despite there having been cases as early as January 1918. By 11 March 1918, the virus had spread widely in the United States. Failure to take preventive measures in March/April was later criticized. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared officially the pandemic on 11 March 2020. Does that sound familiar today? The first wave of the flu lasted during the first quarter of 1918 and was relatively mild. The second wave began in the second half of August 1918. The second wave of the 1918 pandemic was much more deadly than the first. The first wave had resembled typical flu epidemics; those most at risk were the sick and elderly, while younger, healthier people recovered easily. October 1918 was the month with the highest fatality rate of the whole pandemic. In January 1919, a third wave of the flu hit and we must presume that there were two sub waves; one in the spring and one in the fall. By 1920 the last wave and the virus that caused the pandemic had become much less deadly and caused only ordinary seasonal flu, practically dying out. A hundred years later we see a very similar pattern in the course of the Covid-19 with of all its variants, and Omicron the most transmissible but less dangerous than the previous variants. So, by the historic example of Spanish flu, will this be the end of our modern pandemic? The question is, at least for Canada; where was the medical establishment and the political leadership on this issue? Did they learn anything from the past? And if not, why not? Who takes responsibility for the deadly mistakes which could have been avoided with a little common sense? But let's continue to scrutinize what is going on right now, under our own eyes. Canada has lost sight of the true size of its pandemic, with the number of people infected with COVID-19 now a mystery, as the highly infectious Omicron variant overwhelms testing capacity across the country. The distribution of personal rapid test kits on a large scale, when the labs are unable to conduct real time PCR confirmatory tests is frustrating many Canadians. Handing out the rapid tests to people may have provided politically advantageous photo ops, but proved useless in the monitoring of Omicron with haphazard access to confirmatory testing. As the disarray in the corrupted data used by medical experts for modelling comes to light, the public can't help but wonder where the truth lies…..Who is to be believed anymore?? When stark admissions of overwhelm and helplessness by our so-called experts and leaders clog mainstream media reports. "We aren't able to test the majority of people anymore who are symptomatic. We stopped testing those who have been exposed. We have significantly reduced any type of asymptomatic testing," said Dr. Dominik Mertz, an infectious diseases physician and associate professor of medicine at Hamilton's McMaster University. "The case numbers become even more meaningless." So then how do we track the impact Omicron is having across Canada? And how will we know whether public health restrictions are working if officials aren't collecting accurate data? What a great mess those well paid experts and officials are stirring. Who cares about real people, their livelihood and their families? As to the vaccines... People obeyed the rules and got vaccinated to avoid viral contamination and/or spreading the virus. Now a new preprint study from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto, which has not yet been peer reviewed, found two doses do not provide adequate prevention against Omicron infection and three doses were just 37 per cent effective - but the vaccines still protected well against hospitalizations. Is it fair to punish the few left unvaccinated when Omicron seems not to discriminate? and politicians are very sensitive at the word discrimination. What about the vaccine passports? Are they significant anymore? Are they used to control people, as a kind of carding? Is the establishment continuing to monitor people's movement by their cell phones? Is the collection of metadata about people to control their lives is now accepted by the privacy gurus in the name of the 'collective interest' and salvation from evil? Still putting 'hospital capacity' first in trying to justify their draconian measures, after two years of doing nothing to increase that capacity, the political leadership needs to rethink its priorities. The focus should be on developing effective treatments, putting people first. Omicron seems to be giving a harsh lesson to both the medical and the political establishments and maybe it is a time for radical change. In the end, the only optimistic evaluation is that Omicron will end by itself, but the budget is still left for working Canadians to balance, and it will be painful. Remember, the budget will not balance itself. Let's hope for the best in 2022 and judge for yourself!

COVID AND RECORD PROFITS 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. Let me explain. Since this COVID hit our shores... we have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Rightly so, no one wants to get sick. But can anyone please tell me. Why are the pharma companies running our lives. What they say, we have to do. At first it was take two shots and you be good up to 80%. Today they are asking people to get boosters. This brings to question. Does the vaccine work? To ad insult to injury now they are starting to inject children. Come on people, who is doing the thinking. At first this virus only infected the old and weak. They told us that the youth under 20 did not have to be vaccinated. Today, it is as if a call of failure... and since it is obvious the vaccine magic bullet not working. Inject everyone and call it a day. This is crazy. I know people that have had COVID and have been sick for months. Is it COVID or is it something else. Those vaccinated have been given the false sense of security. Thinking that because they been vaccinated they are not carriers and or safe from infection. That is not true. The only real benefit of vaccinattion is severity of onset... and still one has to question that as the so called science has been wrong in the past. Back to the children. My heart breaks to hear the government force people to vaccinate or they loose access to the system. I can understand vaccines like Polio, Chicken Pox and others. They are time proven vaccines. The new vaccines they are producing are not anti-body producing formulas. The new vaccines sit in your system until the day you die. They monitor your system for viral infection. After a short period of time. The vaccine agents loose their original intent and just sit at the end of your never ending until further instruction. Here is the problem... What will be the further instructions? And issued by who? We are living in historical times.

Accept What You Can't Change

By Nick Kossovan You probably know this extract from The Serenity Prayer. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference. The pray is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr (June 21, 1892 - June 1, 1971), considered the most influential American theologian of the 20th century. In 1941 an Alcoholics Anonymous member saw the prayer in The New York Herald Tribune and AA adopted it. The words "accept the things I cannot change" offers exceptional sage advice for those searching for a job. My conversations with frustrated job seekers have a common denominator: they're unwilling to accept what they can't change. As a result, they waste time and energy complaining about how employers hire. Since no two employers hire the same way, you need to be psychologically flexible when dealing with employers and accept what you can't change. Accepting what you can't change offers you and your job search several benefits: - Less worry and stress - A more positive attitude - Less energy drained from being frustrated - Having realistic expectations (Not filling your head with wishful thinking.) Accepting the following truths regarding how employers hire-truths that will exist for the foreseeable future-will decrease your job search stress and increase your job search efficiency since you will not waste your time and energy fighting what will not change. Employers look out for their self-interest, not yours. Employers own their hiring process and therefore design how they hire to suit them, not the job seeker. When I hear job seekers question an employer's hiring decision (It wasn't them.) I reply, "Just because you didn't like the result of not being hired doesn't mean the employer's hiring process wasn't fair or they hired the wrong person. It's unfair to you because how the employer chooses to hire serves their self-interest, not yours." As I'm sure you can imagine, this doesn't always sit well-I tend to tell job seekers what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Employers will always put their own interests first when hiring, giving a promotion, establishing a department budget, deciding whether to downsize or sell a division, etc. The business's needs will always come first, this is how businesses survive and prosper. Due to this reality, as a job seeker, you need to demonstrate (READ: sell) how your skills and experience are aligned with the employer's self-interests. In most cases, this means positioning yourself as someone who'll contribute to the company's bottom line. Hiring managers have biases. Hiring managers are human beings and therefore have biases. You have biases, I have biases-there's not a single person on this planet who doesn't have a repertoire of biases. Legislations and laws haven't reduced bias in the hiring process; they made employers less forthcoming about their biases. You simply don't get hired. Those who feel entitled will assume they weren't hired because of their age, gender, race, whatever-it's never them. For good reasons, hiring managers rarely mention that a large part of choosing who to hire is determining how a potential employee will fit into their workplace culture and get along with current employees. Many call this being bias; many call it "hiring for fit." The thinking is, why would you hire someone who may rock the boat or not get along with the current team? A C-suite executive once told me a team that fits together like a puzzle will be profitable, which is why when he hired his placed a lot of emphasis on the candidate being a "fit." Those of you who regularly read my column know my foremost advice is to look for your tribe. Don't think, "I'm looking for a job," think, "I'm looking for my tribe!" Look for where you belong-where you'll be accepted. This approach reduces hiring biases towards you and, therefore, increases your job search success. You're leveraging human biases in your favour! 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. I recommend you read my column, As a Job Seeker Look for your Tribe. I know it's disheartening to accept what you deeply wish was different. One of life's harshest truths is sometimes we can't change reality. Accepting what can't be changed will result in you outperforming other job seekers (your competition), who waste their time and energy trying to change what can't be changed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Is Virtual Healthcare the New Normal?

The current pandemic is deeply affecting many aspects of society. Accelerated usage of virtual healthcare is a good example. While frontline healthcare workers serve patients needing essential in-person care, some doctors and patients are meeting up over the phone or on video calls. Virtual healthcare is well known to those living in remote communities. But during the pandemic, it has become an option for everyone. A debate has ensued about whether such care is good or bad. Proponents of either side are lining up evidence to prove the case. How can you argue with the fact that curable cancers in children have been missed in the absence of face-to-face consultations? But how many lives have been saved by “seeing” the doctor virtually, when the alternative is no treatment at all? The question should be, when is it okay to utilize virtual healthcare, and when not? And how should people approach the option? Governments and regulators have been beefing up policies and billing structures for online medical consultations and treatments. In Canada’s public system, a plethora of new billing codes have been registered since the start of COVID-19. But there hasn’t been as much attention given to educating the public about virtual care. Until recently, there wasn’t much interest among healthcare consumers either. A survey of 4,530 American adults conducted by Deloitte in 2018 showed that 77% had never tried a virtual visit. But as the ancient proverb notes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” As COVID limited traditional doctor visits, the benefits of virtual care became apparent. Improved access and convenience. Reduced travel. Eliminated parking headaches. No transmission of infection. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported on virtual care use in the province of Ontario before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportion of Ontarians who had a virtual visit increased from 1.3% in 2019 to 29.2% in 2020, with older people being the highest users. Data from the Massachusetts General Hospital psychiatry department switched from under 5% virtual visits in March 2019 to over 97% in March 2020. Technology advances are also contributing to the trend. Diseases that may have required an in-person diagnosis in the past can now be detected using digital imagery tools, mobile health applications, and wearable medical devices. Powerful medical groups are busy determining the supports clinicians need for effective integration of virtual visits in the practice of medicine. Less evident are the support programs needed by consumers. How does a person know when is the right time to pick up the phone and when to make an in-person appointment? In general, in-person care is always advisable for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures requiring physical contact (e.g., Pap smears and biopsies). The same for pre-natal and newborn care. People dealing with multiple health issues or who struggle to communicate virtually should also present in person. But virtual visits will likely be a significant part of the healthcare experience henceforth. So its advisable to get good at making the most of them. Just because you are not leaving home doesn’t mean you don’t need to prepare. Preparation is more important than ever. Make sure you know how to use whatever equipment is required – from the telephone to computers, mobile apps to specialized software. Be in a quiet space, with sufficient light to read and write – and so the provider can see and hear you well. Have patience and fortitude in case technology fails and to avoid misunderstandings. If you haven’t seen your doctor in person since the start of the pandemic, make an in-person appointment. Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones

Canada and the new world order

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East More and more we are hearing blasts of information about the so called new world order. What it really means is a globalist approach to running the world, with a significant reduction of national power, reducing the influence of national governments in governing their own people. There are two massive and insidious processes currently at play on the world stage, poised to bring down the world as we know it and hand power to the globalists. One is the Covid-19 pandemic with its variants and the vacillating "science" incapable of dealing with it, so clearly influenced by international centers of power aiming to damage the economies of countries as we know them. The other is the climate change issue with its Armageddon propaganda, working for the same agenda of changing the world economic order at all costs. For people willing to learn from history rather than woke academia, these tactics are reminiscent of the communist attempt in the last century, to promote the internationalization of the communist movement by destroying the known world order. The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the "Third International", was an international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism, headed by the Soviet Union. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by all available means, including armed force, for the overthrow of the international bourgeoisie and the creation of an international Soviet republic as a transition stage to the complete abolition of the state". It folded in 1943 due to lack of finances, but the idea remained embedded in the memory of some people in the hope that someday the concept would be revived in a new form. That 'someday' seems to have arrived, with the World Economic Forum as they describe themselves: "An international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, a canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by Klaus Schwab. The foundation, which is mostly funded by its 1,000 member companies - typically global enterprises with more than five billion US dollars in turnover - as well as public subsidies, views its own mission as "improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas". In essence what is their purpose: "Influencing global agendas & decision makers, promoting public-private cooperation". More notably in their board of trustees you will find our own Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland, besides other personalities such as Al Gore. So what is in it for Canada? and how will we protect our national interests in the face of this very powerful organization? Will the answer be in our Canadian security intelligence services? How much can they do to preserve our national interests for the wellbeing of Canadians? At this point 'climate change' seems to be the buzz phrase, with every important issue somehow tied to it. Even the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) says that it's trying to get a handle on how climate change will disrupt national security. Nicely done. However, there are significant issues that are having an impact on our country's security right now and need to be addressed asap. Consider the loss of technology and manufacturing, foreign take overs and disruptions of all kinds by foreign players right here on Canadian soil and right under our own eyes. I understand that there are limitations of all kind on security services but do something. Don't stand idly by twiddling your thumbs as Canadian interests go down the drain. I also find it strange that most of our members of parliament do not have security clearance, so they are not briefed on security issues when sworn into office. When they need to do a study in a committee which requires access to secret documents they are denied access to the information. It defies understanding! How can anyone make a reliable study without access to all the pertinent information? When I was on the National Defence Committee in the 41st legislature, I raised a warning about the threat of foreign powers in the Canadian Arctic. I was ignored at that time. Interestingly, ten years later, experts and advisers find that there are dangers in the Arctic with geopolitical rivals seeking to control the region's resources as the ice retreats. Russia's reactivation of its northern Cold War-era bases, which obviously did not happen overnight, coupled with China's clear interest in the region, could be creating the conditions for great concerns for Canada, the second largest country in the world, in terms of surface area. For example, in March 2020, the Russians deployed three ultra-quiet nuclear subs to simultaneously break through the Arctic ice at the same location. This demonstration set the defence community on edge but should not have been a surprise. With all kinds of tensions growing on the international scene and with the new year bringing some unknown surprises I invite the security establishment to continue to protect the interests of Canada and the security of Canadians. Let us first deal with the crisis at hand, the political climate change, before going after more nebulous targets. With this call to action, wish you all a Happy New Year 2022!

Do You Have Any Questions?

Do You Have Any Questions? For 45 minutes, your interview has been going well-better than well! You quickly built rapport with your interviewer. You gave concise answers that were on point and clearly articulated the ROI to be expected from hiring you. You're in the "interview zone." You're thinking, "I got this!" Then your interviewer asks: "Do you have any questions?" Even though this question will inevitably be asked, most candidates end up stumbling around for what to ask. You don't want to be such a candidate. Furthermore, you do not want to be a candidate who asks questions that are clearly "off the cuff." (e.g., "When does the position start?", "Are there opportunities for advancement?", "What's parking like around here?") Worst is the candidate who says they have no questions. This shows a lack of interest in the position. It's fair to say candidates are concerned about their questions being acceptable. They're afraid of appearing picky or demanding or worry their interviewer will judge them negatively. Yes, it can be nerve-racking to diplomatically elicit the information you really want (e.g., "What are you really like as a manager?", "Does everyone secretly hate it here?"), however, it's in your best interest to make an informed decision. While I can't speak for all hiring managers, there's no question you can't ask me. I want the candidate to have all the information they need to decide whether the job is right for them. Feel free to ask me anything! A candidate once asked me what my pet peeves are. I replied my top two are lateness and poor communication skills. The candidate responded by telling me they lived close by and were the editor of their college newspaper. (Information that didn't appear on their resume.) I hired the person. The only questions you shouldn't ask are self-serving questions, such as, "What does the position pay?", "How many vacation days will I get?", "What's your sick-day policy?" You want to strategically ask questions that show you're serious about contributing to the organization. You're not looking for a paycheck, you're looking for a long-term employer/employee relationship. Here are 10 questions you can ask to gain further insight into whether the job and company are a match for you and show your interviewer you're not just looking for a paycheck. 1. "How is success measured for this position?" 2. "What are some of the challenges a person in this position can expect to face?" 3. "Please describe a typical day or week in the job?" 4. "How long did the previous person in the role hold the position?" 5. "What are you hoping I will accomplish in my first six months and in my first year?" 6. "Thinking back to people who've held this position, what differentiated the ones who were good from the ones who were really great?" 7. "How would you describe the culture here? What type of people tend to thrive, and what type seems to struggle?" 8. "Is there an employee performance review process? How often does that occur? Can you walk me through a typical one?" 9. "Is there anything else I can provide you with that would be helpful or additional questions I can answer?" 10. "What's your management style like? How will you manage me?" I always ask question number 10. Several times, my interviewer's answer determined I wouldn't be a good fit. Of course, you won't be able to ask all 10 questions. Have these questions and any others you can think of, ready to ask. Tailor the above questions and others you may think of, so your questions don't come across generic. For example, "Can you describe a typical day or week in the job?" should be, "Please describe a typical day or week for an account manager at Zorin Industries ." Prepare at least 5 questions to ask your interviewer. Don't be put off if your questions are answered throughout the interview. (Never ask a question that was answered during the interview.) There's a good chance questions will occur to you during the interview. That's great! You want the interview to be a conversation between peers. Don't wait for your interviewer to ask if you have any questions. Ask clarifying questions as needed, making the interview conversational. This shows you're paying attention, and to a degree, you're controlling the conversation. During your next interview, don't hesitate to ask questions. Should you receive a job offer you want to make an informed decision whether to accept or not. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

2022 LET’S NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES PLEASE

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” What is it about humanity that makes us such animals. I guess that is what they mean when they say we are part of the animal kingdom. In my 1000 years on this planet I can tell you with certainty that ‘World Peace’ is as much a pipe dream as ‘One world, one people’. Neither are realistic nor achievable. Hell, let’s throw in there GLOBAL WARMING.... after all it is the season to be giving... No I have not been drinking and yes I ran out of my politically correct medicine. 2022 being a municipal election year will bring back the elected standing deadwood preaching to the rest of us what a great job they have been doing when in reality their biggest job was to brush their teeth in the morning and make sure friday comes fast enough so that the direct deposit into their pension fund bank account received yet another shinny nickel. After all most of Oshawa council, with the exception of possibly three are nothing short of a taxpayers waste of money. You may be asking.... How is it you speak with such authority. Well great question. I been watching City of Oshawa council for over 27 years. I am about the only left political critic left in Oshawa with the exception of a new crop of opinionated folk that are so focused on one particular issue that miss the boat on the bigger picture. City of Oshawa council has slowly got worst over the years. The essence of municipal government has been compromised. WE THE PEOPLE HAVE NO REPRESENTATION. Under the current administration. Staff runs City hall. Staff treat the taxpayer like cattle and are far from focused on customer service. It is about job preservation and following the rules instead of being vision drive with passion for the City. As it stands we have a puppet Mayor with Carte-Blanche powers do as he likes under this emergency COVID hoax. I have a question for our honorable Mayor. Question number one: What has really changed in Oshawa since 2018? The harbor still the same it was if not worst. Our downtown has deteriorated to such degree that no one visits in fear for their safety. Pot shops have been allowed to open every five feet. The use of drugs, legal and illicit is at an all time high. Needle exchange programs have filled the streets with addicts. In the summer you can’t walk park trails in fear of being mugged. You can’t allow your kids to walk in our creeks in fear of being pricked by a used needle. What has changed, if things have not got worst. The homeless roam our streets. Our streets are not safe. What bothers me the most is, that we elected a Mayor that was a former homeless person. A former drug addict. You would think that he would have some sort of an insight into the problem. A Mayor with a serious learning disability has some how prevented him from composing a plan. That is understandable and he is not to blame. We the people are to blame for voting on a ‘pity vote’. Voted him in on the fact that ‘we use to see him on TV’. You know what is sad. You can’t blame the poor guy for trying and trying to make a better life for himself. After all is this not what we all want? The problem is that you can’t expect real change when you lower your standards. I say this because putting someone in the job of Mayor/CEO of the corporation of the City of Oshawa makes as much sense as putting him in charge landing planes at Pearson. He may get one or two right... he may ask for advice... but at the end of the day. He is not qualified. If planes start landing in Lake Ontario. Should we blame the pilots. You get the point. I think in 2022, we the taxpayers need to make changes. So far under this TV personality our taxes have gone up 7.5%. Incompetency and failures have been blamed on COVID. People look around you. Is this the Oshawa you want for your children? Look in your wards. Has life improved. NOW IS YOUR YEAR FOR REAL CHANGE. MAKE IT HAPPEN. I respect all Mayor Carter has overcome and achieved, he had four years to shine. Unfortunately we need to put in office someone with a real plan, real vision. That will freeze our taxes. Bring back good paying jobs and put an end to the decay or our City. SUPPORT THE SUCCESSFUL SHOP LOCAL ‘INGINO’DOWNTOWN INITIATIVE CAMPAIGN.

Omicron Eh…

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As we are approaching the 2021 Year end festivities so important for all Canadians, the specter of the pandemic now called Omicron is upon us. Just when you thought that family party was on, it's off; just as it felt safe to shop at the mall, it doesn't. The Omicron variant has changed the game. In Ontario, test positivity rates are nearing 10 per cent. In Quebec, the government says "it's war" and closes bars, gyms and schools. B.C. has banned New Year's Eve parties. Hockey games are on ice as the virus tears through the NHL. Toronto's Chief of Police tested positive, and expects one third of the force to do so as well. Politicians are not immune: the mayor of Montreal, the mayor of Ottawa, and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly as well as some of the Prime Minister's staff, all report testing positive for COVID-19. It feels depressing as hell. Two years of COVID-19 have upended our lives and beaten us down. And just as there was light at the end of the tunnel (thanks to vaccines, we were told), Omicron arrived, and the Grinch stole Christmas all over again. Surrounded by politicians at all levels dithering in the face of this new threat to their political lives and advised by a medical profession primarily concerned with hospital capacities rather than a cure for patients, we are in a fine pickle. Here we are, waiting for a better New Year, while those in charge are fixated on vaccinations and testing, using statistics to intimidate the public. The situation seems particularly dire in Ontario, where the advisory body on Omicron is running around like the proverbial headless chicken, with the science Advisor Dr. Peter Juni blowing his horn loudly, giving spaced-out advice to ordinary people, seemingly preparing us to get ready for further bleak and dark winter months. Omicron really seems to be ruling our lives with this high priest preaching doomsday. The question is, how much longer will Canadians continue to believe in a "science" that changes every day at the whim of the science table, at times completely contradicting itself. Let's look at an example of this tendency. Canadians were encouraged to have their full vaccination to beat the Covid pandemic with its Greek alphabet mutations; the famous two doses of sometimes cocktail vaccinations. As this did not seem to be enough, a booster shot was recommended to protect us from the pandemic and end it once and for all. Now we are told that was a false assumption. So may one ask where the science is in all this? No answer, just noisier and more boisterous running around. I mentioned in one of my previous articles that rapid tests were available in the provinces in the early stages of the pandemic but rather than being used or distributed to the public, they were stored and ignored. Now there is a hysteria to distribute these tests. They are being handed out in schools and made available at various places, including the LCBO in Ontario. What next? Will Premier Ford also enlist the Marijuana stores? People stand in line for the tests for hours and are not always lucky enough to get them. People looking for booster shots are running around desperately, and most of the time cannot get scheduled. It is a nightmare accentuated by the pompous declarations of politicians telling us that everything is all right. Canada's top doctor, Dr. Theresa Tam, says employers must provide the best masks and ventilation possible. So now vaccinated or not you need the mask of all masks to stay protected?! "You cannot have a single-layered cloth mask," she said. "The medical masks are better at filtering viruses." But even the three-ply surgical type might not be enough, she added, saying N95-type respirators are a better fit for people's faces. Hello China, can we get some?! In Ontario, as well as other provinces, limitations on the number of people allowed to gather have again been introduced, with retailers, restaurants and other small businesses taking the brunt. The question is how many of them will survive this latest onslaught? Once again Premier Ford has said: "We need to meet this variant head on. We need to do everything we can to push it back." In plain words, take the bull by the horns…. How many times has he said that without tangible results? How is it that the virus is still spreading when according to government claims, most Ontarian are vaccinated? Is the vaccine effective or not? Better still, is the vaccine at all useful? Is it really a vaccine? I guess we need to wait and see what the medical spin doctors will come up with next. In the meantime, inflation is raising the cost of living, we have no real information on how the economy is doing, yet according to the politicians everything is under control. God save us! Anyway, it is better to think positive and hope that the pandemic will run its course and peter out by itself. If the budget can balance itself, why can't the pandemic end by itself? With new challenges arising all over the world, including the Ukraine, Taiwan and Afghanistan, and with a highly preached new world order and build back better in the making, let us hope that the new year will bring some sanity to world affairs, and that in Canada, we will again enjoy life as we used to. In conclusion, try to stay safe, don't be scared, enjoy time with your family during the upcoming festivities, and hope that the best is yet to come. Merry Christmas and 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