CIVILIANS THE ULTIMATE WEAPON OF WAR

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 can’t put it in words on how disgusted I am at humanity. Those that read my column would think. Joe, lighten up a bit. Life is not that bad. life is great. What is truly alarming and at times overwhelming is how we the human animal prove that we are nothing but just that, ‘ANIMALS’. It appears that in modern society we are constantly in some sort of global conflict. War on drugs, war on equality, war on just about every aspect of life. We just recovered or we are so led to believe from the war on COVID. Not a week passed and we may be facing another world war. But wait, let’s put on the brakes for a moment. Government throughout history ruled through fear. From the ancient times of living in fear of all kinds of Gods. To today’s time fearing extinction from global warming. Look at how we the people are getting once again, oppressed and fooled to believe that our efforts are for a worthy cause. The Russian/Ukrainian conflict. Question one. What are we Canadians becoming entangled in foreign conflicts? How can as a responsible government rationalize sending one dollar to fight a foreign war. When our own people here in Canada are suffering. Some living on our streets and our government sends millions in weapons an other aid to the Ukraine. We Canadians are being suckered in to a war we have no business fighting. It is done through the media. We hear the constantly being bombarded with images that break people’s heart. Yet, we forget it is war. People die in wars. The media during war is used as a tool to either gather support or plea for help. I have a huge problem when governments mix patriotism with ignorant pride. I say ignorant pride due to the fact that civilians should never be used as weapons and made to be easy marking targets. Think about it. The Ukraine government has issued out large number of guns to it’s civilian population in order to have them fight in the war against Russia. Really!!! The Ukrainian government is arming civilians. Making them a target for the Russian army. Is this right. It is not about pride. It is not about nationalism. It is about out right ignorance of the facts. By arming civilians now you are giving the green flag for the Russian to blanket bomb and attack the population at large, deeming everyone an enemy. This feeding horrific images to the media for further Ukrainian support. Come on people. An old 80 year old lady with a an AK-47 is no threat to a trained Russian soldier. But she surely makes a great target and gives the Russian army reason to shoot to kill civilians. We in the west view these images and our hearts bleed. How can these bad Russians shoot innocent women and children? Old people... When your own government uses it’s population as soldiers. This is wrong. We in the west watch these images and go about our business not thinking about how we are being manipulated. We do not even consider how our own Canadian government plays on us every day. We are supposed to live in a free democratic nation. Yet our freedoms are mandated by our wealth and our ability to get away from our daily routines. Our democratic right is manipulated by public thought. The question then is, are we any different than those being attacked by the Russians? Well, we are not being shot at. But we are being manipulated by our government the same. Look at our gasoline prices? Yet, we are sending 211 million just this week to the Ukraine. We are fed the line that we must pay a carbon tax in order to save the environment... yet the tax collected goes to everything but the environment. Look at what happened when we the people attempted to complain via demonstration in Ottawa with our truckers. They were labeled terrorist, nationalist and the worst the government could come up with. Only to have the government call in the troops to put a stop to it. I say you want to champion democracy and freedoms. Drive your car to Ottawa and park it as the truckers did. Demand lowering of gas prices. Stop blaming it on imported gas from Russia. Demand accountability. Demand justice. We have a war in our own country and no one seems to see it. Look how much the truckers accomplished against COVID. It appears that ever since the truckers protested. Covid has become a secondary issue. COME ON PEOPLE WAKE UP WE ARE UNDER SIEGE. And no one is coming to liberate us from our own ignorance of the obvious oppression by our own government.

The war of our times

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East We are now faced with a great dilemma. As the war in Ukraine is becoming uglier by the day, making a lot of ordinary people suffer, and creating an enormous number of displaced people, the leaders of our world act helplessly and heedlessly. That is the problem with every sizeable military conflict; it can so easily get out of control. It begins with heightened interest, somewhat clear goals, and usually hopes for a quick and negotiated settlement. The world is engaged, through sincere humanitarian support or significant solidarity events, expressing empathy. The media is all over it, with many speculations mostly looking for the sensational, quoting experts of the moment. In the meantime, billions are watching, transfixed and deeply disoriented. In almost every case, as history has confirmed, the conflict gets bogged down. Talks between the two combatants are inevitably unsuccessful, and the war becomes protracted and one of attrition. Over time, those nations at a distance from the region eventually lose interest, becoming more focused on internal events. That is especially true of democracies because of their generally short attention spans. Invariably, media looking for the sensational, shifts out in pursuit of other global emergencies or domestic priorities, losing interest in issues which become a daily pattern. Such is the way of human nature. But we need to look at history because history usually repeats itself more or less. Historic agreements or alliances that commit other nations to take military actions to support one side or the other are of the norm. The world wars have drawn in other countries as the conflicts progressed. In the case of Ukraine, few such alliances were present. As the battle began, they were neither a member of the European Union nor NATO, so any support given to them by others, though significant, wouldn't draw the military might of NATO into the war yet, but one never knows. We will see how the events unfold; elements of unknown surprises might easily happen, and not in a positive way. The world of today is more complicated with undercurrents which might be toxic. Hope again for the best but be prepared for the worst. I have had some personal experiences of this in both Europe and Asia. The growing human catastrophe drew in other players to save whatever human lives they could in both situations. No-fly zones were established, coupled with humanitarian corridors to transport aid to the conflicted regions. They were always broken by one side or the other but were workable enough to keep some civilian people alive. The problem with the Ukraine situation is Russia's threat to use tactical nuclear warheads if it is cornered and faces a more hostile and provocative environment. This changes the equation completely. Do you protect airspace to safeguard humanitarian supply chains, knowing that any encounter in the air with Russia could set off something unimaginable? Or do you keep attempting other methods of funnelling supplies into Ukraine? A debate ensues in the rest of the world that becomes more complicated the longer the fight continues. This immediate and serious threat of Russia's going nuclear works to its advantage but confounds the world, as never before. As the war continues and civilian casualties increase nerves are taut, emotions high and choices become almost untenable over time. Indeed, emotions can easily result in unconsidered decisions with catastrophic consequences. How long can the world watch as this war continues? Women and children are increasingly falling victim to this conflict. In a war of attrition like this, a decision will have to be made: allow Russia to continue the civilian carnage or risk the nuclear option by protecting civilians caught in the mayhem. Or maybe a tenable solution can still be found to end this senseless war. Many children will lose their fathers, brothers, grandfathers, and sometimes even their mothers forever. Whenever this kind of conflict rears its ugly head, parents seek to get their children to someplace safe, just as the English did during World War Two. We aren't even two weeks into the conflict, and Ukrainian children are now traumatized, surrounded by mortality, and increasingly facing a future without a father, a mother, or both. Our world leaders need to come to their senses and do everything possible to end this senseless war as soon as possible in order to avoid further complications which would endanger our own existence as humanity. This is something that we need to resolve before it is too late because at present we are in the process of losing the global consensus we built, maintained, and defended following the insanity of the Second World War. We need to do a better job. All of us.

The spectre of war

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As I predicted earlier in the month, February brought us unpleasant surprises both internally as internationally. When we look at our internal affairs we see a country deeply divided; emerging from a long and arduous pandemic with a clearly disoriented political leadership. As the provinces proceed to lifting the Covid-19 restrictions as they see fit, the federal Government insists on holding steadfast to them. Really the question is what is going on? Are we talking to each other? Are we united to help each other or not? This is a time of serious difficulties and great challenges in which we need to pull together in order to preserve our democracy and our country. The government continues to do whatever they like, while the loyal opposition is looking for answers and leadership to cope with these problematic times. We need unity, not political games at this time to effectively face our challenges. Are our politicians awake or sleeping? because events are unfolding rapidly and if not understood, our nationhood could be in danger. On top of our internal issues, Canada is faced with a rapidly deteriorating international situation. Russia just invaded Ukraine and the international community is on the ropes. Canada is in the middle of all of this and is taking measures as the allies in NATO are doing. This war can easily morph in a much more dangerous situation of a wider conflagration with dangerous players. As the situation is evolving rapidly with heavy costs in terms of lives and infrastructure, we the general public are just observers and hoping for the best; that the leaders of the world will come to their senses and avoid a world war. Certainly Canada is in a precarious position. Our Army at this time is small. Even if our soldiers are well trained, we are seriously lacking equipment. This is due to the years of neglect by successive Canadian governments, a lack of leadership of the general core, and a lack of understanding by scores of parliamentarians both past and present. I vividly remember when being member of the National Defence Committee I brought forward the dangers for Canada in Russia arming itself in the Arctic. I was bluntly dismissed as a person who does not know what he is talking about, despite the fact that I probably was the only member of Parliament at that time who had special military experience. Not only was I a veteran from Afghanistan, but by my previous military experience, I was probably the only serving member of the Canadian forces who understood the state of mind of the Soviet army doctrine embraced by the new Russian Army. Here we are today, facing a serious danger in the Arctic for Canada from our belligerent Russian neighbour. At his point let's be fair and recognize that our Air Force is in bad shape with outdated, second hand planes due to gross incompetence on the part of both politicians and civil servants. Our Navy is also in bad shape, with outdated surface combat elements and second hand submarines under eternal repair. Our Army is also lacking modern heavy armor, with tanks borrowed from other nations. So at this point we are heavily reliant on the United States for defending Canada. We really need to consider how our own national interests can be defended. We need to start relying on ourselves rather than others. Of course it is not only Russia's invasion in Ukraine that we should be watching. As all eyes of the European Union, European nations and the United States are focused there, China is watching carefully how events unfold. I have a feeling that China has a hidden plan that should be not underestimated. The situation with Taiwan is a dangerous one and the build up of their military in recent years is not signalling a desire for peace but instead world dominance. It is also significant that China has not condemned Russia's actions and may be waiting for an opportunity to flex its military muscles in the Pacific area of the world. That really will put the United States, Japan, Australia and others into a problem zone. In general, I see a myriad of economic sanctions imposed on Russia by a relatively united front. The results might be effective but these must be seen in the longer term. For the moment the situation on the ground in Ukraine is deteriorating in by the hour, and the supply of promised weapons from a myriad of nations might be too late. Diplomacy is not working anymore either, so the only hope is that cooler heads will prevail in the end. Otherwise, the usual rule of history is, that we know when we start the war, but we do not know how it ends. In conclusion my thoughts are with the innocent people who suffer the effects of this senseless war and we should support them with all our means to alleviate their suffering.

THEY CAN’T KILL US WITH COVID LETS TRY WAR

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” Is it just me? That sees this as a set up? Let me take you back Pre-Covid. Trump had China on a short leash. China was experiencing some of the worst pro-democracy demonstrations ever. It had got so bad that they had to deploy troops in order to oppress the uprise. Then, Covid was released in to the world. It caught one nation after another by surprise. Killing people in its path. The pro-demonstrations stopped. China accomplished its National goal of stomping the pro-democracy movement. Governments of the world due to Covid turned one against the other. Banning travel and trade in fear of infection. Causing major havoc and turning neighbour against neighbor over mask/vaccination mandate. Governments of the world had to do something. They turned to the world Health Organization for a solution. The World Health Organization turned to the United Nations. Once the magic bean was formulated in the form of a vaccine. The world had forgotten of who the responsible culprits were. All the world wanted was the vaccine in order to get the monkey off their back. Meanwhile, the world economy was under siege. The Chinese game plan was working without questions of who originated this nor any real consequences. While we the world ran looking for answers China, Russia, North Korea, Iran were working on a master plan. De-stabilize the enemy. Hitting hard and plan your next attack. The world united in the quest of finding a cure/vaccine. We walked right into their plan. We were and in part still are self destructing by design. How is it that as soon as we find the magic bean to COVID. We have an invasion in the Ukraine? Does it not seem strange to you. WE CAN’T KILL THEM BY DISEASE. We now kill them with war. Not just any war. A nuclear war they threaten. We have ‘Goofy’ as the leader of America. He can’t hold a thought without messing up. Have you heard some of his speeches? My God one would think he is insane. This is good for the Russians as they see weakness in America and the Russians are taking advantage of it. Sucker in America into a war. The same America that could not defeat ISIS. The same America that has had it’s economy turned upside down and is highly dependant on those thy are wanting to go to war with. The same America that went from being energy self reliant. To one that is heavily dependent of import. Is there no shame in this world? We have been fed ‘SAVE THE PLANET’. Renewable energy be environmentally responsible. Meanwhile our gas prices have gone through the roof. Our economy is failing. We are in trouble every place we look. Now WAR!!! You got to be kidding me. I think this is the final nail in the ‘DEMOCRACY’ empire. I think that if the U.S. - NATO gets suckered in to fight a battle that is not their. We the West will pay the consequences of looking the war. I say this because as it stands. China owns us in trade. If a war was to brake out. You think Russia would be our own enemy? Think again. We be fighting a war all over the globe. From Iran, to Venezuela, Syria, China, North Korea and most of the pacific rim countries. Including Japan as they still have it in for us. The question I have for our Prime Minister. What the hell are you doing putting Canadians at risk fighting a fight for freedom and democracy when you on your own home land call in the troops on protesters. Really, Hey Justin why not use the millions of our money to feed those in need in Canada. How about spending the millions you are wasting on weapons to fan a war in Canada. Do as Trump had done. Increase all taxes and tariffs on Chinese imports. End hunger in Canada. Help the many million of Canadians struggling to pay their mortgages. Help all Canadians by injecting direct money into the pockets of Canadians. Hell, start by lowering and controlling the out of control gas prices. How can anyone justify that during Trump administration. The world enjoyed the lowest gas prices in the last 50 years. Biden takes office and every country in the world pounces and takes advantage of the weakness including our own.... We need leadership. Not basket cases chasing rainbows riding environmental unicorns.

War ~ Peace The People Are People The Boots Are The Same Different Feet

By Rosaldo Russo Allow me to begin this column by thanking the Oshawa/Central newspaper for allowing me the opportunity and access to the press. Not to many if any allow an average person like me to tell the world what I see and think. In my opinion. The Editor/Publisher is a real upstanding type of guy. He shoots from the hip and hold traditional core values. My name is Rosaldo Russo. I came to this great country to make a better life for myself and my family. I thank Canada for everything it has allowed me to do and earn. I worked construction all my life. I know the value of hard work and honesty. I remember as a boy my father always telling me to work hard and buy land. So I did. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat. I go to work... but I did not wait for hand outs. I rounded up my pride my skill and my determination to succeed and went to work. In those days the only benefits we received was the fact we were employed. Before retiring I was the owner and operator of local material supply company that allowed me to retired without worry. Now that I have time to enjoy life. I look around me and have some concern for future generations. I see that the world is finished. What is wrong with Canada. No matter who is driving we keep going down hill. We are nothing short of lambs to the slaughter. Our attention and our emotions are controlled so easily. COVID, COVID like a ranging fire had everyone bunkered down in fear. Now we are possibly at the eve of a world war. Fear keeps us bunkered once again. Falling for the propaganda as it is spewed by the media. I seen this before in Europe. I lived in fear for my safety and that of my fellow man. War is war and you can count on death. Death at all ages. Sad that those we call our leaders do not have the common sense to realize that lives are on the line. Yet soldiers are sent to war with little regard to the death they are causing. Then again. We can’t put blame on Putin for pulling up his military boots and charge into the Ukraine. Look what our own Prime Minister is doing with the truckers, “FREEDOM MOVEMENT”. The same mentality only in a smaller scale. This is Canada. Never say it can’t happen here. Our Prime Minister in his quest to be a global player is giving out millions of dollars to the Ukraine. Millions of our tax dollars to fight a war the Ukraine can’t win. Our city streets are full of homeless people. People in our Nation are fighting their own wars when it come to paying mortgages and putting food on the table. Where are our millions to help those in need? Same boots different feet. Is it not time we put on our own boots as the truckers have done? United Canada we stand strong.

Leveraging LinkedIn to Get a Job - Part 4

In my previous three columns, I provided the following eight tips to instantly boost LinkedIn profile views. 1. Have a current, no older than 6 months profile picture. 2. Get your headline right. 3. Be comprehensive about your skills. 4. Build your network to the 1st degree. 5. Follow companies you're interested in joining. 6. Use the Advanced Search. 7. Ask for an introduction. 8. Be more than a wallflower. In this column, the final of a 4 part series, I'll provide 3 more actions you can take to improve your chances of being informed of job opportunities. 9. Get involved in LinkedIn Professional Groups. There are currently over 2.2 million active LinkedIn groups. There is no doubt that there is a group, or several groups, relevant to your profession and the industry with which you've aligned your career. Engaging in-this is key-professional groups will give you ample opportunities to take part in online discussions and showcase your expertise and will help expand your network. When researching groups, make sure they're currently active. A group with no regular or daily interaction is of no value to your job search and networking efforts. There are three types of groups you should consider joining: 1. Industry - These are groups dedicated to a specific industry and/or field. Try searching for a few different keywords for your industry and profession. For example, if you're in supply chain management, expand your search to "procurement," "purchasing," and "sourcing." I suggest favouring groups with larger memberships and local groups (e.g., "Alberta Oil & Gas Recruiting," (45,463 members), "Professional Engineers Ontario Discussion Group (14,100 members)) to get the most value (READ: exposure) from joining a group. 2. Active - There are many holistic groups that you can join, such as job-seeking groups ("Toronto Job Networking - Canada Jobs & Technology"), skills-based groups ("Python Developers Community"), and general interest groups ("Corvette Owners & Enthusiasts"). The options are endless! 3. Alumni - Most universities have official alumni groups. Join alumni groups you're affiliated with - your college's or university's main group, any relevant department or major groups, specific alumni interest groups, etc. Joining such groups will give you access to a massive network of people with whom you have something in common. (Networking boils down to finding commonalities.) To search for groups to join: - Look for Groups directly in the search bar, just as you would find connections, companies, or anything else on LinkedIn. (e.g., warehouse management, accounting, digital marketing) - On the search results page, click on the "Groups" filter option. - Look through the groups and click on the ones you're interested in joining. TIP: Join groups where hiring managers and those in a management position in companies you'd like to join are active. For example, say you want to join Soylent Corporation. You notice that Sol Roth is part of "Commercial Finance Professionals." (When you visit a person's LinkedIn profile, scroll down to the bottom of their profile and the 'Interest' section click on 'Groups' to see which groups the person has joined.) Join the group and begin engaging with Sol's posts-commenting to show your expertise and how you think. 10. Research your interviewer. All successful interviews have one thing in common, the interviewer and the interviewee relate to each other on some level. Connecting with your interviewer and vice versa will enormously benefit you. Learn about your interviewer's work history (Maybe you both worked at the same company at one point, or they worked at the same company as your wife or best friend.), likes, interests, and more-look for common ground. It's a small world; you'd be surprised how often you'll find a connection with someone within one or two degrees. Use this information to create relatability. It's human nature to want to work with people you like, feel comfortable with, and relate to. (WARNING: Harsh truth.) Being likeable supersedes your skills and experience. 11. Post and network strategically. When it comes to getting the highest amount of exposure on social media, timing is everything! According to Sprout Social, the best days, and times to post on LinkedIn are Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 AM - Noon, and Wednesday, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. The worst day to post is Sundays. For obvious reasons, the use of LinkedIn is most likely to take place during the workweek, in contrast to Facebook, Twitter, and Tik Tok, which see an upswing outside of work hours. Therefore, you're less likely to get eyes on your LinkedIn engagement efforts on weekends. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Decarbonizing Healthcare

Last week we wrote about the environmental disaster of plastics choking the world’s oceans and the consequences for human health through the food chain. This week let’s look through a different lens at another environmental disaster of our own making – the carbon footprint of healthcare itself. Here’s something you may not know. If the global healthcare sector were a country, it would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter! A report from Health Care Without Harm calculated that the environmental impact of healthcare amounts to 4.4% of global net emissions – the equivalent of 514 coal-fired power plants. So far, North Americans are among the main culprits. By way of example, the report notes, “The United States health sector, the world’s number one emitter in both absolute and per capita terms, produces 57 times more emissions per person than does India.” What exactly is causing all these emissions? Primarily, it is the energy consumption of healthcare facilities, healthcare transportation, and health product manufacturing, use, and disposal. It’s not easy for individuals to have clout with the healthcare industry and its complex global supply chains. But there are things everyone can do to share a sense of responsibility. First and foremost, stay healthy. If you need yet another reason to do it, this is it. Staying healthy means not using healthcare products. This will reduce your own contribution to health sector emissions. As it happens, the things that keep people healthy are the same things that protect the environment – e.g., reducing red meat consumption and walking in place of driving. Second, make use of telehealth. There are times when seeing a doctor in person is an imperative. But telehealth is proving to be a valuable component of the system. It can offer convenience, speed, ease of access, low cost, quality care, safety, and a low-carbon footprint. This is one of the great lessons of the pandemic. Third, advocate for healthcare providers to decarbonize and be environmentally responsibility. The more people make this an issue, the more the pressure and incentives build for environmental accountability in healthcare. Here’s an example. People suffering from respiratory conditions may use metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) that work based on a pressurized propellant in an aerosol chamber. Unfortunately, these propellant gases are up to 3,350 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping the sun’s heat! A single inhaler can release as much emissions as a small car driven for 180 miles. A typical patient may use 12 inhalers a year. Dry powder inhalers are a good alternative that can be used by the vast majority of patients. But here are the big conundrums that need innovative solutions. It’s not just older people who inevitably need more healthcare – and therein add to the emissions of the sector. It’s those who fall ill too early in life from avoidable problems. Plus, there are many people around the world who desperately need better healthcare and for whom healthcare spending must increase. To offset the impact of these deserving consumers, there’s an urgent need for a global transition to clean, renewable energy. In addition, instead of learning from the errors of developed countries where people are eating too much meat and not getting enough exercise, developing countries that achieve higher income levels are making the same mistakes. The epidemic of diabetes in North America is now a worldwide pandemic. Finally, doctors must think differently. The Hippocratic Oath implores “First, do no harm.” It’s time to include the planet, not just the patient, in the thinking. 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

IT CAN NEVER HAPPEN HERE- SO THEY SAID

IT CAN NEVER HAPPEN HERE- SO THEY SAID 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” It could not happen in Germany, England, Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lybia, Ukraine so the people thought. Look at what is taking place right here in Canada. In Canada you say? We the people can be... at any point and time. We can’t go thinking that it will never happen to us. It will never happen in our country. The recent truckers demonstration is a measure of how fed up the Canadian public is with the quality of life in Canada. With the way our government treat us like modern slaves. When there is an uprise much like the truckers. What did the Prime Minister do. Called them names like Nationalist, Fascist, Neo-Nazis and many more. Is this a government for the people by the people? With the way our economy is. We should all be shoulder to shoulder with the truckers demanding our way of life back. Gas prices going through the roof. Grocery store gouging customers. Then the Prime Minister calls in the boots. Unions the biggest social agitators condemn the action of the truckers. When the truckers showed the balls that the Unionist should be having when dealing with the way our government has lost control of our economy and job loss to foreign nation that practice slave labor practices.. No instead unions today are nothing short of another layer of management. It is not about representing the people. It is about the union bosses filling their pockets cushioning their retirement pension pillows. God forbid call a national strike on any cause... Yet, here we have Trudeau sending money and troops to the Ukraine. To a nation that is fighting an obvious lost cause. Then why are we sending our troops. Our tax dollars? Come on folks... we should use the momentum the truckers have brought and carry on the cause of making things right in Canada. Stop tolerating the intolerable. Stop Canada from becoming a third world country. Oh I can hear it now.... No not my Canada. Well it happened. We just got a taste of what is to come... We Canadians must awaken to the reality of the world. We are not leading any more... and those leading do not share our principles and our standards. Look at the future for out kids. It is totally different than that of which our forefather fought two wold wars. Today’s world is not about doing what is right. It is about protecting agenda and special interests. The Ukraine was is not about independance. It is about rich mineral deposits. It is about gas. It is about taking over a key strategic post on the doorway to Europe. Putin is getting away with it knowing that Biden may bark but has no bite. Biden failed to follow the very important golden rule when it comes to enemies. Keep friends close and your enemies even closer. The Biden administration is an easy picking for a leader like Putin. I bet if Trump had been in office. Putin would have not thought twice about invading. We and America need to wake up to the reality that we must develop our natural resources and stop relying on foreign oil and gas. We must come to the realization that the global village is slowly eating us up from within. Corporation that have an impact on global economies are entities/countries within our shores. We must work to bring back ownership and pride to our work force. Denounce nations that pay less than our standards. Heavily tax them and charge them duty on their imports to offset the labor difference. Yes, you may be thinking but our prices be a lot higher. Yes but so will theirs. As we would charge them taxes and tariffs that may be pass down to our consumers in the form of purchase rebate instead of a sales tax as we have now. The world is changing. Are we up to the challenge of change. We can’t continue the way we are as we are on a course to self destruct. The light at the end of the tunnel is not one of hope and prosperity... It’s a real train of reality.

Turmoil in the World

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As we near the end of February and with the Winter Olympics just concluded in Beijing, the world is changing dramatically. The only good news currently is the excellent performance of our Canadian athletes who finished in fourth place overall, winning a total of 26 medals. Unfortunately, we were not really able to celebrate their outstanding performance because of the political turmoil at home, and some very serious problems brewing internationally. Here in Canada we had the Emergency Act in full force, till repealed hastily as enacted. This Act is unprecedented and its application seriously curtails personal liberties, so it should be invoked only in very critical cases. Political hypocrisy continues to reign, but there are limits of common sense that have been missing in the governance of our country for some time. As we wait to see the overall outcome and effects of these measures, I must repeat my hope that cooler heads than have been demonstrated so far, will prevail in the end. Internationally, the events leading to the stand-off between Ukraine and Russia constitute far from good news, and it seems that the situation is worsening by the day. After weeks of what appears to have been 'catch-the-tail-diplomacy' on the part of Russian President Putin, Russia's war against Ukraine ended with the recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, the breakaway provinces of Ukraine. These new "states" immediately requested the help of the Russian Federation against the imminent "military invasion" form Ukraine. In other words, the Russian military had a request for help from independent nations and they obliged immediately. Technically speaking the Russian army entered Ukrainian territory. The question, is what will happen next. Western nations, including Canada and the US were obviously not impressed and greeted this move by Russia with sanctions and other measures in order to help Ukraine maintain its territorial integrity as guaranteed by international law. Until now, this conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been through cyberwarfare: strategic corruption, ludicrous performative propaganda and other 21st-century innovations in domination tactics. With the launch of the beginning of a hot war in Eastern Europe, the most conspicuous front in the clash of ideologies, it has now been transposed to a 20th century-style, analog conflict. The narrative of today, the daily geopolitical, political, diplomatic, military, economic and humanitarian developments, is concerning and leading to an unchartered future. Already the rhetoric is in place, surrounded by speculation, portraying this wholly manufactured crisis as a real competition between Russia's Putin and the United States of America's Joe Biden. That obscures the crucial question of who started it and why. Touting as a bilateral personal feud, what could be a humanitarian catastrophe for the people of Russia, Ukraine and beyond. As the tense situation on the Eastern European front evolves rapidly, with Russian military capabilities along the Ukraine border at "near 100% of all forces" the Pentagon anticipates that Russia will eventually move further into Ukrainian territory. Russia has a "full range of capabilities" already moved previously to the Ukraine border, including "significant offensive missile capability," "two dozen warships in the Black Sea" and "armor, artillery, certainly infantry," so we can expect the worse in an escalation of the conflict. The explosive situation in Ukraine is of particular interest to Canada because of the more than 1.3 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent, many of whom still have strong connections to their ancestral land and are opposed to Russian interference in the country. Because of its size, the community is seen as having significant influence in parts of Ottawa, and is demanding that Canada support Ukraine. Canada as a medium power country sitting next to the world's largest superpower, has a massive stake in ensuring international norms and laws are respected to protect itself and global stability. Those include preventing one country from being allowed to invade or otherwise seize parts of another country. The fear is that ignoring Russia's actions weakens this prohibition, leading to the increased possibility of war in other places. Canada and its allies will now likely wait to see the size and scope of Russia's military incursion into Ukraine and whether it will extend beyond Donetsk and Luhansk. If it does, even heavier sanctions are likely. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced, that in addition to providing a 500 million dollar loan to Ukraine and the delivery of lethal weapons, Canada would be deploying 460 additional Armed Forces members to reinforce NATO in Latvia and Eastern Europe. It is also imposing economic sanctions against Russian lawmakers and financial institutions, banning any financial dealings with Donetsk and Luhansk and barring the purchase of Russian sovereign debt. Canada's moves followed similar steps by allies in the U.S. and Europe, with Germany stopping the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia -- a lucrative deal long sought by Moscow, but criticized by the U.S. for increasing Europe's reliance on Russian energy. The rest of the European Union also sanctioned Russian lawmakers and officials, financial institutions and defence companies. However, despite their repeated messages of support for Ukraine, Canada and its allies have repeatedly played down any suggestion they will send troops to reinforce the government in Kyiv. Western powers have long made it clear that the fate of Ukraine isn't worth a direct military confrontation with Russia and the possibility of a world war, so sanctions were the only option. This position is a weak one and reminds us of the end of WWII when many countries in Central Europe were abandoned by the Western allies to the grip of the Soviet Union and suffered for a half century under the communist yoke. Still we have hope that reason will prevail over the personal ambitions of the elites. Let us believe in a future without war!

One For Sherlock Holmes

One For Sherlock Holmes I was friends with Sally for nearly 10 years. She was my best friend, and I assure you it was a purely platonic relationship. When I married, Sally and my wife became best friends. Sometimes they did things together, sometimes all three of us did things together. A while ago I noticed Sally drifting away from me. She stopped returning my phone calls and emails. When I questioned her, she offered flimsy excuses like she was busy or couldn’t reach me. One day I emailed my wife at work that I thought Sally was lying to us. Imagine my surprise when I noticed I accidentally sent the email to Sally, not my wife! I immediately called Sally to explain what I meant, but it was too late. Sally said she would never trust me again because I was obviously talking about her behind her back. That was over a year ago, and we have not spoken since. I tried calling her, but she moved and her number was disconnected. I emailed her at work, but I think she deletes the mail without reading it. I don’t call her workplace because I would not want someone to do that to me. Is there anything I can do? Let me reiterate we were purely platonic friends, and there weren’t any jealousy issues about my wife. Gerard Gerard, Sherlock Holmes said, “When you eliminate all other possibilities, what remains, no matter how improbable, is the answer." People don’t move, change phone numbers, and end long-term friendships without reason. Sally loved you. If she said you were talking behind her back, it means she felt the two of you were closer than you and your wife. Sally is like the person who didn’t get an expected promotion. She thought she could accept the result, but she couldn’t. She had to break all ties. Accept her decision and let her go. Wayne & Tamara The Excuse I am a 22-year-old woman married for two and a half years. My husband and I have been together continuously since I was 15. We have a son, two, and a five-week-old daughter. When we first met, I asked my husband if he smoked weed, cigarettes, or anything else. He told me no. I said good, because I don’t want to be around a smoker. About a year ago, he started having a cigarette now and then. That bothered me, and we argued about it. As time went on it became more of a big deal, and my husband became more determined to smoke. He says he likes smoking, but I think he’s trying to prove he can do whatever he wants. I feel betrayed, and I told him so. He says my feelings have nothing to do with it. He doesn’t smoke in the house or in front of me. He just stinks when he gets home. I have been told I am allergic to smoke, and I hate his smoking so much I often think of leaving him. Most people tell me I am crazy for getting so upset, but if we didn't have children, I would probably leave. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m afraid I can’t love him like this. What should I do? Larissa Larissa, I knew a man who told me his wife laid down one condition before they married. She told him if he ever cheated, she would divorce him. Three years later he had an affair, and she ended the marriage. He knew what it took to end the relationship, and without discussion, debate, or argument, it was over. You both knew the ground rules before you married. Your husband is now doing the one thing you said wasn’t allowed. You’ve said you wouldn’t be married to him if you didn’t have two children. Already you know that is not enough to hold you together. Wayne Wayne & Tamara are also the authors of The Friendship Solution, Making Friends and Dropping Frenemies, available from Amazon, Apple and most booksellers. Wayne & Tamara write: Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Leveraging LinkedIn to Get a Job - Part 3

By Nick Kossovan In my last two columns, I provided the following five tips to boost your LinkedIn profile views and increase being informed of job opportunities. 1. Have a current, no older than 6 months profile picture. 2. Get your headline right. 3. Be comprehensive about your skills. 4. Build your network to the 1st degree. 5. Follow companies you're interested in joining. Here's 3 more tips on leveraging LinkedIn for your job search. 6. Use the Advanced Search. Use LinkedIn's Advanced Search option and conduct a search on companies you're interested in joining. Make a list of your 1st degree connections associated with these companies (past or current employees). Then reach out to your connections who are current employees and inform them you're interested in joining their company. Ask if they'd be willing to assist you in your job search (e.g., refer you to job openings). One of the most helpful things your 1st degree connections can do for your job search is being able to introduce you to people who are in a position to hire you. Therefore, you need to ask them for an introduction, which brings me to my seventh tip. 7. Ask for an introduction. I'm happy to make introductions for connections whom I know, and trust, outside of LinkedIn. Speaking for my preference, the best way to request an introduction is to send a note: Hi Nick, [Personal note/comment]. Would you mind introducing me to [person's name along with their LinkedIn URL - www.linkedin.com/in/nameofperson]? I am interested in speaking with [person's first name] about the Digital Strategist position I came across on Merrick BioTech's website. [Link to the job posting.] Sincerely, Stephanie I like to give the person my connection is looking to connect with a "heads up." Therefore, I'll send them a note asking if they're open to being introduced. Hi Akando, Hope all is well with you. Stephanie Powers, a former colleague when I worked at Rekall, Inc., is interested in speaking with you about the Digital Strategist position at Merrick BioTech's. [Link to the job posting.] Can I make an introduction? Regards, Nick Once Akando says yes, I then make the introduction. Hello Akando & Stephanie, I'm following up to connect you both regarding the Digital Strategist position at Merrick BioTech. I'll let you two take it from here. Regards, Nick 8. Be more than a wallflower. The key to being visible on LinkedIn and building your network is to be active, by regularly sharing and creating content and engaging with other people's content. If you're starting out on LinkedIn, I recommend you begin by engaging with other people's content before sharing your own. Review your feed (content you see when you click on your LinkedIn home page) and thoughtfully comment on other people's posts and articles. There are three ways to engage with someone's content: - Like - Share - Comment I believe comments are the gold standard of engagement. The reason being your name, your photo and the beginning of your headline appears before your comment. Therefore, your comments act like mini advertisements. TIP: When you comment, tag the author of the post so they're notified that you've commented. To tag the author of the post or anyone on LinkedIn: - Type the @ symbol. - Begin typing the poster's name. - Choose the poster's name from the dropdown list you'll be given. - LinkedIn will then delete the @ symbol and bold the poster's name. Regarding creating content, while I write and post articles (125,000 characters maximum) on LinkedIn, I get more engagement from my posts (1,300 characters maximum). The reason for the increase engagement is LinkedIn posts are favoured by LinkedIn's algorithm and will show up on your connection's newsfeed. However, LinkedIn posts quickly get lost in the crowd and therefore have a short lifespan. On the other hand, LinkedIn articles will keep getting viewed from search results on Google and other search engines; thus, they have a longer lifespan. In summary, LinkedIn posts (TIP: For additional visibility include several relevant hashtags and add a graphic.) are great to keep the ball rolling on the engagement side of things. In contrast, LinkedIn articles are helpful for long-term brand image and authority (subject matter expert) building. The bottom-line: The more you interact and post as a professional, the more you'll be noticed and build recognition. In next week's column, the last of this four-part series, I'll be discussing the following: - Get involved in LinkedIn Professional Groups. - Research your future boss and executive team. - Network after business hours. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Leveraging LinkedIn to Get a Job - Part 2

By Nick Kossovan In last week's column, I provided two tips to instantly boost LinkedIn profile views. 1. Have a current, no older than 6 months profile picture. 2. Get your headline right. In this column, I'll provide 3 more tips on how to make your LinkedIn profile appear in searches, thus increasing your profile views and hence improving your chances of being informed of job opportunities. 3. Be comprehensive about your skills. According to LinkedIn profiles with five or more skills listed receive up to 17 times more views. There are more than 45,000 skills to choose from on LinkedIn. Include your notable skills (e.g., Algorithm development, Statistical analysis, CRM software, Data and metrics interpreting, Conflict resolution), so you appear in searches. LinkedIn allows up to 50 skills on your profile. There are 2 ways to add skills to your profile: - Click on your profile, then scroll down to the "Skills & Endorsements" section. Then click "Add a new skill" in the right-hand corner of that section. - Click on your profile, then click on "Add Profile Section" in the top right corner of your profile. Click the "Skills" section and click on "Skills" to add a new skill. 4. Build your network to the 1st degree. There are three types of connections on LinkedIn: - 1st Degree: 1st degree connections are people who invite you to connect or people you invite to connect. In both cases, as soon as you or the person you invited accepts the invitation to connect, they become one of your 1st degree connections. - 2nd Degree: These are the people connected to your 1st degree connections. - 3rd Degree: These are people connected to your 2nd degree connections. The more connections you have, regardless of your connection level, the more your LinkedIn profile will appear in search results. In addition, when you create a post, you'll appear on your connection's homepage updates, which significantly increases your LinkedIn presence. Begin by connecting with your lowest-hanging fruits first. Send connection requests to family members, friends, former classmates, and colleagues (current and former). If you have an email contact list, import it. Now comes the fun part, researching relevant professionals, and employees of companies you'd like to work for, particularly those in a hiring capacity, to include in your LinkedIn network. Finally, connect with recruiters in your area and thought leaders in your field and/or industry. The majority of my 1st degree connections are call center and customer service management professionals, customer experience thought-leaders, English language newspaper editors, and recruiters in Toronto. IMPORTANT: Never send a connection request to someone you don't know without introducing yourself and explaining why you want to connect. I won't get into details on how to compose a LinkedIn connection request. A Google search ("How to write a LinkedIn connection request") will give you an infinite number of examples and templates you can customize. Better yet, read my column Write a LinkedIn Connection Request That'll Get Accepted. When crafting your message, remember the five P's. 1. Polite 2. Pertinent 3. Personalized 4. Professional 5. Praiseful 5. Follow companies you're interested in joining. Make a list of companies you want to work for and follow them on LinkedIn. As well, connect with members of the leadership team and human resources. Following companies you'd like to work for is a great way to stay informed about company news, new hires, and, most important, job openings. When you follow a company, you'll be closer to the action. Follow a company by selecting the "Follow" button on its company page. Companies can't see that you're following them; therefore, like, comment and share their posts and articles. Engaging with a company's content, especially commenting, is the best way to increase your visibility with employers on LinkedIn. TIP: I believe in creating positive karma. Help those in your network who are also job hunting by sharing job postings that aren't right for you, or you're not interested in pursuing. I know you're asking, "What are the top 10 most followed companies on LinkedIn?" In 2021 they were: 1. Google ... 17.724 million 2. TED Conferences ... 17.693 million 3. Amazon ... 5.048 million 4. LinkedIn ... 12.155 million 5. Microsoft ... 11.681 million 6. Apple ... 11.441 million 7. Unilever ... 10.351 million 8. Nestlé ... 9.855 million 9. IBM ... 8.696 million 10. Tesla ... 6.361 million In next week's column, I'll be discussing the following: - Use the advanced search. - Ask for an introduction. - Be more than a wallflower. -------------------- 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

TITO AND MCKONKEY WHAT PLANET DO THEY COME FROM

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” We can’t blame the candidates when we keep electing them time and time again. This week this came out of City Hall. My comments are in dark letters: The City of Oshawa is inviting nominations for the 2022 Urban Design Awards Program. The deadline for nomination submissions is Friday, April 29, 2022. The Urban Design Awards program celebrates projects that reflect excellence in architecture and urban design and enhance the image of the city. More specifically, the program acknowledges the significant contributions that architects, landscape architects, urban designers, planners, developers, builders, renovators and other individuals make to the appearance, livability and quality of life in Oshawa. DOES TITO AND MCKNOKEY EVEN KNOW WHERE OSHAWA IS. DESIGN AWARDS!!!!!! WELL MAYBE IF YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE IT TO UOIT BUILDING Nominations are free and can be made by anyone. Examples of potential nominations include buildings, neighbourhoods, public spaces, streets, parks, etc. Nominated projects must have been completed after March 14, 2018. Winning projects will receive a City of Oshawa Award of Excellence. The award winners will be announced in June 2022. The City of Oshawa 2022 Urban Design Awards are made possible with support from its in-kind sponsors: the Ontario Professional Planners Institute, the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects and the Ontario Association of Architects. Quotes: “The Urban Design Awards honour the superior developments that make our city shine. In the past, the Program has been a tremendous success and I look forward to reviewing the 2022 nominations,” said Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Chair, Development Services Committee. “These exciting new job creating projects are a beacon of success which continues to identify us as Toronto’s most dynamic and sought after neighbours. This truly means that we are increasingly and broadly being recognized as one of the leading and primary core markets in the GTA. Oshawa’s future is bright.” HEY TITO. 1ST WHAT ACTUAL LIFE EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE TO SIT AS CHAIR OF ANY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 2ND WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ‘MOST DYNAMIC AND SOUGHT AFTER NEIGHBOURS’. HAVE YOU WALKED DOWNTOWN OSHAWA LATELY? LET ME FILL YOU IN. DOWNTOWN OSHAWA FROM YOUR HOME IS DOWN ROSSLAND TOWARDS SIMCOE. TURN RIGHT AND FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. DON’T BLINK.. OR YOU MISS IT SON. THIS GUY HAS TO GO. “The City is asking you which projects built in the past four years around Oshawa deserve an award for being aesthetically pleasing, sustainable and accessible. This is a way to ensure Oshawa continues to advance and embrace urban design excellence. ROSEMARY CAN YOU PUT THAT IN ENGLISH... HERE IS COUNCILLOR THAT HAS SAT ON HER HANDS FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND NOW ATTEMPTS TO STAND ON TITO COAT TAILS AS IF SHE HAD ANY REAL IDEA ON LAND USE AND PLANNING. HOW WAS THIS COUNCILLOR APPOINTED AS VICE CHAIR THAT TITO IS CHAIR. IT IS LIKE THAT OLD SAYING. NOTHING PLUS NOTHING EQUALS TWO. IN HIS TWISTED MIND IS THA TRUE? Land use planning and urban design choices made today can resonate far into Oshawa’s future. Considering the impacts become locked-in, the importance of designing and completing them well, in the right location in the community, with widespread appeal from the start cannot be overstated!” says Councillor Rosemary McConkey, Vice-Chair, Development Service Committee. YES COUNCILLOR.. THIS IS WHY YOU AND YOUR COUNCIL ARE MAKING SUCH A MESS OF THE CORE BY EXTENDING SIDEWALKS. THE SAME COUNCIL THAT HAS FAILED THE PEOPLE OSHAWA BY HAVING NO VISION FOR THE CORE. WHY? THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT THEY ARE DOING SIMPLE.

Canada's energy problem

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As the political situation in Canada heads for unchartered waters with the Declaration of the Emergency Act and the first time that Canada Flag day is celebrated under siege, it is time to look further ahead. As people and the media are preoccupied with the daily facts of pros and cons of something and anything, it is time to take a serious look at the energy related issues on which the future Canada's wellbeing depends. It makes one dizzy to see all the running around that goes on, skirting the issue of "climate change". This is the new darling of the political establishment in the developed world, embraced with particular fervor by the Canadian government. With zealous words and overreaching promises to curtail carbon emissions, unlikely to ever be achieved, world politics is grappling with ideas on how to reach these imaginary targets. It is interesting to note a recent curious and quite courageous stand taken by the European Union with regard to natural gas and nuclear energy. Perhaps the political gurus in Canada should take note. The European Union, finally and with courage, has admitted the obvious: if decarbonization is the goal, natural gas and nuclear must be a big part of the continent's energy mix. In early January, the European Commission released a statement which said "there is a role for natural gas and nuclear as a means to facilitate the transition towards a predominantly renewable-based future." The move means that gas and nuclear could be classified as "sustainable investments" under certain conditions. This is good news and a tacit acknowledgment by European policymakers of the energy disaster that is now shaking the region. In Canada however the situation is a sad one. I have been making that point for more than a decade. I was a promoter of nuclear energy both in parliament and outside of it. I am in particular favor of the new ideas for recycling the spent nuclear fuel, of which Canada has many tonnes, but all in vain. If decarbonization is the goal, then natural gas and nuclear are the obvious ways forward. Canada has both resources and knowledge in these areas. To be sure, the EU's move didn't please the environmental catastrophists. Robert Habeck, a co-leader of Germany's Green party called the move "greenwashing." Leonore Gewessler, the climate action minister in Austria, said gas and nuclear couldn't be included because they are "harmful to the climate and the environment and destroy the future of our children." I am quite sure that there will also be many climate catastrophists in Canada who oppose the idea, especially in the present ruling liberal party lead government. It's also worth seeing how big media outlets, mostly left wing, are covering the story. The New York Times summarized the move by saying gas and nuclear would be considered "transitional" sources to be "used to bridge countries' moves away from coal and carbon-emitting power toward clean energy technologies like wind and solar." It continued, saying nuclear would be considered sustainable if the countries can agree on how to handle nuclear waste and that gas-fired power plants would be deemed okay if they "meet certain emissions criteria and replace more polluting fossil fuel plants." As a person of European descent and knowledgeable of European issues, let me state the obvious: Europe cannot and will not move to "a predominantly renewable-based future." The never-ending claims that Europe, or any other region with a large economy, can run solely on "clean energy technologies like wind and solar," are not based on history, math, science or physics. Indeed, Europe, especially Western Europe, is already in the throes of an energy crisis due to its headlong rush to adopt renewables at the expense of traditional thermal power plants. Numerous news outlets have documented the causes of Europe's predicament. Bloomberg ran a story with the headline: "Europe Sleepwalked Into an Energy Crisis that Could Last Years," which said that Europe is "in the midst of an energy transition, shutting down coal-fired electricity plants and increasing its reliance on renewables. Wind and solar are cleaner but sometimes fickle." The right word is unreliable. Reuters reported recently that "In Germany, Europe's largest economy with the continent's highest wind power capacity, combined output from both on and offshore wind farms fell around 16% this year-to-date." Reuters also reported that "Europe's largest wind producers 'Britain, Germany and Denmark harnessed just 14% of installed capacity, in the third quarter of last year, when gas prices hit record highs, compared with an average of 20-26% seen in previous years." The gas resources in the EU come mainly from Russia, which are also a problem in today's political world. I will be curious to find out what the situation is in Canada. This might be a wake up call not to grossly underestimate our own natural gas resources and nuclear energy. The issue is also related to transmission lines connecting wind mills and solar to an integrated grid which are extremely costly and community unfriendly. These expenses and infrastructure can be avoided by Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNR). We have the recent example of the Hydro Quebec transmission line project to New York State cancelled due to public opposition. Turning our attention back to natural gas and nuclear. I am not bragging here, but I must note that I have been a champion of nuclear energy as the best "no regrets" policy for more than a decade. By the way natural gas and nuclear are not "bridge fuels" or "transition" fuels, they are the fuels of the future. Why? They are low or no carbon, have small footprints, are affordable here in Canada, and scalable. Nuclear and natural gas in Canada are the only sectors that have enough momentum and enough capital behind them to make a significant dent in the overall use of classical fossil fuels. I continue to believe that environmental groups should applaud and not oppose the increased use the energy mix of natural gas and nuclear as it is part of the ongoing 'decarbonization' of Canada and the world. Regardless of what you think about carbon dioxide or the climate-change debate, it's apparent that the best way forward is to embrace natural gas and nuclear. To be clear, I am not gloating or bragging here. I am truly pleased that policymakers in Europe are, finally, embracing energy realism. It is about time to have this kind of approach here in Canada instead of destroying our economy and standard of living. Hope you are listening?

NATION WIDE SOLIDARITY TRUCKER TAUGHT US A LESSON

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” It is about time that we the silent TRUE NORTH awaken once in for all. Our culture is being raped. Our customs brought upon scrutiny. Our people oppressed and Our Canadian way of life changed in order to accommodate and tolerate foreign political agenda. Our laws are being manipulate to accommodate interests other than that of Canadians first. We, those that work hard to preserve the quality of life that brought us to this great nation are isolated, ridiculed and now as in the case of the truck drivers persecuted and prosecuted. Our red blood that we sacrificed time and time again is boiling hot for change. Our PM has proven he is in it for himself. Our economy is an out of control train. Look at the prices at the gas pump. Look at the food prices going through the roof. But wait our beloved incompetent politicians will blame either Covid or now the truckers. Enough is enough. We have a Prime minister that has clearly shown his lack of respect for his fellow Canadians. How dare he attempt to make it out that those that question him and demand accountability are racist, homophobic, nationalist and or terrorists of the state. Our Prime Minister has failed the Canadian people. Anyone with half a wit would have met with the drivers. Take their concerns to heart and done something about it. The original issue was over Justin legislation that demands all truckers to show proof of vaccination in order to cross the border. A huge mistake. Today the trucker issue has snowballed into a much bigger problem. Since the PM failed to put out a small fire. Today, Justin if fighting for his political future. The PM pushed on vaccination and in the push he fully vaccinated fall ill of the virus. Originally the virus meant prevention of infection. Today after in some place three four boosters. People are still are getting it. Only for the science tune to change from preventative to damage control if infected. RIDICULOUS. How dare, the PM be so disrespectful as to turn the police and military against our own people. WE THE PEOPLE OF THE TRUE NORTH SHOULD all be out there. When the price of gas shoots up. Don’t let the politicians get away with claiming that is the world price. Bull. We should shut down the country every time they mess up. National unity comes with making those elected accountable. Shut down the country for a week or a month. Wait, what am I saying. This is Canada. We think of ourself first. Pay our mortgages and bills. Due to our life style we have become docile in our efforts to demonstrate the many wrongs done by our government against our own Canadians. I SUPPORT THE TRUCKERS EFFORTS AND THEIR ATTEMPT TO DISRUPT DAILY ROUTINES. I APPLAUD WHOEVER THE ORGANIZER FOR HAVING THE BALLS TO SAY ENOUGH. Have you seen the recent footage of police actions towards demonstrators? Disgusting. How can anyone wearing a badge act like that towards another citizen. Police fully knowing that their action are breaking that same law they are trying to enforce. Police service boards should not allow this type of behavior to take place. The police image and standards must be upheld. Police should not be sent in to do the job of goons. The military should not be sent in to oppress people’s rights. The problem here is not the people protesting but that of PM that has proven he has failed Canadians. Now half wit Ford wants to declare a state of emergency in Ontario. Way to go Ford. Pour gasoline on a fire you fail to political tame. Talk about an oppressive government. Our PM is more concerned on pushing GLOBAL WARMING as it allow his government to dig in our pockets for phantom taxes. WE THE NORTH need to awaken. We need to show solidarity that the government GLOBALIST agenda will not be tolerated in Canada. We are Canadians for Canada and as such it is our duty come together and assure we are treated with respect and dignity in the preservation of standards, customs and traditions of this great Nation.

Turmoil in Canada

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As February marches on, the huge trucker demonstration continues in Ottawa and is spreading to cities across Canada. We also see more and more people wanting to return to a normal life, demanding an end to lockdowns and other measures limiting individual freedom. Political hypocrisy continues to reign, and the subservient media follow the liberal government like troubadours of singing journalists. Perhaps this is just a feature of today's human nature, and maybe I should learn to be more compassionate about hypocrisy. No one can be consistent all the time, and we all go a little cross-eyed when we're angry, but there are limits of common sense that have been missing in the governance of our country for some time. In the last few years, I've watched lefties who once passionately defended the legitimacy of protests that included isolated cases of looting and rioting, now condemn the truck convoy occupying Ottawa. They've gone fully bull-eyed authoritarian, demanding that the police they once wanted defunded, roll in and crack heads G20-style. Of course we have their champions like Jagmeet Singh calling for the immediate crack down on the demonstration. Once asking to defund the police, and now asking for more police to deal with the truckers, he is the embodiment of the hypocrisy politicians practice in the Parliament of Canada today. The Government, the city of Ottawa, their police and the media have gone to extreme lengths to denounce, demean and shut down this trucker protest. They even tried to stop the funding and donations to the convoy, where the money was taken and held by a private company. The Prime Minister's divisive language, his treatment of the protesters and the reaction by those in charge in Ottawa is unprecedented and unacceptable in a democracy. Perhaps the truckers' cause is not something they can agree with, perhaps it is an inconvenience to the city and those living in it. However, the vitriolic response by the mainstream media and the demonization of the protest have reverberated around the world, as have the Prime Minister's words, that make Canada look like a third word country. The hypocrisy of it all is staggering. First, all non-profits in Canada, especially the Environmental non-profits are heavily foreign funded. They have one job, and that is to protest and stop by any means necessary, Canada's oil and gas sector. They are cheered and aided by our Federal Government. I do not remember any of those movements having their funding stripped from them for any reason. Even when they break our laws, create a disturbance to the supply chain and cause the loss of one hundred thousand jobs. I never heard a word from Ottawa about the inconvenience to those who were harmed, be it due to protests or the destruction of lives. Second, the Ottawa police is exempt from being fully vaccinated. and as such, their jobs are protected. Yet this trucker protest seems to be somehow different because for once it is Ottawa that is inconvenienced and many civil servants are not sleeping well. No one has lost their job due to foreign funding, protests, or government interference or intervention. No one has ever denounced and treated any protest like they are treating this one. You don't have to agree with the cause, and yes, it's hard being inconvenienced due to the protest, but you are still employed on taxpayers' money and no one in Ottawa has lost everything. Their world has not been torn down so they have to start from scratch again. The hypocrisy of the mainstream media, the Government, the city, and those people is absolutely astounding. As time passes we start to see clearly that the measures taken in the pandemic were lead by political science and pseudo science advisers rather than real science. And the longer the truckers have to continue this protest, the more likely the whole affair will end in bloodshed, further ratcheting up the cycle of alienation and polarization that got us here in the first place. As the standoff continues somebody will make a mistake with unforeseen consequences. As the warrior style rhetoric from the government escalates by the day, lead by the fierce Minister of Public Safety Mendicino, who is known for his harsh language of condemning allied countries for genocide, I continue to believe that the standard by which the state ought to consider violent action against its own people is very high. It needs to be deeply reviewed, considered, and subject to serious accountability and oversight. We shall see whether this is the case, and hope that clear heads will prevail. The mainstream media continue to focus overwhelmingly on the most sensational elements of the story. Are they hoping, on some level, that it might morph into a US Jan. 6 style insurrection? They are presenting a version of events that is wildly at odds with the reality on the field of the protest. Neither is it in line with people who have attended protests in cities outside of Ottawa, which were mostly positive, non-violent and welcoming. This certainly further erodes trust in the media, pushing the public further into seeking other sources of information and away from politicised and polarized mainstream reporting. I note sadly that Prime Minister Trudeau doesn't seem eager to de-escalate the situation. No "understanding" from the Liberals for this crowd: they're a bunch of fringe deplorables with "unacceptable views." Did anyone expect a gentler tone after the last election? The Liberals only need the support of about 30 per cent of the population to govern, and that 30 per cent neatly aligns with the population who would love to see these truckers, the very personification of the anti vaccine mandate movement, get their heads cracked in, or at least be hauled off in irons. As the situation worsens around the country with the trucker demonstrations hitting the borders, I continue to think that a hard-line response to this protest instead of talking and negotiating risks a very, very bad outcome. If you think our current state of polarization and civil unrest is bad, how do you think it's going to look if the police storm in and leave a handful of dead truckers in the street to become martyrs of a country these people have already deemed tyrannical? The tiny spark that lit this protest was created by a vaccine mandate that would affect only a small percentage of unvaccinated cross border truckers. However, it quickly evolved into a protest to lift all lockdowns, vaccine passports and other vaccine mandates infringing on personal freedoms. The strong swell of support clearly reveals public sentiment now that the pandemic seems to be in the last stages and country after country discards pandemic restrictions. As Saskatchewan lifts pandemic restrictions and Alberta follows suit, what is the federal government doing? It's ignoring the truckers and, according to its very knowledgeable Federal Transport Minister Alghabra, dreams of imposing more pandemic restrictions on movement between provinces. The virus has evolved into a shadow of its former lethal self, because it cannot afford to kill its host if it is to survive. When will the governing leftists be as smart?

Stuggots ~ Escargots Tomatoe ~ Tomato What's The Difference

By Rosaldo Russo Allow me to begin this column by thanking the Oshawa/Central newspaper for allowing me the opportunity and access to the press. Not to many if any allow an average person like me to tell the world what I see and think. In my opinion. The Editor/Publisher is a real upstanding type of guy. He shoots from the hip and hold traditional core values. My name is Rosaldo Russo. I came to this great country to make a better life for myself and my family. I thank Canada for everything it has allowed me to do and earn. I worked construction all my life. I know the value of hard work and honesty. I remember as a boy my father always telling me to work hard and buy land. So I did. I remember days when I did not have enough to eat. I go to work... but I did not wait for hand outs. I rounded up my pride my skill and my determination to succeed and went to work. In those days the only benefits we received was the fact we were employed. Before retiring I was the owner and operator of local material supply company that allowed me to retired without worry. Now that I have time to enjoy life. I look around me and have some concern for future generations. I see that the world is finished. What is wrong with Canada. No matter who is driving we keep going down hill. I am a shame to be known to have supported the Liberals. Trudeau, instead of putting out the fire. He makes things worst. The whole trucker demonstration was about crossing the border. Justin thought to get into a pissing contest with the Americans and the Americans trumped all over Justin. It was not bad enough that Justin messed up at the border. He then has the character to call the truckers name and ignore them Really, Justin Mussolini. I guess he never been to a bull fight. You don’t win by getting in its way and expect the bull not to gouge you. Today, the truckers have turned this into a national thing that is far from the border. Through his arrogance he is now facing a much bigger snowball of issues. From freedom to vaccination and everything in between. How can this “Oobatz” of a Prime minister justify gas prices. Is he making so much money that he does not care. People are having problem paying mortgages, putting food on the table and this arrogant “Questo cazzo” does not care? Canada is finished. As the political sharks can smell Justin blood in the voters seas. They are all getting their tomatoes ready to make political sauce. They will feed the general public with the usual fare of scargots to sway votes and when they get in power do the same that Justin is doing, fill their pockets and give us Justin's father famous salute. Look at the eat-Stuggots-eat-Stuggots that is happening with the conservatives. In one corner we have the People’s Party, that it’s leader can’t even win his own ward. To guys like Erin O’toole and arrogant bastard that was in it for himself from the start. A guy that never personally returns a call. Then from the wood pile we have this Pierre Pollievere another conservative playing the right tune to sucker in people to once again bring the conservatives in power. Pierre a carreered politician says and does all the right things. The sad fact is that he may be pristine in his performance. The bad thing is that his under ranks are the same old same old MP’s. So what does this mean for the rest of us.... Another Justin. So then what is left? The Stunad NDP or best known in some circles as the NO DICK PARTY. God, help us all if they ever took over power. I am becoming real concerned over our future. Democracy is another world like love. What does it really mean. All I know is that my money is going towards this new party that is forming. Canada for Canadians party of Canada. A party that is taking the best from the right, center and left. The things that benefit Canadians. Forget this being right or left. It is time to be Canadian and create a new ‘ism’. One that will be a political beacon to the world. No more the same old same old. No more of the infighting. A party that will you the taxpayers interest at heart. Instead of sending billions in foreign aid. We will invest in education, health, job creation and most importantly prosperity for all to enjoy. Keep posted here to see some official posting by some of the leadership in the months to come. I personally endorse and support the Canada for Canadian Party of Canada. We must act now while we can.

Leveraging LinkedIn to Get a Job - Part 1

By Nick Kossovan A reader emailed me the following question: I was an exec at a small oil exploration services company. We closed our doors due to the economy in 2020, and I've been trying to pivot since then. I've never been on LinkedIn as I was employed for over 30 years at the same company and didn't feel I needed the exposure. Do you think it's a detriment/impediment to not be on LinkedIn? My answer: Not being on LinkedIn isn't detrimental to a job search; but it'll lengthen your job search. Job seekers gain two advantages by having a complete LinkedIn profile they keep current: 1. Employers and recruiters find them and approach them with job opportunities (Optimized LinkedIn profile = more views = more opportunities.), and 2. When short-listed for a job they've applied to, their LinkedIn profile, when visited by the employer, which is inevitable, will validate they're interview-worthy. According to a September 2020 Forbes article, 95 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates. What's more efficient for a recruiter; searching LinkedIn and reaching out to qualified candidates or posting a job and being inundated with resumes, many from candidates who don't meet the job requirements? To gain every advantage possible during your job search, you must have a LinkedIn profile that's attractive to employers. Maximizing your LinkedIn profile requires at minimum doing the following: - Keeping your profile current. (Regular updates.) - Being comprehensive about your skills. - Highlighting your experience, and most importantly, your value to your employers. (Remember, numbers are the language of business, therefore use numbers throughout your profile to support your claims.) I've found the best approach to making the best use of LinkedIn is to be authentic. Be yourself, represent who you are. LinkedIn isn't your resume. On LinkedIn, you have the opportunity to dynamically represent your experiences (and show your work), skills, career objectives, what you know, and what you're interested in. However, LinkedIn's power isn't dependent on how all-inclusive your profile is; it's dependent on how current your information is. In this column, and the next three (a four-part series), I'll be offering tactical tips on how you can make LinkedIn your job search partner. My first two tips will immediately boost your LinkedIn profile views. 1. Have a current, no older than 6 months profile picture. A profile picture is a crucial element of your LinkedIn presence, generating 14 times more page views. In addition, a hiring manager who sees your photo on LinkedIn will develop a specific impression of you. Therefore, it's critical to consider "strategically" what a person might conclude about your personality and competency from your profile picture. Job seekers have told me they don't have a photo because they feel uncomfortable "putting themselves out there" so visibly. Several have said they believe showing a picture of themselves could lead to discrimination because of their age, weight, or race. I tend to look at this last reason from the viewpoint that who you are will become apparent during your first meeting. I'd rather be upfront and be discriminated against, which I won't really know, than spend my time interviewing only to end up not getting the job due to the interviewer's bias. Bottom-line, the lack of a photo keeps your profile from being complete. Complete profiles appear higher in search results than "incomplete" profiles. 2. Get your headline right. When people search for you, they only see your photo, name, and headline, which appears beneath your photo. Worth noting, in August 2020, LinkedIn increased the number of headline characters you have from 120 to 220. When composing your headline, focus on these elements: - The role you want. (Use the job title that matches your goal.) - Your qualifications. - Challenges you enjoy solving. - Your track record. EXAMPLES: - B2B Inside Sales Representative | $2.7MM generated in 2021 | Digital Ads Manager | 5 years experience managing 7-figure ad budgets | Bilingual (French) - Digital Marketing Manager for gaming apps | Increased Subscription Growth From 12k - 55k Users in 8 Months (Without Spending a Dime on Ads) | Google Analytics IQ Certificated Note: While there is no shame in being unemployed, it's not a selling point. Employers and recruiters are interested in your skills, not your current employment status. Don't make the common mistake of adding "Actively Seeking Opportunities" or "Unemployed." to your headline. In next week's column, I'll be discussing the following: - Being comprehensive about your skills. - Build your network to the 1st degree. - Follow companies you're interested in joining. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Cupid Doesn’t Deliver

I would like to ask you about alienation of affection. Is there such a law? How hard is it to prove, and what are the penalties? I have been married four years and recently caught my wife cheating on me. I forgave her and tried to work things out, but unfortunately she moved in with her lover. They have been together two months. My wife is from Russia, and I believe she used me just to get her green card. Mutual friends have told me so. I have considerable property. Can I get an annulment? If I was successful, would she be entitled to anything? Also, I supported her two children for four years. Can I sue her for the expense? Ira Ira, we are not lawyers, but you need to think about things before you talk to one. If you succeed in hurting your wife, there will be lasting negative effects on you. People who plot the demise of others always end up hurting themselves. Each of you had a role in this. Your wife was in dire straits with two children to care for. She was like a mother bear doing what she needed to do to protect her cubs. Perhaps she thought she could force herself, or trick herself, into making this arrangement work. People under stress don’t think very clearly. You must have seemed like salvation to her. You offered her paradise, but you did yourself harm by going into a situation where you would look like a savior. Whatever made her believe this was love, or at least acceptable, disappeared when she came over here. She is not the same woman anymore. Work out a reasonable solution with your wife. Realize you can’t order love the way you order a pizza. Cupid doesn’t deliver. Tamara A Story Without End I have been dating a man named Cal for the past six months. We are very close and treat each other extremely well. We talk frequently about a long-term future. I couldn’t ask for things to be better. But there is one major problem. Cal’s ex-girlfriend repeatedly interferes in our relationship. She is what you would call a psycho. Almost every weekend we go out to clubs and then to an after bar party. When we are out, we run into her and she picks fights with us. We have had drinks thrown in our faces. Once when we were out, I turned around to say something to her, and she kicked me in the head. I fell down a flight of stairs. She was two stairs above me when I turned, so it might have been an accident. She has also broken into our house and smashed a window. Cal tells her to leave us alone, but she won’t do it. She phones here every week. Cal will say things like, “I still love you, but I’m not in love with you.” However, she is not the kind of person who understands that concept. She has made me a very angry person. If this continues, I may walk away from this relationship. That would be giving into her, but I don’t know what else to do. Talena Talena, when you are involved with a stalker, the only solution is to cut them off. There is no middle ground. When property damage and physical assault are involved, things are more than annoying. They are dangerous. Cutting off the stalker means hanging up the phone, changing phone numbers, not going where they go. Each time Cal talks to this woman, she has succeeded in extending their relationship. He can’t say, “I love you, but I don’t want to see you.” Mixed messages never work. At this point, the ball is in Cal’s court. If he doesn’t end this relationship, you have to wonder if some part of him wants it to continue. Wayne 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