"HE WENT FOR HIS GUN AND I WENT FOR MY GUN AND I BEAT HIM TO THE DRAW."

 H. J. Rogers
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Harvard Law School 66. 

HIM TO THE DRAW."
       THESE WERE THE LAST WORDS MY FATHER SAID TO ME.  THIS WAS SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN OF THE PAST CENTURY, NOT TOO LONG AFTER HE LEARNED THAT HE HAD LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE.  HE SHOWED UP AT MY OFFICE, TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED TO TALK TO ME AND WE WENT INTO ANOTHER ROOM.  IT WAS AT THAT TABLE THAT HE TOLD ME HOW THE STORY OF HOW THE WAR ENDED FOR HIM.
       BUT LET ME TELL YOU HOW THE WAR BEGAN FOR ME.  ON THE MORNING OF 7 DECEMBER 1941, MY FATHER, MY SAINTED MOTHER, AND ME MOTORED FROM FT. BENNING, GEORGIA, TO ATLANTA.  THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP WAS TO BUY THEIR FIRST HOME, A SMALL TRAILER THAT MY MOTHER WOULD DRIVE BACK TO WEST VIRGINIA AFTER MY FATHER SHIPPED OUT TO NORTHERN IRELAND IN EARLY 1942.  NO AMERICAN SAW MORE COMBAT THAN MY FATHER IN WW II.  HE WAS PART OF THE INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, AND THEN UP THE BOOT OF ITALY [CHURCHILL  CALLED THIS ''THE SOFT UNDERBELLY OF EUROPE''] ENDING AT THE PO VALLEY IN THE NORTH IN THE SPRING OF 1945.
       THE WAR ENDED FOR MOM AND ME WHEN WE WENT TO ST. PAUL'S METHODIST CHURCH IN PINE GROVE [A SMALL TOWN IN THE OUTBACK OF WETZEL COUNTY] AND SANG ''THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC.''   THE WAR HAD BEEN SUCH A BIG THING IN OUR LIVES, I THOUGHT, AND NOW DADDY WAS COMING HOME.  "WHY AREN'T THERE MORE PEOPLE HERE, MAMA'', I ASKED?  SHE SAID SOMETHING LIKE "THEY HAD BETTER THINGS TO DO, HONEY.'' BUT WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN GREETING A WAR HERO, I THOUGHT.
       THINGS WOULD NEVER BE AS GOOD FOR ME AS THEY WERE FOR ME THERE ON SIMPSON HILL IN PINE GROVE.  I WAS THE STAR ADORED AND WORSHIPED BY ALL.  THE FIRST CHILD AND THE FIRST GRANDCHILD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FAMILY.  WHEN I TOOK ''THE FIRST STEP'' OF 12 SOME 35 YEARS LATER, I SAW RATHER QUICKLY THAT IN AA AND NA THAT ONE RECEIVED THE FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENT OF ''GRANDMOTHER LOVE''.
       MY MOTHER WAS YOUNG AND ATTRACTIVE AND HAD STOLEN MY FATHER FROM HER YOUNGER SISTER (SOMETHING THAT WAS TOLD TO ME BY A GREAT AUNT IN SO-CAL WHEN I HITCHHIKED OUT THERE AFTER MY SECOND YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL.)  SHE WAS THE FAVORITE OF THE LOCAL DOCTOR WHO TOOK A SHINE ON ME AND WOULD LATER GIVE ME A DOCTOR'S HANDBAG (DOCTORS MADE HOUSE CALLS BACK THEN.)  HE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO GIVE ME A ''BOOST'' AND ONCE WHEN I HAD SOME  FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES IN LAW SCHOOL, HE MAILED ME A WAD OF CASH.
       THE LEITMOTIF, THE BACKGROUND BUZZ AS IT WERE THAT FOLLOWED ME UP UNTIL I WAS 6 OR 7 WAS ''POOR LITTLE BOY.  HE'S SO SWEET, TALKING ALL THEY TIME.  SO FULL OF ENERGY.  AND HE WILL PROBABLY NEVER SEE HIS FATHER.''  MY FATHER HAD BOUGHT INTO THAT MYTH.  YEARS LATER HE WOULD TELL ME ''WHEN I SHIPPED OUT, I NEVER EXPECTED TO SOME BACK.'' AND THE STATISTICS BACKED HIM THIS.  THE MORTALITY RATE OF A 2nd LIEUTENANT IN COMBAT IS NOT TOO MUCH MORE THAN THE DEW ON THE MORNING GRASS.
       BUT LET'S GET BACK TO MY FATHER AND ME AT THE TABLE.  HE TOLD ME THAT FOR THE LAST YEAR HE WAS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE AMERICAN ARMY AND THE ITALIAN PARTISANS.  THEY WERE MOSTLY COMMUNISTS WHO HAD OPPOSED MUSSOLINI SINCE HE TOOK OVER AND THEY WAGED A BITTER, VERY PERSONAL GUERILLA AGAINST THE ITALIAN FASCISTS.  FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN AMBUSHED AND KILLED 13 SS MEN, HITLER PERSONALLY ORDERED A 10 FOR 1 REPRISAL.  ''AND THAT WAS WHEN ITALY AND GERMANY WERE ALLIES'', MY FATHER TOLD ME.
       WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE REPLICATION OF WHAT MY FATHER TOLD ME IN HIS WORDS SOME 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO:
I was coming back to the base and about halfway there I saw two soldiers hitchhiking and I picked them up.  I said that I had to stop at Graves Registration but that I would take them to where they were going after I was done.  Well, they stole my jeep and the Army in its wisdom took the cost of the Jeep out of my pay.  Also, they docked me extra because an officer isn't supposed to be driving a Jeep.  He's supposed to have a driver.  Well, it's just a few days later--the War's almost over and the Jerries are surrendering in droves--and I see this big column of soldiers marching up the road, they're raising this big cloud of dust.  As they got closer I could see that they were Germans and they were all carrying their weapons because the Italian partisans would have killed them if they could.  There was a full Colonel leading them standing up driving the Jeep AND IT WAS MY JEEP.  He didn't have a driver either!!!  So the Colonel went for his gun, etc.
       HE WENT ON AND TOLD ME HOW HIS LAWYER HAD SOLD HIM OUT.  DIDN'T PLEAD HIS CASE WELL, ETC. FOR EXAMPLE, HE HAD HIM APPLY FOR A PURPLE HEART RETROACTIVELY.  HE HAD GOT HIT WITH SOME SHRAPNEL A YEAR OF TWO EARLIER.  SAID IT DIDN'T LOOK GOOD, LIKE HE WAS ASKING FOR MERCY.  AT THE TIME I JUST WROTE THAT OFF AS TYPICAL WETZEL COUNTY HARD-HEADEDNESS.  A LAWYER THERE CAN NEVER ''WIN'' A CRIMINAL CASE:  IF THEY GUY GETS CONVICTED, HIS LAWYER LET HIM DOWN; IF HE GETS ACQUITTED, HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN THE FIRST PLACE AND YOU SHOULD GIVE HIM HIS MONEY BACK.  
       I ONLY BROUGHT MY MOTHER TO TEARS ONCE, WHEN I WAS 12 OR 13.  MOM WAS BERATING ME ABOUT WHAT A TERRIBLE CHILD I WAS (and rightfully so!) AND I INTERJECTED WITH ''SO LOOK AT YOU.  YOU WERE GOING TO BE AN ARMY OFFICER'S WIFE, TRAVELING ALL OVER THE WORLD, WEREN'T YOU?  WELL LOOK AT YOU, LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE NOW?  IT WAS AT SOME POINT AFTER SHE QUIT CRYING---MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS OR YEARS,I DON'T REMEMBER BUT NOW, RIGHT NOW I CAN HEAR HER SOFT VOICE SAYING  Your Father got into a lot of trouble just as the War was ending.  Don't ask him about it, it will only make him mad.  Maybe someday he will tell you about it, maybe he won't.  Just don't ask him anything about the War.  Let him tell you.  Let him tell you, Herbie.
       IT WAS IN A CONVERSATION WITH A NEW MARTINSVILLE LAWYER (WALTER ''DIRT'' BALL) WELL OVER 60 YEARS LATER THAT MY FATHER ''SPOKE'' TO ME AGAIN.  "DIRT'' LISTENED QUIETLY AS I TOLD HIM THE STORY AND WHEN I WAS FINISHED HE SAID QUICKLY AND WITHOUT ANY HESITATION HE KILLED HIM.''
       ''DIRT'' WENT ON TO TELL ME ABOUT HIS FATHER WHO WAS IN THE PO VALLEY AT THE SAME TIME.  THE GERMANS HAD OVERRUN THEIR POSITION AND HIS FATHER WAS AWARDED  A SILVER STAR, A BRONZE STAR AND A PURPLE HEART FOR HIS CONDUCT IN REPELLING THE ATTACK.  HE WAS (LITERALLY) STABBED IN THE BACK.  ''THOSE GUYS HAD BEEN IN COMBAT FOR OVER THREE YEARS'', HE SAID.  ''THEY WEREN'T GOING TO PULL A GUN AND NOT USE IT.''  WHEN ''DIRT'' SAID THAT I THOUGHT ''THAT'S WHAT MY FATHER ALWAYS SAID TO HIS LITTLE GUN 'FREAK' SON: 'NEVER PULL A GUN UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT'."  IN MY IGNORANCE, I THOUGHT THAT THIS MEANT READY TO USE.  IN THE DAY [WHAT AN ODIOUS PHRASE, ALTHOUGH NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS ''WHATEVER''], I THOUGHT PULLING A GUN ON SOMEONE WAS JUST ONE WAY TO SETTLE AN ARGUMENT.
       SO IT'S AS CLEAR AS I WANT IT TO BE THAT MY WAR HERO FATHER [NOTA BENE: I HAVE REMOVED THE ITALICS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS ARTICLE] BY SAYING ''I BEAT HIM TO THE DRAW'' WAS SAYING SOMETHING THAT ANY KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON---OTHER THAN HIS ''WAR WIMP'' SON---WOULD UNDERSTAND.  AND THE REASON THAT MY FATHER FELT HIS LAWYER LET HIM DOWN IS THAT HE BELIEVED IN HIS HEART OF HEARTS THAT HE ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE.  AFTER ALL, WHAT CAPTAIN WOULD DARE TO PULL A GUN ON A FULL COLONEL?
       THIS IS NOT WHERE THE STORY ENDS THOUGH.  THERE ARE LOTS OF LOOSE ENDS.  HOW DID MY FATHER GET OUT OF DOING THE FULL 10 YEARS AT HARD LABOR IN THE FEDERAL PRISON AT LEAVENWORTH?  WHEN DID HE GET HIS VETERAN'S BENEFITS RESTORED?  THE PRISONERS WHO WERE FOLLOWING THE COLONEL WERE NOT ''REAL'' GERMANS BUT RUSSIANS WHO HAD BEEN CAPTURED ON THE EASTERN FRONT AND SENT TO ITALY IN GERMAN UNIFORMS.  AT POTSDAM THE ALLIES HAD AGREED TO SEND THEM BACK TO JOSEF STALIN.  WERE THESE ERSATZ GERMANS UNKNOWINGLY MARCHING TO THEIR DEATH?  WHO WAS THE GOLEM OF TRIESTE?  WHO WAS HUGH THOMPSON, JR. AND WHY DO I CONSIDER HIM THE GREATEST HERO OF OUR ADVENTURE IN VIET NAM?  [HINT: HE WAS A HELICOPTER PILOT.]      WHAT PART DO THESE ITEMS PLAY, IF ANY, IN MY FATHER'S STORY?
       IF YOU SEE ME AND WANT ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, IT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR YOU TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE $20 CASH CONTRIBUTION TO MOI.  IF YOU WANT A TELEPHONE REPLY, PLEASE CONTRIBUTE $100 TO HERBERT JOHN ROGERS, d/b/a, H. JOHN ROGERS CAMPAIGN FUND @ WesBanco.  Account # 0074008476. 
Routing # 043400036.  If you want a personal appearance, call (304) 455-3200, wait 15 seconds after my message for the beep and pledge $5000 in small, unmarked bills upon arrival.
       Editor's Note:  Mr. Rogers in his hubris forgot to mention that he is THE FAVORITE SON (The Evangelist Jeremy Gilbert from Paden City said that Mr. Rogers is G-D'S FAVORITE SON) for President in the 2020 Democratic primary.  Mr. Rogers in his political evolution has gone from Roosevelt Democrat to Libertarian and is currently a "DIXICRAT".  He has sought and received the blessing of the members of the PIPELINERS PENTACOSTAL PALACE, the "new wine'' in the old bottle of the First Methodist Church in New Martinsville.     
"HE WENT FOR HIS GUN AND I WENT FOR MY GUN AND I BEAT

The problem with federal judges!

The problem with
federal judges!
By Larry Klayman
The chief justice of the Supreme Court, the ever leftist-oriented John Roberts, many months ago strongly criticized President Trump for speaking plainly about the biases and political inclinations of federal judges. The president's criticism came in response to a ruling by the Honorable Jon Tigar, an Obama appointee on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, perhaps the most openly leftist of all district courts in the United States – and that says a lot given the makeup of most lower federal courts, particularly in the District of Columbia. Judge Tigar, who is the son of far-left activist attorney Michael Tigar, who not coincidentally intervened in the 9th Circuit case involving my client Sheriff Joe Arpaio, arguing that the sheriff's pardon should be nullified, had just issued injunctive relief thwarting the administration's asylum policy to limit rampant illegal immigration. After Trump simply pointed out that another Obama judge had ruled against him, Chief Justice Roberts issued this pubic statement:
"We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for." [Adam Liptak, "Chief Justice Defends Judicial Independence After Trump Attacks 'Obama Judge,'" New York Times, Nov. 21, 2018.]
Roberts' ridiculous defense of the political and other biases inherent in the federal judiciary is dishonest, and it is why conservatives and many others have lost confidence in the chief justice, who might just as well be head of the Supreme Court on Pluto. Even the left and its Fake News Media know that federal court rulings in cases that involve or even touch on politics, or social issues like abortion, usually go along partisan lines. That is why the media of all political bents generally make reference to which president, Democrat or Republican, appointed a federal judge to the bench.
I have said many times, including in my autobiography, "Whores: Why and How I Came to Fight the Establishment!" that one can predict with great certainty how a federal judge is likely to rule based on the political party of the president who appointed him or her. There are exceptions, but not many, and when there is an exception, its usually for other reasons, such as a judge not wanting to rule in favor of a party that is controversial, such as with many of my clients. Here, a federal judge may not want to be seen siding with a party who has been smeared heavily by the media or elsewhere, lest he or she also then be smeared for ruling in that party's favor. Again, there are exceptions, but very few.
Yesterday, two rulings came down from the most politicized federal district court in the United States, short of Judge Jon Tigar's one in San Francisco, ruling against my clients Dr. Jerome Corsi and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The two rulings, dismissing their cases, were largely the result of these extra-judicial currents and forces.
The Corsi case was primarily against Special Counsel Robert Mueller for having illegally surveilled and threatened my client with indictment if he would not lie under oath and implicate President Trump in crimes as part of the Russian collusion grand jury investigation. On behalf of Dr. Corsi, I alleged constitutional violations under the Fourth and First Amendments. You can view our complaint at www.larryklayman.com. The first judge assigned to the case, as related to other cases I had brought that involved some of my clients, the Honorable Richard Leon, a Bush appointee, decided not to keep it on his docket, probably because the judge himself was likely under surveillance by the intel agencies, I had learned. The case was then was bucked over to a Clinton appointee, the Honorable Helen Segal Huvelle.
A few weeks ago, an oral argument was held before Judge Huvelle, which I wrote about, and it was clear then, as ultimately occurred Thursday with her dismissal, that she would conjure up politicized grounds to protect her fellow Washington elite comrade, Robert Mueller.
Sure enough, in a very contrived decision, Judge Huvelle dismissed the case, mostly claiming that we did not show in the complaint that Mueller had ordered the attempted suborning of perjury and illegal surveillance of Dr. Corsi. What made this ruling most dishonest was that my client need only have alleged these facts in the complaint. Absolute proof would have been obtained through later discovery in the form of document requests and oral deposition testimony.

In response to the dismissal, which is being appealed, I issued this statement, which was reported in various publications:
"Judge Huvelle's decision was largely politically influenced and sadly comes as no surprise. In today's world, the elite establishment club in Washington, D.C., are 'protected species,' who are above the law. The American people are beginning to understand, and it is a dangerous situation when the judiciary provides cover for the elite and powerful. We saw that same thing in the years leading up to July 4, 1776."
Interestingly and regrettably, another politically tinged decision came out of the federal court in the District of Columbia yesterday, this one issued by a judge I have generally a high regard for, the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth, who has made many good rulings in my clients' favor, particularly during the Clinton administration. Judge Lamberth, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, effectively ruled in dismissing a defamation complaint I had filed for Sheriff Joe Arpaio, that while America's Toughest Sheriff was defamed by CNN, Rolling Stone and the Huffington Post, who falsely called him a "convicted felon," we had not pled actual malice with enough specificity to allow the case to go forward.
At the oral argument in the Arpaio case, I had told Judge Lamberth that I would amend the complaint if he wanted more specificity. But rather than asking me to amend, he dismissed the case with prejudice even though his decision admits that the sheriff was defamed.
Why did Judge Lamberth do this? In my view because the leftist media had made Arpaio so radioactive that even my favorite jurist got cold feet, preventing this case to go forward lest similar scorn come down on him as he faces the prospect of holding Hillary Clinton's feet to the fire in a FOIA case involving the destruction of her 33,000-plus emails.
I had seen this approach before with Judge Lamberth during my days at Judicial Watch, and while I do not agree with it, I have always been thankful that he did frequently stand up to the elite in the nation's capital. Given that we can easily be more specific as to the actual malice requirement for defamation against a public figure like the sheriff, I will now file a new complaint with more detail, have it assigned as related to Lamberth and hold the judge to his own words.
All of this underscores why federal judges should never have been given life tenure by our Founding Fathers, as they are not accountable to We the People. And, it also points out why state judges, who generally can be voted out of office, suffer from "less fun and games" on the bench.
If this nation is not to go the way of another revolution, we need to find a way to depoliticize and disinfect the federal judiciary. Otherwise, we will be right back to July 4, 1776.

HAS ANYONE HEARD OF THE WORD TREASON?

HAS ANYONE HEARD OF THE WORD
TREASON?

   
 By Joe Ingino b.a.
                                    Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”
HAS ANYONE HEARD OF THE WORD
TREASON?
By defenition, TREASON is defined as: In law, treason is criminal disloyalty to the state. It is a crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's nation or sovereign.
Now excuse me for asking a stupid question.   Is the media not committing acts of treason every time they report false news?   News companies like CNN.  A place that takes a clear side on arguments and creates it’s own circle of so called experts in just about any topic.  As long as they support the democratic agenda that CNN so closely favors.
First it was the Mueller report and the Russians.  Now it is an attempt at impeachement on a conversation that took place between the U.S. and the Hungarian president.
I have a question.   Is anything that the President does confidential?  What next the democrats are going to expect to have TOP SECRET documents released to the general public?
Are those that serve under the president by law forced to maintain some sort of confidentiality and or loyalty to the office?
It appears that those so called whistle blowers are nothing but disgruntled employees.  People that are clearly what is wrong with democracy.  People that have proven to be careered ‘me, me, me’ types with no consideration for the betterment of the population at large.
Democracy does not mean just because you lost an election that you have the right to destroy a country.   It does not mean that because you have the right to freedom of speech that you use it as a tool to push your selfish agenda.
Then they talk about that In the United States, the "deep state" is a conspiracy theory which suggests that collusion and cronyism exist within the US political system and constitute a hidden government within the legitimately elected government. 
 Conspiracy theorists believe that there is "a hybrid association of elements of government and parts of top-level finance and industry that is effectively able to govern the United States without reference to the consent of the governed as expressed through the formal political process", or consider the deep state to encompass corruption prevalent among career politicians and civil servants.
The term was originally coined to refer to a relatively invisible state apparatus in Turkey "composed of high-level elements within the intelligence services, military, security, judiciary, and organized crime" and similar alleged networks in other countries including Egypt, Ukraine, Spain, Colombia, Italy, Israel, and many others.
Once again... if this stands true.   Are these not acts of treason by government officials.  Are they not deemed acts of terrorism against the state?
I don’t understand why in North America we have grown to hate success.  Could it be that there are so many failures that it is a given to have anyone successful?  Trump may not be an angel from heaven.  But he surely has proven himself to be an exceptionally good business personal and a leaders.   I sometimes wonder how he keeps going on day after day?   After all the scrutiny and all the harassment.  Is it worth it.  After all he is donating his pay to good causes.
What keeps him going?  Love for nation.  Call of duty.   All I know is that in my opinion Trump has proven to be the best American President.   He keeps his word and he keep on the path of what he deems greatness.  What more can you ask?  As for impeachement... it would be a great travesty for the American people to loose such an asset over he said, she said.

ARE WE WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE? By Joe Ingino

Logic
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”

ARE WE WORTHY OF
REMEMBRANCE? 
 In a society that is all about ‘ME, ME, ME’.  In a society that carries on with apathetic attitudes towards humanity.   Are we worthy of remembering those that have fallen before  us.   Men and women that have sacrificed for our freedoms, our civil and human rights?  Men and women that have paid the ultimate price in the preservation of our culture, customs, traditions and way of life. 
Are we anything but hypocrites to once a year stand out on a cold day to remember the efforts that we violate on a daily basis?
Look how we treat our veterans.    We can pay 10 million dollars to a hockey player.  Yet, a wounded veteran... or any veteran for that matter will never ever see anything close to a million.  They in most cases are left at the mercy at the policy  of  the government of the day.
True condolence is not remembrance once a year in a show of false pretense.   As a government.  In oder to show true appreciation.   Every veteran and or immediate family member to a veteran that has passed should receive a set amount of money as appreciation for their or their family members contribution to this great nation we all call home.
No, instead we fill our eyes with tears in a false and in my opinion demeaning act or remembrance.  Is this what our forefathers fought for? Is this what our current troops are fighting for?
A pat on the back and a few words of encouragement.  While the rest of the population lives their lives in many cases in violation of the principles that of those that are serving and risking life for?
Like really, lets call a spade a spade here.
In our modern society if you believe in Canada first you are labeled a Nationalist.  If you express your point of view on the invading by foreign norms, traditions and customs you are labeled as suffering from a ‘PHOBIA’.  Is this what those soldiers gave their lives for?   Did they not die protecting the right to express our opinion without persecution?  Did they not serve with fear and uncertainty in their hearts..knowingly that they where serving their beloved country, Canada?    Are we to label these fallen as had suffered from a phobia?   A bunch of Nationalists.   We live in a confused society.  Forced to comply or else.  During remembrance day.  We should not be remembering those that served.  But reward them as they should.   And if our hearts leads us so passionately to remember and our eyes need to fill with tears in the process.  We must keep in our hearts the principles and convictions of those that have served.  Canada first all enemy or opposing our great nation second.   Right is right and wrong will be made right.  Now whipe your eyes and take action.  CANADA FIRST.
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”  Mark Twain

Remembrance Day, time for reflection...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We'll forever remember, never forget.

Halloween Should Scare Up a Big Boooo!

Halloween Should Scare Up a Big Boooo!

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

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

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

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

Here are my suggestions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Online

docgiff.com

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HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED? By Joe Ingino

Logic
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”

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

Joseph Whiteside Boyle

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

Reflection

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

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

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

The Doctor Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARE WE HAVING AN ELECTION?
 by Joe Ingino

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

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

Logic
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

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

What I Think Of Canada's New Food Guide

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

Rejected Rejection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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