Confused by H1N1

Each year, the flu hits and takes a substantial amount of lives. This year, we have a new flu known as H1N1 that seems to be getting the spotlight. There are conflicting stories in the media about the vaccine, and whether or not it is really going to be effective. I saw a YouTube video involving several doctors who are dead against the H1N1 vaccine and vaccinations, in general. They feel that before anyone submits to getting vaccinated, they should research and educate themselves fully.

An article from the Globe and Mail November 5 is encouraging people to get the H1N1 shot. The shot is not readily available for all Canadians until Christmas time. The hype is strong surrounding this super flu and its supposed antidote. The more focus in the media of the spreading virus and the lack of vaccine availability, the more people are panicking. I know someone who stood in line for 3 hours this week to get their 2 children immunized. I also know 2 other people who received the H1N1 shot and they reported that they came down with mild symptoms of the flu the very next day.

We all know that the pharmaceutical companies are capitalizing each year through drug, and vaccine production. We are so trusting of the drugs they provide. Is the H1N1 virus really more harmful then other flu viruses, or is this an opportunity for our government to team up with the pharmaceutical companies and take the focus off another really big issue? After all, there has been a record amount of scandal in Parliament this year.

It's hard to know what to do with so much ambiguous information floating around. Because of this uncertainty, I will not be taking the H1N1 shot. I will practice good hand washing techniques, eat healthy, get plenty of rest, and hope for a healthy winter.

Find the cartoon image featured in this blog here.

Sweat Lodge Experience Goes Severely Wrong

This article talks about the terrible "Spiritual Warrior" retreat tragedy.

I heard about this perilous journey that people paid up to $10,000 to experience. James Arthur Ray, a spiritual guru, was the leader of this retreat. Part of the journey was to fast for days before participating in the sweat lodge event.

Kirby Brown, 38, was one of the victims that passed away during the vigorous and extreme sweat lodge. How anyone would ignore pleas from people in the lodge when they started saying they could not handle the heat anymore, is beyond me. These people had fasted for days prior to this sweat lodge ceremony, and who knows if they had hydration during the 2-hour event. Ray did not force people to stay in the tent, but he strongly encouraged them to stay for the entire time. The situation is being investigated by authorities as a homicide. This could be the end of Ray, and his multi-million dollar spiritual empire.

I don't feel that there was any thought to the health and well-being for these followers of Ray. Because 3 people died and at least 18 were hospitalized for dehydration and organ failure, totally abolishes Ray's creditibility. He talks about obeying the laws of the universe because if you don't, you will never accomplish what you set out to do. Ray did not obey the laws of the universe in this sweat lodge incident, and there are many paying the price for his obvious carelessness. He ignored the warning signs around him. People were becoming distraught, unable to handle the intensity of the heat. Ray encouraged them to stay inside and this proved to be a tragic error.

Traditional sweat lodges are not intended to kill people, nor force them to endure more than they can physically handle. They are built very carefully and in a way that allows enough oxygen for the participants.

Time will unfold the destiny of James Arthur Ray. I have to question his intent in this sweat lodge, turned death lodge experience. Read more here and decide for yourself.

When Work Quits before You Do

This story touches on our failing economy.

This article really hits home on the generation gap that looms for many baby boomers. Technology has exploded and has taken over the market place, replacing many previously prestigious and sought after career paths. There is no longer a big need for help when creating photography, newsprint, social networking, and public relations. Through technology, virtually anyone can utilize the previous simply by learning a new software. Anyone who didn't jump on the technology bandwagon is certainly feeling the crunch now.

There are many people who have work quit them before they are ready to quit work. It could be because of sickness, or accident, as well as a failing economy. Life depends on money and one better hope they have planned for the unexpected. Unfortunately, there are many who never thought of that. There are also many who did, worked for 28 years toward a 30 year pension, and suddenly found themselves out of employment. Imagine paying into a pension for 28 years and losing that? It's hard to not envision a feeling of devastation in this particular case.

It must be difficult for an older person with so many years experience to submit to a younger boss that in most cases, knows very little about the fundamentals of the business. They have one thing that the older person does not, and that is called youth.

The good news is that all is not lost. There is always an opportunity to start from where you are. It's time to get on the technology band wagon so not to get lost in the dust.

Giving Global Warming the Cold Shoulder

The Globe and Mail had an interesting article recently about pessimistic views toward global warming.

Global warming has been a hot topic in the media for over a decade. Is this once thought of huge threat on our future, no longer a huge threat? Temperatures have levelled off over the past 10 years and people have become desensitized to the idea of global warming. The fight against global warming has raised taxes and and eyebrows amongst the masses. Are scientists, environmentalists, and governments capitalizing off the general population?

I believe in the old saying "Don't Fool with Mother Nature." For years, much of the earth's rainforest's was cut down and destroyed. I remember learning in school that rainforest's were responsible for about 60% to 70% of our oxygen (this number seems to be 40% now). Rainforest's once covered 14% of our earth, and now is reduced to only 6%. I am not a scientist, but common sense tells me that this is not a good thing for the earth. Why did our government allow this to happen, knowing the rainforest's are responsible for turning carbon dioxide into oxygen, as well as being a medicinal provider against deadly disease?

There is yet another statement I have heard many times that says,"we pay for the sins of our fathers." Global warming is the result of mere greed of the lumber industry. It's hard to turn back after the damage is done. The rainforest's are diminishing, and now future generations will pay personally, socially, and financially for this destruction. No one really knows what our future really holds.

A good start to helping the carbon dioxide problem would be to stop destroying the rainforest's and look for a way to replenish critical vegetation. This progress will only happen when the 'powers that be' actually admit their mistake.

Ontario Cuts Funds for Entrepreneurs

The Liberals are not helping the economy get back on its feet. Read this article and see why.

During these omnipresent troubled economical times, the Ontario government has now put a hold on further funding for two potentially stimulating programs. The future does not look bright for anyone in Ontario who is planning on starting their own business. In the past year, thousands of people have been laid off from their jobs because of businesses closing down. We have a financial crisis in our province and many people are not even eligible for employment insurance. The government seems to be turning a blind eye to the problem, shutting many Ontarians out in the cold.

Most job loss has occurred in the manufacturing sector. Certain communities have been hit harder than others. The provincial government has decided to pull the plug and stop accepting any further applications from anyone wanting to pursue education and create a new business. What are the unemployed supposed to do? Because of the funding cuts, there won't even be any research carried out to explore job creation. The unemployment stats are misleading because anyone who doesn't qualify for employment insurance fall off the radar. While the numbers continue to show a decrease in unemployment rates, the reality of it hardly compares.

In light of recent reports of government funded organizations wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on programs that ultimately made zero headway in accomplishing what they started out to do, really is a slap in the face for the thousands of unemployed people of Ontario.
Perhaps we are in need of a change of government in this province, since it seems that their list of promises that remain unleashed keeps growing, and any hope of recovering from this economic downturn continues to diminish.
Anyone still working in Ontario should be very thankful for what they have. I feel badly for the one's who don't know how they are going to make ends meet, or how they are going to begin to start over.

Obama World Peace Prize?

Barack Obama wins a Nobel Peace Prize. There seemed to be much question from the media and public to this prestigious award going to Barack Obama. I have to admit that when I first heard this announcement, I too questioned the decision. My first instinct was that maybe this was just a little bit of grandstanding on the political front. Actually, there was a lot of people around me that said they were wondering what constituted Obama to be this year's winner.

My understanding of the Nobel Peace Prize is that the criteria baseline is grounded in peace attribution. It seems to me that the United States is involved in two wars going on in the middle east. Mr. Obama is actually Chief and Commander of two major wars. What an oxymoron to claims of world peace efforts. Perhaps it will take a little time to end these wars, and the President appears to have strong beliefs in ending war and creating solidified altruistic relationships between the US and the rest of the world.

I think it's great that Obama is using diplomacy as a strategy to achieve strong relationships and understanding within the nations. In reality, we should be living in peace, adapting to the natural order of ebb and flow of life.

Whether or not Obama winning a Nobel Peace Prize was premature, will obviously remain an issue of debate. All we can hope for is that the world does achieve the prize's ultimate goal of obtaining world peace.

The House of Pain

This is what I refer to my most recent undertaking of going to the gym. After many years of inactivity, I have signed up for personal training sessions and have done three so far. Might I mention that I purchased these sessions at a silent auction earlier this year. Not to add insult to injury, but there is nothing silent about the pain that I have endured in my short tenure of going to the gym.

My first session went pretty well. It was a light workout combined with a consultation with my trainer. We talked about diet, my goals, and what I expect to gain from these sessions. I was sore the next few days, but went on to my second session without reservation.

The second session included a full leg workout, which I felt instantaneously. I walked out of the gym feeling much like a gumby doll. The rest of the night was interesting. It was difficult to walk up and down stairs and my muscles seemed to have a mind of their own. The next two days can be described as "full and total pain." On a scale of one to ten, I give the experience an eight. I could not even get out of my car and wished I had a crane there to lift me to an upright position.

I was supposed to go in for another workout post second day and ended up calling and re-scheduling. My trainer told me to soak in a tub of Epsom salts and to come back the following day. He assured me that we would not be working on legs, but instead would focus on upper body. Today I feel stiff and sore, but nothing compares to that first leg workout.

Knowing that going to the gym will boost my energy level, improve wellness, and eventually make my clothes fit better will keep me motivated. As time marches on and the workouts add up, I know the soreness I feel now will lighten.

I will forge on and keep this routine going. I keep thinking of an old saying that I've heard many times before - "no pain, no gain."

Analysis: 'Blackface Jacksons' embarrassing to Australia

This article talks about racisim in Austrailia.

I've never been to Australia, but have always been intrigued by movies, pictures, and stories I have seen. I picture the men as rugged, strong, and ready to take on a crocidile in the outback. After reading this article, I am a bit embarrassed by the ignorance that seems to be prevelant in this nation. A former Prime Minister stated that, "Australians pride themselves for their egaltarianism", but apparently, this is for white people only. This statement seems ambiguous to me and should be disgarded.

Good for Harry Conick Jr. for rejecting racial slurs. I'm sure that the Jackson family would not feel this skit was funny, especially because of the recent loss of a dear loved one. It is too bad that Michael Jackson could not receive the respect he deserves, if only for what he gave mankind through his music, dance, creativity, and altruism. I don't understand this 'old school' behaviour of this group in Australia. This is disrespectful on so many levels, and I'm glad this act has been exposed. Conick Jr. is a native American and displays how much progress many Americans have made in the segregation of different race.

It is important to treat others with respect and dignity. The colour of our skin does not decide our class or worth. We are the same inside and no one is better than any one else, even though there are many who would beg to differ. There is nothing funny when we joke at the expense of others.

This situation only stresses that Australia is still a very young nation that needs to grow up.

CIBC "Run for the Cure"

On Sunday, October 4th, I had the pleasure of walking in my third ever "Run for the Cure" fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research. This was my second year in a row walking for a team called "Ann's Army", a team made up of OPG employees, and their family, and friends. Both years, we have won the corporate award, rasing the most of any organization involved. One year I walked for a team called "Freshly Squeezed", a team sponsored by Norfolk General Hospital's Ontario Breast Sceening Program. The "Run for the Cure", is held all across Canada and has helped raise millions of dollars for breast cancer research. This event, started out small and has grown by leaps and bounds as the years have rolled by. Each year, many more people are affected by this horrible disease and we are all there for one reason or another, but most of all for wanting to help find a cure. In our location alone (Simcoe, ON), there were over 1,400 participants. It was amazing to see a sea of pink walking through the streets of Simcoe.

I've met so many lovely people through participating in this event. Last year, I brought my Bichon Poo Rosie, who stole many hearts there. A wonderful lady who walked with me wanted to walk Rosie. I have to say she did a fine job making Rosie heel. We all enjoyed our 5 km walk. This year, I brought Rosie again, along another addition to the family, another Bichon Poo who is called Lily. A friend of mine was at a dog show a few weeks back and picked up a pink doggie stroller for me. Since I had the two dogs to deal with, I brought the stroller along to make things a bit easier. What a conversation piece this was indeed. The local paper asked me if they could take our picture, it was great. As it turned out, the same lady from last year wanted to walk Rosie again (I think she really likes Rosie), and to top it all off, a girl I work with wanted to walk Lily. It was nice to see Lily heeling with her as well. There wasn't a dog for me to walk, so there I was walking an empty stroller for 4 km. We put the girls in the stroller for the last kilometer because they were tired, and they were as good as gold. I am so thankful to a co-worker who snapped the featured picture. I would not have had an epic picture if it wasn't for him.

I hope to be involved again next year, and I look forward to again witnessing the heartfelt spirit that is definitely a big part of this event. I'm proud to be a part of such a passionate group of supporters and survivors.

Sick Kids 'superstar' fundraiser under a spotlight

This blog is in reference to the following article:

Volunteers and Smoozeneers

After reading this article, I finish week 3 of my tenure as volunteer campaign coordinator for the organization I work for, heading up their internal charity campaign. I can't help but feel deflated in my efforts because it is stories like this that ruin it for the rest of us. The work I am doing is not compensated monetarily, but rather by fulfillment because of a deed from the goodness of my heart. All of the money raised through our campaign will go directly to charity. This does not seem the case for this donor generating giant.

Michael O'Mahoney recently resigned as head of Toronto's Sick Children Foundation. Since 2003, he has earned in most years $620K (U.S.) annually. This is more than your average specialist. Last year his annual income was slightly lower, only making $574K. The best part of this story is that O'Mahoney resigned and was given $2.4M as a severance. While O'Mahoney was in power at the foundation, expenses increased 31 per cent annually and donations increased 18 per cent. This does not sit well with your average volunteer or donor. O'Mahoney boasts raising $489M for the foundation while at the helm. The truth is that he did not do that alone. He oversaw a huge staff that executed large fundraising programs. It would be impossible for any one person to raise that kind of money alone.

A Lack of Transparency

The trust may well be broken for the people who support Sick Kids. This is mainly because these claims are coming out after a significant amount of money is spent on administrative costs. Charitable organizations strive for transparency. It is obvious this particular one has a deficit in that area.

It's not to say that a person working in the not for profit sector should not be paid for their hard work, but perhaps a more reasonable annual salary is in order. One can not go around asking people to donate their time and money and then pocket a substantial amount of the donations.

This is likely a wake up call for many organizations who are competing for charitable donations. It is typically thought that spending 20 percent of the donations is a reasonable amount, but depending on the circumstances, could be hard to achieve. An organization is lucky if they have a large 3rd party fundraising group that raises a ton of money for them and expecting very little in return. Sick Kids definitely would have opportunity to cultivate that with a donor database of 300,000.

Giving money to the right cause, used in the right way, is a very vital part of communities. Let us not get discouraged, let us learn from this.

Many Thoughts to Ponder

After almost two years, I am back on the blogger. This next series of blogs will be dedicated for my Social Media class. I look forward to being a regular blogger again, as well as reading my other class mates blogs.

My blog won't have a specific theme but rather, I will focus on many different topics as I experience them, or see them in the media. After all, there are so many thoughts to ponder.

More coming soon...

We're Canadian and Everybody Loves Us

Link for MacLeans annual poll on how others view Canada here.

Everybody loves us and we don't even know it...
I had no idea that Maclean’s did an annual poll surveying other cultures to find out how they rank Canada as a nation. I think that is a very good idea and it helps give one sense of identity and accomplishment on Canada’s footprint in the world. I’m impressed by the positive feedback Canada got as being one of the best countries to live in the world. On the other hand, it was a bit disturbing to learn how Canadians view the country themselves in some areas. The Americans seemed to be more knowledgeable about us than I thought to be as a rule. They were the only ones to pass with a whopping score of 91% on global knowledge of Canadian affairs. The United Kingdom scored the lowest at just 17%. Perhaps Americans are realizing that we are neighbours and they should know more about us since we do contribute to global issues. I know that when I was in school in my younger days I learned more about American history that I did about Canadian.

Canada is beautiful and diverse!!
Most people surveyed from other countries ranked Canada as high on the nature lover’s list, as Canada has a lot to offer in that regard. What a beautiful country we live in, we are so lucky. Another factor high on the list was that Canada was viewed as offering great quality of life. New residents frequently said that they came to Canada because of the attractive economics. They believe that there are good jobs here along with a good living and future. One lady from Mexico said that there was a very noticeable difference between the poor and the rich in her country, but here the social life was different. The example of the CEO swimming in the same pool as the bus driver was used. She said you would never see that in her country. We really are a diverse culture here in Canada.

Canada is leader in working toward human rights and peace in the world
Most Americans and other nations felt that Canada was a strong leader in this regard.  People surveyed said they felt comfortable about being able to practice their religions freely in Canada. Canadians felt the same, but didn't feel the judicial system was the best in the world. Canadians also seemed to be very proud of the strong social services Canada offered.

Keep Canada what it is Canada...
Many of the people surveyed including Canadians thought that Canada seems to do whatever the United States wants them to do. I think that no matter how close our countries seem to be, Canada will always be distinct from the United States. Our multiculturalism practices alone would put that thought to rest. There are many differences and we should be happy and proud to be a resident of Canada. We are truly blessed here in so many ways. I agree with the lady from Mexico who said that Canadians take for granted what we have here that a lot of other countries don't offer.

Dion accuses Tories of having hidden agenda on death penalty

Is Canada headed toward implementing the death penalty?
I’m not sure I agree with the above statement or necessarily agree with Doin’s accusations that the Tories have a hidden agenda on the death penalty. Yes, in Canada there is no death penalty and there is a lot of crime and hateful crimes happening here. I am not claiming to be a fan of capital punishment especially since in the past few years there have been more than a few cases that proved authorities had the wrong person for crimes committed long ago. These people lost a majority of their lives in jail serving time for something they did not do. If you are deemed guilty in this country, you could spend up to a life sentence in a jail. This is a cost paid for by the taxpayer and it doesn’t come cheap. I just heard that the government spends more money on sustaining the jail system than they do for native programs. The numbers seem higher for the native programs but almost half of the money goes to administrative costs and fees, lawyers etc. Ronald Smith is a Canadian charged with 2 counts of murder because he killed 2 Montana men. He was hitch hiking and the men picked him up. He ended up kidnapping them and wanted their car so he took them both behind bushes and shot them execution style.

Respecting the law of the land….
Countries have laws that even if you don’t agree with must be respected. If you don’t respect another country for their laws, you should pay the price. If visiting another country that has capital punishment, you as a visitor should not be doing anything that can put you in death row position. This doesn’t mean we are headed towards reinstating the death penalty here in Canada. It really tells me that the government feels that Smith is guilty of his crime. It is also true that we are multicultural and we respect other traditions and laws. We practice our own here and others practice their own elsewhere.

Where do you draw the line?
Not reaching out for a fellow Canadian confined to another country in a prison is unfortunate but we would be defending someone who committed an indefensible crime. He would end up coming back to Canada and spending the rest of his life in prison for his crime, a crime he committed while in a foreign land that allows capital punishment. I think that if the government reaches out and helps Smith then that would set precedence for the future. Given the details of this case it is best to let the American authorities deal with this Canadian man.

Spin Doctors doing their thing...
I also think this is just a spin put together by Dion's people. There is an election looming so this is just the beginning of putdowns and shakeups from the opposition parties.

Read this story and decide yourself.

Nicolle Brown - Intern for Flare.com

See Nicolle's video in the Internship Contest for Flare.com here.

Intern contestant adds her own flare to Flare.com...
Nicolle has done a fabulous job of capturing every aspect needed for the position of intern at Flare.com. I would definitely say she is one of the top picks for this job. She is graduating from Media Studies so she has learned a lot of Internet related material. Her video is a prime example of her acquired skills. I think her video was put together very well. She is an attractive communicator and Nicolle sells herself in a very effective way. Her video kept my attention and I think it was very well rounded.

Nicolle presented herself very well and would probably give the people who are hiring her a run for their money. She shows maturity and initiative by volunteering at a community radio station. I think it is very impressive that she programs a weekly radio show and is an on air personality. They must like her work there as she is an elected member of the Programming Committee. There is always an issue of having education without experience and having experience and not having the education. What a double-edged sword this is. I think that if Nicolle put that much effort into her video for an intern position, imagine what she’d do if she got the position and wanted to be kept on as permanent staff? I would think she’d do a fantastic job for the company.

I really liked this video and think Nicolle should be a contender for the intern position. She knows what is needed to be successful for this job and she is clearly artistic and covered many aspects of life and work pertaining to Flare.com.

Flare.com should hire this girl and help make her dreams come true!

NBC executive slams Apple for "killing music industry"

Look for the article called:NBC executive slams Apple for "killing music industry"

To read this story yourself, follow this link.

Everybody wants a piece of the monetary apple pie!
First of all, I don't think the music industry is near being killed. Call me naive but the last time I checked $15M was a substaintial amount of money for a company, especially when another company has done all the creating and inititation for you. This is a small part of NBC's revenue generating inititatives. Apple has provided the means and the vehicle is in place so people are going for a different way of gathering music. I think that we are paying too much for most everything in life. Sick of being gouged in present day society everywhere you turn, consumers are looking for a break where they can get it. I don't know how many times, I've bought a cd and have liked only 1 or 2 songs on the whole thing. There are cd burners, ipods and computers so why wouldn't people make their own musical ensamble? Zucker is a big baby for whining about only getting $15M in revenue from Apple for itunes.

You stratch my back and I'll sratch yours...mmm what?!
As if NBC representative Jeff Zucker didn't sound ridiculous enough whining about the poor sales..(a measly $15M), he in no uncertain terms went over the line by complaining that Apple had not given NBC a cut of their iPod hardware sales. What the heck is going through that man's head? How did he ever get to the position of where he is? How could he even imagine that NBC deserves a cut of Apples hardware? That statement is dripping with pure greed and is totally irrational.

People seem to like it...
Although I don't have an iPod myself yet, everywhere I look I see people with them. They are much more practical for anyone who likes to exercise to music. New technology has improved and while running on the treadmil you don't have to worry about where to put your cd player. The iPod is compact and easy to handle. iTunes are affordable and I like the concept. Apple has a piece of gold in their possession. Their executives must be sitting back laughing at NBC and Zucker at this very moment. I do believe it is the consumer who ultimately continues to decide which products serve them the best.

What to do with the ex-PMs and all that pent up bile?

This article can be found here.

Oh dear poor things...how dare they be treated as a common person! I really don’t have a lot of sympathy for them. I think they are lucky people who have seen the world and done many things that so many of us never will. Their handsome pensions should help keep them living life to the fullest and take care of them financially for the rest of their days here on earth. Yes, I’m sure it can be a stressful job to be in control, but if they choose to go there they will get what they deserve in the end, be it good or bad. Many leaders have gone on to do many wonderful things and maintain the respect of the masses.

Why is it some former leaders can't just use their experience in a positive way instead of living with guilty consciences and then attacking their predecessors the way they seem to do? How awful that Mulroney had to stoop so low as to say what he did about Trudeau. From what I've learned about Trudeau it seems he did pretty good for his country and himself. Mulroney said because Trudeau didn’t serve in WWII, he didn’t deserve to have a position of moral leadership. It is obvious that the Canadian people disagreed because Trudeau spent 16 years as prime minister and decided to step down on his own accord.

Most of these leaders don’t deserve to be grumpy about anything but their own actions during their role in leadership. Give me a break with this one. Be mad at yourself and clean up your own backyard before you attack someone who isn’t even living anymore and can’t defend themselves.

I really like what I read about the former prime ministers from Portugal and Italy moving on with their careers…to them I give kudos! I think that is a perfect example of what should happen. The experience that these guys gain should not be wasted. Keep them involved in some way if you can. On one condition though, that they use their knowledge in a positive way. With attitudes like of Mulroney this could prove to be damaging. Here is a man who definitely lost the respect and trust of many Canadians with his supposed bribe taking skills.

Former leaders have made a footprint in history in one way or another (good or bad) and they will not be ever totally forgotten. The choice really ends up in their hands on how they want to be remembered. It's easy to wipe out all the positive with a stupid move or stupid thing to say.

A fine tribute to Trudeau can be found here.

Sex and marriage with robots? It could happen

View this article here.

I now pronounce you human and robot!?

Things never cease of amaze me! Wow, this article and theory is definitely thinking outside the box. That is the least I can say on this subject. Just try and wrap your head around the fact that humans could find true love and marriage with a robot programmed specifically to their likes. I suppose this is possible considering psychologists have identified approximately 12 basic reasons why people fall in love. Making a robot more human-like is happening and they can be programmed with similarities of preferred personality and knowledge.

It's all about the sex!

I wonder how the lady in the Withering Marriage debate (Barbara) would feel about this subject? Would she be calling single childless women selfish now? Talk about losing procreation? I don’t know for sure but I doubt they will be able to make robots fertile. I also think they can make a robot look and act like a human but they have no emotions and are definitely artificial. If not bad enough hearing someone say, my husband left me for another woman but then having to say my husband left me for a robot. As if there wasn’t enough competition in the world already. The worst part is that the robot would never feel remorse for stealing your husband away from you. With a human, there is a slight chance of someone having remorse for hurting another. Of course not all people will go out and marry a robot but there will be some who do.

Morse codes unveiled by a talented British mathematician:

Allan Toring was famous during WWII because he decoded Japanese and German algorithm and saved the free world. He became interested in mass communications and wanted public opinion. He then developed a theory and asked himself how a machine was intelligent? He said that knowledge of the self is written by experience in life. Developed an imitation game and it involved an interrogator, a woman and a man. They communicated to each other and did not see one another at all during this time. After awhile they replace one with a computer. If no one could tell when this happened then the machine would be deemed intelligent. Machines can only think and interact but cannot dance or win a beauty contest. Humans cannot match up with the cognitive ability of a computer. We program computers and the fact is people make mistakes but machines don't make mistakes. Artificial intelligence can backfire on us. Therefore you can simulate imperfect knowledge so the computer doesn't answer right.

See some mind provoking comics called: Toring Test Comics

I saw it on Nip/Tuck...

I remember watching an episode of Nip/Tuck where a character named Kimber who was a porn star developed a Kimber doll who was a remarkable likeness of her and one of the doctors had sex with the doll. He was totally having conversation with the doll and was imagining her as Kimber the human. When I watched this episode I thought how whacked is that. This is a similar concept so holywood is doing it. It is only a matter of time until it is happening everywhere else.

It seems to be a well thought of subject with articles being written and research being done. All this being said, I still think it is wacky but understand the reality of it all. Humans are willing to try anything apparently. I suspect this one to have many repercussions attached to it.

McGuinty's Liberals roll to majority

Read this link yourself "McGuinty’s Liberals roll to majority" here.

Liberals stayed solid in their campaign focus

McGuinty had a simple campaign focusing on health care and education. Whether you work or have experienced being a patient within the healthcare system, you know how important funding is. The healthcare system has been on a steady decline for a long time, which became quite evident in the early 1990’s with a big crunch that is being felt even more now with an aging work force. He said he was going to enhance healthcare the last time he ran and he turned around and introduced a health tax. Education has also been a hurting sector and the same kind of financial issues apply here. The people of Ontario really want to believe there will be positive changes in these two very stressed and important sectors. I remember reading that McGuinty's wife is a teacher, so that should be a bonus for the educational system. After all, she is the love of his life!

I see many different needs in our province and I hope the liberal party will do right by the Ontario people as Mr. McGuinty stressed that this win was about the Ontario people.

What does a majority government mean for Ontario?

I think the people of Ontario are basically sick of government propaganda and broken promises. Tory may have had a chance at stopping the majority government, but as said before, the faith-based funding issue really freaked people out. If we can't sustain what we have already, then how would we fund other faith-based schools? I live in rural Ontario and have seen a steady decline in public school enrolment here. The catholic based school system has captured a majority of enrolment with the building of a brand new state of the art highschool in 2000. I agree with the fact that John Tory basically handed the election over to Dalton McGuinty when he said he was going to publicly fund other faith-based schools. That was a hot topic too hot to touch.

McGuinty was then able to use the segregation issue of our children to his advantage and win the majority vote. He sent powerful messages like “our children always play and sing together”, as well as asking the public if they wanted to segregate our children? This would be the case if the PC’s got in power. I really think this was the nail in the coffin for the Tory’s. The fact that John Tory retracted his original statement and proposed a vote in Queen's Park meant nothing to most people as the damage had already been done. With the liberals getting a majority government there will be little opposition for them and their agenda.

It's about the Ontario people...

It's up to McGuinty and his government to do the best for Ontario. Only over the next four years will we know for sure what this government will in fact do. Maybe next time we will also have a better attendance at the polls. What a shame that only 52% of people got out to cast their vote.

Whither Marriage

Link for this video intereview and discussion can be viewed here.

I am not sure statistically how true this whole thing is anyways. So many people are opting out of getting that piece of paper (marriage certificate), and are living together, having a family and contributing to society just as a married couple would do. This has become an acceptable lifestyle to our society. Then you can look on the flip side. There are many couples that suffer from not being able to get pregnant. They spend thousands of dollars on fertility treatments even with the likelihood of lower percentage rates of success. That says a lot to me, especially for a society so focused on the almighty dollar. If people are going that extra mile for a baby then that has to be acknowledged. It’s a sad thing and quite a disappointment for many couples. There are also many unwanted children out there who are being adopted by couples and by single women and men. There is no definite answer to these phenomena.

Observation and thinking twice

Chastising women for not getting married and procreating is an unfair judgement. It's offending really. Great that Barbara met a supportive man and things turned out nicely for her, but the reality of it all is that it doesn’t turn out so rosy for many women out there. Saying that women are selfish for not marrying and procreating is wrong. Have you ever heard the saying, “don’t judge another person until you walked in their shoes”? In other words, you can’t say here is a pair of shoes, same size and colour for all. That is definitely not going to work for everyone because we are so individual and unique. Let's not forget that fact that it takes two to tango and I never heard any mention of the men who make choices to remain single and live life to the fullest. To me, it is sounding more and more like a double standard.

Women realize they don’t have to settle anymore just for marriage sake. Many before us have settled and made misery for not only themselves but also their partners and their children. Finding the right person is not an easy thing in this world. True courting has gone away and has been replaced with more of a fantasy cyber world. People meet on chat lines, communicate through email, SMS and phone conversations have become rare. We may have desensitized ourselves of the real contact and communicating. Making a solid connection with another is not easy in this generation. Do many of us really know what this really feels like anyways?

In this particular interview Barbara seems to be branding single women with a focus on selfishness and dishonour for being single for whatever reason there may be. If single women are such a disappointment to society, should they apologize for not getting married and having children before now? Unfortunately, many have never found a situation that led them on this path. I'm sure many of these women wish they would have met a suitable mate and gone on to have a family. Instead many continue to think positive and look for that right person and opportunity while they give back to their community by volunteering their time, working and paying their bills. My impression here is that single women are not as worthy as the women who has married and become a mother. There are too many situations and scenarios out there to even begin to think this way.

Ottawa signs on to rival emissions pact

Read this article here.

There are so many difficult issues and facets to think about and deal with regarding the global warming issue. It is apparent that world leaders are now panicking, because the Kyoto target date is coming faster than the antidote to the greenhouse gas emission problems in the world. There has been so much talk about global warming over the past few years. Media, environmentalists, activist groups, public and world leaders have all preached the danger the world is in because of greenhouse gas emissions. The fact is, that we are all contributors and we all need to work together to find a plan to help lower emissions put into the autmosphere. In Ontario, our Premier decided he would help out by shutting down all coal electricity plants in Ontario. He said he would accomplish this by the year 2007, then pushed back to 2009 and has since targeted a 2014 deadline. Do you suppose there is a reason for him pushing this date back?

The rest of the world doesn't seem to be shutting down coal plants, countries like the U.S. and China are buidling more. The fact is, they are expanding, and Ontario is at risk of not only power interruption, but also job loss and decline in economy. The United States and China are building new low emission, high efficiency coal burning electricity generating plants. Coal gasification is just one of the ways to achieve this. From the old, new technologies have been re-discovered that clean up coal fired power plants and can bring down emission rates as low as that of natural gas. This conversion technique is not only being looked at for coal plants but also for manufacturing processes and the cars we drive.

The U.S. government posted an article from the U.S. Department of Energy talking about Gasification Technology.

More interesting facts on Gasification Technology can be found here.

China replacing old coal plants with new ones, read more here.

The rest of the world continues to make coal generation a major part of their future. Instead of creating problems in the long run in Ontario, the government should do what is best for Ontario and keep the continuity in our electricty program, as well as dealing with emission problems. This would mean chosing a technology that is best for our existing infastructures. There is more emission reduction technology out there that should be looked at. Examples of this technology are Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR's) and scrubbers to clean coal and capture harmful gases before they go out the stack. Any way you look at it, it will take money to retrofit existing facilities or build new ones posing a threat to increased energy costs for Ontario.

For more information on SCR and scrubber clean coal technologies, click here.

The underlying product of these set backs in the closure of Ontario's coal burning electricity plants is the fact that coal is an essential power source in the production of elecricity. At this time, there is nothing available that is dependable enough to meet the electrical demands faced daily and replace this reliable generating power. "Pulling the plug" on coal in Ontario and taking it out of the equation will indeed, create more and more frequent blackouts and power interruptions. What does this mean to you? However, the Premier maintains continuity in his orginal statement to shut down coal fired plants by 2014. I suppose we could buy our power from the U.S. What kind of power would we be buying you say?..ahhh, coal generated power....mmmm...now that makes sense to me....NOT!

Keep in mind that there are many contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. One of the emissions that focus seems to be on right now is C02. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't C02 something that is lapped up by trees and vegetation as a means to survive? I wonder about the deforestry of our trees and rainforests and what kind of effect this has had on our global warming issue in the world. Has this activity helped knock us off balance here? Let's look at the whole picture.



Chart provided by: Wikipedia Encyclopedida
See more about greenhouse gas here.



Newspaper ad provided by: The Tillsonburg Independent News via Power Workers Union. See more compelling examples here.

There is an obvious need to put a plan in place to clean up emissions and if all the players were on the same page, this could be easier to accomplish than we think.