Most red blooded Canadians get excited when they hear that is going to be a call for the writ to began the fall election. This year there will be a huge groan and many expletives when our dysfunctional PM actuates the process as it will punish all of us because we will have to listen to the rhetoric for double the normal election time. This is very unusual and shows just how desperate he has become to hold on to power.
I suspect that most Canadians have already set their mind as to whom they wish to lead the country and we should not have to share the huge cost for so long. Many people do not understand the potential cost of an extended election but it could cost many millions of dollars and the sitting rich party will benefit most as the government matches funds raised by the parties by donations from faithful party members.
Whatever occurs during the next months I will predict that there will be a Liberal-NDP coalition government occupying the right benches come the day after the election.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Tomato Time
Our first red tomato came on July 9th and they were slow in producing more than one or two every other day. Today is near the end of the month and we find ourselves with a problem. as we are going to the Maritimes for a couple of weeks and our tomatoes decided to ripen in numbers that usually cause us to freeze bags for the spaghetti sauce later.
We eat them every day and try to give as many away as we can but when we are away we have to depend on our faithful children to take care of business. With all the hot weather at hand we really should be here to do our own work. With such a small garden this year we are surprised to see two plants with 49 tomatoes and they all seem to be healthy and unblemished. This is the first year for vegetables to be grown in this location so there is no contamination.
Our cucumbers are growing among the tomatoes and will soon take over as the tomatoes diminish but provide good support for the vertical growing cukes..I may try to take home some tomatoes for my family as their season in later than ours.I love tomato season and am already planning for next year by enlarging my small garden.
We eat them every day and try to give as many away as we can but when we are away we have to depend on our faithful children to take care of business. With all the hot weather at hand we really should be here to do our own work. With such a small garden this year we are surprised to see two plants with 49 tomatoes and they all seem to be healthy and unblemished. This is the first year for vegetables to be grown in this location so there is no contamination.
Our cucumbers are growing among the tomatoes and will soon take over as the tomatoes diminish but provide good support for the vertical growing cukes..I may try to take home some tomatoes for my family as their season in later than ours.I love tomato season and am already planning for next year by enlarging my small garden.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Port Dover
Theresa and I traveled to Port Dover to enjoy a day away and celebrate Theresa's birthday. We enjoyed the seaside atmosphere and the activity on the beautiful sandy beach, We stayed in a very old hotel right down in the center of town and enjoyed the food specialty of Lake Erie Perch and fries.
The area is in one of the great agriculture counties of Ontario,Norfolk. For years this was the tobacco producing area and the cash crop for most of the farmers. When tobacco became a dead issue the farmers went back to traditional crops but new crops of peanuts, beans and grains became the mainstay. We drove the back roads and marveled at the beauty of the farmland and the wonderful crops due to the great soil and growing conditions.
Golf was also on our mind so we played on a great 18 hole course which was kept in perfect playing order. It was a long course and after the game we were tired but drove some more along the Lake Erie Shore and took pictures of the water and beaches. This was a good decision to go there and we will surly be back to once again play golf
and just enjoy.
The area is in one of the great agriculture counties of Ontario,Norfolk. For years this was the tobacco producing area and the cash crop for most of the farmers. When tobacco became a dead issue the farmers went back to traditional crops but new crops of peanuts, beans and grains became the mainstay. We drove the back roads and marveled at the beauty of the farmland and the wonderful crops due to the great soil and growing conditions.
Golf was also on our mind so we played on a great 18 hole course which was kept in perfect playing order. It was a long course and after the game we were tired but drove some more along the Lake Erie Shore and took pictures of the water and beaches. This was a good decision to go there and we will surly be back to once again play golf
Pan American Games
These games do more to unite the Central and South American Countries than any other sporting event. Toronto is thee perfect place to hold such a event as there are within it's borders a large representation of all the participating nations.
We have done something that has not been done before. The venues for the games are spread over the largest geographic area ever and involved the sharing of costs for the facilities as well. Every facility is built to become a place where the local and provincial meets could and will be held in the future. For one good example the Hamilton Tiger-cats were going to replace its facility and with the hared costs of team, city and provincial government a 40'000 seat field was completed and will be used for the next thirty years.
The City of Milton became home to the velodrome and will provide a world class facility for biking events and home to Canada's teams as well as local use. The home for the competitors will provide housing for many people after the games as did the facility in Montreal did after Expo 67.
These games are such a great success in every way with the city now embracing the whole idea and traffic and expected problems with crowd control were never realized. To top it all off Canadian athletes have surpassed all expectations and have brought honour to themselves and their country.
We have done something that has not been done before. The venues for the games are spread over the largest geographic area ever and involved the sharing of costs for the facilities as well. Every facility is built to become a place where the local and provincial meets could and will be held in the future. For one good example the Hamilton Tiger-cats were going to replace its facility and with the hared costs of team, city and provincial government a 40'000 seat field was completed and will be used for the next thirty years.
The City of Milton became home to the velodrome and will provide a world class facility for biking events and home to Canada's teams as well as local use. The home for the competitors will provide housing for many people after the games as did the facility in Montreal did after Expo 67.
These games are such a great success in every way with the city now embracing the whole idea and traffic and expected problems with crowd control were never realized. To top it all off Canadian athletes have surpassed all expectations and have brought honour to themselves and their country.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
The Trouble With Iran
When I was much younger Iran was a sophisticated power in the Middle East. Culture, education and prosperity could describe the country. Extreme Right Wing Conservatives in the form of religious radicals took power of the nation. This terrible change caused a rift with most of the world. Oil was their economic engine and after years of fear and frustration most of the world powers brought forth restrictions which crippled the nation.
For thirty years there were signs that Iran was providing economic and military help to the bands of rebels who brought terrible destruction and hardships on many Middle East countries. Israel was mostly singled out and America and Canada as well as others came to the side of the Jewish nation.
Now that the world powers have come to a fragile settlement on the nuclear question I would expect Canada to support the agreement. However our government is so embedded with Israel that they appose the agreement on principal. It is this type of policy exhibited by our conservative government that makes it difficult to work with countries like Palestine and others.
Our foreign policy has been moving further to the right and has caused Canada to be classified as a nation to watch instead of admired as we once were. We jumped in to send military force in the Middle East in the war on Islamic radicalism but shun a peace agreement with Iran ,one of the main problems in the area power struggle and showing signs of becoming a positive force for good.
For thirty years there were signs that Iran was providing economic and military help to the bands of rebels who brought terrible destruction and hardships on many Middle East countries. Israel was mostly singled out and America and Canada as well as others came to the side of the Jewish nation.
Now that the world powers have come to a fragile settlement on the nuclear question I would expect Canada to support the agreement. However our government is so embedded with Israel that they appose the agreement on principal. It is this type of policy exhibited by our conservative government that makes it difficult to work with countries like Palestine and others.
Our foreign policy has been moving further to the right and has caused Canada to be classified as a nation to watch instead of admired as we once were. We jumped in to send military force in the Middle East in the war on Islamic radicalism but shun a peace agreement with Iran ,one of the main problems in the area power struggle and showing signs of becoming a positive force for good.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Fish Cakes and Tomatoes
It has always been my personal challenge to have a red tomato by the 12th of July. In the past years I failed to do so by a few days. This year I had my garden in early and I have been rewarded with not one but two red tomatoes. I usually plant the smallest tomatoes I can buy and this year was no exception. I did however buy a larger plant some time later that bore me these large tomatoes so again I did not really gain a red tomato on the desired date. It will be another week before my regular crop ripens.
I was asked to make fish cakes for a family event this week. I was fortunate to buy beautiful salt cod locally and so this morning starting at six thirty I prepared the cod and peeled eight pounds of potatoes. I was ready to go at eight but Theresa needs a cup of coffee before cooking the fish cakes. It is a team effort as she has the right touch to cook the cakes to a golden brown without burning them. We made sixty, forty small and twenty regular size.
Guess what I had for breakfast? Fish cakes and fresh tomato.
I was asked to make fish cakes for a family event this week. I was fortunate to buy beautiful salt cod locally and so this morning starting at six thirty I prepared the cod and peeled eight pounds of potatoes. I was ready to go at eight but Theresa needs a cup of coffee before cooking the fish cakes. It is a team effort as she has the right touch to cook the cakes to a golden brown without burning them. We made sixty, forty small and twenty regular size.
Guess what I had for breakfast? Fish cakes and fresh tomato.
Have Our Police Changed So Much?
I have been very quiet about the police problems south of the border because they have cultural challenges we seem to be experiencing here as well. During the past weeks there have been some very startling events which cause me to be worried about the direction we are moving too.Several recent shootings by police leave me to believe that at least a few officers have great lapses in training if they are unable or unwilling to disarm people without killing them.
I have served on police commissions where during a six year period the police not only did not shoot anyone and never even drew their weapon. During this same period the local police arrested many people and among them there were mentally disturbed offenders who had to be talked out of hurting themselves or others.
You will say that is all right in a small city but only a number of years ago police never carried guns and were successful in using skills to disarm offenders who had knives and various other weapons. We all agree that times have changed but the last incident witnessed by a person in the same close location said that the officer entered the scene and immediately yelled to the man drop your weapon and when the order was not obeyed immediately he killed him at close range.
There could be more to this but a man carrying a hammer against an officer who wore body armor, and had other equipment could have taken the time to talk to this person. Because he had mental issues he probably never knew that a hammer was a weapon. It is distributing that officers could not take an action which would not demand deadly force and leave a person dead.
Living in Halton County in Ontario, which is the safest county in the country, we are not used to such police actions but it could happen. Training and more training is needed with officers who are deficient in social skills. Even one death has a huge impact on many people and the general public react negatively to the force in general.
We must support our police but they must earn and maintain that trust so we can work together to make every part of Canada safer.
I have served on police commissions where during a six year period the police not only did not shoot anyone and never even drew their weapon. During this same period the local police arrested many people and among them there were mentally disturbed offenders who had to be talked out of hurting themselves or others.
You will say that is all right in a small city but only a number of years ago police never carried guns and were successful in using skills to disarm offenders who had knives and various other weapons. We all agree that times have changed but the last incident witnessed by a person in the same close location said that the officer entered the scene and immediately yelled to the man drop your weapon and when the order was not obeyed immediately he killed him at close range.
There could be more to this but a man carrying a hammer against an officer who wore body armor, and had other equipment could have taken the time to talk to this person. Because he had mental issues he probably never knew that a hammer was a weapon. It is distributing that officers could not take an action which would not demand deadly force and leave a person dead.
Living in Halton County in Ontario, which is the safest county in the country, we are not used to such police actions but it could happen. Training and more training is needed with officers who are deficient in social skills. Even one death has a huge impact on many people and the general public react negatively to the force in general.
We must support our police but they must earn and maintain that trust so we can work together to make every part of Canada safer.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Election Promises
Over the years parties of all stripes have made promises to the electorate to try to win their vote on that special day.There are three and actually four parties who are trying to lure us into their camp at the present time.
The Conservatives hired Americans to run their negative strategy because it works in the USA and has some traction in Canada. The writ has not even been struck and we see millions of dollars being used to convince the Canadian public that Mr. Trudeau is not capable of being the Prime Minister. So much for a platform. We Canadians have a sense of justice which runs deeper than the flim flam of negativity being dished out and actually ruining some good TV programming.
The Liberals and NDP are actually so close together that they should form a united left wing front to unite the majority left, It is not enough to say they want to get rid of the PM but to propose solid platforms that will appeal to the electorate.
All three leaders are or were good people but power does many things to leaders and probably our Prime Minister has seen better days but originally he got elected on promises to cleanup the corruption in Ottawa and to be an honest and transparent government. The promises have gone out the window and we have the most secretive and anti democratic government in our history. What went wrong? There became a opportunity to have and keep power by having a central power type of administrative government where a few decided what was good for Canada and had the votes to stem any kind of changes.
The opposition under the leadership of the NDP were amazingly successful in staying on course and attacking the Government on issues that really mattered. He has become the voice of many and the young leader of the Liberals has not as yet made his mark although he has become a better person in the role of the third party.
As weeks go on during the summer nobody really cares a great deal but come September we will be in one of the most crucial battles ever in Canada's history. Forget the promises and look for the character of those we elect.
The Conservatives hired Americans to run their negative strategy because it works in the USA and has some traction in Canada. The writ has not even been struck and we see millions of dollars being used to convince the Canadian public that Mr. Trudeau is not capable of being the Prime Minister. So much for a platform. We Canadians have a sense of justice which runs deeper than the flim flam of negativity being dished out and actually ruining some good TV programming.
The Liberals and NDP are actually so close together that they should form a united left wing front to unite the majority left, It is not enough to say they want to get rid of the PM but to propose solid platforms that will appeal to the electorate.
All three leaders are or were good people but power does many things to leaders and probably our Prime Minister has seen better days but originally he got elected on promises to cleanup the corruption in Ottawa and to be an honest and transparent government. The promises have gone out the window and we have the most secretive and anti democratic government in our history. What went wrong? There became a opportunity to have and keep power by having a central power type of administrative government where a few decided what was good for Canada and had the votes to stem any kind of changes.
The opposition under the leadership of the NDP were amazingly successful in staying on course and attacking the Government on issues that really mattered. He has become the voice of many and the young leader of the Liberals has not as yet made his mark although he has become a better person in the role of the third party.
As weeks go on during the summer nobody really cares a great deal but come September we will be in one of the most crucial battles ever in Canada's history. Forget the promises and look for the character of those we elect.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Back in Physio
My good doctor arranged to have me take some more torture to help me with my mobility. I went to this government operated and funded institution and was assessed by a lady who is paid to make sure that anyone receiving treatment really deserves it.
She was gentle looking but after twenty minutes of yanking, jerking and pulling I knew she was for real. I was accepted as a client for help on my left leg. I have two legs but the prescription was for help with the left leg.
I was early for my first appointment and waited in the hard seats waiting for my turn to go behind the curtain to be treated. My name was called but the person calling me had trouble with pronouncing my name so I knew I was in for some treatment of a foreign nature. The man who ordered me to cubicle 24 seemed OK as he was a young fellow and he showed compassion by helping me off with brace. The next 25 minutes were busy and strenuous and I was impressed. That is until I tried to walk to the van. He gave me homework and when I asked him some questions as to where he was educated and so on he seemed a little perturbed that anyone would breach such a subject. He listed off qualifications that were far beyond my capacity to understand the letters but I nodded in compliance
I walked to the door slowly and he came to my rescue with my brace in hand and helped me to arm myself with that little thing which enables me to walk better.He really was the real thing and as he shook my hand and said he was looking forward to seeing me in three days I realized that just maybe I will experience someone who can actually make my life a little better.
She was gentle looking but after twenty minutes of yanking, jerking and pulling I knew she was for real. I was accepted as a client for help on my left leg. I have two legs but the prescription was for help with the left leg.
I was early for my first appointment and waited in the hard seats waiting for my turn to go behind the curtain to be treated. My name was called but the person calling me had trouble with pronouncing my name so I knew I was in for some treatment of a foreign nature. The man who ordered me to cubicle 24 seemed OK as he was a young fellow and he showed compassion by helping me off with brace. The next 25 minutes were busy and strenuous and I was impressed. That is until I tried to walk to the van. He gave me homework and when I asked him some questions as to where he was educated and so on he seemed a little perturbed that anyone would breach such a subject. He listed off qualifications that were far beyond my capacity to understand the letters but I nodded in compliance
I walked to the door slowly and he came to my rescue with my brace in hand and helped me to arm myself with that little thing which enables me to walk better.He really was the real thing and as he shook my hand and said he was looking forward to seeing me in three days I realized that just maybe I will experience someone who can actually make my life a little better.
Summer Flowers
Sometimes ordinary wild flowers give us the best showing. We have a group of daises which are just perfect and they are cousins to wild daisies but with a little fertilizer and grooming they spread out and make a great showing.
Our other flowers are good as well but our Dalai was in full bloom when we had a wind and rain storm and it broke off right at the ground. We captured the blooms for house flowers but miss the giant plant in our front yard.
The yellow beans were in flower and the rabbits came one night and ate them all off at the base so we have no yellow beans. These cute little fellows are causing me real problems.
Every year I try to have a red tomato by the glorious 12th of July but I think I will miss another year. The tomatoes are large but green so I just have to wait to have my first real Ontario Tomato.
We have been eating our cauliflower and Swiss chard for some time now and the rabbits have been kind enough to leave them alone.
Our other flowers are good as well but our Dalai was in full bloom when we had a wind and rain storm and it broke off right at the ground. We captured the blooms for house flowers but miss the giant plant in our front yard.
The yellow beans were in flower and the rabbits came one night and ate them all off at the base so we have no yellow beans. These cute little fellows are causing me real problems.
Every year I try to have a red tomato by the glorious 12th of July but I think I will miss another year. The tomatoes are large but green so I just have to wait to have my first real Ontario Tomato.
We have been eating our cauliflower and Swiss chard for some time now and the rabbits have been kind enough to leave them alone.
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