It's Federal election time here in Ontario, how boring it has been. I am so disappointed in the politicians, all of them including Justin Trudeau who I really wanted to believe in more than I do after having him in office for a full term.
I sometimes think back to when we were watching The Hip gave their last concert and Gord told us to believe in Justin that he would be someone that would do good things. And at that time I felt that if Gord believed in him too, maybe we would see something different, something refreshing, someone that wanted to save and inspire the world.
He has done alright, I will vote Liberal, their core seems to line up the closest with my ideology. I worked in the Public Service for over 30 years worked for all three parties, and by far found that the Liberals were where my respect went.
I follow the local candidate here in Hastings County. Mike Bissio I follow him on Facebook, initially to keep informed for local events etc. but soon saw how hard this man works, how involved he is in his community. That is worth my vote.
I think that is part of what we need to start doing more is to look closer to home, stop thinking that an election is only about the leaders of each party and the stupid promises they make at election time. But how does your MPP or MP represent your and your communities needs. Will they represent you and the unique needs of your region once they have the job?
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Monday, August 22, 2011
Jack Layton
Jack Layton passed this morning, funny how the death of someone we do not "know" can effect you. Cancer is such an ugly disease, it takes too many good people away, long before their time.
He was one of but a few truly honourable people in Parliament and politics in my opinion. I feel that Canada has lost a man of courage and integrity, he embodied the values dearest to Canadians.
Living in Toronto I think many of us felt that Jack (and Olivia) belonged to us - their love was strong, I admired them both very much.
I was proud that he never abandoned his beliefs and principles, while I may not have agreed with his politics, there was a sense of peace knowing he was our watch-dog and did his very best to keep the house of commons honest and accountable.
Our country owes you a huge debt of thanks for your hard work and dedication. You will be missed and mourned by an entire country. My deepest condolences to your family and loved ones.
He was one of but a few truly honourable people in Parliament and politics in my opinion. I feel that Canada has lost a man of courage and integrity, he embodied the values dearest to Canadians.
Living in Toronto I think many of us felt that Jack (and Olivia) belonged to us - their love was strong, I admired them both very much.
I was proud that he never abandoned his beliefs and principles, while I may not have agreed with his politics, there was a sense of peace knowing he was our watch-dog and did his very best to keep the house of commons honest and accountable.
Our country owes you a huge debt of thanks for your hard work and dedication. You will be missed and mourned by an entire country. My deepest condolences to your family and loved ones.
“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” Jack Layton, August 20, 2011.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
50 is Nifty
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for.
We are the change that we seek."
Happy Birthday 50th Barack.
However history remembers this President, I will remember him as an inspiring individual that I greatly respect.
We are the change that we seek."
Happy Birthday 50th Barack.
However history remembers this President, I will remember him as an inspiring individual that I greatly respect.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Ford
It has been a while since I have been here. Not that I do not think about writing rants. But the time has been hard to find, today the conditions are perfect, I have a little time, and a rant I need to release.
Technically we no longer live in Toronto, as we have our Driver's licence address as Madoc. Because of that I was unable to vote in our last Mayoral race. Truth be told I might even of voted for Ford, I have met Smitherman a few times and although I think of him a very smart and capable man, he also comes across as angry. I do not like angry people.
Rob Ford seemed like such a "people" person, but I did not know his politics, and again because I was not able to vote I did not research him much.
In October of 2010 Rob Ford was elected Toronto's 64th mayor.
It is now July 2011, and in the last few months he chose to not attend any events surrounding our Gay Pride Parade, I think this single event was the turning point for me and Mr. Ford.
He had a family event he wanted to attend on the long weekend instead. OK Mr. Ford I might give you that, but you could of attended any one of the many events leading up to the parade and still of taken the weekend off.
I could go no forever on my opinion on how when he accepted the job of the Mayor of a city as big as Toronto he gave up his rights to take the weekend off when one of the world's biggest revenue generating events is happening in our cash strapped city. But I will not bore you or myself with that.
Mr. Ford has paid KPMG $300,000 to find way to find savings for our City. (He could of asked us for free.)
KPMG has made some suggestions that are contentious to say the least:
lay off police officers,
major cuts to public health services,
closing some of the city's popular zoo and other wildlife attractions
closing some library branches and reducing hours at others
scrapping many environmental programs
eliminating late-night TTC bus service
implementing stricter criteria for those wishing to use the Wheel Trans
eliminating public health community programs that fund AIDS prevention
selling off-street parking facilities
selling Exhibition Place to private concerns
eliminating 2,000 city-subsidized daycare spaces,
reducing the city's 70 per cent waste diversion target
Do not even get me started on his idea of removing the bike lanes that are already in place.
Just a few weeks ago my husband watched as City workers spent days removing a snow fence - It is July and they had four men spend days removing a snow fence that will be put back up again in the Fall. It might only be a small savings, but hey it all adds up. If the snow fence is still up in July - leave it up!
10 Months ... has it really only been 10 months that this man (and his brother, but that is another blog) has been the Mayor of my beloved City.
Technically we no longer live in Toronto, as we have our Driver's licence address as Madoc. Because of that I was unable to vote in our last Mayoral race. Truth be told I might even of voted for Ford, I have met Smitherman a few times and although I think of him a very smart and capable man, he also comes across as angry. I do not like angry people.
Rob Ford seemed like such a "people" person, but I did not know his politics, and again because I was not able to vote I did not research him much.
In October of 2010 Rob Ford was elected Toronto's 64th mayor.
It is now July 2011, and in the last few months he chose to not attend any events surrounding our Gay Pride Parade, I think this single event was the turning point for me and Mr. Ford.
He had a family event he wanted to attend on the long weekend instead. OK Mr. Ford I might give you that, but you could of attended any one of the many events leading up to the parade and still of taken the weekend off.
I could go no forever on my opinion on how when he accepted the job of the Mayor of a city as big as Toronto he gave up his rights to take the weekend off when one of the world's biggest revenue generating events is happening in our cash strapped city. But I will not bore you or myself with that.
Mr. Ford has paid KPMG $300,000 to find way to find savings for our City. (He could of asked us for free.)
KPMG has made some suggestions that are contentious to say the least:
lay off police officers,
major cuts to public health services,
closing some of the city's popular zoo and other wildlife attractions
closing some library branches and reducing hours at others
scrapping many environmental programs
eliminating late-night TTC bus service
implementing stricter criteria for those wishing to use the Wheel Trans
eliminating public health community programs that fund AIDS prevention
selling off-street parking facilities
selling Exhibition Place to private concerns
eliminating 2,000 city-subsidized daycare spaces,
reducing the city's 70 per cent waste diversion target
Do not even get me started on his idea of removing the bike lanes that are already in place.
Just a few weeks ago my husband watched as City workers spent days removing a snow fence - It is July and they had four men spend days removing a snow fence that will be put back up again in the Fall. It might only be a small savings, but hey it all adds up. If the snow fence is still up in July - leave it up!
10 Months ... has it really only been 10 months that this man (and his brother, but that is another blog) has been the Mayor of my beloved City.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Facebook ... it is what you make it
I hear so many negatives regarding Facebook, all the bad things that can go wrong, the what if's.
And they are right, there are certain precautions we should all take. It is unfortunate but a reality of life, and this is for everything not just using social mediums like Facebook. Frankly it is just common sense.
For me using FB is a way to touch base with old friends. Really how special is that?
Childhood friends, how many generations before us have sat back later in their lives and smiled wondering about a childhood friend and wished them well out there. Our generation now has a medium in which we can find these friends if they want to be found. We get to say hello, indirectly meet their families and share a little part of their lives with them.
I have a somewhat dysfunctional family, I have many family members I have never met and did not even know I had, and now they are here. Aunts, Uncles, cousins and a long lost godfather I often wonder about.
How special is that!
Recently I met a cousin I have that is a soldier in Afghanistan, this was probably one of the most powerful of my FB moments so far. Our house in the country is on the flight path for Trenton and we see the planes coming in over head. We stop everything we are doing and yell, "Incoming". They are huge, black and very close they send shivers through us. It is Very cool! Sometimes we take a moment and wonder if it contains the body of our latest soldier that has given up his life for a war I do not understand, try as hard as I might.
I have been driving on the 401, our Highway of Heroes as the people lined the bridges with their flags. Goosebumps and tears well up in my eyes, for a stranger really, but this moment it is so much bigger than all of us as we share our pride and grief.
This cousin I have only met once in my life, many years ago gave me an insight into a world that is so far away from my reality.
The latest soldier to fall I learned about first on his FB page, he called him a sapper. A term I was unfamiliar with, I asked him the meaning.
We all do, cuz.
And they are right, there are certain precautions we should all take. It is unfortunate but a reality of life, and this is for everything not just using social mediums like Facebook. Frankly it is just common sense.
For me using FB is a way to touch base with old friends. Really how special is that?
Childhood friends, how many generations before us have sat back later in their lives and smiled wondering about a childhood friend and wished them well out there. Our generation now has a medium in which we can find these friends if they want to be found. We get to say hello, indirectly meet their families and share a little part of their lives with them.
I have a somewhat dysfunctional family, I have many family members I have never met and did not even know I had, and now they are here. Aunts, Uncles, cousins and a long lost godfather I often wonder about.
How special is that!
Recently I met a cousin I have that is a soldier in Afghanistan, this was probably one of the most powerful of my FB moments so far. Our house in the country is on the flight path for Trenton and we see the planes coming in over head. We stop everything we are doing and yell, "Incoming". They are huge, black and very close they send shivers through us. It is Very cool! Sometimes we take a moment and wonder if it contains the body of our latest soldier that has given up his life for a war I do not understand, try as hard as I might.
I have been driving on the 401, our Highway of Heroes as the people lined the bridges with their flags. Goosebumps and tears well up in my eyes, for a stranger really, but this moment it is so much bigger than all of us as we share our pride and grief.
This cousin I have only met once in my life, many years ago gave me an insight into a world that is so far away from my reality.
The latest soldier to fall I learned about first on his FB page, he called him a sapper. A term I was unfamiliar with, I asked him the meaning.
A Sapper is an Combat Engineer. They are probably the most needed and overworked soldiers in the Task Force. They do everything from fight, clear IEDs, minefields, Build and construct, and that is just scratching the surface.
They are all a pretty crazy bunch, but I love them.
They are also a very tight family and I have many friends among them.
I feel for their loss.
We all do, cuz.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Earth Hour 2009
Join WWF for Earth Hour 2009, by turning out your lights for one hour on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30-9:30pm!
Earth Hour is a global lights-out phenomenon that will bring together millions of people from around the world to show support for action on climate change. This symbolic event will demonstrate to governments around the world that we want action on climate change now.
Toronto was the first Canadian city to join Earth Hour as a partner city.
And this year Toronto was the first Canadian cities to officially announce that it will be participating in Earth Hour again.
Yeah us!
Monday, January 26, 2009
They make it difficult …
Two weeks ago, an acquaintance of mine, a teaching assistant at York and a loyal NDP follower wrote on her Facebook account, that there was going to be a vote the following week on the contract and that she would be voting “no”.
Today I read that NDP Leader Jack Layton said Monday he's prepared to vote against the upcoming Federal budget, because he believes a coalition government would better serve Canadians.
More and more when I hear the chants of the NDP mantra about government doing more for working men and women I just cannot buy into it.
It seems to me, that their minds are made up before they ever hear the details on what they will be voting on.
In my opinion, this is very short sighted thinking.
Today I read that NDP Leader Jack Layton said Monday he's prepared to vote against the upcoming Federal budget, because he believes a coalition government would better serve Canadians.
"I can simply say a budget vote is a vote of confidence and we don't have confidence in Mr. Harper," said Layton.
More and more when I hear the chants of the NDP mantra about government doing more for working men and women I just cannot buy into it.
It seems to me, that their minds are made up before they ever hear the details on what they will be voting on.
In my opinion, this is very short sighted thinking.
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