Four Eyes One Internet

FEOI ED 02J2012 What Were They Thinking?

2012-01-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

Ship vs Rock, Ship Loses

A cruise ship has run aground off an Island in Italy. 3 have been killed, 2 passengers and 1 crew. Another 20 were injured in the incident. The Costa Concordia was cruising near Giglio Island when it struck a rock which ripped a 150 foot (45.72 meter) hole in the ships hull. The ship began to list to it's starboard side almost immediately causing a panic among passengers. Many compared the event to the Titanic or a scene from a disaster film. According to the ANSA news agency the captain was questioned by authorities and has been advised that he may face charges stemming from the incident.

Costa Concordia fact sheet http://costaconcordia.info/

What Were They Thinking?

One of he key questions that will need to be answered after it was revealed that U.S. Marines urinated on dead Taliban members is; what were they thinking? The U.S. Marines are one of the most disciplined military groups in the world. From the time a recruit enters basic and throughout their career in the corps it's drilled into them that they must be respectful at all times to each other and to others. So what would drive these four marines to do something as horrid as this?

Undoubtedly something happened during the battle before the incident. The question is what? Combat affects soldiers in various ways, even training can affect people in the military. Remember the film Full Metal Jacket, the scene where Leonard kills the drill instructor? The event took place after Leonard suffered continuous humiliation at the hands of Hartman and eventually the platoon. It is not uncommon to hear about soldiers acting out during training or after experiencing combat. Romeo Dallaire a famous Canadian General retired, suffers from PTSD as a result of his exposure to the genocide in Rwanda. The standards are high for those in the military, most do very well under the weight of responsibility given to them but a few sadly do not. It is for this reason that officials should look past what these marines did and into what caused them to do it in the first place.

I am not an expert in mental health. I can only imagine that total fear gripped these men or possibly seeing a buddy wounded or killed caused them to become so enraged that the best way they thought to express their anger and hate for what was happening around them was to urinate on the bodies, sort of a way to show contempt for the enemy. This in no way excuses these men from responsibility for their actions. What they have done is criminal and violates every moral and ethical code that the Marines have enshrined in they're culture. The four men depicted in the video should be held to account. That said they should also be examined by mental health professionals to determine what may have caused them to do such a thing. As I mentioned earlier before jumping to judgement we should ask those responsible for investigating this incident to look beyond the incident and ask what happened before the video was shot then and only then can a proper response be taken to ensure that this does not happen again.

C. T.

Who?

Wondering who wrote you back from 10 Downing St. in London? The name on that letter you have, if you have one is not real. Last year it was revealed that for security reasons the names of staff working at 10 Downing are withheld. The policy stems from an incident where a letter with the real name of a staff member was sent, this was before 2005, the name was traced and the person had been threatened. From that point on the names and signatures on letters to the public were computer generated to protect staff. That did not sit well with the MP who discovered that the person writing back to him did not exist. So here is the question for you should a letter sent by a government agency be signed by a real person? Let me know what you think comments are always welcome.

Center For Internet and Society Wiki

The center for Internet and Society has an interesting wiki set up. This page features lots of links to sites that offer a variety of services. Download software to get videos, clean your hard drive and send anonymous email just to name a few of the services you can get. For the complete list hop over to http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/wiki/index.php/PET

Winter Storm Dumps 26 cm of Snow on Montreal

Montreal received a total of 26 centimetres of snow over a two day period. The snow coupled with freezing rain made travel next to impossible. It will take several days for city crews to clear the snow off roads. The storm caused the closure of schools and flight delays not to mention many accidents across Quebec. In one incident a 21 year old man died. Drivers are being urged to drive with caution and city of Montreal officials suggest that the public use public transit to reduce congestion on the roads in and around Montreal.

FEOI ED 01J2012 Quebec Police Want It This Way

2012-01-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

Secret Hospitals Treat Victims of Syria's Uprising

Syria's rulers show no signs of letting anyone oppose them, on the other side those determined to protest and demand change in government also are not letting up. Both sides locked in a deadly battle that has claimed many lives and caused many more to be injured.

In a bid to keep the Syrian security forces from finding people involved in the uprising secret hospitals have been set up by the opposition. Equipment is shared amongst the hospitals and stored in a location away from the hospitals themselves so that if a secret hospital is raided the equipment is not seized.

Syrian officials deny allegations that protesters and those who aid them are being abused. Amnesty International paints a different picture as do many of the protesters who state that militias often raid hospitals taking the protesters prisoner. The protesters state that the militias are torturing and killing those opposed to the government and returning their bodies to family members a week later.

Reporter Ramita Navai sneaked into Syria and spent time with the activists operating the hospitals. In her report she speaks with doctors as well as patients. For more on the story visit. PRI.org and follow the links to hear the report she filed.

Funny? Taxpayers Would Beg To Differ

Taxpayers in Montreal were paying for snowplowing services. Here is the kicker in early December there was no snow. Yet there they were plowing away. Stephen Taylor posted a video a snowplow plowing no snow on December 21 2011. Leaders in Quebec cry foul when Quebec is called a corrupt place. They refer to such comments as Quebec bashing. Pictures like this one only reinforce the view that the province is overrun with corrupt politicians, over governed citizens and wasted money.

Boom Town Montreal

Montreal is set to undergo an economic revival of sorts. The Montreal Gazette is reporting that the city is expected to see a construction boom. Some of the projects include new or repaired roads and buildings as well as the infrastructure that goes with them. There is also the repair or possible replacement of at least one bridge in Montreal. Couple this with projects outside of Montreal and you get billions of dollars over 1/2 a decade in Quebec. Translation good jobs, good pay. Question is will the stench of corruption taint these projects. Time will tell,

How Dumb We Can Be

A student set out to prove that we can easily be fooled into doing some pretty dumb things. He proposed that water was dangerous and actually got people to sign a petition to restrict or ban the use of Dihydrogen Monoxide. Incredibly 43 people said that the chemical should be banned or restricted. 6 were undecided, only 1 knew what the chemical was. You'll have to click through to http://www.math.psu.edu/tseng/H2Ojoke.html to find out for yourself what the chemical was. By the way the student won first prize for his project. I think those who signed except the 1 who knew what the chemical was should be given dunce caps. Then again I may have been fooled myself so I guess we can't be too harsh now can we.

Cool Vibes iD.Eology Style

My iPod. Love it, love downloading to it. Recently I was listening to a podcast from Mixotic and one of the tracks on it came from a group called Ideology. I also noted that the website was listed for the group. So I called it up on my browser and found some interesting stuff on their site. iD.Eology is a more an idea than a group. A collection of individual art and music the site is part record label and art gallery. The video's images and music are from a variety of artists from around the globe.

The label has been around for 12 years and is based out of Germany. There is a lot of interesting music and art, as well as video to explore.

Quebec Police Want It This way.

Farshad Mohammadi is the latest in a string of persons who have died at the hands of police in Montreal. The 34 year old homeless man died after being shot 3 times by police. According to reports Mr. Mohammadi ignored orders to get on the ground, after a short chase and physical altercation with an officer he was shot, the officer sustained stab wounds to the face and upper body another was treated for shock.

I am not going to march down the path that many others have bashing police. I know that they do for the most part an excellent job, save for a few morons who think they are above the law. I also do not wish to paint the picture of coffee drinking, doughnut eating lazy cops who operate on autopilot when they engage with the public. However there are some who just seem to have a thing about using force every chance they get to get a point across that they are tough guys. it's these people who don the uniform in Montreal and other places around Quebec who give me the creeps. It's the reason why we need a better way to investigate police other than the system that is now in place.

As it stands whenever a person is injured or killed by police in Quebec another police force is called in to investigate. In the latest case the provincial police Surete du Quebec or SQ for short has been asked to probe the latest incident which took place at Montreal's Bonaventure Metro station.

The issue at hand is transparency. Police are staunchly opposed to the idea of a civil body investigating them. They are quite happy to continue to operate under the old system. And, I understand why they want it that way. It's easy to lie under the current system, it's also easier to get away with criminal acts as colleagues could collude to ensure that the dead or injured are made to look like the liars in each of the cases; or simply to as a body intimidate those who have been injured by police and the families of those loved ones have died at their hands. In Quebec one very rarely hears of an officer being prosecuted for criminal activities and in nearly 100% of cases where a person has been injured or killed only 3 charges have been laid against an officer. It appears that in Quebec a police officer can injure or kill someone and get away with it.

That is supposed to change. Quebec is set to consider implementing Bill 46. The act aims to create a civil body that can look into cases where a person has been injured or killed by police The problem is that the law is nothing more than smoke mirrors, meant to lull people into thinking that oversight is in place to ensure transparency during an investigation of a major incident involving police.

Look under the hood and you'll find the law is an absolute farce. The body will only be allowed to act as observers, hardly any investigative power will be given to them. In fact no investigative power or right to charge an officer with anything will be given to them. The only outlet is a note to the Public Security Ministry that there is something fishy going on and then the ministry would decide on whether it would be appropriate to hand the investigation to a new force.

As quoted in the Montreal Gazette, the government has hatched a plan to create a half blind toothless body that will do little to nothing to ensure that police are acting legally when they injure or kill a citizen.

Most police do the right thing and sometimes have no choice but to use deadly force on fleeing suspects or those who are wielding weapons. Most police officers are honest hard working men and women who go out and truly serve the community they police. They care about the community and want to make a difference. They really do not want to harm anyone but, they will and do uphold the laws they are asked to with professionalism and great courage. Police are often unfairly targeted by people for doing what amounts to a very tough job. Having said this there are those who are trigger happy, who do get off on the power of the badge. It's these officers that such investigative bodies are intended to catch so that the decent cop on the beat gets a fair view from the public.

It's ironic but, it almost seems like police in Quebec have become similar in nature to the biker gangs. How sad it must be for those who are the honest cops to have to live with such a unfair portrait of they're profession.

How many more dead and injured people will it take for the government to decide that it's time to have a real body with a strong civilian led team to properly investigate police interactions where people are injured or killed 1000, 2000. Bill 46 needs to be beefed up and given teeth if it it's going to create an effective and transparent body that citizens can trust. Only then can a tarnished image begin to be changed as those who do not act legally are weeded out. Good cops make mistakes bad ones create fear and intimidation even for the good cop. It's important for police and citizens to connect and demand oversight that creates a climate of trust in the men and women who police our cities. Not only is it the right thing to do it's the fair thing to do for everyone.

C. T.

New Format

2011-12-29T11:25:00.003-05:00

Starting in January the new format for the blog will be as follows.

One international story
One Local story
One funny or unusual story could also be a good news story as well.
A link to an interesting website
A commentary

The idea will be to post once per week. The first posting should be up by January 8th.

I would like to wish all who come by a happy holiday, I hope your Christmas or other celebration, if you had one, went well. Happy New year to all.

Cliff T..

Four Eyes One Internet Goes Weekly Starting January 2012

2011-12-04T10:55:00.001-05:00

Starting January 1 2012 Four Eyes One Internet will have a regular posting time. Each Sunday an edition of the blog will be posted featuring a top news story, a local story and a commentary as the basis of the entry. I may also include some other features as I go along. There are two of these already posted on the blog. That said the style of the header will change from what is seen now. I have not come up with how that will work but, I think it will be something like Edition 1-1-2012 FEOI.

Look for the new changes in January. In the meantime I may post an article or two before hand. I would like to thank everyone who visits the site as well as those regulars who come back, for reading commenting and passing on the link to the blog. It's amazing how the blog has developed and I am very pleased with that. Thanks again for your support.

C. T.

Publishing Times

2011-11-25T04:51:00.001-05:00

Hello,

You are probably wondering what happened with the blog. Why no new articles. The simple answer is that four the last couple of weeks I have been busy with other projects. None the less I should be back to publishing articles soon. There are lots of interesting things going on locally and internationally and I plan to get back into working on the blog more often.

I am hoping to put aside time to blog at least once every two weeks for this blog, of course the aim is to blog weekly if not daily but, lets be realistic. I do have a day job and unless someone is willing to pay me to blog full time. Well you get the idea. That said look to see more articles coming soon on this and the other blogs I write.

C. T.

In This Edition of Four Eyes One Internet: Wall Street Protests Grow,Montreal's Bixi Bike Ads Get Unique Facelift, Going Out With ABang!.

2011-10-13T06:05:00.001-04:00

Wall Street Protests

Protesters with the Occupy Wall Street movement which began two weeks ago are going to stage another protest October 1st and are claiming that they will continue to keep the pressure up until changes are made when it comes to corporate governance in the US. Calling themselves the other 99% of Americans the protesters feel that the corporate and bank bailouts have done nothing to help everyday people and in fact have only served to enrich an elite few in society. Other issues being brought up include global warming and police brutality.

For the most part the protests have been peaceful but, some incidents have occurred where dozens have been arrested. In these cases the protesters claim the police have been heavy handed in their approach, using what they see as excessive force and tricks to lure protesters into situations where they would be arrested.

Other protests across the US have also taken place. L.A., Boston and Albuquerque NM are just some of the cities where marches in support of the Occupy Wall Street Movement have taken place. The protests against corporate greed show no signs of letting up for the moment.

For complete coverage you can google occupy Wall Street to get the latest news.

Bixi Bike Makeover

Montreal's Bixi Bikes have been getting somewhat of a makeover of sorts. A very crafty individual has gotten the idea to promote several hip hop artists. He is doing so by covering the Desjardins banner found on the back wheel of a number of Bixi bikes. The detail is incredibly well done and unless one took a close look at the rear wheel you'd probably think it was the Desjardins ad but, in all of the cases the names of hip hop artists appear where normally Desjardins would.

Going Out With A Bang....Literally!

Weird or not you decide. But, different this definitely is. Here is a novel idea that you may want to check out A company in Alabama has been formed to give gun lovers and their relatives an option that is a real blast so to speak. The company is Holy Smoke LLC and what they do is take the ashes of the dearly departed and and put them into shot gun shells and pistol cartridges, thus allowing the person receiving said shell or bullets to load a rifle, pistol or shotgun and fire it, yes fire it.

According to the founders of the company 1 pound of ash fills up to 250 shells or cartridges. They have already filled two orders and have received requests for more information from police, military and fire departments as well as the general public.

Vacation Canadian Style

I have a desire to travel the world but, I would also like to see parts of Canada that I have not had the chance to. There are lots of places on the net to go to to get info on travel and packages. Sometimes thought it is just interesting to find out about a place to go to without the sales pitch. One place on the net I found that showcases interesting Canadian destinations is Vacations Canada TV. Now I do not think you will find then on regular TV but, here on the net they have a presence. Very nice site features include videos and the ability to book a vacation.

Get A Grip

Recently I read a posting on the CBC's website which pretty much sounds like a lot of the posts I see on the site. It related to money spent by the government, in this case Quebec for an inquiry into the judicial system and whether politics played a role in the hiring of judges. Michel Bastarache a former supreme Court judge was asked to head the inquiry into influence peddling in Quebec's judicial system after allegations surfaced that there may have been direct intervention by the Liberal Party in the appointment of judges.

Bastarache concluded there was no evidence of influence peddling but, he did note that there were flaws in the system at the time of his report. Ok now that we have established the story lets talk about the comment.

Job well done Mr Bastarache..
The only thing is that pretty much anybody outhere could have come up with the same findings for free...

instead of using $ 6.000.000 of my money and your money...

Thank you Mr Charrest.

Really for free, Ok and what kind of dope are you on was my first thought. The second was oh please Quebec has a population of 7 million people, so for each man woman and child the amount is a mere 85 CENTS.....As in pennies. Even if we lower the number by taking out children and others who do not pay tax to say around 4 million, that comes out to $1.50 per person.

I am not unsympathetic to taxpayers concerns. There are things that the government does which is a waste of money and there are people in the government who do take advantage of taxpayers. In recent incidents the Minister of National Defence had to explain why he had a rescue helicopter diverted to pick him up at a fishing camp, to the tune of $16,000. Said minister said he was reviewing an exercise that the Armed Forces was holding involving rescue operations and that if an emergency was in progress the helicopter would not have been dispatched. Unfortunately this was not the only ooopsie, it was revealed recently that the 6 challenger jets that the government of Canada has have been used by lower ranking government officials who do not fit the requirements for access to them. There was a note about the fact those not in government also took advantage of taxpayers by flying on the jets. These are indeed clear missuses of the public purse and taxpayers do have the right and obligation to stand up and say not on our dime when these things happen.

However in situations where there is a clear need to investigate and fact find or where the government is at fault for doing something they ought not not to have done. Then despite what may seem to be an expensive amount to pay out the taxpayer, you and I need to remember that as representatives of us they must be held to account and sometimes that includes having to pay for errors they make. In short as the boss in effect we are responsible for their errors. And, sometimes this costs us, think of this as your boss having to pay out money for your error on the job. In this case we are the boss they made the error and now we have to pay to fix it.

Examples of this in the past that come to mind include Mahar Arar, Ashley Smith, and Robert Dziekanski. Arar was the victim of torture at the hands of the Syrians due largely to evidence provided by Canadian and American security agencies. It was later revealed that Arar was not a threat to Canada. However today his name remains on US no fly lists and due to the trauma he suffered has a difficult time living a normal life. Because of Canada's role in his rendition to Syria he was awarded compensation for his suffering. Ashley Smith was jailed for tossing an apple at a postman, then bounced around the system to avoid having to be released from her solitary confinement. The end result was her suicide while guards who were ordered not to intervene watched her die for fear they would lose their jobs if they did the right thing instead of protecting their butts. The family received compensation for her death. It should be noted that in effect she was given a death sentence due to the fact that there were over 500 charges in prisonn laid against her for her behaviour, none corrected her behaviour which was clearly a result of mental health issues. The last is the infamous death of Robert Dziekanski, a polish immigrant who died after being repeatedly tased by police in Vancouver. His mother received compensation for her loss.

All three and dozens more like these are what cost taxpayers money and all of them should not have happened in the first place. We can argue over taxes all we want but, in some of the circumstances the money has to be spent to compensate for the boneheads who run our government and do stupid things. There is waste and mismanagement of money but, on the other side of the coin there are these incidents which we unfortunately have to pay for.

Finally taxes are a necessary part of the equation for the services we want to take advantage of. Health care transit and other services provided by government cost money. Government employees are not volunteers. And, I doubt many would not do the work unless they were paid as the jobs are often thankless. I do rail against the government from time to time and I agree that we need tax reform in Canada. And, a reduced civil service in some parts of Canada would be good. But, as a society we must collectively decide where to reduce and what to reduce compared to what we want. We are not going to be able to have our cake and eat it to.

Lastly when one thinks of the cost to pay for something in terms of millions the amount per person is a ridiculously low amount to complain about. Getting back to the Bastarache example if the investigation cost 6 billion dollars, the average for each citizen in Quebec would be $857 dollars. Now that is something to complain about if nothing got fixed. As it was the price tag for each person in Quebec was 85.7 cents, that is 310.25 in a year. I can say honestly I pay that in just one shot for cable and electricity each month. I would be happier to see those costs go to 310 for a year. And anyway it was important to take a look at what really was going on in the justice system in Quebec as that affects us in more ways than just our pocket books. I have no problem paying taxes and I accept that in cases like the Arar incident I think it is more than acceptable it's the right thing to do to at least help begin to fix the problems that others created in the first place by paying out compensation for errors OUR civil servants made. Now if only those whiners on the CBC could see it that way maybe we'd have less inane postings on that and other news sites.

C. T.

9/11, A Daycare Firebombed Twice in ONE DAY, Guy Molests....Vending Machine??? These stores and more for this edition of Four Eyes One Internet.

2011-09-17T17:34:00.000-04:00

9/11 Remembered

September 11, 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. 4 planes hijacked, 3 hitting their intended targets killing hundreds, the fourth crashing in a field in Shanksville PA after passengers and crew attempted to take the plane back from the hijackers. New York, Washington and Shanksville and dozens of other cities held memorials for the victims of the terror attacks. Security was very tight due to the nature of the event and the fact that the 10th year was a focal point for many. It was feared that a renewed attack might take place, thankfully none did.

The key feature of the ceremonies was the unveiling of a memorial waterfalls, there are two of them. On all four sides of the waterfalls are the names of those who died in the attacks. This is part of a larger area where a new tower is being built along with a museum.

From a personal perspective I watched the coverage with interest. National Geographic channel featured an interview with former President Bush about what his day was like during the attacks. Flight 93 was remembered in film on Discovery channel, intense and emotionally hard hitting comes to mind seeing this film. In fact all of the coverage touched a nerve.

Seeing the waterfalls for the first time was touching and showed that even in the midst of a terrible act something beautiful can come from it. For the families and those wanting to pay respects to the dead the waterfalls are a quiet and tranquil place to visit and remember those who lost their lives that day.

The Mail Online has some pictures of the waterfalls as they were being prepared for the 9/11 remembrance ceremonies.

Montreal Daycare Firebombed, TWICE In One Day

Montreal Police are investigating a firebombing incident at a daycare in the borough of RDP. The daycare was firebombed twice in one day. The daycare had been targeted in the past thus this means the business has been attacked three times. The first incident took place on the 3rd of September, the last two on the 13th. Damage is said to be light, however the daycare remains closed while investigators work on the case.

Bebe Einstein formerly Garderie Bebe Lilly was raided by police in 2009 as part of a wider investigation into document fraud related to immigration papers and other types of ID fraud. Police have stated that they do not think the incidents are linked to the raid in 09.

CTV and CBC reports re the recent firebombings of a daycare in Montreal.

Florida Man Does the Nasty With A Vending Machine

Here is one for the ick file. Michael Aguiar was arrested for molesting a vending machine. Yes you read correctly molesting a vending machine. The 24 year old was caught on video breaking into the machine located in a coin laundromat oddly named Budick Coin Laundry, note the word DICK in the title. Besides stealing coins Aguiar damaged, injured and yes put his weenie into it, eeew.

Aguiar initially denied doing it, that is stealing the coins and doing the machine. But, after being confronted with video footage obtained by Palmetto FL police Aguiar admitted to stealing $10 in coins and well the other thing he was doing with the machine. He was subsequently taken to jail and is awaiting trial.

BEER? Yes Real Beer at realbeer.com

I am not a beer drinker but, I do like Molson Dry and will drink Budweiser. However for me Rum and Coke are king. If your nuts about beer than you'd probably enjoy visiting realbeer.com. This site is a hub for those looking to home brew or find other data related to beer on the net. The site has been on the net since 1994

Key features include events, listings of pubs and breweries and news related to beer. Nice site very well laid out. For more details click on over to realbeer.com.

Montreal's Q92 Became The Beat, So What, It's Still The Same Format!

Recently Q92 changed their brand name and are now calling themselves The Beat of Montreal. So what, it's still the Q only now it has a new name. Same format, new name, nothing new here. The format is a mix of dance, adult contemporary and some soft rock. A sampling of the play list includes Queen Under Pressure, Jennifer Lopez If You Had My Love and Lady Gaga Born This Way.

What amazes me is how they are trying to make a old format sound like a new format, this is so lame tat it defies belief. I happen to like some of the music the station plays. When I visit my mom the station most often playing on her stereo is The Beat, er Q92 er The Beat...Bah you know what I mean. And, as I mentioned they do play songs I like. So what is so bad about a name change? Nothing, if it meant that the format was also changing but, that is the point, the format has not changed. All that they have done here is nothing more than window dressing, a publicity stunt in an attempt to get new audience. Audiences are not as dumb as these guys think they are. Montrealers will catch on fast enough and probably have that this is nothing more than an attempt to get them to switch stations. It would have worked had they made some real changes to the format and style of the station. All that will happen here is probably a small peak in interest and that is about it. A good ploy to get some hype on blogs like this one and in the media but, what really is needed is new audience growth. Nice try but, this is not a good way to get new listeners. In fact I would say it's a good way to piss people off and drive existing audience away. No one likes to be cheated, conned or tricked in this manner. A great opportunity to remake the station into something better has become nothing more than a cheap trick to get audience.

The FM dial is cluttered with stations on it that are playing the same artists and with some exceptions are pretty much the same sounding. On those rare occasions when I do listen to the radio the only way to tell the difference between who is who is via the station ID's they barf out virtually after each song. I have even heard announcers ID the station and then play a station ID! I can take no more than a few minutes of this before I switch to my Ipod, that is how bad it sounds to me. Oh they call themselves Power this or Q that and Bob Ed etc. That's all fine and dandy, but most do not stand out as different, there is no uniqueness to them. I am sure that if I were to scan the dial I would hear Lady Gaga played on 3 stations with so called different formats. As for the announcers little to no talent comes through. They just punch a button and the music rolls out, much like a jukebox. And when they open the mic and talk it's very little and very mundane. Crap, simple as that crap, nothing more and nothing less. Thank heavens we do not have to pay for them to be on the air. In short what I am saying here is that nothing has changed on 92.5 FM except the name.

The Beat has fallen into the trap of trying to compete with the others on the FM dial. What they should have done is kick the consultants out and rethink radio. It's 2011 and with so much competition out there stations like the Beat need to begin to break the connection to the consultant driven style they have mindlessly been following and really and honestly engage local audiences to find out what they want from them.

I realize l am repeating myself but, it needs to be restated The Beat is still the Q with a name change. There is no real format change, no style change and no talented on air staff interacting with the audience. Now I know some would say the do, reality is that they do not. There are a lot of really talented announcers on the air, who are wasting away reading liner cards, this applies to those working at The Beat. If the change was supposed to entice me to tune in at home or at work, it failed and in such a miserable fashion. The Beat is nothing more than the old Q92 repackaged and trotted out as something new for Montrealers to listen to. What a waste of energy and money. My suggestion go back to the drawing board try being different form the rest of the stations on the FM dial. Until then I'll just stick to my Ipod.

C.T.

The Beat formerly Q92 has a new link, http://www.925thebeat.ca

The Poll Results 1 Vote just one!!!

2011-09-03T08:14:00.000-04:00

wow one vote just one tiny tiny vote. And that vote was for more weird stories. OK I can certainly go with that. I also plan to make some other changes. Interestingly Google the owners of Blogger have created a whole new look for creating and managing a blog. I am using the new interface as we speak and it does look a lot cleaner and has more options. Change from Blogger just as I am thinking about changes for this blog, great minds think alike LOL.

Doing the offbeat and weird along with good news stories will be added to the content posted. Views on the News and Reality Check as well As the Political Thumbs Up/Down which essentially are commentaries are going to be replaced by two new topics. The first will be In the News a look at 2 or 3 stories of interest and the second Cliff's View will be general commentary.

Each of the topics will be touched on. How they will be is yet to be determined. I may set up a rotation or I may touch on all them in one post. And, I am also looking at the idea of doing a feature article once per month.

Here is how you can get involved. Write to me via my gmail account, that is cjames5a@gmail.com or comment here on the blog. For those who know and follow me via Facebook you too can chime in with what you would like to see me do on this blog. If you have an idea for an article post or write to me and of course pass the word to friends, family and colleagues so they too can touch base with me and provide feedback on the blog and the stories they want to see here on Four Eyes One Internet.

Cliff T

Jack Layton 1950-2011

2011-08-22T20:10:00.007-04:00

Jack Layton the leader of the NDP in Canada, the leader of the official opposition has died at the age of 61. The CBC reported that Mr. Layton died at 4:45 AM surrounded by his family. He had been fighting cancer but, lost his battle with the disease.

Jack Layton had been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2010, for which he sought and received treatment. It was thought that the cancer would not return however during this past summer Mr Layton took a leave of absence from his post to enter into a new cycle of treatment due to the return of the cancer.

I must say I have been and was impressed by the fact that Jack Layton did politics differently. Focusing on the issues Mr Layton did something incredible. Bringing the NDP up to a new level, that of official opposition. Mr. Layton showed that the left could and should have a voice in the political discourse in Canada and he proved that negative messaging could be overcome. In an era where attack ads are the norm and the negative stereotyping of opponents is often brutal Mr Layton and the NDP decided to speak to the issues. This is what impressed me the most and that is why I and my wife voted for him. Now I will admit I am not a huge fan of the NDP but, I was impressed by the positive passion of Jack.

Canadian politics was starting to become interesting to watch again because Jack Layton was in the mix. Moreover Jack Layton showed that human side we all wish to see in our political leaders. He got it, he understood that Canadians wanted to talk about the tough things. Health care, jobs and a fair shake when it comes to taxes and how government works.

Jack Layton made me proud to be a Canadian and along with many other Canadians I would like to express condolences to his family and the NDP as well as his colleagues in and outside of politics. May he rest in peace and may those left behind find peace and comfort during this time as we mourn and remember Jack Layton.

Cliff T.

Jack Layton's last letter to Canadians

What Direction Should I Go In?

2011-08-20T19:15:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe that this blog is five years old. Wow time sure does fly. As the summer comes to an end and thoughts of fall loom so does the idea of change. Four Eyes One Internet has grown. Since 2009 I have been measuring the traffic to this blog. And it has grown and hopefully will continue to grow.

In the first year 572 page loads today 940 and counting. The unique visitors that come to the site has also increased. In 2009 424 today it is at 771 and climbing with 758 of these being first time visitors. The returning visitors section needs a little pumping up, the average is 15. Hmm got to think of a way to make the blog go viral.

As for the visit times the log is measured in 4 month segments. I have not decided to increase the log size just yet as the blog is not revenue driven. That said in the past 4 months 10.3% of you who visited stayed on the site for a period ranging from 30 seconds up to 5 minutes. Not bad. This range covers April to July. The total amount shows 38 visitors, with 35 being first time visitors.

So there you have it a picture of how the blog is doing. By the way since the counter was added. 2,272 page loads have been served up, with 1,816 of these coming from unique visitors and 1,772 of these were first time visits. A special thanks of course goes to the 44 returning visitors. I am glad that you have come back to read the blog.

So the change. What should it be? What kind of focus should the blog take. I am going to ad a poll here and am asking those who visit this site to pick from a list and help influence the direction of the blog. Your input will help me decide the next evolution for Four Eyes One Internet. The goal here is to create a following.

The poll will be open from now until the end of the month and at that time the new format will be determined. It may be a combination of the top 3 choices or a move to a complete and new type of blog. So with that in mind I leave you to read the poll and make your choice. Comments are also welcome.

Cliff T.

PSSST Your Fly Man, It's Down

2011-07-19T09:39:00.007-04:00

Your probably wondering why I would post about having the zipper not zipped up. Funny thing is I was dreaming about this. Yep dreamed that I was on a campus somewhere and was lost, the students snickering at me. After awhile I figured it out they were not laughing at my situation, they were at the fact I was walking around with my fly down. Now that is an odd dream but, not far from reality.

One of the things that does happen from time to time is that we forget this most basic of things when dressing. I can tell you from experience noticing later in the morning after being out in public that my fly is down. Fortunately most times I catch the error of my ways while making a pit stop and not having to face the awkwardness of zipping up while in the public view, I also give thanks for the fact that I have some long coats that hide the zipper faux-pas.

The reason, besides an odd dream, that I am pointing this out is that as of late things have gotten so serious. Countries nearly defaulting on loans, jobs hard to come by for our friends in the the US, and a whole lot of other things, is because we need to realize that we are mere mortals on this earth. And no matter how much money and power we have, or do not have we all are equal in that at one point or in many points in our lives we have walked around with our flies down. What we all need to do is start looking at ourselves and realizing that in the grand scheme of things we are all equals in that we are humans and that we make good and bad decisions and do embarrassing things. We should do a self reality check before we point out the faults of others.

The key is to learn from mistakes and take reminders when we do make some of the same errors again that we are not perfect just humans trying their best to make it through day to day. We should also try to help others when we can and more often. I realize that there is a place and time to make judgments about people but, we should also know when to stop judging and start empathizing and helping our fellow humans. I think sometimes it is a good thing to notice the fly has come down on our pants, it's a real reality check that we are not all that after all.

Have a great day and watch those zippers.

C. T.

The Casey Anthony Media Circus

2011-07-18T17:14:00.006-04:00

Headline News pretty much became the Casey Anthony channel throughout the trial. The resulting coverage created a media circus and all but made a joke out of the court system and jury system. Frankly it was one of the most revolting things I have seen. The story was milked by HLN and anyone else associated with reporting it for profit and ratings. Nancy Grace jumped into the midst of this circus and essentially degraded herself, tot mom was spewed so much out of her mouth it became a stream of verbal liquid puke. The sad part so many got sucked into this tent of drama, junk journalism and emotional swill.

Caylee, Casey Anthony and all of the other players in this sad show provided profiteers and morbid minded people with the ability to sit and absorb themselves in a wall to wall orgy of coverage complete with dramatic music played on cue and scenes in and out of court played over and over and over again. This was not journalism, this was reality TV running wild in the guise of reporting an event.

The interesting thing to note here is that indeed this story needed to be told and the trial needed to be followed. It was news that needed to be reported. But, what happened? Why did this story become a reality TV show? The answer lies with the audience. Studies have proven that many people are drawn to tragic events. People drive slower past an accident scene, gather in groups to gawk at police after they arrive on a crime scene. People stare at fires being fought and many people will watch people being loaded into an ambulance with intense curiosity. It is not until they become the show that they realize this is kind of twisted. I understand the curiosity and even concern from some people but, I do find it disturbing that some would look on with the idea of the event being some sort of entertainment. There is nothing entertaining about any of this.

Beyond that I think that a lot of people took in the trial of Casey Anthony with the feeling of well at least I am better then she is. Then there are those whose minds are so warped, well you get where I am going with this point. What I am getting at here is that people sought to be entertained or to play judge, jury and in some cases executioner via this story. While others reveled in the death of a child. Normal interest in a tragic story was lost in a sick TV reality show that the media created by design to garner audience and it did so quite effectively. And probably helped create a tidy profit of the HLN owners.

So many people want justice for Caylee and punishment for Casey Anthony that they have become blinded by an unrealistic view of what the justice system is supposed to do. The reality that what the jury was tasked with was not justice but, to determine if fault rested with Casey Anthony is what the justice system is intended for and what the jury was asked to do and that is what they did. The job is to determine guilt and apply an appropriate punishment if the person is found guilty. In the end they could find no evidence to support the assertion that she committed the crime. Is Casey Anthony culpable, absolutely, she did not report her child's death and lied about it and by the way so did her family. Casey Antony even went so far as to create a fictitious person gave them a name and in so doing wrecked a real persons life and for that she should be held to account but, that is another story and probably another trial away.

Now having said all of that lets get back to the topic at hand which is or was the intense media coverage. It was so deep and wide that it created factions, those supporting Casey, those opposed to her. It created headaches for the trial judge and the jury. The media coverage also made it almost impossible to come up with a verdict other than guilty, in effect usurping the justice system and lastly the coverage nearly got to the point of inciting a couple or riots and vigilante justice. In short it went way to far and was so biased, which breaks every rule of media ethics. which encourages and even demands unbiased reporting and fair coverage of both sides of the story. HLN and many other media players failed miserably to do that and instead opted to go with the reality TV mentality. A great way to make money but a poor way to do the news.

The best way to honor the memory of Caylee Anthony is to ignore Casey Anthony, to keep the media attention away from her and to if anything just keep any follow up simple and straight forward. The more attention Casey gets the more she will do to play to the media. That is a fact that came out in the trial.

I did not want to comment on this story because I did not want Casey Anthony to get more press but, seeing how badly the media acted on this file I could not help but to offer an opinion on what I saw and what I saw was disgusting. I understand the need to get an audience and to drive revenues that is what the news media is supposed to do, it is also supposed to report the news in a manner that is unbiased, respectful to both sides in the story and should not deliberately polarize the public. On all of the afore mentioned HLN and others covering the Casey Anthony trial failed spectacularly by opting to create what was nothing more than reality TV in the guise of a news story. A true media circus.

Cliff T.

A Bizarre Protest On Canada Day Michael Chamas

2011-07-09T09:46:00.005-04:00

I deliberately decided not to post this story on Canada Day simply because in my opinion the gentleman in question does not have much of a leg to stand on or so it seems. He may have the right to protest but, probably is in the wrong however the benefit of the doubt might be something to accord to him.

Michael Chamas is in a fight with the feds over taxes, he also faces weapons charges. The tax bill in question runs up to 1.8 million, tax the government claims Mr. Chamas owes. Mr. Chamas has left Canada and is with his wife and children in the UAE.

In my article the Leroux Effect, I blogged about Irwin Leroux a man who had a million dollars taken from him by the CRA and who successfully fought to get it back only to be told he would not despite winning the fight. He and others like him have been ripped off by the government won the case against the government and still ended up getting nothing back from the government, must be nice to disobey a court order isn't it. The case of Michael Chamas may well be another in the many where the CRA are out to pull a fast one. However and there is a however, the man may really owe the money.

No matter what status you hold in Canada, naturalized citizen or landed immigrant you still have to pay tax. You just can not avoid paying taxes unless you are like the few who have taken the time, at least 10 years to go through the hoops and actually get the government to acknowledge that they can not tax you. Until then you have no choice you have to pay tax.

Mr. Chamas has decided to flip the bird at the CRA in an unusual way. Actually he has done it twice. The first was to erect flags Canadian flags, upside down Canadian flags. When the mayor of the town where his home and the flags were caught wind of the protest he had the flags removed. Mr. Chamas has gone one better, hiring contractors to paint the house with upside down maple leafs and having the work done just in time for Canada Day.

Now I know that folks reading this will say why are you publicizing this event? The man is nuts and worse we let him into Canada and now he is doing this. Ok, he may be weird, he may be wrong, he also could be the one being wronged, the tax may well have been paid. Remember governments are not immune from error. He also as a citizen and does have the right to protest, even though this is clearly a derogatory thing to do a very disrespectful thing to do; he does have the right to do it and we should stand up for that right. Now I do not condone the method of the protest but, I do support the right to send a message and Mr. Chamas has that very right.

I would suggest that he no longer hang flags upside down or paint the house with upside down maple leafs, that just draws the wrong kind of attention. But, I also do think that some digging needs to be done into this story. There may be something here that is missing say, like a file or two showing that he did pay the tax. If he did not then he should or face the consequences for not paying the taxes he owes. And he should also pay for the painting that the house needs to have done on it to restore it to it's former look.

Cliff T.

Michael Chamas has his own blog called A Revolution of Canada Thought

The story has been covered by the following media outlets.

Global BC

Toronto Sun

CTV Montreal

Greg Fulz, Decent Men Hope You Lose

2011-06-12T17:03:00.014-04:00

Greg Fulz, in a word foolish. And why, because he wants to keep a billboard of himself holding an outline of a baby with a caption that reads "This Would Have Been a Picture Of My 2-Month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To NOT KILL Our Child!" Mr. Fulz, a New Mexico man aged 36 has been told by a court that he must take the sign down as it is a form of harassment and domestic violence against the woman he is targeting despite the fact that she is not named on the board, it was removed earlier. Mr. Fulz was ordered to take the sign down by June 17th but, is refusing to do so and is planning on challenging the decision claiming he has the right to keep the sign up based on his First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution. The interesting part of this situation is the fact that Fulz does not know if the woman had an abortion or miscarried.

Greg Fulz, decent men hope you lose. I'm not going to debate abortion here on this blog, my feelings on the subject are personal and I do not care to discuss them here. What I am going to discuss here is the fact that this guy does not know if the lady in question had an abortion or not. Yet he still wishes to exercise his right to free speech under the U.S.. Constitution. Well I guess wing nuts like this do have a right to free speech, I will give him that but and there is a big but here. This is not about free speech any longer it's about slandering and harassing someone, it's about the fact that what is being done here is a crime and free speech plays no role in this at all. While we all have a right to say what we wish and do what we wish there are rules and laws that also apply not to mention moral obligations. The constitution does not allow anyone to get away with breaking the law. And, in this case this man who wants to spew because he says he has a right to may, well, end up in jail for up to a year and have to shell out 1,000.00 bucks, just to show he has rights. Ok he has the right to commit a crime ah but, wait people go to JAIL for committing crimes so I guess that trumps his rights to free speech awww poor him, NOT. Oh and besides the thousand he may shell out in fines he will also have to shell out lots more money in legal fees. What a waste of time and energy to justify hate speech.

I will defend anyone when it comes to free speech but, this is not free speech. It's an angry guy who wanted a child did not get one and now is blaming the woman, who he is no longer with for something she may not have done in the first place. Here is hoping some common sense prevails and Mr. Fulz gets a reality check happening in his brain. Now I am not without sympathy here. I am sure he is hurting, knowing he created life and almost had a child must be painful. However instead of being a moron he may want to rethink his position, it's indefensible at best and worst criminal and he has not a leg to stand on, not even a constitutional one. The best advice he could take, is to comply and take the billboard down as ordered. On the moral side of this the woman who may have miscarried his child also deserves to be loved and helped through what surely must be a painful time for her. If he really loved her he would put his politics aside and supported her through the process. Instead Mr.Fulz has shown himself to be a less than the man he should be opting to pander to his selfish side and his desire to gain his 15 minutes of fame. Well bubba you got it but, when the dust settles the one word that will be associated with you and this case is fool.

One last note in the U.S. many messages that are vulgar and controversial are protected in the constitution. Westboro Baptist Church a group that openly targets gays in a manner which can only be described as vicious is able to continue it's activities because they are protesting a group in society the way they do it is disgusting, protesting at military funerals and I wish they could be stopped however they have the protection of the Constitution. Now, Mr. Fultz is targeting a person whom he does not really know and has no definitive answer to the question did she or did she not abort the child. Even then that is a matter of privacy between her and her doctor. And, it would seem to me that if we are going to bring God into this maybe we should remember this little phrase which comes from the Bible, which reads "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3. Point here, simple, if anyone needs to do any judging it should be God and not Mr. Fulz and exercising better judgment probably would have avoided what surely will be a costly and losing battle. Free speech, hardly, more like hate speech and a bad way to do it and that is way decent men hope you lose Mr. Fulz.

This story can be found on ABC News/us

Cliff T.

Weirdo Poisons Tree In Madioson WI

2011-06-05T14:25:00.007-04:00

James Garver Jr., 59 of Madison Wisconsin has been cited by police for poisoning a tree that belonged to his neighbor. According to police Mr Garver had drilled holes into the root of the tree then poured weed killer into them causing the 10 year old Cottonwood to die.

Mr. Garver admitted to poisoning the tree but, indicated tat he felt he had done nothing wrong as the root was on his property. None the less he has been cited for Criminal Damage to Property, a misdemeanor in Wisconsin which can result in 9 months in jail and a ten thousand dollar fine.

Police spokesperson Joel DeSpain noted that the 51 year old woman who planted the tree loved it so much that she named it. She became suspicious when she noticed leaves beginning to fall off the tree in an alarming number. By the time police were called most of the leaves had fallen from the the tree. The tearful woman stated that she would have tried to work out a solution if Mr. Garver had approached her about the root that had burrowed into his property.

The bizarre story can be found on The Cap Times website.

VOTE! You Have the Right AND the Responsibility!

2011-04-30T11:40:00.005-04:00

In less than 48 hours polls will begin to open in Canada. On May 2nd millions of us will have the power to make a choice as to who should lead Canada. You do have a choice, you do have a say and you do have a right and responsibility to vote.

Unlike many other countries in the world in Canada we get to choose who will run the country. Now I know what most reading will say. Politicians are crooks and liars. There is no real choice and that no matter who is elected it will be the same crap just with a different name attached to it. And, in some ways that is very true. Having said that there is a sense that we as the electorate need to change how politics and government works in Canada. In order to do that a strong voter turnout is required.

I point to one example of how low voter turnout has affected one province that wants change but can not seem to get that. Alberta; has for the longest time been run by the Conservative party. Over and over the conservatives keep winning and the low voter turnout helps them do that in Alberta. The true blue conservative supporters vote while the rest do not making it difficult for the other parties to gain any ground. True people do vote for the opposition but, most Albertans stay away from the polls figuring that the PC party will win. It's a mentality issue and that mentality is what allows the PC party to continue to win even when they should not. It takes breaking this mentality and to do that there is only one way, a high turnout at the polls, that is how change will happen in Alberta. The same can be said at the federal level. In order to change the way government does things a massive move to the polls needs to take place. It is up to the electorate to massively switch the direction that government is going in to the one it wants it to go in. That is not going to happen with turn out rates in the 50 to 60 percent range. But, in a 70, 80 or dare I say 90 percent range, government leaders and their underlings would take notice.

One thing more I will add to this train of thought. For far too long the leaders have all had an attitude of no one can touch me. For far to long the leaders have felt invincible on election day, each winning their riding. It would surely send a message that just as there are no safe bets in the world of work for Canadians, there is no sure bets for them to keep their jobs. That message would definitely trickle down the ranks and into any bureaucrats mind not to mention the civil service. In short strong numbers at the polls sends a clear message we are watching and we will fire you if you do not do what you were asked to do and what we were told you would do. For far to long government has acted arrogantly and with disrespect for the people paying the bill and that needs to change. The only way to do so is to shift the sands and shake the parties up and the best way to do that is through a strong showing at the polls. Parliament needs a renovation.

Voting gives you the power to begin to make the change happen, it's a right and a responsibility. You pay for these people to do the work you should act like the manager you are. Let them know you are the boss and that what you say does matter. That it is not for them to decide how things are done it's your job to do that. And, if they do not want to follow your commands you will fire them. If you can not trust them to do what you want them to do, then they should not have the job in the first place. Voting is not just a right it's also a responsibility. Not doing so allows governments to do things without your consent and in many cases without your knowing. You should have the right to know what is being done and the phrase national security should never be an excuse to hide from you, remember you pay for them and they work for you not the other way around. There are times when national security is a legitimate reason to withhold information but, as has been proven often as of late this phrase is often a replacement for mind your business, shut up pay your taxes and don't bother us. Would you ever tell your boss that? Would you ever say shut up mind your business pay me and don't bother me? If you did you would be swiftly and possibly frog marched out the door and rightly so. When your boss pays you believe me he does know what your doing and not doing that is his responsibility the same rule applies to you the taxpayer. You foot the bill so it's you who really has the responsibility to ensure that the right people are hired and are doing the job you hired them for. That is what voting is about. Take it seriously and vote.

The polls open at 9:30am and will stay open for 12 hours on May 2nd. To find out where and how to vote visit Elections Canada's site. You have the right, you have the responsibility, you should take it seriously and vote. You want change, then make it happen because no one else will do it for you!

Cliff T.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-18T04:57:00.007-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's day to all. It's a time of the year where everyone, for a day, is Irish. But, it is more than green beer that makes this day unique. St. Patrick's day is the celebration of the Patron Saint of Ireland, Patrick.

I took a quick look around the net and found that old St. Patty actually was....British and at first did not go willingly to Ireland, in fact he was kidnapped by Irish raiders who were at the time attacking the family estate. He was a shepherd who turned to religion more out of fear than anything else. He did escape went back home to Britain and became an ordained Catholic Bishop and yes he did return to Ireland. The main goal was to be a missionary and to minister to the Christian community in Ireland. It is said that he took on the Druids and was successful in defeating them thus ending the tradition of paganism in Ireland.

There are many tales about him that abound including one where he banished snakes from Ireland, this is widely considered to be false today along with many other events associated with him.

It is pretty funny that we celebrate a very religious man who probably did not touch a drop of ale or alcohol by doing the opposite. It should be noted that there are other holidays that the Irish celebrate but, St. Patrick's day is considered to be the biggest and it is a national holiday in Ireland. Here in Canada, only Newfoundland and Labrador mark the holiday on a provincial scale.

Most people associate the holiday with partying and parades however, there is a religious side to the holiday and Catholic Church marks to day with prayer ad parades of their own honoring St. Patrick.

Here are some interesting links that you go to for more information about St Patrick, the holiday.

Of course Wikipedia has information on St. Patrick after all it is the place to find just about anything on anything or in this case anyone.

There is an e-book about St. Patrick that is currently on the project Gutenberg site. And, no I have not read it so you'll have to tell me how it ends.

More documents about the saint from Documenta Catholica Omina. Ummm this might be in Latin, just wanted to give you the heads up.

The BBC has some interesting things to say about St. Patrick.

Finally all that you could want to know about the holiday itself. Straight from the pages of Wikipedia.

There are also lots of Irish blessings that are quite interesting to read and quote. Plus there is the traditional greetings of "Top of the morning to you." To which one replies "And, the rest of the day to you." and, the phrase Erin go bragh. The phrase often translates as Ireland forever.

May you live as long as you want, And never want as long as you live.

Happy St Patrick's belated though it may be to all.

C. T.

And, Now For A Demonstration Students, Please Look To The Front Of The Class

2011-03-07T20:08:00.006-05:00

I remember taking sex courses in high school. Not the most interesting stuff, in fact it seemed to be more technical than anything else. In fact it was one of the more boring subjects that we endured.

Looking back the course could have used some more umph. Then again maybe it was a good thing that there was not as much graphic detail as was the case at Northwestern University in Chicago. Last Thursday an investigation was started after news of a "demonstration" that was held after class, and get this it was a live sex demonstration! that was reported in the school's newspaper.

The event held after a class on February 21st drew approximately 100 students and while there was no intercourse, lets just say a sex toy was involved. The president of the university, Morton Schapiro stated that he was disturbed that such an event took place on the campus and that he felt that the faculty member involved, Michael Bailey, used poor judgment in allowing the event to take place. Then again it should be no surprise to the university administration the prof would be involved in a controversial event. The professor has a history of stirring up a hornets nest during his tenure at the university.

To his credit Professor Bailey has issued an apology and has made it known that he won't hold such an event again. Last I checked that sort of thing would land one in front of judge. Well, education has certainly changed since I was in school.

C. T.

Masked Man Dell Promo....Bad Idea

2011-02-23T06:26:00.004-05:00

A promo for a product that Dell was launching recently did not go so well. In fact it went terribly wrong. Last Friday in Round Rock Texas police began receiving 911 calls about a masked man in the lobby of the Dell building. Well you can guess what happened from there.

A tactical team was sent to the location, in the belief that they were responding to a situation involving high risk. But, on arrival they encountered the manager who dreamed up the bizarre stunt, David Rawson, who by the way refused to identify himself and and also refused to give the location of the masked man. The masked man, Bryan Chester, and Mr. Rawson were trying get staff to come to the lobby for the unveiling of a new product.

Instead the pair are now facing felony charges, Rawson is charged with interfering with police and Chester is charged with deadly conduct. Both face fines and jail time for their actions.

Guys if your reading this. A tip, get pros to help you next time!

C. T.

Bill 101/Charter Of The French Language Quebec

2011-02-06T11:19:00.009-05:00

Maxine Bernier a former cabinet minister and Conservative MP has done what no other has dared do in Quebec for years. He has challenged the the belief that Quebec needs Bill 101 the law which regulates the use of French in Quebec. For the first time in decades a public figure has come out saying that the law is not needed in Quebec and I could not agree more. However I do believe the French language should be protected and I do think there are smarter ways to do it. If there is a need to regulate the use of the language it is in the school system itself. I have no problem with children in primary grades being immersed in French. In fact K to grade 3 should be done in French the other 3 grades should be done in French and English and in High School the same should apply. For the GEGEP system French should be a course that is mandatory no matter what the discipline is but, that is where it should end with respect to people.

As for working, yes the first language should be French. But, legally denying the right of those wishing to have service provided in English, that is just dumb. You see places like Montreal are hubs, people from around the world pass through the city and the majority do not speak French. Is it fair to deny them a service? No, they should be served in English on a bus, commuter train and in cases where a service needs to be provided for by police fire and or other government staff the same should apply. But, this is not what I want to speak to regarding Bill 101. What I do want to speak to is the danger of thinking that some have that French and Francophone's are superior to others.

In the 1930s Hitler and his Nazis enacted the Nuremberg laws. Mainly directed at the Jews these laws established that Germans were superior to other races and this included language although it was not noted in law. It must be assumed that language was included in these laws because language defines a culture. Bill 101 could be interpreted and is interpreted to be a racist law. It is defined as such based on the fact that it essentially restricts and in some respects bans English and other languages. It could be considered a Nuremberg type law because it establishes that a language, therefore a culture and although not stated a people are superior to others. How? By making English a sub language or one that can be used in a minor role. In point of fact you can be refused service in any language other than French in Quebec and it's perfectly legal to do so, doing the opposite can net you a fine and jail time, yes jail time.

It is a sad fact that in the early 20th century the French were poorly treated by an English minority in Quebec. Laughed at and often put down as dumb farmers the French majority were often left out in many areas of the economy and other social settings. One could say that they were almost enslaved by the English. The sad part is the fact that the Catholic Church in Quebec did little to help change the fortunes of the population. It is no wonder that many in Quebec want to exact revenge on the English today. But, as it has been shown in recent times such an ideology is a failure. Rwanda, and Yugoslavia come to mind as reminders that the idea of superiority can lead to disaster for nations.

History tells us that when nations think they are better than others the path always leads to their own implosion. Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, South Africa and others who have used race laws or have taught or allowed the teaching of the notion of cultural superiority have all come to ruin in some form or other. Is Quebec next? Keeping such a law which has racial undertones is dangerous, for the minority it targets and the majority who enacts and enforces it. Quebec's political leaders might want to consider looking at history and rethinking the idea of allowing the idea to flourish that a culture is superior to another. A balanced and respectful middle way is needed. French should be protected but, not at the cost of the total sum of society. This law, Bill 101, is a deadly stepping stone to a future that would be far from pleasant for French, English and other communities within Quebec.

Two things I should not in closing. The Germans enacted racial laws to suppress peoples they felt were inferior. Quebec has a language law that does a similar thing. Canadians, Quebec citizens included invaded Germany to stop them from spreading this evil gospel...Maybe we should take a lesson from that period of time before we repeat the same mistake and have to face what Germany faced in the second world war. Quebec's language law is nothing like the law the Nazis had in the 30s but, if no checks or balances are built into it, well you get the idea.

Secondly and above all of this is the ability to communicate. No matter what one says the reality of business is that it is done in English. This does not make Anglophones superior, it's just how things have evolved. The international language of business is primarily in English, this is mainly due to the fact that the United States. The US is the place to do business, for now, thus it is essential to communicate in the language they speak, that is English. Of course we all know that China and India are also economic powers the fact still remains that for the time being English is the primary business language. Vivre la Québec libre dans Canada, dans la planète.

Cliff T.

Note: The flag of Quebec with Swastikas emblazoned on it are meant to show how some view Quebec with respect to it's language law and is not the view of the author of this post. Other links include video and audio and video from CBC. Wikipedia article on anti-Quebec attitudes is also online.

The body that pretty much gives the marching orders for the development of the French language in Quebec is the Conseil supérieur de la langue française. There is no English version for this site, so you will need to have a browser that has a translation tool to read the site.

The official site in English for the OQLF and the Charter of the French language.

Bill 101 the Charter of the French language was proceeded by older laws the CBC reported on these laws in a article dated October 22, 2009.

Gabrielle Giffords

2011-01-10T05:21:00.012-05:00

Gabrielle Giffords a Democrat in the US Congress was one of the victims of a shooting rampage on Saturday in Tuscon AZ. She along with 19 others were shot by a 22 year old, Jared Loughner while attending an event outside a supermarket. Mrs. Giffords was one of 14 wounded in the attack 6 others died including a federal judge and 9 year old girl. Mrs. Giffords is still in hospital after being shot through the head. Doctors do hold hope that she will recover but, there is no doubt the road ahead for the congresswoman will be a long one as she recovers from the attack.

The incident has sparked a dialogue in the US about how toxic the political debate has become on key issues like health care, immigration and governance in general. Whether it is from the left or the right clearly the debate has spiraled down to a level where it is no longer civil. I would go further by saying that the language boils down to hate speech. More importantly phrases and images that have a violent undertone only serve to excite weak minded and even mentally unbalanced people into doing things that are horrific in nature. We can not ignore the impact of the spoken word and images, these two things are powerful and used in the wrong way can cause great harm.

It is not hard to find disturbing language and images on the internet even more surprising is where you can find it. Go to any news site, CNN, The Star, CBC and Fox, and you will see some pretty nasty things being said in commentaries. These comments come from both sides of the political spectrum. Equally disturbing is the denigration of human life. Criminals are often referred to as scum, often their deaths are lauded as savings for taxpayers and more often than not the users spewing this garbage do not use their real names. It would seem that the net has given people the belief that by hiding behind a user name they can say anything and it's ok even acceptable. This kind of toxic language is not isolated to crime pick a topic that is a hot button issue and instantly the venomous language gets poured out.

The blame for the incivility rests on all of us but, most notably it rests with those in political circles and in the media as well as some in the religious community who allow this garbage to be broadcast. For much too long now we have allowed this nonsense to flourish under the guise of freedom of speech. I advocate for freedom of speech but, with that freedom comes responsibility. It is the responsibility of the media, politicians and religious leaders to take their speech seriously and with a sober mind and with great care and concern for the effect of what they say. Minds are shaped by words and hate language does not belong nor should it be allowed to go on even in a society that values free speech. Just because something is allowable does not mean it's responsible to do it.

True this act was committed by a clearly deranged man. However I can not help but, think that somewhere along the way the influence of images and the language of the day did have some affect on his state of mind. If there is a silver lining in all of this it is that Mrs. Giffords is showing that she is no quitter and is proving to be quite the fighter. To her and her family an friends all the very best of hopes and prayers go out for a full recovery.

C. T.

Montreal's First Baby For 2011 + My Favorite Blog Entries From 2010

2011-01-02T15:20:00.028-05:00

At exactly 12 on the dot at St Mary's hospital Montreal's first baby was born. Talasan Abdi Omar came into the world a healthy 3.6 Kg baby girl. Parents Fatouma Ali Mogueh and Mohamed Abdi Omar, are calling the newborn a little star. The new edition to the family brings the number of children to 3 in the household, all girls. Looks like dad is going to be outnumbered in the years to come.

As I turned the dial and watched the news last week I noted that stations were picking the top stories of 2010. Premiers quitting and a PM bent on control dominated our politics along with Quebec being called the most corrupt province in Canada. Russell Williams fall from grace, the BP spill and who could forget the rescue of the miners in Chile. There were recalls of cars and baby strollers, Haiti's never ending chain of crisis from earthquake to cholera epidemic and yet another failed election, it just seems the misery for this country never ends. Canada shone in the Olympics winning hockey gold, that was forgotten after the events of the G20/G8 summits and Canada losing an opportunity to hold a seat at the UN Security Council. These and other stories both good and bad made headlines across Canada.

As a blogger I like to find stories that appeal to people that range from the headline grabbing to the not so headline grabbing. Having four blogs makes finding stories a challenge, albeit it is relatively easy to do as there are always stories to be told from the funny to the most disgusting. There really is no shortage of stories to be told and I have no doubt 2011 will be just as interesting as 2010 was.

The top story for Four Eyes One Internet was Russell Hantz Super Villain. The story about Hantz and his altercation with a woman in Louisiana made headlines and I could not resist commenting on how dumb this man was. But, my personal pick is Montreal's Best Bus Routes. In the article I looked at the top bus routes in Montreal. Besides mapping the route I also noted time from end to end that it would take to travel the route and in some cases an interesting feature about the route in question.

Mixed Nuts features links to blogs and sites related to Montreal. For 2010 Miss Richfiield 1981 ranked first and I chose Miss Richfield 1981 as the pick of the year. She/he was featured on the show Cake Boss, which airs on TLC. In the episode Miss Richfield pops out of a cake made specifically for popping out of and yes the cake was edible. The story got my interest and sure enough I found Miss Richfield's blog.

My ham radio blog is simply my call VA2UTC. A collection of articles ham radio related the blog offers a niche audience the opportunity to see what is going on at my station. It is also interesting for anyone else who may want to try the hobby. Hands down the number one story was about KZ8O a ham who is known for being off the wall and at times out of control. Undaunted Mike KZ8O continues to do his own thing on the air. This entry alone gave the blog a huge boost. I have to say it is also my pick for 2010.

Finally Candid Conversations The blog I have to say is my favorite to write. I have had the pleasure of conducting online email interviews with some interesting people. Including Betty the Flight Attendant who has a real cool podcast called Betty In The Sky With Suitcase. Betty flies in at the top with the most visits. It was a blast doing the interview with her, a real class act all around. Another and my pick is Howard Sapers, the Corrections Investigator for Canada. He has one of the most difficult jobs one can have. The best way for anyone to understand what Mr. Sapers does is to read the article and to visit the website listed therein. But, to give you a bit of a hint; if you have followed the Ashley Smith story, about a young girl who was transferred from prison to prison and held in solitary confinement until she took her life while guards watched, then you will get an idea of what Mr. Sapers does. The death was ruled preventable by Mr. Sapers and moreover he also ruled that guards and admin staff routinely broke the rules if not the law with respect to Miss Smith. To date no formal criminal charge has been laid against any staff for what was clearly a violation of the rules and possibly the law.

And, there you have them my picks for 2010. In 2011 I hope to finish a series on call centres, examine some of the other provinces most famous scandals along with Quebec's sordid history of corruption and, along the way I am sure a few funny and interesting stories will pop up here on the blog. As for the other blogs well all I can say is come back and see for yourself I am sure there are going to be some interesting things to read on each. Happy New Year and all the best for 2011 from my home to yours.

Cliff T.

A Closer Look At Christmas Stories

2010-12-15T07:35:00.001-05:00

Ah yes another Christmas is upon us and as usual along with the music there are the TV specials and ritual return of the Christmas movies and shows. You know Charlie Brown Christmas the Grinch, It's a Wonderful life and Scrooge. All played on all the TV channels every year. One of the things about these stories that has caught my attention is how the start and end. If you really look closely at them you'll notice something about each story, the pretty much have the same theme in all of them. That something is overcoming adversity and learning a lesson about oneself and or people

In Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Rudolph is considered an outcast and odd because of his red nose Hermes the Elf is also considered to be odd because he wants to be a dentist not a toy maker. The toys on the Island of Misfits, well you get the idea. All of the key characters are considered so different that they are pretty much pushed out of the society they live in. What is interesting is that in the end Santa and the others who have been doing the pushing out realize that it's ok to have different people in their society They learn to accept Rudolph and his friends as unique and just as much a part of society as the so called normal people. Rudolph and his friends overcome the challenges of being different to become a part of the community while still keeping true to themselves. They too learn that being different is OK.

In it's a wonderful Life, George Bailey. A man with many dreams finds his life anything but, adventurous. He lives in an average town and works in a company that is constantly under hostile takeover threat by a mean spirited Mr. Potter who lives only to gain more wealth with little desire to share it, in fact no desire at all. George finds himself in a huge mess when money goes missing and the bank examiner comes calling to look at the books. He wonders what would life be like without him. Clarence the angel sent to help him gives him a view of the world without George and it's not a pretty one. George finally realizes that life is much to precious to throw away and decides to live. The town hearing of the problem rallies to support George and gives him more than enough to cover the lost funds. A repayment if you will for George's loyalty and support of them in the past. Here is a man set to die by means of suicide who gets a view of what life would be like without him and realizes that nothing would be gained from taking his life and in fact things might get even worse for people. Moreover he sees the true caring of his community and is able to overcome through their intervention the biggest setback in his life.

Charlie Brown learns that he is really not alone during Christmas, Scrooge learns that being alone and having tons of money and being a grouch is not really worth the effort. In Santa Claus comes to Town Kris Kringle, Santa has to overcome an unjust law and Karen in Frosty the Snowman realizes that true friends always come back.

In short many of the Christmas stories we see involve some conflict or a lesson about our world and they are all about overcoming adversity in ourselves and from exterior forces. The stories themselves are fun to watch but, the lessons learned are key to building a better society. Maybe as adults we should pay more attention to Christmas stories. There are some pretty good lessons and ideas to learn. Being different is ok, sharing is a good idea, life is worth living and we are not alone all are important messages that are in the stories we see at this time of year. So take some time with your kids and even if you do not have children I would suggest you still take some time to watch a story or two. There is a lesson or two in them and we can all use a refresher on then now and then.

Happy Holidays er I mean Merry Christmas ok ok Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

Cliff T.

Cadilac Fairview-Eaton Centre Bell Ring Policy Made Possible Corporate Dingalings

2010-12-05T13:09:00.007-05:00

Apparently for eight years the Salvation Army has quietly agreed to a policy at Toronto's Eaton Centre that forbids them from ringing their bells while they stand near their donation kettles. Seems that the 230 merchants did not like the loud noise of the bells. I think it was more like they did not like losing out to the poor that the Salvation Army help through the fundraiser which has been a Christmas tradition for decades, bell included. Some corporate ding-a-ling at Cadillac Fairview decided to actually agree to endorse and enforce such a ridiculous policy. What so that some person who does not celebrate Christmas is not offended, or that some merchant can make more money! In case one forgot to read the memo Christmas is generally the holiday celebrated by Christians and is marked with symbols like a nativity scene tree and yes bells. I respect that my Muslim and Jewish friends do not celebrate the holiday and I also understand that in some African cultures the same applies. But, that should not mean that I should be silenced and nor should the Salvation Army be silenced.

The arrangement not to ring the bells has been a mutual one,” explained Eaton Centre GM Susan Allen of the agreement reached eight years ago. “They have never asked us to change it.” Well of course they have not asked to change it Ms. Allen because they'd be kicked out if they dared to push back and disagree with it. For the record Ms Allen quoted in an article in the Toronto Sun states that she is disappointed that such a fuss is being made about the no bell ringing policy. Madam, you should be more embarrassed than disappointed for enforcing such a stupid rule. As for the merchants the same should apply. The image of corporate Canada pushing the Salvation Army around even if it is not the case is sharpened by such a policy. Cadillac Fairview and the Eaton centre appear to look more like bullies than good corporate citizens in this case.

What should be noted is that generally speaking many corporations do help the community these do include Cadillac Fairview and the Eaton Centre but, all that great work will be pushed aside by the fact that a great organization which uses a symbol of Christmas, the bell, is not allowed to use it to draw much needed attention to the cause of helping those who are less fortunate in the community. I understand that rules need to be in place to manage such a large space and for the most part these rules are based on common sense and security for all involved. That said there is nothing in this policy that makes common sense or addresses a security concern.

To the credit of the Salvation Army they have not kicked up a fuss themselves despite the fact that by not having the bell ringing means less money for them to do the work that is needed to be done.

As for this comment by DJL December 4th 2010, Toronto Sun The Eaton Centre is private property. Cadillac Fairview is well within their rights here. They're being very nice in allowing the Sally Anne in to do their fund raising, and all that CF has asked is that Sally Anne keep the noise to a minimum. If this was a question of political correctness, the CF would have banned the Sally Anne all together.

But I'll tell you what Joe; you arrange a pass for me to get into the Sun building, and I'll happily stand beside your desk ringing a bell for a couple of hours. We'll see how long it takes before your coworkers are asking for somebody to put an end to the noise.Sir/madam, reality check an office vs a mall not even close in comparison. Your last point does not make any sense at all. While this may not be an issue with respect to political correctness or religious freedom it does have the tone of charity vs corporate interest. At this time of the year the spaces that the buying public share should be shared by both the corporate and non corporate interests alike. I do believe both the merchants and the Salvation Army can coexist bells included in the space that is the Eaton Centre.

The Christmas tree, nativity scene and bells are a part of the season and should not be shelved or poo-pooed by anyone, especially in what we believe to be a democracy that is Canada. As I mentioned I have no issues with those who do not celebrate the season but, I do with those who ask me to follow them in not celebrating. It's my choice and I would like to have that respected. As for the bell ringing Salvation Army volunteers so long as the bell ringing is not overdone why not. If you are not interested in supporting them fine just walk on by and let those who enjoy the bells and giving support to them the opportunity to have their space to enjoy themselves through the gift of giving.

Merry Christmas Cliff T.

Note at the time of this post an agreement was reached by the Eaton Centre the Salvation Army to allow for the return of the bells to the mall and all of the Cadillac Fairview malls.

The Toronto Star has also posted the story of the retraction of the policy.

Rememberance Day

2010-11-10T07:47:00.006-05:00

Each year on November 11 Canadians stop for a moment and reflect on the past. We think about the men and women who have and are currently serving in the military. We think about those who died in recent and past conflicts and those who have been injured mentally and physically as a result of combat or accidents during training. I think about a teen I knew back when I was in the Army Cadets. William Tull was his name. Billy served as a Cadet in CC1979 a Canadian Grenadier Guards Army Cadet unit located in Greenfield Park Quebec at Centennial Regional High School. He did so well in his training that he was offered the opportunity to do a summer camp and he did attend that camp, he also died at that camp on a swimming course. I won't go into detail, there is no real need to do that.

I think of Billy and other cadets including 6 who were killed when a live grenade exploded during a camp in 1974, yes back then cadets did train on weapons like grenades and machine guns in their latter part of their career as cadets. Today they do not handle these weapons but, still do handle small arms and in artillery sponsored units do fire big guns. Cadets by design are not considered to be contracted soldiers, in other words they do not go into combat and are not bound to terms of service like those serving in reserve or full time units. They are still part of the military family in that they train and act like military personal and do receive credit for service upon entering the forces and after a set period of time are allowed to become legion members but, are not considered to be vets. So what is my point?

My point is that in a certain way those serving in Army, Navy and Air Cadet units are veterans to an extent. They serve communities, have saved lives and become the leaders of reserve and full time soldiers. They may have no combat experience and do not get paid but, they do represent the CF as ambassadors of goodwill and provide youth with an opportunity to learn about Canada, the military and themselves. Billy reminds me that there is risk involved when one puts on the uniform of a soldier/cadet. Just as combat can kill so can the training that the members of the forces and the cadets take. It was one I was willing to take when I joined the corps, it was one I was willing to take to join the regular army until Glaucoma set in and ended that opportunity. We should thank our vets in the reg and reserve forces and we also need to thank those youth who join the cadets for taking the time and the risk to learn about our country, our military and the skills needed to be leaders in that very military, who go out and test themselves against the elements and obstacles that many of the courses have built in them. One can not understand the military without doing what they do including some of the training they do. Things like parachuting and rock climbing are all part of what the military learn to do. Cadets emulate to a degree this training and just as it is risky for the reserve or regular soldier so it is for the cadets. That needs to be recognized and remembered on November 11th along with the other memories of the past and current sacrifices our regular and reserve soldiers make each day.

So thanks Vets and current members of the CF regular and reserve force and thanks Army Navy and Air Cadets for doing what you do. It's because of your work we are able to continue to live in a free society.

C. T.

KKK Costume So Bad On So Many Levels

2010-11-05T06:37:00.008-04:00

The question begs to be answered. What on earth were two men thinking last week when they dressed up for Halloween, one in KKK garb the other as a black man with a rope around his neck. Second what were Canadian Legion managers thinking when they let the pair in and third, why would they have been so careless as to award 1st prize for best costume to the two men. It is one the legion staff will be thinking about for a long time, as they may become former staff. The branch in Campbellford Ontario was closed due to the incident but, is now reopen. However some very serious questions are being asked about what went on during the event.

According to Ontario Provincial Police, no charges have been laid in relation to the incident. What is really odd here is that the man dressed as the black person is a former Toronto police officer. Even weirder is they did this in a place where vets who served in all of Canada's conflicts and peace keeping missions congregate, not only to have a few beers and play games but, to celebrate the history and the sacrifice made by their comrades in arms. Legions are very active in communities supporting such groups as cadet corps, hospitals and of course veterans and their families through various support groups. Our troops have fought to protect freedom of speech and also against those who would force such ideological beliefs that others are inferior, especially when it is based on race. The KKK on the other hand espouses the opposite point of view. A white supremacist group who have often engaged in violent acts with the belief that other races are inferior and should not coexist alongside whites. it was supposedly a joke. If it was I am not laughing and neither are most Canadians.

The branch has reopened and a special team has taken over managerial duties while an investigation into the incident takes place. Clearly there were some poor decisions made by the managers on duty during the Halloween event and the two men who dressed up as the black man and KKK member contributed to what can only be described as a horrific public relations nightmare for the Royal Canadian Legion.

What were these people thinking? This was so very bad on so many levels. The reputation of the people in the costume, one a former police offer, the managers of the branch on the floor that night, the Legion, Campbellford and yes even the Toronto Police force have all been harmed by the performance of this stunt. The incident was so very avoidable in the first place, it could have never come to light has someone just used common sense and told the two men sorry your costumes are in poor taste and you can not come into the hall while dressed like that. There is no freedom of speech issue here and no human rights would have been violated by barring the men entry into the branch. Any doubt could have been put to rest had someone asked a senior staff member for direction. The doorman, if there was one should have turned them around and sent them back out of the hall. To be fair we should wait to see what the investigation reveals. That said there should be some corrective action taken and those found to be responsible should face some discipline for not acting to preserve the integrity of all parties involved. A simple question could have prevented all of this. Are you sure you really want to do this? No one asked that of themselves and of those involved and as a result some very costly mistakes were made.

C. T.

News articles related to the story.

Campbellford Branch Reopens, Toronto Star

Press Releases

Royal Canadian Legion Press Release

Two Special Series Reports

2010-10-27T10:57:00.004-04:00

As mentioned I am developing a series on scandals across Canada in response to the recent article by Mclean's Magazine calling Quebec the most corrupt province in Canada. The first in the series of articles will appear in early November. Another series I am working on is in relation to the culture of failure that is the modern call centre. In a 3 part series myself and another call centre rep working as as a tech support agent will reveal the underbelly or if you prefer the darker side of working in call centres. And, we will share some insight on what we think should change in these workplaces. Look for this series in the latter part of November.

C. T.

Call Centres/Customer Service And A Culture Of Failure Part 1

2010-10-24T17:31:00.032-04:00

On September 19th Peter Peter Anthony Holder wrote an interesting article on his Stuph File Blog about the state of customer service or lack of. It seems that he had an encounter with an agent on the phone who was rather cold in her response regarding a Timex watch strap. The agent according to Peter was terse when stating that the strap would eventually break due to normal wear and tear and that would be normal after two years or wear. I have to give him his due in that he had a right to expect a better response from the agent. Something along the lines of "I am sorry you had that problem, this is probably due to normal wear and tear. That said here is what we can do." Now that would probably been a better way to speak to the issue. She was right to point out that normal wear and tear would cause the strap to break but, a gentler way to say it should have been the course taken.

There are many who believe that the trend has gone from the customer is always right to unless you have big bucks and power you do not matter and it sucks to be you. And to a degree this is true. High value customers are those who spend lots of money with a company and yes they do get special deals and do indeed jump the queue to get the best service. The reality here is that yes unless you bring value to a company you are not going to get much. In short what you get is what you pay for and if you are not a big spender well a company is not going to put a lot of effort into keeping you happy, while on the other side of this if yo do spend lots of money with a firm you are going to get better treatment. Lets call a spade a spade and finally put to rest the myth that the customer is always championed and is always right. It's a lie simple as that...Having said this that does not take away from the obligation of the agent to treat each person they serve with respect and dignity. Even if it is the fault of the customer an agent should still apologize for the problem and do the best they can to fix it. On a sales call the agent should always present the best product or service at the most cost effective price for the client. In the end everyone should end up a winner on a call the company the customer and the rep selling the product/service. The reality is this is not the case in the majority of the calls.

Call centres are often set up to fail. They fail the customer and they fail the rep. I have yet to work in one that has been rep centric or customer centric. This does not mean they do not exist I just have not been in one yet. I will admit that I have been in one or two that have come very close but, never really were. Much of the fault of customer service failings lies with the way companies themselves set the agenda. Often it is a top down mentality that the front line staff have to contend with that makes it difficult for flexible choices to be made. Policies and managerial styles often conflict with the ideology of the customer comes first. Call centres are designed to operate on an assembly line mentality get them in sell them something or service a need quickly and get them off the phone fast. Everything is measured down to the second and each call is measured according to what is said and how it is said. Granted quality is important, Having said that the customer who calls back is subjected to repetition if the company they are calling has strict scripting of calls. Add to that over zealous coaching, ridiculous goals to obtain and a squeeze every second out an hour mentality and what you really get is a sick workplace. Imagine having to essentially throw your lunch down your throat in 15 minutes on a 30 minute break and go to the washroom in less than five minutes on a 15 minute break and then cross your legs for the next 2 hours until your lunch or break to take another bathroom break, you get the point not healthy in any way.

Not all bosses are bullies but, call centres are an incubator for many of them who are. I have come across my share of them in the business the same applies to the corporate boot lickers who parrot the company line, they are not rare birds. These folks have little backbone and won't do the right thing to make the playing field even for reps on the floor. You'll never hear these people agree that something is wrong with a policy in the company but, you will hear them trumpet how great it is that x change has come even if it is at the expense of the agent, or how important it is for staff to adhere to x policy because the company is never wrong on such things. And, better yet they will do this by saying some of the most dumbest things one can think up. In short many of the agents you the customer get on the phone are not very well treated by their employers. Again I must state that is not the case in all the call centres out there. There are centres where staff are well paid highly valued and in some cases often consulted on how the centre is run and asked for their thoughts on improving processes. The ones that do run with the consultant model, rare very very rare.

On the other side of he call is the customer that would be you who is reading this. I have in my 12 plus years working in the field dealt with thousands of people on the phone. I have sold garbage bags for charity, raised funds for guide dogs, sold long distance plans, taken calls for banks and courier companies and did surveys. I can tell you that I have dealt with some of the nicest people in the world including some famous people. On the other side of the fence I have dealt with some of the most nasty people and have taken incredible abuse. In my twelve years on the phone I have been dealing with a variety of situations customers have tossed my way here are some things that I have had heard about and had to deal with from bosses and customers.

I have heard of reps being told to wear diapers on the job to limit bathroom breaks, some have to work in cramped work areas, one told me a story about being reprimanded for touching themselves and had to keep their hands on the table at all times. For the record no evidence of such activity was ever proven. I have seen reps called stupid and heard of fights on the job and bosses standing in parking lots tapping watches while staff enter the building. Add to that systems that are and computers that are junk and break down because some penny pincher wants to save a buck figures cheap not cost efficient CHEAP is good for business. Then there are systems that are not synchronized causing the system to show staff late when they are not, creating loss of paid hours along with broken gear, s it any wonder we are not happy campers. Ah but it gets better, or is that worse.

I have had customers cuss me out and call me foul names. One real nimrod who refused to pay charges for long distance even though they were legitimate kept telling me to shut up, this after I let them know that their sweet innocent children called PORN lines and racked the bill up. Sadly the next agent taking the call was dumb enough to give them a credit for the charges. I had a customer want me to have their line tapped because they heard voices on the line when she picked up the phone, last I heard that is usually what one hears when picking up the phone receiver! I have had people demand credit after their kiddies signed them up to Internet service, three months after the fact. What you can't read your bill hello. I have had people want me to sell them nothing, then why are you calling the SALES department duh what do you think we do on the SALES line. The list goes on and on.

Some of the other things bosses have pulled include:

Writing reps up for taking to long to go to the bathroom or being sick, yes you read right FOR BEING SICK.
Firing staff for violating a policy that did not exist, it just sort of materialized after an article appeared in a trade magazine that the company did not reply to them. The cute part was that unless they provided a phone number staff were told to discard such communication by email. Funny how that changed after the article. Even weirder being fired in a parking lot.
Having to deal with racist remarks made regarding disability color or social class. And, in one case a rep thought it would be funny to commit fraud and try to make it look like another of his colleagues did it, while another thought it was funnier still to grab a staff member by the shirt daring them to hit him! Ok can you say whack job!
Being written up for telling a joke and pointing out that it looked like the centre would close in a short period of time. Which by the way did happen.
Having to work even after having a toilet with feces overflow on a staff member.
Being exited out of a program with no explanation.
Here is another cute one being written up for escalating a call to a supervisor.

My favorite is having to try and sell products that a client has no need of via telemarketing including refinancing on credit cards to folks who have NO DEBT, that one was recent. And, finally being put on so called action plans to help improve performance. The code word is action plan which is a euphemism for punishment for not meeting some unrealistic goal. One such was keeping a call down to five minutes. The staff member got blamed for having gone over five minutes on what the company called a handle time cap. Handle time is the time from start to finish of a call. The client was given money back because the team was over that cap. Ya OK did the staff member sell the client on this option NO, so how the heck is it their fault if a call centre's sales rep sells something that is not workable. Go back to the rep and take it out of his pocket to pay the client and then renegotiate the contract dumb ass.

But, the biggest issue we face and much of it media driven is this idea that if yo do not get what you want ask for the supervisor. Ask for the supervisor, more like demand one rudely i might add. Many people do not realize that in many cases the team leads and supervisors can do a few more things but, they are more than minimal at best and in fact they do almost the same job as the agent. In short in most cases you get the same service you would have gotten through an agent.

Companies and the media have created a culture of whiners who like wee ones stomp their feet and demand outrageous things of the agents they call. The worst part is that many companies do what the customer wants even after the agent has said no. This undermines the agent and their ability to properly do the job. Many are complaining that the level of customer service has come down to a level of almost zero. The reality is that expectations have been increased the demand for profit has grown and the ones truly left holding the bag are the front line staff who have to please two people the client and the boss. Where is our advocate? Who is standing up for the CSR and the Technicians? There are many asking for a bill of rights for customers, how about one for the CSR? The call centre industry is in need of a major review and overhaul of it's practices. There is also a need for better regulation in North America. It is clear that as long as the industry is allowed to self regulate agents will continue to be the losers. It has to come to this a need for regulation that protects not only the consumer but, those who face them on the phone and those regulations need be enforceable and the sanctions severe for violations. No agent should ever have to tolerate the kind of crap they put up with today. The swearing, threats, and intimidation that often rears their heads need to become things that get a customer kicked off the call and a boss kicked off the job.

We can understand frustration and upset when things go so very wrong and often have allowed the customer to vent. But, when we say stop we mean stop. The foul language, the threats the bargoon shoppers, the nickel and dimers can frankly do us all a favor and go somewhere else to buy and get service. These crappy attitudes and behaviors are not what we are paid to deal with. Now I know some will say that yes that is what we are paid to deal with or it comes with the job and, if we do not like it get another job. No it does not, it should not and must not be allowed to continue, it is not part of the job. And, if we consider that it is part of the job then the pay should much higher for having to deal with that. I think it would be great to get a bonus for dealing with hostile nasty people kind of like danger pay. We are paid to sell things and serve customers. I expect legitimate complaints and welcome the opportunity to see what I can do to solve the problem But, I also deserve to be respected and treated with the same courtesy that is expected of me. To many of you we are a stranger and frankly it is not your right to abuse me and my colleagues nor is it acceptable to nickel and dime us and judge our character, because you do not know us. So from the bottom of my heart I say call let us know what the problem is let us do our best to fix it, let me and my colleagues do our jobs, if you are calling us on a sales line expect, EXPECT us to try and sell you something it's our job to do that so don't ask me and my colleagues not to because really what you are asking us to do is to not do our job and we are not really interested in being fired.

Having said all of the above I can say that yes there are happy moments in call centres. I have a lot of fun on the job. I have made friends, helped many people fix problems and I have made some good money doing the work. There many funny calls and customers out there. I have had customers calling thinking they were calling the local jail, hospitals and yes sex lines. I have had men calling me for dresses, not for the wife but, for themselves!! I have had people ask me to sing on the phone, I have dealt with drunks thinking they were calling friends and yes I have even had one customer ask for a date. I even had one lady wanting me to service her, ya ok I will get right on that NOT. My ultimate favorite are the customers who think I have the power to read minds and know who they are just by touching my monitor. All of us in call centres get these people on the line no matter what kind of company we are working for.

What I am essentially saying is that the call centre industry has developed a culture of failure for the rep and the customer and the only real way to fix it is to change attitudes across the board. The war between the customer and the companies and internally between staff and management in centres needs to come to an end and we all need to focus on doing the right things to help the customer and those who serve them.

Getting back to Peter Anthony Holders article. There is no doubt that the call could have been handled better and also that the way the agent handled it probably was not the most correct. But, this is not indicative of the whole of customer service. Indeed for the most part customers are happy with the level of service and care they get from agents on the phone. But, having been and being a customer myself I know what it feels like to be slighted by an agent giving a terse or parroted answer. And, I am like most people, I do not like being told no. And, I get frustrated when I feel ignored and or the agent does not seem to get what I am saying. All of these things are annoying. Still it does not give me the right to be abusive to the agent or to make outrageous demands of them. Not that the request Holder was making was outrageous indeed it was reasonable. So was the reply from the agent that this was a wear and tear issue. That said the agent did not really handle the call very well with the response given and the tone it was given in. But, if you have read the above you can clearly see why this happens. It's not right but, it is reality and reality always wins.

Paul B. is a Tech Support Agent for a major telecom and he has some stories that are related to this subject. Paul what has been your experiences working in call centres and dealing with clients calling you?

C. T.

I don’t really have any specific calls to talk about, but I do have some suggestions on how to deal with technical support to make things easier for yourself and the agent.

There are five basic rules to follow when dealing with a tech support agent: Listen, don’t argue, accept suggestions, check customer service first, and RTFM.

I will discuss RTFM later, but first, let’s look at “Listen”. “

Listen” is very important. In order for a technician to help you, you may be required to do something on your side. Contrary to popular belief, not everything can be fixed remotely. It also helps for you to try a few things yourself first. If a tech asks you to do a reset, for example, you should not have called technical support. A reset is something you can do yourself. In addition, pay attention to what the tech is saying. It gets very annoying to have to repeat the same instruction four times. Know how to use your equipment before calling. This falls under RTFM, which I will cover later.

The next is “Don’t argue”. This is a big one for me. You are calling technical support for assistance, but yet you don’t want to do what we ask. If you already know what to do, why are you calling? Arguing includes saying something like, “I already did that”. It does not matter. If you are being asked, please do it again. Also do not say, “I don’t want to”, or, “I don’t need to do that.” If a tech gives you an instruction, there is a reason. Also, it does not help to say “My friend’s is working” That’s great, whoopee for your friend.

The next thing to look at is, be modest. If a technician gives you advice, take it. The technician has been around said equipment for much longer.

Next, do not call tech support for things that are obviously not tech issues. For example, if your service is disconnected for non-payment. What the hell do you want technical support to do? Or, your prepaid account is empty. Again, what the hell do you want from me? Always call customer service first, to verify that it is not something they can fix. In most cases, technical support does not have access to billing.

Finally, RTFM. This stands for Read The Freaking Manual. Most tech support are not there to teach you how to use your equipment. I can tell you right now, I will not do it. It is your responsibility to learn your equipment. Don’t call for a walk-through. Tech support is not paid to do that. Also, it is likely the technician will not even know how. Another myth about tech support is that we know how every piece of equipment works. Untrue. As a matter-of-fact, most of the time we do not need to know how to work the device in order to fix it. You would not believe how may calls I get, that result in the person just not knowing how to use the thing. That is not a technical issue. Tech support is for if something is not working. It is not for “I am too lazy to read the manual”.

Paul
Technical Support
Toronto, ON, Canada

A Pet Peeve

2010-10-11T14:39:00.018-04:00

Recently I wrote to a couple of emails to people. The posts were business related and needed attending to. I asked for a reply and GOT NONE. Gee maybe I should forget to pay the bill and see what happens, oh wait I know what will happen. I will get a call or email informing me that I MUST CONTACT THEM to arrange payment, that is what would happen. It seems that it is ok for some folks to be rude deliberately but, heaven forbid that you forget to meet your obligation to them to pay a bill or inform them of changes etc etc.

I am not suggesting that I am special and that I require special treatment, I am suggesting that when I send an email asking a question and requesting a reply that I should be responded to rather than ignored. It's not just a polite thing to do it's a business thing to do. Companies do not have or should not have the luxury of being able to ignore a request no matter what status the client has with them and no matter which form the person chooses to communicate with them in.

For me communications via email is my preferred choice. I am not interested in sitting on a phone for an hour calling a call centre to get simple answers nor am I interested in dealing with the infamous voice mail mazes and IVR are traps that are the norm when calling many companies and government. Even in situations where I call smaller firms I have run into the maze of voice mail boxes. Above all I work on the phone for a living so if I can avoid using the phone I do. Of course, in some situations the only way is to speak with someone, this is especially true when it comes to sensitive information. That said I generally avoid calling a company, if I can do what I need to do online.

It strikes me as rude and disrespectful of my time and effort to communicate when I ask for a reply via email and do not get one. I can live with that in personal correspondences but, for a business related one that is not even close to being acceptable. I know that many companies have shed staff and many firms require staff to do more than one thing. I get that it may take some time to reply back, having said that it's just the right thing to do to reply back to a person if they have asked for correspondence. No matter what the size of the company is, the first rule of thumb is that if you have an email address and you put it on your site you are bound to get emails from people. The second rule of thumb is that you should be prepared and responsible to answer the emails that you get in a timely manner.

In short this is the deal you create an email you publish that you have the email then you reply to people who send to the email. Complicated I should think not. Yes I know that there is spam and viruses that are lurking out there, that is what spam and security software and firewalls are built for. You see these magical tools that are not so magical for the most part filter out junk and viruses. But, they only work if they are deployed and in most cases they usually are. So really there is no excuse whatsoever for not replying to a request that has been made.

It's a pet peeve yes but, one I think many have and I think it is worth noting that even in busy world you can still manage to write back a quick note saying I got the message and I will answer back soon. It's also the polite thing and business smart thing to do. Email and voice mail were not invented so that people could ignore each other, they were invented so people could COMMUNICATE with each other. Make sense, yes no? I think it does.

C. T.

Canada's Skeletons A La Carte

2010-10-04T10:35:00.009-04:00

It may be true that Quebec is the most corrupt province in Canada it can also be said that Canada's other provinces also have skeletons that have been brought out of the closet and into the spotlight.

Below is a list of some examples of provinces and the scandals that have touched them.

1. BC with it's 3 premiers who had to leave office, the death of Robert Dziekanski and notably the lack of response to murders of women in Vancouver's lower East Side certainly do not make B.C. look too good.

2 Alberta fares no better. Many in the province still hold on to the past re the National Energy Program of the seventies, along with B.C. it practiced forced sterilization of women and men it deemed "mentally deficient". It is also a province solely reliant on energy to drive it's economy thus when prices dip the economy suffers. Alberta also has made it nearly impossible for alternative political parties to run for office leaving it with a legacy of a government that has no real new ideas.

3. Ontario Walkerton, Ipperwash and the death of Dudley George. Premier Harris was notorious for being rude to staff, it has been alleged that in one case he threw a binder at a bureaucrat who dared to challenge him. Rae days a feature of the NDP government that governed before Harris. Mayor Mel Lastman of Toronto who infamously quipped, "What the hell would I want to go to a place like Mombasa for?...I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me." Workfare, a program intended to put people into jobs which basically amounted to a waste of tax dollars and time.

4. Quebec has a history of scandal dating back 50 years. Examples, the Duplessis orphans were children who were placed into orphanages run by the Catholic Church, subsequently they were sexually and physically abused. It's infamous bill 101 all but bans English and makes it legal to discriminate against any other language including English in the province. There has been and continues to be entrenched ties to organized crime in the construction industry in Quebec where politicians are bought off and rigging of contracts has been alleged. It is alleged that judges have been appointed at the behest of Liberal fundraisers in the province. Daycare licenses were given to those who supported the Liberal party financially.

The other provinces also have they're issues but, these three are the provinces with the largest populations in Canada so it stands to reason that scandals do plague them. However all the provinces have skeletons in the closet. As eluded to in the beginning of this article Quebec has been called the most corrupt province in Canada according to Macleans Magazine. It could very well be said that in recent history Quebec has been so plagued by scandals that indeed it has become the most corrupt province in Canada. The reason is because of the depth of the corruption not the number of scandals.

In the next few articles here on the blog I'll feature some of the major scandals that have touched Alberta, B.C. Ontario and Quebec. Through articles and historical data you'll see how each of these four provinces have fared when it comes to corruption and a political past that has shaped the provinces social and economic face along with that of it's political side. You'll see when it comes to bad behavior East and West are pretty equal and that the grass is not greener on either sides of the fence. I will also feature an article that will take a look at the other 6 provinces and where they sit on the corruption scale. Lastly a special commentary on how regional differences and ideologies and beliefs about each other are really not helping our country. And how we really should be doing things to change our country for the better. Look for the first in the series soon here on the blog as we take a look at Quebec.

C. T.

Qur'an Burning....Dumb & Costly & Stangely Helpful

2010-09-20T21:27:00.015-04:00

It is being reported that the bill for the security measures that had to be taken during the day that Pastor Terry Jones had planned to burn Qu'rans has been, or will be sent to him. The price tag a whopping 180,000.00 dollars and it could go up to 200.00. That is a very high price to pay to make a statement.

Here is the ironic thing, the church that Pastor Jones leads is called Dove World Outreach Center. Interesting name as it evokes peace not violence especially the kind that would surely have taken place on September 11th had Jones decided to actually burn Islam's holy book.

It is or seems to have been a statement against a proposed build of a Mosque near the ground zero site that Mr. Jones and his band of believers were willing to take such a huge risk to protest against. The idea got major attention across the media landscape. Many after the fact regretting letting a wing nut like this hijack their air to spew his disdain for Islam. I know you asking why then write about him. Good question, here is the answer. While this should have been a non story in the media it became one and now that it has become one that really still continues to unfold it still garners the need for attention. Why? Because the media and bloggers like myself need to get the word out that not only was this a dumb stunt it was costly and should not be repeated. It is also a good start point to talk about what is at the base of this which amounts to fear and hate and how we all need to work on reducing these in our communities as a whole.

The media can also learn from this episode, just as there is cost associated with the stunt that never was reporting it also cost the media in time, energy, reputation and money? Money? Reputation? Sure, think about it for a moment, while most likely advertisers won't pull back on media chains that ran the story it could have happened, no one wants to be associated with a nut and the story surrounding them and money well yes, sending crews out to interview Jones that costs lots of money. Hopefully better checks and balances will be put into place to make sure that stories that merit attention do get it and the ones like this don't.

Back when I was in a youth group in Greenfield Park Quebec our pastor, Rev Robert Gibb was the senior pastor of the church I attended. One thing that could be said of him was that he spoke well, he was always clear, careful with his words and even when he disagreed with what was going on in society I always sensed he had the respect to never cross the line between what is considered to be honest opinion and overt hate speech. A line that I think Pastor Jones crossed. This also can be said of many in the worlds of Islam and Judaism. Pastors and other religious leaders hold great power when they step into the pulpit. To say that lives literally hang in the balance is not an overstatement, people could have died as a direct result of Pastor Jones's actions. And, in this regard it should always be with a great sense of care and dignity, peppered with respect for ideas, even those they oppose that any religious leader should take note of the risks before they open their mouth to utter a word on matters such as this.

Pastor Jones is going to pay a heavy price financially and possibly in time spent behind bars along with the cost of losing his reputation. and right to preach. Truly a heavy price for making a point. There are some that will argue that it was worth it for the sake of the gospel. Really? I think not if anything the gospel of Christ suffers when people like this use their power in the wrong way as Jones did. This principle can be applied to Islam and other teachings. The term "we got lucky" may not apply or it may depending on your point of view. While I am not a believer in luck per ce I do think there was an element of that in the outcome as it was good fortune that somewhere many prayed and God intervened to stop this event cold in it's tracks. From here it is appropriate to debate the issues surrounding Islam and it's radical elements along with other beliefs and their radical elements. A dialogue long overdue but to suggest burning any holy book that is a non starter in this bloggers book.

Cliff T.

Below are some links to articles related to this story

Pastor Could Face 2000.00 Dollar Bill For Security, Northjersey.com
The Daily Caller did an extensive interview with Pastor Jones
The Keystone also dove in with it's article entitled the Media Frenzy Over Quran Burning
The Miami Herald took a hard look at it's reporting asking the question Was he really news? A look at The Herald's coverage

Recycled Art....Trash Turned Into Beauty

2010-08-27T21:37:00.009-04:00

It is always interesting to see what people do with things that were once used for another purpose. Take for example the vinyl record. Once the medium for music, still is in some circles mainly by Dj's, now in other peoples hands the old medium is getting a face lift of sorts. Sculptors and painters are now using records to create art.

In a story found on environmentalgrafiti.com vinyl art was the theme. In the article written by an author who writes under the name Tonyleather some very interesting photographs showing how vinyl was used to create unique art appears. One such piece that caught my eye was Sound Wave by Jean Shin. What is so very interesting about this art piece is the use of records to create what looks like a wave, hence the title "Sound Wave". Shin also has some other interesting art created from everyday items like umbrellas. In fact there is a whole range of art being created using things that have been discarded or were once used for other purposes. An example is those lovely, not, pieces of mail we call junk mail. Sandy Chimmel has taken these and created stunning photos including Elvis, John Lennon and Jimmy Hendrix. These two artists are among the many who are using everyday materials and old discarded pieces of many kinds to create amazing art.

Just type a Google search for recycled art and you will be amazed at what pops up. Artists are doing some cool things with items used for a particular purpose and changing them to create new art. It goes to show that not everything has to land in a landfill and that we can get enjoyment from something in a different way.

C. T.

6000 Dollar Tax Bill Paid In Part With Pennies

2010-07-25T11:04:00.004-04:00

The mayor of Ripon Quebec (*) has a bit of a problem he has to deal with and it's a headache he is probably going to need a whole bottle of Tylenol to cure. The headache comes from Mr. Norman Czepiela, a resident who owes 6000 dollars in property tax. Mr. Czepiela decided to show is disdain for the tax by paying a portion of the bill with pennies, lots of pennies. The protest is over the fact that the bill has jumped from 2000 to 6000 dollars.

An unimpressed Mayor Luc Desjardins has told Mr. Czepiela who dropped off the pennies two weeks ago that the city is refusing to accept his form of payment, a kiddie pool with 213,662 pennies in it. The mayor told Mr. Czepiela that if he did not take them back he would forfeit the pennies and that he has the weight of the law on his side via the Currency Act.

This has all the makings of a real interesting legal fight. Either way both sides don't come out smelling like roses. Still Mr Czepiela deserves credit for originality and for drawing needed attention to the governments continuous hand in taxpayers pockets. But, it is also clear that he has probably also put himself on a track where a nasty game of tit for tat will lead nowhere. This also applies to the mayor of Ripon who by taking on a taxpayer may well find himself being politically impotent, seen as nothing more than a money hungry man who is not willing to meet his electorate in the middle.

Taxes are not paid for products but, could be considered as a payment for services, question is what services is Mr. Czepiela paying for with his property tax? Can the mayor prove that they have been delivered to Mr. Czepiela or were available to him? And what of the pennies, while the currency act does have regulations regarding how many pennies one can use in a transaction the fact remains that once they were unloaded and accepted by someone, if that can be proven, then payment has been made. Even if Mr. Czepiela does not take them back and the city claims them as a penalty then the penalty has been paid. It just remains what the penalty would be for. As for the mayor, because someone allowed Mr. Czepiela to leave the pennies at city hall that could be considered as accepting the shipment. If a city employee signed for them then the deal is done payment has been made. If they try to send the pennies back to Mr. Czepiela he could REFUSE them before they got off the truck. In short a vicious circle of who owns the pennies and what they are being used as payment for would ensnare both parties. I am not a lawyer but, it looks clear to me that both sides erred here and a middle way needs to be found.

The solution here is quite simple the mayor has to suck this one up and take the payment and as for Mr. Czepiela well I think he should share some of the cost for rolling them that the city would have to pay because that money would come out of TAXPAYER dollars. You see in reality this was not a bright idea after all. Because in the end it looks like Mr. Czepiela may end up spending more money and the protest will look more dumb than clever. And, for the mayor maybe a bylaw is needed stating that pennies may not be used to pay for services, fines and taxes. Like I said credit for creativity, A+ for planning and thought about the consequences an F- for Mr. Czepiela and for the mayor a fail for letting this story get some legs on him.

Cliff T.

(*) Ripon web address is linked to the town, the site is in French.

The World Cup A Tale Of Vuvuzelas And An Octopus Named Paul

2010-07-14T20:11:00.003-04:00

It would not surprise me to find out that in Germany and the Netherlands a few TVs ended up looking like the one to the right after the World Cup final between that country and Spain and Germany's early exit from the tournament. The World cup had a lot of interesting twists and turns throughout it's run.

On and off the pitch some very interesting things happened. What was truly fascinating was to see some of the big names in the game go down in flames, most notably the French team who basically melted down to a unit that was more or less a molten mess of egos. England who by the way had a special word "Kabanga" which they hoped would inspire victory did not fare better. Kabanga for anyone interested is a Zulu word meaning imagine. Then again you would have been hard pressed to hear the soccer rally songs or chants above the constant din of the Vuvuzela. Each time I watched a game and I did watch a couple the sound of this horn was heard. It was hardly music to the ears. The thing sounds more like a beehive, to me it was nothing more than an annoying racket. There was the controversy surrounding the use of instant replay during games. In one match a goal that was, was declared not to be at all and the FIFA gang refused to overturn what was clearly a bad call. Then they simply stated that they would not even debate the issue of instant replays. I think that will change by the time we get to the next World Cup. It has also been reported that some big name players did not show up and the topper of them all was an Octopus named Paul who had the uncanny ability to pick the winning teams. The eight legged guru resides in Germany where he predicted some amazing wins by that country's team. But, when Germany was ousted from the tourney fans of the beautiful game wanted Paul on a beautiful platter. I am sure many Dutch are thinking the same. One last point, security concerns most of which never materialized, that's because this was a soccer game not the G20 Summit. I am sure some problems did come up but, for the most part nada.

To say that this was an unusual World Cup would be an understatement. Frankly it was one of the weirdest events of the summer and I am not even a fan of soccer much less any sport. However South Africa played host very well and South Africans should be proud of the fact that even if there was a lot of weirdness going on at least for the most part the games themselves went off without a hitch or much of one. It was in one way a nice diversion from oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico, Jaffergate and if you had a cool place to go watching the games were a great way to beat the heat. But, for a blogger like me just the idea that an Octopus and a horn that sounds like a beehive amongst other things begged to be written about. Yes I admit I did not care who won I was interested in the weird factor here and the World Cup delivered big time.

C. T.

PS If your are a sports fan who lost it and trashed your TV may I suggest Walmart!

To find out more about how researchers in England developed the new word for English soccer fans you can click the word Kabanga and you will be directed to CBC's As It Happens Archive. The story is at the 20 minute mark of the audio file.

If you are interested Canada ranks 100th in the world for soccer according to FIFA.

Facebook Privacy VS What Facebook Is About...Sharing Info

2010-06-30T09:36:00.009-04:00

Recently there have been articles about Facebook, many of them focused on the question of privacy on Facebook. No doubt it is an issue. Add to that the founder of Facebook's comments that users were dumb f--ks and you get some not so nice images of the social network.

Facebook privacy vs what the network is about, sharing info, brings up a question of balance. What should be and what should not be broadcast over the network are good questions to ask before submitting data on Facebook.

Many people are quitting Facebook citing the concerns about privacy on the network and the lack of control over it. It has become somewhat of a fad to dump the social network. Those who leave Facebook blame the company for not guarding the data very well and for not protecting the network against breaches of security. I agree that it is the responsibility of the company to protect the network and the users and their data. And, I also agree that the users should direct the company on how data should be shared with third party vendors. However I also think users should be aware that they too have a responsibility to safeguard data.

Facebook is a social media network, it is designed to be a platform where people SHARE information and data. This means that a user WANTS to be found and WANTS to share information and data. Now the question should be what kinds of data and information get shared. This is where critical thinking plays a role. The key question should always be, does this information have value? The next key question is it important that it gets shared? And, finally does this data put me at risk? Now it should be pointed out that there is always some risk when you put data about yourself on the web but, you can mitigate the risk by deciding what is posted.

One question you can ask yourself is would I want my mom and dad to know that, see that or heaven forbid hear about that from another source? If the answer is no, then it does not get posted. Posting you address and phone number deserves the question why? Do you really want people to know that and if so why? Opinions can draw fire especially when personal bias gets into the mix. I have taken people off of my friends list because of repugnant statements they have made. Healthy debate is certainly good but, there is a limit to free speech and that limit is when the statements are hateful and promote ideas that are criminal in nature. In another posting similar to this one I mentioned annoying things Facebook users do. One was dispensing personal information on such topics like bodily functions and health problems. I do think there is a space for that on Facebook but, it should be tastefully done. All of these things affect the image you have on the web and yes what you broadcast can affect lots of things including your job. Privacy control starts with self control note the word SELF. Think before you do because once the data goes out you can be sure it could be spread around and unfortunately that can create some negative consequences just as it can create some positive ones.

As a last note quitting Facebook after something happens is akin to trying to corral horses after the barn door has been left wide open for them to exit out of. What one should do is measure whether Facebook is an effective platform for communication and data sharing. If it comes to pass that the system does not meet a need or want then by all means leave the network, just make sure that when you do, nothing that could compromise your image and security gets left behind. The only way to do that is to put checks and balances in place that ensure that you don't violate your privacy and in the end the company does not do the same. In short use you head, it's not on your shoulders for nothing.

C. T.

To get a visual idea of how privacy has evolved on Facbook follow this link http://mattmckeon.com/facebook-privacy/

Orange Glasses And BP

2010-06-15T20:48:00.017-04:00

No these are not the actual pair of glasses I am wearing and will have to for some to come but, they could very well be. A couple of weeks ago I lost my glasses and was forced to don my spare pair. These are very old going back to the 90's. A make due pair for now they are great as sun glasses. However they are not so great as regular eye glasses at least for me they are not.

So where am I going with this post. Essentially, with the idea that in our fast paced get it done, get it cheap and cut the middle guy or processes out we can and do make mistakes. Prime example is the oil spill that just keeps going on and on like an energizer bunny on crack. British Petroleum, it seems, cut corners and drilled fast in order to save time and money on a rig in the Gulf of Mexico. In the end, well we do not know that because it has not ended, yet. As a result, there that is a better phrase to use, oil still continues to pour out of a well that exploded killing 11 and wrecking a whole lot of summer vacations not to mention peoples means to earn a living.

I have often said to people who chide me on being slow that I would rather be slow and methodical than fast and willing to cut corners. I often ran into the get it done yesterday attitude while working in call centres. Often and with regularity when I "hurried up" errors often were the result. Often when I came across others work I could tell who was the rabbit and who was the hare and we all know what happened in that race. I can not count the number of times I had to admit that the error was on the part of the agent before me. On a couple of calls I even caught my own errors, now that is bad. Imagine having to say you were the person who screwed up on the last call. Take that to any job, not a good feeling. This is especially true if people die and the environment gets contaminated as is the case in the BP spill.

Some will argue that big faceless corporations are run by people who do not care as long as they are cashing in. But, this is a facade, there are people within giant corporate entities who have souls and do care about what is going on outside the boardroom. They are the ones who have live with the consequences of bad decisions. No one really escapes their past and mistakes do come back to haunt them. Take it from a guy who has had a few hunting's it's no fun.

The more we hurry up the more likely we are going to see mistakes become full blown disasters like the one BP is now facing. Take this down to a personal level, the more I, or you hurry up the more likely a mistake will be made. For me hurrying up has cost me time, having to order new glasses and created a scenario where I have to wear orange colored glasses for the rest of this month. Trust me wearing glasses that look like something that Elton John wore back in the 70's is no longer funny. Overall the reality check here is that speedy and cheap does not always pay on any level. Maybe we need to slow down a little and pay a little more for a job or product well done and well made. Nickle and diming our way through life has come to the point of going to far and for me on a personal level the price is wearing orange glasses for a month, for the folks in the gulf it's gone farther, it's the loss of jobs and the spoiled land they will have to live with. What a waste to save a buck, and in the end did I, did they? I think you know the answer to that question.

C. T.

Hazel You've Got It Wrong! Duct Taping, Horseplay NO Crime YES.

2010-06-06T10:56:00.014-04:00

Hazel is your brain broken? You've got it wrong this time. Duct taping someone then spanking them, having ones head shaved forcefully are not acts that constitute "Horseplay" they are crimes. Lets try this again shall we. Duct taping = crime = fired = GO TO JAIL end of story.

But, not in this case in fact the very person who condoned and encouraged this so called horseplay is not just walking free he is getting paid top dollar, in fact he is paid more than the mayor of Mississauga. Now that is irony. It has been reported in the media that Domenic Galamini made about $3,000 more in 2009 than Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion who happens to be the highest paid mayor in Canada who, by the way earns $135,000. Galamini is the ASSISTANT Supervisor in the Sign Shop of the transportation maintenance section of the Works department. So here we have a guy who allows his employees to duct tape, spank and shave employees heads earns more than the mayor and basically gets away with a crime because the union decided not to comment, the Ministry of Labor said well they did something about it. Ya they changed some polices and probably had staff attend some workshops on bullying. And the police laid no charges because, I do not know why. Sound ridiculous to you. It does to me.

Two years ago I was written up for making a wise crack about Warner Brothers and the charge included a reference to my wise crack as being not only a violation of the company policies but, also a crime. I wrote about the experience in the article You Be The Judge. That write up was for a joke, could you imagine what would have happened had I been horseplaying? For the record there was no crime committed this was merely a way for the company to force me out because I was outspoken about the pending closure of the firm's call centre in Edmonton, which the company denied would take place. Later that year 300 staff were informed they would lose their jobs due to the company's decision to, wait for it--------CLOSE the call centre. Anyway lets move on shall we.

If I can get in trouble for being a whistle blower and threatened, or at least led to believe I could be charged with an offense, shouldn't that be the case for Mr. Galamin? The mayor has this wrong, as does the Ministry of Labor and the police. This man and those who actually did the duct taping should be prosecuted. Not doing so sends the message that there is really a 3 tier justice system in Canada. One for the rich, another for the politically connected and the last for the poor and disadvantaged. Clearly this man has some connections or got lucky because someone decided that it would be just way to much work for them to do. Either way this is clearly a failure on all sides to deal with the issue of bullying in the workplace. And not doing anything about it also sends a message that it is acceptable to bully. harass and intimidate others in the workplace. Policy changes mean nothing in this case, the men and or women involved should be fired and charged then the policy should be laid out LOUD AND CLEAR do this, union or not YOUR DONE. Is this reality check enough for you Hazel?

The story has been reported via the Montreal Gazette and the CBC. For the record Hazel McCallion has condemned the actions of the employees involved and has made it clear that this type of activity can and will lead to dismissal. At issue is the fact that this should have led to the firing of all involved in the duct taping, spanking and head shaving.

C. T.

Crime & Vatican, Now There Is An Oxymoron!

2010-05-28T21:54:00.006-04:00

It's almost to weird to think never mind say, Vatican and crime. One would never in a million years think that there is a serious problem with crime at the Vatican but, believe it or not there is.

In fact the Vatican has the highest crime rate in the world! Yes the world. In 2007 there were 1033 crimes committed in the Vatican, that comes out to 1.5 cases per Vatican citizen. If there is a silver lining it's that most of the crime relates to money, Fraud Purse Snatching and crimes similar to them are the most common.

In some ways this might be considered a funny story but, given the scandals that continue to plague the Catholic Church, re sex crimes there really is nothing to laugh about here. In a place where there is supposed to be harmony, healing and hope the world is seeing scandal, denial and a place with the highest crime rate in the world, what an oxymoron. Can you imagine that a place that is supposed to represent one form of Christianity is also the most crime ridden on the planet, hard to believe that of the Vatican but, there it is 1.5 cases per citizen. Why?

It would be to easy and cynical to blame the high crime rate at the Vatican on the scandals and the lack of leadership in dealing with them. It's pretty obvious that there are criminals who are migrating to the tiny nation and seat of the Catholic Church to prey on as in take advantage of rather than to pray as in with the pilgrims. But, one can not look over the fact that this is a body that is not respected because of it's failure to adequately deal with the issue of priests gone bad. Although there are many in the church trying to remedy that by pushing back against the wall of silence, wink wink and hide it under the papal carpet attitude. But, in a nutshell what I am trying to say is that the lack of moral compass at the highest levels has given those with no morals at the lowest levels the belief that when in the Vatican do as the Vatican's do. Monkey see monkey do. It certainly is not correct but, what can one expect from a few who have not displayed the best judgment when it comes to dealing with crimes committed by it's leaders.

It should be said that there are more than enough complexities that sum up the reason for the high crime rate. They include the number of people visiting, the open areas they are in, the easy escape route back to Italy and the fact that the Vatican is also one of the smallest countries in the world. It is unfair to point to the leadership and moral compass they have or do not have as the sole reason for the crime rate in the Vatican but, it can't be discounted. Just a thought for anyone who is reading this article to consider regarding the current state of the Catholic Church.

By the way the story about the high crime rate in the Vatican comes from the online edition of Spiegel a German publication. I could not help but draw the inference to leadership and the message poor leadership sends from this article.

C. T.

Russell Hantz--Super Villain OR Super Stupid?

2010-05-05T21:42:00.009-04:00

Survivor's Super villain Russell Hantz may well be on the way to becoming known for being super stupid. The king of the survivor villains probably was still thinking he was on the island when he allegedly pushed a woman to the ground in Louisiana during the Festival International de Louisiane.

According to reports he was booked into jail then released hours later. In Louisiana Simple Battery is a misdemeanor which carries a sentence of a fine not exceeding 1000 dollars and or 6 months in jail. The bigger problem though will be that if convicted Hantz will have a criminal record. This in turn will make it harder for him to do tasks like getting loans and crossing borders. Yes even a Misdemeanor can get you stopped at a border and turned back. Another and more serious problem is that file is permanent it never goes away, even if one is pardoned. This should not be considered a badge of honor for Hantz. Convicted or not he most definitely looks more like the village idiot than the super villain he so skillfully played on survivor.

The reality check for Hantz is on the way and it's a no-brainer, anyone can play a bad boy on tv but, being one in real life can get you in deep doo doo. It's anyones guess as to why Hantz decided to use his brawn instead of his brain. Most are speculating that the incident was a result of a provocation by the woman in question. If Hantz continues to play the bad boy off camera most likely he will appear on some list of celebs who have crashed and burned and down the road will be a mere reference point in a conversation about the past that might go something like this. "Do you remember that guy from Survivor way back when, whats his name, anyway he was some sort of bad dude. Wonder what happened to him." "Oh ya he is somebody's butt buddy in prison." Now that is an image I do not want to load up in my mind can you say O.J. Simpson de la survivor? If there is one thing I have learned about these stories it's this, if the authorities want you bad enough they will get you no matter how famous or rich you are. So if I may I would like to send a little advice to Mr. Super Villain. Earth to Russell, loose the tude before you lose your freedom.

C. T.

Amy Palmiero-Winters Amputee/U.S Track Team Member

2010-04-27T13:23:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since I did a Good News story. And, with snow falling on a cool April 27, 2010 I felt it would be a good idea to post something positive. It was not hard to find a story.

Amy Palmiero-Winters is a 37 year old single mom who has successfully won a position on the US Track Team. What makes her story unique is that she is an amputee. In 1994 while riding a motorcycle she was hit by a car making an illegal turn. At that moment her ankle and foot were crushed and after 30 surgeries she lost the battle to save her leg. This however did not deter her from pursuing her career in track. Ms. Palmiero-Winters teamed up with Erik Schaffer, the owner of A Step Ahead Prosthetics and in an interesting way was able to get a 25,00 prosthetic she needed. Sshe paid for it by working for the company and continues to do so to this day between races.

USA Today has an article on Amy Palmiero-Winters with links and photo gallery. This is a great beat the odds story. All the best Amy and thanks for showing that even in adversity anyone can follow their dreams.

C. T.

Volcano Flips The Bird At Airlines

2010-04-20T13:36:00.008-04:00

In Europe the long list of backlogged flights is beginning to be taken care of. Thousands of travelers along with goods destined for destination outside of Europe are beginning to move, slowly. Not since September 11, 2001 has the airline industry been hit with huge losses in a short period of time. For 5 days flights totaling 95,000 in number have been canceled due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland. And, it's not over by a long shot. The volcano is still active and still producing ash clouds.

The troubles for the airlines began when Eyjafjallaj a volcano in Iceland began spewing ash into the upper atmosphere. The last known eruption of the volcano took place in the 1800s and the event lasted for two years and scientists say the volcano could repeat it's long volcanic episode again.

Suddenly it seems that the speedy get from point A to B method we call flying is getting the bird from a volcano. It might be funny if it were not for the fact that there are thousands who have been stranded in airports around the world and of course there is the long term economic effect this will cause. Meaning the airlines may have to shed staff and increase prices to recoup the costs they have been saddled with due to the grounding of so many flights.

Many have been critical of regulators in Europe for placing a ban on flights up to now, saying the ban was too long. But, given the risk to passengers there really was not much choice for regulators but, to err on the side of safety. Eurocontrol is the body which regulates the skies over Europe and to date they are continuing to act with caution to ensure that passengers are able to get to destinations safely. Eurocontrol does expect that full service will be restored by Friday and have been able to, as of post time for this article, to allow 53% of flights to take off from across Europe.

For travelers in North America wanting to go to Europe the best bet is to continue to contact the airline that serves the country one wants to go to. And to also consult the authority that governs air space the flight is originating from, for Canada that is Transport Canada and in the United States the FAA and in Mexico The Ministry of Communications and Transportation. Do not expect the backlog to be dealt with in hours, as mentioned close to 100,000 flights were canceled that means a huge backlog of passenger traffic to be dealt with. Expect at least a couple of days for the backlog to be cleared.

Overall what is truly ironic is how we as humans can get shut down by the Earth's natural activity. Even with all the technologies at our disposal we are still at the mercy of the Earth and it would seem that when it gets angry enough it not only flips the bird at us it slaps upside the head and gives us a reality check. That reality check is that while we may think we are the boss, we humans are not and proof is in events like this one. Happy landings everyone.

C. T.

Does My Blog Smell?

2010-04-14T20:12:00.004-04:00

Writing four blogs is a challenge at the best of times. Sometimes I must admit I do run dry on topics, others I avoid like the Plague, example Quebec's language laws. Then there are those subjects that get such wide attention, like the story of the adopted 7 year old Russian boy who was sent back to Moscow, for the most part I do not cover them as there is really no need to due to the overwhelming media response. I feel it is important to try and stick out from amongst the crowd. I like going off on to the side roads of the net so to speak to find interesting subjects and people to write about. And no where is this more true than with my blog Candid Conversations.

Candid Conversations is an interview blog I have created to bring attention to interesting people and their stories re products, hobbies mentions in the media and or interesting facts related to the world of science. I have to date had the pleasure of posting interviews with Peter Anthony Holder, Host of the Stuph File Program, Kevin Trottier an IT consultant on why a company needs an IT department or not and Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni about the so called Hitler Skull which was found not to be Hitler's skull.

I usually try to contact 2 people per week to interview for the blog. The first step being a request to interview them and then the questions if they accept get sent out. I need not go further in telling you what happens after I get the replies back, you are all smart bunnies and know what happens next. But, here is a funny thing that has been happening to me as of late. I have sent out the requests for interviews but, gotten no replies back. Spooky weird or does Candid Conversations smell? It is bizarre to be in a place where one is trying to gain more audience for a blog such as mine and banging into a wall and coming to what appears to be a full stop. I do not know what to make of what has been going on or in this case not going on. But, I will chalk this up to a lesson, as in keep trying even the best in the game of writing or other media have days where the story does not pan out.

I wonder what Peter Jennings would say if he were to read this post. All I can say is that is the strangest thing I have come across in my professional and amateur writing career. Well I guess what I will do is follow the advice of Lou Bega and keep on smiling and keep on sending out requests for interviews on Candid Conversations. Oh and of course I have to do the obligatory plug and say e hem...If you or someone you know has an interesting story to share, or maybe does an interesting job, or hobby etc stop drop me a note at candidconversations@hotmail.com and I would be happy to feature them on the blog.

One last thing I want to make mention of and this is for anyone looking to write a blog or blogs. Something I am learning as I go. It takes time to work on the story, it's also important to check facts and it's important to keep trying new things or tweaking what you have to make it better. Good blogs are not created, they are developed and sometimes redeveloped. Most important of all sometimes you just have to not be so serious about making the top 10 of a search engine and just do what you like doing. This is something I do want to one day make a buck at but, I also do it because for me it's fun. I really like writing the blogs I have and I hope you as the reader enjoy reading them. Thanks for stopping by and please come back and spread the gospel if you will about this blog and the others I write.

C. T.

Why Study For And Write That Term Paper, When You Can Buy It!

2010-04-11T11:25:00.006-04:00

I have to admit there are times I think that it would have been cool to have the services of EssayEmpire.com back in my high school and college days. Some of the term papers I had to write were long, boring and sometimes uninteresting. However I did not have this luxury and maybe in some respects that is good thing as this meant that I had to do the work in order to pass the courses in college and get through high school. All that of course has changed because of sites like Essay Empire which offer the services of professionally written term papers. The site offers these to high school, college and university students with the promotional take that if you have little time, resources or skills you can use this service to help you along in your course.

I am all for using the net to find sources of help to aid in completing a task. Crowd sourcing, social networking, chat and other tools are helpful and should be used but, having someone do the work for you is where I do draw the line. To me this is a form of cheating. The principle idea of handing out a term paper assignment is to get the student to think, search, and apply themselves to the task at hand which is obvious, write the term paper. It's also meant to teach about the subject one has enrolled in the course to learn about and to measure if the information presented has been absorbed by the student. Being able to create something with just the basic of information at hand is a skill and and creating a term paper does require such a skill or skill sets. Could you imagine a med student handing a term paper in on the Nervous System without studying or doing research on the subject and then passing the course not knowing a thing about the Nervous System. How about an engineer not studying how wind affects a structure and handing in a paper on the subject written by someone else. I do not know about you but, I am not comfy with that risk. Even in a high school setting this is not a good idea. Students need to learn the disciplines of hard work, research and development of ideas and collaboration with others not to mention the value of honesty and integrity.

Another thing one must consider when using such a service is the question of success. People buying the papers are not guaranteed a passing grade! In effect the user of such a service may well be tossing good money into a project that may not result in a good or even a passing grade and while this is probably a 50/50 chance one takes on these things, it is a risk not worth taking. This is particularly true if the instructor knows the student's style of writing and then receives one that is at a higher quality than he/she is not used to seeing from said student. No one gets that smart overnight. In short a no brainer here, this idea is a bad one.

Now having said all of this I know there will be those out there reading this and saying well if it is not illegal to do it if it were the company would not exist. And, this is very true it is not against the law of the land to do this. It is also possible that having someone else write a term paper for a student is also not a violation of a schools rules against cheating as I am sure that the papers have the names of the authors or at least something that points to the original author of the work on it. I say so because I have not used the service myself and have no verification that this is the case. That said there have been reports of students doing such things being turfed from school. Many schools now use programs and other auditing tools to weed out cheaters and find the programs and resources used in academic fraud, which in my mind this is.

It might be said that there is a place for such services and who knows where that place might be but, in my mind and I am sure there are others like myself who think the same way this is really not something that is worth the time money or risk to do. And, I will repeat what I said earlier this one is a no brainer a bad idea. I would be interested in hearing from those who have used such services and those who teach to see what their views are on this subject. Tell me what you think Is this an acceptable practice or is this a form of cheating? Comments are welcome on this subject and any of the others on this blog. And, don't forget to check out my other blogs Candid Conversations, Mixed Nuts and VA2UTC. You can also suggest a topic for discussion here on this blog as well. Thanks for reading

C. T.

Blockbuster Busted....Maybe

2010-04-01T07:28:00.004-04:00

A giant in the video rental industry is in very deep trouble and may fade to black. Blockbuster, with a 1 billion debit liability is seriously considering filing for bankruptcy.

The company based out of Dallas Texas enjoyed great success in the early years, however as times and technologies changed the model Blockbuster built it's reputation on, that of a no late fee policy no longer holds value as it once did. The reason simply is competition from companies like Netflix which offers online subscriptions that allow it's customers to get videos sent directly to the home and return them back to Netflix via the mail thus cutting the need for store outlets. But, a bigger reason for the demise or possible demise of Blockbuster is downloading. Many people are choosing to download videos on to their computers cutting the middle man out completely. Whether the video is paid for or not is not the question, though it is a concern , it is the fact that the big corporations like Blockbuster are being circumvented by the consumer.

Another fact is that Blockbuster tried to buy Circuit City which depleted the company's profits. It seems this corporation tried to get to big to fail and failed to get bigger. At this point the stock is tumbling and investors are selling shares a sign of no confidence in Blockbuster. It's going to take a miracle to save this company and it's also going to take an infusion of new ideas to keep them afloat. Maybe they need to contact Steve Jobs over at Apple goodness knows he got it right with iTunes, maybe he can help Blockbuster out.

From a consumer perspective I have to say I used to rent videos but, like most folks I have switched to buying them or watching them online. It's clear to me and probably to anyone reading this with some sense of a reality check that being stubborn and not moving with consumers or trying to sue the pants of them has not worked. Sticking to the old models and then trying to fix or change them at the last minute is like trying to bail water out of the boat when the water is almost to the top, it makes no sense and in the case of a company like Blockbuster may come too little too late.

The final chapter, so to speak, has not been written but, as time ticks on it looks like a real possibility that Blockbuster will file for Chapter 11 protection and slip into the ranks of those companies that down the road we will comment on with do you remember ___?

C. T.

Google News link to latest on Blockbuster
Press Release related to this story from I-News Wire

Things That Make this Facebbok User Go Hmmm!

2010-03-28T20:01:00.013-04:00

Back in August of 09 CNN posted an article on it's site about the 12 most annoying types of Facebookers. They even have a quiz to see where readers fit in with these groups.

Having been on Facebook now for a number of years I can say that I have seen my share of people who do some of the things mentioned in the article. I also have to admit I have done some of these things myself. Like announcing that I am doing the floors or washing dishes. Minor details like this often appear in status updates. Is it annoying I guess that depends on ones point of view. Annoying I do not know about that but, at times uninteresting, now that I would say is true. I guess the solution would be to not really mention the mundane chores. Then again in some ways it's nice to let people know you are online but, at present not in front of the computer.

The self promoter are those who mention every a level up and other achievements. I guess this could be a TMI type of update. I rarely mention leveling up in games, unless it is a big achievement. I can not say it's annoying but, it is certainly an attention grabbing look at me type of message. In short bragging, which is OK sometimes but, not always leads to disinterest. After a while the achievements in a game become less interesting if one is posting every level up. This also can be said of any achievements or zealous linking to websites and blogs you run. Just a thought. I would say the best way to promote yourself is to be yourself and to make it a point to balance out the number of times you mention just how great you are.

Another is the so called friend padder. These are the people with well over 200 friends. For the record, I have 159. Most of these people are work related contacts, people I worked with in the past. Some are old school chums and of course family and gamers and old church friends, mixed in with some media types. The media types and gamers are people I do not know personally but, none the less am glad to have as friends to help me earn that big score and it is kind of cool to be friends with a star. Again I think this is perception more than reality, there are people who are just that well connected but, I do agree that there are those on Facebbok who are just trying to show off, that to me would be annoying. Along with having so many friends with little or no common ground it's also a nightmare to manage such a large list. The point is to communicate that is the purpose of Facebook and as crazy as this might sound I truly doubt that one could be effective in communication if most of the people you communicate with have no common ground to share with you. Makes sense yes no?

Another on CNN's list is the town crier, the user who announces to the world that they are the first to report a major event. Usually after hearing in the media. Now this type of user is not so much annoying but, rather is out of their league in a manner of speaking. I mean lets face it unless one as on the scene ahead of the media to report an event really all one is doing is just passing the news on. In short ya so what we know already, NEXT.

Another on the list is the TMI type of status update. Oh ya the ones describing mental health issues, bodily function issues etc etc. In a word ICK, I really have to agree that in most cases that is just way to much for anyone to have to see. Feeling sick having a bad day and not getting that dream job is one thing, going into a blow by blow description, like I said ICK. I am not against sharing that one is sick or having a bad day but, please spare the details unless it's relevant I and the rest of planet Earth does not need to know in detail why you need Peptol Bismol.

The so called sympathy baiter is also listed. I have to say I don't think it's annoying to mention one is having a bad day or feeling sad. That's part of life, unless of course it's every day for 6 months. Then it's a condition that needs to be looked into. The idea is to share thoughts and feelings and to give a synopsis of what ones day is like or what one is doing. I don't see what is annoying about that unless it's k a TMI thing, see above.

Lurkers, hmm this one is a tricky one to decide on. It seems more creepy than annoying but, again depending on the circumstances and person involved. I would say that it's a question of do you know who this person is or not. Be choosy about who you add as a friend and once you have be smart and look for patterns in behavior to determine if you have a good friend fit. I have dropped people off my friends list because of the ick and or creepiness factor. There is nothing wrong with saying no and goodbye if and when needed.

The crank, oh yes the constant complainer. Did mom ever tell you that if you do not have something nice to say don't say anything at all? I don't mind complaints and rants. I do the same but, having had someone call me a doomsayer one time woke me up. There is enough bad news to go around, my suggestion try finding something good to say. There are lots of good news stories around if you look hard enough. Try sharing a funny bit once in a blue moon the world needs a good laugh.

The paparazzo. Ever visit your Facebook page and discover that someone's posted a photo of you from last weekend's party -- a photo you didn't authorize and haven't even seen? You'd really rather not have to explain to your mom why you were leering like a drunken hyena and French-kissing a bottle of Jagermeister. This is from the article on CNN. I could not have said it better. I have a friend who asked me to remove pictures of them, even though they were not compromising, for the simple reason that they could not control what was being done with them. The scenario above points to this. it's also not a smart thing to do from a legal perspective. Can you say lawsuit? Generally I have never had a problem with people taking and posting my picture, however I have always been aware that the photo exists and it does not put me in a position of having to do a Lucy Ball and hexplainin myself. In short before snapping and posting ASK the person if it's OK to do it and let them know where they can see it.

Now this type of status updater does annoy me the obscurest. Those that post something like I know or she is me and I am her and the ever mysterious you know what I mean.. Ah no I do not know what you mean. I have often said that trying to be cute and artsy online has a way of backfiring. Unless you really understand how to use words and the meanings behind them do yourself a favor DON'T try and be whimsical you'll come across as the village idiot.

The chronic inviter was the last on the CNN list Now this one does annoy me. I like to play certain games on Facebook. I am hooked on Egg Breaker, Farmtown, Metropolis and to a lesser extent Space Wars, Special Forces and a few others. I get lots of invites to games like Mafia Wars and Mafia Cities, causes and other apps and groups which I just ignore. If have not subbed to the game or cause app or group by now, then you can safely assume and correctly deduce that I won't be joining up, so please stop sending me the invites. I bet there are others like me on facebook who feel the same way. Before hitting the send button to an app etc for the 15th time check to see if that person has signed up if you noticed that the other 14 times they did not guess what they probably won't. Don't waste your or their time sending this stuff it's spam, need I say more.

I have a few others that I think are worthy of mention. The political animal, you know the ones who are pointing out how wrong the neocons or libs, right wing, left wing are. I love freedom of speech but, a lot of the language is not a debate but a rant interlaced with racial undertones and hate. The Obama haters, Sarah Palin haters etc etc. Please go away you make no sense and have nothing positive to contribute. Debate fine propaganda and rhetoric GET LOST, hows that for a rant.

Fisticuffs a la commentary. It is understandable that someone may push a button and say or do something online that annoys you. Duking it out via status updates and comments on walls is not a good idea. I have had one run in with a person online on facebook. The conversation just spiraled down into the mud and anyone who looked on my wall could see the dirty laundry for themselves. Got a problem with someone take it offline and deal wit it there. If you feel the need to have someone around to watch your back fine and dandy just do it offline. Far to many people are finding themselves in front of judges for things said in the public domain that are posted to Facebook and on the net itself.

Given all that has been said above. For me the Facebook experience overall all is a good one. I have met some interesting people on the network and have caught up with old friends and colleagues. I do not always keep up with them but, I know that a click away is an opportunity to have a conversation or to share an interest with them. I forget who invited me to join Facebook but, I was and am still glad that they did. Yes there are annoying things and people on Facebook, then again the network is a scale of the world around us and in the world there are annoying things and people. But, if we look past these small things and really what is annoying is really small stuff for the most part, we truly can see that have a great network to engage in play and dialogue and it is one I am happy to be a part of.

C. T..

Saved By Webcam...Who Said You Can't Do Good Online

2010-03-19T19:22:00.005-04:00

Webcams, the minute you do a web search what comes up, porn. But, webcams are not just for the swanky stripper types. Many do use them to conference call and and in one way play tourist. That is what one woman was doing when she noticed something odd as she was viewing the sunset on a beach in Germany, on her webcam.

No it was not a dude or couple doing the funky chicken on the beach. It was a tourist lost on ice on the beach in St. Peter-Ording. The man who was not named in the story was seen trapped on the ice after the sun began to set. This took place after he had gotten on to the ice to take photos of the sunset, thus making it hard to find the shoreline.

So picture this. Woman sees flashes on her screen as she is viewing the sunset, she takes a closer look and sees a man on the ice, lost and trying to find his way back to the shore. From her home she calls police in St. Peter-Ording, who then go and rescue the man. Given that we often hear of stories where people are doing weird things with webcams never mind illegal things, it's nice to hear and read a good news story that involves a webcam and the Internet.

For the record the man in his 40's suffered minor hypothermia and was warned about the risks of taking such strolls in future.

The incident took place in February and was reported on the BBC website. If you want to see the beach in question you can visit St. Peter-Ording's site and click on the webcams link to see the cam in question.

C T.

Montreal's Best Bus Routes

2010-02-28T19:49:00.047-05:00

Recently I posted an article about some ugly exchanges between the TTC, Toronto's Transit Commission and it's patrons and managers. After reading the story and commenting on it here on Four Eyes I began to ask myself what about the STM, Société de transport de Montréal? To answer that is simple enough, there are issues. 5 youths have filed a complaint against the STM citing racial profiling of black youth, a professor sued and won over the issue of late buses and two other stories one of a man and his daughter trying to hail a bus down unsuccessfully and another where a driver kicked 20 passengers off a bus because one man asked for the time in English. I am sure that posting this will generate other stories both good and bad about the STM.

There are close to 200 routes in Montreal these include night routes school routes, short runs and special runs as well as the Metrobus R-Bus and of course rush and school buses. Generally speaking the schedule is 20 to 30 minutes on most routes. The system has 172 routes that run during the day and 27 of these routes run at intervals of 3 to 15 minutes depending on the time of day. Late night, anytime past 10 PM many of these routes see a drop in runs down to 30 minutes. In case you are wondering that amounts to about 16% of the system's day routes. This does not exclude the express, school and short run bus lines. The percentage point drops to about 15 when night routes are added in. For the purpose of this article I kept it simple and did not separate the rush hour routes out. Subtracting the rush hour and night with special bus routes drops the number of routes down to around 130 give or take which increase the percentage to about 20%.

Below is the list of the 27 routes that have the best service in Montreal.

18 Beaubien Map from STM.
Google Map using the Walking mode mimics the route, with minor adjustments to make for a more accurate map. Map one going to Honore Beaugrand Map two in the other direction.
Stops with bus codes and frequency chart each direction.
This bus runs East to West through in the North West of Montreal to Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier in the North East of the island the other districts, boroughs are Anjou, and Rosemont. It is interesting to note that the service tends to be better going towards the East. That said this does not diminish the fact that this route has very good service frequency and is very easy to navigate. Travel time end to end on this bus is 48 minutes*

24 Shebrooke Map from STM.
Google Map again using the Walking feature to illustrate the route.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
This is another East West route and again service going East is better especially after 6 PM. An interesting feature of the route is that it follows the Green Line Metro from Atwater to Prefontaine. The route covers the Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Westmount Ville-Marie and Plateau Mont-Royal boroughs. It's more or less a centre of city line Map one shows the route towards the East Map two is pretty much a reverse of the route. Give or take end to end this bus takes 52 minutes to do it's trip.

32 Lacordaire Map from STM.
Google Map, using the Public Transit Feature Map, There is no Map two for this route as the route going North is exactly the same as the South.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
A north South bus line that runs in the Eat end of the city. It covers lots of ground, essentially going from the top to the bottom of Montreal. To give you perspective at the North end where the route starts or ends, pending on point of view, you are pretty much close to Laval which is the North Shore off island district, to the South Longeuil, that spans pretty much the width of the island. Note that the line is running at the widest part of the island. End to end 41 minutes but, lets face it that is not realistic try closer to an hour for this run. Montreal Nord st Léonard and Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier are the boroughs this bus runs through. In each direction the service level is pretty much the same.

44 Armand Bombardier Map from STM.
Google Map using the Public Transit feature. The route is the same in both directions with one minor detail the bus goes up des Groseilliers and going towards the North and on Radisson South going to Radisson Metro Station.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Another North South route covering Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier Anjou and Pointe-aux-Trembles/Rivière-des-Prairies. Surprisingly this route covers a large distance but, only has 34 stops North and 37 South. The time line is about 45 minutes from end to end and it's a good bus for those commuting home Northbound. Oddly it's not as frequent going South, except between 7 and 8 AM which is good for those commuting to work.

45 Papineau Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart in each direction.
Another of the North South lines this one mimics the Orange metro line from Berri-UQAM up to Henri Bourassa. The 45 runs through Ville Marie Plateau Mont-Royal Rosemont, Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension and Ahuntsic/Cartierville. Expect about an hour in travel time if you go from one end to the other on this route. As with the other routes we have looked at so far there is better service in one direction as opposed to the other in this case northbound. Map one shows the bus route going North Map two South.

49 Maurice-Duplessis Map from STM.
Google Map using the Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
This route is named after one of the most revered and reviled leaders of Quebec Maurice Duplesis. This is an East West bus route and it would take at least 1 hour to go from end to end. I found it fitting that it takes this long and is a long route given the name to whom the route is attached to. Look up the name and you will see what I mean. The map for this route is very straight forward so only one is listed. Ahuntsic/Cartierville Montreal Nord and Pointe-aux-Trembles/Rivière-des-Prairies are the districts/boroughs this route passes through.

51 Édouard-Montpetit Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
This route does not pass GEGEP Édouard Montpetit itself but, does pass Université de Montréal which is on Édouard-Montpetit go figure. If you want to go to the college you'll need to head to the South Shore to get to the main campus of Édouard-Montpetit. OK now that I have muddied the waters a bit. This bus is another East West run covers the Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Hampstead Côte-Saint-Luc Outremont, Plateau Mont-Royal and covers four Metro stations. The route also starts or ends depending on your point of view at the Gare Montréal-Ouest commuter station. End to end this route takes an hour to ride. But, given that it does cross some very busy roads expect to have a trip that is longer than that. Also notable on this route is the fact that you will pass the mountain and interestingly a number of Montreal's major hospitals. I guess that is helpful if your sick.

55 Saint-Laurent Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
You will need to pay attention on this route. It's busy and it it runs on a different street in each direction for the bulk of the route and in one of those directions the street changes name and that is the leg going south. Map 1 going North Map 2 going South. Of note is the fact that Clark does continue south but at the point that it splits and forks off the bus will run on St-Urbain. Going north the stations the bus passes are St-Laurent and de Castelnau, heading south de Castelnau Place Des Arts and Place-d'Armes. If you think of that in colors it's the green line and blue line going north and the blue green and orange lines southbound. Ville-Marie Plateau, Mont-Royal, Rosemont, Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension, Ahuntsic/Cartierville and Montréal are all passed through by this bus line. It is expected to be a 45 minute trip end ot end but, given the route and the roads it traverses give it an hour.

64 Grenet Map from STM.
Google Map Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency charts each direction.
Short and sweet 20 stops in each direction. This bus is meant for those who would be commuting from the West Island communities in Montreal as Gare Bois Franc is served by this route. Laval commuters can also access this line as well. Of note on this route there is late night service but, after 11 it is not robust, expect to wait longer than 30 minutes for the bus. There are other routes in the area that may be better later in the evening. The best feature of this route is that it only takes 15 minutes give or take to do from end to end. Here is Map 1 Map 2 and as for the boroughs it covers Saint-Laurent and Ahuntsic/Cartierville.

67 Saint-Michel Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency charts each direction.
North South seems to be very well covered in Montreal and this route continues the trend. The bus does not have a lot of stops on the line but, does have a fair distance to go. The timing suggested on Google Maps is 36 minutes. However it is a safe bet that the trip end to end is longer and I should know as I have done one trip on it during rush hour. Surprisingly this bus is very well run on the weekends in fact it's service is better on Saturday in both directions. That is not the usual case in Montreal. Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier Rosemont, Montréal, Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension and Montréal-Nord are the boroughs this bus runs through.

69 Gouin Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Running along the top of the island of Montreal East to West is the 69. It is one of the longest routes in the city but, not the longest nor the busiest. I am a regular rider of this route as it passes close to my home and I can without reservation say it is one of the very best in the city. It has has 70 stops save one or two in each direction. Al.so on this route the STM has deployed articulated buses. That should give you a sense of how busy this bus is. I found it funny to see on the map that the bus passes right by Bordeaux prison. Ahuntsic/Cartierville Montréal, Montréal-Nord and Pointe-aux-Trembles/Rivière-des-Prairies are the boroughs served by this route. Do not expect less than an hour plus to do this route end to end as this route covers a lot of distance.

80 Du Parc Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
This is one of the weirdest routes I found.. Frankly I don't quite get what transit planners were thinking. The reason I say this is due to the fact that when one looks at the map of this route it pretty much follows an R-Bus route, the 535, however it does not shadow that route completely. It probably would be a better idea to do away with the 535 and run this bus in it's place with more frequency. The saving graces for this route is that it does have good service and it is short so to speak. Ville-Marie Plateau Mont-Royal Rosemont, Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension those are the boroughs this bus passes through.

95 Bélanger Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
The route runs East to West and is pretty much a beeline from point A to B. While there is good service on it it is safe to say that this bus really is meant for those wanting to travel to Galleries D'Anjou. Saint-Léonard Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier and Anjou are the boroughs this bus passes through.

97 Mont-Royal Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Despite it's name this route does not actually go up to the famous Mount Royal, but you can connect with buses that do go up to there. Another East/West route this bus line has a few interesting twists as it passes through Ville-Marie Plateau Mont-Royal, Montréal, Rosemont and Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier boroughs. Map 1 going to Pie IX Map 2 going the opposite direction.

103 Monkland Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
This route does have a sub route even though it's name does not indicate that. Be alert as you could end up somewhere you don't want to be, however, a traveler would be able to get back on track as this line generally speaking runs in a residential area. Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Hampstead and Côte-Saint-Luc are the boroughs this route passes through, the tip end to end should take about 30 minutes. At the end of the Westbound leg of the route the bus does a loop and covers the following streets below sunnybrooke.

Côte-Saint-Luc Westminster
Côte-Saint-Luc Wolseley
Smart Côte-Saint-Luc
Arcadian Westluke
Westluke Côte-Saint-Luc
Côte-Saint-Luc Wolseley
Côte-Saint-Luc Westminster

Moving closer on the map shows the stops and streets.

105 Sherbrooke Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency charts each direction.
The 105 is a bus I am very familiar with as it runs by the building that houses VE2MAB the Montreal Association for the Blind/Mackay Rehab Centre. I remember taking this bus route back in the 1980's. It's only got 20 stops but, due to the fact that it is running on one of Montreal's busiest streets it does take about 45 minutes end to end to ride the route. It also has one other unique feature about it in that it only serves one borough, Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. It is also the the bus that rides the last leg of Shebrooke street, four blocks past the end of the line is the end of Sherbooke at it's Westerly point. The bus that goes to the most Easterly point of Shebrooke is the 189 Notre Dame. Ok I bet you are thing what if I wanted to travel along Shebrooke from West to East. You could do it but, that is info I will leave for use in another article, I promise.

106 Newman Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency charts each direction.
Don't be fooled, just because it's the 106 does not mean it runs in the same area as the 105. This line comes out of Angrignon Metro and essentially covers LaSalle; Montréal and Sud Ouest are at the end of the line at Station Angrignon. Of note should be that as one travels west in Montreal the service tends to be less than good. In point of fact the West Island is not as well served as the rest of Montreal. Some argue that this is based on the politics of language, the West Island has a large English community. However it must be noted that the East end at it's farthest points do not fair well either. There is nothing fancy about this route in fact it is generally a route that more or less runs through the industrial parks that dot the landscape of city of Lasalle.

121 Sauvé / Côte-Vertu Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Two names one route. Ya ya I know you saw that one coming. Anyway, this route runs in the middle, more or less, of Montreal. Saint-Laurent and Ahuntsic/Cartierville are the boroughs it goes through. Maps 1 and 2 show the route with some minor changes in the west end.

132 Viau Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Loopy is a word I would use to describe this bus route. It has one big loop that it traverses. If you look at the STM map it almost looks like a key or the letter J. Boroughs this bus runs through are Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier, Rosemont and Saint-Léonard. Next to Pie IX station Viau Station is the closest to the Olympic stadium.

139 Pie - IX Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
The grand daddy of them all. This is the busiest route in Montreal. It also has the most frequency of all the routes in the city. Pie IX runs North/South covers Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier, Rosemont, Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension and Montréal-Nord. As with the Viau line this bus does pass by the Olympic park, now known as the Biodome and Insectarium. The Botanical Gardens is also nearby access via Pie IX station on the Green line or via the 139 is easy. Do not count on a fast trip during rush hours. Pie IX is busy as many drivers use it to go up to Laval and also into the South Shore. However if things go smoothly the trip top to bottom or bottom to top should be about an hour longer if Pie IX is congested. One thing you can count on even into the late hours of the evening is lots of buses as I mentioned this route has the best frequency in the system, it has to given that it is the busiest.

141 Jean-Talon-East Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension Saint-Léonard, Anjou and Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier are the boroughs this line runs through as this bus moves east to west or west to east. This route has to run on two different routes near it's most easterly point mainly due to the fact that it crosses HWY 25 and 40. Map 1 and Map 2 show the routing for this line the second map has a slight variation in order to make the route show up.

161 Van Horne Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Côte-Saint-Luc Hamstead, Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Outremont, Plateau Mont-Royal and Rosemont are the boroughs that this line runs through. Map one shows the route going towards Rosemont Metro station Map two to coming from Rosemont. It is not the most exciting route but, it does have a good frequency rate. Expect to be on this bus if you are going end to end, for about 45 minutes.

165 Côte-des-Neiges Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency charts each direction.
This route parallels the number 80. The route does pass Mount Royal, The Jewish General Hospital and one can make a connection to a route passing the U of M. the bus also connects with Gare Mont-Royal on the Deux-Montagnes commuter train line. It has very good service in fact most of the day the bus runs at about every six minutes even on weekends. The route coming back to Guy station has one slight variation in that the bus runs along St Mathieu as it nears the station it turns on René-Lévesque and goes up to Guy and stops at de Maisonneuve where the station is located. The station is just steps away. Ville-Marie Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Ville Mont-Royal are the boroughs the 165 passes through.

189 Notre-Dame Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
Montreal East's best bus route is the 189. It follows the along on the southern most part of Montreal going East/West. It as mentioned earlier also where one can get to the end of Sherbrooke on the East side. Scenic is a good way to describe this route. The river on one side and parks on the other make this a nice ride. Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier, Montréal-Est and Pointe-aux-Trembles/Rivière-des-Prairies are boroughs served by this particular route. It does not have a lot of stops but, does cover some distance so expect to be on this trip end to end for about an hour 45 minutes if you are lucky.

193 Jarry Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
This bus is busy very busy. It covers a fair bit of real estate and also passes major intersections and straddles HWY 40. It's scheduled run is 43 minutes but, give yourself an hour for this bus because of traffic conditions. Map one shows the route going east Map two West, it's straight forward except at the west end of the route as the bus uses two roads one for the trip outbound to the east the other inbound from the east. The boroughs the bus passes through are Villeray/Saint-Michel/Parc Extension Saint-Léonard and Anjou.

197 Rosemont Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
This route also has a sub route not featured on the Google map.
Metro to Metro not bad in fact this appears to be the only route on the list that goes from one metro station to another. More than likely there are other buses with less frequency that do the same. That said it's a good route during rush hours. Boroughs, Rosemont and Maisonneuve/Hochelaga/Mercier.

Well here is the last of the routes and it's fitting that it is also the longest in the system. The 211 Bord du lac.

211 Bord-du-Lac Map from STM.
Google Map using Public Transit feature.
Stops with codes and frequency chart each direction.
As stated this is the longest line in the system. NOTE, this bus does not have stops between Lionel-Groulx and Gare Dorval. It is meant to cover the commuter and Via rail stations and the top portion of the West Island. In short there is nothing out there to see so unless you are a commuter or live in and or work in the area I would suggest not playing tourist on it unless you want bragging rights for riding the longest bus route in Montreal. Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Baie-d'Urfé, Beaconsfield, Pointe-Claire Dorval, and sud Ouest are the communities this bus will take you through. It should be noted that this is probably the best route in the West Island. As mentioned earlier the further east or west one goes the less bus service is available. The the poor service to the west of Montreal is an irritant to many of the Anglos living in the area and the mayors of the boroughs. Frankly the lack of service sticks out like a sore thumb or more metophoracally like a poke in the eye for those English West Islanders who use STM.

There you have it the best routes in Montreal. The way the list was compiled is not scientific. I looked at routes that had more than 30 minutes between buses and had at least four trips in one hour of the day. Also I looked at weekends and late night service to define them. It should also be noted that the idea here is to show the positive side of the system, yes there are problems and politics to deal with but, overall Montreal does have very good bus and metro service. It's something Montrealers should be proud of.

C. T.

Wheelchair Pride

2010-02-22T20:50:00.008-05:00

I am adding a new dimension to Four Eyes One Internet. Adding in that I am merging Mixed Nuts into this blog. So besides the usual stories you will see here now a couple of new topics which will be added in. Including our first, interesting blogs or Blogs of Note.

While searching for topics to write about for Mixed Nuts I came across this site, excuse me blog, Wheelchair Pride. As you guessed the blog is about wheelchairs but, there is more to it than wheelchairs. The site also talks about those who use wheelchairs. This is quite the blog it's more than just about mobility and the tech surrounding it it's about the people interacting with it.

I took a look at some of the articles on the site and found them to be very well written. And, while the focus is on Wheelchair users there are posts that can be generally summed up as topics on disability issues. Some of the recent topics cover the Para Games in Vancouver, gift ideas for Valentines Day and a snow plow on a Wheelchair. The blog looks relatively new with just 80 articles on it. But, already has a good following and did I say it was written well?

There is a a mix of the personal and professional side to postings on this blog. Which adds some flavor to it. It's a good read for those who are wheelchair users and those who are not but, are still interested in disability related topics. I really could not find any fault with the blog so with that I would advise take a look and decide for yourself what you think of it. The blog address is http://www.wheelchairpride.com.

C. T.

TTC VS Passengers Vs TTC VS Everybody

2010-02-10T16:57:00.012-05:00

A picture of a TTC fare collector that went viral sparked a wave of people snapping pictures and taking video of operators and collectors during coffee breaks and doing things that they are not supposed to. This started after a fare hike of 25 cents went into effect. That escalated an already bad feeling towards the TTC who had been dealing with a negative reaction to the fare increase from it's customers and then the drivers decided to take it up a notch by posting pictures on Facebook of passengers behaving badly. Then the media jumped in and started reporting on the confrontations. And on it went until the beginning of this week. First a memo sent out to staff about behavior unbecoming and then the union boss holding a press conference lashing out at passengers and the management of the TTC as well as the media.

It seems everyone has been acting like kindergartners, at least on the surface of it. However there are some legitimate complaints that everyone has and they should be addressed.

First off Service levels vs what the rider pays or is paying for. Lets face it it does cost money to run a transit system and realistically speaking most public transit schemes don't make money. However it need not be the case that paying for transit is akin to throwing money into a black hole. Riders should have a reasonable expectation of service from qualified, polite and efficient staff. After all they are footing the bill via tax dollars and also through direct payment via the fares. It is reasonable for riders to expect and to have trains and buses arrive on time for the most part. Sure there are times when buses are late but, if it's due to some employee goofing off then riders have the right to point it out to management and it's management's role to fix the problem. However I have always said the customer is not always right. And, again I will say it here, the customer is NOT always right. Flashing phone cams with the intent of publishing photos of staff in a malicious manner, calling staff names and in some cases assaulting them is never acceptable. It is always best to use the correct channels to file complaints. Failing that and in this case that is what happened then use the tools at hand but, don't get stupid about it. The last thing you want is to be arrested and or sued. And, yes that can happen. So can being banned from riding public transit, it's done everyday folks. So a word to the wise protest video comment but, don't touch or verbally abuse those who are driving a bus or taking a fare, you could end up on the losing end in a very bad way.

Secondly the union should indeed protect it's members that's what the dues pay for. However protecting incompetent and lazy persons is not only bad pr it's bad for moral and it's in some cases unsafe. The union this case has an obligation to protect riders and management, yes managers you read correctly. That sounds like crazy talk to some hardcore union folk but, it's in the interest of all union members to ensure that the passengers using the TTC feel safe on the buses and trains and also to help mangers develop better and more efficient ways to work that promote worker health, moral and safety. Napping on the job is dangerous in this line of work in fact it's dangerous in most jobs to do that. It's also costly and it's embarrassing for everyone if the napper gets caught. The head of the Amalgamated Transit union went on a tirade lasing out at everyone during a news conference his most most sharp criticism directed at camera phone wielding passengers and the media. It is fair to say that people should have some respect for people doing their job. Drivers do have the right to eat and take bathroom breaks. In some cases they may take a bit longer because lets face it sometimes one gets ill every no and then and sometimes that can happen on the job. Thus the person may take longer to deal with a bathroom issue. And as for calling the staff lazy and overpaid well that is not really fair because not all TTC staff are lazy and overpaid. As for the media baby it's fair game out there. If the story is hot media folks jump on it and this was a hot story. It still is a hot story and while TTC management and the union may not be happy about the story the bottom line is it's being reported and it has nothing to do with being self appointed to anything. Fact is fact and media have the right and duty to report on a story that is in the public interest, it's called free press for a reason and this kind of story is one of them. Want the media and bloggers to respect you, respect them is what I have to say to this union chief.

As for managers. Frankly some need to get the door themselves. Some of these leaders can't lead themselves much less anyone else on the job. The problem has and still remains that we allow people to skate by, pass the buck and be rewarded for doing that. No one, really come on no ONE should be paid for failing. As mentioned above transit is really not a money maker but, that does not mean that these guys and gals should get a pass when clearly they have failed. And blaming employees under them is not always the answer. In the corporate public and even non profit world it seems often too easy to take credit where none is due and blame others when things go wrong at the managerial level. I will give the TTC's top boss credit at least he manned up and admitted he had failed too.

If the media has any blame to share in this story it is that they inflamed tensions between all the parties. I could be wrong here but, it does seem to be that the majority of the stories pointed towards the employees of the TTC and while there were reports about passengers bad behaviors they were eclipsed by the media's fixation on weeding and outing out the bad apples in the TTC. It is the job of media to report a story with vigor. It's also equally important to be fair and factual and to present balance to the consumer of the news. It appears that did not happen in this case.

All the above points to that pass the buck and blame the other guy mentality. In fact what I see is everyone screwing up on this file. Everyone here is to blame no one did the right thing and what should have been a gateway to a better dialogue between the TTC and it's users ended up instead being a verbal fist fight which made everyone look stupid. The solution is for everyone to dial down the attitudes and meet on neutral territory, an idea proposed by the union, to begin finding the common ground needed to build a better working relationship between the people who pay for the system and those who are paid to run it.

The photo and the person that started the ball really rolling in the dispute between fare paying riders and the TTC.

What the ATU boss had to say during a news conference about passengers media and managers of the TTC. The union that represents the collectors and operators is the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113.

How the drivers responded an article from the National Post.

C. T.

A Unique Way To Get A Job

2010-01-31T10:37:00.004-05:00

On Friday I heard about two radio stations in Montreal going off the air. Sure enough when I tuned in to each earlier in the day I heard the news or rather the taped messages of the station's GMs announcing the closures. And at 7 that very evening they shut down their transmitters. Before listening to the last moments of on air life of these stations I watched Global National, where they mentioned 3 months of solid economic gains. I thought that is an ironic thing to hear in the light of the closure of these two stations and the continuing job losses that seem to still be the norm each day. Then I remembered an interesting story on a podcast, Peter Anthony Holder's Stuph File to be exact. In the episode Peter spoke with the creator of Cards of Change. A site where people who have lost there jobs can post images of they're business cards. So Ok they post the cards anyone can do that right. Well here is the twist of sorts to how this works, let me explain.

Those who upload cards do more than just submit a photo of the card, after all it's of no value if they are no longer with the firm, or is it? Read on and you'll find out. What people have been doing is creating art with business cards and in a lot of ways speaking about how the loss of a job has impacted them in positive ways. One card I saw had a note saying they finally found the end of the rainbow, using the company name that is on the card as the last word in the sentence and then writing a caption under it that the gold was true. Another used his card to point out that he is living his dreams as a stay at home dad and an Independent Associate as a Legal Consultant. The focus is not on the fact that they got laid off but, on how they have had a positive experience come from that event.

It's very easy to get negative about losing a job and the wealth that comes from it but, for those using this site it an obvious choice to look at the bright side and to bring out the creative juices in a time when one really does not want to be very creative. Doing so has lead to many reconnecting to the job market. In a time where competition for work is fierce and where employers are looking for talented people it seems to pay to put the bitterness of a job loss on the back burner and to find new avenues to express the talents you've got and this site is a great outlet for doing that. So I suggest that you check out cardsofchange.com and if you have a card you want to post or are looking for some talented folks you might just find them there.

C. T.

Haiti's Opportunity

2010-01-24T21:32:00.011-05:00

Haiti, the mere mention of the name brings up a vision of poverty, corruption and violence. Since it's independence from France in the 1800's this country has been through disasters and political strife. The most recent of which has been the devastating earthquake.

Before the earthquake the most common thought of Haiti was in a word, hole, a deep hole in which money disappears and the people got no further ahead. A crime ridden corrupt country run by inept leaders who could care less about the people they govern. A country where children are often sold into slavery by parents who can not afford them and again a government whose only response was this is part of the culture. A country where if you live past your 70's that is an amazing feat, as only 3.4% of Haiti's citizens reach it.

In fact reading the information on Haiti from the CIA Fact Book is like reading a horror story. This is a country that effectively was before the quake, a total failure on every level. The closest good news is that 52% of the population is educated. However this positive fact is essentially blotted out by the rest of the facts like poverty rates, GDP growth, and infectious disease spread.

Now here is a question that does beg to be answered. How can an earthquake benefit Haiti? Think of it this way...There is nothing left, the government has it's back broken and even the rich can't get richer there. As strange as this sounds this is in a sense a good thing. Once the chaos is dealt with, once law and order are restored and aid flows to those who need it the real work of rebuilding Haiti can begin. This is the opportunity to bring the necessary changes that are needed to this country, a hands off approach is not the answer to the rebuilding of Haiti, not if the world is footing the bill.

It is important to rebuild Haiti, it's the right thing to do. No one deserves to be left in misery, especially after such a disaster as this. Haiti is the symbol of what went wrong with capitalistic ideologies. The dog eat dog mentality and the struggle for power left Haitians with nothing not even the most critical tools needed to deal with a disaster like this. Now it is the opportunity to show that not all those who live the capitalist model are corrupt and greedy uncaring folk. That has been demonstrated by the incredible financial and other supports that have been offered in the wake of the disaster.

However there needs to be a definite hands on clearly defined effort to not only rebuild the physical structures in Haiti but, the other structures as well, they include the political, legal and educational systems. As much as it is sad to say there must be some strings attached to the monetary aid being given to Haiti, there must be a set of objectives and they must be met in order for the continued support after the most critical rebuilding is done. It is a given that there should be no strings attached to building the buildings and other infrastructure that will be needed to provide the basic needs to the population. But, when it comes to rebuilding the support systems, like the education system, law enforcement and government. That is a different story. Gone should be the notion that it is acceptable to pour capital into a hole and just shrug our shoulders and say oh well that is just the way it is. Far from it, if the world plans to invest in Haiti as it should then there must be a positive outcome. For much of it's history Haiti has been a country of questions with no answers. Time is up and frankly it is time for those running Haiti to provide answers that are much better than what has been the norm in the past especially as they begin to get money for rebuilding those support structures mentioned above.

This is Haiti's opportunity to finally turn itself around. While it is sad that Haiti has basically been brought to it's knees even sadder would be a return to the way it was before the earthquake. But, if what we hear is true, that Haitians are proud tough and courageous people then there is the hope that a return to the status quo will not be the result. I would say that the world is not only investing in Haiti but, watching and wanting a change in this country. It may be the worlds desire to help Haiti but, it is up to Haiti not to squander the good will and money being given to it. This is not just about building new things, this is about building a new nation. It may sound strange to look at an earthquake as a good thing but, possibly in this case it may have been to Haiti's long term benefit that this event occurred. Now I know that this sounds weird even twisted but, think about it for a moment. Haiti now has the opportunity to start over again and build a better nation for itself. So while it is sad to see the suffering of Haitians at this time, I look forward to and hope for the day when I can see a great country emerge from the ruins that can be Haiti in the decades to come.

C. T.

Local TV and Radio Matters....Really?

2010-01-07T09:51:00.022-05:00

Radio is dying at the local level or has already died at the local level and TV is following suit. In case you have missed it a war of words between TV networks and cable companies has been going on for months. There are two campaigns, both launched last year and they are aimed at viewers outlining the positions. The first that local TV matters and that TV networks deserve a bigger share of revenues that cable companies get. The second set up by cable companies in Canada states that the money the networks want amounts to a TV tax that will cost consumers in a big way, as much as 10 extra dollars on the bill and that money may not be spent on local TV. In the middle our regulator the CRTC (Canadian Television and Telecommunications Commission). An organization who for years has pretty much rubber stamped broadcasters decisions to merge media, reduce local content and increase the number of minutes spent blaring out ad after ad in a cookie cutter dumbed down style that is insulting to listeners to radio. And on the TV side, reducing local content and allowing more and more network programming to dominate the landscape, as for the local commercial content and programming it's almost non existent.

To be fair to the CRTC it is not totally their fault. We love American Idol and essentially on the radio side of things have tuned out to the point that the radio is nothing more than a box with background noise coming out of it. We as consumers are at fault for not demanding better from our broadcasters and accepting mediocrity and in some cases just plain awful from them. We as consumers have been co-opted by money for taking in little boxes that measure the signals of TV and radio instead of actually keeping a real log of what we listen to. True BBM's little boxes are more accurate but, unless specifically programmed to recognize that the person using it is really in the room then it is easy to circumvent and thus fake the responses.

Broadcasters and their associations at the managerial level barely take notice or care about what listeners want to hear or see anymore, unless they can make a buck off it. They march to the tune of the BBM box and sell sell sell those time slots on radio and where there is not much revenue generated the host is simply booted off in place of network feed cheap yes local no. This mindset also applies in the world of TV. Small towns like Brandon, one of the towns featured in Local TV Matters campaign are too small in the minds of corporate broadcasters to have local TV as the station can't generate ad revenues. In short the business of TV and radio has become so cut throat that the only real way they measure success is at the local level is by how much ad revenue they have gotten and the only places they can get big money is in large centres like Edmonton, Montreal, Winnipeg and London. Thus the attitude from corporate media is sorry Brandon your just too small, with 41,511 people you can't make money for our investors so we are pulling the plug on your local station. Even in big markets like Montreal the trend towards making a dollar vs good radio has cost some jobs, Peter Anthony Holder, Ted Bird, Paul (Tasso Patsikakis) Zakaib and a few others are no longer on the air on the radio side. TV fared much better but, still there are challenges. The evidence is clear by the fact that in Montreal 8 hours of CJAD's content each weekday is taken up with network and recorded parts of the previous days broadcast featuring the headliner shows. In case your wondering Ryan Doyle from Toronto is on the air from 7 pm to 10 pm and from midnight to 5 am the station repeats previously aired programming. CHOM FM has no live announcer overnight or so it appears as the schedule reads CHOM Overnight, Virgin Radio 96 runs network feed from Ryan Seacrest 7-10 pm and from midnight to 5 has club mixes. Q92 has John Tesh a network feed from 7 pm to Midnight during the week. One of the worst stations is AM 940 they only have 3 announcers the rest of it's programming is network and prerecorded shows and the Team 990 has a mix of local and network feed. As for French radio, probably similar but, they do much more local radio and the only similarity probably would be in overnight programming. As for TV outside of the newscasts most of the shows, ah lets get real here all of the shows are network feeds during the week ad on weekends little to none are local. On the French side there are probably a lot more local shows produced but, since I do not watch French TV yet I can not say if that is the case.

The biggest problem though lies in the fact that the regulator simply is not standing up and REGULATING. It appears that the CRTC has abandoned it's responsibility in this matter refusing to regulate TV and Radio in such a way as to promote local programming. The virtual hands off approach and deregulation of the industry has left it wide open to the kinds of things that are now taking place. The increase in network feeds and prerecorded shows along with no overnight hosts in major markets and the gutting of local stations in smaller communities to the point where they are nothing more than repeaters for the large market stations, has led to the near death of radio and the fight for life of TV at the local level.

While consumer and corporate involvement is important in the debate about local radio and TV the matter also needs to be dealt with by the REGULATOR the CRTC. They need to set the rules and they need to do so with a balanced hand difficult yes impossible no. If the consumer wants local TV, then it is up to the CRTC to tell the broadcasters that and to enforce it with regulation not guidelines, regulation that is balanced to meet the request for local radio and TV in a way that still allows for everyone to make money. This is the part where you the reader come in. It is easy to complain about the state of radio and TV but, it's even easier to do nothing about it and let the spiral continue to the point where pretty much down the line all you will hear is commercials and network feed from a few giant stations. That is why it is important to tune in and fact find and then decide which is it you really want, local or network after that it's academic and by this I mean contacting the regulator with vigor and saying here is what we want now go and do it. If it is important to keep local TV and radio then more than a mere handful of advocates and small lobby groups needs to be involved, a few hundred or thousand won't do the trick, but 10 times that amount in the hundreds of thousands that would make a few people take notice. It has to be at the level of that which took place when negative optioning was tried by cable companies, remember that? Think of it in those terms. You really have to want it or not want it as was the case in negative optioning and a lot of people have to be on the same page for people to take notice. I can give you tons of links to stations, they're owners, the CRTC and to groups who are out there looking for support on this topic. But, I am not going to do that. Instead i am going to ask you to decide if local TV and Radio matters and if it does then YOU need to take the time get informed and gain the support of those around you to advocate for it. So I ask does Local TV and radio matter? I leave the end of this story up to you to finish.

C. T.

Montreal's New Years Baby...Nayla

2010-01-03T16:06:00.005-05:00

Just after 12:06AM Friday at St Mar's Hospital a girl was born and it is believed that she is the first to be born in Montreal area. Her name Nayla, the Arabic word for success was given to her by her parents Lynn Knoepfel and Marc-Antoine Zora.

According to the Montreal Gazette Nayla is nine days early but, both parents do not mind. Mom is quoted as saying was love at first sight and dad, well he is is just so overjoyed he can't explain it. Nayla weighed in at 6Lb and 6 Oz when she was born roughly 3Kg for those who use the metric system.

Congrats to them and to the other New Years parents across Canada.

C. T.

The STM's Christmas Gift For 2009, What Elese Fare Hikes!

2009-12-29T09:30:00.028-05:00

Montreal's transit riders are getting their annual lump of coal in the form of transit fare hikes. As of January 1 2010 a new set of fares will be in force.

The STM also sent out a press release outlining it's position regarding the new fare schedule. The only fare rate that has not been changed is that of a single fare cash or use of a single fare via OPUS this fare remains at $2.75. Interestingly enough the day pass rates are going down. A 1 day pass moves down from 9 to 7 dollars and the 3 day pass has gone down from 17 to 14 dollars.

The STM claims that it still has high ridership boasting that it continues to see levels as high as 382.5 million trips per year. In the press release that accompanies the announced new fares the STM makes mention of the economic difficulties but, proceeds to indicate that it is being reasonable and the fare hike is justifiable. Further claims in the release state that according to the Imperial College of London the system is efficient and the fares charged are among the lowest in the world.

There are some positives in the release. They include continued support for the Family Outing programs, which features reduced entry fees at points of interest in Montreal for family's who use the system on weekends and holidays. The STM is also offering breaks to students and it also will offer an annual subscription for OPUS users. Seniors also get a break and another interesting benefit being offered is the use of Air Miles to get reduced rates.

A copy of the release can be found at h ttp://stm.info/English/info/comm-09/a-co091218.htm#b

C. T.

The Russell Hantz Effect & Nilly Mauck

2009-12-21T19:52:00.015-05:00

Survivor Samoa ended with the odds on favorite not winning the 1 million. Russell Hantz is not a happy camper and made it known that he felt that he should have won the title and the money, even going so far as to try and bribe winner Natalie White into giving him the title with $10,000. I am thinking dude she just won 1 million do you really think she is going to take your offer? So what does this have to do with Nilly Mauck of Las Vegas Nevada?

Ms. Mauck is the victim of a a mistake made by a company called The Brenkus Team. This firm made a keying error that caused Ms. Mauck her furnishings and personal belongings, all of it thrown into the trash, completely destroyed because of an incorrect addressing on a foreclosure. The company sent cleaners to empty out the foreclosed unit 1157 but, the address on the order was 1156, Ms Mauck's unit. The story gets bizarre in that The Brenkus Team noticed the error and sent a note acknowledging the mistake, then shorty after that they company they hired to trash out the foreclosed property still went into her home and did just that. Ms. Mauck called The Brenkus Team and asked for $100,00 to $2000,000 dollars to replace her goods, they offered 5,00 saying that 100K was too much. And, when asked where her stuff she was told by a The Brenkus Team rep that they did not know where it was. I have the impression they did not bother to offer to call the cleaning company to find out what they did with it.

In America and maybe here in Canada there is an impression among some that it is acceptable to screw people, to use them as pawns to get to the top or make the biggest pot of money and if an error is made oh well that is life, if people get hurt sucks to be them. The Russell Hantz effect if you will emits the belief that if one plays by the rules lying cheating making mistakes and costing others their reputations money or goods is OK, it does not matter as long as the one doing it does not lose anything. The funny thing is Russell Hnatz's ideology while in the technical aspects of a "game" may be correct, survivor is about outwitting outlasting outplaying. It is not in the minds of most moral people; a norm in real life. The jury in survivor Samoa saw that and awarded correctly the prize to someone who outwitted outplayed and outlasted someone who forgot one part of human nature, the need to feel respected even in defeat. Russell it has been suggested would taunt those he voted off, off camera, as way to show off how powerful he was. The jury took him down and in effect said that even in a dog eat dog world you still need to show respect to others.

How does the above apply to Ms. Mauck? As we have seen in the past year those who think they can get away with doing the screw others, Russel Hantz effect thing have been met with a hard reality that no matter how big you get there is always someone bigger than you. And while the victims may not get everything back, they will get something of a revenge knowing that those who have been caught are paying the price for their misconduct. Madoff comes to mind as does Conrad Black. Making mistakes is a part of being human so is owning up to them and in some cases going beyond I'm sorry. This is especially true if you are one who claims to be rooted in the Christian tradition as is the claim of The Brenkus Team. If this is truly the case I would suggest they prove it by doing the brave thing and stepping out from behind the lawyers they have retained and paying the cost of refurnishing the condo, or finding a new home for Ms. Mauck and furnishing it. It's the right thing, the Christian thing to do when you screw up. Admit it and if you can fix it. And as for the Russell Hantz effect, I'd suggest we all collectively wake up and file 13 this ideology because it's the reason we have gotten to such a mess economically and it's the characteristic that is least respectable in any culture and it is one that should never be modeled in a business big medium or small.

C. T.

For the record this story continues to evolve. For details on the story visit lasvegasnow.com.

Rob and Rena's Home Preservation is the cleaning company that was hired to do the "Trash out". Funny that a company involved in a mistake this big is the word preservation in it's name. Looks like they did not preserve much in this case.

A little blurb about the Brenkus Team which falls under the name of Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace on activerain.com. Note following.

The Keller Williams philosophy is embodied in our Mission, Vision, Values and Belief System:

Our Mission: To build careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living.
Our Vision: To be the Company of choice for a new generation of real esate agents and owners.
Our Values: God, Family, then Business.

Our Belief System provides the foundation for delivering the ultimate in client service.

Win Win - Or no deal
Integrity - Do the right thing
Customers - Always come first
Commitment - In all things
Communication - Seek first to understand
Creativity - Ideas before results
Teamwork - Together Everyone Achieves More
Trust - Starts with honesty
Success - Results through people

Along with he notation is the link to the company's corporate site and contact e-mail.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-20T11:14:00.012-05:00

Afrikaans: Geseënde Kersfees
Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees
African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Milad Majid
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Bosnian: (BOSANSKI) Cestit Bozic i Sretna Nova godina
Brazilian: Feliz Natal
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi
Ethiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet Beaal
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
German: Fröhliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato Brichto
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Lao: souksan van Christmas
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Luxembourgish: Schèine Chreschtdaag an e gudde Rutsch
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philippines: Maligayang Pasko!
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele or Craciun fericit
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serbian: Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tamil: (Tamizh) Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym or Z RIZDVOM HRYSTOVYM
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Vietnamese: Chuc Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!

All the best to you and your family from Dar and I.

C. T.

50 Dangerous Things Kids Should Do A Good Idea....Hmmm

2009-12-16T07:17:00.012-05:00

While searching for a good news story to run I came across an article about Gever Tulley, a man who thinks that children should be allowed to do dangerous things, 50 of them to be exact. Some of the things suggested in his book named, you guessed it, 50 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do, include driving, using hammers, walking a tight rope and tasting electricity (I have done that one and it does not taste good). In a previous article I have here on the blog I wrote about how in many ways the next crop of kids have become wimps and how this has been enabled by parents. However I wonder about the wisdom of letting children deliberately endanger themselves.

I agree with Mr Tulley's point that we faced dangers as kids learning how to walk, climb the stairs and possibly a few other little things like eating. For the record I am not a parent but, I do have an idea about how children learn, I think.

The book which is is available outlines the steps and danger level associated with each task. Some of the tasks are dangerous enough to cause vision loss amongst other things. I have to admit I am on the fence on this one. In some respects it is a good idea to educate children about what is dangerous. They need to know that a stove is hot and can burn, that playing with matches can cause the house to get burned down, that walking on train tracks is a very bad idea and that playing with guns is always a bad idea unless they are taught about the risks associated with them. Here is where I think that this is not so good an idea. IF parents are not careful enough to explain that they need to be present during these supposed experiments and that in no way should the child do the experiments on their own, I would assume since I have not read the book that this is strongly recommended, there could be serious results including loss of limbs and yes even death. I am not suggesting scaring the wits out of kids. But, I am suggesting being stern when it comes to doing such experiments as boiling water on a hot stove that mom and or dad need to be there.

At the end of the day the question needs to be asked will this enhance awareness and lower risks for kids in the future who decide to do things that are dangerous, without parents around? Or, will allowing them to explore create phobias that may be carried for the rest of the life of the experimenter? Kids are impressionable and will form ideas about the world around them a lot faster than we as adults would. Therefore I would suggest that before parents with kids dive in that a good honest conversation between parent and child about the experiments they will do take place. Simply so that kids learn without causing undue fear and while instilling a sense of adventure with respect for what is dangerous enough to cause harm. This is where I thank my lucky stars that I am not a parent because that balance is not easy to come by. that is where I will leave this one in your capable hands parent.

C. T.

Tinkering School is Gever Tulley's project read more at the site.

Compact Flurorescent Lightbulbs Maybe Not A Bright Idea After All

2009-12-02T22:01:00.015-05:00

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs or CFLs are supposedly the saviors of energy not to mention the earth. Really? There seems to be some real issues with this so called bright idea in energy conservation. They involve serious safety risks that are associated with the use of the bulbs.

Mercury is part of the mix in the composition of the CFL. A known neurotoxin the vapor alone can be harmful. Direct contact with Mercury demands specific clean up steps. Including opening a window, if you have one to open, for 15 minutes and shutting off your heating/cooling system. You should not use a vacuum to suck the debris up on wood or other non carpet surfaced areas. If you do use a vacuum you have to make sure you seal the bag and dispose of it in a safe manner. Oh and did I mention you have to check with your city to see what the rules are before you put the garbage containing the debris out for pick up? So far not a pretty picture is ist? It gets real interesting from here on in.

The CFL bulbs work in such a manner as to cause what is known as dirty electricity. The radiation from dirty electricity is very harmful moreover the CFL emits UV energy at levels that can be harmful as well. These rays can cause the skin to burn and dirty electricity can mess up a diabetics sugar levels, create problems for sufferers of MS and Lupus including severe itching and even burns when in close proximity to a CFL bulb from said UV rays. People with breathing problems can also experience increased difficulties when exposed to dirty electricity which is associated with the CFL bulb. To be fair dirty electricity is not the sole result of CFL use. Many of our modern electrical gadgets are also to blame for the problem including computers and wireless hubs. There is also RF (Radio Frequency) which is emitted from devices like a cell phone that can be harmful although no direct link to brain cancer has been attributed to cell use. EMF (Electromagnetic Force) also has an effect as it is what is created when there is an electrical charge. And yes this can be harmful to humans as this can extend the reach of dirty electricity by several feet.

In our effort to get greener we may be doing more harm to ourselves. In 2012 the old incandescent bulb, which is still sold, will be banned in Canada. And, while growing evidence suggests the newer CFL bulb might not be a good replacement the question remains what to do about the problem of the bulb and dirty electricity.

It is certain that technologies will emerge and we as humans are not going to toss our gadgets and computers out. So how to make the electricity safe again and what lighting systems should be in use becomes the next question. The first step is to get your house tested. You can hire someone to do it our get the gear and do it yourself. If the rate is over 50 GS units then you would need to install filtering devices. Slight problem here is that you would have to put lots of filters in for things like a plasma TV, 3 are required or so they say. These things are not cheap and they may not solve the problem of dirty electricity, EMF or RF. You may have to go to your electrical box to install filters and even then that may not clear the problem up. So what is the solution? Frankly, it is getting manufacturers to create products that do not work in the range of 4 to 100 KHZ, the frequency range scientists say are harmful to humans. Or, have the filters built into the devices to reduce RF EMF and dirty electricity. As for the lighting system LED is the answer, they last longer, are cooler and also do not have mercury as an element in them.

As I stated above we are not going to walk away from our electronics, especially computers as they are now one of the main links to the world around us. We use them for banking, gaming, job hunting and other entertainment and information needs. But, this does not mean we should not be talking steps to correct the problems that they have associated with them. Get educated and get active let those who make them and those who regulate the makers of these products know that you want them to be better on all the levels including those that relate to our health. The issue of CFLs and also of dirty electricity EMF and RF are hotly debated topics with those who are sounding the alarm and those who are ignoring the possible risks vying for your attention. It's up to us as a society to help both meet in the middle and resolve the problems before they get out of hand.

I am not anti green by any stretch but, lets get serious here composting, CFL, Recycling, electric cars, hydrogen cars, windmills and solar energies all have advantages and disadvantages and before we go head long into this lets make sure it makes sense. As I once told someone a long time ago on the issue of recycling, I don't play in my garbage for a reason, it's not healthy and most of what we use can't be recycled period. the same applies to using the CFL at this point it's not healthy and is very hard to recycle.

C. T.

Interesting CBC article on the subject of CFLs
Health Canada's information on CFLs
Global TV has a show called 16x9 there are 3 videos that are on their Youtube channel that you might find interesting.

Video 1 video 2 video 3

A Virus...That Helps You....Seriously?

2009-11-26T18:06:00.012-05:00

Imagine going to the store one day to by a battery to power your latest gadget, no big deal right? Well imagine that battery being constructed from a bunch of viruses! It sounds like something out of the world of Sci-Fi but, it's not.

A team of scientists has been working with the M13 virus, harmless to humans, to create batteries. They do this by manipulating the virus to collect materials on it's shell to create an electrode. When two electrodes are combined they create a non toxic rechargeable battery that can be used in small devices. The parts can fit on a single strand of human hair and can only be seen under a powerful microscope. The hope is to build on the technology to the point that the batteries can be used in devices like hearing aids and in future they may also find their way into electric cars amongst other things.

The team working on this new type of battery works out of MIT and they have been working on the project since 2006. The team led by Angela M Belcher used the battery to power such things as a small LED. The real advantage besides getting more power is the fact that the manufacturing process is non toxic and very cost effective.

It just goes to show that just about anything in nature can be used in unique ways even those things that one might otherwise not consider useful like a virus does have some value. For more on this story click on the links below.

The MIT article posted in 2006 about the research.

Science News article, less technical about the project.

This CBC article shows the construction diagram of the virus battery.

Feeling the need to get the more technical side of the story? The PDF publication gives the reader all the gory or should I say germy details on the subject of viruses and how they can be used to create batteries. Click Fabricating Genetically Engineered High-Power Lithium Ion Batteries Using Multiple Virus Genes . to get to the PDF file you will have to download it from Science/Maas under the title (Science Lee et al) located at the top left where it says Automatic Download.

Foster Care The System That Keeps on Failing

2009-11-04T19:22:00.011-05:00

First it was orphanages making headlines, then residential schools run by churches and now foster care has been in the news. Earlier this year Saskatchewan's Children's Advocate released a report that was pretty much the bearer of some horrible news about the way children in the province were being treated. The report outlined some grim facts about a system that is pretty much a nightmare for many children and teens.

Chronic overcrowding in homes, abuse on all the levels, improper documentation, bullying by case workers towards foster parents and burn out are among many points addressed in the report entitled Breach of Trust. It could well be the story of any provinces foster care system. In fact I would dare to say it is the story of every provinces foster care system. Every day in Canada courts order children to be seized, police and social workers execute these orders. Some go well most do not as noted in the case of Larry Finck and Carline VandenElsen who held police at bay for 3 days in 2004 after police and child welfare workers attempted to take custody of their child. The standoff ended with a death, that of a Mr. Finck's mother. The couple were later sentenced to prison terms for their action. The story did not end there. There were petitions, largely ignored by Nova Scotia's government at the time and into the present to investigate the child welfare system and a hunger strike by Carline again came to no avail. To date she and Larry have pretty much fallen off the radar. Why I mention this is due in part that it would seem the system is stacked against parents who fall under the shadow of these court orders. The question keeps coming up are these systems working? If we take the report in Saskatchewan as a model, along with the Finck case the answer is clearly a no. This has led the rise that there is a conspiracy to take children from parents to simply meet quotas. One does not have to look far on the net to find many sites that propagate the belief that governments and agencies have an agenda and that agenda is to reduce poverty by taking kids from parents they deem unfit even in the face of evidence that would suggest otherwise. The problem with the theory is that the systems in place have within them people who are just as poor and or are ill equipped to meet the needs of the children in their care.

There is also case study that supports the notion that many do not do well when they are released from care, criminal activity is common among youth in foster care not to mention health issues and these carry on throughout the lives of those who pass through the system across Canada.

The systems in place are out of date and out of touch with realities along with many who run them, often in secret. The argument is that something is better than nothing to protect children and to an extent I agree. The rub is that in some cases agencies are seizing children and placing them into homes equal or worse than those they rescue children from. There is no magic wand to wave here. It is not an easy fix but, unless the ugly truths are exposed noting will change for those children who come into and in many cases come out of the system worse off for the experience. So I submit to you the reader the reports and articles for your view. They are not pretty but, without exposure nothing will get done to fix them and the first step is to expose the ugly side of foster care to the light of honest reporting then the conversation can begin and hopefully better systems can be developed so the next generation of children who come into the systems across Canada are better served. This includes transparency and equality on all sides of the debate. The Saskatchewan report and others like it are a good beginnings but, more needs to be done to take foster care from failure to success.

C. T.

Current reports from CBC on progress of SK foster homes.

Note some of the documents contain graphic descriptions reader discretion is advised.

Talking Trash.

2009-11-01T07:17:00.004-05:00

I do not know if this is a good news story or a weird story. Maybe it is a bit of both. In 2008 Dave Chameides decided to take on trash. Yep for one year he kept all of his trash in his basement. Dave Chameides even went so far as to blog about his experiment. He in fact, is still blogging about trash, I wonder if his theme song is I love trash?

I can't say I would be daring enough to try the experiment myself. In fact I know I would not try this experiment myself. Still the idea and the blog do give one pause to think, what is it that I can do to help clean my world up. In a bizarre way Dave Chameides proves that there is a better way to deal with our consumption of material. Think about this, in the United States people create up to 5 Lbs of waste or 2.26 Kg in metric terms per day. That is 35 Lbs 15 Kg every week. In a year 1825 Lbs and 827 Kg. Dave reduced his waste to a weight of about 190 Lbs 86 Kg according to his stats on the blog, that is a remarkable feat.

The trash was/is on display at the Trash Museum in Hartford CT. Um, I don't know if I will make the trip down to see it but, I guess it's notewothery to someone. Anyway this is one of those good/weird stories that I thought I would pass along just for the heck of it.

C. T.

COPS in Schools

2009-10-29T13:19:00.007-04:00

SRO or School Resource Officer Program is part of the Toronto District School Board's safety plan. The program began in 2008 and has been expanded this year to include 50 schools. The notion is to give police and students a chance to dialogue and dispel myths about each other along with improving the safety of staff and students in the schools the officers are in.

From the reports that are out there the program has been well received by all the stakeholders involved, including students. Although some might argue that since students don't really have much of a say in the process there is no real choice but to accept that police now roam the halls in schools. For the record the TDSB states that it does consult with students and that they do take feedback about the program. Only one school was forced to scale back it's involvement in the program when dozens of parents protested against the move. It should be noted that for the program to get approval there needs to be agreement between a trustee, principle and the school superintendent of education. Also of note and posted on the TDSB site that the program is intended to build trust between police and all of those in the school community.

The program became the subject of debate this past month when a 16 year old student was arrested after an altercation with an officer. It is alleged that the student called the officer bacon and refused to id himself. The student who can not be identified was charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. In the video the student can be seen resisting arrest and trying to get away from the officer. If there is anything wrong that the officer did it was not telling the student why he was being arrested. As for not reading his rights well it probably was done after he was taken to the principles office where he was turned over to other officers. The student will not be returning to Northern Secondary. There was a protest against the SRO program at Northern Secondary on the 22nd of October, 150 of Northern's 1800 students held an hour long protest denouncing the program and demanding it be revoked. As stated above the SRO program was created in 2008 but, interestingly enough was not a recommendation made in the Falconer Report on school safety. Police and TDSB officials are standing by the program citing success in reducing crime and developing a better working relationship with police parents students and staff. There are no plans to scale the program back despite the recent protest.

Here are my questions on this topic

Why is it that only one officer is on patrol in the school and why are they armed? That is not only impractical it's also not very safe for anyone.

If the TDSB says it consults parents and students on the process, implementation of the program in a school why is it that it only takes a trustee principle and superintendent to agree before an officer is put on site? Should it not be put to a vote by parents and students as well? And what if after a period of time parents and students decide they don't want the officer there is there any recourse or is this a done deal and it's a to bad so sad they are staying deal?

What are the stats on this program, how successful is it really? I would like to know how effective spending 3.7 million dollars on this program really is.

I think the concept is good the program seems to be working very well and with a few minor glitches everyone is pretty happy with how things have progressed but, I'd still like to see the facts and numbers to back them up that this thing really does work. Call me a skeptic but, given recent events related to police I would say the track record is not so good. So lets play it safe and take a good look at this program before spending more dough on it to expand it.

C. T.

Google News posting of the articles related to student protest at Northern Secondary against SRO.

The father of the student arrested at Northern Secondary speaks about the arrest with CITY TV.

Protest leader alleges being threatened with expulsion if he went ahead with protest accordint to the Varsity Newspaper. CTV also reporting on this story notes that the SRO program is both hit and miss.

From the Toronto Police Service. What you should do and not do if stopped and why stops are made.

Up Next

2009-10-28T12:12:00.005-04:00

In Saskatchewan the foster care system has been all but declared a disaster. A story of a breach of trust that has gone on for decades in this province is also the same sad story for the rest of Canada.

Should the Police Investigate the Police. In Quebec since 2003 97 cases involving injury and death have been been the result of police activities. Only one incident resulted in a finding that criminal charges are in order, so lets ask again, Should cops investigate cops?

Alberta's WCB wants you to believe that most clients are happy with their services. Note to WCB no one believes you.

So you want to help the environment by cutting back on your carbon footprint. Compact fluorescent light bulbs appear to be the no go way to do it.

These topics and otter stories of interest coming soon to a screen near you. Speaking of news and the like if you have an interest in the wacky weird things people do with a good interview or two mashed into the mix then check out Peter Anthony Holders Stuph File Podcast. You can sub to it on Itunes and also via his blog and website. Also please feel free to click on to Mixed Nuts for some interesting sites articles, blogs and vids.

C. T.

Former Sgt Gunnar Swanson A Brave Soldier Indeed

2009-10-21T19:21:00.011-04:00

His name means brave soldier and Gunnar Swanson a former member of the 957th Engineer Company Multi Bridge role, a unit of the North Dakota National Guard is not only a brave man for taking on a tour in Iraq he also has a heart for the children of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Recently completing a 1000 mile walk to support programs via the program he manages through War Kids Relief, a non profit group that provides expertise and facilities for children in war zones. Mt. Swanson was in Iraq in 2003 and while there had a close call with a rocket propelled grenade and another when he feared he might have to shoot a child. Insurgents have recruited and coerced children to fight US and coalition soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. The two incidents prompted Swanson to get in touch of WKR and the rest they say is history.

The kicker here is that Mr. Swanson moved from Florida to Missouri leaving a job training dolphins, wow. Our world does not know total peace as there are at least a dozen wars going on around the planet. so it is nice to see that there are those who have experienced war first hand wanting to make a difference in the lives of those most traumatically affected by war, children. It is nice to see something positive come out of what can only be described as one of the most negative experiences and certainly a war is a very negative experience. Nicely done Sgt Swanson you have shown the American and other peoples of the world that soldiers have heart on and off the battlefield.

C. T.

Gunnar Swanson is featured in an article in the October issue of the Christian Science Monitor.

Balloon Boy Story Goes Pop!

2009-10-19T16:50:00.009-04:00

Last Thursday October 15th the world watched with bated breath as a balloon flew across an 80Km path. Fears of a 6 year old child being in it's basket were felt by the viewers of the spectacle. When the balloon finally landed a rescue team descended on the balloon looking for 6 year old Falcon Heene who was believed to be in the craft. Authorities quickly found that he was not on board and thus began a search for the boy. He was finally found after he emerged from an attic in the family garage.

Since then relief has turned to utter revulsion as it is becoming clear that the incident may have been a publicity stunt intended to garner attention from producers of reality TV. Instead of garnishing their attention Mr. and Mrs. Heene have instead garnished the attention of police. This after Falcon mentioned on Larry King Live that it was for a show. The couple are being investigated and most likely will be charged with a number of offenses including Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, false reporting and attempting to influence a public servant. Steep fines of up to 1/2 a million dollars and 6 years in jail and the title of village idiot may are most likely going to be what they get, some consolation prize eh? Moreover it has been reported that Richard Heene and wife Mayumi have risked they're children in the past driving into cyclones and hurricanes which should draw the eyes of child protection staff to these folks. If anyone deserves empathy or sympathy it's the kids who essentially are being brought up by parents who are a pair of nut bars. it appears that the family dynamic is anything but normal here and hopefully someone with a keen eye and some common sense will step in to correct environment.

I include myself when I say that I would enjoy fame. Heck I write 3 blogs that should say something about my desire to be recognized. I have been on radio and have had my picture published in the paper, minus a jailhouse serial number I should add. All of us want to be famous in some way or another, some really want to make a splash in film, stage and on TV or in print. However with the exception of a madman or two most people usually go about it in a way that is normal, the Heenes apparently did not. The media are not to blame for following this story, it was a good one at first filled with lots of drama and what appeared to be a great ending. What is sad is that this is now becoming a story about two fame hungry people who used their child to try and hook a TV deal. If this the case it was a stupid idea 1. Because it involved a child and 2. It involved deceiving or attempting to deceive people who generally cared and wanted to help a kid in trouble. And, 3. It involved trying to cash in. However thanks to a child's honesty the story held appears to be nothing more than hot air and like the balloon Falcon was supposed to be in quickly deflated into what can only be described as probably a sick idea to make money and be famous. No wonder Falcon threw up on live TV it looks like he got caught along with his parents in a lie and he knew it. At least that is the way it looks now.

C. T.

What the Heenes face.

Colorado laws

In colorado filing a false report is a class 3 which carries a minimum 50 dollar fine and a maximum of 6 months in jail with a 500 dollar fine.

Conspiracy is also a class 3 Misdemeanor in Colorado except in cases where a felony crime is committed if a felony class 1 is committed then it is a class 2 felony and so on and if no penalty is attributed to the conspiracy of committing a crime that is a felony then a class 6 penalty can be rendered

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a class four felony which can carry up to 6 years in prison and 3 years probation and a 500,000 dollar fine.

Attempting to influence a public servant is also a class 4 felony in Colorado.

Bottom line they could get anything from 50 dollars up to 1 million dollars and 6 months to 12 years in jail.

Articles related to this story.
The CNN interview on Youtube where Falcon states they were doing it for a show.
Time Magazine Article: What Should Happen to Balloon Boy's Parents?

DDO Mayor Asked Contender Not To Run

2009-10-14T15:48:00.009-04:00

Ed Janiszewski is the incumbent mayor of Dollard des Ormeaux, a community on the West Island of Montreal. However he does not want to run against anyone preferring to be acclaimed mayor like many in the Montreal area are. Shameem Siddiqui is vying for the mayoral chair in the city and here is what is interesting. He was asked, let me say again asked not to run by Janiszewski, the basis for his request was money or so he says. According to Ed Janiszewski it will cost taxpayers up to $20,000.00 in extra funds to run the election. For the record Janiszewski has been mayor in DDO for almost 26 years and his opponent has run at the federal and civic level and has not won on both occasions.

The mere suggestion that an elected official wants an opponent not to run against them should perk our interest as voters, or in this case those in DDO. If Ed Janiszewski is that good of a mayor; then he will win hands down, that is not at issue. What is? That in a democracy anyone who feels they can do a better job does have the right to run for office. Mr. Janiszewski did tell Mr. Siddiqui outright that he should not consider running, stating to him that he can't win. He is assuming incorrectly that he is a shoe in for the job and that his opponent is a loser who does not stand a chance and therefore he should not have bothered running.

On November 1 residents of DDO will be in the unenviable task of proving one or the other right. The election in DDO has more or less become a popularity contest or more aptly a peeing contest between Janiszewski and Siddiqui. No doubt the issues will be debated but, in the end residents will give one of these two the right to stand on the steps of city hall sticking they're tongue out and saying see I told you so. This mars the process for the voters as they are being robbed of the right to decide based on facts as well as character. There is another factor to consider, the chill effect. As an elector the last thing I want is to be voting based on the premise of proving one person right over another. In the sum of it an election is a judgement on character and ideas and the belief that one person is right vs those who oppose them who are wrong. however, in the case of the election in DDO it is so blatant that it may cause lower voter turnout. Which in turn could return Ed Janiszewski to power making this contest an unfair one at best.

Siddiqui is quoted in the Montreal Gazette as saying that Janiszewski is not the king of DDO and he does not want to see him run unopposed. The only hope is for a good turnout on voting day and a close election. A blowout or low turnout will prove that one was successful enough to short circuit the others election run based solely on the basis of an I told you so, hardly a good way to win an election.

C. T.

Montreal Gazette article.

Driving Osama

2009-10-12T12:55:00.006-04:00

On August 17 2009 an article appeared on the Toronto Star's website about Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the former driver for Osama Bin Laden. The article by an unmentioned reporter briefly summed up Hamden's history and what he wants to do, which is to move on with his life post Guantanamo.

What caught my attention was a comment made by a reader

Who Cares

"Would the Star have interviewed Hitler's driver? I hope not!" Comment from a Star reader.

I disagree I think it was interesting to read about this man and I would have the same feeling if the Star did an interview with Hitler's driver. This does not mean I sympathize with Handman or the cause of Al Qaeda, nor do I think the Nazi's and Hitler were model citizens, far from it. However his case did bring to bear some serous questions about how we react to acts like those committed on 9/11 and other events like it, including warfare. I do care about what happens to people like him especially in the light of the fact that he has been released. It matters that we treat prisoners fairly because as it is pointed out in the article.

There is a fear that after seven years in custody, even the innocent may harbour a deadly grudge.

Prison should serve two purposes. The first to punish those who do not obey or respect the laws of the land. The second to offer the offender the opportunity to make a life change decision through programs and counselling. I won't go into the debate about prisons that can be done on another post. I do think that it is important to find the reason behind why people do certain things. In this case Handman became a driver for Bin Laden because the job paid well. His mistake was believing in a radical view of Islam an pledging a loyalty oath to Bin Laden and the cause. Interviewing him has given us this insight and allows us to find the root reason for his actions, which clearly looks to be one of making ends meet, clearly he made a very bad decision and chose to associate himself with the wrong crowd to do that.

Against the backdrops of criminal activity and the 9/11 attacks there is no justification for what Handman did especially after the attacks when he provided get away vehicles and weapons to members of Al Qaeda. Yet on another level, that of of a father trying to provide for his family and unable to get decent work one might understand why this man resorted to crime. In fact this may well be the story of many who resort to such activities which is a damming indictment on the capitalist model we live under, where very few hold the money and power while many are left with nothing. Handman's story is both lesson and warning that if our society does not begin to change the model more of the type of activity that Handman participated in will take place. That is why this article was interesting and necessary and I applaud the Toronto Star for taking it on.

C. T.

Landlord Makes Life Easier For Tenants

2009-10-09T20:49:00.009-04:00

We all have the ability to impact the lives of others through our choices. Choose one way of doing things and cause harm, choose another and bring a wealth of blessing to others around you. Ed Peirce of Rock Hill South Carolina is making a difference in the lives of two families who are also his tenants in his two houses in west Virginia. He is doing this by taking a job at a drugstore to cover the expenses for the properties that normally would be covered by the rent.

The two families in question have fallen on hard times due to layoffs, a result of the recession. So instead of evicting the tenants Mr. Peirce is letting the tenants stay in their homes rent free until things change for the better for both families.

"I sat with them and prayed for better times. These are stand-up guys. Family men. Proud. They paid me before, when they were working. You don’t show your faith, your Christianity, in words. You do it in deeds." Ed Peirce

I have often said that there are two things Jesus did when dealing with people. First he met the needs in the physical realm, then he dealt with the spiritual realm. For relevance I am going to point to the physical and the best example of this is found in the parable of the fish and bread. Instead of sending people away hungry to get their own food he took what he could get, fish and bread gave thanks and fed the people. What I am getting to here is he stepped out and took action instead of just offering some lame platitude. Ed Peirce is an example of the model Jesus himself wants us to follow. Even if you are not a Christian the example of doing a good deed has merit especially if you know of a need that you can meet.

Ed's good deed also gives pause for all of us to reflect and ask the question am I helping or hindering someone today?

C. T.

The article about Ed Peirce from Herald Online

Ryan Doyle or Ipod Ryan Doyle or Ipod...Ipod!

2009-09-24T10:45:00.029-04:00

Ryan Doyle, I remember him from way back when he was a new kid on the block at CFRB. He has since become the regular weeknight voice from 7 to 10 PM on RB and on CKTB and CJAD which was added into the mix just recently.

I have listened to his show on occasion including his show Tuesday night September 22 when he interviewed Moby. Very good interview, to bad it could not have gone longer. What got my attention was the segue to his next segment about a supposed fight club in Brandon MB.

He began by mentioning that it was nice to speak with Moby who seemed like a nice guy and then remarked on how some in the music and radio business could be real jerks. He then moved into a letter by a kid that was sent to him but before commenting he briefly mentioned how he liked working his shift and that he was not leaving and it would be a kicking screaming Doyle that would be forced to leave. I could have heard that wrong but, that is what I heard. Now here is what got my attention. Doyle mentioned that there are groups and websites along with e-mails that have poured some hate out on him. Ryan commented that he laughed that off as it was probably 7 or so people who had nothing better to do with their lives so they have created groups that are bashing the changes recently made by Astral to the formats in Toronto and also Montreal.

It is not fair to attack Doyle since he is not the person who made the changes in format, it is the Astral Media Executives who made the choices in staffing to the stations. If anyone should be on the receiving end of boycotts and protests and heated e-mails it should be Astral Media and it's CEO Ian Greenberg, he is the one that should draw the heat for the programming decisions at the stations not Ryan Doyle. However I do have some points I would like to address regarding the comment about the 7 or so supposed no life types.

Well judging from the numbers that read recent articles I have posted on the subject and also the locations of such I doubt that it is just a few cranks here in Montreal and Toronto who are upset with the changes Astral has made. There are very distinct differences between CKTB which is in St. Catherines and CJAD in Montreal. The populations do not even compare. St Catherines boasts close to 132,000, Montreal close to 1,621,000 well over 10 times the size and Toronto 2,503,000 give or take a few. Of course factor in regions and we are speaking about the first and second largest Census Metropolitan areas vs the 12th largest CMA. Bring this to the city level it's not even close the 1st, 2nd and 33rd guess which is the 33rd, it's not Montreal.
While all 3 cities and the regions they are in are diverse the dynamics between Montreal and Toronto are very different in the areas of language, politics and economies. The dynamics between these two large cities are such that they really do deserve to have a focused media that includes radio. One could argue the same for St. Catherines and while that is true it is on a much smaller scale meaning that there should be enough media to cover the city and having a rebroadcast from Toronto would not overly affect the ficus of CKTB to deliver local news and relevant talk for this region. Montreal on the other hand has only one English News talk station CJAD and it's focus should be solely on Montreal, having a rebroadcasted signal from Toronto diminishes the focus and leaves Montreal's English audience short 15 hours a week without local coverage. That might be fine from 12 AM to 3 but, 7 to 10 PM, I have to question the decision as a good one as there is audience in significant numbers in Montreal who would listen in this time slot.
Ryan Doyle you very competent, knowledgeable and entertaining but my friend what do you know about the politics, culture or current affairs of our city, Montreal? Look lets be honest you can't give our audience the time to talk about our issues, in fact and reality St. Catherines audience also gets left out. Lets get serious the only real relevance you'll have to the the audience in St. Catherines and Montreal is when national issues are part of the dialogue. And I do have to question how much time you can give to fairly balance the number of calls from each city.
This kind of change is a relevant as a topic to talk about on the air. The audiences in Montreal and maybe St. Catherines would love to hear from an Astral Media rep on this issue. It is all fine and dandy to send out a memo and do up a quick blurb in news papers on the topic of change in format but, I think it would be interesting to have a dialogue on the air about the changes. It would be better PR for Astral than the current one which seems to be ignore the feedback and at the on air level make fun of what could be legitimate feedback.
Finally the topic header really should be radio vs iPod however I chose Ryan Doyle to make the point that for every listener that tunes out at this time slot affects Doyle's numbers and in the minds of those at the top in the corporation numbers equal advertising revenues. Politely speaking if the view is that the talent does not matter or only matters if the numbers are good then Ryan Doyle has some serious work ahead of him in order to keep his time slot because listeners and I include myself are tuning out and opting for other choices like the iPod.

Some of the listeners in Montreal are not anti change, well maybe some are, they are disappointed at being essentially kicked to the curb by not having their feedback addressed. From a personal perspective I chose to switch to the iPod because I choose the content that I want, I do not have to listen to droning announcers repeating the station name on the FM dial and the same music over and over again. And on the AM where I have no choice in the evening in my city but to listen to a signal from Toronto which is not relevant to me from a local perspective on a radio station supposedly serving my community. The iPod simply wins over this kind of radio at least for me it does.

I have not completely dumped the idea of listening to radio but, more crappy decisions like this one will certainly get me to listen less and right now I hardly listen at all which essentially means in my house it may come to pass one day where the radio never gets turned on. Maybe Astral needs to think about what it would be like to lose more people like me before making any more changes or at least explaining this and future ones rather than ignoring it this one as it has done. Just a thought.

C. T.

Blog Updates

2009-09-19T15:12:00.005-04:00

The blog is being updated as follows:

Deleting articles that are not relevant to the blog.
Reviewing and correcting grammar and punctuation and republishing posts.
Relabeling articles.
Setting up new graphics for specific events on the blog like updated follow ups on stories and adding the feature Good News article which is going to be published, hopefully, once per week.

I hope you like the new changes which are meant to make the blog more polished in it's look. Comments and suggestions are welcome.