The Ideal Party

Okay, it's time to spell out what I want, not just for me but for Canada.

HEALTHCARE: I want worldclass healthcare for everyone regardless of income or ability to pay. I want it to include holistic health and other forms of disease prevention. I want it to include vision care, chiropractic care, and prescriptions as required. Oh, and dental... I want dental included for everyone. Not the fancy cosmetic stuff, but cleanings, and routine maintenance. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce. If people are healthy and can work, they can pay taxes, and taxes can fund the healthcare system.

EDUCATION: An educated population is a productive population. Never mind those minimum wage jobs. Let's educate everyone, regardless of income. Money spent on education is an investment in our future. If we're so worried they're going to leave our beautiful country, make them sign an agreement to work in Canada for a set number of years (10?) or else they have to pay some back. 'Nuff said.

HOUSING: Everyone has the right to a decent standard of living. It doesn't have to be the Ritz, but there should be adequate housing for everyone, regardless of income. Let's face it, some people just aren't born with superior intelligence. But why should they be doomed to a lifetime of poverty because they were born with a low IQ? A society is judged by how they treat the least fortunate among them. Let's make sure that affordable housing is available for everyone who needs it. No slum landlords here please!

ECONOMIC POLICY: I want protected envelopes. By that I mean if a tax is collected for a specific purpose (such as the GST which was meant to reduce the national debt) then the money should be spent on that. It should not go into general revenues. Gas taxes should be spent on infrastructure such as roads, with a percentage going to public transportation. How about 10% to public transportation? Can you imagine the transportation network we'd have then? From Oshawa to Hamilton, and up to Barrie and Orillia - trains, buses, LRTs - it makes my head spin. Wouldn't that be great? It's not impossible. Protected envelopes for all taxes.

TAXATION: Flat tax, flat tax, flat tax. Get rid of the loopholes for corporations and the wealthy. Make it fair though - we're not trying to drive them out. Does it drive anyone else crazy that our tax system has become so complex, we're EXPECTED to pay someone to do our taxes? I called with a question about my daughter's taxes and Revenue Canada told me to ask an accountant. She was a student, for heaven's sake. Make it simple, so simple that we don't need that reconciliation once a year. Like England... tell your employer what your situation is, and they deduct the necessary taxes from your paycheque. End of story.

ACCOUNTABILITY: If a politician makes a promise, they have to keep it or we toss them out. If a politician (or even a school board trustee) breaks the rules, is involved in a scandal involving money, we charge them and toss them out. Leaders must lead by example. I promise to eliminate personal income taxes... will you vote for me?? I didn't think so. I'm tired of politicians promising everything just to get elected, and then doing something totally different. I'm tired of the bullshit - that's right, I said bullshit - that exists in our government today. Politicians are like people going for an interview - if you say you're qualified for the job, and you promise to work and keep your word, then you're expected to follow through, or be fired. If you take a bribe from someone, waste OUR money, you're fired!

ENVIRONMENT: We have a lot of experts in this area; let's start listening to them. This is OUR country. Why are we ruining it for future generations. We've now reached the point where we've become consciously incompetent. Time to listen to the experts. Stop letting the mining companies kill our fresh water lakes by turning them into tailing ponds. Time to stop oil sands development that cost us millions (maybe billions) while we sell the oil to the US for bargain basement prices. Time to stop letting foreign corporations rape our forests for the lumber. These are Canadian resources - they belong to every man, woman and child in this country, and they're being given away without OUR permission. That's like stealing from us, and from our future generations. ENOUGH!!!

OPPORTUNITY: Remember when it was believed that only in the US could an ordinary person become President? Well, isn't that a joke now? You have to be rich; you have to be connected. That's why most politicians are lawyers. Who says only the rich have good ideas? Let's change our electoral process so that the playing field is equal.

IMMIGRATION: Let's face it - this country was founded by immigrants. Our ancestors all came from somewhere. We need immigration, but we need to be more selective. No criminals. If an immigrant commits a crime here, deport them. And, while we respect other cultures, we don't have to lose OUR culture. They made a decision to come here, so why should I feel guilty that I'm a Christian and I celebrate Christmas? They must obey our laws and customs; we would if we were moving to another country. I'm not talking about wearing a burka or a turban. I'm talking about carrying knives and beating their wives and following the basic rules of sanitation that we have as Canadians that they may not have had in their country of origin. Respect works two ways. Oh, and we should make it easier for them to qualify in their professions so that they can practice here. That would probably end the doctor shortage. It's a shame for someone trained as a doctor to be driving a taxi. If they need upgrading, let's make it easy for them. Plus, doctors make more money than taxi drivers, so they'd be able to pay more taxes, especially with a flat tax (see TAXATION above).

There's probably more I'll think of later, but now I have to brush my teeth - I have a bad taste in my mouth.


This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

How Green is Green?

Last party to look at - and it might be the best.

I don't equate the Green party as being limited to environmental issues, although the name could be misleading. Afterall, Liberals are Red, Conservatives are Blue, and Green? Well, they're green. Elizabeth May is an interesting person though. When excluded from the debates, she turned it into a feminist issue, when clearly it wasn't. I don't like women who do that. There are enough real issues for women without inventing more.

They're clearly not ready to lead. They don't even have a candidate in each riding yet. But it may be worthwhile to vote for them anyway. It would be nice to have a fourth federal party. With enough votes and/or seats, they may gain recognition as an official party.

I think my views don't align with any of the parties we currently have. Maybe I should start my own. I would need some help though... I wonder what Paul Martin is doing these days?


This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Who is Jack Layton?

If Ed Broadbent was still the leader of the NDP, my life would be easier - I'd know who to vote for. But he isn't - we have Jack Layton now. But, who is Jack Layton??

Well, he used to be a city councilor in Toronto. He and his girlfriend (now wife) Olivia Chow, lived in subsidized housing. He didn't think it was a big deal since they were paying market value, but he didn't seem to realize that by taking one of the subsidized units, there was one less affordable housing unit for someone who needed it.

Have you heard how much he's promising? He can't possibly live up to his financial promises - unless he puts our country is serious debt. What a desperate man. My daughter is thinking of voting for him - he promises better health care and lower tuitions. That matters to her. Well, to me too, but I have other issues I need to look at.

Personally, I can't get past the fact that he looks like a 60's porn star. He should shave that moustache. My daughter has no idea what I'm talking about - she was born in the 80's.


This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Where Are You, Paul Martin?

I've voted Liberal for several years, although I won't necessarily call myself a Liberal. I like Pierre Trudeau though, and I don't care who knows it!! He was a fantastic leader and represented us well. Yes, he did put the country in debt, but he did good things with the money. He raised our standard of living, he put us on the world map, he made us independent - no longer a colony.

I thought Jean Chretien was a good choice, he seemed so sincere in his love of Canada. Boy, was I wrong. After the first term, my attitude was... at least he didn't do any harm. He actually didn't do much of anything. Maintaining the status quo was fine for me. Then all the scandals started, and I came to realize he really is the teflon prime minister portrayed by the media.

Then came Paul Martin. He balanced the books; he gave us a surplus; he was a businessman - not a lawyer. I really, really liked him. If I had any criticism of him it was that he was not more critical of his own party. I think he was quietly cleaning up the mess in the liberal party, but he should have been more vocal. I think people forget that the surplus Harper spent is the surplus Martin gave us.

But then he left.

Stephane Dion is a brilliant man - even if he is hard to understand. One needs to remember that he was the brains behind the liberals - this little scholarly man. If I were voting for the smartest candidate, Dion would have my vote, hands down.

But is he a leader? Will people respect him? Will the world respect him? Is he fit to follow in the footsteps of Trudeau and Martin???

Paul Martin - why have you forsaken us? I wish he would start a new party and come back. Wouldn't that be exciting? I'd even break my rule against giving a political party money. Heck, I'd help him campaign if I thought it would help.

Maybe I should write him a letter and beseech him to re-enter politics. Is he in the phone book???


This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

My Take on This Election

I'm not a politically savvy person. I'm just an average, somewhat middle classed Canadian, wondering who to vote for.

Following the news that Stephen Harper's speech plagiarized Australia's Howard's speech in 2003, highlighted to me that Stephen Harper, while leader of the opposition, did not listen to Howard's speech two days earlier, or he would have noticed the duplication.

Do I want a Prime Minister who is uninformed about world affairs? NO.
Do I want a Prime Minister who cannot think for himself? NO.
Do I want a Prime Minister who will break his promises? NO.
Do I want a Prime Minister who has squandered the surplus right before a potential recession? NO.
Do I want a Prime Minister who public says that Ontario is not a good place to invest and do business (thereby worsening the manufacturing environment in that province)? NO.

Do a quick search on YouTube and you will find video clips of all his promises (remember Investment Trusts?) and see how much he promised and how many promises he broke last time. Remember set election dates? Well, wasn't that misleading - he was the first to break his own rule, probably because he wanted the election before the investigation into the spending irregularities in the last election, or the bribing of an MP for votes, etc.

Do I want this type of man to lead my country? NO.

Maybe I should blog my opinion of each of the candidates in this election. Stay tuned...


This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Bay of Fundy & Cape Enrage

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

When we awoke in the morning, we went to Smitty's for breakfast and found the service really bad. That could have been because there was an Eagle's concert planned for that day at the Magnetic Hill in Moncton, and the restaurant was expecting a crowd, but there wasn't a crowd yet when we arrived. We were served our coffees with no cream or sweeteners, so I borrowed a bowl of creamers from a nearby table and went to the car to get a sugar substitute. It took so long to be served, that by the time we left and went to the Bay of Fundy, we had just missed the tides. We thought about staying in the town of Alma for a day to watch the tides and the Parkland Village Inn had a vacancy sign outside. When I went in to inquire though, the person behind the desk was actually the first unfriendly person we'd met. No, they didn't have a room available, no she didn't know if anyone else did, no she didn't know if most of the motels had internet available. I later joked to John that I was afraid to ask her her name, just in case she didn't know!

We went across the street to a small cafe to get some lunch. There was a woman there who talked non-stop. Apparently, both her parents had dementia and she can make better decisions than anyone else in her family. Now, I don't mind people having a conversation in a restaurant, but she was very loud, and it was difficult to have a conversation. So, not impressed with the town of Alma, we decided to push on.

I saw another town nearby on the map, called Cape Enrage, so we drove down there. Well, Cape Enrage is an interesting project. When lighthouses had become automated, the area had fallen into a serious state of disrepair and was slated for demolition. Six students from a Moncton high school, along with their teacher, went to Cape Enrage and started restoring it. Twenty students from New Brunswick high schools and universities are now involved in the project, and the Coast Guard has transferred ownership of the property to the Province of New Brunswick. It was an incredible afternoon, as we walked around and explored everything.

The fresh air out here is making me exhausted! We left Cape Enrage and drove to a suburb of Fredericton, where we stayed at the City Motel for the evening.

In the morning, we'll be heading back up to Perth-Andover to rest for a few days before we start our trip home.

Discovering the Cabot Trail

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Driving up the north side of Cape Breton, we headed for Pleasant Bay, on the edge of the Cabot Trail. There, we stayed at a really cute motel called MidTrail Resort. It was the kind of place you look at and think it will be very basic, unlikely to even offer air conditioning. Au contraire! When I walked into the room, I had to turn around and leave and ask John to come in. What a beautiful room! Remote controlled A/C, and a queen sized canopied bed. Sliding glass patio doors led to a deck on the back, where we could sit and have a cigarette while we feasted on the view of the mountains around us and the bay below.

I ate lobster for the first time in over 2o years and we had a nice Nova Scotia Chardonnay to go with it. The town of Pleasant Bay was small, but cute, but we weren't there for the town, we were just there to sleep before we starting driving on the Cabot Trail. Words cannot describe the majesty of the mountains, the remoteness and the beauty. Even when it rained and the fog and mist descended on us, it was beautiful. We would stop and gaze at the view around us - the beaches, the lakes, the incredible sights around us; it was impossible to believe that the world is becoming overcrowded. And yet, even in this wilderness, wireless hotspots were available... hmmm...

Coming down on the Altantic side, beside the Cabot Strait which separates Nova Scotia from Newfoundland, we saw the fury of the ocean crashing against the shores. When I get a minute, I'll attach a short video I took. All around, neat tidy houses in the midst of which could be found a unique log and stone home which just seemed to belong as it blended into the surroundings. What I'd pay to live in a place like that and to awaken every morning to the sounds of the ocean and the beauty of the water!

Eventually, we did finish the Cabot Trail and we drove back to the causeway to reconnect with the mainland again. And for a second time, we found a Super 8 hotel in Amhurst, Nova Scotia. I really like these hotels. They offer affordable luxury in a super friendly environment. I asked to use the laundry facilities but both the washing machines had clothes sitting in them (for quite a while), and the front desk clerk (Kim) didn't feel right about removing the clothes, regardless of how long they'd been there. So she offered to take our clothes and wash them herself. We got a call in our room awhile later, that my clothes had been washed, dried and folded and were waiting for me. Now, I don't expect that everyone that goes there will get that kind of treatment, but it does show how one exemplary employee can make all the difference in how satisfied customers are. Both John at Mr. Lube in Dieppe and Kim at Super 8 in Amherst, have converted me to being a deliberately repeat customer. I've found myself looking for places that have a Super 8, and hoping that they're as good as the ones I've been too.

We're hoping to make it to the Bay of Fundy tomorrow. Click the video to get a sense of where we are - no other people around, just us and the ocean.

The Beauty of Nova Scotia

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

One thing I have noticed on this trip, it the number of rest stops along the highway, east of Ontario. Why can't we do that? I'm not talking about the McDonalds and Tim Hortons stops, but honest to goodness rest stops, with washrooms, pop and coffee machines, picnic tables, maps, trees, and so on. A place to stop and stretch your legs, empty your bladder and rest and enjoy nature for a few minutes.

Leaving Dieppe, we drove south to Nova Scotia and we actually picked up a few souvenirs for our kids (okay... for ourselves too!) The even had a young lady playing the bagpipes at the Welcome Centre! What a beautiful province! We drove up the north shore to a small town just north of New Glasgow, called Pictou. This was the landing place of the first Scottish settlers, to form New Scotland. Pipes were being played in the town square, and the scottish style pubs were displaying their tartans. In the harbour, they had recreated the ship (the Hector) that brought their ancestors over. We couldn't resist stopping at a local pub for a good scottish brew! John had a dark beer from Halifax, while I drank a red beer that gave Rickards Red some serious competition. I decided to ask the lovely young lass that served us, if she could recommend a place to stay. After talking to us a bit and getting to know what type of people we were, she offered to phone her friend, who was the innkeeper of a hotel just down the street, called the Customs House Inn. So there we stayed, in what used to be a government customs office, now renovated and turned into an inn, with every modern convenience, beautiful fixtures and antique furniture. The price was extremely reasonable for the beauty of this inn... well, beauty inside because the outside still looked like a dull government building.

Another thing I've noticed is that all of the hotels we stayed in so far were totally non-smoking. Strange for us, but no serious problem. I don't mind going outside for a smoke. I learned something about myself as well - I am a terrible bitch in the morning without a cig. After that first smoke, I could go literally for hours without another. Maybe that's clue to how I will be able to successfully quit.

The second beautiful, luxurious hotel we've had the pleasure of staying in. And I cannot believe how extremely friendly the people are. I still saw some depressed areas, namely closed businesses, etc., but it wasn't as prevalent as in New Brunswick. The lack of tourism is hurting this community as well. Surprisingly, the gas here is similar to what we were paying in Ontario, but I understand it's gone down there since we left, while we have kept paying the same. I'm glad we decided to come on this trip!

In the morning I discovered I had a problem with TomTom, so we drove into New Glasgow and used the free Wi-Fi internet, to try and solve the problem. I ended up deleting the TomTom application, and reinstalling it. Everything worked great after that. Another thing we've noticed out here is the free wi-fi internet everywhere! Why don't we have that? There are literally hot spots all over here. With TomTom fixed we were on the road again, driving along the north coast and head onto the Cabot Trail. Tonight, we plan to stay in Pleasant Bay, on the coast on the outskirts of Cape Breton National Park and the Cabot Trail.

More to come!

Visiting New Brunswick

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

I always mean to pre-plan a vacation, but I usually end up making last minute arrangements because John (my husband) and I can never agree on where we're going or what we're going to do. And so it was again this year.

At the last minute, we decided to visit the east coast. We decided against including Newfoundland, due to the cost of the ferry and the time it would take. We didn't feel we would do it justice, so we're saving it for a future trip all on its own.

It wasn't a good start, with John getting a speeding ticket in Cobourg. We drove through Quebec, staying one night just outside Quebec City, at a place called Motel 541. It was off the beaten track and very reasonably-priced. But with no air conditioning - just the basics. The room however, was extremely clean and the sheets were of a high quality.

When we arrived in New Brunswick, construction abounded, with most of the highway being worked on, resulting in many delays. This was the first time our TomTom GPS let us down. I suppose it knew there had been road closures and had guided us to the detour. The highway was open though, so TomTom lead us around in a circle! John was not amused. We stopped in Grand Falls for lunch. This was the "town" I had visited years ago, and it has really grown!

I have to admit, I last visited New Brunswick over 30 years ago and things were much different. I can't make jokes about New Brunswickers anymore. The quality of living has vastly improved, and we didn't see as many houses that should have been condemned, as I did last time.

Because of the improvements in their telecommunications networks, many major companies have relocated their call centres to New Brunswick to take advantage of a bilingual work force. Hats off to Frank McKenna for what he's done for the province! The only thing I worry about is that call centre jobs usually pay little more than minimum wage to the workers and, depending on the company and how they treat their staff, these jobs are usually very high-stress and can cause heath problems in many people; but I won't go into that aspect any further. The standard of living in the province does seem to have improved significantly. The cost of housing there is also much cheaper than in Ontario. If you had a decent job, you could live well.

But just to prove they're not any better than any other provincial government, they have dumb ideas as well. They one stupid thing I saw was the new super-highway coming south out of Grand Falls, NB. If you miss your exit to Perth-Andover (which I did because TomTom didn't know it had moved), you CANNOT GET OFF FOR ANOTHER 40 KMS!!! Can you believe that? A 40 kms stretch of highway that you cannot get on or off of. So I went 40 kms out of my way, with gas the price it is!! Granted, it moves traffic through the province quicker, but guess what? It also prevents them from stopping a local businesses - motels, restaurants, gas stations, etc., all of which I saw closed and out of business on the old highway. From Perth-Andover to Florence, NB, no gas, no motels, no restaurants. All out of business because their local government built a super-highway.

In Perth-Andover, we stayed at the really quaint Castle Inn, once the home of the Lewis family. In a room full of antiques with a jacuzzi tub, I was surprised at how little I paid. One of the owners told me that business had not been well since the super highway was built. Since people could travel farther, and faster, they were canceling their reservations. Millions of dollars must have been spent to renovate this beautiful historical home and turn it into an Inn. I'm sure they thank you, Frank McKenna.

We drove down and took the Miramichi River route, up to Miramichi, and then drove down the coast to Shediac. Unfortunately, they were having a festival of some sort and all motels were busy. We ended up driving west 20 kms to Dieppe, which is a suburb of Moncton. There we stayed at a Super 8 hotel, with king sized beds and a jacuzzi tub. Very nice. In the morning, we had breakfast at one of our favourite restaurants, Cora's, which just happened to be next door. Lucky us! While in Dieppe, I got an oil change at Mr. Lube (I didn't want to worry about my warranty), and I was extremely impressed with the service and friendliness! I am going to write to the company and mention the person who serviced us, and let them know that I am now going to be a Mr. Lube customer!

Along the way, we felt we had to choose between PEI and Nova Scotia. John wanted to see the Cabot Trail the most, so off to Nova Scotia we went. Stay tuned!

Another Day, Another Frustration

Today was a difficult day! It started with me putting in a cancellation order to Bell Sympatico. While each of my computers keeps getting faster and faster, my service with them gets slower and slower. Everytime I said I wanted to cancel, they would tell me my service was 5Mbps with unlimited bandwidth and they'd talk me into trying to fix the problem. Well, today, after almost 2 years, I got an honest person on the phone, who told me my line would only permit 1.1 Mbps. Well I don't even think it's that. I even tried to download their internet checkup software. The screen said it would only take 2 mins on a high speed connection, the download manager said it would take 34 minutes. So, I'm paying hi-speed prices for a connection that's pretty much the same speed as dial up. Stuff downloads at 8kb/s. I actually remember getting higher speeds on dial up.

So anyway, I took the plunge and switched to Rogers Express service - 7 Mbps. I have limits on my bandwith (60 GB) but I usually only download 2-3 GB per month anyway, so I should be okay. It will be nice to have REAL hi-speed - for the same price! I picked up the modem tonight and set it up. Works great! Now I need to connect the router and setup the rest of my network which will involve moving printers, etc. because I'm now looking a cable connection instead of a phone line. And I don't watch a lot of TV, so cable locations are limited... for now.

So, that was a bad thing that turned good. The rest of the day was not as kind to me. I tried to install the new VPN software from work, which is mandatory for me since I telecommute a few days each week. I installed it on my laptop first and couldn't get it to work, so then I installed it on a desktop, where it did work. It emphasized how slow my DSL connection was though - working that way was brutal. Well, thank God that's almost over.

After all the upset, I got a migraine just before my husband got home. We helped a friend with their DSL setup (and yes, I did give them my opinion of Bell DSL) and then went to Newmarket to get the Rogers modem. We stopped at Wendy's for dinner - the one on Yonge Street just north of Davis Drive (in case anyone wants to know). ALL of the tables were filthy except for the one that rocked as bad as a circus ride. I remembered why I never go to that Wendy's anymore, but too late. I did get someone there to wash the tables, but geez!! why did I have to ask?? In the end, I couldn't eat the burger, I was feeling so nauseous. I hate unpleasant days.

Maybe I'm just tired from a late night last night. I've started going to a comedy workshop to learn how to be a standup comic. Ha-ha!! Can you see me being funny????

But that's a post for another day!


This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

When a friend dies...

A friend died today. We hadn't been close over the past few years, ever since my mother passed away, actually. Stuff happened; words were exchanged. It was a difficult time for both of us. I was going through the grief of losing my parents and was thrown unexpectedly into menopause; Rita had a lot of health & family issues. Eventually we drifted apart.

In the past couple of years, we had talked again. Not about important stuff, she wanted help to buy a new computer, then she needed help to fix her computer. We kept the conversation light, and said we should get together for bingo sometime (she was my bingo buddy years ago and we would go to games a couple of times a week). We never actually did go to bingo though. I had been thinking of her recently, of calling her and getting together for bingo. Neither one of us had been to bingo in years.

I had no idea she wasn't well. She had had a bypass operation years ago, but I thought she was doing well. The last time I saw her, she had lost weight and had quit smoking. I was amazed at how well she looked. She had two grandchildren, and she was so proud of them! She had also gotten in touch with some relatives in Nova Scotia and went down there every year to visit.

I waited too long to call. When I got home from work, there was a message on my phone from Jim, her husband. She'd gone into the hospital for angioplasty, but the surgeon said the blockage was too severe and booked her for another bypass, which she had yesterday. This morning at 9:30 a.m. she went into cardiac arrest and passed away.

Rita and I were very close in age; my birthday is on January 13, while hers was on December 24, so we were less than a month apart.

So, how did this affect me? I am grieving for my friend. Time and distance and differences separated us, but I will always remember her and I will always regret that I didn't call her to get together for bingo sooner. I will also take better care of myself - I'm overweight, have dangerously high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Losing the weight is the first step.

51 is too young to leave. I hope you're in a better place Rita. You will really be missed.

Goodbye my friend, rest in peace.

Rita Lepine
December 24, 1956 - June 6, 2008




This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Ethics Lost

I've been thinking a lot about the ethics and morality that exist in our world today, or not.

We've been through Bill Clinton having oral sex in the White House, the Jean Chretien's Liberal Adscam, Stephen Harper's Conservativea circumventing the election rules, Martha Stewart's inside trading, the head of Canada Post forced to retire because of outrageous expense reports, Brian Mulroney making deals with criminal people while in office, Worldcom's accounting fiasco and the resulting aftermath, and so on and so on.

And now the Toronto Catholic School Board trustees, living high off the hog while they operate the school board on a deficit. Expenses such as car allowances, cell phones they're allowed to keep, Dominican Republic vacations, extravagant dinners, and gold plated benefits. Even lingerie was expenses - now how does that relate to education?

Recently, Ryerson University wanted to expel a student who put together a study group on Facebook to solve an engineering problem they were supposed to work on individually. The school called it cheating. HELLO!?!?

Why are we surprised when we catch our children cheating or even wandering into grey areas? They see the news, they know what's happening. It's become the business style du jour. Grab what you can before they kick you out - if they catch you!

Call me naive, but I expect more from our government than having them act like pigs at the trough. I expect more from major corporations than having them think up more creative ways to screw us. And I really expect more from a group that puts a religious name on themselves. They're greedy, selfish, pigs, marauding as pious Christians, which makes me sick.

I'm more sympathetic in situations where someone steals (call it what it is) because they are in financial need, but these are people who are already rich - looking to get richer. The people who end up paying are the poor and the working class.

How long are we going to take it? The only way to approach this situation is to start charging people AND SENDING THEM TO JAIL!! At least our children will then realize that it's wrong. We need to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough. Let's throw out the corrupt politicians, and charge them for their misdeeds, or at least for breach of public trust. The laws were created for all of us, but authorities seem to leave the rich alone while they harass the rest of us.

Have we become such a complacent society that we will just keep taking this? The one thing I really hate about getting older and wiser is that I don't like what I'm learning - what I'm seeing and hearing. I'm becoming disillusioned.

Am I the only one that feels this way?

What is Toastmasters?

Amazing how quickly a month goes by. I should at least set up a day of the week on which to post.

It was pointed out to me (thanks Paul!) that I never really explained what Toastmasters is.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization currently has 226,000 members in 11,500 clubs in 92 countries. Some well-known Toastmasters include Peter Coors of Coors Brewing Company, Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, Tom Peters, management expert and author, and Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii.

Toastmasters has been helping individuals develop communication and leadership skills since 1924. Toastmasters is for anyone over the age of 18 and members come from all walks of life. One thing they have in common is a strong desire for self–improvement and helping others. We learn best by doing. Each Toastmaster Club is a learning laboratory where you'll enjoy experimenting, discovering and developing your potential.

Simcoe Shores Toastmasters meet on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays of each month at Belhaven Hall on Warden Avenue (just north of Old Homestead) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Guests are always welcome to join us at our meetings.

Effective July 1st, I'll be taking on the role of President for the club. I'm a little overwhelmed, but shall endeavour to do my best, which after all, is the best any of us can do. I'm also trying to keep in mind that this is a learning opportunity. My first role in Toastmasters was Secretary/Treasurer, then I was VP Public Relations last year, and now I'll be President. With each step, I feel my confidence growing and I know I will learn a lot from this experience.

Wish me luck!

What if...

Toastmasters changes lives. I heard this phrase quite a bit when I first joined Toastmasters, but I have to admit... I didn't believe it. Oh sure, it was something worthwhile doing, sort of an educational/social/volunteering kind of thing, but changing lives?? A stretch... or so I thought.

Then I attended the Toastmasters District 60 Conference held a few weeks ago at the Sheraton Conference Centre on Hwy. 7 and Leslie. This was a last minute decision for me, as I tend to avoid large crowds, especially conference-wise. I worry that someone will try to talk to me and I'll be forced to chit-chat and I'm not good at that. I'll either babble on about myself, create a social faux-pas, or make a fool out of myself somehow. So, I attended the conference reluctantly, but that's getting off-track. I listened to some of the most inspiring, insightful speeches, and heard people talking about what they have achieved in life as a result of what they learned in Toastmasters. By the end of the conference, I'd come to the realization that... wait for it!!! TOASTMASTERS CHANGES LIVES! Will it change mine? I don't know or expect that, but what if?

And, as the current VP Public Relations, I would be remiss if I didn't get this plug in...

Simcoe Shores Toastmasters, of Georgina Ontario, meets on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays of each month at the Belhaven Hall, on Warden Avenue, just north of Old Homestead, from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. We welcome guests and you owe it to yourself to come and see what Toastmasters is all about. And ask yourself... What if?

Simcoe Shores Toastmasters website

TomTom and Garmin Lose Their Way

An article today in the Technology section of Business Week outlines the difficulties currently faced by GPS/Navigation devices.

Among my family and friends, I tend to be known as the gadget queen. If there's a gadget out there, chances are I have it. I even have a wireless glove, connected by USB, that I can use on my PC similar to a mouse. When playing solitaire, I can just point at the card I want and drag it to where I want it. It would also be neat with role playing games... "Okay - I want to move these guys from over here to over there... prepare to do battle". Neat. You may notice I said "can use" which is not to imply that I do use it. Other than testing it out, I have never actually used it.

In the kitchen, I have almost every gadget designed to save time. Three types of cheese graters, automatic apple/potato peelers, automatic slicers, plastic wrap dispensers, powered wine cork removers, egg slicers, etc. I've got a pasta maker, waffle maker, dough maker, and so on. I'm running out of room to put my gadgets.

But I don't have a GPS - a fact that surprises people that know me. You see, a GPS is a portable device, and there's only so many things I can fit in my purse. I have my cell phone, and my PDA and already that's too much. Also, the good GPS devices seem to be several hundred dollars and I don't want to buy a piece of crap just because it's cheap.

I believe for a new technology to be effective, it needs to be (a) affordable and (b) convenient. So what I want is a GPS device that keeps a charge for close to a month and I don't want to pay more than $150.

I've looked for some type of GPS software for the PDA, but I need to do a lot more research, and quite frankly I don't have time. I have a plan though... when I need to update my cell phone, I will get one with a PDA and GPS device built in. That will be a couple of years from now and by then the prices will be cheaper. Until then I just have to look up my routes on an old-fashioned map or print out directions from mapquest or google maps before I set off.

Maybe the gadget queen is getting old (and cheap).

What's up with hairstylists?

Just after Christmas, my longtime hairstylist moved from Ontario to New Brunswick. A bit far to travel. I really hate looking for a new hairstylist.

There's a salon not too far from me called Allure. So I made an appointment and went in. The stylist, Jenn, had bleached blonde hair, with very dark roots. Not very inspiring. I thought I'd take the chance though, and try a new look. So I asked her, if you could do anything to my hair, what would you do? I was thinking perhaps a shorter, sassier look, perhaps some highlights, whatever... I was game.

Well, she had no ideas other than "match my hair colour to my eyebrows". That meant going darker, back to my natural colour of chestnut brown. It looked really good, they gave me a scalp treatment and she styled my hair using a straightener. It looked fabulous! And for all this, I was charged $32, after taxes. Wow! I was onto something good here!

As my hair grew (which it has a tendency to do very quickly) the fact that my hair is almost completely white was very obvious with the contrast between the white and dark (now I remember why I went lighter). So, a month later, back I went. I asked for a bit of a trim this time. Okay, so the trim took off a couple of inches - no worries, it will grow back (and quickly). The charge this time was over $60. I can live with that, after all, she did cut it.

Fast forward to today - those darn roots were back, so back to Allure I went. Jenn had done her own roots, so she looked much more professional. No trim this time, just touch up the roots. I had her pull the colour through as well, since that tends to brighten up the colour. Well, she left the colour on for 45 minutes while she did others' hair (is it good for the hair for the colour to be on that long?). Then she washed it out and blow dried it. The charge? $61. Huh? What would it have been with a trim? $80? $90?

Don't salons usually follow a price schedule? Did I get a really good deal the first time? Was that a mistake? Hmmmm.

It looks fabulous - even though my bangs keep falling in my face. I was thinking of trying one of those root touch-up kits to stretch the time between visits, but I'm worried about ruining my hair. How dangerous can that be though, if the salon leaves the colour on for sooo long?

I think I'll call my previous stylist in New Brunswick and get her opinion. Meanwhile, I should grab a headshot of me while I'm still looking good. Linked In, Facebook, and even this even this blog would probably look good with a photo of me.

My cheapness aside, Allure is a nice salon, and Jenn is a very good stylist. I really do look good!

All GM Dealers are NOT the Same!

I remember when I first purchased my new 2002 Pontiac Montana minivan from Slessor Motors in Newmarket. The first time I had to take it in for service, I parked at side of the building and walked into the service department. The women behind the desk referred me to the service advisor. I went out to speak with him, and he yelled at me! It seems I was supposed to pull the van up to the door, which would open for me to drive in. Welllll, excuuuuuse me! How was I supposed to know that?

The van died in 2007, seven months before my payments were finished. Thanks GM. After replacing the Intake Manifold and two cracked cylinder heads, I dumped that piece of crap as fast as I could, borrowed a friend's car until my payments on the Montana were finished, and then went shopping for a used car.

I swore I wouldn't buy another GM product again, but I couldn't help it - I grew up with GMs and no other type "feels" right. So I bought a 2001 Cadillac Catera. Was it a mistake? Time will tell. Meanwhile, I really do love the car.

Last week, my low coolant light came on. I checked and the coolant level is fine. So I brought it into Colonial Chev Olds in Newmarket for diagnosis and service (even though Slessor Motors is the Cadillac dealer in Newmarket). What a difference! The doors were opened as soon as I pulled up (which never happened at Slessor), nobody yelled at me; they even gave me a shuttle lift to the mall and then came to pick me up after. The sensor needs replacing. The sensor is connected to the overflow reservoir, so the whole thing needs to be replaced. $340 - ouch! No matter. It's not that important a part, but still worth replacing.

So they have ordered the part in, and here I am, sitting at one of their computers (they call it their internet cafe, but there's really just one computer), posting on my blog. Sweet! The service advisor (Ryan) is extremely polite, respectful and well, nice.I don't mind getting my oil changes or other minor work done at a local garage, but let's face it - nobody knows a car as well as a dealer. They're specially trained in servicing GM vehicles. Yes, it's more money, but I think it's worth it to have something done right. The service manager at my local Canadian Tire came from Golden Mile Chevrolet - which is where my father bought all his cars when they lived in the city, so I trust him to know GMs, but a dealer is the best place to go if you have a car with lots of options/features on it.

Especially when you have a dealer that treats you well!

Hello Rogers!

I did it! I switched both my husband and myself to Rogers Wireless! We carried our numbers over and WOW am I impressed! Service everywhere... no dropped calls! I'm also impressed that they give their customers 3 months unlimited local calling, so you have time to figure out which plan works best for you.

We did our research, visited a few stores and plans and ultimately ended up ordering over the phone (because I wanted to port our numbers and you can't do that online) from Amritech. They really had good deals. Getting through to them was a tad difficult - I kept getting an automated response that all their representatives were busy and to leave my name and number for someone to call me back. Their mailbox was full though, so it would tell me to try again later... very, very frustrating. I did eventually get through though and when I mentioned my difficulties reaching them, they were really apologetic and gave me the phones for free (not that they were that much for a 3 year term). The phones also came with free car chargers, leather cases (one of which was broken, no big deal) and hands-free kit (only one for some reason, although we had two phones).

The phones took longer than expected to arrive and I had to call them and ask them NOT to switch over the numbers on the date arranged, because I didn't have the phones yet and I didn't want to be without a cell phone for the day. The phones arrived that night, and I called and gave the all clear to port the numbers over.

It took me ages to make the decision to switch, but I have no regrets. so far, this appears to be one of my best decisions.

Now to find another internet provider and get away from sympatico...

Bell Mobility

Do you ever have the feeling that it takes a long time to learn a lesson? Well, I had that feeling today. Almost five years ago, I got cellphones for my husband and me over the phone. It was a 2 for 1 special. I wrote down all the details - such as a 24 month term. After a few months I noticed my invoice said 3 months. I won't go through all that transpired, but in the end, I had to complain to the CRTC about Bell's false advertising. A deal is a deal, right?

Anyway, we've been unhappy with our phones for the past year and the time has come to update and move to Rogers (CDMA vs GSM). When I called to cancel Bell, they kept offering me more and more, until finally I decided I at least owed it to them to look at their phones. They offered me a cheaper plan, $250 per phone towards a new phone, a 2 year term, and 10% off the top of the plan.

Tonight we went to the Bell World store in Keswick. Turns out they really DON'T have GSM phones - just the Blackberry. The person there looked up my file, and the really was $250 on a 3 year term or $150 on a 2 year term. There was no mention of needing to sign a contract in the earlier conversation. AND, if the phones don't get a good enough signal, I can return them in 15 days or 15 minutes of use for a refund on the phones, but I'd still be locked into the contract.

But as I write this, I have to ask myself - whose fault is this? My earlier dealings with Bell had shown me their character, but I guess I really wanted to believe they had changed and didn't stoop to lying and misleading anymore. I was wrong.

I've heard that Bell Mobility is the most expensive provider and I don't mind paying a premium, but it seems Bell has become as sleezy as the competition.

Good riddance - I've decided to sign up with Rogers, through Amritech Rogers Wireless. I might even be able to use it, as I'm told it gets a better signal than Bell (kind of like comparing Cable Internet vs. DSL). I've even considered changing my internet - I should be getting at least 3X the speed at the price I'm paying Sympatico. Then I need to check and see about getting a digital home phone.

Farewell, Bell!

Blogging

It's time to start blogging! So many of my peers are doing it, so I figured, what the heck? I'm an opinionated person, so I'll let the world know what I think about anything and everything!

So here I am, blogging world... I've arrived!