At a fundraising dinner for a school that     serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students            delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.                   After extolling the school and its dedicated staff,                               he offered the following statement: "When not interfered by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection". Yet, my son Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things for my son? The audience was stilled by the question. The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true huma... 04/18/2009

 Kim Jong Il, high heeled, well coiffed dictator of North Korea, reputedly has squirreled away about $4 BILLION in a Swiss bank account while his people starve to death in the streets. He has effectively ostracized himself from the rest of the world and, of course, China and Russia back this idiot up. So, what's next on the agenda? I have an idea, "Let's launch a missle and really stir things up". He's not alone; there's lots of these sweethearts out there.  Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, self proclaimed        "king of kings" over all of Africa.               What's with the rank anyway? You would think                        an absolute dictator in complete control                                 would assume the rank of at least general.                                          There's lot... 04/18/2009

       Susan Boyle, a 47 year old, Scottish, frumpy, non-descript, nobody, got her chance on Britain's Got Talent. She came out on stage and everyone sniggered, some laughed outright. And then, she sang! (Click on the link; you won't be the same again!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY I watched this 5 times, and, 5 times, I had tears in my eyes. I will NEVER again jump to conclusions. Apparently, she's been invited onto Oprah, and this site of her has had 15 million hits! To hell with real estate, I'm going into singing! 04/16/2009

For the past few weeks, much speculation has been focused on our first dog. Today's unveiling was nothing short of a circus. So, let's deal with BO.   These are BO bangs, for when BOtox doesn't work to hide wrinkles.                                                                           This is BO Diddly                                  This is BO Hazzard                                   And this is BO Derek She's a ten!   and this is BO, the wonder dog! He's cute, but he's not a ten.   Are we BOred yet? Can we get on with our lives now, and can I get back to working on the economy?    I'm out of here! You coming, BO? 04/16/2009

 Olivia Chow, Member of Parliament in Canada, along with another M.P., recently visited a U.S. army deserter who was denied his claim as a refugee to Canada and deported. He ended up getting 18 months in jail. She gave a press conference and said, "She was dismayed and disappointed with Canada's decision to deport this poor soul". (Her words, not mine). The other day, she proposed, (what is called up here),             a "private members bill" which was passed                                by the 3 opposition parties.                                         (I know, our system up here is convaluted).                                    This is the axis of idiocy. Well, the bill passed, and Canada is now a          legal haven for any military person                      on the planet wh... 04/14/2009

Last week marked the 92nd anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge. French and British troops had failed in the past to take this strong-hold. On April 9th, 1917, 170,000 troops started         the assault under Lt. General Byng.             Using new techniques and technical and tactical                   innovation and meticulous planning,                              they beat 3 divisions of the German 6th army                                         and took Vimy Ridge. This one battle became a nationalistic symbol of achievement and sacrifice, and, this was Canada's coming of age as a nation, and it was instrumental in achieving nationhood. The French granted Canada a 250 acre park in perpuity in 1922 for the Vimy Memorial. This is the largest Canadian war memorial in the world. 04/13/2009

 Here's an 18 year old kid from Ontario, Canada who developed a "motorcycle" based on Segway technology. It has 2 wheels, side by each, and it turns on a dime. Apparently, he designed this thing himself using a simple 3D program.                                                  It has ONE switch. On/Off. It's electric and the batteries last several hours with zero pollution. It moves with body motion. Can you see this thing taking off in places like Mexico, India, and developing countries? Recently, Ben Gulak was on a T.V. called "Dragon's Den", where inventors get to pitch 5 real-life multi-millionaires. Click on the video below to see how he did.  http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ben-gulak-with-the-uno-on-dragons-den/2213649348   Think this kid has a future?   04/13/2009

Here it is. Venture Vehicles has designed a two passenger 3 wheeled vehicle available in hybrid or electric. And, it's safe. It has air bags, roll bars, safety glass, side impact rails, digital traction control and ABS. It's 33 times more safe than motorcycles. The hybrid model gets 100 MPG and has a top speed of 100 MPH. It drives like a car and corners like a motorcycle. It tilts 45 degrees on corners and stays anchored. There are 3 models ranging from hybrid to all electric. Price range will be between $18,000 to $23,000. Click on the video below; is this not the coolest thing you've ever seen? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaYcuKl81cA&feature=channel_page I'm buying one.   Certainly beats the hell out of the trike I had as a kid. 04/12/2009

I have a lot of lawyer friends and they all know, I hate lawyers with a passion. Not the individuals-just the profession. A long time ago, these clowns created a special language that no one else can understand-except lawyers. And if you need to hire one, you get the privilege of paying them $500 an hour to translate it. I've dealt with a lot of them in my day. Some are brilliant and some are abysmal. I've even seen some judges that can't stand them either. Some of them push the limit to the point of being ridiculous in their arguments. So what's the difference between a lawyer who charges $250 and hour and one who charges $500 an hour? How do you know what you're getting? I believe, when I walk into a lawyers office I should be able to see a diploma on the wall stating what their stand... 04/12/2009

 Starting with this guy and ending with this guy  Fidel Castro has out-lasted 11 American Presidents, embargos, trade sanctions and finally it looks as if there is a thaw happening.  Recently, 7 members of Congress travelled to Cuba and met with with Castro and other government officials. Part of Obama's            platform was to normalize relations with Cuba and it appears as if                         he will be good on his word.  In a previous blog I was telling you about my fondness for Cuban cigars. It looks now that Americans too are going to be able to fly there and buy their own. I'm betting sooner that later. 04/12/2009

The oil sands at Syncrude in Alberta is huge. One of the by-products is a tailing pond containing bitumen from the tar sands. Last year, a flock of ducks landed in this pond and the count was 1,600 dead birds.     Within hours, pictures like this were streaming around the world; all the papers were running with the story, and                                                     Syncrude was public enemy numero uno. For environmentalists, this type of story is a gift from tree-hugger heaven. Normally, Syncrude has "cannons" in place to dissuade birds from flying into these tailing ponds, and they work well. This particular year, it was a late spring and the cannons weren't in place yet and the birds came in early. You get the picture.  Of course, all the Syncrude haters were mortified and... 04/12/2009

AMERICA HAS CHANGED! It's spring cleaning time in the United States! What has been going on lately in the United States of America is unprecedented in the history of this country. Whatever your politics, whatever your affiliations,      Americans for the most part, have suspended their prejudices            and elected a different type of man to the highest office in the land.                  This is a man who is shattering previous stereotypes and doing the                            nation' business differently. And they look pretty good too. They are a very photogenic family, they're smart,             and they're being compared to Camlelot and the Kennedys.                         When they visited London recently, Michelle AND                                   the Queen put their ... 04/11/2009

  POINTS! I know, for all you old-timers out there          with a ton of points, this is nothing.                  When I posted my first blog on January 20th,                              there's no way I would have thought I'd be here!   In the beginning,I was really afraid to get my feet wet and I would stare at that blank screen for hours on end, not typing a word.   My first attempts at blogging were pretty rudimentary,         some, pretty stupid actually, but, I perservered, and with                      help from people like Liz and Brad and others, I actually                                     started learning a few things.  I read several newspapers every day, both printed versions and on-line and they are a good source of inspiration. I tend to comment on events current and... 04/06/2009

It's tasteless, odorless and invisible, and, it call kill you. The culprit is Radon gas. Radon gas is a natural phenomenon        caused by uranium decay in the soils.                 It seeps into the house through                        cracks in the basement floor                                 and this gas contains tiny                                          radioactive particles. AND it can cause lung cancer.                                        So, what to do? For peace of mind, you can buy a  testing kit for about $50.00.                                                             And take the time to                                                     seal any cracks                                       in the basement floor. Oh yeh, smoking causes cancer also, so quit doi... 04/06/2009

This is a true story from middle-class Canada. As recently as 1990, Canadians used to save 13% of their disposable income, but now, the average debt-load has jumped 71% and growing six times faster than income. One couple, he, a well-paid techy with a computer giant, and she, a stay-at-home mom, carried a $300,000 mortgage on their home. She decided to go back to university and the tuition was put on the line of credit. Add a couple of new cars, (as their old ones were at their end), and soon, they were in debt to the tune of $400,000. He subsequently got laid off, and the generous settlement pay-out he was expecting evaporated because the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Now, they're living on their credit cards. Debt used to be a dirty word in Canada; people used to save for m... 04/06/2009

 The Royal Bank of Canada is now poised to be one of the largest banks on the continent. With every other bank in a free-fall over bad investments, RBC is now worth as much as Citibank, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Deutsche Bank combined. Only a few U.S. banks are still larger. Citigroup, which was once worth $225 billion, has been reduced to a shell of its previous worth-$19 billion. Now the question is: Is RBC going on a shopping spree? I think, probably not. There's no way to know the extent of the toxicity lying beneath the surface of some of these banks, and, if the U.S. government is going to socialize all the bank losses, (and I think they will), they won't take kindly to a foreign take-over. 04/06/2009

In these recessionary times, it seems that some fast-food joints are charging for extra condiments. A couple more pumps of ketchup or mustard? 10 cents! Extra napkins? A nickle! Even airlines are cutting way back on the number of bottles of water they carry on board. Seems few people don't want it if they have to pay for it! Even the 2 big soft drink makers are seeing a difference. People aren't buying a Coke or Pepsi and discarding half a tin. Their waiting until they're really thirsty before buying anything.                                                                   Some consumers are retaliating though. A couple of fast-food customers have been over-heard asking for a slight reduction in the cost of their hamburger if they hold the mayo! This will be short-lived, I'm sure- it'... 04/06/2009

 Recently, I did a blog on George Galloway, the British Menber of Parliament and absolute nutcase. He WAS scheduled to come to Canada recently to give a series of "lectures". Without getting into too much detail here, he is a supporter of several terrorist groups; he's soooo left wing that the Government of Canada barred his entry.                                Wrong move! Prior to this incident, not too many people had even heard about this guy, but now that he's barred and every paper in Canada has picked up the story and are running with it, everyone now knows who is is. Of course, every left-wing crazy and politician that's way out there is screaming bloody murder. He intends to go on with his "lectures" via video-conference from New York. Where, previously a couple of hundred migh... 04/05/2009

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for this exchange.  "The President's on the phone for you Mr. Wagoner".                                   "Which president?"                                            "THE President Mr. Wagoner".                                                    "The President-for me?"                                                             "Yes, Mr. Wagoner, THE President-for you". "Harumph, cough, cough. Good morning Mr. President, how are you?"                   "Rick, before I give G.M. any more bail-out money, I need you                                        to step aside. It's for the good of the country, Rick.                                                          "You understand that don't you Rick?"  (Thinking, thinking........) So ya' got lai... 04/05/2009

Calculating divorce settlements is getting trickier in this recession.    Monty Python star John Cleese, had been paying his third wife $2.3 million a year in alimony. He successfully argued that the current recession had taken a huge hit on his portfolio.  The judge agreed with him and cut the settlement in half to $1.15 million a year. (Jeez how can anyone live on that?) These days, even jaded lawyers are amazed that couples contemplating splitting, are conducting their personal lives via the spread-sheet. And, it isn't just the guys! Some shrewd women are deciding to bail out before their assets are eroded further. 04/05/2009