I read the news today.....Oh, boy!

It's Monday morning and I worked a night shift last night. I'm still awake for a few reasons, one is that Jaci gets her first work break at 0915 and I haven't heard her voice in a few hours, I miss her so I wait. Two is that after work there was about 15 medics and ambulance dispatchers that went out for breakfast, so I got home later. Three is that while at work, I got about 3-3.5 hours of sleep at the end of my shift, so I'm not overly tired (no comments on that one please).

So whilst I am waiting to hear the honey-sweet voice that belongs to my beautiful bride, I read the morning newspaper and there were a few articles that I thought were worth a blog. So here we go.

PARKING
First, a business owner is downtown Hamilton is saying that free parking is the ticket to help re-vitalize the downtown core. Bull. To begin, the city's finances are way to fragile to lose the revenue. Second, free parking is a band-aid solution, and not a good band-aid at that. In my opinion, better policing (which is starting with more beat-cops) is where to start and then focus on targeted commercial re-vitalization. Strip clubs, peep shows, and drug parephenelia stores don't do much for your average client base.

FREE DENTIST
A couple of Philippine dentists (nationality is only relevant because of what was going on there 20 years ago this time) and their staff have given their time and materials to give free dental care to needy families. The only day so far that they have done this they reached about 20 families, which will grow exponentially if they keep it up. I hope they do and I doff my hat to them.

4.74 SECONDS
If you get a chance, read this article in the spec (page A9). Un-real. Canada lost out on 10 Olympic medals because of 4.74 seconds. All I have to say about that is any Olympic athlete has my respect and admiration and really, fourth in an Olympic race is better than 99.9% of the global population can achieve. Hats off to all of them, from all nations (especially the Latvians).

BON SOIR MON AMI
Friday night saw the passing of one of the greatest comedic giants ever. Five time Emmy winner (all from The Andy Griffith Show) Don Knotts passed away from pulmonary complications. The ability to make all generations laugh equally hard enough for milk to shoot from your nasal passages is truly a gift from God. Mr. Knotts did just that in a G-rated fashion for more than half a century. Rest in peace and I have no doubt that there is now milk on heaven's walls.

So that is the opinion for today. I have spoken with the love of my life and I am ready for bed. Thanks for reading.

Organs, organs everywhere and never a donor card

There is a private members' bill being introduced into the Ontario Legislature by Mr. Frank Klees (PC) where he wants to make it mandatory that you fill out your organ donor card. If you don't, then you don't get your driver's license and/or your health card. His bill doesn't say you have to donate, just that you have to check one of the boxes (yes/no/undecided). His reasoning is that by making you check a box the hope is you read what you are signing and opt to donate. Even if you don't sign yes right away the intent is to get you to THINK about the topic and just maybe discuss it with your family.

This bill comes right on the heels of another private members' bill by Peter Cormos (NDP) where his bill is calling for a presumed consent unless stated otherwise. An idea that I think has some merit, I also think it may just be too much of a reach for the general public. Judicious note should be taken my gentle readers that these bills are private bills being introduced by first a New Democrat and then a Conservative. In case you lost track, in Ontario we have a Liberal majority which means that both bills will likely die a quick death and may rise from the ashes in the next provincial election.

And now for my two cent opinion. I think it's a GREAT idea but I think Mr. Klees is closer to the mark. Start small. Baby steps. Most think organ donation is great unless it's the organs of their loved one who was just in a fatal accident and hour ago. I have seen families at that junction and they are in serious overload and often and emotional shock.

More often than not the first reaction of family is to deny organ donation many times because they want to keep their loved one "whole". I understand the concept, and I completely sympathize. Jaci and I have spoken on the matter and I know her wishes but if (God truly forbid) something were to happen could I give up her organs? I would like to think I could and pray every day that I will never have to make that decision. I have also told Jaci that should anything happen to me, give away whatever they will take, burn the rest, and "party on Wayne!"

In short though, whatever the outcome, people are now talking about it. Whatever it takes to get the issue into the front of people's minds long enough to provoke a discussion. I commend these two courageous MPP's and wish them the very best.

'Nuff said.

The Phone Call

So the other day when I was on my rant about CUPE and my hiney and suchforth, my gears were sufficiently ground to call my MPP, now granted I had to look up who it was since I moved to Dundas (Ted McMeekin, Liberal, in case you wondered). So I place a call to his local office during business hours and get his answering machine stating when the office was open (incidentally, the office should have been open when I called).

In my message I said that I was a constituent and wanted to ask some questions about Bill 206, and would like SOMEONE to call me back. Fully expecting one of two options, either no call back (which would have merited another phone call and a much nastier toned blog) or one of his aides to call me. I didn't think the member would call me because I am really only one guy, calling about a hot topic, and I do realize the member is likely a busy guy.

Imagine my utter shock when at about 2115h this evening my phone rings and it's Mr. McMeekin himself! Completely floored he and I then got into my opinions on the bill and why I don't think the City is going to get behind it etc etc etc. Ted listened very patiently (I call him Ted now, he and I are pretty tight - actually I called him 'sir') and explained a little more to me and gave me some of the pieces of the elusive 'big picture'.

At the end of the conversation, my opinion hadn't changed. I am now and always have been in favour of the bill. I now have a little better understanding of our corner of the village. I am also more firmly convinced that the CUPE leadership (mind I said leadership and not members) are at this point doing nothing more than sword-rattling and flexing their collective muscle trying to "out-pee" the next guy, and getting column inches at the same time. Don't them fool you, they say they are trying to "protect their members pension". Bull.

The pensions are fine. They see one small group of people who are not legally allowed to strike to get their interests heard, getting a different piece of pie than those that can strike every three years. And the CUPE leadership is crying foul. I think the whole thing stinks. But I digress.

Ted called me and was prepared to talk to me about the hottest thing in the provincial legislature right now. This I like. Even though I believe Dalton McGuinty is a wee bit of a horse's petoot, my heart beats a little better knowing I am represented by someone who makes these calls even after business hours.

I just may call him again.

CUPE can kiss my hiney.....

There is a planned legislation for the province to offload some of there pension responsibilities to the city when the legislature comes back into session. As I understand it, the province will download to the city and make some pension benefits contract negotiable to the city's emergency workers (Police, Paramedics, and the fire folks). These will all us to retire just a little bit earlier, with a little better pensions. Naturally this is near and dear to my heart.

The CUPE boss in Hamilton, a Gus Oliveira, is mad because this benefit will not be extended to his members, largely day-care workers, librarians, garbage collectors, school board members and other municipal workers. He is threatening strike action of some-sort to show his discontent.

Here is what is reported. Mr. Oliveira represents about 2500 workers. He states that he has a vote of 84% in favour of strike. He also states that about 800 workers voted for strike. My math says that 800 does not equal 84% of 2500. While I grant you have to be present to vote, some CUPE members say they didn't even KNOW about a vote. I smell a rat.

No question it is Mr. Oliveira's job to stick up for his people, and for the record I would never demean anyone's choice of employment. What grinds my gears someone in my profession who in one day can face exposure to HIV, Hep B and C, AIDS and numerous other pathogens, who in the same day can face emotionally disturbed and suicidal patients (and for the record, the line between suicidal and homicidal can be razor thin), can face coked-out, strung-out addicts who are none to pleased that you are going to kill their buzz AFTER they realize you stuck a tube down their nose. We also face multiple other day to day dangers of our job where we literally risk our life going by going into work. Not to mention the fact that we are often responsible for making split second decisions on the best way to try and save someone's life. You want mental exhaustion, try that on for size one day. I'm not even going to get started on what the Police or fire people face.

Apparently, CUPE thinks we should not be able to retire a little bit early (don't even get me started on burn out numbers) because the librarians and school custodians can't; and apparently that's just not fair.

In all liklihood, this won't happen because the city just can't afford it. I honestly can't see the city that doesn't care about giving it's Paramedics a contract ever caring about giving them better retirement benefits. I will say that Mr. Oliveira is welcome to ride in my truck any time he likes, but for now he can kiss my hairy Scottish hiney.

'Nuff said.

Poverty

There was a couple of articles in the Saturday spec that I thought warranted some comment from me in some fashion. Not because I have anything particularly intelligent to say, more that my ire gets fired up and I feel the need to "spout off". So here's one of the lastest.

The article I'm mentioning was the latest in the spec's "Poverty Project" where they mentioned some really good initiatives that some organizations are doing. For examlple, Sir John A. MacDonald secondary school raises somewhere near one hundred thousand dollars each year to do things like run a nutrition program, provide gently used clothing, and give bursaries for bus fares. For those who don't know, Sir John A. sits in downtown Hamilton and sees some of the poorest teens going.

While these programs and others like them are certainly to be congratulated and emulated, they are not groundbreaking. They were conceived and implemented by people who, and here is the kicker, people who care. People who do more than sit in a high level boardroom saying "we should really do something". These are people who say:"Here's the plan, let's make it work."

Obviously money doesn't grow on trees and one can only fund-raise in the community so much before tapping out that resource. So where can we get the money? I have an idea.

When Hamilton was throwing it's hat in the ring for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the City of Hamilton committed more than one hundred ten million dollars to the cause. Have a look at that number $110,000,000.00; one hundred ten MILLION DOLLARS. You know what they say, "A million here, a million there and pretty soon you're talking about some real money!".

So between here and 2014 (total of nine years at the time in 2005) that's what? A little more than 12 million dollars a year? They committed this money knowing they are running around a 30 million dollar deficit each year. My point is this, if the City in all it's splendor can commit that kind of cash to a sporting event, why won't they use it to feed some hungry kids? More importantly, why isn't this question being screamed at city councilors on a daily basis. For me, I sent a letter to the spec (didn't get published) and an e-mail to my city councilor (didn't get a reply) but I am only one man.

I am one man who sees on an almost day to day basis the poverty some people live in, the squalor they call home, and the garbage they call dinner. Yesterday coming out of the Freeway I encountered a woman who was dressed completely inappropriately for the weather who asked me for a light, and I couldn't give her that (I stopped smoking some time ago). She then asked if I knew where she could get a meal for a cheap price, I didn't have any money on me but I did have half a loaf of "Jesus' body" that we were using that night and I gave her that. I wish I could have done more.

Is it right to judge a society by how we treat our elderly, our children, and our down-trodden? If so how do we fare? I shudder to think.

Tagged Again!

I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but I have read some things in Saturday's newspaper that have got my gears so I'm sure the creative juices will be flowing again soon!

Anyway, I got tagged by Al so here goes!

10 firsts...
1) First boyfriend/girlfriend: Woof! I don't remember that far back!
2) First best friend: Jeff Woodworth, Kindergarden
3) First screen name: PlrBear
4) First kiss: Again, I don't remember but I think I was 11 (ish)
5) First piercings: None.....yet.
6) First Car: 1989 Chevy Celebrity (I got totaled)
7) First love: Jeanette
8) First stuffed animal: Like I would admit that
9) First tried a cigarette: Grade 9
10) First failed class: Biology

9 lasts...
1) last cigarette: Aug 04? When I was in Scotland
2) last alchoholic beverage: What time is it?
3) last car ride:Going to work this morning.
4) last kiss: this morning
5) last phone call: On one right now, same person as last kiss
6) last cd played: Likely the wedding CD
7) last bubble bath: Does farting in the water count? I don't remember my last bath.
8) last time you cried: My wedding
9) last "I love you":this afternoon

8 have you ever...
1) have you ever dated one of your best friends: no
2) have you ever skinny dipped: yes
3) have you ever been on TV: Yes, more times than I am comfortable with
4) have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it: Yes
5) have you ever had a sex dream about someone you knew: yes
6) have you ever fallen in love: Yes
7) have you ever lost someone you loved: Yes
8) have you ever been depressed: Yes

7 places you've been to...
1)Scotland
2) Birmingham, England
3) London, England
4) Boston
5) Chicago
6) Orlando
7) Nassau

6 things you've done today...
1) Check home and work e-mail
2) Kissed my wife and told her I love her.
3) This.
4) Served the sick of the community (ha ha ha)
5) Had no less than THREE naps as work (it's a beautiful thing)
6) Read my book a little more.

5 favorite things in NO order:
1) My Family
2) My cats (and the dog too)
3) My Friends
4) Food (and it shows)
5) Camping

4 things you want to do before you die...
1) Be a dad
2) Finish all my education so that I have letters after my name.
3) Be financially secure
4) Travel Europe

3 things you will do tomorrow:
1) kiss my wife and tell her I love her
2) Go to work
3) likely go to church (depending on when I finish work)

2 things you want to be (that you're not now)...
1) better
2) healthy.

1 thing you are nowRight now?
In love.