Tony At 10: CHANGE REQUIRED? BLOG # 2009. DECEMBER 4, 2015

THE MESSAGE:

In this week's blog I have presented 10 items for your thinking processes regarding some productive changes in our daily lives. We may not have personal experience with some of the items; however, I believe they deserve some consideration.

1) PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADVERTISING

Watching TV requires us, the viewer, to endure ads for drugs that ease our arthritic pain, bring on sleep, fix our tooth pain, overcome sexual dysfunction, alleviate depression, help us pee, regulate our bowels and much more. These intrusions go on to warn of a cornucopia of drastic side effects. Hold on a second! Many doctors warn that these ads are often misleading. At the very least they are totally annoying!

The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates recently voted in favour of a ban on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and medical devices. They argued that such advertising “inflates demand for new and more expensive drugs, even when these drugs may not be appropriate.

2) READING MUST BE ADDRESSED

A child needs to be read to, and a child needs to read. Reading promotes intelligence and imagination. It must begin pre-school, at home, with love and direction. Without reading and vocabulary development at home, a child’s education and indeed his or her life may be an endless effort to catch-up, develop values and become a productive member of society.

A community must make an effort each year to provide free books, outside of libraries, to pre schoolers, in particular those from economically disadvantaged homes, where books are considered unaffordable. It is essential that a child learns to read early so that, at school, his grade level learning potential is realized. Books open our eyes to a universe of ideas and possibilities. A child deserves a great start at home!

3) PEDESTRIANS AT INTERSECTIONS

What is more frustrating than watching people respond to the flashing hand?

These 'Orange Hands' are widely misunderstood or at the very least misused. So many pedestrians believe that it represents the time they have left to cross at an intersection. Often one is able to see people start to run to the crossing point when they see the 'Orange Hand' begin flashing and are yards away from the intersection.

MUCH BETTER IDEA!

The rules clearly state that once the 'Orange Hand' starts to flash, pedestrians may not enter the intersection. I have had several people disagree and it is obvious that the rules need to be clarified, stressed, and publicized ad nauseum. It is my belief that the pedestrian light should be green (cross) and red (do not enter but finish the crossing safely). If pedestrians are already in the crossing and the hand turns red then they have the right of way to continue.

4) USING A CELL PHONE WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION IS DUMB AND DISTURBING!

-Enough said!

5) MOVIES AND TV PRODUCTIONS

TURN DOWN THE BLOODY MUSIC!
I CAN'T HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

It seems that directors are overly concerned with winning awards than the overall enjoyment of a production by the viewer. Filming a speaker from the rear makes it very difficult to hear the dialogue. Playing background music during low volume conversation between two actors is particularly annoying. Fix it!

WHAT DID SHE SAY?

6) GANGS AND WASTED LIVES

I suspect that gang membership is dependant on individuals who have a non-existant home life. A healthy family environment, where a child grows up with parents and siblings who provide loving and caring experiences, would preclude the necessity of joining a gang.

Youths who join gangs do so for a variety of reasons. Common motives include camaraderie; a sense of belonging; status; new and exciting experiences; access to drugs and alcohol; and monetary opportunities through illegal markets. In most cases, youths believe that the gang will provide them with things they could not otherwise obtain. Many gang members report that they joined gangs because of the protection they offered.

Youths who live in areas with gangs may be harassed, assaulted, or even killed if they do not belong to a gang, and friends who are tough and have knowledge of the streets may protect them. However, they may also be harmed if they belong to the wrong gang.

Homeboys provide a family like substitute. Gang membership can give individuals generous incomes, guns, drugs and some form of self respect.

Society needs to ensure a chance for every child to develop into a productive person, by reducing the number of unwanted or unplanned children, by providing top quality education for everyone and a community environment, that rewards effort and commitment. Communities, with access to generous government subsidies, should employ a daily street patrol, consisting of three private citizens, who are well trained and well equipped, to help promote safety and discourage violence.

After school hours Youth Programs in sports and the arts are crucial for every community. Parental involvement is extremely important to the lives of young children.

7) RELIGION AND A BELIEF IN GOD AND WHY HE OR SHE ALLOWS EVIL TO FLOURISH ON PLANET EARTH.

I am no fanatic; however, I do believe in a God who created man with a free will. Mankind, while enjoying the luxury of free choice, has resorted to much selfishness and greed.

We should not ignore the reality that many members of the human race are uneducated or just plain stupid! Believe as you wish but be tolerant of others' non criminal beliefs. Do-gooders and missionaries GO AWAY!

8) WORLD LEADERS

I must acknowledge people like Margaret Thatcher, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Pope Francis, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and yes, Stephen Harper. We need more leaders, rising to the top to point out to populations, states and the world, the sensible, balanced, and correct path to follow during peaceful or troubled times.

True leaders go beyond creating followers. They develop new leaders.

9) TRUDEAU TO DATE

Dillon Hillier is a Canadian Forces veteran of Afghanistan and served alongside Kurdish forces in the war against ISIS.

Excerpt from Toronto Sun

"When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks of the ineffectiveness of air power in the war against ISIS, I cannot help but shake my head at his ignorance. During my time at the front, I witnessed on multiple occasions the effectiveness of coalition air strikes. At small towns and villages like Tal al-Ward and Rashad, where fighting on the ground was fierce, I saw Western air strikes brutalize and punish ISIS fighters when they were in the open and reduce their strongholds to rubble."

Tony's opinion:

i) Leave the Canadian air striking force in place!

ii) I believe Canada should accept refugees but only after they have been properly and thoroughly vetted!

What data base do the '500 professionals doing the work' have to work with in order to determine key information.--- eg. criminal record, family background, education, medical history---?

Are they being finger printed and photographed?

iii) Canada contributes only 2% of the world's carbon gas emission yet Trudeau has pledged billions of dollars to contribute to underdeveloped countries' efforts to reduce their emissions. We are dependant on oil and gas development to keep our economy strong.

We need to protect these industries from bogus, unfounded fears and ensure that jobs and clean processes are created, encouraged and developed.

Wind and Solar alternatives are expensive, inefficient, subsidized and largely the product of individual corporations who benefit from the fear generated by hyper-protests, pseudo science and naive opposition to the use of carbon based fuels.

10) HYPOCRICY!
An excerpt from the Toronto Sun

"After campaigning that rich "one-percenters" like him don't need a child care subsidy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sticking the taxpayer with the full freight for his child care costs."

IN PUBLIC? OH NO!

"Two nannies -- technically hired as "special assistants" -- will take care of Trudeau's three kids in one of two homes taxpayers provide for any prime minister, where they are served food prepared by a chef that comes with the job."

How did the carbon emission leaders, including Trudeau, get to the Paris Climate Conference? State exclusive jets no doubt!