Yes, I have call display and would not give it up. It saves me from discussing why I will not make donations over the phone; solutions to save me money- charge me less- I am not interested in bundling and adding to my list of services; explaining that I am not moving;I do not need a security service- my neighbours are very good-the best security you could ask for. If I receive a call with with Private name, private number- I do not answer- too many times when I have answered out of curiosity, I have discovered that it is group seeking donations or offering services that I have not requested or want. I do make donations but not over the phone, mail the information which yes costs money but having someone call many disinterested people also costs money.
As of today, we are not supposed to receive calls from telemarketers but I wonder this practise will be stopped when we do not know where they are calling from? Even the companies that are on the okay list do not display their phone numbers- interesting.
I must admit I will miss Boris and Janez' calls. There was a regularity to their calls asking if I wanted to book a mover for an impending move- I can not imagine moving until I tackle my extra things. Yes, working on my blog is one way of avoiding that problem.
It will be interesting to find out how effective this legislation is. Already many telemarketers, charities and even Bell telephone block their information. How will we know who is bothering us without phone numbers?
Good by Boris.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Boston Legal!
I don't often watch TV but one of my favourite shows is Boston Legal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_LegalDespite the fact that the main characters are flawed like most of us, they manage to tackle some very serious issues head on. Last night was one that featured a number of serious issues- private prisons and what incredible money makers they-one important point among many was that it is in the interest of these prisons to have prisoners re offend so that the prisons are ful and profitablel. The figures quoted about how many people especially people of colour are in prisons in the United States is staggering. If the quotes are correct, the United States has more people per capita in prison than any other nation in the world. What does that say about the United States?!Another topic was the drug industry. James Spader who brilliantly wins cases with his facts and arguments had just won a judgement against the tobacco industry and now is going to take on the drug industry which according to his statements is poorly regulated by the FDA unlike the tobacco industry. His statements about the drug industry's research and studies was definitely food for thought.
John Laroquette argued for younger people to have the vote since it is their world that so called wiser elders are destroying economically- this show is very current, environmentally, politically and socially. Very interesting points- he makes the point that many Americans do not have a high school education but have the right to vote while much better educated teenagers do not have a say and yet pay taxes because they are income earners. This is taxation without representation.
I was saddened to learn that this will be last season for the show unless it does well at the Emmy's next season. Watch this show if you would like your social, economic and political commentary with a touch of humour and silliness.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wii for seniors!
Some of my friends know that I do not usually indulge in computer games however I might rethink that since someday I might be asked to play them instead getting out a bingo dabber. It seems that seniors are playing Wii and there are now Wii senior olympics.
Several residents at the Yorkview Lifecare Centre in North York gathered near a large flat-screen television yesterday morning, as a petite, smiling woman swung a Nintendo Wii video game controller, making a bowling motion along the side of her wheelchair, and watched as a bowling ball cut across the television screeen and knocked all 10 pins down with a resounding crash.
"I did it," Catherine Mole exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as five competitors, all wearing matching blue t-shirts, joined in the celebration. She eventually scored 134 points.
Yorkview Lifecare Centre is one of the 10 Lifecare Group retirement centres and long-term care facilities participating in the event, touted as the first-ever video game competition for seniors. More than 500 residents from the community will participate in the week long event, testing their skills at Wii bowling, tennis and golf and competing for the unofficial title of Wiilympic Champion.
As one of the residents said"Wii gives you a reason to get up in the morning and get going". Perhaps, I will have to rethink computer games. So far, I can get up and play real tennis but nice to know that there will be an alternative. The Mayo clinic endorses the concept behind Wii-that's good enough for me! No more bingo!
Several residents at the Yorkview Lifecare Centre in North York gathered near a large flat-screen television yesterday morning, as a petite, smiling woman swung a Nintendo Wii video game controller, making a bowling motion along the side of her wheelchair, and watched as a bowling ball cut across the television screeen and knocked all 10 pins down with a resounding crash.
"I did it," Catherine Mole exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as five competitors, all wearing matching blue t-shirts, joined in the celebration. She eventually scored 134 points.
Yorkview Lifecare Centre is one of the 10 Lifecare Group retirement centres and long-term care facilities participating in the event, touted as the first-ever video game competition for seniors. More than 500 residents from the community will participate in the week long event, testing their skills at Wii bowling, tennis and golf and competing for the unofficial title of Wiilympic Champion.
As one of the residents said"Wii gives you a reason to get up in the morning and get going". Perhaps, I will have to rethink computer games. So far, I can get up and play real tennis but nice to know that there will be an alternative. The Mayo clinic endorses the concept behind Wii-that's good enough for me! No more bingo!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Paul Newman
Yesterday, one of Hollywood's great actors passed away. When asked about the secret of his success he would comment that it was luck. He was a wonderful actor but understood that success sometimes comes down to being in the right place at the right time. There are many actors who could achieve success if the right combination of events happened.Newman did not sit back and enjoy his success, he started a Paul Newman's own salad dressing company which funded his Hole in the Wall camps for children with cancer in most cases.
He will be missed and his wife, Joanne Woodward must miss him after their long marriage. They were a perfect couple.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Karl Marx and the current economic debacle!
It is fascinating watching the wheels spin and fall off the United States economy. The tragedy is that Canada will be affected by this situation.
Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes and George Soros, predicted these kinds of situations because Capitalism is inherently unstable! It is an economic system that can be ruthlessly productive but is also one of wheels within wheels-internal contradictions Marx called the-that can and regularly do, spin out of control. How many people study the first two thinkers? Most are too busy getting MBA's or degrees in Engineering and science in order to make the big bucks.
Marx, a German philosopher, saw these contradictions as opportunities, he figured that capitalism's self-destruction would lead to a better world. That would be nice but has not happend so far. Did not work after the great depression. We had WW II and then things settled down for awhile and the prosperity of the past few decades allowed everyone to become very complacent and watch let the heads of economic institutions line their pockets at the expense of others not so fortunate.
Keynes, a British economist saw the problems and felt that they could destroy the world he rather liked. The welfare state edifice that bears his name was designed in the post-1945 period to literally save capitalism from itself.
Banks would be regulated to keep financiers from scamming the economy to the ground. Labour unions would be encouraged, in order to give workers a stake in the status quo and inoculate them against radical politics.
The rich would agree to government tax-and-spend politics knowing that-in the end-it's always better to feed the poor than have them slit your throat.
Unfortunately, the leaders of the Capitalist nations under Regan, Thatcher and Bushes forgot or ignored these lessons and now we are in a serious mess. European countries that did not buy into this capitalist philosophy and accepted that we must look after everyone are now watching this debacle in amazement and able to point their fingers and say maybe a serious lesson has been taught. Let us hope that the 1930s are not here again.
Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes and George Soros, predicted these kinds of situations because Capitalism is inherently unstable! It is an economic system that can be ruthlessly productive but is also one of wheels within wheels-internal contradictions Marx called the-that can and regularly do, spin out of control. How many people study the first two thinkers? Most are too busy getting MBA's or degrees in Engineering and science in order to make the big bucks.
Marx, a German philosopher, saw these contradictions as opportunities, he figured that capitalism's self-destruction would lead to a better world. That would be nice but has not happend so far. Did not work after the great depression. We had WW II and then things settled down for awhile and the prosperity of the past few decades allowed everyone to become very complacent and watch let the heads of economic institutions line their pockets at the expense of others not so fortunate.
Keynes, a British economist saw the problems and felt that they could destroy the world he rather liked. The welfare state edifice that bears his name was designed in the post-1945 period to literally save capitalism from itself.
Banks would be regulated to keep financiers from scamming the economy to the ground. Labour unions would be encouraged, in order to give workers a stake in the status quo and inoculate them against radical politics.
The rich would agree to government tax-and-spend politics knowing that-in the end-it's always better to feed the poor than have them slit your throat.
Unfortunately, the leaders of the Capitalist nations under Regan, Thatcher and Bushes forgot or ignored these lessons and now we are in a serious mess. European countries that did not buy into this capitalist philosophy and accepted that we must look after everyone are now watching this debacle in amazement and able to point their fingers and say maybe a serious lesson has been taught. Let us hope that the 1930s are not here again.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Florence Moosengale
In my last entry, I mentioned the Moose project that Toronto held a couple years ago. As I mentioned, the moose were auctioned off after the event. One of my favourite wasFlorence Moosengale. The owners have a wonderful time with it. Right now the moose is decorated as Mary with her little lamb and they have gone to school. Soon the moose will be decorated for Thanksgiving and the Halloween. At Christmas, the moose sends out cards with pictures of the costumes from the past year. The imagination that goes into the costumes is wonderful. Apparently, a young boy who was quite ill loved to sit by the moose and rest when he was in the area. I enjoy seeing the moose when I drive by. The photo on the website does not do it justice. I will have to go by and take a picture to post.
Reigning Cats and Dogs
A number of years ago, Mayor Lastman (he is now retired to help run Badboy stores with his son) had the wonderful idea of having moose sculptures decorated by artists and placed around the city. The moose were eventually auctioned off and some of them can still be seen around the city.
We are trying to decide where to go for a short vacation this fall and one of our ideas is the Hudson Valley. Should be beautiful in the fall. Just received my first brochures today and one was a flyer for a public art exhibition It's Reigning Cats and Dogs http://cat-n-around.com/artists08.html in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Hope that some of these wonderful sculptures are still on display when we get there.
If you go to the website http://www.catskillscatsandhudsonhounds.com/ you can see the 62 cat sculptures and I did not bother to count the hounds but the creativity of the artists is quite delightful.
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