Apparently, there's no way to go but ... down!

(a collage of a few of the recent financial healines.)

The markets tanked again today. Globally. AIG is said poised to report a $60 BILLION dollar loss. So... well I don't really know what to say? Oil, in the $30's per barrel, gold; down a tad. Financials... don't even ask.

I never blogged about this back when it happened but I will now. On September 30th, 2008, I was invited to participate in a conference call with AIG executives including, Rob Schimek, John Doyle, Kristian P. Moor, Mark Willis and John Q. Doyle from the USA. I don't know how many others were on the call with me, but I do know I was the only Canadian. (I was also the only one not from a bank, huge company or Insurance brokerage.) It was very interesting, it was like being a part of history and I left that call feeling positive about AIG. I'm sure that call is on-line somewhere if you take the time to look. I'm not terribly worried about the insurance side of AIG though they could get pulled down with the financial side. Their assets though, are protected and it is very unusual for an Insurance Company to go bankrupt.

AIG aside though, what this entire melt down is doing to people's life savings, their pensions and their hopes and dreams is criminal. The problem... it was actually our own greed that brought us here.

When I see the commercials that "financial firms" are running now, the ones about..."hey we have a new product that guarantees your initial investment, come talk to us," I want to reach through the tv screen and choke them! Funny how they've changed their whole propaganda now isn't it?

The internet... a wonderful thing!

You can be just surfing the web... clicking through photos and videos of friends, of friends of friends of friends... on Facebook, (after all, all it takes is your friend to comment on a pic/video of one of their friend's pic/videos and you can see them,) and voila... it's someone you know, out on a Saturday night!

I love the interweb!

Heroes - Battle of the Atlantic

I also found this autographed picture in my Mother-in-law's papers. I cannot make out the signatures properly which is a shame! The sailor on the left signed "Black __ Jack" I think it may be an Mc? The other is Rufus Playfair maybe? The stamp on the back of the picture is K-491 which turns out to be HMCS Orangeville. (Previously HMRS Hedingham Castle (I). I assume that means these sailors served on the Orangeville If anyone reading this knows, please leave a comment or email me.

Colin Cahill; The Titanic and the Halifax Explosion

This is my husband's Great Uncle on his Maternal Grandmother's side. I found this clipping in some papers of my Mother-in-law. What an interesting story I thought it was and I think you will too. If you click on the picture and the article you can read them easily so I shan't needlessly repeat his story here.

Beaver in the Detroit River... first in 75 - 100 years!

(Detroit Free Press)

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902160355

Click the direct link above so you can watch the video of the cute critter and read the whole story! Google Detroit Free Press, search "beaver" and you'll find it! (Unless you're using Chrome as a browser... not supported!)

Well our river is cleaner and this proves it. It is actually very, very exciting in ecological terms! Next who knows? The Ivory Billed Woodpecker? The Carolina Parakeet?
Yes, there used to be a "parrot/parakeet" native to our area! Who knew? I didn't until Mich told me.

All in all, the bad environmental news till outweighs the good, but the good is still great!

(here's a wiki link to extinct birds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extinct_birds

Ladybug in February... in my house.

Apparently, after Googling this, it is not uncommon. Who knew? Mich said it looked dusty, I didn't notice. My house, has a big, light coloured, Western exposure wall, that in summer attracts bugs as it is very warm. I guess, when it got cold, they found nooks and crannies in which to hibernate. Sometimes, they wake up and find a way inside. (Explaining the dusty appearance from living in the walls!) They do no harm. Folk lore says: "If you find a ladybug in your house in the winter you will have good luck and fortune will come you way."

Well, today I bought 3 lottery tickets, in 2 different countries! (Maybe I should have googled BEFORE I flushed the poor thing down the toilet?)

I could have put it in a container, in the fridge and released it in the spring once the weather is such that milk outside would neither spoil nor freeze.

So, now that I've posted this, and you've read it, remember, don't flush your lucky ladybug down the toilet the day you buy lottery tickets! :)

Valentine's Eve, and my full and happy life!

I was thinking today that were I to buy a rose for everyone in my life, whom I love and who loves me... I'd be broke!

I truly am blessed with a loving family, dear, close friends and work mates. I don't know what I've done to deserve these blessings but I am very grateful for them!

For all of you in my life, thank you. I hope I give even just a portion of what I receive! xo

Darwin Day; Happy 200 Charlie!

Darwin showed that by paying attention to nature, we can learn where we came from and how we got here.

Now, we must pay attention to nature to see where we will end up.

At the moment, it's not looking terribly positive.

Australia in flames.

I know there are thousands of pictures on the web of the horrific fires in Australia, these four, however, particularly effected me.

Welcome visitor # 14,999!

Actually, I'm over 15,000 now but this visitor, being from Wales, is just a tad more interesting than my darling daughter Michelle being visitor #15,000 from second story of my own house! NOT that Mich isn't important of course! (Even though I specifically told her NOT to go into the blog this morning as I didn't want visitor #15,000 to be her!) :)

Today's News!

From 60 year old women, going to India for in vitro, giving birth to twins... currently in a hospital in Calgary, for which the tax payers are shelling out; and likely to end up in someone else's care in the not so distant future; to a huge Child pornography ring bust in Ontario... in which there are three persons arrested, too young to name, protected under the Young Offenders Act. Does anyone else see the pitiful irony of that? Protected under the Young Offenders Act?

I sometimes truly just despair.

Green Link vs Parkway Proposal; Windsor Ontario's border crossing and ifrastruture battle!

I found this interesting article, dated yesterday, February 3rd, explaining where the financing for the new highway connecting the 401 to the new border crossing is coming from... tendering and not to mention the expected time table! Good news though, local companies will likely get some work according to the story.



From Daily Commercial News, (Reed Construction Data)

Actual Article can be read HERE.

February 3, 2009

Infrastructure Ontario

IO chooses alternative financing and procurement model for Windsor highway

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

Construction of the 10-kilometre highway connecting Highway 401 to a new border crossing in west Windsor will be undertaken as an alternative financing and procurement (AFP) project, Infrastructure Ontario (IO) has confirmed.

Paulette den Elzen, project communications manager at the provincial Crown corporation, said requests for qualifications are expected to be issued this spring or summer for the Windsor-Essex Parkway.

Construction could get under way by the end of this year on the below-grade, six-lane highway with 11 tunnels and a four-lane service road, the first major highway project undertaken by IO.

Cost estimates have not been released by IO. But the parkway is usually referred to as a $1.6 billion project.

“We’re all for it,” said Rob Bradford, executive director of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association.

“It’s a lot of new work. It is going to increase the pie significantly.”

He said some of the larger companies that are members of his association are taking a close look at the project.

“Whether or not they would decide to bid it, or be able to wrap up the required financing, remains to be seen,” he said. “But they are certainly looking at it seriously.”

In Windsor, the Heavy Construction Association initially had taken “a strong position” that the highway should be traditionally tendered to maximize the potential for local content.

However, executive director Jim Lyons said Infrastructure Ontario has since become “sensitized” to the association’s concerns.

“I am now comfortable that there will be contracting-out to local firms,” he said. “It is just a matter of how much.”

Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation are targeting completion of the project in 2013.

Bradford said that while international consortia are expected to take an interest in the project, ORBA believes “the wherewithal and capacity” exists in the province to undertake the project.

Windsor Ontario, hosting Red Bull Air Races!

In a city that could use some good news, this is pretty exciting. No Detroit, just us, little Windsor! Thanks to our Mayor who took it upon himself to go to them and offer our little city on it's own. Last year, Detroit hosted with Windsor as a second party to the event. Detroit has some major problems, it's ex-Mayor just got out of jail, it's almost bankrupt and well... has a lot of other things on it's mind besides the Air Races. Our Mayor, well good for him for going for it and getting it!

The schedule... 2009

Abu Dhabi, UAE 17/18 April
San Diego, USA 9/10 May
Windsor - Ontario, Canada 13/14 June
Budapest, Hungary 19/20 August
Porto, Portugal 12/13 September
Barcelona, Spain 3/4 October

Aren't we in some fine company?

The flu shot, 2008/2009... not so good?

Credit: Science & Health News


No kidding! I know of three people, the poor Mich included, who've had their shot and have full blown flu! Vomiting, dizziness, coughing, 102 fever and assorted ills. I do realize that there are many, many strains of flu... but surely, there's got to be a better way than tossing a dart at a board? Talking to my friends, everyone, knows someone with the flu. Apparently it's going through the schools, like wild fire