Thing that have pissed me off lately! (well some of them)

H1N1 shots. Priority lists... well, somehow, someone has decided that Police and Fire are NOT priority. What is? Oh, how about the Olympic committee, torch bearers and athletes? Yep... the people who protect us can drop like flies but heaven help us if a curler or a skier gets the flu!

H1N1 shots. Panic... Surprise! Yell fire and then lock the doors, guess what's going to happen? Lets see what happens when healthy 10 & 13 years olds drop dead in 3 days then hold public clinics.

H1N1 shots. Priority lists, again... The very people on this list, at least many of them, are on that list due to a health condition that would fricking impede their ability to stand in a fricking line for 3 or more hours! GAWD what are these "public health officials" thinking? Here in Windsor, it's out of control. Our Medical officer of health, Dr. Allen Heimann, (Bob likes to call him Hilter Heimann,) and his side kick, Deb Bennett are certainly not helping the situation. Google them, listen to them speak, read the words of the articles to do with H1N1 shots and judge for yourself. (Oh and before you go off and say... "sure she's not on the list so that explains her attitude." Yes I am, however, I will not and cannot stand in a line for 3+ hours waiting for it, it would be a physical impossibility for me and I'm not that bad off so I'll wait until my Doctor has it.)

Windsor Ontario and the CUPE strike savings, refund to taxpayers. Ok... so, they saved millions during the strike. Paid out millions in overtime for managers, security etc. There is a 5.6 million surplus. What are they doing with it? They are mailing every rate payer a $72.00 cheque! Seriously, they're spending $70,000.00 of the money to mail us a $72.00 cheque. Now keep in mind all those CUPE workers, be they Windsor, home owning residents will get this cheque too! So will the CUPE office that piled their trash outside their building causing the nearby residents to picket them! Where is the "I object" button when you need one? As Bob so succinctly said it... "give it to the downtown mission, imagine what they could do with 5.6 million!"

Come on people. $72.00? What's that? A tank of gas? Dinner at a mid range restaurant? 5.6 million, split between the Downtown Mission, The Goodfellows, The Homeless Coalition and a couple of other charities would go a long, long way and keep giving! (Note: no Orchestras or Art Galleries need apply!) $72.00 that's costing $70 thousand to mail out! What could these charities do with just the $70 thousand!

My god, what is the matter with people? Can you not see beyond the end of the tunnel?

Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres - now coming to a neighbourhood near you!

The Hippocratic Oath


Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres has slunk into my neighbourhood. The building permit applied for by the construction company who claimed it was for a "Business Office." At this location, as described last night at a meeting, by the staff of the clinic, they are a "medical facility," they do "blood draws" and "urine testing." There is an on site Pharmacy, a Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technicians and they dispense methadone. This does not sound like a "business office." There is no Doctor, however, one comes to Windsor "as needed." The clients are see via video-conference for a minute or two and then a prescription is "written" read: sent via email, for the methadone. (They get to bill OHIP for this!)

I have no problem with Methadone programs that have a goal to have you live drug free, be it the illegal opiates or the substitute methadone. I think that a private VERY for profit company may not be such a program? Seems to me getting you off methadone would be cutting into their own bottom line. Our tax dollars fund this incestuous set up. Incestuous you say? Yep... From the Treatment Centres, to the Pharmacies, to the software, to the labs ad infinitum... these two Docs own the giant circle.

The following are links to information on Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres that should be eye opening. Way too many for me to do synopses on, so just click away and make your own conclusions.

http://www.oatc.ca/ OATC home page

http://www.oha.com/KnowledgeCentre/Library/CoronersReports/Documents/Wade%20Lamont%20Hatt%20Inquest.pdf Coroners report

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/144334 Toronto Star article


http://www.thestar.com/News/article/144358 Toronto Star article



http://www.ocpinfo.com/client/ocp/ocphome.nsf/ab26815c7d6d78e58525732b00626f24/41e5380551b6108d8525734d005aee85?OpenDocument

Ontario College of Pharmacists discipline committee report #1 Wong

http://www.ocpinfo.com/client/ocp/ocphome.nsf/ab26815c7d6d78e58525732b00626f24/da8c55204b81a9a9852572a7004b5a47?OpenDocument


Pharmacist #2 Reich

http://www.ocpinfo.com/client/ocp/ocphome.nsf/ab26815c7d6d78e58525732b00626f24/10ede63710ad2d5c8525718f00463188?OpenDocument

Pharmacist #3 Hopkin


http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/CDN/News.asp?id=33038&bSearch=True
The software developed for Dr. Jeff Daiter that his remote Pharmacists must purchase

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/185329

Toronto Star article, Comquest Systems Inc. owned by Dr. Jeff Daiter, plead no contest to OHIP improprieties

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/228242

Toronto Star article regarding College of Physicians and Surgeons probe of clinics



There's more but my fingers are getting almost as tired as my brain from sorting all of this out! If you Google, you can find reams of stuff on your own.

Not something you see everyday!

(Not the actual bird seen, photo from Google images.)

Driving to work this morning, I was watching for my hawk that's usually sitting on the airport fence; (we've bonded, I'm pretty sure he nods his head to me as I drive by.) Well, no hawk, just a squished opossum.

I approach the intersection of Lauzon Parkway and County Rd. #42, it should be noted that there are farm lands, ponds and woods in the area, along with 3,456,789 transport trucks and just about as many cars! I see something huge and brown at the side of the road! Yep... a female wild turkey! She stood there staring at me, I tried to take a picture with my cell phone but cars pulled up between us. I've see many birds, including large birds like eagles, hawks and falcons, but not a turkey and certainly never had one stand still and stare at me!

I looked up animal omens... turkey means abundance, the promise of things to come!

Windsor Canal Project - doable!

The report on feasibility is in and it says it can be done! Details will be released to Council soon and then we'll all know!













Here's a link to my original posting on this project!

http://thirtypoundsofcat.blogspot.com/search?q=canal

Ouellette Avenue overpass... AGAIN!

I took this picture, with my phone, driving home from work yesterday. Yep, they're working on the Jackson Park/ Ouellette Avenue overpass; AGAIN! ON what part? The expansion joints; AGAIN! (You know, those connector thingys between the sections, not all that important I'm sure!) I'm thinking that if they have to do this every single year, sometimes more than once a year there may be a bigger job coming. It'll be ugly if they have to close it down. It's one of the two main incoming roads from the 401!

You can click here for last May's post on this piece of Windsor roadway.

McGuinty conducting business as usual?

These are not normal times. I live in a city that is gasping for breath, struggling to keep pumping and in reality, they're lining up in the US and Mexico for all the left over usable parts!

My city is Windsor, Ontario. A one trick pony, auto industry and all it's associated offshoots. My city is in the Province of Ontario, lead by a man, I once considered reasonably intelligent, Dalton McGuinty.

Here's the last couple of genius ideas that have seeped out of The Palace in Toronto. Lets start with the right hand of our conductor. Before you can sell you home in this province you have to have an energy audit... oh and it'll cost about $300.00.

Vladan Veljovic is president of Greensaver, one of Ontario's oldest energy auditing firms. "Home inspectors currently do between 25,000 and 30,000 energy audits a year across Ontario, Veljovic says. Under the new rules, that could to increase to about 200,000, with a corresponding jump in demand for inspectors." (thestar.com) 200,000 times $300.00, that's $60,000,000.00. (That's 60 million for those of you large number impaired, though there are far less of us now than there were prior to the numbers floating around since September 2008's financial meltdown.) Now they will need to " hire" or "certify new inspectors but there's not any detailed legislation covering the job description, so maybe those guys who keep knocking at my door trying to convince me that they are from my local power company while trying to get hold of my actual bill can get real jobs!

Certification requires taking a five-day course, according to Natural Resources Canada, followed by an exam and the supervised inspection of seven houses. The entire process takes about two months, depending on how quickly the home inspections can be scheduled.
http://oee.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/residential/business/participants-networks/r-2000/plan-evaluators.cfm?attr=12

Now for the left hand... Harmonized sales tax. Wow, what a great idea! Apparently business will find the paper work easier. One report, maybe 4 times a year instead of GST 4 times a year and PST anywhere from monthly to once or twice a year, depending on the nature of your business. (Never mind that computer accounting software does it for you, that's non elemental to this discussion apparently.) Well bully for business! You who's trying to feed and clothe your kids. Now you can pay one convenient 13% tax on everything! Yep even the stuff that was PST exempt. Lucky you. Hey maybe it'll be as spectacular as the Quebec and PEI systems where they charge the PST on the GST in their great tax of harmony!
Can't see our conductor passing up that opportunity.

Mr. McGuinty, with all respect I cannot help but ask, have you lost your mind? Is this the time to saddle us with extra payments? Maybe you need to come on down to Windsor, lose a few filling driving over our rutted roads, oh, avoid Howard where the inside lane is often blocked by out of work factory folks staging a blockade to get what's rightfully theirs while Chrysler tries to get it's machinery out and ship it to the US! Oh, avoid the area around the Downtown Mission that's seeing a rise in numbers as the line up might delay your progress. Don't try to go down College because the bridge at Wellington is closed and well, our fight with the Feds over border crossings is holding it hostage no matter that those of us who live near or go to the University it find it a daily hardship. (I plan on doing something about this in the near future!)

All in all, I'm furious and frustrated. Why at this time would anyone, never mind one of the people we actually trusted to look out for our best interests, even consider such untimely and obviously ivory tower ideas. Come back to the real work Sir and open your eyes. I failed to mention previously we have two, yep two, Provincial Cabinet Ministers from our beleaguered town, haven't heard a peep out of either one of them about these issues?

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?

A Soldier comes home to Windsor

Today I stood with many others, at Manning Road and the 401, to show our respect for Corporal Andrew Grenon who was killed in Afghanistan. His body came home today. I, of course, could not help but to think of my Dad.


(Unfortunately, a local Conservative M.P. chose the roadside to politic. I overheard Mr. Jeff Watson propound upon the CAW, the Liberal Party and their Membership practices and audits, the good news announcement on the tax on diesel fuel and a host of other campaign issues.)

3 computers, 3 different operating systems! HELP!

We just bought Mich a brand spanking new lap top with the works, including an external hard drive! It's Vista. The machine I'm using right now is XP. My oldest machine... well it's Windows 98. Not a pretty picture! I did make the XP and the 98 machine play nice. I have just finished making the Vista and the XP machines play nice. I will NOT even consider making them both play nice with the 98 machine at the same time. Not gonna happen! I suppose I'm going to have to upgrade my "spare" PC. Or... just go buy another one! hehe, don't tell Bob ok? He's stressed enough with having 3 machines and only 2 users. The 98 machine is a good one, not too old, just an old operating system. So, my home network is 3 machines with only 2 of them playing together at any one time. Works for me!

Oh, if you're in Windsor Ontario and want to buy a machine go to PC Outfitters... they are great! Google for the number.

Windsor Ontario - Canal proposal

Stupendous! Exciting and completely doable! Welcome to Windsor. The lands expropriated years ago for the arena that is now being built waaaaaaay out East will finally be something besides an empty parking lot. I love it!

I actually have faith in this one happening. Our City Council and to be fair, not just the current one but the ones preceding this one, have a sad history of talking something to death. This one is different, one big reason for the difference? Mr. Schmuel Farhi. If Mr. Farhi wants it done, it happens. Period.

Another exciting day!

I suppose I should start by explaining the picture. Mich and I were at Pier 1 Imports when we heard a fire truck. It stopped across the parking lot at Best Buy. There was a car on fire. My pic does not do it justice. At one point you couldn't see the lot for the smoke. The firefighters pried the hood open, giving the fire oxygen, huge flames came spewing out. (Of course I didn't think of taking a pic at that point!) They ended up having to use foam to put it out. Then they had to wash down the parking lot to get rid of the foam. The black car parked in front of the car on fire was a couple of spaces over so should be ok. The owner of the car was out pacing around his car when Mich and I were finished shopping, he looked quite dejected. The car was toast.

Overpasses and foresight!

On May 22nd, I blogged about the Jackson Park Overpass and a couple of days later, a drunk driver went over the side into a parking lot and walked away from it. I also mentioned the Howard Avenue/ Expressway overpass. I spoke of how I hated to stop under it, how it creeped me out and that I stopped well before it should the light ahead be red.

Today, on my drive in, what do I see? Men in orange vests, under the overpass, building support trussing! Hello!

I spoke to a lovely and helpful man, Mr. Webb, in Public Works who explained to me that the overpasses are old and are being re-fitted. The "decks" are being re-done and I then asked if this was just "cosmetic." Nope... There's steel showing through, (not really a good sign on a bridge,) and other areas that require structural re-doing. Like the joints... joints are important thingys on bridges and overpasses!

So you nay sayers who mocked me for my queasiness at stopping under thousands of pounds of aging concrete with rust stains and cracks all over it... HA! Honk at me again guy in the over sized F350, who needs to move up 4 car lengths to stop at a red light! I shall not be moved!

I think next, I shall blog about myself winning a lottery as lately it seems if I write about something, it pops up in the real world!

Welcome to Windsor!

Welcome to my city. Now not only can you enter off of Dougall Ave. and admire the lovely side view of the Walmart, now you can come from the airport, down Cabano Road, with the other thousands of cars that traverse this road daily, and see... the rear storage/loading dock area of the new Home Depot! Pallets of soil, bags of manure... (click the pic for the full impact view!) Wow... The planning committee and Council must have really put a LOT of thought into this one!

The pic is actually from the West going East direction. I haven't had a chance to show the true, full frontal impact of the view due to the construction at that point of Cabano Road. I will try to get one soon though.

The people who live across the street must just be thrilled with this view! I know it adds so much to my drive to work every morning.

Ouellette Avenue overpass, in the news.

Strangely enough, two posts ago, I blogged about the Jackson Park overpass. This happened yesterday.

A Windsor man had lady luck on his side after a crash on Ouellette Avenue. Police say an SUV struck and broke through the guard rail at the Jackson Park overpass-- then dropped 30 feet into a parking lot below. The driver was not injured and walked away from the scene but police say the vehicle is a write off. Impaired driving charges are pending.

One lucky drunkard!

A section of the guard rail was replaced when the repairs were done. It was dented and bent from a previous hit. It was on the west side of the overpass.

Ouellette Avenue overpass, Windsor Ontario

I drive this overpass every day, twice a day. A couple of years ago they did some major repairs. They came back and fixed something almost immediately. I mean ripping off new tar down to the cement and steel supports. I was not impressed. They've been back a couple of times again since and this morning... they'rrrrrrreeeeee baaaaaaaack... I cannot help but wonder why? They seem to be working on the steel plate parts, the connecting thingys. I'm hoping that's not too important to the structural soundness of the overpass?

I'm seriously considering changing my route to work. Though that's not the overpass that really has been bothering me. Funny enough this is not the overpass that, for some strange reason, freaks me out. It's the Howard Avenue/EC Rowe one that I drive under every day, twice a day. I hate, hate, hate stopping for a red light under it. I usually just stop before I get to it if the light is red. The guy in the big hurry behind me honking through the entire red light trying to make me move up 5 car lengths so he can move up 4 and stop at the red light... I ignore him. I just don't get a good feeling stopping under those thousands of pounds of concrete and steel.

I felt the earth, move... under my bed...

Living by the US/Canada border, about 200' from an underground rail tunnel that runs to Detroit, I am used to feeling slight vibrations as trains go through the tunnel. At 5:30 this morning I awoke thinking, "wow, that must be one heck of a train!" Only to discover that an earthquake had occurred. As earthquakes go, it wasn't much of one BUT... I hadn't gone to sleep until 12:30am!

The best earthquake I've ever experienced was in Calgary, in the 80's. I was sound asleep on my water bed when suddenly I was body surfing! Seriously, there was a tsunami happening! (Earthquakes can cause tsunamis you know!) The only other one I've felt was in Windsor, very early 80's and I happened to be laying in the tub at the time. I jumped out, grabbed an towel and ran into the living room to find pictures askew, and a couple of knick knacks knocked over. I had thought that on was a big truck going down the road past my apartment building.

Sooner or later I'm going to figure out that hey, earthquakes happen and it's not always large motorized vehicles shaking me up!

Attention... Windsor is closed!

At least I bet it is. The storm hit, hit good and is still hitting. This pic, taken from the comfort of my back kitchen, through the window, does not do it justice.

I'm glad I went out and did everything yesterday! Wonder if we'll be able to get out by tomorrow?

**EDIT** I just had to put on boots and a coat and go outside. The birds were sitting in Doug,(the pumpkin ash tree,) looking longingly at the bird feeder which was under several inches of snow. I cleaned it off and they are now happily munching on sunflower seeds. Oh, the snow is up to the screen door at the side. Luckily it was light and just pushed away. (That door is just above ground level, if it gets to the bottom of the front door, past the porch we're in trouble!

My early starting and very condensed weekend!

My plans were to shop Saturday and Sunday, finish up my list and wrap gifts. When I heard the weather forecast, I realized all outdoor activities had to be done Saturday with Sunday likely being a snow day. No big deal, get an early start and don't come home until done. Buy all my baking stuff and bake all day Sunday if snowed in, hydro allowing, so as not to waste the day.

So how does the day start? Oh, how about by waking up at 4:11am? 4, freaking 11 am! Wide awake, no hopes of getting back to sleep. So, I came online, tried to read some newspapers, they were all still yesterday's news. Read CBC, CNN, checked my email, facebook and went back to bed. I read until about 6am, tried to go back to sleep, gave up at 7am and got back up. Went out at 8am.

I shopped from 8am until about 2pm. I'm now well ahead of the game and think I'm close to done! Actually, I'm done in more ways than one in that it's only 6:41pm and I've been up for 14 1/2 hours; I'm way too old for that!

Now, the weather. We're under a massive winter storm warning. Up to 30cm of snow. Keep in mind, banana belt here! 3cm shuts the roads. Windsor owns maybe 1 plow. Contractors do it, if they're in the mood. Let me put it this way, if a plow goes down our street, we race to the windows exclaiming... "the plow, the plow." Reminiscent of Hervé Villechaize on Fantasy Island. Ok, fine he said, "the plane, the plane," but you get the idea!

So, if there are no postings tomorrow, I have no hydro. Ominously, Hydro One is recommending people "stock up" just in case. I wonder what they know that we don't?

I have wine, food, wine, blankets, wine, candles & lots of wine, I'm good!

Upcoming trip... no, not sun and surf!

The blue splotch, inside the blue circle is where I live. Way, way South in Ontario. The green arrow is where I am going on Wednesday, until Monday. Hello? Strathmore Alberta at the end of November? sigh... I'm packing snow pants!

We don't' get snow until January or February here in the banana belt!

**EDIT** by snow until January or Feburary, I mean REAL snow as we just got some wet stuff that is already gone as it changed to rain.