Blog or white ... because it never is.

Another liquor store robbery.  Deep sigh.  This once was violent and three employees were hurt and one taken to hospital.  Deeper sigh.  It was a classy move by Liquor and Lotteries CEO Manny Atwell to hold a news conference at 9:30 pm last evening to address the incident.  He is new to his position and who can envy the job he has.  He made a strong impression yesterday indicating that human resources were more important than profits.  I am impressed.  However, I think all of our hearts are bearing the burden of what it must be like to be an employee of a liquor store right now.  Going to work everyday with a sense of heaviness that something could happen.  I hope Manny Atwell continues to show leadership and demonstrate that his employees are the greatest asset of the Crown Corporation.  I think he needs to call a breakfast meeting at the Convention Centre and invite all employees and do a brain-storming session identifying ideas to solve this crisis.  Then, he needs to have the s

Last year, I decided that I was officially a swing voter.  It was very freeing.  It has helped me keep an open mind and an open heart.  For some reason, I treasure my vote more.  I examine each party's platform as objectively as I can and I take time to talk to the candidates running for office.  I don't waste their time and have questions ready for them.  The last federal election was particularly divisive.  It is the Trump effect, I think.  People feel empowered to express their anger and feel empowered to attack people's character.  I have been worried about how this will affect elections in the future.  Who would be willing to put their name on a ballot and participate in such a political climate?  I didn't vote for Dan Vandal.  I don't live in his electoral district, but I knew he would be in Cabinet due to Jim Carr focusing on fighting for his life.  I have never met him but I feel much more optimistic about Canada after he was sworn in as Minister of

Last weeks episode of Survivor triggered me.  One contestant was uncomfortable by another's "touching".  She didn't like it and asked him to stop.  He apologized and pledged to stop but still slipped up.  She confided in other contestants and they used that information in game play.  She also talked to the producers of the show who assured her that they didn't want her to feel uncomfortable or vulnerable and was asked about options such as an investigation, issuing an edict to him, removing her from the show, and other courses of action.  It was obvious this was a new thing to them and they didn't have a clear roadmap how to proceed.  She decided she didn't want any intervention taken by the show.  It seems to me that when she was asked, she was upset as evidenced by her crying.  It is possible she was not thinking of all the consequences and should have been given more time to decide.  The touching was not described by the contestant as sexual in nature

Sometimes, I keep odd hours.  This past summer, I went to use the bank machine at about 5:30 am.   When I pulled into the parking lot, there was a security vehicle  at the entrance.  I thought I wouldn't be able to go in but I was.  The security guard inside was just supervising the exit of someone who had been sleeping in the ATM area.  That was in the summer.  In the last two weeks, I have used my bank machine three times after midnight.  Each time, I have interrupted a different person trying to sleep.  It has been a scary experience.  For them.  Each time, they are awoken by the sound of the door.  They are immediately alert and start sizing me up as they are very vulnerable and hold their possessions close to them.  One woman.  Two men.  I've been quick so I can't estimate their ages but all adults.  Once they see, I am just using the bank machine and I am not a threat, they relax.  As I leave, I say, "stay safe".  Two of them have said sincere thank-yo

Like everyone else, I am sick and tired of hearing about Don Cherry.  He never was important to me.  Since I have been an adult, I have called for the return of Peter Puck.  Don is a human being and I wish him grace as he continues on. What is important is the debate that has existed following his comments.  Debate, I'm going to say, is a bit generous to characterize the discussion that has taken place.  As with many "discussions" today, they occur on social media.  For some reason, digital media has actually replaced human interaction.  I am actually taken aback when I get a live voice on the telephone.  I am so used to getting voice mail that I already have it prepared in my head and a person answering throws me off my game, so to speak.  /The comments since the end of Coach's Corner have been something else.  Something else like something we would expect to see south of the border.  It is the Trump effect.  He says, or more accurately tweets, outrageous thing

Dear Mayor: I am sure you are busy today booking your trip to Calgary.  Yes, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are going to the Grey Cup.  Very exciting !!  I know you will be there because you are always there when there is something to celebrate.  Not so much, when times are not going well.  I know it is tradition for the Mayors of the City to make a friendly wager.  If you haven't already made the wager, I am going to suggest that you and the Mayor of Hamilton  swap places for a day or a week.  You can go there and she or he can come here.  I don't know anything about the Mayor of Hamilton but I know they will do a better job than you.  When you were first elected, I remember thinking that I was going to be amazed.  You weren't even on anyone's radar and all of a sudden you were Mayor !!  I thought you were going to be a great Mayor.  I also thought that if the election was just a few days longer, Robert-Falcon Oulette would be Mayor.  Regardless, in your first month

Manitobans were shocked by CTV's decision to let go of Gord LeClerc this past week.   It is somewhat ironic that a communications corporation could do such a horrible job of communicating and not recognizing any of the consequences of such.  First of all, Gord LcClerc was abruptly let go after 25 years of service on Wednesday in the afternoon sometime after the noon hour news.  It wasn't abrupt, it was calculated.  By three in the afternoon, all of their social media and website had been rid of any mention of Gord LeClerc.  What a way to treat someone that you called a "valuable treasure" and an "award winning journalist" the day before.  Don't think we haven't noticed and don't think that is not going to effect how we view your network.  There is a simple reason why he was let go and it was money.  Gord had been there for 25 years and was making a good salary.  Much easier to get someone young who was anxious to make a name for themselves

Like many Canadians, my partner and I stayed home last night for two "must see" television show.  We wanted to see what happened on the first intermission of Hockey Night in Toronto, I mean Canada.  We also wanted to see what SNL was going to do about the Impeachment Hearings.  It probably was the most watched HNIC first intermission in a long time.  Lots of speculation.  Would it be Coach's Corner with a new Coach?  Would they do a "tribute" to Don Cherry?  There were some that even thought that Don Cherry would be returning due to popular tweets.  Some thought Jess Allen would be on to put her foot further in her mouth.  I, of course, was cheering for the return of Peter Puck.  There was also considerable pressure but on Ron MacLean to defend his friend, to announce his departure in solidarity with Cherry.  A true friend would do that.  A true friend would chose loyalty over principle.  I have to tell you that television raises the stakes considerably.

First of all, CTV put The Social on the air.  A Canadian rip off of a cross between The Talk and The View.  Four or five women of differing point of views discussing the issues of the day.  Except when The Social came on, it was not four or five women of differing points of views, it was basically one point of view.  The hosts were all in their twenties and were party girls.  They were sitting down for a cup of coffee in the afternoon looking like they were heading out to a club.  The issues of the day were things like what if your best friend's boyfriend hit on you at a party, should you tell her.  But, he was drunk, maybe keep it to yourself unless it happens again, or should you gossip about this to everyone to see if this guy is a snake, or should you confront and ask to be there when he tells her.  Yes, real issues of the day.  I always wondered who was the market that they were trying to appeal, too.  It must have been University students who were skipping classes.  So,

I'll wear a poppy on Remembrance Day to show I'm proud of what they did for me.   I forget the next line and then God keep Canada free.  When I was in elementary school, we had a Remembrance Day assembly where we watched films, sang songs, and heard from Veterans.  I don't really remember if this occurred on November 11 or a different day, but I suspect it was on November 11.  My father was a Veteran.  He certainly didn't speak for all Veterans, but he had an opinion on most things.  He was against making November 11 a statutory holiday.  He was against it being a day people looked forward to as an opportunity to sleep in.  He was especially against it being used as a long weekend if the day happened to fall on Saturday or Sunday.  I've been "selling" poppies since I was a child.  I don't know if "selling" is the right word.  Making poppies available to people who want to donate to the Royal Canadian Legion is more accurate.  When I w

It would be a wonderful world if all we had to disagree about is if you can start decorating or selling Christmas gifts prior to Remembrance Day.  I truly honour our Veterans.  My father served proudly in the RCAF.  He rarely talked about the experience.  From what I understand, that is fairly common.  My father was a proud member of the Legion.  I was a proud member of the Legion as well as I could join on basis of his regimental number.  My father believed that without the "Spitfire" plane in WWII that the Allies may not have won the War and some of the rights and freedoms that we take for granted may not exist.  My father's nickname for me was "spitfire" so I always thought that was an amazing compliment.  Our Veterans just went out and did good.  They were all brothers and sisters united in their service.  It didn't matter what colour was their skin, what God they worshipped, or how they chose to love.  They just served.  For a number of reasons,

I met a friend of mine for lunch today.  When we go for lunch, she picks the restaurant and it is usually bland food that I don't enjoy, which is a good thing, because the portion sizes are really small.  She doesn't work because she is a lawyer's wife.  She tells me that atleast twice every time we talk.  This is not a new marriage.  She has been married for the 20 years that I have known her and I can remember that her husband is a lawyer.  She also is apparently busier than I am.  It takes her a whole day on Monday to pay bills and care to the running of her household.  This includes ordering groceries on-line, menu planning, responding to invitations, ensuring lawn and snow are professionally maintained.  It also includes planning their holidays.  As I am very aware, she and her husband (the lawyer) have only had two vacations so far in 2019.  Even though they are planning a trip to Europe in January, they don't think they can wait that long, they are so exhaust

Of course, I believe in angels.  I gave birth to those two angels.  However, life being life, sometimes I forget that they walk among us and those that have left us still look after us  Today has been a rough day.  I just had this overwhelming feeling of being down.  I didn't know why but then I live with depression.  Sometimes these days just happen and I don't know why.  Finally, around noon, I became aware why this day was so hard.  It would have been my dad's birthday.  Almost 27 years since he has left this Earth.  But, he has never left me.  He just changed his perch but I know he is still there watching over me.  Even though I think of him everyday, I couldn't believe that I forgot his birthday, even when his picture popped up on my memories.  So, I started beating myself up over forgetting the significance of the day for me.  Only people with depression can understand the need to feel more depression over your depression.  My partner foolishly said tha

It is about 7:30 pm and Donald and Melania are spending a quiet evening watching tv. "Someone named @shelleyaireland said that my son is gay.  He's not, is he?" "He is still a little boy and he hasn't expressed this.  As his mother, I will support and love him no matter what." "You're his mother!  I thought my Czechoslavakian wife was his mother?" "Donald, I am the mother of Barron."  "Whose Barron?" "Donald, he is our son together, and you have two other sons?|" "Three sons?  I wonder who the third is, never mind, I can't be distracted, Don, Jr is not gay, is he?" "He has propositioned me several times, inappropriately, and I have told him that I have slept with one Trump and have regretted it ever since.  No, he is not gay."  "Whew, that is a relief.  I didn't think so as whenever I see him, he always has a bunch of kids around him and he loves guns.  Why is th

Winnipeg is experiencing horrific violence and it seems to be stemming from the methamphetamine crisis.  Gang activity is on the rise.  Everyday on social media, I seem to see a new video that someone is posting about someone having a temper tantrum about someone cutting them off in a drive-thru line or in traffic.  The anger doesn't seem to match the situation but it is also disturbing that we have a desire to record people in their worst moments without talking to them.  We seem to forget how to treat people as human beings.  Our youth and our systemically disadvantaged seem to be screaming a message.  The message is that they are hurting and need help.  They want to be heard.  That is it.  They want to be heard.  They are hurting.  They also are intelligent and have valuable lived experiences.  They know that adding more police, or increasing the police overtime budget, is not the solution.  People want some support.  No one really wants a hand out, they want a hand up.  O

Yes, I am going off again on one of my biggest pet peeves.  Before I go on my rant, I want you to look at the picture.  That is me, smiling !!  I smile a lot.  I am generally a happy person.  I don't spend all of my life looking for what is wrong.  I really am an optimist and a dreamer.  My partner tells me I laugh too often and too loudly.  As if, that is a thing.  I love to laugh and look for the lighter side of life.  One day, many years ago, a friend of mine and I planned to meet each other at Montreal Canadiens vs Wpg Jets 1.0 game at the Forum.  We decided to go at the last minute and we would just meet each other and purchase scalped tickets.  (Statue of Limitations has expired.)  When I got there, I realized how ridiculous it was to meet there among 15,000 other people without a set meeting point.  But, I bought a ticket anyway.  Even though I was by myself, my friend found me 10 minutes into the first period having heard me laugh in the very loud Forum.  The point is,

Sometimes it is difficult to approach situations with an open mind and an open heart, but, I listened to Brian Pallister give a short speech last evening.and it changed the way I feel about him.  Relax.  I am not campaigning to be President of his fan club.  But, I have been critical of him in the past and I likely will be critical of him in the future.  However, I have also been expressing that we must listen more and really try to hear the message that people are trying to send us.  I've also noticed that Brian has a "tell".  Whenever he is nervous, he swears right away, in the first sentence that comes out of his mouth.  He doesn't drop the "f bomb" but he does make a reference to hell.  Last night, he gave a very short speech at the Sports Hall of Fame Dinner and his first sentence referred to it being one hell of an event.  I knew he was nervous.  Officially, he was there to bring greetings from the Province.  Unofficially, he wouldn't have

I admit that I didn't pay much attention to you during your first time in office.  Frankly, I was glad that the previous Mayor was gone and I was complacent.  Your victory came out of nowhere and I didn't know much about you but you were handsome, appeared hard-working, and liked dogs.  What was not to like?  I apologize for my complacency.  I should have paid more attention.  Since you launched your re-election campaign, I have reached out to you to have some time to ask you some questions.  I wanted to give you an opportunity my concerns.  You have not responded and my concerns have grown.  I am very concerned about the low morale at City Hall that led to atleast one department to show blatant disregard for the tax payers of the City of Winnipeg.  I don't like how you have treated the transit union.  I don't like nor understand your lack of a working relationship with the province.  The level of violence in the City seems to be growing and the opiod crisis is tear

Monday morning started the way it normally does in our house.  I got up a few minutes earlier than my partner.  I got the newspapers in and turned on CBC newsworld.  My husband went to make the coffee.  Making the coffee means pressing a button.  I was reading the news feed at the bottom of the screen when I read something truly shocking and let out a loud, "NOOOOOOOO."  My partner came running in and asked what was happening with Trump and I said, it's worse, "Ex-Bridgewater Mayor convicted of sexual assault."  "NOOOOOOO", he said.  It was a bitter-sweet moment.  On one hand, we were in sync, on the other hand, something bigger was at stake.  Both of us have started believing that Bridgewater, Nova Scotia is the happiest place on Earth.  Hearing anything remotely negative about this place was shattering.  I have to explain.  One of my childhood friends moved there almost a year ago.  I had not previously heard of this paradise but everything she pos