Sometimes you need to change course. Zag when you have previously ziged. And so it goes that Kom Jong Un and North Korea have splintered the UN. It is clear that economic sanctions are not effective against North Korea. The current sanctions, imposed in 2006 have been an abysmal failure, as North Korea displays its nuclear ambitions.
As the US and Trump shout ever louder, North Korea launches yet another test, making the US and the UN look like fools. After using one strategy one needs to reassess its effectiveness. It has been very clear that a pivot is required. The 11 year strategy of economic sanctions have not worked. The UN is no further ahead in convincing North Korea to stop their nuclear program.
As Trump is mysteriously quiet about Russia, Trudeau is silent on China. It is very curious why the two of North America’s leaders are so silent. Is there no leader with the balls to speak about the blatantness of China? China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour includes:
Forced technological transfer to Chinese companies, if you wish to sell product in China
Claiming the South China Sea and all islands as Chinese, with historical reasoning.
blatant human rights abuses against not only their own citizens, but also those of Taiwan and Hong Kong
Tolerance of an increasingly nuclear North Korea
At least the US has representatives, though not Trump, that somewhat says censures China’s aggressive attitude to internationalization.
So here’s the deal. We, as citizens, post up on Facebook, or Twitter. A lot. Yes, a lot. When we log in and use their screens we give them permission to own our content and data. They can make money off it and resell it. Our data. They claim that it is now their data. Huh? How did it get from my life and finger tips to their ownership? What if you could own not only your own data but your own data’s database, just like your wallet? And from your wallet, you post to Facebook and Twitter. This means that you originally posted from your wallet, which you own. This means that the data, that is yours, that was originally stored in your wallet, that you own, is all yours. You keep it, you own it, just like it should be. Welcome to the Hub of All Things, or HAT.
“No relationship is more important to our government and to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples.”
“This election will be the last under first-past-the-post.”
“The world needs more Canada.”
“The rich must pay their fair share.”
it is all well and good for sound bites, but there is no government policy nor substance behind any one of these. The world loves these little ditties, but there has been absolutely no government changes towards implementing these into policy. They are, completely hollow fabrications and nothing more. source
This cicada was upside down and near death. I turned it right side up and its legs twitched. I picked it up and put it on a piece of wood, and it screeched a tiny bit. When death is at your door, we all succumb.
Cicada near death, 2017 Sept 15, Toronto, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai
Cicada near death, 2017 Sept 15, Toronto, Canada. Photo 2 by Don Tai
A year ago Bell decided to install fiber optic on our street. For some reason they had cut squares into the sidewalk, which was filled in with asphalt. This year city contractors broke up and completely removed and replaced the complete sidewalk.
Bell Fibe install in Ontario. 2017 Sept 15, a year after, contracted city workers replace the sidewalk. photo by Don Tai
Bell Fibe install in Ontario. 2017 Sept 15, a year after, contracted city workers replace the sidewalk. photo by Don Tai
Bell Fibe install in Ontario. 2017 Sept 15, a year after, contracted city workers replace the sidewalk. photo 3 by Don Tai
City of Toronto potential flood area, for a 50 foot or 15.25m rise in water level from Lake Ontario, which occurred in Houston 2017 hurricane Harvey. Map changes by Don Tai
I was wondering, I am sure like many others, what would happen if the City of Toronto had a flood similar in height to Houston 2017 caused by Hurricane Harvey. Who would get flooded and who would remain dry? Is the City of Toronto largely at risk? Are we ready? Unlike Houston, Toronto is not flat. We also do not have hurricanes or tropical storms. That being said, let us try to analyze a topological map of Toronto and see how we would fare. As I live in Scarborough note that Scarborough has the Scarborough bluffs. My area of Scarborough is 235m above sea level. As Lake Ontario is 75m above sea level, we have a buffer of 160m or 525′. I think we are safe from a flood risk.
We are human, there is no denying this. As technology improves and allows us more convenience this also has disadvantages. Human physiology, which we cannot control, is a force that contributes to our behaviour. The less we need to concentrate on something, the more our mind wanders to other aspects of our lives. This propensity is not something we can control. It is autonomous and a built-in feature of our wonderful minds. That said, there are downsides, especially with safety.
It is no big news that for the majority of the 99% of regular people the last 10 years in North America has been economically tough. Our young have a difficult time finding stable employment. In fact finding stable work has been a challenge for quite a long time. Products from China undercut our domestic manufacturers who have largely gone out of business. Our kids will not have a better life than us. It is clear that larger forces than the Canadian environment are at play here.
My librarian, it was, that brought the issue to my attention: Your driver’s license needs renewal. This occurs every 5 years, so not very top of mind. But hey, it is 5 years later, and there is a Government of Ontario, Canada, web site that I can use to renew my drivers license, print a temporary one, and the valid license will be mailed to me in 4 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately for me all did not go so well. The Service Ontario server seemed to have some problem, leaving me with no temporary drivers license, and unsure if my credit card transaction actually went through. In the end I had to personally go to the local Service Ontario office in order to get my temporary drivers license. Service Ontario’s web service really does not work.
