"Long lost family" is a show I should not watch. It's about adoptees and biological mothers finding each other, something I was not able to do. It usually involves unwed mothers reuniting with their children, after the latter have been adopted and raised by others.
That was my life, except without the reunion part.
I had a fabulous upbringing by wonderful parents and a large, extended family, but always in the back of my mind was my birth mother. When I looked at my mother and her sisters and brother, I did not resemble them at all and I wondered where I had come from? When pregnant with my first child, I started a search. Long before google and the internet, my search involved hours at libraries going through city directories.
When I was adopted, there was no such thing as an "open" adoption. Your original birth certificate was destroyed and a new one substituted. In fact, the original "you" ceased to exist and the only reason I was able to find a name for my birth mother was because the adoption had been handled by a lawyer, not the province. Forging a letter from my father giving permission, the lawyer released the adoption papers. But all that was on them was her name -- no address, nothing.
Thus began a years'-long search of all the "Latimer's" in the Ottawa Valley. Calling each one, I told a lie and each time the response was "no relation". Finally, one last call to Kemptville, Ontario, yielded results. "Oh yes, Shirley was my niece, but she died a year ago," said my great aunt. I was crushed. All that searching and nothing.
The long and the short of it is that I did connect with her family, but not my mother. We are no longer in touch, because these people aren't really my relatives, but it was good to finally know from whence I came and what my people were like. Nevertheless, when mother and child finally meet on "long lost family", I always break down.
That is why I should not watch.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Sunday, October 28, 2018
There's a clear answer to that one
Air Canada considers itself French, not Canadian. That's why it only serves French wine on its flights. Afterall, the president is an Eastern European and some sort of kickback (sorry "financial incentive") must be in the mix somewhere. What a deliberate slap-in-the-face to all the wonderful Canadian vintners. Some mystified guy wrote a letter to The Globe and Mail the other day, asking the same question I asked a flight attendant a while back. "Why don't you serve Canadian wine?"
She had no answer, but I do (see above). It's outrageous and unacceptable.
In other news, cows are now going to help me with my aches and pains because I am on hydrolyzed collagen, which is made from cow by-products. I am also starting regular protein shakes and I recommend them to all my friends of a certain age. I bought the chocolate and it's delicious. We'll see how everything improves and if I will start to look 21 again.
In still other news, apparently the Quebec Superior Court is also ignorant of the principle of the separation of church and state because it just ruled that banning the hijab and niqab for women dispensing public services was unconstitutional. Really? How can they not know this is how it's supposed to operate? The public should not know the religion of anyone serving them via taxpayer dollars. Why did everyone apparently miss this concept in grade nine civics? If you invoke this basic democratic principle, the entire argument goes away immediately.
Aside: I just heard one of the World Series play-by-play guys say, "They had began so good." Now that's one for the books! And this guy gets paid how much?!
Canadians are a severely ill-educated lot. And that includes all politicians because I have yet to hear one utter this fact. It would be so much easier if we all understood this. Sad.
She had no answer, but I do (see above). It's outrageous and unacceptable.
In other news, cows are now going to help me with my aches and pains because I am on hydrolyzed collagen, which is made from cow by-products. I am also starting regular protein shakes and I recommend them to all my friends of a certain age. I bought the chocolate and it's delicious. We'll see how everything improves and if I will start to look 21 again.
In still other news, apparently the Quebec Superior Court is also ignorant of the principle of the separation of church and state because it just ruled that banning the hijab and niqab for women dispensing public services was unconstitutional. Really? How can they not know this is how it's supposed to operate? The public should not know the religion of anyone serving them via taxpayer dollars. Why did everyone apparently miss this concept in grade nine civics? If you invoke this basic democratic principle, the entire argument goes away immediately.
Aside: I just heard one of the World Series play-by-play guys say, "They had began so good." Now that's one for the books! And this guy gets paid how much?!
Canadians are a severely ill-educated lot. And that includes all politicians because I have yet to hear one utter this fact. It would be so much easier if we all understood this. Sad.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Here we go again
I know I am always "off side" on this file, but I read in amazement about the $121 million handed the Lubicon Lake Reserve because this band refused to sign Treaty 8 way back in 1899. Hello, you did it to yourselves! By not signing, your band of 680 didn't get aboard the federal gravy train and all the while, you have been asking for too much money, which is why it took generations to settle.
Oh, and by the way, as an "insignificant" aside, they're also getting millions more for schools, a new hospital, a new recreation centre.......and on.......and on. We've all seen what new facilities do to improve life on remote reserves. Nothing.
With this money, each band member will be cut a cheque for $177,941. Wonder how they'll spend it? Wonder how their lives will be improved. Don't answer, rhetorical questions. The only answer is to get off the reserve and into mainstream society. But they won't.
Oh, and by the way, as an "insignificant" aside, they're also getting millions more for schools, a new hospital, a new recreation centre.......and on.......and on. We've all seen what new facilities do to improve life on remote reserves. Nothing.
With this money, each band member will be cut a cheque for $177,941. Wonder how they'll spend it? Wonder how their lives will be improved. Don't answer, rhetorical questions. The only answer is to get off the reserve and into mainstream society. But they won't.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Stupid hair
Here are two examples of the wrong hair for an old woman and my fav, Chrystia Freeland.
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| This is the Alberta Queen's Bench Chief Justice. Is she kidding!? What a disaster! |
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| So unprofessional and unkempt. |
Monday, October 22, 2018
It is to weep
Had to turn off the CBC a few minutes ago. There was the smug Chrystia Freeland blabbing on about how great she was and how great the new free trade deal was. What else is she going to say? As I have said, we wrote it thirty years ago and she merely tweaked it -- making a huge and unnecessary fuss about it all while she arrogantly smugged her way through the process. As to the press conference, she didn't answer a single question. Just repeated her mantra.
I can't stand the sight of her, for some reason. All that hair-flipping and tick-sniffing is abhorrent. She has no true conceit of herself and that is what is offensive. So, we have the narcissistic twins -- Trudeau and Freeland -- running the country.
Into the ground.
Thirty-six thousand illegal migrants have crossed into Canada from the US in the past year and, judging from the throngs emptying out of Central and South America, thousands more will simply stroll in very shortly. Thank G-d for Trump, is all I can say. Hopefully, he will get very tough and build refugee camps for them before they disappear. People laughed when he said the US needed a wall. Not laughing anymore.
By the way, whatever happened to refugee camps? Oh yea, they morphed into hotels and motels.
I can't stand the sight of her, for some reason. All that hair-flipping and tick-sniffing is abhorrent. She has no true conceit of herself and that is what is offensive. So, we have the narcissistic twins -- Trudeau and Freeland -- running the country.
Into the ground.
Thirty-six thousand illegal migrants have crossed into Canada from the US in the past year and, judging from the throngs emptying out of Central and South America, thousands more will simply stroll in very shortly. Thank G-d for Trump, is all I can say. Hopefully, he will get very tough and build refugee camps for them before they disappear. People laughed when he said the US needed a wall. Not laughing anymore.
By the way, whatever happened to refugee camps? Oh yea, they morphed into hotels and motels.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Another
One of my old boyfriends has died. Kind of shocking when you read the obituary of someone you dated. This guy was gorgeous and charming and we had so much fun the summer we spent at his family cottage near Kazabazua. Everyone presumed we were intimate, but we weren't because he was....ahem...unable. But I didn't care because everything else was perfect. I was working and living in Toronto at the time, so he used to fly me to Ottawa every weekend. Came across a photo of me on his deck in a late sixties, yellow, terrycloth, shorts, jump suit with a hideous zipper up the front and a cigarette in my hand.
Yes, I smoked way back then. Hard to even remember.
In his obit, I learned that he had married and I remember being told by a mutual friend that his new wife was a massage therapist. Well, that may have helped his "ahem" problem and good for both of them.
Dated one other guy who was "ahem" and kept dating him because again, he was so much fun and so charming. Who gives a sh-t about "ahem"?!
I think yesterday was the first anniversary of the "#metoo" bullsh-t and I have to say that men are also subjected to that. In fact, my husband was sexually harassed by five of his superiors that I know of. Extremely good-looking and charming, he turned them down and his career suffered for it. Women are not nice. But when I met B, he was a perfect gentleman -- something which impressed me no end because I was used to being sexually-harassed myself in the workplace. So don't think it's only women.
Yes, I smoked way back then. Hard to even remember.
In his obit, I learned that he had married and I remember being told by a mutual friend that his new wife was a massage therapist. Well, that may have helped his "ahem" problem and good for both of them.
Dated one other guy who was "ahem" and kept dating him because again, he was so much fun and so charming. Who gives a sh-t about "ahem"?!
I think yesterday was the first anniversary of the "#metoo" bullsh-t and I have to say that men are also subjected to that. In fact, my husband was sexually harassed by five of his superiors that I know of. Extremely good-looking and charming, he turned them down and his career suffered for it. Women are not nice. But when I met B, he was a perfect gentleman -- something which impressed me no end because I was used to being sexually-harassed myself in the workplace. So don't think it's only women.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
One good, one bad
Today a couple of things happened: Paul Bernardo was denied parole (good) and pot was legalized (bad).
Ten minutes ago, Bernardo, the sexual sadist and murderer who maniacally took the life of two beautiful young women 25 years ago, was found with a shiv in his possession while incarcerated. OMG! Obviously, he should stay where he is. He actually said in his parole hearing that he did it because he had low self esteem and had trouble with relationships! OMG! OK, so let's just kidnap, torture, rape and kill young women instead of getting help yourself. The worst of it is that his partner in crime, Karla Homolka, has been out raising children of her own for years! (I apologize for all the exclamation points, but nothing else seems adequate.)
As to pot, I am not in favour. I have known too many teenagers who got into big trouble with pot and lost complete control of their lives -- often ending up on the streets and into harder drugs. To be clear, all the experts say it is very damaging to developing brains and causes life-long problems and I can tell you, from what I know, that's true. Whatever happened to sneaking off in your parents' car with a cheap bottle of wine or a case of beer before you were of age? That now seems so innocent and so long ago.
The other problem is that tests on newborns in places where pot is legal show that half of them are born with grotesque levels of THC in their wee systems. That's a crime. All so sad, but we'll see more of that. Their brains are being exposed to the drug while they are developing in utero -- just as my stepdaughter's two were while she smoked during her pregnancies -- and it will be no surprise when they take up smoking or toking when they get older because their neurons are hard-wired to it.
Now, the nonsensical Trudeau is putting through pardons or expungements of those convicted of possession. Why? When they smoked it it was illegal and against the law, so why should they be pardoned now that it's legal? It wasn't when they did it and they knew it.
Anyway, at least Bernardo won't be out wandering the streets.
Ten minutes ago, Bernardo, the sexual sadist and murderer who maniacally took the life of two beautiful young women 25 years ago, was found with a shiv in his possession while incarcerated. OMG! Obviously, he should stay where he is. He actually said in his parole hearing that he did it because he had low self esteem and had trouble with relationships! OMG! OK, so let's just kidnap, torture, rape and kill young women instead of getting help yourself. The worst of it is that his partner in crime, Karla Homolka, has been out raising children of her own for years! (I apologize for all the exclamation points, but nothing else seems adequate.)
As to pot, I am not in favour. I have known too many teenagers who got into big trouble with pot and lost complete control of their lives -- often ending up on the streets and into harder drugs. To be clear, all the experts say it is very damaging to developing brains and causes life-long problems and I can tell you, from what I know, that's true. Whatever happened to sneaking off in your parents' car with a cheap bottle of wine or a case of beer before you were of age? That now seems so innocent and so long ago.
The other problem is that tests on newborns in places where pot is legal show that half of them are born with grotesque levels of THC in their wee systems. That's a crime. All so sad, but we'll see more of that. Their brains are being exposed to the drug while they are developing in utero -- just as my stepdaughter's two were while she smoked during her pregnancies -- and it will be no surprise when they take up smoking or toking when they get older because their neurons are hard-wired to it.
Now, the nonsensical Trudeau is putting through pardons or expungements of those convicted of possession. Why? When they smoked it it was illegal and against the law, so why should they be pardoned now that it's legal? It wasn't when they did it and they knew it.
Anyway, at least Bernardo won't be out wandering the streets.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
His priority is clear
One look at our mayor, Naheed Nenshi, and it`s obvious his priority is eating. Every year he gets bigger which means he must be spending more time scarfing junk food than running this city. Too long in office, he has completely lost sight of the task at hand, i.e., running this city efficiently and within a reasonable budget.
Now to add insult to injury he is determined to host another winter Olympics to the tune of billions. And we only know this because a couple of responsible folks at city hall leaked the true budget -- not the phony figures Nenshi put out. We're up to several billion and guess who will be paying for it? (No need to answer that rhetorical question.)
When first elected, Nenshi was a sensible advocate for the citizens of Calgary; now he believes his own press and has become a megalomaniac. All he wants is to bask in the ceremonies and leave a legacy. Sadly, the legacy will be a severe blow in the wallets of everyone else.
Also sadly, he will probably get re-elected. Again. Because he is ethnic and all the ethnics vote for him en bloc, regardless of whether they are of his ethnicity or another. We're effed.
Now to add insult to injury he is determined to host another winter Olympics to the tune of billions. And we only know this because a couple of responsible folks at city hall leaked the true budget -- not the phony figures Nenshi put out. We're up to several billion and guess who will be paying for it? (No need to answer that rhetorical question.)
When first elected, Nenshi was a sensible advocate for the citizens of Calgary; now he believes his own press and has become a megalomaniac. All he wants is to bask in the ceremonies and leave a legacy. Sadly, the legacy will be a severe blow in the wallets of everyone else.
Also sadly, he will probably get re-elected. Again. Because he is ethnic and all the ethnics vote for him en bloc, regardless of whether they are of his ethnicity or another. We're effed.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
The math
Wish I hadn't done it. Got out the calculator and figured out I've been ripped off to the tune of $209,664 by B's and my ex. My ex was supposed to have paid $450 a month until the kids were 18. That was $89,000 I didn't get. At four percent one-time interest, that would have been $92,664.
So, that was one of the rip offs.
Then, we had to pay his ex $1,000 a month, half of which was out of my pocket, so with legal fees, that worked out to $72,000. Then we squandered $55,000 for B and sometimes me to travel down to Houston for years and the total out of my purse is $219,664. Double that and B and I have thrown $439,328 down the toilet.
What a dope I have been! Little did I know, when I walked into his office in 1980 and met him for the first time, I would be ripped off to this degree. His daughter, Sarah, is the worst offender, having stolen $10 K we sent to her for her children's education. Unforgiveable.
So, we have written a couple of kids out of our wills to save our own financial asses. All I can say is, marry the right person or you're effed. Has no one any shame to have picked our pockets threadbare?!
So, that was one of the rip offs.
Then, we had to pay his ex $1,000 a month, half of which was out of my pocket, so with legal fees, that worked out to $72,000. Then we squandered $55,000 for B and sometimes me to travel down to Houston for years and the total out of my purse is $219,664. Double that and B and I have thrown $439,328 down the toilet.
What a dope I have been! Little did I know, when I walked into his office in 1980 and met him for the first time, I would be ripped off to this degree. His daughter, Sarah, is the worst offender, having stolen $10 K we sent to her for her children's education. Unforgiveable.
So, we have written a couple of kids out of our wills to save our own financial asses. All I can say is, marry the right person or you're effed. Has no one any shame to have picked our pockets threadbare?!
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Here we go again
So, it's back to the drawing board for consultations with the natives on pipelines. When will it ever end?! Listening to Perry Bellegarde on 'Power Play' this afternoon I almost screamed. He actually thinks natives have a veto on pipelines.
They don't. But never mind, Perry, don't bother reading the Constitution Act of 1982 (which my husband helped write), where you might learn something, just barrel ahead with more bullsh-t. The guy is delusional! This new round of talks will add years to getting anything done. As I have said, I don't care how much you "consult" with natives, it will never be enough. What do they want? More. When do they want it? Forever.
He went on about how the natives want in on the progress -- read "money" -- to be made with pipelines, but first we have to talk ourselves to death before anyone digs anything. Notley needs to call on the "notwithstanding clause" to override more consultations, but she won't. She's out the door with a swift kick soon anyway, but the new premier of Quebec is brilliantly going to invoke the clause to make it illegal for public-sector workers to wear religious symbols when they are dealing with the public. This is what "Church and State" is all about; I don't want to know your religion when I access public services. Why no one points this out is beyond me?
I'm so sick of it. Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
They don't. But never mind, Perry, don't bother reading the Constitution Act of 1982 (which my husband helped write), where you might learn something, just barrel ahead with more bullsh-t. The guy is delusional! This new round of talks will add years to getting anything done. As I have said, I don't care how much you "consult" with natives, it will never be enough. What do they want? More. When do they want it? Forever.
He went on about how the natives want in on the progress -- read "money" -- to be made with pipelines, but first we have to talk ourselves to death before anyone digs anything. Notley needs to call on the "notwithstanding clause" to override more consultations, but she won't. She's out the door with a swift kick soon anyway, but the new premier of Quebec is brilliantly going to invoke the clause to make it illegal for public-sector workers to wear religious symbols when they are dealing with the public. This is what "Church and State" is all about; I don't want to know your religion when I access public services. Why no one points this out is beyond me?
I'm so sick of it. Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Bite me Chrystia Freeland
Thirty years ago, I was part of the original Free Trade Agreement task force that wrote the thing in the first place. All Freeland had to do was tweak it and she took waaaaaaay too long to do so.
Back then, it was all business, no showmanship. I was with Customs and Excise and we had work to do. We did it and not much has changed with this new agreement. We didn't want the elephant to roll over on us, so we cooperated and got the deal signed. I am very proud of my role in that exercise. I had to work day and night over Christmas and New Year's in 1988 to meet the January 1st, 1989, deadline.
We did it. Here are a couple of kudos:
Back then, it was all business, no showmanship. I was with Customs and Excise and we had work to do. We did it and not much has changed with this new agreement. We didn't want the elephant to roll over on us, so we cooperated and got the deal signed. I am very proud of my role in that exercise. I had to work day and night over Christmas and New Year's in 1988 to meet the January 1st, 1989, deadline.
We did it. Here are a couple of kudos:
Monday, October 1, 2018
Dumb
Driving around, I cannot figure out why people buy luxury cars that don't look like luxury cars? Remember when a Cadillac looked like a Cadillac? When a Volvo looked like a Volvo, when a BMW looked like a BMW, when a Porsche looked like a Porsche?
Now everything looks like a Ford Explorer.
Took a few pictures of these expensive cross-overs in your average parking lot today and I have no idea why people spend $10 to $20K more for a Ford Explorer "look-alike"?! Just dumb. Here they are in all their inglorious non-splendor:
Now everything looks like a Ford Explorer.
Took a few pictures of these expensive cross-overs in your average parking lot today and I have no idea why people spend $10 to $20K more for a Ford Explorer "look-alike"?! Just dumb. Here they are in all their inglorious non-splendor:
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| A BMW (Ford) |
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| A Porsche (Ford) |
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| A Volvo (Ford) |
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| A Cadillac (Ford) |
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| The real deal: A Ford Explorer |
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| At least this still looks like a Mustang -- albeit not a GT, as we had. |
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