I won't !!
Rather let's deal with my experience in regard to recent purchases of fruits and vegetables.
And just for the record, Governments' claim that inflation hovers around just 2%...it is to laugh.
The other day, my wife and I were shopping at the local Loblaw's Super Store and one of the items our her list was celery. The cost was pushing $8.00 for the sorriest celery you could ever imagine. I said to Anne, you can not be serious in buying such a miserable imitation of the real thing. She was.
It gets worse. Yesterday I went into the local Farm Boy grocery store ostensibly to purchase a bread stick to go with the Boston Clam Chawda I had prepared earlier in the day. Didn't know I had some hidden talents. I found the bread okay at a cost I viewed as expensive but as I say, it got worse.
I thought I would purchase some fruit while there and came across some nectarines. The puniest things you ever did see but I thought what the heck they were sure not to cost too much.
But when I got to the cash with my 4 'silver dollar' sized takings I was literally floored to find out the price for same was 4 1/2 dollars - over a buck ten for each of these miniatures.
It reminded me of a joke I heard years ago where this chap went into a store where he too bought something extravagant like I did ...he paid the clerk the over-sized price and threw in an extra quarter. The clerk ask him what the extra 25 cents was for and he explained, that upon entering their store, he had inadvertently stepped on a grape.
I really do not know how the average consumer can cope these days with the truly outrageous cost of food. Couple this with the high cost of gasoline and you can see why it must be virtually impossible for the average Jill and Joe to make ends meet.
As I See It...
'K.D. Bell'
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Sunday, May 19, 2019
LORD BLACK OF CROSSHARBOUR.
As a rule, I am not impressed with others who continually name-drop ...I view it as showing their insecurity. I will though make an exception in my Blog today, and the exception pertains to my wife Anne and me.
A week and a half ago, we both had dinner with Lord Black ...a most enjoyable affair but also one of the most expensive dinners we ever had the privilege of attending.
The cost though was immaterial since I have always liked Conrad Black and in my opinion and in the opinion of many, many others, Lord Black has a command of the English language that rivals the great Winston Spencer Churchill himself.
I am writing today about Lord Black, not because of the dinner but because mere days later, President Donald Trump called him to offer a Pardon for the inexcusable way in which Black was railroaded into spend 3 years in an American Prison. America by the way has more prisoners per square inch than any other country on earth. Just ask Martha Stewart who too was locked up for ....lying to the cops. Does it get any more serious than that.
Our criminal system has a well deserved reputation for being to lenient...America for being too ruthless. Here in Canada, the prosecution is bound by law to see justice done even if that means letting a defendant off or giving a slap on the wrist where it is truly warranted. Let me go off topic to give you a good example. A farmer appeared in this weekend's papers for having killed his young son who fell off a piece of equipment the father was driving. He has been charged with the very serious offence of criminal negligence causing death. How I ask you can he be charged with anything given that he accepted from the get go that he is responsible for the death of his son and he will have to live with that each and every day of the remainder of his life. Is that not punishment enough? Of course it is.
The US views the judicial system as a challenge - how many convictions can they get and the prosecutors ride to power on the backs of conviction rates well into the 90 percentile. The more the charges are Trumped up...pardon my pun, the happier they are.
That said, I am not going to get into the merits of what took place leading up to the charges against Black since in his own words, 'if you believe he was falsely charged, you need no further proof and if you believe he got his just desserts, no proof to the contrary will convince you otherwise'.
What all of us should though agree upon is that Lord Black took his unjust punishment...like a Man. When in jail and when others in his position would wail and moan about the injustice of it all, or write books telling what a raw deal he got, Black went to work teaching and helping his fellow inmates to enable them to attain their high-school diplomas. What class.
At the time of his sentencing my wife and I wrote to the little guy then in the White House requesting a pardon for Lord Black. We did not even receive the courtesy of a reply. Conversely on the few occasions I have written to President Trump I have always received his reply...one of which can be found in one of my earlier Blogs.
In closing I am simply delighted that the President saw fit to pardon a class act like Lord Black. He most certainly deserved it.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
A week and a half ago, we both had dinner with Lord Black ...a most enjoyable affair but also one of the most expensive dinners we ever had the privilege of attending.
The cost though was immaterial since I have always liked Conrad Black and in my opinion and in the opinion of many, many others, Lord Black has a command of the English language that rivals the great Winston Spencer Churchill himself.
I am writing today about Lord Black, not because of the dinner but because mere days later, President Donald Trump called him to offer a Pardon for the inexcusable way in which Black was railroaded into spend 3 years in an American Prison. America by the way has more prisoners per square inch than any other country on earth. Just ask Martha Stewart who too was locked up for ....lying to the cops. Does it get any more serious than that.
Our criminal system has a well deserved reputation for being to lenient...America for being too ruthless. Here in Canada, the prosecution is bound by law to see justice done even if that means letting a defendant off or giving a slap on the wrist where it is truly warranted. Let me go off topic to give you a good example. A farmer appeared in this weekend's papers for having killed his young son who fell off a piece of equipment the father was driving. He has been charged with the very serious offence of criminal negligence causing death. How I ask you can he be charged with anything given that he accepted from the get go that he is responsible for the death of his son and he will have to live with that each and every day of the remainder of his life. Is that not punishment enough? Of course it is.
The US views the judicial system as a challenge - how many convictions can they get and the prosecutors ride to power on the backs of conviction rates well into the 90 percentile. The more the charges are Trumped up...pardon my pun, the happier they are.
That said, I am not going to get into the merits of what took place leading up to the charges against Black since in his own words, 'if you believe he was falsely charged, you need no further proof and if you believe he got his just desserts, no proof to the contrary will convince you otherwise'.
What all of us should though agree upon is that Lord Black took his unjust punishment...like a Man. When in jail and when others in his position would wail and moan about the injustice of it all, or write books telling what a raw deal he got, Black went to work teaching and helping his fellow inmates to enable them to attain their high-school diplomas. What class.
At the time of his sentencing my wife and I wrote to the little guy then in the White House requesting a pardon for Lord Black. We did not even receive the courtesy of a reply. Conversely on the few occasions I have written to President Trump I have always received his reply...one of which can be found in one of my earlier Blogs.
In closing I am simply delighted that the President saw fit to pardon a class act like Lord Black. He most certainly deserved it.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
Friday, May 17, 2019
ANOTHER DEAD MAN WALKING.
UPDATE: More Dead Men Walking Plus Now ? Women.
Just after I penned the Blog below, I read David Pugliese stellar article on Mark Norman which not only confirms the rightness in my belief that Jonathan Vance is headed for the trash bin of history but so are several other unworthies. This updated list includes the RCMP Commissioner ..the not so.. Brenda Lucki, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan (he should have been dumped eons ago), DND Deputy Minister John Forster, and another woman -former PMO Staffer Zita Astravas. They will be lucky to last until the Election and if they do, will be gone soon thereafter.
NO NOT YOUNG TRUDEAU although his is a dead man walking and he knows it but unless his spineless troops rebel, his demise will have to await October's Election Day.
The latest to join this illustrious club is no other Chief of Defence Jonathan Vance. Even as I write, Vance and Trudeau are sniping at each other ...blaming one another for the Norman debacle.
From the start it was obvious to me that Vance played a leading role in seeing Vice Admiral Norman relieved of his duties while Trudeau worked the judicial system to ensure that he was criminally charged.
What I could not understand was what had Norman done to upset Vance so?
Well of course now it has all come out. Norman took the position that his Navy needed an oil supply ship since they had none. Just imagine his temerity. In particular, he wanted to go with the former Tory Gov't plan to have a ship refitted at the Davy Ship Yards in Quebec.
Vance, for some inexplicable reason, wanted to go out for a 3 year tender for a new vessel - and when I say 3 years ..given DND's track record ..you are talking 10 years and likely by then the whole thing simply collapses.
Do you get the impression that Vance may have a touch of jealousy when it comes to Norman?
Whatever the reason, Vance has put himself in the position that now he too has to go. Indeed, how can Norman come back to work... as the Grits are promising him, and at the same time continue to report to an obvious enemy?
If Vance was smart ...which I question, he would simply walk the plank now rather than be pushed sooner than later. Either way he is going to go.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Xi Jinping has met his match...Donald John Trump...
THEY ARE BOTH NUTS !!!
The current Trade War they have launched against one-another...albeit mostly the Trumper's fault, will severely harm both their countries along with numerous other countries throughout the world.
I am not going to get into it other than to point out that Americans will feel the pain when they go to their local Walmart and find the shirt marked made in China which they could buy pre-trade war for under $10 dollars will now cost them $50 bucks with the only difference being the made in USA tag.
China too will suffer since their massive population will be denied critical things like good safe reliable foodstuffs.
What is surprising in this is that the pain is being caused primarily by a supposed businessman in the Presidency. Who'd a thunk? At least Obama had the excuse of being a left wing academic.
But the Donald's failings do not stop there. Remember his peace in our times talks with the little murderous dictator of North Korea? Today those talks have broken down and missiles are flying out of the Hermit Kingdom...left, right and centre. The Chamberlain Peace Award anyone?
And then there is Venezuela. They are fighting for their very existence all the while Trump has sat back and allowed both Russia and Cuba to fill the void. Things are coming to a head ...thanks to dear Mr. Trump, and any resultant bloodshed will be laid at his size 10 feet. Obama, you will recall made the same mistake in Syria and the Middle East is paying the price for that now.
The only place I can see where Trump is on the mark is his determination to plug the vast flow of illegals through their southern border.
Maybe one for four is not too bad of an average?
As I See It...
'K.D. Bell'
The current Trade War they have launched against one-another...albeit mostly the Trumper's fault, will severely harm both their countries along with numerous other countries throughout the world.
I am not going to get into it other than to point out that Americans will feel the pain when they go to their local Walmart and find the shirt marked made in China which they could buy pre-trade war for under $10 dollars will now cost them $50 bucks with the only difference being the made in USA tag.
China too will suffer since their massive population will be denied critical things like good safe reliable foodstuffs.
What is surprising in this is that the pain is being caused primarily by a supposed businessman in the Presidency. Who'd a thunk? At least Obama had the excuse of being a left wing academic.
But the Donald's failings do not stop there. Remember his peace in our times talks with the little murderous dictator of North Korea? Today those talks have broken down and missiles are flying out of the Hermit Kingdom...left, right and centre. The Chamberlain Peace Award anyone?
And then there is Venezuela. They are fighting for their very existence all the while Trump has sat back and allowed both Russia and Cuba to fill the void. Things are coming to a head ...thanks to dear Mr. Trump, and any resultant bloodshed will be laid at his size 10 feet. Obama, you will recall made the same mistake in Syria and the Middle East is paying the price for that now.
The only place I can see where Trump is on the mark is his determination to plug the vast flow of illegals through their southern border.
Maybe one for four is not too bad of an average?
As I See It...
'K.D. Bell'
Saturday, April 27, 2019
CITY OF OTTAWA DECLARES A CLIMATE EMERGENCY ON APRIL 24, 2019
UPDATE: Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing...the Federal Government now too has indicated it will also Declare a Climate Emergency. Doesn't it know the City of Ottawa has already done this? Does it not know that several other Canadian Cities have also gone this route? Don't the Feds realize we cannot do better than that?
Another waste of time and energy and of course the Taxpayers hard-earned money. KDB
Following is what our city's left wing paper had to say:
Ottawa’s city council voted overwhelmingly to make the declaration as a way to show how serious the municipality is about protecting people from the impacts of climate change.
It was a big win — and a somewhat surprising one — for Coun. Shawn Menard, who first brought the proposal for a climate-emergency declaration to the environment committee last week. On a council that doesn’t care much for making symbolic gestures, Menard managed to push through a motion that won over most of council’s leadership.
For a supposed council that does not like "making symbolic gestures" I cannot think of any other gesture that can be construed more as 'symbolic' (read empty).
This motion came before council this past Wednesday, with only 3 councillors having common sense enough to vote against it. And it is not like this afflicts only Ottawa, since a number of councils throughout Canada are passing similar totally unenforceable and ineffectual motions.
And with it comes costs... in the case of our city - new staff and support to the tune of $250k per year. And watch that number climb dramatically over following years.
Whether you agree with the proposition of there being a Climate Emergency ...or not, I believe like me, you would be of the view that this matter rests at the national and international levels...not with your municipal government which should be focused on fixing pot holes.
The local talk radio had a field day with this subject, first reading on air the gobbledygook, cliche ridden text that only a mother could love. They asked for listeners to call in with actions Ottawa City should now take and they ranged from all Councillors must now ride to work on bicycles, to the closing of our International Airport. It is to cry.
And this leads me to another criticism of local municipal government generally...it is filled with left wingers ...i.e. socialists. Types that have never had to account for a private sector payroll.
And that is probably not surprising since who among us would want the responsibility to their neighbours for water, sewers, bus service and the like. The Left gets the nod by default.
So maybe in their defence it must get pretty mundane dealing with such basic, albeit, important issues.
Why not pretend for a minute that they are on the same level of societies' more senior politicos.
AS I SEE IT,
K.D. BELL
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
I've Been Away....So...
Time for a little update:
First, Alberta's Election today - when the ballots are counted this evening we will see Jason Kenney's Conservative Party cruise to majority status. News-casters, Pundits and the like are trying their best to say it will be a toss up - but they are only seeking ratings. The Dye is Cast.
Second, Donald Trump has made two more critical faux pas: He came out saying he was going to resurrect his attack on Obama Care using the Courts. Not only that, but he plans to await until after the election to introduce his own plan. So he is not only helping the Dems to make health care a bigger election issue than it already is but at the same time is offering zip for Americans to consider in its stead. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb. He also continues to disrupt trade patterns via his totally illogical tariff implementations. How better to destroy the world's commerce ... eventually this will engulf the U.S. along with everyone else. The guy has a death wish.
Third, Young Trudeau continues to shoot himself in the foot. I need not repeat all of his recent blunders but only remind you that His Party is dead in the Water and the only question remaining is whether it will allow him even to run for the Prime Ministership come October. My guess right now is that the odds stand at even but Trudeau is doing his utmost to turn those odds against him. I encourage him to keep up the good work.
Fourth and last - the Tory Opposition Leader until just a few weeks ago had little chance of beating Trudeau - he was bland and really nothing more than a smile in a nice suit. All that changed with YT's recent shenanigans...overnight the electorate is actively looking for bland and Sheer of course has all the relevant qualifications.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
First, Alberta's Election today - when the ballots are counted this evening we will see Jason Kenney's Conservative Party cruise to majority status. News-casters, Pundits and the like are trying their best to say it will be a toss up - but they are only seeking ratings. The Dye is Cast.
Second, Donald Trump has made two more critical faux pas: He came out saying he was going to resurrect his attack on Obama Care using the Courts. Not only that, but he plans to await until after the election to introduce his own plan. So he is not only helping the Dems to make health care a bigger election issue than it already is but at the same time is offering zip for Americans to consider in its stead. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb. He also continues to disrupt trade patterns via his totally illogical tariff implementations. How better to destroy the world's commerce ... eventually this will engulf the U.S. along with everyone else. The guy has a death wish.
Third, Young Trudeau continues to shoot himself in the foot. I need not repeat all of his recent blunders but only remind you that His Party is dead in the Water and the only question remaining is whether it will allow him even to run for the Prime Ministership come October. My guess right now is that the odds stand at even but Trudeau is doing his utmost to turn those odds against him. I encourage him to keep up the good work.
Fourth and last - the Tory Opposition Leader until just a few weeks ago had little chance of beating Trudeau - he was bland and really nothing more than a smile in a nice suit. All that changed with YT's recent shenanigans...overnight the electorate is actively looking for bland and Sheer of course has all the relevant qualifications.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Ford and Hillier...Peas of a Pod ?
Ford as in our relatively new Premier here in the Province of Ontario and as in Hillier, until recently one of Ford Members' of Parliament.
Ford kicked him out ostensibly because he heckled parents of autistic children who were in attendance at a recent assembly of the Legislature.
Hillier denies this saying he was heckling but only members of the New Democratic Party who sit opposite him. Those sitting near Hillier back up his assertion and with regard to the heckling charge, that has been and will continue to be an honoured tradition since Legislative Bodies were first invented.
The President of the Conservative Party added in writing that Hillier was cashiered from the Party...not only because Ford accused him of heckling the parents but also because the guy is a rogue MP who cannot be counted upon to always support their Leader ...a.k..a Doug;as Robert Ford...yes you read that correctly ...Robert.
And as for the assertion that Hillier is A Rogue Tory Member? Was it not just a couple of years back when Premier Doug - then City of Toronto Councillor and his hard Drug using brother - Rob Ford, were the laughing stock of the world. I know...anytime a Canadian says the world is watching Canada, you just know it ain't so...they have their own problems and could not care less about us. But that said, the Ford Boys and their antics were so bad they did in fact make the front pages both within and without Canada.
Ladies and Gentlemen, they were Toronto City Hall's Rogue Legislators at that time and took great pleasure in so being.
And now Ford et al are calling Hillier out for being a Rogue Member. It takes some nerve.
It also triggers on of my pet peeves that being that Democracy is missing in action here in Canada and throughout the World. And here is a classic example, the Constituents of Randy Hillier's Riding - love the guy. He wraps up big majorities in elections he has run since first elected in 2009. He is also the former head of the Ontario Landowners Association ...the guy - like Ford himself is a Populist. Both march to the drum of the people rather than the elites.
I guess the problem comes down to Ford not liking competition.
The other day I was reading an editorial by a columnist I usually agree with ...Brian Lilley. Lilley was waxing eloquent about what a great guy Doug Ford is and how as Premier he has accomplished so much in the little time he has been Premier.
I had to shake my head ...is this the same Doug Ford I have seen bumble from issue to issue?
Lilley even had the temerity to cite Ford's success in repealing the Province's sex-ed curriculum which though true ...is the cause of the problem we face today. In repealing sex-ed, they - the Tories, did not replace it with anything.. ergo the School Boards and the Teachers continue to use the olde Liberal curriculum.
And not just that, the woman who ran against him for Leader - one Tanya Granic Allen ran almost solely to get this curriculum changed since it was teaching kiddies as young a grade three about the birds and bees of all 3 plus sexes. That dear reader - as Granic Allen would attest, belongs with these children's parents.
Granic Allen threw her support behind Ford and to reward her he fired her from the party and would not let her run as a Conservative. Despite Lilley's depiction of this great success - I can tell you that Tanya is sick at heart for what Ford has done.
I could go on but from the above you get the idea that of the two populists, I much prefer Randy Hillier.
As I see It...
K.D. Bell
Ford kicked him out ostensibly because he heckled parents of autistic children who were in attendance at a recent assembly of the Legislature.
Hillier denies this saying he was heckling but only members of the New Democratic Party who sit opposite him. Those sitting near Hillier back up his assertion and with regard to the heckling charge, that has been and will continue to be an honoured tradition since Legislative Bodies were first invented.
The President of the Conservative Party added in writing that Hillier was cashiered from the Party...not only because Ford accused him of heckling the parents but also because the guy is a rogue MP who cannot be counted upon to always support their Leader ...a.k..a Doug;as Robert Ford...yes you read that correctly ...Robert.
And as for the assertion that Hillier is A Rogue Tory Member? Was it not just a couple of years back when Premier Doug - then City of Toronto Councillor and his hard Drug using brother - Rob Ford, were the laughing stock of the world. I know...anytime a Canadian says the world is watching Canada, you just know it ain't so...they have their own problems and could not care less about us. But that said, the Ford Boys and their antics were so bad they did in fact make the front pages both within and without Canada.
Ladies and Gentlemen, they were Toronto City Hall's Rogue Legislators at that time and took great pleasure in so being.
And now Ford et al are calling Hillier out for being a Rogue Member. It takes some nerve.
It also triggers on of my pet peeves that being that Democracy is missing in action here in Canada and throughout the World. And here is a classic example, the Constituents of Randy Hillier's Riding - love the guy. He wraps up big majorities in elections he has run since first elected in 2009. He is also the former head of the Ontario Landowners Association ...the guy - like Ford himself is a Populist. Both march to the drum of the people rather than the elites.
I guess the problem comes down to Ford not liking competition.
The other day I was reading an editorial by a columnist I usually agree with ...Brian Lilley. Lilley was waxing eloquent about what a great guy Doug Ford is and how as Premier he has accomplished so much in the little time he has been Premier.
I had to shake my head ...is this the same Doug Ford I have seen bumble from issue to issue?
Lilley even had the temerity to cite Ford's success in repealing the Province's sex-ed curriculum which though true ...is the cause of the problem we face today. In repealing sex-ed, they - the Tories, did not replace it with anything.. ergo the School Boards and the Teachers continue to use the olde Liberal curriculum.
And not just that, the woman who ran against him for Leader - one Tanya Granic Allen ran almost solely to get this curriculum changed since it was teaching kiddies as young a grade three about the birds and bees of all 3 plus sexes. That dear reader - as Granic Allen would attest, belongs with these children's parents.
Granic Allen threw her support behind Ford and to reward her he fired her from the party and would not let her run as a Conservative. Despite Lilley's depiction of this great success - I can tell you that Tanya is sick at heart for what Ford has done.
I could go on but from the above you get the idea that of the two populists, I much prefer Randy Hillier.
As I see It...
K.D. Bell
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