A despondent By-Law Boy, Let Down by The Healthcare System, Abandons Law & Order

By-Law Boy Hands In His "B" to a Grateful Mayor

Hannah and Her Sister Whine About Cartoon Portraits

Pete the Budgie

A Budgie Named Pete

KJ was on my boat Saturday. KJ, a confirmed lifelong bachelor, became engaged a few weeks ago. He recently moved in with his girlfriend in Parkdale. Disturbingly KJ has all but abandoned his cat at his condo in Midtown. While sitting on the boat KJ confessed that he had not fed his cat since the previous Tuesday. Though he did say that he left extra food for the critter. He was looking for a responsible person to take ownership of the cat. His girlfriend, while tolerant of KJ's eccentricities, was less fond of the kitten.  

While I have no intention of taking in the cat I was reminded of an even less responsible pet owner. For her own safety I'm going to employ a pseudonym in place of her real name. Let's call her Maria Hernandez, an attractive South American lady, with a much younger sister named Hanna. Maria and Hanna had a budgie named Pete. The usually chirpy Pete became silent over the course of a couple of weeks. The normally flighty Pete never left his perch, which eventually drew the attention of the equally flighty girls. After close observation and gentle poking of Pete with a stick, it became apparent that Petey had passed away. He died rather painfully of starvation and neglect. 

Our Maria who is an otherwise hardworking, studious lady of impeccable Colombian stock and saintly parents, has a dubious record of animal ownership. She has raised constrictor snakes and other venomous creatures. I recall a time when she lost one of her snakes for two weeks. When I suggested that a monkey would be an ideal pet, Maria volunteered that she would be a responsible monkey babysitter. I'm not sure I will buy a monkey, but I'm certain that if I did I would not subject the monkey to any prolonged stay with Maria. It would be traumatic if I returned from vacation only to find that "Little Jimmy" was deprived of basic daily sustenance by a distracted Maria, worried only about her own petty extravagances and excessive grooming.

Let's just say that some people are not ideal pet owners. I would put Maria and KJ in that category. 

Spent Saturday On the Water

I spent Saturday waiting out the early afternoon rain in the cabin area of my boat with Matt and Lauren. With the addition of Gareth and KJ we hit the water in late afternoon. We got in a few hours of quality boating. We had our first at anchor BBQ. I took the photo below of one of the Tall Ships in town as it emerged from the mist.

With the birthday gift certificate in hand I will purchase a boat stereo system. Looking forward to that upgrade to the boat. I have also retained my new neighbour at the marina to detail the interior of the boat.

Things are coming together. I have also been informed of a new potential anchor area away from the gay nude beach which has always been an awkward destination, "not that there is anything wrong with that."

Tall Ship From My Boat

Bob Rae Mayor of Toronto

You read it here first, Bob Rae will run for mayor of Toronto.
You have to know this about Bob Rae he has a massive ego. Despite being the worst premier in democratic world history, he felt he was qualified to be Prime Minister. He had no chance of defeating Trudeau for the Liberal leadership so he dropped out of contention. Bob Rae will not be satisfied conducting aboriginal mediations. He wants to be the leader of something. Enter the City of Toronto. He cant stand the old NDP guard of Layton-Chow. He will want to block Olivia Chow from being mayor.

Toronto meet your next Mayor, Bob Rae.

Started Day on Lake Ontario Ended with Canada v. Ireland Rugby

Toronto Sun Hypocrisy

Michael Coren the hyper-conservative columnist for the Toronto Sun calls out the Toronto Star and CBC for failing to report on the failings of the McGuinty Liberals. Complete hypocrisy from the official Conservative Party mouth organ. The Star broke almost all of the Ontario Liberal party scandals from ORNGE to Gas Plants, while The Sun mostly held their tongue when their lobbyist Mike Duffy routinely lied on his multiple expense claims. When Duffy was The story across Canada you could scarcely know it reading the The Sun. When Harper had likely the worst month of his weak government's history The Sun focused on the provincial Liberals. The Sun also defended Mayor Ford throughout the past two months of endless scandals.

I would hold the the pro Liberal Toronto Star's integrity against the tabloid Toronto Sun any day of the week. Both papers are not afraid of letting everyone know their party allegiances, The Star actually breaks stories against all governments regardless of their political party.

Fitness Tracker & Dalton McGuinty & Senators

I have a FitBit Tracker device for keeping track of my daily steps. I have been doing fairly well of late. My first full day in my 50's I completed over 21,000 steps or 10+ miles. I accomplished that by walking to and from work plus I walked to and from my boat. Yesterday I completed 18,000 steps. They say you should strive to complete at least 10,000 steps.

It was not an auspicious end of Dalton McGuinty's political career. He snuck out the back door and resigned his seat in the Ontario Legislature. His legacy will be forever be tainted by the criminal gas plant fiasco, where he cost the taxpayers $700M plus to save a couple of seats for one election cycle. The latest revelation is that his office erased emails related to the decision. Rather than man up and answer questions about the deal, McGuinty took the cowards way out. Gutless until the very end.

If I lie on a single expense form at my company I can be fired. There are no excuses, there are no exceptions. Confusion of the rules is not a defence. Duffy, Harb, Wallin and others should be fired and sent packing from the Senate. We know in Canada that they will never be fired. They will collect fat pensions and live out their lives on the public teat. Dishonourable, entitled to the bitter end.

Had my 50th Birthday Party on Weekend

I turn 50 in a couple of hours. Fraser & Michele Kidd organised a well attended birthday party on the weekend at Brazen Head Irish Pub. We had a large turnout. The entire Henriquez family decorated the room and supplied the cake. Aida, Edgar, Mariana and Ana Maria spent  hours decorating and I very much appreciate their efforts. Fraser and Michele put in a huge number of hours inviting people and organising the party. We had guests from Vancouver and Saskatoon as well as all over Ontario. It was a great event and it took me all day Sunday to recover.

I Think We're Done!

I would like to thank fellow Hammer Mountain native Paul Bereza for risking life and limb, in a literal sense, to assist me in boat parking training. Paul took out personal time to help me figure out how to park The Beast.

We are at the point where further specific training is no longer beneficial. We had 3 successful landings last night. Are we perfect? Far from it. But we have a  plan and can execute it without injury to property, or limb. Future landings will be on occasion eventful, but we can correct mistakes in progress.

I believe we are good to go. I believe you can attend The Beast without worry about injury to your person, or property.

Let the fun times begin!

Boating Last Weekend

The Bond Construction

I Don't Understand!

I don't understand why deeply religious people believe we need religion in order to prevent chaos, anarchy in the streets? They fear that without religion and the fear of hell that people will act in an immoral way. The only reason people are good is to appease God. If anything that position makes me wonder about their behaviour, which is motivated by selfish interests rather than common decency and respect for others.

I did not know that by agreeing to the implementation of the HST that the Ontario government gave up the right to raise, or lower the tax. That seems to be what Jim Flaherty is saying.

I don't understand right-wingers position on transit. I know they want subways but they don't want to raise revenues to pay for them. I don't know how they resolve this issue? Flaherty wont allow Ontario to raise the HST but will not give the city any more funds for transit. Ford wont raise any revenues and yet wants to build subways. The province has a $13B deficit and can't afford to pay anymore for transit.
What is the right-wing solution?  Do you cut hospitals and education funding like Mike Harris? The same Harris that filled in the tunnel for the Eglinton subway and sold Hwy. 407 for a song.

I don't understand why Premier Wynne would threaten to intervene in the Mayor Ford crisis. At least Ford has a mandate to govern from the voters and did not participate in the criminal gas plant fiasco.

I don't understand why the Senate Committee is holding a closed door investigation into the imperious Pamela Wallin's expenses. The same Senate committee that whitewashed the original Duffy investigation. If you listen to Harper he has written off Duffy but he is holding out for the potential redemption of Wallin. Harper appointed Duffy and Wallin to the Senate so that they  could campaign full-time in rural Canada on the taxpayers dime. They are what passes off as celebrities in this country. Celebrities with massive egos and a sense of entitlement that would make Donald Trump blush.

I don't understand why media celebrities in Canada believe they are entitled to taxpayer funded government appointments at the end of their career. Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy are only two examples. Even Peter Mansbridge's salary is paid by the taxpayer. Adrienne Clarkson reportedly demanded that PM Chretien appoint her as head of the CBC, or as Governor General. Demanded, as if she was entitled to the job for service to country.