Candid Conversations Pick - My Movmember Page

Movember is upon us.  The annual event to support Men's health and cancer prevention specifically prostate cancer is off and running.  Besides the physical there is the mental health aspect as well. The prevention of suicide amongst men is important.

I was asked to jump into the Movember band wagon by a colleague at work who has been touched by cancer, he has been cancer free for 10 years.  I also have a brother in law who has been touched by cancer as well.  In fact a number of my family have been.  My grandmother namely, was felled by cancer in the 80s.  What got me into this though was the mental health aspect.  Men generally like to think they are tough and can handle things on their own.  Which can lead to some bad outcomes re mental health.  

Back in the 90s I was foolish got involved with a lady I should never have gone near and it took me a long time to get mentally well again.  About 2 to 5 years.  This included engaging with a mental health professional to get sorted out.  That was after nearly jumping in front of  a train.  So yes it's important to support causes like Movember.  This year I joined and am for Movember I am setting a goal of 200 dollars.  I would love it if readers would drop into the site and drop some coin into the donation box so to speak.  

So with that click over to my Movember Page and thanks in advance for the support.

Candid Comment - Traveling While Disabled - It's Up To You To Plan!!

Recently Air Canada had to admit that they goofed when it came to dealing with a passenger who is blind.  Dana Wainwright, a Canadian who lives in the U.S. was not allowed to bring her service dog on to the flight home from Toronto to Minnesota.  Her return home was altered, she had to take a train car and then plane home, cost 2000 dollars and a whole lot of ooooo I am not happy with Air Canada.

To be fair the airline does make it clear that persons with service animals must register before the flight. That is on Ms. Wainwright, she should have known that as it was pointed out to her on the inbound leg of her journey into Toronto on AIR CANADA.  Being good sports they allowed the dog to board with her.  That said on the trip home that did not happen.  So where is the fault for Air Canada.  The way they handled it.  The biggest being not wanting to speak with Ms. Wainwright, but with her daughter.  Woah, not cool not cool at all.  They could have also made a second exception to allow the dog on and provided polite but, firm clear instructions, that in future the dog must be registered.  So in reality here both are at fault.  Ms. Wainwright should  have called to check before the flights to ensure the dog would be allowed on board and Air Canada staff should have been more respectful.

I have travelled on planes trains and buses myself.  Locally I am on a bus everyday.  I am aware of the rules for the system I am on, and or I try to be aware of them.

For example:

HSR the local bus company here in Hamilton allows me to ride fare free.  BUT, I have to show proof that I am allowed to do so and that means showing my CNIB card.

GO Transit allows me to ride on on one fare and have a person as guide. If I choose not to have a guide guess what, I pay for the ride.

Toronto TTC allows free travel, but you need two cards, one is the CNIB and the other a special pass that is issued by TTC.  Now a lot of times the staff will allow for a person to go through, like me without the pass from TTC, they know a tourist may come through, or a patron is from another city.  OK but, I have been stopped and yes told I have to pay, and so I did.

In Quebec the CNIB card is NOT recognized so I have to pay for the trips.

On VIA I pay one fare for 2 people.

You see the trend right.  Now to be fair here Ms. Wainwright is not registered with CNIB and that makes things tougher for her in  Canada as a whole. That is where the gap lies.  For now it would probably be wise for her to call ahead and check before traveling.

As for the agencies.  Sure some disabled people are grumpy and not so nice.  Ugh I am so sad to know that this is a thing.  As I work in the service industry and deal with rudeness each day.  But, the job still requires tact and respect as well as integrity and being aware that the situation may require a bit of thinking outside of the box.  I applaud Air Canada for apologizing, that shows that they are listening and want to do better.  

An informed person is going to make better decisions about anything including travel.  Air Canada has staff who can help people with disabilities travel.  It's the Medical Desk team that provides info on hat to expect and what is and is not allowed on a flight.  Westjet and other carriers like them and Air Canada have specific guidelines and it's up to you not them to plan for the trip, whether you are disabled or not.

Candid Conversations - Zoomed In With Dan Henk

I contacted and spoke with Dan Hen, tattoo artist, painter and author / blogger.  It was a fascinating conversation about his work and how tattoos actually work.  It was a surprising and genuinely very interesting conversation.

Here are some cool links along wit the video that explain our interview.  I have never gotten a tattoo, but now know what to expect when if ever I decide to get one, which probably is most unlikely.

If you know someone you want me to do an interview with, or want to do an interview via email or Zoom write to me at: candidconversations@hotmail.com and I will get back to you ASAP.

Speculative Fiction is a broad category of work that encompasses a wide variety of work.

Horror
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Superhero

Theses are just a few of the kinds of genres that are covered.

Check out the Wikipedia link for more info on Speculative Fiction.
 

H. P. Lovecraft 1890 – 1937

An American writer of Weird Science, horror and Science Fiction.

Works include:

The Book
The Evil Clergyman
The Thing on the Doorstep
He

Complete Bibliography via Wikipedia.

Japan has a longstanding taboo against tattoos, which remain associated with organized crime. Many beaches, hot springs resorts and gyms do not admit people with tattoos. Companies often expressly prohibit applicants who are inked.Apr 23, 2022 New York Times.

Earth Web has an article that dives into the statics related to tattoos in America.

Candid Comment Video Edition - The Q'Anon Queen of Canada (updated)

Romana Didulo,  is the focus of this comment.  The self proclaimed Queen of Canada has created quite a stir in Canada and is causing a whole lot of headaches for families and officials across the country.  So what should be done to intervene before someone gets killed?

Just to give you a bit of insight, Romana Didulo is a Filipino immigrant who arrived in Canada at age 15.  As an adult she has attempted a few business ventures which have not been very successful.  Eventually diving into the Q'Anon world where we find her today.  She developed her brand calling herself the Queen of Canada, she is anything but a Queen.  

In fact she is more or less a con artist who has duped people into foregoing paying loans for homes, cars and other bills.  It has been reported that followers of this bizzare woman have had homes foreclosed on, property repossessed and utilities switched off for non payment.  She has made death threats, and left people stuck in rural parts of the Maritimes. The most dangerous off all the stunts pulled by followers, an attempted arrest of police officers in Petorborough ON.  

Listed below are key resources linked to this story and video comment.

Queen of Canada: the rapid rise of a fringe QAnon figure sounds alarm.  Article from the Guardian August 2022.

Front Burner Episode. September 2 2022.

Articles from Vice about Romana Didulo.

Wikipedia Romana Didulo.

Canada's House of Commons and how it is structured.  Also of note is our levels of government.  And lastly the judicial systems in Canada. 

Police officers are sworn to protect and uphold Canadian federal, provincial and municipal laws.  As such they are guided by the laws of the land including those governing them.  Yes it is legal to arrest someone in Canada, known as a Citizens Arrest, this part of the law allows under certain guidelines for the temporary detainment of a person.  NOTE you should never do this unless you are sure it is safe to do so and also legal.  NEVER EVER attempt to arrest a police officer.  You will be arrested and could get injured or killed trying that.  You should report misconduct by an officer to their department and the various policing oversight agencies.

Canadian Mental Health Association.  Need help for yourself or member of your family who has become a member of Dudulo's cult, you can do so starting here.  There are other resources you can seek out including financial assistance.  You can find them quite easily via Google.

Update March 24th 2023

YouTube declared the video commentary to be in violation of it's policy.  This is most likely due to a frivolous complaint, probably by some Q'Anon supporter.  Because of this I have removed the content from YouTube and also from this site.  

Candid Pick - Defonic

   

Most people like to dive into sites to get information, see the latest trends and do some things like connecting with friends.  Some like to visit a site that caters to just goofing off and others like finding and seeing how they can get things done or have a more simplified life.  

A lot of people use sound as a means to relax themselves.  Apps like Calm help people wind down and get ready for bed.  Another site out that does this and possibly other activities is Defonic.  

The idea is to create soundscapes that create a more positive vibe so one can relax and and feel ready to do a task, keep calm or simply just get some much needed rest.  It's an interesting site.  You can see and hear what you can create and they do have a premium service along with a program for PC.

Check them out at  https://defonic.com/ 

Candid Comment - Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth the II has died. The queen died yesterday at Balmoral Castle surrounded by her family at the age of 96. The queen was not just a monarch and head of state, she was a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. A woman who publicly held a nation together in the best and not so best of times as well as the states she was head of. In private a funny and engaging character who had a witty side and was very good a throwing a quip on the fly. She was indeed very dynamic and very skilled in the art of diplomacy, though technically she had to be neutral she could and did influence governments.

Personally I never have met any of the royals and I will be honest am not a devotee of the royal family. I do have an opinion about them, but now is not the time to share that. Now is the time to reflect on a life of service well lived and one that made this woman Elizabeth the II Queen of Canada and other nations as well as Britain one of the most beloved people in the world. I along with millions of others across the globe want to extend condolences to the royal family at he enormous loss they have to face and to the British people who have lost their beloved queen. I hope in the coming days that her death will unite the country and indeed the world, and show the world that there are truly decent people who are willing to give their life and time in service to others.

I know some will read this and go gah that family etc. Yes they had and do still have faults but, I have come to understand this one thing. That the royal family in many ways is like any family. They have days when they just get it wrong but overall they are still a family and I do think they do love one another. And just like any other family, and there are lots of them out there today who are facing the loss of a loved one, like those of the James Smith Cree Nation. They are in mourning and the best we can do is to be kind and reach out with a caring word to let them know they are not alone. So with that I close and thank the royals for their service and wish them peace love and healing.

Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth,  Long the King, Charles the III.

Candid Comment - Video Edition - Lisa Laflamme Dismissal

The the storm surrounding the dismissal of Lisa Lflamme is not going away.  Bell has begun to push back on the narrative that has been out there for at least 2 weeks that her age was the reason for the dismissal.  Citing business decisions as the reason and stating that they do not intend to comment much further on the matter has only fueled the anger over how Bell did the deed.  There have been hundreds of people let go from jobs in media, radio and TV is not what it used to be and frankly speaking it's blogs like this one and YouTube channels like the one I have that people view to get news more often than from radio and TV.  Though it must be said that TV and Radio outlets still out match bloggers and YouTubers.  The point is the audience is fragmented.  And there is a case somewhat for the decision to let Lisa go.  The problem is how it was done and also what is left.  The speculation has caused Bell to lose the PR battle and the narrative and for Omar Sachedina who took the job it's not a blessing but a curse.  Should he have taken the role, NO.  I explain why in my commentary on this affair.  And I outline what I think Bell needs to do to fix this.  I will agree that to an extent Lisa made some errors as well, but overall....his is on Bell.