IS BEING TOO PHYSICALLY FIT A HAZARD?

IS BEING TOO PHYSICALLY FIT A HAZARD?

We are living during a time that places an ever increasing emphasis on physical fitness and healthy eating. We should exercise more, belong to a gym, walk or run regularly, and watch our diets. Count calories and minimize carbs, avoid alcohol and drugs, and make healthy life style decisions. Those are truly noble goals, but I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings. Extreme physical fitness is not a good idea and I have the proof to support my claim!

There are currently thirty big league baseball teams each with a 25 player roster, for a total of 750 big league players. At any given time, these finely tuned athletes, whose livelihood depends upon their fitness, can be injured with a wide variety of broken bones, strained muscles and assorted elbow, knee, foot and hand issues. Fascinating fact #1 - so far in 2019, there have been 195 players placed on the Injured List because they are unable to play. Each team today averages about 6 players who are injured.(Fact #2)

So far in 2019 these 195 injured players have missed a total of 3744 days of work(?) (Fact #3). Since they are payed much more lucratively than my teacher friends, the number of dollars that have been paid to injured players thus far in terms of salary has been 87.8 MILLION dollars U.S. Now that is one boat load of money to pay for non performance. 

I always marvel at the number of injured players in baseball. Baseball players are all very physically fit, work out year round, have personal trainers and top notch equipment and yet seen to be more vulnerable to injury than ever. There are currently, 27 players recovering from Tommy John surgery ( Fact #4) where a healthy tendon extracted from an arm (or sometimes a leg) is used to replace an arm's torn ligament. Recovery from this surgery usually takes one to one and half years. Add to that numerous players who are disabled because of abdominal or lateral muscle strains that require lengthy treatment.

In days of yore, when I was a kid, physically fit players were more the exception than the rule. Babe Ruth was visibly overweight and had an appetite for rich food and lots of beer. Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, key members of famous Yankee teams, were just as famous for their nightlife antics as their baseball skills. None of them were ever placed on the Injured List. 

It seems like many of today’s players are on the Injured List because they are too physically fit!  Old time players did not have abdominal muscles to strain, they only had a well maintained layer of baby fat. They didn’t hurt themselves because they didn’t overexert themselves diving for a ball or running into a fence in order to make a catch. If they had a sore leg they ran it off; if they had a stiff muscle they rubbed it with Tiger Balm. They played with hang nails, migraines and broken fingers. They scoffed at the Injured List: they loved playing the game.

Perhaps it is time today’s baseball players started to have more fun by skipping their daily workouts and eating more KFC or MacDonald Happy Meals. “Drink more, Exercise less” should become their motto! Having six pack abs, and calves and biceps of steel can only lead to trouble! I have certainly made it my life’s work not to develop these injury prone body parts! Now pass the nachos!

DID KATE SMITH REALLY DO SOMETHING WRONG?

DID KATE SMITH REALLY DO SOMETHING WRONG?

Our world seems to be paranoid about comments by anyone that are racist, homophobic, or bigoted. Stories dealing with these sensitive perspectives seem to be injected into every newscast in a regular fashion. Most people believe that these behaviours are destructive and harmful, and the perpetrators should be admonished and punished. I would be a fool not to agree, but I also wonder about the most recent example that has made the news. 

Singer Kate Smith’s rendition of God Bless America was considered so beautiful and respectful that it was performed for years at all of the home games of the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Yankees, until recently. It was disclosed last week that two of the songs from the 1930s heyday of the Virginia-born Ms. Smith, who died in 1986 at age 79, contained racist imagery -- even in their title: 1931’s "That's Why Darkies Were Born" and 1933's "Pickaninny Heaven. Consequently, for 80 year old songs that are deemed inappropriate today, Ms Smith’s reputation has been called into question. Neither sport’s team will use her version of God Bless America anymore, and in fact, a statue that Philadelphia erected in her honour in 1987 has been torn down.

Accepted behaviours and practises that occurred in the past in many areas of society are now considered racist or prejudicial by today’s social and moral code. The songs in question are not appropriate today, but Ms Smith recorded them during a different era and time. 

Some other inappropriate comments have been attributed to a number of other well know people:

• Actor Mel Gibson, in July 2006 was recorded making anti-Semitic remarks to a policeman during a drunk-driving arrest in Malibu. “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world!” he explained. He has been subsequently blacklisted in Hollywood!
• Paula Dean, a television chef was fired by the Food Network after she admitted to using the "n" word and was accused by a former employee of racial harassment!
• Actor Liam Neeson admitted that he once "roamed the streets" in pursuit of the "black bastard" who assaulted someone very close to him, even though he had no idea who the man actually was. HIs reputation has certainly been tarnished.
• Milwaukee baseball pitcher, Josh Hader, at the juvenile age of 17, tweeted hateful remarks that included, “White power lol, and I hate gays.” He was admonished by his team and fans in general.
• Comedian Kevin Hart stepped down from hosting this year’s Oscars because of a number of his old tweets that used homophobic language ten years earlier. 

I can agree that the above five examples of conduct are unacceptable. In effect, the guilty have been appropriately “punished” either by losing a job or creating a tarnished image of themselves. But I still maintain that Kate Smith did not do anything wrong. She was not admonished nor prevented from performing the questionable songs 80 years ago, so why do we need to judge her by today’s standards? It’s wrong! If Kate is guilty of racism, then all of the work of Al Jolson that he did in black face, needs to be stricken from the movie and record archives as if it never happened. Destroying the past, does not change the present. 

Perhaps, instead of jumping with both feet on any comment we feel is racist or homophobic or prejudiced, we need to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident with a little more tolerance and understanding! How’s that for a novel idea?

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ME THIS EXCITED?

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ME THIS EXCITED?

Anyone who knows me, also knows that I rarely get excited about anything! Well, if you had been at London Drugs today you would have wondered who the nut bar was that was taking a photo of a kitchen appliance and bouncing with excitement. I will confess - it was me. I encountered one of the most unique and thrilling new kitchen small appliances that I have ever seen. It will revolutionize kitchens everywhere!

There are a number of recent developments in the area of kitchen aids and appliances that I am already enamoured with. I love the electric knife for carving turkeys and roasts, electric wine bottle openers, and electric woks. They all make some tough jobs much easier. I really enjoy the Air Fryer that uses air rather than hot oil to “fry” food and how can you beat a George Foreman grill for healthier cooking. But none of my favourites can match the joy provided by my latest find. 

My new appliance was made in Japan by the Fukijuromorosomething company or one of it’s affiliates. If the Japanese made it, you know that it is well engineered and reliable. It is about the size of my Air Fryer and is sleek and modern. It is called the Panorama Window Micom Water Boiler and Warmer. Unbelievably, it boils and warms water! 

But not just boils and warms water. It has many outstanding special features including:

-it can warm the water to not two, not three, but four desired temperatures. Can you believe it?

-when it reaches the desired temperature, it will keep it there. Astounding!

-it has a safety switch that will prevent it from boiling dry. The Japanese think of everything!

-it has an easy-to-clean nonstick interior. I didn’t think water could stick, but who am to not appreciate the new technology!

-a digital window displays the actual water temperature at all times. I am gobsmacked!

-finally, a panorama window shows you the water level inside. Amazing!

And now for the best part of all. They are practically giving the Water Boiler and Heater away for the ridiculously low price of $219.99, reduced from the original price of $249.99

Without a doubt, you can now understand the reason for my exuberance and excitement. Just think, the next time I want to boil water I can just fill my new appliance, set the temperature to 98 degrees C and sit back and wait. Say good bye to your old fashion kettle and hello to the Panorama Window Micom Water Boiler and Warmer. Life just doesn’t get any better than this! Wahoo!

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO START EVERY DAY WITH A SMILE?

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO START EVERY DAY WITH A SMILE?

I have been blessed with a daily injection of joy that I doubt many others experience. I have a MacBook Pro computer that is home to over 14,000 photos that I have taken over the past twenty years. These pictures appear on my home page at random and change every minute. When my computer is unattended for a moment, the photos float across my screen, changing every five seconds. They are like a mini slide show of my life’s significant events over the years and it brings much joy to my daily computer time. 

I actually spend a fair bit of time just watching the “movie”. Photos of my grandchildren’s growth and changing faces always brings a smile to my face tracing their changes from infancy to their teen years. I daily revisit so many interesting world sites that we have been blessed to have explored over the years. In a half a minute, I can recapture a glimpse of our treehouse home in Istanbul, followed by a boat trip in the Mediterranean, the view of Machu Picchu in Peru or a Buddhist temple in Bangkok. When I get a random photo mixture of grandchildren, exotic locations, family celebrations or scenic vistas all in a matter of seconds, how can my day not start with a smile?

My computer photo album is a tremendous improvement over the dozens of photo albums, which contain photos that were taken before the digital photography revolution, that are now stored in the basement. I seldom dig them out and as a result my photo collection on the computer has become my default photo album. Despite a slowly eroding memory on other matters, I never fail to identify the location or circumstances of any of my computer photos. I think that is quite amazing. 

Electronic picture frames are also available that can be loaded with your digital photos and they will also reveal a host of your photos on a timer basis. Loading the photos can be a hassle and then you see the same grouping of pictures over and over, so I do not use that electronic album anymore either. It is pretty hard to compare to my 14,000 photo revolving slide show on my morning computer visit. I love it! If your computer does not provide you with a magic slide show, buy a MacBook Pro!

ARE SWEDES LOONIER THAN CANADIANS?

ARE SWEDES LOONIER THAN CANADIANS?

Recently, Gothenburg Sweden held a competition to develop a public art project to decorate two new railroad stations that are being built. In recent years, Calgary has been blessed with a number of public art projects that have raised storms of protest and public ridicule. A large blue 17 meter wide blue metal ring called Travelling Light and costing $471,000 is located at 96 Ave NE and has drawn unrelenting criticism. Another project, The Bowfort Road Blackfoot Project consists of numerous sets of metal columns which support layers of rundle rock stones along the TransCanada Highway, that costs another $500,000. Well, these two highly criticized local art projects can’t hold a candle to the two winners in the Swedish competition. 

The winner at the Haga Station is called the Rainbow Snake. The proposal consists of a 318-meters-long snake skeleton whose curved shape meanders through the whole station traversing the layers of the earth, over- and underground, at a park above the ground, across the entrances, through the halls and the platforms. The skeleton’s vertebrae connect the station’s underground platforms with the ground level, where the skull of the snake emerges at the station’s entrance. While some parts of the gigantic body can be seen on the park outdoors, most of it lies underground, suspended over the train platforms. In the subterranean sections, the surfaces of the bone formations create an iridescent effect and reflect the light in rainbow colours. How would you like to share your travels with a snake skeleton every day? 

The winning entry at the second station is even more mind boggling. Entitled “Eternal Employment” this artistic project is not really an art project in the usual sense at all. It will pay someone about $2,280 a month to do whatever their heart desires.The successful candidate will be required to clock in and out every day at the new Korsvägen train station in Gothenburg, Sweden. Other than that, the position has no set responsibilities or duties. The employee will have free rein to move around -- and they won't even need to stay in the station once they've checked in for work, as long as they return at the end of the day. Of course this explanation of an “art project” made no sense to me whatsoever.

The winning artist explained the project thus: The train station will offer a changing room for its new employee, and a clock used to check in and out of work. The clock will be connected to fluorescent lights above the platform. These "working lights," which will be designed to resemble archetypical office lights, will signal whenever the employee is "at work," according to the artists' proposal. "Although almost invisible at first, over time 'Eternal Employment' has the potential to amass a rich history of rumours, jokes, news stories and other secondary mediation, making its way into the oral history of Gothenburg.” If that makes any sense to any of you, please explain it to me!

So, the next time you drive by the Big Blue Circle or the Rocks on a Stick art projects in Calgary, count your blessings. You could have to share your train station with a snake skeleton or try to figure out why the government is paying someone to do nothing besides turn on the lights in the train station! And then have the nerve to call it art!

CAN YOU HANDLE “GENTLE REMINDERS”?

CAN YOU HANDLE “GENTLE REMINDERS”?

Some days it is easier to “borrow” an idea for a blog from someone else, rather than create one myself. Earlier, I wrote a blog suggesting that the rules of conduct for students in schools should be posted like the rules for good sportsmanship that are posted in our local soccer facilities. It appears a “soul-mind” similar to mine, exists in Portugal. A school in that country has posted the following Rules for Parents to Remember. I certainly thought that it was well worth borrowing. Their sign read:

“Dear parents,

1. We would like to remind you that magic words such as hello, please, you’re welcome, I’m sorry, and thank you, all begin to be learned at home

2. It’s also at home that children learn to be honest, to be on time, diligent, show friends their sympathy, as well as show utmost respect for their elders and all teachers.

3. Home is where they learn to be clean, not talk with their mouths full, and how/where to properly dispose of garbage.

4. Home is also where they learn to be organized, to take good care of their belongings, and that it’s not ok to touch others.

5. Here at school, on the other hand, we teach language, math, history, geography, physics, sciences, and physical education. We only reinforce the education that children receive at home from their parents.”( the bold face is my enhancement)

I am sure if the above were posted in our schools it would generate a lot of discussion and reaction from parents. And I am not sure that all of it would be positive! Most parents probably think that they are already teaching their children the above good manners and habits, but many teachers would challenge that notion through their daily observations. Some parents might object to being lectured or talked down to and it might stir up more objections than acceptance. 

Although most of us do not like to be told what we should do, (including myself) sometimes a gentle reminder of some very basic principles and values is a good idea. It might just make us stop for a moment of reflection in our busy schedules and cause us to do a little soul searching. I certainly don’t think the message can do any harm!

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE A CHALLENGE?

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE A CHALLENGE?

More specifically, how would you like the challenge of organizing and running an election on a national scale. As a former teacher, I would often have mock student votes when there was a provincial or federal election, to have students study and practise the electoral process. Alberta just completed an election and I hope that no one was paid to be the organizer. It was child’s play compared to some elections that are being held in other parts of the world. If you want a real challenge, read on. 

The Alberta election campaigning lasted 28 days and involved 2.5 million eligible voters selecting 87 provincial members from four primary political parties. I found it interesting that there were still four communist candidates on a few ballots. Overall, there were about 500 candidates and about 1.5 million Albertans voted during five days of advanced polls and 11 hours on election day. The ultimate vote count and election results were basically determined within two hours of the polls closing. Well, if you think our election required some logistical planning skills, consider what some populous countries have to face!

Indonesia held their national election the day after we did. Indonesia is a country of more than 17,000 islands, that is multi-ethnic and multi-religious. Some 193 million people are eligible to vote for a president, members of the national assembly and local government positions. Across the country there some 245,000 candidates, from 20 parties, running for more than 20,000 total seats. The country needs more than 800,000 polling stations and the help of 6 million election workers. Voting begins at 7 a.m. local time and voters have five hours, until 1 p.m., to cast their ballots before polls are closed and the counting begins.

Ensuring that this election, in the world's third largest democracy, would go off without a hitch has to be a logistical nightmare. Election workers must travel by boat to remote islands, scale mountains to reach hill-top villages and trek through jungles -- sometimes on horses -- to bring ballot boxes within range of every voter. I can’t even imagine the complexity of then collecting and tabulating the results in any cohesive fashion. Is seems to me that by the time the ballots were all gathered and counted, and the results tabulated, it would almost be time for another election! Whoever is in charge of this election, deserves a million dollar bonus!

If any election could be more complex than in Indonesia, it would be in India. Over 900 million people are eligible to vote for 543 government seats and the election is held over a period of almost six weeks. There are 85 different political parties participating in various combinations throughout the country. Our Alberta election advance poll results were not counted until the day after the election so that no advance results could influence the voting on election day. I am assuming that India is not concerned with this issue! Some interesting notes on Indian elections: all voting is by electronic voting machines, each voter has their finger dipped in ink to prevent repeat voting, and all ballots include a NOTA designation where the electorate can indicate “non of the above” candidates are suitable. I just wonder what would happen if NOTA won!  

So if you are seeking a retirement challenge and have time to spare, please contact either the Indonesian or Indian authorities and attach your CV!

WHY DO WE DRESS IS BLACK?

WHY DO WE DRESS IS BLACK?

I guess the fact that I like the songs of Johnny Cash says a lot about my sophistication in musical taste. I like his simple lyrics, his songs of the common man and his everyman persona. One of his songs that has been playing endlessly in my car is “The Man in Black”. The first two verses for those of you whose musical tastes are not as refined as mine are:

“Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,

Why you never see bright colours on my back,

And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.

Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,

Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,

I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,

But is there because he's a victim of the times”.

The song carries on for several more verses, but I am not using this example as a tune you must memorize. The theme of Cash’s song seems to me to reflect a lot of the clothing tastes that I see in our society today. 

I have gotten into the habit of observing the colours of clothing that people wear today, whether I am in the mall, or at church, or in any other large gathering. The vast majority of people seem to dress in blacks, browns, greys and other assorted dark and rather unexciting colours. If you look around church or sit in a mall for a few minutes, I will guaranteed that 75-85 percent of people are wearing dark, and often black, jackets, shirts, sweaters and pants. A person wearing bright red or canary yellow or lime green is rare indeed. Do a survey yourself next time you are in a crowd! The basic colours will be mostly dull!

Of course, I began to wonder just as Johnny did, “Why our appearances seem to bear a somber tone?” Some obvious answers are that some people like to appear inconspicuous and they do not wear peacock colours for that reason. Some believe that the colour black is slimming and who doesn’t want to look a few pounds thinner. If you tend to be a food dribbler, you can slop a lot of ketchup and mustard on a black sweater and after you wipe it off, you hardly ever see the stain. 

Then as I began to drill down (a lovely new expression that has replaced “do more research”) I wondered if it was some reflection of our economic times or mental state. When times are tough and people have trouble making financial ends meet, I wonder if this stress and anxiety is masked by the colour black. If we are sad, depressed,  or lonely, does that make us want to blend into the background where ever we are and not be bothered with human interaction?

Joyous and happy occasions like weddings, birthdays and festive holidays seem to bring our few colourful outfits out of the closet. On the other hand, funerals and unhappy events are not celebrated wearing bright and cheerful colours. After a lot of musing, I still can’t answer the question of why I often wear black. It’s probably some combination of all of the above reasons. What colour are you wearing now? How does it relate to your mood, or state of mind, or is it just happenstance and not reflect anything meaningful? Just wondering! I guess the answer just demands more drilling down!

IF KIM KARDASHIAN CAN DO IT, COULD YOU?

IF KIM KARDASHIAN CAN DO IT, COULD YOU?

Did you know that famous lawyers, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Webster and Clarence Darrow never went to law school? I didn’t know until today that law school was only one of a few alternative ways to become a lawyer. In order to save on the high cost of tuition and living expenses, about $150,000, a student can chose to do an apprenticeship in lieu of law school. Well, that was a surprise to me!

California is one of only four states (California, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington) where you don't need a law degree in order to take the bar exam. Instead, you can enter into an apprenticeship. In California, this option is called the “Law Office Study Program”. All lawyers seeking to forego law school must meet the following stipulations:

- Sit in a practicing attorney’s office for 18 hours per week for a period of four continuous years for 48 weeks per year
- Passage of the First-Year Law Students’ Examination
- A positive moral character determination
- Passage of the Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination
- Passage of the California Bar Examination

This path is quite uncommon. In 2015, only three out of 13,084 Californians who took the bar exam were educated through the “law office study” option and only two of them passed. In 2022, a rather surprising candidate plans to take the bar exam using the apprenticeship option - Kim Kardashian West - the American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, and model.

Although Kardashian West has never received a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, she began apprenticing with a lawyer in the summer of 2018 and plans to take the California bar exam in 2022. I speculate that this would be a very difficult alternative to going to law school, where you must learn the exact same legal content that regular students study over three intensive years of college. I wish Ms Kardashian every success, but am a little skeptical that she will be able to commit to the rigours of 18 hours a week for 48 weeks a year for four years!

I then wondered if the medical profession might follow the example of the legal profession by offering apprenticeships in medicine. If a junior medical student were to follow a practising doctor for 4years, for 48 weeks a year for 24 hours a week and study the Gray’s Anatomy textbook from cover to cover, would they be qualified to become a doctor. Or possibly my wife has discovered an alternatively successful method of becoming an expert physician. She has carefully watched and absorbed every television episode of The Good Doctor, Chicago Med, The Resident, House, Code Black, and New Amsterdam and is well versed in both ordinary illnesses and exotic diseases. She often informs our own GP that, “Dr House would now how to cure my cold in minutes, why can’t you?”

It is nice to now know that the apprenticeship practice has now extended beyond plumbing, electrical work, and sheet metal work into the practice of law. Can baby faced young men and women with a copy of Gray’s Anatomy clutched under their arm and practising medicine be far behind?

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE HUMAN “BLACK HOLES”?

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE HUMAN “BLACK HOLES”?

Everyone gets excited over different things. Some people are ecstatic if they win a prize in a lottery, some if their favourite sport’s team wins a championship, some if they find out they don’t have to pay any income tax. I become practically overwhelmed when a new scientific discovery is announced. Recently, scientists revealed to the public the first image ever made of a black hole. I am still vibrating from viewing the donut with orange icing image that appeared in today’s news. 

My enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I began to ask myself some basic questions about black holes, as I found the answers quite challenging to say the least. Please allow me to share my exploration of this fantastic scientific revelation with some of my litany of questions and Google’s answers. 

What is a black hole? A black hole is a a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.

What happens if a person goes into a black hole? As you fall toward the black hole, you move faster and faster, accelerated by its gravity. Your feet feel a stronger gravitational pull than your head, because they are closer to the black hole. If you fall into a supermassive black hole, your body remains intact, even as you cross the event horizon.

Where do things go in a black hole? A black hole has a boundary, called the event horizon. It is where gravity is just strong enough to drag light back, and prevent it escaping. Because nothing can travel faster than light, everything else will get dragged back also. Falling through the event horizon, is a bit like going over Niagara Falls in a canoe.

What's in a black hole? The event horizon is where the escape speed exceeds the speed of light: you'd have to be going faster than light (which is impossible for any bit of matter) to escape the black hole's gravity. A singularity is what all the matter in a black hole gets crushed into.

Can you survive a black hole? Not until you reach the singularity at the heart of one of these objects. However, time will appear to slow down for you as seen from observers on the outside and once you are past the event horizon – the point of no return – there is no way that anything, not even light, can escape the black hole.

What is Spaghettification in black holes? In astrophysics, spaghettification (sometimes referred to as the noodle effect) is the vertical stretching and horizontal compression of objects into long thin shapes (rather like spaghetti) in a very strong non-homogeneous gravitational field; it is caused by extreme tidal forces.

Friends and family, if you have succeeded in reading to this point I applaud you! After reading the above explanations to my questions, I can only confess that any comprehension of the above has been sucked out of my brain into a human black hole (where information you read vanishes, never to be seen again). In other words, I thought that I was reading Sanskrit when I tried to understand the answers. My ability to comprehend scientific explanations has taken a downward spiral comparable to my ability to understand political discourse. The only stimulating part of my research was that the word “spaghettification” can now be added to my vocabulary. I will probably use it inappropriately by referring to it in some blog about cooking Italian food!  

My research Q and A has tempered my enthusiasm and understanding for this big scientific news, but the photo of the donut is mouthwatering!

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A DUMBER SOLUTION?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A DUMBER SOLUTION?

Just when you think you have heard the dumbest idea that someone has ever come up with, a government department will lower the bar and set a new standard for idiocy! Let us take a moment and offer a prayer for the survival of the population of Ontario. They have an academic problem in their schools and the provincial government’s suggested solution makes me weep!

Last August, the education office which administers standardized assessments in the province, said math test scores among public elementary students in Ontario have been falling over the last five years. The agency also suggested that efforts by the previous Liberal government to reverse the trend haven't worked. Fewer than half of Grade 6 students met the provincial math standard last school year, and Grade 3 results are also in a steady decline.

Some possible remedies might include some curriculum revision, an analysis of major problem areas, the development of additional teaching resources or inservice programs for teachers. Homework policies may need to be re-examined and more parental support encouraged, in order to help students with math at home. Greater emphasis on students learning their number facts, practising mental math and learning problem solving strategies might all lead to improved results. 

The Ontario government’s suggested solution is to consider implementing mandatory annual math testing for all teachers in the province. Teachers would be required to pass the test in order to continue teaching. It would apply to teachers of both primary and secondary school, even if they do not primarily teach mathematics, senior government sources reported! 

Their brilliant solution to the failing test scores of students is to implement mandatory math tests for teachers! I repeat, to improve student math scores make teachers take math tests! That would make as much sense as trying to reduce traffic fatalities by having automobile salesmen take compulsory defensive driving courses! In both examples, the solutions are not directed at the cohort with the problem - the failing math students or drivers in accidents. 

Teachers, have all completed at least twelve years of schooling, with probably four or more years of university, and some elected government official believes they must write and pass a math test to teach kindergarten or to teach elementary reading or physical education. The logic simply eludes me! Since there are no academic or intellectual criteria that must be met in order to run for elected office, I propose that MLAs should be required to submit to writing an IQ test to determine their potential to make rational decisions and intelligent choices. Let’s see how that suggestion flies!

We often hear platitudes that a good education requires a partnership between the child, the parents and the teachers. Until there is a significant problem like declining math scores; then the teacher becomes the sacrificial scapegoat. It would be too damaging to place some blame on the child or suggest that there is often minimal parental academic support at home. So let’s blame the teacher! What else is new?

DO YOU EVER CARRY EXPLOSIVES IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR?

DO YOU EVER CARRY EXPLOSIVES IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR?

The other day I put on my hard hat, my steel-toed working boots, my safety vest and my Clint Eastwood squint and telephoned my automobile insurance agent. My auto insurance for my 2008 eleven year old Avalon sedan had increased from $850 to $1300 per year. My 53% increase in premiums was obviously a clerical error and I though I should rectify the mistake. I needed to be appropriately dressed for the encounter.

I alerted my agent to my miscalculated insurance rate, and was floored when he calmly informed me that there had been no error. I responded by bringing him up to date with my driving record - no accidents, no claims, and no demerits on my driver’s license over my entire driving career. He indicated that rates were not based upon individual driving records but on the statistical averages of all accidents, claims, and driving violations of all policy owners with the company. I counterpunched by indicating that I was not interested in being “average” when insurance fees were determined, I wanted a tailor made rate. When he stopped laughing, he further assaulted my intelligence. 

He informed me that I lived in Calgary, the city with highest accident and stolen car rate in the province, and implied that I might have had something to do with this statistic, although I referred him back to my impeccable driving history. He counterattacked by informing me that I was over 75 years old and that older drivers were bigger accident risks because of declining health issues. I told him I could get a doctor’s letter vouching for my good health, but he just chuckled. My argument that older drivers do not drive nearly as much as young, action oriented teens and Millennials, seemed to hold no water. 

Finally I thought that I had found a foolproof argument to advance my case. I informed him that I would sell my car to my wife who was nowhere near 75 years old and that should significantly decrease my rate. Before I could wipe off my smirk of satisfaction, he informed me that it wouldn’t matter, as I would still be registered as an occasional driver and the rate wouldn’t change!

I accepted my defeat and began to seek insurance with another company. This, of course, was no simple process either. A 30 minute grilling by a rival agent finally resulted in a new quote that was almost exactly $550 less that my previous one. Of course, I did have to sell a significant portion of my soul! I promised never to ride with dynamite or explosives in my trunk, never to accept payments for any rides I gave, never drink or even think of drinking and driving, never transport farm animals or illegal immigrants over the borders of the US or Mexico, never participate as a getaway car driver and finally, never, never wash my car with corrosive chemicals that might wash away and contaminate any First Nation lands! I made these promises with my fingers crossed, but the questions you need to answer when applying for auto insurance are incredulous!

Next year, after some more research, I will be undertaking a new strategy for cheaper insurance. Apparently, if you own a classic car, ie over 25 years old, and drive it sparingly, you can get an all inclusive policy for about $300. Ultimately, I will be recommending that all my senior friends should drive senior vehicles and pay low senior rates, while juniors can drive hopped up monster cars and pay hopped up monster rates through the nose! That is the only fair solution! Are you with me?

SHOULD WE SUPPORT THE RED MILE OR NOT?

SHOULD WE SUPPORT THE RED MILE OR NOT?

It happened today for the first time ever! I changed my point of view right in the middle of writing a critical blog. That is not like me. Usually, I encounter a situation, reflect on the relevant issues and then form my opinion, and pass it on to mankind as a gesture of caring and good counsel. What made me flip flop? Let me explain.

Calgary hockey fans are delighted that their NHL team, the Calgary Flames, have made the playoffs. When this happens, a one mile strip of primarily bars and restaurants along 17th Avenue SW, called the Red Mile, is the gathering place for thousands of fans to watch the games on big screen TVs and celebrate the team’s successes. During this past year, the avenue has been undergoing major road and sidewalk upgrades that started in 2017 and continues today. The City announced that construction on the Red Mile would cease during the hockey playoffs in order to better accommodate the anticipated crowds. 

Of course, my first reaction was one of disgust and criticism. Why were we catering to the hockey fans in the short term when a quicker road repair would benefit all Calgarians, not just the red jersey wearing hockey fans. The Red Mile is synonymous with the drinking of beer, wine, assorted other spirits, recreational drug use and general rowdy and raucous behaviour. Were we really going to cater to a massive city endorsed drunk that could only lead to the kind of mayhem other cities have experienced while “celebrating” sports’ victories? When thousands of revellers spend five to ten hours drinking and smoking in a confined area, trouble is guaranteed to follow. So of course, I was against supporting a public drunk fest and thought the fans should watch the games on their home TV with friends and confine their enthusiasm and vandalism to their own homes.

Then I changed my mind. I did a little more research and found that the many businesses along 17th Avenue have been negatively affected by the road and sidewalk construction since mid-2017, losing thousands of customers and dollars due to the road work. Calgary’s economy has also been suffering significantly in the past five years and businesses have seen their property tax bills increase by an average of 140 per cent since 2016. According to city council, 29 businesses have closed since Christmas on the Red Mile. The area is experiencing a very significant economic crisis and the primary victim is the small business owner. 

Consequently, Scrooge McKen, has changed his original tune from one of rejection to one of support. Let’s give the little guy a break for a change!Calgary’s participation in the playoffs may last a week or two months - no one knows. This small window of opportunity for the many bars and restaurants that are struggling, should remain open, without customers having to dodge construction equipment, roped off barriers, and open excavations. That I believe is called a win-win situation for both the fans and the merchants

The ultimate level of ecstasy would be achieved if the Calgary Flames could add a third “win” to the above scenario and make it a win-win-win trifecta!