Category Archives: COMMENTARIES

Login and Passwords

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Amazing, how many times I am (and forced to) change my passwords, even if totally and just a day old, and no matter how many websites and businesses- except my Banks, they always work more or less consistently. But the worst is Word Press on iPad. Wasting too much time on password changing and fooling around instead of being productive. Plus writing on Apple iPad and this automatic filling in words – some ending up like idiotic “what are you talking about ?”.

All those web programmers inventing new ways of making life on the web more difficult, get a grip. There is no need to update or change passwords everyday. It’s paranoia, because nobody is really interested in what is on the web and what needs protected. Only banking data need protection, who cares about someone’s web posts on WordPress.

Having myself developed systems all my life, mainly on main frames, and trying user-friendly designs, this entire web programming has become a nightmare to normal people. And keep your fingers out of AI, it would certainly become a much bigger nightmare for normal people with normal intelligent brains. 

Just changed my WordPress password again, let’s see if I can get in tomorrow. Ha, Ha !

 

Word Press on Apple iPad

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I mostly write my posts on my Windows PC, no problems. However, when traveling I need to construct a post using my iPad Air 2.  It’s nice, convenient, mobile, but not as easy. Firstly, I could not get any access to Word Press, because – haven’t been using it for some time –  to access my Word Press sites was impossible, as the last update has been 14.7.1. That was 2021. After trying multiple approaches, I found out that Word Press needed at least update version 15.

The real reason has been that in 2021 I had temporarily lost my Wifi on my iPad and therefore needed to reset the entire IOS system to factory settings, dating back to 2015. (Of course first unloading all my stored photos and uploading to my PC.) Which even resulted in a much nicer system.

To make it short. The other day I downloaded all missing versions, if there were more than one, to my iPad. Took a long time, but “the bugger did it.”. Was I lucky to have bought the latest and 64GB version of it in 2015.

And now, finally get into my Word Press posts again. Only difference is, that they changed my login ID, and my former password also does not work anymore. Plus, on iPad after starting a new post, and switching to Classic Editor, the post may not publish. Also, sharing your post on Facebook and LinkedIn may be more difficult with using the Classic Editor, because of the permanent link needed to share posts.

Stereotyping Societal Values

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With all the social media networks hype, opinions by certain segments of society should be examined. Example of what happened lately while at the YMYWCA where I am a long-time member and work out in the swimming pool daily. The other day while talking with a friend quietly and privately about a specific issue, including a remark on Face Book. A young woman in the locker room had been honing in on our private conversation, and suddenly – out of nowhere – proclaimed “Face Book should only be for young people”. Where is that coming from ? Oh, I see, “being on FACEBOOK means must have a YOUNG FACE”. Is that the reason why all those who have been on Facebook a long time and are getting older, still keep their younger looking photos on it ?  So, there you have it: “Face Book is only for YOUNG people”!

Does that also mean, that the YWCA is only for old people ? Sometimes I wonder how people like that can exist in a world of a multitude of online media networking and the many social activities that are both enjoyed by old people, young people, any people anywhere in the world.

Stereotyping is the most questionable side of societal values.

Whether it be government regulations that require inputs or opinions by the public at large, or private institutions or commercial agencies and companies, any such questionnaire-type information gathering inevitably always assumes that each person only exists in a family group, meaning that there are at least two that constitute a social unit.

In fact, this stereotype assumption turns out to become very costly for single people. Best example can be found in the travel industry. Examples: Planning a cruise, prices per cabin are always quoted assuming that there are two per cabin. [Of course, several cruise hip companies have already started those so called “solo cabins”. Which in reality are not any cheaper than paying almost double for it.]. Bookings for rooms, suites or other, prices always assume at least two persons. Unlike a flight, at least price is always for one person, one seat. Luckily !

Well, doesn’t matter to me, I book a nice cabin all for myself, have lots of space and pay more. Better than being cramped into one with someone else and maybe some children, too.

What I am saying really is, get society to adjust to the fact, that there are more single people than you think there are. Adjust your thinking !

Canadian Citizenship

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Citizenship is an acquired right at birth. For most people and in most countries whose families have lived in a country for even many generations. [The changes to the Canadian Citizenship Act, the most comprehensive in more than 35 years, make it much harder and more costly to become a Citizen of Canada. One of the most important changes is the requirement that an individual must now physically reside in Canada for 4 years over a 6-year qualifying period.]

Dual citizenship is different. In general, my opinion about dual citizenship is: “Citizenship is not a (more-or-less) God given right, but a privilege and entails the commitment to ‘residing in this country CANADA, working here, paying taxes and contribute to society and economy in a responsible way.” Dual citizenship has no meaning in this context, because you either live here or there. And do not feel a real commitment to either.  In fact, for many it has become an opportunistic way to exploit a government, for example during war situations or to pursue illegal financial gains, or maybe for tax gains.

In Canada certain rules apply to dual citizenship. Canada, whose main government rests on a deeply entrenched constitutional monarchy – the King of England, or the United Kingdom, being the Head of State – dual citizenship for British subjects is a given. Especially here in British Columbia (the name British already implying that it is more British than anything) British born citizens would never loose their own birth citizenship, and are therefore permanent dual citizens.

There are many mostly smaller countries who also allow dual citizenship, even when Landed Immigrants into Canada assume the Canadian citizenship. It really is up to the country, but not to Canada, who is very welcoming to immigrants, and whose rules can be easily taken advantage of. Canadian citizenship can not be revoked, once acquired. [ https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/documents/dual-citizenship ]

While for other countries, outside Canada born citizens loose their birth citizenship when becoming Canadian. In my case, the same had happened.  My birth citizenship was revoked when becoming a Canadian. Which later in life can have its difficulties when re-visiting ones former homeland. Europe is a good example. When I became a citizen of Canada, it had been before the EU (European Union) was formed. Of course, I would have very much liked to become a EU citizen, when re-visiting. Many years later when I started travelling again, after many years hard and constant work in Alberta, I as a former citizen by birthright needed an extension of stay (from 3 to 4 months) by the domestic immigration service over there. Like all other foreign-born immigrants to that same (former) homeland of mine.

How can children of Canadian citizens become also Canadian citizens ?

To be eligible for a grant of Canadian citizenship, the minor:

  • must be under 18 years of age on the day you sign the application.
  • must be a permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada.
  • must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the 5 years immediately before you apply.
  • Question is, how can those children also acquire a Canadian passport prior to

A minor born outside Canada to a Canadian parent on or after April 17, 2009, is a citizen by birth if the minor is in the first generation born outside Canada, and the Canadian parent was born in Canada; Dec 7, 2023.

If the parent was not born in Canada, but has acquired Canadian citizenship through a parent, how can a child obtain Canadian citizenship, a child also born and residing outside of Canada ?

Another take on this:

Canada allows biological and legal parents to pass citizenship to their children who were born outside of the country, provided at the time of the child’s birth the parents were first-generation Canadians. Once Canadian citizenship has been passed down, it cannot be passed down again. So if you were born abroad to Canadian parents, your children will not automatically get Canadian citizenship if they were born abroad as well.

Remember, for some obscure reasons, there are still cases that people who want to acquire Canadian citizenship for their children – even if they fully reside in their own home lands and never live in Canada again and are second-generation Canadian citizens – manage to somehow get Canadian citizenship and Canadian passports for their children. In general, no matter what, a child cannot have its own Canadian passport before the age of 16.

[ https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/application-canadian-citizenship-minors.html ]

Ask your doctor

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– Talk to your doctor, tell your doctor. Onus is on the “your”.

That’s a good one. Which doctor ? Or, Dr. Internet. The all inclusive, universal answer to all the questions about medical procedures, medications, and often to also identify any health problems. Self-care, self-management, that is the name of the game when a government cannot come up with safe, reliable and consistent health care services for its tax payers.

Like here in British Columbia, BC, Canada. We do have doctors, but we lack access to doctors. The majority of BC residents have no family doctor. And the government which controls all medical care procedures and processes, requires that a family doctor must provide primary care. Meaning seeing patients, identifying any underlying health conditions and problems, finding the right solutions, and the right treatments and medications.

In the absence of any well-trained physicians, often nurse practitioners will fill the gap. The training for nurse practitioners, mainly because we need many more than we have, is not very extensive. [ https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/requirements/25524/ca ]  [ https://www.bccnm.ca/NP/applications_registration/how_to_apply/Pages/Default.aspx ]

Take a Nurse Practitioner in one of our health care clinics: When is their education completed ? when does a Nurse Practitioner Family had his/her last update training ? As medical science changes daily, it should be imperative to continually update one’s education and training in order to provide safe healthcare advice and treatment.

This is not done. Most health care workers are over-worked, and spend a major part of their workday filling in forms and attending to other bureaucratic measurements, controlled by the government. Then there are all those regulations: what can be done, what should be done, what is not allowed, where does the government needs to save money. And of course the triage system. Like “flipping a coin” – who should be treated and who must wait, or die.

In those years I have been assigned to a NP, the only treatment easy to receive were X-rays (practically for any or all conditions, not necessarily bones), cremes and lotions to “heal nerve injuries and nerve pain”, and of course prescriptions to medications (no monitoring blood or other tests, which should be required to control any medication).

Why ? Because prescribing medications is a lucrative business for many health care professionals.

[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/pharmaceutical-drug-company-doctor-physician-payment-disclosure-transparency-1.4169888 ] [ https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/doctors-pharmaceutical-funding-1.4164625 ]

Although paying my medications out of my own pocket. despite, I cannot get regular blood tests to monitor, if those medications are any good.

Old news: [ https://www.cma.ca/sites/default/files/2018-11/the-state-of-seniors-health-care-in-canada-september-2016.pdf ]

Mobile Phone Data Security Risks

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[Data from IBM shows that users are three times more likely to fall victim to a phishing attack on a mobile device than they are on a desktop, and new phishing pages are being created every 20 seconds.]

Why ? because mobile devices are being portable. It is much easier to constantly install new updates on a PC, which BTW is done more and more frequently because of constantly evolving and more sophisticated cyber attacks. With a fairly good defender system installed, and better data encryption, sensitive data such as online banking should not pose a problem. I have done this since start of the Internet and never a problem. But I would never even dream of using my smartphone to do any banking. Or walking around in the street – holding up traffic – to be glued to a phone, doing what ?

And why are more users using mobile devices ? Because these devices are portable and they can in addition to legit phone calls spend time playing games even while on company time.

[ https://www.wired.com/brandlab/2017/10/phone-hackers-coming-ready/ ]

Want to get wired for hackers ? Look no further than your mobile phone which is used for Internet access, sharing data, sharing files, and opening up to – not only pro hackers – I might say the rest of the entire Internet world. Spyware apps aren’t the only way that someone can spy on your phone activity. ISPs, governments, WiFi administrators, search engines, website owners, and hackers all have the capacity to spy on certain aspects of what you do on your phone.

In my opinion: Sensitive data like banking data do not belong on a smartphone being operated while actually walking in the street. Anybody anywhere can pick this up. Why do you think there are so many software firms small or large, old ( having been around since mainframes) or just up and coming, which (so-called) specialize in selling software security packages for mobile devices.

[ https://www.trustradius.com/mobile-data-security ].  Even with “data scrambling”, there is no such thing as complete security to protect sensitive data on mobile devices and phones. 

[ https://www.techadvisor.com/article/745187/how-safe-is-cloud-storage.html ]. HAPPY TiKToKKING & WhatsApping !

DONATIONS – DONATIONS

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Most lucrative business especially before and around the Christmas Season, and it has become the most popular for the very reason that it has now become easy to quickly set up a website, some money-collecting mechanism, and the online money collecting business in the name of donation is running. “In the name of donation” – that’s the point.

It seems advisable, if it is simply for a business to reduce their taxes before year-end, as charitable donations are tax deductible.

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10470-small-business-guide-charity-donations.html

But these tax deductions must be substantial, else there is no point. For regular donations, let’s say on a monthly basis, it is not worthwhile to even consider to enter those amounts in you tax return, as the end result – any tax deduction – is negligible.

What bothers me are not the daily, all day long, requests for donations for any cause, but the lack of accountability and transparency of those entities that have sprung to life before Christmas, enriching their coffers (who knows, for their own profit), without accounting of where this money goes, into whose bank account, how much is spent on administration, and where donated funds are going to end up. Presumably for a good cause.

For businesses who can lower their tax burden at year end it is totally legit to give to a reputable charity. Provided sufficient transparency by those collecting the funds publicly given, in order to know that those moneys go to the actual cause they were intended for.

Looking at one example:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/20-incredible-charities-that-give-99-of-the-money-they-get-to-the-actual-cause-2017-12-28 .

Just heard on the local radio that less and less people are motivated to give anything to anybody. Why ? because most organizations or website owners asking for DONATIONS do not account for it, and therefore are automatically mistrusted.

Transparency about distribution of funds also means to give collected donations to the right cause and those who really need it.

[I am sure I receive numbers of emails after this post, asking me to “push the hot button on some website”, for DONATIONS, DONATIONS.]

DEMENTIA, ALZHEIMER’S – some thoughts

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Only found in older people ? Not so. [ https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/other-types-dementia/young-onset-dementia ].

Recently, on the radio a woman commented on just such a topic. Stereotyping this condition as “most older people are or will be suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease”. What is the cause of DEMENTIA ? [ https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers ]. One can safely say that both diseases may be interconnected, mostly leading to memory loss.

How is it, that more young people are committing crimes, killings, mass shootings, rapes ? Dementia ? Otherwise, younger people who commit most crimes, would not do it over and over again, knowing they end up in jail.  How many older and very old people have an excellent memory ? Definitely more than younger people. What else may cause Dementia ? [ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03360-8 ] There are many causes for dementia, not all linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

To make this short: USE IT, OR LOOSE IT ! The same way as exercising your body (muscles, balance, any mental or physical activity), one should also exercise the brain. After all, it’s the engine that controls everything. [ https://extension.usu.edu/aging/research/a-healthy-brain-use-it-or-lose-it ]

That’s precisely what I am doing, my memory having always been exceptional, not needing books to look up dozens of Internet accounts, passwords, bank account and telephone numbers – it’s all in my head. Guess what: I am 85 years old. In addition, lifelong learning (preferably not from certain Internet posts) should help reduce the risk of any onset of dementia in old age. Food for thought – COVID-19 and Alzheimer;s:  [ https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/small-study-finds-alzheimers-changes-some-covid-patients-brains ]

 

Nature Conservancy Canada – legacy

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NATURE – the most worthwhile cause for preservation and conservation, a healer, a life saver.

Leaving your estate to a good cause is the most rewarding action one can take, even if there is family to consider. Since seven years ago, when making my will, deciding to leave my estate to various charities (among others the major part of it to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, NCC), I feel good about myself and my decision.

And since surrounding myself with nature (here in Victoria, BC, we have a lot of nature), I feel better, and lead a better life. Visiting our parks, and surrounding myself with my own gardens at home here.

Talking about parks: In all my travels and residing or working abroad – from Scandinavia to North Africa, Russia, North America to Mexico and all countries in Europe – I have not come across such a beautiful park as right here, ten minutes from where I live (Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC).

[Note. Parks are the most worthwhile attempt to recreate nature, while natural habitats are more than than, they are giving back to nature.]

[This post is not about all those travels and visits of nature areas, else I could fill a book with it. It is only to remind others what a good idea and feeling it is to leave behind for NATURE CONSERVATION. Protect nature from development, being run over by humanity and high risers, and above all help restore natural areas, thereby giving back to wildlife. What they deserve.]

YET, it is wonderful to witness how many efforts are made worldwide to do just that.

Canada, the second largest country (after Russia), with almost 3.85 million sq.miles. How many wild places do we still have ? Only about 23 per cent of Canada’s land habitats are still wild, and the oceans are even worse off – with only 13 per cent untouched by humans. That makes for about seven million square kilometres of wild land and another two million square kilometres of untouched ocean.Nov 1, 2018.

[ https://globalnews.ca/news/4620290/canada-worlds-wildlife-save-it/ .

And who can be held responsible for large-scale destruction and exploitation of the last wild places ? Mostly Governments. Who are afraid to make the right decisions and pass the right laws, because of fear not being re-elected.

[ https://news.mongabay.com/2021/04/with-british-columbias-last-old-growth-at-risk-government-falters-critics/ ]

My photos CLICK HERE: [ https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZGgGoNeyQ5Uxt2iy9 ]

LANGUAGE DISCRIMINATION

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LANGUAGE DISCRIMINATION

[Not to confuse with discriminatory language.]

Language discrimination occurs when a person is treated differently because of her native language or other characteristics of her language skills. For example, an employee may be experiencing language discrimination if the workplace has a “speak-English-only” policy but her primary language is one other than English. Why English ? English is now the dominant or official language in 75 territories: a direct legacy of the British Empire. In countries where large settler colonies were formed, such as Australia, Canada and the USA, native languages and cultures have been pushed to near-extinction by the presence of English.Mar 6, 2014.  Is this one of the reasons because most English-born citizens are incapable learning other languages ?

LANGUAGE skills – good for your brain

It has been known for centuries, “languages expand your brain”. [Or, as we say: “speaking more than one language expands one’s horizon”.] New studies (University York at Toronto, Canada) have shown and proven that those who are at least bilingual in old age will show their first symptoms of Alzheimer and Dementia (if at all ) later than those with one single language (like English).

[ https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video-shows-man-berating-women-for-not-speaking-english-at-b-c-skytrain-station-1.6028895 ]

Openly accusing public transport users of “NOT speaking English” (while they talk in another language) has now become unacceptable and may be reported to the Police. British Columbia, Canada, has since years introduced many laws dealing with any type of discrimination

Personally, – as I myself speak 5 languages and enjoy traveling, meeting other nationals, reading in other languages – thereby “expanding my horizon” -, I probably would have responded differently, knowing that the person accusing me of NOT speaking English most probably has some sort of limited brain capacity. One could have said: “I am sorry to hear that you only speak English.” In fact, it would be best, not to react at all, as those people most of the time are trying to instigate a fight or some physical confrontation, once others (accused of NOT speaking English) respond, no matter what. Unfortunately, a public transit system is always a dangerous place, as whoever is being aggressively confronted can often not simply leave.

I cannot imagine anybody who has not been aggressively affronted anywhere – in the street, in a grocery store, on a bus – as a result of some sort of discrimination.

Well I survived, most of my life traveling, living, working and studying in other countries, we will survive British imperialistic colonial systems and [SPEAK ONLY ENGLISH HERE] as well.

[ https://dialalaw.peopleslawschool.ca/human-rights-and-discrimination-protection/ ]