A Stunt the Great Gonzo would be proud of!

The only question on the below video I have is, "WHY?"  and simply, "WHY NOT?" is just not an answer.

Only The Great Gonzo (aka Gonzo the Great) would be proud of this vid



NOTE: For obvious safety reasons, this blog does not endorse or encourage pudding diving of any sort.

Attention Pizza Hut!

Last Friday my wife and I headed to Pizza Hut (9580 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill) for a little za and some soft drinks.  Nothing like an old time date night over some pizza and soft drinks. 

We arrived and our waitress, instead of a hostess, seated us quickly.

We hmmmed and hawed over what pizza we wanted for five minutes and the waitress came by twice to see if we were decided yet...then a eureka moment....AN ORDER!

The Order: Grilled Chicken Rustico Pan Pizza (pizza made with grilled chicken breast, roasted red peppers, fresh ripe tomatoes, basil pesto, and pizza mozzarella), a Pepsi and a glass of Richmond Hill's finest & wettest water.

The pizza took the full twenty minutes to cook.  But when it arrived it was piping hot and ready to be eaten!

I was a little skeptical about this choice of pizza, pizza with grilled chicken and veggies on it? Without any pepperoni? Would it be worth the money I paid?  It had better be, we were paying twenty dollars for this!

I was satisfied after taking a few bites of the first slice.  Then the next slice dissappeared.  Thank goodness we got a large pizza, otherwise my wife would not have anything to eat. The pizza was delicisious. 

One of the best part of the Richmond Hill Pizza Hut is it is one of the last remaining dining room Pizza Huts left anywhere in southern Ontario.  The Newmarket location just north of Eagle Street on Yonge Street is being renovated and is unlikely to return as it's old self. I have long memories of visiting that location with my family for pizza and spaghetti nights.  I believe I even had a birthday party or two at that location. 

So it is with excitement that I have a Pizza Hut dining location near my home.  When you just want to get out of the house and have some ZA this is the place to go!

So I Have Not Written in While....

So I have not written for a while.   The main reason was through May I started working on contract for a resume writing company and was staring at a computer screen all day.   This has now shifted to barely part time contract work, so I am on the job hunt again since leaving my previous position at the end of December. 

So if you know of any honest companies out there looking for someone in administration, feel free to send them my way via:

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsuddard

My Guestbook: (select the privacy option so only I can see the offer): http://htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?a=sign&u=michaelsuddard&i=1001&r=

Please note that I would post my e-mail address, but I have made that mistake before and received thousands of e-mails promising various pharameutical remedies that I really do not require as well as thousands of dollars if I reply with my banking information.

What to look for in an Elected Representative

Recently during the Canadian federal election voters were asked to make a choice out of a slate of possibilities.  Voters were asked to choose someone from a list of candidates to represent them in the House of Commons in Ottawa. 

Voters in Ontario will have voted three times for muncipal, federal and provincial representatives from late 2010 to late 2011.  In each election voters were given several different shades of colour to choose from, different party platforms, different leaders and different scandals to choose from.  But how does a voter choose between them all?  The main answer is that the person who your riding ultimately chooses will represent your voice in the House of Commons, legislature or council chamber with a decent pay cheque.  Bottom line is the candidates are applying for a job and the voter is a member of the hiring comittee.  As a member of the hiring comittee each voter should be looking at the aspects outlined below.

Each candidate for election is applying for the job as representative for your community.  Normally in a job search situation resumes and cover letters are required.  In this previous federal election many candidates told us about their experience and achievements.  Candidates should tell voters of experience both inside and outside politics.  Experiences outside politics include previous jobs and volunteer opportunities involved in.  Within politics candidates should answer if they have held elected office before and what goverment comittees they have been on as a citizen or elected member.  Further on the resume portion the applicant should outline their educational achievements.  Basically the candidate should outline their previous employment, volunteer and educational experience which should show how they would be a good candidate to choose for the job.  Candidates need a good resume because they are after all applying for a position with a job description and a decent salary.

Poltics isn't always about experience.  Questions on issues during the election pop up and platforms are supposed to give the answers to these questions.  Voters should investigate the beliefs and views of their candidates as it is usually a good indicator of how these candidates will espouse their ideas on behalf of the local community. Study these platforms carefully though as many political parties recently have gone into attack mode rather than layout their beliefs.  Attack mode is easy to pick out as the parties or candidates make no mention of what they believe but point out in a negative way the beliefs of their opponents.  Often the attacks will attempt to frame and/or skew the opponents platform in a bad light.  Remember, you want to know what the candidate or political party themselves believe and not what they think of their opponent. This is because, quite frankly, if you were interested in their opponent you would be reviewing the opponent's platform and not those an opposing candidate.

In the previous election the issue of where a candidate lives have become an issue.  In the Richmond Hill riding in the previous federal election two of the four candidates did not reside in the riding they wanted to represent. In Quebec an NDP candidate who was elected lived around 400 KM away from her riding and possibly has never set foot in the riding.  The main question is: If an elected representative does not live in the riding for they represent for a decent period of time how do they intimately know the concerns, wishes, views and issues of the riding?  The main fact is they do not.  The candidate doesn't have the history or knowledge of the needs of the community and how it came to be in the recent past.  

Candidates also need to look like they are applying for the position in a professional manner.  Websites, signs and literature need to look professionally done and not completed as some student council high school election. The successfully elected candidate is going to be representing the community with a pay cheque around one hundred thousand dollars or higher along with a possible pension.  Thus, candidates should have professionally printed materials and nice looking websites that espouse their experience and platform.  Candidates should dress up everything after all as they are applying for an executive level job with a matching compensation. 

Candidates for election should also prove to voters that the community is going to be represented by their complete undivided attention.  Federal, provincial and municipal politics require vast amounts of time to listen to debate, vote, meet with constituents and respond to comments and queries.  Thus the job should have the complete undivided attention of the person holding the job description.  A great case in point recently happenned with the NDP Candidate for the riding of Newmarket-Aurora in the previous federal election.  Kassandra Bidarian was attending university courses at the University of Toronto.  She promised that next year her course load would be less than it was this year.  The main issue that arose in the community was how would Ms. Bidarian provide proper representation in Ottawa for Newmarket-Aurora while still taking courses at her university in Toronto?  The right answer was she could not.  Ms. Bidarian never really acknowledged this and this was perhaps one of the main reasons she was not elected. Elected officials are supposed to be mostly full time positions with adequate compensation for the position.  Thus the position and responsibilities they entail should have the full undivided attention of the office holder.  Any candidate who espouses a view differently doesn't deserve to be elected and the ensuing pay cheque and pension paid for by taxpayers money.

Overall political candidates have many failings including skeletons in the closet and lack of previous experience.  But failing to adhere to provide voters with information on experience, proof of residency within a riding and a professional looking presentation should not be a failing.  Failure to provide voters with these things just shows voters that the candidate could care less whether they get elected or not.  This brings up the main quesiton: If a candidate doesn't care about getting elected than how do voters know the elected candidate will care about the community they represent?

NDP Candidate: Not Ready for MP because I'm at School

 I love watching the debates in elections.  Candidates exchange views and sometimes end up looking like complete idiots.  Sometimes it is the candidates who don't show up that look like they are just not into it.  The latter occurred in the riding of Newmarket-Aurora when the same two candidates failed to show up at two different debates held back to back.  Kassandra Bidarian (NDP candidate) and Yvonne Mackie (Animal Alliance Environment Voters Candidate) both failed to show up to debates. 

No word has come forth as to why Yvonne failed to show up for the important debates held by the The Newmarket Era and Aurora Banner newspapers in Newmarket and The Auroran newspaper debate in Aurora.

Kassandra Bidarian, the NDP candidate, on the Aurora Citizen blog has responded as to why she failed to show up for the debates. Bidarian claims she is currently a student at the University of Toronto - St. George Campus doing a specialist in Philosophy, with a minor in political science, and the exam schedule has gotten in her way.  Thus she couldn't attend the debates because of the exams.  Further she claims to have a 4.0 average and wishes to continue her studies.

Ms. Bidarian repeatedly says she is a serious candidate for the riding of Newmarket-Aurora.  But, based on what I'm currently reading that doesn't appear to be the case:

1. She failed to show up for two debates claiming her exam schedule got in the way.  This may be true that there were exams on both nights of the debates and she was stuck not being able to be two places at once. 

2. From her comment on the Aurora Citizen blog:

"I am committed and I am a person dedicated to achieving all that I can. I have always committed myself to multiple avenues in the past with positive results, and if need be, I can continue that here. My educational load will be lessened next year, leaving me ample time to work as a Member of Parliament."

The above truly points out how Kassandra has lost touch with reality.  A Member of Parliament, let alone one representing a riding around Toronto, is more than a FULL TIME JOB.  Kassandra's studies in Toronto will obviously prevent her from being full time in Ottawa and serving her constituents in Newmarket-Aurora.  So when exactly, if elected, Kassandra going to find all the time to: sit in the House of Commons, comittee meetings, traveling between Newmarket-Aurora and Ottawa, appearing at community events, responding to constituent inquires and working on her studies in downtown Toronto at University of Toronto?  Will she give up sleeping to do all that?  Something has to give, either her studies or her $100,000 dollar paid position as MP will.

3. A few posters on the Aurora Citizen blog noted the lack of signs for Ms. Bidarian in the riding.  In fact some posters inquired to see if there were any out there.  Sightings have been few and far between.  Personally, travelling along Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue in Aurora I've seen only one sign for the NDP and the name on it? "Jack Layton".  So where are the signs with "Kassandra Bidarian" on them?  Kassandra responds ont he Aurora Citizen blog with:

"Unfortunately, there was a delay in retrieving signs that was out of my control. But as soon as we received them, we have been putting them around Newmarket and Aurora..."

So Kassandra failed to have her signs ready for an election that had ample warning of coming?  Political writers were expecting an election weeks before the budget and the contempt of parliament charges being table in the House of Commons.  As a political science student one would expect Kassandra to be watching closely while the politics played out on Parliament Hill with her leader Jack Layton humming and hawing over the budget and the contempt of Parliament charges. The NDP surely had given their candidates some prior warning to start the election campaign engines.  Kassandra's opponent, Lois Brown (Conservative candidate) had election signs up all along Yonge Street in Aurora by the Sunday after the election writ had been dropped.  Lois was ready, why wasn't Kassandra and NDP?  As evidenced by Kassandra's response to her continuing studies while being an MP, planning is not Kassandra's strong suit.  Otherwise her election signs would have been on order with the sign maker and all she would have to do is call them and say "start printing!"

4. Kassandra's election website is a complete joke.  The only sections she has are contact information and her biography.  Everything else on the simple one page layout is for the NDP overall party.  Even what she does have on their is a little thin.  Her contact information lists her campaign office address for "mail or document delivery only".  Thus if you want to volunteer and pick up materials to do a little canvassing or have questions you would like to meet with her office staff -- presuming she has office staff -- your out of luck. Next her biography is also very thin.  About the only thing I learned about Kassandra is:

"Kassandra represents the riding of Newmarket-Aurora for the NDP. She first became engaged in politics as the New Democratic Party Youth representative for Newmarket-Aurora. She then furthered her involvement by participating in the Ontario New Democratic Party and was the Northern Ontario Representative for Ontario New Democratic Youth. Currently enrolled in Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Toronto, she is not only a student, but also a civically engaged and passionate youth."

The rest of the bafflegab in her biography is what she believes in.  There isn't one word on what past positions she has held in terms of employment or any volunteer organizations she belongs to.  She apparently is a blank slate applying for a $100,000 job position with only political volunteer campaigning experience behind her.  And, sadly, that is all she has on her website pertaining to her. 

As far as I can tell based the previous federal election, the NDP in Newmarket-Aurora has trouble finding candidates to run.   Kassandra Bidarian is obviously just a filler for the NDP in this particular riding. She responds to the questions at the Aurora Citizen blog about her candidcy by outlining how she became a candidate:

"I want to make it clear that it is not just “anyone willing to be a candidate”, but that there was a long democratic process involved. Firstly, I had to fill out detailed papers containing my information and have them approved by Ottawa. Secondly, there had to be a nomination meeting with the New Democratic Party members of Newmarket and Aurora. During this meeting, I explained my credentials and what I plan to do and I was democratically voted in, unanimously. Thirdly, I had to obtain about 120 signatures from residents in Newmarket and Aurora, which basically stated they are giving me their permission to be a candidate for their riding. 

Prior to all of the above, I was already involved within the party attending caucus’, being politically active, and speaking up for the youth and issues we faced. I was also the Youth Representative for Newmarket and on the executive of Ontario New Democratic Youth. To further my experience, I am also attending University of Toronto-St.George Campus and doing a specialist in Philosophy with a minor in Political Science. So the statement that “anyone willing to be a candidate” can, is completely false. If anyone had any concerns over my candidacy, they could have asked."

The above just shows again how out of touch with reality she is.  Perhaps she had to receive 120 signatures and fill out "detailed papers" in order to be approved to be a candidate for the NDP for Newmarket-Aurora for the federal election.  But I would imagine so did Lois Brown, Kyle Peterson (Liberal candidate) and the others.  These other candidates also opened campaign offices that people could visit or work from.  They also have their signs out in relatively reasonable amount of time wich meant prospective voters didn't have to search for their signs.  She also points out her continous learning by taking courses in Philosophy and politics which I've already outlined previously will be an issue if she is elected in terms of her time management. 

But the most laughable two sentences of Kassandra's response to the questions of her candidacy is:

"So the statement that “anyone willing to be a candidate” can, is completely false. If anyone had any concerns over my candidacy, they could have asked."

Kassandra is completly wrong.  The NDP in Newmarket-Aurora was presented with one possible candidate, Kassandra.  There was nobody else stepping forward.  The NDP membership, presuming their is such a thing in Newmarket-Aurora, had one choice as there was no mention in the media or anywhere else of any other candidate stepping forward to compete at the nomination meeting.   So Kassandra was the only person to step forward and thus was the only "anyone willing to be a candidate".  Without her the NDP would have been forced to concede they do not have a candidate in all ridings across Canada and thus couldn't be considered to be a national party. Thus, the statement "anyone willing to be a candidate" is true in Kassandra's case. 

Finally the statement of "If anyone had any concerns over my candidacy, they could have asked" is also hillarious.  Up until the election writ was dropped nobody knew who Kassandra was.  So who would exactly they ask?  The local riding office which is a house on a residential street where only mail and documents can be sent?  There is no name associated and there is no local riding association website that I can find to put inquiries to.  Thus is there really a riding association President for the NDP?  Not that I can tell or at least not someone who is willing to put their name to it. So voters had to wait to question her candidcy until she announced she was running for the NDP and failed miserably at debating and properly launching her campaign.  Hence why the questions are now coming forth a week or two before voting day.

Kassandra Bidarian is obviously not ready to be elected MP for Newmarket-Aurora.  She failed to show up for two seperate debates blaming her exam schedule.  She failed to have campaign signs out and nailed in.  Her local riding association who one would expect to be supporting her, doesn't even have a named President that is findable via a Google search. She doesn't have a campaign office at all.  She also believes she can reduce her course load to continue studying at the University of Toronto while being an MP in Ottawa.  Yet with all of the above she believes she can be a serious candidate for MP of Newmarket-Aurora. Kassandra Bidarian is an idealist who is not ready to be elected MP.  She should stay in school and learn politics, the real world of time management and how to properly campaign.  Kassandra Bidarian needs to chock this campaign up to the school of hard knocks and move on.

Who to Vote For: The Federal Edition

Another election is upon us.  In Ontario it will be the third election in just about a year.  Last October was the municipal election, currently there is a federal election underway and in October a provincial election is scheduled.  And yet some of us, like Vaughan, will have seen four elections in that time frame.

I currently reside in Richmond Hill and have been investigating which one of the four candidates to vote for and what each of the parties they represent stand for.  Through this investigation I've come up with nothing. You would think when candidates are applying for a job that pays over one hundred thousand dollars per year the parties and candidates would bring their "A Game" to the table.

First the incumbent for Richmond Hill, Bryon Wilfert (Liberal). Bryon claims on his website he has been an MP in Ottawa for this area for over ten years.  At least he puts out his political involvement with various committees and positions he has held in the past.  However, what had Bryon done outside of politics like in the private sector as a businessman or volunteer.  About all we know about Bryon is that he has been honoured with various honourary chairs and memberships in over ten volunteer organizations.  However, this doesn't say whether he was originally a volunteer or member of these organizations for a certain amount of time and did good works with them or did these organizations just honorarily bestow these memberships on him whilly nilly.  About the only thing I know about Bryon is that he has a mother who needed hospital care and he has been involved in politics for a long period of time both municipally and federally.  Too bad there is nothing else on his website that I can see as being more in touch with the community. 

Bryon's other problem is his leader, Michael Ignatieff, who has failed to attend House of Commons votes over seventy percent of the time.  So Bryon's leader and, I would surmise, his supposed muse for politics who is supposed to show his MPs how it is done has a worse attendance record for votes in the House of Commons than the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.  Stephen of course did miss votes but at least he has other duties like meeting with foreign dignataries at home and overseas as well as other similar Prime Ministerial duties.  I can't imagine what more important duties Michael Ignatieff would have as the leader of Official Opposition than being in the House of Commons ensuring the government of the day is held to account and voting as the constituents he represents sees fit.

The next two candidates have the same issue and it is a major one.  Neither of the following candidates lives in the Richmond Hill riding. If you do not live in the riding you wish to represent. How can someone represent an area if they do not even live there?  How can someone know intimately what the issues are in the riding if they have not experienced them for themselves?   Both Costas Menegakis (Conservative) and Cameron Hastings (Green) live in Richmond Hill.  Costas lives in neighbouring Markham while Cameron lives in Scarborough. 

Cameron has a major issue as even his own volunteers don't seem to know where the Richmond Hill riding starts and stops.  This past Sunday I viewed campaign signs for Cameron at the corner of Yonge Street & Bernard Avenue in the town of Richmond Hill.  Today I saw signs on the west side of Bathurst Street & Autumn Hill Blvd.  The problem is neither of these locations is within the riding of Richmond Hill as set out by Elections Canada.  The Yonge & Bernard location is within the riding of Oak Ridges-Markham and the Bathurst and Autumn Hill is in the riding of Thornhill.  None of the opposing parties candidates made this mistake. 

So neither Costas or Cameron I can really trust as they do not even live in the riding they are running for.  In fact it appears their parties merely parachuted them into the riding. 

This leaves the NDP candidate of Adam DeVita.  Adam I have yet to hear from in terms of campaign literature or in person by any of his campaign volunteers or himself.  All I've seen of his campaign is lawn signs up and down Yonge Street.  I have yet to see one on actual front lawn of a supporter.  This is opposed to his competition who have lawn signs on several neighbourhood lawns in front of houses.  As well, his website is the local riding associations website and he doesn't seem to have one of his own.  Of his campaign website he has a sparse bio stating he has lived in Richmond Hill for 35 years and he works in the technology sector.  However, he doesn't say much beyond being a member of Richmond Hill United Church as his volunteer work.  He also doesn't mention what his platorm is as a candidate for Richmond Hill. The only thing he really has on it in terms of platform is broad NDP policies placed on an electronic version of campaign literature with such a poor layout that it should be turned over to a high school student to improve. Bottom line, if you want a job that pays over 100,000 at least put a little effort into it.

In Richmond Hill the question comes down to the following, who do you want to represent you?

1. Someone whose leader believes it is fine to not be in the House of Commons for over seventy percent of all votes?

2. Do you want someone who doesn't live in the riding?

3. Do you want someone who believes the entire process is a high school assignment?

Who to vote for in Richmond Hill is all in how you answer the above questions.

One of the Reasons I moved

There were many reasons I moved to my new place in Richmond Hill.  These included a place to call my own (along with a mortgage of my own), a wider space to design and expand into. 

After moving into my place for a lot of reasons I found yet another reason to find my place, the passing dogs!  In my neighbourhood there are two basset hounds that go for a walk everyday with their owner.  They love everyone and everything! 

I happened to have my cell phone (hence the grainyness) with me and took the following encounter happening across the street of one of the reasons to love where I live!

Our Basset hound friends!