Travel Blog

Growing up in Belfast in the 70s,80s and 90s was an adventure of a kind experienced nowhere else in the free world. The weekend activities for youths in those days were very different to that of today. Also compared to many other locations around the world. Instead of thinking about going out to socialize or play games. Many local youths would go out to riot with either people from the other side of the political  spectrum. Or with the British soldiers and/or RUC (royal Ulster constabulary). This was a violent time for Ireland.

Violent time In Northern Ireland

During the 1970s and 80s Belfast was like a war-zone, and Belfast’s troubled history has seen many tragedies and atrocities. These atrocities are illustrated in the many murals dotted all over Belfast, painted on the sides of houses. A good friend of ours left Ireland because of this reason. In fact they decided not to have children, because they did not want to bring up a child in the midst of this violence.

These massive paintings are today a major Belfast attraction for tourists. In the past, however, they were a way for the residents of Belfast’s troubled areas to get their points across. Or make a plea or demand that the rest of world could see through the power of the media.
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Recent studies by scientists are uncovering a phenomenon that points to the an exercise and live long strategy. Exercise appears to ensure that more blood gets to organs and tissues. They are cleaned of impurities and they receive more oxygen, which contributes to overall health and longer life. Of course like anything else you can overdue exercise. You can begin to have to much wear and tear on muscles, joints and ligaments. For most people it means exercising moderately 4 or 5 times a week with out enduring extreme wear and tear on your body.

The scientists are reporting that not only that signs of premature aging were halted. They were even reversed — in virtually every tissue and organ in the bodies of exercised mice.

So instead of taking a pill or eating some exotic food, all you need to do is follow an exercise regime and you will longer  than your peers who do not. Your motto should be – Exercise and Live Long.

The particular studies that these findings are being based on consisted of allowing mice to receive regular exercise in one group . While in another group, they were allowed to lead a sedentary lifestyle. The mice that exercised, were much more lively , had more energy and were much more alert than the sedentary mice. They also looked more healthy as well with sleek shiny coats of fur compared to the group.

Exercising 3 times a week for perhaps 45 to 60 minutes a week is sufficient to achieve these stupendous results. Anti-aging effects of endurance exercise on the brain, skin, hair, gonads (ovaries and testicles), kidneys, spleen and liver were significant.

Exercise and Live Long – Real Life Example

Recently a friend of mind was talking about his father who had experienced a slight stroke. He was hospitalized and then caught a disease while in the hospital. The net result was that he was in bed on his back for 3 months with no exercise at all while he recovered. He was then shipped to a long term care facility.

He had lost a great deal of muscle mass, and strength. Her fatherinlaw was lethargic and had very little energy. Fortunately for him, his daughter in law was a former critical care nurse. She knew that she needed to get him up and walking.

Start Slowly

They started slow with a walker, to the door of his room and back. This is really how bad he was. Later he progressed out the door and to the end of the hall. All of the time rebuilding his strength and increasing his heart rate just a little bit.
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We had the opportunity to stay at the red condos by the river in Bullhead City in Arizona this past spring and we would recommend that you really make sure that you check the contract terms and conditions of the property before you sign up. We thought we did and missed a major item that really spoiled our vacation and actually that of many other snow birds.

Bullhead City – Colorado River

This is a beautiful setting along the Colorado River and all should be good, however we found that the building is not well maintained. Hallways are not clean, ping pong table is dirty and most important, the pool is not open during the March period or for that matter the rest of the winter. This was the argument we got from management. It is winter time and we do not heat the pool. Other guests were told that there is a broken part and in fact they had been told the same thing the previous year. Can you imagine having a pool not heated for snow birds? The weather was 80 to 85 almost every day, while the nights were cool which is typical of the desert.

Cannot Go Swimming

With these temperatures you want to spend some time by the pool and you want to go swimming, meet other people etc. The pool temperature was at 61 degrees F and pretty much not for swimming. On top of that there were a pair of ducks who would land every day and spend hours either sitting on the edge of the pool or in the pool. They left excrement all over the pool deck which usually took a few days to get cleaned up. This was bad and although we complained nothing was done. Others complained as well and all of us said we are not coming back another year.

We decided to write these posts to try and alert other potential snow birds. Anyone  who might be thinking of renting these red condos by the  river in Bullhead city. Another caution , do not take the rental agents word for anything. If it is not in the contract you will not get what you are looking for. This includes heating the pool. Make sure your contract says the pool is heated if this is important to you.

High Season

March should have been high season for snow birds, however most units were empty and that says a lot. Should we have done a better job of checking the place out before we rented? Of Course! But we did not do a good enough job so we want other people to avoid our situation. Hopefully this post will help. March is still considered winter for people in this part of the country? Maybe for the snow birds!!! An I do not mean the ducks!

If you have comments on this property, good or bad, feel free to leave us a comment. We will include it on this blog. For more posts about Bullhead and Arizona, click here.

Were there is smoke there is usually a fire. That is exactly what we think about a Liberal comment by Brant MPP Dave Levac. He apparently told a Brantford newspaper that a new Ontario carbon tax was being reviewed by the Liberal Government. He claims he made a mistake and confused another program with this proposal.

Do you believe him? We do not and we think that it was intentionally a foot in the mouth moment.  The Ontario liberals have a habit of increasing taxes for people who live in Ontario. This is one more that the liberals will add if they get re-elected.  All you need to do is take a look at some of the conservative advertising to see how many taxes they have added in the past 8 years. Of course we all know that you cannot trust Dalton to say anything that is true. He is probably the worst leader we have had in some time and we actually voted him in for two terms!

Ontario Carbon Tax – Watch out

So we think that Ontario had better look out. If the population votes another liberal government into power in this election, there is going to be a new Ontario Carbon tax for us to pay. It is pretty much guaranteed.  Of course some people will say that the conservatives will do the same and we should go for experience by voting the liberals back into power.
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This is a second post about Petrie Island Marshes. For more information about the beaches, volley ball and the park, visit the following page, Click Here. In addition to the beach and extensive sandy areas, there many nature trails in and around the island were you can go for a walk to enjoy nature and watch the many animals.  All of the trails are groomed and suitable for walking.

Please do not go off the trails or the areas were the grass has been cut. You will destroy the habitat not only for the animals, but also for the many people who enjoy this area .  We have included a couple of pictures of the marsh areas and the day I was there, there were at least eight turtles sunning themselves on a fallen log that extended out into the water. This particular picture shows two or three on this log.

Petrie Island Marshes – Water Ways

The following picture shows a water way that divides the island from the main land. Petrie island is connected by a small gravel causeway with water on both sides suitable for canoe’s and small boats. There is a marina on the island and an area were you can store your boat for the winter. In the winter time there are many ice fishing huts that are placed on this water way for the use of various fishermen.

This is really an unspoiled habitat for many birds and animals and we should all try to keep it that way. Stay on the trails and out of the marshes. There are some areas you can easily ride your mountain bike through, while in others all bikes are restricted from being on the trails. There are lots of signs so it is quite easy to see where you should and should not be.

Petrie Island Marshes – Animal Life

We saw many squirrels, chipmunks, turtles, rabbits and birds on the day that we walked through this area. It is important to be careful to stay on the groomed pathway that is made available by the park wardens. You will need to pay for parking by the hour. However it is not too expensive. It is also regularly patrolled so don’t bother trying to park for free. It will just cost you a lot. The police are also regular visitors just to make sure that people on the beach are behaving themselves.

By the way you can get to Petrie Island by bike by following Trim road to its most northern point. There is also a bike path that runs all the way from down town Ottawa to Trim road in the east, which then takes you to Petrie Island. Hope you enjoy.

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Petrie Island is a man made island and beach on the  west side of Ottawa in the village of Orleans. This beach and island is actually quite a beautiful place to spend some time. There is lots of sandy beach to grab some rays and in the summer time many families come for picnics and the kids play volleyball.

There are two beach areas, one facing onto the main Ottawa river towards the north. The other beach on Petrie Island faces east into a little lagoon that  is created by the island. This tends to be a more secluded and quiet beach for many people to enjoy.

Although this is a great area to come during the summer time, enjoy the suns rays and go for a swim there is a large problem that the city is trying to deal with. Whenever it rains there is a lot of pollution that is washed into the Ottawa river and then the city also has been known to dump raw sewage into the river as well. Consequently there are many days during the summer when it is recommended to not go on the water due to the bacterial problems with the water.

Bird Problem on the Petrie Island Beach

There are also a lot of birds as the above picture shows which contribute to the problem. If you go to the beach be careful were you sit and watch what your kids put in their mouths. I took these pictures on a beautiful sunny day in early September. I found that the beach was popular with seagulls and the ever present Canada Geese. They can be seen on the picture on the right.

This particular day there were only about 20 or so geese. However I have been here when there are a lot more geese on the grass or in the water. They tend to leave a lot of droppings so you have to be careful were you walk.

They do not seem to mind humans. Although watchful, generally will continue eating the grass or relaxing as you walk or bike by them.  This is a problem that many areas in Canada have to deal with every year. It seems to be a growing problem for many areas.

This last picture looks west towards Ottawa along the river. There are also shaded areas with a number of picnic tables among the trees. These are for people who want to be near the water and have a picnic with their families.

Walking Trails

There are also numerous walking trails through this area for hiking were you can observe the wild life. On the day I was there I saw many chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits along the trail.

There are also turtles by the hundreds in the marsh area ( see next post on Petrie Island). They spend a lot of time sunning themselves on logs on the river bank. I counted 8 turtles on one log at one point.

Petrie island is a great place to spend some time. Just be mindful of the pollution in the water and along the beach when you go. Maybe the city of Ottawa will be able to control the sewage that finds its way into the Ottawa river.

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The new St Huberts restaurant has re-opened in Orleans. This is one of our favorite places to go for chicken. The old restaurant at the same location was getting a bit tired looking. They have totally revamped the place, made it much more contemporary looking, and even rearranged the parking lot.

St Huberts Restaurant – Orleans – Review

Parking – probably fewer spaces, but much easier to get around in now with parking around the perimeter of the lot and no parking in the middle.

Design – contemporary design. We especially like the lounge or bar area. At least 4 big screen TVs playing music videos when we were there, nice, well-lit place to have a drink and your meal.  The dining area is better as well, but not dressed up as well as the main bar area.

The Food – still the same great food, with chicken done just the way you like it and that special gravy they have which is so great! They must have kept the same cooks while they were closed.
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So what are the worst foods, anytime during the year and  the calorie-packed culprits that we should stay away from? The experts say  that there really are no “bad” foods. A few bites of even the most fattening food can fit into your diet. But there certainly are foods that are worse for us than others.

When you check out the nutritional numbers on these foods, keep in mind that most adults need fewer than 2,000 calories, 65 grams of total fat, and 20 grams of saturated fat each day. If you are not an active person, you may need to limit yourself to even less calories each day.

There are many foods that fall into the heavy calorie list, however the following will give you an idea of what to avoid or to limit the quantity of each that you eat. I am using a calorie counter at the moment and find that I sometimes have to really limit portion size in order to meet my calorie limit. I eat everything, just not a huge quantity!

Alcohol

Probably the number one calorie counter is alcohol. As with anything else if you limit your intake, you can limit the calories. A simple rum and coke is loaded with calories. Change to diet coke to limit your calories. Choose light beer and avoid the creamy liquors if you want to control the calories that you take in while enjoy a drink with dinner or a liquor over dinner.

Macaroni and cheese

. It’s an all-time favorite comfort food for both kids and adults, but it can wreak havoc with your diet. A 12-ounce serving of Stouffer’s macaroni and cheese has 529 calories, 25.7 grams of fat, and 10.6 grams of saturated fat. Calories can climb higher when ingredients like high-fat meats or sausage are tossed in. Modify the recipe by using a low-fat cheese, low-fat milk, and stretch it with additional vegetables to improve the nutritional profile and still taste great.

Cream-based soups, bisques and chowders.

“Warm soups and chowders feel so nutritious, but if they are loaded with cream, they are also loaded with calories. Soups also tend to be high in sodium, and if you crumble salty crackers into the bowl or top with cheese, the sodium level soars even higher. A one-cup serving of Harry’s Lobster Bisque (Costco) has 380 calories, 27 grams of fat, 16 grams saturated fat, and 1,240 milligrams of sodium. The New England clam chowder at Chili’s, meanwhile, has 940 calories, 65 grams fat, and 34 grams of saturated fat. Choose soups that are broth based, like vegetable or minestrone, and pair it with a salad or a whole-wheat roll.

Cream- and cheese-based casseroles,

or those topped with cheese, bacon, fried onions, or buttered crackers. One serving has 568 calories, 40 grams of fat and 21 grams of saturated fat — and this is for a side dish! Creamed, scalloped, and au gratin dishes may start out with healthy ingredients like broccoli, green beans, or potatoes. But when you add cream, butter, and canned soups and top them with cheese, bacon, and/or fried breadcrumbs, you can easily quadruple the calories. Reduce calories by substituting low-calorie mix-ins such as fat-free sour cream, low-fat cheese, or reduced-fat soups.

Cheesecake treats.

Cheesecakes are typically loaded with artery clogging fats. In just one slice of chocolate Oreo mudslide cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, you get 1,050 calories, 71 grams of fat, and 34 grams of saturated fat. And don’t think ordering a muffin will save you when you’re craving a cream-cheese treat. Starbuck’s pumpkin cream cheese muffin has 490 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 6 grams of saturated fat. Better to skip these rich desserts and satisfy your sweet tooth with a 150-calorie Skinny Cow ice cream cone — or suck on a peppermint for a mere 20 calories.

Chili and stews loaded with ground beef, sausage, and/or cheese.

When you make them yourself, with small portions of lean meat, lots of vegetables and beans and a sprinkle of low-fat cheese, chili and stews can be nutritious and filling. At Chili’s, a bowl of chili with cheese will cost you 500 calories, 35 grams of fat, and 15 grams saturated fat. At Quizno’s, the bread bowl chili has 760 calories, 23 grams of fat, and 7 grams saturated fat. “Stews or chili have the potential to be very hearty, high in protein, and a great meal as long as you control the high-fat ingredients such as ground meat, sausage and cheese.

Pies topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

These winter favorites often start with healthy ingredients, like heart-healthy nuts or antioxidant-rich fruits, but they also include high-calorie ingredients. “Rich, buttery pie crusts on the top and bottom, sweet fillings, and the customary whipped cream or ice cream topping make these pies decadent and full of calories. A slice of coconut cream pie at Denny’s, for example, will set you back 701 calories, 32 grams of fat, and 20 grams saturated fat. Shoney’s apple pie a la mode has 1,203 calories, 53 grams of fat, and 23.7 grams of saturated fat in one serving — equivalent to the total daily calories in some weight loss plans. “Skip the crust(s), add a dollop of light whipped topping, and serve yourself only a sliver” if you want to enjoy these desserts.

Cookies.

Enjoying one small cookie is not a problem. Most small (about 1 -2 ounces) cookies are around 200-250 calories, which is not bad if you eat only one — but who can stop at one?. The CD-sized cookies you commonly find at bakeries and restaurants pack a real caloric punch. At Dunkin’ Donuts, the peanut butter cup cookie (4.5 ounces) has 590 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 13 grams saturated fat. At Panera, the shortbread cookie (2.5 ounces) has 350 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 12 grams saturated fat. So split it in half, or take along a 100-calorie pack of your favorite cookie.

Fried side dishes —

chili cheese fries, onion rings, and plain old French fries. Sadly, the most popular vegetable in the U.S. is the French fry, which is loaded with fat, calories, and salt. Most people think nothing of adding a side of 6-ounce fries to their order at McDonald’s, even though it adds an additional 570 calories, 30 grams of fat, and 6 grams saturated fat. Sharing a Chili’s Awesome Blossom (1/2 portion) gives you 1,355 calories, 101 grams of fat, and 18 grams saturated fat – all before the entree. A serving of Del Taco’s chili cheese fries has 670 calories, 46 grams fat, and 15 grams saturated fat, while White Castle onion rings have 750 calories, 39 grams of fat, and 6 saturated fat. Have a side salad with your entrée and skip the high-calorie, deep-fat fried appetizer, and look for something that is not fried and has vegetables.

Creamy pot pies with pastry on the top and bottom.

It looks innocent enough but when you have pastry on the bottom and top, you get a double dose of high-fat crust plus the filling. The individual Boston Market chicken pot pie has 780 calories, 47 grams of fat, and 17 grams of saturated fat. Forget the creamy pie and enjoy a roasted chicken breast and a whole-wheat roll for a fraction of the calories.

More Tips to Avoid  Weight Gain

Beyond limiting the most fattening foods, here are some more general expert tips for avoiding winter weight gain:

• Have plenty of low-sodium soups and stews that are broth- or tomato-based and contain lots of vegetables. Studies show that eating broth-based soup before a meal can fill you up. This will help you eat fewer calories during the meal.
• Heat up your food with spices and peppers to give it more pizzazz so you won’t miss the high-fat ingredients.
• Use only lean meats in casseroles and other dishes. Even then, remember to keep portions reasonable.
• Drink plenty of water with your meals
• Include plenty of lean protein in your diet to keep you feeling full and satisfied
• Replace cream in recipes with fat-free half-and-half or low-fat milk
• Use 2 egg whites instead of each whole egg in recipes.
• Get plenty of natural sunlight, and stay fit to keep your metabolism perking.
• Keep your menus simple and reduce the number of choices to reduce the temptation to try everything,
• During the holiday season, “keep your routine as normal as possible. If you do splurge, just get right back on track. Avoid Thanksgiving dinner extending all the way to New Year’s Day,”

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Purchasing camping gear is really a personal thing. This post was prompted by an experience I had while purchasing camping gear as a wedding gift for my daughter and her new husband. They are the couple who have everything for the house and so on, so we wanted to find something that they would appreciate and use.  They like camping and had been borrowing other people’s tents and camping equipment when they went away for a weekend of camping.

This was going to be a wedding gift, which is a sort of odd gift when you think about it, but then what else do you get for someone who already has everything they need for the house and the yard.

Purchasing Camping Gear and Tents

We went to a number of stores looking for tents mainly. But also some of the basic stuff like pots and pans and gear to pack it all in. We found the best gear to be at stores such as Mountain Equipment co-op and other outdoor sports kinds of stores, however it is very expensive and we were limited in what we could purchase for what we wanted to spend. We ended up finding a nice 4 person tent on sale at one of these types of stores after a bit of negotiation.

Did Not Fit Their Requirements

We presented our gifts and our kids were really excited about receiving the tents especially since that meant they did not need to borrow a tent any longer. My son-in-law, who has had more experience camping than I have, politely let us know that the tent really was not large enough. After all we purchased a 4 person tent so why would that not be large enough?

For those of you who may not know, a 4 person tent is just large enough for 4 people to sleep snugly and no room for any gear, clothing, backpacks and the rest of the gear you normally have at a camp site. So off we go to try to exchange the tent we purchased for another one.

Exchange and Comparison Shopping

Well there was no problem returning the tent, and getting our money back, however the prices for larger tents were more than we wanted to pay. We decided to head off to Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart and Zellors. These are all department stores here in Canada, however Wal-Mart of course is world wide.

The prices and selection were better for the larger tents and we were able  to buy a tent for around the same money that actually sleeps 8, with windows and with a canopy covering the opening. What a deal, they were happy and I was too since I got a better deal for the same money and a bigger tent!

Always Comparison Shop

This is a rather long story to really say that it pays to shop around no matter what the product, including tents and camping gear. Shop around and unless you are a really a fanatic about the gear you use, buying from stores such as Wal-Mart is just fine, since you will save a lot of money!

Over the past few days there have been more and more articles appearing about 9/11. They cover the World Trade Center plane crashes. We have watched these and in no way condone this sort of violence. We do not condone any kind of terrorist action. Having said that, something caught our attention. It was an announcement by the Canadian Government that the 911 Security Tab was $92 billion on various forms of security over the past 10 years!

Are We Spending Efficiently

This ranges from improved security at airports and border crossing points. Also enhanced CISIS and RCMP security initiatives online and many more that we do not even know about. The good news is that Canada at least  has not had any attacks since 911. We have also thwarted a couple that could have had disastrous consequences. The bad news is that the tab of this level of security is $92 billion.  This number is probably a drop in the bucket compared to other countries such as the US, Britain, France and Australia.
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U.S. President Barack Obama, plans to spend $300 billion on a jobs package. Apparently he’ll announce tonight that this will be part of his stimulus plan, according to most media outlets in the U.S. Bounce ahead 2 years and it seems that he followed the right strategy. Were is our economy headed? It seems to be going the right direction. We avoided major bank failures and several major car company failures.

Millions of people are out of work, but millions more would have been out of work as well. With all of these people the economy would have suffered catastrophic failure and slow downs. That we are recovering and headed in the right direction says a lot about how it has improved and how we avoided a major melt down. So were is our economy headed?

Were is Our Economy Headed

Meantime,  Europe struggles to contain its government debt crisis, and their greatest fear is that one of the Continent’s major banks may fail.

With this kind of news and concerns being expressed every day by various people it is no wonder that consumers are holding back and conserving cash.  As soon as consumers begin saving money and not spending, it has a ripple effect that is hard to stop. Companies receive less revenue and produce less goods. They lay people off to reduce their expenses and these people who are looking for a job also spends less. Pretty soon you are within what is called the death spiral and that is what everyone is worried about.
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George Best Airport Belfast city airport was renamed in commemoration of the legendary footballer George Best. George Best was one of  Belfast’s most famous sports heroes. He was said to be the best footballer in the world by many players and sports commentators. He played for Manchester United in his prime, and was part of  the best Man Utd side ever. Best played in the 60s. His skill on the football pitch led to his stardom off the pitch. A stardom that was said  to be his downfall unfortunately for him. He loved all of the benefits of being a star foot baller.

George Loved Life

George loved his flamboyant lifestyle a bit too much and became an alcoholic, which ended his footballing career at an early age. George’s alcoholism damaged his liver and  lead to his death. In 2002 his liver gave up, and he received a liver transplant that enabled him to live a few more years. This scare really was not enough to make him stop drinking unfortunately.

But with his incessant drinking which he never stopped after his transplant,  even a liver transplant couldn’t keep him alive for longer than a few years. It is a shame that someone with this much potential threw away his life-like this. Someone famous like this could have done so much good for his country and his team. But he just could not stay away from alcohol for whatever reason. Unfortunately this occurs far too often and many people just cannot explain why they let happen to them. perhaps in Georges’s case it was the pressure of being a major league soccer star.
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Well it seems that Dominique Strauss-Kahn has gotten away with some underhanded behavior in New York City .  He is now back in France and yes he has lost a lot. If his wife trusted him before, she probably does not now. The french voters do not trust him and he has virtually no chance of winning in the election in France. The election in France is occurring in the next few months. He did have to spend some time in jail and endure the press and the humiliation of being in hand cuffs! But is that sufficient punishment? Now that the charges have been dropped will he sue the New York Police force? Can He get away with this. Turns out he is guilty and will not be able to sue.

We do not know the legal issues around this case, just what we read in the papers like everyone else. But after a while you get to reading between the lines and you get a feel for some things.
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We are so afraid that the liberals will once again be voted back into power in the next Ontario Provincial Elections. They have been in power for many years now. The premier of Ontario has lied to us so many times that we take it for granted. We are not even surprised anymore. When he tells us that even though he was not going to raise taxes, he now will add more of a tax burden on to us.

Many people are voting with there feet and even though they may vote the liberals back into power, many are spending their money in the US were goods are much cheaper to start with and the tax is also much lower. They do not have an HST tax at 13%, not eve close. But I am getting off track here and need to focus on why we need a conservative government in place.
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Apparently 8 out of 10 Americans think we are already in a recession. Are we headed for another recession and is it going to be serious. For a recession to be official, you must have two or more quarters of negative growth in the economy. Canada has already reported that there economy shrank in the 2nd quarter. Indicators are that the 3rd will be no better.

When we originally wrote this post, the indicators seemed to point in that direction. However two years later, the recession has never arrived and the stock market is booming. So much for the financial gurus knowing what they are talking about.

Headed for Another Recession

Whether we are officially in a recession or not according to the economic gurus, it really does not matter. What matters is what people think and how they spend their money. If the general population believe we are in a recession and are worried about more job losses, then they are going to reduce their spending plans and that alone will push us into a recession. Let’s face it if you are working now and worried about losing your job, you are not going to go out and buy that new car, the white goods etc. You are going to reduce spending and save your money in case you get laid off. This can translate quickly into the result that we are headed for another recession!
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I saw Mark Cuban being interviewed on Pierce Morgan the other night. What a smart guy, up beat, positive and seems to know what he is all about. He is obviously very successful as a business man having succeeded in turning the Mavericks around as well as being successful in a number of other ventures.

What caught my attention was the discussion they had concerning politics and whether he would run for president some day or not. He emphatically indicated that he would not run for president. However he is young and there is lots of time to change his mind and make a contribution to the history books as a business president rather than a political one.

Political Dogma

The conversation centered around making things happen in US politics and by extension in Canadian politics as well. His emphasis if I caught it properly is that there are lots of political dogma being spewed by the politicians. But not sufficient action. Once you state a plan or direction, it must be followed up with action in defined steps so that you actually achieve what you set out to achieve.
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My wife and I, love reality shows! We have our favorite shows that we watch all of the time.  There are so many these days, that we think that Hollywood has gone over board with these shows. For example they try to capture market share and produce shows that have a very low budget compared to regular produced shows.

But reality shows are not reality! Sure they are inexpensive to produce. As a result they offer some good entertainment most of the time. But there are a couple of things wrong with Reality shows these days, that we just cannot get from regular produced shows with a good budget..

First they are not reality or even close to what most people would call reality. Secondly they are portray human beings at their worst for the most part. There are a couple of shows that are ok, such as Dancing with the Stars, and Expedition Impossible, or even the Amazing race but the rest are just plain bad. Even these three shows cannot be considered reality shows! They all have relatively big budgets as well which contributes to their overall quality.  At the end of the day they are just entertainment with little or no reality to them at all.

Reality Shows are not Reality

All of these shows are filmed virtually 24 hours a day. We get to see them with the activity condensed from 24 hours into 30 minutes of activity portraying whatever the producers want us to see. Secondly these people are told to act outrageously to attract the audience. Jersey Shore and the Housewives of whatever city are big examples of this kind of reality show. They end up with outrageous behavior and attract an audience for some reason. Hence this is not entertainment.
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Well they just announced the cast of Dancing with the Stars last night and a big surprise was part of the announcement. Nancy Grace is going to be on the show, Dancing with the stars! What a surprise. We watch Nancy Grace all of the time and enjoy her tenacity as she deals with other lawyers , particularly defense lawyers. Participation on this show, Dancing with the Stars , is really going to take her out of her comfort zone! This will be interesting to see how she handles it.

Now she is going to way outside her comfort zone and dealing with other stars that are competing with her. She is not a stranger to competition, but this is really different for her. She claims she cannot dance and this will be a big stretch for her, but with her fans carrying her for the first few episodes we are sure she will stay long enough that she can show she can learn and become proficient at dancing.
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Well it looks like the latest hurricane is over with. Fortunately it did not do the kind of damage that many people were expecting. Still, there are thousands of people without power. Many homes and businesses were damaged from the flooding. The damage from this alone will add up to billions. There were about 10 people killed in this hurricane – Irene,. Some from falling trees and others from simply being in the wrong place.

Hurricanes and tornadoes are fascinating. We love to watch them and if possible get up close to see the power they possess. Unfortunately if you do, you can sometimes be killed or severely injured by flying debris . We just do not realize just how strong 85 to 110 mile an hour wins are. When the authorities tell you to get out of the area or stay in the basement there is good reason for them saying this. You must find protection from the wins and anything flying through the air.

Do Not Go Under a Bridge

I once thought that getting under a bridge, would be the best place to be. Especially if we encountered a tornado and could not get away. Turns out that this is the worst place to go to ! As the wind tries to get though a small space the speed increases to get all of the air through this space. The spot between the road and bridge is a good example of were the winds can increase dramatically. They can literally tear you away from anything you are holding onto.
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These are pictures of the bike trail that runs from Ottawa to Rigaud , Quebec along the old Via rail line that has been disbanded since 1968.

This picture on the right is on the Prescott Russell bike trail near Hammond Ontario.  The trail runs from Anderson road in the west to the Quebec Border and on to at least Rigaud, Quebec.

Prescott Russell bike trail

I have traveled from Anderson road along this trail to as far as Bourget. In addition the trail is well maintained with crushed stone all the way to Bourget. Once you get to Bourget, there is a short section that is paved for approximately one KM as you travel through Bourget. This is the first location at Hammond that has a gazebo and a picnic table to stop at for lunch or a snack.

The trail is wide enough for two riders to ride side by side quite comfortably. There are not a lot of people on the trail so it is a very peaceful ride through the country side without needing to worry about traffic.

Other Riders

There have been a few other riders and several people on horses. Beyond Bourget I have been told that the trail is a bit rougher, but find for a mountain bike with wide knobby tires. This is pretty typical of what the trail looks like with crushed stone. Hence it is easy to ride on and well maintained

The third picture shown here is looking west along the trail. .

As you can see there are gates at each road crossing to prevent motorized vehicles from going on the trail. The opening is just large enough for riders to squeeze through.

Winter Time Trail use

In the winter time this same trail is used by snowmobilers and cross country skiers. These gates are at each road crossing to provide safety for all riders. There is also a small gazebos at Bourget as well to sit for a bit. There are porta poties at these locations as well.
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Yesterday we wrote a post about the potential impact that baby boomers may have on the stock market long term as they gradually withdraw their savings to pay for retirement.  We concluded that due to investments and emerging markets  such as China and India, there would be little impact on the value of equities in the stock market. There may be some areas that are hit more than others. For example health stocks and perhaps home renovation stocks,  but even that is yet to be determined. Most baby boomers are retiring and worried about their investments.

Baby Boomers and Stock Warnings

Get a Variety of Opinions

It is always an great idea to get another opinion. So we asked several experts the same question and got almost the same answer. Stay invested, diversify, invest across bonds, dividend paying stocks and mutual funds. This approach will ensure that your income is protected and diverse enough that you are not hurt by any one market. The income should continue regardless of the market ups and downs. That is really what is important in old age. Do you have enough income to live in the manner you prefer.
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I recently saw the following headline and thought it would be a good idea to put  our own opinion out on this. We have also asked our financial advisers about this subject and expect to get two different answers  from them. So what impact do you think the impact will be that the baby boomers will have on the Stock Market and our retirement.

The graph above shows this wave of boomers getting older. This will have a huge impact on the value of stocks and the transfer of money to a younger generation.

This quote was taken from a news service that I subscribe to on the CFRA Ottawa radio station, “The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco warns a sell-off by baby boomers may keep stock prices low for years. It says those born between 1946 and 1964 are beginning to retire, just as the stock market is starting to recover from the financial crisis. The Federal Reserve Bank says the timing is disconcerting since stock prices are closely tied to demographic trends for the past half-century.”
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First of all, allow us to express our condolences to Jack Layton’s family.  This story is about Jack Layton’s Legacy. This is a bittersweet time for them. Having been associated with cancer myself, no one wants to see their loved one die. However, at the same time, no one wants to see them suffer either. Especially when there is nothing further that can be done for them. The only treatment at that point is pain management, usually through morphine or some similar drug.

Jack Layton worked until the end and strove to go out in a dignified manner with his place in history firmly in established. He accomplished a great deal for his party and for Canadians and no one can take that away from him. Jack devoted himself to his life’s work which was Canadian Politics and the role that the NDP would play on the national scene. He succeeded beyond all expectations and for that we have to take our hats off to this man.

Sure he made some mistakes along the way. We all do from time to time, but this is not the time to belabor those issues. Nor would it accomplish anything at all to list them here. We are not interested in that since they are past history. The real issue for all Canadians is what will his legacy be and how will it impact us?
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Can you imagine buying this car and driving it around Florida? If people did not throw rocks at it once they found out that  Casey Anthonys was car crushed they certainly would have vandalized the car. This is not a car that most people would want to own. We are pretty happy that it was crushed and not made available for sale.

Some person would have bought it who was a little bit off. They would have enjoyed it in a perverse way. As well as the notoriety of the car and the case, there was the ongoing smell that apparently was emanating from the car.

Sure the smell would have dissipated over time. But who wants to endure the smell of what was supposed to be a dead body in the trunk? The smell would have lingered for a long time regardless of what you did to try and remove it. No one would want to drive this car anywhere.

Casey Anthonys Car Crushed

It is probably a great idea to have this Casey Anthonys car crushed for other reasons as well. There are enough nut cases out there who would want to have the car to be a little closer to Casey. Or to somehow get involved in the notoriety that the case  has brought to the entire situation. These people will not have this opportunity now that the car has been crushed. We think this is a good idea.

She also or will soon be able to afford just about any car she wants to purchase with the deals that she is supposed to be signing. Still she probably does not want to be seen in public. There are still many people who believe she is guilty of murdering her daughter and disposing of the body in a most undignified way. No one deserves that ever!

If Casey Anthony were to be seen driving around in a new car, there are certainly people who would throw stuff at it. They would vandalize the car just to punish her in some way or to vent their anger at her. She should stay out of the limelight for many years to avoid any negative repercussions. Crushing the car is just one more step in that direction and we applaud this decision by the family or by Casey and her lawyers.

Casey Anthony – Bankruptcy

We learned recently that Casey Anthony had to declare bankruptcy. She has no income and no way of earning any money. Apparently all of the book deals and the movie deals are falling through since no one really wants to touch this subject. Eventually someone will. But in the mean time she has no money and has declared bankruptcy.

This means that those lawyers who defended her will also not get paid. Which is a good thing. Although we think they probably made money with all of the interviews and deals they tried to deal once the case ended. This is too bad. But at least they will not get paid by Casey from making money from her court case.

For more posts about notorious crimes, click here.

Do you gain weight during allergy season? If you are allergic to golden rod, dust and mold, it is not over yet. Most people equate allergy season to the spring when there is a lot of pollen in the air. It can be equally bad for people in the late summer and fall due to pollen from golden rod, and the mold that is in the air from decaying leaves and grasses.  If you gained weight in the spring or will gain weight in the fall, it is probably because you stayed inside more and avoid going out doors. Maybe you took the car every where instead of walking and going for a walk after supper was completely the wrong thing to do.

What all this translates into is less physical activity, maybe a bit of boredom which for many people means they eat more and they burn fewer calories. As a result the pounds go on and you gain weight. I know , this happens to me every year and I have to force myself to get out and exercise as well as work around the yard! When you are sneezing and coughing from your allergies it can be just easier to stay inside and not take on any activity at all. Actually the reverse is true. If you can increase your adrenaline level, your allergies will not bother you as much. Try running or doing some hard physical activity and see what happens. You may find that your allergy symptoms will have temporarily decreased!

Gain Weight During Allergy Season – Take Precautions

There are many precautions that can be taken to help you during this period of time. It really depends on how bad your allergies are. Some people are much worse than others and will need to take more extreme precautions. They are not ranked in importance, since what works for one person will not work for another. Here is our list that keeps me going during allergy season and helps me avoid losing weight:

• Exercise makes me feel better, allergies do not bother me while exercising
• Take allergy drugs prescribed by a doctor
• Wear a mask if you are really susceptible to whatever makes you allergic
• Finish work outside, undress in the laundry room and immediately take a shower
• Finish exercising outside, undress in the laundry room and immediately take a shower
• Keep the windows closed and run the air conditioning
• Keep the filter on your furnace clean
• Use a central vacuum and exhaust it outside the house
• Monitor the air quality and stay inside on bad days
• Go to the gym and exercise
• Mold can be highest at night, stay inside at that time
• Exercise indoors in your basement
• Carry Kleenex with you everywhere
• Always watch your diet

That’s a long list of possible things you can do to help you deal with your allergies and also keep active. You may not lose weight, but perhaps you will at least maintain your present weight. Better than gain weight during allergy Season during this difficult time frame.

We have assumed here that the main problem is dealing with your allergies so that you can keep active. If you are not active, you are going to gain weight because most people eat much more than they need to maintain their body weight. Develop an exercise program or plan that goes with some of the activities above that you use to control your allergy symptoms. You can never completely eliminate them, however if you can make your life more comfortable you are ahead of the game.

Comments on these ideas are welcome. If you have some to add, let us know.

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What To Do In Belfast, Ireland

Belfast is the second largest city in Northern Ireland, with Dublin in southern Ireland being the largest, and with a population of over 200,000 it is filled with the charm of an old town shipping port along a thriving metropolis. Belfast began centuries ago as a shipping passage through the Irish Sea, protected on one side by Ireland and the other by England and Europe. Ireland is a beautiful country and carries a great deal of charm for many people with Irish blood in them. In fact the Irish have spread all over the world and regularly go back to Ireland to renew their roots and memories. Ireland holds a great deal of nostalgia for many people.

There was a time when there were a lot of problems in Belfast due to political disagreements and long time feuds that caused a lot of death as well as destruction. With the agreements that Tony Blair’s government was able to put in place, today it is quickly gaining the reputation as being the place to go for “a break”, even more than Glasgow or London!

Once you get here, either by boat or plane, you have lots of choices of what to see and do while in Belfast.

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You can forget a lot of things when you go on a camping trip. But one of the things that everyone needs in order to enjoy their camping outdoors is a good nights sleep. Sleeping Comfortably While Camping is one of the most important aspects of camping. If you do not get a good nights sleep, the rest of the trip can be more difficult.

Being dry, being warm and something soft to sleep on are several of the key requirements for a great camping trip. Canadian Tire as do other stores, sells a number of tents, sleeping bags and air beds for the average camper and their families. They have a great selection of camping gear and hiking gear that the average person will need.

Sleeping Comfortably While Camping

If you are buying a tent , make sure that it is big enough to handle all of your needs. There is everything wrong with a small tent that is just large enough for your sleeping and unable to hold your other gear. If you have to run to the car or truck every time you need something, it is not a comfortable thing to have to do in the middle of the night or when it is raining.

Your tent should be large enough to house you and your sleeping partners as well as your gear and even a small area to sit and read if you want to do that during a rainy day or evening. Remember to never keep your food in your tent unless you want nocturnal visitors checking in for a visit and some lunch or dinner.

Canadian tire has a tent selector tool to assist consumers to select the right kind of tent for their use. It is pretty basic, however it does cover the basic camping issues – size or number of people to accommodate in the tent; ease of set up and take down and level of water resistance. Note the more water resistant, the heavier the tent will be, especially noticeable if you have to carry it any distance.

Sleeping Comfortably While Camping – Sleeping bags

They need to be warm enough for cool nights yet not so hot that you swelter in them. You may have several bags that are used for various times. Spring and fall are often cooler so you need a warm sleeping bag, while in the summer you need some thing lighter.

Canadian Tire has many different kinds of sleeping bags for cold conditions as well as for warm summer nights that will appeal to many people at prices that  you can afford. Always air out your sleeping bag after every use so that is fresh for the next nights comfort. A damp bag or a smelly one can ruin just about anyone’s sleep including that of your partners who are sleeping in the same tent with you.

Sleeping Comfortably While Camping – Sleeping Pads and Air Beds

Weight is always an issue especially if your are back packing or canoeing, however comfort at night on a soft bed is also important to get a good nights sleep. Sleeping pads are sized for the individual. They will provide a small cushion to provide some additional comfort instead of lying directly on the ground. Sleepers also avoid dealing with sharp sticks and stones that you might have missed when you cleared the area before pitching your tent. They are typically small enough and light enough to be easily carried over some distance.

Air beds on the other hand provide a more luxurious sleeping arrangement. They provide a cushion of air between you and the ground. No sharp objects are going to bother you at night! They are heavier and they require equipment to pump them up. It takes more time to set up camp as well as pack things up in the morning when it is time to leave.

In later posts we will cover other products that you may need to make your camping trip a success and enjoyable for everyone.

We were traveling along Route 66 one day in the spring of 2011 and came upon the Frontier Motel and Restaurant. This restaurant dates back to the days when Route 66 was the only route between the east and the lower western states.  This is not a place that you would probably stop at just by looking at the place from outside.

It has definitely seen better days, since there really is not a lot of traffic along route 66 these days.  Never the less, they stay open and many locals go there for breakfast and lunch as well as the odd tourist that is passing through.

Hackleberry General Store

We had been to the Hackberry General store which is also on Route 66. While we were looking around this store we asked the owner if they were any good restaurants in the area were we could get lunch. There happened to be a UPS delivery man in the store. He suggested the Frontier Motel and Restaurant Route 66 which was another 20 miles up the road. He said they had great food. It would give us a taste of what restaurants were like in the days that route 66 was popular.

The best way to get there is to go east of Kingman on route 40 and take the exit for route 66. It will take approximately an hour, however it is a nice drive through the desert. You pass a number of places along the way which are interesting to stop at, such as the Hackberry General store . There is also an Indian reservation along the way with outlet stores, a lodge and a restaurant as well. It is a little more modern and you can probably get great food there as well, although we did not try it on the day we drove on this section of route 66.

Frontier Motel

The Frontier Motel and Restaurant on Route 66 was built in 1950 and has been a basic diner from the 50’s on. There is a motel attached to the diner as well, although we did not check this out. It shows its age both inside and out, however the food was good and the service was also good. It is run by a family who bought it a few years ago and are trying to make a living. There is the son with his wife and kids and his mother who run the place. The mom is the real manager and the main cook as well. We talked to her for a little while. They always want to know were you are from since they know everyone else pretty much.

We had a hamburg, which was a real hamburg, not one of these compressed things. We also had fried bread, which is really tasty for desert. Basically it is flour dough that is deep fried and sprinkled with sugar. Excellent, but like many things that taste good, probably not that good for you. Since we were from Canada, we told her about beaver tales which are basically the same, except we sprinkle brown sugar on them and raspberry jam which is fantastic.

Anyway if you are on the route 66 section in Arizona, be sure to stop at the Frontier restaurant. Great food and good conversation. It is not fancy, but  it is interesting and you will enjoy the place. If you have been there and want to leave a comment please feel free to do so.

For more things to see in Arizona, click here.

Well I must be from the planet Mars, since I am probably one of the few people who really do not understand the attraction of the Kardashians. Kim is pretty but not really that pretty and as she gets older will not be pretty at all. The others try but they really do not have what it takes to get the guys, although they probably do based just on money and notoriety.  There are lots of provocative poses like the one in this picture and as time goes on and as her fame begins to fade, they will become more provocative. I do have to give them credit for the marketing the Kardashians do and the success they have had in turning notoriety and semi good looks into a rumored $65 M dollars last year.

Then there is the $10m dollar wedding that is coming up shortly. Boy that will not last a year. Two people with big ego’s and high maintenance. It is just impossible. This is a publicity stunt and nothing more than that. By the time they sell the rights to the pictures and the video of the wedding, they will have paid for the wedding several times over and made a huge profit.

The Kardashians

They have done a lot to reach the level they are at in terms of sponsorships and income. The entire family seems to be involved, but Kim seems to be the main front person in terms of generating news, pictures and video. The worst part of this entire thing is that she has become a role model for many people which frankly is just disgusting. The reason that I decided to write this post is that one commentator said that this is the American equivalent to the English Royal wedding!
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Recently there have been a series of articles that are discussing the role that Cable TV and reality shows are having on our society. Regis was being interviewed on TV this morning and said that Cable TV has brought our culture down with all of the reality shows that are on cable. It is just not the reality shows, rather it is a specific segment of those shows. Some appear to be relatively harmless, such as “Kate plus eight”, Survivor and Big Brother. While others have even caused some of the people on the shows to commit suicide! Since we wrote this post in 2011, nothing seems to have changed and perhaps it has even got worse than it was before. Today it is the gun violence that is taking the front page which just shows how bad it is.

Role Models – The Housewives of XXX!

The Housewives of whatever city, there are so many of them now, expose the worst in relationships that are already fragile, and the people on these shows go out of their way to make them even more provocative. One man killed himself this past week apparently because he could not handle the information about his personal life being all over the world on TV. His marriage was falling apart, he was broke and he was already having emotional problems before the show even started. Is this what we want our kids to watch?
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