My daughter's blog; A Muse's Life

Part of my new blog here is going to share more about my family.

My daughter, Melissa, has a passion for writing and enjoys blogging about many different topics, including local restaurants.  You can follow her at her blog: A Muse's Life

Here is one of her reviews to enjoy:

Found the Foundry & Discovered Hot Dog Heaven!

A bit of reminiscing here. Downtown Windsor has certainly changed, has it not? It used to be bustling with people all day and night, not just on the weekends.

We had the amazing Palace Cinema, if anyone remembers that gem. I used to love going there every week, especially to check out all the foreign/independent films. I loved riding up the escalator to the chosen theatre entrance, buying over-priced popcorn (when popcorn tasted like real buttery popcorn, not whatever disgusting stuff is currently available at theatres with the faux butter!) or sneaking in some gummies from the convenience store near-by, and being greeted by an usher, who would take my ticket.

Food and drink-wise, there were tons of a little coffee shops too, like the Beans Cafe. You could stop in for a cocktail at the Avalon Front, and if you were hungry and wanted a fancier place to eat, you'd head over to Ye Old Steak House. I will always remember that restaurant because I had the best filet mignon steak.

Later on, nightlife came alive and so you had a variety of clubs to bar-hop to, from Jokers and Bentley's to a bit more upscale places like Dean Martini's. Ah the memories!  I remember having my very first alcoholic drink on my 19th birthday at Bentley's. My brother bought me a "Sex on the Beach" with added maraschino cherries. Yup, you could say I was a late bloomer. If you were kind of into the non main-stream scene, you'd head over to places like The Loop or frolic with the gothlings at Zebra Room.

The one place that I think almost everyone misses is Fast Eddy's Arcade. It was a great haven to escape into the world of classic arcade games and have a round of air hockey.

If anyone recalls, labelling us as “Sin City” in my opinion, was not something positive. After a while, many of the bars and nightclubs that were virtually all the same, really took a beating, as they switched from one name to another, and eventually shut down. Sure the American crowd flooded over here because of the 19+ drinking age, whereas over there, it is 21, but we cannot rely on just alcohol to be our only downtown attraction.

To be honest, after so many of my favourite places closed its doors over the years, I rarely had any interest in spending my time in the downtown core.

Slowly, that has changed, as a majority of the “booty” bars are now just a distant memory, and the atmosphere is starting to feel a little more inviting.  Sure there are still numerous vacant spots, but we can be hopeful more business owners will see the value of investing here.

From a bit of exploring downtown Windsor just this last week, it seems an abundance of pub-style restaurants have opened up and this is one of the new trends.

The Foundry Pub known as “Windsor's premier craft cocktail and deluxe deli destination” which is located at 459 Ouellette Avenue, ended up being our chosen place to sit down for some conversation and grub. The drink menu seemed endless, but I honestly couldn't tell you much about it because it's not something that I gravitate towards at all when we're dining out. Food, service and atmosphere rank the highest.

A welcoming atmosphere. Photo by Melissa Arditti

Sitting down, my eyes immediately saw on the menu "gourmet hot dogs."  It was a done deal, as the description of the Pizza Dog (smoked pepperoni, marinara, mozzarella, red onions, and parmesan 

cheese) seriously had my mouth watering.  Sorry, no photo!

I was also with my boyfriend, and he decided to go with the Porky Dog (pulled pork smothered in Guinness BBQ sauce, chipotle aioli, sweet relish and red onions.) With each entree came either kettle chips and a yummy french onion style dip or a mix of veggies with ranch dressing.

Porky Dog with a side of carrots/celery   Photo by Melissa Arditti

 The softness of the hot dogs were incredible and I guess they steam them to perfection. I have steamed hot dogs before at home and they never came out like this. I guess that's why i'm not a chef and they are. ;) This is a meal you just devour. I'm the messiest eater when it comes to food like this, so I tried to use a knife and fork and then just said f-it, i'm going in! Everything was delicious and we were quite full by the last bite.

Customer service was great, as well as the whole look and feel of the pub.  Our meals took a little while, especially on our second visit when they were really busy, but worth the wait because everything is made fresh. Our waitress was really friendly and bubbly. She even made Bill a special blend of fruit juices.

So, an update. We were back a second time and Bill had his usual Porky Dog, but I tried the Guinness BBQ Chicken (open faced hoagie, smothered in their signature BBQ sauce, mozzarella cheese, garlic aioli and red onions. . The chicken was tender and all the flavours were so good together.  I asked for “light” on the sauce though because for me, I don't like my food smothered in any kind of sauce.

My meal; Guinness BBQ Chicken. Oh yum! Photo by Melissa Arditti

My only suggestion would be to offer a whole wheat option on any of the buns, as I would prefer that over white.

Also, maybe a few more dessert options that are on the lighter side, or even some fresh fruit. We couldn't fit in one of their decadent desserts after the meal.

There is no doubt that we'll be back!

Check them out on Facebook or visit their website.

My rating scale: Foundry Pub gets 4 out of 4 Purple Muse's.

**Please remember that if you wish to use any of my photographs, contact me for permission! It's just the proper thing to do. :)**

Telling You More About My Own Life

This story is one that you may or may not want to read. It was a difficult story for me to write but I had to do so because of what I discovered.

This is not the typical kind of story that I write and then post to my website. Generally, I don't want people knowing all that much about me personally. However, that has changed at least with respect to the illness I experienced a year ago that came very close to ending my life. I want people to know about as much as possible in case they are faced with a similar situation.

Facebook has a new offering in their system structure that allows users to see previous posts called "On This Day" that shows past memories.  Here is what they provided to me a few days ago on December 25, 2015 about one of the notes that I had written on December 25, 2014. It opened up what was virtually unknown these days and which clearly I had forgotten a year later:



 

 

 

 

I was completely stunned when I received it. I did not remember writing that.  Nor did I  remember being that ill on that date. I knew I was not feeling all that well in December, 2014 but I didn't remember that it was so bad, not until I read that Facebook printed memory!

I know a little bit more now talking with my family about a number of odd things that I said the following 7 days after I first felt so ill, but none of it was all that serious to suggest that I was falling apart both physically and mentally. It was not until December 31 that there was a need to see a doctor.

In any event, after about 7 hours of testing and waiting for the results at the hospital at year-end on December 31, 2014 I decided to go back home because I was feeling slightly better and just could not stand staying in the hospital any longer.

It was on January 1, 2015, the next day, when I completely fell apart. My wife was required to take me back to the hospital immediately. Fortunately, I was seen by a doctor who had a bit of information about my illness but not a lot. When I literally fell apart medically not being able to speak properly, I understand that he was the one who had me admitted into hospital within hours after my arrival. He must have known that I was in a very difficult medical position.

It was important to rule out other diseases too. Fortunately, when my results came back from Toronto several days later, his initial concern was confirmed that I had this rare encephalitis virus, and so it was important to start the medication right away, in order to stop the inflammation in my brain from continuing. I had lost already almost all of my brain ability when I first entered hospital.  The disease acted that quickly.

Let me give you a couple of examples of the strange things that happened during the initial time-period.

Due to the potency of the medication that I was put on, kidney problems are a possible concern. I was told that they suspected that I now had a major kidney problem for which I was required to go on dialysis. That was planned for the next day. When the next day arrived though, my levels were back to normal and thankfully there was no need for dialysis.

On another day, my blood sugar levels spiked, but then shortly after, went back down to a normal level. I was on medication for “borderline” diabetics before this incident and being monitored by my family doctor on a regular basis. However, I am no longer on any medication for this issue and my blood sugar levels have dropped significantly.  I still do get checked, just so I have the peace of mind and can adjust my lifestyle choices, if levels happen to rise again.

Apparently, I was in the hospital for another week having tests taken to rule out many other very serious diseases that could also be life-threatening.  I was able to go home after being in hospital for 2 weeks and a team of medical professionals administered appropriate medications to me there, which caused a number of side effects, but they went away eventually. If you will recall, I was under extreme medical care for at least another month until the middle of February.

I think I will stop there. I'll be talking more about my medical condition and actions taken in subsequent articles. I have demonstrated to you what happens to a person like me who is suffering from an illness that is not well known by the medical people in the town where he lives. It demonstrates how serious one's life is in medical matters these days and how it can be saved if the right person just happens to be there and is involved.

It also goes to show just how something very small, like the Facebook memory throwback, can trigger information that one might have forgotten.

Enjoy Your Time Off

Just sit, relax, think about your last year and plan for a great new year.

This is what you should be doing now to enjoy your time on holidays at home or at the residence of friends or relatives.  Make sure the great music is on as well as the fireplace to help make you feel better too.

Have the best time ever my dear friends!

 

Have A Fabulous Holiday!



It is the holiday time period and soon, the start of another new year.

For our family, it is also the time when, last year, we started going through a very difficult time when my life was at stake because of a horrific illness that not too many people knew about.

However, through magnificent actions by so many wonderful people, the illness was identified, care was taken and my life was saved!  As a result, I am experiencing a great new life for which I am so grateful.

May I thank everyone for acting so well to help make my life and that of my wife and kids so much better.

From my wife, Marsha, my kids, Michael and Melissa, and me:

HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY AND A GREAT NEW YEAR!!!

 

 

More On My Illness

If you have had the opportunity to read the first article on my illness, then you will have some idea about what happened to me in the beginning of this year. http://tecumsehcityblog.blogspot.ca/2015/12/my-one-year-anniversary-coming-up.html

Sure a year has gone by, but I'm still deep in medical care that has helped me so well with the conditions that I'm suffering from. I expect a lot of time is going to be required next year to continue my recovery.  From my own perspective, there are still a lot of things that I must do, in order to improve physically and mentally. 

Much has happened during the year to get me better but I'm still in the process of learning more from others about what happened during the first 6 weeks of the year when I was 2 weeks in the hospital being looked after and treated and then 4 weeks at home being helped to get over some of the problems that I was under from a physical perspective.  Again, if you will remember, I have absolutely no memory about what happened in that time frame. Anything I know about it, I was told by other people, especially from my own family. 

What has been so important during this year is being treated so well, notwithstanding an illness that I have learned not very many people in the medical profession in North America and elsewhere know about. They did treat me because they knew a little bit early on but I was very fortunate about that. Thank goodness for the care that they gave me once they were given proof of what my illness was because I'm in such a good condition now that it is amazing. Had they not done so, well, who knows whether I would be alive in terrible shape or dead today. Serious illness happens so quickly because of it and immediate action must be taken. 

To start with, I had various ladies who helped me deal with my physical issues. I never knew that I would be in need of what is called a PSW – Personal Support Worker.  In fact, they started several days after I returned home, not a month and a half later, as I originally thought. Apparently, I did not treat them so nicely early on because I was suffering mentally, but that didn't bother the women who were working with me because they were trained well in handling situations like this. They ignored any unpleasantness that I had and always came in with a smile. A lot of it changed once I became more in touch with reality after the middle of February and became more pleasant.

Then there was the high cost of medications. One that I had to be on was called Acyclovir, which comes with its own terrible side effects, but is pretty much the one drug that is most effective for this particular illness. I do not remember much of this. I was told that most days I just slept. There were times where I also would not eat. I would have a bite of a vegetable and feel that I was “too full.” It was a very scary time for my family because I had lost so much weight and I was continuing to lose more because I could not eat very much.  I was very stubborn too, so there were times when my daughter would actually go and try to feed me because I was too weak to even hold up a utensil. I think the medication made me lose my appetite and feel nauseated all the time. It was very potent, but in order to be effective, it cannot come without problems. It is also a drug that is very difficult to get. The medical team had to call around to many locations to see if they could get a supply so I could go home. Otherwise, I would have been stuck in the hospital bed for many more days. I can tell you the range is in the thousands for this medication.  Thankfully, this cost was covered and so one less stress to worry about for my family.  I was told that a home-care nurse came in to administer the medication.

You can tell then that the initial 6 weeks was a time period in which I have no recollection whatsoever and can only repeat what I was told about it. Most of what happened during this period seemed to be dealing with the immediate medical treatments, and no one really could provide answers whether I would recover or not. It was a “wait and see” approach.  This news was distressing, but it is the way life is sometimes. 

Obviously, my physical side was the most important matter to deal with and so arrangements were made to do so through a number of different medical organizations and groups, including Community Care Access Centre (this organization is terrific, if you have ever used them for your needs or for your loved ones.) They have 14 locations to choose from when you click on their link.  I was assessed on a regular basis, according to my wife, and there was a PSW coming in daily, a nurse a few times a week, and as I started to recover, I was able to see a counsellor and an occupational therapist.  Being stuck in a bed all the time was very bad for my circulation and so I learned many great techniques and exercises that I could do eventually once I got some of my strength back. This lasted for quite some time and I am so thankful that even though there are some problems with on-going cutbacks to many of these organizations, they do their best to help. I am still getting a nice PSW coming in, just a few times a week though, to help me with my daily needs. I can honestly say that up until now, I never even knew this organization existed. Meetings are still held with the various specialists, so they can assess my needs accordingly and work together with me to make sure I am doing well.  

Let me stop now.  In this piece, I was able to discuss more about the physical issues that I was dealing with early on and still today. 

I will discuss next time around my condition after this first initial period and what I had to do to improve myself both physically and mentally on a regular basis.  I think you'll be surprised on how I live my life now.

My One Year Anniversary Coming Up

Yes, it is coming up shortly. That's correct. On December 31/January 1, it will be one year from the time that I entered the hospital in Windsor that saved my life!  I'm going to write this article and a number of others about my illness, my recovery and what I want my future plans to be.
 

I suffered a sudden illness, where a rare form of Encephalitis ended up attacking my brain. This virus is difficult to diagnose at first because it can mimic other diseases, but it is life-threatening, if not dealt with immediately. Fortunately for me, one of the people in our Emergency section who saw me had some knowledge, which resulted in a number of steps that had my illness identified very quickly and then treated successfully. For that, I am extremely grateful because otherwise who knows what my outcome would have been.
 

Sure, I'm still in the process of re-developing my life and my activities, as well as trying to eliminate as much negativity as possible. Fortunately, according to the medical people in this area, I'm doing quite well and am no longer suffering, although there are a few of its negative effects still impacting me, but  I am actively working through them.
 

As I wrote previously, I do want to let you know about my illness and the actions taken to overcome it and what the future may well hold for me. Obviously I'm doing it because it was a horrific matter that challenged me so greatly. To be direct about it, writing about it and talking about it publicly will help me eliminate the horrors it has caused me in my life.  It is something that I know many people share regarding their own terrible medical issues as well.
 

Here is what I wrote before in one of my articles that I now want to deal with in this article and in several more that I will write over the next little while:
 

"I expect that my introductory comments concerning this new blog may take several articles. In effect, I'm talking about my life story of what happened to me as of December 31, 2014 and in particular starting January 1, 2015.  Moreover, I want to tell you about a number of things that occurred the last 10 months...
 

I really don't have the faintest idea about how many articles I expect to be writing on this topic or exactly what I will be writing. I just will let the articles in effect write themselves.  I just wanted to give you an explanation about what happened to me, who were the people looking after me, my experiences with them, talking about a number of the different professionals whose function it was to treat me to make the feel better and what the consequences are for my wife and children and myself too.
 

I want to talk to you, dear reader, about my illness and what I know about it. I want to explain to you the medication I took and some of the events that took place during the first 6 weeks, and much later, after I caught on about this subject. I need to talk about moving from my old address to this new place that I found where I am living now. There is just so much to write about that it is mind-boggling to say the least."
 

Let me start out in this very odd fashion. I have no idea about how many articles that I am going to be writing for you nor, to be quite blunt, what the contents of each article will be. I will just go to write what seems to be important to me and which I hope will be useful for you for your life as you get older.
 

It all started on December 31, 2014. I just felt terrible that day with a fever, some coughing and a headache. I can't remember why my wife Marsha and I decided to go to the hospital but probably it was because my doctor's office was closed at that time on this day that I was feeling sick. Accordingly, we went to the Emergency Room at the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital because it was relatively close to where we lived and I had good experiences there before.
 

I have to admit I can't remember a whole bunch of what happened that day, but I know I was there for about 7 hours and that not much was happening for me.  I told my wife that I had enough, was feeling a bit better and I wanted to go home. She agreed to take me back home although, I don't remember it, I was told that some of the Hospital people were not too happy about me leaving.  They wanted to proceed with more testing, but after 7 hours, I was exhausted and I thought maybe I would be better off at home. I was actually starting to feel better.

 

Unfortunately, the next morning when I woke up I was feeling terrible again. I really do not remember much about us returning, but I know that we went back to the Hospital again into the Emergency section. In fact, I don't really remember anything that happened on that day and what happened subsequently. All that I know is that apparently I had extreme difficulty speaking and made little sense in what I was saying. I was also mixed up and speaking gibberish. It was so bad that I was told that I was admitted into the Hospital into an Emergency section about two hours after I arrived there.  I do not have the faintest idea about this taking place!
 

Clearly, that should give you an indication about how bad my state of health was.  In fact, I cannot remember anything happening, not only in the Hospital for about 2 weeks, when I was there as a patient, but also after I returned home for about 4 weeks or a bit longer. I really don't remember a thing. All I can tell you, dear reader, is what I was told had happened. Even with that, I still don't know everything that happened both in the Hospital and at my house when I returned home to be treated for illnesses.
 

Of course, in January last year, the weather was extremely cold and quite snowy. It made the visits to the Hospital to be with me very difficult for my family members.
 

My son, Michael, lived in his house about a block away from the Hospital and he walked every day to come over and visit with me twice a day when I was a patient. He was there both to help me, my wife and my daughter cope with my illness, but also to look after me in my room as well while I was in the hospital.
 

My requests on him at this stage of my life because of my illness were quite demanding and for which he had to cope. Apparently, I made him deal on a number of matters for me, no matter how simple, or even ridiculous they were. Don't ask me what they were because I don't remember very many of them. Apparently, I would make demands on wanting several blankets on me, in a very particular way.  Even though this seems to be rather absurd now, my son gave into my silly requests many times to try to keep me content.
 

My wife, Marsha, who had not really driven our "new" vehicle very much, learned how to drive it in during daylight and night time hours, and even through the awful weather conditions.  She came almost every day to the Hospital to help look after me. It was very interesting to hear that because of her position as my wife, the medical people always had to ask her for final approval on issues that came up.  That was not something easy for her to do. She had to make some very tough decisions in a very short period of time.  From what I heard subsequently, she made some of the best decisions that obviously helped me recover!
 

At such a fragile stage in the hospital, not many people knew what my illness was or what action should be taken to help out.  Many who suffer from this rare form of Encephalitis end up dying.  My wife said that after she listened to the doctor, talking about my medical conditions, she was confident that I would recover. I can only describe it as miraculous.
 

Clearly, some of the others on the medical side had to tell her of some of the negative actions that she might have to decide upon quickly with the illness that I had because it took about a week before they really knew what my medical problem was. After many tests and ruling out different diseases, they received medical news from the hospital in Toronto to whom they had sent my blood work off, for confirming the diagnosis and proceeding with specific medication.
 

The Hospital staff had to treat me for a variety of medical issues, some of which were probably not required, because of the unknown illness that I suffered until the report came back from Toronto. Fortunately, that even treated me on some of the medical issues involving my disease even though they were not quite sure what I had. Otherwise, they may well have started so late in my recovery process that I might just be a vegetable in some old folks home even if I had not died because the disease has gone forward so far.
 

My daughter, Melissa and her boyfriend, Bill, also came to visit. However, my daughter unfortunately was under a great deal of stress every time she came.  Her boyfriend had a lot more experience in dealing with medical matters and took the role, on quite a number of occasions, to make sure that I was being handled well at the hospital, consulting with my medical team for updates, and providing any important information back to my daughter.
 

My daughter had also experienced a number of very serious medical matters in the past. My horrific kind of situation just added another terrible type of trauma. Fortunately, she is working on recovering and doing the best she can with coping.
 

Apparently, since my daughter couldn't visit the hospital due to her extreme stress, she was able to coordinate people to come and visit me, and also found out a considerable amount of information about my medical condition through researching and contacting appropriate groups.  This helped her out greatly, even though it was tough to deal with the fact that this illness could take my life. She also had to help my wife handle all the things that she personally had to deal with at this stage of her life. As an example, several times a week my daughter would come over to our place to help my wife with preparing and serving food to me. Also, it was very important to make sure my wife was taking care of herself both physically and mentally. It was up to her and her boyfriend, Bill, to make sure that all the home duties were taken care of because it was becoming overwhelming for my wife.
 

I have to admit that I don't remember a thing that took place at my house after I left hospital. This is just information I have been told on what they remember going through because frankly, I thought for the longest period of time I was still a patient during that period of time in the hospital!
 

I think I will stop there because this article is getting quite long and a lot of it has been set out before if you have read some of the earlier articles. I still need to tell you in more detail what happened after I left the hospital. If you have still read everything, then I am very grateful. I think it is important that you learn as much as you possibly can about me and my recovery and what I think might happen in the future, which could impact you, as we all continue to age.
 

I will take responsibility if I am boring you because I have written about this before but I need to write about it so I can heal.  I need to reveal everything especially to myself about this illness that I suffered so greatly and the recovery that is taking so long.  You need to learn not only for yourself possibly if something like this happens to you, but also to members of your family and friends if they suffer the way that I did.
 

I'll be writing more and posting more soon.

US Federal Reserve Press Release

Federal Reserve Press Release
Release Date: December 16, 2015
For immediate release

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in October suggests that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace. Household spending and business fixed investment have been increasing at solid rates in recent months, and the housing sector has improved further; however, net exports have been soft. A range of recent labor market indicators, including ongoing job gains and declining unemployment, shows further improvement and confirms that underutilization of labor resources has diminished appreciably since early this year. Inflation has continued to run below the Committee's 2 percent longer-run objective, partly reflecting declines in energy prices and in prices of non-energy imports. Market-based measures of inflation compensation remain low; some survey-based measures of longer-term inflation expectations have edged down.

Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. The Committee currently expects that, with gradual adjustments in the stance of monetary policy, economic activity will continue to expand at a moderate pace and labor market indicators will continue to strengthen. Overall, taking into account domestic and international developments, the Committee sees the risks to the outlook for both economic activity and the labor market as balanced. Inflation is expected to rise to 2 percent over the medium term as the transitory effects of declines in energy and import prices dissipate and the labor market strengthens further. The Committee continues to monitor inflation developments closely.

The Committee judges that there has been considerable improvement in labor market conditions this year, and it is reasonably confident that inflation will rise, over the medium term, to its 2 percent objective. Given the economic outlook, and recognizing the time it takes for policy actions to affect future economic outcomes, the Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 1/4 to 1/2 percent. The stance of monetary policy remains accommodative after this increase, thereby supporting further improvement in labor market conditions and a return to 2 percent inflation.

In determining the timing and size of future adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will assess realized and expected economic conditions relative to its objectives of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation. This assessment will take into account a wide range of information, including measures of labor market conditions, indicators of inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and readings on financial and international developments. In light of the current shortfall of inflation from 2 percent, the Committee will carefully monitor actual and expected progress toward its inflation goal. The Committee expects that economic conditions will evolve in a manner that will warrant only gradual increases in the federal funds rate; the federal funds rate is likely to remain, for some time, below levels that are expected to prevail in the longer run. However, the actual path of the federal funds rate will depend on the economic outlook as informed by incoming data.

The Committee is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities and of rolling over maturing Treasury securities at auction, and it anticipates doing so until normalization of the level of the federal funds rate is well under way. This policy, by keeping the Committee's holdings of longer-term securities at sizable levels, should help maintain accommodative financial conditions.

Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Janet L. Yellen, Chair; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Lael Brainard; Charles L. Evans; Stanley Fischer; Jeffrey M. Lacker; Dennis P. Lockhart; Jerome H. Powell; Daniel K. Tarullo; and John C. Williams.

Some Interesting Stories For You To Read



I want to give you some interesting news stories for you to read. They are stories that I have seen in various media outlets in our area and areas around the world dealing with matters that I think are significant for our region.  I will do this reasonably often to keep you up to date on matters that I think would be helpful for you. 

Some of the stories are a few weeks old that I have seen.  Yet, I thought they might still be important for you to take a look at them. They are still just as relevant now as when they were first published.  Of course, I will only show a few of the stories in this posting and will add other ones that I think are good ones in other posts soon. 

I'm going to try and do this more often to try and keep you up-to-date on matters that I think are important to me anyway and hopefully to you as well. If you find any news stories that you think are fascinating to you and would like to share them with others, then forward them to me and I can post them on my website if they make sense for me to do so. Heck, I can even give you the credit you deserve if you so desire! 

My approach is to set out the relevant parts of the stories and, in some cases, to explain why I am posting  them.  Of course, I will give you the reference for the full story for  you to read. 

Naturally, many of the stories will be those that I support.  But I may also add those to which I think will give you relevant  information.  In fact, some may well be stories to which I am opposed but yet still think you should see to understand why.

Here are a bunch of stories now which I think are important and which I hope will be of interest to you.  Naturally, I expect that these types of stories will bring you to my website more often to look for them.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34907009?SThisFB
 

"US issues worldwide travel alert over terror threats 24 November 2015

The US has issued a worldwide travel alert for its citizens in response to "increased terrorist threats".

The state department said "current information" suggested the Islamic State [IS] group, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and others continued "to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions".

The alert, it said, will remain in place until 24 February 2016.

France, Russia, Mali and several other countries have seen deadly attacks in the past month.

A US state department representative told BBC News there was "currently... no reason to believe that US citizens would be specifically targeted".

Obviously, the last line may not have been correct for very long given what happened in California recently:

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-sb-california-terrorism-20151212-story.html

"San Bernardino terrorist attack shatters Southern California's illusion of safety

As terrorist attacks fueled by extreme Islamist ideology convulsed cities in the U.S. and Europe over the last 15 years, Los Angeles and its sprawling suburbs were spared.

It couldn't last forever.

The assault on a San Bernardino social services center last week by a U.S.-born Muslim man and his Pakistani wife was an event of national significance, potentially reshaping next year's presidential contest and raising Americans' fears of terrorism to levels not seen since the World Trade Center attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

But the killing of 14 people by Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik has had a particular effect in Southern California, a densely populated region whose residents have at times felt themselves remote from the transatlantic waves of terror that have washed over New York, London, Paris, Madrid and Washington, D.C.

That sense of separation is deeply rooted in the state's culture and history, experts say, though it is in many ways unrealistic. The truth is that the Southland — home to more than 22 million people, as well as an entertainment industry that is arguably the foremost exporter of the secular culture denounced by Islamic fundamentalists — is as vulnerable as anywhere else in the U.S. to extremist violence in the post-9/11 era."

Obviously now, the question for us is what may happen in Canada with people coming  here from Syria.  Remember, 25,000 people were supposed to come here by year end but  now that number has been significantly reduced.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/percy-hatfield-says-province-unlikely-to-take-back-e-c-row-1.3332275

"Percy Hatfield says province unlikely to take back E.C. Row

CBC News Posted: Nov 24, 2015 8:11 AM ET Last Updated: Nov 24, 2015 1:23 PM ET 

Coun. Rino Bortolin moved a motion at Monday's executive council meeting, asking for the city to ask the province to take back responsibility for the E.C. Row Expressway. (CBC)

Windsor's bid to convince the provincial government to take back responsibility of the E.C. Row Expressway is a long shot, says Windsor-Tecumseh NDP MPP Percy Hatfield.

The provincial politician commented on city council's latest attempt to hand off expensive maintenance costs for the busy east-west highway. During an executive committee meeting Monday night, councillors agreed to ask the province to once again resume responsibility of E.C. Row.

But the financially strapped Ontario Ministry of Transportation already has budget problems with road and highway maintenance, according to Hatfield, who is also a former Windsor city councillor."

Is this going to  happen...Probably  not:

"It’s a long shot that the province will actually take it back from us, but it’s something that needs to be on the public record,” Bortolin said. “Slowly but surely different things are being downloaded from the province onto us. It’s tougher and tougher every year.”  (Craig Pearson, Windsor Star December 13, 2015 | Last Updated: December 13, 2015 6:01 PM EST)

Are P3 deals  all  dead  now?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/liberals-drop-public-private-requirement-for-infrastructure-funding/article27322884/

"Liberals drop public-private requirement for infrastructure funding

Barrie McKenna, Globe and Mail, Nov. 18, 2015

The federal government will no longer require that cities and provinces look first at creating public-private partnerships before getting funding for major infrastructure projects.

The new Liberal government, which is preparing to roll out $5-billion a year in additional infrastructure spending, will work much more co-operatively with other governments to get the money out the door, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Amarjeet Sohi told The Globe and Mail.

Among the first changes will be to get rid of a requirement, put in place by the Conservatives in 2011, that all federally funded infrastructure projects worth $100-million or more go through so-called “P3 screening.”

Living longer is terrific but there are significant problems that also have to be dealt with as a result. 

"The Global Burden of Diseases: living with disability The Lancet

http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(15)01096-X.pdf

The UN observes the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec 3, 2015...

In today's Lancet, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) team provides a substantial contribution to baseline statistics, against which the progress of SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] can be measured, for health and disability. Their report focuses on disability-adjusted life-years and healthy life expectancy for 306 diseases and injuries in 188 countries over a period spanning 1990 to 2013. The good news is that global life expectancies have improved by around 6·2 years, and healthy life expectancy has gained on average 5·4 years. Even so, as highlighted in an accompanying Comment by Peter Byass, a consistent trend emerges from these data, showing that, worldwide, about an eighth of life expectancy was associated with living with disability in 2013. Reductions in mortality mean that people are living longer, and an epidemiological shift in disease burden, from communicable to non-communicable diseases in a globally ageing population, has occurred. As a result of this transition, health system infrastructures must be adapted to address longer lives lived with disability."

There is a big issue that is described that we are now facing here:

"The wait list for long-term care in Windsor-Essex already has 930 people, according to the Community Care Access Centre. Of those, 545 are people already in homes who are trying to get into ones they want. There are 385 people waiting in hospital or at home for a bed to come open, and the list at some in-demand homes like Huron Lodge, can be two years long.

Musyj said at his hospital alone, there are 104 acute care beds (usually costing $1,200 a day to operate) taken up by patients — mostly frail and elderly — who should be somewhere else, such as rehab, at home with home care or in long-term care.

His hospital has 32 people waiting for long-term care, who on average have been waiting 132 days. Having a quarter of the hospital’s beds taken up by these patients causes backups throughout the system, said Musyj, who added the hospital receives no funding for caring for them while they wait.

“It’s not the patients’ fault. The patients who are here have nowhere else to go.” (Brian Cross Windsor Star Published on: Last Updated: December 13, 2015

New Homes Being Built Behind Me

It really is unbelievable how many new homes are being constructed already in the land development behind our condo in Tecumseh. Many of them were started in September.

They are not only rather substantial in size but I expect that they are quite expensive to buy if they are ever re-sold as a finished home site! The lots themselves cost around $150,000 now I believe since that was the amount for which I saw one lot being advertised for sale a little while ago.  The homes alone could cost at least around $500,000 plus the land cost it seems from what I  have  heard.  I  heard also that many condos there will sell for over $400,000.

What I am finding extremely amazing is the size of each of the homes.  The land sites themselves are not particularly big as far as I can tell.  However the homes seem to be.  In fact,  it really appears to me that each of the homes that I have seen being constructed now is huge and fills up most of its lot. One I heard was over 3,000 square feet in size.

I took my wife for a walk yesterday, on Sunday. Well, it was going to be a car ride to the new site project at first. And then we wanted to walk through the website and take photos to show you, dear reader, the status of the development to date.  

Unfortunately, the whole area was quite muddy so we only walked in a little bit and took some photos from the entrance way.  The roadway was covered with lots of  mud and would have ruined our shoes so we did NOT walk too far in. We then returned to our condo site and took a few photographs from our backyard to show other pictures of the homes being built behind us.

You can see how far a number of them have been constructed to date.  I expect most other home projects would not go forward until spring! But who knows????

I expect that these homes are being built very quickly right now.  I assume that the outside sections will be built now before the worst part of winter comes in.  Once completed, as the weather gets colder, then the developers will build the inside section during the wintertime. 

You, dear reader, ought to drive into town one day soon and take a look at what has been built and what is being constructed.  You will  be surprised at how good it is here.  I sure was!!

Tecumseh certainly is a fantastic small town where retired people ought to think about living and enjoying their future.

Here are some pics of the new homes being built behind my place in Tecumseh.  Enjoy it!

Why I Started This Website

 

 

Dear reader,

I have written a number of articles over the past few weeks on this new blog site. Thank you for coming here and reading my posts.  

I'm sure that you understand that my writing is something that I wanted to make happen, in order to see if it was something I still wanted to pursue. Fortunately, it is. I enjoy writing very much. 

I expect that my introductory comments concerning this new blog may take several articles. In effect, I'm talking about my life story of what happened to me as of  December 31, 2014 and in particular starting January 1, 2015.  Moreover, I want to tell you about a number of things that occurred the last 10 months. 

Before getting into that, I want to truly thank all those people who have been so kind to me, once they found out that I was diagnosed with a rare form of encephalitis that attacked my brain.  To be honest, with my short-term memory impairment (that is one of the main negatives of this illness), it is difficult to remember. In many ways, the first part of 2015 seems to be wiped from my mind, just like when you are erasing a hard drive. The system restore button is not quite intact on those memories. Clearly, that is a function that I will have to improve upon considerably as I am trying to learn how to do it again now. 

I have met a number of my friends who came over to visit with me and my wife. Let me tell you that on many of these occasions I was so choked up when they came that I just could not control my tears.  They were so kind to me that I still cannot believe it. Their words were so touching that I still have trouble truly believing they can say so many nice things about me. I felt so good by it! 

I really don't have the faintest idea about how many articles I expect to be writing on this topic or exactly what I will be writing. I just will let the articles in effect write themselves.  I just wanted to give you an explanation about what happened to me, who were the people looking after me, my experiences with them, talking about a number of the different professionals whose function it was to treat me to make the feel better and what the consequences are for my wife and children and myself too. 

I want to talk to you, dear reader, about my illness and what I know about it. I want to explain to you the medication I took and some of the events that took place during the first 6 weeks, and much later, after I caught on about this subject. I need to talk about moving from my old address to this new place that I found where I am living now. There is just so much to write about that it is mind-boggling to say the least. 

I can hardly be said to be a "professional" writer. I did learn quite a bit over the number of years when I was writing articles both in my personal website and then in the Windsor Square. Moreover, given the number of articles I wrote, they provided a tremendous amount of experience for me.  

I must admit that I'm going through a difficult period in my life.  There are lots of things that I feel the need to tell you. Just bear with me as I let you in on them because I'm sure that some of them may not be too pleasant. Do not worry though. As you shall read, over the past almost one year, my life is turning out much better than many others and I ever expected!

There is no particular order that I'm going to be writing new pieces or specific times that they're going to be set out. My life has changed in such an unexpected manner that I'm just going to be writing topics that are of interest to me which I hope that you will appreciate when I post them. 

Of course, I will be adding in stories dealing with other subjects that may arise during the period when writing about this earlier part of my life. 

Just keep on coming to this blog and take a look at the new story editions that I will be offering up to you. I hope you will enjoy it!

 

 

Windsor's fabulous future???

You just have to read these Windsor Star stories fully and make your own decision.

Some questions about whether the City Government helped pay out some money for improvements that make good sense.  Try and figure it out from these stories:

Any money for hotels:

Does not seem like it:

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/premier-hotel-brands-settling-into-downtown-Windsor

"Upscale hotel suites are coming to Windsor’s downtown next year after hospitality company Sunray Group completes its multi-million dollar renovation of the Quality Inn and Suites.

Premier hotel chain Marriott will officially take over the Dougall Avenue site by spring of 2016, transforming the 128-room nine-storey hotel into one of its TownePlace Suites designed for extended-stay clients.

“I think this has been the big buzz in the city with this becoming a Marriott,” said Christine Melnyk, Sunray director of operations in Windsor-Essex."

Any money for boats:

Does not seem like it:

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/windsor-yacht-club-undergoes-harbour-renovation

"The Windsor Yacht Club is in the midst of extensive harbour renovations that will accommodate a growing trend towards larger pleasure boats.

“Our existing harbour hasn’t changed in 50 years,” said club commodore Randy Moir. “It was getting tired and outdated. There was a need for new mechanical and electrical systems. Our plan is to rebuild the entire east harbour.”

The $850,000 renovation project started with removal of the old docks in the water on Oct. 15 and is expected to be completed before the boating season starts next spring.

It is part of an overall $1 million in upgrades to the yacht club."

But look how Council throws money to make things so superior for Windsor...if  you  think  so:

Any money for...

Not too much is there:

http://windsorstar.com/opinion/columnists/jarvis-someone-shake-some-sense-into-city-council

"It’s maddening, and it’s disquieting. Please, someone shake some sense into city council.

Everything Windsor needs, everything this city is trying to do — prove we’re not Earth’s rectum, resurrect downtown, draw people here — it’s right in front of council.

But council can’t see it can  it.  Just see how considerate it is to help others

"The Windsor International Film Festival sold a record 17,000 tickets this year. That’s 2,000 more than last year, for a festival that was three days shorter. People were lined up around the corner on opening night. The theatres were packed on closing night. Restaurants were jammed.

Eight per cent of the audience is from outside this region, from Michigan and Illinois, from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

WIFF is the fourth largest of the 150 to 200 non-profit, volunteer-run film festivals in Canada...

WIFF pays the city a surcharge of $.50 to $1 for every ticket sold, about $8,000 this year. Yet the city contributed a measly $1,000 to the festival this year, for a screening of 45 Years, a film based on a story published by Biblioasis.

Georgie asked council last week to waive the ticket surcharge. Council voted no. Mayor Drew Dilkens called it a “slippery slope.”

Here's the  huge advantage too run by the City.  Look at the money put in as set out in the Jarvis column:

"The city has been puzzling over how to change its image, attract more people downtown. All three levels of government have spent millions of dollars to draw people to the core. Waiving the ticket surcharge — “we’re talking pretty small stuff,” said Georgie.

Yet council approved a sports tourism office with a $320,000 budget to pay events to come here."

You figure it out because I cannot.

A new world of technology with Dell

This is my first "computer review" post in a very long time and I must say that I am very excited to be writing again. I took a long hiatus from this, but not by choice. Unfortunately, during the holidays last year, I ended up in critical condition with a rare virus that decided to aggressively attack my brain. Thankfully, I survived. I give tremendous thanks to the medical doctors, nurses and staff here in Windsor, Ontario, as well as my family and close friends. I am happy to be sitting at my computer in my new home, typing this story with my wife beside me and continuing with my on-going recovery.

I would like to also thank Dell's consultant, Melissa L. for not only providing me with new products to evaluate, but for also treating me with the utmost care and respect, as I continue to recover.

I had written about a whole bunch of new Dell computers, many of which I had had little experience at first, but which I became thrilled about after I started using them. In fact, by testing some of their computers, I learned how to use the new Windows 10 program!

I think Dell made a good decision to work with a non-technical computer person, like myself, so that I could present my experience to people like you, dear reader, who might be interested in learning how well a "non-expert" navigates through different computer technology and accessories.

From my experiences testing out various computers from Dell, I have been very satisfied with their superior performance, capabilities and ease of usage. I trust that my readers should be very excited about Dell's new products.

So is the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series 2-in-1 computer worth being on this year's holiday shopping list? Read on!

I'm going to start off a little bit differently. It going to be very simple as well too. The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series computer is strong and tough. It is not completely "lightweight" but still can be carried around easily, without much difficulty to lift or move. It is a very practical and portable unit that could withstand a lot of maneuvering to and from different locations.

Here is a key matter that one might want to consider in its structure. The Dell Inspiron 7000 computer is really 4 computers in one. That is phenomenal frankly. With a 15.6" screen, you have a standard portable laptop to use. But wait! It is anything but standard, when you can transform it into 3 different layouts, which I will continue to talk about below.

The 2nd option is the "tent" look. It looks like an upside down "V." I would recommend this setting when one wants to view something on the computer that doesn't need a lot of scrolling, perhaps a movie, podcast or tv program. Just sit in on a table or a flat surface and enjoy.

Moving along, the 3rd option is what they call the "stand" look. That is very similar to the appearance of the "tent" but it sits on the other half of the computer, which rests on a flat surface to get considerable balance and positional strength. It is very useful to use when working on a specific task that needs your full attention.

The final option is the "tablet" one where the computer completely folds up so you can navigate different websites with ease. That would be pretty good to use outdoors since there is very little glare from the screen, It would also be the perfect style to use when travelling on a short or long journey on a train or airplane.

Just what I described so far makes it very appealing as far as I'm concerned. All of those transitional features make sense and provide a good alternative for many consumers of all ages.

With all the features that it has, one of the best points about it is that the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series computer is relatively light weight to carry around. That is something that I think is quite important with portable systems these days. Desktops are not practical with the on-the-go busy lives that we often lead. Computers need to be easily accessible and within a moment's notice, can be transported with someone for whatever activity is planned for the day. I hate the thought of something that feels too "light" because that worries me about possible damage down the road. The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series computer feels pretty strong and I have had my share of moving it from different locations without any hassle.

Now about the colour quality. The colours themselves on the screen are quite crisp and clear. I have used computers before that had very poor quality colour, with that annoying fuzziness, which makes you wrongfully assume it is your eyesight or your glasses need to be cleaned again. It has a negative impact on watching movies or even just looking at photographs online. In comparison, Dell has really done a great job in this area, especially with their laptops. True Color display allows user to set their optimal preferences when it comes to colour schemes and you can really tell the difference in clarity.

Touch screens are also another added feature. Just touch the screen itself so that your fingers become the "pointing system," thereby reducing the need for a mouse. Personally, I think for certain tasks, a mouse would be good additional device because your finger may become tired.

The computer sound system is pretty good. I did not experience any muffling or static. I really can appreciate the surround sound feel, as I was listening to my favourite music.

In looking at the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series computer material, it also uses a battery that can last up to 8 hours depending  on usage, something that is critical for portable units when it is not plugged into an electrical outlet. Experimenting with the battery life, I was able to use the computer for approximately 5 hours in total (I did not stay on the computer actively, but with breaks in between, so it also went into sleep mode) duration without any lagging or malfunction. A good battery capacity because I was using at my full operation!

If you want to get a lot more "technical information," then just go to the Dell website and you'll find all the specs and details. You can chat live with a Dell Expert from your computer, use the old fashioned way and pick up the phone to consult with a rep, or even have them call you. From my experiences purchasing Dell computers, Dell's customer service is excellent and they are always available to answer questions.

There you have it. I would highly recommend The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series computer for those who are looking to uncomplicate their lives and move forward with a multi-functional product that can be accessed from your bedroom all the way to the sunny beaches of Florida, or many other places you are going to.

I hope you enjoyed my personal review and if you do purchase a Dell, let me know what you bought and how you like it!

My Everchanging Life

It is amazing how well I'm doing. Even some of my friends are still astounded with my progress after suffering from a very rare form of Encephalitis that is not only hard to diagnose, but even more challenging to deal with.

It is getting close to my one year anniversary, or whatever else one would call what happened to me. As you know, I suffered a major attack that impacted me greatly towards the end of December/beginning of January of this year, and still requires medical care. I was literally close to death but survived remarkably well so far.

While I'm starting to think about what happened around this time a year ago, it is still difficult to fathom. For the first 6 weeks of 2015, both when I was admitted into hospital and then went home and was looked after by various medical people, the care I was given was amazing. Unfortunately, I can't tell you very much about any of it because those 6 weeks are still completely wiped out from my mind. I cannot remember a single thing from that time period, if you can believe that. It feels sometimes like I am watching a movie about someone else's life, but in fact, it is mine.

I don't really recall having any huge medical problems like this before. Obviously, I know a lot more about this particular illness because of all the information that I have been supplied with. The disease however is not known by many medical people anywhere to be direct. The whole episode is very frightening to me even now, no matter how well I continue to progress in recovery.

While I am not a strong religious person any more, I believe that God is an important part of this equation. Suffering in the intense way that I did was a sign that things needed to change. I believe that with the doctors' great intervention and with my spiritual beliefs intact, I can make a difference in people's lives and help them with medical issues. I have many years of experience and given the chance to continue on with life motivates me even more.

I am amazed at what has happened to me. Medically, while still suffering, nevertheless I have improved myself tremendously. I have lost about 40 pounds since this all started and have kept it off due to all kinds of great exercises that I do 3 times a day and eating healthy foods. I actively look for ways to keep myself strong, both physically and mentally. I am also here today to ensure that my family is well protected too. I try my best. I believe that I am a good husband and father.

Here is another thought I would like to share. I had no idea that so many people cared about me. I was never a real social butterfly, but still always enjoyed meeting new people and creating opportunities. After I got sick, I was told that my inbox was filled with good wishes, prayers and people asking how they could help. These were the people who were in constant contact with my family. Why, some of them even visited me in the hospital (I do not remember this, but was told by others), and have taken time to come and visit me in our new home. Then there are the people whom I may have corresponded with once or twice, but made a positive impact enough for them to send messages to my daughter, who was looking after my Facebook page. What a remarkable feeling. To be honest, the support I have received has helped me so much. Even though there are many unknowns, I am still very optimistic about my own future.

Going through such a traumatic experience, it brought back some memories of what I went through, back when I was in my mid-30s. I lost both of my parents at that time. Yet life carries on because it has to. I had a wife and two kids to take care of. I had a lot of stress on my shoulders, but I knew that I had to be strong.

My articles on my blog will be different than what I wrote before. Oh don't worry, I will be writing those "political" articles again because I like doing it. That's part of my nature. However, it is not the only reason that I will be writing articles here.

I'll be writing things about my life changing and my family's lives as well. I hope to provide some insight on how to deal with problems that you might face and offer good resources on who may be able to help.

This is a great outlet for me and you can feel free to click on my articles and read what I have to say. As I see others suffer, I want to extend my arms and help in whatever way I can. Life is precious and I enjoy each and every day. It is the best gift of all.