Just Some Thoughts

I just keep hoping that we might get an earlier "summer" this year. After all, even though we did not receive that much snow in the winter time this year, it has been a very cold winter. Unlike a year before, I hardly went outside this winter to do walks in the area as I did many times last year. I just found it too chilly so I did my exercising by doing it in-house.

Mind you, I really don't want a very "hot" summer as we had last year because I found it difficult to go swimming as an example because it meant being exposed to the sun a lot more than I needed to be. It was after all a fair stroll to get to the condo swimming pool from my place and even worse coming back home. All I want is a very pleasant temperature to which we are exposed every day.

A big advantage given our new location is that most of the landscaping work that has to be done outside is done by a private firm that is retained by our Condominium Corporation. Thankfully, I and my family members don't have to do it. The firm does a very good job on the landscape from what I have seen them do since I moved here and I believe that what they charge us does not seem to be that bad. I have made friends with a number of their people since I have moved here and I hope that most of them come back again this year to do the work. They have helped us out a lot. Every so often I have asked them to do a bit of gardening work because of a problem that has arisen on our property. In each case, the employees here have done immediately the work to fix it up. Now that makes me feel good and makes our property look attractive.

It will be interesting for me to see what happens this summer. It will still be made up of "new" experiences for me I expect. In 2015, when we moved here, I was just recovering from the horrific illness I had suffered. In fact, just at the time that we moved, I was first starting to do any walking whatsoever. It was quite something walking around here at a time when it was difficult to do well. However, all the people who lived in this area in our condo complex were amazing to me because they greeted me so quickly as I passed their homes. It was just so terrific meeting them so easily and being able to speak with them. It made me feel fantastic.

Last year it was a lot better compared with the year before as I was able to do a lot more walking in the summertime. On some occasions, when the weather was perfect, I would go out 3 times a day and walk up to an hour or so each time just to build up my physical condition. It will be interesting to see what I can do this year.

I still have a very important task that I must continue to carry on, dear reader, regardless of what the situation may be like at this time of the year. One matter that I love to continue is to comment on issues that I feel are important for me and perhaps for you too as well, dear reader. I just want to let you know what my views are on different matters that are happening which might help you also make a decision as to what should be done. Of course, I would like it if you support what I believe but, naturally, I let you decide what you think is the appropriate way to go. Here are some interesting stories these days.

THE BIG BOMB ATTACK

Well, that was something quite unbelievable! The US Government did the following: the "first-ever use of a massive 11-ton bomb, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs,” to "kill Islamic State militants in Afghanistan." (Greg Jaffe, Jenna Johnson, Washington Post, April 14, 2017) 

There was quite a difference between the Presidencies of Obama and Trump:

"Trump’s full-on embrace of military force offers a sharp contrast to Barack Obama, who promised to end America’s wars and who worried publicly about escalation and overreach, often to the point of paralysis. Trump has taken the polar opposite approach, and for the moment he seems to be benefiting."

I have to admit while watching the explosion on a television video it almost looked like a small Atomic bomb exploding. It was that big an area of land that was under the cloud of the bomb explosion. It just seemed to be like one of the earlier explosions of an A-bomb that were tried out when they were first developed. 

Of course, as time passed, the opponents of the US President started attacking him for what happened. After all, that is what was expected wasn't it. One can hardly give him continued praise for undertaking the first time explosion of the huge bomb. Oh, there are all kinds of suggestions about the negatives explaining what this tactic really was designed to do. I must admit my own perspective was that this was nothing more than practising such an explosion to make sure that it works. It did this time at least with a minimum of injury to many civilians which was  part  of the  planning. Here is how it was described in one of the earlier stories:

"Dozens of militants were killed, Afghan officials said. American commanders said that the bomb was chosen because it fit the target, a series of tunnels with dug-in positions nearby used by militants in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan, and that it posed little or no risk to civilians." (Eric Schmitt, Elene Cooper and C. J. Chivers, New York Times, April 15, 2017)  

What is really significant about this bombing is not that it happened. What is even more important is the way that it was done, a method that differed significantly from what was carried out a short time ago under the former President Obama:

"At the Pentagon, military officials said that they did not need to request authorization for the strike from Mr. Trump, although three officials also acknowledged that if Mr. Obama had still been in charge, the Defense Department would probably have sent the proposal to the White House before proceeding.

But instead of the deliberative processes in place during the Obama administration that made for lengthy National Security Council staff meetings, Mr. Trump has approved allowing his commanders more authority, giving the Pentagon a rare freedom to assert its control over national security policy from a commander in chief who eschews quibbling over the details."

This way of operating may turn out to be a huge risk that may very well cause significant change to how various countries view each other. As an example, will potential "enemies" of the US be concerned now about how they treat Americans? Will they be very concerned about any action they may take against the Americans that has a negative side or will they have to become more aggressive in how they do so to protect themselves?

WHY ARE WE IMPROVING THE SEWER SYSTEM IN TECUMSEH

Obviously, our Government in Tecumseh is acting very well as far as I am concerned. They are taking action immediately to minimize any future damage that could take place after a big rainstorm takes place as happened last summer:

"The Town of Tecumseh will use a $806,000 provincial grant it received this week to help prevent a repeat of last fall’s widespread flooding.

The grant money from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund will be directed toward improving the town’s water infiltration system by separating storm water from sanitary sewers…

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said the town has set aside additional funds, which will also be used to repair sanitary pipes." (Dave Waddell, Windsor Star, April 12, 2017) 

Clearly, I am quite pleased with what is being done because our home was damaged because of the flooding that came inside our basement area. I don't want this happening again!

Interesting though, at the same time that this was announced, I saw this announcement being made:

"County administrator Brian Gregg, who has held one of the most powerful jobs in Essex County for the last 19 years, has announced his retirement.

Gregg, 60, will leave his position as chief administrative officer in September.

While maintaining an unassuming presence, the long-serving county employee manoeuvred the minefields of restructuring, which saw the amalgamation of 21 municipalities into seven, and boundary adjustments with Windsor." (Julie Kotsis, Windsor Star,  April 12, 2017) 

I just wondered if he wanted to leave earlier than age 65. It could well be that after the next municipal election some very significant political action will be discussed see if it is carried out at all in this area. By that, I mean the amalgamation of the City of Windsor with all of the other towns in the area to form the equivalent of Metropolitan Toronto here. It could require a huge amount of work that needed to be done that he was not prepared to do at this point in his life. 

I was very interested in this comment that he made: 

"I love my job,” Gregg said. “Doing things on behalf of the residents of Essex County was what made me get up and go to work every day,” 

Gregg said he always looked at the county as a whole and not as a series of separate municipalities and he always made decisions based on that view." 

Hmmm. Perhaps if he was much younger, then he would have made an excellent person who would be prepared to be involved in setting up the new Municipality given the way he looked at this County. It seems almost as if he has unified the Counties unofficially already. However, given that he is now 60 years old, it almost seems as if he is smart enough to leave now rather than being forced to work through a very difficult time to set up this new Municipality.