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.