Another federal election?

The Opposition parties in the federal parliament are vowing to vote against the confidence motion the Tories will introduce on Monday to implement proposals contained in the economic and fiscal update statement presented by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in the House of Commons yesterday.

The main bone of contention seems to be the plan to end on April 1 the $1.95 per year per vote subsidy paid from the fisc to political parties in order to save $30 million annually. The Opposition parties are more dependent on this funding than the Tories (even tho the Tories receive the biggest subsidy, having attracted the most votes) because the CPC has been more successful in their grassroots fundraising campaigns to solicit private donations.

If a compromise cannot be reached and the government falls on Monday's vote, there are two possible outcomes:

1: the three Opposition party leaders could unite as a coalition and seek the Governor Generals' approval to form a government to replace Stephen Harper's current government

or

2. the Governor General could drop the writs for another election to be held in the dead of the Canadian Winter

Does any Canadian voter want an election re-run so soon on the heels of the last one (which didn't resolve much in terms of the composition of the House of Commons)? Does it make sense for the reins of power to be handed over to a coalition headed by a party (the Liberals) with a lame duck leader (Dion) who has resigned and is scheduled to be replaced early next year?

Methinks the party leaders should grow up and reach a compromise. In these hard global economic times, Canada needs steady united political leadership, not more fractious partisan bickering.

US Primetime ratings update

Last night was the last night of the November sweeps (a period when US local television audiences are sampled by the ratings agency to set advertising rates).

What follows below is a listing of the most popular networks and programs for the most recent week (week 9) in the current Fall-Winter season, the season to date and the sweeps to date:

All ratings data is credited to the AC Nielson company

WEEK NO. 9:

FROM 11/17/08 THROUGH 11/23/08

Summary by network:

2008-09 2007-08

HOUSEHOLDS
Rtg Sh Rtg Sh Chg
CBS 7.6 12 7.3 12 +4%
ABC 6.4 10 7.3 12 -12%
FOX 5.1 8 4.0 7 +28%
NBC 4.5 7 5.5 9 -18%

Each rating point equals 2.90 million viewers

VIEWERS
(000) (000) Chg
CBS 12,043 11,727 +3%
ABC 10,109 11,585 -13%
FOX 8,433 6,583 +28%
NBC 7,095 9,062 -22%
Average 8,430

Key Demo (Adults 18-49)

Rtg Sh Rtg Sh Chg
ABC 3.2 8 3.6 10 -11%
CBS 3.0 8 3.3 9 -9%
FOX 3.0 8 2.5 7 +20%
NBC 2.6 7 3.3 9 -21%
AVERAGE 2.9

Each rating point equals 1.32 million viewers

Individual programs:

RANKING REPORT
01 THRU 50 (OUT OF 96 PROGRAMS)
LIST RANKED BY: VIEWR 2+ (000)

--- --- ---
VIEWR VIEWR
RANK 2+ 2+
(000) RTG
----- ------ ------
1 DANCING WITH THE STARS 19630 6.8
2 CSI 18450 6.4
3 NCIS 17990 6.2
4 DANCING W/STARS RESULTS 17590 6.1
5 CRIMINAL MINDS 16330 5.6
6 GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM 15910 5.5
7 MENTALIST, THE 15840 5.5
8 CSI: MIAMI 15460 5.3
9 TWO AND A HALF MEN 15180 5.2
10 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 15170 5.2
11 60 MINUTES 14890 5.1
12 CSI: NY 14120 4.9
13 HOUSE 13260 4.6
14 SURVIVOR: GABON 12500 4.3
15 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 12200 4.2
16 COLD CASE 12150 4.2
17 24: REDEMPTION PREQUEL 12120 4.2
18 OT, THE 12060 4.2
19 WITHOUT A TRACE 11850 4.1
20 DANCING W/STARS RECAP #5 11600 4.0
21 MENTALIST, THE-FRIDAY-SP 11540 4.0
22 NUMB3RS 11290 3.9
23 GHOST WHISPERER 11280 3.9
24 BONES 10820 3.7
25 SAT NIGHT FOOTBALL 10730 3.7
26 ELEVENTH HOUR 10580 3.7
27 WORST WEEK 10240 3.5
28 SAMANTHA WHO? 10230 3.5
29 LAW AND ORDER:SVU 10110 3.5
30 UNIT, THE 9990 3.4
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 9990 3.4
32 AMAZING RACE 13 9860 3.4
33 BIG BANG THEORY, THE 9760 3.4
34 SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK 9520 3.3
35 FRINGE 9180 3.2
36 E.R. 8880 3.1
37 UGLY BETTY 8310 2.9
OFFICE 8310 2.9
39 20/20-FRI 8280 2.9
40 BOSTON LEGAL 8080 2.8
41 SAT NIGHT FTBL PRE-GAME 8060 2.8
42 GARY UNMARRIED 7880 2.7
43 OLD CHRISTINE 7850 2.7
44 LIFE ON MARS 7770 2.7
BIGGEST LOSER 6 7770 2.7
46 HEROES 7650 2.6
47 LAW AND ORDER 7620 2.6
48 48 HOURS MYSTERY 7460 2.6
49 FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 7450 2.6
50 PRIVATE PRACTICE 7220 2.5

National Nielsen Rank for Key Demo: A18-49
for 11/17/2008 - 11/23/2008
Adults 18-49 Rating

1. Grey’s Anatomy-Thursday 9:00 PM ABC 6.2
2. NBC Sunday Night Football Chargers vs Colts NBC 5.6
2. House FOX 5.6
4. TWO AND A HALF MEN CBS 5.3
5. American Music Awards (S) ABC 5.1
6. CSI CBS 5.0
7. The OT FOX 4.5
8. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER CBS 4.4
9. Dancing With The Stars ABC 4.3
9. Office NBC 4.3
11. CRIMINAL MINDS CBS 4.2
11. CSI: MIAMI CBS 4.2
13. Fringe FOX 4.1
14. 24: Redemption Prequel (S) FOX 4.0
14. Dancing With The Stars Results ABC 4.0

14. SURVIVOR: GABON CBS 4.0
17. CSI: NY CBS 3.8
17. THE BIG BANG THEORY CBS 3.8
19. Law And Order: SVU NBC 3.7
20. Sat Night Football #2 Texas Tech vs Oklahoma ABC 3.6
20. Heroes NBC 3.6

Nielsen Top Twenty Shows by viewers (total viewer vs. key demo "gap analysis)
for the week ending 11/23/08:

Rank
1 9 -8 DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC 9
2 6 -4 CSI CBS 6
3 24 -21 NCIS CBS 24
4 15 -11 DANCING W/STARS RESULTS ABC 15
5 11 -6 CRIMINAL MINDS CBS 11
6 1 +5 GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM ABC 15 1
7 23 -16 MENTALIST, THE CBS 23
8 12 -4 CSI: MIAMI CBS 12
9 4 +5 TWO AND A HALF MEN CBS 4
10 2 +8 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NBC 2
11 15 -4 60 MINUTES CBS 15
12 17 -5 CSI: NY CBS 17
13 3 +10 HOUSE FOX 3
14 16 -2 SURVIVOR: GABON CBS 16
15 5 +10 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS(S) S ABC 5
16 11 -5 COLD CASE CBS 11
17 14 =3 24: REDEMPTION PREQUEL(S) S FOX 14
18 7 =11 OT, THE FOX 7
19 13 +6 WITHOUT A TRACE CBS 13
20 12 +8 DANCING W/STARS RECAP #5(S) 12

SEASON-TO-DATE RATINGS REPORT (09/22/08-11/23/08)

By network:

2008-09 2007-08

HOUSEHOLDS
Rtg Sh Rtg Sh Chg
CBS 7.6 12 7.9 13 -4%
NBC 5.0 8 5.6 9 -11%
ABC 6.8 11 7.7 12 -12%
FOX 5.0 8 5.7 9 -12%

VIEWERS
(000) (000) Chg
CBS 12,007 12,429 -3%
NBC 7,918 8,921 -11%
ABC 10,625 11,772 -10%
FOX 8,182 9,248 -12%

A18-49
Rtg Sh Rtg Sh Chg
CBS 3.3 9 3.6 10 -8%
NBC 3.0 8 3.5 9 -14%
ABC 3.3 9 3.9 10 -15%
FOX 3.0 8 3.5 9 -14%


Programs:

SEASON TO DATE
01 THRU 50 (OUT OF 122 PROGRAMS)
FROM 09/22/08 THROUGH 11/23/08
LIST RANKED BY: VIEWR 2+ (000)

----- ------ ------
VIEWR VIEWR
RANK 2+ 2+
(000) RTG
----- ------ ------

1 CSI 21000 7.2
2 DANCING WITH THE STARS 19460 6.7
3 NCIS 18570 6.4
4 GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM 17770 6.1
5 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES 17450 6.0
6 DANCING W/STARS RESULTS 16680 5.8
7 MENTALIST, THE 16610 5.7
8 CRIMINAL MINDS 16390 5.7
9 60 MINUTES 15670 5.4
10 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 15540 5.4
11 CSI: MIAMI 14850 5.1
12 TWO AND A HALF MEN 14820 5.1
13 CSI: NY 14610 5.0
14 SURVIVOR: GABON 13600 4.7
15 HOUSE 13530 4.7
16 WITHOUT A TRACE 12560 4.3
17 OT, THE 12520 4.3
18 COLD CASE 12220 4.2
19 AMERICA'S GOT TALENT-WED 12190 4.2
20 ELEVENTH HOUR 11980 4.1
21 EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P 11610 4.0
22 BONES 11160 3.8
23 BROTHERS & SISTERS 11100 3.8
24 GHOST WHISPERER 10870 3.7
25 AMAZING RACE 13 10850 3.7
26 SAMANTHA WHO? 10580 3.6
LAW AND ORDER:SVU 10580 3.6
28 NUMB3RS 10480 3.6
29 SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK 10400 3.6
30 UNIT, THE 10160 3.5
31 HEROES 10100 3.5
32 OFFICE 9900 3.4
33 WORST WEEK 9890 3.4
34 E.R. 9830 3.4
FRINGE 9830 3.4
36 BIG BANG THEORY, THE 9670 3.3
37 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 9590 3.3
38 FAMILY GUY 9550 3.3
39 SIMPSONS 9390 3.2
40 LIFE ON MARS 9360 3.2
41 UGLY BETTY 9240 3.2
42 BOSTON LEGAL 9140 3.2
43 PRIVATE PRACTICE 8940 3.1
44 30 ROCK 8450 2.9
45 LAW AND ORDER 8190 2.8
46 DEAL OR NO DEAL-WED 8170 2.8
47 SAT NIGHT FOOTBALL 8080 2.8
48 BIGGEST LOSER 6 8000 2.8
49 FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 7980 2.8
50 ELI STONE 7890 2.7

SWEEPS TO DATE:

Based on ratings from Thursday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 23:

CBS has won 13 of the 25 nights in total viewers, and 11 in adults 18-49

The projections for the entire 28 day sweeps period (ending today Wednesday, Nov. 26) are

Total viewers:

CBS 11.79 million
ABC 10.48 million
NBC 7.90 million
FOX 7.03 million

Key demo( 18 – 49):

ABC 3.1
CBS 3.1
NBC 2.9
Fox 2.7

More chain eateries than ever in downtown TO

It seems that every time I turn around another chain restaurant is opening in downtown Toronto.

There were already Jack Astor locations at University & Front, Richmond and John and at Yonge & Dundas... now they have opened yet another downtown location up at Yonge & Bloor (we had dinner there last Thursday).

Meanwhile the condo on the north side of King just west of Church recently welcomed another Lettuce eatery (I hear one also recently opened in College Park too) and is about to welcome a St. Louis bar and grille (pic above). The St Louis chain already has one downtown location in the Atrium at Bay and a second down near the Rogers Centre in the base of one of those Canacord condos. I am especially excited about St Louis opening a location down the street from us. They may not offer food as fresh and delicious as Lettuce, but I find their wings among the most tasty in the city! I used to be in the habit of having lunch at the location up in North York on the East side of Yonge just south of Finch when I was working up at 5000 Yonge and my tastebuds (if not my waistline) is looking forward to having nearby access to their menu again!

2:1 seat sales for oversize flyers-- fair?

Earlier this week the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal (brought by the Canadian airline industry) of an earlier Canadian Transportation Agency ruling requiring airlines to allocate two adjoining seats (for a single fare) to passengers that are “functionally disabled by obesity”.

I have been considering the broader implications of this precedent. I believe the Supreme Court should have heard the Appeal and reversed the Agency’s ruling. This is not because I do not believe that Canadian business should be free to operate with cavalier disregard for the rights of the physically impaired to be free from unfair discrimination. It is also not because I am insensitive to the comfort and space needs of heavier people.

If there are extra seats available on a particular flight, I am sure most passengers would be more than obliging in re-juggling their original seat assignments to vacate the seat adjoining that occupied by a heavier person, in order to allow everyone more personal space. Doing so makes practical good sense and hurts no one. But increasingly, I find myself boarding flights that are fully booked and bearing a full passenger load. Vacant seats seem to be more and more of a rarity. In this age of soaring energy prices and fuel surcharges, airlines seem to have done a stellar job of realigning adjusting their fleet capacities and scheduling to “right size” capacity to optimize passenger loads at near capacity.

Against this backdrop, I believe the Court should have considered whether it is fair and appropriate to spread the costs of the second seat allocated to the heavier passenger across the fares of all paying passengers flying in the aircraft. Consider that most airlines currently charge an economy fare passenger who overpacks a surcharge for checking overweight luggage or pieces in excess of the allowable limit. The Court should have likewise considered whether it is fair and inappropriate to deprive a standby passenger of a seat because two seats need to be allocated to a heavier passenger flying on a confirmed basis.

This decision could actually compromise the interests of "aerotubbies" by subjecting them to derision and scorn by fellow lighter passengers forced to endure a flight in cramped close quarters (particularly longer passengers), particularly if other family, friends or associates were left on the ground waiting on a standby seat assignment.

While I realize that body shape and weight may to some extent be traceable to genetic hereditary factors, a bigger cause relates to lifestyle choices (the ability to balance caloric intake of food to physical activity levels). It is entirely possible for the obese to control their weight by modifying their own behaviour. They can begin to make healthier (lower fat and calories) food selection and to increase their level of physical activity. By providing a free seat reward to the obese, subsidized by all passengers, are we not incenting bad lifestyle choices and penalizing better choices? Are we not providing one less reason for an obese person to make positive changes in their lifestyle to slim off some pounds?

Some alcoholics contend that their alcoholism is a condition akin to a disease-- that they develop an addictive dependency on alcohol that compels them to drink. And yet airlines, in the interest of safety, routinely deny boarding to passengers that are obviously intoxicated, under the influence of alcohol. No one contends that taking such action discriminates against persons with a physical disability.

The court should have also considered the broader implications of where this decision might lead? This precedent could lead us down a very slippery slope. Could the obese now demand that car dealers sell them larger (mid size) cars for the price of sub-compacts or threaten to bring a class action alleging discrimination? Could the obese now demand that supermarkets sell them two pounds of ground beef for the price of one or that McDonalds sell them two Big Macs for the price of one on the grounds that a larger stomach takes more to fill by threatening to bring a court action alleging discrimination?

The practical implications of the decision also need to be vetted:

Where does one draw the line between being clinically obese and just plain fat?

Will travel agents be expected to validate that a passenger is, in fact, obese, in order to qualify them to receive two seats for on fare?

Will travel agents be required to inquire about a persons’ weight (at the risk of offending them) in order book a heavier passenger on the correct fare basis?

What if a passenger loses or gains weight in the interim period between reserving their flight and the date of travel?

Ultimately, I think this decision has the potential to lead to increased marginalization of obese people in Canada. Heavier people who might have, prior to this decision, been completely willing to pay two fares, to book on a first or business class (instead of economy) basis or to simply contend with the discomfort of accommodating their hefty girth in a single seat, may now find themselves subject to the hateful scorn of resentful fellow passengers jealous of their larger (same priced) flying space.

Have any other jurisdictions in the world passed similar rulings in favour of obese passengers? Or is Canada on the vanguard of championing the rights of the obese? I fear the rest of the world may regard we Canadians with puzzled bemusement on account of allowing this decision to stand. In my view, the decision pushes the boundary line of tolerance and accommodation well beyond where it ought reasonably to be drawn.

US PRIMTETIME TV RATINGS UPDATE

WEEK NO. 8:

In week number 8 (November 10-16), of the new fall tv season (which includes nights number 11 to 18 of the 28 day November sweeps) CBS attracted the largest prime time audience, extended its top rated network winning streak to seven consecutive weeks and delivering the largest average weekly audience of any network this season (12.13 million)

Hi-lights of individual program ratings, include:

CBS’s 60 Minutes featuring an interview with presidential-elect Barack Obama interview scored the show’s best results since 1999, becoming the top rated series of the week and attracting the largest audience among all programs broadcast so far this season. The record broadcast continues a strong season’s delivery for 60 MINUTES, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has made Nielsen’s weekly top 10 list in five out of eight weeks. 60 MINUTES was also top rated in week seven, representing the first time it has posted back-to-back No.1 weekly rankings since the weeks ending 12/27/92 and 1/3/93. Season to date, 60 MINUTES is averaging 15.7 million viewers, up 12 percent over last season. It is also up 9 percent in households, with 10.0 rating and 16 share. The broadcast ranks 9th on Nielsen’s Top 10 list in both viewers and households.

NCIS on CBS scored its largest average audience ever in its history (now in its sixth season).

The 42nd Annual CMA Awards on ABC won all 6 half-hours of Wednesday night in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, delivering ABC’s largest Wednesday audience and top Adult 18-49 rating on the night in 1 year – since 11/7/07 and maintaining viewership levels on a par with the 2007 telecast.

What follows are summaries of the weeks rating averages by network:

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Households:

CBS: 7.7 rating/12 share (no change),
ABC: 6.7/11 (- 1),
NBC: 4.8/ 8 (- 8),
Fox: 4.1/ 6 (-23),
CW: 1.4/ 2 (-26),
MNTV: 1.0/ 2 (+43)

Total Viewers:

CBS: 12.31 million (+ 3),
ABC: 10.47 (+ 1),
NBC: 7.74 (- 6),
Fox: 6.78 (-21),
CW: 2.09 (-30),
MNTV: 1.54 (+39)

Adults 18-49:

CBS: 3.3 rating/9 share (no change),
ABC: 3.1/ 8 (- 6),
NBC: 2.9/ 8 (- 6),
Fox: 2.7/ 7 (-21),
CW: 1.0/ 2 (-17),
MNTV: 0.5/ 1 (no change)

What follows are list of the week’s most popular programmes

Total Viewers:

1 60 Minutes (CBS): 25.10 million,
2 Sunday Night Football, Dallas at Washington (NBC): 19.27,
3 CSI (CBS): 19.05,
4 NCIS (CBS): 18.75,
5 Dancing With the Stars – Monday (ABC): 18.69,
6 Desperate Housewives (ABC): 16.84,
7 Dancing With the Stars Results Show (ABC) :16.52
7 The Mentalist (CBS): 16.52
9 The 42nd Annual CMA Awards (ABC): 15.90,
10 Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 14.90,
11 Criminal Minds (CBS): 14.83,
12 Two and a Half Men (CBS): 14.50,
13 CSI: Miami (CBS): 13.81,
14 House (Fox): 13.06,
15 Survivor: Gabon (CBS): 12.88,
16 Cold Case (CBS): 12.28,
17 Without a Trace (CBS): 12.23,
18 The Amazing Race 13 (CBS): 12.13,
19 Sunday Night Pre-Kick (NBC): 11.92,
20 Eleventh Hour (CBS): 11.63,
21 CSI: NY (CBS): 11.62,
22 Ghost Whisperer (CBS): 11.57,
23 Bones (Fox): 10.87,
24 Samantha Who? (ABC): 10.40,
25 Dancing With the Stars Recap (ABC): 10.32,
26 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC): 10.31,
27 The Unit (CBS): 10.23,
28 The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 10.01,
29 Brothers & Sisters (ABC): 10.00,
30 ER (NBC): 9.90

“key demo” (Adults 18-49):

1 Sunday Night Football, Dallas at Washington (NBC): 7.4 rating/17 share,
2 60 Minutes (CBS): 6.3/16,
3 Desperate Housewives (ABC): 6.2/14,
4 Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 5.7/13,
5 House (Fox): 5.5/14,
6 CSI (CBS): 5.1/12,
7 The 42nd Annual CMA Awards (ABC): 5.0/13,
8 Two and a Half Men (CBS): 4.9/11,
9 Sunday Night Pre-Kick (NBC): 4.6/12,
10 Dancing With the Stars – Monday (ABC):4.2/10
10 How I Met Your Mother (CBS): 4.2/10 each,
12 Family Guy (Fox): 4.2/ 9,
13 The Office (NBC): 4.1/10,
14 Survivor: Gabon (CBS): 4.0/11,
15 NCIS (CBS): 4.0/10
15 The Mentalist (CBS): 4.0/10
17 The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 3.9/10,
18 The Simpsons (Fox): 3.9/ 9,
19 Criminal Minds (CBS): 3.8/10,
20 Fringe (Fox): 3.8/ 9,
21 CSI: Miami (CBS): 3.7/10,
21 ER (NBC): 3.7/10,
23 Law & Order: SVU (NBC): 3.6/10,
24 Dancing With the Stars – Tuesday (ABC): 3.6/9,
24 Brothers & Sisters (ABC): 3.6/ 9,
26 Heroes (NBC): 3.6/8,
26 30 Rock (NBC): 3.6/ 8,
28 The Biggest Loser (NBC): 3.5/9,
28 Bones (Fox): 3.5/ 9,
30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC): 3.5 /8,
30 The Amazing Race (CBS): 3.5/ 8

Sweeps to date

Meanwhile, midway through the November 2008 sweeps, CBS is the most-watched network with 470,000 more viewers than second-place ABC while ABC is first in adults 18-49 A all three networks are down over the same period in the November 2007 sweeps. The biggest loser is Fox, and is down by margins of 15 to 19 percent in many of the rating categories. The CW has also decreased by double-digit percentages.What follows are the final national results from Thursday, Oct. 30 through Wednesday, November 12 (with percent change versus the year-ago period in parentheses):

Total Viewers:

CBS: 11.33 million (- 8 percent),
ABC: 10.86 (- 5),
NBC: 8.11 (- 3),
Fox: 6.72 (-17),
CW: 2.22 (-24)

Adults 18-49:

ABC: 3.3 rating/9 share (-11),
NBC: 3.0/ 8 (- 8),
CBS: 3.0/ 8 (-14),
Fox: 2.7/ 7 (-16),
CW: 1.0/ 3 (-17)


SEASON-TO-DATE RATINGS REPORT (9/22/08-11/16/08)

2008-09 2007-08

HOUSEHOLDS
Rtg Sh Rtg Sh Chg
CBS 7.5 12 7.9 13 -5%
ABC 6.8 11 7.7 12 -12%
NBC 5.0 8 5.6 9 -11%
FOX 5.0 8 5.9 9 -15%


VIEWERS
(000) (000) Chg
CBS 11,913 12,435 -4%
ABC 10,613 11,718 -9%
FOX 8,106 9,511 -15%
NBC 7,969 8,870 -10%


A18-49
Rtg Sh Rtg Sh Chg
CBS 3.3 9 3.6 10 -8%
ABC 3.3 9 3.9 10 -15%
NBC 3.0 8 3.5 9 -14%
FOX 3.0 8 3.5 9 -14%

Flu shots at work?

The flu season is fast approaching.

I live in the Canadian province of Ontario- a pioneer in providing free flu-shot vaccinations to its citizens. There are a number of venues you can report to in order to receive a free flu shot. Many Ontarians prefer to get them at their family doctors. Others go to public health clinics dedicated to administering the shots. However, workplace flu clinics have also gained in popularity recently.

In Toronto, many major commercial office tower property managers (like Brookfield, Oxford and Cadillac Fairview) arrange flu clinics for tenants in their buildings. Similar to blood donor clinics, these may be set up in building lobbies or in particular designated rooms on the tenants’ premises. A certified health care professional comes into the workplace to administer the shots.

While it may make good sense to administer flu shots in the workplace (employees find it convenient while employers have a stake in the process since immunization may help to reduce flu related sick day absences), this development does pose a number of interesting workplace ethics issues.

A friend related an incident that occurred in her workplace a year ago. One of the partners in the legal firm she works at fell seriously ill with a rare medical condition called Guillain-Barré (G-B) syndrome and had to be hospitalized. He was perfectly fit (regularly worked out and was very conscious of eating a balanced diet) prior to contracting G-B. Receiving a flu shot is the expected cause of his G-B. (See a related news story here)

This has caused me to do much thinking about the pros and cons of workplace immunization programmes.

Consider the following (purely hypothetical) scenario (which will serve to highlight my concerns):

A Human Resource department official sends out the following mass e-mail to all Company employees

“The Company is pleased to be sponsoring an opportunity for employees to obtain a vaccination to immunize against influenza this year. Please call or e-mail our receptionist if you wish to make an appointment to receive a flu shot. For further information about the benefits and risk of influenza vaccinations, please consult the following government website”

In response to this e-mail, a manager in the accounting department forwards the HR e-mail to her team of six employees, adding this message at the top of the thread:

“Please e-mail HR to set your appointment date ASAP and copy me on that reply so I have a record of your status. We have lost too many work days to illness already this year and we cannot afford to have anyone off with flu because they failed to get their shot. I will expect anyone who fails to follow these instructions and who later calls in sick with flu symptoms to provide me and/or HR with a note from their family doctor confirming that they received a flu shot at his or her office.”

In response to this e-mail, three employees make appointments with the receptionist and report for a flu shot at the appointed time and receive a medical release outlining the risks. They then take the following actions:

Employee 1 signs the release without reading it. She is allergic to eggs and has a severe allergic reaction shortly after receiving the shot. The nurse calls an ambulance and she is rushed by paramedics to a hospital ER in an unconscious state. She fully recovers.

Employee 2 also signs to sign the release without reading it. However, after witnessing the medical emergency situation involving employee #1, she is shaken and declines to follow through and take her shot.

Employee 3 signs the release after reading it. He proceeds to get his shot. He develops G-B syndrome a few weeks later, is hospitalized for a prolonged period and suffers related paralysis that precludes him from ever returning to work. He files for LTD benefits with his employer’s health benefits insurer. After conducting an investigation, the insurer sues the employer to recover its claim costs, citing negligence in the administration of the flu shot programme they sponsored.

Employee 4 arranges a business meeting that conflicts with her immunization appointment to excuse her from reporting at the appointed time

Employee 5 declines to make an appointment because he received a shot at his family doctor’s office a week ago

Employee 6 declines to make an appointment because he has an irrational fear of needles and often faints when his skin is pierced by one. He fears being embarrassed in front of co-workers

Employees 2, 4, 5 and 6 end up developing flu symptoms sometime later.

Employee 2, remembering her boss’s e-mail and not wanting to arose her ire, reports to work with flu and promptly infects 3 others in the workplace while there

Employee 4 calls in sick and her absence is excused by her boss on account of copying the boss on the e-mail to HR arranging a workplace vaccination appointment (which she failed to keep)

Employee 5 calls in sick and is challenged by his boss to produce a letter certifying that he received a flu shot from his family doctor. The doctor charges him a $60 fee to write the letter. He is forced to bear that cost.

Employee 6 calls in sick and is likewise challenged by his boss to produce a letter certifying that he received a flu shot from his family doctor. He is unable to do so and the boss recommends his termination to HR He is fired with cause and denied any severance or employment insurance benefits. A month later he returns to the workplace with a rifle and shoots his boss, employee 2 and 5 dead. Employee 1 is injured in the shoot-up but survives and eventually recovers. Mewnhile, employee 4 is ill at home with flu that day and escapes unscathed!

Considering the actions of all the individuals in this hypothetical anecdote, which parties do you believe acted responsibly or irresponsibly? Your comments are welcome!

Condo reno update (7th in a series)

We received good news and back news today on the home reno front.

First the good news: There is no more bare exposed (plaster dust coated) concrete flooring left in the condo. Yesterday the cork underfloor was laid and today the Mercier maple hardwood was laid on top... in all rooms except the kitchen and bathroom... in the entrance foyer, dining room, hallway, 2nd bedroom and the master. Coupled with the montauk black slate floor in the ensuite and the limestone in the kitchen (both from Olympia Tile), all our floors are now covered. All that remains is to install the new higher baseboards.

Also our new candy apple red laundry pair from LG are now up and running!

Next the bad news: Our Scavolini kitchen cabinetry which had been promised by Dekla for delivery between November 20th and 30th will now be delivered on December 12th (at the earliest). Although they are promising to install it ASAP thereafter, this will push the window for fabrication of our caesarstone countertop back (since the templating and exact measurements to custom cut the countertop cannot be completed until after the cabinetry is installed). Since the counter top fabrication takes a minimum of 10 to 14 days, we are probably now looking at installation of it sometime around Christmas followed by installation of the new SS sink and (deck mounted) polished chrome faucet and glass tile backsplash (ordered from allset) until later this year or early in the new year! C'est la vie!

Meanwhile our contractor expects to finish up work on the bathroom-- including installation of the shower stall, bath-tub and Vanico vanity (with integrated countertop and sink) in the ensuite-- by the end of this month.

Bah humbug!

I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to observing the holiday season. While I have not traced the roots of this traditionalism it is most likely another legacy of my Roman Catholic religious upbringing. One outgrowth of this traditionalist affliction, is that it really irks me that most of my friends do not realize that the twelve days of Christmas (referred to in the popular Christmas carol) actually begin after Christmas (and run between Christmas and Epiphany Sunday) and not before it. In any case, I find that the season's start date seems to kick off more obscenely early each and every year. In defiance of this trend, I have set a personal goal to actively resist the onset of glad tidings in my life for as along as possible.

I am practical enough to realize that Christmas long ago lost most of its religious and/or spiritual meaning for most of us inhabiting the Western World at the outset of this new millennium, and instead became more of an excuse for a sustained / prolonged season of commercialism and conspicuous consumption and overindulgence—of gift giving, party going, feasting and drinking.

Retailers are usually the first to start the holiday season rolling, in an effort to jumpstart their Christmas sales. No sooner have the Halloween candies and costumes been cleared from their racks, than out come the Christmas wares. Usually my partner, Gary, and his sister, insist on making their annual pilgrimage to the William Ashley warehouse sale for an “advance preview” in early November and I tag along. The warehouse is always a zoo, chuck full of eager gift consumers claiming to be searching for gift “bargains” (but often more eager to pick up items for themselves than others!). Fortunately, this year we managed (thanks to our ongoing home renos and their mother’s continued hospitalization) to skip that ritual observance! Alleluia. There is a God and he lives still!

However, we had to venture to the Sears’ Toronto Eaton Centre store last Sunday to resolve an new appliance installation issue. We arrived to find the holiday season sales season in full bloom. The next day, I was served my first chain store coffee in a special Christmas season paper cup. Also last week, I also started to hear Christmas songs being played over the speakers in local coffee shops. At least our American neighbours to the south has a bit of a built in start delay feature in the form of their Thanksgiving holiday, which marks the official start of their retail sales season.

We observed Remembrance Day last Tuesday. To me, at a minimum, out of deference to our war dead, no Christmas decorations should go up until (at least) the poppies come off the overcoat lapels.

This weekend, the annual Toronto Santa Claus parade was staged. The parade terminates in our (St Lawrence) neighbourhood. The crowds are unavoidable. Every year we are over-run by dozens of young families making their annual trek in from the ‘burbs in their SUVs to welcome Santa Claus. This weekend hinterlands north of the GTA also got their first dusting of snow. ( Gary was up visiting his mother at Royal Victoria hospital in Barrie and had to search our trunk to dig out the snow brush / ice scraper) for the first time this season.

There were also two other signs this weekend that Christmas is already in the air. First, we attended our first party on Saturday night. Although, technically not a Christmas party per se—the couple whose home we were visiting had just welcomed a newly adopted daughter into their home, and they hosted an intimate dinner (featuring East Indian take-out food) for us and another couple—it was an early sign that the social agenda is getting busier. Next Sunday we need to return to Barrie to attend a 1st birthday party for Gary ’s great-grandniece Alyx.

We also attended an opening night screening of one of the seasonal blockbusters that Hollywood likes to launch at Christmas (when moviegoing crests). We saw the latest James Bond 007 opus “Quantum of Solace” at the Cineplex Scotiabank cinema Friday night. (I didn’t particularly care for it, but apparently it set an opening weekend box office record for the series)

Finally, this morning I arrived at the office building in which I work to be greeted by holiday decorations hanging in the lobby. This is the first holiday season that I have worked in this particular office building. Thankfully, the decorations were quite traditional and restrained—a few natural fir trees of various sizes grouped together in trios at opposite ends of the lobby—and trimmed in simple white lights and silver balls. I have see far crassly gaudy lobby displays elsewhere.

Returning to the religious origins of the season, I wish to note for the record that Advent (the four Sunday season in the Christian liturgical calendar leading up to Christmas) doesn’t even start for another two Sundays. So, until then, I refuse to start my Christmas shopping (I have two kids of my own, five nieces and nephews and one mother on my list to buy for—Gary and I have agreed that our (ongoing / never-ending home renos will be our gift to each other)! Until the first Advent candle is lit on the altar, I vow to imitate Ebenzer Scrooge and Mr. Grinch. Bah humbug! I must stop Christmas from coming!

More on RS Greatest Singers List

Yesterday I posted my initial reaction to Rolling Stone magazine's recently published all-time greatest singers list. I took exception to some of the placements and questioned the "all time" nature of the list.

Upon further review, I have also discovered some excluded artists that arguably should have made the cut.

These include:

Barbra Streisand
Madonna
Diana Ross
Neil Diamond
Dionne Warwick(e)
Sting
Clyde McPhatter
Bryan Adams
Celine Dion
Billy Joel
Michael MacDonald
Aaron Neville
Paul Simon
Robert Palmer
Lou Gramm
Mark Knopfler


Any others?

Me and My Red Rocket Stick

I have been using my Rogers red rocket stick for high speed wireless internet access for close to a month now. The “rocket stick” is actually an Ovation MC 950D USB modem. All you need to do is plug the rocket stick into an open USB port on your laptop/notebook (or workstation/desktop PC) and the Novatel MobiLink software will create a 3G connection to allow your web browser to access internet sites on the world-wide web. This can come in handy when you need internet access away from home and/or outside of a wi-fi hotspot zone.

For the techies out there, the rocket stick has a built in quad band receiver and is EDGE and HPSA compatible. You can also use it to access a remote server via VPN.

I signed up with Rogers on a one year contract basis and received the rocket stick hardware (normal retail price $299.99) at no charge. I am committed to a basic $10 access plan plus a $30 month data service plan which allows me a maximum of 1 GB of data exchange per month. If this data limit is exceeded you pay 3 cents per additional MB. Since I do not plan to routinely use the stick with upload / download intensive applications, I do not expect to exceed this monthly limit most of the time. However, to test its limits, I did upload a set of close to 300 photos to the Kodak Gallery. So far I have not received my first monthly bill—we will see!

Where have I been using my red rocket stick? Not at home (since I already have rogers@home internet lite service there) or at work (since my employer provides an internet connection through the company’s LAN server (although many sites (including most mail servers are blocked) or wandering the streets (since I have a blackberry). Where then? Well, twice in my car (not when I was driving… once I had my son look up driving direction on mapquest; a second time when I was sitting motionless and parked waiting on passengers) and once while visiting in a hospital ward (hopefully it did not interfere with pacemakers and patient monitoring equipment!) I have also used it out of town once (to test how long distance charges are applied. Rogers assigns a specific phone number in a particular area code to your rocket stick receiver, even tho you do not use it to place or receive voice calls)

The speed that websites open and data upload/download speeds seem comparable to the internet-lite speeds I am accustomed to at home and the LAN speeds at work.

So far I do not regret by buying decision (although I am on tenterhooks awaiting receipt of my first bill with baited breath!)

RS Greatest Singers List

In its current issue Rolling Stone magazine has published a list ranking the 100 Best Singers of All Time, based on a survey of 179 musicians, producers, Rolling Stone editors, and other music-industry insiders. Voters included Metallica frontman James Hetfield, folk singers David Crosby and Yusuf Islam, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, punk rock veteran Iggy Pop and English pop star James Blunt. They each submitted their top 20 choices, and an accounting firm tabulated the results.

Although the list is billed as a ranking of the greatest of all time and it does include singers from a wide range of genres-- R&B is well represented and there are a few country artists-- it is more representative of singers that recorded during the rock era (since 1955) since traditional pop crooners like Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Bing Crosby are no where to be found.

There are two Canadians on the list—Neil Young at # 37 and Joni Mitchell at #42.

The Top 10 were:

1 Aretha Franklin
2 Ray Charles
3 Elvis Presley
4 Sam Cooke
5 John Lennon .
6 Marvin Gaye
7 Bob Dylan
8 Otis Redding,
9 Stevie Wonder
10 James Brown

Among the vocalists that appear (IMHO) to have been under-valued and deserving of higher rankings are:

Mick Jagger (#16), Tina Turner (#17), Smokey Robinson (#20), Prince(#30),Bruce Springsteen (#36), Elton John (#38), Chuck Berry (#41), Patsy Cline (#46), Jim Morrison (#47), Buddy Holly (#48), Donny Hathaway (#49), Bonnie Raitt (#50), Gladys Knight (#52), Luther Vandross (#54), Rod Stewart (#59), John Fogerty (#72), James Taylor (#74), Frankie Valli (#80), Annie Lennox (#93) and Karen Carpenter (#94), 95 Patti Labelle (#95), Joe Cocker (#97) and Mary J Blige (#100)

Back to school

It will be 30 years next May that I graduated from high school with a Grade 13 diploma. 30 years ago this month I was busy contemplating my future wondering what university programmes I wanted to apply for as the application submission deadline rapidly approached.

Now 30 years later, my son Ryan, who is in Grade 12 (grade 13 having been abolished) is going through the same process. So I am now re-visiting this rite of passage a second time-- this time as a parent, rather than a student!

In some ways the process has changed but in many ways it is still the same.

The similarities:

Admission is still mainly granted based on your grade 11 and grade 12 mid-term or first semester grades.

There is still a central government agency that gathers up all the apps and co-ordinates the process.

The differences:

Due to grade inflation, the grade average you need to be admitted to the most popular programmes

A whole lot of the process is now done on-line thru the Internet. Back when I applied, the world wide web didn't exist, so it was wholly a paper based application process and you had to review printed course calendars and fill in paper forms.

The application fee the government agency charges to apply is way up (by, it would appear, more than the rate of inflation over the 30 year period). With the basic application fee, a student gets to pick three programmes to be considered for admission into. After that, additional per programme increments apply

There are some new universities in Ontario that didn't exist back when I applied (Ryerson was still a polytechnical institute (basically a glorified community college) back in 1979 whereas now it is a full fledged university with degree granting authority

I also don't remember attending a university fair or going to so many open houses or campus visits back when I was 17.

So far we have gone to a large university fair at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (why is it still called that when the metro level of government disappeared years ago?) back in September and to two open house / campus visits. Two weekends ago we went to UW in Kitchener. Last weekend we went to Queens in Kingston. Both schools have excellent reputations and have different relative strengths. The UW campus is nice but Queens is clearly nicer. the faculty we met at Queens seemed great but the student body at UW came out in force to show better spirit. I think UW holds an edge over Queens so far, mainly on account of their reputation in co-op placements. U of T is also still in the running but we missed their Open House (three weeks ago) because we were at Ryan's Queens Venturer's Award presentation at Queens Park that day.

I will post further updates on the process as it continues!

A Channel thumps rivals!

CRTC's broadcasting policy permits each of the major broadcast TV network complexes to own and operate only two local affiliates in each major local market. This policy is designed to ensure there is a multiplicity of diverse broadcast voices are made available to Canadians and to avoid over concentration of media ownership.

The major broadcasting complexes have tried to exploit the "two local O&Os" rule for several years now. For example, in the GTA market, Canwest historically operated as Global TV (on cable 3) and then, following a more recent acquisition, assumed operations of Hamilton's CHCH TV 11 (briefly ON TV, then "CH" and now E!). CHUM-City historically operated CITY TV (UHF channel 57, cable 7) and then, following a more recent acquisition, assumed operating Barrie's CKVR TV (now "A" Channel 3).

Global built the CH brand out into a secondary national network (now re-branded as E!) and likewise CHUM leveraged VR to build A channel into a secondary national network. When ctvglobemedia completed its acquisition of CHUM-City, it would have added both the CITY TV and A channel stations to its pre-existing local CTV affiliates (CFTO, Channel 9, Cable 8 in Toronto), which would have meant they would be left owning and operating three local TV stations in many major urban markets, in clear violation of CRTC policy.

So the CRTC required ctvglobemedia to divest itself of the CITY tv statons as a pre-condition for approving its acquisition of CHUM-City. In due course, Rogers broadcasting submitted the highest auction bid and acquired the CITY stations from ctvglobemedia. Rogers already operated the OMNI multi-cultural local stations in some major markets. Following all of this M&A activity, the major urban market TV landscape was carved up between the three broadcasting complexes (CTV, Canwest and Rogers) as follows:


Broadcaster Primary network Secondary network

ctvglobemedia CTV "A"
Canwest Global E!
Robers CITY OMNI


Historically, in the Toronto market, CTV has been the dominant ratings powerhouse, followed by Global, City, CH/E! and finally VR/"A".

Since the dust has settled on the M&A activity, the broadcasters have tended to structure their programming by placing their most highly rated US imported shows on their primary network affiliates and to shift their less popular US pick-ups to the secondary networks.

The current Fall 2008 season represented the first year that CTV's programmers assumed specific exclusive responsible for acquiring programming to re-stock the A network schedule. Their efforts (and bigger programme acquisition budget) have resulted in a dramatic boost in A channel ratings! "A" channel, which in prior seasons had lagged both CITY and CH/E! in average ratings, is now suddenly ahead of both of those networks in the season to date ratings. Most impressively, the "A" network has seen triple digit increases in ratings in the metred markets at the expense of City and E!

Here are the comparatives comparing ratings in Fall 2008 to Fall 2007

National Average Viewing Audience, Age 2+

Network 2008 vs 2007

A 294K + 30%
E! 223K - 19%
CITY 161K -47%

Toronto Local Market Average Viewing Audience

Station 2008 vs 2007

A 72.9K +59%
E! 68.0K -18%
CITY 50.0K -40%


The gains and loses are similar in the key (aged 18-49) demo that advertisers target.

Considering only series that air on one of the secondary networks ("A", E! or City), A can boast of 6 Top 10 performers, E! of 3, while City airs only 1.

A channel has enjoyed considerable success with simulcasts of CBS's 2.5 Men on Monday nights (when the main CTV network is simulcasting ABC's Dancing with the Stars) and is also simulcasting one of the top new series of the Fall (FOX's Fringe)

I will continue to monitor this situation to see if ctvglobemedia can sustain the "A" momentum over the balance of the season!

Condo Reno Update (6th in a series)

It has been a productive week on the condo reno front.

Last week our slate and limestone tiles arrived from Olympia and our Vanico ensuite vanity was delivered by Canorama.

On Monday night we sold our old GE stainless steel (two oven) range. The buyer (who bought it off a kajiji website listing) drove in from Hamilton to pick it up. We got roughly 50% of our purchase price (for an 18 month old appliance). In the "small world" department, the buyers’ son (who tagged along) was attending the same grade school (St Micheals on Hester St.) I went to at one point in my youth!

We picked up new matching Aqua-brass tub filler and vanity faucet from Taps on Wednesday. Our new Sharp microwave drawer (from Caplans), Jenn Air wine fridge (from Sears) and (candy apple red) LG washer-dryer set (also from Sears) were delivered today. Our new air-tub is being plumbed today and the washer dryer is being installed.

We also put a deposit on and confirmed a date for installation of our Mercier hardwood flooring. It is being delivered from Yorkdale flooring next Friday and installed (by Fraser hardwood) the following Monday. (Apparently it needs two days to acclimate).

We also placed our order for our Ceasar nougat quartz counter-top and glass backsplash with Allset and put a deposit on our living-dining room track lighting system and two pendant lights (to be suspended over the kitchen peninsula) with Eurolite. The backsplash is custom made to order. You get to pick and chose colours and finishes. We went with a mix of three colours (in a 40/40/20 mix) with equal parts matte and gloss finish for each. The tiles will take 4 weeks to arrive. The countertop cannot be templated until the cabinetry is installed and will take two weeks to be custom manufactured to order thereafter. So the backsplash tiles should be available just in time following installation of the countertop.

We still have some pot light trim kits on back order from Eurolite plus a one-piece toilet on back order from Taps. Taps will deliver the latter with our two sinks (one a ceramic undermount sink for the “guest” bathroom (the ensuite sink is integrated in the vanity); the second an undermount deep square stainless “bianco” style kitchen sink) and our kitchen faucet.

Meanwhile, we have purchased our paint colours from Ontario Paint on Queen. The new flat ceiling has been primed but will need a final coat. The colours were selected from a muted “neutral” palette of off-white beige, sand and gray. The new drop ceiling in the kitchen and most walls will be painted this weekend.

The only item left to shop for now is the marble slab for our tub box face, tub surround and vanity backsplash. We expect to order that thru Allset too.

The tile setter is scheduled to come in next week.

According to Celcon (our general contractor's) progress billing our project is now 50% complete.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that the Scavolini’s shipment arriving here on November 20th contains our new kitchen cabinetry!

We can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel now…

A creative idea for the TTC

In this era of high oil prices and global warming, the need to upgrade our transit infrastructure takes on a new urgency.

I have an innovative ancillary revenue generator proposal for the TTC to consider: Auctioning off naming rights to their subway stations to bidders from corporate Canada. Winning bidders would get a 10 year renewable naming license, exclusive to a particular station. I expect Yonge-Bloor, Union and King would attract the highest bids while lesser travelled stations like Royal York, Chester and Main Street would be relative bargains. Sorta like the monopoly board properties (Union and Yonge-Bloor would be the Boardwalk and Park Place while Chester and Royal York would be the Baltic and Mediterranean Ave.)!

The winning corporation (in exchange for the promotional benefit of having a station bearing their name listed on subway maps / station signage and X% of the advertising space in the station) would be required to bear the capital and operating costs of maintaining the interior and exterior of their adopted station to certain minimum standards prescribed by TTC management (which I expect would be exceeded as every corporation tries to outdo the other in “beautifying” the station that bears their name!) Perhaps the corporations will want to adopt stations close to their corporate headquarters

Just think of it: King Station could soon be known as TD Financial Station. Union could become RBC station, Yonge & Bloor could ne renamed Manulife Station, Wilson as Bombardier Station, Islington as Tim Hortons Station, Eglinton as Canadian Tire Station, Finch as Magna Station, McCowan as ctvglobemedia Station ... and so on!

If you think this idea has any traction, spread it around and talk it up with your city councillor!

Fearless US election forecast

I am predicting a big win by Senator Barack Obama in tonight's US Presidential election.
Obama should smash through the 50.1% level of popular support attracted by Jimmy Carter back in 1976 (the highest tally by a recent Democratic winner) to become the first northern liberal elected to the Oval Office since JFK.
Based on my review of recent polling data, I expect Obama's popular vote percentage to exceed John McCain's by at least 8 percent and his electoral college vote total to be between 100 and 200 votes higher than McCain's. Obama will most likely double-up on McCain's electoral college vote tally. I do not expect McCain to win more than 20 states.

I am going to be aggressive in predicting the size of Obama's electoral college victory, as follows:

Obama-Biden 369
McCain-Palin 169

I have not been following the House and Senate races very closely, but suffice it to say that the Democrats should make big gains in both houses.

TV Notes

Items on my TV universe radar screen this week:



Ken Jennings on Millionaire:



Ken Jennings, who set a Jeopardy grand champions longevity record a few seasons ago, will be featured in the "ask an expert" hotseat on the Meredith Viera hosted "Millionaire" gameshow this week. This would be a good opportunity for those who are not regular viewers of the show to tune in to catch the new features this season, which include: a timeclock limit on answering questions along with the new "ask an expert" timeline (the expert is linked to the studio contestant via a skype video link). For those living in the local GTA TV market, the show is stripped at 5 PM weeknights on CTV's "A" channel outlet, from Barrie.





CTV's Amazing Race Contest:



CTV, the Canadian carrier of The Amazing Race TV show, is co-promoting an AR themed contest with Air Canada that allows viewers to travel to exotic international destinations (like those featured on the show). Prizes include four trips for two, including flights and accommodations, to a destination in Asia, Europe, South America or Australia, as well as one grand prize trip for two to all four destinations. The contest ends Nov. 23.



Enter at this blog: http://ctv1.ctv.ca/contests/aircanada08/



CRTC Hearings Decisions:



The CRTC is the body responsible for licensing and regulation of the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications industry. Recently they held hearings into the future of CATV (or cable) and satellite TV signal distribution in Canada. Last week the released their recommendations flowing from those hearings.



They announced several policy decisions.



First, they denied the major conventional commercial broadcast networks (like those operated by CTV and Canwest's-Global) the ability to charge cable companies (like Rogers and Shaw) signal fee-for-carriage charges for accessing over the air transmitted local TV station signals that are available freely over the air for in home reception (with an antennae) for those without cable access. They did, however, allow conventional broadcasters to negotiate payments for the re-transmission of their signals to other provinces (known as distant signals). Cablers currently package such signals in "timeshifting" tiers.



Second, they have proposed ending the bundled or tiered packaging of suites of network signals that subscribers are compelled to acquire in order to access individual signals within the tier or bundle. In future subscribers will be able to "mix and match " individual signals from a menu of available services rather than being compelled to accept a pre-packaged combination bundle promoted by the cable company. However, the subscriber must still offered a majority of Canadian signals and packaged options remain as an alternative way to purchase.



Third, they allowed for more direct competition between networks operating in the news (eg. CBC Newsworld and CTV Newsnet) and sports (TSN, Rogers Sportsnet) spaces. Previously Sportsnet had to air regional-based programming over multiple feeds while TSN was limited to programming a single-feed nationally-- both will now be able to invade each others' exclusive turf by playing in the same sandbox. Previously Newsnet was required to promote a headline news service (in a rotating news-wheel format) whereas Newsnet could air longer-form documentaries and liver coverage of breaking events. Going forward, both news licensees will only be required to provide news updates every 120 minutes


You can link to the CRTC decision documents here


You can link to some reaction to the CRTC decisions here:


The expression of disappointment by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is here


Favourable union reaction is here


Favourable small cabler reaction is here

Glasses again!

I wore eyeglasses for close to 30 years of my life-- from the time the optometrist diagnosed with astigmatism (in Grade 3) right up until I had Lasik surgery (at TLC) about 10 years ago. When i first got glasses I only used to wear them to school and would remove them when I got home and on weekends. During that period I came to associate my glasses with work and the absence of glasses with freedom and leisure. I recall feeling a wave of relief wash over me when I removed my glasses. When I was a kid, my parents used to take me to public optical to have my eyeglass prescription filled. Since I grew up in an immigrant family home where money was always tight, they used to insist that I chose my frames from the limited selection that came free with the lenses. that basically limited me to frames in the black horn rimmed variety! Sorta like the ones Harry Potter has made kewl now! But back when I was in grade school they were most decidedly uncool and only succeeded to make me the object of ridicule among classmates. They all assumed that I was a studious bookworn on account of my specs (which I was, but that hardly justifies their stereotyping and teasing). I also remember being very conflicted in gym glass--- should I wear my glasses (and risk breaking them) so I could actually see the ball or take them off and look even more haplessly two-left footed than I already was.

I never seriously considered replacing my specs with contact lenses because the idea of having something so small so close to my eyeball,freaked me out. In the early years you couldn't get soft plastic or gas permeable contacts to correct astigmatism; you needed to go with the hard glass. In my mid 30s I started to consider whether I should get laser eye surgery to correct my vision. eventually I overcame my reservations and with some trepidation eventually decided the benefits outweighed the risks. For the balance of the day and overnight following lasik surgery you are required to wear an eyemask. I can still recall the joy at removing the mask the morning after the surgery and being overjoyed to discover that I could see clearly and (perhaps even more impressively) my depth of vision was also greatly enhanced. It was like putting on 3-D glasses! I also remember the joy of having my vision re-tested at the MTO and having the "X" restriction removed from my drivers license. Being able to throw my eyeglasses away gave me a sense of liberation and an entirely new sense of self-identity.

I also recall my optometrist warning me when I had lasik that in a few years I might still need a pair of reading glasses as a result of old age. However, until very recently, I still found my "up close" vision fine for both distance and up close reading. Within the last year, however, I have started to experience problems reading (particularly in low light). Last week I went into the optometrist for a vision check-up and the optometrist confirmed that I will need reading glasses (or alternatively graduated bi-focal specs or contacts). I need to go back next week to have my prescription finalized. After that, I will have the prescription filled and then start wear glasses again, at least some of the time (mainly at work).

Tho I knew this day of reckoning would soon come and I am going to make sure I chose a very fashionable designer frame nothing like the cheap standard black horn rimmed variety selected for me to don in childhood, I can't help but feel some remorse and dread about the pending return of glasses upon my nose. I know I am not alone and that most people my age require vision correction for reading, but I can't help but feel disappointed at this change! It seems like a step back to the future. In any case, rest assured that I will not be changing my blog pic to show the new be-spectacled me!