It kinda feels like the summer that it is. It's a little after 10:00PM and I still have the door to the balcony open. I have a lovely view from this here 16th floor - lake, and lights - all the way to Hamilton, it seems :-)
Got in this afternoon after a dreary day at work. It wasn't about work. It was about how drained and de-energized I felt getting in this morning. I fell asleep pretty late last night and the day had been pretty taxing, too. Discovered a new park and all. The sweltering warmth and humidity of the morning didn't help. Then there was the left-over mental drag of the horrors of the G20-related protests that went awry in Toronto over the weekend.
By the time I got to lunch, I was pooped, man! Definitely more concerned about finding a spot to get some shut eye. But, I resisted; told myself only a few more hours to go and set out to get some drywall screws. Another story.
One veggie dog later, I was back at work, getting a few things done.
At long last, it was time to leave. Hit the street to Union, all the while thinking about two things: getting my freebie smoothie (matcha!) and catching the next train. Funny, but the very day I was rushing, was the day a newbie prepared my freebie. Took a about two minutes longer than usual - I even encouraged her to ask for help! I caught the train.
Once home, I washed up a bit and hit the sack. I was out for about 3 hours!
So, yeah. Definitely enjoying this lovely, easy, breezy summer evening now. Because I can.
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Monday, 28 June 2010
Friday, 18 June 2010
Today is a better day!
I'm all smiles as I write this because, it's not so much that today is a good day? It's more so that yesterday was a wonderful day!!!
What, pray tell, could have brought on this episode of ecstasy? Well, no less than the fact that I applied for my job! :-) Too funny.
I have been working, since January 2010, in a new agency - within the government of Ontario - under contract. The contract has since been renewed. Joyfully, however, the position was advertised as a permanent one about two weeks ago. There are four in all to be had - three perm and one temp (12-month).
Taking nothing for granted - not the fact that my immediate as well as senior managers have constantly praised my work; not the fact that they have copied other members of senior management while doing so; not the fact that colleagues have shared with me what they have heard about me from senior managers nor the fact that I was the second Advisor hired in this position and have been working hard - I worked long and hard, with nuff prayers, on the application. I submitted it yesterday and it did indeed feel like a load off my shoulders. Thank You God!
Apparently, too, I was right in my approach. Someone mentioned to me that just because we (three of us) now occupy these positions, does it mean that they will automatically be given to us.
Hmm. Communications, Public Relations, Outreach and Education. As Monk would say, "It's what I do - and I'm good at it." :-)
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
What, pray tell, could have brought on this episode of ecstasy? Well, no less than the fact that I applied for my job! :-) Too funny.
I have been working, since January 2010, in a new agency - within the government of Ontario - under contract. The contract has since been renewed. Joyfully, however, the position was advertised as a permanent one about two weeks ago. There are four in all to be had - three perm and one temp (12-month).
Taking nothing for granted - not the fact that my immediate as well as senior managers have constantly praised my work; not the fact that they have copied other members of senior management while doing so; not the fact that colleagues have shared with me what they have heard about me from senior managers nor the fact that I was the second Advisor hired in this position and have been working hard - I worked long and hard, with nuff prayers, on the application. I submitted it yesterday and it did indeed feel like a load off my shoulders. Thank You God!
Apparently, too, I was right in my approach. Someone mentioned to me that just because we (three of us) now occupy these positions, does it mean that they will automatically be given to us.
Hmm. Communications, Public Relations, Outreach and Education. As Monk would say, "It's what I do - and I'm good at it." :-)
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
While we are at it
We continue to be focused on the war against crime in Ja. I maintain that while we are at it, and as we give thought to the new policies and practices that must be implemented, we must not overlook the matter of thorough accountability. This, even from persons who are, or will be, at the helm of watchdog institutions.
In a recent letter to the editor, I expressed this concern. The editor opted for it to remain unpublished. I did not.
***
June 1, 2010
"The Editor, Sir:
I came upon an article that was recently published in The Globe and Mail and I was left shaking my head in amazement. Quite recently, amidst, and, perhaps to some extent, motivated by the new “war on crime”, there have been calls for “a few good men and women” to rise to the occasion” and take up certain positions of leadership; men and women in whom the public can, with assurance, repose its trust. The call has gone out primarily for individuals who would be elected to these positions. These trustworthy, hardworking and integrity-filled persons would therefore be the privileged few to occupy the Lower House and (if many get their wish for them to be elected as well) those of the Upper House.
While we make this call, perhaps we might also give thought to ensuring that the individuals who occupy the leadership positions of our public offices/agencies/boards/bodies are similarly outfitted with the requisite abilities and virtues. Yes. Virtues. For, while we undoubtedly hold many of our present crop of public leaders in high esteem, what would be helpful as we undertake this corporate and prolonged introspection as a nation, is to give serious thought to these requirements as we move forward. This, not only for the sake of accountability and the interest of the taxpayer, but also to keep the moral authority of the public office-holder sound. It is no secret that it is nigh improbable to repair a damaged reputation when the damage has been self-imposed.
Consider the case of the Ombudsman of Ontario who is seeking a third term. He has won the admiration of many Ontarians, to the delight of whom he has “exposed misuses of government power, pointing out shortfalls in the province’s property-assessment and career-colleges systems that harmed citizens or allowed a private few to benefit.” The Ombudsman’s website provides information on the investigations that have been completed; speeches that are true testimonies to the scathing and, oft times, vitriolic rebuke that he metes out to the offending (Gov of Ontario) ministry.
Yet, as the G&M puts it, he has been “tripped up by an inconvenient penchant for charging apparently private expenses…” Whereas the amounts in question may have been deemed rather insignificant, the Ombudsman, being “Ontario’s watchdog” has a special responsibility. He, along with others with others in similar oversight positions, cannot get away with a do-as-I-say-but-not-as-I-do approach. The G&M reports that the Ombudsman “misused the powers of his own office, with little accountability at all, essentially approving many of his own expenses. His moral authority as the public’s crusader and protector has been compromised.” He contends that the spending was legitimate but that doesn’t seem to be cutting it.
Of course, there are those who will come out swinging and shouting from the roof tops that the real issue is being overlooked here; that the real issue is the empowerment of these oversight bodies – to give them ‘teeth’ - so they can, in real terms, help to stem the tide of corruption; that we should stop trying to undermine those who have demonstrated the courage to take up thankless jobs that require a strong spine, broad shoulders and thick skins. But that doesn’t make this issue any less real, does it? Surely, even with the above being true, there is still room to carry out the necessary checks and balances. For example, is there proper legislative control to prevent/stop inappropriate expensing? And we are not talking only about personal expensing but, as well, lavish and wasteful expenses to modernize their offices, to keep-up-with-the-corporate-Joneses, and enhance their comfort at work. These cannot be the very same individuals who reprimand and rebuke other agencies for wasting taxpayers’ money.
Until this issue is also seriously considered, then the roof-top cries for ‘teeth’ are only “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
I am, etc.,
Cee Dubya"
***
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
In a recent letter to the editor, I expressed this concern. The editor opted for it to remain unpublished. I did not.
***
June 1, 2010
"The Editor, Sir:
I came upon an article that was recently published in The Globe and Mail and I was left shaking my head in amazement. Quite recently, amidst, and, perhaps to some extent, motivated by the new “war on crime”, there have been calls for “a few good men and women” to rise to the occasion” and take up certain positions of leadership; men and women in whom the public can, with assurance, repose its trust. The call has gone out primarily for individuals who would be elected to these positions. These trustworthy, hardworking and integrity-filled persons would therefore be the privileged few to occupy the Lower House and (if many get their wish for them to be elected as well) those of the Upper House.
While we make this call, perhaps we might also give thought to ensuring that the individuals who occupy the leadership positions of our public offices/agencies/boards/bodies are similarly outfitted with the requisite abilities and virtues. Yes. Virtues. For, while we undoubtedly hold many of our present crop of public leaders in high esteem, what would be helpful as we undertake this corporate and prolonged introspection as a nation, is to give serious thought to these requirements as we move forward. This, not only for the sake of accountability and the interest of the taxpayer, but also to keep the moral authority of the public office-holder sound. It is no secret that it is nigh improbable to repair a damaged reputation when the damage has been self-imposed.
Consider the case of the Ombudsman of Ontario who is seeking a third term. He has won the admiration of many Ontarians, to the delight of whom he has “exposed misuses of government power, pointing out shortfalls in the province’s property-assessment and career-colleges systems that harmed citizens or allowed a private few to benefit.” The Ombudsman’s website provides information on the investigations that have been completed; speeches that are true testimonies to the scathing and, oft times, vitriolic rebuke that he metes out to the offending (Gov of Ontario) ministry.
Yet, as the G&M puts it, he has been “tripped up by an inconvenient penchant for charging apparently private expenses…” Whereas the amounts in question may have been deemed rather insignificant, the Ombudsman, being “Ontario’s watchdog” has a special responsibility. He, along with others with others in similar oversight positions, cannot get away with a do-as-I-say-but-not-as-I-do approach. The G&M reports that the Ombudsman “misused the powers of his own office, with little accountability at all, essentially approving many of his own expenses. His moral authority as the public’s crusader and protector has been compromised.” He contends that the spending was legitimate but that doesn’t seem to be cutting it.
Of course, there are those who will come out swinging and shouting from the roof tops that the real issue is being overlooked here; that the real issue is the empowerment of these oversight bodies – to give them ‘teeth’ - so they can, in real terms, help to stem the tide of corruption; that we should stop trying to undermine those who have demonstrated the courage to take up thankless jobs that require a strong spine, broad shoulders and thick skins. But that doesn’t make this issue any less real, does it? Surely, even with the above being true, there is still room to carry out the necessary checks and balances. For example, is there proper legislative control to prevent/stop inappropriate expensing? And we are not talking only about personal expensing but, as well, lavish and wasteful expenses to modernize their offices, to keep-up-with-the-corporate-Joneses, and enhance their comfort at work. These cannot be the very same individuals who reprimand and rebuke other agencies for wasting taxpayers’ money.
Until this issue is also seriously considered, then the roof-top cries for ‘teeth’ are only “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
I am, etc.,
Cee Dubya"
***
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Friday, 28 May 2010
Time enough
Made a comment on this article in the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday (May 26, 2010) - as Cee Dubya. Even at this time of writing, things are still tense. But, there will come better days.
"Someone described yesterday’s sitting of Parliament - apparently one of unusual civility. No raucous spat-filled behaviour? What gives?
.
Perhaps the understanding, (which was already held by … almost everybody else, really) that this war on crime is not about Party but rather what’s best for Jamaica, is finally sinking in?
.
Could it be that persons are now feeling a bit anxious or sopm, what with PMBG reportedly being referred to as a “criminal affiliate” by the US gov? I imagine that, after all is said and done, a lot more will be said - one way or another. And who would be prepared to go down alone?
.
What’s that saying again? “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”
.
Whatever the deal, let it sink in. Good must come of this. It won’t be overnight, but even time takes time.
.
(Btw, more responsible journalism at work here than that ABC report: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/world/americas/26jamaica.html?scp=2&sq=jamaica&st=cse)"
###
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
"Someone described yesterday’s sitting of Parliament - apparently one of unusual civility. No raucous spat-filled behaviour? What gives?
.
Perhaps the understanding, (which was already held by … almost everybody else, really) that this war on crime is not about Party but rather what’s best for Jamaica, is finally sinking in?
.
Could it be that persons are now feeling a bit anxious or sopm, what with PMBG reportedly being referred to as a “criminal affiliate” by the US gov? I imagine that, after all is said and done, a lot more will be said - one way or another. And who would be prepared to go down alone?
.
What’s that saying again? “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”
.
Whatever the deal, let it sink in. Good must come of this. It won’t be overnight, but even time takes time.
.
(Btw, more responsible journalism at work here than that ABC report: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/world/americas/26jamaica.html?scp=2&sq=jamaica&st=cse)"
###
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Outlook: Sunshine!
My favourite flower is the sunflower. I decided that sometime after seeing the movie, "Calendar Girls". For one, the poem was lovely. For two, it represents and totally reminds me of my favourite color - yellow - as well as my general outlook: Bright!
Recently, I've taken to the colour purple and, on many occasions, red. But, yellow has been at the top since early childhood.
So, I got a few artificial sunflowers the other day. And they do look lovely sitting there on my dining table.
They also remind me, now, of my very apt pet name for my niece: Sunshine. 'Cause she's just that.
In just a few days she will be here - joined by her parents, of course! I'm about to grow from one to four.
Sign of an abundance of rain and things to come!!! TYG!
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Recently, I've taken to the colour purple and, on many occasions, red. But, yellow has been at the top since early childhood.
So, I got a few artificial sunflowers the other day. And they do look lovely sitting there on my dining table.
They also remind me, now, of my very apt pet name for my niece: Sunshine. 'Cause she's just that.
In just a few days she will be here - joined by her parents, of course! I'm about to grow from one to four.
Sign of an abundance of rain and things to come!!! TYG!
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Sunday, 9 May 2010
This Means War!
Yesterday had me at a very enlightening all-day governance seminar. Got in pooped and totally missed the 8th. Hmm.
Wrote a letter to the Editor of one of Jamaica's newspapers on Friday. Haven't seen it in their publication yet. Well, here it is:
"We are drowning, drowning, drowning in our own blood! We are choking on it; slipping and sliding in it; washing it off our streets and houses and the writing is on the wall in it. When I think of Jamaica, I see red. I’m not even getting into blaming. I’m just looking at where we are and we are in a sad state.
Neither the Minister, nor the Prime Minister, has a clue about how to solve this problem – not one single solitary clue! You can tell from their silence and from their baffled countenances and by how much they are MIA. We have new committees and plans being created to address the problem, even before former committees and plans have a chance to come out from under the dust and chi chi.
It has reached a stage now where the news is not really news. It’s just a matter of who and where. Every time we think it can’t get any worse, the next newscast proves us wrong. We are sick and tired of it and sick and tired of being sick and tired of it man! What is this round-the-clock killing machine that seems to be impenetrable and unstoppable? And while it has its tentacles all over the island, stabbing our people and shooting our people and strangling our people to death, the rest of us are left wondering who is in charge? Who is in charge, Mr. Editor? And what in God’s name are they waiting on to do something?!
Here’s a suggestion. It may smack of simplicity, and may even be repetitive but, just in case the government is sleeping, please nudge them awake to the fact that WE ARE AT WAR! Where else but in a war-torn country do we have so many hundreds of murders in such a short time? People are being shot and stabbed and slashed to death - the real count must now be close to 700 – and the army hasn’t yet been called out? What if we were under attack from another country and our country’s murder toll stood at 600? A so we woulda jus siddung an watch we fellow Jamaicans a drop like flies and nuh call out the army? Mr. Minister and Prime Minister and whosoever else is in charge? We are at war!!! 600 in four months? This means war!!!
There are those who have the power to do something but they are not doing what needs to be done. No one wants to bell the cat. What is this? We are praying for God to intervene, but did He not give us wisdom and ability? We must do our part. “Trust in God but lock your car.” Remember that declaration that the Prime Minister made in Parliament in the first week of March this year? “If I have to pay a political price for it I will.” He was talking about something else but wouldn’t it be wonderful if he and the other ministers held that resolve for all aspects of their jobs? Especially for this aspect of the job?
Part of the government’s duty is to protect its citizens, is it not? For crying out loud, isn’t it for situations like this that our soldiers have been trained? It is the situation necessitates it; the difference might be that no overseas travel is required. PM? Minister? What, exactly, are you waiting for? I just don’t get it. Do you have a target murder toll in mind? Each person is one too many and sometimes it’s four or five at a time.
Some might say it’s a knee-jerk reaction. I say it’s bound to be a more effective move than placing more police officers and an additional police post or two in certain areas. Let the gunmen and other criminals see and know that we mean business. Get the army marksmen/women on the roofs; get the soldiers out into the nitty gritty of the communities all over the country (for the criminals might want to run to another area when things get hot in one location). They are not Bin Laden. This must help to weed out at least some of them. I don’t know what the intricacies of this plan would be but, I am pretty convinced that it would make the law abiding citizens of the country feel safer; feel as if somebody gives a hoot. Mr. Editor? I submit that we have been invaded by another country! It’s a ‘parallel country’ of criminals who are under their own governance and whose ‘insecurity forces’ are bent on securing their own rotten interests by the use of advanced weaponry and by terrorizing our country. It’s time we call out our security forces before the murder toll exceeds an already-unbearable number. Worst case, even if it is a knee-jerk, at least it’s something while the government works on a longer-term strategy.
On a related note, my sister threw a dash of reality on the matter the other day when she said that even if the government says yes to Capital Punishment, who are they going to execute? The police not catching the criminals! They commit these crimes in broad daylight sometimes and, after the weeping and wailing and officials appearing on the scene to offer condolences – nothing! How many times do we hear of the criminals being caught, much less brought to justice? How many?
Maybe it’s just me but I am beginning to get the sense that when crimes like the recent Glendevon or Backlands killings happen, and the police (as sadly expected) don’t get any information from the community, that is where it stops. It’s as if the police throw their hands up and chalk it up to the community being tight-lipped. Where does it go from there? What happens in terms of investigation and follow-through? Is that really where it ends? Do they close that file and then just wait on the call to the next crime scene?
It is constantly repeated, people are afraid of informing the police. But, like someone said the other day, withholding information doesn’t guarantee anything. It is no insurance against the criminals coming for you. They’re just not coming for you today. So, we the people need to start talking to trustworthy police (that’s another issue altogether) and the police definitely need to start following through. Government, army, police, communities – this is not a one-sided thing, but the leaders need to show up and lead.
Let’s not kid ourselves, we are at war!"
###
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Wrote a letter to the Editor of one of Jamaica's newspapers on Friday. Haven't seen it in their publication yet. Well, here it is:
"We are drowning, drowning, drowning in our own blood! We are choking on it; slipping and sliding in it; washing it off our streets and houses and the writing is on the wall in it. When I think of Jamaica, I see red. I’m not even getting into blaming. I’m just looking at where we are and we are in a sad state.
Neither the Minister, nor the Prime Minister, has a clue about how to solve this problem – not one single solitary clue! You can tell from their silence and from their baffled countenances and by how much they are MIA. We have new committees and plans being created to address the problem, even before former committees and plans have a chance to come out from under the dust and chi chi.
It has reached a stage now where the news is not really news. It’s just a matter of who and where. Every time we think it can’t get any worse, the next newscast proves us wrong. We are sick and tired of it and sick and tired of being sick and tired of it man! What is this round-the-clock killing machine that seems to be impenetrable and unstoppable? And while it has its tentacles all over the island, stabbing our people and shooting our people and strangling our people to death, the rest of us are left wondering who is in charge? Who is in charge, Mr. Editor? And what in God’s name are they waiting on to do something?!
Here’s a suggestion. It may smack of simplicity, and may even be repetitive but, just in case the government is sleeping, please nudge them awake to the fact that WE ARE AT WAR! Where else but in a war-torn country do we have so many hundreds of murders in such a short time? People are being shot and stabbed and slashed to death - the real count must now be close to 700 – and the army hasn’t yet been called out? What if we were under attack from another country and our country’s murder toll stood at 600? A so we woulda jus siddung an watch we fellow Jamaicans a drop like flies and nuh call out the army? Mr. Minister and Prime Minister and whosoever else is in charge? We are at war!!! 600 in four months? This means war!!!
There are those who have the power to do something but they are not doing what needs to be done. No one wants to bell the cat. What is this? We are praying for God to intervene, but did He not give us wisdom and ability? We must do our part. “Trust in God but lock your car.” Remember that declaration that the Prime Minister made in Parliament in the first week of March this year? “If I have to pay a political price for it I will.” He was talking about something else but wouldn’t it be wonderful if he and the other ministers held that resolve for all aspects of their jobs? Especially for this aspect of the job?
Part of the government’s duty is to protect its citizens, is it not? For crying out loud, isn’t it for situations like this that our soldiers have been trained? It is the situation necessitates it; the difference might be that no overseas travel is required. PM? Minister? What, exactly, are you waiting for? I just don’t get it. Do you have a target murder toll in mind? Each person is one too many and sometimes it’s four or five at a time.
Some might say it’s a knee-jerk reaction. I say it’s bound to be a more effective move than placing more police officers and an additional police post or two in certain areas. Let the gunmen and other criminals see and know that we mean business. Get the army marksmen/women on the roofs; get the soldiers out into the nitty gritty of the communities all over the country (for the criminals might want to run to another area when things get hot in one location). They are not Bin Laden. This must help to weed out at least some of them. I don’t know what the intricacies of this plan would be but, I am pretty convinced that it would make the law abiding citizens of the country feel safer; feel as if somebody gives a hoot. Mr. Editor? I submit that we have been invaded by another country! It’s a ‘parallel country’ of criminals who are under their own governance and whose ‘insecurity forces’ are bent on securing their own rotten interests by the use of advanced weaponry and by terrorizing our country. It’s time we call out our security forces before the murder toll exceeds an already-unbearable number. Worst case, even if it is a knee-jerk, at least it’s something while the government works on a longer-term strategy.
On a related note, my sister threw a dash of reality on the matter the other day when she said that even if the government says yes to Capital Punishment, who are they going to execute? The police not catching the criminals! They commit these crimes in broad daylight sometimes and, after the weeping and wailing and officials appearing on the scene to offer condolences – nothing! How many times do we hear of the criminals being caught, much less brought to justice? How many?
Maybe it’s just me but I am beginning to get the sense that when crimes like the recent Glendevon or Backlands killings happen, and the police (as sadly expected) don’t get any information from the community, that is where it stops. It’s as if the police throw their hands up and chalk it up to the community being tight-lipped. Where does it go from there? What happens in terms of investigation and follow-through? Is that really where it ends? Do they close that file and then just wait on the call to the next crime scene?
It is constantly repeated, people are afraid of informing the police. But, like someone said the other day, withholding information doesn’t guarantee anything. It is no insurance against the criminals coming for you. They’re just not coming for you today. So, we the people need to start talking to trustworthy police (that’s another issue altogether) and the police definitely need to start following through. Government, army, police, communities – this is not a one-sided thing, but the leaders need to show up and lead.
Let’s not kid ourselves, we are at war!"
###
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Mother
I'm writing this entry for my mother. I shall be sending the link to my blog to her - the first recipient. There's a country song by someone whom I don't recall just now. Anyway, the line I like is: "And my mom is still my biggest fan."
Celebrated my birthday on the 16th of this month. Spent a few days with family in Ja. Ah! Life. Gotta love it!
Mommy, enjoy!
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
Celebrated my birthday on the 16th of this month. Spent a few days with family in Ja. Ah! Life. Gotta love it!
Mommy, enjoy!
Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro
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