The Majumdar Family

I just watched a truly disheartening and frightening CTV W-Five episode covering a subject that is often not discussed – far less so by the Federal ministers on Parliament Hill just blocks from one of the worst drug, prostitution and homelessness problems anywhere in the nation. None of them, including Public Security Minister Stockwell Day, accepted to meet with CTV W-5 saying they were “too busy”…

They hounded the Premier of Ontario, but he also brushed off a reporter and hustled into a building…

Personally, I am not surprised by this report. I’ve been to Ottawa many times over the last 20-25 years; my ex-wife and much of her family were from there, as was my late stepfather.

In January 2008 I began a series of about a ½ dozen business trips, one every month or so, to the National Capital Region and usually stayed in hotels in the Downtown, or Byward Market area. The Byward Market is a charming 3-4 square block neighbourhood which, by day is a nice selection of multicultural restaurants and farmer market type stands. It’s next to one of the largest shopping centre’s in the Ottawa metropolitan area; the Rideau Centre Shopping Centre.

Now being a Montrealer, I like to explore a city’s nightlife and evening culture – we have a massive choice of cafés, lounges, showbars and nightclubs in Montreal – around the market.

A few of the times I stayed in hotels (including the Econolodge and Marriott Courtyard Inn) near the Byward Market. Those are both nice hotels; granted the Econo Lodge Downtown at 475 Rideau street is pretty much no-frills motor inn more than hotel with rooms straight onto an inside parking lot that is directly onto Rideau street across from a 7-11 and in the vicinity of churches, residential homes and … well a little pic of the Econolodge :


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What a concept, eh?

Off to continue reading Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins…

Hmm, like someone told me a few minutes ago, I may be known as the Master Parker when it comes to finding choice places to park a car, but…..

Lesley was just at an IT event (mainly marketing stuff, not really technical) *but*…. went up when her name was called during drawings and….

John Lennon on the box… and on the rear…. 16GB iPod Touch. Yes, a 16GB 2nd generation iPod touch mp3 (and video, of course) player ….. OK, not sure it it’s black or white but regardless… pretty seriously nice prize booty/swag, considering it’s $280 US + taxes at BestBuy and about $329 in Canada….

The irony is that we were both at the Apple Store on St. Catherine street near Crescent (impressive typical glass and minimalist store) admiring the iPhones, Mac AIR, and in particular she was checking out the iPod Nanos (pouah! nano schmano)….

Amazing prize, but sigh…. I’m happy with my HTC Touch device (ok, I don’t even have a 4GB storage card for it yet, and nothing beats the touch interface of Apple iPods or iPhones… so now sour grapes from me. :)

So, I’ve been getting the vaccine against influenza for the last few years and as I had previously written it was usually Vaxigrip. I’m supposed to get it (paid for 100% by the employer) on Monday morning, but the thing is I’ve been battling a nasty cold and/or flu with a throat infection accompanied by fever and aches for the last 6 days.

I wonder if you can get the flu vaccine if you’re already sick. I know from previous years that it makes you feel slightly flu-like for 2-3 days afterwards…. which is supposedly normal, since they are in essence injecting you with a variant of the influenza virus itself (what the &&@*&??) …

Anyhow, I suppose the nurse on Monday will be the one who decides… hopefully I’ll be better off and not so feverish by then. Having cold fingertips is a weird sensation.

As if today’s news about the head-on collision between two trains in Los Angeles last night, killing 25 people and critically wounding over a 100 others, the Delhi bomb blasts killing scores more wasn’t enough… now there’s breaking news according to Sky and BBC News that a Russian passenger Aeroflot airliner has crashed near Perm.

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I don’t understand how the death count can already be confirmed… but apparently all 83 passengers (82 adults plus a baby), and 5 crew members, on board have perished. Perm is a city nears Urals.

According to Irina Andrianova of the Russian Emergency Ministry, the Aeroflot Boeing 737 had taken off from the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, but while attempting to land it lost communications contact at about 1800 feet.

Russian News television video coverage of the crash after the break:

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