San Francisco where the Babe, Mom, Pao and Aunties this weekend.

Received these pixs emailed from northern california by the point and click photographer Pao. Mom, Auntie J (mom's twin) and auntie N visiting from new york and toronto and sightseeing the City by the Bay.
Pao towering over mom and aunties..
The Bibs, may like the mcdoo, and all those fast food junks and put more pounders than the months she's been in america.. hehehe, bibs diet naman...trying to catch up with auntie?Don't worry..lots of time.
The Twins "kapid" or "kambal" by the golden bridge.
and in the center and always the center of everything is the one and only Bibs, Babe,or Iya. Take your pick, she may respond to anyone, but only at her pleasure. No, just kidding, she's a very good daughter and a very sweet niece.. love you babe..bye for now..

Reminder: Municipal election for the Province of Ontario is fast approaching. Monday, November 13 is the day. Check your Election Notice ID's for Advance Polls or Instructions for voting-on-line. By all means go out and vote..It's you're town and city, participate...

No Speed Limits?

OHIP billings escape scrutiny.
Today’s big headline by one of the dailies here regarding the absence of audit of Ontario Physicians and other medical practitioners of their billlings. According to the STAR "http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1161381024262&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home .The annual billings increased from $5 billions to $5.7.

The billings audit was frozen two years ago by the Liberal Government of Premier Mcquinty, after the old system was scrapped and supposed to be replaced by the one submitted by former supreme Court Justice Peter Cory who gave the province a highly touted road map for a new physician audit program — hailed by Ontario doctors for its fairness — the McGuinty government has yet to implement what Cory insists is needed to guard the "public trust."

The old auditing system came under fire with the suicide of one of the doctors, upon being audited and ordered to re-imburse the province for extra-billings. The physician’s family blamed the billing system as too complicated, that most doctors have no time of taking much attention to understand its complexities. The Minister of health then asked former Supreme Court Justice Peter Cory to review the billings and audit systems and submit a road map. And the Liberal government is sitting on the Road Map while doctors are billing the taxpayers without any scrutiny at all.

And what are the oppositions doing in the house, that it took the Star to let the public know about this issue? Critics say medical practices in Ontario are operating like a road with no traffic cop.

"You have to have speed limits. If you never enforce speed limits, people will speed," says Dr. Hirotaka Yamashiro, chairman of the Ontario Medical Association Section on Pediatrics.

Well, maybe if this new Audit will find its way to the book, we can look forward for the next government (provincial election due next fall) dropping the $25. Monthly premium in our OHIP- again. What do you say?. Well, will never know who’s going to be the Premier by next fall.

Note: The $25.00 monthly premium is assessed and calculated and paid with the Tax returns. It accounts less than 5% of the total budget and exemptions to those of low income and social assitance recipients, children and seniors are applied.

Coroner's Inquest on Shooting Death of Filipino Youth Wrapped UP:

The Jeffrey Reodica Coroner’s Inquest Wrapped Up with the Issuance of Verdict and Recommendations to the Coroner of Remedial Rules that maybe needed to introduce and adapted into the Police Services Act to avoid the same Tragic Event that happened to the Youth in a Day of May 2004.

Background: According to the 47 witnesses heard during the Inquest, a summary of which are now being published by several Dailies, Jeffrey Reodica was shot and wounded by an officer and died three days later of his wounds. The events started, days before when a group of "white youths" walked by a group of Filipino youths playing basketball and one of the white boys took and walked away with the basketball and some remarks were exchanged between the groups and the fight ensued. The next day a group of about twenty (20) Filipino Youths returned to the same school yard and waited for the same white boys to return. But seeing they were outnumbered the white boys fled and Jeffrey who was not with the original group at the schoolyard, but stopped at a friend's house joined the chase. Emergency received numerous calls, some coming from the fleeing white boys. Two undercover drug officers, were the first on the scene and according to witnesses, passed by some of the participants and told them to drop their weapons and they complied. As they were approaching Jeffrey, according to their own testimony, they identified themselves and ordered the youth to drop the rock he was holding. Jeffrey complied. But as they were struggling to handcuff a 5' 4" youth, they said he was able to set himself free and swung at the officer with a knife in his left hand. That was when the officer fired three shots in the Back of the Young Jeffrey.

The SIU, (Special Investigation Unit, a civilian agency in charge of investigating actions of police officers resulting in injuries or fatalities), after their own investigation came to the conclusion that the officer was justified in his action. And the Police Officers of another jurisdiction invited to conduct a parallel investigation also concluded that the officers identified themselves. Jeffrey’s friend testified that the knife was owned by Jeffrey, but there was no prints on the knife. There were witnesses who testified that Jeffrey worn baseball batting gloves that day.
Among the key recommendations of the Jury are the fol.:

1. A study to determine whether outfitting unmarked cars with sirens, cherry lights, a PA system and/or officers with police jackets or armbands would help identify plainclothes officers when required.

2. Re-introducing training in the use of the baton in Police College.

3. Requiring that all officers carry with them all use of force options including peppers spray, stun guns and baton when working as uniformed officers.

The lawyers for the officers contend that the recommendations even in place at the time would have not changed the outcome, while the family of the victim considers the whole exercise a waste of time, effort and taxpayers' money because the Inquest did not address the conduct of the SIU investigation.

The Reodica’s family lawyer, and the Community Alliance for Social Justice, an umbrella organization founded in the wake of Jeffrey Death, are both considering asking the Provincial Ombudsman to investigate the conduct of investigation by the SIU.. Meanwhile the Family Lawyer said that the $5.4 million civil case filed against the Officers, the Police Sevices Board and the Chief of Police at the time, will continue. We are not seeing the end of this yet.

Caveat: The Coroner Inquest was called not to find any Criminal or Civil Liabilities, but to find out what actually happened leading to the tragic event and find the ways to avoid such event to ever happening again. This, we all hope so.

Also the officer involved can no longer be charged criminally, but could be subject to civil liabilities and further for internal discipline, if and when any future inquiry or investigation will find evidence to support such sanctions.

For more details go the thestar.com and search for "jeffrey reodica's inquest".

Now back to the favourite subject:

Two proud colours flying over the Queenston Bridge Crossing; U.S. - Canada Border. Picture taken from inside the car by Pao on the way to Buffalo International via New York City to drop auntie (chaperone and guide) on flight back to their home in California.
Getting ready for a long drive and a long flight. The two vacationers saying goodbye to our city and a good summer and first tour out of the new country since arrival in December '05. (Take note of the carry bag by bibs feet, her very own laptop, a b-day gift from "dear uncle".)
The Bibz celebrating her l6th along with auntie and few townmates whose birthdays on the same week or days with each other in our backyard. A good excuse to get together with "kasimanwas" for a day of fun and laughter and news, trivial and not-so-trivial. (the young tall fella' in the picture is not among the birthday celebrants; his, is still in February, get out of the pix, Pao).
The beautiful people of Alimodian, cousins, townmates and friends. Three generations of Alimodiananons. Together everywhere. The Man sitting, fourth from left is the President (life termer) of our Association Canadian Chapter. He's as good looking as 'Erap'. Me, at extreme right sitting, always with a shiny "hair style".
Baby Manuel at one month old. Pix scanned from prints mom's sent from Toril, Davao. Growing fast..
At two months old..beautiful just beautiful...

Canadian Thanksgiving - A short history and origin:

Canadian Thanksgiving - a Short Origin and History:

Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday of October, a month earlier than the U.S. simply for the reason that being farther north the harvest season falls earlier than in the south. It was on January 31, 1957, a proclamation was sanctioned by the Parliament and the day of Canadian Thanksgiving was fixed permanently on the second Monday in the month of October. The declaration stated "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed...to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."

The tradition started in the 16th century when a British Explorer by the name of Martin Frobisher reached North America while trying to make it to the Orient by Northern Passage. Being grateful to have survived the long and dreadful journey, he organized an elaborate feast with all the "trimmings" at a place where he was brought by his GPS, Newfoundland, thus the tradition begun.

Not to be outdone, French Explorer Samuel de Champlain, who also took a circuitous route to reach the southern part of Nova Scotia, he too being grateful for overcoming such lack of direct routing, organized the same feast. But realizing that to endure the harsh reality of Canadian Winter, the settlers need to improve their diet, thus he established the ‘Order of good Cheer’ and invited the Mi’kmaqs (native tribe) to join the "order"
, with their chief seating at the head of the table. According to many, the native people being familiar with the locality did much of the hunting for wild games such as turkey, moose, caribou and lots of other wild games. Smart those French.

Today, thanksgivings is celebrated among friends and dear ones, with foods and Turkey as the mean menu. Many may not be aware of how we come to celebrate this occasion, but the day meant to thanks for every little things that we are lucky to have, the bountiful harvest that this land yield, the freedoms abound, that many has taken for granted.

To one and all..Happy THANKSGIVING DAY....