The pattern continues

My last blog post was about how criminals in this city have it easy. That crime does pay. Well, following the well established pattern, today's post suggests the opposite.



Note to thieves: When attempting a getaway after a robbery, make sure to use a car that's not easily identifiable. Read the story here.

Want a life of crime without punishment? Move to my fair city!

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of ink spilled about a crooked used car business (yes, crooked used car businesses exist outside of the movies). This business (or businesses, actually) would sell cars to anyone - regardless of credit - and had a pretty good thing going.

So, how did they make a profit? For one thing, the interest rates they charged were outrageous. For another, after they made deals with clients (for example, a deal which involved selling a car for $nnn and arranging for the purchaser to pay $x per month for 3 years), they would turn around after the customer left, and forge the documentation so that they collected far more than the originally agreed $nnn from the finance company, and doctored the paperwork so the buyer would get stuck with $x per month for 6 or 7 years, instead of 3.

Many of the customers couldn't really complain, since they had lied on their original credit applications and were therefore complicit in the scheme.

In addition to cheating customers with forged documents, they would also sell "extended warranties" to the customers, but didn't register them. So, if a client ever tried to get service, they were denied because there was no such warranty in place!

During the lengthy investigation of the first business, police found the connection to the second business and made arrangements to raid that dealership (owned by the same person). Quite coincidentally, that second dealership experienced a suspicious fire only hours before the raid was scheduled to take place! Too bad their excellent fire suppression system actually worked - preventing the evidence from getting burned up!

The mastermind and his business partners were arrested and placed in jail. He approached the court sometime later with a request to have a few days off to visit his ailing mother overseas. Over the objections of local police, he was allowed a week to see his mother. He hasn't been seen since.

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure why he even bothered to run.

In a completely unrelated case, a local man accused of running an international theft and chop shop ring was charged with over 200 counts. His family members and other related parties were similarly charged. The local police, provincial police, federal police and police from the United States all had been watching his operation for over a year. They had a strong case. For some reason, rather than endure a long pretrial and trial, the prosecutor agreed to accept a guilty plea on a single charge - possession of stolen goods over $5000.

All other charges were dropped. And because this was a "first offense", our mastermind criminal escaped with probation and a laughable restitution order. He won't spend a day in jail.

Let that be a lesson to would-be criminal masterminds. If you move here, get charged with a serious crime (or crimes), don't bother leaving the country and giving up the life of luxury to which you've become accustomed. Show up for court, and take your tap on the wrist like a man!

On the lighter side...

I went to see the new movie "Hugo" on Thursday night. I really enjoyed the film and its use of 3D. I won't talk about the film at all, except to say the theatrical trailer doesn't reveal anything about the movie's plot. I think that's the first time in a long while that I've seen a movie that wasn't spoiled by the TV commercials.

If this post was an English paper, my teacher would scold me on the excessive use of the word "I".

And then, there are times when the law doesn't go far enough!

This isn't the first time that I've posted an opinion, only to have to weigh in on the opposite side of the argument just a day or two later.

From France comes the story of a teenage boy, 17, who has been charged with the rape of a 15-year old schoolmate. While awaiting trial for this alleged offense, the boy underwent psychiatric assessment, and drug counseling.

Figuring the boy would not be a danger to anyone else, he was eventually released from custody and allowed to enrol in a different school.

That turned out to be a very bad move! (viewer discretion advised)

I'm all for law and order, but this goes too far!

Let me start by saying I'm straight as an arrow when it comes to crime. I've never tried to smoke (cigarettes or marijuana). Except for Passover wine that was foisted on me by my parents when I was very young, I've never tried alcohol. I've never tried any illegal drugs of any kind. I'm not perfect (I do like to go a bit over the speed limit), but I believe that laws were meant to be followed.

The Conservative government in Canada is considering a law called the "Safe Streets and Communities Act" which will make it a felony for a young adult to share a joint with or give a pill to a friend.

Most sane people realize that for the vast majority of teens, smoking marijuana is a phase they'll outgrow. There are some people who won't outgrow it, or will graduate to something stronger. Some of those people will even turn to crime to support their habit or sell drugs to others. But, the vast majority of young teens won't go that route.

If this law passes, judges will have no discretion to reduce sentences or take the person's character into consideration. A mandatory minimum 2-year penitentiary sentence will be required.

This is a stupid law, and people need to talk to their MP's to let them know that this is going to ruin the lives of many otherwise decent young people.

Here's where I heard about the story.

A beautiful neighborhood, indeed!

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

To "B" or not to "B"?

That is the question. After a damning report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which concludes that Iran has been pursuing aspirations of a military nuclear bomb since 2003, the question remains...

Will the US and Israel have to resort to bombing to unravel the process, or will diplomacy work to diffuse the situation? I'm betting Iran doesn't back down when faced with diplomatic pressure. That won't leave many options.

The Devil is in the details!

For 800 years, the 13th century painter Giotto must have been laughing in his grave at the joke he played on the pope.

Giotto was commissioned to paint a series of frescoes depicting the life and death of Saint Francis. Now, Chiara Frugone, an Italian art historian, has discovered a surprise in one of those pieces.

Yup! It's the DEVIL!!! Hooked nose, sinister eyes, and even horns!

Don't you just love it? Click the images for a larger view.

Nicely done!

A Polish airlines flight coming in for a landing with 231 passengers on board had a minor issue... it's landing gear wouldn't deploy!

So, after circling the airport a few times and dropping all unnecessary fuel, the pilot attempted to gently land the plane on its belly, and his efforts were caught on film.

Ancient stone carving?

When I first saw this photo, I thought I was looking at an ancient stone carving.



I was almost right, in that it does have to do with "stones". It's actually an ultrasound photo of someone's testicles. Believe it or not!

I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

This road sign in Manitoba showed an effective message after a low-tech hacker got his hands on it.

Imagine that!

On tonight's news, I heard about a 73 year old that just won a $50M jackpot in Ontario. That's the largest single-ticket win in Ontario history. This man had purchased his ticket two weeks after retiring. He's been playing the same set of numbers for decades.

It's comforting to see that some elderly folks will be able to live comfortably, without putting too much strain on the government or their families.

Perhaps retirement income supplementation was the reason that drove an 87-year old man to allegedly smuggle $2.9M worth of cocaine across the border. Here's the story.

I couldn't resist

I got this cartoon today via email and had to share it. It was drawn by Bruce MacKinnon and originally published in the Chronicle Herald (Halifax) on October 7, 2011.

Older people need not apply

The internet is a real life-saver for elderly shut-ins who may not have any contact with the outside world, save for the emails they receive and the visits from kids/grandkids who flock to the computer to keep up with their own social media updates.

I've noticed, however, that the diminished eyesight and impaired hand-eye coordination which is common in elderly users requires that desktop resolutions are set much lower than the computer and monitor are capable.

I know many people who prefer to use 800x600 resolutions on their screen; and some that even continue to use 640x480. Much of today's software cannot work properly on that lowest resolution, but most software still functions adequately at 800x600.

Today, Microsoft announced that their next version of Windows will not function properly on computers using less than 1024x768 resolution. This will make it difficult for seniors who purchase a new computer to get the most out of it. We'll just have to wait to see how Microsoft implements their impaired vision feature before I make any other comments.

Here's the article.

One less prayer

Orthodox Jewish prayer services are ritualistic. That's not a bad thing, in my opinion. There's a protocol to be followed. Certain prayers are said during certain times of the day. Certain prayers are said during certain periods of the year.

There is also a category of prayer that focuses on "future events". We say those prayers now, with the hope that some day, we won't have to say them.

Today, one such prayer was removed from our ritual. The prayer for the safe return of Gilad Shalit. I personally don't agree with the policy that allowed for Israel to release 1000+ convicted criminals (some being terrorists) in exchange for this one Israeli citizen/soldier. In my mind, there's no question that the harm which will be visited on Israel by these 1000+ criminals will outweigh the sorrow for losing one man.

But this article isn't about my personal opinion. It is about the prayer for the safe return of Gilad Shalit. A prayer we've been reciting for 5 years. A prayer we will never recite again!

You know you're having a bad day when...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. The turkey's been eaten, the Tigers were beaten, and the Lions are playing the Bears...

But that's not what I'm here to write about. It became known today that the U.S. Airforce's UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are being controlled from a computer that has a serious virus. The technical term is a "keylogger", which enables some bad guy to monitor what the operators of the computer are typing!

That's not a good thing, when it comes to ANY computer, much less one used to shoot missiles at people. Here's the story.

You go, girl!

The Homecoming Queen at Pinckney Community highschool is also into sports. That's not too unusual, since many popular girls are either "jocks" or "cheerleaders".

What makes this girl special is the sport she plays - BOY'S football.

A short while after the homecoming parade, Brianna Amat was the difference, as she kicked the winning field goal in a game against rival Grand Blanc. Here's the story.

No, THAT'S amazing

So, I'm at Costco doing my weekly grocery shopping when I walk by the TV section. Playing on the tube is the Detroit Lions/Dallas Cowboys game. I glance at the score (27-3 Dallas, in the 3rd quarter) and make a mental note: I guess Detroit will be 3-and-1 after today. I had that thought DESPITE the Lions having overcome a 20-0 deficit last week to beat the Minnesota Vikings. After all, last weekend, the Lions were healthy. This weekend, they were missing one of their best starters.

I didn't think about the game again until a few minutes ago, when I saw the caption "Lions stun Cowboys" at the top of my local newspaper's online edition. And then, I went to the NFL website to look at the highlights.

Sure, the Lions are ONLY 4-0, with no guarantee of even a winning season yet. However, when you add to that the perfect record in their pre-season, and the perfect last month of the last season (where the finished the season with a 4-and-0 effort), that makes TWELVE games in a row where the Lions have been victorious. This must surely be a source of inspiration, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this promising season.

That's amazing

A few days ago, I was discussing with a friend which of the senses would be the hardest to live without. Despite my entire career being devoted to computers (where, I believe, programming would be difficult without sight), I still indicated that it would be hardest for me to live without sound.

That's why I found this video so touching...

Happy New Year

It sure doesn't feel much like 5772. Where's the promise of flying cars, zero-emission asses (OK, that's my wife's wish, not mine), and the freakin' messiah???

I've had enough of all this waiting for the good stuff.

Seriously, though. For my Jewish friends and family, I wish you a sweet and healthy new year. All the rest of you can wait until January.

Snakes on a Plane - Guns on a Plane

They made a pretty stupid movie about snakes on a plane. There have been several movies about guns on a plane; although that's something quite rare in this post-9/11 world.

So, here's a story about an average guy, flying from Vancouver to Toronto, who seems quite surprised that NOBODY wanted to prevent him from carrying TWO pistols onto an Air Canada flight.

Be happy that this man had no ill intent. Be less happy that someone with a more sinister motive could be next.

Turban power

Political correctness and an innate sense of trust by Westerners has resulted in the acceptance that people who wear turbans in public do so for religious reasons, and not to disguise malicious intentions.

Unfortunately, a recent act by a Taliban member posing as a peace envoy will have people rethinking that assumption.

Saving up for a rainy day

I'm not sure which is correct - the title of the video, which includes the word "Squirrels", or the slide in the video which includes the word "Woodpeckers". I'm going with squirrels...

Squirrels have a well-earned reputation for saving up for a rainy day (or snowy winter). Sometimes, those well-meaning squirrels can be a real pain in the backside when they use our electronic equipment as a storage bin.

Check out the video below for an example of their ingenuity.

Best. ride. ever.

How would you like to be in the passenger seat of the fastest and most expensive street legal Ferrari on the planet? Wouldn't it be a cool ride? Something you could tell your friends about?

And wouldn't it be extra cool if you could have a life-long memento of the experience - in the form of a video shot by a spectator - as you fall into the ocean?

I didn't know that!

Apparently, France has a law that makes it a criminal offense (with a steep penalty, I might add) to disclose someone's religious affiliation.

This law was passed after the Holocaust of WWII, because many people identified as Jewish were sent to concentration camps where the vast majority lost their lives.

So now, there's a move afoot in France to have Apple recall a controversial iPhone app.

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Wouldn't it be cool if you were looking for the most powerful man in the world, and your friend knew exactly where he was, AND where he would be at any particular time?

And wouldn't it be cool if your friend was so proud of this ability, that he decided to share it with the whole world?

Not so much...

My friend is drowning - please call 911!

Is that a situation that would give you pause? It's not like the person asking for assistance has come to your door in the middle of the night and you're afraid of what might be lurking around the corner if you answer...

But, if you look homeless and aboriginal, some people are just hardwired to ignore you - as if you were sitting on a street corner begging for a handout.

And that might be the reason why nobody called 911 until it was too late.

Some people are born lucky

This article is about someone who bought a ticket and won a mega lottery. The article rightfully points out that when you buy a lottery ticket, it's the "luck of the draw" that determines the winner; nothing else.

Still, someone else could have used it more.

I am Spartacus!

The iconic 1960 movie with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis was (and still is) standard TV fare around Easter time every year. It's the movie that "taught me" about Spartacus.

So, when HBO decided to create a series called Spartacus, based on the "back-story" of the slave/gladiator before he earned his freedom, I thought they had big shoes to fill.

It was a gritty tale (that's HBO-speak for 18+ rated) that was well produced and very popular. So popular, it was renewed for a second season. When season 2 began, I wondered why we weren't seeing the forward progression of Spartacus as a free man. Instead, season 2 was a prequel to season 1 - introducing all the gladiator characters that were already part of the "gladiator school" before Spartacus' arrival.



Today, I got the answer to that question... the actor who played Spartacus in season 1 died Sunday of cancer. Apparently, he was suffering from that dreaded disease even while he was filming the first season's episodes.

Shame on you!

In December, 2010, there was a "tragic and preventable" fire at a sweatshop offshore production facility in Bangladesh. Thirty workers died in the fire, and the seven companies for whom this factory was supplying garments pledged to pay compensation to the families of the victims.

Now, one of the seven companies has backed away from its promise.

JC Penny has apparently decided that this story is too small to hurt their public relations image, and have gambled that nobody will care. Read the entire story and then show you care.

Does Driver's Ed pay?

I've always believed that driver's education is the best way to learn to drive. Parents can be a bit skittish when their kids get behind the wheel of their car. They criticize, yell, and basically get you all nervous.

But maybe, it's a matter of confidence, practice and experience. Maybe, if parents start training their kids to drive at an early enough age, the kids will actually listen and learn?

Take this video, for example. The driver here totally refutes the stereotype of lousy women drivers.

Amazing 9/11 Transcripts

In the years since September 11, 2001, the world has become a more paranoid place. There is distrust and hyper-sensitivity to any issue that could remotely be security related.

Just today, the mayor of New York held a news conference saying that there is a credible, though unconfirmed threat of possible bombings in New York and Washington to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. These plans were supposedly among the many documents captured when Osama Bin Laden's home was stormed by the Americans on May 1st.

This isn't the time to talk about how 9/11 affected me personally, but instead to examine the innocence lost on that day, nearly 10 years ago.

Everyone who was alive and over the age of 15 probably remembers that day vividly, but on Thursday, the eerie transcripts of the disbelieving air traffic controllers and military staff were publicly released.

Follow along as you hear the horrors of the day unfold; and try to remember that such an event was simply inconceivable to those who took part.

Two Pillars Gone

Two good men, leaders of the local Jewish community, died this week. One had been ill for many years, and finally succumbed to his various ailments. The other died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Because we bury our dead within 24 hours of their passing, it is quite common to miss a funeral if you're not "plugged in" to the community social network. So, I missed both funerals.

I probably should have guessed there would be a funeral today. Early this morning, I received a call on an unrelated matter from someone using the phone at the Jewish funeral chapel. But I wasn't thinking, and sure enough, there was a funeral today...

The other funeral, however, happened last Sunday, and the death notice only appeared in today's newspaper!

Now, I bet you feel safer!

Although I don't do much traveling these days, there was a time when I did. And rather than leave my valuables lying around, I used to take advantage of the room safes.

These videos give me a bit less confidence...

What, me worry? (take 2)

A few days ago, I created a post with the headline: What, me worry? Who knew that this headline would be appropriate again, just a few days later?

Sid Crosby held a news conference recently to address the concussions he received last January, and when he might be returning to active duty. While Sidney was cautiously optimistic, the body language of Penguin's GM Ray Shero told a different story.

I can do that!

The value of life

A while back, a vehicle in Toronto struck a pedestrian. The 74-year old suffered a fractured skull, dislocated shoulder and internal bleeding. He died of his wounds this past Monday. The operator of the vehicle was fined, and criminal charges may be filed as well.

The amount of the fine... $3.75! What's the catch? The "vehicle" in question was a bicycle, and the amount of the fine comes from a bylaw that has not been changed since who-knows-when!

Hopefully, the family of the victim will get some satisfaction from a future criminal or civil suit - although for now, they seem to be taking everything in stride.

What, me worry?



The Turkish Foreign Minister reminds me of someone. While good old Alfred, however, had a laissez-faire attitude about almost everything, the Turkish Foreign Minister seems to be huffing and puffing about nothing - considering Turkey treats its enemies in ways that make the IDF's handling of the Gaza flotilla seem downright humane.

Four and oh-oh!

The Detroit Lions just completed their last preseason game on Thursday with a convincing victory over the Buffalo Bills. Both teams were playing their starters as a final tuneup before the beginning of the regular season.

Some of the sports writers in Detroit are optimistic about the Lion's chances this year. All the players who played in that last tuneup game went home healthy, and there is optimism in the air. After all, the Lions just went 4-0 in the preseason, with some very convincing wins!

Just one problem. The Lions went 4-0 during the 2008 preseason. You remember 2008 don't you? That's the year the Lions went 0-16 in the regular season - the only team to ever lose all 16 games in a single season. There had been another team prior to the Lions to lose all the games in their season, but that was back in the day when only 14 games were played. Losing all 16 was unprecedented until the Lions did it.

They'll be looking to break this jinx as quickly as possible.

What would you do?

Picture this:

You work in your company's Human Resources (HR) department as a recruiter. Yours is a large company, and resumes come in by the thousands. To help you manage the work, you have a contract with one of the largest, most respected HR consulting companies (you know the ones - they have huge job boards, and when people apply to them, they screen the applications and forward promising candidates to you).

One day, you get an email from that consulting company. It contains a spreadsheet called "2011 Recruiting Plans". Somehow, that email has found its way into your junk folder, so you retrieve it from there and put it back into your inbox.

And then you open the attachment....

That's how one of the most secure companies in the world got hacked. The company that practically wrote the book on security got hacked by someone pretending to be someone else. As a result, the security company's clients - including some of the biggest names in MILITARY and GOVERNMENT - were compromised as well.

All because someone thought a "junk" email wasn't really junk.

Give this some serious thought. What would you do if you received mail from someone you knew and trusted? Would you open their attachments? What might have been an obvious answer now becomes less clear. Keep your guard up at all times when it comes to emails. Because you never know when something like this could happen to you.

Unbelievable!

A 46-year-old B.C. man has been charged with pimping out his underage daughter to three clients, aged 34, 63 and 67. I don't know how old the girl is, because she can't be identified. However, her 67-year-old "client" came forward and indicated he had no idea she was underage. He also happens to be running for mayor of the town they're from.

I guess there's so much sleaze in government, people aren't even waiting until they're elected to start doing immoral stuff. There was no mention in the article whether the mayoral candidate intends to withdraw from the race.

Happy Birthday, Jessie!

It's not often these days that our daughter finds herself back in her home town on her birthday. But this week, Jessie has been back visiting, and today was her birthday. So, to celebrate, she took us all out for lunch, and this evening, we took her!

It was a fun time, and I'm glad she allowed us to share in her special day.

Huh?

July 1st was a landmark day in tablet history. Hewlett Packard, one of the most innovative and respected players in the computer game for nearly a century, came out with their own take on the tablet PC. Slightly larger than the Apple iPad, much quicker, more versatile, and with the ability to handle Flash (a display animation product from Adobe that all computers except the iPad and iPhone can use), the HP Tablet PC promised to be one of the most formidable challengers to the dominant iPad.

On paper anyway.

It seems sales of this unit have been slow. Like nearly non-existent. I looked at one just yesterday and marveled at how good websites looked on its screen. I'm lucky I didn't buy one though, because today, they were discontinued. The groundbreaking new operating system (WebOS) - discontinued. The division that designed and manufactured the OS, and the phones and tablet that used it - about to be shut down or sold.

The people at Apple must be dancing in the street. Further confirmation that the iPad is the only tablet that people even think about came yesterday when it was reported that 95.4% of people who want to buy a tablet, want to buy the iPad. Mind you, there are a LOT of non-Apple phones out there, and the same program that powers those phones has been making its way into non-Apple tablets, but for now, Apple is king!

Tablet PC's are a real dilemma. They are not PC's. They don't run software programs like the ones traditionally found on your typical computer. They run "apps", small applications that can be easily purchased and downloaded from app stores online. They won't run your business software (at least not yet), but they make really cool ebook readers (which can be used to purchase and read books, magazines, and newspapers), web browsers, email devices, and game consoles for dumbed-down games.

But, despite their limitations, they are selling like hotcakes. Either people will eventually wake up from the novelty and realize these things are really not good at anything but entertainment, or the business community is going to start making REAL business applications web-capable, and you WILL be able to use business software on your tablet - over the web!

If I buy a tablet (strictly as a means of verifying what my websites will look like to people who use tablets), it probably will be an Android device. Not because it will eventually beat the iPad (remember that 95.4% figure), but because you get more tablet for the buck when you're buying an Android device. But, as of now, there are no Android devices that measure up to the overall capabilities of the iPad, so I'll continue to sit on the sidelines for a while longer.

We'll keep the light on for ya ...

You've seen the ads for a motel chain that is always ready to accept you. Well, apparently, that's the way Canada runs its borders.

In an article published today in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Canadian government has revealed that, unlike other countries, we don't keep track of the status of visas. If your visa expires, don't bother leaving, because no one will ever know you didn't.

Here is the disturbing article.

It's the patents, dummy

The tech world is abuzz today regarding Google's decision to buy Motorola Mobile. Why would they pay $12.5B for a company that has been losing money and market share hand over fist in the mobile market?

The title of this post says it all. A while back, Google put out an opening bid for the communications patents of Nortel, a company which during its heyday had been among the premiere R&D companies in the world. When Nortel declared bankruptcy a few years ago, its products were purchased by a rival, but its patents remained with them - their ace in the hole for raising cash to pay creditors.

Well, Google may have made a bold initial bid, but then, Google's rivals ganged up on it and created a consortium that outbid it and won Nortel's patents with an outlandish bid of $6.5B.

Why are companies willing to pay so much for a portfolio of intellectual property patents? Because, they act as a shield against litigation. It's like in the old days of the cold war, when the U.S. and Russia each avoided confrontation on a nuclear scale because each knew that the other had the means of a retaliatory strike even after they were doomed to destruction themselves. Back then, it was called MAD (mutually assured destruction), and the concept is still relevant today.

Let's say one of Google's partners markets a device and is sued by Apple for patent infringement. Without a bargaining chip, Google's partner, if found guilty, is liable for substantial damages. But let's say that Google also owns patents, and when faced with a lawsuit from Apple, Google's partners respond: "Well, if you sue us for violating patent 'X', Google will sue you for violating their patent 'Y'."

This standoff eventually leads to both parties agreeing not to sue one another. Google lost its opportunity to buy such relief when its bid for Nortel's patents was trumped by the consortium (which included Apple and Microsoft). Now, with the (more expensive) purchase of Motorola, Google will gain some patents that will help it defend in patent battles from its competitors.

In the bargain, Google will get manufacturing facilities and a household name in the phone industry (although, at the moment, that name is a bit tarnished). Google will have to convince its other handset partners that the primary reason for this purchase was to acquire patents; and not to directly compete against them.

If Google can operate behind a Chinese wall - granting access to the latest software features to all its partners at the same time - they will be able to successfully integrate this purchase without offending the companies that have made Android so successful.

Remember, Google hasn't been charging a fee to the handset providers for the use of Android, so it's not like Motorola will get preferable pricing. It's just a matter of ensuring that Motorola doesn't get first access to new versions of Android. If Google can maintain that fairness, all will be well. If not, Google will have just spent a fortune to shoot itself in the foot.

Do I have a choice?

I recently spotted this quotation, attributed to Paul Harvey:

If you found yourself in a situation where you could either save a drowning man, or you could take a Pulitzer prize winning photograph of him drowning, what shutter speed and setting would you use?

Awwww

Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. I think the following video is a good example of what you can do when you just put your mind to it.




Of course, there are other times when lack of courage is not a problem at all, as exemplied by this video.

Just my luck - a layoff notice

When I got my layoff notice a few years ago, I saw the writing on the wall. Knowing it was just a matter of time until I lost my job, I started my own business.

Maybe what I should have done is buy a lottery ticket!

22 months and counting

Today's newspaper flaunted it. Superstitious me thinks it was a big mistake talking about it. But it's hard to deny that my home town, just one mile away from one of the most notorious cities in the United States, has been murder-free for 22 months and counting.

I credit this to several factors...

1) A tighter international border and the requirement for passports or enhanced licenses has drastically reduced traffic from the U.S. into our Canadian border city. And with Canada having a lower drinking/gambling age than the U.S., that's a lot of younger adults that are being kept away from our downtown.

2) Our downtown area is pretty much a dead zone in the evening, save for a few hot night spots. The weakened economy has the side effect of reducing the number of drinking holes around the city. Fewer places to misbehave translates into more police presence per capita at the remaining locations.

3) The tough economy has lowered disposable income for people in this area (both in Canada and the U.S.). Even the people who still come downtown to blow off steam don't have the funds to drink as much. Less drink means less rowdiness. Less rowdiness means fewer fights.

It was announced this week that our city became the "all-time hottest city in Canada" with an official average temperature of more than 77 degrees farenheit for July. I was pleased that the very hot summer didn't result in any frustration-related deaths, although there were a couple of fairly serious assaults.

The last murder in this city occurred in September 2009, and was the result of a fight between two gangs outside a bar. Fights still occur, but not as frequently, and not as often with a gun.

Of course, this streak won't last forever, but I'll be happy and grateful for each day it goes on.

A new trend in child labour practices

We've all heard about famous sportswear being manufactured by children who work in third world country sweatshops.

Well, could this be the new trend in child labour practices?

I absolutely HATE snakes!

So, you find yourself driving along a highway, and all of a sudden, a water moccasin (a very poisonous snake) appears on your windshield. If this happened to me, I'd freak out and probably crash my car.

I'll sleep so much better tonight

Reality can be so much more "unreal" than fantasy. Researchers at McAfee announced they had been monitoring successful attempts by foreign agents to infiltrate government, military, technological and other sources of sensitive information in fourteen different countries, going back five years.

Here's the story. And here's a slide showing a partial list of companies and countries targeted just in 2008. Click on the slide to make things large enough to read the details.

Sweet dreams!

Timing is everything

Ask anyone... they'll always say timing is everything. Here's a video from the scene of a fire that happened this weekend in my home town.




The tenant, who has been living in the home for about seven months, suspects the fire was caused by faulty wiring in the attic. She said there had been other problems with the unit, and that complaints to the owner had been ignored.

The previous tenant was my daughter.

Speechless

I just can't add anything to the pictures and story that appeared in today's news. Because I'm afraid the story will eventually disappear from the internet, I decided to cut/paste it here.

For now, however, here is the story as found on Sympatico.ca.

Inspired, perhaps, by the fad of Worst Driver shows on television, a Bentley driver decided July 27 to turn the lane in front of Monte Carlo's Place du Casino into a game of bumper cars.

The female driver, allegedly at parking lot speeds, accidentally ran her $380,000 Bentley Azure convertible into the side of a $100,000 Mercedes S-Class, ricocheting and ramming a $215,000 Ferrari F430 and pushing a $70,000 Porsche 911 into a $200,000 Aston Martin Rapide, reports the Daily Mail.

A crowd of tourists quickly swarmed the scene to ogle the carnage (estimated damage: $60,000 total) and presumably point and laugh at the driver, who during the collision managed to block her car's doors. Almost all of the cars require new fenders and bumpers.

Photos of the event have induced cringes on the faces of auto enthusiasts worldwide. Please view with caution.

I traced the story back to the original article in the Daily Mail, where, of course, British humour made the story all the more readable.

What was he thinking?

Israel gets a bum rap everywhere in the world. There are probably not many countries that would just want to be "left alone" more than Israel. Despite propaganda from many quarters, most reasonable people realize that Israeli's in particular, and Jews in general, are not out to start trouble.

So, why would some psychologically disturbed hothead like Anders Behring Breivik go and do something so STUPID AND EVIL in the name of anti-Islamic and pro-Zionist causes? Did this person believe his actions would bring positive attention to the plight of Jews?

When terrorists go around doing bad things in the name of Islam, the press is quick to point out that the majority of Muslims are peace-loving. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, because, strictly speaking, the number of terrorists numbers in the thousands, not the millions.

However, journalists are not likely to make the same argument for terrorists who support Israel (and I'm not even sure that Breivik is even Jewish). No, in the case of pro-Israeli terrorists, you can be sure that one or two bad apples (I have a hard time coming up with more than a dozen or so incidents of willful mayhem by people claiming to support the Zionist cause) won't be labeled as being the exception rather than the rule.

I fear that this incident will do much to spoil things for Israeli public relations.

Amy Winehouse is dead - is anyone really surprised by this?

I didn't know her music. I did know her reputation. I also knew (from YouTube) what a sorry state she was in when she attempted to open her European tour in Serbia. Just how bad do you have to be to be booed off the stage by your own fans?

So am I surprised that she died young? Not really. Although it won't be made official until after an autopsy, does anyone have any doubt that this death was self-inflicted (by drug or alcohol overdose, or something else)?

The last death of a star that took me by surprise was that of Karen Carpenter. I wept openly at her death - unaware that she even had an eating disorder. Her talent was real and unique.

There are other current stars whose deaths wouldn't come as a shock. But I'll leave those thoughts on the back burner - until the proper time to pull them out.

If it ain't broke, don't break it!

I went into my Windows Live Mail account today and saw a whole bunch of useful emails (no, really) that were sent by a company that I use for some of my domain registrations. I decided it would be a good idea to create an email filter, so that emails coming from this company wouldn't get overlooked in my general inbox and could be placed into their own folder.

I've created email filtering rules lots of times, so it's not like I don't know how to do it. Yet, when I tried to create a "New" filtering rule, nothing happened.

I lock my browser down pretty tightly, requiring permission to run scripts, display popups, etc. So naturally, I thought there might be a problem with that. Well, no matter what I allowed, the darn filtering rule screen would not appear.

So, I switched to Internet Explorer, a browser I avoid like the plague. Still, with this being a Microsoft product, I expected it would work with their own email program. NOT!!

I then searched to see if I was the only person having this problem, and thankfully, came across a post from someone who had not only experienced the problem, but had found a way around it. It seems that Microsoft, having made some change to Windows Live Mail, broke the filtering mechanism.

Click here for his excellent solution. I should say that, in order for his solution to work, I had to access my hotmail account using Internet Explorer, since the described solution did not apply to Firefox.

Elton John is coming to town

Tickets went on sale Friday morning for an Elton John concert scheduled for September 10th. Ever since I heard about the concert, I had been waiting for Friday morning so I could be early in line.

I forgot... and now, the show is sold out. At least, I think it's sold out, because every time I tried to buy a ticket, the box-office website told me there were none in that price bracket! But, I guess I shouldn't feel too badly. According to the newspaper, the lineup for tickets started more than 24 hours in advance of the box office opening; and I had many more important things to do and places to be during that period. Still, I had hoped to snag a couple of tickets to surprise my wife.

And the winner is...

David Byrne, from Essex, Ontario! Essex is just outside Windsor, my hometown. And in tonight's online press (and probably tomorrow's front page), news that David Byrne beat fellow Canadian Kent Eger of Regina was a bit unexpected.

After all, Kent Eger had been at or near the top of the money leader list during the main competition. Heading into tonight's finale, he would have probably been the odds-on favourite to win the competition.

But things got rough for Kent almost from the very beginning. Going into "Stage 2" of the competition, David had a commanding money lead. Kent would have to beat David on three straight holes to win the competition.

Kent managed to win the first hole of the second stage. But a poor drive put him behind the eight ball on the second hole, and he ended up losing to the younger, less experienced David.

What I really enjoyed about this final was the demeanour of the competitors. Maybe it's because they're Canadians; but there was no trash talk, no taunting, no haughtiness; just an engrossing competition between two gentlemen golfers. Kent was gracious in defeat, David humble and surprised in victory.

I wish all the best to both golfers, and hope to follow David's progress when he takes part in his PGA appearance next year.

Gimme a break!

Can you believe it? Going into its final week, the "Big Break - Indian Wells" golf challenge has only two contestants left standing - both Canadians!

I've only watched this show for the last four or five seasons, so I can't say whether there has been a Canadian winner prior to when I began watching. I can say that in seasons I've watched, there has almost always been at least one Canadian in the field, but none ever made it this far.

Whether the winner turns out to be David Byrne, from neighboring Essex, Ontario, or Kent Eger from Regina, Saskatchewan; the real winner will be Canadians who will feel a bit of pride at being guaranteed a one-two finish in the game.

Heck, after tonight's episode, the online version of our local newspaper featured a story and picture featuring David. Tomorrow, no doubt, he'll be front page news.

Dog Flees Stoning Order

This is one of those stories that boggles the imagination. In a country that is not backward, and is considered the birth of monotheism, it pains me to believe that sane men can have such insane thoughts.

Here is a story that appeared in several newspapers across the globe, including the paper in my home town:

June 19, 2011

A Jerusalem rabbinical court condemned to death by stoning a dog it suspects is the reincarnation of a secular lawyer who insulted the court's judges 20 years ago, Ynet website reported Friday.

According to Ynet, the large dog made its way into the Monetary Affairs Court in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, frightening judges and plaintiffs.

Despite attempts to drive the dog out of the court, the hound refused to leave the premises.

One of the sitting judges then recalled a curse the court had passed down upon a secular lawyer who had insulted the judges two decades previously.

Their preferred divine retribution was for the lawyer's spirit to move into the body of a dog, an animal considered impure by traditional Judaism.

Clearly still offended, one of the judges sentenced the animal to death by stoning by local children. The canine target, however, managed to escape.

Let the Animals Live, an animal-welfare organization, filed a complaint with the police against the head of the court, Rabbi Avraham Dov Levin.

Followup appointment goes well - I'm back on the road!

I took the train to London on Thursday, June 23rd to see my surgeon for a followup appointment. My vision is good, though apparently my muscle memory is so strong, my body is actually fighting to retain my lazy eye condition, rather than allowing the corrected condition to become stable. The doctor has prescribed some eye exercises that should speed up my recovery and help ensure an optimal result.

Basically, the doctor wants me to take a pen and focus on the nib. She then wants me to draw the pen progressively closer to my nose, so that my eyes have to go "cross-eyed" to keep focused. This tendency to force the eyes "inward" should help me retain better instinctive focus. She wants me to do this exercise for a full FIVE MINUTES every morning right after waking up. Frankly, I can think of a couple of things I'd rather be doing immediately after waking up, so I'll have to work on that.

As far as vision goes, my eyes are both working acceptably well. While the left eye is still a bit blurry, it's well within the allowable parameters for post-surgical expectations. I have been cleared to drive my car. My next followup in London will be in late August.

Today, I wanted to try to get to my optometrist to pick up my new prescription (which was written in February, a few months before the surgery was even scheduled), but it looks like it will have to wait for a few more days. My schedule is just too busy.

Can't wait for the followup appointment...

News flash - going without a car really sucks! Although my concerns about not being able to service my clients during my recovery seemed to have been a non-issue (the clients who know me and want me have been willing to provide transportation), there is, nevertheless, a feeling of powerlessness when you can't just hop in your car and take off!

Over the past couple of days, I've been having concerns that my post-op recovery is not going as well as it should. The doctors don't seem to think that my current condition is anything to worry about, but when it comes to a person's vision, I think worrying is not that bad.

I took (gruesome) pictures of my eyeball that lead me to believe I'm not doing well, but I will bide my time until Thursday and hope that when my surgeon does the followup appointment, she won't say something like "why didn't you call us earlier?"

Surgery was a complete success!

While I have been told it will take between 4-6 weeks for my corrected vision to be completely free of blurriness, I can say with certainty that only hours after the surgery, I already have more control over my lazy eye than I have had for as long as I can remember.

Before the surgery, if I closed my eyes and relaxed, then opened them, my left eye would be completely to the left of the eye socket; and the two different images were BOTH being processed by my brain. It made for some confusing (and amusing) effects - like being able to see things happening to my left without moving my head or particularly concentrating on them. Unfortunately, it also meant that while driving, traffic in my adjacent lane sometimes appeared to be coming directly at me.

All that is gone now - history. Since the operation, when I look at something, I see it with both eyes - the way it was always meant to be. I now have much improved depth perception, and I can't wait until I get official clearance to drive again.

Surgery is back in play

So, I got the call, and my surgery is on again; scheduled for June 15th. We'll see how it goes this time :)

Neato is Neato!

I LIKE IT!

Watch the first few minutes of its maiden voyage:

Happy Birthday to me!

Yesterday was my birthday. I got lovely and thoughtful gifts from my wife and son, phone calls and cards from various family and friends, and a day much to myself, with only a single service call to detract from total relaxation.

Today, I received more "gifts". First, for those familiar with my geek status, you'll know I have several robotic vacuum cleaners (Roombas) in various areas of the house. For the past few months, I've had my eye on a competitor's model - one that promises to do a better job in a fraction of the time. A few days ago, I broke down and ordered it (they even took one of my old Roombas in partial trade), and today it arrived!

I'm trying to exercise patience as it sits on its charging base, but I'm really anxious to use it myself.

The other "gift" I received today is news from the surgeon who broke her arm a month ago. It seems she's up and around, and I received a call today to reschedule my surgery. It should take place two weeks from today! I'm a bit nervous, but otherwise looking forward to the results.

That's it for now. I've got to run and watch my Neato charge...

A call from mom

When the phone rang, I saw from the caller ID that it was my mother - calling from her Assisted Living facility in another city. I'm usually hesitant to answer calls from my mom... her dementia being sufficiently progressed to the point where conversations are nonsensical, but not in an amusing way.

Still, I thought that she might be calling to wish me a happy birthday, so I answered.

I was wrong.

After ranting for nearly twenty minutes about her care (or lack of it) and a host of imaginary slights, she finally paused long enough for me to say "Hi", and "I thought you were calling to wish me a happy birthday."

She followed with a half-hearted "Happy birthday" before continuing with her rant.

The sad part of this story is that she's at a stage where she would respond really well to a particular medication. However, this medication takes the form of a distinctive capsule - and the one thing my mother still recognizes are her usual medications. Try to give her any pill she doesn't recognize, and she refuses to take it. She doesn't trust doctors (probably because of the medical foul-ups that ultimately contributed to the premature death of my father). While I share her disdain for certain doctors and hospitals, I wish she would allow us to make her life more enjoyable and her mental health more stable.

Sisterly Love

My birthday is just around the corner. In honour of my birthday, my sister Linda decided to sponsor a "kiddush" after the upcoming week's synagogue service.

She had intended to surprise me with this kiddush, but I guess she didn't realize that I'm the webmaster of the synagogue's website, and all requests for kiddushes come across my desk so they can be included on our website's honour roll!

Despite her disappointment, I was still surprised (and grateful) to realize how thoughtful it was for her to make a donation to my synagogue on my behalf. In addition to all that, she also sent me a personal gift, enabling me to enjoy a birthday dinner with my wife.

Seeking a clear vision

My last eye exam was in February. Since then, I've been trying to get a pair of glasses. The first attempt ended prematurely when the optician called with news that the lab had cut my lenses to the wrong size, and they were too small for my chosen frame.

Next, after a wait of more than two weeks, I got a pair that had the grinding done to the wrong part of the lens. I would have had to walk around with my chin buried in my chest to be able to see through the focus point in the lenses.

Nearly a month passed before the next pair were ready, and I had high hopes for a perfect fit. While my right eye was correctly accommodated, the left eye's vision left much to be desired. I instantly felt very dizzy - to the point of nearly bringing up my lunch - and the optician suggested I may want to go for a vision re-test to confirm the prescription.

So, yesterday, I went for the re-test and was told that the original prescription was correct. This time, my optometrist wrote a note on the back of the prescription form, hoping to help the optician choose the correct "base curve" for my needs.

I've been told that this time, the glasses will be completely manufactured at the main lab, rather than having the lenses cut and transferred back to the local office for final grinding and polishing. Here's hoping these finally do the trick.

I survived!

Well, sort of. Surgery was scheduled for 9:00AM, and I checked into the hospital at 7:00. Things went smoothly during preparation (although they had to try twice to get an IV line in me), and I was wheeled into the O.R. a few minutes before 9:00AM.

I got to see the surgeon before being put to sleep... and then I remember waking up.

The surgeon was standing over me, crying! Then I found out that she had slipped on something in the operating room, fallen down, and broken her arm! Thank goodness she fell before starting to cut! Her tears were tears of pain - I don't know if she had already been to the doctor to have her arm set (I was too groggy, and without my glasses, so I can't recall seeing a cast or sling) - but I think she also felt sorry for me. She was so apologetic.

After all the preparation, and my wife having to use a vacation day on very short notice to accompany me to an out-of-town surgery, nothing happened. The surgery has been postponed indefinitely.

Surgery Required

I've had a weak eye for as long as I can remember. Unless I concentrate, it tends to drift off to the side. It makes it pretty hard to focus on small print. Driving is also a pain, since my brain sometimes processes two simultaneous images that can confuse me.

Monday, after years of procrastination and months of waiting for a surgical opening, I go under the knife. The plan is to loosen one eye muscle while tightening the opposite one. This should allow my eye to "naturally" drift into the centre position.

I've been told there will be double vision (of a kind my brain is not used to dealing with) that will last two weeks or more. Stitches will come out ten days after surgery, and vision should return to a "new" normal within four to six weeks.

Because of various risk factors, doctors say the general anesthetic will be more dangerous than usual, so I'm hoping there are no serious complications. But nothing is for sure.

When I post again, you'll know the surgery was successful.

A Hoi, matey!

Those who see me, know I love food. Those who know me, know I love sushi. Last Monday, my wife attended a lunch date at a restaurant near her place of work and when she got home, she told me it was a sushi restaurant. It's called Hoi.

I hadn't known there was a sushi restaurant in that vicinity. My favourite sushi place is several miles from my home and relatively expensive (but worth every penny). This one is much closer to where I live. So, on Tuesday, I stopped in for lunch to give this new place a try.

I'd rate the portion size of the maki rolls at about 80% of what I'm used to. The quality is about the same. What really tips the balance for me is the price... it's all-you-can-eat, so for about half of what I pay at my favourite place, I can gorge myself.

On that first visit, I limited my consumption to sushi and a few of the appetizers. Miso soup, fried dumplings, a salad, two spring rolls, two cans of Diet Coke (no fountain drinks at this place, and even canned refills are free!) and 36 pieces of delicious sushi (6 Maki rolls) all for under $15.00 (with tax and tip, the bill came to $20.00).

The next day, I decided to try dinner. Pricing was $6.00 more than lunch. I ate pretty much the same things; in addition to some other items such as chicken skewers, beef skewers, and chicken fried rice. With tax and tip, I paid $27.50.

Thursday, I took my wife with me for dinner, where we both feasted for $55.00 total. I've been back twice since Thursday. Hopefully, my obsession with this place will run out before my money does!

More good news


Job Reclassification

My wife learned earlier this week that her attempt to have the job reclassified was successful. What this means is an immediate and significant bump in pay (retroactive to the date when the reclassification request was made). Not only will this improve our living situation, it will also have a very positive effect on her pensionable income, since her pension will be based on her highest five years of earnings.


New Clients

When I started this latest business venture, I didn't expect my clients to have a need for my services again if I did a good job. But, I hadn't factored in that satisfied clients come to you for other services, not just repairs, once you've earned their trust. So, I've gotten used to having a relatively small, but loyal, base of repeat clients.

That's why it's particularly gratifying when my advertising and word of mouth referrals result in new business. This week has been particularly good, with two brand new clients, and a repeat client from more than two years ago needing my assistance.

Today in the news

Whether it's because of April Fool's day or not, the news lately has been nothing short of bizarre.


Gas Prices

There was an article in an online newspaper on April Fool's day that spoke about a 30-cent per litre increase in the price of gasoline. Thankfully, that turned out to be just a gag.

But four days later, it's certainly no joke that the price of gas has actually risen by 10-cents per litre. That works out to rise of 45.5 cents per imperial gallon, overnight!


Privacy Concerns

The Epsilon Corporation, responsible for much of the bulk email sent on behalf of large and respectable corporations, suffered a security breach this past weekend, resulting in the unauthorized release of client names and corresponding email addresses for many of the people in their vast data banks. Although they are quick to note that no passwords or other information was compromised, just having access to a valid list of matched names and addresses will give spammers the luxury of sending you PERSONALIZED spam or phishing emails... not just of the "Dear Customer" variety, but rather "Dear Jack"...

I have already received an apology from Best Buy - one of Epsilon's clients - advising me of this breach, and to be aware of any unauthorized emails I may receive that refer to me by name. The fallout from this breach will last for years, as those people whose email addresses will remain unchanged will continue to fall victim to phishing attempts for years to come.


Car Prices

The situation in Japan following the March 11th earthquake is starting to affect our local industry (automobiles) here in Canada. The price of fuel-efficient cars is rising across the board, partially in response to rising prices of Japanese cars (caused by the reduction in supply). That doesn't bode well for my plans to replace my older vehicle this summer.


Scams aimed at greedy currency collectors

Snake-oil salesmen are alive and well. There was a "story" that took up a full page in our local newspaper today. Consumer protection rules require that advertisements masquerading as news articles are identified appropriately; but if anyone missed the very small print disclaimer at the top of the page that identifies the "story" as an advertisement, it would seem that the US Treasury had released some rare, uncirculated $2.00 American bills for purchase by a lucky few Canadians who lived in very specific postal areas. In fact, as the story went, only people who lived in areas matching a pre-printed list of postal codes were eligible to make their purchase. From what I could see, every postal code in Canada was listed except for Manitoba and Nunavut, although there may have been one or two missing zones - I just couldn't tell. For only $58.00, you could own TWELVE, uncirculated $2.00 bills. These bills would be delivered as three sheets of four bills each. In more small print, the ad stated that the company "World Reserve Monetary Exchange" was not affiliated with the US Mint.

The image above shows the full page ad. The image below shows a portion of the ad. Note the very small print at the top, and the "very official looking" security detail, partially obscuring a crest that looks remarkably similar to "official" government crests.

As the world turns

When taken day-by-day, not much had been happening worth writing about. But, as I look over the past 30+ months of inactivity, I see there have been some significant changes.

In summary (and in no particular order) ....

The death of my grandson in June 2006 had an incredible impact on the lives of my step-daughter and her husband. Many couples report that anger and blame creep into a relationship after the death of a child, and this family was no different. In the intervening period, that marriage has been officially dissolved and there is no love lost. Both parties are now in new relationships. In the case of my step-daughter, marriage plans are underway.

My mother finally got to the point where she could no longer live alone. Last summer, she moved to an assisted living facility in a different city; where she can be closer to her grandchildren and to my sister, who is her legal guardian.

The business I started in 2006 continues to grow, albeit slowly. Back in 2009, I was honoured with an award as "Coolest Computer Tech", and I continue to reap the benefits of that positive press.

Various pets have come and gone over the past few years, but we're still a pet-friendly household, which, quite frankly, limits our options for apartments or condos as we plan to downsize within the coming year. Our most recent acquisition, a female cocker spaniel, is still in the "potty training" stage, but shows promise as a loving companion for my wife and I as well as for our other dog.

A daughter was born to my nephew and his partner nearly two years ago. They just became parents again today. Twins born this morning will make them a family of three children.

My wife, who has been working for a wonderful employer for the past four years, finally got moved to a new facility earlier this year after spending the past three years in a dilapidated building away from most of her co-workers. Now that she's joined her co-workers in the newer building, her work load has increased, and she's anxiously waiting for news of a job classification review that could see her receive a bump in pay and job classification.

My synagogue saw a change of guard, with the departure of our long-time rabbi, and the hiring of a new rabbi with lots of zest and charisma. I served as a member of the board of directors for a two year term that ended this month.

My wife and I became empty-nesters earlier this year when the last of our "children" left home. Unfortunately, my son chose the worst possible time to move to Southeast Asia, having arrived there only two days before the Japan earthquake. Add the fact that his teaching assignment was in a town very close to the North/South Korean border (where there is still a remarkably scary buildup of military presence), and the stress was too much to bear. We are no longer empty nesters!

My last post was nearly three years ago. It came on the fourth anniversary of my father's passing. What better time to resurrect this blog than on a birthday.

This morning, my nephew and his partner welcomed twins Evangeline Amanda Nova and Griffin Ezekial Lazarus into this world.

My understanding is that Ezekial was born with a cleft lip that may need to be corrected with cosmetic surgery, but other than that, both babies are healthy.