Monday, 25 September 2017

Thank you #Jesus. University of Victoria called. My name got forwarded from Commons to University Centre. I was offered a shift to serve soup. I can do it.


Ummm...was hired as a casual #cashier with Food Services. Day one at Commons, I was making fruit cups, serving and cleaning tables. University of Victoria is this allowed?

15/9/17, 5.5 hours that day. It's casual job University of Victoria I get that. We just got hired. Why are there no slots for #cashier? Please tell me...

My availability is Mondays and on Friday after class. You gave me that one shift and called me on a Sunday when I am not available.  I need pay for the one shift and work in the field I was hired.

Peace University of Victoria.  I have worked with Residence, 5 months. They never delayed pay, made me beg for shifts or made me garden instead of cleaning.  University Food Services?


Thursday, 21 September 2017

Justin Trudeau UN speech hailed as ‘not Donald Trump’s UN speech’ ~Luke Gordon Field.

Photo Credit

NEW YORK CITY – Justin Trudeau once again shone on the international stage this afternoon after giving a speech to the UN General Assembly that critics and supporters agree was not Donald Trump’s speech to the UN General Assembly.

“There are, today, children living on reserves in Canada who cannot safely drink, or bathe in, or even play in the water that comes out of their taps,” said Trudeau. “Also I do not intend to rashly describe any world leader using a term from an Elton John song or threaten nuclear war.”

Trudeau went on to add that Canada was a work in progress and expressed the radically liberal idea that climate change is real. At no point during his speech did his chief of staff wince in agony over the words that were being said.

“I really liked how Trudeau’s speech did not instill in me a bone chilling fear that the world is about to end, resulting in the deaths of me and everyone I’ve ever loved,” said local woman Jennifer Martin.

“Also he spoke in both French and English, so that was cool.”

This is not the first time Trudeau has been praised for not being Donald Trump. Last year he was on the front page of CNN after he made the bold choice to refuse to call Mexicans rapists, and just a few months ago he did not praise Nazis.

Trudeau concluded his promising speech by promising to continue giving speeches promising to improve relations with indigenous peoples for years to come.

Canada is not a Wonderland where difficulties others face do not exist. We experience the same challenges you do...supporting women and girls will lead to economic growth,...peace and co-operation. ~Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Justin Trudeau addresses UN | Full speech 

Tuesday, 19 September 2017

Saturday, 16 September 2017

How to Tell When You’re Being Followed (and Get Away Safely) ~ Alan Henry







There's little more frightening than the sneaking suspicion that someone may be following you, whether it's on foot or in a car. Here's how you can tell whether that person behind you is watching you as much as you're watching them.

Why Would Someone Follow Me? I'm Nobody!

It's not just spies that get tailed. Law enforcement doesn't usually waste time and resources following random people, but they're not the only ones interested in the lives of others. Private detectives, angry exes, friends or family of exes, or even that guy you accidentally cut off changing lanes a few miles back may have been following you this whole time, seething and ready to give you a piece of their mind (or possibly their fists.)
Don't underestimate how even small things can set dangerous people off. These are the easiest people to identify and avoid. We're not saying live your life paranoid, and if you can't think of a reason someone would follow you, odds are you're not being followed, but we are saying that a little knowledge and awareness of your surroundings at all times goes a very long way.

How to Tell If Someone's Following You


Let's be clear: if the professionals are following you, you probably won't know it. Real spies use a host of tricks to make sure you'll never know you're being followed. Multiple operatives observe you, and switch off at predetermined points while a control operative, in contact with everyone in the field, manages their movements. That means the guy that followed you for the past two blocks will pull off at the next exit or pop into the Starbucks you passed for a coffee, and someone else will take over while you wonder where he went. There are some ways to tell is an amateur, random person, or a PI is following you though:
  • Stay aware of your surroundings. It's common sense, but you'd be surprised how many people walk around every day staring at their phones or looking at the sidewalk in front of them, paying no attention to the world around them. Keep your head up, and make note of the people you see and the cars you pass. If you're not aware of your surroundings, the rest of these tips won't help you.
  • Don't start looking over your shoulder. Remember, normal people are the ones who do inconspicuous things. Spies and PIs know better than to draw attention to themselves. As soon as you start glancing over your shoulder every three steps, they'll know you're suspicious. They'll likely drop farther back or disengage entirely and pick up later.
  •  

  • Start with appearances. Look for a car you've never seen before in your neighborhood or along your commute, or make note of a vehicle that seems to be taking all the same turns that you're taking. The same applies for people. Here's the catch though: if a road-rager is following you, they'll just close, which is easy to spot. If someone is actually trying to follow you, they'll probably drive past you occasionally, then change lanes and fall back. On foot, they'll walk next to you, or even pass you and take a side street that eventually ends up going the same direction that you're going. Look out for vehicles that make all the same turns that you do. More Intelligent Life suggests you keep an eye on a person's shoes. Coats and hats change easily, but shoes? Not so much when you don't want to lose someone. Photo by Robert Red.
  • Slow down. Slow people and vehicles are hard to tail, and risk the exposure of the operative, because they now have to stay near the target. Pull into the right lane and drive the speed limit. See what happens. If you're on foot, slow down or stand to the side and fiddle with your phone a bit (while keeping an eye on what's going on around you, of course) and see who slows down with you, or who walks past and then suddenly reappears later. Some people will tell you the opposite: that you should speed up and see if they do too. An amateur would speed up too, but a professional would only speed up if they think you might turn or take an exit, or if you'll leave their line of sight.
The video above, part of a training series by SAFE International, has some more suggestions to help you figure out whether you're being followed, and what you should do if you confirm that someone is trailing you.

What You Should Do If You Think You're Being Followed



If you've tried the above and think someone's on your tail, you have some options. We discussed what you should do if you think a car is following you, but much of it applies to people on foot as well.





  • Call the police. Do this first. If you think you're in any kind of real danger, this is the best, first, and probably only course of action you should follow. Additionally, as we mentioned, if it's local authorities, they'll disengage. If it's another law enforcement agency, they may get pulled over themselves. If it's a PI or a road-rager or any other civilian after you, the police are the best people to handle the situation. If you're on a highway, stay on it. If you do get off a main road, drive to the nearest police station.
  • Go somewhere public. Public, and with tons of people. Find a crowded restaurant and grab a seat. Order a coffee and read something on your phone. Head into the nearest shopping mall or large, crowded store. This gives you two benefits: first, you have the cover of a lot of people (stick close to the crowds.) Second, you can observe your observer, get their description, and hand it over to the police.
  • Don't panic. Don't start speeding, or try to make quick turns or duck into alleys. Ducking into the subway before the doors close looks great in the movies, but the smart people already have someone on the train or platform waiting for you. Start speeding, and you'll just drive into the next tail car's territory faster. When professionals follow someone, they don't need to know where you are at all times, they just want to "house" you, or observe your behavior and patterns. If you're worried it's an angry ex or someone you cut off, stay on main roads, and if you have to stop, leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you, just in case you need room to maneuver or drive around it if someone approaches your car.

  • Change your behavior to confuse your follower. If you're in a car, take the next exit, then get back on the main road. This isn't something most people would normally do, and if someone follows you off the road and then back onto the highway, you know something's up. Better yet, theyshould know you're on to them, and disengage. Make four right (or left) turns. Few people need to drive or walk in a circle. Image by Oleksiy Mark.
  • Change your patterns regularly. Don't go straight home, especially if you're worried the person following you intends to harm you. Take a different route home from work than you did yesterday. Go to a restaurant you've never been to. If you think someone's been following you, they're probably already aware of your patterns, so suddenly taking the freeway home when you normally take side streets may throw them off. Riding the subway uptown when you live downtown will do the same thing. If you think the person wants to harm you follow these tips on avoiding an attack, some of which echo points we've made here (staying in public, calling the police, etc.)
Professionals, like PIs, usually won't interact with you—they just want to know where you'll be and when so they can plan for later. They're the people you can throw off with changes to your habits and driving tricks. People who want to hurt you are another matter. Your safety is paramount.
Some people will suggest you follow the follower, but we can't recommend it. If the person following you means you harm, that's a very dangerous game you're playing. You should be focused on getting to a safe place, keeping your head and wits about you. With luck, you'll never need to worry that someone is following you, but it's important to be able to tell if someone is, why they're following you, and how to avoid, deter, or lose them.
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This post is part of Spy Week, a series at Lifehacker where we look at ways to improvise solutions to every day problems Bond-style. Want more? Check out our spy week tag page.
Link doesn't work

Tuesday, 5 September 2017

I never had rejection of compliments or misunderstanding of compliments until I came to North America. Not in any order, my values are forgiveness, gratitude and kindness. I am a natural compliment giver. I cannot see something nice and not utter something about it unless the feeling of rejection haunts me. Compliments coming from me to another, are just what they are, compliments. If I need something, I will ask straightforwardly and have no need to compliment so as to get something. A Gikuyu Kenyan will take a compliment differently than a Canadian and most certainly differently than an American, in New York, for example. The article below talks about compliments being with the use of eye contact. Hmm. I believe how compliments are given or received is a cultural affair teaching me to ... (surpress) compliments and keep them to myself, grateful as I am. It is perplexing...and a learning process. All the same:

  ...But when a woman compliments a man, it can be perceived as flirting...~Lisa Mirza Grotts.
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." William Arthur Ward

Giving and Accepting Compliments


By Lisa Mirza Grotts


Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Me too! When someone pays me a compliment, it’s always so unexpected that it puts a bounce in my step. And although I am no Dr. Drew, I know that when we’re nice to others, they’re usually nice back. When we pay a compliment to someone, we feel better about ourselves by making another person feel better about him- or herself! And when we accept a compliment gracefully, it works the same way. Here are some tips on both giving and receiving compliments.

How to Give a Compliment

Giving a compliment is much easier than receiving one. A good rule is to simply tell another person whenever something complimentary about that person pops into your head. But there are also compliments that express something you’ve always thought about a person but have never put into words for some reason. (Sometimes we think the other person just knows how we feel or what we think, but of course putting it into words is the important thing.)

• The first rule about giving a compliment is that whatever you say should be honest and sincere.

• A woman-to-woman compliment is much simpler than when a woman compliments a man or vice versa. Most women are thrilled with a compliment from another woman, even if it’s someone they don’t know. Women who know each other, of course, can be more personal than if both are strangers. But when a woman compliments a man, it can be perceived as flirting. If a woman doesn’t want this to happen, she should take care to be impersonal, as in “That’s a beautiful shirt,” rather than “That shirt makes you look so handsome!” The situation is even trickier when a man compliments a woman. In our litigious society, I know more than a few men who worry about saying a woman looks attractive for fear of being accused of sexual harassment. So in this case, the words should be thoughtfully chosen. Even “Nice blouse!” can be taken to refer to what’s under the blouse instead of the blouse itself. In fact, it may be better for men not to compliment women at all unless they are close friends, and even then to make it clear that the remark is not a sexual advance. This is especially true when the man is more powerful than the woman, as in the case of an executive and his administrative assistant.

• How you give a compliment is almost as important as what you say. Eye contact is key when giving a compliment. Without eye contact, you might as well pay the compliment via Facebook. It’s all about face-to-face contact. Looking the other person in the eyes will speak volumes about your sincerity.

Receiving a Compliment


Receiving a compliment is difficult for many. Often our first reaction is to try and deflect attention by demurring or putting ourselves down. But this is not a graceful response, as it can make the compliment-giver feel unappreciated or even dismissed.

• You need only two words: thank you, with a smile, of course. But you could also follow it up with a small phrase such as, How nice of you, or What a nice thing to say. That in turn will make the compliment-giver pleased.

• As when giving a compliment, make sure you look the compliment-giver in the eyes when you thank him or her. No blushing or turning aside; eye contact means your thank-you is genuine.
One of my favorite quotes, from Marianne Williamson in A Return to Love, addresses the issue of how to appreciate ourselves and others: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be? . . . We are all meant to shine, as children do. . . . And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Appreciating ourselves enough to accept compliments gracefully is the other side of appreciating others enough to compliment them. Give someone a sincere compliment today, and the next time you are complimented, accept it with grace and pleasure.


Monday, 4 September 2017

Labour Day 2017 in Kenya was on May 1, as usual.

...Over the last two years, my Administration has progressively increased tax brackets and has cut tax rates for workers on lower income brackets. Today the minimum taxable income is Sh13,475 rising from S11,000. Workers: your dedication and hard work is appreciated by a grateful nation... ~President Kenyatta
Link.

For working people and union members, Labor Day stands for something special and profound. It's a day to honor the deep commitment each of us has to serve the children we teach, the families we heal, and the communities we love. ~Randi Weingarten.

From Wikipedia

Statement by the Prime Minister on Labour Day

Ottawa, Ontario
September 4, 2017

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Labour Day:

“On Labour Day, we celebrate the many accomplishments of Canada’s labour movement. For more than a century, Canadians have come together to fight for a safer, more equitable, and just workplace. Their hard-won victories brought about fair wages, weekends, and paid sick days, among many other benefits and protections we take for granted today. The discipline and dedication of organized labour continue to build our country and lay the foundation for one of the strongest middle classes in the world.

“Our government was elected on a promise to grow the middle class, and pave the way for more Canadians to have a real and fair chance at success. We have taken great strides to prepare Canadians for the changing economy, and create good, middle class jobs from coast-to-coast-to-coast. 

“Over the past year, we introduced measures to relieve the pressures adults face when deciding to go back to school, made it easier for Canadians on EI to obtain new certificates and training, and helped hundreds of thousands of low- and middle-income students pay their tuition. We also launched the union-based apprenticeship training program, and established agreements to expand affordable, high quality child care across the country.

“In the coming months, we will update laws to better support Canadian workers as they seek to balance the responsibilities of work and family. Targeted amendments to the Canada Labour Code will give federally-regulated employees the right to request more flexible work arrangements, such as the ability to work from home, and provide unpaid leave for family responsibilities.

“We continue to work closely with organized labour to protect and promote workers’ rights, and affirm the vital role unions play in helping the middle class grow and prosper. We recently passed Bill C-4, restoring a fair and balanced approach to federal labour relations, and ratified the International Labour Organization’s Convention 98, recognizing workers’ right to collectively bargain. We also pledged to ban the manufacture, import, export and use of asbestos in Canada by 2018, and renewed our commitment to ensure the Westray Law is applied effectively and negligent employers are held responsible.

“Organized labour has a strong partner in the Government of Canada. We will continue to stand up for the middle class and invest in Canada’s hardworking, creative, and diverse workforce. Since December 2015, Canada’s unemployment rate has dropped from 7.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent. In the last year, the Canadian economy has created almost 400,000 new jobs. Today, we celebrate Canada’s workers and labour movement who made this progress possible.

 “On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I wish all Canadians a safe and happy Labour Day.” 
 Thank you Lady and Sir.  Right back at you and all you hold dear:

Stanley Wira - Ruta Wira 


Yesterday, I was speaking with Roy from the VCBC and asked him if he knew what not wearing white after labour day was all about.  He told me that only the very rich used to wear white.  White clothes were high maintenance and demanded a lot of attention while cleaning in the workers end.  For the sake of the servants, the masters and mistresses stopped wearing white after labour day to give the workers a break.  I have never heard of such a consideration of a worker by employer.  Kinda like....I don't know like what.  Like an employer hiring you despite your mental and physical disabilities.

The idea I get from the story is that the high class people, made it easier for their laundry workers by not wearing white after labour day.  It sounds like great thinking.  It would be amazing if rich people came up with ideas to help the workers today.  For example, increase wages by a certain % every labour day.  Increase by .50 cents even.  After a certain level of pay has been reached depending on ones duties, the wage can be capped.

The thing I know for sure is the labour day is about work and working and employers and workers.  Their rights and their and freedoms.  Wage.

It may not count and I started working in my household around age 5.  I am the second born and first born girl.  My only sister who became my helper later on is 3 years younger than me. We had to give her some time to grow. With a mentally ill mother and a working father, I embraced hard work.  Peeling potatoes with a knife since age 5.  Cleaning the hardwood floors, tending to my siblings.  Mum had 7 children in 11 years.  I was counting.  And a miscarriage.  That means by the time I was 11 years old, our last born showed up.  Mum gave birth at 17, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26 and 31!  She had a kid when I was 2, 3, 5, 6 and 11. She needed any help she could get with the children. Two of my brothers are less than a year apart.  I was ready.  That meant bathing them, washing their clothes, folding their clothes, as I grew older I would cook.  Sometimes we had adult helpers of whom I remember bringing far more harm into the household.

My first paid job was as a merchandise girl.  I remember taking home bags of grocery.  I bought a friend of my mum drinking glasses.  My main job was with the University of Nairobi in my mid twenties.  I had my own child at age 22.  Before this job, I had worked the streets for as little as Kenya shillings (KES) 100.  It was real survival.  When I started working at the University, I was making KES 8000 a month which was about 100$ a month, Canadian.  I thought I died and went to Heaven.  We lived pay cheque to pay cheque.  When it was time to come to Canada, I had zero money.  My dad gave me his last USA $50.  On arrival to Canada, I was surprised that the International AIDS Conference gave delegates from out of the country an allowance of $335.  Now I had $385.

After cleaning houses without a permit and being detained by the then Citizenship and Immigration Canada, I was found to be mentally ill.  I could not get a work permit without a job, and could not get a job without a work permit.  Shida!  I started getting an allowance of $546 a month in 1999.  It was called hardship allowance.  Canada cared/cares.  In my head, the $100 a month I was earning in Kenya in 1996 became $546 a month.  You would be walking tall if you were me.  As my teacher Sister Colette said, "Life is all in the way you look at it."

We are talking a $446 a month increment.  This is a different continent that cares for and values its people.  I speak more for Canada because I lived it gratefully for 21 years. My full disability allowance came by in 2010 after I was granted permanent residence.  It shot up to around $800 a month.  Meaning that the $100 I was earning at the University in Kenya, had gone up by $700!  In all these, I see a willing Creator.   To most people it is a disability allowance, to me it was an increment, a miracle.  I did learn that one can work and still be on disability.  This kudos to Canada, in particular British Columbia.  Right now, $1,773.06 is awarded monthly if your spouse also has the Persons with Disabilities designation.  That is $21,276.72 a year - and one can earn above that amount ($19,200 for a family where both adults have the Persons with Disabilities designation.) Now compare an annual pay of $1200 in Kenya 1996 and our annual pay now, 2017.  Now compare to when my beloved husband was able to work full time at (Computer Programmer) Abe books?  He has always been a Volunteer admin for Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for as long as I can remember.  Keeps him writing.

To the millionaire our $ figures are peanuts, to us, it is everything.  Glory.  I pray that all disabled people and able people have enough for food, rent, medical care and clothing, globally.  Ameen.

By this point, I am walking on air in comparison to $100 a month.  In KES, and this is purely because I am from Kenya, I am what Daniel Tosh - Tosh.0 on Comedy Central calls minimum wage millionaires.  A person raised in Canada and did not earn $100 a month as a trained departmental secretary  would never know this kind of thinking.  Perception.  Notion.

Having said all that, I want to thank Canada for making sure I can live and work in dignity on labour day and way after labour day.  With death looming over my head or not.  I find that thought-provoking.


Ruta Wira 

Thank you North America for teaching me the true reason for work.



 Kenya, you must know:

so·cial serv·ice
ˌsōSHəl ˈsərvəs/
noun
plural noun: social services; noun: social service
  1. government services provided for the benefit of the community, such as education, medical care, and housing.
    • activity aiming to promote the welfare of others. -Interneti/Internet. (Do it.  Enhance social services.  Mageria nomo mahota.)
I grew up with this song, Kenya style.  Thank you mum and dad for making sure we knew real hard labour as youngsters. I believe hard work never killed anybody and it does not vanish as a lifestyle.

Uvivu ni adui wa ujenzi wa taifa 

Sunday, 3 September 2017

PAUL MWAI OMBA 08: Keep alert at all times and pray...So keep watch at all times and pray...Luke/Luka 21:36 Ikaragai mwiiguite hindi ciothe, na muhooyage...


Frankfurt WW2 bomb: Mass evacuation completed ~BBC News. Bombs have been found and diffused before and this is the first one I have ever heard of. Sounds and looks huge. Frightful. Tich maber everyone.

Other WW2 bombs recently discovered in Germany
  • May 2017: 50,000 people were evacuated from Hannover while three British-made bombs were defused
  • December 2016: More than 50,000 evacuated in Augsburg over 1.8-tonne British explosive
  • May 2015: 20,000 people in Cologne forced to leave their homes after a one-tonne bomb was discovered
  • January 2012: A construction worker was killed when his digger hit an unexploded bomb in Euskirchen
  • December 2011: 45,000 people were evacuated from Koblenz - half the total population - after two bombs were found in the riverbed of the Rhine
  • June 2010: Three members of a bomb disposal squad were killed in Göttingen during an operation to defuse a bomb found on a building site ~BBC News


Today - AFP.


     Kugaatha Ngai ni undu wa Wega Wake
    Thaburi 127:1
    Tiga nyumba yakirwo ni Jehova, andu aria mamiakaga marutaga wira o wa tuhu.
    Tiga ituura inene rimenyereirwo ni Jehova, arangiri maraaraga mehuugite o tuhu.

    Bomb disposal experts in Frankfurt have successfully defused a massive unexploded bomb from World War Two, officials have announced.
    Link


    Friday, 1 September 2017

    We heard on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah that we could donate here in response to Hurricane Harvey. We heard it 3 times over the last few days, and today, we donated. hands.org wrote back right away. They said,

    Thank you for your gift

    Dear Friend,

    As the Executive Director and CEO of All Hands Volunteers, I would like to thank you personally for your generous gift to our Hurricane Harvey Response.

    Your support is integral to our ability to fulfill our mission of delivering immediate, efficient, and sustainable help in the wake of natural disasters by harnessing the energy of dedicated volunteers.

    On behalf of the entire All Hands family, I thank you for your belief in us. Your donation is the foundation of our success!

    Kindly,
    Erik Dyson

    To donate please/tafadhali visit their website

    Kenya election overturned, new vote ordered within 60 days. ~CBC NEWS.

     “In case you never get a second chance: don't be afraid!" "And what if you do get a second chance?" "You take it!”
    C. JoyBell C.
    Opposition claimed electronic voting results were hacked and manipulated in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta - The Associated Press.
    Link.

    A TearDrop. Tears are made out of a single teardrop. Precious. Tears are healing. cleansers!

    My photo
    Tears at birth, at death. Born. With a beautiful flower. A flower to be respected, loved and cared for. Not to be damaged. A flower to be let to unfold in its own good time. A flower to be kissed by the right person, at the right time. Not to be mangled. Not to be dismantled at a young age. A flower to be preserved until the time is right. A flower to be benefited from with permission and gentleness. Let us begin a new age where men and women pay attention to the fact that between the groin are valuables we carry with us. They are, foreskin, penis, testicles, vulva, hymen, vagina. These valuables are for pleasure, procreation, peeing, periods - and I forgot the anus which has many functions, including keeping us flushed out and healthy. As we teach head, shoulder, knees and toes, a brilliant idea would be to teach about flowers and butterflies while we are at it. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;" "We all dream dreams of unity, of purity; we all dream that there's an authoritative voice out there that will explain things, including ourselves." Junot Díaz. HIV/AIDS comes from ignorance. It must go. 61617