Tag Archives: Corporate

World Enslavement by Tony Samuels

Health, Life and Times, Technology Here and Now, , , , , , , , , , ,
“Money is a new form of slavery, and distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal – that there is no human relation between master and slave.” - Leo Tolstoy
“Money is a new form of slavery, and distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal – that there is no human relation between master and slave.”
– Leo Tolstoy

We live in an age where all secrets can be uncovered. An age where the old ways of power and control are unraveling. We have become slaves, who feed a machine that refuses to recognize that it is only as good as the workers who feed and maintain it. The machines of control are found in the military who ensure never ending war.  Follow the money to find where the power hubs lie. Who supplies all the munitions and is making all the money off of our fears? Who is the true threat?

Why is it that on our planet with so much abundance, that we are so dependent on big oil and fossil fuels? We have enough technology to work in harmony with the earth. Instead we allow a few to rape and pillage earth’s resources with an unfair redistribution of its wealth. Once again follow the money. Who hurts the most financially, with an attempt to implement a new way of doing things?   Solar energy, wind turbines, tidal and Hydro electric power, bio fuels, the list is growing of the technologies which are being suppressed to keep control of ever increasingly expensive markets.

What about the all-out war on our food supply? We have been brainwashed into counting calories instead of chemicals. Family farms are being taken over by big agra, who fights daily to gain control of our food supply, while offering us the illusion of health and naturalness. Why is it that the three biggest money makers in our food industry are chemical companies (Monsanto, DOW, and Chargill) who bring us substantial equivalence instead of the nutritive food fair that has kept us alive and healthy since the dawn of time.  Why do we allow them to attempt to control and modify the world’s organic seed supply. GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) that has corrupted the food chain and headed us into an area that we may not be able to return from. Did you know that Bill Gates and Monsanto have built, and own a not so secret Arctoc cryogenic heirloom seed vault, buried under tons of ice? Why would they be in cahoots to solve the world’s hunger problem by becoming the money makers in corrupting and owning our food supply with GMO’s?  Do you know that in some states in the U.S. it is now illegal to have a home garden? Where does the money lead and who is getting rich on a system that doesn’t live up to the hype nor the manipulated and suppressed information coming from the doctored research?

What about our illusionary monetary system (banks and stock markets) along with the dominance of economic control. The illusion of money, profit and of free trade only moves jobs overseas and kills manufacturing, as corporate control of our government allows these very companies to make unheard of profits and reduce expenses on our behalf. We are 7 billion+ slaves who work for a system that no longer has our best interest at heart. The rich getting richer has never been as true as it is today. What is equitable when the world’s biggest department store chain (Walmart) becomes this biggest welfare recipient. Don’t believe me, well there are more Walmart employees who are dependent on welfare and food stamps because Walmart pays minimum wage. What is wrong with providing a living wage when you are the world’s richest company? If a company is only as good as its workers what is wrong with providing a livable wage. We truly are enslaved.

There are more people on this planet who want change than there are those who do not. Who will our governments bail out with the next worldwide economic collapse? It won’t be you and I.

We live in a world where corporate own our governments and these same entities willingly poison our food supply for profit. All of this to feed a health care system that is slowly eroding and deteriorating, with increasing costs and dwindling service. We then have a pharmaceutical industry that is intent on masking symptoms instead of finding and delivering cures. With intent to gain profit on medicinal patents coming to market, which actually have more contra indicators and side effects than the issue they attempt to address.

We now live in a time where we have to make tough choices. In a world that wants to live in peace with a roof over our heads, food on the table and the ability to enjoy the fruits of our labor, we are manipulated into complacency.

So how do we collectively invoke change. The first step is awareness of the problems. The second step is to acknowledge the need for change. The third step is to start the change yourself with small steps at first and then move outward like a ripple in the water. It will be hard at first because we have all become comfortable in our misery.

Start with the things you eat. Buy local and eat organic when you can. Reduce the consumption of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Start a new garden when you can and share your bounty with your neighbors. To reduce the amount of hard work that it takes to plant, grow and sow your harvest, create a list of things each family will grow to increase the variety of fresh food available to all the families who join the cooperative. Each family grows different crops which are shared with each other at harvest. Reduce the amount of process food ingested. Todays processed foods contain more chemicals, dyes and fillers than natural ingredients. Avoid foods with corn, soy and sugar beets (processed into high fructose corn syrup, fructose and other sweeteners) as 90 percent of these crops are now GMO’S!! Avoid aspartame, not only is it a GMO product, it is derived from the excrement of a genetically modified ecoli bacteria. Aspartame also breaks down into formaldehyde when ingested and cannot be digested. Avoid these GMO’S and lobby to have them labeled in our food supply. Our money talks when companies won’t listen. Affect profit and we affect what they will produce. As they have always said money talks. Talk to your local grocer about the integrity of the food they supply. Walmart does not concern itself with the amount of GMO products on its shelves (70%+) and this is another area where your dollars count. Do not buy your food at Walmart. The money you save now will cost you a lot more later if you do. Europe already has the same products we buy here but it is illegal for the food manufacturers to use any GMO ingredients.

Talk to your family, talk to your friends, take control back of what you put in your body. Some companies are starting to listen to us, as consumers already. Go on the Internet and do the research, there is a wealth of information out there.

As we move forward and others jump on board, this groundswell will assist us in coming together to tackle the other issues being banks, insurance, fossil fuels, big farma and big pharma, the military industrial complex and the growth in militaristic police forces. We can reduce our reliance on the pharmaceutical industry by taking back control of our food manufacturers, and become responsible for our own health.

All journeys begin with the first step and we have a lot of steps to take to ensure the world is a better place for our future generations. It starts here and it starts now.

Campeau Corporation

Life and Times, Personal, , , , , , , , , ,

Just a quick note to let you all know that as I am undergoing chemotherapy at the moment there are times that I get  Chemo brain a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur during and after cancer treatment. Chemo brain can also be called chemo fog, chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction (as described by the Mayo Clinic) .  So if my writing seems slightly off over the next few months we will blame it on the chemo brain.  

scotia plazaBefore leaving Edmonton I knew that I would need to upgrade my skill set especially when it came to computers so I enrolled in a computer basic course at the Alberta Institute of Micro Computing.  This is where I picked up all my word-processing, excel and basic programming skills.  It was a great program and I excelled completing the program with a 98%.  That little diploma was probably one of the best choices I ever made in terms of my career path.  Once back in Toronto I was able to sign up with the Valerie Gilmore one of Toronto’s up and coming employment agencies.  I started out working temporary assignments and because I was a quick study with all things computer and looked and dressed professionally I was in high demand.  After a few months I finally landed a temporary assignment with Campeau Corporation and Rolly Villemare, Vice President, Accounting who later became my friend and mentor.

Campeau was relocating the head office from Ottawa to Toronto (360 Bay Street) and Rolly was responsible for making that happen.  I reported to him as his Administrative Assistant and we worked so well together he decided that he would like to have me work for him full-time.  In order to do this I was required o take a test on the new AS400 word processing system.  Knowing that I did not have the knowledge of this particular system I went to their HR department asked for the manual and crammed that night in preparation of the test in the morning.  I will admit I was not totally confident that I would be able to pull it off but I did and was hired that afternoon and flew to Ottawa to work with Rolly moving the office to Toronto.  This was such an exciting time in my life and career wise I was on the fast track with my mentor Rolly directing my every move.  I was moving in circles I only dreamed of making lots of money and wining and dining with the high rollers of Toronto’s high society.  There were lots of formal parties with top executives, drinking lunches and after work heavy socializing with staff members.  It was a period of excess in everything.  I had a pair of shoes to go with every outfit in my closet and there were many.  Spending $500 on a pair of shoes or clothes was nothing.  I had beautiful business suits one for every day of the week.  With Rollly’s support I moved from Administrative Assistant to Manager in Office Services and then HR Manager with an Administrative Assistant named Claire who mothered me more than my own mother and I loved her for it.  I was a black business manager on Bay Street one of the first.

During this period one of my main responsibilities was the build out of the 57 and 58th floor of Scotia Plaza with a two million dollar budget.  One memorable moment was taking a ride up the construction elevator to the 58th floor for a meeting when there was no glass, just open air and sky between the concrete slabs.  The view of Toronto was amazing.  During this meeting someone dropped a piece of metal piping at the other end of the floor and you could feel the slab floor vibrate.  This was not a good moment in my life the height, the openness, and the vibrating floor just about unhinged me and sent me into panic.  Fortunately, the meeting was concluding and I was able to escape back down 58 floors in a cage on the outside of the building.  Needless to say I turned down any further meetings up there until the floors were enclosed.  When the building was complete it was a beautiful copper red structure that graced the Toronto skyline and still does today.  The two floors 57 and 58 which I managed to influence and organize the build out and furnishings were absolutely beautiful.  My office was on the 57th floor facing east all dark wood and glass with a great view of the lake.

As I mentioned before this was a time of excess and the staff partied together, worked together and it was a time prior to setting work policies covering things like smoking in the office, interoffice relationships, or sexual harassment.  Those issues and polices came in play just before Campeau Corporation started its decline and ultimate downfall.   Just before the decline  I met my third husband.  He was a computer IT employee and I was immediately attracted to his genius and computer skills and his shy and unique personality.   I still remember all the very creative emails I would open in the mornings and then go into panic mode because I could not get them of my screen.  We dated and partied fell in love and had a terrific wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii and then had a beautiful daughter together.  I will go into more detail about this marriage another day.  But, my Campeau days would not have been complete without mentioning the love, romance and marriage that took place during that time.

With the downfall of the Campeau Corporation it meant the termination of most staff and I was asked in a very private meeting of the board if my loyalties were with the corporation or with Mr. Campeau.  Rolly was Mr. Campeau’s  right hand man and by association my loyalty was in question.   At the time I thought it was in my best interest and critical to my financial survival to convince them I was a company woman and that I needed the job.  Throughout the years I’ve questioned that decision.  Thinking that maybe had I said Mr. Campeau I might be living in Europe financially secure right now.  But, I didn’t and therefore in the end helped layoff most everyone and then finally myself.

Campeau Corporation was the highlight of my working life and gave me confidence and pride.  Working on Bay Street during that period was a very big accomplishment for a young black woman and will forever put a big smile on my face when I remember the fun and personal success of that time.