Arkouda

Honesty is the most important factor in any relationship.

I can give you the first one!

The book opens up with "Why does 1 + 1 = 2?", and goes on to explain an answer to the question, including ways where "1 + 1 != 2" and why.

What do you expect him to do, as in, what does a "firm stance" look like to you?

I think it is important to read the whole thing and not cherry pick.

The federal government has been spending too much. There are federal programs and processes that aren’t working as well as they should, and projects that need to be reviewed as we adjust to the priorities of this challenging moment. We need to be efficient and effective in all that we spend, while empowering a world-class, tech-enabled public service.

A Mark Carney-led government will launch a comprehensive review of government spending in order to increase the federal government’s productivity. This review will focus on clear targets by departments and Crown Corporations with an iterative process that deploys best approaches across the public sector. A portion of these savings will be redeployed to invest in technology and people in order to improve the quality of what the federal government does, such as reducing the time it takes to process an EI payment. Some examples of what the review could focus on:

Amalgamating service delivery so there is one point of access for Canadians in how they interact with government programs, that meets the customer service standards we have come to expect in a digital enabled economy.

Consolidating grants and contributions that serve similar purposes and are delivered to the same organizations across multiple departments, increasing impact.

Better leveraging technology to improve the automation of routine tasks and inquiries from the public and reducing the need for additional hiring. Significantly reducing reliance on external consultants, while improving the capacity of the public service to hire expertise in-house.

Better managing litigation and contingent liabilities and improving asset management practices.

Following the initial results of this review, we will institute a permanent process to link spending and outcomes across departments and continuous improvement in spending control. We will focus performance on a smaller and clearer set of things that matter to real people, such as the number of homes built and how long it takes to get an EI cheque.

As part of this review, the government will consider where AI can be leveraged to enhance productivity in government. We will look at every new dollar being spent through the lens of how AI and technology can improve service and reduce costs.

We are also committed to capping, not cutting, public service employment. Federal workers deliver essential services to Canadians and are critical to helping Canada meet this moment of crisis. As part of our review of spending we will ensure that the size of the federal public service meets the needs of Canadians.

Additionally, recognizing that it’s time to change the way Canada does procurement, we will modernize our defence procurement to ensure our Forces can buy the tools and equipment they need, in a timely way, working with trusted partners.

As a result of the main investments and savings proposed in this plan, direct program expenses are projected to grow at an average rate of less than 2% per cent per year through 2028-29. This compares to a compound annual growth of nearly 9 percent over the previous decade. This is what spending less, and investing more is all about.

From the article:

On July 7, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne sent letters to ministers asking them to find 15 per cent savings over three years in their departments. He has asked them to come up with savings of 7.5 per cent during the 2026-27 fiscal year, with an additional 2.5 per cent the year after and 5 per cent in 2028-29.

I am not seeing a promise broken here. The departments are being asked to come up with savings, and those savings are not "Lay off everyone" as is being suggested by the Unions. We currently do not know what each department will look to trim.

Last Book: Is Math Real? - Eugenia Chang

Reading: The Greeks, A Global history - Roderick Beaton

I would recommend both if either subject interests you.

"Is Math Real?" is a really fun book, and gives the brain a lot to chew on. It asks the "stupid questions" of math and explains why they aren't so stupid.

"The Greeks" is incredibly well written and researched, and goes into many details that aren't well known about Greek history. This is a subject that has always interested me because of my heritage, and I have learned a lot.

Free will doesn't exist, doesn't mean you don't. Do something fun with your time. I would recommend creative writing.

I judge people for many things, like all people do.

They say only God can judge me, and she seems to be okay with those people doing those things, so who am I to judge?

A people, that's who.

Tell that to Israel, who is opening up a new hole with all their missile launches

You must have me confused with someone who has contact with, and political sway over, Israel.

Can you explain to me how you came to the conclusion that I have the ability to tell Israel anything?

I do not remember a single part of the Liberal election platform that said "We won't cut funding in public services". The only thing I can remember being exclusively off the table were cuts to Provincial transfers.

It would be nice if the article cited those promises, but that is the Ottawa Citizen (Post media) for you.

If one is depressed, truly depressed and not just sad about real life events, one should see a Therapist. It is not weird, it is literally the way to seek treatment for Depression and other mood disorders.

Exercise has been demonstrated to elevate mood, but as far as I know, not a substitute for medication when dealing with mood disorders. If it worked, myself and many others wouldn't be on meds.

History lesson: The same thing was said about the ozone layer. The global community dealt with that.

Stop trying to put yourself "around more Women" and make yourself a person Women want to be around instead.

The best thing you can do is get a hobby, get involved in that hobbies local community, and meet people with similar interests. Romantic interests will eventually follow.