A Step in the Right Direction

Indoctrinate U alive and well in high schools too!

2009-05-01T17:09:00.003-04:00

A high school student was allegedly lectured and scolded in front of his peers for reading Fox News.

In my experience, I found this to be the case more so in university of blatent disapprovals (e.g. Fraser Institute not acceptable academic source, but Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is okay!)

However, when I was in high school, I found that I didn't know about the biases of different news sources/organizations. Thus, when I was provided documents from Maude Barlowe and the Council for Canadians (fairly neutral sounding organization) from my teacher in class, I was not asked to be critical of what he was presented...just on whatever/whoever else was out there that was putting forth their "agenda".

Therefore, just appearing to be presented neutral information is still a form of indoctrination by teachers, especially when a student's critical thinking skills may not be as developed in high school as they would be in university.

A young man who identified himself only as Mitchell, an 18-year-old senior at Traverse City West Senior High School, called in to Rush Limbaugh's radio show Thursday and said he was yelled at in front of his classmates for reading the "wrong" news.

The teacher of his video production class saw what he was looking at and "proceeded to give me a 10-minute lecture on why I can't read FOX News ... and that I can only listen to BBC and other news venues," the student said.

James Feil, superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools, told FOXNews.com that any attempts to pressure students politically would go against his schools' policies.

"It would be inappropriate. I would clearly tell you that is not something that we would do anything to indoctrinate students here," he said. "That would clearly be a violation of our policies and guidelines, written or non-written."

Modern-day Lysistrata

2009-04-30T12:04:00.002-04:00

For those who don't know the ancient greek comedy play, Lysistrata, the female characters witheld sex from their husbands in an effort to end the Peloponnessian war. In Kenya, it's for 7 days:

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- The fight for political reform in Kenya has moved into an unlikely venue -- the nation's bedrooms. Activists in the East African nation are urging women to withhold sex for a week to protest the growing divide in Kenya's coalition government.

Source: CNN

I AM-a-not-so-smug-CANADIAN-anymore

2009-03-18T07:25:00.003-04:00

"Hey. I'm not a subprime mortgagee.

"Or one of Bernie Madoff's victims.

"And I don't live in a foreclosed house.

"I have a Prime Minister who says that, while American consumers bought into the idea that it was okay to live beyond their means, 'thankfully, Canadians, among few nations in the Western world, did not embrace this idea so recklessly.'

"I pronounce it RRSP. Not 401(k). (And I even managed to put a little money in this season.)

"I can proudly recount the latest profit statements from all five of Canada's biggest - and still solvent - banks. I believe in medicare, not screw the sick.

"A tuque is still a hat.

"A chesterfield is still a couch And it is still pronounced 'zed' not 'zee.'

"Canada is the second-largest land mass! The proud nation of Employment Insurance! And the best part of the North American economy, or what's left of it.

"My name is Joe! And I am a recession-hardy CANADIAN!"

*

I will enter your country illegally...and if you try to stop me, I'll sue you!

2009-02-09T14:50:00.004-05:00

This is yet another reason to support the building of a fence.

An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Roger Barnett, 64, began rounding up illegal immigrants in 1998 and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, he said, after they destroyed his property, killed his calves and broke into his home.

His Cross Rail Ranch near Douglas, Ariz., is known by federal and county law enforcement authorities as "the avenue of choice" for immigrants seeking to enter the United States illegally.

Trial continues Monday in the federal lawsuit, which seeks $32 million in actual and punitive damages for civil rights violations, the infliction of emotional distress and other crimes.
...
In March, U.S. District Judge John Roll rejected a motion by Mr. Barnett to have the charges dropped, ruling there was sufficient evidence to allow the matter to be presented to a jury. Mr. Barnett's attorney, David Hardy, had argued that illegal immigrants did not have the same rights as U.S. citizens.
...
Mr. Barnett said some of the ranch´s established immigrant trails were littered with trash 10 inches deep, including human waste, used toilet paper, soiled diapers, cigarette packs, clothes, backpacks, empty 1-gallon water bottles, chewing-gum wrappers and aluminum foil - which supposedly is used to pack the drugs the immigrant smugglers give their "clients" to keep them running.

Enjoy the Snow-maggedon Canada!

2008-12-20T08:34:00.003-05:00

My parents are snowbirds. I was supposed to fly out Sunday AM with a layover at Pearson. With the coming of snowmaggedon, I changed my flight ($$$$) to go directly to Florida and it was well worth it. Outside my window 5 stories up, I am now looking at this instead of snow and ice (this post was to rub it in a little further Jarrett. Are you going to rub those flower blossoms in my face in February again?)

"In our country, any CBC reporter can dream of becoming head of state"

2008-12-05T13:29:00.003-05:00

A very well written summary and explanation of the past few months of what's been going on Canada.

My dear American neighbours,

I see the political crisis in Canada has finally made it into the Washington Post's Foreign Briefs column.

So, anticipating a flood of interest from all of you at the dog run in the morning, let me try to give you some idea of what's happening up there.

A few weeks ago, we had an election in Canada, a couple of weeks before yours, actually. A political party known as the Conservatives won.

Well, sort of. They didn't win in the sense that most of you understand winning. I'll get to that in a second.

They also aren't what most of you would consider conservative.

They support what you call socialized medicine, they believe in protecting a Canadian-controlled banking system, they believe in government as a vehicle for transferring wealth between regions, and they've actually muzzled party members who tried to make abortion a campaign issue.

Please do read the rest

Need an escape from the madness? Will puppies be our Shirley Temple?

2008-12-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

With all the political hot air that's going around. And being as going on vacation is not an economically viable option right now, here is a quick escape from the madness ensuing in our country right now. Puppy Cam! Ok collective "awwwww" now!

From the file of weird and unfortunate events...

2008-11-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

Comes this,

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Police say a woman has died on the way to a cemetery when a traffic accident hurled her husband's coffin against the back of her neck.

Police say 67-year old Marciana Barcelos was in the front passenger seat of the hearse when the accident occurred Monday in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Barcelos died instantly.

Her 76-year-old husband Josi Coimbra died Sunday of a heart attack while dancing at a party.

The driver of hearse and Barcelos' son suffered minor injuries.

A different type of white guilt

2008-11-12T09:26:00.005-05:00

My maternal great-grandfather died in World War II. But he was fighting for the Germans.

A comment on the Globe and Mail website on this article about Ancestry.ca's big blunder got me thinking:

Call it a Remembrance Day story that a leading genealogy website would rather not remember.

To honour the memory of the Canadian soldiers who died in the First World War, Ancestry.ca was offering, until the end of the month, a free Web search of military databases that contained the records of this country's soldiers.

A half-page ad that ran in a Toronto newspaper on Sunday, adorned with a large red poppy, was titled "My Grandfather. My Hero," with details of how to do the search.

But the colour ad featured a photograph of a German, not an Allied soldier, a blunder that angered some veterans and historians.

Comment:

K Ordos from Canada writes: Didn't German soldiers die too? Don't forget it was the German Government who started WWII, not the troops. The soldiers were doing the same job as ours were. Fight and die if necessary. I think Remembrance day should be recognized for all the troops, regardless of nationality who have died in conflict. A Soldier is a Soldier. End of story.

I have been embarrassed about my heritage sometimes. I distinctly remember a project in grade-school where the school was submitting names of family members of students and staff that died in WWI or WWII. I remember asking my parents about our family members and I submitted two names. I didn't know at the time that one of the names submitted was actually for the "other side." Perhaps I was too young to talk about it. Perhaps my family was embarrassed to have to explain it. This doesn't stop me from proudly celebrating Remembrance day each year as I also have a line of Canadian Forces family members from both maternal and paternal sides and also served in the Army Cadets myself. I've learned to live with my history and heritage.

Remembrance Day Videos You Should Watch Today

2008-11-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

Lest we forget.

Also check out the Dear Sweetheart letters the Globe and Mail is posting.

My Experience as a Poll Clerk

2008-10-18T10:56:00.002-04:00

I was a poll clerk for this past election. A 16-hour day for around minimum wage it wasn't worth it for the monetary reward, but I enjoyed it for the grounding experience it gave me.

I know that having a Masters degree and working for the government at the national office I can get caught up in the ivory tower/Ottawa bureaucrat. Even socializing with people who watch CPAC for fun or people who enjoy dinner parties, I have had a major wake-up call. I am not an ordinary Canadian.

Despite Jack Layton abusing the "ordinary Canadian" phrase, I did see these ordinary Canadians that politicians were referring to.

And while yes, the current economic situation is a "buying opportunity" for me, the reality is, it isn't for many people.

So would I do it again? I would probably be a deputy-returning officer (DRO) as I could handle the responsibility.

I encourage everyone to take part in the democratic process more than dropping your ballot into a box.

With a voter turnout of less than 60 per cent, I might have to agree with Andrew Coyne, that Our Electoral System is Broken:

If we must have five-party politics, let them at least be parties with real differences, and national appeal. Away with the system that guarantees the Bloc two-thirds of the seats in Quebec on the strength of little more than one-third of the vote. Away with the ghettos of Conservative Alberta, or Liberal Toronto, where it is scarcely worth campaigning, so predictable are the results. Away with "strategic voting," and other attempts to tell people they may not vote for the party they support, but must vote against the party they fear. Away with the disgraceful situation of a party winning almost a million votes, as the Greens did this time out, and getting zero seats.

So you want to be Prime Minister?

2008-10-09T23:27:00.002-04:00

There was an Obama campaign ad making fun of McCain's disability and it is alleged that Mr. Dion has a hearing problem. But, seriously if you can't do the job...or at least can't articulate how you would do the job, you shouldn't get the job.

Not that Dion believes in the merit principle....

Hat tip: Stephen Taylor

BOOK REVIEW: Unlikely Utopia: the Surprising Triumph of Canadian Pluralism

2008-09-04T07:37:00.002-04:00

Environics pollster, Michael Adams, is known for his other books, Sex in the Snow: The Surprising Revolution in Canadian Social Values, and American Backlash: The Untold Story of Social Change in the United States. While, I really enjoyed one of Adams’ last book Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values, I was somewhat disappointed with this book.

In Fire and Ice Adams dedicated an entire chapter to Methodology. As a student of statistics and economics, I am very skeptical of anyone who uses statistics. I am always pleased to see a methodology section, as it is much more transparent of the researcher/pollster/author. What makes this book different from Fire and Ice is that it uses a bunch of Census and Stats Can data, instead of primarily a research poll for the premise of the book.

There was not enough citation of sources and methodology in the book. Anyone can manipulate StatsCan and Census data to make it say what they want; depending on the variables they choose (or choose to drop). For instance, Adams tries to make a point (Chapter 2) with using Census data of the percentage of the Canadian population who are foreign-born (19.3%) compared to the number of federal MPs who were foreign born (13%). To make a fair comparison, you should compare the Canadian foreign-born adult population with the number of MPs, otherwise your statistics would, of course, be lower with a large number of children in that population statistic, who could not be MPs. There are several examples of simplistic uses of statistics—which I won’t bore you with in this review—that without a critical eye, one would just accept the “facts” how they are being presented.

Adams further uses this argument with other countries and then conducts a micro argument of taking these 308 MPs and stating that we have 41 foreign-born MPs—pointing out that if it “truly” mirrored the country we would have 55 foreign-born MPs—and then names off how many we have from each continent/region (20 from Europe, 9 from Asia and so forth)—pointing out that if it “truly” mirrored the country it would be 25 from Europe, 22 from Asia and so forth. But there is no source listed with how he obtained this information (whether it was a Wikipedia search or a more legitimate source). Further it is a fallacious argument that our political representatives should or must represent us through gender and ethnicity, when you vote for someone to represent your ideas, not your ethnic heritage/gender/race or other category. To say that we need X number of MPs born in X region assumes that all foreign-born MPs from X region will act, think or represent in the same way. This is silly! The concept of ‘representation’ has lost its original meaning and has been manipulated to think that we need perfect “representation” in order for it to be “equal” or “fair.” This of course has led to quotas or “targets”, affirmative action and other manipulations of the system to achieve this idea of “equality.”

Adams opens by stating that multiculturalism is easily blamed for social problems: “Creeping racial segregation? Blame multiculturalism. Gangs in schools? Diminished civic engagement? Global terror? Must have something to do with multiculturalism…” Adams points out how problematic this is. While I agree, it’s too bad the same criticism isn’t done when things like global warming being blamed for everything.

Adams dedicates a chapter to Muslims and another chapter to Quebec, this book clearly identifies many of the contentious issues regarding multiculturalism in Canada, however there is a clear (unadmited) bias and assumptions. For instance, “the current identity crisis isn’t about whether white, European, Christian Canada can survive the presence of ‘Others.’ That question has long since been resolved.” Actually, Mr. Adams, with the simple example of the erosion of Christmas cards, Christmas trees, and Christmas school plays to becoming “holiday” cards/trees/plays, I believe Canada’s identity crisis actually has something to do with the survival of Euro-Christian culture!

I did like Adam’s distinction between the Paris youth riots and 9/11. He argues that a terrorist attack does not tell us how newcomers or minority group are doing. He states that had male youth from North Africa had the same job opportunities as white French youth and felt a part of French society, the Paris riots likely would have never happened. However, if every Muslim in the US had the above described opportunities, 9/11 very likely still would have happened. His point is, “discussions about terrorism are important, but they’re not at the bottom discussions about migration, diversity, and multiculturalism.”

Adams admits, “this book isn’t the work of a historian or a futurist; it is the work of a pollster who, decidedly not an academic, at times aspires to be considered a social scientist.” Unfortunately, in an effort to make a book appeal to the general Canadian population, the “scientist” part is gone and all that is left is a “social book”—something to talk to people about at your next dinner party, but ultimately, not worth a whole lot.

Running at 152 pages (180 with the index, appendix, notes and acknowledgement), it was a quick—and disappointing—read. I would still recommend this book, but borrow it from the library.

Overall Rating: 6/10

BOOK REVIEW: Stuff White People Like

2008-09-04T07:32:00.003-04:00

Written by the same author who wrote the blog, Stuff White People Like is a book format of the blog but has at least half new material. This book is laugh out loud funny and summarizes many of the people at my alma mater, Trent University. Basically it describes liberal urban yuppies (and most of my friends). Why do I say this?

Going to an undergrad school filled with Birkenstock-wearing-Marxist-loving-hippies and a grad school in a program for policy makers/analysts grows one accustomed to having friends and colleagues with interests in many of things listed in the “stuff white people like” such as: farmer’s markets, organic food, Barack Obama, Non-profit organizations, having black friends, awareness, microbreweries, not having a TV, veganism/vegetarianism, Apple products, Indie Music, Sushi, Documentaries, knowing what’s best for poor people, modern furniture, hating corporations, having gay friends, music piracy, Noam Chomsky, natural childbirth, Che Guevera, Premium Juice, and dive bars.

A passage from # 82 Hating Corporations:

One of the more popular white-person activities of the past fifteen years has been attempting to education others on the evils of multinational corporations. White people love nothing more than explaining to you how Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Microsoft, or Haliburton is destroying the Earth’s culture and resources....WARNING: When engaging in a conversation about corporate evils it important to never, ever mention Apple computers, Target, or Ikea in the same breath as the companies mentioned earlier. White people prefer to hate corporations that don’t make stuff they like.”

In fact, I actually pictured a few of my friends or people I have known over the years when reading certain parts of the books. Did I see myself in this book? Not really.

According to Lander’s rating scale I am 11% white because I like: coffee, yoga, gifted children, wine, architecture, brunch, living by the water (I am writing this review on the deck at the cottage staring out at the beautiful lake), bicycles, expensive sandwiches, recycling, water bottles, multilingual children, grad school, bad memories of high school, outdoor performance clothes, dinner parties, New Balance shoes, red hair (duh!), scarves, high school English teachers, acoustic covers, not having cash, books, glasses and cheese. (16/150)

Overall rating 8/10

BOOK REVIEW: The Last Lecture

2008-09-02T11:11:00.001-04:00

If you have seen Randy Pausch’s lecture on YouTube, or saw him when he was on Oprah it still doesn’t compare to this book. The book tells what was going on in his head before, during and after his lecture. Further to this, he provides an inspirational story about life lessons and learning what’s truly important in life. Moving and inspiring at the same time, I laughed and cried. This books beats Tuesdays with Morrie hands down and is now my new favourite book.

Randy passed just this past month. I was incredibly disappointed that I honestly didn’t get around to watching the lecture on YouTube or reading his book until after his passing. After reading a good book I like to contact the author to tell them how much I enjoyed it. Sadly, I did not live in the moment and waited until it was too late for this opportunity. This does not negate the wonderfulness of this book.

Coming in at 207 pages, I read it in a day and truly could not put it down. I would recommend this book to everyone young and old.

BOOK REVIEW: Fifteen Days

2008-09-02T11:09:00.001-04:00

This book is filled with terrific stories of Canadian soldiers told by Globe and Mail writer, Christie Blatchford. I love her humble writing style in her telling of the stories of soldiers she met or heard about in her three embedded assignments in Afghanistan in 2006. Running at 385 pages with a full index and glossary, this book was difficult to put down. It definitely tells the stories of soldiers not heard in the mainstream media.

Growing up in a military family and spending several years as an Army cadet, I was quite familiar with most of the military lingo/lexicon. However, reading this book late at night sometimes you can get lost in all the military jargon and acronyms. To really understand and absorb all of the detail that Blatchford provides, in my opinion this book requires a second read—which I don’t mind at all—and I plan to do once everyone who wanted to borrow it from me has read it.

I received this book from my roommate last Christmas. I started reading it over a week of holidays I had back in April, but had to stop when I started working overtime at work and an intensive summer course in health economics. I picked it up again once my summer vacation started last week and read it non-stop until I finished it. Because each chapter is one “day” I didn’t feel too lost after putting it down for a little while.

A moving account of Canada’s greatest heroes, I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to know what’s going on beyond the headlines and who these soldiers are.

Overall rating: 9/10

Bizarre Human Customs: Safe Injection Sites

2008-08-20T08:07:00.001-04:00

Author note: I couldn't resist talk about this issue....On vacation starting...now.

In the year 5000 CE archaeologists and anthropologists are investigating the civilization known as Canada circa around 2000CE. One discovery has puzzled anthropologists for months. The discovery was evidence of what this society referred to as "In-site." Newspaper articles were discovered in a well-preserved time capsule.

“In-site” was also known as a “safe-injection site” was a place in the city of Vancouver where people, addicted to illegal drugs were able to shoot up, supervised by medical professionals. This discovery has completely baffled our leading anthropologists.

According to the newspaper articles found, a government leader responsible for health, known as Tony Clement, was an outspoken advocate against this, questioning the ethics and morals of medical professionals supporting this pilot project. However, leaders of medical professionals, such as the Canadian Medical Association, are in support of this alternative, with individual doctors criticizing Mr. Clement’s comments as “repugnant.”

Through our other discoveries, we have learned of physician practices and rituals. After going through medical school a new physician must take a “Hippocratic oath” to promise to “first do no harm.” “In-site” is also known has a “harm reduction strategy,” however our leading scientists cannot understand how this approach reduces harm. Further to the point, it is a confusing message that we don’t understand. The articles state that these drugs are illegal. We have also learned that these drugs are highly addictive, destroy family units, and ultimately destroy the user in many cases. So we are confused with what message this sends to the rest of Canadians, especially impressionable children, as well as the rest of the world.

Another article talk about how the Head of State of Canada, Michaelle Jean, hosted the Queen Silvia of another country known as Sweden. In the article, it spoke of how these two women discussed how to deal with social problems. When the topic of illegal drug use came up, the woman had two different approaches. Michaelle Jean told the Queen about “In-site” as “an enlightened approach.” The Queen told the Governor General that Sweden, while often known as a “socialist” country, does not tolerate illegal drug use and offers drug users a choice: prison or treatment. It appear that the Queen was not impressed with Canada’s approach.

In all of our years of discovering civilizations, the discovery of a group of people in favour of a safe-injection site of additive and illegal drugs is troubling.

On Vacation...See you in September

2008-08-19T09:23:00.000-04:00

A reason to say "go leafs go"?

2008-08-19T09:08:00.002-04:00

Growing up in Ottawa, I was always a Sens fan. Moving in London, ON when I was 10, I was exposed to an interesting species known as "Leafs fans." However, I am not too "fan" enough to not support the Leafs, if they are the only Canadian team left in the playoffs (unlike many Leaf fans out there). Come September, I might have a reason to support the Leafs with rumors of Mike Van Ryn--with whom I went to high school, and same elementary class as his younger sister--being traded to the Leafs.

I also went to high school with Jessica Zelinka who performed well at the Olympics (6th place)!

Farewell Frank and Gordon

2008-08-06T15:01:00.005-04:00

First there was the untimely demise of Joe (I AM) Canadian, then we said "bye, bye Mr. Canadian Tire guy..." Now, we must say farewell to another prominent Canadian icon...the Bell Beavers.

Sure, I loved them when the first came out...but that one beaver's voice (haven't a clue which one) drives me crazy! And so, Frank and Gordon, from the land of Bell have officially retired.

I am sure that in 10-20 years the images of these characters will return and I will reminisce to the tune of "I remember those beavers..."

My prediction of the next corporate "mascot" to retire.......the Montana's Moose and Buck.

Presumed consent for my organs but not telemarketer calls?

2008-07-31T11:56:00.000-04:00

So let me get this straight.

While I have signed my organ donor card, I find it quite troubling that some politicians are pushing for presumed consent for organ donation, while I have to opt-out of getting unwanted phone calls.

Kind of backwards don't you think?

Christie Blantchford Experience of Saying "Illegal words" in the Ottawa airport.

2008-07-07T15:56:00.002-04:00

Unbelievable.

Anyway, while waiting for my flight home at the Ottawa airport, I was on my cell talking to my pal Rosie DiManno, the gritty Toronto Star columnist just returned from another trip to Afghanistan, where she travelled the country all on her own but for a young interpreter.

We were meant to figure out the guest list for an upcoming party, but she said, "That's a great trial you've got going there," and off we went, soon discussing our shared frustration with those who persist in believing that youthful goofiness or general haplessness are incompatible with terrorist aims and missions. They never have been with ordinary criminals - that's why most of them get caught most of the time - so why would it be any different with terrorist criminals?

To illustrate this, Rosie mentioned a book she was reading which notes that two of those wanted in the Oct. 12, 2000, attack by an al-Qaeda cell on the USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden are also wanted in an earlier unsuccessful attempt to blow up the USS The Sullivans in the same harbour, an attack averted only because the thugs - oh, those goofy kids! - overloaded their small boat such that it sank.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice indictment, Jamal Ahmed Mohammed Ali al-Badawi and Fahd al-Quso were among those who allegedly salvaged their explosives, regrouped, built a better boat - and eureka, less than nine months later, pulled alongside the USS Cole and blew a 40-foot hole in its hull, killing 17 sailors.

In the same vein, I told Rosie about some evidence at the Khawaja trial, particularly the testimony of a key witness, himself a convicted al-Qaeda operative, about the loose connections between the Khawaja group and others who had succeeded - one was a London Tube bomber, and two unnamed others were described as completed a mission in Israel, presumably a suicide bombing.

It was at that point that the Air Canada clerk at Gate 27 approached me.

"Excuse me," he said, "you can't say those words. Those words are illegal."

"What words?" I asked, bewildered, given that by then I'd said probably 2,000 words.

"Suicide bombing," he whispered.

Now, I know of course one is not to make jokes or threats about bombs at airports, and properly so. But I hadn't been doing that, rather recounting some of the public evidence heard that day at a public trial in the nation's capital.

"That's not illegal," I snapped, barely restraining myself from adding "You ninny." Besides, I told him, I was a reporter telling another reporter about my work day, which was true enough.

"Do you want me to call security?" he asked primly. "I'm supposed to call security in these situations."

"You do what you like," I said, talked to Rose a bit longer, then sat down and resumed reading my book.

About 10 minutes later, a fellow passenger warned me that she thought the clerk had called security. I couldn't believe it, and kept reading, and sure enough, within a few minutes, a young woman with a walkie-talkie in her hands (I guess so if I suddenly turned into a human missile she could call for help) asked to speak to me. She'd had a report about "an incident," she said. So I told her through gritted teeth what had happened, she magnanimously agreed it was "not illegal" to say what I'd said, apologized and went on her way.

When we boarded a little later, I asked for the ninny's name. He refused and hissed, "If you make a scene, I'll call the pilot and you won't be flying tonight."

I was so very tempted to tell him to go ahead, but I knew he probably would do it and I wanted badly to get home, so held my tongue. I was quietly praising myself for my steely calm when another passenger remarked, "I didn't know you were an anarchist, Christie."

Another “You’ve got to be kidding” Moment Brought to you by the Canadian Justice System/Our Legislative Government!

2008-06-19T15:28:00.001-04:00

The Senate has passed a bill that could subject parents to criminal prosecution for spanking their child.

A Quebec judge rules that father had no right to ground her by not allowing his 12-year-old daughter to go on a field trip.

A famous Liberal prime minister once said that the state has no business in the bedroom of nations.

While Trudeau was referring to consenting adults, I believe that the state has no business telling you how to parent your child. Critics will argue that spanking or grounding could potentially have psychological trauma blah blah blah.

So does divorce, are we going to ban divorce?

What next? Criminal prosecution or fines for feeding children donuts or making your child stand in a corner for time out?

Other bloggers who have commented on this issue:

Rootleweb: Parental Concern Outlawed! Coming to a country near you and Parenting Outlawed! Also coming to a country near you

Daimnation! Sue your Parents?

Christian Conservative: Liberals attacking Mom and Dad, yet again

CBC: "One-third of people shot by taser need medical attention"

2008-06-18T11:44:00.002-04:00

...As opposed to how many (in my opinion more than one-third) people who need medical attention after they have been pepper-sprayed or hit with a baton?

How about we consider the proportion of people who get shot by police who need medical treatment? Probably all! And the proportion of people who have been pepper sprayed or hit by a baton that need medical treatment? Probably a lot more than “one-third!” (Which is paid for by taxpayers, by the way.)

What about the proportion of people that actually cooperate with police who need medical treatment? Probably none!

Are tasers being over used? Perhaps. But in comparison to what? Guns, Pepper-spray, batons? Where are these statistics?

Are there policy issues that need to be addressed in terms of creating protocol on the appropriate use of a taser? Absolutely.

But the reality is that police have to subdue suspects or unruly behaviour. And do they use their baton or taser every time? No.

Every time a police officer unholsters their gun they have additional paperwork to do. Do really want police officers sitting writing more paper work about using their taser when municipalities are crying they need more officers on the street?

Where is the public outcry about the increasing number of people who disrespect police?

While “statistics” may report that in general crime is going down, they also report that violent crime is going up.

I am really getting tired of the slanted media attention to many policy issues today. The media have the power to control how we perceive a situation and influence how we form our opinions about the issue. What ever happened to objective journalism standards?

Unfortunately, we aren’t born with critical thinking skills. And in school the “critical thinking skills” are being taught are that if you question or challenge authority (government, police) you’re being a critical thinker.

By the way CBC, 28% is a lot closer to one-quarter (25%) than one-third (33.3%).

More Random Acts of Kindness

2008-06-12T09:58:00.003-04:00

About a year ago, I was the recipient of a random act of kindness. About six months ago, I posted some great stories of random acts of kindness from the Toronto Star.

These stories truly touch your heart. Here are the June stories. Bookmark the page to read them every month. Here are some of the archives

May
April
March
February
January

"We Have the Power"...to Drive the Company into the Ground!

2008-06-04T07:48:00.005-04:00

"We are going to fight this decision," Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove declared at a news conference. "This decision is unfair, it's unjust, it's unwarranted, it's illegal, it violates our collective agreement, and we're going to do everything in our power - and we have power."

Oh yeah Buzz...you have power to drive the company into the ground. GM is closing four of its plants in North America, and specifically the one in Oshawa that builds pick up trucks (Silverados and Sierras). Now union activists have set up a blockade of the GM headquarters in Oshawa.

Someone tell me where all the union-lovers are when a company is making a move based on consumer demand (gas prices and environmentalism). Environmentalists scoffed when people drove around SUVs and Pick-up trucks. Even Jack Layton proposed putting a surcharge or tax on them a while back.

It is safe to assume that most environmentalists are left-leaning and that most people who like unions are left-leaning. So how to reconcile your party's beliefs when people think they are entitled to their jobs or have a right to be employed with company that can't compete with consumer demand of small and more fuel-efficient vehicles?

Update: Joanne points us to an article by Don Martin about the reality facing the auto sector.

Globe and Mail joins the 21st Century

2008-06-02T10:18:00.004-04:00

As they said, "The locks are off"

I can now enjoy my Jeffrey Simpson, Margaret Wente, Christie Blatchford, Lawrence Martin and John Ibbitson. I missed you guys. I was reading your books instead. (Wente and Ibbitson finished, currently reading Blatchford's).

End of the World as We Know It?

2008-05-31T13:06:00.003-04:00

Do you feel fine?

The environmental movement could not have come at a better time. With oil prices skyrocketing we should be conscientious of our use of resources, but there are those out there who turn to hysteria to guide us:

James Howard Kunstler isn't one to mince words about what's coming. "The suburbs will turn to slums, salvage yards and ruins," says the author of the book The Long Emergency. "Expensive oil will thunder through the economic system cutting a wide swath of destruction." As Kunstler sees it, sometime during this decade half of the world's recoverable petroleum will have been extracted. From here on out, we'll be living on a dwindling supply of hard-to-reach fossil fuels. This is the cornerstone of the "peak oil" theory and Kuntsler foresees apocalyptic fallout. It will become unfeasible for people to drive from the burbs to distant jobs, and as the petroleum refugees flee their McMansions, the sprawling cul-de-sacs will turn to ghost towns. As the global supply chains collapse, major importers like Wal-Mart will go out of business.

But do they have a point? I'm one of my few peers who have a car (a fairly economical compact car), but with gas prices at $1.28/L I feel less inclined to offer to drive people home after a meeting or get-together. Would I give up my car if I have to? Perhaps. Unlike many people in Ottawa though, I don't live, work, or go to school downtown though. If I could walk to school and work it would be nice, but its impractical to think our cities can be designed that way.

The recent anxiety about increases to food and gas make me feel uneasy. While I wasn't alive in 1970s, it does seem to be a repeat of history. It may be optimism or me being naive that we know more today, and combined with the environmental movement, we will be able to combat this better than they did back then.

The discussion of interest rates is also interesting. There is pressure to continue to lower them, because of the cost of everything else is going up; however, inflation is the other concern.

In the next 10 years I plan to buy my first home, get married and have my first child, but what kind of world would I be bringing a child into? While my partner and I will both have Master degrees, and will have the capital to weather the storm, not everyone will be as fortunate.

No matter what your political beliefs are, there must be an acknowledgement that inequalities between people financially will increase. But I believe that in the long run, capitalism will help solve the problems we are currently facing. The environmental movement has increased demand for ideas, innovation and new products to reduce and has made people more conscientious of their energy uses. This is all good.

Unfortunately capitalism hasit has also increased "trendy" products where companies/producers will use the buzz words of "green" "organic" etc... but they are just trying to sell their product or get people to consume, which is the exact opposite of what the movement is about.

Our governments need to support SMART alternative energy solutions not just carbon programs or taxes. Want people to have solar panels to heat their homes? Reuse rain water? Drive a car with alternative-fuel? Make it accessible and less expensive. Do you want out government to support more students to take sciences in university and support innovations to solve our problems or do you want them to give "equal" and "fair" support/incentives to all students, even if they get a useless English or History degree?

This needs to happen now, because if we continue at the current rate of price increases no one is going to care about the planet when they are living paycheck-to-paycheck trying to pay to live.

Tragedy in Calgary Reminds Us That Mental Health Issues Need Attention

2008-05-30T10:26:00.002-04:00

I was at the CAHSPR conference this week and heard an excellent lecture from Gillian Mulvale on the Mental Health Commission. This story from Calgary just breaks my heart. The warning signs were there, family and friends were concerned enough to visit and talk but no one was able to stop this tragedy from happening.

CALGARY - Hard-working, devoted father Joshua Lall heard voices in his head and believed he was possessed by the devil before the mass killing that claimed his life and four others, sources told the Calgary Herald.
...
The fact investigators are focusing on Joshua Lall as the culprit is at odds with a lifetime spent making positive contributions.

He was a high-school valedictorian, track star and volunteer fundraiser for his local community association.
...
"Information is coming in by the minute, in terms of background information, family information," Slater said.

Another ominous sign that has come to light is a phone call Lall made to his parents in Ontario a few days before the killings.

The conversation was troubling enough to prompt his parents to book a flight to Calgary.

The flight, however, brought them to the city Wednesday night - too late to intervene before tragedy struck.

A close friend detected some anxiety from Lall during a visit a few weeks ago, but said it didn't appear to be more than what he and his wife could handle.
...
Lall was an intern architect at local firm Cohos Evamy, but called in sick on Monday.

On Tuesday, he asked for a week off.
...
Although people with mental illness often have a long history of psychiatric problems, experts said it's possible for some to not have any psychotic episodes until their 30s, brought on by anything, such as major depression, a thyroid disorder or other medical problems.

Debate about the role of government

2008-05-24T08:10:00.003-04:00

As a public policy Masters student I am highly interested in learning the history of the role of government. My undergrad in Sociology and Canadian Studies also fuels my interest in thinking about how we should create our society. Paul Wells has an excellent article in Macleans about the debate that Dion and Harper will not be able to avoid in the next election: the role of federal government:

The Harper Conservatives will argue, in effect, that there is not much left to do. The fruits of Canadian governments' smart decisions over the past decade and a half are in danger precisely because governments will be tempted to get big ideas, to tax and spend us all into penury again with grandiose projects. The way to stop that is to get still more money out of Ottawa's hands and into yours with tax cuts.
...
The Liberals will argue that budget surpluses, high employment and relatively low taxes are a solid base from which to relaunch an era of government ambition. They have a tougher row to hoe, simply because activist government has fallen out of public favour while we've spent nearly a generation reining government in. But they have to make an argument for activist government, whether it's an easy sell or not. First, they can't outbid the Conservatives as fiscal managers because Paul Martin the prime minister was ingenious in finding ways to torpedo the legacy of Paul Martin the finance minister. Second, the road back to power lies in persuading the NDP voters of 2006 to vote Liberal in 2008 or 2009. Dion can't woo Harper's voters away from Harper, not yet, so he needs to unite the left.

I believe the government should create incentives or programs that do not create a state of dependency. I really believe the past thirty years since Trudeau's Charter of Rights and Freedoms that we as citizens have become too fixated about "rights" instead of our responsibilities as citizens. Politics has become subdivided into identity politics where people are just interested in what's good for their "kind" (in whatever form that make come in).

Why create social housing, and put more money into it doing repairs to them, when we should create more incentives and opportunities for people to own their own home. Of course this shouldn't be in the form of sub-prime mortgages, but it's common sense that people take care of things better when it's their own.

Why create a health care system (or any social program) that will not be sustainable with an aging population, and not enough younger people and babies (future tax payers) to sustain it.

Why create an education system sending students off to the next grade level without the grammar and social skills they need. Or allowing high school students to graduate without a course on economics, a topic that is at the forefront of every day news stories.

Why remove funding to national defense to pay for other social programs, and when disaster strikes (whether in the form of terrorism or natural disaster) we're stuck chartering out equipment.

We need 21st century leadership and solutions to the challenges our society faces.

I really don't think Stephane Dion offer this.

I didn't vote for Harper the first time around; I wasn't convinced he could lead the country. But he got my vote in Jan 2006 and he will get my vote in the next election.

Guy Giorno goes to Ottawa

2008-05-23T08:25:00.002-04:00

I met Guy about two months ago at a Manning Centre for Building Democracy event. He was that week's guest lecturer for the Political Communications course I was taking with the MCBD. I thought he was a terrific speaker and observed that he does have passion in what he does. All of the guest lecturers for the 7-week course stayed after to meet and greet with the class of about 20. Guy was the only one out of 7 weeks of lecturers to take off right away. I figured he had a plane to catch or something, but like our other lecturers, they said so and apologize for only being able to stay for 5 or 10 minutes.

Now that these alleged characteristics of Guy are coming out, I can see the "introvert", but certainly not the Jane Taber axe job on him, caulking him up to be "an introverted, hard-core Conservative with a strategic mind and a deep religious faith is set to take over as Stephen Harper's top adviser."

Funny, if he was of any different religion would they be as fixated on his faith? Here comes another round of The chronicles of Harper's "hidden agenda"

Bernier in the news....again

2008-05-23T08:02:00.001-04:00

Is that a cabinet shuffle I hear in the distance?

Sunday Reading: Diamond Shreddies and Marketing Brilliance!

2008-05-11T12:36:00.009-04:00

Sure you've heard about the New Diamond Shreddies campaign. Macleans wrote an article about the background story, including the 26-year intern that came up with the idea.

When Hunter Somerville created the world's first "diamond Shreddie" in September 2006 by pivoting a piece of the waffled whole wheat cereal onto a 45 degree angle, he didn't have a clue it would inspire a landmark ad campaign destined to spark debate at checkout counters and win fawning accolades within the very industry it parodies — all while selling a truckload of cereal and revitalizing a sleepy brand. At the time, though, the virtuosity of his cereal play didn't summon a "Eureka!" moment. "I thought it was the stupidest, worst idea ever," he says.

...
Still, there was nervousness within Kraft's upper ranks that consumers might not get the joke. A trial campaign that spanned print, television, billboards and the Internet was floated in Alberta in the summer of 2007. A TV spot explained that a dire accident at the Shreddies factory had led to the extinction of the square Shreddie. A diamondshreddies.ca website offered prizes, a vote-in for "square" or "diamond," and recipes with the caveat: "If Diamond Shreddies cereal is not available, you can substitute with square Shreddies cereal." Not everyone got the joke. One perplexed man wrote the Edmonton Journal: "I am not usually the suspicious type, but don't the new Diamond Shreddies look like the original Shreddies just flipped on their side?" But enough did get it to lead to sales increases that far exceeded expectations.

It's a long article, but give it a read.

Unlike a friend of mine who thinks the new campaign is an insult to his intelligence (I tease, Justin!), I think it is a piece of marketing brilliance.

Growing up I was allowed to choice of 5 different cereals: Shreddies, Honey Nut Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, or Raisin Bran.

Mystery Illness on Via Train

2008-05-09T15:02:00.005-04:00

Update: National Post is reporting that officials are ruling out a lot of the serious illnesses.

Dr. Williams also confirmed that the other passengers who fell ill had medical conditions unrelated to the dead passenger.

I hope the 6 o'clock news gives less attention to Maxime Bernier's private life and more to this mysterious illness on a Via Passenger train on its way from Toronto from BC that is now under quarantine and stopped in northern Ontario, after a passenger has died.

FOLEYET, Ont. - Health authorities remain puzzled by an unfolding medical emergency aboard a Via Rail train that has left one woman dead and others seriously ill.

Up to 10 of the 264 passengers were showing flu-like symptoms and have been taken by ambulance to hospital in Timmins, Ont. None of the other passengers are being allowed off the train.

"We are still trying to determine the nature of the medical situation," Health Canada spokesman Alistair Sinclair said.
...
Police, fire and ambulance officials are on the scene in full protective gear and two of the train cars have been sealed off pending assessments by public health experts.

After SARS, I'm pleased to hear that precautions are being taken.

Tim Horton’s Employee fired for giving child timbit

2008-05-08T09:51:00.007-04:00

[Update below she has since been rehired]

I am working on my Masters in Public Administration. I’m learning lots about the rules and policies when instead, we should be learning more about how to be a good manager, and as future (or current) public servants, how we should work within rules and policies.

Sure there was a rule broken.

But there are different approaches to managing the situation.

You can be an administrator or a leader.

So why can’t more companies work within these principles?

Pieces of legislation like any type of regulation or the accountability act leave no room for flexibility.

But should they?

Canadians can’t trust their governments to use their funds responsibly.

Recent announcements like the RCMP "raid" and the CBC execs living it up in $1000/hotels send a pessimistic message about the government's ability to use funds within the set rules/limitations.

In my line of work, we have an income level cut off, and those who make more than the level are ineligible to apply for financial assistance. If a person makes $28,000, but the cut off is $27,500 a part of me wants write a policy exception to help this person out. The problem is, if I write one policy exception, there are 100 more stories like her out there and the toughest part of my job is knowing we have limited funding and can’t help everyone. Sometimes rules are in place for a reason.

But there is a different between public and private organizations.

Private companies are a different story. They don’t have to be accountable to the public (aside from being good corporate citizens). They answer to their shareholders. Private companies have the flexibility to be innovative and are rewarded for taking risks, breaking rules and old ways of doing things and reinventing.

Sure, we’ve seen private-sector scandals like Enron and the like, but is a timbit really theft?

Now, I would have to consult my colleague who is studying law to know for certain, but (keeping in mind I’m not a law-student and I only have memories of grade 11 law, and movies like Legally Blonde), I think we should ask, was the crime of theft actually committed? Was there mens rea (guilty conscience)? Did this employee knowing it was against the rules.

We couldalso think about the "theft is theft” campaign like stealing satellite/cable or even downloading copyrighted music.

I remember when I was around 7 years old. I was in the grocery store with my mom in the produce section. She was buying grapes, but there was no sign to indicate the grapes were seedless or not. So the plunked a grape off and passed it to me to tell me if it was seedless or not. I remember refusing, raising my voice saying, “no mom, that’s stealing.” She wasn’t too impressed, but it wasn’t my intention to embarrass her in the store. But this story does make you think about how a child learns and sees honesty and theft.

Going back to the initial story, this Tim Horton’s employee gave a regular customer’s child a timbit. Tim Horton’s fired this employee. Why?

Giving food away free is against the rules, said Tim Hortons district manager Nicole Mitchell.
"Employees aren't allowed to give out free products and that's the bottom line," she said. "She gave out free product and it doesn't matter if it is a Timbit or a coffee or a doughnut or 10 sandwiches or what."
I think it does matter.

I'm sure there are people out there who will say, "well if that's the company policy, then that's the policy"

Sorry! Not good enough and just a poor demonstration of lack of leadership and management ability. It doesn't matter if this is what critics speculate as a "problem employee" and this was perhaps the last straw trying to find a reason to get her fired. It's not good business practice. I foresee that because they caught her on videotape, the managers were out to get her, as going through security cameras is a cumbersome activity.

Losing Nicole Lilliman is not what Tim Horton’s only loss.

If I was upper management, I would be pissed that this hit the MSM and blogs. Look what it has done for the image of the company.

Not only could they lose that regular customer, but now that the G&M picked up the story—and over 350 comments were generated in less than 12 hours—customers may not want to support a company whose lack of vision and rigid management and treatment of employees.

I’ve already made the switch to Starbucks. Yet another reason in my book!

Update: National Post reports that she has been rehired, but is working at a different location

Postive Message about Afghanistan

2008-04-24T18:53:00.003-04:00

I am currently reading Blatchford's Fifteen Days. I took it on the plane with me on my recent trip home and I took it with me to the dentist appointment this afternoon. It has sparked some conversation with the strangers I meet.

The impression thus far I've had with the people to which I've spoken in the past few days is a lot of the negativity surround the mission.

It's unwinnable.

We will never be able to separate politics and religion in that end of the world.

We shouldn't be there.

I hope many people read this article in the Windsor Star that demonstrates, if we really saw what was going on, instead of what the MSM are telling us (which is mostly the negative stuff) we could see the progress we are making):

The success of the war that Canada is fighting in Afghanistan is going to depend on the intelligent use of weapons. But not the kind that kill people.

All Canada's automatic rifles and rockets and grenade launchers will have been wasted if Afghans don't soon gain access to the weapons they need the most: education, justice, and job opportunities.

When I entered Afghanistan with four other members of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence last week, I had real doubts about Canadians fighting a war on behalf of a population so clearly in disarray - riddled with corruption, saddled with a medieval mindset and skewed by a drug trade running wild.

When I left Afghanistan four days later, my primary image was no longer of brave Canadians trying to prop up an ineffectual government and a hopeless society, and I believe my colleagues also came away with a different impression than we went in with.

Is Post-Secondary Education a Right?

2008-04-16T13:56:00.004-04:00

The entire "insert-social-program-here IS A RIGHT" are really starting to get on my nerves. Our entire society has gone "right" crazy and no one is talking about anyone's responsibilities.

This summer, I plan to take Education Policy and hope to have some interesting and productive discussions about problems and solutions to the problems currently facing our education system. Afro-centric schools to French Immersion programs have be my interests lately. Aside from these two issues, I am reminded about my entitlement- riddled-peers who insist on protesting tuition rates every February and rant and rave about education being a right. I'm not sure what Emile Durkheim would have to say about it (not that most students protesting tuition would have heard of this sociology theorist). Nevertheless, Carson Jerema has an excellent article called, "What right to an education?"

Free education advocates might point to state subsidization for primary and secondary school. The state is obligated, most would agree, to not only provide an education for children but to compel parents to send their children to school. It is not in the interests of the rights of the child per se, but in the interests of the adult he/she will become. In order for adults to exercise their autonomy and make appropriate choices, it is important that they be endowed with a minimal level of education so that they may function in a modern economy and participate in a liberal democracy.

But this cannot be true of higher education, because not only can we not compel adults to go, but that the function of lower levels of education is more basic, than the often career oriented aspects of post-secondary education. If one could credibly argue, in a country where upwards of 40 per cent of the 18-24 cohort goes to university, that students are not being suitably prepared to function in society the focus should be on primary and secondary education. To argue that higher education is an entitlement is only marginally different than arguing if I want to be a doctor than I have the right to be.

Do go and read the rest.

Also take a look at interesting commentary from Yoni Goldstein's "Canada's biggest mistake: Funding higher education for all and sending marginal specimens to university":

Yet most Canadians refuse to accept this possibility because our system of publicly funding universities and colleges has ingrained in us the message that going to college is a right, not a privilege and responsibility. So we pretty much all go. And why not? It’s cheap (yes, even at $5,000 a year), it’s fun and there are virtually no expectations placed on you — just do what you please, study (or don’t) what you want and we’ll see you in four years. Maybe you’ll have gained a skill, maybe not, but either way at least you’ll have “experienced” university.

This is nonsense; taxpayers should not be forced to pay for marginal specimens to have a four-year vacation from reality. Those who truly benefit from university — the ones who use what they learn to become businessmen, teachers or continue studies into law and medical school or academia — are being held back by a system that is designed to accommodate lower-calibre students.

And the kids who don’t belong in university are losing out, too. Instead of languishing in a four-year program, struggling for a B-minus average, they could be learning a trade in half the time that would lead to a solid, and often quite lucrative, career. (Have you noticed how trade schools have resorted to basically begging for students on TV and radio ads?)

Want to know why there’s no Canadian equivalent to Harvard or Yale or Oxford (and forget it UofT grads, you’re not on the level)? It’s because we don’t have the guts to be exclusive, to pick only the best and forget about the rest. And so the smartest Canadians are forced to travel abroad to get the best possible education. Oftentimes, they never return.

Having kept in touch with many of my colleagues who have recently completed a university degree, I've learned that their fluffy BA in film studies or history has gotten them a job at Chapters or as a personal assistant. Why do I need to complete a Master's degree to do what I want as a career? Supply and Demand. Too many people with undergraduate degrees and credentialism has now made an undergraduate degree the starting point instead of the ending point.

But is post-secondary education a right? I would have to agree with Yoni and Carson that the answer is no.

Society, not solely the judge failed these children

2008-04-09T09:22:00.005-04:00

Globe and Mail posted a picture of two of the three children that were allegedly killed by their father, Allan Schoenborn. Up until this moment I've been so upset and angry about this situation that I haven't been able to even blog about it. Seeing this picture of the children sort of set me off with my outrage about. I can't look into the eyes of those children in the picture without tears coming to our eyes. It truly breaks my heart.

How could this have happened?

How could we have let this happen.

Sure it's easy to blame the judge, who, after this man was arrested three times for some not so minor offences:

Mr. Schoenborn was charged with two counts of uttering threats to cause bodily harm or death to a young schoolgirl and a school official.

And then he was deemed stable enough, according to a justice of the peace to be let free. After all, apparently:

The judicial official who released Allan Dwayne Schoenborn on bail over police objections was advised at a hearing last week that there was no friction between him and his wife, B.C.'s top Provincial Court judge said yesterday.

But a publicly accessible court record shows that Mr. Schoenborn, who is being hunted by police after the slayings of his three young children in Merritt on Sunday, had pleaded guilty just five weeks earlier to violating a peace bond that was supposed to protect his wife.

Sure it's easy to go on a rant about our lax and liberal justice system. But that is shifting the blame on someone else. But I must point out that even the people involved are shifting the blame:

Attorney-General Wally Oppal told reporters yesterday he did not know if the justice of the peace had all the necessary information at the bail hearing, but said police should have. The RCMP have stated they did not know about the domestic violence allegations.

"I don't know if the JP had that information or not, but I know the police usually have that information....These bail hearings are done after hours, by telephone. The system operates well, but where you have human beings involved, you are also subject to human error."

On the phone? I've been in a courtroom once for my grade 11 Law class and so my idea of the judicial process has been tainted by too many episodes of Law and Order, not giving me a realistic idea of how the process goes. However,...you can be granted bail by a justice of the peace by telephone???

Not only do all parties involved need to take responsibility and stop shifting blame or who dropped the ball. We must all take responsibility, because we, as a society, failed these children.

The system failed these children.

Now what are you going to do so that something like this never happens again?

What is the problem?

Details are still coming out about this story, but we know thus far that there may have been mental illness. According to a report in the G&M, the children went from living in a bungalow last year to now living in a trailer, and thus, likely, there was poverty as the mother was trying to raise the three children on her own. Court documents also reveal a history of domestic violence. Despite his history with run ins with police and alcohol, it appears that the mother felt comfortable leaving her children with this man when she went for the store. I am not judging her decision, but we must recognize that domestic abuse does not make one think rationally (inthat we see and hear reports in newspapers or on talk shows about women who thought they could change 'him' etc...).

We must also consider not only the mother, Darcie Clarke, as the victim here, but the father, Allan as a victim too. Women's groups yammer on about violence against women, wanting the majority of money is going to the women/children. Ok, yes women/children need programs/systems so that they can get back on their feet/start a new life. BUT. If we have very little to education and rehabilitation of boys/men we will never solve the problem. This isn't a blame men for society's problems approach though. We must help the troubled boys/men otherwise we will never prevent this type of incident from happening.

This analysis is by no means expert in anyway, I am just throwing my two cents out there.

I must also point out, these three children were not the only children killed this week. In Cornwall, a 5-year-old was allegedly killed by the "acquaintance" of the mother and is in police custody.

In sum, it bears mentioning that strengthening the family unit and poverty need attention in terms of preventing this type of occurrence from happening, and stronger judicial process and rehabilitation is needed to assist with the problems now.

Update: Crux of the matter expressed similar sentiments and has summed up this blame game to silo thinking, but after a comment on both of our blogs from an Anon, we are reminded that we must remember that we are innocent until proven guilty in this country.

Stuff White People Like #94 Free Health Care

2008-04-05T15:12:00.003-04:00

Latest entry of Stuff White People Like.

In spite of having access to the best health insurance and fanciest hospitals, white people are passionate about the idea of socialized medicine. So much so that they have memorized statistics and examples of how for-profit medicine has destroyed the United States.

Apparently I've been living under the internet equivalent to a rock the past few months as I never heard of this blog until today. The 29 year old Canadian blogger, Chris Lander has received 21 million hits on his blog and a book deal from Random house.

I can't say that I completely identify with the majority of the entries. It appears that the "white people" Landers is describing are urban yuppies from Toronto, with whom I don't really identify (I don't get the fascination of sushi, vintage or modern furniture). That being said, I do love wine, dinner parties and I am addicted to Starbucks coffee (coffee, not the 4$ frothy milk stuff). I still find it funny because I can see a lot of my friends and my experience at Trent U in this list. Of course, like every stereotype there is no one person that fits this entire mold.

Click here for the full list.

Female Afghanistan Athlete Competing in Olympics

2008-04-05T14:07:00.003-04:00

With all the negative attention that the Olympics have received lately, here is a heartwarming story of a brave Afghanistan woman. I will keep an eye out for her in 800M and 1500M races.

Many athletes at the Olympic Games this summer will undoubtedly have overcome numerous obstacles to represent their country in Beijing. But only one has been forced to endure a hate campaign.

Sprinter Mehboba Andyar has received threatening midnight phone calls, been jeered at by hostile neighbors and harassed by police. The anger is directed at the 19-year-old runner for being Afghanistan's sole female Olympic athlete. In a conservative Muslim society where few women have roles outside the home, many Afghan men believe females should not compete in sports.
...
Her interest in running began under the fundamentalist Taliban government in 1998, when she began jogging around the family's enclosed yard in Kabul to avoid the patrols of the Taliban's religious police. Aside from banning television, movies, music and kite flying, the Taliban prevented girls from going to school or work and participating in sports.

When the family fled to Pakistan, her father couldn't afford to join an athletic club where she could train properly. Instead, she ran at a park in Islamabad.

Today, Andyar trains on a cracked concrete track in the same national stadium the Taliban used for public executions. The track, bordered by a chain-link fence topped with razor wire, circles a patch of dried yellow grass where boys play soccer. She dons a track suit and head scarf and plans to do the same in Beijing.

"I am an Afghan, so I have to dress modestly," she said. "It is my culture."

NB faces probe over Immersion debacle

2008-04-04T08:26:00.002-04:00

Furthur update from this and this post

The Globe and Mail reports that New Brunswick ombudsman will take a look at the decision the NB government made to axe the early immersion program in Canada's only bilingual province.

Warning that a generation of would-be bilingual students could be lost, New Brunswick's ombudsman announced yesterday that he will investigate the provincial government's decision to scrap its early French immersion program.

Ombudsman Bernard Richard called on the government to postpone for a year its scheduled cancellation of the early immersion program, saying his office received an unprecedented 250 complaints.
...
Findings from the ombudsman aren't binding and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock said he will go ahead with his plan. Nevertheless, parents who support early immersion are convinced that the ombudsman's probe will buttress their claims that the government made its controversial decision with little consultation and using faulty research.
...
The ombudsman is expected to complete his probe in June.

While he said he would look with "greatest care" at the conclusions of Mr. Richard's investigation, Mr. Lamrock said the Liberal government of Premier Shawn Graham was elected with a mandate to improve the province's poor education record.

"Certainly there's not going to be a postponement," the minister said in a telephone interview.

"Waiting a year for an unelected office to give us advice would be a waste of a year of a mandate. . . . The decision is not going to change."

Governments and its representatives are elected to represent us not rule us. This was a very abrupt decision made too quickly IMO. It appears to me that the government was just waiting for this report so that it could back up its already made up mind to scrap early French Immersion. While the Minister is adament that it will not reverse its decision, I am hopeful that enough attention to this issue will force the NB government and education minister to consider another option, instead of getting rid of the only program that is actually working in that province.

VIA offers free travel to CF members and veterans this July

2008-03-31T16:01:00.004-04:00

Source: Viarail.ca

But not all people are happy about this offer. A lot of negative comments were left on the CBC news story. The third comment got a lot of people riled up.

For a limited time only, VIA is offering one qualifying adult passenger complimentary travel within Canada on any VIA Rail train. You can even book up to five immediate family members for travel on the same trip – and save 50% on their tickets as well. Travel must be completed between July 1 and 31, 2008.

To buy your tickets, please call 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245), or TTY 1 800 268-9503 (hearing impaired).

Bill Savary:

Since when is it VIA's mandate to expend funds to support DND employees? They are not a gifting organization. They are a rail service; a Crown Corporation that benefits from federal programs and probably federal funding as well. I hope the Auditor General slams VIA and everyone along the line who had a part in this decision. It's a misappropriation of funs [sic].

For those of you hanging your hat on the tired "oh it's because our soldiers are fighting for our freedom" excuse, the VIA freebie extends to people who have never worn a uniform and who have no stake at all in any military or humanitarian actions or work whatsoever. It's ridiculous!

It would make far more sense to offer a freebie to seniors on a fixed income, or unemployed people traveling to attend a job interview, or parents of sick kids who are in remote hospitals, etc. DND personnel are general very well paid with all sorts of perks already, compared to a great many non-DND employees.

The Harper government with their American style 'patriotism' in the interests of supporting conservatism in all its forms has mobilized a great huge PR machine and plays with the sympathies and emotions of Canadians. I have no doubt this is part of the program.

Phil F:

Wow, we're truly turning into another America. Harper's conservatives are trying to turn us into a military state where members of the military machine are treated with special favours.

I do have respect for the men that risk their lives at our government's choice. But come on, I've worked plenty of jobs that are statistically more dangerous than the military. And why do National Defense employees get special privileges compared to other civil servants? Aren't all civil servants working for a common a goal?
I hope these "free" trips at the taxpayer's expense will at least be considered a taxable perk. Seems to me like the government is seeking ways to increase spending on its military without actually having it show on the budget. Because Via Rail is a crown corporation, its finances aren't part of the government's regular budget. But every person (non-military) that uses Via Rail is now going to pay for this military spending.

I'm totally disgusted by this promotion by our crown corporation.

Bobaubery:

What the heck, Hillier, Mackay and their gang are bilking us for billions with their payoffs to military contractors, why not a few bucks more for train tickets. I pray though that I don't have to sit next to one of those military goons on a Via trip

Update to Early French Immersion in NB Story

2008-03-31T11:52:00.003-04:00

I recently blogged about how I learned that the only bilingual province in Canada is cutting their early immersion program. The story has grown.

The Globe and Mail has picked up the story generating lots of discussion on the message boards and it reiterates a lot of what I said in my first post about the issues.

The parents' message has been gaining traction. Former New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord, who has just completed a national report on bilingualism, calls the action a mistake. Official Languages Commissioner Graham Fraser says the government's decision to end early immersion is a disappointment.

"I think it's unfortunate that this tool and opportunity - which has proven very successful in other jurisdictions - is being eliminated," he said in an interview.

Research is conclusive that the earlier the better when it comes to teaching young minds a second language.
...
A report that fuelled the government's decision found that New Brunswick children weren't staying with the immersion program, and weren't graduating with proficient French skills. So, Education Minister Kelly Lamrock decided to shake the system up.
...
Several academics hotly dispute the findings that justified Mr. Lamrock's decision and call the report statistically flawed. They argue the government should fix French immersion rather than eliminate it.
...
French immersion courses are offered in every province in Canada, enrolling 309,000 students or nearly 8 per cent of all eligible students nationwide. Participation rates climb to 36 per cent in Quebec and 26 per cent in New Brunswick, according to Canadian Parents for French.
...
Fred Genesee, a psychologist at McGill University and world authority on immersion, says research is conclusive that children learn a second language best at a young age. "Early immersion is more effective than late immersion. It gets kids when they are more receptive to learning." Prof. Genesee said. Children's "neuro-cognitive" abilities also favour early learning. "We know it can work," Prof. Genesee said. "If it's not working in New Brunswick it's not about the program - it's about how they're delivering the program."

Take a look at this (PDF) "Beyond Hysteria: The Facts about FSL and the Lamrock Plan" which talks about the statistically flawed report, which backs the decision the NB government made.

Facebook groups/campaigns have also started.

And Crux of the Matter also picked up the story (Thanks for the link).

Raising the Drinking Age to 21Will Not Reduce Teen Alcohol Consumption or Car Accidents

2008-03-28T13:50:00.004-04:00

A London (Ontario) health unit wants to raise the drinking age to 21:

A local health unit in London, Ont., has narrowly approved a resolution calling on the provincial government to raise the minimum drinking age from 19 to 21.

The Middlesex-London health board voted 4-3 in favour of the resolution, which its proponents say would significantly reduce alcohol consumption by teenagers and result in fewer motor vehicle collisions involving young drivers.

How about lowering the drinking age to 16 and raising the driving age to 18? Kids are going to drink when their 16 anyway. It is a lot easier to get access to booze than get access to a car. Kids will do their experimentation will alcohol no matter what the drinking age is. Teens learn their limits and after a few years the majority grow out of it. (Those who don't join law or engineering programs in university *wink*). I stopped binge drinking and began social drinking around second year of university. I just bought my first car at 23 years old, and never drink more than one drink if I know I have to drive home. I'm often the DD and I don't mind. I no longer see the need to go out and get loaded on the weekends.

By raising the drinking age, but keeping driving at 16 years old you're not reducing the number of collisions involving young drivers. Young drivers get into more accidents because of inexperience. So raising the driving age to 18 may not be a good solution either, as they will still be inexperienced.

I say let's lower, not raise the drinking age. Kids will learn to drink responsibly earlier. It seems to work in Europe. But I don't claim to be an expert in this, but some of it is common sense.

Short Sighted Education Policy in New Brunswick will have Terrible Consequences!

2008-03-28T11:01:00.000-04:00

"Two-tiered system" and a "segregated school system" already exist in Canada. New Brunswick is axing an early French Immersion program to end the "segregation" and "two-tiered system" because the (20% of NB students) students are excelling but the rest of students (80% who are in core-French) are falling behind and coming last in national test score. This short-sighted policy will have terrible consequences.

Some background:

Early French immersion beginning in Grade 1 has created a segregated school system in New Brunswick, Education Minister Kelly Lamrock told angry parents Thursday night — and that's why he's axing it.

Lamrock defended his plan in front of about 300 concerned parents and educators Thursday evening at a CBC townhall in Moncton, saying he had to think about the majority of children in elementary school who are not in French immersion and are doing poorly academically.

The minister blamed their lack of progress, in part, on the unusually high number of special needs children in the regular stream.

"Every kid who struggles winds up in core French. Too many kids with difficulties wind up in one class, none of them get the attention they deserve and, as a result, they fall through the cracks and we remain last in literacy," Lamrock said.

He said the 20 per cent of children who are enrolled French immersion beginning in Grade 1 are doing well academically, while the other 80 per cent in the regular system are lagging behind.

In fact, Lamrock said, students in the regular stream, with core French instruction, score the worst grades in Canada on national tests.

For more information and related articles about this click here

As a personal note, when growing up I was one of those kids in the 20% group. Initially I was in an English Catholic school from JK until grade 1. I have memories of leaving class and having to go for "gifted testing" and other tests because my teachers wanted me to skip a grade. See, I would finish my work so quickly, then talk to my peers, and end up "disrupting the class" (I have report cards with this wording.

When advanced students aren't challenged they could fail because they simply don't both trying. As a girl, I didn't mind doing extra work, and trying to stay quiet wasn't too dificult. But for boys, I believe this might be a different story. I have memories growing up with male friends who were really smart, but actually did poorly in school because they didn't try, even though if they put their mind to it, they could have done very well. But schools and the classroom setting are set up with girls in mind. Sitting still and quiet isn't a natural boy function. Our school system has dismissed this problem and created a new one. Increased diagnoses (primarily in boys) of ADD-type "disorders" which is what happened to my brother.

My mother did not want to me skip any grades. She wanted me to be at the top of my class, instead of just above average in the next grade up. Not to mention the social implications of being away from your friends, in a new cohort of students you don't really know. My teachers insisted we do something to challenge me in the classroom as disrupting other students certainly wasn't helping them learn. So I was place in French Immersion as a challenge. I changed schools for grade 2 and did very well. However, at the end of grade 2, I remember having go down and do more of that gifted testing again. Thankfully, this school had 3 other students in my grade like me, so I was in a gifted program.

While I did not remain in contact with these students, I've learned through Facebook that the four of us have become very successful. One is in med school, one is a nurse, one is an Engineer and I...am well almost done school to embark on an exciting career in the Canadian Forces or Public Service.

So what to do? The problem is the mentality that inequality in education is a bad thing. Why should we lower the bar to the other students and not give the opportunities to excel? While yes, 80% is a large number of students falling behind; however, I suspect that there are other issues, other than this French Immersion program contributing to the problem of NB students coming last in national scores.

Also from my experience, I know that in high school, us Frenchies (French Immersion kids) thought we were smarter than the other students, in the regular English high school program. This sense of superiority was partly arrogance, but I did believe it had some merit. For example, we excelled in English classes, because we understood the structures of grammar from having done it over and over in French class. I did math all the way through from grade 2 to OAC calculus in French! Another example, not only was I in enrichment math, but I was doing it in another language! You may think that math is only formulas, symbols and numbers, so it wouldn't matter what language it was it, which is partly true; however, there are always word problems and vocabulary you need to know as well. Doing stuff in other languages than your mother tongue stimulates your brain in many different ways, and in effect, makes you smarter? Why would NB cut a program that will help some children advance?

Cutting early French Immersion in the one province that has two official languages is short sighted policy that will have serious consequences. Students entering French Immersion in grade 6 (instead of grade 1) will not be able to pick up the language as easily as they could have when they were younger. While I am not expert in linguistics, I know that the younger you expose a child to a new language, the easier it is for them to pick it up.

Bye Bye Telemarketers

2008-03-28T08:24:00.002-04:00

I know Telemarketers have a job. I know I should be nicer to them. After all, (after I'm done school) I'm going to make a lot more money and they will continue to make peanuts. But when they call, there is just something in me that turns me into "super bitch." I know I shouldn't be this way, as I was technically a telemarketer/survey caller for 2 months one summer several years ago, and I remember how it was great to have the super nice people tell thanking me for my call instead of the people hanging up and yelling at me.

In the same situation as me? Want to get those pesky organizations to stop calling you. Sure, there is that Do-Not-Call Registry taking effect this summer. But we all know how charities, newspapers and political parties (who have prior relationship) got to be exempt from the list. Hence the complete ineffectiveness of the legislation.

Someone thought of a solution!

Law professor Michael Giest from OttawaU came up with a website, iOptOut.ca and you can manage your own Do-Not-Call list. I opted out of everything except for polling (I don't mind those). I do not get a lot of telemarketer calls because I only have a cellphone, but it's worth putting forth the request.

"The Canadian Forces Spend Millions to Recruit and Target Your Children"

2008-03-22T22:35:00.005-04:00

Ok, so the title is my rough translation of this blatantly ignorant article about the Canadian Cadet Movement. A (rough) English translation is available here. A snippet of the March 13th article published in Le Devoir:

The end of the primary school or the beginning of the secondary arrives, and know that there may be a recruiting agent in your entourage. The parents of a young neighbor or a friend, a trainer or even a member of the school's staff are perhaps instructors in a cadet corps. As absurd as the thing can appear, the Canadian Forces approach the children as of the age of 12. To some extent, don't we thus have our own child-soldiers?

Of course, it is nothing comparable with the child-soldiers mobilized by force in some countries at war. But all the same, it should be known that through Canada, 50 000 young people are recruited in cadet corps by the Army, the marine or the Air Force. The "instructors" of these juniors are soldiers belonging to your local reserve unit of the Canadian army. The young people carry the military uniform, are conditioned to obey military orders by the officers and to learn the handling of weapons.

Pour ceux de vous qui peut lire en français, cliquez ici pour le premier article dans Le Devoir et ici pour une réponse "Les cadets ne sont pas des enfants-soldats".

While the sheer ignorance and lies of Normand Beaudet does not even deserve a response, I feel it is imperative to tell you about my positive experience in cadets.

Cadets taught me things that a public classroom couldn't teach. Cadets taught me:

The value of friendship.
Joy of shining boots.
Respect for history and traditions.
Importance of communication.
Pride in my country.
Improve my public speaking skills.
Love for silent drill routines.
Acts of good citizenship.
How tough it is to be a good leader.
Respect is earned not demanded.
Passion for physical fitness.
Understanding of group dynamics.
Necessity of teamwork.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Did I want to join the CF at some point during my cadet career? Yes. But having come from a family with CF on my maternal and paternal side I considered joining the CF long before I joined cadets (which was at 16 years old). Would I want my child to join cadets? Of course! Being as both my partner and I were cadets in our youth, this is likely in our future either as volunteers ourselves and/our with our (future) children.

Cadets is a free program and you get paid to go to summer camp. For low-income families who couldn't afford to put their kids in organized sports or send them to summer camp this offers them an opportunity to be leaders and be socialized in a 'family' that will embrace them where it doesn't matter what label is one your jeans or shoes. But this is by no means a way to recruit "impoverished youth." You don't have to be 'poor' to join and in my experience, we came from all types of families. At summer camp you can learn how to play an instrument, sailing, archery, photography, or flying a plane.

During my five years in cadets I saw this youth program became watered down to be so de-militarized that it began to lack some of the most important aspects: discipline. Many of my fellow cadets and staff would complain that the standards were being lowered or "slack." I was too young to know about the real politics going on at the time, but I do know about movements like this one have continued to paint cadets to be a child soldier movement. It is unfortunate because there are very few opportunities for youth that offer the same experiences of leadership, physical fitness, respect for the outdoors, and discipline.

Reaction from RCSU(E):

We are familiar with Mr Beaudet's group, which, for several months, has been using disinformation to express its opposition to the Canadian Forces (CF) and to various CF recruitment campaigns. Until now, the media and the general public have shown no interest in Mr Beaudet's allegations concerning the Cadet program. After a discussion with NDHQ, I adopted the approach of not responding to the letter published in Le Devoir, in order to avoid giving the author an opportunity to reply. The Cadet Leagues were informed of this approach.

Were any of my fellow bloggers out there cadets?

An Oldie....But a Goodie...

2008-03-18T21:13:00.002-04:00

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be very Liberal, and was very much in favor of 'the redistribution of wealth.'

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Conservative, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harboured an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Click here to read the rest.

Oh, what a crock

2008-03-18T08:38:00.004-04:00

Oh, what a night?

The people of Toronto Centre, Willowdale, and Vancouver Quadra have voted decisively in favour of Liberal Party Leader Stéphane Dion’s vision for Canada.

Hardly. The two Toronto ridings were certainly not going to go Conservative with those 'star' Liberal candidates that were 'carefully' hand picked from the Liberal 'great leader'. Vancouver Quandra, a riding that is usually a liberal stronghold winning by thousands of votes, the Liberal candidate won by 151 votes. If that's what 'decisive' is, then I guess Rick Mercer is right, "Liberals: We're adaptable."

We can all be assured that tonight’s successes show Canadians that the Liberal Party is primed and ready for whenever a Federal election is called.

Ahahahahhaha. "whenever" an election is called. We have fixed election dates, so unless Stephane is pressured enough to step down as leader, we won't see an election until October 2009. Stephane Dion is the best thing that could have happened for Stephen Harper.

Activist Graffiti

2008-03-13T21:23:00.002-04:00

This post over at Freedom is My Nationality got me thinking:

On the 9th floor of Robarts Library, University of Toronto, there is a poster in the men’s bathroom. This poster advertises the benefits and opportunities of enlisting into the Canadian Forces. As a soon to be graduate I appreciate any option for future employment (anyone reading this hiring?). Some of my learned fellow students disagree.

On the poster there is penned in graffiti. “Say ‘No’ to army recruitment on campus. This is Outrages!”

Currently around the 11th Floor of Dunton tower at Carleton University has three posters:

Don't Extend it, End it: War in Afghanistan

Walmart: The high cost of low prices (put on by CUPE of course!)

(some other poster about communism, I can't remember)

I am a big enough person to not write graffiti on these posters, sadly, many of my colleagues (should they be advertisements advertising the opposite) cannot refrain themselves. I will never forget one of my undergrad class experiences. It was early in the 2006 election campaign (which actually started in 2005). My local conservative candidate put a considerable number of signs up in the first days of the campaign (Dean Del Mastro ended up winning the riding). Two of my colleagues were commenting on this, especially seeing them along the Trent Express bus route up to the university. One of them pipped up in all seriousness that she wanted to tear down all of the signs. In my head, I immediately thought to myself, "Hm, that's funny, I thought we lived in a democracy." If I speak up I'm considered a bitch, if I bite my tongue, I'm seen as spineless. A class of 19 other sociology students and a prof (who would write your letter of reference for grad school) would have you bite your tongue as well.

Academics are no better. Sadly, academics beat their chests about being critical thinkers, but when I criticise the way I'm taught to think, I'm the one ostracised. I shouldn't be surprised, but I do have one prof this term who manages to hint at fascism with conservatism twice in the past month and spends the entire lecture poking fun at c/Conservatives. I've got tougher skin than to actually be offended. I'm just sick of paying the salaries, of profs like this, where I am not learning anything.

Honour Student Suspended for buying Skittles at School

2008-03-12T23:17:00.004-04:00

Pssst....you want to buy some contraband? What's the kid pushing on your grade 8 son or daughter? Extacy? Pot? Booze? Cigarettes? Nope....Skittles! That's right, Skittles.

You know, that hopped up leprechan telling you to taste the rainbow. Hmmm...something told me he was up to no good:

School spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo said the New Haven school system banned candy sales in 2003 as part of a districtwide school wellness policy.

Michael's suspension was reduced from three days to one, but he has not been reinstated as class vice president.

Superintendent Reginald Mayo said Wednesday the principal was just trying to keep students safe, but he would review the decision to suspend Michael.

File this under Education policy at its worst. This is the problem with administrators running our policies.

What's next? Have you had your trans fat quota for the week? Yes childhood obesity is a problem, but banning products isn't the solution. How about we put more gym back into the curriculum (instead of worrying about everyone's feeeeeelings about feeling included in gym class). As someone who hopes to work in education policy, I hope we can learn from these rediculous cases (this one is by no means an isolated incident) and see how one policy causes more problems.

Paul Martin visits Brenda Martin in Mexico

2008-03-12T15:55:00.006-04:00

Bravo to Paul Martin for visiting Brena Martin (not related), the Canadian who has been imprisoned without a trail for two years. Say what you want about Paul not being in the HoC and doing various international projects, arguable outside the scope of duties to his local constituents, but I admire his ability to make a timely decision (since his nickname was Mr. Dithers...this should be especially admirable to his critics) to visit Brenda since he was in the neighbourhood, so to speak, when her story hit the news this morning. I give credit when credit is due. I really hope his influence will release this poor women and bring her back to Canada.

After the numerous media stories about Canadian deaths in Mexico and general bad experiences from friends and family about vacationing there I've decided I will likely never travel there.

While I can't imagine what this woman is going through, however, seeing movies like Brokedown Palace and hearing stories like Brenda's reminds me how lucky I am to live in a country like Canada. We talk a lot in this country about "rights" but we forget the other part of citizenship, which is "responsibilities." One of the fundamental duties of being a citizen is to exercise your voice/vote. With the latest voter turnout rates and the willingness people trade trash reality to TV to watching political engaging shows, it's clear that citizens are not engaged in current politics. (And really, who can blame them when our politicians play partisan games all the time).

But there comes a point where we must acknowledge and not take for granted the democratic rights, freedoms and responsibilies we do have. I hope my generation can place more emphasis on the democratic responsibilities and less about rights. Perhaps the mentality of the enviornmental movement will help in this regard. On the other hand, I am in the "me" generation, which has been generated being characterized as being very selfish.

So, the next time you consider whether it's worth you're going to go out to the polls or you're trying to convince a family member that never votes, tell the story of Brenda Martin and realize how grateful you should be to live in a country like Canada. Sure, we're not perfect, we have issues, but it's not a country that will lock you up without trial for two years for no wrong doing. (Then again, counter-terrorism legislation and Git-mo could counter this argument).

Ralphael Alexander has written more about this with some interesting links.

Did we break the snowfall record yet???

2008-03-09T12:18:00.007-04:00

I'm not sure how much fell last night here in Ottawa; however, as you can see from the pictures we definitely got the full dumping

Beginning to wonder whether "spring" forward will need a new name.

Stupid groundhog...

Here are some pictures of the big dig out in Ottawa this weekend. This is our third storm this week. Monday morning's commute had freezing rain. Wednesday morning I got snowed in and couldn't go to school or work. Friday night we 'only' got 10-15cm. It snowed all day yesterday and finally stopped late last night. Today's dig out was even worse than this week's both storms combined.

This is my car:

Digging my way to the driver side door:

I am looking forward to the day I will get a garage:

Meme: Six unimportant things!

2008-03-02T21:26:00.002-05:00

I've decided to join in on the fun, even though I haven't been tagged.

Share six unimportant things/habits/quirks about yourself. Ok we go.....

1. I love to sing in my car, loudly, with the music loud too because I'm not very good and I only sing while driving alone in my car, never as a passenger, or if I have passengers;

2. My toilet paper must roll over, not under, always!

3. I shudder at the thought and sight of spiders (I just did rereading this!)

4. My favourite crayon when I was a kid was Periwinkle.

5. I name my plants with old lady names. Current status: Gertrude is recovering from an incident with the cat, Esmeralda passed away last year, so this spring I will get a new plant. Haven't picked out her name yet, but I'm choosing between Agnes and Beatrice and Ester;

6. I can't sleep with socks on and my feet cannot be under the covers. If I'm sick and go to bed early, my partner G tucks me in and he knows to fold up the end of the blankets near my feet, so they can 'breathe'.

I tag 6 Canadian Bloggers:

Kerplonka
The War Room
Optimist Realist
The Natural Society
My Left Wing Girlfriend
A Step to the Right

Jack Layton becoming Irrelevant?

2008-02-29T18:01:00.001-05:00

Is Jack Layton is becoming increasingly irrelevant? With the Green Party taking on more popularity, especially in the 18-24 age group--the area from where the NDP draw most of their votes--I wonder about the future of the party. I subscribe to all of the party's mailing lists. I like to hear what everyone is saying and get a full circle perspective. Jack Layton's Mantra is "corporate tax giveaways." It seems that York University Political Science department fails to require anyone to take an economics class. NDPers cry foul when there are layoffs and moan about jobs leaving our Canada, but don't see the connection with inflated union-wages and how it is unable to stimulating business growth, to create Canadian jobs, with tax incentives to keep a business in a province or our country. It appears, my own MP Dalton McGuinty doesn't understand this either.

"Sheer intellectual laziness of dismissing opponents as hate-mongering, totalitarian buffoons"

2008-02-29T16:41:00.002-05:00

This is yet another example how "student" unions do not represent the students, but instead their own one-sided agenda:

I will not go into this history today (though I may at some future point) except to say that this is nothing short of an attack on the university as a place for the free exchange of ideas. Even Heather Kere, a Ryerson Students’ Union executive who hasn’t exactly distinguished herself as a moderate, tried to amend the CFS motion so that it would only apply to anti-abortion groups that harassed students. An even-handed and grounded amendment that was promptly rejected.

And why did they reject it? Well, Shelley Melanson, CFS national women’s representative, told the Eyeopener, “You wouldn’t take public money to put in an organization that moves to take away people’s rights; you wouldn’t fund the KKK.”

Similarly, Sandy Hudson, CFS-Ontario women’s rep, also thinks anti-abortion groups are comparable to fascists. As the University of Western Ontario Gazette reported: “When asked whether Ryerson students should be exposed to both sides of the abortion issue, Hudson said allowing an anti-choice group would be like allowing a white supremacist group on campus.”

There you have it: if you do not agree with the CFS position on abortion you are no better than a member of the Klu Klux Klan or a white supremacist.

Apart from the sheer intellectual laziness of dismissing opponents as hate-mongering, totalitarian buffoons, the CFS just might be revealing its own intolerant tendencies. Let’s see who else might qualify as a white supremacist because of their position on abortion? Well Catholics come to mind. So do Hindus. And religious Jews and Muslims. (Full disclosure: I am a lapsed Catholic.)

Another example: My alma mater, Trent University and the uproar over f*ck Harper buttons. The "non-partisan" Trent Central STudent Association continues to sell these buttons as a "fundraiser" (As if the $43.32 per student these two student unions (TCSA and CFS) receive in levy fees is not enough...)

Let me be clear, this isn't a conservative-minded person whining about all the lefties around me. It is just a demonstration that it is not "conservative" voices that are not only not heard, but rather it is opposing viewpoints that are not allowed to be heard. Yup, the university institution, where open-mindedness is as hard to come by as chasity and straight-edge culture.

I get really irritated when the word "anti" is used. Anti-war, anti-choice, anti-gay, etc... Let's consider this "anti-choice" for a moment. Could someone from the other side of the spectrum please explain to me how banning pro-life groups from being allowed to form on university campuses contributes to offering more choice to women? Because apparently pro-life groups are "anti-choice", but I really am not seeing it. Could also a pro-choice person explain how a person can be against abortion because the fetus does not have a right to life or is not a 'person' but when a drunk driver or crazed lover kills a pregnant woman, they want two counts of murder/manslaughter instead of one. You can't have it both ways!

Full disclose for myself, I do not generally support abortion; however, being a woman who has never been in the situation, I cannot say that I would never consider it.

Do some pro-life groups do wacky things like burn abortion places, or humiliate woman who face such an awful choice? Of course! But certainly, the anti-war or anti-globalizations haven't been golden peaceful protesters either! The difference is, when you're anti-war or anti-globalization, it's hip, trendy, and cool. At least that's how is portrayed on university campuses. But isn't banning military recruiters, or banning pro-life groups more anti-choice than anything else? (Both UVic and Carleton have overturned their decisions, but Lakehead has not.

Both sides are claiming "discrimination" and dare to use "human rights tribunals" to resolve the matter. It is really sad how 'discrimination' or 'offending' has gone waaaay past the point of common sense.

That's the problem in today's universities. There is only one way of allowed thinking. Not only in the classroom with professors, but the student groups as well. The hypocracy of profs and student representatives who claim to want to challenge status-quo but then limit discussion on topics with which they do not agree is (dare I say) "anti"-democratic.

Certainly this isn't the case in all university classrooms, but from my experience, especially in Sociology, there is only one way of acceptable approaches to social problems. Of course this is the Jack Layton way.

Good Politics and Good Policy -- Harper on Afghanistan

2008-02-22T11:09:00.005-05:00

Sorry Jarrett and Brandon, but I completely disagree, I think this is an extremely smart move by Harper. Of course it's good politics, as you agree, but I think it's good policy too.

Jarrett:

What this brought to my mind was Stephen Harper's strategic error three years ago (!) now: seeing a Liberal budget which catered to a couple of Conservative priorities, Harper announced he was happy with the Liberal budget. Which, of course, led to the inference that, if even Stephen Harper is happy with Liberal governance, why would anyone vote for Stephen Harper when a vote for the Liberals gave the best of all worlds?

I think this move will differ from the budget one. Harper's image to the public, even to myself, is bully-like. Don't get me wrong, he's really smart politically, and I like that he doesn't make theatrics and yelling in question period like Dion does; however, the public isn't stupid and the media frame his demeanour to be very manipulative and aggressive.

Take a look at this NP article,

It's a bit odd how a usually-defiant Stephen Harper allowed Liberal nemesis Stephane Dion to ghost write his most pressing foreign affairs decision, but that either proves how determined his government is to avoid an Afghanistan referendum wrapped in an election or how laughably far the Liberals have caved to spoon with the Tory position.

He’s showing Canadians that he is capable of compromise wanting to make a minority government work, which makes re-electing the conservatives more appealing. It’s adding to the score of who is making minority government work, without having to go to the NDP or Bloc.

Brandon:

If any of our NATO allies were to take on our burden in Afghanistan, great. Our combat troops would then be in position to leave with honour. But as far as I understand it, the Liberal amendment the PM intends to adopt would end that mission regardless of whether or not that happens. And that, in my humble opinion, "would squander our investment and dishonour our sacrifice"

It is my understanding that this is not an end date for the mission in Afstan, it's an end-date to be in Kandahar and the volatile south end of the country. Actually what will happen in 2011 is still up for interpretation:

The troops and their equipment will either be relocated north into safer provinces or out of the country entirely by the end of 2011. That next destination requires someone to interpret a clause stating there shall be a "redeployment of Canadian Forces troops out of Kandahar" which neglects to clarify if that means all of Afghanistan.

And by 2011:

What makes both motions worth less than the paper they're printed on is that four years represents an eternity in military deployments and minority government lifespans. By the time Canada starts its sixth year in Kandahar in 2011, one of the two national parties could have a majority mandate for the prime minister to do as he or she damn well pleases in military matters.

Good policy is what’s good for the country and the people in it, both in Canada and Afghanistan. Dion wanted troops out immediately, then he wanted by 2009. Now we’re getting until 2011, but with Liberal wording. Good policy is also having our politicians actually agree and compromise instead of the childish partisan bickering that does nothing for our country, and turns people off from politics entirely.

In Canada we can barely get 2/3 of our eligible citizens to vote, most people rather watch American Idol than Question Period, and few people are reading books and reading fluffy celebrity “news”. But yet, we want to transform another country into a democracy, so that they have the same rights and freedoms as us. Don’t get me wrong, having women go to school and a farmers not be terrorized by gangs (Taliban) is a noble cause, it just seems every Canadian has an opinion about what they think we should do if Afghanistan, but they take for granted the rights and freedoms that we’re fighting for over there. Sure, we have that freedom to not care, but contributing to society should include an engaged and informed citizenry. You can’t engage citizenry when politics is full of name-calling theatrics and partisan games.

We certainly have done our fair share in the south region compared to our NATO allies who prefer the less violent/combat regions. It’s time for other countries to step up to the plate. And, we have to be honest with ourselves. Does our Canadian military in its current form have the logistics to carry out this mission to the best of its ability? Coming from a military family on both maternal and paternal side and having spent several years in army cadets, I do not believe I speak ignorantly on this issue. For crying out loud our soldiers first went out there in greens! Over the years of this mission we've gained respect and experience in the region and I know it’s probably not politically correct to say, but had our military had better equipment, could any of the soldier deaths been prevented? That is the elephant in the room.

Good policy admits and accepts that we did the best we can with what we have. Being present in Afghanistan with trained soldiers and good, but not having the enough of right equipment is bad policy. Harper has been good to increase the military spending that was severely cut in the 1990s. But we won’t see many changes for at least five years because it takes time before our contracts delivery equipment like our own helicopters. In addition,

Highlighting the Government’s commitment to rebuilding the military and Canada’s long-standing tradition as a reliable partner and ally in the quest for global security, the Prime Minister announced that the Government has decided to set aside stable and predictable funding for this plan by increasing the automatic annual increase in defence spending from 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent, beginning in 2011-12. This increase will be reflected in the fiscal framework.

Who knows who will be in power and if it will be minority/majority in 2011. Sure funding may increase then (that is, if conservatives are still in power), but by the time we can acquire new (I mean already used and hopefully not falling apart) equipment we still won’t see the effects of our rebuilt military until 2015! From what I remember of reading Granatstein’s new book last year, I think he also wants us to withdraw sooner rather than long-term to rebuild until we get to the point where we can really be of assistance (don’t quote me on that though, it’s been almost a year since I read the book).

Canada will have honour and pride when her military does not need to issue an ultimatum to NATO or have the ability without begging her allies to help Canadian citizens out when a war breaks out and our PM uses his own private plan to fly people back to Canada, when we couldn’t charter air and sea transport from other countries fast enough.

Electronic Health Records: Solution or to cause more Problems?

2008-02-19T10:55:00.002-05:00

"By 2010, the goal is to have half of the population with an electronic health record," said Richard Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Canada Health Infoway, an independent, federally funded agency that works with provinces and territories to invest in electronic health-record projects, typically by funding half the cost. By 2016, he wants every Canadian to have one.
[...]
Convenience might seem an obvious first benefit, but those who tout electronic health records say the advantages extend far beyond that. By having quick access to medication histories, laboratory test results and images, doctors can provide the right treatment quickly, especially when it comes to dangerous drug interactions.

"Isn't it ironic that I can pay my hydro bill online from Australia," said Dan Strasbourg, Canada Health Infoway's director of corporate communications, "yet if I present at a Toronto ER unconscious, the physician can't even access my medical history housed at my physician's office a few blocks away?"

Think about it, if this succeeds, the next generation may never hear about/understand the figure of speech of "doctor's handwriting."

But this raises concerns over privacy and security. More often we are hearing in the headlines about breaches of “secure” data with stolen company laptops with personal information or hackers getting customer credit card information. Take a look at this scarry chronology of data breaches. This isn't to say that the private sector would not be good enough to handle this, as we know government screw ups happen often enough. But let us consider this for a moment, who would own our health record?

Clearly we would need someone to create the software, so we would need to contract it out to a company or a government department (who will then contract it out through RFP or whatever). I’m going to be really cynical now. I really do not see how this will be possible for half the population to have this by 2010. It will take at least two years before the government(s) and doctors will be able to decide on a format, because of course, in Canada, all provinces and territories would want a say and in typical Canadian fashion, the electronic medical record should be equal to all Canadians, except of course, any 'special' province who will want to do it their own way anyway. And who will have the contract of creating the software (public or private?). You would need it in both official languages. Of course there will be some NGO or special interest group who will insist that the medical record should be available in someone’s mother tongue. As a discussed here, language accommodation for immigrants in medical situations can be a mater of life and death.

What about accessibility? Would I be able to see my health record, but who will have the authority to be able to make edits/changes to it? Would someone be able to pay someone to hack in and change their chart to say their knee for example is much more severe and get knee surgery in one year (ha!) instead of two or three. *sigh* (Is this the Canadian Health Care System we're fighting for?)

Consider this. We have so much advancement in communication technology in our lives (cellphones, crackbabies, online banking, email, facebook, MSN messenger, digital photos, web forums), yet our communication relationship with a doctor is still done the same old way? Walk in, sit down, sometimes change into a paper dress, doctor listens, sometimes takes notes on your chart, hands out a prescription (sometimes a computer print out nowadays) and sends you on your way. Medicine has made considerable advancements, but very little changes to the way a doctor first interacts with the patient.

But is this a good or bad thing? A paper file does not require a network upgrade or version 2.0 nor will it be subject to a system crash or virus. Then again, not having a family doctor myself since 2000, I've been mulling over the idea of tracking down all of the walk in clinics to which I've visited. I've made some inquiries and it will cost me $25 (for the first three pages) to get my own medical file, and 5$ for each page thereafter. As a woman, I go to the doctor more often a man, and as a student, I've lived in three cities in five years. At a university doctor’s office, I may have one file, I've may have seen five different doctors over my tenure. I will likely cost me over $200 to access all of my records! The record won’t even go to me; it will go to another doctor’s office. While I have nothing to hide or embarrassing in my health records, what about someone who does not want to be discriminated against because of what’s in the medical file?

What concerns me? A wee look over at how Wikipedia defines the Ideal characteristics of an electronic health record (EHR):

The data from an electronic health records system should be able to be used anonymously for statistical reporting for purposes of quality improvement, outcome reporting, resource management, and public health communicable disease surveillance

Just like Facebook right? Sounds innocent enough, especially from a public health perspective. How can you judge how much funding should go for cancer, if you don’t know your population? But there is just something about it that makes me uneasy. Will I have control over who gets my medical information? What about the insurance company? Certainly, this is not as much of a problem in Canada, as it is in the US. Do I trust the state? Do I trust a private company? Do I trust myself? (keys, cellphone, wallet…usually all in the same spot, usually I can find them when I need to).

In Britian this initiative was considered a major IT disaster

This isn’t to say that I don’t think this isn’t a good idea (triple negative?). To be clear, I think this is a terrific idea, but I am uneasy if the costs outweigh the benefits. Should we try it? Absolutely! But after the gun registry fiasco and the headlines about breaches of secure data, I hope Canadians will pay attention and voice their concerns and we carefully consider the research already out there.

In any case, this will be good news at least for Elaine Benes would will finally be able to see her chart.

Indoctrinate U does exist in Canada

2008-02-18T10:30:00.002-05:00

I read an interesting post over at Fortress of Knowledge the other day. Here is a snippet:

An interesting article ( a rare one ) by Barbara Kay in today's National Post. As a former political science undergrad and grad student of Ottawa U, I can't say I fully agree with the author or the documentary that she is referring to. While the examples of " left wing " exaggerations or of closed mindedness are deplorable, they are not to be confused with a general decay of intellectual discipline. Professors and faculties have too much to lose --credibility, research funding-- to play indoctrinal games . While it is true that students and student politics on campus is usually more left of centre ( one of my professors once told us that if you aren't a communist when you are 20 you have no heart, but if you are still a communist when you are 40, you have no head ) there are usually a decent amount of fair play on campus, such as various political clubs and opportunities to express oneself about any political issues.
[...]
Finally I would caution in using american examples and transporting them to Canada since our politics is less polarized and the so-called " culture wars " in the United States is much less of an issue here in Canada

It may not appear to be an issue in Canada, because Canadians are more left-leaning than Americans. But make no mistake; this is a serious issue in Canadian universities.

Certainly not all professors are taking part in "indoctrinal games", however there is a large number that do. I went to Trent U for my undergrad and I am currently attending Carleton for grad studies. I believe what discipline you choose plays a role with the indoctrinal type of professors you may have. For example, my undergrad was in Sociology at, what I learned to be a very left-wing university. I took a class called Analysis of Social Policy. Bringing up the mere suggestions of questioning whether it was the government's responsibility to provide day care caused me to be tongue lashed by my colleagues and tsk tsked from my prof. Now a little older and wiser I can look back and laugh because this "prof" didn't have a PhD and referred to the author of one the of textbooks, Leslie Pal, as a female. Needless to say, when I did my own research looking into applying to Carleton U for grad school, I was surprised to see the President of the School of Public Policy and Administration have a picture of a man next to it. So much for TrentU being top ranking for "Quality of Education."

This is by no means an isolated incident. I have previously blogged about one wacky professor I had who managed to bring up George W. Bush in each and every class. I have one of these "special" professors this semester too, but thankfully he isn't as crazy as the last one about which I blogged. I really don't understand the professor obsession to bring GWB up in each and every single class.

My partner, also a Conservative, has had a lot more trouble than I have taking Political Science in school. A little less confident in my beliefs (still developing in my early 20s), I often bite my tongue in class which lets me enjoy friends and future letter of reference from profs. If I didn't, I may be subject to what my partner goes through, which is a reputation in the department. He had trouble with two instructors in particular. I call them instructors because, they did not have PhDs and they were just contract professors (a growing troubling part of universities). We found out later that both of these instructors shared an office and both went to York U.

He took a "Causes of War" course. Based on the description in the academic calendar, I was excited about it, and was going to sit in on a few lectures, just out of personal interest. Unfortunately, the course didn't study any wars. It was an anti-white-man-pro-feminist-war-is-only-started-by-men-and-masculinization. One assignment was a film review on "Why We Fight" which was basically a Michael Moore type film. The film opened with speeches from previous American presidents. My partner looked up each of the speeches and noticed that the "film maker" manipulated the speeches taking words out of context. Noting this in his review, he proceeded to critique the rest of the film balance the strengths and weaknesses etc... He received a C-

Again, not an isolated incident. We both have received failing grades on assignments from these types of professors.

Also at my alma mater of Trent University there was an issue with "F&¢& Harper" Buttons. See the YouTube Video and how the Progressive Conservative club took issue with how the self-proclaimed non-partisan Trent Central Student Association was selling these buttons as a fundraiser. The youtube video is the local news station that did a piece on it. They still sell the buttons.

I have voted in NDP (I wasn't heartless at 20), I have voted Liberal (I did buy into the Harper is scary) and I have voted Conservative (for now I am happy with this party). I believe that I am fair minded enough to be able to assess, without bias, that conservatives aren't allowed a voice in Canadian universities.

For all of the above reasons please join me tonight (For those of you in Ottawa) Please go see Indoctrinate U at the National Archives/Library of Canada 395 Wellington Street 7-9pm 6$ put on by the Free Thinking Film Society

Free Copy of Suze Orman's Women and Money

2008-02-14T10:08:00.007-05:00

Until 8pm tonight you can download a free copy of Suze Orman's Women and Money from Oprah's website.

To keep a copy for yourself: Click on the PDF website link on the Oprah website. Right click on the link "download a free copy" and select Save Target As. Choose a place on your coputer to save it. Alternatively, you can open the PDF link and click File, Save As, to save it to your computer.

This is a legitimate offer but copywright laws still apply.

For anyone who wants to stop living in debt and gain control of their own finances I also recommend YNAB Pro (You Need a Budget). Very easy user-friendly software better than any of the MS Money etc...budget programs.

PDF links will expire at 8pm EST

"A cotton swab in the ear can kill"

2008-02-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

Not my quote or headline but you may now add cotton swabs with the list of things that could kill you (uuuuh...everything?).

I wonder what they are going to ban on planes next...Q-tips...on a plane...Certainly the danger of a Q-tip being used as a weapon is greater than my toothpaste!

The Quebec coroner's office says cotton swab manufacturers should warn consumers about putting their product in their ears after a man died from related complications.

"I think we should go one step further, and maybe have a pictogram on the package, with a little ear and a red X mark," Quebec coroner Dr. Jacques Ramsay suggested.

In a report released Tuesday, Ramsay said using a cotton swab even once to clean inside ears can lead to fatal consequences.

Obesity and Smokers Cost Health Care System Less in the Long Run

2008-02-05T09:42:00.000-05:00

An interesting new study on the costs of health care. I've done a little more research and I have linked the think tank and the study to which they are referring.

LONDON — Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it doesn't save money, researchers reported Monday.

It costs more to care for healthy people who live years longer, according to a Dutch study that counters the common perception that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars.

“It was a small surprise,” said Pieter van Baal, an economist at the Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, who led the study. “But it also makes sense. If you live longer, then you cost the health system more.”

In a paper published online Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal, Dutch researchers found that the health costs of thin and healthy people in adulthood are more expensive than those of either fat people or smokers.

"Canadian" used as racial slur to refer to Blacks in the South

2008-01-29T10:19:00.000-05:00

This was published on Thursday, so perhaps you have heard it before today.

"He convicted Mr. Sosa of a double intoxication manslaughter, got a weak jury to give him 12 years in each, and then convinced Judge Wallace to stack the sentences," Harris County assistant district attorney Mike Trent wrote in an office-wide memo. Then came the odd part: "He overcame a subversively good defence by Matt Hennessey that had some Canadians on the jury feeling sorry for the defendant and forced them to do the right thing."

The e-mail was sent in 2003 but came to light only this month as part of an unrelated controversy with his office, forcing Mr. Trent to defend himself against accusations of bigotry -- not because he offended the people of Canada, but because "Canadian" has apparently become a code word for blacks among American racists.

"There is a double meaning to that word and I didn't know it. I was horrified when I learned what it was, and I immediately addressed the issue with the people who brought it up," Mr. Trent told a local Fox News reporter in a recent interview.

Read the rest.

How Precious Life Is...

2008-01-23T20:32:00.001-05:00

My morning started with hearing the traffic report on my alarm clock radio. An earlier collision shut down the intersection of Heron and Riverside. Oh brother, I thought to myself, it's going to take forever to get to my 8:30am class (which is only 90 minutes long).

I live about a 5 to 7 minute drive from campus, but usually have to leave by 8 to get parking and walk across campus, wait for an elevator, and finally arrive to class on time.

Wanting to avoid Riverside, which I usually take to get to campus, I think to myself, I should go to the Bronson entrance of Carleton and take Airport Parkway. At Hunt Club, the overpass of the Parkway was bumper-to-bumper so I decided to turn around to take the normal way and sit in traffic.

At this point it's 8:15 and getting really annoyed. I'm going to be late!

Riverside is a parking lot and the police have closed it off at Brookfield now.

Great, what a way to start a morning.

I finally arrive on campus and decide to pay for parking, because it's almost 9am and I just don't have time to go up 10 floors of a parking garage, and walk across campus.

Whew, what a friggen day. I'm late for class, and had lots of time to contemplate and be super annoyed with Ottawa's inability to handle it's transportation/artery road system. The same spots always tied up in the morning. I think to myself, don't those radio DJs get annoyed saying the same congested intersections every 10 minutes?

I arrive home from my class just over an hour later, open my email and find out that the car accident that had closed the intersection and connecting roads had killed 3 of my fellow Carleton students, and injuring two others (one critically).

How selfish I was. How selfish, most of us are, who would understandibly reacted in the same way that I did.

Me, me, me. I'm late for work/school. I had a place to be. Why is everyone is MY way.

But how precious life is. RIP Mark Macdonald, Vanessa Crawford and Brianne Deschamps. While I didn't know you, I may have passed you in the halls once or twice.

So the next time you're stuck in traffic, or that jerk cuts you off going 80km/h in a 50, or some twit hogs the passing lane, just think that it could be some parent or husband or wife, driving to a hospital to see their son, or driving across the province to identify their daughter.

While yes we live in a inconsiderate society, cut people some slack too.

Warning: Rental Scam [Updated]

2008-01-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

One of my roommates is moving out and we're trying to fill the room. I put up an ad on my university's off campus housing website, as well as on facebook. Within 24 hours, I received 3 enquiries from "international" students who want to rent my room.

Thankfully, my mom was selling furniture on Kajiji this past summer and became suspicious when someone wanted to sell the furniture without seeing it in person, and sent her a cheque for more than the amount due, and mysteriously made a mistake and wanted her to wire the rest back. My mom brought the cheque to the bank saying that she wasn't confident about the situation and if they had heard of similar requests. The certified cheque turned out to be fraudulent.

I have had my rental ad out for 7 days now and have received requests only from "international" students. To get my email address they had to have seen the ad, which has all of the information they are requesting. I truly feel sorry for any real international students who are really looking for a place, but I can't afford to be a victim of some person's scam.

What upsets me, is that Carleton's housing website only warns landlords.

Universities really don't give a crap about students. I have written the housing department, as well as the university's communication department, in an effort to get the word out to students to be aware of this increasingly common fraud.

If you get letters like this be vigilant. Most times the abhorrent spelling/grammar gives them away, even though they want to appear North American/European.

Hello, My name is Annie Adams Born in Portland Oregon i am a female 27 years old ,I am honest and friendly,i lived in the Portland alone. My dad work for a communication company in UK and my mom passed away when i was still a little girl, presently am in Africa cos my dad as been transfered there for the expansion of their communications network.I will be relocating to Canada anytime soon but first i need a room/apt to stay for awhile to settle down, I am interested in your room/apt and i will like to know the rent per month and the exact date with the room would be available. I will appreciate it if you can reply me at annieadams4u@yahoo.com i do not check my facebook often Hope to hear from you today

Annie.

Hi Happy New Year.Am Angelina By name 21 years,i wish to inform
you that am interested in renting your unit for the period of 6 to 10 months depending,i will love to the actual asking price per month,terms of lease and details of how i can get it secured.Hope all the ultilities are working in good conditions?Looking forward in hearing back from you soon.Thanks.
Angelin
angelinaowen60@yahoo.com
Carleton

Hello sir/ma, I am tad dakes, am interested in renting your room, i am female 22 years old from Dubai.UAE.,i am international student coming to study my masters in { MainCampus in area university } So i need a room appt for a month,i do not smoke,no pets and i dont have friends and i dont walk late in the night.Do get back to me with the price of the room per month ,hope to read from you soon warmest Regards

am dianaam a graduate of Limerick University,
Ireland and work as a professional network engineer. I
am currently working on contract for my company;
Adavanced manufacturing,supply chain management. here
inwest africa. I am a very dedicated individual who is
totally committed to human development, friendly, very
trustworthy and value relationship above anything. I
love travelling, sporting and enjoy meeting people. I
dont smoke but do not mind people who do being around
me. I am cool headed and easy going person with no
criminal record and like to have an apartment / room
with you ..I saw your advert and i am sincerely
interested in the apartment. advertised as i will like
to move to as soon as i leave here
please i will love to hear from you .for the apartment
/room preferably through my email
dianamamasweet @yahoo.com )
Thanks as i anxiuosly await your mail.please i will
like to know the total cost of the apartment/room so
as to arrange payment as soonas possible.You can as well mail me back through my
email address .
looking forward to hear from you soon .
kindest regards,
diana

Hello I am sera muse am interested in renting your room, i am female 24years old from united arab emirate dubai, i am coming to study,So i need an apartment to stay so i will like you to tell me more about the room and you can try as much to send me the pictures of the room,i do not smoke,no pets and i am not dirty and friendly as well.Do get back to me with the price of the room per month and the term of lease,hope to read from you soon warmest regards Sera

Update: Here's another one:

Hello,
I saw your housing advert at the Carleton University Off campus housing listing,am interested in your room and i will like you to kindly get back to me with the following.....

.... Rent per month
.... Exact date of available
.... Length of Lease
.... Security Deposit
.... Full address of the property

Also i will like you to know am an international student from US, i attended Canisius College Buffalo New York.

About myself.....

.... Sex: Female

.... Age: 23

.... Firstly i will like you to know i take my study first
before any other thing.

.... I am very neat and i don't have any pet but can live with
then if available.

.... My Hobby is sport... Basketball.

.... I make friend with every one around me.

I got admission into Carleton University and i will like you to kindly get back to me with the above details.Thanks i look forward to hear from you soon.

Best Regard,
Jean Baker

Another today (Jan 26th)

Gina Bowen (ginabowen001@hotmail.com)

Hello,
How are you Faring?My name is Gina,from England.I am coming for Research in Carleton University so i need a place to stay.A little about me.I am 28 years old,i am gentle, neat,respectful,i mind my own business, no smoking,no overnight guest,i don't attend night parties,i promise to keep the place neat as you ever wanted,my favorite colors is white.I will love to rent from you and i will love to rent for one year but i may extend the rent later so tell me more about the place and i will also appreciate some pictures of the place.If there is any application that i will need to fill please have it sent to me via email so i could print,have it completed and bring it over with me when coming over cos i do not have access to fax machine.I will be happy to rent from you so get back to me as soon as possible.
God bless you.

Gina

mariam tah (mariamtah2002@yahoo.com)

Hello,

My name is Mariam Tah i was born in Richmond,Virginnia.I am female 27 years old ,I am honest and friendly,i lived in Virginnia alone. My dad worked for a communication company in UK and my mom passed away when i was still a little girl. I will be relocating to canada anytime for further studies in Carleton University soon but first i need a room/apt to stay for awhile to settle down, I am interested in your room/apt and i will like to know the rent per month and the exact date when the room would be available.
Thanks i hope to hear from you today.
Mariam.

kelvin steve (kelvin_steve2000@yahoo.com)

Hello there,
Am Doctor Kelvin and I live and work in Ireland as a
veterinary doctor.
I would like to make enquiries on your accommodation. I would
like to know if its available because I would like to rent it
for my daughter who is a prospective student of U carleton If available,i'ld like you to provide me with the following
informations,
.... Rent per month
.... Exact date of available
.... Length of Lease
.... Security Deposit
.... Full address of the property -
Also i will like you to know a little about my daughter
She is an international
student from the Republic of ireland,
Her name is Linda,she is 21 years old ,
She is a very neat girl and doesn't have any pet but can
live with them if available.
She makes friend with every one around her and takes
her
studies seriously.
Thanks,
Best regards

Yes, Nicol This Thought Train Does Make Sense

2008-01-18T18:55:00.001-05:00

Nicol over at The War Room, wrote an terrific post today. Do go over and read the entire thing (I'll wait). I was going to leave a comment, but it became rather long-winded and I decided to write a post about it instead.

Nicol poses an important question:

My question is, to those of you with strong beliefs, do you find it easy to be friends with people whose beliefs are polar opposite to your own?

I don't mean friendly or on nice speaking terms. I mean friends who share deep experiences with each other.

The conversation turns to the news of his soon-to-be born daughter:

We seek to baptize our child Catholic. Can one invite [his friends] the academic or the pagan to the baptism when you know they have communicated to you that they see the faith as a form of oppression and hate?

Take the flip side; if one really believes the war in Iraq is about nothing but oil and greed and oppression of other people, how can that person be good friends with someone who is for it?

Unless of course you conclude the opposing side is just ignorant, misinformed and stupid...which is of course just as problematic. I feel like I am at a bit of a turning point in my life as we prepare for our daughter to be born.

And that is my question. I truly believe one should seek out many diverse friends to have with differing views and beliefs. But realistically, in the arts, I do not have that many conservative, Christian or Catholic friends.

You are not alone in your sentiments. I feel that way a lot.

I got away from Sociology and decided to do a Masters in public policy. The simple reason was, in Sociology, there was only one way of (allowed) thinking. I will never forget the time when in an Analysis of Social Policy class (this was around the beer and popcorn incident) when I raised the possibility/questioned whether it was in the government's role/responsibility to provide child care as social policy. I was basically laughed at by my colleagues, and tsk-tsked by the prof for thinking in the "status quo".

In a classroom, why must I hide under a shield of saying that I'm "playing devil's advocate"? Because, I would have no friends in university.

Switching gears in academic fields was the best thing that happened to me, but I truly wish there was more diversity of opinion. My public policy degree requires courses in economics, statistics and politics, and thus it does not allow students to fly by on just an arts degree. Perhaps I was naive to think that this would create an environment where students who see things in more than one political colour.

On my first week of class this January, two out of three profs poked fun at our current PM. They don't dare name "him" though, they says "our current government" and give a frowned look when referring to poverty, environment etc...

I do feel alone. I cringe in a classroom when we talk about "global warming"/"climate change" and how profs and colleagues refer to the opposite side as "climate change deniers." I finally spoke up this week in class (but was cautious not to make myself the guilty party) and said "climate change deniers" is inaccurate as many of them acknowledge that climate changes, which is their very point. I wish I had had the courage to add, "if you would actually being a little open-minded and actually read/listened to the other side, instead of belittling it, you would know that." How ignorant of my prof (and most of Canadian/MSM) to call them "climate change deniers" (only because the language changed from 'global warming' to 'climate change') when they aren't even denying that climate changes! It is precisely their point that it does change!

Outside of the classroom I go out with friends, but I can't say that there is any one person to whom I feel particularly close. Like you Nicol, I have very few conservative friends.

Blogging, which Nicol was my inspiration to start, in the BT community actually makes me feel less alone. I've neglected blogging the past 6 months because I am trying to distance myself from the childish "Celine Dion/Dijon" vocabulary and genuinely try to blog from a non-partisan perspective. I even considered leaving the BT. However, in this time in my life right now, this is where I fit in.

The past three years I have grown considerably. I have made 4 realizations in my early 20s:

1. "Tolerance" means 'think like me' (and secretly criticize and/or dismiss any opposing view)
2. Inequity is not only a reality, but not necessarily all bad
3. Being "open-minded" apparently does not include (big C) Conservative/(small l)liberal ideas
4. Being a "critical thinker" apparently means to abide by #3 at all times.

Nicol, you talk a lot about the baby-boomer generation. You sound a lot like my partner who is a Gen Xer. I'm Gen Y, and I'm even more worried for my spoiled-spoon-fed generation.

For those of you with sisters...or who love wine

2008-01-11T22:07:00.001-05:00

Often topics about end-of-life scenarios and euthenasia can turn into a very controversial discussion. I hope this email-forward makes you laugh out loud, as I did. For those of you who really know me, you know which sister I am in this scenario!

Last night my sister and I were sitting in the den and I said to her, 'I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all, If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'

So she got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.

She's such a bitch.

Do I Want to See More Support our Troops Ribbons?

2008-01-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

An Anonymous comment made on my previous post, got me thinking. Instead of leaving it in the comments, I have put it in a new post.

S/He was refering to my comment:

In Canada, while support for the war is controversial (so controversial, that a reporter was suspended for supporting the troops), I see more Support our Troops ribbons on cars than I've seen in my recent travels to the US.

Anonymous:

I live in Canada and I don't see any.

Why don't you just say what you mean...you'd like to see more yellow stickers?

Here is my response:

Would I like to see more ribbons on cars? Yes and no.

I would like to see more support from Canadians on a UN-sanctioned mission/war. This is not Iraq. Canada did not invade another country.

Canadians often compare themselves to their closest neighbour because of our similarities in culture, language, etc. I even did it in this blog post. But our missions in other countries, and our foreign policies are completely different; however, the media does manipulate this, in my opinion. The current mission in Afghanistan is much more politicized today compared to other Canadian missions in the past, since the Korean war.

The trouble is that nationalism is dying and more and more people are identifying not with their country, but rather their interests. We now live in an age of special interest groups, and identity politics. We are living in an age where our enemy/conflict is not with another country but attitudes against different cultures.

I guess I just don't understand what is so controversial about supporting our own rebuilding another country? What is so controversial about helping another country put more girls in school and less girls subject to female circumcision or other atrocities? What is so controversial about getting rid of a political force (the Taliban) and trying to develop a democracy where all members of a country have the oppotunity and right to share their voice.

While yes, we are imposing our "Western ways" of thinking/running a country, but truthfully, I don't see anything wrong with it. A more educated population is good for the world, a country whose people are not poor and whose voices are heard in the democratic system, is good for the world. I make no apologies about that.

Where have all of the (American) Support our Troops Ribbons Gone?

2008-01-09T13:08:00.000-05:00

I recently returned from a vacation in Boston, MA. We drove down going through NY state. On our way down there was one Support our Troops Ribbons. On our return, we saw only two.

Why am I so shocked?

Two years ago, in February 2005, I travelled to Atlantic City, NJ. We also drove down, driving through NY state, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. At that time, I was shocked with the number of decals on almost every vehicle on the road!

What happened in two years?

According to media critic/Washington Post reporter Howard Kurtz, we should look at network nightly newscasts.

Kurtz, who has written a book on the subject, asserted, "I believe that these newscasts in 2005 and 2006 played the biggest single role in helping to turn public opinion against the war."

If you read the entire transcript, Cuomo and Kurtz appear to brag about the media's ability to turn Americans against the war in Iraq.

In Canada, while support for the war is controversial (so controversial, that a reporter was suspended for supporting the troops), I see more Support our Troops ribbons on cars than I've seen in my recent travels to the US. Depending on what city I'm in it could be 1 in every 10th car has a decal, while in more military towns, (e.g. Petawawa, Trenton) I notice decals on 1 in 4 cars.

"Clash of Civilizations Thesis is Passé"

2007-12-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

Have not found time to write Part 2, but I thought this article was interesting.

On vacation until Jan 4th. Happy New Year and see you in 2008.

PART I: Language/Cultural Accomodation in Canada

2007-12-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

I'm really torn about this one:

[...]
His was one of four cases Quebec coroner Jacques Ramsay made public yesterday to underline that accommodating immigrants with different cultures and languages is not trivial, but sometimes a matter of life and death.

Dr. Ramsay plans to present the four cases to the provincial inquiry headed by academics Gérard Bouchard and Charles Taylor, which is holding hearings into the accommodation of minorities.

"This isn't about frosted windows. This is more fundamental," Dr. Ramsay said, alluding to the uproar created by a Montreal YMCA's decision to darken its gym windows to placate Hasidic Jewish neighbours.

There was, for example, the death of Lee Beong Gu from South Korea, who suffered heart failure and lay unattended for an hour at his home. Because of the language barrier, it took 40 minutes before the Korean-speaking owner of a local corner store arrived and phoned 911.

Monique Jean-Baptiste, a 38-year-old Haitian, died in 2005 of complications from an ectopic pregnancy, although she lived a few minutes from a hospital.

I have a personal experience about this. Several years ago, while I was on an exchange in a very small town in Quebec, my exchange roommate developed an eye infection. She went to the local hospital/clinic. I do not remember why I could not go with her (I am much more advanced in French than she was at the time), but I remember her telling me about how she had trouble communicating with the doctor because he did not speak English. While an eye infection is obvious enough of what is wrong, she could not answer questions or communicate about symptoms, when, where, how etc...

Also, last time I went to the doctor on campus, I noticed a sign in Chinese on the bulletin board with common medical ailments in English on the left and then (assumably, because I don't read the language) in Chinese on the other side.

So I must ask, at what point should cultural and language accommodation stop? While medical decisions (especially the wrong ones) can lead to life or death, then yes, language accommodation should be a priority (like those signs in the Carleton University doctor's office). But should banking information/website, for example, be in Chinese or any other language that isn't the official language of the country?

This introduces the difference between public and private. Public documents/departments/organizations must do everything in English and French. While the private sector (banks etc...) can do what is appropriate for their "market". But at what point does cultural or language accommodation stop and when should we insist on new Canadians learning our language in our country (the country to which they choose to immigrate).

On a university campus, I often see international students hanging out with students either from their country or who speak their language. When in unfamiliar territory, it's only natural to be attracted to--in the word's of the Land Before Time--"your own kind". However, if the shoe was on the other foot, would the same happen?

For example, if I went to Germany or Japan for university, I would need to know the language enough to get by in university. I would not expect to see many Canadians (some, of course) and because there would not be many of us. I would be forced to learn and speak the language, as you should, in another country. I would need to speak the local language not only in the classroom, but during my downtime as well. But with the large number of international students that Canada takes in, it's easy to find others who speak the same language as you. I found the same thing happened in high school too, where it wasn't solely a language issue, but a cultural issue too.

In Part II, I plan to talk about the tragic murder of Aqsa Parvez refuting how yes it IS about culture.

Stories of Random Acts of Kindness

2007-12-13T09:20:00.000-05:00

Sometimes through the hussle and bussle of the holidays we can get so caught up in ourselves, whether it's the couple moving too slowly in the mall, or the jerk who took your parking spot even though you had your blinker on a mile away. After a long day of that, you may wonder if there are still considerate people in this world.

Want a nice cup of warm fuzzy stories? Check out this page of acts of kindness submitted by Toronto Star readers.

Now Pay it Forward

Dziekanski Served Time in Prison

2007-11-22T11:43:00.000-05:00

At the outset, I wish to say after watching Taser videos on YouTube such as the UCLA student last year, I condemn any excess force of police. However, we shouldn't forget that the police have an extremely difficult job, mostly working with the not-so-best citizens of our country. They do a job that most of us have chosen not to do. That being said, this should not blind their judgement in using unnecessary force to subdue a suspect with a taser, when other means are available.

Canada, and the rest of the world for that matter, has jumped on the bandwagon of condemning the RCMP. This organization has many many issues to deal with. I am angered by their lying about the incident. I also believe more clear regulations and training should be completed for taser use. But people are often too quick to blame police.

I was surprised to learn that Dziekanski served time in prison and this was not his first encounter with police:

Malczyk surmised that part of the answer might lie in Dziekanski's problematic background. He was sentenced to five years in prison for a robbery in his youth and that conviction was on his record. Also on his record were some other encounters with police, many arising from a troubled relationship he was in with a woman in Poland.

Also listen to CFRA this morning interview with a retired economist and member of Polish community, Kostek Malczyk.

But funny, it has taken weeks before this information has become known to the public (and even though the article came out yesterday, it has received relatively little press). Did the RCMP officers who arrived on the scene know this information? I don't know. And, yes he was pre-approved by the Canadian embassy to come to Canada, but because of the time change, Vancouver airport were unable to do a double check at 4pm.

Let's say that Vancouver officials let him through with no troubles. Let's say he move to Canada does not get off to a good start (finding a job without knowing English or French??) What if Dziekanski had encounters with Canadian police one year from now. What if he committed a crime?

The front page stories would be that Canadians would be wondering not about police use of tasers, but why the hell someone with a criminal past, unable to speak the language, was allowed to emmigrate to our country.

For some people, the government can never do anything right.

Updated. Being "Green" Is Just Too Trendy...It's Making me Sick

2007-11-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

Just when you thought eco-morality had gone too far with designer non-plastic hand/grocery bags here is one more thing you should feel guilty about: Your sex life:

For safer, baby-free sex, nothing beats a latex condom. Vegans looking for a latex option (though derived from trees, most latex contains a milk enzyme) can check out Glyde condoms. The jury is still out as to whether latex condoms are biodegradable and what effects additives and lubricants might have on biodegradability. Polyurethane condoms are essentially plastic and not biodegradable. Once they've done their job, condoms are best sent to the landfill. Flushing condoms down the toilet is definitely no good as they clog pipes, treatment plants, and rivers. So let's face it, reduce, reuse, recycle just doesn't apply when it comes to the rubbers. If you have a steady partner and you've both been tested for STDs, the pill is an option that can cut out the condom waste. Be aware that there are rising concerns about the hormones from birth control pills ending up in waterways and having serious effects on wildlife, both from pills flushed down the toilet, and from women's urine.... For monogamous couples not interested in any (more) kids, sterilization can be an option to consider.... Of course the biggest ecological impact resulting from sex is a baby. Human population is arguably the most threatening force on Earth, and with human population expected to reach 8.3 billion by 2030, reproducing is perhaps the largest impact any of us have.

So condoms are bad, the Pill is bad, increasing the human population is bad, so according to the TreeHuggers going sterile is the most enviromentally friendly option.

The environmental movement is so trendy nowadays that is has understandably increased the demand for products. But could someone please explain to me how chopping down all those trees to now fill an entire bookshelf section dedicated to "how to be Green" in Chapters, is actually helping the movement.

Green licence plates, Green Prime Ministers (perhaps a different shade in light of recent events), Green weddings, Raising a Green Baby, etc..

GAH! I am sick of it. I used to like the colour green. Now my favourite colour is blue.

It's a shame really. While I am starting to make an effort to not use plastic bags, this green movement is actually completely turning me off with the lack of sense of events like Live Earth. While there is nothing wrong with promoting more reading, I just think it's ironic that the same groups that want to conserve and reduce consumption are the ones that have created all of this new consumption.

What's even more sad is that what other issues are being left behind.

Five or ten years ago environmentalists were just as passionate about conservation but no one was listening to them. And they were getting a lot less funding for R&D.

Poverty activists five or ten years ago were just as passionate and still no one is listening to them.

Sure there are programs (and entire Crown Corporations) to help with affordable housing, drug use, job training, education all of which would help with poverty and homelessness.

But Canadians aren't on board. I guess helping the poor just isn't as interesting that megablock buster Oscar winning DVDs or 400$ bags or 3 books on how you can be a better person.

So I guess, being Green is just more sexy, then helping the poor.

Update:

Just a few after thoughts. I think some of the hippies are getting it, that capitalism will actually help get their issues to the top of people's priorities:<

Mazar Mortazavi, principal of TAS DesignBuild, an award-winning Toronto developer of condominiums and town homes, is so committed to the green movement he has traded in his beloved Range Rover for a hybrid vehicle.

"As a builder, you have to live it, you have to breath it and you have to walk the talk," he says. "Consumer demand is forcing the housing market to change. Traditionally, developers have not been innovators in the housing market. Now, for the first time, there is this shift where they are trying to understand what is going on and introduce change before the consumer asks for it."

"This is going to be the century's major socio-cultural shift," he predicts. "It is a mindset change and the implications go far and wide.

The green home groundswell is soaring as builders, suppliers, bankers and buyers sign on with a growing environmental sustainability movement that is gathering momentum across the country.

PSA: Inflammatory Breast Cancer

2007-11-12T23:17:00.000-05:00

Mammograms or looking for a lump will not detect this aggressive form of breast cancer. I had never heard of this before. Please pass information onto your female friends.

Video does contain images that may be considered inappropriate for work or school settings.

RCMP convinced that communists had infiltrated CBC

2007-11-12T09:21:00.000-05:00

"RCMP convinced that communists had infiltrated CBC"

Now that headline just begs the story to be read.

Remembrance Day Poem: We Are the Fallen

2007-11-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Found here from this facebook group. Republished with permission (Thanks Frank!)

"WE ARE THE FALLEN"

In the name of freedom and to save a land,
We, the sons & daughters take the stand.
We give our lives & souls on a distant shore,
To that hell on earth, a place called war.
We are the fallen.

We die in flight, at sea, and on land,
Our blood seeps deeply into foreign sand.
On our left and on our right,
The faces of comrades we’ll lose this night.
We are the fallen.

A sea of youth, faces frozen in fear,
What vile work of man has brought us here?
In a far greater power, we each put our trust,
To not die here by the bayonet’s thrust.
We are the fallen.

The stench of death, sickly and profound,
More souls leave the earth, with each fired round.
In this theatre of horror, we console one another,
Mournful wails of the dying, crying out for their mother.
We are the fallen.

Visions of home flash though the mind,
A place of love and peace, when the world was kind.
Of friends and family and a children’s’ park,
Where death was not concealed by dark.
We are the fallen.

Medics shred clothing to expose a wound,
Heads bow at the image of impending doom.
The appetite of war claims another young life,
Leaving in its wake a child and a wife.
We are the fallen.

As this battle ends and the air does clear,
A desperate hope the final end is near.
The ghosts of lives past, each someone’s love,
The anguished souls of the brave have drifted above.
We are the fallen.

The fighting has ended, we, the dead, not there,
But from our place of eternal rest, we are fully aware.
We wish peace on earth to all mankind,
To spare the sons & daughters we leave behind.
We are the fallen

Frank N. Boosamra CD1

November 11, 2006

All Dogs DO Go to Heaven

2007-11-07T13:27:00.000-05:00

An email forward worth sharing.

Dog Lovers: Angel in the Postal Service

This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a kind soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy
that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and
to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, "When a Pet Dies." Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our
bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I am wherever there is love.
Love, God

Being a Whore for Hallowe'en or Just Dressing Like One

2007-10-31T15:10:00.000-04:00

Hmm....this article got me thinking. An excerpt:

Meet the sexy-costume backlash: teen and tween girls who, bucking the marketing hype and peer pressure, are resisting the ever-growing tide of provocative wares.

This year, there are more risqué costume options for girls than in previous years, retailers say. In addition to the "classic" sexy genre of French maid, nurse and cop, trashy "Paris in Jail" costumes and even a naughty schoolgirl version of Harry Potter's Hermione are competing for favour.

Manufacturers are accommodating the new reality, says costume retailer Stephane Abbat of Toronto's It's My Party store: Hence the wide availability of "extra-small" sizes in eye-popping styles that are seeing the light of day in high-school hallways.

But with the trend even more pronounced at Halloween, some girls such as Ms. Ali are saying enough is enough, and are even getting together to shop and create costumes of a different nature.

Now, I have to say that I have been guilty of this, but it was not when I was in elementary or high school. In high school, I remember going as a Ginger Spice, or Cyndi Lauper. My most "provocative" costume was in my first year of University, dressed as a cop, but according to a friend who saw pictures, it really wasn't that riské, and I would agree. This year, I was choosing between Ariel (Little Mermaid ) and Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit), both provocative character. I chose Jessica Rabbit because I wasn't comfortable wearing only seashells. But why am I choosing these, arguably, provocative, trashy characters? Truthfully, there is a limited number of redheaded characters out there to portray.

I see the concern that many have over this observation that 14-25 year old women seem to want to slut it up every Halloween. On one hand, I sympathize in that if you dress conservatively 364 days a year, just one time, you want to let loose and try it on for size. On the other hand, I try to understand the need to want to dress trashy even one day a year.

It reinforces my belief that women actually lost the sexual revolution. While we are no longer "enslaved" into having sex with our "male-head-of-household" within the "chains" of a monogamous marriage. What does being "empowered" actually mean?

Does it mean having Orgasm Workshops?

I am not always able to catch my favourite television show (and I hate commercials) so I often download them (illegally). I use a torrent searchwebsite (Not Safe For Work...or School Library Computer either....) suggested to me.

This is NOT sexual empowerment.

Encouraging the audience to chanting the word "c*nt" at a Vagina Monologue show, is not empowerment. I say these things not from an ignorant anti-feminist perspective. I have been to two VM shows and for one of them I was an actor!

Is it a good thing that women now do insist on condom use and do exercise their right to say "no". ABSOLUTELY! But are the sexually empowered ladies/characters from shows like Sex and the City of Desperate Housewives just promotes the sexualization of women.

The mixed messages from "virgins" (at least they were, when I was a teenager) of Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson (who are married and divorced before 30) also don't send the right message.

So what did sexual liberty gives us?

I invite a positive and negative list in the comments section. For men/boys and women/girls

Important Lessons From Kids

2007-10-21T12:10:00.000-04:00

1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even when there's not a prize in the bottom of the box.

2. Sometimes it's best to be completely blunt with people, as you used to be with relatives who wanted you to do something embarrassing or tedious for a shiny quarter.

3. Asking questions is how you figure things out. Lots and lots of questions.

4. An older, wiser Gordie Lachance says in Stand By Me, "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12." Lachance is right. The trick is to try to be the friend you were when you were 12: fun-loving and loyal, with no strings attached.

5. Playing is work. Approach your downtime with all the seriousness of a 5-year-old with a secret treasure map.

6. Real guys don't dip their toes in the water. They jump right in.

7. Girls have cooties. Well, the ones you meet in certain bars do, anyway.

8. You hated it when a grown-up told you, "We'll see." It's still unacceptable. Don't say it yourself.

9. The only way to know how something works is to completely disassemble it. (This is still good advice when tackling a complex problem. Your plasma TV? Not so much).

Click here to read the rest

Wait times for surgery in Canada at all-time high

2007-10-15T13:01:00.000-04:00

The most enfuriating part of the Ontario election outcome is that there was not enough discussion about health care.

Dalton likes to fancy himself being the Education Premier, but what will four more years of an aging population do to our failing health care system?

The Ultimate Test for Parents

2007-10-13T20:09:00.000-04:00

Are you a proud parent? Think you've done a good job with your kids? Do you know what they would say or how they would act if they were out on their own without you around? Would they chew with their mouth open? Would they have you idiosyncracies? How would they talk about religion? What would they say about having a service with children of other faiths?

I starting watching this show called Kid Nation this week.

Normally I don't like Reality TV, but my experience with Sociology made me really intersted and intrigued with the show, just from a sociological perspective. It's a show with 40 kids aged 8-15 put in a ghost town in New Mexico for 40 days without modern luxuries (like flush toilets and iPods) and no adults either. Well, at least that's how it was supposed to be. There is the adult (assumingly) camera crew, as well as a host that shows up to the town hall meeting and challenge games.

The kids were divided into four colours and each colour competed for their status in the community. One group were the upper class and have no jobs but get 'paid' $1.00, the Merchants, who runs stores, get $0.50, the Cooks get $0.25 and the Labourers (who do water runs and clean the outhouses etc...) get $0.10.

What I found most interesting was last week's episode when the topic of religion was brought up. What some of these kids had to say about religion was really interesting and shocking. Many said that religion is no good and just causes wars. Other kids ganged up and said "Jew Crew" or "Christians Rule" and then others, when asked about starting up a religious service for their town were against it because they didn't want to be with other people that didn't believe what they believed in. But in the end, when they got to choose their reward for their challenge, the kids chose a set of religious holy books over a miniture golf course. Very interesting.

Overall the show tells us a lot of us as a society. I mean the kids can go to the saloon with their 'paycheck' and buy bottles of (root) beer and shots of soda to drown out their sorrows. While some folks are very critical of the show because of showing stuff like that, it tells you a lot about their lives in their generation. Where else 8-15 year olds learn this behaviour if it wasn't from home or the media?

No matter what you're feeling is about this controversial show, it's a very telling wake up call to parents and community leaders to see what our kids believe in. I really wonder what the parents of the kids on the show are thinking when they watch the show. Are they proud of their kid? Embarrased? Are they angry with the editors in how their child was edited? Are they happy with what this one-of-a-kind experience did to their children in terms of being a better person?

What I Learned About Air Travel This Weekend

2007-10-09T14:09:00.000-04:00

What did we learn by traveling this weekend?

Attention ladies! If you’re trying to pack light so that you don’t have to have any checked luggage for a short trip home for the weekend, make sure you check that hygiene bag! I thought I was being smart by leaving shampoo and conditioner at home (I could always borrow where I was, right?) Well, you might as well smell for the entire weekend as you probably shouldn’t pack your face wash (118ml) or toothpaste (120ml) either! If it’s over 100ml—and most normally-sized personal hygiene items are—you can either throw it out or go get your bag checked.

I also learned that my hair straightener—which heats to 300ºC—does not pose any harm or risk to any other passengers, but my toothpaste has got to go! You can imagine my frustration when the woman sitting across the aisle from me on the plane had knitting needles!!!!!

I also learned that Air Canada will give you a 59$ seat sale ticket, but if you arrive at the gate three hours early, you will be so fortunate not only to be subject to a random search of all your nicely packed luggage, but you also will not be allowed to fly standby even though there was a flight to Ottawa leaving every hour, there were empty seats, and I had no checked luggage.

Oh yes, what a weekend of learning indeed!

Congratulations Columbia University

2007-09-24T15:29:00.000-04:00

Perhaps it was naive for me to think that going to university I would be rewarded for being a critical thinker. In my first few years of university I, too, was swept up in thinking that was my professors and student union was saying was the right thing to do, and that we were making the world a better place.

There is some truth in the saying that "if you're not a socialist by 20 you have no heart and if you're still a socialist by 30, you have no brain"

But as Joanne is writing about today, I have learned over my many years of university that only progressives are the one's that dictate (and I don't use that word lightly) what ideas are allowed to be heard to change our
city/provinces/country/world.

Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejadto is invited to speak at one university while just a year ago Harvard's president resigns due to the controversy surrounding his remarks about innate differences between men and women and the connection to our choices in school subjects (specifically science and math)

These issues are not just in American universities. University of Victoria students can't even meet a Canadian Forces Recruiter.

Margaret Wente wrote a great article on Saturday about university culture and the concept of "dangerous ideas." Give it a read.

In my opinion, the most "dangerous" ideas are the ones that say that other ideas/opinions should not be heard.

Kate hit the nail: What's the opposite of diversity? University!

Yet another plug for a great book, Indoctrination U: The Left's War Against Academic Freedom

What is in a name? A lot Actually!

2007-09-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

While I'm not engaged, many of my friends in the coming years will be walking down the aisle. When I get married (and I will, despite what StatsCan stats say) I want to take my husband-to-be's name. Some bitter feminists (who claim they aren't making an anti-marriage feminist argument) encourage me not to:

Changing it is stupid. Or stupid-ridiculous, if you're a hyphenator. Conventional marriage suggests we become 'one' after that ring slides onto the finger. But we are born alone and we die alone. Love has no surname, but identity does. Keep yours for yourself

[...]

"Sheepish is the right word for the way I feel," says a fortysomething newly separated father of two, who is in the process of reverting to his original surname after he and his soon-to-be ex-wife created a blended surname. She's changing back to her birth name, too. The children carry the his-and-hers brand. Allowing love to influence a change of original identity is naive, he says.

A "brand"? Ok we aren't talking about cattle.

My maiden name was a lifeboat from a sinking marriage. My "wasband" had insisted I take his surname. So I did, being young and wanting to please - and appease. Most of my identification, including passport, health card and driver's licence, was in my married name. But my professional name remained Hampson.

As the marriage unravelled and my career developed, I used my own identity not just professionally, but socially as well. But my wasband resented my stake for self. "I do not want to be Mr. Hampson," he would complain. He is not anti-feminist. He liked that I worked, and encouraged me to do so.

Let's just say he had narcissistic double standards, and those applied to many people, young and old, male and female. Still, the reason for the resentment was fear. He wanted complete union. So when I struck out more under my own brand, that threatened him. Perhaps it felt like a betrayal, even if it wasn't. His insistence that I change my name to his, and remain that way, was an issue of control.

I am all for separate identities. You shouldn't "need" to be together, you should both want to be together. There are many fairy tale notions around love and marriage still. A good book to read is Lies at the Altar: The Truth About Great Marriages. My partner and I starting reading it together and it's great.

While I am in support of separate identities in marriage, I think you can be separate people/personality but have a different name. Sure, your "maiden" name carries your history but if your kids (that is, if you actually have kids) get your hyphenated name. Then what happens when they get married?

An example.

John Jones and Jane Smith get married. They have children. Children get both names. Kids are Michael Jones-Smith and Jennifer Jones-Smith. Kids grown up and get married. Michael Jones-Smith wants to marry Mary MacDonald-O'Connor (whose "progressive" parents did the same). What will their last name be? And what about their children? Let's see Jennifer Jones-Smith who wants to marry Luke Carriere. Does she keep her name? Add Carriere to one of her surnames? And if they have kids are they going to be Billy and Bobby Jones-Smith-Carriere.

Come on.

A marriage is a union. The name should be united. Period.

The Nine Most Terrifying Words in the English Language

2007-09-13T15:37:00.000-04:00

As I sit here, at work (I work for a crown corporation), researching government programs, I opened up my iGoogle to do a quick search and saw the quote of the day that made me laugh outloud.

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help." -- Ronald Regan

Thank You Good Samaritan [Update]

2007-08-18T17:47:00.000-04:00

Dear Good Samaritan,

I was warned that Ottawa was a cold-bureaucratic city when I moved here two months ago. Last night we made small talk in the waiting room at the Kanata Animal Hospital. I had brought in a stray cat we took in a few months ago who was having a miscarriage. You listened to my story and before you left gave me $40 to help with the financial bill. Your kindness and generosity was overwhelming and you would not give me your name. I just want to say THANK YOU!

Update: Link Added

I wrote this above note to all the Ottawa radio stations and newspapers. A revised version of the above letter will be in tomorrow (Saturday)'s Ottawa Citizen.

Crazy Baby Names...[Updated]

2007-08-16T10:15:00.000-04:00

While one of the best part of being a parent is having the power to name your child. I appreciate this freedom and in no way, shape, or form do I wish to place limitations suchs as laws, fines or any sort of thing if you name your kids something stupid and he is mercilessly teased. I recently blogged making reference to this issue of parents naming their kids stupid names:

~~little Johnny~~ Jett-Slade and ~~Janie~~Tulika-Rain

BUT

Come on:

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand couple is looking to call their newborn son Superman -- but only because their chosen name of 4Real has been rejected by the government registry.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton say they will get around the decision by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages by officially naming their son Superman but referring to him as 4Real, the New Zealand Herald newspaper has reported.

The Wheatons decided on the name after seeing the baby for the first time in an ultrasound scan and realizing their baby was "for real."

They decided 4Real was the best way to write it, but the name was rejected because the registrar said a name had to be a sequence of characters.

Pat Wheaton said he was considering appealing against the decision through the courts, but whatever happens he won't be budged on his choice.

"No matter what its going to stay 4Real," Wheaton told the Herald, "I'm certainly not a quitter."

A spokesman for the Department of Internal Affairs, which operates the registry told the Herald discussions with the Wheatons about their son's name were continuing.

The baby is now two months old, after the Wheatons first applied to register his name in later June.

Update:

I think I have now heard it all:

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@," claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child, an official trying to whip the national language into line said Thursday.

10,000 visitor

2007-08-15T13:26:00.000-04:00

At 11:29am this blog hit it's 10,000 visitor someone from the Royal Bank in the GTA

I Need Your Advice

2007-08-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

I thought I would bounce this off as many people as I can. I hope to get your advice on an opportunity that has just presented itself.

I received a Teaching Assistantship(TAship) with Carleton worth approximately $9000. This summer I secured an excellent summer job with the a certain crown corporation. The past few months have been incredible, I really enjoy my work here, and I often receive compliments about how they are going to miss me (and my excellent work) when my contract finishes at the end of this month. They have asked if I would be willing to work one day a week in the fall.

My BA is in Sociology and Canadian Studies, and would most likely be a TA in the Sociology department (but this has not been confirmed as of yet). My Master's degree that I'm starting this fall is in Public Policy (course-based) with a balance between economic/math/stats courses and practical/theory seminar-type courses.

Here is my dilemma.

I know that I can't do both the TAship and work part-time for this crown corporation from a time-management perspective. One thing I let pass at Trent is that overloading in 3rd and 4th year required me to drop extra curriculars (volunteering and clubs/groups). I feel I missed out on the social aspect of university and don't want to make the same mistake again. Thus, I will have four courses per term, extra-curriculars, and I also have a partner of three years who I will need to set aside time to see on weekends because he's doing his Master's at Waterloo.

My future career plans is what is driving me to consider this opportunity. There’s that catch-22 of graduating and having the education but not the work experience. After I graduate in the Spring of 2009 I will have very little work experience of which to speak or place on my resume. My three years working as a receptionist for the Undergrad Student Association will not be the type of work experience (assumably) that employers will be seeking. I have very little work experience related to any type of policy. I’ve learned that this Crown Corp is the type of organization that there is a lot of internal movement and opportunity. Therefore, when I graduate in 2009 will the people I even worked for still be able to speak about my work.

The reason for my haste is that I have this ten-year plan. While I know that it must be flexible for change, I also know what I want. After my Master's I want to work for 8-10 years and then settle down have a family, stay home with my children until they are in school full-time and then go back into the work force full time. I have no plans to do a PhD or stay in academia.

The other part of the equation is the monetary reward. At this Crown Corp I am paid very well and I will have to work 13 hours a week to meet the same amount I would have receive with my TAship. The TAship says that I will work 10 hours per week but clearly this will be change depending if I have papers to mark etc.

Therefore, do I decline the TAship and use this excellent opportunity to stay with this Crown Corp, which will provide me with solid and longer work experience. While housing policy is not what I was initially considering, as I am more interested in health care and education policy, I really like what I’m doing and learning here. Additionally, when I graduate I need to set myself apart from other candidates. On the other hand, are there skills and experiences that a TAship will give me that I am not considering?

I apologize for the length, I thought I would get it all out though. I value any advice or feedback you can give.

Snakes...and Crocs...on a Plane: Egypt Edition

2007-08-13T13:04:00.001-04:00

Watching too many American movies? Didn't want to pay extra pet-travel costs? Perhaps new terror tactics? Nope, scientific research.

CAIRO (Reuters) - A Saudi passenger tried to smuggle a large number of reptiles, including cobra snakes and infant Nile crocodiles, out of Egypt in his luggage, Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported Sunday.

The discovery of the reptiles in the passenger's bags triggered a brief panic among security personnel at the Cairo International Airport, witnesses said.

The 22-year-old passenger, identified only as Anas, said he needed the reptiles, which also included chameleons, for scientific research at his university in Saudi Arabia.

His collection will be handed over to Egypt's main zoo in Cairo.

Of course this is only one side of the story. But let's be real here, if it really was for university scientific research, the transportation of these types of animals would not have been in this man's suitcase.

Cabbie Wins Privacy Right Over Medical Record

2007-08-10T15:58:00.000-04:00

I am in agreement with this. I also think about the Toronto school bus driver, Susan Drury, who had an undiagnosed seizure while driving and 10-year-old John Pham was killed, because even having her medical records would not have prevented that tragedy.

Unfortunately the article does not indicate for what purpose these medical records are used. Safety? (concern for someone with Diabetes who may face long drives without regular eating habits) Drug testing? Allergies (e.g perfumes)? Prone to narcolepsy

I do agree with the ruling:

The ruling by the privacy commissioner could affect anyone who drives professionally. Currently people who drive buses, trucks or taxis not only need a doctor to say they're fit for the road, they also have to sign a waiver that gives the government access to their medical records.

Charlottetown taxi driver Neil Harpham thought that went too far, so he filed a complaint with the privacy commissioner and won his case. The privacy commissioner ruled that demanding blanket access to a person's medical records was too intrusive.

But then again, this was the same guy CBC captured in this stellar quote:

Lack of dictionaries in dem Merrytimes? (Please note that most of my family is from PEI and NB so this statement is in jest)

Driving....It's the Culture...

2007-08-09T11:02:00.000-04:00

Just want to draw your attention to an article in the G&M today:

I completely disagree for a variety of reasons, but do not have time to elaborate today because I'm writing a final exam at 5:30 but I will post my comment that I left on the website:

I frequently drive from Ottawa to London and I agree with many of the comments above regarding speed limits in Germany and cost of time. My biggest complaint is DRIVERS WHO HOG THE PASSING/LEFT LANE!!!!!!!

I will admit I drive at a high speed (130-140kmh) but I've also never been in a car accident, never had a speeding ticket, and consider myself a very safe driver. Why?

I refuse to pass on the right or weave in and out of lanes because that is dangerous and more likely to cause accidents. However, if someone is going 105kmh in the passing lane and I have my left blinker on (a signal used in Germany to indicate that you want to pass) and they do not move over what else can I do? You can try flashing your lights, honking, or signaling with your hand (politely) to move over, but many people just don't get it that it's a passing lane.

Want to help the cause of getting people out of the left/passing lane? Use your left turning signal to indicate you want to pass and hopefully it will catch on. I've been doing it for about two years now and I have seen an increase in people doing it!

Women's Lives and Health are Favoured Over Mens' in This Country

2007-08-08T13:06:00.000-04:00

In my blog I often discuss the unfair treatment of men and women in this country. This letter in The Recond reinforces everything I've been saying with an excellent example (Thanks Joanne for alerting me about this):

I have been reading a lot in the news about whether we should have a two-tiered medical system -- hello, it is already here! There is one system for women and one for men.

Why are annual Pap tests and mammograms for women covered under our current medical system and the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests to detect prostate cancer in men cost $30?

Today, I read that we are spending $83 million to vaccinate young girls for cervical cancer. What is not two-tiered about all this? Does anyone realize that prostate cancer is not an old man's disease anymore and it is becoming more prevalent in younger men and one in seven men will get prostate cancer?

Yes, it is a curable cancer but only if it is caught in an early stage. One of the best indicators is the PSA blood screening. Prostate cancer is fast becoming a silent killer of men. And also, the loss of breasts is devastating but how about what men can lose with removal of the prostate -- including their lives?

I know all this because I am a prostate cancer "victim" as was my father and grandfather. This was diagnosed by my annual PSA test as the anal exam did not indicate a problem. And guess what? Now that I am a "victim" as they classify me, my ongoing PSA test is covered if I go to the cancer clinic to have it done. We need to realize that this test needs to be covered under our medical program now.

Oh yes, my ongoing treatments for curing my cancer will be covered under our medical system and in my case I took the preventive measures. What about those who do not because of the cost? Let's level the playing field here. Annual PSA blood tests need to be covered under our medical system.

And guys: This is no longer your "father's disease." Discuss this on your annual visit with the doctor, get tested and pressure our government to make this important test covered under our medical program.

Tom Sutherland

Wasaga Beach

Hat Tip: Joanne's Journey

****

One more thing though that pissing me off. It's the way men are portrayed in the media. Two examples:

Example 1: Those stupid Whiskas commercials. Sure you've seen then, and I'm sure you've laughed just as I did. But I've been thinking about it realized that they would never ever reverse those roles and have acting in the same way, it's only funny when we make fun of men. According to market research however:

Bruce Miller, director of marketing for Whiskas, said the company's consumer research showed that the cat-owner relationship is different from the relationship with any other animal. With dogs, the owner is in charge. With cats, it's the cat thats in the driver's seat. "We had women in the focus group say. If my husband behaved that way, I wouldn't put up with it. But my cat does, and I love him for it."

Example 2: A sequel for Daddy Day Care is Daddy Day Camp, another example that makes men look completely incompetant, completely unable to take care of children. What great role models men have...

Lottery Winners Win Twice On Same Draw

2007-08-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

What are the odds....

If there was any time that you would want to accidently purchase a second lottery ticket for the same numbers you play...Wow talk about LUCKY!

LONDON (Reuters) - A lottery winner doubled his share of the jackpot to nearly 1 million pounds after he mistakenly bought two lucky tickets for the same draw, organizers Camelot said Wednesday.

Derek Ladner, 57, from Cornwall, and his wife Dawn, 60, won with their usual numbers in the mid-week draw, sharing the 2.4 million pounds jackpot with four other tickets.

A week later, he found a second identical ticket in his wallet and realized he had absent-mindedly entered twice.

Their double-share of the jackpot is worth just under a million pounds.

The pair have handed in their notice at work and are taking a break to decide how to spend their windfall.

"It's beginning to sink in," Ladner told a news conference. "We are going on holiday first...and then think about what we are going to do for the rest of our lives."

Now if this was in Canada, this may throw up a red flag because of the recent lottery-scandels of insiders winning. But I like to give people the benefit of the doubt so I truly believe this is really the luckiest people in the UK!

The Family Unit: Working vs. Stay-at-home Parents

2007-07-26T17:12:00.000-04:00

Is there a difference between a journalism and opinion pieces? Of course!

This blog is an opinion piece of media. As much as I'd like to think I have some loyal readers, I do not have a large audience, not an employer or an editor.

An article piece in a newspaper or on television, however, has a larger audience (consumers/citizens) plus there are colleagues who have much more influence in the angle you take.

I thought about this after reading this article. While at first it seems like an innocent opening to the piece:

For mothers who work, here's something new on the long list of things to feel guilty about:

The article has undertones of angry feminist:

You're making your kids fat. So says a study from the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. The investigating scientists state that as the numbers of women who entered the work force rose, so did the rates of childhood obesity. And they don't seem to think it's a coincidence.

This article is written by a freelancer so I am curious to know what direction (if any) was given to write the story. Normally when a newspaper reports on the findings of a news story there are a few options with how to report it.

Option A: Report the findings (should appear neutral, just the facts)
Option B: Report the findings but balance it with its positives but also consider what's missing (inserting informed/critical thinking)
Option C: Mention the findings but completely squash and dismiss it hinting at the flawed funding from the one-sided think tank. (opinions/rants)

While I try to take an option B approach, I acknowledge that sometimes I can sway to Option C. But does a newspaper or new report have the right to be so biased?

In considering this study I completely agree that other variables should be considered about childhood obesity:

There are a whole host of issues that affect the likelihood of being an unhealthy weight. And many of these can go hand in hand with the skyrocketing rise in overweight kids.

Here are a just a few examples of factors that have also changed over the study's time period and may be linked to the rise in rates of overweight and obese children:
- the number of fast-food restaurants, especially located near schools
- the amount of sugar-laden soft drinks kids guzzle
- the dramatic growth in serving sizes
- the use of trans fats
- the presence in schools of vending machines dispensing options with less-than-stellar nutritional profiles
- the number of hours youngsters sit in front of a television set
- the number of television commercials for less nutritious foods aimed at young children
- the number of hours they sit in front of computer screen
- the popularity and sales of video games
- the number of youngsters who don't walk, but are driven to school
- the number of communities built where cars are needed to get to everyday activities
- At the same time, there are some negative associations that can also be tracked. For example, as the number of phys. ed. classes and after-school programs have declined, kids' weights have also increased.

Ms. Schwarz believes: "It appears that the researchers think that bringing up kids is the mother's job alone." A surprising number of Canadians may agree according to this (completely non-scientific poll):

Ms. Schwartz finishes the article with a dose of reality:

That's not to say that moms don't play a major role as gatekeepers for what their kids eat. In some families, the role may fall to one parent, while in others, both parents take on the responsibility for providing and teaching their youngsters about healthy eats.

But in today's time-challenged society, it can indeed be a difficult task. Sometimes after a busy day, figuring out what to make for dinner can take longer than the actual cooking process itself -- especially if the wholesome ingredients are nowhere to be found.

True enough, but while the trend in the past few decades is more women in the workforce, the attack is not necessary on women themselves because there has been a steep rise in more dual-full-time-income/two-working parent families. It just so happens that it is women.

I am certain that there are a variety of factors that affect childhood obesity/overweight, but we cannot completely dismiss the fact that it is women who have been entering the workforce.

I know I have seen working moms (still dressed in work clothes) with kids (just picked up from daycare) at the grocery store trying to pick up a few items for dinner and little ~~Johnny~~ Jett-Slade and ~~Janie~~ Tulika-Rain. And when little Tulika-Rain wants a chocolate bar or candy Ms. Working-Mom may feel guilty for being away from them all the time and just give in.

Have you seen the parents on Nanny 9-11??? I'm not saying it's all of a women's fault as there are plenty of piss-poor fathers as well.

Parenting is the hardest job in the world in which I have no experience.

I plan on being a stay-at-home mom for the first five years of my children's life. Some of my left-leaning friends are shocked. "Why are you spending thousands of dollars on your education if you're not going to work?" or "You know, just because you have the uterus doesn't mean the dad can't stay home too".

But I believe children are best brought up by parents/family not daycare. Even though there are experts with education on childhood development, and there is no parent manual, the government should not be responsible for raising children. I recognize that not everyone has the opportunity to have one parent stay home. It should be the government's role not to provide daycare but they should make it easier for parents to stay home if they choose.

On the other hand, being devil's advocate what's so wrong with daycare? Economically, more Canadians will be working/contributing to the economy and it will create jobs.

But can a Daycare love?

Additionally, with our future demographic problem, the solution shouldn't just be taking in more immigrants but the government needs to offer financial incentives (cuz kids are darn expensive) for parents to have more children.

Unfortunately, what this study doesn't take into consideration is the last few decades of hallowing out of the family unit. Families are having fewer children (if any at all) and consequently, today's kids are more likely to have fewer cousins and more step-siblings.

Politicians often make generalizations about "ordinary" "working" families. We should remember that it's social programs not families that have an application form. Doing more to strengthen the family unit will serve our society a lot more than throwing more money into a bunch of social programs.

To Have Sex or Not to Have Sex....

2007-07-26T10:46:00.000-04:00

Two interesting reads in the G&M today.

An article about young girls and being virgins by choice

and on the other side of the spectrum

An article about a film about young people having sex (although they use different language)

Cookies = Sexism??

2007-07-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

Thank you BATB you have said what is on my mind. AMEN!!!

A "Give me a Break" Moment Brought to you by...

2007-07-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

I know that authors/journalists do not write titles/headlines. Normally a story covered, let's say a story out of Reuters or CP will be covered in both the G&M and NP, often with their own unique spin on the story.

Today, while perusing the NP website this headline intrigued me:

"Slow down on native rights bill, Tories told."

The same article is also in the Ottawa Citizen but while being the same source there is a different spin in the title.

"Native Women Slam Proposed Rights Bill"

A side note: I abhor when the word "slam" is used in sensationalist MSM

Anyway, that headline is certainly a different take on it, but that's not even what I wanted to talk about today.

Upon reading the article I found this paragraph:

"It really delights governments to picture First Nations as bullies who are oppressing their people," Ms. Eberts said. "There are some [Indian] bands that don't get it right, but in many, many cases they are doing what they can with insufficient resources."

This lawyer is not even making an argument here. First, I am certain that "governments" do not "delight" over this issue. Second, the lawyer makes the error of using a word like "governments" to over generalize and thus put a big fat hole in this crappy argument.

This is a common error but instead of using "governments" people usually use "society" in that "Society thinks...or Society believes..." But WE are society, and our government represents us through politicians. So is this lawyer saying that all Canadians delight to picturing this? That's probably not what she meant. Did she mean that some or all politicians delight over this issue? Did she mean that the current government or all governments in power delights to think this way?

Now that's just the first sentence.

Her second sentence is a bigger can of worms. "...doing what they can with insufficient resources." Now I can write a 30 page research paper on this or just offer you my opinion (without making sweeping generalizations I hope). First Nations are giving millions upon millions of dollars and are business savvy enough to make mucho dinero off governments (see James Bay agreements). I think another BT blogger once calculated the amount of money given to First Nations divided by their number rounded out to be about $30,000 (tax-free) per Aboriginal (anyone help with a link?). Clearly all of the money isn't being used properly.

So where is all of this money going? Last year I remember reading a BT blog post (can't find the link, can someone help me out?) about the mere suggestions of auditing First Nations' books was racist. But I still stand by supporting this notion, because as (1999) you can (2001) see, this (2005) remains an (2007) issue.

File this Under: And this is What Happens When Feminists....

2007-07-19T13:51:00.000-04:00

Overdo it on the the victim mentality that women should feel oppressed in our "apparently" masculine-dominated-paternalistic society.

When we have walks for violence against women (perpetrated by man, of course).

When women grow up learning to constantly be on their guard whether it be not walking alone at night or watching their drink in a bar.

When women are taught that they should report if they feel violated in any way; whether it is how a male co-worker might look at her (in her mini-skirt and V neck sweater and push up bra) or if a man may actually propose intercourse after you get wasted in a bar and dance provocatively all over him.

When we live in a society like this, where these are the messages women are getting of "fear the man"

This is what happens

Now don't get me wrong, as I've said on numerous occasions on this blog, I believe that these are important causes and that violence against women is an issue; however, if 90% of inmates are male and 60% of University graduates are female perhaps can we just assume that the feminists won, they got their Grrrl (or Womyn)-Power, and can we now focus back on understanding why more men are in jail and not in university (which is likely correlated with the feminist attention on women in the past few decades).