Government supports dance in Manitoba - Have yourself a nice dance

April 29, 2010

INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY CELEBRATED AT MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE BUILDING
The importance of dance to Manitoba’s way of life was recognized today by Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Flor Marcelino as she celebrated International Dance Day by watching performances at the Legislative Building.

“Last year, government supported dance in the province with more than $1.4 million in funding for dance or dance-related initiatives,” said Marcelino. “Manitoba is home to a wide variety of nationalities and dance is one way in which we showcase that diversity.”



The province is represented by numerous dance companies including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Contemporary Dancers, Ruth Cansfield Dance, TRIP Dance, Summer Bear Dance Troupe, Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Chai Folk Ensemble, India School of Dance, L’Ensemble Folklorique de la Rivière-Rouge, NAfro Dance Productions, Magdaragat/Kayumangi Performing Arts and many others.



Marcelino noted the work of Stephanie Ballard and Margaret Piasecki of the Winnipeg Dance Preservation Initiative. The initiative, established in 2006 by Ballard and Piasecki with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, supports all efforts to celebrate the past, present and future of dance in Manitoba. Celebrating International Dance Day is one of its primary annual events.



Marcelino also reminded Manitobans the 2010 Provincial Dance Festival will be held May 9 to 23. The annual event has grown from a one-day program to a 14-day event, featuring performances by more than 1,600 dancers from across the province.



“Dance is the artistic expression of emotions, feelings and opinions through the movement of the body. Dancing is a way to show how much we enjoy life,” said Marcelino. “I invite all Manitobans to celebrate International Dance Day.”

The goal of International Dance Day is to increase awareness among the general public of the importance of dance, as well as to persuade governments all over the world to provide a proper place for dance in all systems of education.

BBC News - Prostate cancer vaccine wins US approval

BBC News - Prostate cancer vaccine wins US approval

BBC News - 'Cuddle hormone' makes men more empathetic

And for those men who experience sensitivity challenge, those Blood type B men, perhaps, there is something for you too. A simple nose-spray can turn you from a beast to a prince. How exciting. Isn't that just dandy. What next will science tinker with?

BBC News - 'Cuddle hormone' makes men more empathetic

BBC News - The virginity industry

Seems as if you can have your cake and eat it too. Today's technology are helping women to cheat their mate through manufactured hymen after their natural hymen have been ruptured in a romp. Pretty clever idea. Why didn't someone think of this before. It would have made so many men happy.
BBC News - The virginity industry

BBC News - Dating by blood type in Japan

Horoscope is to the West as blood type is to Japanese. It appears there is some scientific evidence that blood type impacts, one's worklife and romantic compatibility and the purple sheep of the types appears to be Blood type B. If you are a man with this blood type, you might want to hide it as you might find it especially challenging to get a Japanese girl. Blood type B are said to be flambouyant, arrogant and selfish. Not good for a woman. I guess they are like the bullies. Check out this article and judge for yourself.
Do you think we should pay heed to this type of information?
BBC News - Dating by blood type in Japan

BBC News - Indian man 'survives without food or water for decades'

Is this possible?  Can a man survive without food or water but by the grace of God for 70 years? I do not believe this is humanly possible.  This man must have turned himself into a God.  Then what am I doing wasting money on food if I can survive without it and be alive. Check out this video.  Wonders never cease but daily increase.
BBC News - Indian man 'survives without food or water for decades'

BBC News - Baby gorillas flown to safety in DR Congo

This is a cute video of baby gorills being flown home to safety and eating banans
BBC News - Baby gorillas flown to safety in DR Congo

Endangered Language Alliance » Garifuna

Interesting website about some African languages
Endangered Language Alliance » Garifuna

Can You Stomach Gluten? How Giving Up Grain May Better Your Health | | AlterNet

Can You Stomach Gluten? How Giving Up Grain May Better Your Health AlterNet

Paula Deen's Hash Brown Casserole - Oprah.com

I saw this on Oprah - it looked pretty good. There is only one draw back, there appears to be a little too much fat for me but I am sure one can adjust to one's liking. It's on Oprah, it must be good !
Paula Deen's Hash Brown Casserole - Oprah.com

Lawsuit Highlights Disclosure Issues in Adoptions - NYTimes.com

When adoption goes wrong. People are quick to judge those who send back babies that are not 100% perfect but there are always two sides to a story. This article highlights some of the underside of adoption practices. There is need for due diligence in everything we do including adoption and also there ought to be ethical standards. Check out this interesting article
Lawsuit Highlights Disclosure Issues in Adoptions - NYTimes.com

Cases - 17 Years Later, a Cancer Survivor Is Celebrating Life - NYTimes.com

I'm still here - Cancer patients sends out messages to the world some after 17 years survival
Cases - 17 Years Later, a Cancer Survivor Is Celebrating Life - NYTimes.com

Students Protest School Budget Cuts in New Jersey - NYTimes.com

New technology used to whip up student protest of budget cuts
Students Protest School Budget Cuts in New Jersey - NYTimes.com

What Happened When I Went Undercover at a Christian Gay-to-Straight Conversion Camp | | AlterNet

Journey into manhood - turning gay men into straight men (sort of)
What Happened When I Went Undercover at a Christian Gay-to-Straight Conversion Camp AlterNet

Dead beat parents look out - you've got to pay - new legislation is coming

April 28, 2010

LEGISLATION WOULD ENCOURAGE MAKING FAMILY SUPPORT PAYMENTS
Proposals Include Stiffer Sanctions; Improved Enforcement is Key: Swan
Proposed legislation would take further steps to make sure Manitoba children benefit from financial support ordered by the courts, Attorney General Andrew Swan said today after introducing the proposals in the legislature.

“The end of a relationship shouldn’t be the start of financial hard times for children and families, caused by parents ignoring their financial obligations,” said Swan. “Kids need proper support; good intentions won’t fill their lunch boxes.”

Amendments proposed in the strengthened enforcement of family support payments and miscellaneous amendments act would support the use of a new computer system and enhance enforcement tools and options available to the Maintenance Enforcement Program including:

· increasing fines to a maximum of $10,000 and jail time to a maximum of 200 days for debtors who are wilfully in default;

· providing for support deduction notices, a new administrative enforcement tool;

· providing for financial penalties to be imposed on debtors who fail to pay maintenance or fail to pay on time;

· adding the ability to charge to the debtor the cost of certain enforcement actions required to be taken because of their failure to pay; and

· restricting the duration of court orders suspending the enforcement of a maintenance order by the Maintenance Enforcement Program and the circumstances in which a suspension order could be made.

The Family Maintenance Act would be amended by the new legislation to allow a child-support order to be recalculated even though a party fails to provide updated financial information, clarify that initial orders of child support could be made retroactively as well as for the future and spell out the court’s authority to order genetic testing to help determine a child’s parentage.

Proposed changes would also clarify that responses to applications to vary orders need to take into consideration material changes in circumstances that have occurred since the order was made or last changed.
The proposed legislation would also amend the Court of Queen's Bench Act. The change would oblige court-appointed family evaluators helping with custody, access and other related family matters to report to the court the refusal of any party to co-operate with them. The court could draw any inference from the refusal that it considers appropriate.

The amendments would also mean Manitoba would have the toughest sanctions in Canada for debtors who wilfully default on their support payments. An example of someone wilfully defaulting might be a person who hides their assets.



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'Nightline' Asks Why Black Women 'Can't Get a Man' | | AlterNet

Black women are not finding men? This is news to me.
'Nightline' Asks Why Black Women 'Can't Get a Man' AlterNet

New leglislation will enhance quality of adult learning

April 27, 2010
PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD FURTHER ENHANCE QUALITY OF ADULT LEARNING, POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION: MCGIFFORD
Minister Says Proposals Would Protect Students' Privacy
Legislative proposals would allow data collection to help guide further improvements to the adult learning and post‑secondary education system while protecting students’ privacy, Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Diane McGifford said today after introducing the legislation.

“This proposed legislation is a valuable tool to support system improvement through evidence-based decision-making,” the minister said. “We recognize the importance of students’ rights to privacy and our legislation will ensure information is collected and shared in a way that both respects and protects those rights.”

The proposed Advanced Education Administration Act and amendments to both the Council on Post‑Secondary Education Act and the Education Administration Act have been introduced to provide additional information to enhance post-secondary and adult learning sectors in the province, the minister said.
Over the long term, education officials would gather information to answer questions related to:

· tracking student pathways and mobility to increase understanding of student transitions from kindergarten to Grade 12 to post-secondary education, and movement of students among universities and colleges;

· monitoring student retention and completion of post-secondary education including rates of retention and graduation for under-represented groups; and

· better understanding the relationship between student financial assistance and the time required to complete college or university programs.

The new legislation would further enhance the minister’s mandate for adult learning and post‑secondary education, McGifford said. She added, amendments to the Council on Post‑Secondary Education Act would ensure the council has the information about students required to carry out its mandate and amendments to the Education Administration Act would formalize existing administrative processes. The amendments would also help prevent duplication of data collection.
In addition, the proposed legislation would enable Manitoba Advanced Education and Literacy to collect data already being collected in several other Canadian jurisdictions including Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. The legislation incorporates provisions to ensure the privacy of students’ personal information is protected, consistent with existing information and privacy legislation, the minister said.

Yoga’s New Wave - NYTimes.com

Yoga's taken a new turn check out this article
Yoga’s New Wave - NYTimes.com

Yale Doctor Killed at Home, Police Say - NYTimes.com

Some of us can accept our firing with grace but others can't overcome it and do the unthinkable to destroy themselves and their perceived discriminator. In this case it is a Chinese doctor who killed another doctor who from the look of the name seems as if he is from India. In some cultures, China is one of them, there is what is called face saving. It is a egregious harm to a Chinese person's psyche to tell his family that he has been fired, it's a shame and disgrace to the entire family. On top of that a doctor's degree does not come cheap and after all the studying, money and pride invest into the study of medicine and to turn around and be fired is too much to bear. One can empathize with the degree of devastation, anger and helplessness that over take an individual especially a male, the breadwinner of the family when something like this happens.This is a sad case.
Yale Doctor Killed at Home, Police Say - NYTimes.com

Can't Concentrate? Maybe It's the Fast Food | | AlterNet

Thinking about your next bite into a burger or french fries and can concentrate on your important work or studies? This article is for you to read..
Can't Concentrate? Maybe It's the Fast Food AlterNet

Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration - NYTimes.com

Protecting borders, keeping people out has taken up millions of dollars in the world - xenophobia the scourge of the day. Why do we languish in this archaic way of living in the world. We ought to keep up with technology. Technology has brought the world into a tight knit but physically we still want to keep people at arms length. Enacting tougher immigration laws has never kept those who want to enter the country out. As the saying goes, stricter the government, wiser the population.
Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration - NYTimes.com

10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow At Home | | AlterNet

Don't have land - here is something you can do with a little piece of God's earth or even in pots on your balcony. Check out this article and start growing your own vegetables - some of them anyway.
10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow At Home AlterNet

Videos: News, Sports, Entertainment, Technology & More - USATODAY.com

Kevin Eubanks is leaving the Tonight Show after some 18 years as Jay Leno's sidekick. I will be sorry to see him go as I tune in for him as much as I tune in for Jay.  The two of them is an act by itself. Anyway, Kevin has to know when he has outlived his excitement and move on to new things. Good luck to you.

Videos: News, Sports, Entertainment, Technology & More - USATODAY.com

Train Crossings are hazardous to health

There were 256 grade-crossing and railway-trespassing accidents resulted in 71 fatalities and 36 serious injuriesin Canada in 2009.  The fatalities increased by approximatedly 10% from 2008.


In March a Winnipeg woman was hit by a train and a 36 year old man was killed outside of Edson, Alberta while a 28 year old  Regina man was killed when his vehicle collided with a passenger train in March as well.
Are people miscalculating the speed of the train or is something else at work here? Why are there so many accidents and fatalities involving trains. 
Perhaps the hand of the law has to come down a little harder or better systems of controls must be in place.

SEX OFFENDER NOTIFICATION

(Appearance may be changed)

Sex Offender


Notification



Date of Notification - November 9, 2009

________________________________________

Name: Luigi DEANGELIS
We do not have enough money to pay police to be everywhere but citizens are everywhere and we can help the police by being informed about dangerous people out there and report citings to Police


Convicted of: Sexual assaults and related offences, and weapons offences.

Nature of Risk: All adult females are at risk of sexual violence.

THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO TAKE SUITABLE MEASURES TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. ANY FORM OF VIGILANTE ACTIVITY OR OTHER UNREASONABLE CONDUCT DIRECTED AT MR. DEANGELIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.


Appearance may have changed since photo was taken

The Manitoba Integrated High Risk Sex Offender Unit (MIHRSOU) is a joint forces unit of the RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service. MIHRSOU today provides information regarding Luigi DEANGELIS, 43 years of age.

DEANGELIS will be released from Stony Mountain Institution, Stony Mountain, Manitoba, on Friday, November 6, 2009, after serving an 18 month sentence for Breach of a Long Term Supervision Order. DEANGELIS is expected to reside in Winnipeg.

Luigi DEANGELIS born October 10, 1966 is 5’8 ” (173 cm), weighs 202 lbs (92 kg), has dark brown hair, hazel eyes and is Caucasian with no known distinguishing marks.

This information is provided to enable members of the public to take suitable measures to protect themselves. Any form of vigilante activity or other unreasonable conduct directed at Luigi DEANGELIS will not be tolerated.

If you have information about Mr. DEANGELIS and wish to speak directly to a police officer, please call the Manitoba Integrated High Risk Offender Unit (MIHRSOU).

Background information:

Luigi DEANGELIS is a 43 year-old male with a criminal record for sexual assaults and related offences, and weapons offences.

DEANGELIS was designated a Long Term Offender and a Long Term Supervision Order was imposed following a conviction for Sexual Assault in 2003. His most recent conviction involved breaching the terms of this Order which occurred on April 17, 2008. DEANGELIS’ offences have involved attacks on adult female strangers. He has an offence history which includes convictions for Sexual Assault, Criminal Harassment, Indecent Phone Calls, Committing an Indecent Act, and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon. DEANGELIS has been the subject of previous public notifications by police in October 2006 and September 2007.

DEANGELIS has participated in sex offender treatment programs during past incarcerations and will be required to abide by a Long Term Supervision Order when released from prison. He is still considered a high risk to re-offend. All adult females are at risk of sexual violence.


http://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/notification/offenderpages/current/luigideangelis.html

Food in the U.S. Is Still Tainted with Chemicals That Were Banned Decades Ago | | AlterNet

Thirty-eight years after DDT was banned, Americans still consume trace amounts of the infamous insecticide every day, along with more than 20 other banned chemicals.

Food in the U.S. Is Still Tainted with Chemicals That Were Banned Decades Ago AlterNet

Derek Walcott Poet Laureate produces White Egrets at 89

Someone phoned me accidentally this morning and hearing my accent asked if I was from the Caribbean then he proceeded to tell me all about his favourite Author, Derek Walcott, the Nobel laureate and that he had just bought a copy of the Egrets, Walcott's latest book of poems. This stranger said he was sure Walcott would receive the Nobel Prize for Literature for that. It turned out that he is a poet - not surprising and so am I. We talked some more and got caught up in the moment of poetic talk then we said hurried goodbyes over the phone, as if we had just realized we ought to have been doing something else - like work for example. But that was a beautiful interaction of thought.

The Sandspur - Nobel laureate Derek Walcott brings island flavor


In the Village


by Derek Walcott
I
I came up out of the subway and there were

people standing on the steps as if they knew

something I didn't. This was in the Cold War,

and nuclear fallout. I looked and the whole avenue

was empty, I mean utterly, and I thought,

The birds have abandoned our cities and the plague

of silence multiplies through their arteries, they fought

the war and they lost and there's nothing subtle or vague

in this horrifying vacuum that is New York. I caught

the blare of a loudspeaker repeatedly warning

the last few people, maybe strolling lovers in their walk,

that the world was about to end that morning

on Sixth or Seventh Avenue with no people going to work

in that uncontradicted, horrifying perspective.

It was no way to die, but it's also no way to live.

Well, if we burnt, it was at least New York.



II



Everybody in New York is in a sitcom.

I'm in a Latin American novel, one

in which an egret-haired viejo shakes with some

invisible sorrow, some obscene affliction,

and chronicles it secretly, till it shows in his face,

the parenthetical wrinkles confirming his fiction

to his deep embarrassment. Look, it's

just the old story of a heart that won't call it quits

whatever the odds, quixotic. It's just one that'll

break nobody's heart, even if the grizzled colonel

pitches from his steed in a cavalry charge, in a battle

that won't make him a statue. It is the hell

of ordinary, unrequited love. Watch these egrets

trudging the lawn in a dishevelled troop, white banners

trailing forlornly; they are the bleached regrets

of an old man's memoirs, printed stanzas.

showing their hinged wings like wide open secrets.



III



Who has removed the typewriter from my desk,

so that I am a musician without his piano

with emptiness ahead as clear and grotesque

as another spring? My veins bud, and I am so

full of poems, a wastebasket of black wire.

The notes outside are visible; sparrows will

line antennae like staves, the way springs were,

but the roofs are cold and the great grey river

where a liner glides, huge as a winter hill,

moves imperceptibly like the accumulating

years. I have no reason to forgive her

for what I brought on myself. I am past hating,

past the longing for Italy where blowing snow

absolves and whitens a kneeling mountain range

outside Milan. Through glass, I am waiting

for the sound of a bird to unhinge the beginning

of spring, but my hands, my work, feel strange

without the rusty music of my machine. No words

for the Arctic liner moving down the Hudson, for the mange

of old snow moulting from the roofs. No poems. No birds.



IV



The Sweet Life Café

If I fall into a grizzled stillness
sometimes, over the red-chequered tablecloth
outdoors of the Sweet Life Café, when the noise
of Sunday traffic in the Village is soft as a moth
working in storage, it is because of age
which I rarely admit to, or, honestly, even think of.
I have kept the same furies, though my domestic rage
is illogical, diabetic, with no lessening of love
though my hand trembles wildly, but not over this page.
My lust is in great health, but, if it happens
that all my towers shrivel to dribbling sand,
joy will still bend the cane-reeds with my pen's
elation on the road to Vieuxfort with fever-grass
white in the sun, and, as for the sea breaking
in the gap at Praslin, they add up to the grace
I have known and which death will be taking
from my hand on this chequered tablecloth in this good place.

The Sandspur - Nobel laureate Derek Walcott brings island flavor

The Sandspur - Nobel laureate Derek Walcott brings island flavor

A Mother Grieves by Making a Film About Bulimia - NYTimes.com

This is the story of how a mother coped with the loss of her daughter to the insidious disease of bulimia

A Mother Grieves by Making a Film About Bulimia - NYTimes.com

Multicultural Winnipeg - Celebrating Black History in Manitoba

Dr. Afua Cooper - speaker brought by Workers of Colour Support Network

Black History Month 2010 Pictorial Winnipeg Manitoba - Council of Caribbean Organizations of Manitoba, (CCOMfrica Canadian Association of Manitoba; Congress of Black Women of Canada, MB Chapter, Youth Wing of CCOM, Nia and Friends, Workers of Colour Support Network Jamaica Association of Manitoba - all held various events celebrating Black history with workshops, poetry reading, concerts, cultural-awareness, black history lessons, dramatic play and Awards Banquet

,

Anancy Choir Workers of Colour Support Network

Nia and Friends Poetry Presentation

Aboriginal Labguages of Manitoba Recognized

April 20, 2010
LEGISLATION WOULD RECOGNIZE ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES OF MANITOBA IN LAW
Proposals Would be First Step Toward Protecting, Promoting Province's Linguistic Heritage: Robinson
New legislation which would recognize Cree, Dakota, Dene, Inuktitut, Michif, Ojibway and Oji-Cree as the Aboriginal languages of Manitoba was introduced today in the legislature by Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson.
“Indigenous languages have vanished or are in danger of disappearing in many parts of the world and the same fate is possible for Manitoba’s Aboriginal languages if we don’t act now to protect them,” said Robinson. “This legislation is the first step toward preserving and promoting Manitoba’s proud Indigenous language heritage for the benefit of future generations.”
According to the most recent Statistics Canada data, it is estimated that 25.2 per cent of Aboriginal Manitobans have knowledge of an Aboriginal language, down from 27.8 per cent from 2001.
It is remarkable any of Canada’s indigenous languages are still spoken following a century and a half of forced assimilation through the residential school system, said Robinson, noting the importance of the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission now underway in Winnipeg in addressing past wrongs including language deprivation.

“I’ve learned that when a language is taken away from a people, it’s a major step toward the loss of a culture,” said Robinson. “Today there is once again pride and interest among Aboriginal youth in learning their languages and traditions but, in many cases, a painful past has resulted in a gap in traditional knowledge that needs to be bridged. Government policies are to blame for this so it only makes sense that governments now take responsibility and action to address it.”

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Don't know what to do with your old computers? There are E-Waste Depots

"April 21, 2010

ELECTRONIC WASTE RECYCLING, HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE (HHW) PROGRAMS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT PROVINCE
– – –
More Than 1.5 Million Kilograms of E-waste, 750,000 Kilograms of HHW Diverted from Landfills by Manitobans in 2009: Blaikie


Manitobans are turning in more e-waste for recycling each year since the launch of Manitoba’s first collection program in 2007, Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie announced today.

“Considering the amount of electronic technology available to consumers, it’s not surprising that e‑waste makes up a significant portion of waste on the planet,” said Blaikie. “Manitobans are recognizing that fact and are being environmentally responsible by using the e-waste collection depots throughout the province.”

Beginning May 1, Manitobans will have access to 29 e-waste collection depots located throughout the province under the E-waste Roundup program, the minister said. Ten of the sites will offer year‑round collection services. The remaining 19 sites will be open to the public until the end of October. A list of e-waste recycling depots is available at www.greenmanitoba.ca.

Under the program, electronic waste depots accept the following materials at no charge when they are from residential sources: TVs, VCRs, stereos, microwaves, phones, computer equipment, laptops, printers, scanners, fax machines and copiers. All e-waste collected is sent for proper end‑of‑life recycling and no materials are sent to landfills.

More than 1.5 million kilograms were recycled in the 2009 E-waste Roundup program, surpassing the total combined collection amount in both the 2008 and 2007 programs. Since"

Government tackles organized crimes with new legislation

April 21, 2010

LEGISLATION WOULD CREATE LIST OF KEY CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS

Groundbreaking legislative proposals would make tackling organized crime more effective and efficient, Attorney General Andrew Swan said today after introducing the legislation.

Proposed amendments to the Manitoba Evidence Act would create a process for key criminal organizations to be listed in a schedule, eliminating the need to repeatedly prove they are criminal organizations in any proceeding under provincial law.

“We face the problem of having to essentially prove rocks are hard and water is wet over and over again,” said Swan. “These proposed changes would establish a single, fair and independent process to determine conclusively whether a group is in fact a criminal organization. Once a group is added to the list, there would no longer be a need to repeatedly prove that it is a criminal organization.”

This could be used in any proceeding under provincial law and would especially enhance Manitoba’s civil law measures dealing with organized crime, most notably to support applications to shut down prostitution and drug houses and to seize property that is the proceeds of crime, said Swan. The law would not apply to Criminal Code or drug prosecutions, as only the federal government can pass criminal laws and criminal evidentiary rules. Manitoba has previously requested the federal government pass this type of law for use in criminal cases.

The proposed legislation would be the first of its kind in Canada and follows through on a provincial throne speech commitment.

While the list would be conclusive proof that certain groups are criminal organizations, it would not be a registry of all gangs or gang members. Street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and independent drug networks are examples of groups that might be considered for an application to be added to the schedule, said the minister.

Manitoba Justice would start the process in cases where there are reasonable grounds to believe a group is a criminal organization and it believes that placing the organization on the schedule would be beneficial. Notice of an application to add a group to the list would be publicized, giving members of the group an opportunity to review a summary of the case and to object in writing.

Under the legislation, in all cases, the minister would appoint an independent external review panel made up of at least three people who are not employees of the government or police officers to review all of the material to determine if the group meets the test of being a criminal organization.

Groups would only be added by cabinet to the schedule of criminal organizations through regulations under the Manitoba Evidence Act in cases where the panel and the minister agree the test has been met. The decision of cabinet would be final.

Provisions are in place to protect the identity of confidential informants and sensitive information. The new law would not remove the requirement to prove that a person is a member of a criminal organization.
“We remain committed to doing everything within our power to counteract the damaging effects of organized crime on our communities,” said Swan. “Manitoba is a national leader in civil law approaches to dealing with the threats posed by organized crime. The scheduling of criminal organizations is another important step to support our efforts to create a safer Manitoba.”

Looking for Summer Jobs check out STEP AND GREEN TEAM Programs

PROVINCE URGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR SUMMER JOBS THROUGH STEP AND GREEN TEAM PROGRAMS

April 21, 2010


Applications are now being accepted for approximately 2,800 summer jobs under two provincial programs, Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors Minister Jim Rondeau announced today, noting that young people, employers, and communities have benefited from provincial employment programs for students and youth since 1970.

“This is definitely a win-win situation,” stated Rondeau. “The young people benefit from work experience as well as money for tuition, the employers obtain support for new positions and communities gain from development projects.”

A variety of jobs are available that provide opportunities for youth to gain diverse work experience related to their field of study. The two programs now accepting applications from young people seeking summer employment are Green Team and STEP Services.

The Urban and Hometown Green Teams provide summer jobs for students and youth aged 16 to 24 years. Potential jobs may include recreation activities, tourism, park or trail enhancements, housing rehabilitation and public education. There are four $500 scholarships available to the students who demonstrate how their participation in their project has benefited a community. Work assignments begin either May 1 or June 14 and conclude Aug. 31.

The Conservation Green Team provides employment in provincial parks and nature areas with positions in maintenance, wildlife, forestry and interpretation services. Positions start either May 25 or July 2 and conclude Aug. 20.

This year, there are expected to be 1,400 Green Team jobs available. Since 2001, more than 12,600 jobs have been created through the Urban, Hometown and Conservation Green Teams.

Created in 1970, STEP Services is a program for high-school and post-secondary students seeking work in government departments, special operating agencies and Crown corporations. The full-time summer component of the STEP Services program begins April 26 and concludes Sept. 10. It is anticipated there may be as many as 1,300 positions available for the summer.

Positions are available throughout Manitoba and include jobs such as lab assistant, information technologist, clerical assistant, travel counsellor or groundskeeper. Students gain valuable, career-related work experience and an understanding of life in the civil service, Rondeau said. This program encourages students to consider careers in the public sector, which helps facilitate public sector renewal and succession planning, he added.



“I strongly encourage young people to apply for these programs for the opportunity to gain work experience while making a contribution that they can feel really good about,” said Rondeau. “The province is committed to youth employment and the success of our young people benefits us all.”

For Hometown or Urban Green Teams, register on-line at www.studentjobs.gov.mb.ca or call 945-3556 or 1-800-282-8069, ext. 3556.

For Conservation Green Team, apply at the nearest Manitoba Conservation District Office. For the nearest office, please call toll-free 1-800-282-8069, ext. 7182 or visit www.Manitoba.ca/conservation/wildlife/about/who.html.

Medical News Today News Article - Printer Friendly

US researchers found that people who consume higher amounts of added sugar, such as in processed foods and beverages, are also likely to have higher heart disease risk factors.


Medical News Today News Article - Printer Friendly

Shocking: Foster Agency Won’t Allow Muslim Mother To Foster A Child « SpeakEasy

Shocking: Foster Agency Won’t Allow Muslim Mother To Foster A Child « SpeakEasy

Facing the Threat from the Far Right, Noam Chomsky Says He 'Has Never Seen Anything Like This' | | AlterNet

NOAM CHOMSKY HAS UTTERERED A WARNING
Facing the Threat from the Far Right, Noam Chomsky Says He 'Has Never Seen Anything Like This' AlterNet

AlterNet: Four of the Most Dangerous Fraudulent Scientific Theories That Must Be Confronted

Science, fiction or fear-mongering? Read some alternative perspective to all the science that are being thrown at us - some may be true but others need a little tweaking - judge for yourself.
AlterNet: Four of the Most Dangerous Fraudulent Scientific Theories That Must Be Confronted

Science or

Girl, Get Me Started! » Dancer Creating Broadway Buzz in New Sinatra Show

Cameroon Native making waves in the USA, check her out.
Girl, Get Me Started! » Dancer Creating Broadway Buzz in New Sinatra Show

Discover America′s Black History

Discover America′s Black History

Breaking News! Racial, Gender Rights Leader Dr. Dorothy Height Dies - DiversityInc.com

Breaking News! Racial, Gender Rights Leader Dr. Dorothy Height Dies - DiversityInc.com

INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOS

Michael Bublé wins big at Junos while Justin Bieber is shut out | Gold Derby | Los Angeles Times

Buble took the cake and he deserved to. He is one of the better singers Canada has paroduced. He harks back to a time of the Paul Anka and those days when music was sweet, much like Maiko Watson's brand of music. I think Canada has to do more with its Awards and give to those that are the most deserving and not through popularity.
Michael Bublé wins big at Junos while Justin Bieber is shut out Gold Derby Los Angeles Times

Check out Maiko Watson, Canada's unique singer who defies being boxed into a genre
www.myspace.com/maikowatsonmusic

AFP: New Cheruiyot shatters Boston Marathon record

Africans Dominate the Marathon - Congratulations!
AFP: New Cheruiyot shatters Boston Marathon record

Is Your House Making You Sick? - Oprah.com

Is Your House Making You Sick? - Oprah.com

Dr. Oz's Advice for Improving Your Family's Health - Oprah.com#slide#slide

Dr. Oz's Advice for Improving Your Family's Health - Oprah.com#slide#slide

What Dr. Mehmet Oz Knows for Sure - Oprah.com

Good advice from Dr. Oz, Oprah's Dr. Oz
What Dr. Mehmet Oz Knows for Sure - Oprah.com

Civl rights pioneer Benjamin Hook fought for justice, compassion | ScrippsNews

Civl rights pioneer Benjamin Hook fought for justice, compassion ScrippsNews

Weighing the Evidence on Exercise - NYTimes.com

What you will read many of us have known for a long time. Experience tells us that exercise alone cannot make us thin, that is why all those infomercials we see that claim their exercise equipment will do wonders for your body always come with a diet plan.
Do not go out that ask for a refund of your gym membership. There are some benefits to exercising for its own sake, to keep you fit and feeling your best but not to make you thin.

“In general, exercise by itself is pretty useless for weight loss,” says Eric Ravussin, a professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre, in Baton Rouge, La., and an expert on weight loss. It’s especially useless because people often end up consuming more calories when they exercise. The mathematics of weight loss is, in fact, quite simple, involving only subtraction. “Take in fewer calories than you burn, put yourself in negative energy balance, lose, weight” says Braun who has been studying exercise and weight loss for years.


Weighing the Evidence on Exercise - NYTimes.com

From Dung to Coffee Brew With No Aftertaste - NYTimes.com

Are you a coffee lover? Love coffee without aftertaste?  Then this may be just the right brew for you.  The only hiccup you will have to get over is that the beans from this most expensive coffee came out of the behind of an animal having passed through its internal cavities - for heaven's sake what next we humans will strive for, start eating cow dung?
From Dung to Coffee Brew With No Aftertaste - NYTimes.com

Abroad - Do-It-Yourself Culture Thrives Despite Globalism - NYTimes.com

Interesting POV
Abroad - Do-It-Yourself Culture Thrives Despite Globalism - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Guest Columnist - Africa Reboots - NYTimes.com

There is a spirit of renewed entrepreneurship and activism growing in Africa for good. The old ways are falling down and young and spirited people are trying to change the face of Africa by working together, building the country they live in as they build their own fortunes. The time is now for those who wish to profit from Africa's vast reasources of youth, land and raw materials.  The opportunity kettle is ready to boil over.
Read the observation of a traveller to the continent ...

In Maputo, Mozambique, I met with Activa, a women’s group that, among other things, helps entrepreneurs get seed capital. Private and public sectors mixed easily here, under the leadership of Luisa Diogo, the country’s former prime minister, who is now the matriarch in this mesmerizing stretch of eastern Africa. Famous for her Star Wars hairdo and political nous, she has the lioness energy of an Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala or a Graça Machel.
Op-Ed Guest Columnist - Africa Reboots - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Guest Columnist - Africa Reboots - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Guest Columnist - Africa Reboots - NYTimes.com

Aubrey Cummings

Guyanese legendary musician dies read something about the man here:
Aubrey Cummings

The province has granted an official apology and free pardon to the late Viola Desmond.
Mrs. Desmond, of Halifax, was an African Canadian wrongfully jailed and fined in 1946 for sitting in the white peoples' section of a New Glasgow movie theatre. Mrs. Desmond passed away in 1965.

On the advice of the Executive Council, the lieutenant governor has exercised the Royal Prerogative of Mercy to grant a Free Pardon.
"This closes an erroneous chapter in the history of this province and allows a new one to begin," Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis said. "I am confident that the case of Mrs. Viola Desmond will be the focus of scholarly and human rights research for years to come. It is a historic moment for Nova Scotia and for Canada, and I am proud to be a part of it."
A free pardon is based on innocence and recognizes that a conviction was in error. A free pardon is an extraordinary remedy and is considered only in the rarest of circumstances.

"This is a historic day for the province of Nova Scotia and a chance for us to finally right the wrong done to Mrs. Desmond and her family," said Premier Darrell Dexter. "This is also an opportunity for us to acknowledge the incredibly brave actions of a woman who took a stand against racism and segregation."
This is the first time a free pardon has been posthumously granted in Canada.
"What happened to my sister is part of our history, and needs to remain intact," said Wanda Robson, sister of Mrs. Desmond. "We must learn from our history so we do not repeat it. If my parents were here today, it would warm their hearts to see Viola recognized as a true Canadian hero."

******
(Afrotoronto)
Even when she was imprisoned, Viola Desmond was coiffed and groomed, with white gloves upon her petite hands and an upright posture despite the circumstance.


On Nov. 8, 1946, Ms. Desmond, a black beautician and businesswoman, was jailed after being dragged from a Nova Scotia theatre by two white men because she refused to move from the main floor to the balcony, the designated area for blacks.

For her indignation, Ms. Desmond -- today an icon of this country's civil rights movement and known as Canada's Rosa Parks -- was convicted of an obscure tax offence by a white judge in New Glasgow.

Today, Ms. Desmond, who passed away in 1965 in New York, will be pardoned by Nova Scotia Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis at a ceremony in Halifax, and Canada will be reminded of its egregious errors.
The free pardon recognizes Ms. Desmond's innocence at the Roseland Theatre that night, and it recognizes the error of the four white Supreme Court judges who turned down her appeal.

Nova Scotia to apologize to Canada's 'Rosa Parks'

Nova Scotia to apologize to Canada's 'Rosa Parks'

Viola Desmond-A Black Canadian Hero

Check this out
Viola Desmond-A Black Canadian Hero

'Canada's Rosa Parks,' Viola Desmond, posthumously pardoned

Viola Desmond one of Canada's heroes' wrongs has been righted by a simple apology.

'Canada's Rosa Parks,' Viola Desmond, posthumously pardoned

Even when she was imprisoned, Viola Desmond was coiffed and groomed, with white gloves upon her petite hands and an upright posture despite the circumstance.
On Nov. 8, 1946, Ms. Desmond, a black beautician and businesswoman, was jailed after being dragged from a Nova Scotia theatre by two white men because she refused to move from the main floor to the balcony, the designated area for blacks.
For her indignation, Ms. Desmond -- today an icon of this country’s civil rights movement and known as Canada’s Rosa Parks -- was convicted of an obscure tax offence by a white judge in New Glasgow.
Today, Ms. Desmond, who passed away in 1965 in New York, will be pardoned by Nova Scotia Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis at a ceremony in Halifax, and Canada will be reminded of its egregious errors.
The free pardon recognizes Ms. Desmond’s innocence at the Roseland Theatre that night, and it recognizes the error of the four white Supreme Court judges who turned down her appeal.

But although the pardon is hailed as an overdue gesture, some members of Ms. Desmond’s family say if she were alive today, the former teacher and entrepreneur would want nothing of the sort.
“She would have laughed and said, ‘Pardon me for what? I didn’t do anything wrong,’” said Sharon Oliver, Ms. Desmond’s niece, who says her own elderly mother and two of Ms. Desmond’s other sisters are angered by the pardon.

A fourth sister who lives in Halifax, Wanda Robson, supports the pardon and has worked in recent years to educate schoolchildren about Ms. Desmond’s unwitting role as a civil rights pioneer.
Indeed, most Canadians know little, if anything, about the woman.

“Every year I ask my graduate students, ‘Who has heard of Viola Desmond?’ And only a sprinkling of hands go up,” said Constance Backhouse, a law professor at the University of Ottawa and author of Colour-Coded: A Legal History of Racism in Canada. “Everybody knows about Rosa Parks and the history of racism in the United States, but it seems that nobody wants to own up to the racist history here in Canada.”
Ms. Backhouse, who poured through court documents and interviewed some of Ms. Desmond’s beauty-parlour clients for her book, said she hopes that today’s event will usher a remembrance not only of Ms. Desmond, but also of segregation in this country.

“Canadians like to pretend that we are a raceless country, as if it’s impolite to mention race or racism,” Ms. Backhouse said, pointing to Nova Scotia’s Africville, the White Women’s Labour Law, and the Chinese head tax as examples of Canada’s marred history. “And yet we have such a legacy of racism that runs very, very deep.”
It was into this climate of segregation that Ms. Desmond was born, on July 6, 1914. She grew up at 4 Prince William Street in Halifax, with her siblings Gordon, John, Alan, Emily, Eugenie, Helen, Constance, Olive, and Wanda.
Among her sisters, she was known as the ‘groomer.’ But after journeying to Montreal to attend the Field Beauty Culture School -- one of the few in Canada that accepted black students -- and then launching her own product line and opening a beauty school, she was also known as the entrepreneur.
“Aunt Vi never saw herself as a civil rights activist, she saw herself as a businesswoman,” Ms. Oliver said. “She was trying to prove that black women could be attractive and successful too.”
Ms. Oliver grew up in Montreal and saw her aunt often, sharing her room when Ms. Desmond visited or passed through on business, the latter considered an anomaly for a married black woman at the time.
Ms. Oliver said Ms. Desmond never spoke of the Roseland Theatre, and said she remembers just one conversation that seemed rooted in her aunt’s iconic place in history.

“She showed up one time with brilliantly blonde hair, and I told her that coloured people can’t have blonde hair,” Ms. Oliver said. “Then she said, ‘If you allow people to dictate what you can and can’t do, then you will never reach your dreams.’”

It was this independence that caught the attention of Ms. Desmond’s late husband, Jack, a construction worker turned barber-shop owner. He courted Ms. Desmond before she left for beauty school in Montreal and then, after a few visits, he married her there.

After a stint at a New York beauty school, Ms. Desmond returned to Halifax and launched ‘Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture’ next to ‘Jack’s Barber Shop.’

“Her beauty clients saw her as a beacon of hope in the black community,” Ms. Backhouse said. “She truly believed that if a black person worked hard enough, they could overcome the barriers. Sadly, I think the night in the Rosedale Theatre showed her that it didn’t matter that she was a respectable entrepreneur.”

After losing her Supreme Court appeal -- her white lawyer was paid for by the local black community, though the lawyer remitted his pay to the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People -- Ms. Desmond “lost heart,” Ms. Backhouse said.
“She, like many people who challenge race discrimination, paid an enormous personal price,” Ms. Backhouse said, adding that she supports the swelling movement to declare Nov. 8 as Viola Desmond Day. “I think it’s only right that we remind Canadians not only about who she was, but why her actions were even necessary.”

National Post
With files from Richard Foot, Canwest News Service
© Copyright (c) National PostPrintEmailShareFacebookTwitterLatest VideoMore VideoAdvertisementTop Stories

National Youth Commission

To Determine the Future of Equality in Canada

Today’s youth are the first generation to grow up protected under the equality section of the Charter of

Rights and Freedoms. With the launch and implementation of a national Youth Commission, LEAF will

investigate how Section 15 has impacted today’s young Canadians. LEAF hopes to learn about the social

justice challenges these young people currently face, and how they see the future of equality in Canada.

The official launch of the LEAF Youth Commission,which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Charter, will

take place at the Ursula Franklin Academy, in Toronto,on April 15th.

During the event, students from Ursula Franklin Academy will have the opportunity to discuss what

social justice means to their generation and how they envision equality in Canada’s future.

LEAF is honoured to announce the distinguished Dr. Ursula Franklin will attend the launch event. Dr.

Franklin is University Professor Emerita in the University of Toronto’s Department of Materials Science

Engineering, and a member of the Order of Ontario. She has campaigned for social justice, peace and

women’s rights and is the figurehead of the group that ushered in Section Fifteen. The United Nations

Association of Canada awarded Dr. Franklin with the Pearson Peace Medal in recognition of her

humanitarian work.

Speakers at the event also include Saron Ghebressellassie, a Youth Commissioner and 23-year-old

doctoral candidate from York University. Saron has been active in Toronto’s student, labour, feminist and

anti-racist movements since 2003. She received the YWCA Young Woman of Distinction Award for

speaking the languages of activism, and was named in Chatelaine Magazine’s “Top 80 Women to Watch”

feature article.

The goal of the Youth Commission program is to take the pulse of Canada’s youth and discover how

social justice and equality issues affect them. LEAF appointed twelve Youth Commissioners from across

Canada to survey their local communities through focus groups, consultations and community events. At

these gatherings, Commissioners will pose questions about social justice, and the responses will be

captured on video.

LEAF will capitalize on communications technologies to connect interested parties and create interactive

dialogue about issues concerning today’s youth. This will include the launch of a new blog feature on the

LEAF website on which youth from across Canada are encouraged to submit creative works that depict

their perspectives on human rights, and awareness building via Facebook and Twitter.

LEAF will publish a digital record of youth responses and blog submissions. The video will be made

available to the public through LEAF’s website, YouTube and an open screening. LEAF will also use the

feedback to improve their youth programming and develop a report to use as an educational tool to

support further research on equality issues in Canada.

To find out about the Youth Commission in your community and local events check out the Youth

Commission website at www.leaf.ca/youth. For more information on the program, please contact Niki

Popper, Education Program Coordinator at 416-595-7170 ext. 229 or email n.popper@leaf.ca

LEAF: Women's Legal Education and Action Fund

chck out LEAF's Website that's packed with information about Equality issues
LEAF: Women's Legal Education and Action Fund

Down with the Clown: Why Ronald McDonald Has No Business Talking to Children | | AlterNet

What is Ronald McDonald really selling to sick children? McDonald's fast foods. Here is a take on this. Thanks to Alernet for questioning some of the things we take for granted, questioning the ways in which business use charitable donations to feed us their junk.
Down with the Clown: Why Ronald McDonald Has No Business Talking to Children AlterNet

Which Veggie Burgers Were Made With a Neurotoxin? | | AlterNet

Vegans beware - what price do you wish to pay for eating organic, low-fat foods. The very health food may kill you.
Check out this article
Which Veggie Burgers Were Made With a Neurotoxin? AlterNet

AH WE KIND A FOOD - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES UPCOMING EVENT

The Women’s Committee Of the
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Winnipeg, Inc.

Invites you to attend it’s annual
AH WE KIND AH FOOD
Saturday, May 10, 2010, from 5:00 PM
Caribbean Community Cultural Centre, 1100 Fife Street
Vincy cuisine, Bake Sale, Arts and Crafts, Silent Auction and Entertainment
Admission: $15 per person. Children 12 & under $8　

Everything you need to know about multiple sclerosis

Some facts about MS the disease that is devastating so many healthy Manitobans' lives. Check this out
Everything you need to know about multiple sclerosis

Upcoming Event- 7th Generation Walk - April 18, 2010

~7th Annual 7th Generation Walk for Mother Earth~


Sunday, April 18th Gathering in Central Park at 12:30 PM

Short opening speech and ceremony following by a walk to the Forks

Gathering all afternoon in Oodeena Circle at the Forks, including traditional water ceremony, children's activities, further speeches, food etc. A fun event for the whole family, the walk will have a permit. A chance for Indigenous people, their supporters, and environmentally-concerned people of all ages and backgrounds to mingle in a celebration of life, the mother of all living beings. This year's walk is in honour of Dave Brophy and celebrates the work of the women of Grassy Narrows: blockaders and grassroots organizers.

Volunteers and donations needed, please emailwinnipeg.ipsm@gmail.com

Sponsored by Ka Ni Kanichihk, winnipeg indigenous people's solidarity movement / friends of grassy narrows, Boreal Forest Network, Boreal Action Project, Council of Canadians - Winnipeg chapter, U of M Aboriginal Students' Association, Winnipeg Anarchist Black Cross and the Interfaith Task Force on Northern Hydro Development.

Alana Lajoie-O'Malley

Director, Campus Sustainability Office

359 Young St. Room 1Y08

Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 2E9

ph: 204.789.1479

fax: 204.779.4624

a.lajoie-omalley@uwinnipeg.ca

LIVING DOWNSTREAM - DOCUMENTARY FILM REVIEW

ATTENTION: TEACHERS, EDUCATORS, ACTIVISTS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS - THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE AND SHARE WITH THOSE AROUND YOU!

What: Canadian Premiere of documentary feature film, Living Downstream
Where: Bloor Cinema, Toronto, 7:30 pm
When: May 18, 2010
Hosts: Co-presentation of Planet in Focus International Film and Video Festival and Women’s Healthy Environments Network
Living Downstream is now a documentary feature film

Canadian Premiere at Toronto’s Bloor Cinema, May 18th
(04/12/10) Thanks to a Canadian production team, Living Downstream, one of the most influential books of the modern environmental health movement, is now the basis of a feature documentary film of the same name. The film was made possible by Canadian director, Chanda Chevannes and produced by Toronto-based The People’s Picture Company (The PPC).
Living Downstream is an eloquent feature-length documentary that charts the life and work of Sandra Steingraber: a biologist, author, cancer survivor and cancer prevention advocate. Like the book on which it is based, Living Downstream documents the growing body of scientific evidence that links human health with the health of our environment.

Toronto has been selected as the location for the Canadian Premiere of the film, and is one of only a handful of cities across North America selected to host early screenings of the film, which will soon be available for wider theatrical release and purchase on DVD. Sandra Steingraber and Chanda Chevannes will both be in attendance at the screening and will participate in a question and answer session following the film. Signed copies of the book will also be on sale after the event.

The Canadian Premiere is open to the general public and will be attended by some of Toronto’s foremost opinion leaders and decision-makers in the fields of environmental health and education. The event is a co-presentation of Planet in Focus International Film and Video Festival and Women’s Healthy Environments Network, a Toronto-based organization that is committed to protecting human health and the health of our environment.

Part scientific exploration, part personal journey, Living Downstream follows Sandra Steingraber during a pivotal year in her life: as a biologist and author, speaking to groups across North America about cancer prevention; and as a cancer survivor, when she receives ambiguous results from a cancer screening test. The film captures this movement between the scientific and the personal which is also a hallmark of Sandra’s work.
The film closely follows the trajectory of Sandra’s life and work, but it also tracks the important progress of scientific investigation on environmental links to cancer and other health ailments. Several experts in the fields of toxicology and cancer research make important cameo appearances in the film, highlighting their own findings on two pervasive chemicals: atrazine, one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, and the industrial compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Their work further illuminates the significant connection between a healthy environment and human health.

The People’s Picture Company is an award-winning independent production company based in Toronto, Canada. The PPC aims to entertain, educate and inspire audiences with documentary films and believes in the power of media and art to create positive change in our world.
“The film follows Sandra who is on a journey,” says Chanda, “but the chemicals against which she is fighting are also on the move. We follow these invisible toxins as they migrate to some of the most beautiful places in North America. We see how these chemicals enter out bodies, and how, once inside, scientists believe they may be working to cause cancer.”
To coincide with the documentary adaptation of Living Downstream, Da Capo Press has published an updated second edition of the book (released April 2010).

Certainly, the original book inspired Chanda’s documentary, but as Sandra says, the making of the documentary also influenced her recasting of the second edition:
"In a wonderful and unexpected way, Chanda's creative decisions as a filmmaker gave me new ideas for organizing the story and scientific argument of the book as I updated its various chapters for the second edition. There was a lot of reciprocity between us. Chanda inspires me."

Advanced public screenings of Living Downstream are currently being held in select North American cities. The educational DVD of the film (for educators, activists and professionals) is now available for preorder.

For more information on Living Downstream: http://www.livingdownstream.com For more information on The People’s Picture Company, visit: http://www.theppcinc.com/

For DVD screeners or media interviews with Sandra or Chanda contact:
Kathleen O'Grady

QUOI Media Group

Mobile +1.613.897.9276
Website http://www.quoimedia.com/
Email: quoi@quoimedia.com

Twitter: @quoimedia

Cancer prevention secrets

Chatelaine Magazine has an interesting article on how to tips for keeping cancer at bay, something we all want to do, right? check this out
Cancer prevention secrets

OLYMPIC ATHLETES HONOURED WITH COMMITMENT TO NEXT GENERATION OF GAMES HOPEFULS

April 13, 2010
New Support for Youth in Sport, Athlete Development will Remove Barriers to Participation: Selinger

Manitoba’s Olympic athletes were honoured at a ceremony today at the Legislative Building where Premier Greg Selinger announced funding to help young people access sport opportunities and develop the skills of future Olympic champions.
“The outstanding accomplishments of Manitoba’s winter Olympians inspired us all, but right now a lack of resources stands in the way of many kids following their dreams by getting involved in sport,” said Selinger. “This new funding will help young Manitobans reach their full athletic potential regardless of their family income.”

Budget 2010 identified $3 million over the next four years for participation in sport and Olympic opportunities. The funding will target two priority areas: improving access to sport for underprivileged youth and increasing support for elite athlete development. Details of commitments in these areas will be announced in the coming months, said Selinger.
“From inner-city Winnipeg to rural Manitoba and isolated northern reserves, I have seen first-hand the tremendous positive impact sport has on the lives of young people during their formative years,” said Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson, minister responsible for sport. “Whether kids are destined for the Olympic podium or for success in life generally, our government has a role to play in ensuring everyone has a chance to participate in sport.”

Jennifer Botterill, Clara Hughes, Megan Imrie, Cindy Klassen, Kyle Parrott, Shannon Rempel and Brittany Schussler attended today’s ceremony, which also recognized those unable to attend in person.
The 2010 Winter Olympics was Canada’s best ever showing at an Olympic Games resulting in 26 medals including 14 gold medals. It is the most gold medals won by any country in Winter Olympics history.

Is Our Obsession with Weight Misguided? Here's What Really Matters When It Comes to Good Health | | AlterNet

What is your focus, health or weight? What do you need to be healthy. Even though weight is important we all know that we can't all look like those supermodels; our body type just won't allow it. I think this article gives some good food for thought about what our emphasis should be when it comes to weight.  Weight is individual and all weight types can be beautiful if we are comfortable with it and know we are doing the best we can to maintain the healthiest weight for our body type.

Is Our Obsession with Weight Misguided? Here's What Really Matters When It Comes to Good Health AlterNet

29 NEW CHILD-CARE SITES, 3,500 MORE SPACES FUNDED SINCE LAUNCH OF FAMILY CHOICES FIVE-YEAR STRATEGY: MACKINTOSH, ALLAN

April 9, 2010


Up to $19-million Investment this Year Includes Phased Launch of Online Wait List, Worker Pension PlanThe province is investing up to $19 million more in Budget 2010 for new child-care centres, hundreds more spaces, the phasing in of a centralized online wait list and a pension plan for a stronger workforce, Family Services and Consumer Affairs Minister Gord Mackintosh and Education Minister Nancy Allan announced today.

“Despite a very challenging budget in a difficult economic climate this year, we remain convinced that more high-quality child care was part of the solution to both family and economic difficulties,” Mackintosh said. “This is no time to cut child care, as occurred during the last downturn; we will stay on track with our five-year Family Choices strategy launched in April 2008.”
Today’s announcement is part of the province’s ALL Aboard poverty reduction strategy.
Investments in child care this fiscal year mean:

· Eight new child-care centres: With a target of 35 new sites by 2013, already 29 are in various states of development including at least eight that are newly funded this fiscal year.

· 650 more funded child-care spaces: With a target of 6,500 more funded sites by 2013, at least 650 will be committed this fiscal year on top of 500 in 2009 and 2,350 in 2008.

· Centralized online wait list: This fall, the phase-in of Canada’s first provincewide, online wait list will be launched in the Brandon area to provide an accurate account of families seeking spaces and a straightforward registration process.

· Greater workforce stability: A pension plan for child-care workers, the first provincewide plan outside Quebec, will be launched this fall to strengthen the retention component of the workforce stability strategy introduced in November 2008.
“We are making up to $5 million in new funding available to help create more child-care centres in Manitoba schools,” said Allan. “As a government we are committed to ensuring that our early learners have access to quality learning environments and these new child-care centres will provide exactly that.”

In addition, Manitoba Housing, as part of its refresh program, will be upgrading several child-care centres located in its communities.
“Our new early learning and child-care centre started out as a dream to provide a bright, safe, environmentally friendly space, but with the help of the province and our community partners we’ve turned that dream into a reality,” said Lesley Massey, executive director of Splash Child Enrichment Centre. “We’re very happy to provide top-quality child care to the community.”

A full copy of the Family Choices strategy is available at www.gov.mb.ca/childcare.

BEST INTERESTS OF CHILDREN, ENHANCED PROTECTION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS PROPOSED IN LEGISLATION: SWAN

April 12, 2010

Proposed legislation sets out criteria in custody and access cases, enhance and refine protections for victims of domestic violence and ensure better access to justice, Attorney General Andrew Swan said today after introducing the legislation.

The protection from domestic violence and best interests of children act would amend three pieces of existing legislation.

“A key proposed change would give guidance to the courts on factors to consider in assessing the best interests of a child in custody matters, highlighting the impacts of domestic violence,” said Swan. “Best interests criteria can help parents stay focused on the needs of their children during difficult times.”

Under the proposed amendments, the Family Maintenance Act would be changed to establish best interests criteria to be applied by courts in determining child custody and access applications. The change would require the courts to consider specific criteria in deciding on the best interests of the child and provide greater protection for children by requiring judges to consider such matters as the impact of any domestic violence on the child. Parenting organizations, community groups, the Family Law Section of the Manitoba Bar Association and other stakeholders were consulted about what the criteria should include.

Proposed amendments to the Family Maintenance Act and the Child Custody Enforcement Act would also require the courts to assess risks related to domestic violence and stalking when considering granting an order to disclose a person’s address information. When someone seeks a court order for disclosure of personal address information, they would have to notify the person or government body from whom they want to get the information that an order is being sought.

The amendments also propose clarifying the Domestic Violence and Stalking Act to ensure appropriate protection for victims when they have to appear in the same courtroom as the perpetrator.

Judicial justices of the peace would be able to add a court attendance exception in protection orders, making it possible for parties who need to appear for court and court-ordered processes such as mediation or child-custody assessments to do so without automatically breaching such an order.

“Court processes and procedures are very much about trying to find the right balance and it’s a particularly delicate balance when it comes to matters involving domestic violence,” said Swan.

GLOBAL MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH INITIATIVE

April 11, 2010 – The Harper government has placed the promotion of maternal and child health at the centre of its focus for the G8. However, the National Council of Women of Canada believes that a global maternal and child care initiative must include reproductive health care, and that includes contraception, family planning and access to legal, safe abortions.

“The fact that the government’s initiative spoke only to the need for nutrition, inoculations, clean water, and other non-controversial items, and then later ‘maybe contraceptives,’ speaks pointedly, NCWC President Karen Dempsey said, to the paternalistic attitude of the Harper government.”

UK Foreign Sec. David Miliband and US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton are both at odds with Prime Minister Harper’s “signature initiative,” stating comprehensive family planning has to be a vital part of this initiative. Ms. Clinton said one of the reasons that her government is promoting a global health initiative for mothers that promotes greater access to contraception is that family planning reduces the need for abortion. “If you are concerned about abortion, then women should have access to family planning,” Clinton said Tuesday. (Ap 1, 2010, Canwest News Service).


Development Minister Bev Oda is being sent to discuss this initiative with her G8 colleagues in Halifax later this month. The National Council of Women of Canada strongly urges this government to promote a global maternal and child health initiative that includes comprehensive reproductive health care.

For more info:

Karen Dempsey, President, National Council of Women of Canadakaren.dempsey@ns.sympatico.ca;
902-422-8485 (Halifax)
mailto:ncwc@magma.ca/www.ncwc.ca
613-232-5025/877-319-0993 (Ottawa office)
Karen Dempsey, President
National Council of Women of Canada
karen.dempsey@ns.sympatico.ca
902-422-8485 (Halifax)
ncwc@magma.ca/www.ncwc.ca

613-232-5025/877-319-0993 (Ottawa)

Tennis great Navratilova being treated for breast cancer - USATODAY.com

When tennis greats like Martina gets cancer one wonders what is the root of this disease. She stays in shape, I'm sure she eats well and have to money to get the best there is out there. Perhaps it is her fit lifestyle that gives her a fighting chance. Good luck Martina, wish you well.
Tennis great Navratilova being treated for breast cancer - USATODAY.com

Global_Village Group News | LinkedIn

Check this story: Love without borders. It is the story of  two men from two different countries who are being kept apart because of  immigration rules and regulations. Life would have been so much simpler if they were a regular couple instead of a same-sex couple. Discrimination exists.


Global_Village Group News LinkedIn

April 9, 2010
MANITOBANS TO TURN EYES TO THE SKIES IN FIRST PROVINCEWIDE BIRD COUNT
Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Project Launched at FortWhyte Alive: Blaikie
The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas will be a comprehensive gathering of information that will help preserve our unique avian populations, said Manitoba Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Rod Bruinooge.
“The Breeding Bird Atlas will be one of the largest citizen scientist volunteer efforts ever conducted in this province,” said Minister Blaikie. “The first project of its kind in this province, Manitobans will be invited to participate in monitoring the abundance and distribution of bird species.”
“The Government of Canada is pleased to support Breeding Bird Atlases across Canada. This year, as we celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity – the abundance and variety of life on Earth – we understand that good information and good science are the foundation of good decision-making when it comes to conservation.” said MP Bruinooge. “As we take action to protect our natural heritage in Manitoba and across Canada, this project will help to shape future conservation actions for migratory birds and species at risk.”
The five-year project will be launched today at FortWhyte Alive. The health, distribution and abundance of bird species that breed throughout Manitoba will be tracked and recorded. The province will be divided into regions, and nature enthusiasts and volunteers will record all birds seen and heard in each on.

The information will help conservation efforts by:
· tracking Manitoba’s bird populations;
· identifying local biodiversity hotspots and distribution patterns to update provincial status ranks for birds;
· adding to the Conservation Data Centre’s information on rare birds, particularly in under-surveyed areas of the province; and
· contributing to the development of a website with interactive maps in conjunction with Bird Studies Canada that will allow for viewing by a specific region, or by provincewide results for any given species.
In addition, Manitoba Hydro has provided financial support to the project over a five-year period.
Breeding bird atlases have been produced in many European countries and throughout North America. The information will be available for use by scientists, environmental assessors, biologists, municipal planners and students.
The project is a partnership between federal and provincial governments, non-government organizations, private corporations, individual citizens and communities. The steering committee partners include Environment Canada, Manitoba Conservation, Bird Studies Canada, Nature Manitoba, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Manitoba Museum.
“The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas will build a spirit of environmental co-operation that will leave a lasting legacy for every Manitoban,” said Blaikie.
Today’s launch at FortWhyte Alive will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information on this project, visit the web at http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/.

video | tbs.com - very funny

video tbs.com - very funny

Province moves to combat work-related illnesses - hiring five officers

April 8, 2010
PROVINCE TARGETS WORK-RELATED INJURIES AND ILLNESSES
Five Additional Safety and Health Officers Part of Long-term Strategy: Howard

The province is hiring an additional five safety and health officers to help prevent workplace injuries and illness, Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard announced today.

“Reducing fatalities and serious injuries on the job is a priority for all Manitobans,” said Howard. “Inspections are an essential tool for enforcing safety and health legislation and helping create safer workplaces.”
The five new officers are key elements in the long-term strategy to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses in Manitoba and fulfil a commitment in the last election to add 20 new safety and health officers, said the minister.

Fifteen officers were hired in 2008 and 2009. The addition of five new positions brings the total to 74 safety and health officers, up from 54 in 2007. The additional staff has helped to reduce the time‑loss injury rate by about 30 per cent since 2000, for savings of over $100 million annually to the Manitoba economy, the minister added.

She said the additional staff will:
· reach more workplaces across Manitoba;
· increase inspection and enforcement activities in high-hazard industries such as construction and manufacturing, and enable more proactive initiatives in sectors such as agriculture and healthcare;

· establish more occupational safety and health committees and workplace safety and health programs;

· increase enforcement in workplaces most likely to employ new, young and immigrant workers; and

· develop and deliver new programs to increase training and education opportunities for workers and employers.
The additional officers hired to date have helped increase the annual number of inspections to approximately 10,000 in 2009 from approximately 1,600 in 1999.
“Despite current economic challenges, Manitoba continues to grow. We have new construction in our urban centres, major hydro development, the floodway expansion and new infrastructure projects across the province,” said Howard. “As Manitobans continue to build this province, it is extremely important that we make all job sites safer for the sake of workers and their families.”

Get the facts on proposed tuition fees in Manitoba

April 8, 2010

BUDGET 2010 ENHANCES SUPPORTS FOR POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS

New $7.5-million Early Advance on Tuition Rebate to Assist Students Still in School, When They Need it the Most: McGifford

Manitoba continues to offer some of the most affordable, accessible and high-quality post-secondary education in the country by introducing a new student grant, improving Manitoba’s bursaries and providing earlier access to the province’s tuition rebate program, putting an extra estimated $7.5 million back into students’ pockets annually, Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Diane McGifford announced today.
“Our government’s commitment to a sustainable post-secondary education system is reflected in Budget 2010, ensuring that tuition remains affordable and the opportunities provided by a college and university education remain accessible,” McGifford said. “Our balanced funding approach keeps the focus on students and will keep post-secondary education affordable and accessible while ensuring colleges and universities can continue to offer the high-quality research and education programs that are integral to developing a highly qualified workforce.”
The minister announced a new, one-of-a-kind Student Success Grant program. This program will provide $640,000 to help students in undergraduate programs who have unmet financial needs beyond their combined bursary and maximum student loan amounts. Post-secondary institutions have agreed to cost-share this grant, which means students who qualify may receive up to $10,000 in additional support.
Budget 2010 also enhances the 60 per cent Tuition Fee Income Tax Rebate by providing college and university students with earlier access to a portion of the rebate while they are still in school. Effective this fall, up to five per cent of the tuition fees paid by students each year can be claimed in advance of their graduation, providing additional financial assistance when they need it most.

Other support for students and Manitoba’s post-secondary education system includes:

· $1 million more for Bright Futures, bringing total funding to $3 million for community-based programs that help students who are under-represented and face socio-economic barriers to complete high school and plan for a post-secondary education;

· a $23.9 million or 4.5 per cent increase in university and college operating budgets including an average two per cent base operating grant for universities and an increase of 2.5 per cent for continuing implementation of specific initiatives such as:

- expanding the University of Manitoba’s faculty of medicine capacity to 110 seats from 100;

- expanding the highly successful Internationally Educated Engineers Qualification program to 40 seats from 25;

- expanding Brandon University’s psychiatric nursing faculty to 32 from 25 seats;

- expanding the universitaire de Saint-Boniface’s (CUSB) nursing program to 38 seats from 30;

- establishing a new 15-seat social work program at CUSB;

- providing additional support for University College of the North regional centres; and

· capital funding of $76.7 million to support ongoing capital commitments, such as infrastructure stimulus projects under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, deferred maintenance at the four universities and Project Domino at the University of Manitoba.

The minister noted Budget 2010 provides funding of $640,000 to continue the Rural and Northern Bursary. Introduced in 2009, it provides approximately 1,000 students with additional non-repayable financial support in recognition that relocation or commuting expenses may present a barrier to rural and northern students wishing to pursue a post-secondary education in Manitoba.

“We are proud of our track record of keeping post-secondary education among the most affordable in the country,” said McGifford. “Our government has provided nearly $168 million in non-repayable student financial assistance through grants, scholarships and bursaries since 1999. Provincial student aid funding has increased by $11 million or 166 per cent over 1999 levels.”
Manitoba students pay the second-lowest average college tuition and the third-lowest university tuition fees in Canada, she said.