Thursday, March 23, 2006

Ok, So You Want to Be a Political Leader

In the past month, Rick Mercer has posted the Liberal Leader's seat on ebay, offering training to the winner instead of free postage. Now Ashley MacIsaac seems to want in on the job too! Rita MacNeil anyone? How about Leonard Cohen or Alanis Morissette? What is your vote?

The following is courtesy of www.cbc.ca/news

Cape Breton's outlandish fiddler Ashley MacIsaac has expressed an interest in leading the federal Liberal Party.
Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, seen here in 2000, has announced his desire to run for the federal Liberal leadership
This week, MacIsaac, 31, insisted to various media outlets that he has been a lifelong Liberal and that his bid for the federal leadership is not another stunt.
"I know that I've courted a lot of press in the past for situations in my entertainment life," he said in an interview.
"I have for many years relied upon the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll image to sell tickets. That's not what I plan on doing to sell my particular platform of what I think the Liberals need to do to move forward."
The bad-boy musician, who shot to fame with his 1995 album Hi, How Are You Today? and the hit song Sleepy Maggie, has developed a reputation for eccentric behaviour over the years.
In 1997, a kilt-clad MacIsaac ended a performance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien with a kick – revealing his lack of underwear.
More recently, MacIsaac has claimed he was planning to have a gay wedding in Alberta (no wedding was reported) and that he would run as an independent candidate for the federal government in Dartmouth, N.S. (he later withdrew his plans).
MacIsaac told the Canadian Press that his platform will include aboriginal and youth issues and strengthening ties with Quebec. He has also said that he will sell artwork he owns to finance his leadership bid.
While Liberal party officials declined comment on the fiddler's bid, Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald supported the idea as "quite interesting."
"We'll have to see if he goes for it," MacDonald told CP.

Best of Luck Mr. MacIsaac!

I wish you longevity!

Giant tortoise dies after a long, long life
Thu, 23 Mar 2006
www.cbc.ca

A giant tortoise, thought to be more than 250 years old, has died of liver failure in Calcutta, India.

Named Addwaitya, which means the One and Only in Bengali, he had a long and storied history that goes back to the early days of the British colonial empire.

Historical records show the giant tortoise was caught by British sailors in the Seychelles.

Historical records show he was caught by British sailors in the Seychelles Islands and carried to India where he was presented to Robert Clive, a rising star in the British East-India company. West Bengal Forest Minister Jogesh Barman said he spent many years on Clive's estate before he retired to the local zoo in Calcutta about 130 years ago.

It's not certain exactly how old Addwaitya was when he died, but written records of his life go back more than 100 years.

"We have documents to prove that he was more than 150 years old, but we have pieced together other evidence like statements from authentic sources and it seems that he is more than 250 years old," Barman said.

The giant tortoise was a favourite of the Calcutta zookeepers. "This is a sad day for us. We will miss him very much," one keeper told Reuters.

Aldabra tortoises are found on Aldabra island in the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean. They average about 120 kg and can live more than 100 years.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Brush Your Teeth Ladies!

Gum disease linked to premature births

07 Mar 2006
www.cbc.ca/news



Expectant mothers with periodontal disease – a chronic, low-grade infection of the gums – may be more likely to deliver a low-weight baby, new research suggests.

In May, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario will publish a research paper on the link in its professional magazine, which goes out to all dentists in the province.

Some studies have shown that pregnant women with periodontal disease are almost eight times more likely to give birth prematurely or deliver a baby that weighs less than normal.

That could be due to the fact that the body's response to fighting inflammation is similar to the signals a pregnant woman's uterus receives before she goes into labour.

"The theory right now is that when you have a ... severe infection in your mouth, your body releases prostaglandins," said Dr. Hazel Stewart, director of dental services for Toronto Public Health. "And it's that prostaglandins from your mouth that finds its way into the uterus and induces premature labour."

Last month, a report suggested the City of Toronto has a higher incidence of underweight newborns compared with other parts of the province.

Given the findings, Toronto Public Health is taking the periodontal link seriously. It's asked for $400,000 to hire more dental hygienists to treat pregnant women on low incomes.

In the meantime, health officials want oral hygiene kits to be distributed to mothers who might be at risk.

It costs almost $50,000 to care for a premature baby during its first year of life – one reason dental hygiene services should be available for all low-income pregnant women, Stewart said.

Like many expectant mothers, Cindy Chan said she was surprised when her dentist told her about the link.

Chan is four months pregnant, eats well, doesn't smoke or drink but is at risk of developing periodontal disease because of the bacteria on her teeth.

"I don't want my baby [to] come early," said Chan, who heard about the link while at a Toronto Public Health dental clinic for a cleaning, "so better clean your teeth every day."

Women Still Make Less $ Than Men. No, really?

Women still earning less than men, says StatsCan
Tue, 07 Mar 2006
www.cbc.ca/news

Canadian women are still earning less than men in the workplace, an earning gap that hasn't shifted much in the past decade, suggests a new study from Statistics Canada.

Released on Tuesday, the report shows the number of women in the workforce is on the rise. Women made up 47 per cent of the employed work force in 2004, up from 37 per cent in 1976.

But the report indicates women are earning less in those jobs.

For all employed women in 2003, including those in part time and seasonal jobs, the average earnings were slightly under $25,000, compared to the roughly $39,000 average for all men with jobs.

Women working full-time jobs in 2003 had an average salary of $36,500 – 71 per cent of what their male counterparts earned. That gap hasn't changed much in the past 10 years, the study found.

Women are also more likely to work in part-time jobs than men.

"Women currently account for about 70 per cent of all part-time employees, a figure which has not changed appreciably since the mid-1970s," said the report.

Low-income single women outnumber male counterparts

The study also suggests single women and women who are single parents are more likely to live in low-income situations than their male counterparts.

In 2003, 31 per cent of unattached women older than 16 lived in low-income situations with average earnings of $28,000. That compares to an average earning of $34,000 for men in the same situation.

When it comes to single parent families, 38 per cent of families headed by a woman were low income. That compares to 13 per cent for male lone-parent families and seven per cent for two-parent families.

"As a result, lone-parent families headed by women continue to be home to a disproportionate share of all children living in a low-income situation," said the report.