RIP Jack Layton
Shocking news within the last hour, that Jack Layton, leader of the federal New Democrats, has died.How this shakes down and what it means for Parliament is anyone's guess, but…
Health
Trademark this ™ (part 473)
The federal Conservative Party ™ can't have it both ways. It is going after a retired university professor who is using the party's logo within an ad banner on her…
On ‘Ritual Nick’ or ‘Pinprick’ Female Circumcision
Whenever the topic of female genital mutilation or circumcision is brought up, most people experience a poignant and visceral reaction at the mere thought of such atrocity. Almost everything to…
A Matter of Hours
I was talking the other day to young, surprisingly old-school physician who bemoaned nurses “doing things” she thought properly done by duly authorized medical practitioners. (She also implied, by-the-by, that…
Good Reasons to Have a Vegan Diet
Unfortunately I’m no vegan, but this article is inspiring me to try harder at being one! The article is an interview with Gene Baur, who is the founder of US-based…
BBQing meat and cancer…
If this is true, I’m screwed…. The question I’ve heard that barbecued food is cancer causing. Should I avoid it altogether this summer? The answer Yes, there is evidence to…
Eat less, exercise more… or, less ?
Like many adults in my age range (late 40s), I have observed over the past decade my weight progressively creep up, much to my great joy and satisfaction (tongue firmly…
Pubic Humiliation: The Case of the Ugly Vagina
Earlier in the month, when I clicked an inbox link to a webpage for a fundraising campaign, I did not expect to get lost in the political quagmire of women’s…
How can journalists know the truth? A Twitter dialogue
http://bit.ly/oljW0V My response to David Akin's Blog Post about the safety questions raised in recent WiFi research. The ground of this epistemological issue goes way beyond the binary opposition between…
YES! Two smoking cessation aids now part of Ontario Drug Benefit Plan!!
This is great news! When I quit 7 years ago, I used Zyban, the patch, nico-gum… everything I could get my hands on! And they worked! Fortunately, the costs were…
On the Ontario PCs’ platform
So, here we go with the Ontario PC Platform, the Changebook (warning: PDF). Or is that the Change Book? ChangeBook? I don't know, and I don't think they do, either.According...
On the Ontario PCs’ platform.
So, here we go with the Ontario PC Platform, the Changebook. Or is that the Change Book? ChangeBook? I don't know, and I don't think they do, either.According to this,…
On the Ontario NDP’s 2011 platform.
Okay. The Ontario NDP's platform. The Plan for Affordable Change (warning: PDF). Jeez, focus-group that name much? I'm splitting this into the four areas that the ONDP did in the…
Friday, er, Saturday miscellany
OK. I didn’t get to the Friday Miscellany thing yesterday. My bad. I was golfing in the afternoon – and dodging lightning – and had to work like the dickens…
Mountaintop Removal Mining Linked To Birth Defects
mountaintop-removal-project.jpg Researchers at Washington State University and West Virginia University have released a new report that links an increase in birth defects in Appalachia to the pra...
Rob Ford – Ignorant, mean, or both?
Free nurses? No thanks, says Mayor Rob Ford - Healthzone.caWell, from our knowledge of Ford so far, we know that he is both mean and ignorant.This time, he is turning…
Better Primary Health Care
Health care is expensive no matter where you are and places like Uganda and the USA health care is even more expensive because they don’t have universal health care for…
Hudak’s hopes that we have short memories …
This fall's election in Ontario is going to be pretty exciting if for no other reason than two of the three candidates for Premier represent Hamilton districts. Andrea Horwath represents…
Betty Fox
I’m very sad to say that Terry Fox’s Mom, Betty, has died. Terry was a Canadian hero and so was his Mom. She kept the fight against cancer very much…
David Wins Against Pesticide Goliath
Fellow climate hawk Lori from over at Adventures In Climate Change recently shared how wonderful this new documentary, A Chemical Reaction, is. At the risk of raising the ire of…