JenB's blog

Don't Bother Marrying the Cow when You can Get the Milk for Free

2007-10-28T19:16:10-05:00

The lovely and talented Laurie White alerted me to a story last year from the CBC about Canada having more unmarried Canadians than married ones.

An unknown student who wrote a paper for her blog Communications Studies 1A03 wrote this:

There are a number of factors that contribute to the decision of people who choose to remain unmarried. Over the years, the education period has lengthened and more and more women have chosen to get a better education to the highest level possible or that they can afford. Focusing on education and afterwards on their careers or employment opportunities, women have delayed their marriages. Also with the increasing costs of living standards that have been steadily going up since years, the individuals have to keep in mind the costs associated with having and raising children if they want to start a family

I tend to agree, although this comment is not necessarily backed up by Statistics Canada in a neat package.

I did find a fascinating post about people marrying robots, which is worth a read.

Robert McBean who has a blog called Five of Fivewrote this about the analysis from Statistics Canada

These results are based on the 2006 census, which compiled the responses of almost 9 million Canadians. But not me, I was just cleaning house and found my completed but never submitted form. All the census people probably know me by now as that recalcitrant thwarter of statistics gathering. You could make a movie about it with Reese Witherspoon and that guy from Ferris Bueller's day off and it would be quite funny.

Ha! He made me laugh with that one.

Canada is actually having a population crisis and would gladly take whomever the U.S is trying to keep from climbing the fence. Immigration is our first defence in increasing population.

Canada's fertility rate, which has been plummeting for decades, has now reached a low of about 1.6. Demographers say that in order for a population to replace itself, there needs to be a birth rate of 2.1 children per woman.

This global baby bust has been blamed on everything from feminism to economics to individualism and the social revolution of the 1960s. Another reason, sociologists say, is that women are becoming increasingly reluctant to bring children into a world plagued by pollution, terrorism, and climate change.

At a meeting with visiting Canadian bishops in 2006, Pope Benedict said Canada's low birth rate is the result of "the pervasive effects of secularism."

A federally funded study released last week cited work stress as a contributing factor. Twenty-eight per cent of the 33,000 people surveyed said they were delaying having children, having fewer children, or not having children at all because of high levels of work stress.

Faced with the difficulties of balancing work and family, the study found that three times as many Canadians are choosing to make work their top priority, rather than family.

Joan Delaney, Epoch Times Victoria Staff

I have heard others, my friends included that say if they are in a relationship after a divorce they see no point in marrying again. Perhaps this accounts for a few of those numbers. There is also a lot of talk that gay people in committed relationships who are considered married, are not counted in the census.

One comment on the CBC story about Canadians having more unmarried people than married ones comes from Juli S. September 16, 2007.

As a single 33 year old woman, I want to take the blame away from other single women and childless couples and put it on the generation who raised us. We are truly the first generation of women who have a choice about where we go to school, what and how many careers we will have, where we will live and travel, etc. And as a result, being single is one of these choices. We are the product of a society of choice. The generation of women before us didn't have the freedom of choice and as we do now. So in my opinion, the issue isn't really our 'fault' but that of the generation of women who came before us and told us we could do anything we wanted. I guess what they should have said is 'you can do whatever you want as long as you get married and have your babies before you turn 30 and become infertile'.

www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada

Music from a Cold Climate: Canadian Ladies who can sing

2007-10-21T22:43:05-05:00

I am not an audiophile, so I am writing this post for both you and me. I have spent a great deal of time scouring the interwebs looking for some new Canadian music by the ladies. Since, at BlogHer we are all about the 80’s. I like lots of different types of music, from folksy to rock me like a hurricane.

The first lady I came across was “Lenore” , just the one name. She is folksy, and I like it. There are several mp3 samples on her site, which is important to me when scanning for new music. This bit from her bio was funny:

“Her shoes suit her music!” That may sound odd, but Canadian singer/songwriter Lenore will tell you that she hears it all the time. Certainly, her red high-top runners evoke the sense of irreverent fun this fiery singer brings to her up-tempo high-energy performances. Her song topics and moods range from political to poignant with her trademark sense of humor apparent throughout.

Jennifer Lauren http://www.jenniferlauren.net/ is somewhere between folksy and pop and was easier on my lazy ears. A nice soft melodic voice, coffee with cream in the afternoon. She is available on iTunes and described as “country”. Ok, I am not the expert here, I defer to Apple. You can listen to samples of all her music on iTunes. Hurrah!

Although not a Canadian songstress, Regina Spektor was introduced to me by a BlogHer, while I was visiting her, and I am Canadian, see the connection there? Leah and Simon from a girl and a boy.com played her fantastic album while we were toodling around San Francisco getting a fabulous tour of the city. It was such a great time! But I am here to tell you to get yourself some Regina Spektor. Wonderful voice, thoughtful lyrics, and melodies I can wrap my head around.

Just as a point of order, I hate it when anyone calls a female singer a “song bird”, but that would just be me. I am not going to add Alanis Morrisette or Sarah Mclaughlan because if you don’t know them or don’t love them, I can’t help you. There is a lot of country music coming from Canada as well, but it just ain’t my thang.

Of course I have to promote a local to my city and a friend, Kat Danser . She is what I would classify as kick-ass blues. I mean, I don’t want to weep when I listen, and that is sort of the blues for me. I mean can you tap your toes to the Blues? Probably, again, I ain’t no expert. There is an excellent sample of a song called Big Beauty, which is fantastic. “I am the juiciest fruit that you may ever eat, cmon and take a bite and you will see I’m a big beauty.” Love it. Also, the website is groovy, which is just a bonus.

That was a brief tour of what I found in the last week or so. I know there is a lot more out there, I just have to keep my eyes and ears open.

www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada

Funny a-go-go Canuck style

2007-10-14T22:21:06-05:00

This week Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize. I was thrilled, as this throws even more attention to the climate change crisis. Along with Gore, the (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) was awarded this prestigious award. Canadian John Drexhage was one of the many scientists working with the IPCC, he said he was shocked and humbled to learn the organization had won the peace prize. I struggled for a while trying to make this into my entire post this week and failed. There are many people covering this good news and I felt like a kernel of corn on a huge cob.

Instead I decided (with the help of my fellow Twitterarians) to talk about how Canadians are funny. Iy is funny, not ha ha funny, but funny, that as a people I don't feel we are funny, but lots of Canadians who have gone on to be paid for funny. I have lived in Canada my whole life. Sometimes I am not aware that certain things are not common to American culture. Ex-pat Kyran Pittman reminded me of the ridiculous advertisements about how they get the caramel into the Caramilk bar. The advertising campaigns for Caramilk bars revolves around the question as to how the centre of the confection was put into the chocolate exterior. One notable advertisement involved Dan Aykroyd in costume from his Coneheads Movie investigating the matter. These ads used to drive me crazy as a kid. I could think of at least 10 ways it was possible without being a professional confectioner. The previous link will spill the "secret". They are tasty, I will give them that.

I just noticed that Wikipedia has an entire entry for wiki/Canadian_humour. I dare say it is different. I think Canada is more tolerant of satirizing politics, culture, and ourselves. Offbeat comedy such as The Kids in the Hall, featuring cross dressing and a lot of gay focused humour took a while to catch on in the States. Perhaps we are more laid back or are just really cold a lot of the year nd laughing makes us warmer. The most famous of news satire/sketch comedy shows is probably This Hour has 22 Minutes. One of my favourite bits on the show was a character called Marh Delahunty or Marg, Princess Warrior, a parody of Xena warrior princess, but with middle aged lady glasses. She would accost politicans with criticism and then some motherly advice about their tie, shoes or haircut. It was priceless and I imagine took a gigantic pair of balls to harangue Canada’s sitting prime minister.

Another alumni of the show This hour has 22 Minutes is Rick Mercer. He is known for his dry and acerbic approach to comedy, as well as fast walking and talking rants that are hysterical, but sometimes make me sad (because they are true *sniff*). One of the most popular shows Rick Mercer ever did was series called Talking to Americans. It consisted of interviewing people on the street and convincing them to agree with ridiculous statements or asking them equally ridiculous questions about their northern neighbour. You can check out a YouTube version in true you tube quality. A long time ago I actually looked into buying a DVD of the shows, but had no luck. I would advise reading the Wikipedia entry before watching and I apologize right now for laughing at you. P.S. a Timbit is a donut hole. It is older, from 2001. This video is the first of 6 parts. The only thing I can quite equate to this kind of assault of mockery is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who I also love. Here is a link to when Triumph was in Quebec, I love it. For anyone who speaks Spanish, there are subtitles!

If nothing else, this mildly incoherent post should make you giggle. If you watch the videos. Watch them!

This Week in Pennies!

2007-10-07T23:07:06-05:00

On this past Friday, October 5, Toronto and the Royal Canadian Mint made news because the Canadian Mint claimed they owned the words “one cent” and you can’t use them. The city of Toronto has started a campaign to get the federal government to return one cent of the national Goods and Services Tax (GST) to Toronto, which is struggling from decades of federal cuts in their budget payments from the Federal government. Source: boingboing

Now the Federal corporation that mints Canada’s currency has sent Toronto a bill for more than $47,000 for the use of the words “one cent” and the image of the Canadian penny on the campaign materials, which include bus shelter ads, pamphlets, billboards, bumper stickers and other visible advertising space. Included in the $47,000 bill is $10,000 for the use of the words "one cent" in the campaign website and email address and an additional $10,000 for the use of the words "one cent" in the campaign phone number (416-ONECENT). The rest of the $27,680 has been charged against the City for the use of the image of the Canadian penny in printed promotional item such as bumper stickers and posters. The Mint has come to this amount by taking the total number of materials printed divided by the approximate population of Toronto, and then using a percentage of that number to arrive at a dollar figure.) Source: TMCnet Communications

There is considerable speculation that this move by the Feds is a political one. The current Federal government in Canada is a Conservative one and Toronto is considered a “lefty” sort of city. The Toronto Star came out in an editorial calling the Mint foolish.

OneCentNow is the brainchild of Toronto Mayor David Milner:

The One Cent NOW! campaign requests the federal government to share one cent of the existing GST with cities to ensure that infrastructure and important services are maintained and that future infrastructure is built in an environmentally friendly manner. Cities are the engines of the Canadian economy and contribute billions to the federal government each year. As the federal government has indicated that there is room to cut the GST, we believe there is room to share one cent to support the critical needs of Canada’s largest cities.

They also have an online petition and are encouraging people to write to their Federal representatives or Member of Parliament, supporting the initiative.

No one is disputing that the Canadian Mint does indeed own the trademark to the image of the Canadian penny. By having a Trademark of the penny and all other Canadian currency, they discourage counterfeit money.

At dinner I was imagining a poor street waif asking passersby for at least “one cent” to “buy meself a hot meal”, only to have the Canadian mint come down and slap the kid with a lawsuit. However, Application number 0915680 is the trademark on the penny design, and refers to "1 cent Canada" rather than "one cent".

However, the Canadian mint does not own the rights to the words “one cent”. With the help of my husband, we discovered that according to a search of the CIPO Canadian Trade-Marks Database, "one cent" only shows up a malformed search of the back of the 1970s-era One Hundred Dollar Bill. Cent is also French for one hundred So, I'm not entirely sure where they get off claiming that one cent is trademarked. It isn't.

Perhaps the Federal government should suck on that mint for a while.

Giddyup! Shopping Plus Size Online.

2007-09-30T22:46:08-05:00

The Canadian dollar has been riding on par or higher with the American buck for weeks. Canadians, it is time to shop online!

I wrote last week of the some of the dire conditions of plus sized shopping in Canada. It really isn’t so dire and so lacking in real selection. You have to work all the angles to get the wardrobe you want. In case you missed it Susan Wagner wrote a post on WHAT to wear when you are in plus sized fashions. Go read her!!!

I forgot to write about Tabolts. We have had several Talbots in Canada for a while, but the one in my city starting carrying plus sizes about a year ago. I confess that I love Talbots. You can get some trendy things there that aren’t all about Grandma. Not that there is anything wrong with Grandma, but I am 37 and while I cannot wear hot pants, I like to keep up with what the “regular” sized clothing industry is putting out. Talbots also carries some classics. Great for a fabulous suit that will last you many seasons. They also have casual lounge wear items and nice denim. The quality is good, so the price points are a bit higher, than a lot of the chain boutique-ish stores. Before I could shop Talbots in real life, I did shop online. I always got my items, but the shipping was often very slow and quite expensive. I know shipping to Canada can be fast, easy and cheaper. Landsend, L.L. Bean (free shipping right now), and Eddie Bauer have been doing it for a while.

The first thing I do when checking out a site that sells anything I like is go to shipping information. I need to know IF they ship to Canada, how fast and how much? You have to decide if it is worth it. For me, I like to have some different items than the ones I can get in town. I also want to get pieces that I cannot get in town AT ALL. Lane Bryant, Torrid, ”J.Jill, Junonia, b&lu, IGIGI(they have great dresses), silhouettes, FashionOverdose, and probably more stores all the time will ship to Canada.

There are other tips to shopping online. I often email customer service to find out how long items are if it is not in the product description. I have a long torso, and have made the mistake of buying tops that are too short and I am too old to be pulling off belly shirts. Not to mention it is a style that does NOT flatter me. I have always had good luck with asking such questions. Some sites even have online chat customer service.

I have also had luck online at Neiman Marcus, if you can believe it. I go to the clearance stuff, not sale, but clearance. I bought a 350$ cocktail dress last Christmas for 40 bucks. Not even worth returning if it didn't fit, but it did! I have on occasion sold such an item to a consignment store for more than I paid for it. It helps to know what your size is in a certain brand. You also have to decide how much it is worth it to you if it doesn’t fit and you have to return it. You should also check on online shopping sites if they have a return address in Canada, a lot do. This saves on any duty or other weirdness that may occur. You can always contact customer service to streamline your shipping and returning process.

To supplement my shoppinf needs, I shop at the major department stores when I go to the states, which I know is not an option for some people. If you can, the big department stores are a goldmine Nordstroms, Macys, Bloomingdales. I head for the sale, or ultra sale racks. I find that American department stores mark down clothing faster than here in Canada, so in season stuff in on sale there when it is still regular price here. I can (and have) purchased a Ralph Lauren blouse that went 30%, to 50%, to 40% off last mark down. WEE! Sometimes there is only one or two, but I have found some nice singular pieces this way. I do pay full price as well, especially if I LOVE IT and know that I cannot find the brands here, like Nine West Woman, Michael Kors, Anne Klein, and Maggy London. I also hit Lane Bryant and Torrid, for some less expensive, trendy items. There is some nice workout stuff at Target, Danskin does a discount line for them that I like.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention eBay. Ooooh eBay, you online auction seductress, selling me a $260 Jones New York red cashmere cardigan for $50. Just like any other eBay purchasing. Check out your seller and their feedback, check their shipping policies and costs, and don’t be afraid to contact the seller for more information of even better photos. Myself, I only like to buy NWT (new with tags) merchandise off of eBay. Items are often from last year’s collections, but for red cashmere, who really cares???

I Am a Big Clothes Horse

2007-09-28T23:43:00-05:00

A big bodacious derby racing clothes horse.

In Canada, there is not as much in the stores as there is in the US. I know this is partially because of sheer population, us being 1/10 of the US, but it makes for some bad selection. My inner (and outer) fashionista weeps when I walk into a Macys or Nordstrom’s or Layne Bryant. Plus sized American ladies, no more complaining until you have to come and shop in a smaller country. You can complain that sometimes, the exact same sweater in a “regular” size, often costs 5% more in a plus size.

My best bet in town, and in most of Canada, is Canada's only Department store (that is now mostly American owned, don't tell) – The Bay (no online shopping) I have been buying most of my "locally purchased" clothing here. They carry most of the major brands that make plus sized stuff – Tommy Hilfiger, Jones New York, Nygård, I.N.C., Style and Co, and other store brands than are more inexpensive. I tend to go for the higher end brands there, and wait for sales, they have great sales, they just arrive later than in American Department Stores.

photo: Eddie Bauer

There are other boutique-ish chain stores. Casual, comfortable and affordable, there is Cotton Ginny cottonginny.ca (also no online shopping), When I had a "real" job in an office, I bought a lot of work clothing at, Laura (again, no online shopping) they do petites, plus and regular. They do have some casual stuff, and a more mature customer base. There is also Addition-Elle, which is probably the most popular plus size chain, since we lost Antels a number of years go. You can find them at ddition-elle.com, but again, no online shopping. I worked there for a while; they carry a varied price point and style of clothing. They still carry, dressy, casual, special occasion, but have stopped carrying other brands (Jones, Elisabeth from Liz Claiborne, etc) and are manufacturing items using their own brand, which are just not as nice as the bands they mimic. They do carry swimwear, workout, and lingerie, which is a godsend here. They are similar to Lane Bryant, but not as trendy or robust a selection. Eddie Bauer used to go to a size 20 here, but now it is stopped it's sizing at an 18 and the only way to get plus- sizes is online

There are some other plus sizes stores to shop, I admit I do not frequent all that often. Reitmans, they claim to be Canada's largest women's specialty retailer, founded in 1926. Who knew? As I read more, I see they own Addition-Elle, < a href="http://www.penningtons.com/">Penningtons

, and other women’s clothing stores that sell non-plus sizes. Wow. Oh and they are also owned by Rogers Giant Corporate Conglomerate. I had no idea! I can buy underwear AND a cell phone from them!

Essentially, I subscribe to the get what you paid for philosophy. Susan Wagner has a post on WHAT to wear when you are in plus sized fashions. Go read her!!! Come back on Sunday for part 2 of Where to shop when you are plus sized – ONLINE EDITION.

www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada

Look Good Naked Naked Naked Naked!!

2007-09-16T16:40:27-05:00

So, I am innocently watching television as I am apt to do once in a while, ok, all the time, and I see the most amazing preview! I was watching a Friends re-run (where Rachel’s dog Le Poo dies) and I see a preview for a show called “How to Look Good Naked”. Not how to lose weight, how to diet yourself gorgeous, fat camp, how to manage a gastric bypass, but how. To. Look. Good. Naked. I immediately went to the W Network Canada’s website to see what was up with this show.

Learn to LOVE the way you look! Each episode puts one woman and her body-issue under the microscope. Instead of plastic surgery or fad-dieting options, our leading celebrity stylist gets to the core of her negative body-image by debunking the myth of perfection. With secrets from the world of fashion and beauty, his aim is to arm her with the confidence to show it off – both fully clothed and completely naked. A provocative anti-plastic surgery series for women, of every shape and size, which is truly revealing!

Loving how I look now? I found tears in my eyes. I myself had become caught up in a current body hatred cycle, and trying to diet and exercise myself out of the despair. I am not discounting losing weight for health, I am diabetic and that is a huge reason I want to be healthy.

I started to remember some sage words from one therapist or another from over the years. You must love yourself NOW, love your size NOW, your love handles, your bra size, your tummy, your thighs, your butt, every piece. You cannot do something good for a body you hate. You cannot treat something you hate with kindness, gentleness, and goodness. She told me it would be difficult to give nutritious food to a body I hated. It would be almost impossible to keep to an exercise regime, improving a body you hate. At the time it was in one ear and out the other, like so many things you are not ready to hear.

The host of the British How to Look Good Naked, is a man. This initially shocked me. In this one hour show, hundreds of women were willing to get naked for him to prove that breast firming gels did not work. His name is Gok Wan. He is a Stylist, not a psychologist or any other professional designation that you would assume someone who makes women loves themselves would have. His book How to Look Good Naked is published by Harper Collins. I could not find it on Amazon.com, but found it on Amazon UK. I ordered it immediately from Chapters.com, an online Canadian bookseller.

I am struggling with words to describe Gok. He is amazing. I felt comfortable with him right away through the TV! He casually talks about boobs and tummies and how great your ass is, like he is talking about making a risotto. He is matter of fact about it, which I think is what makes him sound (and I believe is) so sincere. In talking to participant Vikki, he says her tits are fabulous and she should flaunt her cleavage and not hide it under gigantic shirts that give her no shape and make her look like a frump who has given up. “Love the cleave!” her tells her. I laugh, and look at my own gigantic cleave. Perhaps I can get closer, in a more personal fashion, to my own big cleavage. Maybe, just maybe, even love it.

www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada

Stolen Innocence - Steven Truscott

2007-09-02T17:49:28-05:00

Since all things Canadian are my blogher “beat”, I am writing my post this week about Steven Truscott. If you have missed this story, Steven Truscott was sentenced to be hanged at age 14 in 1959 for a murder of a young classmate. He was innocent. Paroled in 1969, he disappeared, made a new life, had a family, some children and a decent job.

This is sort of a difficult post for me to write. I think of how innocent and unaware of such things at 14 years old. I cried when I first heard about this story, and as I write, tears come to my eyes again. Fourteen years old, sentenced to death, a record for the youngest death-row inmate.

Steven Truscott was sentenced to hand in 1959, at the age of 14. He was convicted of killing his 14 year old school mate Lynne Harper. After being on death row for four months, his sentence was commuted to life in prison. He was granted parole in 1969 after 2 appeals. The new evidence that overturned the conviction on August 18th, was forensic evidence.

The court heard new evidence last summer that focused on the time of Harper's death based largely on the contents of the girl's stomach after she died.

During the original trial, Dr. John Penistan, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Harper's remains, testified she likely died between 7:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. on June 9, 1959.
Truscott had admitted to being with Harper during much of that period.

New evidence presented to the Ontario Court of Appeal panel last summer involved a report written from notes taken during the autopsy that estimated the time of death much later than the half-hour time frame Penistan gave in court.

The report estimated Harper was killed at about 12:45 a.m. on June 10, several hours after she accepted a ride on the handlebar of Truscott's bicycle.

In Tuesday's ruling, the court said the fresh evidence relating to the time of death "could reasonably be expected to have caused the jury to at least have a reasonable doubt that Harper died before 8 p.m."

Truscott has said it was too early to even think about compensation. He claimed that the most important thing for him was "What we've known for years and years and years, now other people will know". Truscott’s lawyer said "Steve should get every penny he can out of the government after what he's been through. I'm glad Ontario's attorney general has acknowledged that he should be compensated, as he has today". In 1999, the Saskatchewan government awarded Milgaard $10 million for his wrongful conviction.

It was this controversial case that was integral in Canada abolishing the death sentence in 1976 (the same year it was restored in the United States) , even though 1962 was the last time it was implemented. Canadians are quite passionate about the death penalty. A poll taken in 1995 discovered that 69% moderately or strongly favoured the return of the death penalty. In 1996, a similar poll of 1500 Canadians, not one person listed the death penalty as a priority. Most Canadians know about David Milgaard, Guy Paul Morin and Donald Marshall, who were convicted of murders they did not commit. Despite abolishing the death penalty, the homicide rate in Canada did not increase after abolition.

David Milgaard was finally released in 1997, by DNA evidence. Previous to the Truscott case, it was certainly the one that Canadians were most familiar with. His case has been the subject of 2 television movies and The Tragically Hip, wrote and recorded the song "Wheat Kings" (I am listening to it right now) on their album Fully Completely which refers to David Milgaard. In 2000, band Blue Rodeo (also Canadian) recorded a song about the case, "Truscott", on their 2000 album The Days in Between. I suppose that because such cases are rare, we as a country are fascinated with them.

Sources and More Information:

Amnesty International
CBC background information
intellectualconservative.com
cbc.ca - Reaction to Verdict
cbc.ca - more about the decision
Wikipedia -Steven_Truscott
Wikipedia - David Milgaard
Newsbatch.com

www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada

A Mental Challenge

2007-08-26T18:14:48-05:00

Perhaps this has just been on my mind a lot lately, but I decided my post this week would be about mental health in Canada. Now how many of us need it or anything *whispering* lots, but more about what treatment is here. Specifically how I get treatment. I spent a lot of time on Google trying to find material comparing the two countries health care systems. Most of the Academic papers I found concluded that more studies needed to be done and “quality” can’t be “quantitative” anyhow. Excellent analysis. I did find one study that said Canadians were way crazy.

When perceived need was controlled for, most of the between country differences in use disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: The higher use of mental health services in the United States than in Ontario is mostly explained by the combination of a higher prevalence of mental morbidity and a higher prevalence of perceived need for care among persons with low mental morbidity in the United States.

- source.

I am obviously no expert. My Bachelor or Arts did not make me a statistician or medical professional. Something did occur to me when reading this study. Could it not be that Canadians don’t have a higher prevalence of mental morbidity, but free or subsidized mental health care? Of course, we also pay less for prescription medication. To see a psychiatrist in Canada is free, it is covered by each provinces health care plan. Mostly I see my psychiatrist for advice regarding my medications or if I am in crisis, I see her. That is how I am maintaining myself right now.

If I wanted to see a “talk therapist” or licensed Psychologist, I would have to pay out of pocket, or use my employer’s “supplementary heath insurance”. I admit I do not have any number on how many employers offer this, but I believe even working part-time at McDonalds here provides some supplementary benefits. You can also get such insurance privately or depending on your income or employment status the government might pay for all your prescriptions.

I am also Type 2 Diabetic and insulin dependent. I was trying to add up how much it would cost me to pay for my diabetic medication and the other meds I am on for the depression, etc etc. The stuff I take for anxiety is one dollar per pill, I take 3 a day. I take another pill for depression that is a dollar fifty a day, I take one. I take three other mental health related medications that I did not have a recent receipt for so I couldn’t give good numbers on those. The diabetic supplies, including insulin, insulin sensitizing medication, hypertension medication, needles to test my blood sugar with, pen needles for insulin I take at meals, one syringe for the insulin I take over night.

While lying in bed last night, I guessed it costs my insurance about $1500 dollars a month to keep me less depressed and less likely to loose a limb or my eyesight due to the neuropathy that often happens with diabetics. We do have to pay the dispensing fee that the Pharmacy charges, which is $7.00. I feel guilt about my high maintenance body and mind. I feel incredibly thankful for the Doctors that my country provides free and the medication I am lucky to procure via employer extended health insurance. They also pay for our dental care, massage, physiotherapy, psychologist visits, acupuncture, and other things I cannot recall, but there is a maximum amount you can spend on such things every year. Before I had my child, my work benefits were even better.

I guess what I wanted to achieve here is a snap shot of what it takes for me to manage, so you would know what I have to do. I am curious about what Americans have to go through in a similar situation, with or without employer insurance, as well and Canadians who do not have extended health benefits. I also wish everyone good health, but that is a given.

Canada's lady bloggers are Awesome! (and nice and polite)

2007-08-19T23:13:33-05:00

I was going to get all political on you guys this week and talk about Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan, but my heart needs lighter fare to start the week.

Since being at Blogher I realized that there were a lot of bloghers who were Canadian, and I didn’t even know it! I figured I was all hip and in the loop and whatnot, turns out, not so much. Is fact, Redneck Mommy lives very close to me. We took the same flight home from Chicago. I had no idea we lived in each other’s back yards. This coming week will be my fifth year of having a blog. It will also be my ten year wedding anniversary. People, I have had my blog for half of my marriage! That sounds so cool.

With Canada being approximately 1/10 the population of the United States, I am often surprised when I find a new blog and it is Canadian. It is just a numbers game. We do have some treasures “up” here. Check out Jann Arden’s Journal. Jann Arden started off as a songwriter and performer, but has forayed into acting (I saw her in the Vagina Monologues) and she is extremely funny. Her humour is a contrast to her songs, which are often melancholy and talk of lost loves and heartbreak. She writes in her online journal regularly and with sincerity. It isn’t a Myspace page with photos and tour dates. She is smart and funny and witty. OH! Her music is also fantastic. She is currently on tour with fellow Canadian, Michael Bublé.

Just before going to Chicago this year I also discovered www.mommyblogstoronto.typepad.com. I am not entirely surprised I missed them, Toronto is a city of many millions and across the country from me. The city where I live in is about a million people. Comparatively, Toronto is like another country. We in the west sometimes feel it is and occasionally pout and pretend to feel neglected. I hope to become involved now that I am hip to their jive. Mommyblogstoronto is also the driving force behind BlogHer’s ACT: CANADA”, whose year long focus is going to be on Canada’s environment. You should read the interview with Catherine, of Her Bad Mother”, who is a big part of BlogHer’s ACT: CANADA. Oh, and she is really funny and smart and accomplished and amazing.

The other famous Canadian Mother of all Mothers is Ann Douglas. She has written 28 books, including The Mother of All Pregnancy Books and The Mother of All Baby Books, as well as many others. Ann's two latest books are Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage and Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage. I will be adding those to my library. Ann writes The Mother of All Blogs (ha!). She has tons of advice, personal anecdotes, stories, wisdom, and Ann, is seriously, really nice. I hope someday I can hug her.

There are a lot more fabulous Canadian blogs, but do not worry, I am here to find them and spread the love.

Have a great week.

I like my coffee crisp, and other Canadian oddities.

2007-08-12T23:24:47-05:00

Hey y’all. I am trying to incorporate more American colloquialisms into my everyday so as to keep the masses guessing. What do most Americans say to punctuate a sentence at the end, if not “eh”? “That was quite a thunderstorm…. ummmm….pause….EH?” My husband wants me to quit saying “eh” so that Charlotte (our child) won’t say it. As if it is the pariah of words. It isn’t like she is dropping the F bomb all over the place.

I wanted to write a little bit about what it feels like to be a sort of foreigner in a sort of foreign land. This year I have been in San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Chicago for Blogher 07! YAY. Ahem. I think most Americans think of Canadians as being more or less the same as Americans. In a similar way, most Canadians like to think there is a tiny but huge difference between us. It is little things. Everyone once in a while I would think of one. Like; I wonder if my cab driver has a gun, is that common, what is the percentage of Americans who have guns, must Google that. I have never seen a gun up close. I don’t think they get Red Rose tea down here, wow, and no Coffee Crisps . Wait! Wikipedia says is orange pekoe tea is said to be made from only the top two leaves of eachtea plant sprig, thus ensuring the best quality. Red Rose's old commercials introduced the catchphrase, "Only in Canada, you say? Pity...." However, the tea has been available in the United States since the 1920s. Hmpf. I had been running with that one for YEARS! Embarrassing! I know Belinda from NinjaPoodles is mad at me for not bringing some Ketchup flavoured potato chips. to Blogher. They are kind of a delicate packing item. Perhaps the next time I have a huge pox of foam peanuts I will send her some.

I found this handy chart for Americans on how to understand Canadian Provinces:

British Columbia = California + Oregon
Alberta = Texas + Wyoming
Saskatchewan = North North Dakota
Manitoba = Minnesota + Iowa
Ontario = New York + Michigan
Quebec = New York + France
New Brunswick = Maine without the overcrowding
Nova Scotia = Massachusetts without the overcrowding
Prince Edward Island = Delaware
Newfoundland = Maine + Iceland

source: http://www.favreau.info/misc/canadavsusa.php

I won’t say I agree with all of it, but it gave me a laugh. I live in Alberta for the record, oil rich, almost no unemployment, high real estate prices, conservative government, a few people want to separate from Canada and make mattresses out of out oil money. Oh, and one more thing, only about 30% of Canadians speak French. I could find the bathroom and order a meal, but everything else would involve pointing and charades.

I am learning as I write this piece as well. I found a really interesting poll, done in 1997, so a wee bit older that talks about some other differences between us in terms of voting.

» For Canadians, jobs are the most important national issue; for Americans, it is international affairs. (In Quebec, the level of concern about jobs and the economy was far greater than the rest of Canada and indeed the highest of any region in North America.)
» As their number 1 objective, Canadians chose building the economy; Americans opted for promoting the family.
» Decided voters in Canada are roughly equally motivated by liking their candidate or party and their dislike of the alternative; most Americans really prefer the candidate they support, and what they think of his opponent has less influence.
» Significantly more Americans say they go to church, pray and read the Bible than Canadians.
» More than twice as many Americans say religion influences their political thinking.

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia

I am very interested in American politics, most Canadians are. We get most of our television from the States, every major network affiliate, and as a Canadian blogger, I read a lot about American politics, there are just more of you than us. I also love me some Jon Stewart. This poll really pointed out to me how much religion is a factor in voting.

The more I read, the more I realize I could do a billion part series in this vein. Maybe later. I will leave you with a commentary by

While we are in Canada, well metaphorically we are since you are reading me; I would be remiss if I didn’t give some lines to BlogHers ACT: Canada. They are spending their next 12 months focusing on the environment as voted on by other Canadian BlogHers ACT-ing.

I am still trying to put my particular finger on how we differ. At the Blogher conference of 800 people, most of them American, I felt very comfortable. Comfortable, yet different. I don’t think it is just all the hockey and maple syrup.

A refresher for those who I met at the conference who either graciously admitted they know very little about Canadian geography or thought the .ca on my domain met California, this is where I live.

The Loonie is not just a crazy person

2007-08-05T14:58:08-05:00

Hey! Here in Edmonton, Alberta, it is a long weekend. We have a civic holiday here on Monday that I had to admittedly look up why we had a holiday. We have Monday off for “Heritage Day”. There is a Heritage Festival here in the river valley for three days, they have food, crafts, performances, artwork and representatives from the varying cultural backgrounds to talk to. I haven’t been for years; honestly the biggest appeal for me is the food. I am such a philistine.

I posted a while ago about my love/guilt relationship with shopping whenever I go to the states. When at blogher last weekend I forgot pajamas. I knew I could make a quick run top Filene’s Basement and pick up something for about twenty or so bucks. Well, plus a five dollar cab ride. It takes all I have to not browse all the shoes and bags and clothes and accessories! I controlled myself for the most part, except for a really cute white short sleeve top for thirty bucks. Hey, I never claimed to be that virtuous.

Shopping in the States is really attractive for Canadians right now, and not just because of the fabulous selection and cheap designer pajamas. I just googled how much my motherland’s dollar is worth and…. 1 Canadian dollar = 0.948587 U.S. dollars. It hit an all-time low of 61.79 cents on Jan. 21, 2002. This has been awesome for me this year, I was in San Francisco in March, Vegas in June and Chicago last weekend, where I admittedly did not contribute much to the local retail economy. It was much more affordable for me to travel this year with our dollar being so strong. With the American dollar being almost on par with the Canadian it is much easier to calculate how much it will cost me to go to the US and pay for hotels, food, perhaps a purse, or a pair of shoes, or a dress, or some jeans, errr, I digress.

While this increase in living standards may seem attractive, not everyone is happily throwing back vacation-resort margaritas with news of Canada’s rising dollar.
Canada’s manufacturing sector used to enjoy that the struggling currency made their goods less expensive in the U.S. and internationally. Now their return on investment is lower due to a less favorable currency conversion, and analysts predict some manufacturers could eventually be priced out of global markets.

“Contracts they put in place early in the year that they thought were worth a million dollars are now worth 10 percent less, so when they get paid, they’re going to be paid a lot less than they contracted for,” said Jayson Myers, senior vice president and chief economist at the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

While it’s too early to measure manufacturing job losses as a result of the rising dollar, there has been a dampening in industrial activity in export-dependent eastern Canada. source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18985290/

Not everyone is happy about the strength of the loonie.

While I understand the economics of the dollar strength being a love/hate thing for Canadians, right now I am enjoying it as a consumer and traveller.
I did find another interesting news story on the cbc.ca (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) website. It is called "Price Check” and it compares the sticker prices of some common goods sold in both countries to see if they reflect the dollar equity. According to the CBC, some goods are on par with the Canadian dollar value, and some do not. Example 1) Safeway, tide detergent, selected varieities, powder or liquid – 52-74 loads. Lynden, Wash: $10.99 US, Vancouver, B.C.: $10.00 Cdn. The Gap – classic, boot cut jeans, Buffalo, NY: $49.50 US, Toronto, ON: $79.50 Cdn. (Paul Sakuma/Associated Press)

I guess ultimately you have to be an educated shopper and know what you want and know how much things cost where you live before you go buying boot cut jeans at the Gap for almost thirty bucks more.

FINALLY blogher t-shirts

2007-07-20T11:40:50-05:00

I have finally had my bowl of coffee ice cream for breakfast (serious and sad!) and I am sitting down to tell you guys some GREAT news. Too many CAPS? Sorry, I am excited.

blogher t-shirts are now available at goodstorm.com. There is a great variety this year and they won't break the bank. Go check them out!

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www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada

shop 'til you weep into your 600 thread count pillow cases

2007-07-14T02:09:22-05:00

The other night in bed, I turned to Mark (the spouse) and said, remind me that my next blogher post will be about shopping. I was referring to the superiority of selection in the States compared to Canada.

Tonight we went to West Edmonton Mall, the worldâ€™s largest mall, for now, is in my hometown. We went there to escape the heat of our non air conditioned house. It has been close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 30+ Celsius for the last few days and most houses here donâ€™t have air conditioning. It is usually only required for about 2 weeks give or take in the summer. So, we went to the mall to cool off, eat mall food and feel sorry for the puppies in the pet store.

I almost has an anxiety attack in the food court. Mark will say I have very sensitive hearing, but my ears were seriously ringing when we got home. The fountains, the people, AIGH! There are two food courts in the mall, the one we went to needs some serious renovations. Everything thing is kind of grungy. I realize I am becoming more germophobic as I age and soon I will be wearing Kleenex boxes on my feet like Howard Hughes, but eww. I wanted to autoclave Charlotte before she ate. The food court was full of parents yelling at their kids, prostitutes with their companions, mullets, Americans complaining about our one and two dollar coins! I needed to breathe into a paper bag. So I ate a teenburger instead. Who knows what she had touched? I managed to get a wet nap and wipe as well as I could, feeling sort of hysterical and crazy. This food court, the mall, is really a boil on the ass of our city. I suppose it brings in tourists who think that a bigger version of the same thing more or less they have in their city is awesome. There arenâ€™t really any unique stores, just more. There is an indoor water park, a small amusement park, an ice arena, and a pirate ship thing in a little fake lake. I donâ€™t mean this to be snobbish, but now that I am all old, married and germophobic it seems crass, and unseemly.

Let me also add that I am a huge hypocrite, I do like shopping. I mean I like â€œgettingâ€, I do not enjoy browsing, I enjoy finding and buying. When we visit American cities I eat up the selection in the stores. I am a â€œplus sized/full figure/WOMAN sizedâ€ woman. I need around an 18 depending on which part of my equator the clothing for. I have large boobs okay? Is that what you wanted to know? The selection in the department stores in the States for plus size is 100 times better than here, and things go on sale sooner. I am very serious about my clothes. I perhaps do not need as many clothes or shoes as I have. Okay, I definitely do not need as much as I have. It is like a hobby and somewhat related to self esteem, but that is a story for another day.

I guess when a mall is smaller or packaged differently or in a classier place I can excuse the consumerism? I feel conflicted. I even googled "shopping for social change", but there wasn't much that I found. Maybe that is redundant as well. It is similar to how I feel that being a vegetarian is a very virtuous diet choice, but I eat meat. I assuage my fossil fuel guilt by driving a compact car, and we have only the one car. I would love a hybrid when we need a new one. I suppose I could say that going to the air conditioned mall balances out the fact that we will never have air conditioning? Right?

Signed,

Somewhat morally corrupt but conflicted.

www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada

Bloggers Without Borders

2007-07-08T22:54:12-05:00

Anyone who has been online for any length of time will tell you that the friendships you make online are real. Since I started being online in 1993, with BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems) and then IRC (Internet Relay Chat), then Blogging in 2002, the people I have met online have become friends. Not everyone you meet online becomes your friend anymore than every one you meet in â€œreal lifeâ€ becomes your friend. Having a blog and friends I have met online has enriched my life immeasurably. I cannot imagine a life without these experiences. It has become easier to meet e-friends in person since I have become a grown up and no longer have to sell my mountain bike to pay for my long distance bill (true story).

For a Canadian, it is a bit more difficult to meet your friends. Even going to BlogHer is costing me $894.15 in airfare alone. I do have Canadian e-friends, but they are a lot fewer and far between. Meeting Gayla in Toronto would be $600 buck. I can go see Chair in Red Deer for gas money at least, although we havenâ€™t even done that yet.

Sometimes the geographical distance makes it even harder to be a friend, especially if that friend is a very close friend. If your friend in Alabama is hurting, or has experienced a loss, or needs support, you cannot drive over in 20 minutes. If an e-friend is having a crisis or emergency it is painful to not know how to act on it, who to call, what to do to help. It is not like all of your online friends give you an â€œin case of emergency personâ€ to call. Maybe we should all start doing that? You know, for when you are worried and canâ€™t get a hold of your buddy.

I have had a difficult day here in online land. It was hard to think of what to write about. It is near impossible to be funny or pithy when you feel sad. Social media, like Twitter and Facebook, text messaging, and other thing I donâ€™t even know about have made our online lives so intertwined, we know so much more about whom our friends are and what they are doing. Text messaging from a Canadian cell phone to a US cell phone is also a pain. If someone knows a cheap secret way to do it, call me. Ha! Although I donâ€™t even have a phone that can take a photo, I am such a philistine.

I know there have been meet-ups of some oldie but goodie bloggy friends because they have gone to Atlanta or Florida! Câ€™mon people! Seeing flickr pictures of my mates having fun is painful. Yeah yeah yeah, I am happy for them and all that, but I miss being able to just go hither and yon to continue and enrich my friendships with all people I care about online.

One of the best things about BlogHer is being able to meet, talk, and hug, so many fabulous women. The first year I met it was overwhelming, I went home with so much joy and my heart so full, the airline charged me for overage on luggage. The same thing happened last year, but it was also the wine that was making my suitcase so heavy.

www.jenandtonic.ca
contributing editor, World blogs :: Canada