This is the finished version of the shirt for the older gentleman.

Canadian Shirt

Here are some piks of our athletes and team that recently competed in St. Catherines at an event hosted by Muay Thai Niagara.  Again congrats Team Kombat! Thxs Rohan for the piks.  Jd

I’m going to post some random Thai boxing and K1 style matches that I filmed from Austria.  These matches have no real significance to me, I just filmed them to further my education and also my students’ education.  Observe the pace and footwork.  Pretty good stuff.  Enjoy!  Jd

According to the Hill Times, federal bureaucrats have spent a whopping $19.6 million in non-business related expenses over the past two years. Some of these expenses have come in the form of executive “meetings” taking place in exclusive retreats at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club, coastal resorts, Mont Tremblant skiing, and Whistler ski resorts. Bureaucrats have also taken in “health” spas as well, along with country clubs, casinos, resorts, and luxury hotels:

But the report also lists dozens of retreats for managers and employees at secluded inns, country clubs and tennis clubs along with meetings at top-flight hotels such as the Pan Pacific in Vancouver, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, and the Fairmont Chateau Montebello on the Ottawa River near the capital.

The report covered the fiscal years from April 2007 to April 2009 and included only room rentals in most cases, not meal costs or lodging. Some agencies appear to have included meal costs.

Locations included the Marshes Golf and Country Club near Ottawa, the Hilton Lac Leamy, a luxury hotel that is part of the Lac Leamy Casino complex near Ottawa, the Willows Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon, the Nordic Spa near Ottawa, Banff, Alta., and the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa in Moose Jaw, Sask.

In one case, government employees in Winnipeg who held a board meeting at the Club Regent Casino explained the site was chosen because it was “too hot in our building.” The same agency held nine meetings and two retirement dinners at the casino for a total cost of $9,158.

The report indicates that the majority of expenses were approved under modest, low-budget locales, but the bureaucracy appears to still be tainted by waste and excess, something the federal Conservative Party promised to get rid of when they won approval to govern in 2006.

The fact is that there’s no good reason that the taxpayers are paying for golf getaways and spas, regardless of the stress and strain government employees are under. That kind of thing might fly in the private sector, but we should be more prudent with the allocation of our public dollars. Particularly when those public dollars are currently approaching a public debt total of a half trillion dollars.

It isn’t as though these kinds of things are going unnoticed by the federal government either. Various ministries have expensed out stays at luxury resorts and hotels, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, Health Canada, and Human Resources. As pointed out by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, at a time when many Canadians can’t afford a vacation, to find out members of the government are banqueting on our tax dollars like this is extremely frustrating.

I finished pulling up the floorboards in the croft-house last week, all except a narrow walkway along the middle length.

While pulling up the section of floor over what would have originally been the living room, I found that the underside of the boards were white-washed except where they were nailed onto the joists, meaning that the second story floor used to be the first story ceiling — in Canadian terms, that is.  In UK terms, the first story floor was the ground floor ceiling.  (That’s right.  Over here, the elevator buttons read: G, 1, 2, 3…  It makes no sense to me, but neither does the inside lane of a round-about being called the outside lane.  Caused a few fights between Graeme and me, that one did, during my driving lessons phase.)

I am really enjoying finding little quirks about the house that have been hidden for goodness knows how many years.  First there were the feedbags, and now the whitewash.  Another one is a wee fireplace on the South wall of the second story that was hidden behind these wall-boards (picture to come later).

What intrigues me about the underside of the floorboards, is that some of them were lined with newspaper and then nailed down.  Were some of the floorboards originally wall boards?  Why else would newspaper be glued to the board?  Why put all that work into something and then hide it? I’ll never know, I guess.  I do wish there was a date visible on the newsprint to help me with the timeline of the house, but no luck there.  An answer never did come back from the feed company about the likely date of the feedbags, so I keep hoping for something else that will help me nail things down in time.

Anne Heche was interviewed on 20/20 when she is quoted as saying this: “I thought I was from another planet. I thought I was an alien. I thought I was insane. ” Ms. Heche said this when asked about her childhood and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Heche says that she feared for her life when she found out that her father, a gay man, was dying of AIDS.

She went on to say ” I’m not crazy.  But it’s a crazy life. I was raised in a crazy family and it took 31 years to get the crazy out of me.”

“I think it’s always hard for children to talk about abuse because it is only memory. I didn’t carry around a tape recorder … I didn’t chisel anything in stone … Anybody can look and say, ‘Well how do you know for sure?’ And that’s one of the most painful things about it. You don’t.”

Oh so true isn’t it?  I wonder if anybody would believe it even if one carried around a recording device. Somehow I think the abused person would still not be believed. People find it so difficult to understand that other people are capable of being so cruel that they just choose to turn away.

I honour those who choose to turn, face the truth, speak the truth and then work to empower others to be able to speak the truth.

Thank you Ms. Heche for speaking out and speaking up.

Living la vida fearless, Jan

www.thrivingbeyondabuse.com

Mexico Credit Rating Cut by Fitch on Oil Output Drop (Update3)

via Mexico Credit Rating Cut by Fitch on Oil Output Drop (Update3) – Bloomberg.com.

If you would like easy to understand information on the new Registered Disability Savings Plan please visit www.rdsp.com.

Canadians can now visit all 5 national banks and open up a Registered Disability Savings Plan.  Scotiabank came out today and began offering their version of the RDSP to their clients.  Similar to many of the other banks, Scotiabank will be offering a range of investment options, including Cash/Savings, GIC’s and Mutual Funds.

Scotiabank has joined Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal, CIBC, and TD Canada Trust in supporting this program for people with disabilities.  To find out more about opening an RDSP with Scotiabank you can visit their website at http://scotiabank.com/cda/content/0,1608,CID13346_LIDen,00.html or call Scotiabank Wealth Management Contact Centre at1-877-929-4499 and talk to one of their investment specialists.

L'économie mondiale “encore vulnérable” selon le patron du FMI

via L’économie mondiale “encore vulnérable” selon le patron du FMI.

Inevitably, as a teacher of any kind (supply or permanent), you are bound to come across, well, kids saying the darndest things. Now, sometimes it will be a year 7 class just trying to get a rise out of you and sometimes it will be a reception student not yet recognizing what is a socially appropriate question. The context of the situation will hugely determine how you, as an educator, chooses to deal with the situation. Here are some of the funnier questions that I have encountered in my first 12 days of supply teaching in London:

“Miss, are you from [insert any from the following: Sweden, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, or America]?”

As a Canadian teacher supply teaching in British schools, it is inevitable that the second I walk into a classroom the students will discover my accent and ask about it. I have received numerous guesses about where I am from, but my favourite exchange to date has been:

Student X: “Miss, are you from Australia?”

Me: “No. I am from Canada.”

Student X: “Canada?”

Me: “Yes, Canada.”

Student X: [Pause] “Okay, but can you say kangaroo?”

Because of my alleged Australian heritage, the kangaroo came to the student's mind.

Typically, when a student asks where I am from, I will play a game of hangman with the class so that they can “discover” that I am from Poland. After that, I explain that I came to the UK from Canada.

“Are you a boy or a girl?”

This question has occurred on numerous occasions. It is the one that is most frequently going to come from the cheeky student expecting to get a rise out of me or the unaware youngster being genuinely curious. But, either way, it hurts.

Note: I have been dealing with this question for awhile. In first year, in a spur of the moment decision, I went to the hair dresser and cut my already short hair shorter. I fell in love with it. No maintenance and no hassle were the perfect hair combination for me. I did not even need to own a brush since I could weave my fingers through my hair if it ever needed it. Since then I have been wearing it the same way: short, spiky, and gender ambiguous.

Being the kind of girl who spent most of university rocking the jeans and a t-shirt comfort trend, I was easily mistaken for a boy. A lot. Often I would be tapped on the shoulder when trying to enter the women’s bathroom by an unassuming person trying to correct my “mistake”. Once I was stopped by a fellow university student in our campus commons who asked me if I would mind posing for his photography assignment because I had the androgynous quality that he was looking for.

Every time that it happened it cut me a little bit deeper. I was certain that it had to do with more than the hair and began to question my facial feature, my figure, and my style. But, I never changed anything. I refused to cut my hair just because people were not used to seeing a girl with a shorter do. I refused to start using make-up or wear dresses and skirts solely as an attempt to feminize myself. That was not my style. It was not like me to change for others. But, their words still hurt and frustrated me.

In a world of rigid gender norms, sometimes short hair can confuse people.

Regardless of whether it is asked out of curiosity or intent to hurt, I have figured out a foolproof method for answering this question. I consider it a brief lesson on manners and discreetness. The formula is:

1. Tell the class that so-and-so has just asked the question, “Are you a boy or a girl?”
2. Take a vote on how many other students in the class were wondering the same thing
3. Tell the student who asked that it is wonderful of him or her to ask this question considering how many (there is always at least one other) students were wondering this
4. Ask the class how they would feel if someone asked them if they were a boy or a girl
5. Write the answers on the board
6. Ask the student if they intended to make me feel this way when they asked the question
7. Ask the class to brainstorm different ways of asking to find out this information without making me feel that way
8. Congratulate them on coming up with answers like: What is your name?

“Miss, did you dye your hair?”

I got this question from a very perceptive Year 3 student. She raised her hand, amidst the chaos of this particular classroom just as I walked in, and asked me this noting that my hair colour had changed since she saw me two weeks ago. She was almost right in her assumption. My hair colour had changed, but not because I had re-dyed it. Quite the contrary, my red shade of hair had began to fade and changed tones completely in two weeks. She was perceptive, but not quite right.

Not wanting to discuss my hair care routines with my Year 3 class, I smiled at her and said, “You have a great memory to be able to recall what my hair looked like two weeks ago. Now, let’s see what else this class can remember from the last time I was here!” An awkward question turned into a great lesson introduction and that makes for a fantastic, thinking on your feet moment.

Kids notice small changes, even in your hair colour.

“Miss, how old are you?”

Not only am I gender ambigious in appearance, but I also look young. Kids notice this and they will point this out. The way that I answer this question wholly depends on the context in which I receive it.

The Curious Child: Distraction, distraction, distraction!

“How old are you?” I quickly ask.

“Six years!” comes the enthusiastic reply.

“Wow! Six years old! And when is your birthday?” I marvel.

“March 17th!” the child gets excited at the thought of a birthday.

“And how old will you be on March 17th?” I ask. And so the conversation continues with no recollection of the original question.

The Authority Challenger: When the intent is to embarrass me or subvert my authority, in a particularly rowdy class, I will not react too passively to this question. Any from the following will do:

“Old enough to be your teacher”;

“The age doesn’t matter, but the degrees that I have do in this case”;

“Do you believe that it is polite to ask adults how old they are? Shall I leave a note for your teacher letting him or her know that you would like to know their age too?”

The Comedian: When I can tell that the question is asked in jest rather than to get a rise out of me, I can respond in kind. Again, any of the following will do:

“Very old. I just take good care of my skin.”

“Are you conducting a survey of all of the teachers in the school? Let me know once you have everyone else’s age registered.”

“Miss, do you get paid to do this?”

To date, I have only received this question once. It was in a class where the collective goal was to get a rise out of me. Much to their dismay, I was not giving in and, in fact, was having a rather good time thwarting their sometimes creative attempts. In this case, I turned the question into a learning opportunity:

“Why yes, I do get paid to teach. It is my job. Now, if I get paid, let’s say, 50 pounds a day. Then how much did I get paid to answer this question if it took me thirty seconds?”

I do not think that anyone found the student’s question funny after they had to copy down my math problem on paper and solve it individually.

The stereotypical Canadian climate.

“Miss, you’re from Canada right? How come you look tanned? Isn’t it cold there?”

This has been my favourite “Where are you from?” type question yet. This led to a quick lesson on stereotyping. I asked the class to stand up if they were born in the UK. When I had the majority of the class standing I asked the students to look around and explain to me why all of their skin colours were not the same. Then I had them sit down and explained to the class that, even though it is cold in Canada, not everyone there is white. In fact, Toronto is a very multicultural city, just like London.

And for the final… My favourite question and answer moment yet:

“Miss, do you speak Canadian?”

“Yes. I am doing it right now.”

MERCADOS MEXICANOS-¿Qué dicen los analistas? 23 de noviembre

via MERCADOS MEXICANOS-¿Qué dicen los analistas? 23 de noviembre | Titulares | Reuters.

I said goodbye to my KoD this morning, tucked my heart into his pocket, and began the 6 hour trek back to Montreal, to my babies. Ahem. Sorry. My big boys. My Boybies (that works for me).

The drive went really well, I didn’t even cry when the mushy romantic songs came on the radio. Took a concerted effort, but I did it. The roadwork has been finished up, so there was no going slow…the weather was perfect and I made excellent time.

I get to the US / Canada border and they have closed it off except for one booth a few yards before the usual line of booths at the Lacolle border crossing. It seems they are prescreening cars before allowing them to get to the regular border crossing booths. There is a much more obvious presence of border guards than usual.

No problem, I have my landed immigrant card, my passport, I do this a bajillion times a year. Piece of cake. Right? Noooo.

The cars ahead of me showed passports and sailed through. Initially the border guard did not take my passport from me. Started asking me the regular questions. All was fine until he asked me who I had been to see. I said my husband. Then he asked for the passport. He started quizzing me on the status of my marriage, who lives where, how often we see each other. Meanwhile his cohort was walking around my car peering in windows etc.

They asked me to pull over to the side, ma’am.

Who owns your vehicle? My neighbour.

Your neighbour lets you drive his car? Yes sir.

What does he drive? One of his other cars, sir. I have a letter authorizing me to use this vehicle, sir, would you like to see it?

I also told him he could check in the computer that I cross the border all the time with this car. He did so. And I was right. Wow.

Then he asks me, why are you not driving your own vehicle? I so wanted to say “because you idiots won’t let me drive my brand spanking new Town and Country Touring minivan with US plates into Canada (More info here) so it has to stay in our garage in Monsey collecting dust, and I have to drive this freaking rust bucket that’s older than I am, just so I can see my husband. That’s why the freaking hell I am not driving my own vehicle, rectal orifice!!” But instead, I replied sweetly, “because I don’t have one.” (May God forgive me for the lie, but I wanted to get out of there)

The guys were pounding on the panels of the car, looking underneath it, in the spare tire, pulling my suitcases apart. Looking in my make up kit, holding my excedrin bottle up to the light.

“What does your husband do in the states?”

“Where did you meet him?”

“What’s his name, address?”

“What company does he work for?”

“How much money does he give you?”

“What’s his salary”

“Did he give you anything to bring back?”

“How much child support and alimony do you get?”

“Where are your children?”

“Why did you leave them for the weekend?”

“Who has custody of your children? Prove it” (I carry my divorce and custody agreement with me whenever I cross the border)

“What’s your profession?”

“How do you pay the bills if you are a stay at home mom?” I answered “with difficulty”. He left it alone, smart man, because I was about to get ugly up in his face. They then started in again on the immigration questions. What? My answers were going to change?

Then I unwittingly caused some trouble for myself. I raised my left hand to smooth back my hair. My engagement ring caught the sun. They spent five minutes quizzing me on the provenance of the diamond on my finger. Do I have proof on me where it came from? Uh…no. Who carries that with them? If I was smuggling diamonds would I be so stupid as to wear it on my finger? They looked at my other rings too. Asked about those as well.  Asked what the pendant I wear means. I wear a gold letter “Hey” (fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet that starts off my name) that my great uncle made for me decades ago. No certificate of provenance for that either.

I was shaking. I knew I had nothing contraband on me, nothing I shouldn’t have, no drugs, tobacco or alcohol. No weapons. I was coming back into Canada, my home for the last fifteen and a half years, and they made me feel so very guilty. Of what, I have no clue. I was sweating and shaking. They had me standing by the side of the road for nearly 30 minutes while they quizzed me back and forth, both guards with hands resting on the butts of their weapons. They had a team go over the car. I know they were just doing their job, but come on, I so do not fit the profile of a terrorist or a drug smuggler. I am just a mom. That’s it that’s all.

Eventually they let me go. I had to sit in another line of cars for 30 minutes until I finally was able to cross the border. By the time I crossed I had calmed down. But now I am on a slow burn. Why did they pull me over? Did I fit a certain profile? Was it anti-Semitic? Why did they start to freak out when I said my husband lived in NY and I live in Montreal? Is this going to happen now every time I cross the border? Am I red flagged? Do I dare do the border crossing thing again? I am so sick of this back and forth, and of the border sagas. It’s time for those flippin’ visas to come already.

East Europe Proving Too Good as Debt Erodes 50% Gain (Update2)

via East Europe Proving Too Good as Debt Erodes 50% Gain (Update2) – Bloomberg.com.

Doing a Google search for this band you will find out: how to sneak alcohol onto a cruise ship, what the drink “rum runner” is, and that a rum runner is someone who snuck alcohol into Canada during the 1900’s. Once you do find the band, you’ll find their poorly crafted, un-maintained website. This five-piece band, with a combined age of at least 150, seems less like a professional band and more like a group of guys with some talent, and a little extra cash to make a CD.

One nice feature of this CD is the drink suggestions. In the liner notes, each track has a different suggested drink. Including, champagne, a keg of Anchor Steam, and a lukewarm 40 oz of Olde English, Rum Runner definitely just wants to get you drunk (maybe they think it might make their record sound better).

Image aside, and focusing on the music, it’s a blend of punk and rock and roll, with a splash of folk and Celtic. Traditional tunes such as “The Leaving of Liverpool” and “You’re Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond,” are classics that you’ll probably hear down at Irish Times.

The rest of the songs have a little more weight and power in them. Rum Runner immediately reminds me a little bit of Rancid, except without the whole hardcore punk rock edge. The title track, which should be accompanied with Monthelie, is a fairly standard song from a fairly standard band.

Rum Runner can be summed up just as that: a fairly standard Celtic/rock/folk band. You would be better off passing them up for a Rancid CD and a 40 of Olde English.

DeeSpeak> : And again, the government plays their theme song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, and tells people that the benefits outweigh the risks… which is an easy position to take, for  people who are NOT affected negatively by the vaccine.  If  it were THEIR children, or themselves, suffering from this vaccine, they’d be singing a different tune, as are those reporting adverse events on our reporting page .

Meanwhile, why was GLAXO the bell-ringer on this? Why did health authorities not pull the plug on the vaccine the moment they knew the side-effects were outrageous? Our own officials received the reports BEFORE Glaxo did, so where was THEIR outrage? Where was THEIR call to protect the people from unnecessary damage?

HOW CAN WE TRUST THEM?

Canada: The Killer H1N1 Vaccine

by Michel Chossudovsky

“It is a serious thing [vaccine] that has the potential to kill” according to Dr. Neil Rau, an infectious disease expert, in a CTV interview, but do not worry: “leading experts insist, the benefits of the H1N1 vaccine vastly outweigh the risks” (Swine Flu Support Center, emphasis added)

A new development in the H1N1 Vaccine Saga is unfolding in Canada.

Whereas health officials are pushing for an acceleration of the vaccination program, there is evidence of so-called “unusual adverse reactions” including three recently recorded deaths directly resulting from the vaccine.

In the meantime, health authorities have called for the withdrawal of 170,000 (higher risk) doses of the vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The initiative, of which the importance is being downplayed, is said to have come from the manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, which expressed concern on higher than normal adverse reactions to the vaccine.

“Canada’s H1N1 flu vaccine manufacturer has asked the provinces to temporarily discontinue vaccinating Canadians from a lot of vaccine shipped in October due to a higher risk of adverse reactions, says a Manitoba health official.

Dr. Joel Kettner, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, said Thursday that GlaxoSmithKline has asked that the October batch be taken out of circulation because it produced serious and immediate anaphylactic reactions in one out of 20,000 vaccinations, compared with one out of 100,000 in other shipments.

“We’ve been asked by the manufacturer GSK to not use this vaccine at this time pending further investigation,” he said. (Winnipeg Free Press, 20 November 2009)

The government is involved in a cover-up. The initial headlines stated “more than 100,000 doses”, but then read on, the number is 170,000 doses.

The CTV report admits that “it is a serious thing, it has the potential to kill”.

Too Late to Withdraw the 170,000 Defective Doses

The question is whether the doses can be withdrawn or whether they have already been used. The first news reports from Manitoba indicate that:

Of the 63,000 doses shipped [to Manitoba], only 630 remained unused by the four regional health authorities in Manitoba that received them. (Ibid)

This report would suggest that the risky GSK vaccine doses have already been used.

A subsequent report confirms that out of the 63,000 doses, 900 unused doses of the H1N1 vaccine were withdrawn by health authorities “after health authorities received word other vaccines from the same batch have been causing higher rates of allergic reactions than expected.” (Flu vaccine batch pulled in Manitoba, Winnipeg Sun, 20 November 2009).

The question is what happened to the remaining 62,100 doses of the higher risk vaccine batch, which were used to vaccinate people in Manitoba?

Has there been a followup regarding those people in Manitoba who received the higher risk H1N1 vaccine injection? What is the situation in other provinces in which the higher risk vaccine does were distributed?

Manitoba Health authorities casually confirm, in this regard, that “most of the vaccine Manitoba received from the suspect lot had already been used by the time the province received the alert on Wednesday” [November 18, 2009]. (Winnipeg Free Press, 20 November 2009, emphasis added)

Manitoba and Quebec : Three deaths resulting from the H1N1 Vaccine

The news reports have highlighted deaths resulting from the H1N1 flu (often unconfirmed), while obfuscating several recorded deaths resulting directly from the vaccine. These vaccine related deaths are occurring at the very outset of the vaccination program,

According to CTV News, 20 November 2009) “The province is currently investigating two deaths — both adults who died within seven days of getting the H1N1 shot” (Family questions if H1N1 shot caused Manitoba woman’s death, November 20, 2009, emphasis added).

Manitoba officials acknowledge 69 “adverse events” after people received the swine flu shot, including the two deaths. (CBC.ca report, 17 November 2009)

However, unless the families speak out, the authorities will not provide details. CTV interviewed the family of one of the victims. No details on the other death in Manitoba are available:

“The family of a 38-year-old Manitoba woman who died five days after receiving the H1N1 vaccine are looking for answers as to why it happened.

Soo Lee Wong and her daughter, Angela Truong, both got the H1N1 shot on November 5th.

The family says Wong, who had diabetes, started getting sick a day after getting vaccinated and died a few days later.

Doctors told the family Wong died of a blood infection. More tests will be done to see if the vaccine played any role.

Wong’s husband, Thoon Truong, is also caring for his seven-year-old daughter Angela, who has been in the hospital with a fever and swollen, painful legs.

He wants to know whether the two cases related to the vaccine or to something else.

The province is currently investigating two deaths — both adults who died within seven days of getting the H1N1 shot.

Although it’s still early, Manitoba’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Joel Kettner says immunizations were not likely the cause of the deaths. CTV News | Family questions if H1N1 shot caused Manitoba woman’s death, November 20, 2009)

It should be noted that these two deaths in Manitoba may have been associated with the injection of the higher risk H1N1 vaccine doses, which health authorities had called for withdrawal.

Quebec: One Death
An 80-year-old Quebec man was reported dead after taking the H1N1 Swine Flu vaccination. Health officials have dismissed the case, “stating that it’s too soon to link the death and vaccine.” Quebec man dies after taking H1N1 vaccine, Digital Journal, 18 November 2009).

The Quebec health authorities have refused to provide details:

“Quebec’s Director of Public Health Protection, Dr. Horacio Arruda, did not know why the man took the vaccine and that final test results, which are expected to come in December, will determine whether or not the man died from the vaccine.

Canada.com reports the man died in the last three weeks but provincial officials declined to reveal details, citing confidentiality concerns. Arruda has said that most allergic reactions occur right away, which is the reason why many patients are asked to stay in the centers, “We can’t say there is a causal association between the death and the flu shot.”

Nevertheless, Arruda is confident that the death will not discourage people from taking the vaccine but urged that serious reactions to the H1N1 shot are rare, “I understand that everyone is worried.”” (Quebec man dies after taking H1N1 vaccine, Digital Journal, 18 November 2009)

The statements by senior health officials are notoriously ambiguous: while they concur that: “there is no evidence the vaccine is dangerous.”, they nonetheless acknowledge the deaths resulting from the vaccine (Statement of Quebec’s Director of Public Health Protection, Dr. Horacio Arruda, (The Canadian Press: Quebec health officials investigating possible death from H1N1 vaccine. November 18, 2009).

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=16192

Today, there are a number of online poker communities where players gather. But the most popular way to play is through the Canadian Poker League, which has dozens of poker clubs set up across Canada. Each one holds daily tournaments.

Canadian online poker is also quite prominent today. There are plenty of online poker rooms available to players in Canada. The big online player communities discuss sites and strategies, and even offer free practice games to help players improve. While it’s not yet as popular as in some other countries, online poker in Canada continues to grow. Read more…

Andrew Rickard, Advisor.ca

By 2011, Statistics Canada predicts that one-fifth of the Canadian population will be age 60 or older. It’s expected that 1.5 million of these seniors will suffer from some kind of disability during their retirement years. Many will opt for home care and remain in the community. Some will require a more specialized level of treatment in an institution. All of them are going to have to pay out of their own pockets if they want anything more than the basic level of healthcare provided by the government.

This “aging population phenomenon” has received plenty of coverage in the media, and it is no longer news. As CPP premiums increase and books like Boom Bust & Echo top the best seller list, Canadians have had ample opportunity to consider what the coming demographic shift means to them — and they’re worried. A recent survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid found that nearly half of all Canadians (47%) were concerned about becoming a burden to someone when they got older.

In the know
While people may be wondering about the future of public healthcare and their ability to pay for it, they appear to be unaware that there are insurance products available to help them manage those risks. In fact, the very same survey that uncovered such a high level of concern about aging also revealed that almost half (49%) of the country had never even heard of long term care insurance (LTC).

Those who are aware of the product, however, are buying it. The most recent Canadian data collected and published by the LIMRA, an association providing research on the insurance industry, not only shows a whopping 23% increase in the number of policies sold in 2001 over 2000, but it also reveals a 62% increase in new premiums. It’s particularly interesting to note that 70% of the LTC sales reported to LIMRA in 2001 were placed as a result of face-to-face discussions with a financial advisor — clearly those who are prepared to discuss the subject will not go unrewarded.

Explain the basics
If you’d like to introduce LTC to your clients, start by describing the concept and the fundamental benefits as simply as possible. Rather than getting bogged down in features and riders at the very outset, why not begin by explaining that the product basically does two things — it protects the client’s quality of life and his or her financial assets.

Elderly people no longer able to live independently often face two choices — they can either accept the basic level of care available through government programs or they can deplete their own savings to pay for additional support. LTC eliminates the need to choose between comfort and money by providing insurance funds that can be used to obtain additional help. The client gets the level of care they require while his or her investment capital remains intact.

Generally speaking, LTC policies are issued in three different formats (or a combination of all three):

1.    Per diem (or indemnity) plans pay a fixed daily amount to someone who is receiving qualifying treatment.
2.    Reimbursement plans provide coverage for approved services once receipts have been submitted.
3.    Income plans pay a regular benefit that the insured is free to use however he or she sees fit.

Coverage varies
Exactly what services are covered can vary widely. LTC plans may provide funding not only for various levels of institutional and home care, but also for adult day care, respite and palliative care. Of particular importance are the eligibility criteria that determine when the client is eligible to collect insurance — a client may have to be unable to perform a certain number of key daily activities (e.g., eating, dressing, etc.), have a diagnosis of a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s or require a physician’s order. Obviously the broader the eligibility requirements, the more likely it is that the client will be able to collect.

How much is enough?
Determining how much insurance to purchase can be difficult, since one is attempting to predict the future cost of healthcare. In Jacqueline Figas’s book Evaluating Long Term Care Insurance, she does an admirable job compiling data for the current cost of different levels of care across Canada. The numbers vary widely, ranging from $40 to $50 a day for a bed in a nursing home ward to $4,000 a month for a high-end retirement home.

Figas suggests that when calculating the amount of benefit, advisors consider including more than the current cost of basic facility care to provide for greater flexibility. Adding a bit extra to the basic amount will not only help deal with the issue of inflation, but could also provide additional funds for medication, adaptive devices or even minor home renovations. Figas puts the average LTC benefit amount at about $100 to $150 a day or $3,000 to $4,500 per month.

Seeing beyond seniors
As for target markets for LTC, those approaching retirement or newly retired appear to be the most receptive. LIMRA data shows that in 2001, the age of buyers ranged from 31 to 84, with an average age of 61. When prospecting for new business, however, don’t just limit your activities to clients who may purchase the product for themselves — those who care about the well-being of their parents or grandparents may have just as much motivation to buy.

While on one hand the future threat of reductions to government healthcare benefits creates more interest in LTC, it could also generate headaches for financial advisors. Clients who purchase policies today should be warned that premiums will likely increase to compensate for what the government scales back. But clients understand that one gets what one pays for — rather than being outraged at the increase in cost, they’ll be thankful to have appropriate protection in place.

Here at SAPP, we’ve spent some time talking about board service at charitable organizations – for example, at the SAALT Summit here.  We’ve also talked about religious giving and how this is one of the main areas of charitable giving among South Asians in North America – for example, from Ramya here.

(c/o Globe and Mail)

Well, here’s a story that brings those two threads together – and from my new home country of Canada!  The Globe & Mail reported last week on the front page that Gursimran Kaur, a 19-year-old Canadian Sikh, and a slate of 18 other young Sikhs (mostly in their 30’s) won a contentious election to board leadership at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in Surrey, B.C., one of North America’s largest Sikh temples.

A few interesting things…  The youth candidates ran on a platform of returning to traditional Sikh customs at the temple, plus a focus on women’s rights and youth programs.  I thought it was intriguing that the young candidates committed to a more traditional agenda – while at the same time raising “progressive” issues such as women’s rights and combating domestic violence and youth gang activity.

As far as the areas they’ve identified for the gurdwara to take an active role, these include:  programs to combat drug use and gang violence; workshops on Sikh scripture and rituals in English to appeal to the younger generation; new community services programs at the temple; a safe-house for women; and, workshops on violence against women and on women’s rights.

I will be curious to see how the young slate of directors does on the job – Will fundraising go up?  Will the group use new technologies to raise money and volunteers?  Will more young people be inspired to get involved?

I’ve been thinking a lot about Canada lately. Mostly lamenting that I won’t be having a slice of tourtiere at any holiday gatherings this year. For those unacquainted, tourtiere is traditional meat pie from Quebec, but is served throughout Canada during the holidays and New Year. Growing up, my grandmother made them each year for her Christmas Eve dinner, and in later years my father would make them during the holidays.

I mentioned this meat pie to some food friends here recently and the conversation quickly turned to that other Canadian food icon, poutine. The fries, gravy and cheese concoction has become so popular in NYC that there is now a lower east side restaurant in devoted to the stuff. The New Yorker even wrote about poutine in a recent issue; I find this new obsession strange.

Of course I love poutine. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t actually like it, and no, it’s not the same as disco fries. Poutine is a food meant for late night binges, as fuel for all night study sessions, or to be taken medicinally as a cure for hangovers. Unless you’re a linebacker in training, it should only be eaten on a handful of occasions. And I don’t think many people over the age of say 40 would dare go near the stuff. It’s a heart attack waiting to happen in a 1,000-calorie package.

The thing that sets it apart though is the cheese, namely cheese curd, a salty, squeaky, noby little cheese treat available in Ontario and Quebec at any grocery store, farmer’s market or 7-11. The best stuff is purchased very fresh not refrigerated (to preserve the squeak).

Now here is a nutritious snack food found in the homes and lunchboxes of many Canadians. Kids love them (did I mention they squeak?). And what about the other artisan cheeses of Canada? Quebec’s history has given it a world-class cheese making tradition leading to some outrageous cheeses (incidentally any poutine house in Ontario worth going to usually imports their curds from Montreal). Even the NYC foodie chat boards post about underground trips to Quebec to smuggle back cheese.

Yup, the unsung hero of poutine is the cheese. I admit that you need the thick beefy gravy and hot fresh cut fries to round out the dish, but it’s the gooey strands of melting cheese curds clinging to your chin that really get you hooked on the stuff as comfort food.

Perhaps someday we’ll start importing the actual cheese, and not just the sloppy mess of gravy and fries preferred by the 2am college crowd. I admit, I’ve occasionally thought I could make a killing off poutine by opening a restaurant truck and selling it through the streets of NYC in the wee hours. My truck would sell bags of squeaky cheese curds too though, just for good measure.