Things that make me mad

1. The fact that immigrants with tons of education in their own country have such a hard time getting their degrees recognized or upgraded, and finding work in their field

When I worked at Future Shop in B.C. I saw this all the time. Many of my co-workers had been accountants, engineers or medical professionals overseas, but because their degrees were not recognized in Canada, they were working in retail to make ends meet. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been for them!

Check out these great ads from the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (scroll down to the bottom of the page) (via Chandrasutra)

"This is a great resume - but can you work a softee machine?"



2. Companies are still trying to dump toxic waste into the environment

Do they think that if they dump it underwater, it will just go away?! Out of sight, out of mind? A company in Newfoundland is seeking the approval of Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to dispose of toxic waste in two central Newfoundland ponds.
(The picture is of Kent's Pond in St. John's - not a proposed dump site)


3. Denial of global warming

Businesses are trying to downplay the impact of carbon dioxide on global warming by saying 'It can't be bad - we breathe it out!'

In these videos, they whine 'But we neeeeed those fuels!'

Heaven forbid we reduce our energy use by trading in SUVs for fuel-efficient cars, using compact fluorescent lightbulbs instead of incandescents, and drying laundry on a clothesline on nice days instead of using the dryer. No one's asking us to give up everything that uses energy. It just seems like common sense to use less energy when possible, and try to produce less waste.

Click here for more 'crazy' but simple ways you can help to save the planet.

(via CathiefromCanada)


4. The unhealthy images the media shows us every day

I missed Turn Beauty Inside Out day on May 17th, but better late than never! The campaign:
"...celebrat[es] Inner Beauty - the beauty of conviction, caring and action. Girls and boys (not to speak of women and men) need a definition of beauty that focuses on who they are and what they do, not on how they look."
Some disturbing statistics:
  • 80% of 10-year-old American girls diet. The number one magic wish for young girls age 11-17 is to be thinner

  • Between elementary and high school, the percentage of girls in the U.S. who are "happy with the way I am" drops from 60% to 29%.

  • Between 1996 and 1998 [only two years!], teenage cosmetic surgeries nearly doubled from 13,699 to 24,623, according to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

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3 comments:

  1. Ouch! you worked at superfantastic terrific future shop...I know the feeling. I worked there a year in Ottawa. Egad!!!

     
  2. Yup, complete with morning cheer! [insert fake excitement]
    Yes folks, it's not only Wal*Mart that has this fantastic tradition!

    Ah, it had its downsides (like the horrible blue shirts and corporate pickiness), but I can't complain too much. It was only a year, and I got good bonuses and a trip to a great conference in Toronto.

     
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