life as i know it...

I think this is fantastic.

David Suzuki is going on a cross-Canada tour to find out what average Canadians want the government to do for the environment, and when the 30 day tour is over, he's planning to bring our concerns directly to politicians.

The environment is becoming an increasingly important issue, and if anyone can make our politicians finally listen and hopefully do something, it's David Suzuki, armed with an army of voters.

From the official press release:

"We have an amazing opportunity to ride the current environmental momentum to real change and real action."During the 30-day tour, Dr. Suzuki will visit more than 40 communities, speaking to Canadians from St. John's to Victoria. Many Canadian celebrities will join Dr. Suzuki throughout the tour, from musical performers like Sarah Harmer and k-os, to TV personalities like Rick Mercer, to NHL players like Andrew Ference and Robyn Regehr of the Calgary Flames.
...

"Canada is a great democracy, but the process fails if we just complain about issues, without doing anything about them," Dr. Suzuki says."If Canadians really want environmental change, now is the time to demand it because with so much support, our leaders will have to listen."

Dr. Suzuki is also turning to the web and pop culture to engage the masses. Canadians are encouraged to make 20-second"If YOU were Prime Minister..." videos and upload them to the tour's YouTube group through davidsuzuki.org. Celebrities such as Randy Bachman, Raffi, Anne Murray, and winter sport athletes Sara Renner and Thomas Grandi have already left their own video messages.

To see when he'll be visiting a location near you, check out the tour schedule. Tickets are going fast, so get yours soon (I'm hoping the one in my area isn't sold out yet)!



If Raffi were Prime Minister...


Technorati tags: environment, politics, David Suzuki, Kyoto, climate change, global warming, Canada

Posted in: climate change, environment, politics on January 31, 2007 0 comments    

Actually, that Nelly Furtado song rather drives me nuts, but it seems to fit these days. With less than 5 weeks to go until my due date, the "nesting" instinct has kicked in. So far today I've done several loads of laundry, made a dent in the neverending basket of ironing, cleaned out the catalogue bin, reorganized a bookshelf and closet shelf to fit some of the pile of kids books Mom & Dad brought over last weekend, measured the bathroom window for blinds, and shredded a whole pile of old receipts. Whew!!

Tomorrow and Tuesday we have contractors coming in to install tile in the downstairs entryway, and Thursday that upstairs bathroom's being painted. If this kid comes early, the house will be ready!

We may not actually have a clue how to take care of the child, but that's another story.

Posted in: baby on January 28, 2007 2 comments    

The Packaging Girlhood blog has created a list of the best and worst marketing campaigns of 2006. The list focuses on campaigns that are directed towards girls, or ones that girls were very exposed to.

There are so many negative and stereotypical images encompassed in marketing campaigns for girls; it's really disheartening. If you're interested in this topic, the organization See Jane has done some really interesting research on gender portrayals in children's media (for both boys and girls).

And (some of) the nominees are...

WORST

Dora's makeover from explorer to Princess

Bratz dolls, makeup, clothes, TV show, etc.

BEST

Dove campaign for real beauty (watch)

Maria Sharapova “I feel Pretty” Nike Ad (watch)

To read the commentary and see the rest of the list, click the links above.

Posted in: body image, fashion and beauty, feminism, kids, videos on January 25, 2007 0 comments    

Kevin Bacon has launched SixDegrees.org, a social networking site for charity, loosely based on the ever-popular game 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon'.

SixDegrees.org accepts donations toward the favourite charities of participating celebrities, among them Kanye West and Nicole Kidman. Anyone can link to the "badges" of celebrities, or make their own badge to sponsor a favourite charity, illustrated with their own stories and photos.

Bacon will match the top six non-celebrity fundraisers with grants of up to $10,000 each.

Yahoo article

Posted in: movies on 2 comments    

By now I'm sure everyone has heard about how unhealthy using plastics to store and heat food products can be. While the results aren't 100% conclusive, there are tons of studies linking the chemicals in everyday plastics to cancer, hormone disruptions, and other nasty health problems.

I have my concerns, but so far, I've found few concrete suggestions of how to avoid using plastics in the kitchen, and even when products are recommended, even fewer that are available where I live! That's why I was pleased to see this SavyMom.ca article about reducing our reliance on plastics in our kitchens. It not only gives tips, but links to products and retailers! I'm going to have to work on this list - I'm a big user of Ziplock bags, and we have a lot of plastic containers too.

Since I know some of you won't click on the link (but you should, it's a great article!), I'll summarize some of the tips here.

1. Hand wash your plastic containers. Yeah, I hate to do dishes too, but heat breaks down the plastic.
2. Don't reuse one-use plastic watter bottles. And even better than plastic Nalgene bottles are aluminum Sigg bottles.
3. Use glass or ceramic food containers instead of Gladware/Tupperware/Rubbermaid types. (Click for suggestions of brands and where to buy)
4. Use wooden cutting boards. Not for meat though - the bacteria can stay in the wood.
5. Use glass baby bottles, or look for plastic bottles with fewer chemicals.
6. Avoid plastic wrap. Use wax paper to wrap sandwiches. Use glass or ceramic food containers. Take the plastic wrap off your food when you microwave it - use a paper towel or wax paper to cover your food, instead.

Read the article for more great tips!

Technorati tags: plastic, toxins, chemicals, health, Canada

Posted in: baby, environment, health, helpful tips, household, toxic on January 16, 2007 5 comments    

Here's an interesting news tidbit that showed up in my inbox this morning. I wonder if seeing their own bodies' toxin levels will strengthen any of their commitments to the environment?

Toxic Nation on Parliament Hill: A Report on the Pollution in Four Canadian Politicians

For the latest round of Toxic Nation body burden testing, four federal politicians volunteered to be tested for over 100 different chemicals.

Toxic Nation on Parliament Hill reveals that our politicians are polluted, just like the rest of us. The participating politicians included Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment; Tony Clement, Minister of Health; Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP; and, John Godfrey, Liberal Environment Critic.

The group was tested for a slew of toxic chemicals, including pesticides, heavy metals and chemicals used to make flame retardants and stain repellents. For many of the chemicals tested, the politicians had the highest levels detected so far in the Toxic Nation studies. Of the four politicians, the highest number of chemicals was detected in John Godfrey, but Health Minister Tony Clement had the highest levels detected in three out of the seven groups of chemicals.

Technorati tags: politics, toxins, chemicals, health, Canada

Posted in: environment, health, politics, toxic on January 15, 2007 0 comments    

I think this is a worthwhile event, and Hubby and I plan to be there to support the many soldiers and their families that we know. Bonus: The Irish Descendants are playing that evening!

Posted in: music, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, war on January 12, 2007 0 comments    

WTF??
There really are some sick people out there. As if girls don't already see enough images promoting unhealthy thinness...

Spanish authorities have banned an internet site which was about to run a competition for young women suffering from anorexia.
...

The [Porcelain Princesses] competition, which would have run for a fortnight from January 13, offered points to those reducing their calorie intake to a minimum, with starvation rations of 50-150 calories a day worth nine points while "the honour of a podium placing" and a maximum ten points was offered for not eating all day.

Prior to its closure the website said in a disclaimer it advised visitors to "not follow" advice they might read there.

Posted in: body image, fashion and beauty, health on January 10, 2007 0 comments    

Just a quick note to say that I AM alive; I've just been extremely busy since the holidays! I'll be back in the swing of things soon. :)

Posted in: on January 09, 2007 0 comments    

Posted in: on January 02, 2007 0 comments