Do you dare wear short-shorts? If you’re my age and can pull off short-shorts, all the power to you. If you’re a young woman with long tanned legs you want to show off, all the power to you. But please — let’s not dress our young girls in short-shorts. {click here to see why I’m such a prude about [...]
Archive for the ‘Headlines’ Category
March 6th, 2010
Extra! Extra! Read all about it …
Good morning! If you don’t normally buy an Ottawa Citizen newspaper, pick one up today to support not only your local paper but this caffeine-needy writer! In today’s Travel Section, I have two articles for your morning coffee: #1: What a woman wants: how hotels can cater better to women business travellers and a list of hotels going all out [...]
March 3rd, 2010
Excuse me, but you’re stepping on my Canadian pride
An open letter to Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney: I don’t ever remember a time when I did not feel proud to be a Canadian. It’s similar in fierceness to the pride I’ve always felt for my family. It runs right to the core. I drink my Double-double’s at Timmys, I buy my backpack from MEC and I [...]
February 17th, 2010
Olympic dreaming? Not a chance.
In a world where parents are increasingly beginning to question the benefits of overscheduling their children in organized activities, the Olympics reaches right into a parent’s heart and makes you want to fire up that mini-van and start signing cheques. Almost. {read more}
February 13th, 2010
That was kinda sucky, wasn’t it?
I hate to say it, for fear of sounding unpatriotic, but Canada’s opening ceremonies for the Olympics was kinda, well, sucky. Starting with the snowboarder entry that was cheesy and far too long. In fact, most of it just seemed like it went on too long for its own good. So much so that when K.D. Lang launched into crooning her melancholy lyrics: Your [...]
February 5th, 2010
Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids
Did you catch this CBC documentary yesterday? I got a heads-up from Ann Douglas’ blog at parentcentral.ca that it was coming and I was intrigued. In her review, Douglas concludes that this “hyper-parenting” phenomenon is largely a thing of the past: The documentary is worth watching, if only as a reminder of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come in [...]
January 28th, 2010
A pelvic exam without my consent?
As you know, I am now bopping around in Twitter checking it all out and making new friends, er, followers. Today I started to notice some tweets about women having pelvic exams done to them while they are unconscious in the hospital. Like many bits of way too information that I let into my day, I let it go into [...]
November 20th, 2009
Want more info on H1N1?
My last post on H1N1 was October 30th. That post was an effort to put the latest bits of info all into one spot for readers. I’d like to do that again today as part of a “blog tour” with Mom Central*. (I’d also like to add my usual disclaimer here that – and, I don’t think this comes as a surprise – [...]
November 2nd, 2009
The tuna argument smells fishy
“The amount in flu vaccines is much less than the daily limit recommended – for example a can of tuna fish has more mercury than the thimerosal in the H1N1 flu vaccine.” – Public Health Agency of Canada website page In an effort to reduce public fear related to thimerosal in the H1N1 vaccine, some Canadian government authorities have been using what [...]
October 30th, 2009
The latest tidbits on H1N1
I’m no scientist, but I know that a lot of parents are just as concerned and confused about a number of H1N1 issues as I am. Here, I’ve compiled some news for you all in one spot. But please remember — this is just a compilation of news – not medical advice. New information from WHO was released today. Its Strategic Advisory [...]
October 29th, 2009
When you are engulfed in flames
“Engulfed in flames” — don’t you love it? I think it sums up life pretty well these days. Between pulling very long hours at work and doing night shifts comforting sick children, I have the luxury of worrying about H1N1; the vaccine conundrum; having to carry my 40lb baby down our steep back steps and through my neighbours’ yards just to get out [...]
October 25th, 2009
What to do about the flu?
I’ve largely been deaf to all the media frenzy surrounding H1N1. But this week, the vaccines will be available to the public. This means I need to make a decision. Ugh, I don’t like decisions. And there are just so many darn decisions related to H1N1. To school or not to school? The school has repeatedly asked parents not to [...]
October 21st, 2009
How do you feel about Sigg now?
About a month and a half ago, I wrote this post “Sigg: not so super, after all?” I don’t get attached to brands much, but somehow I had developed an affection for my Sigg. The news that Sigg’s original liners had been made with BPA felt like a sneaky little trick had been played on me. Sure, I understand that [...]
October 13th, 2009
Spare me the “stranger danger”
I’m tired of hearing about “stranger danger,” and I don’t like the idea of teaching children the concept of “stranger danger.” I mean, really. Is it really necessary to instill a fear in children about their fellow community members when the facts show that child abduction is an extremely rare occurence? My child already has her own self-instilled fear of aliens, does [...]
October 5th, 2009
Wordstock rocked
In 1969, hippies travelled from far and wide to attend Woodstock. They came to appreciate the vibe and the amazing music. They drank lots, they drugged lots. It was a good time. It’s 40 years later, in 2009. Writers travelled from far and wide to attend Wordstock, at Ryerson University. They came to appreciate the wisdom and experience of amazing [...]
