tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40593312008-05-07T20:24:12.443-04:00aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comBlogger986125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-53587548213530690012008-05-07T19:37:00.002-04:002008-05-07T20:24:12.479-04:00

"For every flower that we are able to sell, a child is able to study. Here in Ecuador, there are so many children that do not study. For this reason, it's very important to buy Fair Trade flowers, because our children are our future." Those words were spoken by Mariana Vasquez, of the Hoja Verde Flower Farm, but they could be a quote from anyone who works on a fair trade flower farm in any of

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-76904587029832442752008-05-05T06:52:00.004-04:002008-05-07T19:26:23.851-04:00

We had the pleasure this past weekend to meet one of the best shoe sales persons you could ever hope to have serving you. Unfortunately, we didn't get to meet her until after our money had been scorned by one of the worst you'd ever want to encounter. Let's start with Mr. Dumbass, shall we? He works for Harry Young Shoes and we met him at their 67 Front Street East location, although he told us

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-73250713682904799472008-04-30T06:21:00.002-04:002008-04-30T06:52:30.648-04:00

Mark May 10th on your calendars and get ready to do a little shopping that will help to make a big difference. With Mother's Day coming up, the Ten Thousand Villages store near you makes a great place to take part in Fair Trade Day and take care of Mom's gift, all at the same time. You can browse their gifts for "glam moms" and 'earth friendly moms" and know you're acting globally when you take

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-49461336975375229372008-04-29T07:55:00.003-04:002008-04-29T18:31:52.959-04:00

Christian Horizons is an evangelical organization that runs 180 group homes for 1,400 people with developmental disabilities, here in Ontario. It does so under an annual $75 million contract with the provincial government, employing 2,500 individuals to staff the residences. Each one of those employees has to sign a "morality pledge" as a condition of their employment with CH. The pledge requires

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-33751546846909559792008-04-21T21:49:00.002-04:002008-04-21T21:56:36.074-04:00

nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey yeah, goodbye! Montreal just beat the shit out of Boston - 5 to zip, nada, zilch, to be precise. There are one hell of a lot of happy, happy, happy Canadians going to bed wearing a big grin tonight.

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-16935165798696743572008-04-21T15:42:00.003-04:002008-04-21T18:14:59.537-04:00

Two events made themselves known to me this past weekend. One brought me to tears; the other just left me feeling disgust. The first event I learned of was the April 10, 2008 document released by the International Human Rights Tribunal into Genocide in Canada (IHRTGC), a non-governmental body established by indigenous elders. It lists the location of twenty eight mass graves of aboriginal

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-16321094580730581192008-04-21T15:18:00.003-04:002008-04-21T18:12:37.854-04:00

"Athletes for Africa is a Canadian charitable organization that has focused its efforts on building a global network of people committed to promoting and protecting human rights, and providing education and opportunities that empower youth in Africa. Best known for GuluWalk, Athletes for Africa’s mission is to (i) leverage the positive behaviours and profile of†sport to engage youth and educate

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-82490738539221290272008-04-18T06:22:00.007-04:002008-04-21T15:41:21.568-04:00

Have you been following the maelstrom whirling around plastic? The one identified by the number seven inside a triangle - polycarbonate - or PC, is one you need to be wary of, not that the others are necessarily a great deal safer. I'm just talking about that one. It contains Bisphenol A, making that number 7 anything but lucky, and it's all around you. More importantly, it's IN you. The

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-34366912920359081282008-04-15T21:31:00.003-04:002008-04-15T22:02:00.810-04:00

On March 22, 2008, the Pew Research Center issued the results of a survey that examined trends in political values and core attitudes in the U.S. of A. Much of the survey is a big yawn, unless perhaps you're an American. One statement and its response, however, should make for a totally engrossing read for everyone else on the globe. It comes at the reader without any particular warning or

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-64952005093993512222008-04-13T14:02:00.003-04:002008-04-13T14:25:09.246-04:00

Got a cat in your life? How about an engineer? If the answer to either one is "yes" or even if the answer is "No, net yet, but I think I might like to try owning one", watch the video below. A little tongue-in-feline-cheek humour may send you scurrying out to the closest animal shelter to look for the kittie - or engineer - that could complete your household.

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-45380127474141793752008-04-08T20:26:00.003-04:002008-04-08T21:02:55.311-04:00

Mayor David Miller of Toronto is campaigning to have handguns banned in Canada for all uses except those of law enforcement officers. At the moment, the weapons are allowed to target shooters and collectors as well. He has released a video, now showing on the city's website, asking for people to sign an online petition pressuring the federal government to change the law governing this weaponry. "

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-53175441847290603252008-04-06T17:15:00.002-04:002008-04-06T17:58:08.520-04:00

Lowering the flag on Parliament's Peace Hill has become a contentious issue here in Canada. At the moment, the flag is lowered on four days: the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women; Workers' Mourning Day; Police and Peace Officers National Memorial Day; and Vimy Ridge Day. The question of whether or not to lower it whenever a Canadian soldier is killed overseas has

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-81146235527513648362008-04-05T22:24:00.002-04:002008-04-05T22:33:50.798-04:00

I grow downright weary at times of people who assert that humans are the only creatures who can boast intelligence. My own father was one who regularly trotted out the term "dumb animals" to express the lofty heights of supposed intelligence from which he looked down on every other life form which shares the planet. I hated it every time he did. Try watching the video. It seems to me to be proof

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-14571863955043605112008-04-02T20:13:00.002-04:002008-04-02T20:21:13.845-04:00

This video by Phillip Scott Johnson looks at 500 years of female portraits in western art, set to Bach's Sarabande from the Suite for Solo Cello #1 in G Major, performed by Yo-Yo Ma. If you want a complete list of artists and paintings, you can visit http://www.maysstuff.com/womenid.htm

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-89219724950627194432008-03-25T15:53:00.002-04:002008-03-25T16:55:28.999-04:00

This Saturday is the day - Earth Hour will begin at 8 p.m. Although it is officially planned to last for just one hour, the hope is that the consciousness-raising it will achieve will last untold hours into the future. A recent online survey of 1,023 adult Canadians conducted in March by Angus Reid Strategies seemed to show an eagerness on the part of Canucks to get involved. Saying that they

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-11357389650992791252008-03-17T06:47:00.002-04:002008-03-17T06:58:11.523-04:00

It's St. Patrick's Day today. Previously it was a day I would pay no attention to at all. Of late, it has been brought a little more to my awareness by the presence in my life of a dear friend who has a wee bit o' the leprechaun in her. For my good friend and for every other member of my species, Irish or not, I offer this Irish blessing. May Life grant you always ... A sunbeam to warm you, a

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-16022018337933923652008-03-14T11:08:00.002-04:002008-03-14T11:50:19.570-04:00

Two easy steps for you to take, if you're interested in handing on to your children and grandchildren a world in which they can hope to survive: One is to follow this link to sign on with The Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-partisan non-profit organization founded by Al Gore, that focuses on stopping global warming. It will take you a minute or two, max, to sign the petition which more

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-67112209345711749852008-03-11T08:44:00.004-04:002008-03-11T19:43:39.774-04:00

From 1840 to the 1950's, Canada made its way through a time of covertly vicious treatment of its First Nations people. Those were the main years of the residential schools; the time when the government was to seek eradication of its aboriginal population. What could possibly seem more benevolent on the surface than a church-run school? A faith-based institution centred on the gentle Jesus of

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-72519475685985358822008-03-10T17:14:00.005-04:002008-03-10T21:25:00.470-04:00

Baljinder Badesha has been slapped with a $110.00 ticket for riding his motorcycle without a helmet and Ontario Court Justice James Blacklock just issued a 35-page ruling that Badesha was not facing religious discrimination when it happened. I completely agree with Blacklock. The law requiring that riders be helmeted was not passed in order to discriminate against anyone. It was passed in order

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-45128765756641513052008-03-10T15:29:00.003-04:002008-03-10T16:30:18.117-04:00

It's a question meant to imply insult; meant to make a woman back off from whatever cause she might be espousing. "What are you - a feminist?" is the question often asked with a suggestion of a sneer, and many will trip over their own feet in their haste to assure the questioner that they are not. The only problem is; we still desperately need feminists. Of course, when you make a statement like

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-31497522092873089362008-03-10T10:41:00.010-04:002008-03-13T07:36:22.755-04:00

The most incredible secret has been just exposed by the two lawyers, Dale Coventry and Jamie Kunz, who have kept it hidden for 26 years. They knew, when Alton Logan was charged in 1986 with the murder of a McDonald's security guard, that he was innocent of the crime; but, they did nothing to prevent his being convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. A man they were defending at the time on

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-31525986530033619232008-03-07T06:51:00.002-05:002008-03-07T06:56:11.179-05:00

Last night, God donned her Toronto Maple Leafs jersey and smiled on the lads as they skated to an 8 to 2 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Leafs used those NHL jersey-clad minor leaguers to clean up the rink with. They smeared them all over the ice! It was wonderful. It was glorious. It was a treat to behold. Go, Leafs, go!

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-32547619566529094782008-03-07T06:24:00.002-05:002008-03-07T06:51:40.194-05:00

New Age Beverages - it's the name given by the food industry to a category of beverages that includes quaffs like herbal teas, smoothies and flavoured waters - alternatives to soft drinks. A lot of people may check the labels on teas and smoothies, looking for a calorie count. While they're doing that, they could end up reading the ingredient list. Most people, however, tend to think of water as

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-35070755323431653962008-03-06T18:37:00.002-05:002008-03-06T19:13:44.728-05:00

The objective is to collect those 8,000 clicks by this Saturday, March 8, and present them to "Canadian policymakers in charge of aid and development. This gesture will celebrate the essential role of women in international development and underline the impact of gender equality on the health of developing nations." Follow this link and you'll find yourself at the "Uniterrs" website where you

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4059331.post-53284034289061710442008-02-29T07:28:00.002-05:002008-02-29T08:10:07.832-05:00

The news this morning brings to our attention two individuals who feel sure they have the right to arrange reality to their own liking. Prince Harry of England has been found out on the front lines in Afghanistan, trying to pretend he's just another one of the guys. Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer, the man who rearranged his reality by killing his own daughter, has been granted day parole much

aka.aliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039499545750527834noreply@blogger.com