Fact: Fewer than 35 per cent of workers in Ontario have a workplace-based pension plan. Coverage for workers in the private sector is even lower, with only 28 per cent having the benefit of plan membership.
Government Working on Made-in-Ontario Plan
Premier Kathleen Wynne announced today that the Right Honourable Paul Martin has agreed to serve as Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance. Mr. Martin will work with the government on a made-in-Ontario solution to enhance retirement income security for the people of Ontario.
Charles Sousa- Ontario’s Minister of Finance will benefit from Paul Martin’s experiences as Canada’s Prime Minister and Federal Minister of Finances. CP
The announcement followed a meeting between the Premier and the former Prime Minister, where they discussed the urgent need to help hardworking people build a more secure retirement. As federal finance minister, Mr. Martin played an instrumental role in the 1997 federal-provincial agreement to reform the CPP. These reforms were critical to ensuring the plan would be financially sustainable.
Helping people retire with dignity and security is part of the government’s economic plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.
QUOTES
“I want to thank Paul Martin for taking on this role as Special Advisor. Together, I know we will help protect Ontario’s hardworking people in their retirement with a made-in-Ontario solution that is viable, responsible and puts people first.”
–– Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
“I am pleased that Paul Martin has agreed to act as Special Advisor on retirement income to the government of Ontario. After the federal government failed to agree to enhance the CPP, our government announced that we will move ahead with a made-in-Ontario solution to enhance retirement savings in the province. Paul Martin will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience as we work towards ensuring that future generations have a more secure retirement.”
–– Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance
QUICK FACTS
The Right Honourable Paul Martin was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
Fewer than 35 per cent of workers in Ontario have a workplace-based pension plan. Coverage for workers in the private sector is even lower, with only 28 per cent having the benefit of plan membership.
Retirement savings experts suggest that individuals require 50 to 70 per cent of their pre-retirement income to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Many Ontarians, including middle- and higher-income earners, may not be saving enough to meet this target.
Up to 15,000 dolphins are being killed every year in Peru’s waters — for bait to catch endangered sharks. A new report has forced the government to respond but they’re not taking enough action yet and meanwhile the dolphins and the sharks are being killed. We can stop the massacre by threatening Peru’s international reputation as a tourism destination. Sign now and share:
I just saw a report on the news in Peru showing how fishermen are slaughtering up to 15,000 dolphins every year — for bait to catch endangered sharks. The entire story made me sick — and now I’m fighting to end this nightmare.
My government is starting to react, but they’re not taking enough action yet. Dolphin hunting is already illegal and punishable with several years in prison, but authorities are turning a blind eye — allowing thousands of dolphins and sharks to be butchered. The government cares a lot about Peru’s international reputation, especially for tourism, and if we can make them feel embarrassed with a massive global campaign, I’m sure they’ll start taking action to end the massacre.
Once I deliver a million signatures from all over the world to the government of Peru,Avaaz will place ads in tourism magazines in countries where most of our tourists come from and the government won’t be able to ignore us! Help me stop the brutal slaughter by signing now:
When I saw this horrific hunt I realised I needed to do something about it before our dolphins and sharks are gone forever. So I decided to set up a petition and shared it with my friends and in less than 24 hours over 10,000 people had signed it!
Partially butchered Dolphin, found on Bujama beach on 1.24.13 image: bluevoice.org
Our oceans are under attack. Sharks and dolphins already face threats from pollution, climate change and entanglement in fishing gear. They play an important role as ocean predators and need to be protected — not butchered. Many marine ecosystems are on the verge of collapse from which they won’t recover and they will not wait while our politicians dither around making empty statements.
Tourism is Peru’s third largest industry, growing faster than any other South American country. Visitors are coming to see our pristine wilderness and eco-tourism is very important. We can create a serious threat by taking out hard-hitting ads in key countries where most visitors are coming from. Our government will realise people not only love our country because of the Machu Picchu and local gastronomy but also because they love our oceans and wildlife. Sign now and share this with everyone:
As an Avaaz member I’ve been truly amazed at our ability to help protect our oceans. At first, I wanted to get 15,000 signatures to represent the 15,000 dolphins that are killed every year but together we can represent all the dolphins and the sharks that can be saved in Peru’s waters!
With hope and excitement,
Zoe — together with the Avaaz Community Petitions Team
It won’t be long before “Open Sesame” does the trick CP
TORONTO -WeiserR, a leading brand of the Hardware & Home Improvement (HHI) division of Spectrum Brands Holdings (NYSE:SPB), answers consumer demand for both convenience and security with its Kevo smart lock.
The highly anticipated Bluetooth enabled deadbolt is now arriving at home improvement and electronics retailers across Canada. By simply installing Kevo and downloading the mobile app, your iPhone becomes your key. Convenient and versatile, Kevo gives owners the ability to unlock the door with their smartphone and a simple touch; send electronic keys (eKeys) to family, friends and service people; and receive notifications whenever a user enters or exits their door.
“Kevo is not just another lock, it represents a shift in lifestyle for busy homeowners. Whether keeping track of your teenage daughter, granting temporary access to a housecleaner or monitoring your front door activity while on vacation, Kevo redefines the meaning of smart, simple security,” said Mark Wallace, Senior Group Marketing Manager of Spectrum Brands – Hardware & Home Improvement.
A Total Key Management Solution
Using the Kevo mobile app, homeowners can send eKeys to family, friends or service people, anywhere, anytime. Once an eKey is sent, recipients can simply download the mobile app, if they don’t already have it installed, keep their iPhone in their purse or pocket and unlock the door with a simple touch. With several levels of permissions, Kevo Owners and Administrators have authorization to send, delete and disable eKeys within seconds. After distributing eKeys, they can choose to receive notifications when a user locks or unlocks the door, for convenient home security management. Homeowners agree, eKeys are the answer to every-day challenges in key (and home security) management:
“Using Kevo is like living in the future. My new smart lock, and therefore my home, now magically recognizes me by touch. Being able to issue (and revoke) virtual keys to family members or service providers is priceless. Install was a breeze, even for a guy like me who’s never replaced a deadbolt, and only required a single screwdriver.” – David Zatz, blogger at “Zatz Not Funny”.
“I have two dogs that I walk and two children, ages four and two. I am always carrying the kids, groceries, my bags from work; holding the dog’s leashes, etc.,” said Kathy Z. of “3 Boys and a Dog” blog. “This device is invaluable to me because instead of fumbling for keys (that I inevitably drop), I can simply touch my lock with one finger and gain access to my home. I always have my phone on me, either in my pant pocket or in my purse, and I can just leave it in there, touch my Kevo and I am in. The convenience factor is huge!”
Weiser’s Kevo mobile app includes a simple interface that delivers much more than eKey management. After setting up a Kevo account, owners can customize and control everything through their app, including:
. Managing eKeys and settings associated with each given lock;
. Receiving notifications when a user enters or exits the door;
. Monitoring lock activity and tracking user history;
. Updating Kevo lock software directly from a smartphone;
. Instant access to Kevo’s Help Center; and
. Kevo web portal offers the same management features as the app via a browser.
Kevo combines UniKey Technologies, Inc.’s (UniKey) secure touch-to-open technology and Weiser’s 110 years of experience engineering and manufacturing residential door locks. This combination of expertise translates to unmatched convenience and security features that include:
. Inside-outside technology – Kevo offers patent-pending intelligent positioning technology that detects whether an authorized user is inside or outside of the home before granting access, to help prevent unauthorized entry.
. Touch-to-open convenience – Users can keep their phones in their pocket or purse. No more fumbling for keys, simply touch the lock to open for the ultimate in convenience.
. Kevo fob – No smartphone? No problem. Users can enjoy the same touch to open convenience with the fob. A single fob can be authorized to work with up to 25 Kevo locks.
. Multiple levels of encryption – Kevo uses multiple levels of encryption to increase digital security and is continually reviewed by industry leading independent security experts.
. SmartKeyR technology – Weiser’s patented SmartKey re-key technology provides superior security and re-key convenience unlike any other smart lock on the market.
“History has shown that extremely powerful solutions that deliver a simple and elegant user experience are what evolve industries. Combining forces with Weiser, we are able to deliver a complete, mass market product that will truly revolutionize the way we gain access to our homes,” said Phil Dumas, founder, UniKey.
Compatability, Pricing and Availability
Kevo is compatible with smartphones that support Bluetooth Smart Ready/Bluetooth 4.0 hardware and have the Kevo mobile app available. The app is currently available for iPhoneR 4S, 5, 5c and 5s, as well as the fifth generation iPodR touch, third generation or higher iPadR and iPad mini. The app will become available for additional platforms such as Android, pending software upgrades, to fully support Bluetooth Smart Ready/Bluetooth 4.0 technology. Homeowners can purchase their Kevo deadbolt for the suggested price of $249.99 at a wide range of retailers nationwide. For additional information on what is included in the Kevo package and a list of on-line retailers, please email marketingdirector@thesilo.ca .
I’ve never particularly been a Beatle’s fan. I like some of their songs. I like a number of them very much, but if I was asked the now proverbial question, “The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?” I would probably say, Oh, I don’t know, maybe The Who? The body of work of Mark Knopfler. Massive Attack were massive for me.
But I was not a child of the sixties, “an age of assassins,” John B. Lee writes in his poignant and powerfully executed preface, when “[o]ur childhood martyred almost all the heroes that we’d had.” John F. Kennedy. Robert F. Kennedy. Martin Luther King (Malcolm X, not mentioned but later, yes). “The list is overlong,” Lee says. “It will not end.” I understand more fully than ever these life-shattering moments, for Americans and Canadians alike; for so many Across the Universe . Into this near death of hope came The Beatles. The Beatles came to America, came on a Sunday night in January 1964 to The Ed Sullivan show and, and as Lee exclaims with no exclamation mark, “sang my life awake.”
It’s not a perfect looking book. Yet as I read, the grainy cover photo (by an unknown photographer) of four dapper mop-tops fishing out the window of their Seattle hotel—they literally weren’t allowed to leave—starts to resonate. It’s imperfection could be viewed as integral, evoking a time in music when moments of “perfect imperfection,” as Michael Shatte calls them in his essay, were more common in pop; “happy accidents” which would not be tolerated in this era of hyper-produced top-forty songs, when singers voices are routinely, digitally “auto-tuned” in the studio, and we get used to being disappointed when we hear them live. Then there’s lip-synching. I don’t need to go on. There is great music being made by great musicians right now. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. This is about a particular moment in pop-music history, in cultural history, and many of the moments that followed.
The book is selected and edited by John B. Lee, a Canadian poet and writer who has published more than fifty books and received over 70 prestigious awards for his work. If you haven’t heard of him don’t feel too bad. He tells me openly there is little money in poetry, reminding me it’s not about that anyway. If it was it probably wouldn’t be poetry.
If you haven’t read him it might be time to start: his verse and prose catch the beauty of rural life, farm life, family life, hockey, human sexuality—life. Just Google him. He’s from home, you know. Right around here, right around me, the Poet Laureate of Brantford, Ontario and Norfolk County, home as well to Alexander Graham Bell and Wayne Gretzky, a poet of sport. Like McEnroe was one of the poets of my youth, making tennis beautiful, thrilling, creative; revolutionary. How I tried to emulate him…
Window Fishingis about a time of Revolution, evolutions in culture, and about growing up in the thick of it all. I wasn’t here yet, but as I read this book I learn. It is a literary volume. The cover photo and torn ticket stub on the back page are its only images. Or are they? Because black words on white paper are also images. And the book’s words, artistically rendered, conjure images as well as ideas. It is poetry, and prose poetry, and personal essays; fine writing by a collection of fine writers.
I learn that for most of the men, who were boys then, pubescent, the Beatles were all about music: musical discovery, even ecstasy. And style too. There was style.
For the women who write about the phenomenon of Beatlemania, there was music too. Absolutely. But there was something else. Something profound: the awakening of sexuality. Even a kind of love. Suddenly I understand all the screaming and crying, the fainting. For emerging, young (straight) women, the Beatles were more than musical. They were also beautiful. Sexy. As Susan Whelehan puts it in her essay: “John. He was mine and I was his…I was going to be his FOREVER. And I am.”
While many parents of the day may have dismissed The Fab Four at first as a silly “boy-band,” we might say now, shaking their longish (for the time), round hair-cuts—singing “Ooooo!” and “Yeah Yeah Yeah!”—fact is from the beginning The Beatles were always at the very least competent,andobviously compelling, musicians. Writes Honey Novick in her probing, poetic essay: “You could actually dance to their music.” And we know they became more and more sophisticated as they progressed through their careers, eventually making challenging, often satisfying real art-music, the way Radiohead did for me in my 20’s.
All this beautiful literature about The Beatles and the 1960’s has inspired me to listen, finally, seriously, to the music. Even if you thought, at the time, “Yeah Yeah Yeah” was just bubblegum for kids, consider the lyrics. One friend to another: “You think you lost your love/Well I saw her yesterday. She says it’s you she’s thinkin’ of/And she told me what to say: She says she loves you.” She loves you man. Yeah! (Yeah! Yeah!). What more is there to celebrate? Ecstatically.
If you were there, or if you want to learn, or if you care about music or culture or the 1960’s or just literature, embrace the “perfect imperfection” of this unique and potent book. Some of the poems made me close my eyes and shut the pages. To savour, digest. Bruce Meyer made me cry. I was 8 years old when Lennon was shot. Assassinated. It made no impact on me then. I wasn’t really there yet. The book put me there, as close as I can ever come. For the Silo, Alan Gibson.
François Dallegret, L’IntroConversoMAtic, 1963. photo collage and drawing. Dimensions variable. Photo: François Dallegret
In 2014 McMaster Museum of Art presented GOD & CO: François Dallegret Beyond the Bubble. An exhibition organized by the Architectural Association, London UK
François Dallegret trained as an architect at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the late 1950s. He moved to North America; first to New York and then Montreal in 1964. Dallegret has since and continues to slip between disciplines, working as an artist, entrepreneur, theoretical architect (before the term was in general use), industrial and graphic designer, writer and social commentator.
Although his work over the past fifty years has been firmly planted within the possibilities offered by contemporary technologies—his 1964 drawing of a personal, wrap-around electronic communicator l’intro conversomatic has become a commonplace reality in the current world of smart phones & “pads”—Dallegret can be seen been in the context of 19th century idealism; the engineer as artist, the inventor as philosopher and so on. And while his work carries the sense of wonder of the modern age, manifest in the pure beauty of the object, it is also tempered by the realities of social, economic and cultural issues, and often framed with a quixotic sense of humour and irony.
GOD & CO offers a unique view into Dallegret’s work and activities, a de facto retrospective that engages his active thoughts. Organized by the Architectural Association School of Architecture (UK), it opened in London in late 2011 and has subsequently been presented in Paris and Zurich. This was the first presentation In Canada.
The 2014 exhibition was accompanied by a 384-page illustrated publication with texts by Alessandra Ponte, Laurent Stalder and Thomas Weaver. For the Silo- RoseAnne Prevec.
Haldimand do not need an auditor general’s report to tell them that ASD services are in disarray. Our government should be commended for spending $182 million dollars on Autism treatment, however I have yet to meet a single Canadian family satisfied with their services. In 2007 there was thankfully, no wait list for Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI). Braydon spent two years working 24 hours a week, one-on-one with IBI therapists from Haldimand-Norfolk R.E.A.C.H. Essentially my toddler had a part-time job and after two years our family was unable to keep up the pace of it. Over $100,000 was spent on Braydon’s Autism Services, but now we were left to fend for ourselves.
Last week National Service Dogs for Children with Autism (NSD) asked a very interesting question on their Facebook page. Has the government considered Service Dogs? In 2012 my son was granted a Certified Autism Service Dog. Before that time, our only options for treatments were pharmaceuticals or privately funded and enormously expensive traditional therapies that were not effective at tracking results. Today, Braydon attends J.L. Mitchener Public School in Cayuga where he is thriving socially and academically. His service dog ‘NSD Whoopi’ attends school with him each and every day. Last month at Braydon’s Parent-Teacher interview I was told that my son was easy to integrate with his peers and all the students seemed to behave better when he and Whoopi were in the classroom. I have a very different little boy than I did a year ago, and the change in my son brings a flood of welcome respite to our home.
$30,000 might seem like an excessive amount of money for a Certified Autism Service Dog, however consider a Service Dog has a working life of 8-10 years. This means for some families like us; desperate for an alternative to treating our son’s autism with medication would receive 24 hour a day, 7 days a week support for 10 years for only $30,000! How much of the $182 million dollars spent on Autism Treatment this year was allocated to this alternative? Zero dollars!!! Incredibly National Service Dogs for Children with Autism provided us this option at absolutely no costs to us either. It is the generosity of the staff and volunteers at NSD and the support of our families and friends right here in Haldimand that brought accessibility for our family to our community. As a result, all of us are able to embrace a much higher quality of life than most families affected by Autism are able to experience.
So…let’s talk about making Certified Autism Service Dogs an available treatment alternative to more families. For the Silo, Jenny Tansley.
Olivia has been the favourite name for girls since 2008, followed by the same
second, third and fourth place names from last year — Emma, Sophia and Ava. Emily joins the ranks to round out the top five. For boys, Ethan, Jacob and Lucas once again took spots two through four, with Benjamin coming in at five.
Ontario gives parents up to one year to register their newborn’s birth online.
Through the easy-to-use 4-in-1 Newborn Bundle<http://www.ontario.ca/government/register-your-newborn-baby>, they can register their child’s birth and apply for their birth certificate, social insurance number and Canada child benefits, including the Ontario child benefit, in one easy step. Birth certificates ordered online are guaranteed to be mailed within 15 business days or they’re free.
Making it easier for families to access important government services when and where they need them is part of the Ontario government’s economic plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.
QUOTES
“Parents can register their newly named babies online from the comfort of their own homes. By making it more convenient for families to access our services, we are helping new parents focus on what’s really important.”
— John Milloy, Minister of Government Services
QUICK FACTS
§ More than 99.5 per cent of birth certificates ordered online have been delivered on time.
§ The Ontario Registrar General compiles annual lists of given baby names from registered births in the province for the previous year.
§ ServiceOntario’s 4-in-1 Newborn Bundle was the first of its kind in Canada when it launched in 2007. Since then, more than 720,000 newborns have been registered in Ontario using the service.
§ The Ontario child
benefit<http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/topics/financialhelp/ocb/index.aspx>
provides up to $1,210 per child per year for nearly one million children to support Ontario families.
——————-
Olivia et Liam sont les prénoms les plus populaires pour les filles et pour les
garçons nés en Ontario, et ce, pour la deuxième année de suite.
Olivia est le prénom préféré pour les petites filles depuis 2008. En deuxième,
troisième et quatrième place, il est suivi par les mêmes prénoms que l’an dernier,
soit Emma, Sophia et Ava. Emily s’ajoute à ce palmarès et figure en cinquième place.
Pour les garçons, ce sont les prénoms Ethan, Jacob et Lucas qui l’emportent encore
une fois, en deuxième, troisième et quatrième place respectivement. Ils sont suivis
de Benjamin, qui se classe au cinquième rang.
L’Ontario donne jusqu’à un an aux parents pour enregistrer la naissance de leur enfant par Internet. Grâce au Service d’enregistrement des
nouveau-nés<http://www.ontario.ca/fr/gouvernement/enregistrement-de-votre-nouveaune>,
facile à utiliser, ils peuvent enregistrer la naissance de leur enfant, demander un
extrait de naissance, un numéro d’assurance sociale et leurs prestations pour
enfants du gouvernement fédéral, le tout en une seule étape toute simple. Les
extraits de naissance commandés en ligne sont postés dans les 15 jours ouvrables suivant la commande, et le tout est garanti. En cas de retard, l’extrait de naissance est gratuit.
Offrir aux familles un accès plus facile aux services gouvernementaux au moment et à l’endroit où ils en ont besoin fait partie du plan du gouvernement en matière d’économie visant à investir dans la population, à bâtir une infrastructure moderne et à soutenir un climat d’affaires dynamique et innovateur dans l’ensemble de
l’Ontario.
CITATION
« Les parents peuvent enregistrer en ligne leur bébé avec son prénom sans avoir à sortir de la maison. En facilitant l’accès à nos services pour les familles, nous aidons les nouveaux parents à se concentrer sur ce qui compte vraiment. »
– John Milloy, ministre des Services gouvernementaux.
FAITS EN BREF
§ Plus de 99,5 % des extraits de naissance commandés en ligne ont été livrés à temps.
§ Le registraire général de l’Ontario compile des listes annuelles des prénoms à partir des naissances inscrites dans la province au cours de l’année précédente.
§ Le Service d’enregistrement des
nouveau-nés<http://www.ontario.ca/fr/gouvernement/enregistrement-de-votre-nouveaune>
4 en 1 de ServiceOntario a été le premier du genre au Canada lors de son lancement, en 2007. Depuis, plus de 720 000 nouveau-nés ont été enregistrés en Ontario à l’aide de ce service.
§ La Prestation ontarienne pour
enfants<http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/French/topics/financialhelp/ocb/index.aspx>
verse jusqu’à 1 210 $ par enfant, par année à près d’un million d’enfants pour
soutenir les familles ontariennes.
TORONTO, December 2013 – The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, recently launched pan-Canadian consultations to seek Canadians’ views on how they would like to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
“Canada’s 150th celebrations will give us the opportunity to reflect on all the things that make Canada the united, prosperous and free country it is today,” said Minister Glover. “I invite all Canadians across our great country to tell us how they would like to celebrate in 2017.”
The Government of Canada will undertake extensive consultations, with meetings being planned throughout Canada. The consultations kicked off today with a roundtable in Toronto, where Minister Glover met with community leaders to discuss their perspective on Canada’s approaching milestone anniversary. Additional roundtables in other communities will be announced at a later date.
At the same time, Canadians are invited to participate in the consultations through an online questionnaire at Canada.ca/150 or Canada150.gc.ca.
Over the next four years, on the Road to 2017, celebrations will mark key historic milestones that have defined our country. In 2014, commemorations will include the centennial of the start of the First World War, the 75th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, the bicentennial of Sir George-Étienne Cartier’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown and Québec Conferences. For the Silo, Eva Salter
2013 will be remembered for many things, but in the world of consumer electronics it will be remembered as a year when techpreneurs proved that innovation lives and the spirit of enterprise still burns strong.
The technologies propping up the gadgets on display in this infographic are a product of incremental development, iterations of ideas that have been gestating for many years and are slowly being integrated into products that we use daily.
Take fingerprint authentication, for instance, on the new iPhone 5s. For close to ten years, the technology has been commercially viable but Apple made the bold move of finally putting an end to the forgotten password woes of its customers.
HTC finally incorporated the technology Full HD displays on a smartphone with amazing results. The images on HTC one remain unmatched for clarity and color accuracy.
Leap Motion made a leap of faith by investing in technology that changes the way users interact with their devices. Instead of the keyboard, mouse, or screen, we can now use gestures to make devices do our bidding. All for less than a hundred dollars with technology packed into a device no bigger than a bubble gum pack.
Google Glass is setting imaginations on fire with its unique first-person perspective for recording visual images. Is it ethical to photos and videos
of people without their permission and without them noticing that you’re actually doing it? Will the technology be abused? Will it change the way users live their lives?
For many, the questions won’t be as complex or thought-provoking. It might simply be, “Will I get an Xbox One for Christmas?”
Cedar Waxwings are sleek, masked birds found year round in our area with unusual red, waxy deposits at the tips of their secondary feathers. They are cinnamon-colored, with grayish wings and tails and yellow terminal tail-bands. They have distinctive crested heads, black throats, and black masks lined with white.
The Cedar Waxwing is one of the few North American birds that specialize in eating fruit. It can survive on fruit alone for several months. They also eat flying insects and can often by seen fly-catching, particularly over Haldimand and Norfolk County streams.
Cedar waxwings are very sociable, non-aggressive birds that often travel in flocks, though they may pair off during breeding season. It is very rare to find solitary waxwings. Because they frequently feast on overripe fruit, these birds can become “drunk” on the fermented juices. For the Silo, Dixie Greenwood.
The moment we become parents we use our sense of touch to communicate with our brand new baby. I will never forget that first moment in my each of my babies lives, when they started to experience and explore the world completely independently of me. The first thing I did was reach out to my newborn and without exchanging a single sound, we were instantly familiar to each other.
The research that outlines the benefits of touch and infant massage is extensive. Any expert will go on and on about how there is a fancy chemical reaction going on in my brain (central nervous system) that releases a feel-good hormone (serotonin) that counters stress hormones (cortisol) and that is why I feel that connection with my newborn. What I actually experience in those first moments of my child’s new life is nothing short of magical.
This is not meant to imitate the many hundreds of articles that are already out there that outline the benefits of Pediatric Massage Therapy, but there is a little Massage Therapist inside me that cannot encourage you enough to explore it. Children ages 0-99 can benefit from Registered Massage Therapy, but in the mean time treatment can start at home or even heart beats after birth.
Just a few of the types of baby massages. image: yogawiz.com
After spending much time looking for a nursery rhyme that could incorporate a meaningful massage into its singsong format, I decided to write my own for you to try:
Bedtime Butterfly Kisses
Belinda the beautiful butterfly was bouncing on a breeze
Gracefully she glided to give my shoulder a squeeze
“How do you do?” Belinda sung so sweet.
“May I rest here while my heart slows a beat?”
She stopped but a moment before she began to explore
Hugging my arm she looked way down to the floor.
Three times she wandered from shoulder to finger
But I liked her so I indulged, and hoped she would linger.
Perched in my hand, she started stroking my palm
It tickled before I realized it made me feel calm.
She drew circles and hearts with her nose on my skin
Before she giggled and climbed back up to my chin.
With a fluttering kiss to my cheek she gently rubbed my head
And then softly she whispered, “Baby, time for bed.”
Though my eyelids are heavy I try to protest
To forget Belinda when I wake I’d deeply regret
Belinda’s wings push the air across my sleepy face
Like angel kisses made out of the most delicate lace
“Rest well little one,” She sings, “And think not of sorrow.
If you go to sleep now I can come back tomorrow.”
You can be creative and pretend your own hand is a butterfly. I used an inexpensive IKEA (Gulleplutt .99$ CP) finger puppet. Don’t let you imagination stop there. As your child grows out of silly rhymes consider getting creative and making an imaginary pizza on your kiddo’s back, belly or palm. What about planting a garden and watching it grow?
I can give you more research that indicates why it is important to perform these treatments at the same time each day, in a calm space with a warm blanket and yadda yadda, but experience has taught me that even when my son or daughter is in middle of their wildest meltdown behavioral state; a nurturing touch with loving intent is the only cure. For the Silo, Jenny Tansley.
Man I gotta thank you guys for the recommendation for House of Cards. I am hooked. I am into this shit. This is some of the best long form television that I’ve seen and you know? Long form television is changing the game. This series! I mean shit you’ve got David Fincher and Joel Schumacher directing these television episodes. Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright; holy shit you know? Not to mention all the great people on HBO…I mean, long form television has…..there was a time when film actors wouldn’t dream of condescending to doing television and now long form television is the shit and this House of Cards shit is the shit. It is better than Homeland though I recommend The Newsroom although I don’t think it’s available on Netflix but The Newsroom is a helluva series. Wow.
*this letter to the Silo was transcribed from a reader Skype call we received. Skype us anytime We are: thesiloteam on Skype
Has Toronto’s Mayor finally cracked? (In the truest sense of the word of course) CP
Dear Silo, i don’t know what your position on him is, but let me tell you rob ford is trending at the very top of the internet right at this moment, his most recent, startling comments to the press about eating pussy are on the you tube homepage on the very top. [See below to view video CP]
jon stewart on the daily show spent about five minutes on those comments in his opening monologue and pleaded with him to step down, and that’s just the U.S. this is global, and i guess as someone who lived there for so long i have a strong opinion that he should step aside at this point.
the entire city council, including his own inner circle, voted to restrict his power as mayor. they are doing everything but throwing him out, which they cannot do. they are even testifying to the police about him. his own people.
Is it funny to satire the mentally deranged? Are there any boundaries when it comes to the entertainment industry? In a free society the answer is clear: if you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it.
Google regularly receives requests from governments and courts around the world to hand over our users’ data. When we receive government requests for users’ personal information, we follow a strict process to help protect against unnecessary intrusion.
Since 2010, we have regularly updated the Google Transparency Report with details about these requests. As the first company to release the numbers, as well as details of how we respond, we’ve been working hard for more transparency.
The latest update to the Google Transparency Report is out today, showing that requests from governments around the world for user information have increased 106% since we launched the report.
“Requests from governments around the world for user information have increased 106% since we launched the report. It’s a startling fact that everyone who uses the Internet should know about.” Derek Slater for Google Inc.
It’s a startling fact that everyone who uses the Internet should know about: We deserve the same protection online and offline.
It’s important for law enforcement agencies to pursue illegal activity and keep the public safe. We’re a law-abiding company, and we don’t want our services to be used in harmful ways.
But laws that control government access to user information should also protect you against overly broad requests for your personal information.
Share the Google Transparency Report, and help the Internet community stay empowered and informed.
A long time ago, in 1977, Star Wars started its quick and never-ending ascent to the top of the science fiction film genre. How many people alive when the original Star Wars: A New Hope was released thought that our children (and for some, grandchildren) would still be wanting to be Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker for Halloween? It is a rare child in Canada who has not owned a lightsaber.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Shakespeare.
There are people who look forward to watching or reading Shakespeare about as much as they look forward to car repairs. Shakespeare can be seen as highbrow art which does not make sense. Why would someone watch a movie or play in an almost different language?
This is where Driftwood Theatre Group brilliantly played their hand. Using a book by Ian Doescher called, “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars,” Driftwood brought Star Wars geeks to play with Shakespeare lovers.
Everyone on both sides of the fence was blown away (no pun intended, poor Alderaan and Death Star).
Lines from Star Wars plays were eagerly anticipated, by some who were on the edge of their seats (One thing’s for certain, we’ll all be a lot thinner). But when those infamous lines were said, it had dramatic and, yes, Shakespearean flair (One thing is certain, we shall thinner be).
And there was laughter – from everyone!
There were also famous lines from Shakespeare plays which made Shakespeare lovers happy, (I bite my thumb at you, sir! Alas, poor stormtrooper, I never knew thee. Friends. Rebels, Starfighters, lend me your ears!)
It was also the formidable acting in the show which raised the play to mountainous heights. It was performed as a reading, with all actors reading directly from the book. It was enticing, enthralling, and highly entertaining. Dion Johnstone, who played a fantastic Han Solo, withheld laughter to the point where he looked like he would lose it, but never really did.
This play was a fundraiser for Driftwood Theatre. The evening included the reading, a silent auction, costume contest (sad point of the night, there were very few people in costume – it is Halloween time, people!).
The highlight of the night, for very lucky people, was the auctioning off of 3 walk-on role, Rebel, Imperial, or Interesting Creatures in the play. We (yes, I was a lucky one) were able to say such lines as, “UTINI!” and “This is a consular ship…” and, “Why aren’t you at your post?” I was Jawa #2 and the Innkeeper at Mos Eisley.
It was a truly incredible experience, watching Star Wars and Shakespeare geeks unite for 3 hours of Shakespeare/Star Wars bliss. For the Silo, Stephanie MacDonald. @mytimeatlast
Ontario is moving forward to help promote the good things that are grown, harvested and processed in Ontario with today’s passage of the Local Food Act, 2013. The new legislation is part of a strategy http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/localfood.htm to build Ontario’s economy by making more local food available in markets, schools, cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants. This will create jobs and expand the province’s agri-food sector.
The new legislation — the first of its kind in Canada — will increase local food awareness, and boost sales by setting local food goals and targets in consultation with sector partners. The act will also create a non-refundable tax credit of 25 per cent for farmers who donate their surplus harvest to eligible community food programs such as food banks, and proclaim a Local Food Week that will take place annually, beginning the first Monday in June. Building a stronger agri-food industry is part of the government’s economic plan to support a dynamic and innovative business climate, invest in people and invest in infrastructure.
QUOTES
“The Local Food Act will benefit people by making the connection between buying local and helping grow an important Ontario industry. If we increase demand to homegrown food, we will create jobs and boost the agri-food sector’s contributions to our economy. It’s an important and historic step forward and I thank everyone who helped support this legislation.” — Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario and Minister of Agriculture and Food
“The Local Food Act will serve as a constant reminder of the bounty of Ontario. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is happy to see that it will target food literacy, local food use and will help farmers attend to the needs of others through a community food donation tax credit.” — Mark Wales, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
“By raising the profile of local food, the Local Food Act will provide Ontario food and beverage processors with an opportunity to further develop local food systems and market development strategies. Ontario consumers are demanding high quality food and drink, and our processors are willing and able to deliver. ” — Steve Peters, Alliance of Ontario Food Processors
QUICK FACTS
The Local Food Act will also require the government to produce an annual local food report on its activities to support local food. The province’s agri-food sector contributes approximately $34 billion to the economy and supports more than 740,000 jobs across Ontario. The province’s farmers produce more than 200 commodities, including fruits, vegetables, livestock, dairy, poultry, grains and oilseeds. Food processors in Ontario purchase about two-thirds of the food that is produced on the province’s farms.
Ontario’s Local Food Fund is part of a $30 million investment from the province to create jobs and support innovative local food projects over the next three years (2013-2016).
Have you ever noticed how experts constantly refer to Autism as a ‘learning disability’? I contemplate this term as I watch my nine-year-old son Braydon, effortlessly scale my counter tops to filch the salt and vinegar chips I hid in top shelf. In fact, Braydon’s problem solving skills exceed that of his ‘neurotypical’ sister.
What would I change in my son’s treatment if I considered my son to have a communication disability rather then a learning disability? Is this just a title or is it maybe a new perspective?
I am not an expert but here is what I do know. Individuals who are visually or hearing impaired are considered to have a communication disability.
There are so many reasons why the sensory processing centers in the brains of certain individuals do not receive the input messages from their eyes or ears (or both like Helen Keller). Autism looks much the same to me. The sound of my voice competes with all the other sensory information that Braydon is so sensitive to.
The ticking of the clock, the air is too warm or too cold, his seat is too hard or too soft, the bathroom door is about to open and he is going to run away to close it. These things make up only a fraction of the information coming at my son at all the same intensity! Braydon’s moderate-severe Autism means that unlike those of us that experts consider ‘neurotypical’, he has no way to filter this information except to create an ‘output’ to counter it. Experts call this behavior ‘stimming’. I realize this all sounds confusing, but my point is that High Functioning Autism, like Blindness or Deafness comes down to being a sensory processing issue rather then an inability to learn as the term ‘learning disability’ seems to suggest.
Braydon and Whoopi
Perhaps this is the reason why a Certified Autism Service Dog has proven to be such an asset to our quality of life? Service Dogs for the blind and hearing impaired are fairly common. Is a service dog for a person with Autism a truly enormous stretch? Trust me, it is a natural progression.
If perforated dots on a piece of paper can give a child who is born without the sense of sight an opportunity to read a book, or a computer can give Carly Fleichman, a girl with asphyxia and Autism the opportunity to find her voice, in theory my son could be able to learn the skills he is going to need to become a contributing member to his community. Just look at all the things Dr. Temple Grandin was able to accomplish!
My goals suddenly look much different. Instead of trying to convince my son to learn, perhaps I need only to teach him how to communicate. For the Silo, Jenny Tansley.
The official description from the Government of Canada is that CETA “is by far the most ambitious trade initiative” image: canada-eu.gc.ca
Ontario Greens are calling for a public review on the EU trade deal before its final approval.
(Queen’s Park): GPO leader Mike Schreiner is demanding that Premier Wynne conduct a public review on CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) before Ontario approves the deal.
“The people of Ontario deserve the right to accept or reject CETA’s sweeping changes before the deal is finalized,” says Schreiner. “Ontario cannot let CETA sell out local decision making, local purchasing policies, and sovereignty over our natural resources and public services without
a public debate on costs and benefits.”
The GPO has raised concerns over CETA in the past. In a letter to then Premier McGuinty last year, the GPO asked to Premier to:
* exempt natural resources, local purchasing programs, public utilities and services such as education and health care, and municipalities from CETA;
* demand open and transparent negotiations, and
* insist the dispute mechanisms are open and fair.
In this excerpt: A look back at what NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Act from 20 years ago) proposals looked like and their predicted impacts. Essay by E.Bernard http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/nafta.pdf
“The Green Party supports free, fair trade with Europe, but NAFTA has taught us that we need to think these things through to prevent
expensive problems after the treaty is signed,” says Schreiner. “Ontarians need to be in control of fundamental decisions about their province and their economy.”
This would be the first trade deal that extends to provinces and municipalities. Over 50 municipalities and school boards have sought an exemption from CETA.
“Ontario must have a public review before approving such sweeping changes to our democratic institutions and local economies,” says Schreiner. “We can’t sell out our sovereignty to multi-national corporations without the people having a voice on the final details of this deal.” For the Silo, Becky Smit
In 2009 conspiracy reports of a Super NAFTA highway made headlines in the US. Here is a CNN brief:
Legislative Assembly Manitoba From 2007- Announcements of a Winnipeg ‘in land port’ with preclearance for international shipping , and a super NAFTA highway joining Manitoba with the US and Mexico via a mid continent trade corridor:
It appears North American society has been desensitized to what childhood obesity ‘looks like’- what a difference a single generation can make. Here we see child obesity stricken Augustus Gloop characters from Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory- (Left) 1971 (Right) 2005. Clearly, what was considered obese 42 years ago would not be considered obese today. As Society as a whole becomes more overweight and as media desensitizes our perspectives due to film and video characterizations, our opinions have been influenced. CP image: weknowmemes.com
October, 2013 Ontario will help parents and their children make healthier choices by putting calories on menus, following consultations with the fast-food industry and health care sector.
Legislation that would require large chain restaurants to include calories and other potential nutritional information on their menus will be introduced this winter. The government will also seek advice on how to reduce the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages aimed at kids.
Consultations on menu labeling will include parents and representatives from food and beverage manufacturing, agriculture, restaurant, food service, food retail and health sectors. Consultations on limiting the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children will also include the media and telecommunications industry.
Making it easier for Ontario families to choose healthy food is a key component of the Healthy Kids Panel report and helps deliver on our Action Plan for Health Care.
This is part of the Ontario government’s economic plan to invest in people, invest in infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.
QUICK FACTS
* The consultations build on steps the government has already taken to implement recommendations from the Healthy Kids Panel, including a 24-hour support line for breastfeeding moms and expanding Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program.
* In 2009, the economic cost associated with physical inactivity and obesity in Ontario was $4.5 billion.
* More than 80 per cent of food ads in Canada are for food high in calories and low in nutritional value.
* A vast majority of Ontarians (95 per cent) support requiring fast food restaurants list nutritional information on their menus (Ipsos Reid, 2011).
Australia’s controversial “Break the Habit”- childhood obesity commercial
““We have to keep an enormous amount of paperwork, about serving sizes, food temperatures, labels, on and on,” our source says. “The new forms are more complex, ask for more information that’s just being duplicated on other forms. (Food service workers) are all collecting the same data for reports that sit in a file drawer and never get looked at.” Our source believes the new government-required paperwork consumes so much of the employees’ time that it is driving up labor costs for the school district, which serves a low-income community.” source/image: eagnews.org
Dear Silo, A news broadcast by CBC Canada http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace tonight [October 4, 2013] shined a negative light on the veterinary profession. The segment took a dog with a hidden camera to ten Toronto veterinarians to see what health recommendations were
suggested in the first check-up. According to the show’s host, the veterinarians all provided various recommendations that did not align. The host also “surveyed” the ten veterinarians asking them various questions about vaccinations, exams and medication. They made several anecdotal statements based on the ten veterinarians they questioned, calling the data “black and white.” Nothing is “black and white,”
as the report suggests.
Trupanion disagrees with the statements and overall accusations made against the veterinary profession in this news broadcast. This is not what we have seen in our 15 years of experience with veterinarians. We have hundreds of thousands of pet health claims that contradict this newscast and much evidence of the incredible value pet owners receive from the work done by veterinarians who have treated, healed and in some cases, saved their beloved pet.
CBC Marketplace compared the veterinarians’ recommendations to the opinions of an outspoken California-based researcher, who is a critic of vaccinations, and declared them facts. They surveyed and evaluated only ten veterinarians out of 12,500 currently in small animal practice in Canada. This is .08% of the general veterinarian population. The real story should be about the other 99.92% of the population, the veterinarians that serve nearly 10 million pets each year. We know them as an extremely honorable and trustworthy group of people. We expect there will
be an outrage from pet owners who have had generations of pets lovingly, competently and compassionately cared for by their family veterinarian, who charged only a fraction of what an MD would charge for the same procedures. Veterinarians have long subsidized the high quality of care pets receive in North America and it is unfair for CBC to attack the most trusted professionals. The data cited is narrowly
constructed to advance a negative point of view.
The average salary of a veterinarian was $82,040 in May 2010 according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook<http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinarians.htm>. The average debt of new veterinary graduates is $150,000 (JAVMA September 15, 2008). They use medicine and equipment that costs the same used in human medicine. Often acting as the ultimate safety net for the care of pets in disadvantaged circumstances, many discount their salaries and pull from their own wallets to pay those costs for their patients.
It’s disheartening to see this respected and trusted profession criticized through a sensationalized news story by the media that fails to display tangible evidence that back their statements. We support veterinarians across the world and stand by their practices as they continue to maintain the health and wellness of our four-legged family members. Darryl Rawlings, Trupanion CEO.
From last year: STRUTT Sizzle 2012- find the video on Vimeo
St. Catharines, Canada — The Niagara Artists Centre’s (NAC) 2013 STRUTT Wearable Art Weekend (STRUTT) is outlandish, bold and more spectacular than ever before. STRUTT takes place on November 15 and 16, 2013 culminating with the STRUTT Runway Show, which takes place Saturday, November 16 at the WS Tyler Factory in St. Catharines, ON.
Doors open at 8 p.m. and the runway show begins at 9 p.m. The STRUTT Runway Show showcases over 40 unique wearable artworks by local and province-wide artists, and will be scored by crown princes of Trans-Canadian cosmic rock, The Sadies. The event website is www.struttwearableartshow.ca
“We do whatever we can to bring the ‘WTF’ factor to every STRUTT. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been to the last ten or you’ve never been before, you’re going to get your head spun,” expresses NAC “Minister of Energy, Minds, and Resources,” Stephen Remus.
“Art and fashion are two things that academics, upper crust types, and anybody else who likes to be full of themselves has almost ruined completely. Thankfully, STRUTT brings it all back to earth in glorious style like a boulder of good times smacking down on a jelly doughnut.”
Find STRUTT on facebook for updates and info on Calls for Submissions CP
STRUTT is a surreal party scene where the absurd is commonplace. As Doug Herod of the St. Catharines Standard reflects, “STRUTT rocks! STRUTT is a wearable art fashion show, but that description doesn’t do it justice. It’s music, it’s entertainment, it’s theatre – and a lot of fun.” In addition to the art on the runway, The Sadies will be taking the stage and there are a variety of other spectacles leading up to the STRUTT Runway Show on November 15 at the WS Tyler Factory to keep partygoers entertained. The weekend’s events feature a photography
exhibit showcasing over 300 works of art that have been created over the past 14 years, and a dinner party featuring a live performance of chamber music combined with breathtaking imagery, local wine and a four-course epicurean feast.
Fooled you- this still from one of Oskar Schlemmer’s Bauhaus costume parties is from the 1920’s. Dadaism was influencing progressive art circles and wearable art made an impact.
STRUTT 2013 sponsors, partners and supporters are (in alphabetical order) Brock University Centre for the Arts, Canadian Tire Financial Services, City of St. Catharines, Design Electronics, Eight Contracting and Restorations, Henley Honda, Liberty! Bikes, Ontario Arts Council, Pen Financial Credit Union, Province of Ontario, Shannon Passero, The St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre, STORM Hair Group, and Suitcase In Point.
55 years after Schlemmer: “We’re not men. We are DEVO”
NAC is a not-for-profit, charitably registered, member-driven collective formed by and dedicated to serving the working artists and community of Niagara. Founded in 1969 as a collective of working artists, NAC is one of the oldest artist-run organizations in Canada. For more information visit www.nac.org
Dr. Jack Newman: “Breastfeeding should almost always work” image: breastfeedinginc.ca
Earlier today [Sept 30, 2013 ed.] , our provincial government announced an investment of more than $2.5-million for enhanced breastfeeding supports. This will include the launch of a 24-hour helpline providing access to lactation experts with service in more than 100 languages. This really is a fantastic program for breastfeeding mothers who can benefit from increased support, no matter what region of Ontario they call home.
Ontario Government Helping Babies Get Healthy Start
Ontario newborns and their families will soon benefit from enhanced breastfeeding supports, helping ensure that every woman who wants breastfeeding support can get it.
Breastfeeding helps to encourage healthy development and can reduce the likelihood of overweight and obesity in adolescence and adulthood. As part of Ontario’s Healthy Kids Strategy, the government is investing more than $2.5 million to help families give their infants a sound nutritional start by:
* Providing 24-hour telephone access to expert support for mothers who are breastfeeding.
* Supporting Ontario’s hospitals and community health care organizations with training, tools, guidance and resources to help them achieve the World Health Organization’s Baby-Friendly Initiative<http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/bfhi/> designation and adopt clinical best practices in infant feeding that meet Baby-Friendly Initiative designation requirements.
· Targeted support for mothers in population groups that have lower rates of breastfeeding.
* Providing new resources to support breastfeeding through Best Start: Ontario’s Maternal Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre.
These initiatives fulfill recommendations made by the Healthy Kids Panel.
Giving Ontario’s children the healthiest start in life helps deliver on our Action Plan for Health Care to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place. This is part of the Ontario government’s economic plan to invest in people, invest in infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.
In Ontario, approximately 90 per cent of mothers want to breastfeed, but only 60 per cent do so when they leave the hospital after giving birth. By six months, only 28 per cent are breastfeeding- that means 72 per cent are feeding their infant formula.
QUOTES-
“We’re helping moms to breastfeed with round-the-clock telephone support and expert
help from hospitals and community health providers. Breastfeeding promotes closeness
between mom and baby, helps protect against illness, and sets babies on the path to
leading healthy lives right from the start.”
– Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
“Experts tell us that the first few years of our lives have a major impact on our
health as adolescents, teenagers and in adult life. This investment will help
mothers who want to breastfeed and create more Baby-Friendly Initiative certified
places where they can go to get answers and supports that are critical to raising
healthy children.”
– Teresa Piruzza, Minister of Children and Youth Services
“Breastfeeding should almost always work. Almost all breastfeeding problems are
preventable and if they are not prevented, they can be fixed. Unfortunately in
Ontario today, mothers have significant difficulties with breastfeeding because they
cannot get the best start from day one and they cannot always find help when they
need it. The initiatives the Ontario government is announcing today will help moms
get the support they need to breastfeed successfully.”
– Dr. Jack Newman, International Breastfeeding Centre and Newman Breastfeeding Clinic
“Though breastfeeding is natural, it is a learned behaviour and two must learn. Here
in Ontario there hasn’t been enough knowledgeable help for learning mothers and
babies up until now. I am hopeful with these new initiatives announced today that we
will see a vast improvement in the support mothers receive to achieve their
breastfeeding goals.”
– Edith Kernerman, International Breastfeeding Centre, Newman Breastfeeding Clinic,
Centre for Breastfeeding Education and Ontario Lactation Consultants Association
QUICK FACTS
* In Ontario, approximately 90 per cent of mothers want to breastfeed, but only 60 per cent do so when they leave the hospital after giving birth. By six months, only 28 per cent are breastfeeding.
* The benefits of breastfeeding include improved cognitive development and reduced incidence of illness during infancy, childhood and later in life.
* For each month a baby is breastfed until the eight month, the risk of obesity is reduced by four per cent – resulting in a reduced risk of obesity of 32 percent overall when a baby is breastfed for the first eight months.
But why do we continue to feed government? Why would we participate in any political or economic system that is not serving our best interests?
Government is basically unproductive and can only give what it takes. Bigger government takes more and gives less.
The fruits of our labour are controlled, confiscated, and redistributed through taxation, inflation, interest, and government spending. There is also a systemic shortage of official currency, which leads to a shortage of paid employment, and the jobs that are available might be completely unproductive. We are forced to compete for currency that is systemically scarce, even though there are plenty of worthwhile activities that can be done and there are plenty of people who are willing and able to do productive work.
There seems to be an increasing level of dissatisfaction with government and the political process, but there certainly isn’t a consensus in defining the problem or offering a solution that will sufficiently address all of our concerns or satisfy everyone. This poses a challenge, but it also presents us with an opportunity to carefully examine the form and function of government, and explore a full range of possible alternatives.
If we have freedom of choice and a free market then we should be able to individually select the goods and services that we wish to purchase from a variety of producers and providers, who should be able to compete for customers based on the quality and price of their products and services. All products and services, including government programs and services, should be able to compete in a free market.
Trade and exchange should be voluntary and mutually beneficial. We should not be forced to pay for anything that we don’t want or don’t use, and we should not have to do business with anyone who consistently offers poor quality goods and services or who does not pay their legitimate debts.
If we have economic freedom then we should be able to negotiate agreeable prices, accept or refuse any form of payment, control the allocation of our credit, and use any method or medium of exchange. We should not be compelled to use a systemically scarce currency that is created as interest-bearing debt.
If the purpose of an economic system is to facilitate the production and exchange of goods and services then it should be possible to create numerous ways to serve this purpose, with various concurrent systems operating in any location. This would give us more control over our time, labour, skills, and resources.
If government is a provider of services then it should compete for customers based on the quality and price of any services that it is actually willing and able to provide, including education, health care, and defence. If government services were the best ones available then we would presumably choose to use them. Our wealth should not be confiscated and redistributed to pay for anything that we don’t want or don’t use.
We can already seek membership in various communities, organizations or other groups, based on our own political, religious, social, recreational, or business interests. If we have freedom of association and political freedom then we should even be able to choose a apolitical system and type of government, without having to move to a different place, and without imposing or choice on anyone else. This would give us the option to hire people to manage our affairs and make decisions on our behalf, but we would not be represented or lead without imposing our consent.
Any imposed political system or government is a method of control. Political freedom does not exist if an individual is forced to accept the decisions of any other individual or group, even if it calls itself a majority.
Imposed political systems and territorial governments with their restrictive geopolitical boundaries can be replaced with a variety of voluntary communities, mutual benefit associations, and autonomous protective groups, with overlapping membership in any location. Multiple communities can exist in any geographic region, without any imposed territorial monopolies for the provision of services.
Individual participation in any economic or political system should be entirely voluntary, based on choice and consent, rather than coercion and compulsion. No person is an island, but everyone should essentially be able to individually decide how he or she would like to organize and manage his or her economic and political activities.
Government is a human invention that has changed over time and will continue to change, but the direction of this change will be determined by the way we think and the choices we make.
Diverse methods and arrangements can co-exist simultaneously in any location to facilitate the production, provision, distribution, and exchange of goods and services, for the mutual benefit of all voluntary participants, at their own risk and expense. James Clayton
Note- boldfacing was not indicated in the original submitted letter to the Silo.
Synopsis-A privately-owned spaceship built by Orbital Sciences Corp. made an Earth-rattling trip into orbit from Virginia on Wednesday, September 25th starting a four-day chase of the International Space Station to close out a nearly $700 million NASA program to foster a fleet of commercial spaceships to replace capabilities lost with the space shuttle’s retirement. Today (Sept 29th) is the end of the chase and culminates in a docking via Canadian Robotic arm capture with the ISS International Space Station. Read the full story from our friends at Spaceflight Now
Ahhh Jane Jetson- you really know how to take advantage of technology.
We know they let you watch TV on the go, surf online, send emails and, oh yeah, make phone calls. But an innovative new tool now also gives you the power to use your mobile device to switch on any light in your home, open your garage door or turn on any other piece of electronic equipment, no matter where you’re located.
Ontario Technology firm: The Skylink Group – which previously introduced Skylink HomeControl, an affordable and easy-to-use system to wirelessly control your entire house – recently launched a mobile application, Skylink HomeControl App, that effectively turns your smartphone, tablet or PC into a remote control.
The handy app allows users to control just about anything in their home with the touch of a couple buttons on a virtual keypad, which can be customized to the specific devices they want to be able to access remotely.
You might be surprised to learn that home automation has been around for a long time and since the earliest days of electricity in the home, inventors and entrepreneurs have scrambled to find a useful and profitable way of harvesting radio waves and electricity. Tesla was one such visionary and among his many accomplishments is perhaps the first use of control by remote- considered at the time, an important form of automation. In 1898 he constructed and demonstrated this remote control model boat in New York. image: kerryr.net
“Anyone who already understands how to use a mobile device or a computer tablet will be able to use this app easily. That’s the key to getting the greatest benefit from new technologies – making them easy to understand and user friendly,” says Philip Tsui, CEO and the Chairman of Skylink Group.
The Skylink HomeControl System is designed for do-it-yourselfers and uses control modules which can be wired out of sight and wireless receivers plugged into wall outlets or lamp sockets, even wall switches and dimmers which replace your existing wall switches. For professionals, the Skylinkhome Wireless Control System has modules with three wires that can be installed almost anywhere.
The Wireless Control System can be used to control anything electronic, including:
. Lamps
. Coffee makers
. Fans
. Stereos
. Fire places
. Ceiling fans
. Indoor and outdoor lighting
. Garage doors
. Security systems
. Countless other electronic devices and appliances
Often cited as the “McDonald’s of Home Automation” X-10 modules were considered a major breakthrough when they entered the consumer market in the 1970’s. A central control unit (here seen in lovely 70’s woodgrain) controlled separate modules that were plugged directly into a home power outlet. An appliance requiring automation such as a lamp, was plugged into the module and controlled via wired or wireless control from the X-10 ‘brain’. CP
For those who may not have a smartphone or computer tablet, Skylink also has a remote control – the credit card-sized SkylinkPad – which can be used to wirelessly control devices in your house.
In addition to convenience, the Skylink HomeControl System helps users realize significant energy savings. With the touch of a button, you can shut off all of your lights or set up motion sensors to work with the system. The wireless system also uses timers to ensure that lights and electronic equipment can be shut off when they’re not needed. Dimmers also reduce energy usage, contributing to a greener environment and lower electricity bills.
About Skylink Group:
The Skylink Group understands the needs and concerns of the homeowner in providing a safe and comfortable environment for their family whether they are at home or away. Established in 1990, Skylink Group operates out of Brampton, Ontario. On
Twitter at @skylinkhome.
printing will change everything. You heard it here first. CP
On September 11th, 2013 – (New York City, US – Global Release) botObjects finally announced the ProDesk3D the world’s first Full Color 3D Desktop Printer (the ProDesk3D).
The firm aims to change the face of the 3D desktop printing market with the launch of the ProDesk3D, enabling the advancements to trigger mass market adoption of this technology – opening up a new generation of innovation, by doing so – accelerating the customer growth around the world. On the back of recently announcing their US high school education plans and its 3DDPE (3D Desktop Printing Education) Program – the firm believes that this market and the ProDesk3D is rightly timed for ‘hype to turn to reality’ – with new types of consumers buying this technology to innovate at home, and high schools shifting their expense policies to accommodate this technology in the curriculum. The market is now seeing a much wider set of professionals buy too – seeking automation & manufacturing efficiencies, new ways to gain client satisfaction, and finally, identifying new business opportunities as a result of using this technology.
Co-founder of botObjects Martin Warner
“Our customers and friends are sharing with us their ideas for this technology and how the ProDesk3D gives them finally a product that can address the shortfalls in competitor products – such as professional resolution, better speed, amazing advantages of full color, and a product that is really plug and play. The ideas we are hearing are sensational from advancements in human prosthetics, to teeth dentures, to toy figurines, to advanced precision-based components, to food manufacturing testing and much, much more.
This revolution is happening at such a rapid pace that we won’t recognize it in 10 years time – everyone will touch this market in some way or another”, said Martin Warner, CEO & Co-founder.
botObjects announces expands its distribution footprint to UK, Austria and Korea We are pleased to announce today our Sole Distributor and strategic partner –EBM 3D Limited who in celebration will be launching Xerika, their brand supporting the best of new technology across the UK.
Today, botObjects proudly announced that 3D-Fabrik as their Sole Distributor and strategic partner in Austria. 3D-Fabrik will be announcing new web announcements & local pricing shortly. Continuing the Asian distribution release efforts, botObjects announced Alien Technology Asia as the Sole Distributor and strategic partner in Korea. botObejcts also confirmed that new web announcements due out shortly for this territory.
Co-founder of botObjects, Mike Duma.
“We are extremely proud to announce our new strategic partners today, and look forward to announcing more countries very shortly in the build up to the global release of the ProDes3D”, said Mike Duma, CTO & Co-founder.
“”Greens will fight to protect the places we love. Let’s leave our children the rich natural heritage we have enjoyed.” image: redd-monitor.org
ONTARIO CAN’T AFFORD TO DELETE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS (Queen’s Park): Trashing Ontario’s Endangered Species Act is unacceptable, says Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner.
“We can’t let the Wynne government bulldoze environmental protections,” says Schreiner.
“Greens will fight to protect the places we love. Let’s leave our children the rich natural heritage we have enjoyed.”
Schreiner joined environmental groups in calling on the Premier to reverse a Cabinet decision to grant sweeping exemptions to species protection. Over a thousand GPO supporters have sent letters to the Premier asking her to protect endangered species.
“The Premier failed her first big environmental test,” says Schreiner. “It’s not surprising that the Liberals’ short-sighted attack on endangered species has led to a lawsuit. Breaking their own legislation threatens protections for water, farmland and healthy communities. And the silence from the NDP and PC opposition on these issues is deafening.”
There is a better way to move forward without sacrificing environmental protection. The Green Party agrees with the Drummond Report: user fees should pay for environmental protection. User fees are fair and economical, and they discourage wasteful use of precious natural resources.
The Green Party is also calling on the government to support paying farmers and landowners for environmental good and services that benefit everyone.
“Instead of destroying species or regulating farmers out of business, Ontario should recognize the economic value of environmental goods and services,” says Schreiner. “Once again, other provinces and countries are way ahead of us in protecting what we value most.” For the Silo, Becky Smit
(Queen’s Park): Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is calling for an end to political gamesmanship at Queen’s Park. Instead,
Schreiner wants the minority legislature to move on legislation that protects food and water, democracy and local jobs during the fall session.
“Greens will push the government to protect the people and places we love,” says Schreiner. “The status quo parties need to stop playing political games so that we can get things done for the people of Ontario. Greens succeeded in pushing the Premier to save the Experimental Lakes Area [ search our site for more on the Experimental Lakes Area CP] in the spring, which was more than the Tories accomplished with 36 seats.”
As the only political leader to sign the Food and Water First pledge to protect prime farmland and source water, Schreiner is challenging the Premier and opposition parties to follow his lead.
“We can’t eat subdivisions, quarries or pipelines,” says Schreiner. “Ontario is losing farmland at an accelerating rate, bees are dying, and 2 pipeline proposals threaten our drinking water. None of the status quo parties are doing enough to protect the places we love.”
Greens know that part of the solution is to reduce the influence of powerful vested interests by banning corporate and union donations to political parties.
“People vote, not corporations,” says Schreiner. “We have to get politics back on track by closing the money taps that buy influence for powerful corporations and big unions.”
Greens are also calling on the government to remove barriers for entrepreneurs to create local jobs. Schreiner wants to see changes to finance laws to allow crowd source funding for new businesses.
“Ontario must invest where the puck is going, not where it is,” says Schreiner. “People want to invest in their communities to support entrepreneurs in clean tech and low carbon industries.”
For the Silo, Becky Smit
CP
