Life

Hey Everyone,

 http://reddotcampaign.ca/ 

I heard about this on the CBC and I'm surprised it isn't more widely known ~ apparently its been available for several years.  Canada Post has a wesbsite you can go to to remove your address from advertisers' mailing lists.  Canada Post claims they will respect your wishes if you put up a note that says "No Flyers Please", although ad-mail addressed to a name in the household is usually still delivered. This website has a link to the Canadian Marketing Association's Do Not Contact Registry, with a form that I assume will remove your name from some national admail list.  There's also a letter to download, sign and give to your letter carrier (no envelope required) to further your request to eliminate junk mail from Canada Post.  read more »

A cool mock ad campaign apparently is spreading across canada: fake pharmaceutical ads on bus shelters, billboards and inside bus ads are featuring a drug called 'Obay' for kids!

I saw one on the kipps lane bus and on a giant south-facing billboard on wellington road near south/grey street (west side) or nearer to the river. I found this online:

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/7426/img5521hi4.jpg

and a weird website:

http://www.obay.info/ 

and a short discussion:

http://creativebits.org/obay_ads 

---This letter has been redistributed with permission--- 

February 13, 2008

Open Address – Federal Government of Canada Inaction and lack of support through Indian & Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) for First Nations communities.

My name is Danny Metatawabin, I am the Education Administrator for the Mundo Peetabeck Education Authority in Fort Albany First Nations, situated along the shores of James Bay, and this is in response to Markus Schwabi’s interview with Tony Podorie – Indian & Northern Affairs official with respects to ‘No School’ for the Attawapiskat First Nation.

I am growing very impatient by the lack of commitment to be made by the Federal Government of Canada through the Indian & Northern Affairs Canada Department, on behalf of First Nations People of Canada, especially towards our Education system in Funding and Infrastructure.

Although, the Federal Government has proceeded to compensate First Nations individuals who had attended Residential Schools through the Common Experience Program (CEP) – This is still not enough for those First Nations individuals who have endured loss of Culture and Language within their own lives, or within our First Nations communities as a whole. More support and understanding needs to be provided to our First Nations for the injustices we have gone through. There needs to be more of a proactive action on the part of the Federal Government, through its program, Indian & Northern Affairs. Or, INAC needs to do more for the First Nations People of Canada, especially those that are isolated and remote.

It knowingly seems that INAC is trying to shift responsibilities to the Ontario Government for First Nations People. A new Department was created by Ontario to work with Ontario First Nations, but this has more to do with expediting the settling of Land Claims Negotiations, establishing a Revenue Sharing Process for Ontario First Nations, or providing for Impact Benefit Agreements with First Nations communities affected by the explorations, or implorations of non-Aboriginal groups, which would include the Ontario Government, into our territories. Our local Chiefs, including our Regional Chiefs, are been side-winded by this process. The Revenue Sharing Process, or the IBA’s, will not solve the social issues, including the Education system that are affecting and demoralizing our First Nations communities. They only provide for a Divide & Conquer system for our communities – there is no unity within our neighboring communities (and you can hear this through our local media stations).
 
To the point, I am deeply concerned and saddened by the lack of commitment made under the Treaty Obligations of Canada under the Education component. They (INAC) say the mandate, or the immediate concern is Health & Safety. But, what about the number one concern for a best Education system possible for our young First Nations. How can there be effective teaching happening when certain communities have to teach out of portables? How can we provide for best programs and practices when we are working with an out-dated funding formula?

Under Treaty Obligations, we are not treated with a fair and equitable status as provided for all other People of Canada. First Nations cannot move forward and we are continually left to ponder what our lives will be like in the next 100 years.

As a sign of protest for my fellow communities and fellow Education partners, and if I should receive 500 emails or more to support my protest for lack of action and commitment on the part of the Federal Government and INAC, I will shut down my School for four days and light a Traditional Sacred Fire for those four days. This is as per our traditional Teachings for Prayers and Cause. I will also hope to acquire Board support and approval from Chief & Council in order to proceed with this process, and if I am to receive 500 emails or more.

My email address is danmetat@yahoo.com

In advance, I would like to send my gratitude to those young Ontarians who have already shown their support by writing and/or Lobbying the Government on our behalf. It takes a united Nation to make for a better Nation.

Thank you-meeguetch for listening to my whole-hearted concern…  

Danny Metatawabin

Education Administrator.

Look what you made me do:

I got so drunk, yesterday afternoon, at your house that on my way to the party afterward I spilt all 500 cases of beer. You hoser!

I had to be up bright and early this morning. Another Governance Task Force meeting to get to by bus, so I set my alarm and was lucky enough to hear it when it started to serenade me at 7:00 am. A quick shower and out the door so I could hoof it several blocks over to the Pond Mills SuperCuts. Usually I just buzz it myself (those of us on disability incomes could teach the city a thing or two about frugality), but I didn't want to address the GTF looking like I'd just joined the Marines.  read more »

I’m tired. And I’m cold. Oh boy, am I cold. But it’s important to me that I get this out while I can still remember it. So, I’ll do that as best I can, and I’ll ask that you indulge me while I try to tell you this story. It’s going to be fairly long-winded I think, so you may want to grab some milk & cookies first… that’s always pretty good at bedtime…

<!--break--> Monday evening was Committee night down at City Hall. It was an unusually attractive night to be there, with lots of things being addressed which interest me. True, they were all going on in different rooms at the same time. And true, the proceedings were so hard to hear that sometimes I had to strain through my trifocals and try to lipread what was being said. And true, the noise at the back of the room and the noise coming from outside in the hall made the job of trying to follow along just a little bit more difficult. But that’s nothing new, and nobody’s in a hurry to fix it, so you learn to tolerate it.  read more »

The Salvation Army’s shelter on Jarvis Street in Toronto plans to launch it’s WeloBike Project 2008/02/12. The initiative will depend upon volunteers to pedal old exercise bikes that have been retrofitted to allow generated energy to be stored in attached battery packs. That reserve of energy will then be used to light the shelter’s rooms.

Read the rest HERE.