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Canadian Identity, touchstones, history (146)

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'Purveyors of vibe' keep the A-list crowd on the move *
'It's all about being on the right hang at the right time," says Suzanne Boyd, the glamazon editor of Flare, who is pretty much at the top of every restaurant, club and party A-list in Toronto. "On the hang" is Ms. Boyd's latest way of describing a great night out. [More]

9/11 2003: The world remembers *
In France, the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks was marked with more attacks, "a million poetic attacks," that is. A group of "thinkers, artists, writers of all beliefs and persuasions" called upon the people of France to "get yourself a book, a book that you like and that changed your view of the world. Write a dedication there, a few words, and release it!" [More]

9/11 and Canada: Still scared, still vulnerable *
Feeling safe yet? No? No wonder: SARS, blackouts, and bad water are reminders that a good security policy anticipates multiple threats, says law professor KENT ROACH [More]

A beer-drinking nation — with higher spirits *
New alcohol sales statistics released Wednesday show Canadians remain true to the proud tradition of being a domestic beer-drinking nation. We've just developed a taste for coolers and drinks from around the globe as well. [More]

A plea for the plausible in historical novels *
The American novelist Edmund White published an essay in a recent issue of the Times Literary Supplement -- the most highbrow review of books in the commercial media -- that addresses issues all writers of fiction have grappled with. [More]

Aboriginal fisheries: A can of worms *
Canada needs decisive action to unravel the legal knots tying up aboriginal fisheries, says JOHN RICHARDS [More]

Alexandre (Sacha Trudeau) faces the world *
As Pierre Trudeau's middle son steps reluctantly into the spotlight to promote his film on Iraq, he tells SARAH HAMPSON about lessons his father taught him: Confront your fears. Never enter politics [More]

All we can hope for is . . . Canadians going to hell, U.S. host says *
When a hockey incident in Canada, in this case Todd Bertuzzi's attack on Steve Moore, dominates the conversation on phone-in shows across the United States, something extraordinary has happened. [More]

And the laugh was still there *
John Doyle, well into his allotted 15 minutes south of the border, went toe-to-toe with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and his ilk. Now he finds himself swamped with notes from sympathetic Americans who are frankly embarrassed for some of their countrymen. [More]

Anger linked to higher stroke risk in men, but not women *
Hotheaded men who explode with anger seem to be at greater risk of having a stroke or dying, new research shows. Their risk is even greater than men who are simply stressed-out Type A personalities. [More]

Anti-Bush sentiment busts out all over *
And it's not just the usual suspects taking shots, SIMON HOUPT writes. The fire is coming from feature film, theatre and TV. [More]

Antibiotic use linked to breast-cancer risk *
But researchers urge extreme caution in interpreting results of U.S. study. [More]

Arabian Nights 1914: A Scheherazade in the Great War *
Eric Koch has been explaining German culture to North Americans for years. The most recent four of his 14 books have been historical fictions with a German setting; Arabian Nights 1914 is the most outrageous. [More]

Are the U.S. airwaves about to lean to the left? *
Al Gore and others think they can scoop some viewers who aren't likely to be tuned to Fox News, SIMON HOUPT writes [More]

Aspirin's results mixed for women *
Middle-age women can cut their risk of strokes but not heart attacks by regularly taking low doses of aspirin, and the pills help prevent both problems in women 65 and older, a major study found. [More]

Attitude to health care improving, survey says *
One year after the unveiling of Roy Romanow's landmark report on medicare, Canadians' gloom over the health system is beginning to lift as considerably fewer voters express anxiety about the future. [More]

Back from the grave to bore us to death *
The second-scariest thing about Freddy vs. Jason, the gross-out horror movie that pits sinew-skinned, claw-handed Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street series against hockey-masked, sword-swinging Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series, is that it has been No. 1 at the North American box office for two weeks in a row, grossing about $50- million (U.S.). [More]

Background checks on rise amid job violence concerns *
More than half of U.S. human resources professionals are somewhat or very concerned about workplace violence, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. [More]

Behold the armies of the Lord *
You can no more disengage religion from politics than you can extract beliefs from public life, says theologian DOUGLAS FARROW [More]

Better a flow than a flood *
Some Canadians seem to think that a preference for moderate immigration levels reflects hostility toward immigrants. This is absurd. Many immigrants themselves would prefer lower immigration levels, yet when Canadians make this point, we are attacked. [More]

Bilingual older adults found to stay sharp longer *
Vraiment? Oui! C'est vrai, mon vieux! [More]

Biovail drug campaign causes dilemma in U.S. *
Prescription payment for 'research' study [More]

Biovail says research and others say conflict *
Should doctors be paid to prescribe certain drugs? Most patients and specialists in medical ethics would probably argue they should not, because doing so might pose a conflict of interest, and cause them to prescribe drugs that might not be as effective. But what if the doctor in question is involved in a research trial? Shouldn't he or she be compensated for collecting data on the drug? [More]

Bird-flu blueprint sees up to 58,000 deaths *
Health Canada's preparedness document says pandemic would hit children, elderly. [More]

Blair wanted dossier public: aide *
Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair's communications director, a key figure in a controversy over the government's case for war in Iraq, said Tuesday that it was Blair who decided to publish a contentious dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. [More]

Blair, the BBC and the devil's dilemma *
'There's no doubt in my mind that I would have aired the report,' says veteran broadcaster MARK STAROWICZ [More]

Bones of contention *
For decades the remains of B.C.'s Haida ancestors have been locked away in metal drawers as specimens in museums around the world. Now, the Haida are fighting to bring them home, ALEXANDRA GILL writes [More]

Book buying up 23 per cent, report says *
A new report, Who Buys Books In Canada?, based on 2001 Statistics Canada survey information, reveals that Canadians spent $1.13-billion on books that year -- up 23 per cent from 1997. . . [More]

Brand names: What has top cachet with consumers? *
Google-branded -- uh -- brands are under the fastest-growing label, according to a recent survey. [More]

Breast-cancer survivors urged to avoid HRT *
Women who have had a bout with breast cancer should not take hormone-replacement therapy, even for a short time, because of the "unacceptably high" risk of cancer recurrence, a study says. [More]

Broadband finally taking over *
More people around the world connect to the Internet via a broadband connection than by telephone dial-up, a new survey says. [More]

Bush lied to justify Iraq war, Canada right to stay out: poll *
Canadians overwhelmingly believe President George W. Bush lied to justify the Iraq war and their own government was wise to stay out of the conflict, a new poll suggests. [More]

Bush's warfare state *
The Iraq quagmire and its ever-mutating justifications show that George W. Bush is oblivious to a basic principle of his own conservative ideology: Top-down central planning -- economic or political -- is doomed to fail. [More]

But enough about you, Vancouver *
Let's talk about Toronto. And let's be honest. Vancouver is the better city, at the moment. You really think the way Toronto handled SARS looks good on us? [More]

Can lies be good medicine? *
Doctors must value the principle of informed consent, but they should go easy on truths that could destroy patients' peace of mind, says Oxford University's DANIEL SOKOL. [More]

Can we Democrats be your next province? *
Having endured the outrages of the 2000 presidential "election" and the 9/11-empowered Republicans' reactionary policies, progressive Democrats, Greens and Independents across the United States are smouldering. Especially in the 20 states that went for Al Gore in the Northeast, Midwest, and West, more and more of us are appalled by the combination of dishonest rhetoric, regressive tax giveaways, international adventurism, environmental degradation and unprecedented arrogance spewing from the President and his congressional cohorts. [More]

Canada snares No. 1 spot in business survey *
A survey has ranked Canada as the No. 1 country in which to conduct business over the next five years, pointing to tax cuts, a Liberal victory in Quebec and a strong infrastructure. [More]

Canada's new marijuana law will hurt U.S. problem: official *
The United States is being inundated with potent marijuana from Canada, and the problem would be exacerbated if Ottawa decriminalized the drug, the U.S. drug czar said Friday. [More]

Canada's results mixed in health survey *
Survival from heart attacks poorest among five nations studied. No country's system proved superior. [More]

Canadian doctors suffering from burnout: study *
Almost half of Canadian doctors who responded to a questionnaire about their mental health are so exhausted, cynical and stressed that they suffer from "advanced stages of burnout," the Canadian Medical Association says. [More]

Canadian tourism in a slump *
Canada's annual international travel deficit — the difference between what Canadian residents spend abroad and what foreigners spend in Canada — more than doubled in 2003, reaching its highest level in a decade, new Statistics Canada figures say. [More]

Canadian vacationers outspend foreigners *
A plunge in spending by foreign visitors to Canada has pushed the nation's international travel deficit -- the difference between what Canadians spend abroad and what visitors spend here -- to its highest level in nine years, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday. [More]

Canadian workers vacation-deprived *
"Work/life balance" may be a popular buzz phrase in the Canadian workplace, but a recent poll indicates employees are not living up to the leisure end of the equation. [More]

Canadians all talk, pas d'action *
New research shows that Anglophones had a persistent love affair with the idea of speaking both of Canada's official two languages but seem entirely incapable of actually learning French. [More]

Canadians flock to the big screen, says StatsCan *
Statistics Canada says Canadians showed a growing interest in watching movies at theatres rather than at home in 2004-2005. On the other hand, movie-goers are still subjected to humiliating body searches. What gives? [More]

Canadians like U.S. but not its President *
As Prime Minister Paul Martin prepares for his meeting today with George W. Bush, a new poll suggests Canadians believe the U.S. President neither likes nor understands this country. [More]

Canadians optimistic about 2004: poll *
Residents of the Atlantic provinces and the Prairies were among the most upbeat in a poll of Canadians who were asked to compare 2004 with the year just gone. [More]

Canadians shouldn't be denied Fox News *
Canada made The New York Times last weekend, and that is never a good thing. [More]

Canadians still upbeat: poll *
Canadians remain upbeat about their financial prospects despite pervasive unemployment and slowing economic growth, according to a monthly poll. [More]

Canadians' radio listening down over past decade *
Canadians are spending an average of 90 minutes less per week listening to the radio than a decade ago, says a report on radio listening habits released Friday by Statistics Canada. [More]

Carrying a torch for black culture *
For a white Canadian provincial coming round, slow and late as a turning snail, to appreciate black American culture, there was no greater revelation than the early-1990s appearance of a collection by a writer named Greg Tate called Flyboy in the Buttermilk. [More]

Cell phone users: No love lost between 'em *
Like the clichéd joke "I wouldn't belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member," cell phone users can't stand OTHER cell phone users' behaviour. [More]

CFOs yearn for time off, study finds *
Chief financial officers burning the midnight oil are seeking a little relief. [More]

Change in treatment of cardiac patients seen as lifesaver *
As many as 400 lives could be saved annually in Ontario if patients suffering from acute heart disease were treated promptly and then discharged with the proper prescriptions, according to a study said to reflect the state of cardiac care across Canada. [More]

Childhood obesity accelerating, study finds *
Clothing manufacturers adjust by offering baggier styles and elasticized waists. [More]

Children of divorce suffer when parent moves, study says *
Children of divorced parents who move away are more likely to suffer from long-term mental and health effects than those whose parents don't relocate, a new study suggests. [More]

Chrétien signs historic land deal *
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien signed a historic land claim and self-government agreement in Rae-Edzo, NWT, on Monday, giving some 3,000 Tlicho people the power to protect their way of life and control their land, resources and laws. [More]

Class-action suits explode into 'national phenomenon' *
But judges and lawyers fear praiseworthy reform has turned into enormous club [More]

Complications hit one in eight hospitalized Canadians *
One in eight patients admitted to hospital suffers serious complications, and more than one-third of those "adverse events" are avoidable, according to a new Canadian study. [More]

Consumers confidence takes fall: Ipsos-Reid *
Interest rate outlook worries Canadians. [More]

Cultural power play *
It's not just on the ice that the national pastime is capturing our imaginations. In theatres and in galleries, on bookshelves and on the stage, hockey continues to stickhandle its way into the soul of Canada, ROY MacGREGOR writes. [More]

Curling, Canadian Tire and other Commie plots *
Well, it seemed that we could leave this Fox News to one side for a while, but no such luck. I am informed that on Wednesday evening on the Fox News Channel, chief ranter Bill O'Reilly took a swing at me, The Globe and Mail, and the CBC. I'll admit that I've been baited into paying attention. [More]

Cut salt, nutrition report says *
A long-awaited nutrition report suggests lowering the maximum amount of salt Americans should allow themselves each day, even though the average person already consumes far more than is recommended. [More]

Depression under-treated, study finds *
An estimated two million Canadians have chronic depression and the debilitating condition may be under-treated, a study suggests. It found that fatigue, lack of energy and poor sleep continued to plague many patients despite the use of antidepressants. [More]

Diet of TV junk-food ads tied to obesity in children *
A barrage of television commercials for junk food is one of the most likely causes of childhood obesity, say two U.S. reports released this week. [More]

Do video games breed violence? *
Violent video games have a much more damaging effect on children than parents would like to believe, leading them to perform poorly in school, argue with teachers, condone aggression and get into physical fights with their peers, according to a series of new studies. [More]

Do we want judges with more muscle? (No.) *
NO: Democracy is at risk if unelected elites in robes have too much say, argues ALLAN HUTCHINSON. [More]

Do we want judges with more muscle? (Yes.) *
YES: Judges' decisions mean zip unless they're implemented. It's a principle as old as common law, says KENT ROACH. [More]

Doing Canada justice *
With its landmark decision on same-sex marriage in June, the Ontario Court of Appeal changed the Canadian social landscape. ERIN ANDERSSEN profiles the three bold jurists who have been named The Globe and Mail's Nation Builders of 2003. [More]

Don't look back *
If you're a conservative or fundamentalist Christian, June must have been one tough month. You probably feel like free lunch for the lions. [More]

Dr. Seuss and the right way *
The Tory and Alliance parties should consider the lesson of the Zax, who both lost out because they wouldn't budge for one another, says pollster DARRELL BRICKER [More]

Dr. Seuss: Green eggs and subversion *
In a world of Dick and Jane readers, Theodor Seuss Geisel created delicately coded indictments of rampant consumerism, nuclear proliferation and the evils of Nazi Germany. SARAH MILROY tells the story of a man who helped teach millions of young fans to read between the rhymes. [More]

Dying from the heat *
A month-long heat wave has taken the lives of as many as 5,000 elderly people in France, despite an enviable health system and a social safety net that is the pride of the country. What went wrong? The answer can be summed up in a word: indifference. [More]

Ecstasy use down 25 per cent among teens *
The use of Ecstasy among U.S. teenagers has dropped 25 per cent in the past two years, a decrease that translates into an additional 770,000 teens rejecting the once-trendy drug, a new study says. [More]

Educating Adna *
What happens when poor kids are given the kind of school support that most Canadians enjoy? A minor miracle, MICHAEL VALPY reports. [More]

Faith and politics: uneasy mix *
Ironically, the Vatican's statement against same-sex marriage has done a disservice to the opponents of federal reform, says ethicist MARGARET SOMERVILLE [More]

Fats linked to breast cancer *
Those derived from animals, not plants, raise the risk of disease, new study finds [More]

Faulty Wiring: How developments in new communications adversely affect 'real' human interaction *
Are cellphones really necessary? In order to communicate more, are we really being heard less? [More]

Fewer PCBs found in fish-oil capsules *
Fish-oil capsules contain only a fraction of the PCBs found in fresh farmed fish, according to research commissioned by The Globe and Mail and CTV News. [More]

For CBS, it's okay to talk profits, but not pervy stuff *
An American TV executive is perfectly prepared to talk about profits and the pedigree of new TV shows, but he's not prepared to talk about genital warts. [More]

For the children's sake *
International laws concerning the treatment of children during times of conflict seem to be forgotten in this war against terrorism, says SHEEMA KHAN [More]

For-profit care more costly: study *
Transforming Canada's vast network of publicly funded, not-for-profit hospitals into investor-owned, profit-driven businesses would add at least $7.2-billion annually to the cost of health-care delivery, a new study suggests. [More]

Fox News. Not here yet, but already hilarious *
I've never been called "a douche-nozzle" before. At least, not that I know about anyway. The insult came from one supporter of the Fox News Channel. [More]

France in the hot seat *
The record-setting heat wave that swept across much of Europe in the first half of August caused thousands of deaths and widespread economic damage. But only in France did it turn into a national disaster, sparking public outrage over government inaction and ineptitude and raising serious questions about cherished French institutions. [More]

Frankenfood: Science losing the agitprop battle *
There are now 19,600 references to Frankenfood in Google, and that number that does not capture the terms larger effectiveness as a way of demonizing genetically engineered food. [More]

Garber on Business: Safe-guarding your reputation *
Should you worry about your reputation? What is your good name worth to you in business? They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but these days the maxim should be amended to "…no fury like a journalist deceived." [More]

Garber on Small Business: How to be SEEN on the internet *
Only last week, a definitive study was released that basically concluded that advertisers should be moving their budgets to the internet. [More]

Gay activists dispute Statscan survey *
For the first time in its history, Statistics Canada has released a survey on the sexual orientation of Canadians, but some members of the gay community contend that the numbers are dramatically lower than the truth. [More]

George Harrison's MD censured for speaking to media *
The New York Health Department reprimanded a cancer specialist for talking to the media about his patient George Harrison without the ex-Beatle's consent. [More]

Get along, governments -- or get out of the way *
When the premiers met last week to breathe life into their proposed Council of the Federation, several suggested that Canada was on the edge of a new era of intergovernmental co-operation. It's in their interest to be right. [More]

Getting even is healthy, says author *
In his new book, Life's Little Annoyances, New York Times reporter Ian Urbina offers a compendium of the molehills we turn into mountains and our inventive strategies for coping with them. [More]

Giorgio Copello: His welcome expired *
It is not the sort of thing that looks good on one's résumé: "declared persona non grata by the Canadian government." Perhaps that is why Giorgio Copello, a social and immigration officer at Italy's embassy in Ottawa, felt impelled to fight long and hard to stay in the country that made no bones about not wanting him. [More]

Global warming linked to high asthma rates *
Kids in U.S. inner cities hit hard by smog and increased pollen, study finds. [More]

GMO wheat risky, study asserts *
Genetically modified wheat is "environmentally unsafe" and, if approved for use in Canada, could close markets to this country's multibillion-dollar crop, Canadian scientists have found. [More]

Go ahead and eat the pie -- just work it off *
Physical activity allows Amish to thrive on diet high in fat, calories, new study discovers. [More]

Google sparks hopes of new dot-com boom *
The prospect of Internet search powerhouse Google Inc. taking itself public early next year in a blockbuster $15-billion-plus (U.S.) deal has sparked hopes of a new dot-com investment boom. [More]

Greens deserve airtime *
In a lifetime of covering politics, I can remember only one occasion when I participated in a high-level and significant political discussion. [More]

Grinding the axe and passing the buck *
In Britain, it's the suicide of a scientist that spawns the blame game; here, it's the Great Blackout. Grinding various ideological axes, the media weigh in. Governments establish inquiries to reassure voters the cock-up will never again occur, at least until the next time. [More]

Hands off my Bible! *
Today as Parliament reconvenes, MPs face a bill that could redefine biblical teachings on homosexuality as hate literature. Smite it, says LORNA DUECK [More]

Hanks versus Cruise -- the Battle of the Toms *
Does a star's personal philosophy and off-screen behaviour affect box office receipts? How far can a star push the limits of public endurance before a backlash is felt? Does the controversy of a film outweigh its strength as a story, or as entertainment? These, and other questions are about to be answered in coming weeks, as we see how well The Da Vinci Code fares in its opening next week, as measured against the already faltering Mission: Impossible III. [More]

Health care seen top priority *
Health care should be the federal government's top priority, an opinion poll of Canadian corporate executives has found. [More]

Hey kids, it's true...video games make you sharper: study *
Action-packed video games may offer more than just entertainment: They may make you sharper, according to a new study. [More]

Hey, kids - it's a retro inferno! *
In the first of a series on the way people entertain themselves around the globe, CAROLINE BYRNE visits a London club where 'responsible adulthood' is many drinks away [More]

How perfect do we want to be? *
In seeking immortality and other godlike attributes, we risk our very humanity, says ethicist MARGARET SOMERVILLE. [More]

How to handle the audience bully *
The inconsiderate and rude abound these days. They exhibit a host of infuriating behaviours -- among them yakking loudly and obliviously on cellphones in public places, blocking traffic after blithely driving into congested intersections at the turn of a light and, incomprehensively, walking into you (smacking into you) on city sidewalks. Is the long-established pedestrian directive of bearing to one's right so hard to follow? [More]

How to win at Happy Families *
There is a card game called Happy Families. The rules involve assembling the 11 families extant in 44 cards so that each has a mother, father, daughter and son. The player asking for a card must say "please" and the receiver "thank you," or there's a penalty. [More]

HRT linked to higher risk of asthma, study concludes *
Women who are on hormone-replacement therapy have a much higher risk of developing asthma late in life, adding to the long list of health woes caused by the once-popular treatment for menopausal symptoms. [More]

ID card sticker shock *
Robert Marleau, the interim privacy commissioner, did taxpayers a service last week, though hardly anyone took notice. In testimony to the House of Commons citizenship and immigration committee, he put forward a cogent, thoughtful analysis on the merits of Immigration Minister Denis Coderre's idea to make Canadians carry a national identity card. [More]

In praise of the city and its slickers *
The writer and thinker Ian Buruma, who is a relentlessly cosmopolitan type -- grew up in the Netherlands, lived for years in Asia, teaches in the United States, writes for journals all over the globe -- has been writing with frequency about various forms of resistance to Western culture around the world. [More]

In these blackout, mad-cow times, good citizens can still be polite *
Manners can be a minefield, and never more so than this summer when all kinds of sudden assaults on our basic comforts have increased the opportunities for incivility. [More]

Increased cancer spending reduces deaths, study says *
The more a province spends on cancer prevention, treatment and research, the lower its death rate, according to a new report. [More]

Indie music and beyond *
CBC Radio 3 has been hailed as a model for the future of broadcasting. But many Canadians have never even heard of the award-winning virtual network, ALEXANDRA GILL reports. [More]

International experience viewed as vital to a career *
About two in three workers believe that international experience will help their career, according to a worldwide Internet survey conducted by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters. [More]

Internet use growth rate dips *
Growth of Internet use among Canadian households has levelled off after surging during the late 1990s, Statistics Canada reported Thursday. [More]

Is this man fit to teach? *
Chris Kempling belongs to the large minority of Canadians who don't support gay marriage. As a conservative Christian, he doesn't think much of gay life in general. "Homosexuality is not something to be applauded," he wrote in a letter published in his local newspaper a few years ago. [More]

It's all beside the point *
A journalism student at the University of Texas, interviewed on Sunday on the CBS program 60 Minutes, irked me. The topic was The List, websites naming profs at U.S. universities who have been accused of letting their left-wing or anti-Israel bias pollute the pure academic air of their classrooms. [More]

Jeffrey Kofman -- He's, gasp, Canadian *
When an ABC reporter recently broadcast a story from Iraq that infuriated the Bush administration, White House officials scrambled to find the best way to hit back, says NPR ombudsman JEFFREY DVORKIN [More]

Kid surfers make waves among Canada's advertisers *
Canadian youth are now spending more time surfing the Internet than vegging in front of the TV, an Ipsos-Reid poll released Tuesday says. [More]

Kurt Vonnegut's list *
Kurt Vonnegut's list -- as partly delivered in his interview on The Daily Show in September, 2005 -- seems to have been removed from Comedy Central's website. So here it is! [More]

Leaders' final pitches *
As Canada's 39th general election campaign came to a halt last night, final polling numbers gave Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party a firm grip on minority government following today's vote. [More]

Less than equal is less than adequate *
Understandably, the current debate over the definition of marriage has elicited strong emotions. What's important is that this debate takes place in an atmosphere of respect. It's about equality, dignity and social justice. [More]

Liberals haven't been so united in a long time *
When Lester Pearson won the Liberal Party leadership in 1958, Jean Chrétien was present as a student delegate from Laval University. He voted for Paul Martin Sr. at that convention because he saw Mr. Martin looking lonely and forlorn as he stood in the Chateau Laurier hotel. "I felt sorry for him," he later said. [More]

Liberia is chained to its past *
Former U.S. slaves seized land from indigenous peoples, and even set up their own slave trade, says ROGER MORRIS [More]

Lies are written all over your face *
Analysing 'micro-expressions' is one of several techniques used in the search for truth, justice reporter KIRK MAKIN writes [More]

Listen up, Canada: Message from Canadian Youth *
Government policy is out of whack with the demands of young Canadians, says social scientist MATTHEW MENDELSOHN. Policymakers better wake up and get with it [More]

Lord Black's art of investing stirs controversy *
The appropriateness of Hollinger buying the Roosevelt papers is being questioned as the press baron pens FDR's biography [More]

Lord, He's hot *
Talk about resurrecting your career. Name the arts genre and Jesus was there in 2003, MICHAEL POSNER writes. [More]

Love the ones you hate *
Since 9/11, we've learned that we live in a thoroughly modern global village of terror [More]

Lynn Coady: If only this trash would take me out *
To be a fan of good television is to live in a perpetual state of anxiety. It's like dating the latest in a thrilling yet doomed series of superlative lovers. Someone new and intoxicating -- endlessly hot, endlessly fascinating. Yet the whole time you're with him, all you can think is, "Oh no, it's so good." You've been burned one time too many. [More]

Majority of Canadians believe quality of life better than U.S. *
An overwhelming majority of Canadians believe their country offers a better quality of life than the United States because many respondents directly benefit from this country's more aggressive redistribution of income, a new report says. [More]

Marriage cancellers *
The campaign to prevent marriage from being extended to same-sex couples has led to a strange contortion. [More]

Marriage divides the House *
The same-sex vote: The tally is 137-132 as the government's controversial plan survives a key test [More]

Marriage numbers decline sharply: Statscan *
A new report from Statistics Canada shows that after a jump in marriages at the start of the millennium, Canadians are again shying away from walking down the aisle. [More]

Married is married is married *
Federal Progressive Conservative Leader Peter MacKay unfortunately is listening with his foot in his ear to what Canadians are saying about marriage. [More]

Martin descends on Washington *
Prime Minister Paul Martin headed to Washington Wednesday to begin a round of talks with congressional leaders and U.S. President George W. Bush—amid some signs of growing antagonism from the United States. [More]

Martin health plan gets 48% support *
Country is also divided on gun registry and same-sex marriage, survey indicates. [More]

Math predicts marriage outcome *
Whether a married couple stay together has less to do with good chemistry than it does with solid mathematics, a new study says. [More]

Media not behind 'genohype,' study shows *
The media are often accused of exaggerating the importance of developments in the field of genetic research. Those who level the allegation have even coined a term to describe it — they call it genohype [More]

Medicare study challenges crisis scenario *
Health care will remain affordable over the next 40 years as long as the economy and private spending continue to grow at a moderate pace, says a new internal Finance Department study obtained by The Globe and Mail. [More]

Mediterranean diet and healthy lifestyle add years to life *
Adherence to a Mediterranean style diet, coupled with a few healthy lifestyle habits, can add years of life even among individuals aged 70 to 90 years. [More]

Mi'kmaq Paddy-whack: Skeletons in the closet *
This month in St. John's the Newfoundland Supreme Court made a ruling on a land-claims battle between the Mi'kmaq and the provincial government that dates back to 1996. [More]

Mind over the money matter *
Raise taxes to fund higher education today, or debt-burdened grads won't be able to pull their weight tomorrow, says Rhodes scholar LUKE ERIC PETERSON [More]

Monitor antidepressants used by young, MD says *
Prescription drug experts called on Health Canada yesterday to be far more vigilant in monitoring a huge increase in physician prescriptions of antidepressant drugs to children and teenagers. [More]

Monitor TV product placement: watchdog group *
They're stealth commercials within a television show: a soft drink can in front of an American Idol judge, a bag of chips offered to a starving Survivor contestant. [More]

More are suffering gastric bleeding from pain drugs *
The popularity of a new generation of painkillers has led to a sharp increase in the number of people suffering from bleeding ulcers, according to a new study. [More]

More EI, more bundles of joy *
Canadian birth increase reverses 10-year trend, coincides with improved benefits [More]

Murder rate lowest since 1967 *
Canada's murder rate dropped last year to lows not seen since the year Expo '67 gripped the country's imagination, says a new study of the country's crime rate. [More]

My Canada includes ... *
Today, members of Parliament will vote on a Canadian Alliance motion to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples only. At stake is more than whether same-sex couples have the right to celebrate their relationships through marriage. At stake are the very values that define us as Canadians. [More]

My life as a waitress *
At its best, it was like a newspaper at deadline time, when the work builds and builds until all hell breaks loose [More]

National health council eagerly sought, poll finds *
The federal government should ignore the concerns of some provinces and create a national health council right away, according to a strong majority of Canadians in a recent poll. [More]

Native-only salmon fisheries cancelled *
Government halts West Coast program after court decides it is discriminatory [More]

New research project on innovation: Keep great ideas flowing *
Some companies still see innovation as a threat. But the Conference Board of Canada warns that squelching creativity is bad for the bottom line, VIRGINIA GALT writes [More]

No way except understanding *
The first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, SHIRIN EBADI says justice is valued by Islam but not by patriarchies. [More]

Nothing to fear but fear itself *
A vote to permit stem-cell research is a vote to alleviate suffering, says former MP REGINALD STACKHOUSE [More]

Number of divorces declining: Statscan *
Although fewer Canadians are getting divorced, a new report by Statistics Canada shows, the first few years remain the riskiest. [More]

Nutritional supplements slow aging of brain *
A study published in the December 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found a correlation between nutritional supplement use and improved cognition later in life. Cognition is the mental process of thought, including perception, reasoning, intuition and memory. [More]

Obesity to top smoking as No. 1 killer in U.S.: study *
More Americans soon will be dying of obesity than from smoking if current trends persist, which would make being fat the nation's No. 1 cause of preventable death, the government says. [More]

On the Iraq war, we made a declaration of national integrity *
Words such as "epic" or "vindication" don't readily fit into the Canadian context. But the two years since 9/11 have constituted a landmark period in Canada-U.S. relations, and the decision on whether to go to war was about as epic as Canadian decisions get. [More]

On-line sales up 40 per cent in 2003 *
On-line sales in Canada surged 40 per cent last year, fuelled by the increasing prevalence of high-speed Internet access, Statistics Canada said Friday. [More]

One man, several women *
As Canada debates what should constitute a legal and natural marriage, researchers in Italy and Switzerland have thrown a historical spanner into the nuptial works. [More]

One more reason for a bedtime story *
Whether they realize it or not, most Canadian parents are already playing a crucial role in helping their children learn to read, judging from the results of a survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid for Fisher-Price. Ninety-five per cent of parents with children 12 and under read to them on a regular basis -- an activity many literacy experts say helps to boost literacy skills, particularly during a child's preschool years. [More]

Only humanity can stop progress *
No matter what our technological gains, people will still behave like people, JACK KAPICA says [More]

Ottawa fears revolt on embryo legislation *
Senior government officials are growing increasingly fearful of a back-bench uprising that threatens to scuttle a long-awaited bill regulating the controversial use of human embryos for medical research [More]

Ottawa warns of suicide risk for teens on anti-depressants *
Mounting concerns over the safety of prescribing a new generation of anti-depressants to children and teenagers has prompted Health Canada to issue a rare public warning to reconsider their use because the popular drugs may actually increase the risk of suicide. [More]

Overhead, so what? Medicare needs competition *
Last Thursday, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article stating that administrative costs of health care in the United States are higher than those in Canada: $1,059 (U.S.) in the United States versus $307 (U.S.) in Canada. [More]

Overseas visits to Canada plunge *
Growing concerns over Iraq, SARS and an increase in the value of the dollar cited. [More]

Parched Britain out of beer *
Demand soars amid record temperatures in land unaccustomed to extreme weather [More]

Picky eaters may be raised, not born, study shows *
Before parents chalk up their children's refusal to eat broccoli and liver to simple childhood petulance, they may want to blame the kind of baby formula they used or what Mom ate while breast-feeding. [More]

Playing to the Idols *
Sure it's hokey, staged and fodder for screaming tween-agers. But at a taping of Canadian Idol, JOHANNA SCHNELLER also discovers something positive [More]

Pneumonia patients at risk years later: study *
People who survive pneumonia have a markedly greater chance of dying in the three years following their complete recovery, researchers have found. [More]

Poll of media preference from recent Globe and Mail edition *
Interesting, n'est-ce pas? [More]

Prescription for stress: Take time to smell the dollars *
A Statistics Canada study on job stress, reported last week in the journal Canadian Social Trends, ought to rivet the attention of Canadian economic and political leaders. [More]

Priority shift: motivation over cost-cutting *
Canadian companies are shifting their priority from cost-cutting to finding ways to retain and motivate their employees, according to a new survey. [More]

Private broadcasters enjoy blockbuster year in '03 *
A robust economy, strong advertising rates and a spate of cheap reality programming helped make 2003 a blockbuster for private broadcasters. [More]

Private power versus the public good *
The recent power-grid failure, which caused billions of dollars of losses and lots of anguish on both sides of the border, had multiple causes. [More]

Psychological effects of SARS strong, study says *
While 42 Canadians have died of SARS since March, countless more continue to feel the psychological effects of the new pneumonia-like disease. [More]

Public radio sees boost in listeners *
A Statistics Canada report released Thursday shows the number of listeners who tuned into both French and English CBC radio stations has steadily increased over the past five years. [More]

Quebec Language Laws: Attack of the tongue troopers *
Bill McCleary's battle with Quebec's language police began in 1998. An inspector paid a visit to his Petro-Canada station in Shawville and didn't like what she saw. [More]

Queer Power: Makeover or takeover? *
On TV's newest reality shows, straight men are flirting with gays, and gay men are telling straight guys how to dress for success. Is this as radical as it sounds, asks KAMAL AL-SOLAYLEE - or a belated nod to the power of queers to shape straight culture? [More]

Radiation for breast cancer not always best *
Older women who had smaller tumours benefit just as much from the drug tamoxifen alone, studies find. [More]

Repetitive strains break down our bodies *
Here is a litmus test for anyone over the age of say, 30. At any social or professional gathering, announce you have this horrible neck/shoulder/back ache that just won't go away. [More]

Reporter fabricated stories, USA Today finds *
USA Today has found that former star foreign correspondent Jack Kelley made up substantial portions of at least eight stories and plagiarized numerous quotes and other material from competing publications. [More]

Research debunks ideas on life support *
Conventional wisdom has it that a patient's age, severity of illness and the amount of organ damage are the key factors to be considered when decisions are made in hospitals to withdraw life support [More]

Research pans tomato extract *
Better eat the whole tomato. New research suggests that men who take a tomato extract called lycopene to ward off prostate cancer would be better off eating the entire fruit -- or even pizza with tomato sauce. [More]

Respect your elders . . . or else *
Something's happening here. With baby boomers becoming senior citizens, our very ideas about old age must change, says REGINALD STACKHOUSE [More]

Richard Grasso's retirement package: What, no gold watch? *
We always knew the pay was a little juicier in the Big Apple. It's the centre of the financial universe, right? Besides, how else could anyone afford the rents? [More]

Romanow: the prognosis (Romanow comments) *
Our leaders can't go wrong by acting on Canadians' No. 1 priority, says ROY ROMANOW. [More]

Rural areas embracing Internet *
Use of the Internet in rural communities has increased, but still lags that of city dwellers and suburbanites, according to a new survey. [More]

Same-sex solitudes *
Young Canadians support same-sex marriage but don't vote. Older folk tend to oppose it, and do vote. What's an MP to do? asks public opinion analyst MATTHEW MENDELSOHN [More]

Saying no to zero tolerance *
Educators are saying goodbye to 'one-size-fits-all' discipline, reports STEPHEN COLE. Instead of being expelled, students who bring toy guns to school this fall may face the prospect of delivering a public apology -- or dealing with a jury of their peers [More]

Schizophrenia linked to flu, study shows *
A new study adds more evidence to a body of research that suggests the children of some women who get the flu while pregnant are at higher risk of developing schizophrenia. [More]

Scientist wants the skinny on why Newfoundlanders are fat *
Could Canada's chubbiest province be harbouring the secret to weight loss? [More]

Scientists want to peer inside teenagers' brains *
Study hopes scans may help explain emotional swings -- even rebellion [More]

Seattle voters reject espresso tax *
Voters in this caffeine capital have rejected a proposed 10-cent tax on espresso drinks after the initiative jolted an otherwise sleepy, off-year primary with a double shot of controversy. [More]

Sees all, knows all: Is it God or Google? *
A few weeks ago The New York Times printed a column with the tingling headline: "Is Google God?" Google is, of course, the Internet search engine, and god is, of course . . . well, what constitutes a deity turned out to be one of the interesting issues of the debate that followed publication. [More]

Selenium and colorectal cancer risk *
A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute has found that selenium intake may be related to a decreased risk of colorectal cancer. [More]

Sense of alienation sweeps the West *
The federal government was told Western alienation had reached disturbing levels just after Canada ratified the Kyoto protocol, with almost a quarter of one Prairie province saying it wouldn't care if they joined the United States. [More]

Sex on a Zamboni? *
If you've ever dreamed about scoring on an ice-cleaning machine, you're not alone, MURRAY CAMPBELL discovers in his annual statistical portrait of Canadians. But if you're looking for someone to indulge your fantasy, try east of the Rockies. Apparently, British Columbians already have enough fun in their lives. [More]

Sex-offender treatment queried *
Jail programs had little effect on whether freed inmates re-offended, new study shows. [More]

Sexual lyrics linked to sexual activity? Is this for real? *
We all know statistics can be bent to support any thesis, so take this report with a grain of salt. Or even a PILLAR of salt. [More]

Shopping Habits of Canadians Revealed *
Results from a recent survey provide revealing insights into the shopping habits of Canadians. [More]

Short means more *
If you want to cut down on your drinking, maybe all you have to do is change the shape of your glass. This bit of counterintuitive advice flows from soon-to-be-published perceptual research conducted by Brian Wansink and Koert Van Ittersum of the University of Illinois. [More]

Should retirement be mandatory? *
No, says REGINALD STACKHOUSE. Mandatory retirement is just an outdated form of legalized age discrimination. It makes no sense. [More]

Sleep deprivation leaves teens prone to depression, study says *
Sleep deprivation can compromise learning, affect memory and cause irritability among schoolchildren. [More]

Smokers get hooked quickly, study says *
Those first few drags may be the deadliest: Nicotine is such a powerful drug that teenagers can become addicted to it after smoking just one or two cigarettes, according to a groundbreaking study. [More]

Social gap between Canada, U.S. regional, pollster says *
Northern states share more values with provinces than with South... [More]

SOCIAL STUDIES -- Thursday, August 28, 2003 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON [More]

SOCIAL STUDIES -- Thursday, September 18, 2003 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON [More]

SOCIAL STUDIES -- Wednesday, November 19, 2003 *
A DAILY MISECELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON [More]

SOCIAL STUDIES -- Wednesday, September 17, 2003 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON [More]

Some people are really predisposed to being overweight *
Being a couch potato may have less to do with having a slow metabolism than it does with a genetic predisposition for sloth, a new study suggests. [More]

Spiritual Architecture: Part one -- A winning essay of light *
A Toronto architect's design for a Baha'i temple illustrates the challenges of creating places of worship, writes LISA ROCHON [More]

Spiritual Architecture: Part two -- House of the spirits *
In part two of her series on spiritual architecture, LISA ROCHON examines how the St. Clair Mausoleum at Toronto's Prospect Cemetery provides space for the living to ponder their own mortality [More]

Spoken Here...Last words? *
Only 30 people speak fluent Mohawk, but Manx is making a slow comeback. Montreal writer Mark Abley has travelled the world in search of the human stories behind dying languages, RAY CONLOGUE writes. [More]

Star Wars missile shield technology: It won't fly, but it can bite *
The Pentagon secretly admits that a missile shield isn't feasible, but that doesn't diminish NMD's power to back us into a corner, says MP JOHN GODFREY [More]

Statistics Canada planning to collect blood, urine samples from Canadians *
The next time a Statistics Canada pollster knocks at the door he may be out for blood (. . . We think we'll just send them some now.) [More]

Statscan says that high-tech gadgets tempt consumers *
Canadian consumers in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia (where online purchasing is also highest) spent more than the national average. [More]

Stress linked to obesity in school-age children *
British researchers have found a new explanation for soaring childhood obesity rates: stress. [More]

Study challenges video-gamer stereotype *
Roughly two-thirds of college students play video games, but the image of a nerdy guy who spends all day in a dimly lit room blowing up computer-generated bad guys is off base, according to a new study. [More]

Study explains disease, dementia link *
Canadian scientists have discovered why people infected with AIDS lose their memories and co-ordination, according to a new study that also outlines a promising way to prevent those signs of dementia. [More]

Study finds most of us eat too much salt *
More than 90 per cent of Canadian men and 50 per cent of Canadian women consume more salt daily than the "tolerable upper limit" for good health, a new study shows. [More]

Study links extra pounds to more disease *
It has long been known that being fat is unhealthy. But a new study shows that extra pounds can significantly increase the risk of dozens of conditions. [More]

Study links obesity levels in parents and children *
But genetics not as dominant a factor as imitation of poor lifestyle choices. [More]

Study shows pandemic path a bird flu can take *
Killer of millions in 1918 was able to make human-to-human infection leap. [More]

Study slams anti-depressant research *
Report finds 'disturbing shortcomings' in earlier trials on drugs for kids. [More]

Superbug gaining on antibiotics *
Deaths in Britain from an increasingly drug-resistant superbug are 15 times higher than they were a decade ago, according to new figures released Thursday. [More]

Support where it's needed *
We hurl complaints at public schools and starve them for cash. Yet they work well -- and they're crucial to our future, says sociologist CHARLES UNGERLEIDER [More]

Surfers beware: surveillance ahead *
Bell Sympatico says Federal government expected to revive Internet monitoring bill -- e-mail privacy at issue. [More]

Survey finds men struggling with efforts to 'do it all' *
Women's Executive Network has long chronicled how tough it is for women to "do it all." This year, it decided to ask men how they are coping... [More]

Survey says: Canadians want their TVs to do more *
A survey released today by HP and Ipsos Reid suggests that Canadians are ready to embrace big-screen TVs that will access everything from TV shows and movies to music, digital photos, and games, right from the comfort of the couch. [More]

Survey: iPods more popular than beer *
. . .according to the latest biannual market research study by Ridgewood, N.J.-based Student Monitor. [More]

Teen girls more prone to depression, study says *
One in four older teenage girls will suffer at least one major depressive episode within the next four years and there is a strong correlation between depression and smoking, a new study by researchers at the University of Alberta has found. [More]

Teens showing signs of heart disease *
Overweight has become the new normal, study of Scouts and Guides suggests. [More]

Terrorist arrests: The arguments made in protection's name *
Democracies put an enormous value on fundamental freedoms, yet those very freedoms may make them vulnerable to attack. The difficulty is to protect a free society without undermining it in the process. [More]

The blood doesn't wash off *
Any U.S. or Canadian official who sends a person to another country to be tortured is guilty of a major criminal offence and liable for damages, says American jurist MORTON SKLAR. [More]

The Body Within: The Body Without *
Activists say transgendered people could be the 'new gays,' poised to win human-rights battles and mainstream acceptance in Canada, writes JANE ARMSTRONG. But as they fight for recognition, they're also grappling with a fundamental question: Can a person's gender really change with the help of a surgeon's scalpel? [More]

The Broadcast Act needs teeth *
Canadians want a more effective national broadcast system, says heritage committee chairman CLIFFORD LINCOLN [More]

The fat and the furious *
Fatness is a small yet virulent item in the news lately: as a subject of discussion, it is germane to the lives of civilians and stars, many of whom are, or have been similarly afflicted. [More]

The fourth world war *
For two years, the U.S. has pursued the culprits behind the 9/11 atrocities with a vengeance that has shocked and awed ally and enemy alike. But even the devastating attacks on the Afghan and Iraqi regimes don't illustrate the true scope of the campaign, DOUG SAUNDERS reports. While everyone was preoccupied with the fireworks, Washington has quietly deployed thousands of agents in a secretive struggle that may last a lifetime [More]

The Free-WiFi debate (9): The most WiFi-friendly cities in America *
When it comes to high speed wireless connections, which big cities are the best? [More]

The government can still make amends to our disabled vets *
As the world commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, Canada's war veterans are once again outraged at the failure of our government to honour their contribution. [More]

The human condition hurts: We'd be fools not to better it *
If we can cure disease and slow down aging, it would be unethical not to, says transhumanist JAMES HUGHES. [More]

The little network that could, and did *
It may be located on the nosebleed end of the dial, but native broadcaster APTN's delivery of a nightly newscast has boosted its numbers and its reputation, GRAEME SMITH writes [More]

The Muslim refusenik *
Meet the young Canadian who wants to prove that Islam and her Western ways are compatible [More]

The need for snarks and other literary beasts *
Martin Amis's new novel Yellow Dog is now available in Canadian bookstores, so you can judge for yourself whether it's as embarrassing as catching your favourite uncle masturbating in the school yard, to paraphrase one British writer, or a fairly successful piece of Swiftian satire, as it seemed to the reviewer who, with the dignified restraint so common among Canadian literary critics, evaluated it in these pages Saturday. [More]

The New Class Struggle *
Forget Marx: Now shareholders, including workers' pension funds, are at war with managerial talent, say ROGER MARTIN and MINHEA MOLDOVEANU [More]

The numbers show we're a nation of big, fat liars *
Canada might be a much fatter and fib-prone nation than anyone ever realized. New research suggests that more than two-thirds of Canadians are overweight, not less than half, as commonly reported. [More]

The Rime of the Beleaguered Columnist *
As my lines of communication with the outside world fall away, one by one, the problem I face is trying to decide whether this is a good thing. It's possible that complete ignorance of everything that happens beyond the confines of my own body is a healthy alternative to subscribing to cable television, reading Toro and listening to drive-home radio shows. You never know. [More]

The soup that sparked a shark hunt and gang war *
An ancient luxury, fin that gives good 'face' now a must at wedding banquets, business dinners in Asia [More]

The Tyee & media story from the Seattle PI: Who really speaks freely? *
This story -- an analysis of how Vancouver's media differ from newspapers and radio in the U.S. -- originally ran on Monday, May 16, 2005 in the Seattle P.I. [More]

The Word, unheeded *
Religious leaders may tell us what to do, but for more than a century, Canadians -- unlike our U.S. neighbours -- have been choosing whether to listen, or not, says pollster MICHAEL ADAMS [More]

There's been a huge shift in how consumers spend *
What we spend as consumers is important for the economy just because we spend so much, but we rarely notice how our spending changes over the years as we buy less of this -- in relative terms -- and more of that. [More]

These little piggies like deficits *
The Bush administration faces a record deficit, says JIM STANFORD, but the word on the street is: Calm down, the rich are happy [More]

Three-bean salad with artichokes, anyone? *
Beans, artichokes and russet potatoes have more disease-fighting antioxidants than other vegetables, a new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found. The study is being described as the most complete and accurate yet on antioxidants in foods. [More]

To be or not to be? That is the cliché *
In the wake of Spalding Gray's sudden disappearance, REBECCA CALDWELL examines the notion of the tormented writer. [More]

Today, we shop... *
Armed with cards, cash and gift lists, Canadians are expected to tackle their last-minute Christmas shopping in droves Tuesday. [More]

Tom Cruise promotes War of Words (without ever mentioning War of Worlds) *
Scientologist says psychiatric drugs are unnecessary; doctors counter by describing worried calls from patients. [More]

Too much police time going to pot? *
The federal government's plan to decriminalize pot possession would free up millions of dollars and thousands of police hours, the latest statistics suggest. [More]

Trailer trash: Oh FKUC -- The Boys are back *
The air may be thick with obscenities, but that hasn't stopped fans of TV's Trailer Park Boys, on both sides of the border, from making it a cult hit, SHAWNA RICHER writes. [More]

Trouble in the centrefold *
With Penthouse on its deathbed and Playboy possibly giving up nudity, the male rite of passage that was the dirty glossy magazine may not outlive Hugh Hefner. MICHAEL VALPY finds out what happened [More]

Tuning in, reaching out top driving distractions *
Even when they knew cameras were watching, drivers in a study were caught in all manner of distracting activities, from applying eye makeup to opening and reading their mail. Almost all drivers are distracted at one time or another, the study released yesterday concluded. [More]

TV linked to attention problems. . .huh? *
Here's some news that will make parents think twice before using the television as a babysitter: A new study has found that the more time preschoolers spend in front of the tube, the greater their risk of having attention problems by school age. [More]

TV worse than chocolate for fat kids *
Children who watch more than three hours of television a day are 50 per cent more likely to be obese than kids who watch fewer than two hours, according to new Canadian research to be published Thursday in the International Journal of Obesity. [More]

U of Saskatchewan chooses not to use Internet plagiarism service *
If University of Saskatchewan students believe the institution's reluctance to sign on to an Internet plagiarism service means they will get a free ride, their toughest lesson will come Friday. [More]

U.S. Internet Population Breaks the 150 Million Mark *
comScore: U.S. Internet Population Breaks 150 Million Mark; 50 top U.S. internet properties announced for Sept. 2003 [More]

Urban sprawl, middle-age spread *
People who live within walking distance of shops weigh an average of 10 pounds less than suburban dwellers, a new study finds. [More]

Vancouver 2010 selects traditional Inuit design *
A design representing a traditional Inuit directional marker which steers people away from danger and symbolizes the hospitality of a country was unveiled Saturday night as the official logo for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. [More]

Vancouver injection clinic opens for addicts *
With the kind of hype normally reserved for a Hollywood movie premiere, Vancouver has opened North America's first legal shooting gallery for drug addicts. [More]

Violent Youth: We need not yield to them *
Some U.S. cities have made great strides in dealing with violent kids. But for starters, adults must act, says Harvard's DAVID KENNEDY [More]

Visible minority women most likely out of work: study *
Foreign-born visible minority women were the only group of working-age women to experience decreased employment rates between 1981 and 2001, a new study says. [More]

Vitamins improve a healthy diet *
We're told repeatedly that eating a variety of foods from the four food groups will give us the vitamins and minerals we need to stay healthy. The reality is that many Canadians fall short when it comes to getting what's recommended. [More]

Waiting makes us sicker, patients say *
Waiting too long for treatment can make patients sicker and more anxious, according to new research conducted on behalf of the Canadian Medical Association. [More]

Wanna bet? Odds are, we're all responsible *
Who's to blame when gamblers get into trouble? The onus is on the individual, but governments and the industry must play a part, says JON KELLY [More]

Wee nightcap may scare sandman away *
A new Canadian study suggests downing a few bedtime nightcaps can trigger more tossing and turning than blissful repose. [More]

Wente: In praise of the banal *
Okay, I confess. I loved Canadian Idol. I adored every sappy, hokey, bloated minute of it. So what if hardly any of the contestants could carry a tune in a shopping bag? The kids had heart. For a few brief, glorious moments, they got to be more famous, more glamorous and more bathed in adoration than they ever will be again in their entire lives. So what's not to love? [More]

Wente: Unplugged and unprepared *
It was a perfect power outage -- high summer, a full moon, a city half-empty anyway. Oh yes, it was magical, and we all behaved so decently. The radio the next day was full of warm tales of people coming together, sharing and connected. That was nice. But it was the wrong lesson. [More]

What a TOOL, eh? The sad, sorry life of Canadian Tire Guy *
One of the most-hated ad spokespeople on television is surely actor Ted Simonett -- the know-it-all Canadian Tire Guy. [More]

What do you really want for Christmas? *
If the archetypal gift is Christ becoming human in order to secure our salvation, perhaps giving is enough to make us worthy, no matter what the gift? [More]

What is it with so many children today? *
What is it with so many children today? Sullen and surly, they ignore their elders and live to be with their peers. Two Vancouver specialists have a theory, but grownups won't like it, ALANNA MITCHELL reports. They believe the parental bond is being broken, with harrowing results. [More]

What is wrong with the girls of Melfort? *
Teenagers in this Prairie community say young males have nothing on the females when it comes to fistfights, 'swarming' and other physical violence. Some authorities are angry that social workers are studying the problem, but these small-town kids may be just the extreme of a national trend, reports GRAEME SMITH. [More]

Why a high fever can be good for baby *
Few things are more frightening to new parents than to see their baby burning up from a high fever. But a new study suggests a few bouts of fever at a very young age can ensure better health later in childhood. [More]

Why millions idolize a guy named Ryan *
So maybe you thought it was silly: the schmaltzy songs that inspired stalkers, the fierce hometown rivalries that fuelled billboards and commemorative calendar days, the frenzied -- yet organized -- voting that politicians wish they could harness, the quasi-famous host who infamously dropped his pants. [More]

Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out (press release) *** 1/2
New book asks: 'For how long will Americans tolerate these Islamic incursions into everyday life?' [More]

William Gibson's Pattern Recognition (Shaviro review) **** 1/2
William Gibson's new novel Pattern Recognition (which I have finally finished reading) is very likely the first work of literature to use "Google" as a verb (as in: "If you Google him, you'll find...). What's important, however, is not that Gibson is savvy enough to note how everyone's favourite search engine has entered the vocabulary, but rather the absolute ordinariness, or taken-for-grantedness, of this usage: it's a detail, precisely, that doesn't stand out in any way in the novel. And that is what makes it significant... [More]

Wipe that silly grin off your official face *
In response to public concern about our new "No smiling" ruling for passport photos (okay, people smiling too much on their passport photos wasn't really a big problem to begin with, we admit, but since Canadians are rarely seen smiling in public, we're not sure what the fuss is all about), we at the Canada Passport Office are pleased to announce some minor -- but yet significant -- amendments to our policies... [More]

Work eats into lunch time for employees in Britain *
One in five workers in Britain never takes a lunch break, according to a new survey by business caterer Eurest, part of Compass Group PLC. [More]

WORKPLACE ETHICS 101 -- July 30, 2003 *
Every day, people are faced with moral dilemmas at work. Now, here's a chance to put your two cents into the ethical pot. Each week, one respondent will be chosen to receive a Millennium Edition of Scruples, the game of moral dilemmas. [More]

WORKPLACE ETHICS 101 -- Wednesday, August 11, 2004 *
This week's question. . . [More]

WORKPLACE ETHICS 101 -- Wednesday, June 16, 2004 *
Every day, people are faced with moral dilemmas at work. Now, here's a chance to put your two cents into the ethical pot. [More]

WORKPLACE ETHICS 101 -- Wednesday, June 2, 2004 *
Every day, people are faced with moral dilemmas at work. Now, here's a chance to put your two cents into the ethical pot. [More]

WORKPLACE ETHICS 101 -- Wednesday, October 29, 2003 *
Every day, people are faced with moral dilemmas at work. Now, here's a chance to put your two cents into the ethical pot. Each week, one respondent will be chosen to receive a Millennium Edition of Scruples, the game of moral dilemmas. [More]

www.cheaters.com *
What's the latest craze on the Internet? Infidelity, reports REBECCA CALDWELL [More]

Secondary Sites:
1939 the best-ever year for film: British survey *
British filmgoers consider 1939 -- the year of Gone With the Wind, Wuthering Heights and The Wizard of Oz -- as the greatest year in Hollywood history, according to an Internet survey. [More]

64 per cent of Canadians used Internet over one-month period: poll *
About two-thirds of Canadians surfed the Internet at least once during a one-month period earlier this year, an opinion poll suggests. [More]

9/11 report slams CIA, FBI *
Despite spending billions of dollars, U.S. intelligence agencies remain so crippled by bureaucracy and poor communications that they lost their best chance of stopping the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks because the CIA failed to tell the FBI that two men under observation were suspected terrorists. [More]

A new generation of couch potatoes *
Preschoolers getting only fraction of exercise needed, report finds, putting them at risk of adult obesity. [More]

After vacation, refreshed but anxious about return *
More than half of Canadians return from vacation feeling refreshed and ready to work -- but one-third return "relaxed, but not looking forward to going back to work," according to a new survey by the polling firm Ipsos-Reid. [More]

An unexpected nominee: George W. Bush *
When The Globe and Mail invited readers last week to e-mail us the names of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the fabric of the nation, few expected the Texas Republican to receive such wide support...that's right, U.S. President George W. Bush as Canada's Nation Builder for 2003. [More]

Anita Kunz: Drawing satirical conclusions *
Canadian illustrator Anita Kunz, being honoured with a Library of Congress exhibit, talks to SARAH MILROY about the change in climate artists are facing in the U.S. [More]

Arts programs suffer as business gets funds *
The humanities and social science programs at Ontario universities are losing funding dollars to their counterparts in engineering and business as private companies gain more influence on where new money is directed, a new study shows. [More]

Ask the Bargain Shopper: Generic items that will NOT really save you money -- and brand names that will *
Most folks know that buying store-brand products (also known as private-label brands) is a great way to cut costs. But despite the lower prices, not all generics will save you money. [More]

Baby boom meets baby bust *
Just as there are more postsecondary students than ever, says demographer DAVID FOOT, we're facing a shortage of professors [More]

Beauty and the beast *
Margo Wilson is not much in love with how the media have portrayed research she and husband Martin Daly recently reported. [More]

Blow the whistle, if you dare *
If you knew your boss was doing something unethical, would you tell someone more senior? Let's be honest. It's a safe bet that most of the people reading this have witnessed unethical behaviour where they work. Someone using company supplies for personal profit, perhaps, or someone working on a private project on company time. [More]

Breast-cancer risk may rise with use of antidepressants *
Taking antidepressant drugs could lead to a "modest" increase in the risk of developing breast cancer, a Canadian study suggests. [More]

Bruce McCall: The cartographer of woe *
Bruce McCall has some rules for being a successful humorist, JESSICA JOHNSON writes. Be an outsider, drop out of school and don't get your hopes up. [More]

Caesareans linked to stillbirth next time around *
A massive study in Britain has found that women who have had a Caesarean section run double the risk of a late-term stillbirth on their next pregnancy. [More]

Canada's drug policies 'parasitic,' U.S. says *
Interview with FDA head sparks debate on issue of reliance on American research [More]

Canada's kidding itself *
Whatever Stéphane Dion says, Canada shows little talent for dealing with separatist threats, says WILLIAM JOHNSON. [More]

Canadian consumers fall off online shopping radar *
When it comes to snapping up a kettle or a cardigan, Canadians have been slow to embrace virtual shopping. [More]

Canadian election coverage, 2006 *
Looking for a quick guide? All the polls? Handy links, right here. . . [More]

Canadian Forces targeting medical students *
Cash bonuses offered in effort to combat shortage of military doctors. [More]

Canadian lung transplants double in a decade *
The number of lung transplants in Canada have doubled since the first patients underwent the then-risky surgery in the 1980s, and recipients are surviving longer afterwards, a new study shows. [More]

Carny World: Hey mark, put down your toonie *
Rarely do people look behind the whirring and clanging colour-saturated booths and notice the 427 trailers parked behind the rides, trailers housing the 300 core carnival workers who have been on the road working the southern United States since January and opened the Canadian tour in Thunder Bay in June. [More]

Celebrity candidates a tradition *
In California, especially, showbiz figures have often crossed over into politics [More]

Cheap getaways: (In the) Bargain basement *
It's vacation time. Draw the curtains, douse the lights, make sure the door is locked -- and then sneak down to the cellar. [More]

CN: I am (not) 'Canadian' *
Canadian National Railway Co. has removed the word "Canadian" from everyday company use, prompting NDP house leader Bill Blaikie to charge that a national institution is trying to separate itself from its history. [More]

Confidential drug survey to get 'inside scoop' from Vancouver youth *
Vancouver Coastal Health's innovative approach encourages open, honest participation -- plus a $20 gift card for Future Shop, London Drugs or Famous Players offered as incentive for participation. [More]

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time: A barnacle on the side of Darwin studies *
If Sherlock Holmes were a 15-year-old autistic kid in Swindon, could he overcome his fear of strangers to investigate the death of a neighbourhood poodle? Could chaos theory and prime numbers help him do it? And if he uncovered a dangerous deception, how would he survive? [More]

Dear Santa: I hope you're rich *
Cellphones, BlackBerries, DVD players, computers . . . Kids' holiday wish lists leave parents wondering whatever happened to Matchbox cars and Mr. Potato Head. As they ponder just how much to indulge their children, many face a nagging worry: If Jacob and Madison don't get the latest Game Boy, will they still get invited to the cool kids' birthday parties? ERIN ANDERSSEN reports. [More]

Democracy deficit on the block *
Backroom deals, secret trials, rigged contracts, abuse of taxpayer dollars. Canadians are fed up. They are demanding accountability from governments and they expect the media to help hold governments to their promises. [More]

Drop in childhood cancer linked to folic-acid intake *
Adding folic acid to processed foods results in a 60-per-cent reduction in the incidence of neuroblastoma, a deadly childhood cancer, a Canadian study says. [More]

Drug tests favour sponsor's product, study says *
Drug testing funded by the pharmaceutical industry is four times more likely to show results favouring the sponsor's product than publicly funded research, a new report has found. [More]

Editorial: Bad Telephone Manners and what we can do about them *
The answer is clearly. . .speak up! [More]

Empire Lite: Living with the big guy *
The U.S. is morphing from republic into empire -- at some cost to its own democracy. But it will only crush Canada if we let it, says political scientist JAMES LAXER [More]

England's tribal rivalry with Germany takes centre stage ahead of World Cup *
In the tribal universe of international soccer, Germany has long been the country that England loves to hate. [More]

Ex-general enters U.S. presidential race *
Retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark entered a crowded and wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday. [More]

Exercise lowers risk of breast cancer: study *
Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking 30 minutes a day, can reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by almost 20 per cent, according to new research [More]

Facts say bodychecks, not pucks, harming young hockey players *
Nearly two in three serious injuries suffered by young hockey players are the result of bodychecks -- far more than the combination of stick and puck injuries, data from Ontario hospital emergency rooms suggest. [More]

Farmed salmon are laced with toxins, study finds *
Farm-raised Atlantic salmon, one of the world's most popular health foods, are so laced with PCBs and other pollutants that they should be eaten only infrequently because they pose an increased risk of cancer, a new study contends in the prestigious journal Science. [More]

Fear of new diseases runs high, poll finds *
Half of Canadians -- 49 per cent -- expect the country will face an increase in infectious diseases in the years to come, suggests a new opinion poll. [More]

Fewer Canadians lighting up *
Far fewer Canadians smoke today than a decade ago, and the biggest decline is occurring among teens, a new Statistics Canada says. [More]