Franci Cohen, Certified Nutritionist

With Victoria Day almost past and Memorial Day weekend on its way, food no doubt plays centre stage as you make plans with friends and family.  That is no reason to trade in our good food habits for bad (but it could be a reason to break in new good habits if you haven’t done so already).  Kick off the summer with these original and healthy recipes from certified nutritionist, Franci Cohen.

Healthy Mediterranean Potato Salad:

-        2 dozen small red potatoes (approx. 1 1/2 pounds)

-        4 T finely chopped dill

-        1 bunch finely chopped scallions

-        1 red onion, diced small

-        2-3 tsp cumin

-        juice & zest of 4-6 large fresh lemons (approx. 1/3 cup juice)

-        3 T kosher salt

-        2-3 T extra virgin olive oil

1. Boil potatoes in covered saucepan filled with water and 1 T kosher salt, and bring to a simmer.

2. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender but not too soft (about 10 minutes)

3. Remove potatoes from saucepan and put into a bowl of ice water, to shock potatoes and stop the cooking process.

4. Remove potatoes from ice water bath, and chop into big 2″ cubes.

5. Place cubed potatoes into large bowl.

6. To create the dressing, mix remaining ingredients together and whisk to incorporate all.

7. Pour dressing over potatoes

8. Mix well and serve

Colorful Fiesta Veggie Salad:

Salad ingredients:

-      1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

-      4 ears fresh corn on the cob, cooked and shucked

-      1 red onion, diced

-      2 jalapeño peppers, seeded & finely chopped

-      2 hass avocado, cubed

-      1 red bell pepper, finely diced

-      1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced

-      1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

-      2 cups mesculin greens

Dressing ingredients:

-      1/4 cup lowfat mayonnaise

-      1/4 cup water

-      2 T Dijon mustard

-      2 T balsamic vinegar

-      1 T finely minced thyme

-      salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all salad ingredients together

2. Whisk dressing ingredients together until well-incorporated.

3. Pour dressing on salad and serve on a bed of mesculin greens.

Yummy Fish Tacos with Slaw Salad:

Tacos:

-      1 pound mahi mahi or tilapia (this is more common and much cheaper), cut in quarters

-      1/4 cup canola oil

-      1 lime, juiced and zested

-      1 tablespoons ancho chili powder

-      1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

-      1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

-      8 6″ flour tortillas

Slaw Salad:

-      1cup shredded red cabbage.

-      1 cup shredded white cabbage.

-      1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

-      2 carrots, grated.

-      2 T fresh cilantro, finely chopped.

-      Juice and zest of 3 limes.

-      2 T red wine vinegar

Chipotle Cream Sauce:

-    1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or sour cream (strained in mesh cloth)

-     2 tablespoons lowfat mayonnaise

-    2 teaspoons chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce

1. Whisk together oil, lime juice and zest, ancho chili powder, & jalapeño to create fish marinade.

2. Arrange fish in single layer in a pyrex.

3. Pour fish marinade over fish, and let marinate for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the fish from the marinade, and place onto a hot grill.

5. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side, and then flip for 30 seconds and remove.

6. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.

7. Place the tortillas on the grill, and grill for 10-20 seconds on each side.

8. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with slaw and chipotle sauce

Bon Appetité!

Franci Cohen is a personal trainer, certified nutritionist, exercise physiologist and creator of SPIDERBANDS®, a total-body cardio resistance workout that leverages gravity and your bodyweight with other intense exercise modules such as rebounding, kickboxing and indoor cycling.  With over 18 years of experience, Franci has been a mainstay in the fitness and nutrition industries. Franci believes in a tough love approach to fitness and health.  “We all have our fitness wake-up call at some point in our lives and it can be a powerful catalyst for change,” says Franci. “Unfortunately, many people overcompensate and try to change everything at once, which is a disaster. Making lasting change involves going through stages that aren’t necessarily linear.  People fluctuate and transition between the stages. Knowing how to move through them can get you where you want to be.”

It was revealed last week that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) secretly subpoenaed and seized some phone records of the Associated Press (AP) as part of a leak investigation in 2012.  The DOJ claims that the leak put national security at risk.  What that risk was is not entirely clear.  There are reports that it may relate to an averted terror plot to blow up a US-bound plane. No matter what the specifics, the AP is outraged by the seizure of these phone records and perceives this as an intrusive attack on the press.

Understandably, most media outlets are discussing how this so-called “scandal” is affecting the Obama administration.  However, there is a bigger picture worth examining.

I believe in freedom of the press, but I also believe that with that freedom comes grave responsibility and accountability.  National security is a tricky business that – when shared too liberally – has the potential to put lives at risk.

Do we have the right to know what our government is doing?  YES.  However, if my knowing something puts someone else’s life in danger, do I really want to know?  It’s an inescapably tough question because that consequence should be too great.  So how do we stay informed and protect the lives of those who are trying to protect us?

There is no clear-cut answer.  It’s an ongoing balancing act between the needs of the government to protect us, the needs of the media to inform us, and our need to be informed and protected.  Government will tend to be more cautious because protecting the nation is their responsibility and they will be blamed if something goes wrong.  The media will tend to share stories openly because that is their job; keeping us informed.

This balancing act is fraught with problems for potential abuse, especially when personal gain becomes more important than moral sense.  Both government and the media can fall victim to this problem: government – when trying to hide embarrassing stories; and media – when they are more concerned with “being first” to break a story and share it without having all of the facts.

Ultimately, we need a free press to help keep government accountable.  But even so, with political bias in the media you can’t take anything at face-value.  A pet peeve of mine is reading news articles where almost every quote is from an anonymous source “not authorized to speak on behalf of the government.”  That is not responsible journalism…anybody can make anything up.  If I don’t know who said it, it’s not credible or confirmed.  Leaks are a form of manipulation; so please, don’t insult my intelligence.

In this particular case it’s easy to vilify the government and accuse them of going too far, but we need to remember that both sides must be held to account.

Did the DOJ over-reach its authority during its leak investigation and infringe upon the first amendment rights of the press?  And, did the press put lives in danger by publishing their story?  Short answer: it’s complicated.  But both of these questions need to be answered.

We as the public also have a responsibility.  We can’t ask the first question and simply ignore the second.  That would be irresponsible.

– Erin Drushel

New York, New York  – May 18, 2013 – A rare VOX guitar played by two legendary Beatles, John Lennon and George Harrison, has sold at Julien’s Auctions today during the annual Music Icons auction event held at the Hard Rock Café New York.  The rare offering of the VOX guitar played by both John Lennon and George Harrison has been the focus of extraordinary major global press as it made its way through several exhibitions prior to the auction.

The guitar was displayed at Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons in Ireland and also The Stafford Kempinski Hotel in London before coming to New York where it was on exhibit at the Hard Rock Café New York all this week. The striking custom guitar built by Mike Bennett and Dickey Denney was gifted to “Magic Alex” Mardas by John Lennon in 1967.  Harrison played the guitar while practicing “I am the Walrus” during The Magical Mystery Tour and by Lennon while recording a video session for “Hello, Goodbye.” The spectacular piece of Beatles history sold for $408,000.

When A Cheater Learns to Stop Cheating

I never once wanted to be a cheater.  But I was.  It made me feel small, horrible – and nearly suicidal.   Not suicidal in that I actually tried to commit suicide, but in a way that I no longer liked myself – and it showed in my careless actions.  I was reckless with my lifestyle choices, I hurt people left and right… Let’s be honest, if a semi truck hit me while ever-so-slightly crossing the yellow line – so what.  I deserved it I thought.

The more important question was – why did I cheat in the first place?  I threw away a marriage for a fling which meant nothing.  And if I had been a cheater once, would that mark me as always being a cheater?  Would I ever change my ways?

Years after the “big cheat” – I discovered that a cheater is not always a cheater.  My “actions” all those years ago were despicable.  Symptoms to a mistake I didn’t know how to correct.  I didn’t know how to press the “reset” button and start over. I wasn’t in love when I got married – and I was far too young to even know what being in love meant.  It merely seemed the right thing to do.  But for whom?

So instead of calling it off before it all began – finding myself and starting over, I took the much less-courageous approach – and cheated.  Perhaps hoping to be caught.  And I was.

Thing is – I never did it again.  I became the family disappointment – a disgrace.  And for a while, I believed that’s all I was.  But somewhere along the line, there was an acute character adjustment.  My interests became much greater.  I began to care about things that far exceeded myself and my immediate concerns.  I started to think of myself differently.

So to all those who would say, once a cheater, always a cheater, I say – meh.  It just isn’t so. 

Mistakes come with the territory of being less than perfect humans.

One of Issaac Newton’s Laws tells us that, “for every action there is an equal an opposite reaction.”  This natural ability to grow from our mistakes and misfortunes is what will eventually turn things around.  Forgive yourself and move on.  You’re not always what you once were.

– M. D’Agostino

When you have a pearl in your hand, you don’t show it quickly. You don’t give it away easily. The Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan goes against the cinematic grain of making pictures move quickly on the screen. He moves his pictures slowly. He unfolds a richly layered story over time where you slowly get to know the characters in full dimensionality. The film is a kind of detective story where you know the murderer, but you don’t know where he’s put the body. You experience what a feast is like in a village (the prodigal generosity), what a beautiful young woman does to the eyes and faces of old men (rejuvenation), how pettiness and quarrels seem native to every culture and how acts of consideration and kindness restore one’s faith in our blemished humanity.

2. Skyfall

See this one to hear Adele’s haunting song. See it for Judi Dench, one of England’s finest actresses. See it for a very human and very vulnerable James Bond – Daniel Craig. For too long Bond has been a kind of superhero, not quite Superman who can fly or Spiderman who can spin webs, but someone who always wins whatever fight he’s in, unscathed. This Bond bruises and bleeds, loses fights, gets confused, lost, disoriented. At times he’s not sure whom he’s fighting for. He knows that M would sacrifice him just as she has sacrificed other agents before him, including the cyber-terrorist Silva played by the best Bond villain ever – Javier Bardem. If you’re like my mother and enjoy action, a good storyline, superb acting and a great song, you can’t beat this Bond. Director Sam Mendes, a man of the theatre, knows how to lure an audience in and how to keep their attention.

3. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Britain has had a longtime love affair with India. Britain gave its ravished Bride cricket and the Bride offered its suitor curry, a lasting improvement to the island’s bland cuisine. This film features an A-Team of English actors including the Grand Ladies of theatre and screen, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, going to India to find new lives for themselves. One of the seekers, Graham, played by Tom Wilkinson, is a retired High-Court Judge, born in India, who needs (in all the many dimensions of that word) to find his lost lover. After a long journey, in one of the most beautiful depictions of gay love ever put on the screen, Graham falls into the arms of his Indian lover while the man’s wife approvingly watches from a distance. Each character in this charming and humorous tale comes to India for a different reason: to rediscover lost love, to find new love, to find a job, to escape the boredom of retirement and so on. At first The Promised Land doesn’t live up to its billing—the exotic Hotel in the postcard is nothing like the rundown building they’re asked to occupy. But as the young proprietor Sonny says, “Everything will be all right in the end…If it’s not all right, then it’s not yet the end.”

4. The Master

How the Academy overlooked this one defies reason and taste. It showcases two of the best male performances in recent years – Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell,a troubled WWII vet, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic founder of the religious movement called The Cause. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood), The Master explores the hynotic power of a cult (inspired by L. Ron Hubbard’s Scientology) based on past-life therapy. You’d think that anyone hearing the introduction of Dodd (Hoffman) would turn tail and run — “I am a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a theoretical philosopher. But above all, I am a man. A hopelessly inquisitive man – just like you.” – but that’s not what happens. Quell (Phoenix) becomes more and more entranced by his older and more successful friend. He becomes a believer, a True Believer who is willing to beat up anyone who doubts the Master. He buys into the idea that knots in our present can be unknotted by understanding our past traumas. Not to everyone’s taste, but this movie makes tension and intensity palpably visible in ways I’ve seldom seen on the screen.

By J.S. Porter

Erin Drushel

Miracles do happen.  And apparently, they happen in Cleveland.

On May 6th, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight – three young women who were kidnapped and missing for around ten years – were rescued from a Cleveland home.  An absolute miracle that they were discovered and that they were all found alive.

This is a time for celebration and a time for healing…so why is it being treated like a ‘reality show?’

For the past week local, national and international news sites have been saturated with this amazing story.  And although it is human nature to be curious, at what point does that curiosity become exploitation?

For starters, a ‘Today’ show host being in Cleveland to cover the story is not relevant news, it’s just bluster.  Yes, because of this story Cleveland is now the centre of the news universe; but do we really want to be?  Consider the gruesome back story that made this miracle not only possible, but necessary.  It’s not exactly something for which you want to be known.

And in true ‘reality show’ form, the media has highlighted the petty ‘need’ of some people to pick on others.  In the case of the emergency dispatcher who handled the call from Amanda Berry – despite all rules and procedures being followed, getting police dispatched and to the scene in less than two minutes – the dispatcher is under review.

There are two complaints associated with the call: (1) whether the dispatcher should have stayed on the line until police arrived; and (2) the seeming lack of compassion expressed by the dispatcher.

If all rules and procedures were followed, then the first complaint is already resolved.  If it’s later determined that all dispatchers must remain on the phone with all callers until whatever emergency service arrives, then that’s a systemic problem to be dealt with; although – likely in practice – completely unfeasible.  As for not sounding compassionate enough, that’s absurd.  Dispatchers have a critical job to do and don’t have time to have an emotional meltdown.  If this is simply an issue because some people complained on social media, then I think a little perspective is needed.  The dispatcher did her job, move on.

And finally, why are we talking about a made-for-TV movie within days of these women being rescued?  They were imprisoned and raped for ten years; I think they’ve been exploited quite enough.

It sickens me that this is even a thought.  ‘You’ve just gone through the most unimaginable suffering you could – so instead of privacy – we’re going to put your whole ordeal on display for everyone else to see.’  Some would argue bringing stories such as these to television helps to bring attention to important societal issues; I disagree.  We should be openly and actively discussing issues such as rape and kidnapping, not paying some Hollywood hack to make it into entertainment.  Whatever happened to dignity and respect?

I think we can all agree that these three women have been exploited enough by the very nature of how they had to survive for the last ten years.  It’s time for all of us to take a big step back and allow them the space and privacy they need.  These young women need time to nurse their wounds and try to find a sense of normalcy.

No one could do that under a leering microscope.  Real life is not a reality show.

– Erin Drushel

The scientific community is under attack.  The desire for political control over science and its findings threaten the integrity of the entire system.

The Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman, Lamar Smith (R-Texas), drafted legislation that would provide political oversight to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) peer review process for awarding research grants.  Smith contends that his draft legislation would “add a layer of accountability” to the publicly-supported body and ensure funding for important, original and ground-breaking research. I call it political meddling.

scientific method (n): principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.

Here’s the problem: scientific discovery doesn’t typically happen in a silo.  Unfortunately, funding is not infinite.  But, when you start picking and choosing what you fund based on political desirability, you run the risk of discounting an hypothesis which may seem insignificant – but when paired with another’s research – could be astonishingly ground-breaking.  It’s like producing a bunch of locks and dismissing the one person who makes the keys; simply because the keys are not politically “sexy.”

The political desire to ensure scientific results-based funding may seem an admirable one, but it is fraught with limitations and a potential for exploit that ultimately hurts the evolution of scientific discovery.  How does a politician, who knows nothing of science, define what has scientific merit?  Everybody wants, for example, a cure for cancer.  But by deeming someone’s research unimportant because it doesn’t seem necessary, could discount the key for unlocking that discovery.

There’s an excellent book called “Connections” by James Burke, which should be mandatory reading for every politician who is not a scientist.  “Connections” shows how scientific discovery evolves, and how seemingly random discoveries can later result in more relevant-to-society creations – one example being the air conditioner; particularly relevant with summer on the way.

Muzzling Scientists

Sadly, the increasing desire to control science and scientists is not exclusive to the US Congress.

In Canada, specifically under the federal government, scientists are allegedly not allowed to answer media questions without government clearance resulting in exceedingly prolonged delays in access to information on topics relevant to the public.  This “muzzling” situation has persisted enough that it has led to a formal investigation by the Information Commissioner.

Controlling the flow of government information to ensure everyone is on the same page is one thing.  But staunching the flow of facts, data and access to the people who understand both is beyond reasonable comprehension.

It makes you wonder (or at least it should) what the Canadian government is trying to hide.  Perhaps there are a few “inconvenient truths” they’re not sharing.  Maybe the facts are bad for business, so it’s better to muzzle those who know what they are talking about, while only allowing mouthpieces with talking points to comment.  This sounds like another case of political control trumping access to scientific realities.

Scapegoating Scientists

Although the aforementioned attacks on the scientific community are relatively subtle in scope, we don’t need to look too far back to find an example of the extreme.

In 2009, a massive earthquake ripped apart the Italian city of L’Aquila.  Tragically, 309 people died.  Prior to the devastating quake, scientists were asked to assess the situation and predict whether or not a massive quake was likely.  In their expert opinion, it was improbable, but couldn’t be ruled out.  Then tragedy struck.  The prediction was then used against the six scientists (and one other member of the Italian High Risk Commission) in court where they were charged and convicted of manslaughter.  Six months ago, those scientists started serving their six-year jail sentence.

Predictions in science are educated guesses.  Sometimes we guess wrong because Mother Nature has her own ideas.  The natural world will do whatever it wants despite human predictions; scientists do the best they can.  They are not gods.  However, the pain of this tragedy called for someone to be blamed and the scientists were assigned that blame.

This situation begs the question: who in their right mind would want to be a scientist if with every failed hypothesis you could go to jail?  It becomes a no-win situation.

In Retrospect

The short-sighted attempts to manipulate the scientific community cannot end well.

I get particularly annoyed when politicians tell us that they don’t really understand the significance of the data they are talking about; but then proceed to tell us – ‘authoritatively,’ that it’s bunk.

It doesn’t pay to be a scientist when too many people who don’t know anything, are in charge of everything.

– Erin Drushel

Last week began with the Boston Marathon bombings where three people were killed and more than 170 injured. That was followed by the intense pursuit of the alleged perpetrators, which left two more dead, including one of the suspects. While this was ongoing, poison-laced letters were intercepted en route to President Obama, a Congressman, and a judge. And then there was the life-shattering explosion of a fertilizer plant in Texas which left at least fourteen dead and a community devastated.

Death, threats and mayhem: separate events, but all linked by a shared pain. Simply put, it was a rough week…

Terrorism in Boston

As a Canadian now living in the U.S., my heart broke with the news of the Boston bombings…but no less than it did on 9/11. Canadians share America’s pain. We not only share it because we are neighbours and friends, but because we are human. These acts against humanity hurt us all.

It may be the case that the worst is over, but now that one of the suspects, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is in custody, it gets tougher. The tough part lies within the realities of the law. The crime was heinous and still unexplained, but no matter what our personal feelings are, if a conviction is sought I am concerned with how this case is being treated.

The suspect is a naturalized American citizen who is entitled to the same rights as all other Americans. Among these are the Miranda rights, which include the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. In this case, the government will apparently invoke a “public safety exception” where the reading of the Miranda rights will be delayed as officials question the suspect in an attempt to determine if there are co-conspirators or other unexploded bombs that put public safety at risk.

I hope this approach doesn’t bite America in the backside. Throughout the search for the suspects, the FBI was on television assuring everyone that – to the best of their knowledge – there was no further threat. Couple that with not reading the Miranda rights…I’m not a lawyer, but this has me concerned.

There may be other information that Homeland Security hasn’t shared that leads them to believe there is something more going on, lending greater legitimacy to this course of action. But an argument could be made that this whole process should follow the letter of the law. Take the moral high ground and explicitly make the statement that this is a country of laws that will be followed. If a minor technicality lets any horrific crime pass unpunished it will be a grave disservice to the victims.

Senators John McCain (R-Arizona) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) are advocating for no criminal trial. We all desperately want justice to be served. And although I understand the sentiment, justice won’t be served through hypocrisy. Hypocrisy invites animosity, which breeds hatred. And from that we see more violence. You cannot act morally superior when it suits you. You are either just and believe in the law, or you don’t. Apply it equally or all citizens will suffer.

However, no matter what the outcome, we have been jolted out of our complacency. Every city is on high alert and every backpack, package or bag left behind is suspect. Vigilance is once again a way of life.

Texas Explosion

Though later in the sequence of events from last week, the explosion of the West Fertilizer plant in Texas brought with it a terror of its own, leaving at least fourteen dead and a community devastated. Due to the then unfolding events in Boston, this tragic event painfully reminded us of another act of terrorism where the same substance was used as a weapon in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. One of the most devastating acts of terrorism in the United States pre-9/11.

As with everything else last week, this should not have happened. The West Fertilizer plant – cited as a “pillar of the community” – apparently did not inform authorities about the potentially explosive fertilizer they were storing. Not just that, but 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate allowed.

“It seems this manufacturer was willfully off the grid. This facility was known to have chemicals well above the threshold amount to be regulated under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act (CFATS), yet we understand that DHS did not even know the plant existed until it blew up.” – Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D-MS), House Committee on Homeland Security. (Reuters)

This appears to be a reckless disregard of the law. And the consequence of human life wiped out is too high of a price.

Poisoned Delivery

And finally, last week three letters were intercepted that tested positive for the lethal toxin ricin. These letters were on their way to President Obama, Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), and Sadie Holland, a Mississippi Justice Court judge. A suspect has been charged.

What disturbed me most about this were some of the public comments on various news articles. Some individuals seemed pleased that a poisoned letter was sent to the President of their country…

In the wake of the Boston bombings where a nation should be coming together in support of everyone there are people wishing someone dead…? This is utterly appalling, anti-American and reprehensible coming from a so-called Christian-nation. Yes, it is just a few trolls; but this type of vitriolic commentary belies a sickness, which enables hatred and ultimately can aid terrorism.

Though it is true that tragedy and fear bring out the best in most people, it sadly can sometimes bring out the worst.

Doing Our Part, Together

It’s difficult to confront a week like last week. It makes you question everything and ultimately, simply ask “why?”

The day after the Boston bombings, my husband was teaching his class at university and he wanted to help his students deal with the previous day’s events. He told them there are a lot of bad things happening in the world; and they seem so big and far away that they make you feel helpless…if you can’t do the big things to help, do the little things to make your own space in the world better. Even if you simply pick up a gum wrapper today, every effort counts.

It may feel simple and even unimportant considering all that’s gone on, but no matter how small the change; make it. And by our actions the world can become a better place because we cared enough to make it better.

– Erin Drushel

Typically, an 80% means an “A” on your report card, unless of course you’ve just won a leadership race – then it means, simply, that you’ve won by a landslide.  Sunday, April 14, 2013, Justin Trudeau took home an ‘A’ on his initial progress report – making him the new leader of the liberal party.

The question is – will a landslide be enough to unite a party plagued by internal strife? Will it change Canada? I suppose it depends on how closely the party takes to heart the words of its new leader – which landed the largest applause during his acceptance speech:

“Canadians turned away from us – because we turned away from them. Because liberals became more focused on fighting with each other than fighting for Canadians. I don’t care if you thought my father was great or arrogant… it doesn’t matter to me… The era of hyphenated liberals ends right here right now, tonight.”

But the thing that Canadians should take away most from Trudeau’s speech, though accompanied by a much smaller applause, are the words that also carry the most potential for greatness – and it has nothing to do with Harper or the Conservatives being fearful, but with the state of mind of Canadians themselves:

It is not my leadership that Mr. Harper and his party fear – it is yours. There is nothing these Conservatives fear more than an engaged and informed Canadian citizen.

It is true as Trudeau says – that Canada is blessed with active citizens who are willing to stand their ground. But standing with a true knowledge and understanding of what is really happening in politics, public policy and government – is rare among many of us. The proof is in voter turnout.

Putting Trudeau’s reference to fearful conservatives aside, government always works best when Canadians are both informed and engaged. That said, what needs to change most are Canadians themselves.

Yes, politicians do have a responsibility in part to engage the people… But ask around – ask your friends, family, co-workers about who their current premier is; about which level of government – federal or provincial, is responsible for the environment, health and industry – or who the MP for their riding is… many simply will not know. Even more will not care enough to find out – until, of course, there is a problem.

For now there is no ‘A’ in sight for Canadians. Perhaps a new leader will be the catalyst to change that – but it is not something that can be done alone.

– Nancy Duffy

In Case You Missed it:

Justin Trudeau’s Acceptance Speech as the New Leader of the
Liberal Party of Canada

There are many more important issues going on in the world today than where two American celebrities take their vacation.  Oops, did I say “vacation?”  I meant “Treasury-sanctioned people-to-people educational exchange.”

Insert eye-rolling here.

Superstar music couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z recently celebrated their 5^th anniversary together in Cuba.  US law prohibits ordinary Americans from vacationing in Cuba.  Strict rules regulate American visits to Cuba, and only travel that demonstrates opposition to the current communist government is permitted.

Did Beyoncé and Jay-Z follow the rules as tightly as they are prescribed?  We may never know.  Is it really that important?  In the grand scheme of things, no.  But the law is the law.

Before I start my rant, I just want to say that I am not a “hater.”  I like Beyoncé.  Quite frankly, I don’t know much about Jay-Z other than he’s a rapper… and I haven’t listened to rap since I was about 12…

This whole situation reeks of elitism.  It’s the “I’m famous and I get to do whatever I want” attitude which was clearly demonstrated in Jay-Z’s retort to critics Any “regular” person would end up in some kind of trouble.

This little trip shows a complete lack of awareness on the part of the couple – a close cousin to Dennis Rodman’s recent trip to North Korea.  Hey Beyoncé: After (not) singing at President Obama’s inauguration and seeming to enjoy a friendship with him, didn’t you think this could cause him some problems?  Don’t you think he has enough problems fighting against elitism and wealthy preferential treatment in pursuit of equality without you demonstrating the benefits of privilege?  And that’s not even mentioning the plight of the Cuban people.

Oh – and by the way – nice angry child logic on Jay-Z’s part: well “politicians lie” – so whatever, I’ll do what I want.  (Hmm, so is that why nobody stops at red lights anymore?)

Whether you agree or disagree with the law as it stands is quite irrelevant.  It is the law.  The way to get a law changed is by being vocal and lobbying against it…not seemingly breaking it and flaunting it.  America may have a broken system of democracy, but it’s still a democracy.  Besides, this issue is too trivial to merit the whole civil-disobedience treatment.

I’m not saying that I agree or disagree with the law surrounding US travel sanctions relating to Cuba.  Frankly, there’s an argument to be made that once the floodgates are opened to American tourism, it will not only destroy the simple beauties that make Cuba attractive to tourists, but also cause greater economic and social disparities within the country itself.

Bottom line: this is all about our social conscience.  Living in a civilized, egalitarian society means we are all equally accountable for our actions.  We don’t get to circumvent the law – or not be held accountable to ensure we followed it – because of how “important” we are.

– Erin Drushel