Bridgepoint Health is located on the Don River, and is visible in the distance
For two years I worked in the corporate communications and community relations department at Bridgepoint Health, a complex chronic disease rehabilitation hospital that has been serving the Riverdale community of Toronto for 150 years. It was my first job out of school and it taught me a lot about how unfair life can be.
I believe strongly in the mission and vision of the hospital, but had less faith in the executives who ran it. There was a never-ending rotating door of employees, and I knew that loyalty wasn’t enough to sustain long-term employment. I saw a lot of good people walk out with severances, and a lot of bad people stay and spread their toxicity, eventually evaporating any remaining morale.
But I digress. For those of you unfamiliar, chronic disease is something that is not curable, but that a person can live with for a long time. Examples include, HIV, diabetes, arthritis, etc. The word complex is added because many people are now living with two or more of these type of diseases, complicating treatment. Bridgepoint focuses a lot on prevention, as does the Canadian health care system. The life expectancy of Canadians is 83 years.
During my employment, Bridgepoint was heavily promoting redevelopment; ten years ago it was granted multi-million dollar public funding to build a new hospital, as the existing one was no longer meeting the needs of the changing patient population. Bridgepoint used to be known as Riverdale Hospital because that is the name of the community where it’s located, and for years, it only served that area. Unfortunately, because of its palliative care unit, Riverdale Hospital was known in Toronto as a place where people went to die, which gave it a bad reputation, obviously. Back in the 90s former conservative premier Mike Harris proposed closing the hospital but his efforts failed, and eventually Riverdale Hospital rebranded itself as Bridgepoint Health and extended its service beyond its community.
The redevelopment of the hospital was proposed back in the 80s, but politics and a campaign to stop the destruction of the current building, delayed the project for over 20 years.
These photographs that I took this morning show that the exterior is now complete, and by this time next year it will be fully operational. It’s been a long time coming, and finally the people of Toronto will have a state-of-the-art hospital to meet their changing health care needs.
Rob Ford is the worst Toronto mayor in history. I can’t believe there are people in this city who defend his consistent immature, illogical and irrational actions. During one city council meeting he refuses to speak with Paula Fletcher because she’s a “socialist.” I don’t know how this man was elected. Here is evidence of what a despicable human being Rob Ford is.
1. He yells and pouts in council until he gets his way,
2. He dismisses the process when he doesn’t win the vote,
3. He lied about being drunk at a Leafs game, screaming at an out-of-town couple and asking the wife if she wanted to get raped,
4. He lied about getting busted for pot possession and his DUI,
5. He overreacted and verbally threatened a journalist who was investigating why the mayor wanted to purchase a portion of a public park behind his house,
6. For two years straight he has refused to participate in any facet of the Pride parade,
7. He launched a reelection campaign with 2.5 years left in his term,
8. He promised to campaign against the Liberal party in Kitchener-Waterloo, when he should be worrying about what’s happening in the city he is supposed to be running,
9. He has alienated his allies on council and refuses to work towards building consensus,
10. He lied about the “gravy train”,
11. He has a complete disregard for libraries and bike lanes and other vital elements that make a world class city,
12. He has both an alcohol and anger problem.
He’s had more than enough time to prove himself, and has failed at every turn. These videos further prove what an immature, pompous, ignorant and arrogant person he is. No one should be as proud of their stupidity as Rob Ford is. I suppose he is taking a page from Sarah Palin’s book. I’m sorry for infusing this post with my bias against Rob Ford and fighting fire with fire, but I can’t take anymore of this guy.
In October 1970 members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) abducted two government officials in Montreal.
The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use of the War Measures Act in Canada’s history, overseen by Governor General Roland Michener through the direction of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, having been requested by the Premier of Quebec, Robert Bourassa, and the Mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau.
The result was widespread deployment of Canadian Forces in Quebec, symbolically enacting martial law. The police arrested and detained, without bail, 497 individuals, all but 62 of whom were later released without charges. Police officials had abused their powers and detained, without cause, prominent artists and intellectuals associated with the sovereignty movement.
The events increased support against violence in the efforts for Quebec independence and highlighted the movement towards greater autonomy from the rest of Canada.
Many at the time supported Trudeau’s implementation of The War Measure’s Act, but some believed that the actions were excessive and set a dangerous precedent by suspending civil liberties.
It was an uncertain time for Canada as it struggled to find its identity. Above is an interview Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau gave to the CBC defending his actions. Although controversial, he strengthened Canada for years to come.
Earlier this week Toronto’s mayor, Rob Ford, announced that he would not be attending gay pride parade for the second consecutive year. The reason was the same that he gave last year: he would rather spend the weekend up north at the cottage with his family.
Ford has not been a fan of the gay community, so it doesn’t come as much of a loss or surprise to anyone, gay or straight. However, since becoming mayor two years ago he has done little to build the trust of gay Torontonians. It’s obvious to everyone that he’s slightly homophobic. Ford is a simple person, I have at times referred to him as a simpleton, and he has a narrow, black and white view of the world. The only people he supports in the city of Toronto are sports enthusiasts and casino goers like himself.
But as mayor it is his job to support all communities within the city that he has been elected to govern. Detractors will say that he doesn’t have the gay vote, so why bother ingratiating himself to a group that already doesn’t like him. The problem with this logic is that there is a reason why gays dislike Ford. He has made many anti-gay remarks in his career at city council and has responded with back-handed, or apathetic apologies.
Even in Canada where gay people have equal rights, they are still often marginalized and treated like second-class citizens. The fact that there was even a debate to provide equal rights to our community by allowing us to marry the people we love, is something that straight people have never experienced. Individuals like Ford do not know how it feels to be unable to walk comfortably in public, holding their partner’s hand, without the possibility of physical violence. For gay people, that is a real fear.
It’s clear that Ford is uncomfortable around gay people; his face becomes stricken with panic, as though he’s being held captive and can’t wait to escape to more familiar company. What a sensible person would do in such a situation is embrace the fact that they have a problem and seek methods to correct it. Ford should make an effort to understand people who are different from him, because after all, Toronto is a diverse city. Rather than avoiding gay people, he should try to understand them.
Unfortunately his tenure as mayor has been a failure. He has trouble understanding his colleagues differing views, he can’t moderate a discussion or reach consensus with council and has trouble fulfilling campaign promises. He has few allies and the ones that he did have, have abandoned him. His immature behaviour towards anyone who disagrees with him is alarming. His closest ally is his brother, who at times appears like he is the one running the city.
If I were in a similar situation I would stop blaming others and ask myself how I’m contributing to all this conflict.
Of course it would be nice if Rob Ford attempted to reach out to the gay community. It’s an honourable thing to do. There is a bitterness, I’m not going to lie, but there is good reason for that, and Ford should take responsibility for the severed relationship that he created by verbalizing his ignorant comments, and then refusing to apologize for making them. Gay people have long memories, but they are also forgiving. Is it so much to ask that Ford behave like an adult, and ensure that he build trust, rather than consistently dismantling it?
Personally I don’t hate Rob Ford. I dislike his childish outlook on life, and his refusal to take accountability for his actions. I believe that he’s not an intelligent person, and that he shouldn’t be running Canada’s largest city, much like Sarah Palin should never have been so close to running the greatest super power on the planet. He clearly cannot do the job, not because his policies are terrible, even though they are, but because he can’t build bridges or reconcile fractured relationships with his colleagues who have demonstrated sound judgment, and competency in their positions. He’s a loose cannon, much like the school yard bully. He lets his ignorance get the better of him, and spews his mouth off when he should be listening.
So he won’t be attending gay pride again. I pity him. It must be a small world he’s closed himself in.
Two weekends ago, after putting it off for so long, I paid a visit the Museo Evita in Palermo. For only 15 pesos you get a nice little Evita postcard (see left) and…. well, that’s it. Oh and you get to walk around the museum.
My fascination with Eva Perón began in 1996 when the movie Evita, starring Madonna, was released in theatres. Like many people I was moved by the story of a young peasant girl who moves to the big city, overcomes adversity and changes the social landscape of her nation.
If we’re to believe the legend, Evita took from the rich and gave to the poor. While she was at it, she took a little from the rich for herself.
Not much in Argentina has changed. The current president has created a welfare state where 50 per cent of the population receives government subsidies of about 1,800 pesos a month. Most president’s focus on job creation, but this way she’s guaranteed half the population’s vote come election time. She received 54 per cent in 2011. She advocates a socialist life for everyone but herself. Since becoming president, Cristina’s net worth has exponentially increased while the average Argentine struggles to afford a loaf of bread. Corruption in Argentina has changed little from when Eve Perón was alive.
Anyway, the museum. There was plenty of fashion on display, and videos of Evita’s many passionate speeches from the Casa Rosada. It was definitely worth the admission. The building itself was purchased by the María Eva Duarte de Perón Social Aid Foundation in 1948 and there are many photographs on display of Argentina’s famous first lady posing with her descamisados.
Unfortunately I got an aura migraine while I was there and couldn’t enjoy the world-renowned restaurant on the ground floor. Oh well… if I look on the bright side at least I saved a couple of pesos!
The man who created this video is annoying especially when he says, “If this happened one day in America, it would be on the cover of Newsweek” but I think his intentions are good, no matter how self-serving they may be.
What’s happening in Uganda is mortifying, but of course, we’re more concerned with our gadgets and trivial personal problems to stop and care for just a second. Hopefully this video will help educate people and maybe encourage some of us to act up and do something. It’s already proving how effective young people’s selfless actions can be.
We demand a lot of the American government and I will agree that removing Joseph Kony from power should have been more a priority than occupying Iraq but they can’t save everyone, no matter how severe the atrocities are. Removing one insane leader is not going to change cultural attitudes.
I could go on, but I think it’s best if you watch the video, just try to avoid the director’s grating voice! He should turn his lens to the poverty in his own country, but I’ll just shut my mouth now.
Chief McCain/Palin strategist, Steve Schmidt, speaks to Anderson Cooper about the woman who could have been the Vice President of the world’s only Superpower. I’m looking forward to Game Change. I should read the book first.
The morning after The Grammys, Buzzfeed published a piece entitled “25 Extremely Upsetting Reactions to Chris Brown At The Grammys”. It’s a disturbing read, but not entirely surprising. Women cavalierly condoning violence against other women is anything but new.
Being a member of our society can be embarrassing. We’re not terribly respectful of each other are we? It’s reflective of our own self-loathing. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for women to be constantly objectified the world over. A woman’s value is determined solely on how she appears. But how much do women play a part in all of this? When you look at it objectively, they’re more guilty than men.
Lately I’ve been obsessed with following the interactions between people on Twitter. It’s frightening how quickly they make false assumptions, and resort to childish name-calling against anyone with differing opinions. Ever the optimist I attempted to intervene on a couple of occasions and had to abort my mission when confronted with irrational tweeters. In some cases I was surprised to learn that the majority of offenders were over the age of 35. I attempted to explain to the most vicious tweeters that their attitude was a poor representation of their character and not the person whom they were attacking. I was branded a “preacher” and as being “arrogant.” Fair enough, but my intention was to raise the level of dialogue from that of grade school antics, to mature thoughtful adult conversation. So much for that.
One of the most annoying and persistent comments was in regards to Adele’s weight. “She has such a pretty face, but she’s too fat,” was a common concern amongst many female tweeters. “I’m really worried about her health,” was another. The latter argument especially bothers me, because it presents superficial people feigning concern to mask their prejudice about size. I myself have been guilty of this in the past and it was only after I had a conversation with Alisha that I learned the folly of my ways.
There are a plethora of unhealthy skinny people with bad eating habits but we never say, “Oh I’m really worried about her health.” Being slim is revered, no matter how it’s achieved. But the impact of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are far more damaging than being 30 pounds over weight. Living in Buenos Aires I’m disappointed with how vain and appearance obsessed Argentines are. Self-worth is achieved with a small waist and big breasts, which explains the high rate of plastic surgery in the country.
The debate regarding Adele’s weight, which coincidentally is no one’s business but Adele’s, is that fat is bad and skinny is good. Where and how did we ever reach this conclusion? Marilyn Monroe was a size 10, and she was considered the sexiest woman in the world when she was alive. Today’s standards are alarmingly unrealistic, asking women to fit into size zero dresses and labelling any woman who can’t as fat.
When did women become so critical of each other? Last year Keith and I were having a beer at our local pub when a group of unruly women nursing hangovers from the night before sat behind us. The conversation turned to Katy Perry and I was interested to hear their opinions about her music, considering that she became famous for a song about kissing a girl, and then made disparaging comments about gay people months later. I was surprised that the only thing these women wanted to talk about was her appearance. “She’s so ugly,” they agreed. Not one comment about her occupation was shared, just a systematic dismantling and critique of her face and body. I was mortified.
Being gay I am well aware of the pressures men place on appearance. Men happen to be more visual, and it’s an attitude we require of them so that we feel attractive. But that’s the problem. We’re rewarding men for being assholes. I’ve had this discussion with countless gay men in Argentina. All horned up and ready for sex they cruise each other with a passion best reserved for reading a good book. They have a very narrow definition of what beauty is, and the appalling thing for me, is that the ones with the highest standards don’t match up to their own lofty physical requirements.
Years ago an interviewer asked Tori Amos what she thought about Madonna kissing Britney Spears at an awards show. The ever thoughtful Amos paused, and then said, “Well it’s not about the music is it?” Here is a woman who learned to play piano by ear at the age of 3-years-old, was the youngest person to ever be accepted to the Peabody Institute of Classical Music at 5-years-old, and the sole composer of over 1,000 original pieces of composition. A prolific singer-songwriter, her soprano voice and live performances have captivated audiences for over twenty years but if you were to read the comments about her on YouTube the only topics people want to discuss is her face, weight and how old she is. As though age is something that will escape the commenters.
“The rules apply to everyone else but me” is the message I’m getting from these individuals. Those who are the most critical are the least likely to accept criticism. I understand the pressures that women face, but what I don’t understand is how competitive and mean-spirited they are with each other. The tweets presented on Buzzfeed were written by women willing to be victims of violence to attract a man. What does that say about our society and our treatment of women? That society has a problem, is what it says.
And this problem is going to persist as long as people refuse to acknowledge their own responsibility. We all need to take accountability for our prejudices and be more accepting of people who look different from the models in magazines and challenge those who make disparaging comments about women’s appearances. The best antidote for ignorance is education.
Adele shouldn’t be judged by how she looks, but rather her talent, which is obviously plentiful. Unlike other pop artists, she doesn’t need pyrotechnics, outrageous costumes and complicated dance moves to distract the audience from the fact that she has no talent. Her mainstream success is going to save the music industry because she’s reminding radio listeners that what matters most in music, is music. Her voice is all she needs to entertain and move her audience. Her size is completely irrelevant.
Let’s remember that, instead of tolerating bad habits we learned in junior high. Shall we?
