Dec 2, 2011

The legacy of “Occupy Everywhere” by Geoff Olson At the time of this writing, Occupy Vancouver’s tent camp is no more. Across North America, the remaining occupations are under siege from law enforcement and negative press, to say nothing of harsh weather. Is the global flareup from October 15 just a historical flash in the pan, and its...

Dec 2, 2011

FILMS WORTH WATCHING by Robert Alstead One of the main criticisms levelled at the Occupy movement has been that it is unclear what it is about. Critics have pointed to a plethora of issues – corporate greed, government debt, indigenous rights, unemployment, homelessness, ecological destruction, GMOs, climate change, and more – that seemed to be...

Dec 1, 2011

Beyond the camps by John Restakis As the co-op movement in Canada gears up for celebration of the UN International Year of Co-operatives in 2012, a very different movement has burst upon the scene, taking shape and occupying plazas, parks and other urban spaces in over 2,000 cities around the world. The Occupy movement, sparked with little more than a hope and...

Dec 1, 2011

by Lyndsie Bourgon Dr. Shiv Chopra is tireless. Speaking from his home in Ottawa, Chopra describes how he and his Health Canada colleagues were consistently harassed, reprimanded and eventually dismissed for whistleblowing on issues involving public health and food safety between 1988 and 2004. “It’s not just our right, it’s our obligation to...

  DRUG BUST by Alan Cassels As someone who sees himself as acutely sensitive to potentially unnecessary medical treatment, it was only when I sat in front of a health professional that I realized a startling and embarrassing truth: it is extremely tough to practise what you preach. I recognize I might not be an ordinary patient. For the book I’m...

by David W. Rowland If Health Canada has its way, the only place you will be able to buy your vitamins and supplements is in drug stores. The agency that claims “to ensure that Canadians have ready access to natural health products that are safe… while respecting freedom of choice” is covertly accomplishing a very different objective. It is...

Dec 1, 2011

by Adam Sealey What caught my attention a couple of months ago were these yellow & blue ‘Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer’ self-standing cardboard promo units on display in cafes, bike shops and other retailers around BC. I asked myself what is a pipeline company doing with bicycles and cancer research? Bikes don’t burn oil and pipelines...

by Allan Lawry Have you ever stepped off the bathroom scales and said, “Wow, how did I gain that much?” or “I didn’t think I had lost that much weight.” Chances are you may have experienced both situations, but did you ever wonder what kind of weight it was? When you gain or lose weight, it will be one or more of three body weights:...

Dec 1, 2011

An interview with Zasep Tulku Rinpoche by Liam Thompson Zasep Tulku Rinpoche was born in Tibet before the Chinese takeover and has been teaching in the West for over 25 years. He speaks six languages and is the spiritual director of 12 centres worldwide. December 10-11: Zasep Rinpoche gives a teaching on “Mindfulness and Healing” at the Asian Centre...

Dec 1, 2011

     Mac McLaughlin STAR WISE: December 2011 - by Mac McLaughlin Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra Scorpio | Sagitarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces The winter solstice takes place on December 21 at 9:30 PM. We...

Dec 1, 2011

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina In some families or groups of friends, getting together to cook is one of the best parts of a celebration. Enjoy this stuffed, baked squash and gravy with the people you love. Holiday winter stuffed squash makes about 8 servings 1 winter squash such as Hubbard, butternut or acorn, about 5 lbs  1 recipe for Quinoa stuffing Pre...

Dec 1, 2011

ON THE GARDEN PATH by Carolyn Herriot Biotech corporations are in cahoots with government to feed the world with genetically modified food. Canada’s regulatory system requires new biotechnology products to undergo science-based safety assessments. However, in the case of Monsanto’s MON 88017, glyphosate-tolerant corn, the Canadian Food Inspection...

Dec 1, 2011

UNIVERSE WITHIN by Gwen Randall-Young We were not designed to live by a clock. In the beginning, humans took life as it came. There was time to hunt, eat sleep and mate. The day started when the sun came up and ended when the sun went down. Before there was language, man was right-brain dominant, with more feeling and sensing than analytical thinking....