Police Brutality at University of Western Ontario

Oct 15, 2009

LONDON, Ont. – Officials at the University of Western Ontario in this southwestern Ontario city are defending the violent arrest of a student captured on a video circulating on YouTube.

The video shows the student being held down in a campus building on Wednesday and pummelled by at least five campus and city police officers.

Officers are seen kneeing the student aggressively in the torso, beating him on the back with batons and punching him hard up to a dozen times.

At least one officer is heard yelling "Stop resisting," and then, "Give us your arm."

Elgin Austen, the head of campus police, told a news conference Thursday that by the time he arrived during the arrest, he didn't see "anything out of order" with the level of force being applied.

"It was being conducted consistent with the Ontario Police College and the training that officers have there."

He added that people seeing just the video alone "may not understand what the officers were actually doing."

"What the officers were doing was trying to apprehend a strong individual ... and not injure that person and keep other people around safe."

Austen said the incident began on the seventh and eighth floors of the social sciences building, well before the video was shot.

He said the suspect "was creating safety concerns" on the upper floors and had barricaded himself inside a room.

"Eventually, everything came down to the main floor," where efforts were made to subdue a "disoriented individual."

The student, described as about 6 foot 2 inches and more than 200 pounds, was taken to hospital for observation, then released into custody.

Charged with mischief under $5,000, assaulting a peace officer, resisting arrest and escaping lawful custody is Irnes Zeljkovic, of London.

University spokeswoman Gitta Kulczycki added that the incident needs to be kept in context. The main concern of police was protecting students and faculty, she said.

"The view of the video itself is somewhat disturbing without knowing the context of the full situation," she said.

"In terms of what were the officers trying to do – let's recognize what was occurring."

Kulczycki said an automatic review is conducted in situations like these.

"We will certainly co-operate fully with London police as that occurs," she said

Article from thestar.com

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Sexy Beer

Bavarian Brewery Claims to Spice Up Sex Lives With a New Erotic Beer

By JOSIE COX September 14, 2009

abcnews.com

Jürgen Hopf fits the stereotype of a Bavarian beer-maker, with his traditional felt hat, rosy cheeks, and proudly protruding beer-belly. But Hopf has given Germany's favorite drink an unlikely twist, creating libido-enhancing beer.

And the potion which he created almost seven years ago, has gone from strength to strength. Sales of the bottles adorned with a picture of a woman removing her top now make up more than a tenth of all the beer brewed in his village.

But his invention came about by chance, Hopf says. "I work at a brewery where all the processes are automated. One night though, the system failed and I was called up to try and fix it as I live just over the road," he told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "It was the middle of the night and there wasn't a soul in sight so I crossed the road wearing just my little boxer shorts and slippers."

What happened next is something which Hopf describes as pure magic. When he entered the brewery the machine was completely broken and couldn't be restarted. Semi-naked with no sleeves to role up, he picked up a large stick and started stirring the soupy brew by hand. "I suddenly felt strange and I knew that this beer would be different from any beer we had ever made before," he recalls.

Sure enough, two months later, the beer brewed that night back in 2002, had become somewhat of a local legend. Anyone in the village of Schönbrunn -- a settlement of 1,400 in the heart of the Fichtelgebirge Mountains in Bavaria -- who tried the beverage, reported a drastically increased libido. "Everyone I asked told me that they had not watched TV in the weeks," Hopf chuckles, "instead they had went straight to the bedroom with no time to spare!"

Hopf produced his "Erotic Beer" in ever larger batches. But each bottle is still brewed manually in the middle of the night by the 53-year-old brewmaster, who dresses in nothing but a scant, traditional Bavarian loin-cloth when making his beer.

Today, his brainchild has become one of the most successful products in the small village, which relies on agriculture and is home to only a few family owned businesses.

Although beer is commonly believed to lower a man's fertility, other companies -- such as the German biggest erotic store chain Beate Uhse -- have also tried their hand at marketing libido-enhancing versions of Germany's favorite drink. The "Popp-Bier," German slang for "F*@# Beer," with 4.8 percent alcohol content, hit the shelves in 2007 but was snubbed for its stiff price of almost €10 for a standard bottle.

Hopf's "Erotic Beer," on the other hand, was an instant hit when it was unveiled at an international beer fair in Milan, Italy, in 2002. "The Italian machos were absolutely crazy about it," recalls Hopf, whose name is almost the German translation of the English word for hops -- the flower used in the production of beer.

Related Links

Jenga Drinking Game

Hangover Cures

Comedian Bob Marely: Pizza and Beer

iPhone Helps You Find Weed

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Mathematicians Vs. Zombies

Scholars put braaains together to thwart zombies

STEVEN CHASE
OTTAWA — From Saturday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 02:41AM EDT

Science is still struggling with how to get the jump on swine flu, but Canadians can take heart that a group of Ottawa mathematicians have found the key to beating a more virulent, if only cinematic, threat.
A zombie outbreak - the kind that always confounds authorities in movies - can be successfully overcome through "quick, aggressive attacks" on the undead, scholars at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University have concluded.
"While aggressive quarantine may contain the epidemic, or a cure may lead to the co-existence of humans and zombies, the most effective way to contain the rise of the undead is to hit hard and hit often," the mathematicians say in a playful research paper, When Zombies Attack!: Mathematical Modelling of an Outbreak Of Zombie Infection, which is being published as part of a book due out later this year from Nova Science Publishers.
Those behind the paper include students as well as assistant University of Ottawa math professor Robert J. Smith, who receives support from a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant and the Ontario Early Researcher Award program.
The work is not a case of math geeks just cracking jokes. It's a display of the rigorous math, statistics and models used to analyze infection rates of real-life diseases and to demonstrate how a virus spreads through a population.
Ioan Hudea, a Carleton student who helped author the zombie paper, said this mathematical modelling is used to help authorities prepare for outbreaks.
"You're using this sort of model to predict the outcome of epidemics and know how to vaccinate people, how much vaccine is needed and how to assemble a vaccination plan."
One problem the researchers had in modelling zombie attacks is that popular culture has yielded two different types of undead, the second of which can potentially infect people faster. The slow-moving, mindless variety was made famous by the classic 1968 thriller Night of the Living Dead, while the smarter, faster and more independent type have cropped up in more recent films such as 28 Days Later and the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.
In the end, the faster, brainier zombies didn't make the cut when it came to modelling.
The mathematicians considered a scenario in which there was rapid "zombification" after people were bitten by undead creatures, and another in which the incubation period was 24 hours. Both ended badly for the human race. "In this [second] case, the zombies take over, but it takes approximately twice as long."
They considered quarantining the zombies where possible. This didn't avert catastrophe either, even if captured zombies were destroyed.
Finally, they studied the impact of a cure that restored the humanity of the infected, but didn't grant people immunity. In this case, some humans survived, but only in low numbers.
The only solution that worked was rapid destruction of zombies - the same lesson conveyed by Hollywood.
"As seen in the movies, it is imperative that zombies are dealt with quickly, or else we are all in a great deal of trouble," the mathematicians said.
The key difference in modelling zombies, as opposed to real infectious diseases, is that the dead can return to life, the mathematicians noted. "Clearly, this is an unlikely scenario if taken literally, but possible real-life applications may include allegiance to political parties or diseases with a dormant infection."

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Disturbing New Doll

Fury over girls breastfeed toy
August 7, 2009
thesun.co.uk

A DISTURBING new doll that lets young girls pretend to BREASTFEED has been criticised by The Royal College of Midwives.
Spanish toymaker Berjuan has launched the bizarre toy that comes with a special top to feed your 'baby'.
The Bebe Gloton — meaning greedy baby — has already sparked outrage among parents.
They condemned the bra-like halter top featuring symbolic flowers instead of nipples.
It has been claimed that the toy could even promote early pregnancy.
A video showing how the toy works has been posted on YouTube.
One user slammed it and said: "Honestly, I think this is awful. I think breastfeeding is wonderful and wholeheartedly encourage it. However it is completely inappropriate to allow a young girl to mimic it."
The Sun's Dr Carol Cooper condemned the doll.
She said: "I think dolls in general can be very good. They bring out the caring side in children.
"But I think this is a step too far. It does not encourage breastfeeding. I don't think that you need to promote to little girls pregnancy, periods, sex - all these things are natural.
"And I am worried that some girls will find the toy so enjoyable that they can't wait to have their own babies when they are too young."

Uproar over breast-feeding doll

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iPhone Helps You Find Weed

I found this funny article from the Sun website today:

A SHOCK iPhone application which lets users find their nearest CANNABIS dealer has been approved by Apple.

Simply named Cannabis, the £1.79 app lets users search by city for their nearest medical cannabis suppliers, doctors, clinics, lawyers and other relevant organisations.

It currently covers 13 US states which have passed laws allowing medical cannabis use, legal cannabis "coffee shops" across Europe and uses Google Maps for directions.

Makers the campaign group Ajnag.com hope to add cannabis related news, menus, reviews and videos soon.

It is available from the Apple iTunes App Store now, and requires the iPhone 3.0 Software Update.

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Buy 3 get the 4th free Book Sale

It's here now! Buy 3 get the 4th book free is on at Chapters and Coles until July 1st. The sale includes all regular priced books. With an irewards card you save an additional 10%. I do most of my book shopping at this sale and I have been waiting all year. For students who like to read, this is a great chance to buy some books if you are short on cash.

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Protect Yourself from Swine Flu

As you may know, the human swine flu has reached Canada. As students you are more at risk. Crowded classrooms, libraries, and hallways can spread the virus fast. And school isn't the only danger zone. There are grocery stores, malls, doctor's offices, workplaces, parks, . . . you must be cautious anywhere there are people or around anything that people might have touched.

As far as I know, the swine flu is not (yet) a reason to barricade yourself in your room. But it doesn't hurt to prepare yourself. The precautions to protect yourself from this virus are the same you would take to protect yourself from any flu.

General Information

H1N1 Flu Virus (Human Swine Flu) has been reported in Canada, Mexico and the United States and several other countries in Europe and the South Pacific . The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is working collaboratively with Mexican and American officials to further investigate this situation.

Governments around the world and the World Health Organization are engaged to investigate and address this situation.

Cases of H1N1 Flu Virus (Human Swine Flu) have been reported in Canada.

PHAC continues to work with federal, provincial and international governments to address this situation, and will share more information with Canadians as it becomes available.

How to Protect Yourself

• The Public Health Agency advises Canadians to:
  
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer


• Cough and sneeze in your arm or sleeve


• Get your annual flu shot


• Keep doing what you normally do, but stay home if sick


• Check http://www.fightflu.ca/ for more information


• Check http://www.voyage.gc.ca/ for travel notices and advisories


• Talk to a health professional if you experience severe flu-like symptoms

For more information visit the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Topics for Discussion

Do you think the swine flu is going to become like the SARS epidemic?

Source: publichealth.gc.ca

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Does texting make U mean?

Toronto Star

Apr 21, 2009 04:30 AM
Trish Crawford LIVING REPORTER

Professor Tim Blackmore has learned not to get upset at the messages his students send him.

"They sound like they're going to burn your door down," says Blackmore, who teaches media studies at the University of Western Ontario.

"They send messages that are both lazy and in the imperative – "Hey, u didn't tell me what was wrong with my paper.

"You think, that's some crust. But then they come into your office and they are crying. They are nice people. But their messages are surface, not about depth. They need to step back and get some context."

Is instant messaging, texting and tweeting making us mean?

This was the question swirling in the wake of a study that showed the brain needs eight seconds to register social pain or virtue and produce emotions of empathy, compassion or admiration.

In contrast physical pain, is recognized much quicker, almost instantly, says Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a researcher who worked on the University of Southern California study.

While the USC study – released yesterday by the National Academy of Sciences in its Online Early Edition – did not look directly at instant messaging, Immordino-Yang says a link to the study's findings on delayed emotional reactions "is a very intriguing possibility."

"What it suggests is that we should think seriously" about the effect this has on instant messaging, she said in a phone interview, noting that her child, 7, sends her emails at work.

"A young child may not know the social implications of what they are doing and seeing (in rapid messaging). It is an open question and suggests the need for further research."

Our brains register the pain of others as if it were our own, says Immordino-Yang, with physical pain being "felt" in one part of the cerebral cortex and social pain being "felt" in another part.

People have these deep "gut feelings" for others' situations after years of exposure to books and stories and experiences, says Immordino-Yang, adding, "They give us deep, moral illumination."

But it takes time to ignite those feelings, the study says, leading to speculation that rapid-fire communication could just be too fast for the good feelings to kick in.

Blackmore doesn't think it's the fault of the brevity of the messages, especially Twitter, which allows only 140 characters per message.

It is context and thought that are missing, he feels, citing writer Ernest Hemingway's boast he could write a short story in six words, leading to the evocative sentence: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Meanwhile, the Internet is full of Twitter posts encapsulating great works, such as the one for Homer's Odyssey that ends "Back home! Who r all these random dudes?"

Underlying such a tweet is the writer's grasp of one of the great works of literature, he says, which takes a very long time to read.

"It takes time to live life, it takes time to ponder it."

University of Toronto linguistics expert Maria Cristina Cuervo notes text messaging is no faster than talking and "speaking is very fast."

The fuss about instant messaging is reminiscent of the early furor created by the telephone, she says, when people fretted that it would ruin conversation because you couldn't see each other.

"People were still able to be empathetic over the phone," says Cuervo, adding the quality of all such exchanges, online or not, is set by the relationship between the people.

"The more you know a person," the better you are at grasping the emotions they are conveying in any form of messaging, she says.

And, as she points out, you can always add a smiley face

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Grocery Prices: Organic Foods

Organic price tags may be hard to swallow

CARLY WEEKS
Globe and Mail Update
March 18, 2009 at 8:30 AM EDT

The organic, free-range, hormone-free chicken is a staple of the yuppie cookbook. But the price is becoming increasingly hard to swallow as the reality of tough economic times sets in.
People have been buying and selling organic food for decades. But until recently, most of that activity was done on a local scale for a limited number of customers. In the past decade, organic food has exploded in popularity, evolving into an industry that resembles the traditional grocery model, complete with frozen-food aisles, weekly flyers and rows of cashiers.

The current crisis marks the first time organic retailers will have to face a sharp economic downturn since the industry's boom began. "Organic food has a huge problem," said Marcia Mogelonsky, senior research analyst with Mintel International Group Ltd., a global consumer-research firm. "It's always been premium-priced."

While many Canadians were willing to shell out for organic nachos and macaroni and cheese when times were good, suddenly the cheaper grocery-store brands aren't looking so bad. "It's going to affect us, most definitely," said Linda Wonsel, owner of Natural Earth Organics in Windsor, Ont.

Certain organic items are expected to weather the storm better than others. For instance, consumers will likely remain loyal to products whose non-organic counterparts are widely associated with, or suspected to be tied to, potential health problems. That includes hormone-free organic milk and organic baby food, particularly in light of fears over melamine contamination of goods coming from China.

Households with small children that ate organic before the recession will likely continue to do so, according to Ms. Mogelonsky. "You don't want to feed your kid milk you don't think is safe," she said. "You will buy organic milk even though it's $5 a gallon."

And although consumption of organic meat is expected to drop due to its relatively high price, shoppers who ate organic meat before the economic downturn likely won't switch to traditional meat.

That said, they'll likely eat less of it, according to experts.
Dedicated organic customers will, for the most part, also stick to other staples, including free-range eggs, and organic fruits and vegetables.

But as more consumers look to cut costs, it's also likely that pricey non-necessities will be the first organics to go. The growth of the organic industry has sparked the introduction of all kinds of packaged foods - processed cookies, potato chips, ready-to-eat meals and frozen food. Cost-conscious consumers may no longer be willing to pay a premium for organic snack foods, according to Laura Telford, executive director of Canadian Organic Growers, a national industry association.

"The prepared stuff is going to go first," Ms. Telford said. "[Organic retailers are] not going to go into bankruptcy or anything ... but it is going to be a lean year, more than likely."

Read More . . .

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Canadian Tuition Hikes of 25%

As was mentioned in a post from early in December, schools are want to increase tuition to help them out during this recession. (click here for the post and to read why this is a bad idea).

Finally some numbers have been estimated and it seems these hikes are actually going to happen.

This article describes the current situation of college/univeristy tuition. The article is from ParentCentral.ca.

25% tuition hike touted

February 26, 2009

Dramatic tuition hikes must be part of a recession survival plan for Canada's ivory tower, warns an education thinktank.

Colleges and universities must consider charging more, despite a middle-class backlash, if they hope to avoid diluting the quality of education during the economic crisis, says the report by the non-profit Educational Policy Institute.

The report predicts fee hikes of up to 25 per cent in the next couple of years – in line with increases during the last recession – which would generate $1 billion to $2 billion for recession-hit campuses.

Caught between the surge in enrolment that happens in every recession, and the looming slowdown in government grants and private donations, Canada's colleges and universities must consider hiking fees, boosting student aid and cutting the ranks of big-ticket senior staff, said the report.

The good news, say the authors, is that many Canadians can afford to pay more. "The average net tuition a student pays in Canada, once you factor in inflation and tax credits, has gone up less than $90 in the past 10 years – to $4,066 from $3,985 – while family incomes have increased a lot," said analyst Alex Usher, co-author of the report by the institute, based in Toronto, Virginia and Australia.

"Also, there is a smaller percentage of students borrowing to pay their tuition, because so many have been able to find work," said Usher, whose report states bluntly, "The question in Canada is not whether families can contribute more (to tuition): on average, they can."

John Milloy, Ontario's minister of training, colleges and universities, said he was not willing to "get into a numbers game" yet because the province's 5 per cent cap on yearly tuition hikes for most programs doesn't end until September 2010.

"But obviously we're in a tough economy and it's no secret our resources are limited. However this government has said we do not want finances to ever be a barrier to a qualified student having access to post-secondary education."

In fact, any fee hikes during a recession are "an absolutely absurd proposal," said Shelley Melanson, chair of the Canadian Federation of Students' Ontario branch.

"It's fascinating that while every government in the world is saying we can't raise taxes, to increase what is really a flat tax on students – tuition – completely ignores the reality of the economy."

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Car Warranty Phone Scam!

I believe some people are trying to scam me. I keep getting calls on my cell from numbers beginning with (416)000-... I haven't answered them because I don't know who they are. Finally they left an automated message. It was fairly urgent saying that my car warranty was about to expire and I need to renew it before my file closes. It then instructs me to press one to renew the warranty, or two to get off of the follow-up list.

Some things came to mind quickly: First of all, I don't own a car. So I thought they might have the wrong number.

But then I remembered hearing about a phone scam awhile ago. They would leave an urgent message to call them right back. They would then keep you on the line as long as possible. At the end of the month you get a big surprise on your phone bill. Some people have been charged thousands of dollars. And because you called them, and it wasn't a toll free number, you get the bill.

Right away I thought this must be a scam too, especially because each time the phone number was slightly different (i.e. 000-7935 and 000-7945).

Next, I did some research: It turns out that a lot of people are getting these calls (I think only in Canada). Some people think it's a company trying to get people for telemarketing lists. Some have tried to call back but got 'number out of service'. People have had sketchy conversations with them where they asked for personal info. I also read about 'caller ID spoofing'. This is the practice where unethical (i.e. telemarketers) or dangerous people can make a different number display on caller ID then the call is originated from.

My Conclusions: This must be a scam. I don't own a car, the calls are fairly frequent and always different (the caller ID spoofing explains this). I don't want to call them back or press one or two because I have no idea who I'm calling!

What are your thoughts?
Should I answer next time and bitch them out?
Should I report it somehow.
Has this happened to you or someone you know?

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No Classes for York Students

As you may of heard, the facalty of York University in Toronto has been on strike since November 6. And that means that students still cannot go to class. You may think "Wow, that sounds great, a break from all the chaos of school for awhile". But the reality is that students are losing money and precious time is wasting. For many, it will now take longer to graduate or they will have to take summer classes.

Here is an update about the strike from thespec.com.

Talks resume in York University strike
Two-month dispute jeopardizes school year

January 05, 2009

Raveena Aulakh
Torstar News Service'

"Students across Ontario head back to school today - unless they attend York University.

York University and the union representing its striking workers have still not reached an agreement, but it's a good sign that talks haven't broken down, said a union member.

"Talks are still going on – that's a very good thing," said Christina Rousseau, chair of CUPE 3903.

Thousands of students - including commuters from Hamilton - have been idled for two months by the strike. The school year is in jeopardy for many, but the province has said it won't intervene in the dispute.

University officials and union representatives will resume bargaining today after negotiations ended late last night. The two sides have been working with a mediator since Saturday. The strike has shut down campus since Nov. 6, when 3,400 teaching assistants, contract faculty and graduate assistants walked off the job. This is the third attempt at reaching an agreement.

Workers are demanding better job security, benefits, wages and a two-year contract that will expire at the same time as other Ontario university unions, giving the Canadian Union of Public Employees more province-wide bargaining clout.

Rousseau said job security is a big point of contention. "We want a special contract which gives members five years instead of the eight months they have now," she said last night. "That will allow them to do some long-term planning."

Child care and professional development are also at issue.

A York University spokesperson was not available to comment. "

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Grocery Prices are Going to Increase

I found an interesting article from cbc.com that says grocery prices, in Canada, are going to go way up in the near future. Higher grocery costs will surely be a problem for college students living away from home. While we probably will not cut back on the amount of food we are buying, we may find ourselves cutting back on munchies.

"Brace yourself, Canada, for higher grocery bills

Thursday, June 12, 2008, CBC News, Tom McFeat

Any outsider looking at Canada's most recent consumer price index would be forgiven for concluding that we have somehow managed to dodge the food inflation bullet currently ricocheting around the world.

People in most countries are struggling with unprecedented price hikes in the most widely used foods. But a recent look at the cost of living in this country finds that the typical Canadian food basket in April 2008 was just 1.2 per cent more expensive than it was a year earlier.

A little more than one per cent in a whole year! Well done, Canada, we're apparently immune from the laws of supply and demand that dictate food prices everywhere else.
Well, it's time to put away the streamers, the experts say. The warning bells are already sounding. Analysts, farmers and grocery chains all agree that those checkout bills are about to get noticeably bigger.

A look inside the monthly price data from Statistics Canada quickly reveals some of the reasons why. Beneath the broad-stroke appearance of benign food prices lie some important anomalies."

READ MORE

Now it is more important than ever to compare prices, use coupons and generally be a smart shopper. My next posting will offer some tips and resources about saving money at the grocery store.

Discussion: What are your thoughts about the article? Was it interesting or informative?

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Tuition Increases to Help Canada Out of Recession

The financial crisis in the US economy is inevitably affecting us here in Canada. McGuinty wants to increase tuition fees for Canadian students to create more funds for the government. But according to an article from Canadian Business Online this is not the best way to help the economy. This article outlines some of the challenges we (the students) arefacing because of the recession.

McGuinty tuition fee increases no way to pull province out of recession and into knowledge economy

Nov 5, 2008 - 14:25 EST
TORONTO, Nov. 5 /CNW Telbec/

By allowing university tuition fee hikes of 4 to 8 per cent every year, the McGuinty Liberals are going in the wrong direction to pull the province out of recession, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. Instead, the province needs to graduate more students in order to build a strong, knowledge-based economy that will take it out of its new "have-not" status within Canada, according to CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Fred Hahn.

"Every year that this government raises tuition fees means that less and less young people are entering the workforce with the skills needed to fuel the success of knowledge-based industries," Hahn told thousands of students gathered at Queen's Park today to stop tuition fee increases. "And with every tuition fee increase, more working families lose the opportunity to send their kids to university."
The McGuinty government . . . read more

Discussion: What do you think? Should tuition fees increase to better serve the economy in a time of crisis? Or is it more important to educate future graduates?

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The 2008 US Election Results Are In!

I am not a big follower of politics but I must say that I am very pleased that Obama has won! I'm so glad that I was around for such a big part of American history. I believe that this is proof that we (US and Canada) are headed for big social changes and our future is headed in a good direction.

Click here to watch Obama's Victory Speech.

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