RB

I get to meet up with all my siblings and their kids at my mom's today - so thats a full treat. Hope your treats are wonderful also, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on the forum.

I agree the show is good - I never seen a show twice - but I think I will go to see it again - some of my girlfriends didn't see it so we are out for a "girls night out"

Well the results of this report did not surprised me one bit. I am usually invited and I have plenty of opportunity to address graduating high school students and their parents. Above all I am a big supporter of higher education. Every person I am sure wants what is best for their children. At the end of the discussions, usually, I am more swamped by the immigrant parent who wishing for reassurance that the hard sacrifice they will make is worthwhile. And I can say yes, higher education is worth the while every time. It stretches the imagination and the thinking is different. The thinking is different vs the thinking gained in acquiring experience. The question is whether success in terms of monetary rewards shows up at the end of the immigrant parent sacrifice vs the whites non-university attendance Regretfully I have to say the even though the immigrant folks are now well educated, they have a daunting task of climbing step by step to get to a certain level and then they remain there. On the contrary it is my opinion that perhaps it is not such a disillusion for a non-immigrant non-university educated Canadian white to get to the top of the ladder, and even skipping a few steps.

I am liken to Biden - at times he sounded like Bill Clinton - he came across as intelligent Palin will always be a winner in this race whatever the outcome.

you will be in for a shock - i think they tape before the debates I will watch the US debate, I have been waiting for the moment of truth - emergence of a true politician, or is this a kinda Dan Quayle

THE CANADIAN PRESS The Canadian Press, 2008 http://www.thespec.com/Wire/News_Wire/National/article/439477 OTTAWA - Statistics Canada reports that the children of Chinese and Indian immigrants have the highest rate of university education in Canada. The information comes from a 2002 study of national origin and university education titled the Ethnic Diversity Survey. The study, released Tuesday, finds the university completion rate for children of immigrant parents from China and India is 65 per cent. That compares with 24 per cent for the children of German and Latin American immigrants. About one-third of children whose parents were from the Caribbean, Portugal and the Netherlands completed university education. About 28 per cent of the children of Canadian-born parents had completed university education.

I travel to plenty of cities in Canada I like Montreal best and can even contemplate living there. Vancouver is great also, I feel that I can retire there as soon as possible. My kid said Ottawa was like cottage country and I kinda agree, but I vouch it must be the fittest city of all.

OMG, I love ABBA I know all their lyrics ..... I think and try to emulate them on piano - they rock like Queen - I also love Queen but then I also love George Clooney

I like the old classics - I like the way the folks talked back in the 50's, 60's My first movie as a little girl I remembered seeing is in the mid 70's - KING KONG - my dad took me - so it is one of my special movies, and the 10 Commandments (b&w) Other recent movies Chicago The Producers Now, I like the feel good movies also called (chick flicks).

I fly the cessna - i wouldn't change

I don't mind seeing some young, muscular non-balding men up for auction at the market-square. Hugh Hefner forever have more than a few girlfriends to suit the whims and fancies. I mean I haven't heard of women collecting males, so this slave idea might very well open up some possibilities.

Shameful indeed, I think anxious hard working people see the means and ends of the flaws especially if they have a prior experience working in the corporate sector. But also, the issues are rooted in a culture since the existence of government. I often wondered about corporate Canada taking charge of the financial affairs and labor for the government. This is not true. If you are good, nothing changes this fact, you can only get better.

No surprises Argus - its the difference between the corporate sector and the public sector Corporate sector: count each penny and set off to increase profit Public sector: if you did not spent each penny your department is at risk for failure to perform (so taking a long time to make decisions, hiring/involving more people to make the same decisions stretches the imagination, and buying pricey product makes much more sense)

I don't think modern day we would like to call it "slavery", some folks are hyper sensitive to political correctness... but there is a fellow - Gareth Morgan in a flamboyant way expounds the idea of domination, a psychic prison - slavery if I may say in a metaphoric language for investigation. He really broadens what is exploitation that the imagination can really run wild. The truth is business has always engage in slavery. I mean there is no other way to use single authority, to control resources, make or break the rules, to control all boundaries, to control what is uncertain (includes women) etc. I think those who "have" and wish to continue thriving must fully engage slavery.

Spanking is an emotional issue. As adult we can all tell of the gleeful tales of being spanked, and how we were disciplined - punishment that are acceptable because we deserved to be punished for being "bad" or doing wrong. And thank goodness, look how good we turned out, OK with all that spanking. Therefore it is OK to spank your own children. There is accumulated research to show that hitting, spanking children is ineffective. All you teach and encourage is: - resentment - anxiety - aggression to hit others - violence is acceptable - anti-social patterns - misbehaviors - anger - desire for revenge, you were hit, you've seen others do it. As adults if you are provoked, you can also lash out and hit kids and it is OK - humiliation - don't lie to yourselves, you must have felt this if you were hit I still believe in conditioning children and praising children for doing well.

I guess. Thanks all for your encouraged words. Because my kid is still under 18 (we still have to babysit), she registers tomorrow at U of T for the next 2 years and then proceeds to that "other" class. She is excited to get started as she had the opportunity last year to spend time with the Ph.D. students examining cells, thanks to support from her high school. As parents we are very pleased, U of T has the best medical school in the country. I keep thinking there is so much opportunities and future for young people, all people and yet we hear the distressed stories of those rejected or looking elsewhere perhaps for easier routes for their choices. I mean are we failing some of own?

Obviously, I simply don't agree with the spanking a child. I think it is mostly a parent lack of control and the parent outburst that triggers spanking. I mean I have seen parents spank their kids, pulled the child's ear. I was spank for heading off on my own to watch the the movie "two mules for sister sara", i was 10 at that time the movie had already premiere over a decade earlier but, I thought it was about "sister sara", we were religious Christians folks and plus we lived on a farm so I wanted to know about the mules and sister sara. I got spanked because I was not apologetic and sorry I watched the film. Only now, I think my mom spanked me to satisfy herself, to set example for the others, maybe to punish herself for bringing up defiant kids. We have heard or seen stories, some of the devices used are open hand, cane, belt, paddle, slipper, wooden spoon, bath brush, ruler, hairbrush, naked bottoms etc. The trouble I have is since we insist that the parent lovingly spank their children as a form of punishment, who enforces what is reasonable "hitting" with all the devices listed above. How will parent at the time of hitting who didn't think twice to induce force spanking, suddenly decide OK I am angry, let me think now, I am going over the top, that this spanking now constitute abuse. Parents hit their children when they are angry, not because the children are naughty. I mean when, can a child say I don't wish to be physically abused or do they ever get to say this? At what age is appropriate to start spanking and stop spanking. Since parents are spanking the children and it is "OK", is it OK for the children to hit other children. I mean how do you reassure the child, mommy and daddy loves you. You didn't behave well at the grocery store now get ready to be spanked, and by the way adjust yourself for the screaming, shouting and explicits from the parent.

I don't believe in spanking, hitting - it is an abuse and children remember this stuff, it is traumatizing I think parents should credit their children for being sensible and appeal to their intelligence, plus the kids smarten up very quickly when you administer reward for a good behavior system. Punishment by taking away privileges still work. Look, since last March we took away my kid's electronic gadgets -the ps3 and the lot and it currently openly sits in the living room in a Bell bag. She could not control the amounts of time spent on the games and plus she would forgo playing badminton with us on Saturdays, and her chores for the games. Funnily, she keeps searching for her items, we know this as she can actually tell you where misplaced tools are. I don't think kids can ever outsmart parents, that parents can unleash such anger to the point that they have the urge to hit the kid. It is about more about self-respect as parents and respecting the child. I mean parents can really tailor the child direction, and nurture their various compasses as the child sets off for a future. My family is wickedly funny, and we have a good time so it would be interesting when we return all my kid's devices next Monday after her exams.

Perhaps people should start a future SAVINGS plan to have kids. Put a money value early to coincide with puberty, sexual gazing and engagement, so that they are proactive and encouraged to take responsibilities early. I mean we already have education, retirement and funeral plans way in advance, called planning for the future. So if you didn't save and can't support having children just don't have 'em, plus you shouldn't have sex if you didn't save. I mean the choice is yours to have children, why do you expect the government to subsidize your responsibilities and carry your burden of child care.

Updated: Mon Jun. 16 2008 5:48:19 PM Ont. introduces bill to get more foreign doctors The Canadian Press Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman says the government's new bill will help bring more foreign doctors to Ontario hospitals. how about it, fixing our shortages problem...

Well, if the government ever says to you that they have created jobs -- usually it means the government is employing more people. And the way it works, the biggest employer of the country pays though your taxes, borrowing or printing money. It means also rising corporate and income taxes... My suggestion would be to desist telling the government to create jobs. Instead tell them to regulate taxes like keep is down, means employing less people, same with interest rates and inflation, tell them to only focus on gas prices, then leave the market alone. In the meantime encourage innovation with some subsidies and creative programs for small business to investment and expansion - these are the drivers of the economy, hard working small - mid size companies I don't believe in welfare or EI as we have the good talent idling at home, all the while we have to import foreigners to support the same. I would like to see those who lost their jobs retrained or upgraded to compete in the marketplace, more apprenticeship programs for young people Manufacturing is for other places, Canada simply do not have the cheap labor to compete on a global scale and I am not sure who you can mobilize for cheap labor - we have a minimum wage rate as a law. Exploration is key. Globalization offers so much, I mean what are the Chinese doing in Africa, you'd think they have enough labor at home.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. 4 years: My Daddy can do anything! 7 years: My Dad knows a lot…a whole lot. 8 years: My father does not know quite everything. 12 years: Oh well, naturally Father does not know that either. 14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-fashioned. 21 years: Oh, that man-he is out of date! 25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much. 30 years: I must find out what Dad thinks about it. 35 years: Before we decide, we will get Dad's idea first. 50 years: What would Dad have thought about that? 60 years: My Dad knew literally everything! 65 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more. Fathers Day Quote by: Unknown

It is strange how deflecting charges that Hillary is a woman becomes a reasonable argument to trivial other reasons (such as: did you see some of her comical facial expressions) why she can't have the top job. I wish Hillary continue to stand proudly - YES! I am a woman - YES! I have the qualification, education (than most women or men currently) - YES! I have the experience - YES! I believe in family and tradition, I did not divorce Bill even when America willed me divorce him and be counted in a statistics, now they have divorced me - YES! I have stamina and resilience than most men ever dare - YES! I am a mighty strong woman - YES! I am the role model for women around the world and a damn good one - Yes! yes! yes! Yes, and now personally, I really need to take time out to be a big girl, and put on my big girl panties and deal with it. The glass ceiling I mean. What a major disappointment.

Did Clinton Damage the Glass Ceiling? Clinton conceded, as a woman it is a struggle to get to the top. She started the race with the insistence that she was running for president and happen to be a woman. The truth is women are too foolish when it comes to decisions to promote and enhance other women. They simply do not reproduce power the way men do. Women believe in their struggles i.e. as a woman, you are heavily penalize for being the opportunist at the right moment. So unlike men who invariably push each other to the top and they stayed there, also called the patriarchy. Many women did not resonate with Clinton being cold, tough, unwomanly like, seem calculatingly distant and not to share experiences of married women. Hence, though harsh, women just did not trust her. Next, it is strange how women seeking the top jobs always portray themselves as men. Trying to become a man, well, don't sit well with men. Now, even, Kerry's windsurfing was not taken too kindly in politics and simply meant he was not man enough to run a country. To put it another way being a wolf in sheep clothing. Hilliary disposition and politics was in direct conflict with the traditional macho image of politics. How would a woman compete with masculinity of Bush and Chaney who really took politics (maleness) to a higher, ruthless level since Sept. 11. So there you have it, men don't want a woman trying to be man, and women feel that women trying to be a man is compromising what women stand for. So, what women really want. A tough one. I have come to a conclusion that women will never be as good as men, so they have to always try to be better than men. Second place actually means there is so much more room to try harder to be better, the sort of struggles women have become accustom to, and experiences all women can share. I mean even Hillary shed a dear old tear, to prove that women really deserve opportunities, EQUAL opportunities. So it is not ironic that Hillary attempted to run against the tough boys with demeanor of the same lost out on both the men and women votes. Women felt let down. Barack Obama however offers something of change and a breakaway from the struggles (the same struggles women wish to overcome), and he is outreaching to the length and breath of America. He simply offers optimism and set apart the past with a future of caring and nurturing the people. I meant women's theme have always been about caring and nurturing. Perhaps women are just doom whenever they try to emulate power (MEN), like they are done being women, discarding their lipstick, high heels and their femininity and the female traits take a hike.

You are correct about the cost of medical school $17,000 per academic term to a debt tune of $150,000 at the end of the program Link, an international student would really have to be rolling in dough (pardon the pun) Although many doctors are returning the avg age of the doctors are 49 and 28% of doctors are over age 60, so, it really do not sort out the shortages I think the future of young doctors approach to work emphasize the importance of work-life balance, I see this trend with our family doctor in his 40's. He actually takes time off and would not see as many patients as an older doctor