Rocking the Boat

Last night I rushed home early for once because of the Canadian federal election.

I helped Buttercup put her shoes on. She was telling me about a boat.

“What kind of boat?” I asked.

“A yellow boat.” (Her favorite colour.)

“Oh a submarine!”

Off we went. The four of us went walking in the lovely fall evening. We basked in the glow of the big, round ball of a moon hanging low in the sky. The darkness was quickly taking over.

We got to the school and walked up the steps. Buttercup asked “Where’s the boat?”

“Oh no honey, not a boat. We are going to vote. But look there is a yellow sign!”

They waited patiently sitting on chairs in the busy school gym while we marked an x on the ballot. It took maybe five minutes out of our day. All done, we cut through the playground making our way home. When Buttercup realized that there was not going to be a boat she broke down in tears. Colin held her while Strawberry ran to get in two times down the slide. But Buttercup wouldn’t join in. She was heartbroken that there would be no boat.

Maybe that’s why 41% of our population did not bother to rock the vote. I hope that Americans do much better than us in their turnout to the polls. I am amazed that some people do not have an opinion or care enough about the state of their world to make their voice heard.

A Melting Pot

I like headlines. My Google Reader is filled with clever news snippets that peak my interest. I know by reading them which one is going to leave me repulsed, saddened, shocked or feeling warm and fuzzy. I admit that often the human interest pieces are my favourite. I did a quick tour of the news today and these are the topics that made me go hmmmm…

Of Canada's thirty one million people, twenty percent of them were born outside of Canada. What amazes me more is that the foreign-born proportion of the population is at its highest in 75 years. You'd think 1933 would have 2007 beat but no. According to the statistics, over a half a million people have settled in Ontario within the last five years. The media spins this as beneficial in replacing the baby boomers in the workforce.

December has arrived with a flurry of snow storms and of course a flurry of holiday parties. Little did I know that as the joy of the season warms my heart three sizes larger, it also threatens to weaken my heart. December and January are the deadliest months for heart disease. This is caused by an excess of rich meals, more alcohol and extra stress. I had no clue that a heavy meal that is high in fat, immediately stresses the heart as it is digested. Many people pass off heart pain as indigestion when they should be getting to a hospital.

It seems Hollywood knows which side their bread is buttered on and it is with the over thirty five A-List celebrities. 44 year old Johnny Depp scored $92 million in 2007 while Nicole Kidman, 40, brought home $28 million. Pretty boys Brad Pitt, 43 and George Clooney, 46, are major forces among the A-listers. In this ever evolving youth driven market, it would be nice to see the media react by shifting standards to embrace midlife instead of unrealistically push to preserve a twenty something appearance.

A new study suggests that a teaspoon of honey before bed could calm children's coughs and therefore help them sleep better. However honey is not recommended for infants as it might contain the toxins that cause botulism.

The too good to be true Canadian dollar has slipped down to 98.88 cents U.S. I better go stock up on magazines before they start charging the Canadian price again. I can't wait to skim more headlines!