Three simple words that can save a life
By Montreal Simon About ten years ago I saw a young couple throw themselves in front of a subway train at the McGill metro station in downtown Montreal. It was all over in a flash. All I saw was two people on the opposite platform suddenly rush forward, and then the body of one of [...]
Popping iodide pills in BC, despite the Experts
By Frank Moher Updated below I travelled to a local health food store on Monday and bought some kelp tablets. I was actually after potassium iodide, but they were already sold out. I am not naturally a health food store habitué — as I write this, I’m finishing up a Teen Burger meal — but [...]
Say goodbye to Meridia — and all other diet pills
by Jodi A. Shaw Surprise, surprise, another diet pill may be pulled from store shelves. Meridia, manufactured by Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, is under review by the FDA after a study raised concerns that the pill increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yesterday, fully half of the FDA’s advisory panel recommended that it be [...]
Leaping Flames
By Jodi A. Shaw From the very beginning of the H1N1/Swine Flu drama, I’ve had zero intention of getting a flu shot. Nevertheless, even I am infuriated by the preferential treatment given to the Calgary Flames players and their families. I don’t blame the Flames’ medical team for requesting special treatment (it doesn’t hurt to [...]
Conflicted about candy
By Jodi A. Shaw Navigating your way through the grocery store requires slightly more skill than usual this time of year. Maneuvering the cart around the mountains of Hallowe’en candy displayed in the entryway and randomly throughout the store becomes an exercise in both agility and self-restraint. On my routine weekend trip to the Co-Op, [...]
Alberta’s doctor dilemma
By Jodi A. Shaw I just wanted to go to the doctor. Alberta has been suffering from a physician shortage for several years, but it’s become especially keen lately. With Calgary’s population just over 1,070,000 and growing, an estimated 200,000 Calgarians are currently without a family doctor. It’s a complex issue – fewer doctors are [...]
My big break
By Bev Schellenberg Do you ever find yourself longing for the kind of attention that stars receive? Do you sometimes feel like an invisible drop in the sea of humanity? Follow these simple three steps and you’ll be irresistible to those people who currently pass you by: 1) Break your left foot and/or otherwise damage [...]
Not so kissable lips
By Jodi A. Shaw According to this perky little item, lipstick sales are up 40% since the start of the recession. Apparently the same thing happened after the 9/11 attacks, leading the chairmain of Esteé Lauder to coin the term “lipstick index,” to account for the phenomenon of glossy sales during bad times. Women would [...]
What about the kids?
By Bev Schellenberg Now here’s a thought: According to the crown prosecutor in the case of Christopher Pauchay, the father of two children who froze to death while in his care, it’s important that people care for the children they have. Marylynne Beaton says the three-year sentence handed down on Friday, March 6th, sends an [...]
Dentists: focus!
By Bev Schellenberg The next time you book your annual check-up with your dentist, consider getting rid of a few wrinkles or puffing up your lips with a botox treatment at the same time. British Columbia is the first province in Canada to permit dentists to shoot botox into their patients’ wrinkles and lips, joining [...]
twitter
facebook