Dowds, Garry Gillon (1936 - 2006)

On Christmas Day, after a sudden illness, Garry passed away at Mease Dunedin
Hospital with his wife Barb at his side, just days before their 35th wedding
anniversary.

Garry started his career in computer processing in 1955, recruited by the
Canadian division of IBM, right out of highschool. A replica of the server
rooms he first worked in over 50 years ago are now on exhibit at the
Smithsonian Museum. Garry's career included over 25 years at Imperial Life
and 13 years in management with the Etobicoke Board of Education.

Artist, clock maker, antique restorer, mechanic, collector, cabinet maker
and jack of all trades, Garry strove for perfection in all that he did.
Being a "little guy" himself, Garry always stood up or stood in for anyone
who needed an advocate or something fixed, a helping hand or a wrong
righted.

Garry's first love was the country life, building a chalet on Rice Lake in
the '70's and eventually retiring to the peace and simplicity of the
Northumberland Hills in the '90's. After retirement he escaped the Canadian
winters, as he always said he would, basking in the Florida sun.

Beloved husband of Barbara (Biggart), treasured father to Kimberley and
loved "Poppa" to Madeline Victoria. He will be greatly missed by his friends
both north and south of the border.

Visitation and services will be held on Friday, December 29th at
MacCoubrey's, 30 King St E, Cobourg, Ontario. Visitation at 1:00 p.m. and
service at 2:00 p.m.. Internment at St. John's in Ida, Ontario.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to March of Dimes Canada (10 Overlea Blvd,
Toronto, M4H 1A4)  would be greatly appreciated.

The secret to highly successful people

 

Tojo Thatchenkery en Carol Metzker

This article appeared in Ode issue: 34

 

 

Appreciative intelligence allows us to see what’s possible and make it happen

 

 

When the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990, the general public and scientists in the aerospace field both held high hopes. The world waited expectantly for answers to riddles of the universe that would be revealed by the telescope’s views of space.

 

But blurry images caused by a flawed mirror sent those hopes crashing to Earth. The U.S. Congress demanded an explanation for the failure. The project and its creators became the butt of jokes on late-night television. Stress and health problems afflicted many NASA engineers.

 

“It was traumatic,” says the former director of NASA’s astrophysics division, Charles Pellerin, who oversaw the launch of the Hubble. Nobody could see how to fix the problem.

 

Well, nobody except Pellerin. He not only had insight on how to solve the problem but found the funding and resources to repair the telescope, for which he received NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal. But his real reward came over the next decade when the telescope provided spectacular images and important discoveries about stars, galaxies and other cosmic phenomena.

 

What was the secret of Pellerin’s success? Dozens of other people at NASA had high IQs and world-class technical knowledge—they were, after all, rocket scientists. They could perform the same analyses, use the same logic and master the same models and mathematical formulas. So what gave Pellerin the edge? What made him persist until the telescope was fixed when others felt overwhelmed by the challenge?

 

His mind perceived reality differently. He reframed the situation as an unfinished project, not a failed one. He never lost sight of the potential for a positive outcome—a space telescope that worked. He saw how that positive future could happen as the result of technical solutions—corrective optics-package repairs performed by a crew of astronauts—that were possible with a rearrangement of funding and resources that already existed within NASA. By reassessing the situation, recognizing the potential and envisioning the repaired telescope, he was able to help orchestrate the unfolding of events that changed the future.

 

While most of the NASA scientists are at the top of the charts in the intellect department, Pellerin possessed something more: appreciative intelligence.

 

Appreciative intelligence can be defined as the capability of perceiving the inherent generative potential within a situation at hand. Put simply, appreciative intelligence is the ability to see the mighty oak in the acorn. It is the capacity to see a strong trunk and countless leaves emerging from this small nut as time unfolds. It is a knack for seeing a breakthrough product, top talent or valuable solution for the future hidden in the present.

 

Appreciative intelligence is similar to what Viktor Frankl, survivor of a German concentration camp, wrote in his classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, about the power of looking horror in the face and finding something there that allows you to survive. It is that capacity not to flinch but to learn from the things you fear. To quote Frankl, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

 

Everyone has appreciative intelligence to a greater or lesser degree. The most recent research shows our intelligence can be enhanced and nurtured; it is not an innate, unchangeable ability. Happily, this means appreciative intelligence can be developed and improved. Recognizing and cultivating your own sense of appreciative intelligence can make a difference in your prosperity, health and success.

 

 At least three different ways of changing your behaviours and thoughts enhance appreciative intelligence.

 

-· First, you can change behaviours by working on them directly. For instance, you may be accustomed to going to work a particular way every day. If construction forces you to change routes, you may deliberately remind yourself to travel that new direction every morning until a new habit forms.

·

-  Second, you can directly change your thought processes. One of the ideas for which 1972 Nobel laureate Gerald Edelman is well-known is called “neural Darwinisim.” He pointed out that our brains have some 30 billion neurons and a quadrillion synaptic connections. As we develop into adulthood, connections that are used most often are kept, while the least-used connections are destroyed or “pruned.” According to Edelman, constant activation will influence neural growth and synapse formation. In other words, the more we use certain mental processes, the stronger they become. Therefore, if we intentionally work on feeling optimistic, those neural connections are strengthened. We can think of this as a mental workout—if we work the neural “muscles” of optimism, they get strengthened and we feel optimistic. If we decide to be happy, those “happy synapses” get strengthened. In other words, by choosing to have a certain mindset, we can end up getting it.

 

-  Third, you can change your mindset by changing your actions. To grasp the significance of this, try the following quick exercise. Smile. Hold that smile for a few minutes. (It may feel like a long time.) Within a few minutes you will begin to feel happier than you were before you began to smile. After a while, your smile will feel natural, you may relax, and you may feel genuine happiness. Because our brains do not distinguish between a smile (or other action) brought about by a mental state or one caused by moving our physical muscles, we can change our mindset through physical changes.

 

The best way to enhance your appreciative intelligence is to determine what your abilities and qualities are and build on them. Stretch them, strengthen them and use them in new areas of your life. For many people, this approach will run contrary to what they have learned. Martin Seligman, leader of the positive psychology movement, points out that the trend in psychology for years has been to focus on deficits. In corporations and elsewhere, consultants and management look for what’s broken and try to fix it. The problem is this often returns a situation to a minimal level of functioning—not an optimal state of productivity. Rarely does such an approach bring about a great future.

 

Enhancing your appreciative intelligence will not make you happy all the time or keep you from making mistakes. What appreciative intelligence can do is to help you learn how to reframe situations so you can solve problems in a creative way. You may begin to see innovative solutions. You might blame yourself and others less and get what you want more. You may find yourself bringing out the best in others; seeing connections you had never noticed; and finding happiness, appreciation or fulfillment in new places.

 

 

 

This is an excerpt from Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn, by Tojo Thatchenkery and Carol Metzker (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006).

 

 

 

Tojo Thatchenkery is an associate professor of organizational development and knowledge management at George Mason University, near Washington, D.C. Carol Metzker is an organizational learning consultant and contributing editor for Investor Relations Update.

 

 

 

---

From: Ontario PC Party <info@ontariopc.on.ca>
To: tinytory@msn.com
Subject: PayMoreGetLess.ca
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:12:56 -0800 (PST)

Dear Kim, There is no greater demonstration of the government’s commitment to Ontarians than their annual provincial budget. Unfortunately, the Ontario 2006 provincial budget continued the McGuinty Liberals’ streak of broken promises, as for the 3rd year in a row they chose not to balance the budget. They did this despite having a $3 billion windfall for the 2005-06 year. Instead, Dalton McGuinty chose to continue to spend recklessly on programs that do not help hard pressed working families – families who are paying more and getting less. John Tory and the PC Party of Ontario think that enough is enough! We have launched Pay MoreGetLess.ca. PayMoreGetLess.ca is more than a website. It is a grassroots movement that calls on all Ontarians to demand that the McGuinty Liberals start showing some demonstrable results for their reckless increase in spending. We need your involvement! There are many ways you can start to contribute to this effort. Sign Up As a supporter of John Tory and the Ontario PC Party, you know how important it is for us to have faith in our political leaders. We need your help to keep Dalton McGuinty accountable for his reckless spending, his broken promises and his government’s lack of results. Click here to receive regular updates in the coming weeks and learn how you can join our efforts to inform Ontarians about the 2006 McGuinty ‘pay more get less’ budget. Spread The Word We need Ontarians to join together in this effort, and we need you to get the word out. Please click this link to send an email to family, friends and colleagues -- anyone you know. Share Your Story Does the 2006 Ontario budget impact you personally? Are you tired of the lack of respect the McGuinty Liberals have for your hard earned tax dollars? Are you paying more in taxes, but receiving fewer and fewer services? Do you feel the McGuinty Liberals are spending your tax dollars reckless, with few tangible results to show for it? We need you to share your stories with us so that other Ontarians can realize how much Dalton McGuinty's reckless spending is hurting this province. Click here to share your story. Please, take action by signing up, spreading the word, or sharing your story. Visit PayMoreGetLess.ca and sign up today. ©The Ontario PC Party. Authorized by the CFO of The Ontario PC Party

Send anti-vaccine emails and hate mail to my work email … it is easier to delete!!!

Attention Health Editors:

Parents putting children at risk

    "No room for complacency" says polio advocate

    TORONTO, March 13 /CNW/ - A recent study shows that parents have become

complacent about the risks of many potentially deadly and crippling childhood

diseases. The study, recently released by ICES (Institute for Clinical

Evaluative Studies) concludes that vaccinations are not up-to-date in almost a

third of Ontario two-year olds.

    Kimberley Dowds, the Associate Director of Polio Canada, the leading

service provider of education, information and peer support to polio survivors

across Canada says, "Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are

taking a risk that is far from minor. Polio is not yet history in Canada, and

proper vaccination is vital to protect children from this disabling and

sometimes fatal disease".

    With the fight to eradicate polio continuing in the developing world, it

is extremely important that Canadian parents ensure that their children are

vaccinated against the virus. "The polio virus travels well," says Dowds. She

points to a recent outbreak of poliomyelitis in the Amish community of Long

Prairie, Minnesota, where 5 children were infected in November of last year.

"Canada is part of the global village, and polio is only a plane ride away."

    Children are considered to have up-to-date immunization coverage for

polio if they have received the recommended three doses and one booster (known

as DPTPHib) at two, four, six, and 18 months.

    Making certain that all Canadian children are immunized is essential to

preventing any future recurrence of polio in North America. There are an

estimated 125,000 polio survivors in Canada who contracted the virus during

the polio epidemics of the 1940s and 50s. Many of these survivors now suffer

the later effects of the virus in the form of post-polio syndrome. "Polio

doesn't just cause disability at the time of infection - the damage done by

the virus is terrible and continues to worsen as the survivor ages," explains

Dowds. In fact, it is estimated that up to 50 to 70 percent of polio survivors

may experience the disabling effects of post-polio syndrome 25 to 45 years

after their initial recovery from polio.

    With March designated as Polio Awareness Month, Polio Canada has

increased its efforts, with a national campaign to educate the public about

polio and post-polio syndrome.

    For information call 1-800-480-5903 or visit the Polio Canada Web site at

www.poliocanada.com

    Polio Canada is the leading service provider of education, information

and peer support to polio survivors across Canada.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2006/13/c1630.html?view=print

 

 

http://www.warrensworld.ca/links.html

 

Check out the Warren’s World links page to see what new links they’ve added… including my blog…

 

Warren and Steven are planning a trip up to Ottawa at the end of March to celebrate Accessibility in Canada!! Wish I could do the road trip with you boys but I’ll be out West that week!

 

Links

Personal Pages and Blogs

Don Barrie on the Web

http://www.homestead.com/dwgbworld/home.html

 

Tiny Tory’s Homespace

http://spaces.msn.com/tinytory/Blog/cns!9CE3EB014380A9D6!498.entry

 

News Sites Featuring Warren’s World

The Info Zone

http://www.theinfozone.net/infozonelinks.html

 

The Ryersonian

http://stw.ryerson.ca/~sonian/Jan18/news/candidates.html

 

The Eyeopener

http://www.theeyeopener.com/storydetail.cfm?storyid=2618

 

Toronto Star

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Render&inifile=futuretense.ini&c=Page&cid=970599109774&ce=Columnist&colid=989556577025

 

CTV’s Canada AM

http://www.ctv.ca/canadaam

 

CBC Television (Toronto)

http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/

 

CBC Radio One

http://www.cbc.ca/programguide/schedule/dailySchedule.jsp?network=CBC%20Radio%20One

 

Disability Events and News from Around the World

Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology

http://www.ficcdat.ca/

 

Disability News Radio (from Williamsville, New York)

http://www.disabilitynewsradio.com

 

Canadian Abilities Foundation

http://www.enablelink.org

 

American News from the National Organization on Disability

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayCiteList&orgId=560&topicId=5771

 

Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games

http://www.paralympicgames.torino2006.org/ENG/ParalympicGames/home/index.html

 

International Paralympics Organization

www.paralympic.org

 

Disability News InfoExchange Australia

http://www.disabilitynews.infoxchange.net.au/index.shtml

 

The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet

http://www.icdri.org/News/news_on_disability_issues.htm

 

Diversity World

http://www.diversityworld.com/Disability/misc.htm

 

Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games

www.vancouver2010.com

 

Disability World – a bi-monthly American online publication of international disability news

www.disabilityworld.org

 

Government - Disability Policy and Legislation

Ontario – Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/accessibility/index.html

 

United States - Americans with Disabilities Act

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

 

Australia – Disability Discrimination Act

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/legislation/index.htm

 

Britain - Disability Discrimination Act

http://www.direct.gov.uk/DisabledPeople/DisabledPeopleArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10023362&chk=85yA9r

 

United Nations – International Legal Framework for Disability Legislation

http://www.direct.gov.uk/DisabledPeople/DisabledPeopleArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10023362&chk=85yA9r

 

Ireland – National Disability Authority

http://www.nda.ie/

 

Zambia – Persons with Disabilities Act

http://www.dredf.org/international/zamb2.html

 

Zimbabwe – Disabled Persons Act

http://www.dredf.org/international/zimb1.html

 

Ghana – National Council on Disabled Persons

http://www.dredf.org/international/Ghana2.html

 

Cambodia – Rights of People with Disabilities

http://www.dac.org.kh/legislation/list-laws/draft-disability-law-print.htm

 

Israel – Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law

http://www.bizchut.org.il/eng/upload/law/file1.html#d

 

Bulgaria – Law for Protection, Rehabilitation and Social Integration of Disabled

http://www.dredf.org/international/bulgaria.html

 

Netherlands – Act on Equal Treatment on Grounds of Handicap or Chronic Illness

http://www.dredf.org/international/netherlands.html

 

Rock for Kids 2006

Rock For Kids – Toronto’s Big Battle of the Corporate Bands!!!

Toronto’s corporate execs and lawyers are once again trading their briefcases for guitars as we gear up for the second annual Rock for Kids fundraiser.

On Thursday, May 11 and Wednesday, May 17, the city’s hippest corporate bands will compete for the privilege of being called Toronto’s best.

In conjunction with sponsors Mavrix Funds Management Inc. and Fidelity Investment Funds, we'll showcase the talents of Departure Lounge, The Tantrums, The Gavelheads, Chapter Eleven, and Blue Spade Shoes on the 11th.

Then on the 17th, and The Dealers, Black Monday and Consultants of Swing will hit the stage.

The Hard Rock Cafe at 279 Yonge St. will play host once again, from 7 p.m. to midnight, with delectable hors d’oeuvres and dancing, all for just $25.

The goal of this year’s Rock for Kids event is to raise $70,000 for Conductive Education® (CE), a program that combines rehabilitation and education to help kids with impaired motor skills learn the basics of movement and physical control.

So come on out and join us for a fun-filled evening!

 

The Impact of Community Rehabilitation for Acquired Brain Injury on Carer Burden: An Exploratory Study.
Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. Focus on Clinical Research and Practice. 21(1):76-81, January/February 2006.
Smith, Michael J. DclinPsy; Vaughan, Frances L. PhD; Cox, Linda J. DclinPsy; McConville, Helen MSc; Roberts, Mark MB; Stoddart, Sheila BA; Lew, Adina R. PhD

Abstract:
Objectives: This study evaluated the relative efficacy of a community rehabilitation service and a more traditional outpatient service for carers of people with an acquired brain injury.

Methods: Seventeen carers who had received a community intervention were retrospectively compared with 24 carers who had received an outpatient service. Dependent variables were level of met family need, a measure of family dysfunction, carer psychopathology, and carer emotional acceptance.

Results: The community sample fared significantly better on all measures except carer psychopathology.

Conclusions: These results suggest that community-based services have efficacy for the carer and family. There is a clear need for large clinical trials using standardized instruments to establish what models of service delivery benefit carers.

(C) 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

 

Economic Impact Of Acute Ischemic Stroke

26 Feb 2006   

Study results presented today at the International Stroke Congress (ISC) in Florida highlight the increasing financial burden caused by the outcomes of acute ischemic stroke and its impact on a variety of healthcare resources. The data show the effect of long-term disability caused by stroke on healthcare resources and emphasize the importance of wide economic assessment in evaluating the benefit of new stroke treatments.

One of the studies presented examined the impact of the length and cost of hospital stays on the ability of hospitals to treat ischemic patients. U.S. researchers analyzed more than 350,000 Medicare health insurance claims to estimate the current cost of providing standard inpatient stroke care, based on a mean hospital stay of 5.7 days 1. The study found that while the mean cost per stay for a stroke patient was $9,433, the average amount actually reimbursed per stay came to $6,589, representing an average shortfall to the hospital of $2,845 per patient stay. To provide standard stroke care on a break-even basis, the average hospital stay would need to be reduced to just 3.5 days. These findings are especially significant given that 72% of acute stroke patients in the U.S. are Medicare beneficiaries 1.

A second study provided further evidence of the impact of reimbursement issues on patients hospitalized with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, revealing that various financial incentives over the past decade have led to a decrease in the initial intensity of care for patients with stroke. Such financial incentives include reducing the in-patient length of stay and making the criteria for rehabilitation reimbursement more stringent 2.

This study looked at the four highest expense categories; hospital, physician, rehabilitation and skilled nursing costs for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, averaged over a 12-month period, using standardized methods to compare Medicare claims filed for 1991 with those from 2000. The study found that, while a slight reduction was seen in the total 12-month cost of stroke between 1991 and 2000, the overall mix of costs changed with more expenditure on skilled nursing and less on hospital, physician and rehabilitation.

Lead study author Dr. David Matchar, Director and Professor of Medicine, Center for Clinical Health Policy Research, Duke University Medial Center, U.S., commented, "Current financial pressures create disincentives for acute therapy, including future medications or aggressive rehabilitation. These disincentives do not serve stroke patients who have the potential to not only survive, but to survive with good function. The irony is that these financial pressures don't seem to be saving cost overall. We see from our cost studies that squeezing the balloon on the acute care side only leads to expansion on the long-term care side. If we truly want to improve stroke outcomes we must address these perverse financial pressures."

Another significant finding highlighted by data presented at the ISC is the increasing importance of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) for assessing post-stroke disability and its economic impact.3 When evaluating data from a long-term registry of patients with stroke, investigators studied the course of disability over time, moving beyond the 3-month period typically evaluated in clinical trials.

This study concluded that while most changes in mRS are seen in the first 3 months, patients may continue to recover or deteriorate further due to recurrent stroke. Since disability is known to be a strong predictor of care need, and thus cost, these changes need to be accounted for in economic evaluations of stroke treatment.

"When evaluating the cost of managing these acute stroke patients, one needs to consider the entire spectrum of health care required, as disability following stroke leads to many different care needs over the long term. The modified Rankin Scale is a measurement of disability useful for economic evaluations of the impact of stroke, provided that longer term changes in disability are accounted for when assessing economic implications," commented Dr. Jaime Caro, Lead Study Author and Scientific Director, Caro Research Institute, Massachusetts, U.S.

While the majority of people survive an ischemic stroke, many are left with some form of disability; up to a third of sufferers remain functionally dependent one year after their stroke, requiring long-term medical care or institutionalization.4 This results in considerable healthcare costs. In the US, stroke costs more than $56.8 billion annually, 62 percent of which is accounted for by hospital and home care costs 5; while in Europe, stroke management accounts for 5-10 percent of healthcare resources. 6

AstraZeneca funded these studies and is committed to research in the area of stroke in order to understand the burden of stroke and how the effects of acute ischemic stroke can be reduced.

Dr. Tomas Odergren, Global Product Director, AstraZeneca, said: "The findings from these health economic studies show only too clearly the profound impact of managing acute ischemic stroke, as the premier cause of adult disability, on the healthcare sector and society. The suffering of the patients and families and the impact noted on healthcare resources, make the development of new broadly applicable treatments that reduce post-stroke disability more critical than ever." AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $23.95 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $10.77 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com.

References:

1. Marotta C, Scharf J, Mafilios M, et al. Impact of length of stay and costs on the ability of hospitals to adopt new technology for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke patients. Poster presented at the International Stroke Conference 2006, Kissimmee, FL, USA
2. Matchar D, Goss T, Samsa G, et al. An Examination of Patterns of 12- Month Medicare Reimbursements for Patients Hospitalized with Ischemic or Hemorrhagic Stroke in 1991 versus 2000. Poster presented at the International Stroke Conference 2006, Kissimmee, FL, USA
3. Caro J, Huybrechts K, Vemmos K. Stroke Economic Models; Importance of Predicting Time Course of Recovery. Poster presented at the International Stroke Conference 2006, Kissimmee, FL, USA
4. Murray CJL, Lopez AD. The Global Burden of Disease: a comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability from diseases, injuries, and risk factors in 1990 and projected to 2020. Boston: Harvard University Press; 1996.
5. American Stroke Association, American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2005 Update. (http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/ 1105390918119HDSStats2005Update.pdf)
6. Hacke W, Kaste M, Skyhoj Olsen T, et al. J.European Stroke Initiative (EUSI) recommendations for stroke management. The European Stroke Initiative Writing Committee. Eur J Neurol. 2000; 6: 607-23.

http://www.astrazeneca-us.com

 

Join us for the first annual Survive & Thrive Summit -  Toronto 2006.

 

The Survive and Thrive Summit is designed to bring together key stakeholders from across the continuum of care to examine how, working together, we can all help stroke survivors and their family members Survive & Thrive after stroke. Throughout 2006, Summits will be held all over Ontario and across Canada, working to build a regional/local network of support for community re-engagement initiatives.

 

The Summit is open to: stroke thrivers, their care partners, health care professionals, industry/service professionals, government agency staff, NGO staff and community based organization representatives.

 

Date:   Saturday, March 25^th

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Downtown Toronto

Cost: FREE Registration

 

Space is limited. For a registration form  email Deanne Kukulewich, Group Development and Support Coordinator  dkukulewich@dimes.on.ca .

 

Please pass this on to other members of your team or others that you feel may be interested in participating.

(Sponsored in part through a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation)

 

Un virus datant de 50 ans cause des invalidités chez plus de 50 000 Canadiens aujourd'hui

Toronto, le 3 mars 2006 - Un virus éradiqué de l'Amérique du Nord dans les années 90 continue de faire des ravages chez des dizaines de milliers de Canadiens aujourd'hui. Le poliovirus a semé la panique dans les années 40 et 50 lorsque des épidémies se sont déclarées partout au pays. Les Canadiens pensaient que c'en était fait de la polio quand l'Organisation mondiale de la santé a déclaré, dans les années 90, que la maladie était éradiquée de l'Amérique du Nord. Mais pour ceux et celles qui ont contracté la polio plusieurs décennies plus tôt, le destin leur réservait un autre tour cruel. On estime qu'il y a plus de 125 000 Canadiens qui ont survécu à la polio. Aujourd'hui, ces mêmes survivants doivent faire face aux effets latents du virus et, ironiquement, ils ne le savent même pas. Dans les années 90, des chercheurs ont confirmé que plusieurs des survivants de la polio subiraient les séquelles de la maladie plus tard dans leur vie, notamment la faiblesse, la fatigue, de la difficulté à respirer et à avaler, et l'atrophie musculaire. En fait, on estime que de 50 à 70 p. cent des survivants de la polio peuvent ressentir les effets débilitants du syndrome post-polio 25 à 45 ans après leur guérison initiale. Malheureusement, environ 50 000 Canadiens ne savent pas qu'ils ont contracté le virus dans les années 40 et 50 lorsque des formes moins virulentes et "non paralytiques" de la maladie se masquaient sous des symptômes ressemblant à ceux d'une mauvaise grippe. "Quiconque est aux prises avec des symptômes mystérieux comprenant la fatigue, la faiblesse et de la douleur devrait parler à son médecin de famille afin de déterminer s'ils pourraient être causés par le syndrome post-polio", dit Kimberley Dowds, directrice adjointe de Polio Canada. Il n'existe aucun test disponible permettant de confirmer une infection passée au poliovirus, toutefois, "si votre frère/soeur, ami(e), cousin(e) ou l'enfant qui habitait au bout de la rue avait la polio et que vous les côtoyiez, il est possible que vous ayez également contracté la polio", explique Marcia Falconer, Ph.D., virologue et chercheure sur le syndrome post-polio. En outre, un grand nombre d'immigrants présentent des symptômes du syndrome post-polio. "Beaucoup de survivants de la polio sont des immigrants au Canada et peuvent ne pas savoir qu'ils auront peut-être à faire face au syndrome post-polio", de dire Elizabeth Dean, Ph.D., une éminente chercheure sur le syndrome post-polio à l'Université de la Colombie-Britannique (U.C.-B.), qui a observé une augmentation marquée du nombre d'immigrants aiguillés vers la clinique post-polio de l'U.C.-B. Si vous soupçonnez que vos symptômes pourraient être causés par un cas de polio oublié ou mal diagnostiqué dans votre enfance, composez le 1 800 480-5903 ou visitez le site Web de Polio Canada(R) à at www.poliocanada.com Mars étant le Mois de sensibilisation à la polio, Polio Canada déploie des efforts accrus pour éduquer le public au sujet du syndrome post-polio. Polio Canada(R), un programme de la Marche des dix sous Canada, est le principal fournisseur de services d'éducation, d'information et d'entraide aux survivants de la polio à travers le Canada.

 

http://www.guidesanteenligne.com/news_mail.asp?ID=47468

 

 

Tonight on Radio-Canada Manitoba hear short spots regarding Polio Awareness MOnth - find your station at:

 

 

 

Warren’s World Tour Jacket

Be part of Warren’s World with an ultra cool urban club jacket.

The Warren’s World Club look features bright silver zippers along the centre front and cuffs.  This hip garment is a hip-length jacket, 100% polyester with a water resistant shell and 100% polyester quilted lining. Carry your Ipod or cell phone in an inside pocket on one side and your wallet to pay your date’s club bill in the other side.

Front embroidery features March of Dimes Canada and Accessibility Rocks! Logo.  Warren’s World logo on the back.

Order yours in sizes from XS to 3XL

$85 plus applicable taxes, shipping and handling.

directhitpp@sympatico.ca

905.884.9000

Dog Sitter Needed

 

 

Joey needs a home-away-from-home in Toronto to stay at when Mommy travels for work.

 

He gets too stressed when he stays at a kennel and would be better with a human companion.

 

A little 15 pound bichon, Joey comes with his own collapsible kennel, food, leash, blankie and poo-baggies and $20.00 per day for his sitter friend. He is middle-aged for a dog (13) and has one leg that gets tired easily so he does not need long walks, just two short walks a day.

 

If you would be willing to take Joey from time to time (weekends, overnight here and there and week-long spans) please contact me by leaving a comment on this blog. 

 

 

 

 

 

I've always felt that there are many unknown viruses out there that are causing many of the medical conditions in this world.

---

From: Reuters_News@reuters.com
To: <tinytory@msn.com>
Subject: Reuters.com - Virus may cause prostate cancer, study hints - Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:31 PM ET
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:50:05 -0500

tinytory@msn.com (tinytory@msn.com) has sent you this article.

Virus may cause prostate cancer, study hints

Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:31 PM ET NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A newly identified virus, tentatively called XMRV, seems to be associated with the development of prostate cancer in genetically susceptible men, researchers report. XMRV is closely related to a virus that causes leukemia in mice and is a "newly identified infectious agent in humans," Dr. Eric Klein of the Cleveland Clinic said in a statement. "While more research is needed to confirm our findings, this could be the first evidence that a virus is linked to prostate cancer," he added. Damage to an antiviral protein called RNaseL, may increase susceptibility to prostate cancer, Klein and colleagues note. Such dysfunction may occur when a gene called HPC1, which produces RNaseL, is mutated and stops functioning normally. Men with these genetic alterations are more prone to prostate cancer. Klein's group explored the possibility that a viral infection might contribute to prostate cancer in men with HPC1 mutations that impair function of RNaseL. They used a DNA ViroChip containing the genetic sequences of nearly 5,000 viruses to screen prostate tumor samples from 86 men who had their prostates removed. They compared the incidence of viral infection between men who had two mutated copies of HPC1 gene and men with one or no mutated copies of this gene. Klein and colleagues found XMRV in 45 percent of the 20 men with two mutated copies of the HPC1 gene but in only 1.5 percent of the 66 other men. XMRV could be sexually transmitted. It's possible that infection leads to chronic inflammation of the prostate leading ultimately to cancer, the researchers theorize, analogous to the way human papillomavirus (HPV) can trigger cervical cancer. The researchers are planning a comprehensive "epidemiological" study to look at the association between sexual history, personal and family medical history, viral infection, and prostate cancer. If the XMRV virus does cause prostate cancer, it could be a therapeutic target for drugs or a vaccine. The findings were presented Friday morning in San Francisco at the 2006 Prostate Cancer Symposium, co-sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and the Society of Urologic Oncology.

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© Copyright Reuters 2006All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world. Quotes and other data are provided for your personal information only, and are not intended for trading purposes. Reuters, the members of its Group and its data providers shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the quotes or other data, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. © Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

I don't know why I did it... morbid curiousity... something to read while I ate my Timmie's sandwich and sipped my triple-triple...

But I shouldn't have because I just shook my head in frustration.

Let me start by saying that the blowing up of that shrine was wrong, wrong, wrong - put aside it's historical and religious significance and just look at the destruction of property and human life alone is heinous... HEINOUS!!! Once you add the historical and religious significance you know that this was not done for a simple reason but was intended to do damage beyond property and life but to damage the very fabric of society in the Middle East. It totally disgusts me that there are people like this.

"The only way for evil to persist is for good men to do nothing." The only problem is everyone in this case sees themselves as the good and everyone else as the evil. Fundamentalists are mental... and there is no FUN in fundamentalist.

So, back to the article in Aljazeera I read... there is a part of it that says... (see below for the whole thing...)

"Wednesday’s attack on al-Askariya shrine is an insult to the sanctities of all Muslims that could be seen as the continuation of the offensive move by some Western newspapers that published disrespectful cartoons of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). "

I'm sorry... but what?? The shrine's destruction is a continuation of the Western media's publishing of the cartoons... ??? OK, I understand that they don't mean from a literal sense nor that the newspapers did the bombing of the shrine. But let's be less mental with the fundamentalism and stop trying to compare apples to oranges - granted, they are fruit, come from a tree - just like the Cartoons insulted Mohammad and therefore the basis of islamic faith and the shrine damaged a holy place key to the outcome of the world according to islamic faith... but there is where we need to be realistic. One is far far worse than the other...

I know I shouldn't have expected anything less from Aljazeera and our media is guilty of just as many biases but I had just hoped that instead of pointing fingers at the west about the cartoons again, we could all join together in our collective outrage at one of the greatest insults to the islamic faith that this bombing was.

Chapter 3, verse 172, of the Koran: "Of those who answered the call of Allah and the messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong have a great reward."

Kim
The Tiny Tory
 

 

A new plot to divide Iraqis and break unity among Muslims

2/24/2006 6:20:00 PM GMT

“Today's crime in Samarra added another page to the list of misdeeds by Iraq's occupiers," “The holy shrines of Imam Hadi and Imam Hassan Askari were insulted and destroyed, delivering a heavy blow to the Shias and all other Muslims who respect the household of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This criminal act, which was probably carried out by bigoted and ignorant mercenaries, had undoubtedly been planned by conspirators with wicked and diabolical intentions,” said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  Wednesday’s attack on al-Askariya shrine is an insult to the sanctities of all Muslims that could be seen as the continuation of the offensive move by some Western newspapers that published disrespectful cartoons of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The explosion destroyed the golden dome of the shrine, sparking mass protests across Iraq and the Middle East, and triggering a series of attacks on Iraq’s Sunnis and their mosques, which claimed the lives of more than 100 people. Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, appealed for calm and called for a week of mourning. And President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said the country must work to avoid a civil war. This heinous crime was clearly aimed at fomenting sectarian violence between Iraq’s Shias and Sunnis, following the failure of the occupation powers in the war-torn country. It comes at a critical time for the Iraqis and the Islamic world as a whole. A civil war in Iraq would destroy the chances of the elected Shia-led government which is still being formed following the December elections, and could lead to the break-up of the war-torn country. The bombers of the holy shrine may never be known. Many Shias immediately blamed Sunnis, and many Sunnis in turn blamed Shias, saying they blew the shrine to victimize themselves and strengthen their political stand. But the Shias must know that such attacks couldn’t be the work of their Sunni brothers, but are carried out by the enemies of Islam. And the Sunnis must understand that the same terrorists who carried out this criminal act in the holy city of Samarra will probably attack their holy sites in the future. “Today's crime in Samarra added another page to the list of misdeeds by Iraq's occupiers… There are definitely some plots to force Shias to attack the mosques and other properties respected by the Sunnis," Ayatollah Khameini, said on Wednesday. "Any measure to contribute to that direction is helping the enemies of Islam and is forbidden by Sharia.” With Iraq heading closer to civil war, many feel like Dr. Nabil Salim, a political science professor at Baghdad University who says that U.S.-led occupation forces share blame, directly or indirectly, for the shrine bombing “because they are in charge of security in the country. ... And they are not doing a good job of improving internal security or controlling borders.” Some Muslim political leaders and clerics also believe that Israel and the U.S. occupation, which has turned Iraq into a disaster since the 2003 invasion, are the only beneficiaries from such criminal acts. In his speech, Ayatollah Khameini said: “This is a political crime and its roots have to be traced in the intelligence organizations of the Iraqi occupiers and the Zionists. The aggressive powers that perceive the political and social conditions in Iraq as contrary to their objectives devise ominous plans in their heads, some of which to intensify insecurity and create sectarian strife… The holy shrines in Samarra will once again rise with even greater magnificence than before through the efforts of those who respect the holy Imams, but this criminal act has left a dark stain on the foreheads of the enemies of Islam and Muslims which will not be wiped off for a long time.” Other prominent Muslim clerics also blamed the occupation for the attack. "We cannot imagine that the Iraqi Sunnis did this," said the influential Sunni cleric Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian who lives in Qatar. "No one benefits from such acts other than the U.S. occupation and the lurking Zionist enemy." Leading Lebanese Shia cleric Seyyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah also accused the U.S. of deliberately stoking tensions in Iraq to maintain its occupation. "The American occupation is trying to keep its grip on Iraq by benefiting from these crimes that she encourages directly or indirectly," Fadlallah said. Iraq’s Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also said blame must be laid either with the Americans or the Iraqi government. "If responsibility is not in the hands of the Iraqi government, then I consider the responsibility for this event lies with the occupation forces which should either leave immediately or according to a timetable,” he said. In Jordan, King Abdullah II warned that the shrine bombing "is aimed at sowing and fanning sectarian strife among the Iraqi people". And Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who is himself a Sunni but rules over a country with a large Shia community, warned that the attack was "meant to divide Sunnis and Shias with the goal of breaking Iraq’s unity and unity among Muslims." It is clear that those responsible for this crime are determined to cause not just civil war in Iraq but internal Muslim divisions across the region. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah hinted at this on Thursday when he told huge Shia crowds in Lebanon: “Let’s not blame each other. We shouldn’t give them that opportunity. We should limit the accusations to the American occupation.”

For anyone who has cerebral palsy (children and adults), MS, Parkinson's, Brain Injury or Stroke - this program will give you results. I organized a research trial into CE in 1999 and saw for myself the changes that happened in just two weeks (20 hours of class time)... and the research backed up what my eyes saw - improved walking distance, balance, coordination and most importantly - improvements in quality of life and sense of how disabled the individuals thought that they were.

Programs are running year round in Toronto and now Halifax... also summer programs are offered throughout Ontario and in other parts of Canada for children. Short term programs in Niagara and Guelph have shown amazing results for stroke survivors....

 

Dynamic rehab therapy to be offered in Halifax

    HALIFAX, Feb. 14 /CNW/ - As of today, children with physical disabilities
are able to participate in a unique and highly effective form of
rehabilitation therapy, Conductive Education(R), being newly offered in
Halifax by March of Dimes Canada.
    Conductive Education(R) (CE) uses educational theories and practices
developed in the 1940s in Budapest, Hungary. Teachers work with persons with
disabilities to develop the independence and functioning of each person.
Conductive Education's(R) positive, practical, progressive group approach to
learning builds motivation, improves self-esteem and focuses on what one can
achieve independently.
    The program is offered in both the Melvern Square and Area Community
Centre and YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth. Those interested in more
information can arrange a visit by contacting Rachael Skinner at (902) 401-
8425 or visiting the website at www.dimes.on.ca.
    Rachael Skinner, the lead Conductor of CE Halifax is excited by the
enthusiasm of local parents and organizations for the program. "From speaking
to parents and companies in Halifax, I believe that there is a huge need for
this program here," says Rachael. "It is my hope that the program expands to
provide service to people throughout the region."
    Conductive Education(R) is being offered by March of Dimes Canada, a
subsidiary of Ontario March of Dimes, which has operated for over 50 years
delivering an array of services with a commitment to creating a society
inclusive of people with disabilities.
www.dimes.on.ca

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love quotes... here are three that I love that arrived on my desktop this morning thanks to Quotes of the Day...

"Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century."
  - Dame Edna Everage

Kim
The Tiny Tory
 

 

Well what the bloody hell were they thinking?? What a difference from the friendly "Shrimp on the Barbie" ad campaign.... not so friendly these Aussies... impatient!!! Of course - they are flashing some T&A with the bikini girl so all is forgiven right??

---

From: Reuters_News@reuters.com
Subject: Reuters.com - If you curse at them, they will come? - Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:13 AM ET
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 10:45:47 -0500

If you curse at them, they will come?

Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:13 AM ET By Paul Tait SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia launched a new A$180 million ($133 million) advertising campaign Thursday which seeks to attract international tourists by swearing at them. "Where the bloody hell are you?" asks the new campaign launched by Australian Tourism Minister Fran Bailey. Bailey said the campaign will target potential tourists in China, Japan, India, the United States, Germany and Britain and would be rolled out in the next few weeks. It echoes the hugely successful "Put another shrimp on the barbie" tourism campaign of the 1980s, which featured singlet-wearing comedian Paul Hogan and which lured an estimated 250,000 American tourists to Australia. The new campaign, which can be seen on Tourism Australia's Web site (www.wherethebloodyhellareyou.com), features a series of Australian backdrops. It begins with characters saying: "We've poured you a beer and we've had the camels shampooed, we've saved you a spot on the beach ... and we've got the sharks out of the pool." A bikini-clad woman then asks: "So where the bloody hell are you?." Bailey and Prime Minister John Howard both defended the campaign against complaints about the use of the word "bloody," a mild profanity used to express annoyance. "It's a colloquialism, it's not a word that is seen quite in the same category as other words that nobody ought to use in public or on the media or in advertisements," Howard said. "I think the style of the advertisement is anything but offensive but is in fact in context and I think it's a very effective ad," he told reporters in Sydney. Howard complained last month about the decline of good manners in Australian society, blaming the drop in standards on increasing vulgarity on television. Bailey said the campaign had been tested in some of Australia's key markets and had been successful, although she gave no details. "This is presenting Australia as we are. We're plain-speaking, we're friendly. It's using the vernacular," Bailey told reporters. While the "shrimp on the barbie" campaign attracted thousands of tourists, its crassness caused many Australians to cringe. It was followed in 1995 by a A$100 million ($74 million) campaign -- then Australia's biggest single marketing and advertising campaign -- which sought to convince the world Australia also had culture. Bailey said Australia's tourism industry was worth A$73 billion and employed 500,000 Australians.

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© Copyright Reuters 2006All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world. Quotes and other data are provided for your personal information only, and are not intended for trading purposes. Reuters, the members of its Group and its data providers shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the quotes or other data, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. © Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Scary stuff keeps coming out about Merck and Vioxx... as someone who works with people who have survived a stroke I know how life altering a stroke can be... Merck surely has some major explaining to do and I wonder how far up the corporate ladder these memos really went. Possibly no one at the top was ever made aware of the findings.

Pharmaceuticals
of   New Vioxx Revelations
Matthew Herper and Robert Langreth 02.22.06, 3:50 PM ET

The New England Journal of Medicine released internal Merck memos indicating that Merck knew more about cardiovascular problems caused by Vioxx than it revealed when it published a giant study of the drug in 2000.

The release of the memos comes as part of an escalating battle over whether Merck and its collaborators acted appropriately when they published an 8,000-patient study of Vioxx, the first study to indicate that Vioxx might cause heart attacks.

Last December, the NEJM editors published a strongly worded "expression of concern" arguing that Merck left out relevant data about cardiovascular problems that occurred among patients taking Vioxx in the trial, called Vigor. While this data was not available when the manuscript was submitted, it became available to Merck during the editing and revision process. The NEJM editors say they should have been told.

Today, NEJM reaffirmed its position even as it published letters from Merck and its co-authors denying wrongdoing. The NEJM editors wrote: "The information we have indicates that the Vigor article...did not contain relevant safety data available to the [Merck] authors more than four months before publication."

What Merck Knew, When: The NEJM published on its Web site a table from a July 2000 internal Merck memo analyzing the risk to the heart for patients taking Vioxx during the trial. The data indicate a more worrisome picture than the reassuring tone taken in the published Vigor article. That table, included in a Merck memo, includes three heart attacks that were not included in the medical journal.

Merck developed a plan to analyze cardiovascular events only late in the trial. But instead of selecting the same cutoff date for cardiovascular problems, as it did for stomach side effects, Merck picked a cardiovascular cutoff date one month earlier, in effect excluding heart attacks that occurred in the final weeks of the trial. "This untenable feature of the trial design...inevitably skewed the results," the NEJM wrote in its editorial today.

A Secret Cutoff Date: Merck did not disclose this early-cutoff date to 11 other academic researchers working on the paper, nor did it mention the differential dates in the paper. But in their response to the NEJM, the 11 academic co-authors of the paper state that they were "unaware" of this cutoff date--Feb. 10, 2000. The company says that it did this to give it time to analyze the heart-attack data, and that the cutoff was appropriate.

"It illustrates the need for academic authors to have full and complete access to the data set," says Garret FitzGerald, the University of Pennsylvania pharmacologist who warned early that such drugs as Vioxx and Pfizer's Bextra might cause problems. "Here it seems not only that they did not, but that they did not know that they did not."

During the one-month period for which cardiovascular side effects were not reported to the NEJM, three additional heart attacks occurred in the Vioxx group; only one stroke occurred in the naproxen group.

Leg Attacks: Among data available to Merck before the article was published but apparently not included in the NEJM publication was the fact that six patients taking Vioxx developed serious clots in the arms and legs during the trial, compared with only one on naproxen.

Bad Tradeoff: A key question for doctors was whether Vioxx benefits to the stomach outweighed any risk of increased heart attacks. The published Vigor study left the impression that there was a net benefit. Vioxx appeared to prevent 21 complicated ulcers, and it was linked to fewer heart attacks. But according to the July 5, 2000, memo, patients on Vioxx actually had 27 more serious "thromboembolic events" such as heart attacks and strokes than those on naproxen. This would completely offset any benefit from Vioxx to the stomach, the NEJM noted.

Author Response: In a letter to the editor of the NEJM, Merck authors say that they "worked diligently to present the Vigor data in what we believed was a scientifically appropriate manner." But the Merck response contains the closest thing to an apology for its behavior to date: "We regret not providing [The New England Journal of Medicine] with those data." In a separate letter, the non-Merck authors of the paper said that they acted appropriately and that they stand by their original article.

Merck says that it stands firmly behind the propriety of the article, and that when it established the cutoff date, both the company and outside authors were blind to the data. “The suggestion in the NEJM reaffirmation that the cutoff dates--established at a time when the data were not known--skewed the results is simply incorrect,” Merck said in a statement.