Vitamin C may be out in the cold

Vitamin aficionados may soon be C-ing red. According to a new study, Vitamin C doesn't help much at all in combating the common cold. In Public Library of Science Medicine, researchers report out on 55 studies, where C failed to stop colds in people taking up to 2 grams daily. However, it may have slightly shortened some colds. Acknowledging that the findings may not be popular in some quarters, the researchers say their report should be interpreted with "great caution" at this point. (published on website July 11, 2005)

E-learning 'fits the native experience'

Leonard George, founder and president of the Chief Dan George Centre for Advanced Education in Vancouver, claims success in finding an educational approach that works for native students seeking Grade 12 and beyond. Aboriginal-e's Mentored Distance Learning Program combines the latest in laptop technology, distance learning, traditional history, elder wisdom and dedicated teaching techniques to re-engage students in a life-long learning path of their own design. "The computer fits the native experience," says George. "For too long the non-native education techniques forced on our indigenous cultures have introduced concepts and techniques that have hurt our people rather than celebrating and advancing our culture and styles of learning. With distance learning techniques, we can return to our pasts to build an exciting future for our kids through an education that counts and isn't so boring. Our Aboriginal-e Mentored Distance Program reaches into remote communities and on to reserves allowing our indigenous learners to live and stay in their home communities as they seek and obtain the education they require to advance their personal dreams." Aided by a small grant from the Provincial Ministry of Management Services, Aboriginal-e has launched its service with four summer students and is building its Aboriginal-e education Internet portal to begin service to an initial group of 100 First Nations and Métis students who are looking to return to school after a long absence. (published on website July 4, 2005)

The tooth of the matter

Canadians cringe at the thought of going to the dentist, with women twice as likely than men to admit their fears. However, a new University of Toronto study reveals that it's men who tend to pass out once they get to the dentist's chair. "It's very often the young adult male, who is trying to be brave and courageous, who ends up being the one who faints," says study co-author Dr. Daniel Haas, a dentistry professor. "The feeling is that women are just more open about how they feel and their emotions, whereas men are more reluctant to say that they have the fear." -- Adapted from a National Post story. (published on website June 21, 2005)

Point Roberts parents worry about school's future

Now there are just three grades in the 17-student Point Roberts Primary School, K-2, and parents worry that eventually there will be none. Enrollment is dropping in the Washington town, population 1,300, on the southern tip of British Columbia's Delta peninsula, just below the 49th parallel. As it is, Grade 3 students have to cross the Canadian border and then the American one again to attend elementary school in Blaine. Point Roberts, less than five square miles, and surrounded on three sides by saltwater, gets extra state funding for its school because it's classified as "remote." But how remote is too remote? Blaine Schools Superintendent Mary Lynne Derrington admits, "It doesn't take much imagination for parents to divine a downward spiral where low enrollment leads to further cuts, which lead to lower enrollment and so on, until the town loses a pillar -- its lone school." A worse fear is that, without a school, the community itself will disappear. -- Adapted from a Seattle Times story. (published on website June 13, 2005)

It's time to stop jeering at the Pollyannas of the world, those who present a sunny demeanour even first thing Monday morning. At the University College of London, scientists have discovered that barring gloominess from one's outlook results in a healthier heart and lowered levels of stress-creating chemicals. A study of 200 middle-aged Londoners of both genders revealed that the happy folk had less plasma fibrinogen -- a trigger of cardiovascular disease -- in their bloodstreams. Also, less of the stress hormone cortisol, related to such conditions as type II diabetes and hyptertension. (published on website May 2, 2005)

There's great sound and fury among the Scots over the portrayal of their 11th century king, Macbeth. The Scottish Parliament is fed up with the grisly image of Macbeth that's persisted down the years. Now, no one's actually come out and criticized Shakespeare for depicting Macbeth as an evil, cunning murderer. However, Members of Scottish Parliament (MSP) have launched a Save Macbeth campaign. The MSPs are proposing that 2005, the 1,000th anniversary of his birth, be the year Macbeth acquires a new, peace-loving image. Macbeth was 'misportrayed in the inaccurate Shakespeare play when he was in fact a successful Scottish king,' assert the MSPs. Plans include a Macbeth heritage trail in northeast Scotland. (published on website April 3, 2005)

Félicitations to Marie Bourgeois, school trustee with the Conseil scolaire francophone. Marie was among those recently bestowed with the Order of Canada by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. The Governor General noted Marie's "unwavering commitment to the promotion of French language and culture. Through her unparalleled leadership and work on the boards of various francophone organizations in British Columbia, she has campaigned to represent, promote, and advance the interest and right of francophone women and parents in British Columbia. She has provided exemplary proof that a language and culture can thrive in a minority situation." (published on website March 7, 2005)

If you noticed fewer monarch butterflies around your garden last year, you're not alone. Recent reports note a 75 per cent decline in the population of the vivid orange-and-black insect. According to the Committee of the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, the culprit in the case of the disappearing monarch is Mexico. Normally 200 million monarchs winter in Mexico -- but, due to massive forest deterioration there from bad logging practices, the monarchs aren't surviving to make their homeward journey. (published on website Feb. 16, 2005)

In 2002/03, British Columbia reached a five-year high in numbers of students obtaining their dogwoods, according to Statistics Canada. From 1997/98, BC's graduation rate hiked up nearly six points, from 71.4 per cent to 77.1 per cent. Out of all the provinces, just BC and Saskatchewan saw higher grad rates compared to five years ago. Alberta retains the lowest provincial grad rate, at 66.5 per cent, while Nunavut was at the bottom with 25.6 per cent. Canada's grad rate overall is 75.6 per cent. (published on website Feb. 7, 2005)

Forget your mother's admonitions about fidgeting. According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic, jumpiness will pare off 350 calories a day, or 10 to 30 pounds a year. You may have to stand and stretch frequently, or go for quick strolls, or even move about in a chair -- your heart will thank you. Lean people tend to be much more fidgety than obese ones, the Mayo researchers say. (published on website Jan. 31, 2005)

Congratulations to four BC principals honoured in the 2005 Canada's Outstanding Principals program. Sponsored by the Canadian Association of Principals and the Learning Partnership, the program recognizes the crucial contribution that principals and vice-principals of publicly funded schools make to the community. Principals Charlie Coleman of Khowhemun Elementary in Cowichan Valley, Christine Dickinson of Smithers Secondary, Allan MacLeod of Frances Kelsey Secondary in Mill Bay, and Randy McGraw of Shannon Lake Elementary will join 26 other principals from across Canada in a three-day colloquium on leadership issues, next month at the University of Toronto. (published on website Jan. 24, 2005)

No, it's not a gas station slogan this time. British scientists have found that women's hearts just plain pump better than men's, and for longer -- and that's why females outlive males by an average of five years. In fact, in the United Kingdom, women over the age of 60 are now the fastest-growing section of the population. By age 70, men's hearts are 25 per cent less able to pump blood around the body than before. "In stark contrast," comments David Goldspink, Professor of Cell and Molecular Sports Science at Liverpool John Moores University, "there is no age-related decline in the power of the female heart, meaning that the heart of a healthy 70-year-old woman could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old's." All is not bad news, though, Prof. Goldspink says reassuringly. Men of any age can improve heart health by taking regular exercise. (published on website Jan. 17, 2005)

Finally, there's good tsunami news -- and it bears a fin and humpback. In Khao Lak, Thailand, an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin has been restored to her home in the Andaman Sea. Massive waves had swept the dolphin, pearl gray with flashes of pink, over land into a small lagoon. Local inhabitants, along with members of the Wildlife Friends of Thailand Rescue Centre, tried for 10 days to catch the dolphin and carry her in a net back to the ocean. The nets kept failing, either because they were too small, or lagoon debris tore holes in them. But then a group of fishermen and soldiers tried using a double net. Cornering the dolphin in a corner of the lagoon, they splashed water into the net as a way of encouraging her to jump in. "She seemed pretty exhausted at the end, so she actually drove herself into the net," said Edwin Wiek, director of the Friends of Thailand Rescue Centre. Once the dolphin was carried into the ocean, "she went off like a rocket." (published on website Jan. 10, 2005)

Vancouver artists are joining together to raise money for the Red Cross Tsunami Relief Fund. They're holding an art raffle on January 9. Goal: sell 540 tickets and raise $27,000.

All proceeds raised through selling raffle tickets will go to the Red Cross. Tickets are $50 each; the Red Cross will issue tax receipts. For more information, contact: Danielle LaPorte, daniellelaporte@telus.net 604.215.4194. (published on website Jan. 4, 2005)

It may be Santa who you think is coming -- but it's actually a number of Americans poised to arrive, according to the Los Angeles Times. Recently, more than 300 Democrats discouraged by the Bush presidential victory paid $25 each to attend seminars in LA, Seattle and San Francisco on how to emigrate to Canada. The Canadian law firm putting on the seminar extolled the benefits of the Great White North: universal health care, no troops in Iraq, the Kyoto Protocol, and more. "We love the fact that Canada is a more tolerant and open society," said one participant. A common sentiment among attendees was that Canadians are just plain nicer. Said another participant, "You'll know a Canadian because he's the guy who apologizes when you bump into him." (published on website December 13, 2004)

They are, quite literally, creating a vision for improved AIDS awareness around the world. Students at Burnaby's Moscrop Secondary have joined with peers from Mexico, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, and the United States to participate in the 2004 United Nations videoconference on AIDS/HIV. Via the conference, all the students will discuss and formulate a plan of action to raise awareness. One Grade 11 Moscrop student says, of the growing number of infected people, "It just hit me that these people aren't just numbers. Each person is the mother of someone or the brother. They have relatives and friends. I just felt all of a sudden I was so lucky and so fortunate. I'm not infected with AIDS and I don't know anybody who is, but there are so many people who are and I just want to do something about it." (published on website December 6, 2004)

Port Moody schoolchildren recently displayed large, hand-held signs along the sidewalk, in the hope that drivers would be reminded to drive slowly and save lives. The Mountain Meadows Elementary students' signs were "written from the heart," in the words of principal Judy Robb, who explained that the children are only too aware of drivers' temptation to speed down steep Noons Creek Drive. One sign read, "Dear Driver, I hope you stop speeding because you might injure someone. I don't want anyone to get hurt at Mountain Meadows. If that happens I would be really upset. That is why I thank you." Port Moody police Constable Brian Soles said such efforts raise "awareness of who the potential victims of poor driving could be." (published on website November 29, 2004)

Scientists near Barcelona claim to have discovered The Great Ape, that is, the ape from whom both modern apes and humans are thought to have originated. Fossil remains of the Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, a species that lived 13 million years ago, show primitive monkeylike characteristics, but also the wider ribcage, or thorax, of modern apes. The newly unearthed Great Ape would have been a male, weighing about 75 pounds, with a stiff lower spine, "and flexible wrists that would have made it a tree-climbing specialist," said lead scientist Dr. Salvador Moyà-Solà, of the Miquel Crusafont Institute of Paleontology in Barcelona. A bit of family history: about 25 million years ago, Old World monkeys emerged from the primate line that would lead to apes and humans. About 11 million to 16 million years ago, the "great apes," that is, orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas and humans, diverged from the lesser apes, such as gibbons and siamangs. Moyà-Solà said that the fossil's well-preserved skull, teeth and skeletal bones would "contribute substantially to our understanding of the origin of extant great apes and humans." (published on website November 23, 2004)

Children may view bullying far differently than adults, reports a University of Toronto researcher. In the journal Children & Schools, Professor Faye Mishna of the Faculty of Social Work described findings from interviews with Grade 6 students: "When you ask children and adults what bullying is, they're able to identify important aspects such as the power imbalance between the bully and the victim," says Mishna. "But what happens when a friend is actually the bully? Parents may think that some bullying behavior is part of normal friendships, even when the victim is hurt. As a result, the parents may think it's not their place to intervene." Other misunderstandings: the victim is thought to have provoked the bully; there's no compassion for the victim, or perhaps there's compassion for the bully; the incident is not considered serious. "One teacher depicted bullying as part of growing up, and as a good thing that helped victims learn to deal with others who are controlling or manipulative." (published on website November 15, 2004)

Major John McCrae, a surgeon attached to the Canadian 1st Field Artillery Brigade, earned overnight fame with In Flanders Fields -- a lament he composed on May 3, 1915, after the death of a friend and former student, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer of Ottawa. Helmer had been killed the day before by a shell burst, during the Battle of Ypres, in Flanders, the flat, western region of Belgium. With no chaplain present, and no lights allowed, McCrae arranged an impromptu burial service in complete darkness. He recited from memory parts of the Church of England's Order of the Burial of the Dead. McCrae's literary achievements to date had consisted of several medical textbooks. Yet, the next evening, sitting inside an ambulance, McCrae scribbled out the vivid, emotional, instant-classic lines to In Flanders Fields. Around him, near the Yser Canal, poppies had sprung out of the savaged, uprooted fields. The red flower is an anomaly of nature, in that it grows when neighbouring plants have died. (published on website Nov. 8, 2004)

The opportunity's there, but many parents just don't see it. BC's Medical Service Plan still pays for eye exams for children -- so check out your kids' vision!, urges the BC Association of Optometrists (BCAO). Eighty per cent of a child's learning involves vision, yet one in five children starts school with a vision disorder. Just 15 per cent of children have had their eyes checked by age six. Accordingly, BCAO has launched a public awareness program that includes giving all BC Kindergarten classes free kits of colouring books, paper eyeglasses, lesson ideas and a letter to parents. The program is sponsored by eyeglass manufacturer Essilor. For more information: http://www.optometrists.bc.ca/ (published on website Nov. 1, 2004)

Congratulations to Joe "Red" Irving, who at 93 obtained his high school diploma in Crescent Valley, in SD #8 Kootenay Lake. Two years ago Irving decided to continue, by correspondence, the schooling he'd left off 78 years ago after Grade 9. It wasn't that Irving opted out of high school; in 1926 there just was no high school in his tiny village of Tarrys, between Castlegar and Nelson. One of the last surviving ironworkers who built Lions Gate Bridge, Irving scored an impressive 84 per cent average overall, including a mark of 100 per cent in three subjects. "You're never too old to learn. Never," he says firmly. Irving is now busy on his memoirs, Red Iron over the Canyon. (published on website October 25, 2004)

The wheels are in motion for this year's National Bus Safety Week, October 18-22, 2004. Frank Marasco, president of the Association of School Transportation Supervisors of British Columbia, reports that school bus operations in every area "will be celebrating and bringing awareness of the safety we provide." Each school day, BC buses travel more than 174,000 km to take students to and from school. North Okanagan Shuswap alone has 41 buses, which each day stop about 2,800 times for pick-ups and drop-offs, transport 4,100 students, and travel 8,900 km. Says Marasco, "The drivers not only provide a safe mode of transportation, but can often leave a lasting impression as the ride opens and closes the child's school day." Check out www.astsbc.bc.ca for more details -- and for a student poster contest!

Rather than a handshake, Ottawa principals are now welcoming students to school dances with a breathalyzer, according to a recent Vancouver Sun story. School staff, student organizers, and parents just got fed up with the rising number of intoxicated boogie-ers, explains Mike Segal, 17, co-president of student council at Sir Robert Borden High School. "At the first dance of last year, there was a puke fest in the office. There were something like 11 suspensions for drinking and a few cases of alcohol poisoning and ambulances. Then the next dance, I think it was eight suspended for drinking. So then we were told the breathalyzers would be used at all other events." Borden Principal Dave McMahon has no trouble justifying the purchase of the $150-each breathalyzers: "Parents don't appreciate being called late in the evening to please come to the dance to collect your son or daughter who has been consuming alcohol and is probably sick. They don't like it and teachers don't like supervising it and the rowdiness and mess that comes with it. The fact is, most of the kids who come to the dance don't appreciate it either." (published on website October 12, 2004)

Thirty years ago, the Canadian dream was alive and well for immigrants. Within 10 years, a typical immigrant's annual earnings would catch up to those of other Canadians. Now, 10 years after arriving, an immigrant earns only 80 per cent of what a Canadian-born worker does, according to a recent Toronto Star report. This, despite the fact that immigrants, especially men, have far more education than in the past. The problem, say social scientists, is one of stagnation -- a classic symptom of an underclass, those who somehow get stuck on the edge of society, clumped with others like them, cut off from the job market and other means of upward mobility. Says University of British Columbia professor David Ley, "What would be new is the inter-generational transmission of poverty. That is really the key ingredient of the underclass argument." (published on website October 4, 2004)

Maybe it's because they grew up as latchkey kids -- or maybe they just like tuning into the Food Channel. Whatever the reason, the taste for cooking is notably on the rise among today's teens, says Jeff Durosko of The Art Institute of Philadelphia. With that in mind, The Art Institute has announced its larger-than-ever, sixth-annual Best Teen Chef competition for students throughout the US and Canada. Vancouver and several other cities are among the cook-off sites from March to May, culminating in a grand cook-off in Philadelphia on May 14, 2005. More than $200,000US will be awarded in scholarships. Students who have merely been toying with their spatulas to date should take note: cooking, says Durosko, is "really an invaluable experience for a high school senior who has set his or her sights on a culinary career. Not only do they have an opportunity to win a top-notch education, but they have a chance to share the experience with their culinary contemporaries." For more information, http://www.artinstitutes.edu/nc.

Attendees at an international conference in Australia next month -- and featuring a BC cyber crime-fighting company -- will study ways to combat increasing Internet fraud. According to a 2004 security survey, 49 per cent of organizations have experienced attacks that harmed the confidentiality, integrity or availability of computer systems. As a result, the cost of computer-based crime rose by 20 per cent in 2004. "Cyber-crime is a growing social and economic problem," said Katrina Doring of Australia's Eden Technology. "There is a real cost for both individuals and businesses suffering at the hands of hacking, viruses, spam, identity theft and new practices such as 'phishing,' where thieves send out fraudulent e-mails trying to entice people to divulge their personal details through fake Internet banking sites. Add menaces like child pornography and online theft and the need for action is clear." Helping to train Australian authorities will be BC's world-renowned Forensic Data Recovery Inc. (published on website September 20, 2004)

Smog stunts lung growth in children, burdening them with weak lungs for life, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The unpleasant findings are a breakthrough. Previously, scientists were unsure about smog's long-term impact. They knew that smog could aggravate existing health problems, such as asthma, and certainly that second-hand smoke harmed lungs. But the new research reveals that premature death may even result from lungs weakened by smog. Scientists believe that pollution may hamper the development of alveoli, the minuscule air sacs inside the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs. (published on website September 13, 2004)

Forget three-ringed exercise books and rulers. The must-have item for students going back to school in 2004 is, according to some, the hand-held organizer. The National Post reports that Palm One Canada, a software company, is urging parents to buy the computerized organizers so their kids can keep track of assignments, exams, after-school activities, and social engagements. Sylvan Learning, a tutoring franchise firm, supports the idea. Often the biggest drawback to intelligent students is their lack of organization, says Sylvan's Andrea Nichols Egan. "Kids aren't naturally organized. They need to be taught. The earlier they start, the better." However, traditionalists such as Linda Cameron, of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, insists, "You can accomplish the same goal with an old-fashioned family calendar for a couple of dollars." (published on website August 28, 2004)

When you were little, your mom told you to sit nice and still. Now that you're middle-aged, toss mom's advice out the window. Fidgeting can save your life, according to Toronto's Dr. Ken Walker, a.k.a. the syndicated columnist Dr. Gifford-Jones. People stuck in long car or plane rides, or even at a computer for unending hours without a break, are in danger of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In DVT, a blood clot forms and may travel to the lungs to lodge in an artery. The lungs' blood supply is then cut off -- with fatal results. Walker cites a Johns Hopkins University report, which says that DVT occurs in two out of every 1,000 people. Walker advises us to keep our legs moving, to ensure our blood will flow rather than clotting. (published on website July 26, 2004)

The Internet is fun, but reading keeps our minds "actively alive," according to educators concerned about dwindling interest in books. The intenser experience of reading helps us stay "sympathetic, connected human beings," wrote Philadelphia educator Peter Reinke. "When totalitarians come to power, why do they always burn or ban books immediately, banish and execute writers, and prevent the public from reading essential works and thus gaining access to subversive and society-changing ideas? The fact is that reading and individual freedom are synonymous." (published on website July 13, 2004)

Young drivers-to-be should have some educational tips before they ever slide behind a wheel, advises the British Columbia Automobile Association. In fact, says BCAA, the useful tips can begin when the future driver is a toddler. Kids watch their parents, so they'll notice whether Dad is a safe driver, as compared to a show-off who shoots through yellows all the time. Once old enough to enroll in driver ed., students should involve their parents in what they're learning. Parents will be able to brush up -- and their kids will see that they find all the rules of driving, however tedious to memorize, to be important. And, parents should roust themselves to accompany teens for practice drives even on inclement days. Too many students decide to take their practice runs on nice, sunny days, says BCAA. (published on website June 21, 2004)

The United States' "No Child Left Behind" law was supposed to boost student achievement. What's often happened, according to a recent Los Angeles Times report, is that only scores have been boosted. The Times found that, in the five years since "No Child" was passed, more than 200 teachers statewide have been investigated for helping students on state exams. One teacher photocopied test booklets to prep students in vocabulary. Another teacher replaced incorrect answers with correct ones. "Some people feel that they need to boost test cores by hook or by crook," said an official from the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, which opposes standardized tests. The pressure is enormous: teachers at a school with continuously poor results can be reassigned, and the school's federal funding withheld. (published on website June 14, 2004)

Mothers of teen-age daughters, take heart. The quarrels you and your daughters are having are constructive, according to a Cambridge University researcher in the UK. "Adolescence is considered to be a period of profound adjustments in thinking, behaviour and identity, and these changes often lead to problems in family relationships. Both mothers and daughters can gain from the opportunity that arguing provides," says Dr. Terri Apter, a social psychologist. Teens start quarrels when they feel their moms haven't recognized their increasing maturity. Mother start quarrels when they feel their daughters are rejecting them. As a result of these quarrels, each side gains greater understanding of the other's interests, outlook and capabilities. (published on website June 7, 2004)

Nechako Lakes school trustee Rosalie Nichiporuk has embarked on a journey -- one that could save lives. As the Northern Interior Branch President tells it, "I have taken on a huge challenge this summer and I need lots of help. I have registered to walk in the 60k walk in aid of breast cancer research, Vancouver, August 21-22, 2004. I have set a goal to raise $3,500. CLICK HERE to visit my personal website and help me in my efforts to support BC Cancer Foundation. Registering was easy; now for the hard work. I have started training, and am now walking seven miles, four times a week. Please consider supporting my journey -- thank you." (published on website May 25, 2004)

The signers of the US Declaration of Independence were a tall lot, especially for their era: George Washington was six-foot-two; Thomas Jefferson just a half inch shorter. Europeans, comparatively, were shorter. Well, times they are a-changin'. It's now Europeans who tower over Americans, reports John Komlos, an American prof at the University of Munich. In his controversial new paper Economics and Human Biology, Komlos theorizes that in countries with universal health care, people grow taller and healthier. They have better access to good nutritional advice and social services. Americans, by contrast, are growing more obese as well as punier. Komlos didn't include Canadians in his study, but in an interview postulated that we'd be more likely to follow European trends, as we do provide universal health care. (published on website May 17, 2004)

Unlike Mainland China, Taiwan has long remained steadfast about retaining the traditional Chinese method of reading and writing, that is, from top to bottom and right to left. Starting in 2005, though, Taiwanese will abandon tradition to read and write horizontally, and from left to right. Some resistance to the change is expected, not so much because the Taiwanese oppose adopting a Western style of reading and writing, but some of them dislike copying Mainland China in any way. But the diehards will probably come round as a matter of convenience. For one thing, more and more English words are being incorporated into the Chinese language. (published on website May 11, 2004)

That bedside glass of water containing your false teeth may soon go the way of the horse and cart. Paul Sharpe, a specialist in regenerative dentistry at the Dental Institute of King's College, London, says new teeth will be able to grow from a small ball of cells planted in the gum, where the old teeth used to sit. Sharpe says only a local anaesthetic is needed to implant the ball, and new teeth will sprout to full growth within just a few months. (published on website May 3, 2004)

Men can be classified into 27 personality types, a British sociologist has decided. Stephen Whitehead cites, for example, the "Murdoch," that is, the ego-driven empire builder: North America has lots of those. Then there's the "Angry Man," e.g., Russell Crowe. Being insincere, the "Cool Poser" is an unreliable friend and a very bad husband. Perhaps the best men can strive for is to be a "Sigmund," someone who suffers along with those who need help, is very caring, and somewhat -- but not too much -- introspective. (published on website April 28, 2004)

The Gulf Islands are débuting a School of Performing Arts. Says school coordinator Mitch Howard, "Our hope is to get students from other communities who might not have high-quality arts programs left." The school, targeted at "self-directed students who are committed to a career in the arts," will draw -- pardon the pun -- on an "incredibly talented" staff who have already developed strong arts programs at Gulf Islands Secondary, on Saltspring. (published on website April 15, 2004)

The name "Easter" is believed to come from Oestar, the goddess of spring. As for the famed Easter egg, it owes its cracking good tradition to Eastern and middle Eastern cultures, which held that earth was hatched from a giant egg. The advent of spring can also be represented by an egg, the universal symbol of rebirth and new life. Pagans offered each other eggs to celebrate the sprouting of blossoms and greening of the landscape. Egyptians and Persians dyed eggs bright, spring-like colours. The Easter bunny hopped into tradition because, in ancient Egypt, the rabbit or hare was a symbol of fertility and new life. (published on website April 5, 2004)

A very serious Edufact

The angelic side of the demon weed

The ides have it

Cheerleaders come into their own

They're now much more than a fun frill at football and basketball games. Cheerleaders now constitute a serious sport of their own. On February 28, about 700 intensively trained cheerleaders gathered from all over British Columbia and Alberta in the first annual South Delta Cheerleading competition, held at South Delta Secondary school. As one participant cheerfully explained: "Cheerleading is more than just pom poms and cheering on the team from the sidelines. It's about the athleticism and stunts -- jumps and pyramids -- the teams can perform." -- adapted from a story in the South Delta Leader. (published on website March 1, 2004)

Starting-out salaries range widely

Treatment for dyslexia clearly in sight

Kindness blossoms in Garden City

Optimism = longevity

Want to be creative? Sleep on it!

Universities can't accommodate the echo boom

A young Trudeau carries on the public service tradition

When suburb becomes senior-burb

The merry truth about Jingle Bells

Long a favourite carol, Jingle Bells originally had nothing to do with the holiday season. In fact, it was a very unwholesome song, yelled out by sleigh, or "cutter," racers -- generally young men of the wilder set -- in mid-1800s Boston. Staid onlookers certainly were not "laughing all the way" as the racers careened from Medford to Malden Squares in the city. One of the racers, James Pierpont, had scribbled out Jingle Bells in 1857. Pierpont was notorious for living in the fast lane, in the sleigh and out. In any case, with the advent of the car, the origins of Jingle Bells melted into a fond nostalgia, and the carol gained the wholesomeness it had lacked at the start. (published on website Dec. 17, 2003)

The new kid in the class

It was all quite Normal for teachers

The thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts, as Longfellow said -- and the 1953 graduates of Vancouver's Normal School for teacher training had lots of long memories to share at a recent reunion. As chronicled in the Vancouver Courier, one teacher, Diane Smith, recalled how she'd "visited families in homes with dirt floors, and was once presented with a gift from one grateful father who had scrounged up a coat for her -- a coat that someone had cut the buttons off and discarded. 'We were told if we were offered a cup of tea with a bug in it, you just flicked the bug out and drank it,' " says Smith. At left, a photograph of the 1953 grads, with thanks to Lisa Smedman of the Vancouver Courier. (published on website November 10, 2003)

Kids, I love you ... aaarggghh

In Britain, parents and their children communicate with each other mostly by grunts, according to a new study. Instead of talking, as they used to, for example, around the dinner table, family members stare at the TV or computer screen, says the Basic Skills Agency, the national developmental organization for literacy and numeracy which conducted the study. "At the age when they come into school, many children have very few language skills. That clearly has an impact on their learning as they go through the early stages of school," says agency director Alan Wells. Income level isn't a factor in this alarming development, Wells notes. Rather, the growth in one-parent families, and the distance of grandparents, have contributed to family members' isolation from each other. Wells and David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, suggest that schools work with parents to improve on familial communication skills. (published on website Jan. 13, 2003)