The Aphrodite Salas Blog

Watch CPAC this Friday!

2008-04-22T14:46:13Z

Just a reminder that this coming Friday, April 25th my show will be broadcast live on CPAC television. It's the second time they've come to create a "reality radio" show and we are thrilled here at 940 Montreal to host the CPAC team once again.

]]> The show will focus on politics, seeing as CPAC is a public affairs channel. If you can't get to a television, you'll be able to watch live online at www.cpac.ca between 12:30pm and 2:00pm this Friday. See you then!

Spring Family Activities in Montreal

2008-04-03T13:07:36Z

It's always a pleasure to have Annika Melanson, parenting and lifestyle expert, in for a visit. She was in studio with her round-up of great family activities happening this spring. Here's a list:

]]> April 19, 25 & May 1: Frog Call Night at The Ecomuseum The Ecomuseum is an educational wildlife park in Ste-Anne de Bellevue. The cost of this activity is $12/adults, $8/seniors, $6/children. For more information, hop on the web and go to www.ecomuseum.ca or call (514) 457-9449. There is a maximum 60 people/session and reservations are required.

April 25 to May 4: Geordie productions presents The Jungle Book. This show is suitable for ages 6 & up and will be presented at the D.B. Clarke Theatre (1455 de Maisonneuve W.), www.geordie.ca, 514.845.9810

A Ductami workshop will be held at the Pointe Claire Public Library on April 12 from 2 to 3:30 pm. Ductami is origami with duct tape. The activity is free of charge and pointe Claire Library members have priority. If you are not a member, it’s a good idea to call ahead to check if the session is full, as non-members are not permitted to register in advance. The library is located at 100 Douglas Shand in Pointe Claire. For more information, call: 514.630.1218 and ask to be connected to the children’s library.

April 19: Earth Day Celebration at The Pepsi Forum Join the Montreal Children’s Library for an educational Earth Day Celebration at the Pepsi Forum, 2313 Ste. Catherine St. W. Ages 5-12. Bilingual. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free. (514) 931-2304.

Should Canada boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

2008-03-20T17:28:23Z

Tons of calls on this - and the opinions were pretty split. Some of you felt it was imperative that Canada boycott the Beijing games, while others felt that it would be terrible to politicize the games and rob the athletes of their chance to shine.

]]> The controversy surrounding the Beijing Olympics is reaching fever pitch because of recent developments in Tibet. But there are other controversies: the Chinese government's relationship with Sudan is also an issue. Steven Spielberg stepped down as artistic director of the games last month in part because of the China-Sudan link.

One caller suggested that athletes should use the podium to make political statements, whipping out a Tibetan flag, for example. It seems that some countries have already thought ahead and will be requiring their athletes to sign agreements saying that they won't make any political statements while in China. That's what the British Olympic Committee is going to do.

I think the most salient point is that perhaps China never should have gotten the games in the first place, considering all of the controversy. What do you think? Should we boycott the games entirely or should we stage a "political" boycott, like the one that the Canada Tibet Committee is calling for, one where no political representatives from Canada go to the games?

Should doctors be allowed to fire their patients?

2008-03-04T18:29:01Z

Believe it or not, doctors in this country are absolutely allowed to fire you as a patient. If you cancel too many appointments, if you don't follow the doctor's advice, if there is a pattern of "difficult" behaviour, you can be told to buzz off and never come back. Harsh, but true - and in my opinion, totally inappropriate for what is supposed to be a universal health care system.

]]> My guest on this was Dr. Jeff Blackmer, executive director of the Canadian Medical Association office of ethics. He said that the most common scenario was a disagreement about the goals of therapy (which can mean any number of things), but that usually ends up with the physician saying, "I want to help you but I can't because you're not allowing me to."

I think that this would be appropriate only in situations where a patient is being violent or abusive. I don't think it should be allowed if it's just a case of missed appointments or refusal to follow certain instructions. Doctors should also have to make sure that the patient in question can be referred to someone else, so that the patient is not left in the cold - at least treatment is continued by someone else. Currently that's not the case, it's only suggested by the CMA that doctors allow patients enough time to find another physician, but a referral is not required.

New More March Break Activities from Annika Melanson

2008-02-18T15:51:19Z

Annika Melanson, parenting lifestyle expert, was in studio with me recently, to fill you in on everything going on in Montreal over March Break. The list follows, but you should also check out the Montreal Families Camp Fairs for the summer. There are early bird discounts for families signing up early, so don't miss out!

]]> The Aquadôme: Children 3 and under go free and admission is $2 for kids 4-16, $3 for adults. 1411,
rue Lapierre, Lasalle, 514.367.6460.

Cabane à sucre at the Botanical Gardens: From 11 am to 4 pm every day until March 9 and on Saturdays and Sundays from March 15 to April 13, families can enjoy sugaring off. This activity is FREE! For more
information: 514 872-1400.

The Redpath Museum is hosting activities all week, every day from 10 am -1 pm and the theme is Origami
Dinosaurs. This activity is for all ages and is free of charge. For more information, call the Redpath at
514.398.4086 ext.4092 or go to the website www.mcgill.ca/redpath.

The McCord Museum hosts fun, family workshops this week until Friday, March 7th, from 10 am to 4 pm, the
theme is shoes. All of these activities are included with the price of admission to the McCord Museum,
which is $22 for a family (2 adults and 3. For more information, call 514.398.7100 ext.222 or hop on the
web and go to www.mccord-museum.qc.ca.

The Centaur Theatre is presenting a Saturday Morning Children’s Series. The next play is on Saturday and
it’s called PLAY. The show is suitable for children ages 4-12. Children’s tickets are $4, adult ones are
$6. The play will be presented at 10.30 am at the Centaur, 453 St. Francois-Xavier (Old Montreal),
514.288.1229. To view more upcoming shows, check out www.centaurtheatre.com.

The Ecomuseum, March Break day camp, 514.457.9449 www.ecomuseum.ca.

March Break day camps at the YMCA. Full-day programs for children ages 6-12:
Westmount YMCA (Sherbrooke & Arlington)
NDG YMCA (Monkland & Hampton)
YMCA du Parc (Parc Ave & St. Viateur)
YMCA West Island (Brunswick Blvd)
YMCA St. Laurent (1745 Decarie)

March break camp at the Ben Weider YM-YWHA at 5400 Westbury for ages 4-11. For more info call them at 514.737.6551 ext. 541

Montreal Children’s Film festival is on from March 1-March 9 at the Cinema Beaubien, 2396 Beaubien E., www.fifem.com.

Musee des Beaux Arts will have daily free activities for children from March 4-March 9, www.mmfa.qc.ca

Montreal by Moonlight at The Montreal Biodome and the Olympic Park, Februry 29 to March 8, 514.868.3000, www.museumsnature.qc.ca.

Disney on Ice presents Princess Classics from March 5-9 at The Bell Cente. To reserve call 514.790.1245 or www.geg.ca.

Should tasers be outlawed in Quebec?

2008-02-11T17:57:02Z

Tasers get a lot of very bad publicity. You remember the Polish traveler who was killed by multiple tasering in the Vancouver airport. There were two other cases of people being tasered to death here in Quebec last fall. These and other cases have spurred a new coalition of groups to form and pressure Quebec government to ban tasers altogether.

]]> I'm no expert, but it seems to me that the voltage for tasers could be lowered. A few callers mentioned this and I agree - isn't there a way to make tasers less powerful? My other point is that tasers seem to be fatal in cases where they are used several times in a row. What are the rules on multiple taser use? Are police officers allowed to taser three, four, five times in a row or is that part of the problem?

I think that the police do need a way to restrain people without guns, but I also think that tasers are problematic right now. Either the problem is with the level of power that they emit, or the issue is with the police officers using them. One thing's for sure - we need to figure this out before more people are killed by this supposedly safe weapon.

Is it better to be born smart or to learn smarts?

2008-02-08T15:54:33Z

If you think telling your kid that they are super smart all the time is helping them, think again. Carol Dweck is a psychology professor at Stanford University. Dweck says that instead of building self-esteem, you could be setting your child up for failure - big time - by making them think they are "all that."

]]> On the show, Dweck said that a child will feel that they don't have to work hard if they are always told they are intelligent. They will end up believing that effort is for dummies. The other problem is that you will take away their curiosity in a way, because they will be less likely to search out challenges because they don't want to fail. To them, success should always come easy.

Dweck believes that when you praise the process that kids engage in, you benefit their self esteem. You should praise their efforts, the concentration they showed and their perseverance on a task, not just the end result. If you teach them to love challenges and to consider mistakes as interesting occurences, you will be teaching them that the journey is the fun part. Dweck continues to say that inevitably, this will encourage kids to try new strategies, to use learning resources and to read extra books because we're teaching them to engage in and enjoy the learning process.

Dweck proved her hypotheses by giving a large group of kids IQ tests. She split the group in two and praised one group for intelligence and the other for effort. The group praised for intelligence wanted something easy so they could keep on looking smart. When Dweck and her colleagues gave them a hard task, they folded.The second group passed with flying colours and did much better than the "intelligent" group. The difference was so dramatic Dweck did the study six times. It's amazing stuff - fascinating whether you have a toddler or a teenager.

For more on the smart debate, check out Professor Carol Dweck's new book: "Mindset:The New Psychology of Success."

Should parents have the right to refuse medical treatment for their children?

2008-02-07T18:29:13Z

Sounds like a no brainer, right? Sure they should! But then there are the exceptions that complicate the rule. Like the situation of a 13-year old girl in the Quebec City area. The girl is suffering from a rare protein disease, and her mother has just been ordered by the courts to keep her in hospital.

]]> You see, the mum wanted to take her daughter to an alternative medicine treatment centre in Florida. She believes her daughter may benefit from a wheat germ juice treatment offered at the Hippocrates Centre.
The mother wanted to try the treatment at Hippocrates for three months and if it failed, she promised to bring her back to Quebec and put her back in the hospital.
When hospital officials caught wind of the mother's plan, youth protection stepped in and brought the case to court, to stop the mother from removing the girl from the hospital.
Just yesterday, the judge in charge of hearing the case ordered that the girl be kept in hospital in quebec for treatment for at least 30 days.
Is this right?
Is it right for the courts to step in and force the mother to do something she doesn't want to do in regards to her own daughter's health?
What do you think?

Do our athletes get enough funding?

2008-02-05T17:58:41Z

Olympic level athletes in this country get anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $1500 a month from the Government of Canada's Athlete Assistance Program. In my opinion, this is a pittance when you consider these kids are spending their lives aiming for Olympic gold. There's no time leftover to flip burgers or serve drinks to make the rent. They need to train, they need to rest, they need to travel.

]]>
I think that if our government can't cough up more money to help them, then corporations should fill the gap. We should look south, to the US, for a great example of how to breed successful career athletes. The US government actually doesn't give any money to their top performers. Private America does. There is an incredible culture of cultivating Olympic best in the private sector there. We should try to create the same situation here.

The Canadian Athletes Now Fund is an innovative organization - they raise money from corporations and private individuals in a sort of "sponsor an athlete" program. You donate cash (even as little as $25), get a tax receipt, then you get to find out exactly who your money is going to. You find out about the athlete, their sport and their track record of excellence. (Their website is: canadianathletesfund.ca)

What do you think? Do our top rated athletes get enough funding? Or do you think it's their lifestyle choice and they should foot the bill of their quest for Olympic glory?

Aborting Female Fetuses

2008-01-24T15:45:49Z

This is a disgusting, horrible practise. But perhaps what is more horrifying is that it is taking place in Canada, Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh was a guest on my show this week. He said that many South Asians in BC visit clinics across the border early in pregnancy so they can have an abortion if it is a girl.

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Apparently, the same thing happens in South Asian communities around Toronto. Dosanjh said these ultrasound clinics are doing good business, even after ethnic newspapers in Canada stopped carrying their advertisements. Doctors in BC aren't allowed to tell people what sex the baby is until after 24 weeks of pregnancy, presumably because of what might happen if it's a girl. This also happens in some parts of England, for the same reasons.

However, the practise of aborting female fetuses doesn't only happen in the South Asian culture. It has been going on in China for a long time as well, to the point that the Chinese government recently moved to make the practise illegal. Government numbers show that for every 119 boys born, only 110 girls are born. World averages are more like 105-110. As a result, up to 40 million Chinese men will not be able to find females to marry by the year 2020. Who will be having babies then?

Are nurses and doctors one in the same?

2008-01-21T18:01:08Z

Would you mind if nurses, not doctors, were the first to diagnose and treat you? This is the kind of scenario that the Canadian Federation of Nurses says is going to be the norm by 2020. The idea is that doctors would be reserved for special cases only.

]]> Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with this. Considering our doctor shortage, seeing a nurse is a million times better than seeing no one. Furthermore, an experienced nurse is arguably just as good as a doctor any day. We had a lot of callers on this topic. What do you think? Is this a real-world solution or will this ruin an already hurting health care system?

Here's an article from ctv.ca with more background:

Nurses foresee a greater role in health care
Updated Thu. Jan. 17 2008 3:23 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The country's nurses predict that in the not-too-distant future, it will be nurses, not doctors, who will deliver the bulk of primary care to patients, as the country moves away from hospital care and more toward community care.

Such a system could cure all the backlogs and inefficiencies that ail the country's health system, the Canadian Nurses Association said in a vision statement they released Thursday.

Dr. Ginette Lemire Rodger, chief of nursing at The Ottawa Hospital says the current health system will no longer be sustainable by 2020.

"It is a system that has served us well up to now, but it is not sustainable on the long term, because our population is getting older, because technology is changing, because there are even more types of professionals," she told CTV Newsnet.

CNA President Dr. Marlene Smadu says wait times and problems with access to health services can be eliminated by 2020 if changes to the roles of health-care professionals are embraced.

That means having nurses become the primary source of first-line care, as well as the main sources of health promotion. That would allow doctors and specialists to focus only on patients with complex conditions.

"The dramatic changes we envision in the future will mean that the role of the nurse and other partners in the health system needs to become more collaborative, team-based and streamlined," says Smadu.

The CNA expects that hospitals will soon only be used for short-stay and outpatient services, as well as critical and emergency care. Longer-term care and palliative care will shift instead to hospices, nursing homes and other community settings.

That will mean a significant increase in long-term and transitional living beds in the health system, along with alternative living options for seniors, says Rodger.

"We have to have a new vision to make sure that we move toward a system where hospitals are there for your acute episodic care that deals with emergency, with entrance of care and serious cases, and that the system has more beds to support long-term care, to support aging," she says.

The CNA believes that the health system will have to change because patient demands are changing as well. The patient of today relies less on their family doctor for medical information and more on information they're finding on their own.

That has resulted in a patient who is far better informed about their health and well-being than previous generations, the CNA says. And when they become ill, these patients tend to advocate for themselves, or through family members.

"By 2020, patients will be directly involved in many more decisions regarding their care, quality of life and health promotion at every age and stage of their lives," says Smadu.

Self-care will be the norm by 2020, the CNA predicts.

As well, technology will enable Canada's 13 provinces and territories -- which now operate as "mini" health systems -- to become more streamlined. The use of electronic health records that will be transferable and accessible to the patient will be key to this streamlining, the association says.

Do the mentally ill need courts of their own?

2008-01-16T18:01:03Z

We all know our criminal justice system is not without its flaws. Among them, the fact that criminals who are mentally ill often find themselves bouncing in and out of jail and in and out of court on a regular basis. Elsewhere in the country, the problem is being addressed by mental health diversion courts, where mentally ill people are identified, pulled from the regular court system and go through a special process where they get help, psychiatric care and alot of outreach and follow up.

]]>
This could work well for several reasons: first of all, one of the main aims of the system is to get people rehabilitated and reintegrated into society. If someone is truly mentally ill, they will need alot more help with this than the average person. If we can successfully identify and help these sick individuals, our society will be safer for everyone. I'm not talking about the garden-variety criminal who pleads insanity, I'm talking about the diagnosed schizophrenic or bipolar person who is clearly unwell.

Alberta Provincial Court Judge Allan Lefever was a guest on my show today, he is the person spearheading the effort to create these special courts out west. While he advocates a system where the mentally ill would only go to jail for very serious offences, I think they should still go to jail, perhaps in a separate section of the jail, and they should be followed much more closely and given alot more psychiatric help and follow up than they get now.

Great Family Activities

2008-01-11T21:31:00Z

Today I had parenting lifestyle expert Annika Melanson in studio to chat about things to do with your kids on winter weekends in Montreal. Annika is a great resource and compiled a list for me to post on the blog in response to a number of callers who wanted the links and numbers. Thank you Annika and have fun everyone!

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1. Skating at the Atrium, 1000 de la Gauchetiere W,
514.395.0555, www.le1000.com

2. Montreal Science Centre & IMAX, 514.496.4724,
www.centredessciencesdemontreal.com

3. The Ecomuseum, www.ecomuseum.ca

4. The Redpath Museum Sunday Discovery Workshops,
514.398.4086 ext. 4092

5. The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA),
514.939.7001, www.cca.qc.ca

6. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 514.285.1600 ext.440,
www.mmfa.qc.ca/family

7. Family concerts (Sons & Brioches) at Place des Arts, 514. 842.2112

8. Annika's website
http://www.annikamelanson.com/

Afraid of Flying?

2008-01-10T18:04:44Z

Every time I hear about a plane having to make an emergency landing, I get the chills. You see, I am one of those people who really hate flying. You've probably seen me on planes. I'm the one crouched behind the newspaper with white knuckles the whole way, trying to think of anything other than the fact that I am stuck in a tiny steel cabin thousands of feet in the air.

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So when I heard about an Airbus 319 making an emergency landing in Calgary today, I thanked my lucky stars I wasn't on that plane. Nine people on board an Air Canada jet were hurt - some seriously - this morning when their flight from Victoria to Toronto encountered turbulence. The Airbus made an unscheduled landing in Calgary, where ten people were whisked off the plane on stretchers into waiting ambulances and to a local hospital.

As a follow up to this story, I spoke with Imke Grootenhuis, she is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist specializing in fear of flying at the VALK Foundation: http://www.valk.org/uk/index_uk.html. If you are interested in taking a fear of flying workshop here in Montreal, you might want to check out the DePlour Research and Training Centre. Here's the link: http://www.deplour.com/en/index.html. Most of all, though, know that you're not alone. Up to 40% of all flyers have some sort of anxiety about air travel. .

Tears of a Democrat

2008-01-10T15:52:00Z

Alot has been said over the last few days about Hillary Clinton's crying just before the New Hampshire primary. For the record, I am disappointed that she cried in public like that, and I was surprised that she admitted to being tired and malnourished (too much pizza?!?!) on the campaign trail. I feel this way for a few reasons.

]]> 1. If you want to be president of the US, presumably you have alot of energy and can deal with a tough schedule. If Hillary can't handle the vigours of the campaign trail after just one primary, I wonder if she will be able to deal with the actual job of running one of the world's biggest superpowers. Anyway, it's okay for her to be tired, just don't say so at a news conference! 2. I really don't care what you eat on the campaign trail. Maybe Bill could pack a few sandwiches for you. 3. I think the sad fact is that if you are a woman running for such a big job, you have to be even tougher than a man sometimes. In terms of the crying, if she cries at the thought of losing a primary, what is she going to do the next time it looks like the US is losing the war on terror? Or the next time there is a terrorist attack? Or the next time a bunch of soldiers die in Iraq? It's okay to feel sadness and to be human, but the president of the United States has to be strong - stronger than the average joe - because that person is a leader, and millions will look to that person for direction. The Americans don't need a president everyone feels comfortable inviting over for coffee, rather, the Americans need a president who will be able to deal with some of the most difficult situations the world over, without choking back tears at the mike. That said, Hillary is a brilliant politician and a very smart woman. It would be amazing to see her get to the White House, just without any more tears, please.