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September 2017

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Health & Fitness

All sport bras are not the same

Fall is a great time to try a different activity. With mostly cooler, yet still pleasant, weather in September and October, the absence of summer heat will lure some from their air conditioned gyms back to the great outdoors. From team sports to running or cycling, investing in a bra for your chosen sport will give you the right support and confidence.

If you are a runner, you can complement your level of fitness by doing some cross training activities that I’ve listed below, along with some sports bra choices from Anita Active for each activity:

  1. If you have never tried kickboxing, it can be a great cross trainer for runners. It is good for your cardio and core. Cross training is an indoor activity that involves kicking, punching, stamina and agility. Anita Active recommends a maximum support sports bra, such as Air Control DeltaPad, a DynamiXstar Racerback Sports Bra, or the world champion Christina Hammer sports bra and Momentum Pro (available in November). I run in the Air Control DeltaPad and it offers not only support but comfort. It is a bra with style and you can wear it alone or underneath a top.
  2. Dance is also a good alternative to keeping in shape and there are many types of dance to choose from. Depending on the type of dance you are doing there is a large variance of impact, such as jazz, modern, ballet, tap, ballroom dancing, and hip hop classes. Anita Active recommends a firm, supportive bra such as Momentum or Air Control Sports Bra.
  3. If you are taking a spin class (indoor cycling) it doesn’t involve much up and down movement, however there still is some bounce. Make sure everything is secure with a bra that offers firm support and one that has high breathability because spin gets your heartbeat climbing and can be a very sweaty endeavour. A.A. recommends the Xcontrol Sports Bra and Extreme Control Sports Bra.
  4. Yoga isn’t as intense as a dance class or spin class but it’s still important to wear a sports bra. Look for a bra that moves with you. A.A. recommends the light and firm sports bra which is what I wear while traveling or in long-lasting situations, for a comfortable feel that will endure as long as I need it to.

Whatever sport or activity you participate in, it’s essential for good breast health to choose the right bra for your specific needs while ensuring that you get properly fitted.

Here are some tips to help take care of your bra:

  • Avoid wearing the same bra two days in a row.
  • Rotate between 3-4 bras. Keep them stored hanging or flat.
  • Get refitted every six months to a year.

According to Diane’s Lingerie, you should fit bra firm on the loosest hook, tighten as the bra stretches.

Coming up on October 1st you will have the opportunity to participate in CIBC Run for the Cure to help raise funds for Breast Cancer awareness.

Toronto – RUN START TIME: 10:00 AM

 

www.runwithit.ca

Twitter: @christineruns

Instagram – runwithit_christineblanchette

YouTube – runwithit

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Why you could be a victim of digital kidnapping

As a parent, it is your priority to look out for and protect your children. It’s a natural instinct. What if I told you that in some ways you are putting them in more danger than you can imagine?Have you ever heard of digital kidnapping? Prepare to have your world turned upside down.

Social media platforms are easily accessible nowadays. Almost everyone has an online profile. It’s a place to share your inner thoughts, opinions, personal and even intimate moments — a new engagement, new home, new pet, a new vacation, and especially a new baby.

New mothers love sharing pictures of their children online, but some vow to post minimal or no pictures of their children. I’m not a mother myself, but understand the need or desire to share every moment of your precious baby with your friends and family. Their height, their weight, their likes or dislikes. Your child is your biggest accomplishment and you should be proud that child is all your own — but are they?

Look up hashtags like #proudmommy or #momspam ( I mean even I am guilty of using the #proudaunt tag) you will find thousands of happy kids or babies, sharing happy moments with the world. This is where the story get dark, now look up hashtags like #babyrp #childrp or #orphanrp. The ‘rp’ stands for role play. Your child’s picture has been taken by a complete stranger. Your child had a new name, a new life story, and a new mommy or daddy. Your child has been digitally kidnapped.

Before last night I never even heard of the term or trend, until I saw a Facebook article shared by an old university classmate. Her caption was simple, ‘this is why I never post pictures of my child online.’ The article led me to a news story of a young mom named April. In 2012, she gave birth to twins, Sophia and Vivienne. She was a mom that loved to post pictures of her children online. April even joined a special Facebook group where she would upload pictures of her babies, which were often met with adoring comments and support. Then, one day she got a message from a total stranger alerting her that her kids pictures were found on another woman’s page.

The twins were now named Adaya and Kamberlin. These babies had a new mom. Her name was listed as Ashley and she spoke about the love she had for her children and even shared false medical issues the girls were suffering from. April was a victim of a digital kidnapper. The police were not able to do anything as there was ‘no crime’ or actual harm to the children. Despite threats of legal action and reports of a false profile, Ashley kept posting pictures of her ‘children’. Flash forward to 2016, and April was still fighting this digital kidnapper and even appeared on an episode of Dr Phil where she revealed just how far the story escalated.

April and her husband hired a private investigator to investigate Ashley- this fake mom came with a criminal profile and a longstanding “history” of her twins being taken away from her by her mother. Worst of all, there were pictures of her fake daughters all over her house — on her bedstand, on the living room walls, and in the entry way.

While this story is extreme, it speaks volumes to the society we are living in. People share every moment and detail online for temporary hits of pleasure and satisfaction from virtual strangers and distant friends. This trend goes hand in hand with artists having their material stolen and passed off as someone else, or even online fraud and identity theft. People catfish everyday, pretending to be someone else in order to get a date.  Cases like this did not exist 10  to 15 years ago because your personal treasures and moments were kept in a photo album inside a drawer and pulled out only when close friends or family come to visit. Now, nothing is private and nothing is sacred. Our culture has evolved so dramatically that this is the new normal.

The babyrp hashtag has been hidden on Instagram due to reported content that doesn’t meet the website’s ‘conditions,’ but from the few posts that remain, strangers role play the lives of babies and kids, giving them an entirely different life and creepy fantasies. This is truly the dark side of Instagram and, as I said before, the trend is small but growing thanks to our obsession with social media. So, what can you do?

  • The obvious, would be to limit the amount of posts with your young kids on social media or use platforms that only temporarily share the pictures like snapchat or Instagram Story.
  • Don’t include any identity details in the pictures
  • Download an app that helps you watermark pictures, similar to professional photographers.
  • Tighten up your privacy settings: you have the option to make your profile private on sites like Instagram
  • Review your friends lists and make sure you’re actually willing to share these photos with your online friends and consider e-mail for larges sets of pictures

Digital kidnapping is not illegal and it is hard to control, just be aware of what you post online and make it difficult for people to identify your child as their own.

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Saying goodbye to Cassini

Farewell Cassini. After 13 years orbiting Saturn, the little spacecraft has sent its final broadcast. At 7:55 a.m. ET on Sept. 15, Cassini descended into Saturn’s atmosphere, breaking up and dissolving into space.

Cassini left Earth’s orbit in 1997 on a four-year mission that was extended twice until it ended early this morning. The mission was to explore all aspects of Saturn, including its rings and its moons. Of particular interest was the discovery that Enceladus, one of Saturn’s revolving moons, was not a barren icy wasteland — it actually spewed organic material from what scientists believe could be a subsurface ocean.

The spacecraft also allowed scientists to get a close and detailed look at the ring system of the planet.

But what was truly special about this spacecraft and its mission was how it got everyone interested in exploration and discovery. Kids, teens, and even adults watched the mission with growing interest, thirsty for just one more picture of the mysterious moons and rings or Saturn.

Unfortunately, in order to avoid contaminating those same moons, especially Enceladus, which now is believed to contained Earth-like microbes, NASA scientists made the decision to terminate the mission and let Cassini dive into the atmosphere.

Here are some of the images broadcast from Cassini’s twitter over the last month during the final goodbye trip:

 

What was your favourite discovery? Let us know in the comments below!

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Metrolinx thinks to the future in new transportation plan

Metrolinx is thinking about the future — at least as far as 2041.

The board released their Draft 2041 Regional Transportation Plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area at their Sept. 14 meeting, with the intention of gathering feedback over a 90-day public consultation period. The information they get will be considered for use in the final draft, which will be available in December.

By 2041, Metrolinx says over 10 million people will live across the Golden Horseshoe Area. The new transportation plan will move beyond The Big Move.

The report reads: “We need to plan for a future characterized not only by continued population and employment growth, but also by changing demographics (including an aging population), the changing nature of work, new transportation technologies and services, and the impacts of climate change. In short, we cannot stop.”

There are five different aspects of this new transportation plan.

  1. Completing delivery of current regional transit projects: Metrolinx is in the midst of increasing their Rapid Express Rail, working on the Hurontario, Eglinton, Hamilton, and Finch Light Rail Transit, as well as the York VIVA. Delivery is expected by 2025.
  2. Connecting more of the region with frequent rapid transit: The goal is to create 15-minute all day service so that people can get around the region without delay.
  3. Optimizing the transportation system to make the best possible use of existing and future transit assets: Metrolinx has determined that fares by distance is the most efficient structure. It also wants to ensure that more people take alternative modes of transportation on their way to use the transit system. Their goal will be to increase the number of people who bike, walk, or carpool from 38 per cent to 62-64 per cent.
  4. Integrating land use and transportation: This strategy will help create mobility hubs and new developments, with the goal of intensifying certain areas so that transit becomes more accessible. The designs wil encourage cycling and walking as primary modes of transportation.
  5. Preparing for an uncertain future: The plan encourages a regional approach to transit planning as opposed to municipal or private enterprises. Metrolinx will also continue to study new technologies to help reduce greenhouse gasses.

The public will be able to provide feedback at six regional roundtables prior to the final draft.

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UPDATE : Hurricane Irma is now a post-tropical cyclone

To the people in the Leeward Islands and the state of Florida, Hurricane Irma will be remembered as one of the deadliest storms. Irma is actually still going strong, however, the storm is now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone in the south-eastern United States. With 40km/h winds, Irma is causing moderate rainfall as it tracks its way to the Tennessee valley.

This is nothing compared to the force Irma carried as it hit the Caribbean islands. It left countries completely devastated, nearly wiped off the map. So far, there have been 40 deaths as a result of Irma, with the toll sure to rise in the coming weeks.

Many island countries are struggling to rebuild and various international organizations and governments are contributing to the need. Virgin Atlantic CEO, Richard Branson, has already started raising money for Irma relief. Branson chose to ride out the storm by hunkering down in a wine cellar in his private home in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

Many people in BVI are now homeless, with their houses reduced to complete rubble. As Branson said, short term aid and long-term recovery are important for the Caribbean communities to rebuild. The islands are not like metropolitan cities, but are small communities with less resources and disaster preparedness.

In Puerto Rico, over 1 million residents are slowly regaining power in an effort to recover from Hurricane Irma last weekend. Seventy per cent of the homes have their electricity restored, however, the last 30 per cent have to wait between two weeks and a month. Leading up to the storm, the island’s sole electricity provider, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, was left in a fragile state and authorities had even warned residents that they could face power outages for up to six months in some parts of the island. Thankfully, due to a change in the storm path this did not happen.

Hurricane Irma did, however, show the fragility of the Puerto Rican economy and the public– sector debt. The island is an unincorporated US territory and the US has offered federal assistance to help rebuild following the destruction caused by Irma. Many Puerto Ricans are now pushing for a rise in privatization and entrepreneurship to help strengthen the economy.

In Florida, there are approximately 15 million residents left without power and many people are left cleaning up the debris in the streets. It was reported that five residents of a South Florida nursing home died after losing power. Irma hit South Florida as a category three storm and immediately battered areas such as Miami and Venice Florida.

The storm featured a rare phenomenon known as a reverse storm surge. This sucked the water from coastal areas, resulting in an eerily desert looking landscape as the winds blew in reverse directions causing flooding in other parts. This affected even the Bahamas and the Key Largo and Tampa areas.

 

 

Many celebrities have already started raising relief for Hurricane Irma and Harvey. The Hand in Hand telethon was a star studded event, including performances that helped raise approximately $44 million . In Texas, the estimated loss from hurricane Harvey and Irma is an average $200 billion. As many communities rebuild and raise funds, Hurricane Jose is looming in the southwest Atlantic near the Bahamas and Bermuda. Jose is a category one storm, but is tracking an uncertain and unusual path. The storm may cause effects to the Atlantic Canada region.

Canada has sent $160K of relief for caribbean countries and continues to send disaster teams.

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What you need to know about the iPhone 8 and iPhone X

On Sept. 12, Apple addressed speculation about the latest generation of iPhone and Apple Watch. The iPhone 8 is officially set for release later this month along with the iPhone X, which will celebrate 10 years of Apple iPhones. The announcement was made by Apple CEO ,Tim Cook, at the brand new Steve Jobs Theatre in California.

Here’s what you need to know:

Apple Watch

The new Apple Watch Series 3 has a built-in cellular option. The watch is set to be the number one smart watch in the world, with its improved ability to track peoples activity and health. These improvements come in dealing with competition from smart bands such as Fitbit. The Series 3 will be available September 22 and will cost $399.

Apple TV

Apple TV 4K will also be released on September 22 and will deliver high quality visuals to your evening binges. The 4K HDR television is sharper and vibrant.

iPhone8/ 8 Plus

After months of whispers and tech buzz, the iPhone 8 and 8Plus is here. The new phone will have a brand new 12 megapixel sensor and colour filter for more vibrant images, making it perfect for a selfie queen or king. The phone also has reinforced glass on its screen to make it the most durable iPhone yet. One of the most exciting features is the portrait lighting modes for high quality studio effect photographs. Basically, when taking a selfie you can adjust the light around you. There are modes such as natural light, contour light, studio light, and stage light. You can charge the iPhone 8 wirelessly with the Qi open wireless standard! The phone will be available in silver, space grey, and a gold finish. ( RIP rose gold ) The iPhone 8 will start at $699 and $799 for the Plus. It will also be released on September 22.

iPhone X

So, we may have skipped the iPhone 9 ( insert questionable grin or rolling eye emoji), but the iPhone ten/ or X is coming this year as well. The X will feature a seamless, all-glass front with no edges. There will be no home button and instead it can be unlocked with facial recognition or just by swiping up. The X will have a 12 MP camera, similar to the 8 with the portrait lighting features. There is also an estimated extra two hours of battery life and the option for wireless charging. The phone will also have a fun feature of Animoji, a 3-D animated emoji using your face and voice on cute characters. The X will become available on November 3 and will carry a hefty tag of $999.

Are you excited about these Apple announcements? Leave a comment below

 

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Ontario unlocks land for Toronto housing

Ontario is in the midst of unlocking provincial land to create more than 2,000 new rental housing units in Toronto.

Ontario Minister of Housing, Peter Milczyn made the announcement in Toronto’s West Don Lands, saying the province is in the process of securing a developer that will turn several sites into mixed-income housing, with 30 per cent earmarked for affordable housing. The sites themselves are currently owned by the province. There will be a lot between Trinity and Cherry Sts, in addition to north of the rail line east of Cherry St. int he West Don Lands. There will also be a lot at 27 Grosvenor St. and 26 Grenville St., which is being occupied currently by a parking structure and a provincial coroner’s office.

This announcement is part of Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan, which is meant to address demand for housing and protect both renters and homebuyers.

“We need to do everything we can to build more affordable housing in Toronto and we need to do it much faster,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory in a statement. “Today’s announcement is about the Government of Ontario and City of Toronto working together to speed up the delivery of affordable housing by releasing surplus public land. The City will do everything we can to encourage development of affordable rental homes by providing incentives to developers such as waiving fees and charges. By working together, we can make housing affordable for the residents of Toronto.”

Following this announcement, the Mayor’s office announced the city was on track to create 1,000 new affordable rental homes by the end of 2017. This is the first time the city has been able to meet this yearly goal since 2009.

Toronto will be investing $54.5 million in funding, financial incentives and loans to make sure these homes are built.

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Beauty Minute: Rihanna’s Fenty Makeup Line

The beauty world was buzzing this weekend as Rihanna released her widely anticipated Fenty Beauty Line.

Fenty Beauty uses the tag line “Beauty For All” and this is exactly the aim the pop star sensation tried to get across to the public. Fenty Beauty wants to include women of all shades, cultures, personalities and races — a makeup line where no one is left out. The Pro Filt’r foundation comes in 40 available shades, ranging from light to deep.

Rihanna has managed to add diverse options that long-standing beauty brands neglected to include. This wider range of colour options for various skin tones is fuelling the sales of Fenty Beauty and adds some much needed change to the beauty counter. Fenty Beauty is available online or at various Sephora locations worldwide.

Check out our review of the product:

By Leanne Benn

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Canada ranks number one for civil service gender equality

By Leanne Benn

The Global Government Forum, an organization that measures standards for gender- equality worldwide, ranks Canada as number one out of any G20 country. This ranking places Canada at the top of the civil service sector for having women in leadership positions.

According to the Women Leaders Index, released in September 2017, 46.4 per cent of senior civil servants in Canada are women. There is a 3.3 percentage point difference between Canada and Australia and the gap has been slowly closing over the past few years.

The data was gathered over three years from 2013 to 2016 and measured gender equality in leadership roles in G20 and EU countries. The goal of this forum is to highlight the countries that are leading the way for gender equal roles in federal or national governments, therefore encouraging other countries to do the same.

This is the first year the data has included research from countries outside the G20 with the inclusion of European Union countries. The data collected from the EU shows that these countries are more advanced in terms of gender equality than those included in the G20. Among 28 EU nations the average is 40 per cent high-ranking women.

This data analysis covers a broader base and as a result new fields of analysis were included this year. In addition to civil service leadership and women elected into political office, the forum examined women on private sector boards. It should be noted that in these sub-sector datas collections, Canada ranked low for women in private sector boards.

The discussion of gender inequality for high ranking positions has been long analyzed and female talent should be promoted within government structures. Canada’s most senior civil servant as of January 2016 was Janice Charette. Charette, in response to the index, said public service should represent the population in order to show they are doing the best job possible. The polices and the practices of high ranking countries can have an internal impact on HR management, staff development, recruitment, and the promotion of women.

“If you look at all the research on this, the value proposition for gender equality and diversity in leadership positions, whether in the public sector or the private sector, is very clear,” she said in the report. “And I would say that in the public sector it’s even more important, because if we are to have credible public service structures and institutions that are able to give good, thoughtful, strategic advice to governments, they have to understand and represent the population they are there to serve. That’s absolutely critical.”

However, there must be a political appetite in order to change the public leadership roles for women. For instance, both Canada and France have a cabinet that includes 50 per cent women. A strong political role is required for gender diversity and this is the only way conditions may improve.

How do you feel about Canada’s ranking and what are your thought on gender equality on a global level?

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Stick to your knitting Minnan-Wong, Keesmaat is out of your league

“Stick to your knitting.” Reaction to this phrase can be mixed — and it completely depends on the context in which it is used.

For example, using it in a business meeting to indicate that employees should play to their strengths while allowing others to do the same is a commonly acceptable use of the phrase. “Stick to the knitting” when used by a professional colleague to describe an incredibly accomplished woman who has her foot in all aspects of her craft can come across as derogatory, sexist, and downright rude.

Toronto Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong is being accused of sexism for using the phrase in relation to outgoing Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat in an interview with the Toronto Sun last week. Minnan Wong said this in response to Keesmaat’s use of Twitter and how she debates municipal affairs publicly on the platform.

The history of “stick to your knitting” is a bit obscure, but the phrase has been used widespread in the business community since the mid 1800s. Many business professionals use this phrase when giving advice to young entrepreneurs. Stick to what you know and let others stick to what they know. That way you have the benefit of different experience instead of pretending to be an expert in all fields.

And yet, many politicians get in trouble for using this common phrase — and it’s all because of the context. Especially considering most of the time it’s used to describe women.

Despite its history, the phrase in itself is slightly derogatory. The person who uses it is telling their co-worker they don’t value their opinions. As a woman, this is especially offensive because women fight hard to be heard in the first place. In the case of Keesmaat, she has expertise in city building and most of her tweeting revolves around different aspects of this field. To say she shouldn’t have an opinion on how the City of Toronto is run and/or built is a bit farfetched and, frankly, sexist.

There is also the democracy angle that makes the use of this phrase even more strange. Minnan-Wong decided that posting discussion on city affairs on Twitter was not appropriate, but isn’t public discussion a foundation of democracy? Keesmaat has previously told Women’s Post that defending her planning choices and discussing them with the public was a critical step for accountability. In that case, her activity on social media is an extension of her role as city planner and an active citizen.

“If you have planners gone wild you could end up in a totalitarian type of environment, so the due diligence that comes from the vigour of being questioned by councillors and by the public is an essential part of the planning process from my perspective,” she said.

Why shouldn’t Keesmaat, or any person for that matter, use social media as a platform for public discussion? If everyone on Twitter was told to stick to their knitting, then it would be a pretty boring place. The whole purpose of social media is to allow people to share information and opinions.

And then there is the final point — why would Minnan-Wong care about the social media habits of a city staff member who is leaving their position in a month’s time? The only reason to use this phrase is to remind them that once they leave city hall, their opinions shouldn’t matter. Well, what does that mean for the rest of us? I hope Minnan-Wong’s constituents don’t have any opinions they want to share or ideas they want to suggest, because it appears like he won’t be listening to them.

Ultimately, Minnan-Wong made the same mistake many politicians make — trying to create a sound bite using clichés, hyperbole, and commonly used phrases in order to capture the attention of the media and the public.

Looks like he did — just not in the way he expected.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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