Healthcare debate in Canada: Media monitoring

• David Frum: Why Americans love their health care system
  August 20, 2009, by National Post Editor, 14 Comments
• Extract: A child has a fall from a slide. There's blood in his urine. The parents race him to the emergency room. Two hours later, the boy's having a CAT scan. (An American is twice as likely to use a CT machine in any given year as a Canadian, four times as likely as a Briton, and seven times as likely as a Dane.) A car driven by an illegal immigrant smashes into a tree. The driver and his family are horribly injured. They are raced to the nearest emergency room and treated, no questions asked, no bill presented.
• Why I'd rather be sick here than in U.S. Bob Hepburn Toronto Star: Aug 20, 2009; Comments on this story (38)
• Extract: Why is our system superior?
  First, it's universal. Second, I visited doctors twice in the last week and never had to haul out my credit card or chequebook before I could see them. Third, the quality of care I got in the last week was unparalleled. Fourth, many of our medical outcomes top those in the U.S....

See also:

Video: Can we please admit that the Europeans can teach us something about health care? August 20, Political Buzz Examiner Ryan Witt

Dignity of labor (Oops: Labour): Australian PM once worked as toilet cleaner

"Recalling his worst job experience, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he cleaned toilets and scrubbed floors on his way to country's top political job." source

"I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living." Rockefeller, John D.

see also: K Rudd's cruddy job - cleaning loos

Not All Struggles Are Equal ~~ Learning to Live with Racism

Quotable quote: “I feel positive about living in Canada because you have to be very, very smart. You have to think above society. It’s very tough, but if you like something, you can achieve it. You make your mind up. There is a great
deal of good opportunity in Canada if you are smart, sensible. I mean, some people make such fools of themselves. It’s too bad because the opportunity is in Canada – schooling, education, good jobs.” (P. 48), in Chapter Three: 'After Immigration: Identity and Culture Shock' by Francis Henry: The Caribbean Diaspora in Toronto,University of Toronto Press (1994).

What the Book News' reviewer says about this book: "This ethnographic study examines the immigration process, culture shock, racism, religion, coping mechanisms and many other aspects of life for Toronto's Caribbean immigrants, and is strengthened by case studies and interviews." Read more from this book World Literature in English, 1998

Immigrants in Canada stuck in low-paying jobs -- Stats Can Reports

News @ The Times of India, 24 Dec 2008
"Professionals and degree-holders seeking immigration to Canada, beware! The number of degree-holder immigrants, including doctors and engineers, stuck in jobs with low education requirements, such as clerks, truck and cab drivers and salespeople, has risen steadily since the last recession of early 1990s, says a new study by Statistics Canada.

Employment problems for new immigrants will only get worse as Canada enters recession, experts warn." Continue reading
NB. Info courtesy: Ahtasham Rizvi
See also:

• Immigrants in 'survival jobs' look for more
• Study: Immigrants' education and required job skills 1991 to 2006

Australian definition of a Canadian (author: anonymous)

Adapted from a version* (written about an American) just as another literay piece in the Canadian media and this as a comment @ CBC's Website. [*"This appears to be a slightly modified version of a chain letter originally about America. That one was written by Peter Ferrera in the National Review, although the chain letter claimed that it was written by an Australian dentist." source]

Just read @ Don't Get Me Started / See also a comment at this blog
Note: The artist who picked up the American version has shown True Colors of Canada as well: "A Canadian may also be a Cree, Métis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians." Much more adapted....
>>>bad typist: choose became chooses.


PS. if you didn't know, note that Santa has a Canadian postal address: In Canada, Santa's postal code is H0H 0H0.

Canada's 'country brand' No. 2

James Cowan, National Post, November 11, 2008
Canada now has the second best "country brand" in the world, according to a study that suggests only Australia has done a better job of shaping its image as a travel destination. continue reading

See also:

• When a nation becomes a commodity: The Country Brand Index 2008
  by Anna Brones Nov 11th 2008,
  The 2008 study conducted by Future Brand, a global brand consulting firm, used rankings from 30 different categories to come up with the final index. Among the categories were History, Standard of Living, Friendly Locals and Environmentalism. It's like a beauty pageant for countries, with the most well-rounded coming out on top. Here are the top ten:
  Australia
  Canada
  USA
  Italy
  Switzerland
  France
  New Zealand
  United Kingdom
  Japan
  Sweden continue reading
• Country as Brand: Unveiling the Country ...