Canadian Social Research Newsletter
September 23, 2007

Welcome to the weekly Canadian Social Research Newsletter,
a listing of the new links added to the Canadian Social Research Links website in the past week.

The e-mail version of this week's issue of the newsletter is going out to 1796 subscribers.

Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes and a disclaimer.

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NOTE: Yes, I did say in my last newsletter that it would be two weeks
 before the next one, but I was anxious to share some new links with
you, and I wasn't too jet-lagged from my trip to Beautiful BC, so here we are... 
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Canadian Content

1. First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children and Youth: Time to Act (National Council of Welfare) - September 18
2. British Columbia / Ontario : Contracting social services a risky bet : Huge U.S. firm taking over back-to-work programs for the disabled (Victoria Times Colonist) - September 21
3. Manitoba government urged to raise welfare rates (CBC Manitoba) - September 21
4. What's new from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives?
--- The Expressive Liberty of Beggars: Why it matters to them, and to us - September 20
--- Towards a More Democratic and Credible BC Budget - September 21
--- Report on the Manitoba Economy: 2007 - September 13
--- How Sustainable is Medicare? - September 13
--- The Shock Doctrine - September 5
5. What's New from Statistics Canada:
--- Births, 2005 - September 21
--- Study: Why most university students are women, 2003 - September 20
--- Consumer Price Index, August 2007 - September 19
--- Leading indicators, August 2007 - September 19
--- Census Snapshot of Canada — Urbanization - September 18
--- Study: Delayed transitions of young adults, 1971 to 2001 - September 18
--- Study: Re-accreditation and the occupations of immigrant doctors and engineers, 2001 - September 18
--- Canada's international transactions in securities, July 2007 - September 17
--- National balance sheet accounts, second quarter 2007 - September 17
--- Employer pension plans (trusteed pension funds), First quarter 2007 - September 13
--- Back to school, September 2007 - September 13
--- 2006 Census: Families, marital status, households and dwelling characteristics - September 12
--- Study: Canada's immigrant labour market, 2006 - September 10
6. [Children's rights:] A Response to the Final Report, Children: The Silenced Citizens (Persons Against Ritual Abuse) - August 17
7. What's New - from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (University of Toronto) - September 21

International Content

8. Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs
9. U.K. : Working on welfare (CentreForum) - September 2007
10. Australian Policy Online Weekly Briefing - recent postings:
--- Revitalising health reform - time to act: discussion paper - September 19
--- The taxation of couples - September 19
--- Take a bow, Brian Howe - September 17
--- Affordability is about renters, too - September 14
--- Supporting the housing of people with complex needs - September 14
11. Day of General Discussion 2007: Resources for the Rights of the Child - responsibility of States (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child) - September 21

Have a great week!

Bolder action needed to give Aboriginal children and youth a decent life
September 18, 2007
Press Release
A new report released today concludes that bolder, more innovative government action is needed to give Aboriginal children and youth a decent chance in life. The report, First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children and Youth: Time to Act, was prepared by the National Council of Welfare (NCW), a federal advisory body, to draw attention not only to the discrimination and poverty faced by many Aboriginal children and youth but also to the many success stories. It combines statistical evidence with interviews with Aboriginal women and men who work with children and youth. The report notes that Council members, in the process of researching the report, were astounded at the patience of Aboriginal people and themselves felt a sense of frustration and impatience for bolder action.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children and Youth: Time to Act (PDF file - 4.6MB, 138 pages)
Table of Contents + links to individual chapters

[ order a paper copy of this publication ]

Related links to : Organizations * Programs, Initiatives and Reports * Legislations and Accords

Source:
National Council of Welfare

- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Children, Families and Youth Links (NGO) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnngo.htm

British Columbia:

Contracting social services a risky bet
Huge U.S. firm taking over back-to-work programs for the disabled
By Jody Paterson
September 21, 2007
For better or worse, the bulk of B.C.'s back-to-work programs for people with disabilities are now under the control of a large, aggressive American corporation. The ink is barely dry on the Aug. 3 agreement that saw the sale of the local company that has run the programs up until now -- WCG International -- to Arizona's Providence Service Corp. So it's much too soon to speculate whether clients will notice any difference, or to assume that it's automatically a bad thing when one more big U.S. company takes over yet another aspect of B.C.'s human services.
Source:
Victoria Times Colonist

Related links:

WCG International
--- Tucson-based Providence Service Corp. expands to Canada (August 3, 2007 - small one-page PDF file) [Excerpt: "The $9.8 million purchase is expected to produce $25 million in revenue for Providence..."]

Providence Service Corporation - "Human services without walls"
--- Workforce Development Services
[ More about The Providence Service Corporation - from MSN MoneyCentral]

From The Tyee:

Libs' Welfare-to-Jobs Program a Bust, Reveals Delayed Report
Loses $13 million, high failure rate and neediest not served.
August 11, 2005

Welfare Reform's Public-Private Partnerships
July 13, 2004
The Fraser Institute says they're a huge advance in social policy. Critics say work placement companies are growing rich but doing little.

Special note to my fellow Ontarians who might read this:

The Province of Ontario also has a contract with WCG International (JobsNow, see below). So where's that one going, one wonders...
This is disconcerting to me, because the bottom line in the corporate sector is generally profit margin first, client's best interest second - and often a distant second. As noted in the above Times Colonist article, for companies like Providence there's a financial interest in maintaining poverty and suffering and that's just not right. Simply put, governments that outsource human services to the private sector are shirking their responsibilities to their most disadvantaged citizens. Period.

From the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services:

JobsNow
The Ontario government launched JobsNow in April 2005. It’s an innovative pilot project to help people currently on Ontario Works find and keep sustainable jobs. The program is a partnership between the province, WCG International and municipal social services in six municipal areas: Hamilton, Ottawa, Windsor, Nipissing, Peel and Durham.

October 24, 2005
Ontario Works Clients Get JobsNow

- Go to the BC Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (C-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm
- Go to the Ontario Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk.htm

Manitoba government urged to raise welfare rates
September 21, 2007
The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg is asking the provincial government to raise social assistance rates, saying the current rates are driving recipients into crime and despair. To get their message across, the council has launched an anti-poverty campaign it's calling "Raise the Rates," which includes a petition being circulated around the province.
Source:
CBC

Related links:

Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (SPCW)

Raise the Rates Campaign - from the SPCW Poverty Advisory Committee
Manitoba’s welfare system, as it currently stands, is failing and is in need of a major overhaul. The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg has launched a new campaign to “Raise the Rates” of Manitoba’s Employment and Income Assistance (welfare) program to improve the circumstances of the nearly 60,000 people who receive its assistance, and who are among the poorest of all Manitobans.
- incl. links to : Could you live on $6 a Day? - What kind of home would you choose? - Raise the Rates Fact Sheet - Raise the Rates Pamphlet - Printable Petition

Inspired by the “Raise the Rates” campaign in British Columbia which calls for changes to their provincial welfare program and increases to the minimum wage, the Manitoba campaign focuses exclusively on the low levels of assistance provided by the EIA program and the punitive policies that prevent people from getting ahead.

The campaign centres on two major pieces -- a petition, which began circulation earlier this year and two posters depicting the main recommendations and messages of the campaign. Our primary objective is to collect as many signatures to the petition as we can between now and November 15th to reach our target of 6,000.

- Go to the Manitoba Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm

What's new from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:

Panhandling should not be criminalized, says study
Press Release
September 20, 2007
Restrictions on peaceful panhandling—such as City of Winnipeg Bylaw No. 128/2005—constitute an illegitimate use of state power, says a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The study, by Arthur Schafer, director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba, says there is no moral or legal justification for turning peaceful beggars into criminals.

Complete report:

The Expressive Liberty of Beggars:
Why it matters to them, and to us (PDF file - 282K, 28 pages)

Towards a More Democratic and Credible BC Budget
Submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
September 21, 2007

Report on the Manitoba Economy: 2007
September 13, 2007

How Sustainable is Medicare?
A Closer Look at Aging, Technology and Other Cost Drivers in Canada’s Health Care System
September 13, 2007

The Shock Doctrine
Naomi Klein speaks about her new book at CCPA event
September 5, 2007

- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (A-C) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm
- Go to the Manitoba Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Medicare Debate Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/medicare.htm
- Go to the Social Research Organizations (I) in Canada page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/research.htm

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

September 21, 2007
Births, 2005
Canada recorded its highest number of births—and highest total fertility rate—in seven years in 2005, thanks mostly to women in their 30s. However, the total fertility rate is still far below the replacement level fertility.

September 20, 2007
Study: Why most university students are women, 2003
Young men are far less likely to attend university than young women, and this gap is largely associated with differences in academic performance and study habits at the age of 15, as well as parental expectations, according to a new study. In 2003, about one-quarter (26%) of 19-year-old men had attended university. In contrast, almost two in five (39%) 19-year-old women had done so. College attendance rates were about the same for young men and women.

Complete study:

Why Are Most University Students Women? Evidence Based on
Academic Performance, Study Habits and Parental Influences (PDF file - 348K, 26 pages)59by Marc Frenette and Klarka Zeman
September 2007

September 19, 2007
Consumer Price Index, August 2007
Weaker gasoline prices in each province slowed the increase of the Consumer Price Index to its lowest level in eight months in August. Consumers paid 1.7% more in August 2007 for the goods and services included in the CPI basket than they did in August 2006, substantially lower than the increase of 2.2% posted in the previous four months.

September 19, 2007
Leading indicators, August 2007
The composite leading index rose 0.3% in August, equalling its average monthly gain over the last three months. Household demand remained the engine of growth, led by robust housing market conditions. Financial market conditions softened over the summer, but manufacturing activity firmed.

September 18
Census Snapshot of Canada — Urbanization
The richest source of information on the socio-economic condition of Canadian society is the Census of Population conducted every five years. Canadian Social Trends will be highlighting some of the key trends observed in data released from the 2006 Census.
HTML
PDF (44K, 2 pages)
Source:
Sept/07 edition of Canadian Social Trends
[ earlier editions of Canadian Social Trends ]

Also from the current issue of Canadian Socia l Trends:

September 18
Study: Delayed transitions of young adults, 1971 to 2001
Young adults were taking longer to make key life transitions to adulthood in 2001 than their counterparts were three decades earlier, according to a new study.

September 18
Study: Re-accreditation and the
occupations of immigrant doctors and engineers, 2001

September 17, 2007
Canada's international transactions in securities, July 2007
Canadian investment in foreign securities continued to slow for the third consecutive month in July as residents acquired $3.6 billion worth with nearly two-thirds in foreign stocks. Meanwhile, non-residents acquired $1.5 billion worth of Canadian securities in July after divesting two months in a row.

September 17, 2007
National balance sheet accounts, second quarter 2007
National net worth reached $5.3 trillion by the end of the second quarter of 2007, or $162,200 per capita. National net worth expanded by $86 billion (+1.6%) in the second quarter, growing less than in any of the previous six quarters.

September 13, 2007
Employer pension plans (trusteed pension funds), First quarter 2007
The value of employer-sponsored trusteed pension funds increased for the third consecutive quarter between January and March this year. These assets were worth $936.1 billion in the first quarter, up 2.3% from the fourth quarter of 2006. Assets have been rising since a 2.1% decline in the second quarter of 2006.

September 13, 2007
Back to school – September 2007
It’s that time of year again – back to school for tens of thousands of students from kindergarten to college and university, for their teachers and principals, and for tens of thousands of families who are busy preparing for another school year. In honour of this annual ritual, we have put together a few facts and figures relating to education, from the important role that parents play in preparing their children to begin school, to enrolment trends in college, university and apprenticeship training, to labour market outcomes across the country for individuals with differing levels of educational attainment.
Source:
Education Matters: Insights on education, learning
and training in Canada
[ earlier editions of this report ]

September 12, 2007
2006 Census: Families, marital status, households and dwelling characteristics
Statistics Canada today releases a "family portrait" of Canadians using the third set of data from the 2006 Census. This release examines developments in families, marital status, households and living arrangements in Canada between 2001 and 2006, and how children fit into these evolving family structures. In addition, it provides information on the number of same-sex couples, both those living in a common-law union and, for the first time, those who are married.

September 10, 2007
Study: Canada's immigrant labour market, 2006
Very recent immigrants who have been in Canada five years or less, that is, who landed between 2001 and 2006, had the most difficulty integrating into the labour market, even though they were more likely than the Canadian-born population to have a university education. In 2006, the national unemployment rate for these immigrants was 11.5%, more than double the rate of 4.9% for the Canadian-born population.

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm

A Response to the Final Report, Children: The Silenced Citizens, of the
Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights in Relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (PDF file - 768K, 61 pages)
By Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald
August 17, 2007
"(...) This Shadow Report exposes gaps that have not been addressed in the Canadian Standing Senate Committee Final Report, Children: The Silenced Citizens and offers solutions that, in our opinion, would help address duty and promote caring so that Canada increasingly becomes a country safe and supportive for all children. (Excerpt from the summary of recommendations)
Source:
Persons Against Ritual Abuse

Related link:

Children: The Silenced Citizens
EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF CANADA’S
INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN
Final Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights
April 2007
In November 2004, the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights was authorized by the Senate to examine and report upon Canada’s international obligations with regard to the rights and freedoms of children.
Source:
Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights

- Go to the Children's Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm

What's New - from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit offers a free weekly "e-mail news notifier" service.
Here's the content of the latest issue of this bulletin.

For more information about this service, including subscription information,
see http://www.childcarecanada.org

21-Sep-07

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What's New
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BIRTHS 2005
New report from Statistics Canada finds Canada had its highest number of births and total fertility rate in seven years in 2005, but the total fertility rate is still far below replacement level.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109193

CRADLE SNATCH
Article from Forbes Magazine describes the rapid international expansion of Australian for-profit child care chain ABC Learning Centres.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109192

EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT: A POWERFUL EQUALIZER
Final report from UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership for the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109191

CHILD CARE CO-OPERATIVES IN CANADA 2007: A RESEARCH REPORT
Report from the Canadian Cooperative Association provides a comprehensive examination of co-op child care across Canada and in each province.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109190

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Child care in the news
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Older moms help boost fertility rate [CA]
CanWest News Service, 21 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109195

Women's group closes after losing its funding; Opposition MPs
say Harper government 'turning back clock' [CA]
Toronto Star, 21 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109183

Boons, boondoggles seen in P.C. baby bonus pitch [CA-NL]
CBC News Online, 20 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109182

Quebec day-care system 'mediocre': expert [CA-QC]
Montreal Gazette, 17 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109187

Baby-making a la mode in burgeoning France [FR]
Edmonton Journal, 14 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109180

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This message was forwarded through the Childcare Resource
and Research Unit e-mail news notifier. For information on the
CRRU e-mail notifier, including instructions for (un)subscribing,
see http://www.childcarecanada.org

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit
University of Toronto, Canada
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Related Links:

Links to child care sites in Canada and elsewhere
CRRU Publications - briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications
ISSUE files - theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info

Link to the CRRU home page:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

- Go to the Non-Governmental Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd2.htm

Poverty Dispatch (U.S). ===> the content of this link changes twice a week
- links to news items from the American press about poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.

Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

This week's issues of Poverty Dispatch:

September 20, 2007
* Child Poverty - Hartford, CT
* Child Poverty and Dental Health - Connecticut
* Urban Poverty and Costs for Services - Baltimore, MD
* Subsidized Housing - New York
* Opinions: Poverty Measurement
* Medicaid and Access to Care - Utah
* Missouri Low-income Health Insurance Plan
* State Children's Health Insurance Program
* Universal Health Care - San Francisco, CA
* States and Health Care Spending
* Minimum Wage Increase and Job Growth - Oregon
* Payday Lending - Missouri, Washington, D.C.
* Faith-Based Initiatives - Kentucky

September 13, 2007
* Medicaid and Dental Coverage
* State Children's Health Insurance Program
* Census Report and Affordable Housing
* Tax Burden on the Working Poor - Mississippi
* Income, Wages and Jobs - Ohio
* Report: Cost of Living - Texas
* Payday Lending Regulation - Ohio
* Kids Count Report - Alabama
* Homeless School Children - Oregon
* Editorial: Food Stamp Program - New York
* Prison Re-entry Programs - Texas
* Early Childhood Education - Kentucky

Search Poverty Dispatches

IRP compiles and distributes Poverty Dispatches, links to Web-based news items dealing with poverty, welfare reform, and related topics twice a week. Each Dispatch lists links to current news in popular print media. Persons wishing to receive Poverty Dispatches by e-mail should send a request to rsnell@ssc.wisc.edu.

Past Poverty Dispatches
- links to two dispatches a week back to June 2006

Poverty Dispatch Digest Archive - archive of weekly digests* of dispatches from August 2005 to May 2006
(*For a few years prior to the creation of this new web page for the Dispatch, I was compiling a weekly digest of the e-mails and redistributing the digest to my mailing list with IRP's permission.
This is my own archive of weekly issues of the digest back to August 2005, and most of them have 50+ links per issue. I'll be deleting this archive from my site gradually, as the links to older articles expire.)

- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm

Working on welfare
September 2007
'Working on welfare' examines the role work and tax incentives play in promoting employment and reducing poverty. At present, the Labour government will miss its target of eradicating child poverty by 2020, and more people are economically inactive than a decade ago. Drawing on experience from the UK and the US, the report argues that tackling poverty in Britain depends on placing a greater focus on employment. To this end, it recommends increasing the use of both 'carrots' and 'sticks'.

Complete report:

Working on welfare (PDF file - 2MB, 45 pages)
Jennifer Moses
Mark Bell

Source:
CentreForum is an independent, liberal think-tank seeking to develop evidence based, long term policy solutions to the problems facing Britain

- Go to the Social Research Links in Other Countries (Non-Government) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internatngo.htm

APO Weekly Briefing
The content of this page changes each week, and it includes links to a few book/report reviews, about two dozen new reports, a few job ads and 60+ events (mostly conferences) of interest to social researchers...

Selections from the latest issue of the APO Weekly Briefing:

Revitalising health reform - time to act: discussion paper
Posted 19-09-2007
The Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies has commissioned this discussion paper to encourage broad community debate and, importantly, action on reform of Australia’s health care system. This report demonstrates that, all too often, existing processes for health system reform are ineffective. It documents the 'unfinished business' on health system reform since 2000.
Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies

The taxation of couples
Patricia Apps and Ray Rees / Centre for Economic Policy Research, Australian National University
Posted 19-09-2007
This paper discusses how a simple model of household production can be used to help the analysis of optimal taxation and tax reform, and to put the conventional wisdom - which says that it is optimal to tax women on a separate, lower tax schedule than men - on a firmer basis.

Take a bow, Brian Howe
Posted:17-09-2007
Child poverty fell significantly between 1985 and 1995, reports NICHOLAS GRUEN, and the gains have persisted under John Howard

Affordability is about renters, too
Posted:14-09-2007
The housing debate often ignores the two million who rent, writes KATH HULSE

Supporting the housing of people with complex needs
Michael Bleasdale / Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
Posted 14-09-2007
This report focuses on the issue of providing housing and support to people with complex needs, specifically people with physical disability, people with intellectual disability, and people with mental illness.

Source:
Australian Policy Online (APO)
With nearly 120 member centres and institutes, Australian Policy Online offers easy access to much of the best Australian social, economic, cultural and political research available online.
NOTE: the APO home page includes links to the five most popular reports on the APO website, and this list is updated each week.

- Go to the Social Research Links in Other Countries (Non-Government) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internatngo.htm

From the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)

Day of General Discussion 2007: Resources for the Rights of the Child - responsibility of States*
September 21, 2007
Geneva, Switzerland4
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child devoted its 2007 Day of General Discussion to the subject "Resources for the Rights of the Child - Responsibility of States", Investments for the Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of Children and International Cooperation (CRC article 4).
*NOTE: this page contains links to 30+ recent NGO submissions and contributions to the Committee

Related links:

Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) news page

General information on Discussion Days

UN OHCHR - Committee on the Rights of the Child

Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR): Day of General Discussion

- Go to the Children's Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm

Disclaimer/Privacy Statement

Both Canadian Social Research Links (the site) and this Canadian Social Research Newsletter belong solely to me, Gilles Séguin.

I am solely accountable for the choice of links presented therein and for the occasional editorial comment - it's my time, my home computer, my experience, my biases, my Rogers Internet account and my web hosting service.

I administer the mailing list and distribute the weekly newsletter using software on the web server of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Thanks, CUPE!

If you wish to subscribe to the e-mail version of newsletter, go to the Canadian Social Research Newsletter Online Subscription page:
http://lists.cupe.ca/mailman/listinfo/csrl-news

You can unsubscribe by going to the same page or by sending me an e-mail message [ gilseg@rogers.com ]

------------------------

The e-mail version of this newsletter is available only in plain text (no graphics, no hyperlinks, no fancy bolding or italics, etc.) to avoid security problems with government departments, universities and other networks with firewalls. The text-only version is also friendlier for people using older or lower-end technology.

Privacy Policy:
The Canadian Social Research Newsletter mailing list is not used for any purpose except to distribute each weekly issue.
I promise not share any information on this list, nor to send you any junk mail.

Links presented in the Canadian Social Research Newsletter point to different views about social policy and social programs.
There are some that I don't agree with, so don't get on my case, eh...

To access earlier online HTML issues of the Canadian Social Research Newsletter, go to the Newsletter page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/news.htm

Please feel free to distribute this newsletter as widely as you wish, but please remember to mention Canadian Social Research Links when you do.

Cheers!
Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

Airline Announcements

Occasionally, airline attendants make an effort to make the "in-flight safety lecture" and their other announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

1. From a Southwest Airlines employee.... "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane..."

2. Pilot-"Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land...it's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the flight pattern."

3. After landing: "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride.

4. As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice comes over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

5. After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced: "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as heck everything has shifted."

6. From a Southwest Airlines employee.... "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight XXX to YYY. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seatbelt and if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised. In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with two small children, decide now which one you love more.
****************
Comment:  I guess the folksy folks at westJet aren't so bad after all...
****************

7. "Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but they'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."

8. "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation and in the event of an emergency water landing, please take them with our compliments."

9. "As you exit the plane, please make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

10. Flight Attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

Source:
http://wilk4.com/humor/humorm133.htm

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And in closing...