We were charged 3,500 Uk pounds per family to do an LMO work permit which lasts 1 year.  We were told that then to extend when it needed renewing they would do free of charge if we applied for residency with them for a further 1,500.  We did and then when it came to renewing they wanted a further 2,500.  We tried to argue it out and you couldn’t win. I had it in writing and that meant bugger all.  Do not believe everything you are told and to be honest you can do all the paperwork yourself.  the residency is simple enough and they even give you advise if you ring the Canada office.

We applied for residency in the so called “fast track” option which should take 9-12 months.  We had been in Canada for 12 months and hit the problem where we had to apply for our own work permits which we got extended for a further 2 years but it was scary and got declined twice.  We have now been here almost 2.75 years and still not been requested for a medical.  We are still with the lawyers office and they are not willing to help us with anything now apart from if we pay for a new work permit with them but Canada Services HRSDC make it so difficult to renew and they are making it harder and harder.  It is a great worry.

If you are still in England and considering the LMO process I urge you to stay put and apply from home.  We had to sell everything and lost a lot of money to move to Canada.  We have lived in horrible situations whilst been here and finally bought a home to find that we may have to leave in a few months to go back to England until we get an answer on our residency so then as you can see we would have to sell everything again or arrange something and when back in England where do we live and what life do we have.  Been like a Gypsy for about 4 years now has been a big shock and waste of our life.  Its is  a shame and due to the stress and worry of the applications we have not really been able to enjoy our time in Canada.  We would have been better staying with our families in the UK and spending additional time with them before leaving.

Blessed to have many friends and companions. The reason, a recent study found that enjoying an active social life affects the quality of healthcare, especially for children.

“Having a best friend during those times that is not fun to have a direct impact on the child’s body and mind,” said William Bukowski, a professor of psychology and director of the Center for Research in Human Development at Concordia University, Montreal, told through msn.com, Wednesday (15 / 2).

Research conducted by researchers at Concordia University, Montreal, conducted involving 55 boys and 48 girls who are still sitting in class 5 and 6 in Montreal, Canada.

In their study, researchers asked all the children to record their feelings and experiences into a journal that is felt for 4 days. Researchers also measured levels of the hormone cortisol (stress hormone) in children who are observed through a saliva test on a regular basis.

The findings, published in the journal Developmental Psychology found kartisol hormone levels will rise and self-esteem tends to decrease when the child has a negative experience. However, the presence of a friend in difficult circumstances, kartisol levels and feelings of inferiority experienced a change.

The researchers also noted that what happens during childhood will have an effect when the children grow up someday, including feelings of inferiority.

“Physiological and psychological reactions to negative experiences while still a child can have an impact until later in life. Excessive secretion of cortisol can cause significant physiological changes, including immune suppression and decreased bone formation. Increased stress can actually slow the progression of the child,” explains prof. Bukowski.

Are rats capable of empathy? Depending upon what one means by empathy, “[a] paper published today in Science demonstrates that the rodents will liberate trapped cage-mates—even when they have nothing to gain.”

Lead author of the paper is “Peggy Mason, a neurobiologist at the University of Chicago, Illinois.” The experiment behind the paper proceeded as follows: Pairs of rats were first introduced to one another for a two-week period. The pairs were then put in an enclosure that itself contained an enclosure. One member of the pair was put within the confines of the inner enclosure while the other member roamed within the confines of the outer enclosure. “By day six or seven, on average, the roaming rat learned to free the trapped rat.” Further, roaming rats “seldom opened empty  [enclosures] or those containing a toy rat.”

Although fewer female rats were tested, all of them liberated their pair mates. This is in contrast to the male rats tested: About 30 per cent of these never liberated their pair mates.

The introduction of chocolate into the experiment did not alter the time taken to liberate the incarcerated pair mate. Nor did the liberating rats “eat all the chocolate chips.” Indeed, “they often allowed” the rats they freed to partake of the chocolate.

The findings reported in the paper are, according to “Jeffrey Mogil, a behavioural neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada,” persuasive evidence “that rats are actively prosocial.” That is, they exhibit empathy through “voluntary acts to help others.” Another form of lower-grade empathy that Mogil and his colleagues helped establish in 2006 is emotional contagion—the ability of animals to become more sensitive to pain or distress as they observe it in others. Still another form of empathy that is displayed by humans is termed cognitive empathy—“understanding the feelings of others.”

The distinctions made as to the possible variants of empathy are significant, according to “Christian Keysers, head of the Social Brain Lab at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam,” because they suggest that empathy “ ‘is deeply engrained in the heritage of animals.’ ”

“Garet Lahvis, a behavioural neuroscientist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland,” goes further: “Lahvis argues that makes” empathy research “a controversial issue is, largely cultural. ‘We study animals to see what makes us uniquely human, but the finding of empathy in animals often force uncomfortable questions about how we treat animals’.”

(Source article: Gewin, Virginia. 2011. “Rats free each other from cages.” Nature. 08 December.

doi:10.1038/nature.2011.9603)

Corporations specifically larger ones are being favored at the cost of the lower income earner and it is that these occupy Montreal members wanted to project. The unfair application of taxes has prevented society from functioning equitably and justly. This has helped to deplete the middle class and cause more widespread unemployment as jobs have been moved to those highly populous nations who themselves are faced with work shortages because of a dropping demand from this part of the world.

This decision to remove the demonstrators who have the right to assemble freely in public and who conducted themselves civilly during their assemblies has only helped to further tarnish the image of an already questionable Montreal bureaucracy where the city’s infrastructure is allowed to crumble as pockets are being lined all the way to corporate head offices. In notorious former Eastern European dictatorships the police were called in to remove ‘dissidents’ because of public pressure for real democratic change. Are we not applying the sane tactics by not allowing the continued reassembly of those demonstrators?

Police should not interfere in future democratic protests and allow concerned citizens the freedom of delivering their message for equitable change and a removal of unjust imbalances in society.

It is sad too that cities like Windsor have allowed dialogue to take place whereas Montreal which is arguably more culturally present as a touristic magnet has failed to do the same.Citizens of Montreal which has been respected the world over for its international charm should be allowed the freedom of assembly and the right to question bureaucratic injustices as former activist mayor, Camilien Houde, inspired them to do.

Would have like to have my thoughts brought forward but listened out of respect and felt the platform was mostly youth oriented. There is a need for the mayor’s office to know that he may evict but it does not mean the end of the movement they can relocate at the basement of a church and assemble there if need be. There is the desire to see that there is a physical presence at the Victoria Square park where the initiative first took place. This would be symbolic for some if not most. The media is not to be taken a just one outlet there are many which are not all wanting to  vilify the movement, just that the city’s main newspapers have their established views which does little  to see how the movement has even a positive effect on the homeless by offering them hope and a sense of participation whereas they would otherwise be excluded.

There was a call for the sheleters to be removed recently and this was accomplished elsewhere much to the discontent of the movement memebers and sympathizers. At first it was a desire to remove the structures because they are considered to be a fire hazard. So the occupants are aware of the manoeuvre just to dismantle the tents as had been done in Quebec City, for convenience sake or perhaps because they are an eye sore. Then there may be the fire threat but these occupiers can all equip themselves with fire extinguishers. Just during the weekend there was a call to supply army tents to those who wanted to stay over in the park over the weekend and the mayor’s office said nothing about wanting to close down the event but who knows what was going behind closed doors because the word tonight was the occupants of the public square, have to leave. Even Rimouski has a small movement going on there for social change and the elimination of social inequalities.

The general assembly was exemplary. It had its participants assembled into small groups and there happened to be several older members. There was someone who took down notes that should have been evenly representational but they were not as she picked one or two opinions mainly. So the system to provide equal representation is not as equal as it was supposed to be. I would like to think of this as a human error but then I looked at the body language of the person who wrote as I spoke and some of the other older people who were let us say uncharismatic as the one she picked and the result was a skewed opinion for the group. When one older member got up and complained about the lack of voice he was hushed. Was he a troublemaker or an earnest speaker? One might argue that perfectly equal participation in a group divided into many in order to project proposals for continuing their struggle is next to impossible. I was also a newcomer, unfamiliar with the methodology of the assembly’s procedure and did not understand French completely.

The indignation were heard and “can leave your head up,” said City of Montreal. In a statement released Monday afternoon, Mayor Gérald Tremblay encouraged protesters to pack up Victoria Square.

The statement of Mayor Tremblay came in response to protesters who said earlier that they would not give up on the approach of winter.

In a press briefing at Victoria Square, they said they would move on to phase three of their movement in shares “direct and peaceful,” without specifying the nature. One participant explained that these actions would target “specific groups”.

A dozen people among the outraged the first time have left the area during the weekend, but about fifty people continue to occupy the premises, according to representatives of the demonstrators.

They also face the problem of living with the homeless, who have health problems and addiction to certain substances. An indignant Stéphane Marceau, recognizes that this is a safety issue for both the protesters for the homeless.

The cold settles and wood structures were dismantled in the night from Sunday to Monday. Protesters have set up army tents, stronger and warmer.

The protesters believe they will not experience the same fate that outraged Toronto, but the reaction of the city seems to suggest otherwise.

“Let’s take care Montreal” began on 15 October, a vast movement that emerged in New York. Protesters denounce including the growing influence of world finance and complain that 99% of the population is excluded from wealth and decisions.

Bad memories of trauma are often unbearable. Clear that the impact that a person’s mental state is fragile and prone to interference, confidence, depression and lost.

Such conditions increase the body’s cortisol, a stress hormone linked. High levels of cortisol in the body of heavy loads. Therefore, some scientists to cortisol control and treatment of stress.

Genius copied so beautiful, Montreal believed scientists that learning to controlstress hormones decrease, can be combined with bad memories.

The study included a total of 33 respondents participated. The events that led tonegative neutral, remember the story was told. Expiration of three days, participantswere divided into three groups.

Metirapone kartisol drug-synthesis inhibitors in the first group received the drug. The second group with more than one dose of the drug received. The third group of a substance that acts without a shape similar to a device that received a placebo, ordummy medication.

After taking four days, drugs, participants were asked to remember and tell their stories. May result, the double dose of neutral respondents to recall events and bad events just one metirapone not remember. Four days later, not back bad memories.

However, this research is still not good. Researchers are still without drug sideeffects, the influence is the power of memory might study it. Hopefully this will help totreat psychological trauma.

A rally like this one needs strong leadership, someone that all groups can bind with and a group of people to act as a sort of committee that would assist this person in presenting an agenda to company heads and the concerned political offices in the city. If this model is unfavorable than a committee of members may also work but they would have to work cohesively and keep their individual egos at bay. The rally should not be contest of who has a the better agenda. It should be about maintaining a steady voice that all is not well on the economic front It should be about speaking up on  that something is terribly wrong in a post-modern democratic country when the right to strike away from a campus, is threatened. It is not okay to taunt striking workers who are within their rights to demonstrate for lack of fair pay and should not be intimidated. But a major institution lie McGill made sure that 4 police officers corners one non-faculty employee away from the university.

Surprisingly no clear voice has occurred from the rally at Victoria from what was expereinced there.  Are there too many voices to be heard, too many egos to be stroked? What does it take for something like this to continue with fervor where there are answers from the big corporate offices a how favoritism still occurs?  There are larger pay pay packages for top executives and special airline perks where the average employee is earnin less than he earned years ago. This the demonstrators have probably come to agree but that widening difference between rich and poor is not enough in itself to keep the motor of change going. It is as if what Marcuse and Camus wrote is coming into play: we have become pacified even when there is discontent. In this world where modern man may want change, he is caught in his desire to have the latest piece of technology at the same time. He has submitted himself into serving big business even at the cost of having his own standard of living compromised.

Demonstrating in front of the former stock exchange building is not enough. Walking down rich neighborhood streets is not enough. The person who wants to continue his education has to do so to get ahead in life as getting coffee and handouts from sympathizers in the surrounding buildings will not last indefinitely. Will it?Perhaps there is a question of so many people not wanting to let go of what they have and risk fighting for something which is seemingly “unattainable”, liek bringing some of the Wall Street crooks to justice.

Child close to his teacher turned out to be less likely to be terget mischief or naughtiness of his friends.

Research conducted by researchers from the University of Quebec at Montreal, Laval University, University of Alabama, University of Montreal and University College Dublin concluded that children who have good relationships with teachers can be protected from aggression and became the target of aggression at school.

“Aggressive behavior in middle childhood in part be explained by genetic factors, but genetic influences on behavior are usually not free from environmental influences,” said Mara Brendgen, associate professor of psychology at the University of Quebec at Montreal, who led the research as reported by ScienceDaily, Friday (28 / 10 / 2011).

The researchers studied 217 pairs of identical twins and not identical (fraternal twins) aged 7 years in Canada to investigate the interaction between innate factors and environmental influences that affect aggression in children. Twin pairs was not in the same class, have different teachers and different classmates.

Classmate of the twins to assess aggressive behavior and the extent to which he became the victim of aggression friends. Teachers assess the quality of the relationship the twins the twins with the twin pair. Genetic effects of aggression was measured by comparing the similarity of behavior of identical and fraternal twin pairs.

This study found that children who are genetically prone to be aggressive tend to be victimized by their classmates. However, these children are protected from aggressive acts and aggression become the target of other children if they have an excellent relationship with the teacher. Such good relations didefinsiakan as relations warm, loving, and open communication.

“The relationship of children with teachers and with peers at school plays an important role in shaping social behavior. Our review found that a good relationship with teachers can protect children who are prone to act aggressively and became the target of aggressive behavior of other children,” said Brendgen .

These findings can inform interventions that aim to address children’s aggression, and can also be used in teacher training efforts.

In Peace Park a documentary by skater, David Bouthillier, the park takes on a life of its own, This sports person took it upon himself to interview the residents of the park, people who he knew to be regulars there. He also interviewed those premises around the park who wanted to appeal for calm and co-operation or who had to state their detachment with the goings on. Most were keen on an effort to make the park last and to live up to its name.

On of course could not take in the significance of the park without shining a light on its roots as having been at first the location of a market place where people would congregate and share their news. A fire destroyed the market which was then rebuild and then that was demolished to become an empty lot. The lot eventually was redesigned into a park with its granite ledges that make it a skaters paradise and home to vagrants, people who have no place to call home, drug addicts and alcoholics.

One could not do a documentary without the history of the man behind it in some way, the fact that the old sleaze bar Cleopatra is still around echoes back to the heyday when Montreal had it a functioning red light district that gave the city a vibrant side. The Montreal Pool room echoes back to that era and has now moved to the other side of the road. The National Monument which has catered to a variety of tastes is still there and the management wants to see that the park functions as it should. Only there have been problems they cited of undesirables loitering on the other side of the street where the entrance to the theater is and that that isn’t a very pleasant combination.

All this, a summerized maps showing insight into how the park was meant to be, and interviews of regulars at the park was featured in this documentary in the recent New World Festival that just concluded Oct 23rd.