Maybe you are still looking for a last minute stuffer for your very own stocking, or maybe you plan to make 2008 the year you take charge of your health. Either way, for many gals who deal with chronic pain and confusion due to endometriosis, ovarian cysts, fibroids, painful periods or any other pelvic trouble, the following treats will be a welcome addition to the coping ritual.

A hot water bottle cozy. When your pelvis feels like its being ripped to shreds by a meat grinder, the last sensation you want is impersonal, corrugated rubber pressing into your tender region. The luxurious cashmere one pictured here looks heavenly, but a hand-sewn flannel pouch or a knit “sweater” would be just as sweet and snugly.

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In a past life, before Amélie, I passionately hated the movies. For a while I thought it was a sign of ADD: I couldn’t sit still for a 2-hour film without chipping the concrete floor with my impatiently tapping toe. More recently I’ve realized my aversion to movies was one of the many bruises I suffered at the hands of the stifling jockocracy in which I was raised. The road to recovery is long. Even last weekend, when the opening credits of a wonderful, low-budget, gardening documentary came up, I had a flashback of helicopter blades, machine gun fire, plastic cleavage and fart jokes.

When I was growing up, going to the movies was in the same category as watching the guys play sports - it was the only thing to do. It was also an activity where my girl friends and I were expected to be passive, but still flirty, spectators. Sure, it was more fun than hanging out alone, but it was far from fulfillment and far from fair.

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Film Friday isn’t until tomorrow, but a girl has to plan!

If you find yourself in Toronto this weekend, head down to the Planet in Focus International Environmental Film and Video festival. The films are a fantastic mix of genre and style that explore a wide range of issues. Festival Director Candida Paltiel suggests that “The festival transcends class, gender and other boundaries because of its broad definition of environment.”

It’s so good.

Documentary filmmaker, writer and environmentalist Mark Haslam founded PIF as a one day film screening in 1999. Since then, it has grown into five-day event with year round programming including a growing archive of environmental films. Between movies, check out the eco-fair, Activist Cinema Roundtable, Green Pitch competition, panel sessions, programs for children and opportunities to chat with the filmmakers.
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Wow, that tune is catchy.

Today, The Toronto Star’s Jennifer Wells drew my attention to Onslaught, the latest ad from Dove’s “Campaign For Real Beauty.”

[Video stream might be faster here.]

What do you think of this one? Should Dove stop, or do you like these ads, or are those two totally different questions? Is our self-esteem ultimately determined by corporations? Does Dove give this message credibility? (I can’t count the number of times I’ve tried to make this same point to the glazed-over faces of friends.)

(If you’re just tuning in, we’ve previously discussed the dangers and merits of Dove’s campaign, including pit pride and parent company Unilever’s conflicting messages. And recently we’ve been wondering if corporate marketing can ever really be used for “good.”)

The food system is a juicy topic lately. We’re starting to understand just how ecologically complex our food system has become, but there are political and social issues at play as well. If you’ve ever tried to untangle the mystery behind how our food is sourced, you’ve probably asked yourself questions like, Why is local food sometimes more expensive than imported food? How hard is it for Ontario farmers to get their goods to local stores? Why are farmers markets often full of resellers instead of farmers?

Just one of the keys to understanding the complexity of the food system is locked inside the Ontario Food Terminal – the immense physical space where food first touches down before being shipped off to Ontario stores, restaurants and ultimately within the digestive tracts of the lovely folks within this fair province.

A rare opportunity to take a tour of the Ontario Food Terminal happens this Thursday, as part of Alphabet City’s Food Festival. Each year Alphabet City explores a different concept through a publication and an “arts and ideas” festival. Last year they studied Trash, this year Food, and in the next few years they will work on Fuel, Water and Air.

This tour is a big deal because unauthorized folk are not normally allowed in the terminal. It is the “largest wholesale fruit and produce distribution centre in Canada and ranks in the top five by volume wholesale fruit and produce distribution centres in North America.” You’ll see big chain stores bartering for cases of cucumbers, chefs looking for exotic passion fruit, and smaller shops taking what lettuce they can get.

I can’t make it into town myself, but if you happen to go, let me know what you learned.
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Last year I taught acting to children ages 5 - 9, and was amazed at what some of the little divas were wearing: tight tank tops, mesh shawls tied under non-existent breasts, low-rise jeans slipping off their hipless hips. (“Melissa – pull up your pants!”) On the bright side, Ella Gunderson made headlines a couple of years ago when she fought against the limited selection of non-sexy clothes for girls her age. (Naturally, Shameless was on the ball and gave props to Ella in “Miss Modesty?” 2:5) Fashion marketers do push kids to grow up too fast, but the story gets even weirder with confirmed reports that puberty is hitting earlier than it used to.

A recent study by the Breast Cancer Fund confirms that girls in the US are reaching puberty sooner, and cites environmental factors as the cause. The report also notes that “…early puberty is not only a women’s issue (because it disproportionately affects girls) but it is a class and race issue as well.” The researchers found that girls within racial minority and low-income groups are at a higher risk for early breast development and menstruation because they face increased exposure to toxic chemicals, unhealthy food and lack of activity.

Check out the key findings of the report and where the research should go from here.

This Monday I went to my Grandmother’s funeral.* During the visitation I was amazed at the number of people who introduced themselves as Gran’s neighbours during the Leave it to Beaver Days of the 1950’s. To any suburbanites reading, how well have you bonded with your neighbours? Will you show up to their funerals in 60 years and tell their grandchildren heart warming stories of your joint antics?

I’m close to the age where house-buying will be a reality, and I grew up in the suburbs. There is a very real gap between the kind of community I want to belong to and the options that are available to me. This tension, among others, is well explored in the film Radiant City, a Canadian documentary and very funny suburban satire that opened in May (now out on DVD).

The film is juicy from both an environmental perspective and a film perspective (a fresh twist at the end has the power to change how you read the entire film, but since I didn’t put “spoiler alert” at the top of this post, you’ll just have to rent it yourself to see what I mean). However, here I can shamelessly indulge myself by exploring one of the other parts the intrigued me: the depiction of the mother, Anne Moss.

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If you’re looking for some fun on Vancouver Island this Labour Day weekend, you might want to check out the latest camping-biking-fundraiser from bikefurthereatcloser.com

Chelsea Trousdell, a student at Emily Carr, and Marla Temoin, a recent graduate of the University of Victoria are gearing up for an intercontinental quest to raise awareness for climate change. They will ride their bikes 30,000 km - from Victoria, BC to Argentina, around South America, up the East Coast of the US, and across Canada back to Victoria. As if that wasn’t inspiring enough, these gals will also follow a 100-mile diet for their entire trip.

By following the growing seasons, eating locally and relying on pedal power, Chelsea and Marla aim to lead by example, support local economies and promote mindful consumption. I’ll say.

Bookmark their website, because they will be blogging their adventures once they’ve hit the road.

This week has been ecorgasmic and its only Wednesday.

First, Elizabeth May came to town, determined to have the Green Party invited into the federal leaders debate. Singing this petition can help bring her refreshing voice into what is normally a very boring event.

Then, I saw David Suzuki on his If You Were Prime Minister Tour (and if hearing his passionate speech weren’t enough, they were also giving away really cool buttons that match my favourite yoga shirt). The dreary chill that is February has left me in need of optimism, and Suzuki delivered. (I also need vitamin D, but he couldnt help on that one.)

And now, just now, the opposition forced a pro-Kyoto bill. (more inside…)