"The Harper Government's" new Board of Rights and Democracy Director currently vacationing outside the country?

Katrine is an associate in the Moncton office. She holds a masters degree in law from Dalhousie University and a law degree from McGill University. Prior to attending law school, Katrine studied political sciences and history at the Université de Moncton, as well as at the Université de Poitiers in France.

Katrine practices mainly in the areas of civil litigation, family law, property law and wills and estates. She is a member of the New Brunswick Bar Association and of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. She offers services in both English and French.

Law Society Memberships
Canadian Bar Association
Nova Scotia Barristers' Society
Law Society of New Brunswick
Association des juristes d’expression française du Nouveau-Brunswick
Association des juristes d’expression française de la Nouvelle-Écosse

Bar Admission
Nova Scotia (2007)
New Brunswick (2009)

Law School
McGill University

Education
Université de Moncton (B.Sc.soc., 2002)
McGill University (LL.B., B.C.L., 2005)
Dalhousie University (LL.M., 2006)

"Mr. Harper, appoint CyberSmokeBlog to the senate!"

LATEST NEWS The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Harper government set to appoint prominent Tory's niece to agency board

By: Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press
April 1, 2011
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is the latest target in a series of accusations of Tory patronage by the Harper government (Adrian Wyld/Associated Press Archives)

DIEPPE, New Brunswick. - The Harper government is set to appoint the niece of a former Conservative premier to the board of Rights and Democracy — an arms-length agency struggling to restore an image battered by accusations of patronage and partisanship.

The revelation that Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon has selected lawyer Katrine Giroux for the job follows a series of accusations of patronage by the Conservatives.

Ex-New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord, who was attending a campaign event with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday, acknowledged to The Canadian Press that he recommended Giroux, his niece through marriage.

Lord said someone at Rights and Democracy in Montreal — whose name he couldn't recall — asked him last year if he knew anyone competent, and he suggested Giroux. That was followed-up with an email soon afterward, and Lord repeated his recommendation.

Rights and Democracy, based in Montreal, has been snarled in a bitter internal dispute for more than a year. The agency's pro-Israel, Conservative-appointed board has been accused of transforming it into an ideologically driven body.

Giroux is described on her Moncton law firm's website as having graduated from law school in 2006 and being called to the bar in Nova Scotia in 2007. She was appointed to the CPP and OAS review panel in 2008.

She is listed as an expert in civil litigation and property law. Her resume does not include any mention of international experience, other than an undergraduate exchange to France decade ago.

In February, Cannon consulted opposition leaders on the suggested appointment as required under the organization's founding act. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff rejected it, raising the issue of partisanship and also questioning her qualifications.

"In order to support both the mission and mandate of Rights and Democracy, the ideal candidate for this appointment should be drawn from Canada's vast pool of talent and expertise in international affairs," Ignatieff wrote.

"Further recognizing that this institution is designed to be independent and free from partisan influence, I would urge you to reconsider this appointment."

Despite Ignatieff's objection, Cannon's office said Giroux is still on the list for an appointment.

"Ms. Katrine Giroux was selected based on the merits of her credentials and qualifications," spokeswoman Lynn Meahan said. "We neither appoint nor exclude individuals based on their political affiliation or other considerations that do not speak their merits."

NDP Rritic Paul Dewar said the whole appointments system needs an overhaul.

"The crisis in Rights and Democracy shows that you just can't trust the Conservatives with public appoints," he said in a statement.

"The process is broken. We need to strengthen accountability."

However, an official said the government didn't know about the relationship between Lord and Giroux.

Giroux's office said she was on vacation and out of the country.

Harper was asked during a campaign stop Thursday whether his government would open an investigation into the appointment of Conservatives to the federal Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. The Public Service Commission of Canada is already probing appointments of former political staff to civil service positions at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

In P.E.I., where Harper wound up his day Friday at a rally with candidates and supporters, a former aide to Defence Minister Peter MacKay landed a job as director general of ACOA's regional operations.

The board of Rights and Democracy was criticized for repudiating small grants to Middle East rights groups it did not like, and firing several managers. The board and management responded that there were grave internal problems that needed to be fixed.

The House of Commons foreign affairs committee began investigating the organization in March 2010, following the sudden death by heart attack of former agency president Remy Beauregard after a testy January board meeting.

Beauregard's widow testified her husband was hounded to his death by new, government-appointed board members motivated by ideological differences with the agency's direction.

Announcing the great Saint Boniface election poll - join us!

Good Day Readers:

Who needs the Winnipeg Free Press, The Winnipeg Sun or CBC Manitoba employing major research firms such as Environics, Iposo Canada and Leger Marketing to predict who will win the Saint Boniface Riding when we the voters can do it for ourselves?

If you are a registered Saint Boniface voter and see or receive any solicitation by a candidate please contact us. We simply need to know what it was and for which party. These can include:

(1) advertising on the sides of garbage receptacles

(2) a live telephone call or voice mail from a candidate

(3) e-mail

(4) flyers, brochures or any other material promoting a candidate delivered by surface mail

(5) radio or television ads for a Saint Boniface candidate (we will not count those for national party leaders)

(6) any other form of advertising specific to a Saint Boniface candidate such as lawn signs or a knock at your door by a candidate or someone representing them

Note: each of the above initiatives, and any others not mentioned, will be worth 1-point. Therefore, 3-flyers for the same candidate equate to 3-points.

Using the latest methods in statistical analysis (T-testing, Regression Analysis, Mean Standard Error, Standard Deviation Theory - whatever), as well as, advanced calculus we will declare the projected winner on the eve of election day with a reporting error within plus or minus 3%.

So far we've seen one refuse receptacle for Shelly Glover and one for Raymond Simard, therefore, the Conservatives and Liberals are unofficially tied.

As we move deeper into the campaign we'll keep you regularly apprised of candidate point totals.

Perhaps former Prime Minister John Diefenbacker said it best, "Election polls are for dogs."
Sincerely,
Clare L Pieuk

Ten Years HIV Positive

Detectable vs. Undetectable

Dear Readers,

On February 27th 2011, I reached and celebrated my 10th year with HIV.

It’s been a while since I last updated my HIV/AIDS results page, which I guess some will take as a sign that all is well.

And you would be correct.

I’m happy and healthy today and full of positivity, humor, love and light.

I’ve never felt stronger nor have my feelings for the future ever been this inspiring. My family is wonderful and my relationship continues to bring the challenges and gifts that most do.

There are many reasons for my happiness, the most important one being that I restarted my ARV therapy and the results have been amazing. I was waiting for my drugs to take hold before I wrote about my experience. My virus was undetectable and had been for five years before I stopped taking my medication. A drug holiday made sense to me back then.

This is the second time I'm starting my therapy. I was nervous about side effects and my sleeping patterns being affected just as they were when I was on the ARVs. But this time, I had no problems with my body adjusting to the medication and the side effects were very light on my system.

I take my drugs every other day. I do not nor have I ever taken my HIV drugs every single day as we are told to do.

However, I DO NOT encourage you to do this without seeking your doctor's advise and consent. Everyone's circumstances are different and at the end of the day your doctors know best. But do mention it to him/her and ask if it's feasible in your situation, just like I did. When I mentioned it to my own doctor, he told me to do whatever I felt comfortable with as long as my numbers remained stable and my undetectable status stays the same. Taking my pills every other day DID NOT have an adverse effect on me. I've been taking my pills every other day for many months now and my HIV remains UNDETECTABLE.

I’ve always worried about the constant onslaught of HIV drugs on my system. Taking my drugs every other day was MY decision and I’m thrilled I made it. I withheld 1,477 pills from going into my body and yet I still managed to have my HIV undetectable status. My organs are thanking me I’m sure. I will need them all in tip top shape for the future!

When I started the combination therapy again, I remember obsessing, wondering, and asking myself, “Had I fucked up by stopping them when I moved from Australia to Canada?" HIV positive people hear stories all the time about how you’re NOT supposed to stop taking your pills. Back then, I really had to take control over my life and part of that was starting fresh with no worries about my drugs and keeping them cool while I travelled with my boyfriend.

My drug holiday meant taking away the daily reminder that you are indeed different than everyone else around you. You have HIV and the handful of pills remind you of that everyday you put them to your mouth.

It can get very distressing and depressing.

I nearly forgot that I have HIV while I was off my medication.
It was wonderful.
It was truly wonderful.

When I made the decision to stop them I said, “Fuck it”. I thought, at the time when my life was so hectic, that finding a fridge just to keep my medication chilled while I traveled throughout Asia would be a nightmare. I was tired, depressed and about to travel but my body was rock solid and I felt healthy despite my hectic life.

So I stopped taking my HIV drugs because I WANTED to stop.

I felt a need. A strange feeling, almost like I wanted control again over my life.

And the sense and feeling of being ‘undetectable’ certainly offers you that springboard you require to leap forward into a pill free existence, something that I thought at the time was manna from heaven.

I also WANTED to give my 150 pound body a break from the drugs I was on while I was still in my thirties. Sleeping was difficult with the medication the first time and I just needed to sleep so badly. I wanted to give myself a break from having to think about the pills.

Pills = HIV I thought.
And they still do. However, I feel different now about the medication than I did before I took a break from it.

Fuck HIV and the medication I remember thinking back then. But now, I feel great about them both being together once again.

One cancels out the other?
We all hope and pray.

I just want to be healthy and happy.

My pills are making me happy this time. Maybe it’s because I’m older and I don’t feel so brave. I need the security of being undetectable more now than ever. When you get married, things change dramatically inside of you. Suddenly you are not the only person who needs to be considered when it comes to your health, happiness, and future in general.

I’m still comfortable about having made those decisions to stop my medications before I came home to Canada. However, as a result of this decision, within a year after stopping my HIV drugs, my HIV virus was no longer undetectable as it had been five years. It was once again bombarding my system with great effect. And my CD4 count and viral load numbers reflected that. The first was very low and the second was very high. It really sucked. Fucking virus.

Mother fucker.

My fabulous ARV drug holiday bubble was suddenly burst and I was once again drenched in fear.

Although I'm ok with all of my HIV therapy decisions, I knew it was time that I start them again. When you are told that your virus is again detectable, your life is jolted back into your HIV reality. Your entire world shifts once again, and action MUST be taken immediately. You just feel it. You want to live.

For a long time.

And when the day comes and you are told that your virus is undetectable, you want to keep it that way.

For a long time.

And so I took action and now I'm back on my new ARV therapy. And once again after some time, my HIV is undetectable. It took eight months for my numbers to get back to normal. Now I have a solid set of results I can hopefully take forward with me for another five or so years.

I’ve recently had my eyes thoroughly checked by my ophthalmologist and the results came back with perfect 20/20 vision with no signs of trouble. I’ve also had my hearing checked, my teeth cleaned again (4X a year).

I somehow managed to stop biting my fingernails which was a life long habit. I NEVER thought I would ever stop biting my nails. But I did. It truly is amazing. One of the biggest achievements of my life and only a chronic nail biter would relate to the pain and suffering involved when one tries to stop such a habit.

************************

The drugs will keep us alive.

But don’t forget they only work if we take them.

Short Hair Styles Pictures

 If you keep your hairstyle short,it helps you for easy haircare. You can easily set your hairs if your hairstyle is Short Hairstyle.Long hairs are not difficult to set but Short Hairstyle always save your time.

 

Fashy Jessica claimed to have life changing good for a makeover of Maria Ozawa's rusting hairdo with black hair extensions. Surprised Maria defended herself by claiming her hairdo being one of the awesomely cool, punk, funky emo hairstyles for girls who wear colored contacts or cheap contact lenses.

 

Short Hair Styles Pictures

 

Short Hair Styles Pictures

 

Short Hair Styles Pictures

 

Short Hair Styles Pictures

 

Short Hair Styles Pictures

 

Short hair styles pictures can be representative of any type of person we are representing. From the chic business woman to the sexy girl next door, short hair is not a faux pas anymore.Many women are wary of having short hair, as they fear that it will look unfeminine. This does not have to be the case. There are many short hairstyles that can look very feminine, with the added bonus of being low maintenance. Short hairstyles will not suit everyone, but if you experiment, you might find that a short hairstyle is actually more flattering than a longer hairstyle.

The election wars - battle for domination of refuse receptacle advertising!

Good Day Readers:

Got tired of hearing governments constantly telling us how out of shape and "obese" many Canadians are - notice they never call us "fat." Decided to do something which was forgo the car in favour of walking as much as possible.

On one of our jaunts yesterday to undertake legal research at the Law Courts Building we passed a "Take Pride Winnipeg!" refuse receptacle with a large, colour picture and Liberal Party logo for Winnipeg South Centre incumbent candidate Anita "Time Expired" Neville on the corner of River Road and Donald Street.

Intuitively, we sensed the location was within the Saint Boniface Riding currently held by Conservative incumbent Shelly Glover. Checked the Riding map (Elections Canada website) but were unable to confirm our suspicion so telephoned EC. Sure enough - Ms Neville's Campaign Office will be contacted by Elections Canada to request it be removed.

At least within the Saint Boniface Riding the advertising battle is seemingly being waged on the sides of garbage receptacles which makes sense given it's the time of year when they're most needed. Besides, how apropos! Saw another for Liberal challenger Raymond Simard at the bus shelter beside the newly renovated St. Lucia restaurant at the foot of St. Marys Road.

Even Ms Glover has gotten into the act. The pedestrian bench she has rented for a longtime at the intersection of Des Meurons and Goulet Streets with the tired picture she used shortly after being elected has been replaced with a Take Pride Winnipeg! receptacle sporting her new "The Harper Government" look.

Frankly, as a senior citizen we were quite turned off by her ill-advised, tasteless "expiry date" comment and even more by her refusal to apologize or retract. In our opinion, Ms Glover has not successfully completed her transition from tough-talking police officer to smooth, diplomatic politician. Perhaps she could benefit from some elocution lessons from another of our favourite federal politicians - silver tongued Pat "Harry Callahan" Martin NDP incumbent candidate for Winnipeg, Centre.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk

Pirates of the Caribbean " On Stranger Tides " Featurette

Walt Disney Studios France released this POTC 4 featurette. Called "the inspirtion of the POTC saga" it begins by few images of Walt and the POTC attraction. But you will also see shots of the making-of of "On Stranger Tides"!

And a last good news aboujavascript:void(0)t Penelope Cruz as since yesterday she has her own "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, right in front of the El Capitan Theatre!




Picture and video: copyright Disney