Fabio Marchioro

In a modern society, everything and everyone is connected. All those who live in big metropolitan areas are like nodes in a net. We depend on each other. We survive, prosper and flourish or we stagnate, linger on and die together. The metaphor that suggests that a country like Canada is like a net has been used before but, more than ever, it serves the purpose of taking the pulse of this culture that boastfully talks about its multiculturalism, its cultural mosaic and its immigration policies.

A net, as Manuel Castells defines in his book The Rise of the Network Society is an “open structure capable of limitless expansion, assimilating new nodes as long as they can communicate inside the net”.

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Obama came. Obama left. It was all over in less than seven hours and more than CAN$ 2 million all for Obama’s sake. Nevertheless, it was one of those short visits that guests and hosts want to last longer. He was courteous, attentive and broke the security protocol walking away from the protective shell of “The Beast” (his armoured limo, not Harper) to wave to the people that waited for him in front of Parliament House.

Is he an experienced diplomat or a perfectly honed marketing tool? He found a way to visit a market and even bought cookies to take to his daughters. As a matter of fact, he tried to buy the cookies. He even gestured over the counter with a crispy green 20 Canadian dollars bill when the woman that handed him (the now internationally famous) brown groceries bag, waved him off. Continue reading

The cardinal rule for all deep sea divers is this: plan your dive and dive your plan. It’s plain and simple: follow your plan or you will die. On the other hand, as many overweight people know, it is easy to plan a diet but, gosh, how hard it is to stick to it. And how easily all those Sunday night, practical and healthy decisions crumble when faced with a pint of ice-cream, a bar of your favorite chocolate, a crunchy sizzling pizza or a burger with two gigantic slices of bacon and a side of putin. And another week goes by. No gym, no time, no will, no health.

Obesity leads to cancer. Is it a rule? For you, it most definitely is, if you are part of the 33.33% of Canadians who are now undergoing chemotherapy due to a cancer related to obesity problems. That is a fair assessment from the report released last week in London by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund.

Based on 7,000 studies, the report calls on governments to legislate healthy living, such as mandatory walking and cycling paths, better prices for healthier food, bans on ads and built-in exercise opportunities for children in schools. The report authors, in a bold move, noted that individuals bear responsibility for health and should change their lifestyles accordingly.

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All things considered, we know cats are not like people. We don’t regard ours, Miadora and Shy, as daughters, and our nieces will be thrilled to know, we are not planning to leave our assets to our furry companions. But we spent a small fortune to bring our two cats from Brazil.
Despite the fact that with that money we could have paid our rent in High Park Avenue for a few months or pay all our other bills for a (long) while, if necessary, we would do it again. No questions asked. Well, maybe only one: how much?

They live with us since December 2000 and we feel responsible for them. Besides cat food, litter and water, their only demand is a vigorous scratch behind the ears, a little bit of our attention and a small space above a radiator by one (or more) window sill to watch the snowflakes float by. Continue reading

Eduardo is 13 years old. He runs. He’s very agile. No one can stop him. Through alleys, up hills or over rooftops, he’s the best. He wears only sandals and knee length shorts. An AK47 dangles from a leather strap around his neck. His small dark hands are always holding it, caressing it. Eduardo named the weapon: Manuela. Don’t bother asking him why. He won’t tell. A friend said something about a broken heart. The weapon is part of his body, an extension of his arms. It sleeps in Eduardo’s bed; it stays by his side when he is eating and even when he is bathing in a nearby river. It’s never more than a step away.

Omar, 21, lived many years in Canada but resides, for now, at the Guantanamo Base in Cuba. He is in prison because, when he was 14, he was accused of throwing a grenade that injured one and killed another American soldier in Afghanistan. His father, a close friend to Osama Bin Laden, was what is called a “freedom fighter”. He died in the battlefield. Omar’s brother lost a leg fighting the coalition forces near Kabul, and his mother and sister, who live in Toronto, openly preach war against westerners, mainly through suicide bombers. The young the attacker, the better.
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They have three kids, a mortgage and condo fees. They pay hydro, water, heat, cable, internet, cell phones, a land line, the lease of two cars and cereal boxes fill up the kitchen cabinets to the brim. It is a cliché, but it’s not my fault: karate classes for their twin sons and ballet lessons for the girl.

Despite their best efforts, bills are starting to pile up. Mary “The Web Designer” and Harry “The Speech Writer” are turning into “The Juggler Couple”. And they are working harder than ever to avoid becoming “The Insolvent Couple”.

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