McGuinty Government Helping Students Succeed
New Investments To Help Young People Be First In Family To Pursue Higher Education

TORONTO, Aug. 30 /CNW/ - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty today announced new investments to build opportunity for young people by helping students become the first in their family to attend college or university or become an apprentice.

"We're on the side of Ontario families who are working hard to build opportunity for their children," said Premier McGuinty. "By providing young people with the information and financial support they need to pursue higher education, we're creating a highly skilled workforce that will attract jobs and investment and help all Ontarians prosper."

The McGuinty government is investing $5 million in programs run by colleges, universities and community organizations that will help potential first generation students - young people whose parents did not attend college or university. These partners will encourage young people to pursue postsecondary education and apprenticeships by offering valuable information and advice.

The government is also investing $1 million in Ontario First Generation Student Bursaries that will be distributed by colleges and universities to eligible students in the 2006-07 academic year. The bursary program was established last year to assist students facing financial obstacles to higher education.

Ontarians Shouldn't Rely on Government After Disaster: Officials
Josh Pringle
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
From: http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=1&nid=42232
Ontario emergency officials say citizens will likely have to rely on themselves for at least a few days if a disaster hits the province.
Emergency Management Commissioner Julian Fantino says one of the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina is that residents can't necessarily count on government and relief agencies for immediate help in disasters.

Fantino says "people should be prepared to look after themselves for at least three days. In New Orleans, people were left to their own devices for a long time."

Officials say you should prepare a home survival kit, including at least four litres of water per person per day; non-perishable and canned food and a can opener; and essential tools like a pocket knife, flashlight, batteries, radio, first-aid kit, and waterproof matches.

Breaking news!!! Bill Gates Challenged by an Indian!!!
From: "Charles De Souza" <charlesdesouza70@hotmail.com>
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 11:34 PM
Subject: New Computer Genius has arrived from India.

Just one INDIAN is challenging Bill Gates...... This is not only ground breaking news; it's space-breaking news indeed.

Ramlal Bhagat, a XII std. student from Haryana, has developed a 32-bit operating system demonstrated to be far superior to any of the desktop operating systems on the market today.

The program has been named "O-Yes". O-Yes provides operating system services on any Pentium-based Personal computer (PC) and does not require MS- DOS as a base operating system.

The operating system's capabilities were demonstrated in a student convention at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi. HCL Ltd. conducted benchmarks on the system and published results, which are partly reported here: O -Yes is 34% faster than Microsoft's Windows 95 on similar hardware. It is 29% faster than IBM's OS/2. O-Yes loads 54% quicker than Windows 95 or OS/2. O-Yes has a customizable, user-friendly graphical User Interface (GUI), in which every program can be accessed with a maximum of two button clicks. The operating system provides plug n play capability with numerous hardware devices. It has a superior memory management function. The operating system is compatible with Windows95& WindowsNT4.0. HCL, Ltd. has offered an unknown amount to Ramlal Bhagat for purchasing the rights to the software. Ramlal Bhagat, described as" quiet and philosophical" by his peers, was not available for comment. Suresh Reddy, spokesman for HCL Ltd., said, "This is the operating system that the world has been waiting for". On HCL's move to purchase the rights to the software, he said,"We are here to ensure that Mr.Ramlal gets fair recognition and compensation for his innovation. HCL Ltd. Can provide him a firm launch-pad to market software globally".

Is this the beginning of the end of the Bill Gates' monopoly? Let's see... Send this to as many of your friends and relatives as possible so that when the product hits the market every one will appreciate it !

Labour Day Brings Back-to-Work Butterflies
Workopolis Poll Finds Working Canadians Wish Laid Back Summer Atmosphere Could Continue All Year Long

TORONTO, Aug. 30 /CNW/ - The Labour Day holiday, an international tradition with roots in Canada, marks the unofficial end of summer and is a significant transition point for many employed Canadians. According to Workopolis' annual Labour Day poll, almost half (41 per cent) of working Canadians say they feel a marked difference in the atmosphere at work before and after the Labour Day long weekend. Many would like to continue the more casual, relaxed feel of summer all year long.

According to the poll of employed Canadian adults, one quarter (26 per cent) feel more refreshed and ready to be productive after summer, while 15 per cent experience feelings of either dread or anxiety. These feelings of dread or anxiety are particularly strong among the youngest workers (18-24 year olds).

"School kids aren't the only ones with butterflies in their stomachs at the end of summer," said Patrick Sullivan, president of Workopolis. "Employers need to be aware that periods of transition, like Labour Day and the end of summer holidays, can have a powerful impact on the attitudes of working Canadians - both positive and negative. This is a good time of year to regroup with employees to refocus them on their goals and take a temperature read on their motivation."

Carrying on that Summertime Feeling
 As Labour Day arrives, many Canadian workers bid farewell to leaving early on Friday afternoons, loosening the tie and being more casual. For two-thirds of Canadian workers in the Workopolis poll, summer meant a more informal, comfortable work environment; one which they would like to work in all year long.

The most popular feature of the summer workplace is adjusted working hours, which 34 per cent of workers would like to see continue, followed by a more relaxed attitude (selected by 25 per cent), and a casual dress code (16 per cent).

"How we work is as important to job satisfaction as what we do," explains Sullivan. "In the summer, many workplaces tend to loosen up a little, provide more flexibility about hours or dress code. These environmental factors contribute to employees' positive attitudes toward work. It is important for employers to recognize the role these summer modifications play in overall productivity and satisfaction." is higher in older workers with 37 per cent of those 55 plus wanting it

Tips for Back-to-Work Workers
Sullivan provides the following tips for working Canadians who want to retain the benefits of the summer feeling all year:

- Manage work hours - Continually coming in early and working late can rapidly lead to stress, loss of motivation and burnout. "Book yourself into an after-work activity - like a sports class, a dinner plan or a play date with your child - at least one or two days a week," recommends Sullivan. "Having a firm plan at the end of your day forces you to leave work at a reasonable hour and helps you clear your mind of the day's work."

- Recognize the signs of stress - Identify how stress impacts you personally and look for the early warning signs such as sleeplessness, a short temper or getting sick more often. "Address stress early, before it gets out of hand," said Sullivan. "Talk to your boss about how you're feeling and renegotiate workload or responsibilities."

- Create a positive workplace atmosphere - "You and your coworkers have as much of an influence on workplace atmosphere as management does," says Sullivan. "If you have positive relationship with coworkers, have fun and enjoy humour at work, you'll create a more pleasant and productive environment."

- Treat yourself - A smart employer will celebrate your major achievements, but you should also reward yourself for the smaller,everyday successes. "Too often we focus on the problems we're having and not on what we have achieved," said Sullivan. "Even small rewards

- like treating yourself to a special lunch - can have a powerful psychological affect."