Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i Zoomer Magazine

THE RED LINE ON THE RED CARPET was the manicam. After years of female actors and musicians having their moment in lights for career-crowning accomplishment reduced to, “Who are you wearing?” the celebrity industrial complex had gone a step too far in demanding that women walk their fingers down a sponsored mini-red carpet to display their nails. It wasn’t exactly a Norma Rae moment but when Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Julianne Moore refused to partake in 2014, a backlash ensued with the hashtag #askhermore – say, than her nail colour – going viral. It wasn’t enough to make the Fashion Police turn in their badges, but this fall, as another red carpet season is rolled out, another powerful hashtag #SmartGirlsAsk has been launched. I know. I know. One-percenter problems.…

THIS PAST JULY, just About 10 years ago, I got an interesting phone call from a politician at the highest level of the Paul Martin government then in charge in Ottawa, who also happened to be a good and personal friend of mine. He knew where I stood on certain social issues and had a question for me. “Moses,” he asked, “the Party has decided it can’t do both: legalize marijuana or legalize same-sex marriage. Which one should it be?” Without a second’s hesitation, I said, marijuana. I supported samesex marriage wholeheartedly but first, I told my pal, the government would impact many more people with the marijuana move. Second, because of the thousands who were still being charged and harassed and jailed for small amounts of marijuana possession, the…

BRYAN ADAMS gives a whole new meaning to the term “album tour” with his latest disc, Get Up, the Canuck rocker’s first new album of original material since 2008. Produced by legendary singer-songwriter-producer Jeff Lynne, Adams noted that he, long-time collaborator Jim Vallance and Lynne spent a few years sending pieces of the songs back and forth across continents and oceans for each to work on. “It was a great partnership,” Adams said. “We all worked primarily over the Internet from Canada, Europe and L.A., sending demos and parts of songs until we got it right.” The songs, which have already travelled more than some bands do, include nine original tracks and four acoustic renditions that range from Adams’ trademark upbeat rock to slower melodies. “There is a carefree feeling…

Tucked away in a modest recording studio just off of Times Square on a drizzly New York City evening, Priscilla Presley sits among the gathered listening party as an Elvis Presley cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” plays over the loudspeakers. Elvis, however, isn’t alone on the track. A new album, If I Can Dream, sees Presley’s tunes remixed to include backing from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – a brilliant artistic marriage that draws out the true power of Elvis’s voice and even includes a duet with Canuck crooner Michael Buble. The following morning, Priscilla sat down with Zoomer’s Mike Crisolago to discuss “the album Elvis would have wanted to make.” MIKE CRISOLAGO: When introducing this album, you noted that Elvis should be known for more than his rock ’n’…

IT’S THE CLOSEST I will probably come to fulfilling a fantasy. I’m a bit obsessed with cooking competition shows and I often picture myself making culinary magic from a basket of mystery ingredients. So when one of my fellow board members at Pancreatic Cancer Canada asked me to appear in a cooking video, I jumped at the chance. The subject was nutrition for pancreatic cancer patients as part of Princess Margaret Hospital’s survivorship program. It was a little deflating when I realized I wasn’t chosen for my skills as a cook. I was there to give patients and caregivers first-hand tips based my own recovery from the Whipple operation. But here’s the rub – I could barely remember! Of course, I recall that I had to learn to eat again,…

■ FROM FRANCE On a flight from Munich to Toronto, the gentleman next to me dumped a full glass of water in my lap. I was wearing jeans. Soaked through. The flight attendant, however, assured me said jeans would be completely dry upon arrival. She was right. I could only imagine how dehydrated my skin was! So, to save your skin in flight and beyond, here are two to try: Vichy Laboratoires Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Power Serum promises 48 hours of hydration; La Roche Posay’s Substiane + Fundamental Volume Anti-Aging Concentrate may help pump up mature skin’s moisture “holding” power and stimulate cellular activity. ■ FROM THE U.K. Last year, Hunter introduced the Original Tour Neoprene boot, inspired by its Highlands origins. A mashup of the company’s triedand-true…

All the newspapers – not to mention the gals at book club – are calling it the “female Viagra.” But the truth is flibanserin is nothing like the pill men take to enhance erections. Rather, it’s taken every day and is meant to treat sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. (Lack of desire is only considered a “disorder” if it’s actually bothering you or interfering with your relationship because it’s hard to diagnose unless it’s cramping your style.) The drug activates serotonin receptors in the brain. How that helps low sex drive, though, remains a mystery. Newly approved in the U.S., flibanserin arrives with more than a little controversy. The medication takes weeks to start working, and even then will only help about one in 10 women. The side effects…

Brothers, you may think snack foods. You can find the food company’s branded kettle-cooked potato chips, pretzels and popcorn on the shelves, but did you know that they are also the guys that discovered and brought to market Kicking Horse Coffee, Raincoast Crisps and Tazo Tea? The Neal Brothers (Peter and Chris ) started in 1988 in small-town Ontario – their mother’s Aurora kitchen, to be exact – with a recipe for gourmet croutons. Since, they’ve expanded to snack foods, dressings, mayonnaise and other condiments, using natural and organic ingredients. The brothers’ latest project is as grassroots as their start. Goodness: Recipes & Stories is a cookbook collection from top chefs and those who cook for the community across our country. Fifty per cent of the profits from the book…

Ever noticed when a garment returns from the dry cleaners you fall in love with it all over again. It’s looks pristine, smells fresh and has that brand new look and feel like when you first purchased it. The folks at P&G did research, which showed consumers use a multi-sensory approach to clothing – not just how it looks but also how it feels and how it smells. All play a role on what we choose to wear. But you don’t have to rack up expensive dry-cleaning bills to achieve the look, feel and scent of brand new clothing. P&G launched Downy Fresh Protect this year, which acts like a deodorant for fabrics. Instead of liquid, the product consists of tiny beads, which dissolve in your wash, leaving your clothing…

AJAX-PICKERING, ONT. (CH 20) Randy Filinski, 905-509-1708, ajaxpickeringcarp@live.ca AVALON, N.L. (CH 1) Sharron Callahan, 709-690-1238, carpavalon@gmail.com BARRIE, ONT. (CH 36) Gwen Kavanagh, 705-252-4756, barriecarp@gmail.com BRAMPTON, ONT. (CH 52) Peter Howarth, 647-918-4802, bramptoncarp52@gmail.com BRANTFORD, ONT. (CH 17) David Simmons, 1-888-363-2279 x264, carpbrantford@gmail.com BROCKVILLE-1000 ISLANDS, ONT. (CH 40) Dawn Edgley, 613-802-0424, edgley.carp@gmail.com CALGARY, ALTA. (CH 10) Susan Costello, 403-256-1181, carpcalgary@gmail.com CHATHAM-KENT, ONT. (CH 49) Sharon A. Jubenville, 519-682-1796, carpchathamkent@gmail.com EDMONTON, ALTA. (CH 13) Bernice Rempel, 780-450-4802, carp.edmonton@gmail.com FREDERICTON, N.B. (CH 27) Suzanne Maltais, 506-455-2620, carp.fredericton@gmail.com GEORGIAN BAY, ONT. (CH 14) Linda Flemington, 705-888-9204, carpgeorgianbay14@gmail.com GREATER BAY OF QUINTE AREA, ONT. (CH 39) Mary Robertson, 613-967-9479, carpbbq@gmail.com HALIBURTON, ONT. (CH 54) Bob Stinson, 705-457-3919, carp.haliburton@gmail.com HALIFAX, N.S. (CH 22) Bill VanGorder, 902-497-8073, chair@CARPnovascotia.ca HALTON, ONT. (CH 3) Tom Carrothers, 905-319-7345, carphaltonchapter@gmail.com HAMILTON, ONT.…

Our arts and entertainment editor Mike Crisolago enjoyed an afternoon with cover subject Christopher Plummer, discussing his passion for performing and tiptoeing around the topic of The Sound of Music for “The Winter of His Content” (pg. 56). Afterward, they posed together for a photo at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto – very likely the only time he’ll share the stage with Canada’s greatest thespian. Anne O’Hagan, a communications strategist and writer, has worked on every platform from television at Global, CBC and CNN to print with her work appearing in Condé Nast Traveler, Chatelaine, and the Globe and Mail, among others. In her latest piece for Zoomer, she explored the digital sphere, interviewing Twitter VP Kirstine Stewart for “She Means Business” (pg. 62) Her account…

“A lot has been said about politics; some of it complimentary, but most of it accurate” —Eric Idle Stephen Harper scores big with an endorsement from Wayne Gretzky Meanwhile, Donald Sutherland endorses Tom Mulcair, former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion endorses Justin Trudeau and Justin Bieber says he’ll support whoever becomes Canada’s next president. #ThinkingOutsideTheDebate Excluded from the Globe and Mail’s economic debate, Green Party leader Elizabeth May takes to Twitter to offer rebuttals and scores likability points with voters. Conservatives hope to entice voters with financial initiatives like pension income splitting, doubling the TFSA and reducing annual RRIF withdrawals It’s bound to work out better than their last financial initiative – loaning Mike Duffy $90,000. Justin Trudeau defends seniors after Tom Mulcair calls his appearance with Jean Chrétien a “golden…

The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” may apply to Illumination, a multi-disciplined art project combining crystal sculpture and portrait photography by renowned artist Mark Raynes Roberts that is inspired by the works of Canadian authors. Taking more than two years to complete the sculptor-photographer spanned 20,000 kilometres and 22,500 photographs, which resulted in 150 black-and-white author photographs and a 12-piece crystal collection. For the sculptural component, Raynes Roberts read passages about light penned by 12 Canadian writers including Margaret Atwood, Leonard Cohen and Alice Munro. The photographs required a more intimate touch and familiarity with the subjects, particularly as many writers are known to be shy or even reclusive. “What’s so important is the way you communicate with the subject to make them comfortable,” says Raynes Roberts.…

CLEAN UP We love the bath and body care products from C. Booth, a new line exclusive to Walmart, both for its old-school apothecary packaging as well its natural ingredients like olive oil, vanilla bean and coconut that make the products seem good enough to eat. We recommend you stick to slathering and lathering the line of body butters, lotions, washes and scrubs instead. PUMP UP Maximize the volume on limp and thinning hair with Shu Uemura’s Muroto Volume Pure Lightness Shampoo for fine hair. Containing no paraben or silicone to weigh tresses down, the formula fortifies hair fibre with essential minerals, so hair feels fuller yet light. SOFTEN UP Chances are your grandmother used it or your mother used it, and now you’re reaching for a tube too. When…

AREN’T YOU SICK OF being called the grey tsunami? It’s marginally better than “bed-blockers,” but the message is the same: you’re the problem, the reason health-care costs are out of control. That will come as a big surprise to the millions of us living happy, healthy lives. When the little things go wrong, we deal with them. Our generation’s self-reliance is a mix of MacGyverism and good old stubbornness. And industry has responded. Broken foot? Crutches are so 40 minutes ago. Now we have knee-walkers – scooters with a cushioned rest at knee height leaving the hands free to steer and carry groceries. Exoskeletons for permanent injuries are already here. But there are some things that even a home elevator won’t solve. We come face to face with it when…

EVEN IF YOU’VE NEVER set foot in the U.S., the IRS may be snooping into your financial aff airs. Recently, I received a letter from RBC Dominion Securities, asking me to complete a U.S. W8BEN form for my brokerage account. The company said it would not share the information with the IRS, adding: “We are simply required to have it on file to continue to off er you the preferential tax rate and confirm your non-U.S. status.” Failure to comply, RBC warned, could subject me to a higher rate of withholding tax on U.S. source income such as stock dividends and lead to the imposition of “trading restrictions on your account, limiting you to sell orders only in U.S. securities.” This is all as a result of the passage of…

AS THE SAYING GOES, it can happen to anyone. But it’s more prevalent with age and in men with certain health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. For almost 15 years, we’ve used oral medications, PDE5 inhibitors, which block an enzyme that softens erections. Three are currently approved in Canada: sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra and Staxyn). But not all pills are for all people. Side effects (like headaches and nasal congestion) may vary, as can effectiveness and other factors. So how do you pick your perkme-up? These factoids may help. ■ Mild, moderate or severe ED makes a difference. PDE5 inhibitors work best on men whose ED is mild or moderate. But they may mean the most to men with severe erectile dysfunction. “Those…

WINTER IS COMING, and not just on Games of Thrones. Stuffing our feet into socks, slippers and, soon, into shearling and whatever else promises to protect against chill can make for a warm, damp environment where foot fungi flourish. Feet and toenails are especially susceptible to fungus because of lower blood circulation – which means less oxygen and nutrients to fight infection. The latter factor worsens with age and with conditions like diabetes, which may explain why people over 55 are more at risk. Symptoms of onychomycosis (nail fungus) can be as subtle as white or yellow spots under the tip of your nail and as severe as crumbling nails with dullness, thickening and discolouration of the nail. Athlete’s foot, also fungal, can cause itching and fine scaling, flaking and…

BILLIE FLYNN’S dark blue flight suit draws a few curious glances from people in business suits and casual guests as we meet for an interview over coffee at Toronto’s iconic Royal York Hotel. His 1960s brush cut has me channelling Ed Harris playing the NASA flight director who got the Apollo 13 crew safely back to earth. He’s lean and fit at 57, and it’s easy to imagine him in the confined cockpit of a sleek airplane. Since 2012, he’s been flight-testing Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter. Its proposed purchase as the replacement for Canada’s aging CF-18 fleet remains controversial: costs have skyrocketed, and there’s concern a single-engine jet is not a good choice for use in Canada’s vast Arctic. However, Flynn notes, “It’s a Tony Stark-and-the-Iron Man spaceage-type…

rOUTINELY beautified as a part of home decor makeovers, the laundry room has been getting more attention for a while now. But it doesn’t stop at backsplash and just the right shade of paint; we’re kitting out these spaces with cuttingedge washers and dryers, too. Not only are the newest models high-effi-ciency, they’re also high-tech. Monitor the new 1 Samsung Activewash Top Load washer ($1,500; www.samsung.ca) from your smartphone for everything from unbalanced loads to service alerts. App aside, the washer also features a self-cleaning function to eliminate buildup and even bacteria, noise- and vibration-reducing technology and a built-in sink with a water jet and gentle scrubbing surface. Whether for handwashing or pre-treating, it’s perfect for spaces with no space, for a laundry tub this is. Washers without agitators mean…

REMEMBERThe Ugly American? It’s a term that became popular in the 1960s with a book and movie with that title. The phrase was first used by photographer Constantino Arias for his portrait of an American tourist in 1950s Havana – an older man in a tight swimsuit who sports a protruding hairy belly, hairy nipples and hairy knees, a phallic cigar, pencil moustache, straw sombrero the size of a tractor tire and bottles of liquor held high. Soon, Ugly American came to refer to the attitude and behaviour of American tourists as much as to their appearance. Of course, there’s no such creature as the ugly Canadian. Of course there isn’t. We’re always polite, soft-spoken, considerate and well-groomed wherever we go. Of course we are. But perhaps you’ve encountered a…

ZOOMER POWER Amen to your pleas to the fashion industry to produce stylish clothes for us seniors [“Fashion Comes of Age,” September]. My friends and I are also bewildered about why there is no “line” for us. After all, we have more time and the means to focus on how we look. We are turned away by loud music in chain stores and service people who – if they give us time at all – call us “dear.” As a mature woman, I would like to see more colours than black (think of the queen in her daffodil yellows, peony pinks and spring greens) for coats and dresses. We are all also a little shorter than we used to be, a little wider and sport bumps here and there that…

tHIS TIME OF YEAR, there are more than autumn leaves and a chill in the air. Yes, the Oscar hype has begun, and a few new releases are hoping to ride the Academy’s favourite genre – the biopic – all the way to the podium. Critics are raving over Steve Jobs – based on the enigmatic Apple co-founder – and not just for the stellar performances from actors Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet but also for director Danny Boyle and Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. Just how good a “job” does Fassbender do? Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak told reporters after screening the film, “I felt I was seeing the real Steve Jobs in there.” Now that’s what we call an endorsement for Academy voters. Not to be outdone, multiple Emmywinner Bryan…

a TRIO of literary heavyweights top our “toread” list this month, starting with a new fantasy novel from J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, that J.R.R. Tolkien. A lost manuscript from the Lord of the Rings author has arrived but be warned: this isn’t your classic “Hobbit-riffic” tale. The Story of Kullervo is a much bleaker revenge tale about a magical orphan slave’s quest to avenge his father’s death that many liken to one of Tolkien’s other posthumous tomes, The Silmarillion. Sure to be a bestseller, you may wonder if it’s worth walking across Middle Earth to get your hands on a copy. You’ll have to read it to find out. Speaking of best sellers, John Irving returns with his latest novel, Avenue of Mysteries, which follows an older man’s journey to the…

IMAGINE opening your mail and finding a bill from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for $48,730.57. That’s exactly what happened to me during the summer, and I’m not a U.S. citizen. I don’t even own property in the States. Needless to say, I was shocked. Then I was angry. I suddenly understood first-hand what the estimated one million Canadian residents with U.S. ties are experiencing as the IRS aggressively pursues anyone who has failed to file an American return declaring their worldwide income. The U.S. is the only country in the Western world that requires its citizens to file returns and pay taxes no matter where they live or where the money is earned. For years, the IRS pretty much ignored people living abroad but now that’s changed. If…

THAT’S THE LENGTH of red carpet I want,” Christopher Plummer quips, gesturing toward the short swath of scarlet fabric leading to the entrance of his downtown hotel ahead of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. “Can you imagine,” he chuckles, “having a red carpet at home and just practising walking up and down it?” It’s a joke, sure, but not a bad idea given the succession of professional triumphs Plummer has enjoyed in the last decade – good fortune, in fact, that his own mother once predicted wouldn’t come until his greying years. “Well, I’m sure she thought it was going to be sooner,” Plummer, 85, laughs as we’re served at the hotel bar, packed with cocktailing patrons unaware of the titan of theatre and screen in their midst. We…

WHO Award-winning Toronto-based photographer WHERE In Joshua Tree National Park with his 28-foot Airstream, Veronica, and his mixed-breed rescue dog, California. WHY “Veronica has solar panels so I can plunk it down anywhere and live in absolute comfort,” says the 48-year-old snowbird, who also has a condo in Arizona. My List ■ Three great things about Arizona Sunshine, mid-century architecture and the natural beauty of its diverse landscape ... Arcosanti, Taliesin West and the copper mining town of Jerome are all perennial favourites of mine. Favourite restaurant in Toronto Lady Marmalade in Leslieville. Their Mexican meatball soup is out of this world! Go-to coffee shop in Toronto Mercury Espresso Bar Three things you recommend to visitors to your hometown of Ottawa Golden Palace eggrolls, the Diefenbunker and the Gatineau hills…