Chris Pearce's Blog, page 21

Common responsibilities of nurses

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

The responsibilities of nurses are many and varied. In basic terms, they are responsible for the treatment and recovery of sick and injured patients, as well as health maintenance and education, and treating people in life threatening situations. They do this across all their specialties and different work settings. Many decisions made by nurses are made independently of doctors.

Nurses assess and treat patients, carry out procedures under the instruction of doctors, and collaborate with various health professionals. They often coordinate the work of others involved in patient care and liaise with the patient’s family. Another important responsibility is to protect the patient, ensuring a healthy and safe environment free of infection. Educating the patient and their family on health issues gives the patient the best possible chances of a recovery and ongoing good health. They may also give grief counseling to family members of patients who are critically ill.

Their responsibilities might include many tasks sometimes performed by a doctor. While a doctor will usually conduct the surgery, a nurse usually arranges intravenous therapy. They will set up an intravenous drip and provide the fluids and drugs needed. Nurses will give the patient an injection if required. Changing the patient’s dressing and monitoring the progress of the wound lies with nurses. Medication for pain will be given by a nurse. Another responsibility is to monitor the patient for any signs of complications.

The nurse coordinates the overall care of the patient, working closely with other members of the patient’s health care team, including doctors, other nurses, therapists, and so on. Making sure appointments are kept with doctors and technicians, that medications are given, and that housekeepers keep the patient’s room clean and tidy are part of this coordinating role. Lifestyle and diet of the patient, both during and after institutional care, is an important responsibility.

Nurses are responsible for protecting the patient. Someone who is sick is more prone to infection or injury, and nurses make sure the patient’s environment is safe and healthy. This includes making sure the patient and his or her room is clean, water is boiled, needles are sterile and safe, and nurses and other health professionals wash their hands before and after tending to the patient. Nurses are responsible for the patient’s physical safety so they won’t fall out of bed or slip on a wet floor.

Monitoring a patient’s vital signs is a responsibility of nurses. Temperature, blood pressure, and pulse might be taken several times a day. Other tasks may include weighing a patient, monitoring their bowel movements, and measuring their blood pressure in various positions. Nurses also make sure patients can breathe properly, are hydrated, and get sufficient rest. Their comfort is also a priority as is the elimination of wastes from their body, and preventing pressure sores and stiff joints.

Record keeping is an important responsibility of nurses. Accurate records of all aspects of care are taken, and might include medical history, symptoms, what the patient has eaten and had to drink, medication, pulse, temperature, blood pressure, bowel movements, and visits by specialists.

In health facilities in some communities where doctors are few, nurses will diagnose and treat basic illnesses, prescribe medications, and conduct minor surgery. They might conduct immunization clinics, health screening, blood drives, and seminars on health issues. Health promotion is an increasingly important role where nurses educate and assist patients and the public to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet.

Not all the responsibilities of nursing are conducted within health care institutions and facilities. When patients go home, they often still need professional health care. Nurses will visit them in their homes and provide similar care to that in hospital. Indeed, nurses increasingly look after people in their own homes. They will assess the home environment, and care for and give advice to the patient and their family.

All about forensic nursing

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Forensic nursing is a relatively new area of nursing that brings together aspects of health and justice. It applies the nursing process to the legal system and investigates cases of trauma and death associated with abuse, accidents and criminal activity. The forensic nurse works alongside other specialists in the field of forensic science, including doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, criminalists, radiologists and lawyers.

The advent of forensic nursing came in 1986 when medico-legal death investigator Virginia Lynch proposed a course of study in the field. The University of Texas soon developed a master’s degree for already qualified nurses. Forensic nursing role development was formalized in 1990, identifying and clarifying the roles of emergency nurses who worked with trauma victims. Subsequent models used this framework as their basis.

The work of a forensic nurse might include treating victims of crime, performing investigative work at a crime scene, and working as a detective to help police find and convict criminals. An important role is assisting with the physical and psychological recovery of patients and protecting their rights. Forensic nurses present evidence against suspects in the court system.

In its short history, many specialties have developed in forensic nursing. All of these roles are investigative in nature and require specific knowledge of aspects of the law and expert witness skills. Forensic nurse examiners, for example, analyze the physical and emotional trauma of patients, look at suspicious deaths, and conduct psychopathology evaluations in forensic and violence cases. This includes in the areas of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and injuries caused by weapons or brutality.

The work of a forensic nurse examiner is complex and varied. It may include the areas of child abuse, sexual abuse, deviant behavior, drug abuse, elder abuse, interpretation of trauma (such as a gunshot wound), bite mark analysis, death investigation, forensic photography, jurisprudence, and general and emergency nursing responsibilities. Cases might include abuse of different descriptions, other crime victims, automobile accident trauma, occupational injuries, drug abuse, attempted suicides, and deaths.

There are various other specialties in forensic nursing. Forensic psychiatric nurses manage offenders with social, behavioral and psychological problems. They assess the patient, give rehabilitative care, and supervise the patient within the community. Correctional nurse specialists provide health care to those in prison and other correctional institutions. They look after the sick, administer medication and conduct physical examinations. Forensic gerontology specialists investigate cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly.

Sexual assault nurse examiners provide compassionate care to victims of sexual assault. They assess the victim’s injuries, collect forensic evidence from the scene, and provide ongoing care to the victim. Also, they represent the victim in court. Legal nurse consultants help attorneys on civil cases such as personal injury and medical malpractice. Nurse coroners work on crime scene investigations where they analyze the scene, examine the body to determine time of death, and look for clues to explain the possible cause.

Several issues are currently becoming increasingly important in forensic nursing. Worldwide human rights is a high priority topic. Forensic nursing is looking to address aspects of religious practices and cultural traditions that impinge on the wellbeing of vulnerable groups within the community, such as women and children who might be the victim of honor killings, genital mutilation, rape, and child prostitution. Another emerging area in forensic nursing is HIV and AIDS and the link to sexual assault.

Forensic nursing can be a rewarding career. To enroll in a course in this field, you must be a registered nurse. Many nursing schools offer a two year course leading to a Master of Science in Nursing with a forensic nursing specialization. To be a sexual assault nurse examiner, you also need two years’ experience as a registered nurse. According to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fzMOSWpRe4, a forensic nurse earns $30,000 to $130,000 a year, depending on education, experience and location.

A Weaver’s Web novel excerpt: Henry Wakefield’s business is in trouble

Henry’s business had had a number of setbacks, including broken machinery …

Next morning at six the workers arrived and went upstairs. He watched as Perrywinkle placed some fibre in the mule. It was working and spinning began. Henry breathed a sigh of relief, the force of which must have been felt by all in the room. He was about to go downstairs when he saw one of the women unsteady on her feet. She started giggling, and that was as bad as talking on the job as it distracted the other workers. She lost her balance and nearly fell into one of the machines. The master was busy at the far end of the floor and didn’t see what happened, so Henry rushed over to her.

‘What’s the problem, woman?’ he said.

She looked up, silent at first, then burst out laughing. She was drunk. Should he lay her down in a corner to sleep it off? Or send her home? Or dismiss her? He didn’t think highly of drunken women. Once, soon after the family moved to Manchester, Sarah had a bit too much gin. He had bolted the door so nobody could come in and see her, and warned her he never wanted to see her like that again and made her go to bed. He told the children she had a headache.

This woman had come to him with plenty of spinning experience, but had a liking for drink. Out of his respect for the working class and the goodness of his heart, he would give her a chance to redeem herself. He helped her downstairs and led her to the store.

‘Here, lie on these cotton bags till you feel better.’

She didn’t say anything, just laughed and lay down.

Later he woke her and went to pull her up, but she tried to drag him down on top of her, calling ‘Charlie, Charlie.’

‘I’m not Charles. Come on, get up, now. You’ve got work to do. And you’ve already lost three hours’ pay.’

‘Charlie boy,’ she said, running her hands over his body.

‘If you don’t cooperate this instant, I’ll discharge you.’

‘Oh yes, I’ll cooperate.’ She laughed again.

Henry lost his footing and slipped over onto the cotton bags and lay beside her. Suddenly, there was a man’s voice nearby.

‘Ah, Mr Wakefield, Sir, sorry to disturb you.’ It was Perrywinkle. ‘I was after more cotton. I’ll come back.’

Henry struggled to get up. ‘Wait a minute,’ he called. ‘It’s not what you think. This wretched woman is still drunk and must think she’s home with her husband or someone.’ Every time Henry tried to push her away, she became more forceful. ‘Get her off me.’

‘Yes, Sir.’

Perrywinkle reached down and rolled her off. She was quite heavy. Henry got up and straightened his jacket and dusted down his trousers. A bottle of gin, having evidently fallen out of her clothing, remained on one of the cotton bales.

‘Any wonder she’s no better than before,’ the master said. ‘She just kept drinking.’

‘You’re dismissed,’ Henry shouted at the woman, but she didn’t seem to care. He picked up the gin bottle and she lunged at it. He gave it to her and bundled her out into the street. Now he would have to find another spinner.

In the days that followed, he wondered if he would ever complete his first order. He was supposed to have yarn ready for the merchant before long, but he’d had nothing but trouble. The mule broke down again. He found a new spinner, but two apprentices got sick. He had to take out another loan to meet the first week’s wages. On top of that, the lender came to collect an instalment on the original loan. The best Henry could do was give him Sarah’s and the children’s pay as part payment. This meant he had no money for the house rent and not much for food.

Somehow he got most of the order ready on time and the merchant came to collect it. But the man wasn’t one of the big merchants and had no money until the weavers he would sell the yarn to paid him for it. Henry was given an IOU. He now couldn’t pay the wages and he knew his workers would be irate. It was late Saturday afternoon and they were expecting their money before leaving work that night. He sat slumped at his desk, wishing he had never gone into business. At six o’clock a dozen sweaty faces appeared at his office door. There was no escaping.

– end of excerpt –

My historical novel A Weaver’s Web is available at Amazon and elsewhere.

The most popular Canadian rock bands

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Canada has produced many successful rock bands over a period of more than half a century. It had a number of popular bands in the 1950s. Interest in local bands waned in the following decade, probably due largely to the British invasion of blues and rock bands. A resurgence in Canadian bands in the 1970s was helped by some solid industry support. This success continued in subsequent decades, especially in the 1990s, which saw an explosion of local bands despite strong competition from the US.

One of the most popular rock bands from Canada that has been around since the early days is the singing quartet from Toronto, The Four Lads. Their first single was ‘The Mocking Bird’ in 1952, back when rock and roll was emerging out of rhythm and blues. They went on to earn a string of gold records, including ‘Istanbul (Not Constantinople)’, ‘Moments to Remember’ which is their most famous hit, ‘No, Not Much’, ‘Standin’ on the Corner’, and ‘Who Needs You?’ They are in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and still sing to nostalgia crowds. The current line-up includes original band member, bass singer Frank Busseri.

Winnipeg band The Guess Who was the first Canadian band to top the US charts, with ‘American Woman’ in 1970. They formed in 1960 and had mixed chart success under various names, scoring a hit in 1965 with ‘Shakin’ All Over’, as well as with ‘These Eyes’ in 1969 and ‘No Time’ in 1970. They had a Merseybeat type of sound, later moving to a mixture of rock, blues and jazz. The band had five number one hits in Canada and two in the US and is a worthy member of the Music Hall of Fame. They have had several reunion concerts over the years, including in front of a Canadian record crowd of 450,000 people at the 2003 Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, a benefit rock concert for severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Steppenwolf can almost lay claim to being a Canadian band and a very popular one too, with two of the five founding members born in Canada and with German born singer John Kay becoming a Canadian citizen. The hard rock band started off in Canada in 1964 as blues-rock group The Sparrows. Their hit song ‘Born to be Wild’ climbed to number two on the US charts. Other famous songs include ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ and ‘The Pusher’. The group has played a number of reunion concerts with different line-ups, including in Germany at the International Herman Hesse Festival in 2002 where Kay surprised many in the crowd with his fluent German.

One of the most famous and popular bands to come out of Canada is Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The Winnipeg band has sold 20 million albums worldwide. The ‘Bachman-Turner Overdrive II’ album achieved gold record status in eight countries. Their string of hits in the 1970s included such classic number ones as ‘Takin’ Care of Business’ and ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’. They won Juno Awards for Group of the Year in 1975 and 1976. The band continued to succeed playing guitar-heavy rock in an era that was moving to a much softer sound. There have been a number of disbandments and reunions. Great news for fans is that they are putting together a new album and will tour Canada and Europe in 2010.

No overview of popular Canadian rock bands would be complete without Rush, formed in Toronto in 1968. They have had 25 gold and 14 platinum records. Among rock bands, only the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith are ahead of them in terms of most consecutive platinum or gold albums. Known for their instrumental skills and complex compositions, the band moved from an early period of heavy metal to hard rock, then progressive rock, and the use of synthesizers. The band entered the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and is still touring and releasing albums. A tour in 2008 promoted its ‘Snakes & Arrows’ album released in 2007.

Another very popular band is Loverboy, which formed in 1980 in Calgary. They received a record five Juno Awards in 1981 and eight overall, also a record for a band. Their classic singles include ‘Turn Me Loose’, ‘Working for the Weekend’, and ‘Lovin’ Every Minute of It’. The band has made four multi-platinum albums, with their self-titled album going five times platinum. They became members of the Music Hall of Fame in 2009. Like many of Canada’s most popular rock bands, they are still producing albums and touring.

The Crash Test Dummies, a folk rock band, got together in Winnipeg in the mid 1980s. Their biggest hit was ‘Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm’ in 1993, which reached number one on the Australian charts, number two in the UK, four in the US and, ironically, only number 14 in Canada. The band did have six top-ten singles in Canada, such as ‘Superman’s Song’, ‘The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead’, and ‘He Liked to Feel It’. Their most successful album was ‘God Shuffled His Feet’, which rose to the top of the UK album charts and number nine in the US.

Alternative rockers The Tragically Hip, a band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1983, has had a record eight number one albums on the Canadian Albums Chart. Their most successful album, ‘Road Apples’, released in 1993, has gone platinum eight times. They have six other multi-platinum albums. The band has a string on Juno Awards to their credit, including Group of the Year in 1995 and 1997. They were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and are still churning out platinum albums, the most recent being ‘We Are The Same’ in 2009.

Hard rock band Nickelback was formed in Hanna, Alberta in 1995 and is now based in Vancouver. They are one of Canada’s most successful bands, with worldwide record sales of more than 30 million. They rank eleventh among the highest selling music acts in the world in the 2000s, and second behind the Beatles in a list of foreign music acts in the US in that decade. Their worldwide hit ‘How You Remind Me’ was number one in Canada and the US at the same time in 2002, the first time a Canadian band had done this since The Guess Who in 1970. It was played 1.2 million times on US radio in the 2000s, the most of any song.

The significance of Family Day in Canada

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Several places celebrate Family Day, including South Africa, Vanuatu, Arizona, the Australian Capital Territory, and Canada. Family Day in Canada is perhaps the best known. It is held on the third Monday of February and is a statutory holiday for close to 60 per cent of Canadians. This day is set aside for people to participate in a range of activities as a family. It coincides with the Presidents Day holiday in the US.

Family Day is not a federal holiday but a provincial one, and only in certain provinces, although New Democrat Party leader Jack Layton wants it to be a national holiday. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario celebrate Family Day. Roughly similar holidays are celebrated on the same day in Manitoba as Louis Riel Day, in memory of its founder, and in Prince Edward Island as Islander Day. Newfoundland and Labrador has a school board holiday on this day, although it is not an official holiday. This day is a normal working day in the other provinces of British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, as well as the three territories. A proposal to introduce Family Day in British Columbia in 1994 failed. More recent proposals in this province have been opposed by the chamber of commerce and the government.

Alberta was the first province to have the Family Day holiday. The then premier Don Getty instigated the holiday in 1990 after his son was caught possessing and using cocaine. Getty felt that he hadn’t spent enough time with his family and thought that a special day for this purpose would encourage other families to spend more time together and for the province to appreciate the importance of family values. Saskatchewan has had Family Day since 2007 and Ontario since 2008. Manitoba has celebrated its day since 2008 and Prince Edward Island from 2009.

Family Day helps people recognize the importance of the family unit, regarded as the basic building block for the success of any society. A family is there to care for its children, give them financial security, teach morals and values, provide ongoing assistance, and a host of other reasons. It helps people face the challenges of life, especially if esteem is low, or anxiety or depression hits. Family support in these situations may help young people to avoid resorting to illegal drugs, excessive alcohol, and anti-social behavior.

If a young person has been let down by their friends or loses their job or just finds it difficult to cope, a loving and supportive family is the thing they can fall back on as the one constant in their lives. With the right support and proper communication, a family can help a young person to be happy and successful, to form good relationships, and become a better adult and more useful member of society. When families do not look after each other to the full, family disintegration is more likely, with its huge costs to society in the form of higher crime and straining the health and social security systems.

Activities are encouraged on Family Day that bring a family together and bond the members as a unit. If the weather is reasonable, outdoor skating, tobogganing, or skiing might be a good way to spend this day with family. Going to a movie and having a meal out is always popular. Museums and art galleries often have reduced prices on Family Day. Activities at home might include board games, craft, or cooking up some cold weather favorites. A visit to other family members will help develop closer relationships with them. Or families can take advantage of the long weekend and travel out of town for a few days.

Family Day coincides with Canada’s National Heritage Day in most places and families are encouraged to incorporate heritage type interests into their holiday activities. We are taught that family and home values were important to pioneers just as they are for us today. Our family heritage is a collective treasure chest of material items, stories, and values passed down to us, which we can proudly hand on to our children. A family can provide a past, present, and future, and help not only to cement the family unit but also a nation.

Some heritage things to do on Family Day could include looking at family photos with relatives, using an old family recipe, writing or calling a family member you’ve never met, constructing a family tree, discussing family origins using a map, or going for a family walk and connecting with nature or admiring the buildings both old and new.

Family Day would be an ideal time to organize a family reunion, so as to meet or catch up with relatives and see just how many people we are connected to. Family Day or similar holidays are celebrated in many parts of Canada. The immediate purpose of this day is to bring families together to pursue various activities. A more fundamental aim is to instill an awareness of the importance of family, and that activities and support should be happening all the time, not just on Family Day.

The politics of Canada

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Canadian politics operate under a constitutional monarchy, with a federal system of parliamentary government, broadly similar to the Westminster Parliament of the United Kingdom. The head of state is Elizabeth II who has been Queen of Canada since 6 February 1952. The Queen’s representative in Canada is David Johnston who has been Governor-General since 1 October 2010.

The Executive consists of the Head of Government, or the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet. Stephen Harper became prime minister on 6 February 2006 after his Conservative Party won the federal election and formed a minority government. Cabinet comprises 30-40 ministers, currently 39, chosen by the prime minister to lead the various ministries. John A. McDonald, Canada’s first prime minister, once listed his occupation as a cabinet maker. These days, the prime minister and the governor-general are expected to be functional, preferably fluent, in English and French. Prime ministers for nearly the whole period 1968 to 2006 came from Quebec.

Legislative power rests with the Parliament. Canada has a bicameral parliamentary system consisting of the Senate or upper house and the House of Commons or lower house. The 105 members of the Senate are appointed by the Governor-General on a permanent basis until the age of 75. Neither regional equality nor population equality is fully observed in the numbers as there are various compromises and exceptions. The usual number of Senators can be exceeded and this has been done only once when prime minister Brian Mulroney petitioned the Queen for eight more seats so he could push through his Good and Services Tax legislation in 1990.

The House of Commons has 308 members representing single-member districts. A plurality voting system means the winner is the person with the most votes, or first past the post, rather than needing an absolute majority or having to worry about preference votes. Elections had to be held within five years, but in theory were held whenever the government called one. From 2007, the term is fixed at four years, although the prime minister can dissolve Parliament at any time. Seats are based roughly on same population size.

Canada has three main political parties and a large number of minor ones. The Conservative Party of Canada is on the right of the political spectrum and forms the current government, winning 166 seats at the 2011 election, a gain of 23 seats on 2008. The New Democratic Party is at centre-left and forms the Opposition with 103 seats, up 67. The Liberal Party of Canada is around center-left to centre and has 34 seats, down 43. Other parties include Bloc Quebecois which is spread across left and right and advocates the secession of Quebec, with four seats (down 43), and the Green Party of Canada with one seat.

The second level of government in Canada is the 10 provinces and three territories. Each province is sovereign and gets its powers from the Constitution Act 1867, whereas the territories get theirs from the federal government. The provinces have power over many important areas, such as health, education, welfare, and local transport. They fund these services through transfer payments from the federal government and also by raising their own taxes. Equalization payments are made to those provinces that are disadvantaged or poorer than others. All provinces and territories have a unicameral parliamentary system, no longer having an upper house.

Municipal government in Canada comes under the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories. The country has around 3,700 municipal governments. The largest ones are called cities, while smaller ones are often known by different names in various provinces, such as towns, villages, hamlets, parishes, rural municipalities, and townships. Some provinces have an upper level of municipalities, grouping several of them together, and called a county or regional municipality.

One of the major issues in Canadian politics since the forced reunification of Upper Canada and Lower Canada in 1841 has been national unity. The fundamental conflict has been between French-speaking Quebec and the rest of the country. Several movements have sought secession for Quebec over the years. A provincial referendum in 1980 rejected sovereignty with a majority of 60 percent. In 1995, the majority was reduced to just 50.6 percent.

From time to time various movements have pushed for secession for the four western provinces due to alleged ‘Western alienation’ from the Canadian political system. A poll in 2005 found that 35.7 percent of residents in these provinces thought a separate country was an idea worth exploring. Secessionists have also been active in recent years in Newfoundland, British Columbia, and Yukon. Despite secession rumblings, Canada was ranked as the third most democratic country by ‘The Economist’ in 2006.

Canada has a history of minority governments, with 13 of its 41 parliaments having a minority government, including three of the last four. None has lasted a full term. Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party won 36.3 per cent of the vote in the 2006 elections, which was the smallest proportion since Confederation. With 124 seats, it was 30 short of a majority, the most ever. After the 2008 election, it had gained ground but was still 12 seats from a majority. In 2011, his party won a majority of seats, 166 out of 308. The next election is tentatively set for 19 October 2015.

Update: The 2015 election saw a huge turnaround in the fortunes of the major parties. The Liberal Party gained 148 seats to win a total of 184 seats and government with Justin Trudeau as prime minister. The Conservative Party lost 60 seats to take it to 99 seats in the new parliament and the New Democratic Party lost 51 seats for a total of 44 seats.

How did ice hockey become a national sport in Canada?

(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)

Canada’s climate is well suited to ice hockey. Winter throughout the country is quite cold and many of its numerous water bodies freeze over, creating ideal conditions for skating, hockey and other ice games. Nineteenth century European immigrants brought various hockey-type games to Canada, such as bandy, shinty, hurling and field hockey. The local Mi’kmaq people were already playing their own hockey-type game.

The first games were played on frozen ponds, lakes and rivers, or on iced over streets or parks, using hockey sticks and a hard rubber ball. There were few rules and no set number of players, so long as the sides were reasonably balanced. The goal was a line scratched into the ice and the goal posts were drums, chairs, sticks or whatever items were available. Early players soon realized that changes were needed to make the game more practical. The rubber balls were too erratic and traveled too far on the ice. Teams were too large and the goal areas were not satisfactory. Enthusiasts wanted to arrange games with other teams, but a lack of rules meant that every area played the game differently.

Students at McGill University in Montreal in the 1870s were the first to come up with a set of rules, limiting the number of players to nine a side, and using a flat disk called a ‘puck’ instead of a round ball. Matches were soon organized between various centers and the game quickly gained in popularity. The first indoor match was arranged by McGill University student James Creighton at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal and included several McGill University students. The inside venue provided more comfort for players and spectators, especially on very cold days.

The popularity of ice hockey increased so rapidly that by 1883 a ‘world championship’ was included in Montreal’s Winter Carnival. There were some more rule changes and in 1885 players set up the Montreal City Hockey League in order to play a series of regular matches. In the following year, they established the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada league. Other leagues were formed in various cities. The speed of the game and the rough play were attractions, and local rivalries soon developed, ensuring large numbers of enthusiastic players and spectators.

Ice hockey soon attracted sponsors, including Lord Stanley of Preston, Canada’s governor-general. He purchased a sterling silver bowl as a trophy to be awarded to the winning team of the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, which soon became known as the Stanley Cup. It was first won in 1893 (and is still presented to the champion team of the National Hockey League). By this time, there were numerous leagues and teams throughout Canada. Montreal alone had almost 100 teams.

The sport became very competitive and by the early 1900s, clubs wanted to attract larger crowds and began to hire players. It had been an amateur game until then. Initial protests soon evaporated as the US was hiring many players from Canada, so it had no option but to pay its best players to keep them. The first professional league in Canada was the Manitoba Professional Hockey League in 1905. Others were formed over the following few years. Ice hockey was fast becoming a business and its operators did all they could to make sure it succeeded.

Ice hockey’s first world championship was held at the 1920 Olympic Games at Antwerp, Belgium. Canada, represented by the Winnipeg Falcons, dominated the event and won the gold medal. This gave the game a further boost at home, not that it needed it. Success continued for Canadian ice hockey. The Toronto Granites easily won the gold at the first Winter Olympics at Chamonix, France in 1924. The U of T Grads team won gold for Canada at the 1928 St Moritz Games, Switzerland, scoring 38 goals and conceding none in its three matches in the medal round. The success of ice hockey in Canada was assured.

The popularity of the game meant it was broadcast extensively on radio by the 1930s and on television from the 1950s. ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ started in 1952 with Esso as sponsor and is one of the highest rating television shows in Canada. The (US) National Hockey League, formed in 1917, includes six teams based in Canada, although most players in the league come from Canada. The two teams to have won the most Stanley Cup championships are the Montreal Canadiens with 24 and the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13.

The National Sports of Canada Act 1994 declared ice hockey as the country’s official winter sport. There are more than half a million registered players, including men, women and children. Many boys and young men aspire to play in the National Hockey League. Youth idolize and want to emulate the professional players. Ice hockey is Canada’s most prevalent winter sport, its most popular spectator sport, and its most successful sport in international competition.

Why does Islam forbid alcohol?

Here is the last of four articles on Islam I wrote some time ago and published to the Helium writing site (now gone). Islam is a religion of peace and it seems that the views and actions of the terrorists are the complete opposite of this. I’m an atheist, by the way. I should perhaps also add here that I’m a non-drinker …

Drinking alcohol is forbidden by Islam because of the damage it can and does cause. From the early days of Islam, Muslims have abstained from alcohol. Muhammad was opposed to alcohol and there are a number of verses in the Quran warning of the dangers. The word “alcohol” actually comes from the Arabic language. Al-kohl means fermented sugars, fruits or grains that produce an intoxicating drink. The drink itself is called khamr.

Alcohol was readily available in pre-Islamic Arabia, and khmar bars and shops were open 24 hours a day. Arabic society featured tribal fighting, tribal laws, murder, cruelty, exploitation, theft, adultery, prostitution, women treated like slaves, neglected children, and broken homes, while the menfolk were excessively proud, competitive and ruthless. These factors were associated with and often made worse by heavy drinking. Muhammad’s reforms and the Quran helped to change this situation. He told his followers to avoid intoxicating substances: “If it intoxicates in a large amount, it is forbidden even in a small amount.” He also said: “Prayer is the pillage of religion. The one who performs it has erected religion and the one who abandons it has ruined (his) religion.”

One of the early Quranic verses on alcohol said: “And from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine ye get out wholesome drink and food: behold in this also is a sign for those who are wise.” (16:67) This caused some Muslims to wonder if drinking khamr was right. Another early verse said: “They ask thee concerning wine and gambling, say: In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit …” (2:219). This led to a further reduction in drinking. A third mention of alcohol said: “O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say …” (4:43). Muslims pray five times daily and prayers are spread throughout the day, so it became impossible to drink much alcohol and adhere to their faith.

Another verse was soon added: “The devil wants only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and games of chance and to turn you from remembering Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist?” (5:90-91) This verse was the turning point that resulted in total prohibition, and Muslims poured their wine into the streets. Prohibition helped turn a lawless society into a safe and caring one. Mohammad ensured that divine law overrode customary law, women and children were given rights, infanticide was outlawed, a system of law and order was put in place, religious freedoms were granted, aristocratic privilege was denounced, and family values were put in place. Alcohol was no longer needed to try and be happy or relieve stress or drown sorrows in a caring society.

Muslims continue to avoid alcohol as they know the dangers, and a fear of God helps them abstain. Alcohol lowers inhibitions, impairs judgment, alters perceptions, dulls senses, hinders coordination, and blocks memory. It causes stomach ailments, impotence, heart disease, appetite loss, blackouts, and slow reaction times. It gives false confidence, reacts adversely with 150 medications, destroys family and other relationships, and results in job losses and violence.

Alcohol affects every part of the body, every organ, since it enters the bloodstream and thereby circulates throughout the body. It is a depressant, slowing down the nervous system. It goes to the stomach, into the blood and to the liver where it turns into acetaldehyde, which is a poison that can damage the brain. A hangover is the effect of acetaldehyde poisoning. With alcohol, we get less nutrition from food as we are less able to absorb nutrients. Alcohol accelerates the aging process. It makes us look older too, with facial features deteriorating quicker.

The risk of cancer of the liver increases with alcohol. The liver processes toxic substances in our body and works overtime in heavy drinkers. Alcohol increases fatty liver and can lead to more serious conditions such as alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. US research found that 10-35% of heavy drinkers end up with alcoholic hepatitis and 10-20% get cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis can also occur in moderate drinkers. In a New York study, people drinking moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol increased their liver fat by an average of 8% in 18 days. If you’re burning alcohol, you’re not burning fat. An increase in liver fat can lead to cirrhosis. Further, alcohol can increase the chances of a cancer causing enzyme occurring in the liver by 5-10 times. Alcohol can cause others cancers, especially in the upper digestive tract.

Heavy drinking by women can cause periods to stop or become irregular, and there is a greater risk of miscarriage. A study showed that menstrual cycle problems can even be present in women who consume three drinks a day for three weeks. Another study found an 11% increase in breast cancer for women consuming just one drink a day. Alcohol can result in a loss of calcium in bones, and osteoporosis can occur, especially in women. Heavy drinking can affect an unborn baby, including physical abnormalities, slower growth and delayed development. Fetal alcohol syndrome can result in a child suffering mental retardation, poor concentration, microcephaly, poor teeth, epicanthus, heart valve lesions, and restricted joint movement.

Alcohol can affect reproductive hormones. A four week study showed that heavy drinking reduces testosterone levels after five days, and they kept falling over the four weeks. Long-term deficiency can lead to male breast enlargement. A Finnish study found that males who drank 13-25 drinks a week had a fourfold increase in likelihood of stroke. Alcohol can cause high blood pressure and heart failure. It is estimated that high blood pressure in 11% of males and in 6% of females is attributed to alcohol. Heavy drinking clogs the arteries, and the heart becomes larger as it loses its elasticity and suffers a build up of fat.

Mental health can be affected by alcohol, including psychosis, dementia, depression and anxiety. Brain shrinkage can occur and it seems to happen in that part of the brain associated with intellectual capacity. US studies show that young binge drinkers and women are particularly affected in this regard. People who drink rather than eat can suffer low vitamin B (thiamin), which can lead to a form of brain damage called Korsakoff’s syndrome with its memory loss, apathy and confusion.

The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that “alcohol is typically found in the offender, victim or both in about half of all homicides and serious assaults, as well as in a high percentage of sex-related crimes, robberies, and incidents of domestic violence, and alcohol-related problems are disproportionately found among juvenile and adult criminal offenders”. Alcohol is a major cause of road and other accidents, often causing death and injury. It directly or indirectly causes an estimated 100,000 deaths in the US a year, and over six million kids under 18 have an alcoholic parent. Alcohol abuse also contributes to absenteeism and lost production. It can lead to unsafe sex, resulting in possible disease and unwanted pregnancies.

Some wine surveys conclude that people who drink 1-2 glasses a day are healthier than those who abstain. What they don’t tell us is that the group who abstains includes people who chose not to drink because they are less robust and have less tolerance to alcohol in any case. In other words, take the alcohol out of the equation and the 1-2 glasses a day people are healthier to start with. Muslims would regard that even if 1-2 glasses is okay, the damage done by alcohol, especially in the long term, exceeds any benefit.

A US study estimated the cost of alcohol abuse to be $167 billion in 1995, which exceeded the estimated cost of illegal drug use of $110 billion. Allowing for inflation and population increase, alcohol abuse is probably now costing the US well over $200 billion a year.

It’s no wonder Islam prohibits alcohol. It is also easy to see why the prohibition movement in Western societies was quite strong in the early twentieth century. If legislators could have their time again, alcohol might never have been legalized, but perhaps grouped with other illegal drugs.

The art of Quranic or Islamic calligraphy

Here is the third of four articles on Islam I wrote some time ago and published to the Helium writing site (now gone). Islam is a religion of peace and it seems that the views and actions of the terrorists are the complete opposite of this. I’m an atheist, by the way …

Quranic, or Islamic, calligraphy is a special form of artistic writing using the Arabic script. Calligraphy took on prominence in Islamic societies because pictures of people and animals can contravene the belief that the work of God is superior, and these images are not usually used in decorative art. Calligraphy therefore became a respected art form and can dominate mosque walls and furniture, tombs and many household items.

Islamic calligraphy was written on parchment or papyrus with a quill from the seventh century, and was used in making copies of the Quran. Kufic was the first script used as a Quran script and spread throughout the Islamic world. It is an angular, self-assured script with clear contours, and looks imposing even as small text. Before the invention of printing, calligraphy studios were set up to write copies of the Quran on parchment. Here, inscriptions were also designed and chiseled into stone ready for placing on buildings. Calligraphy also featured on coins. From 692 CE, pictures on coins were replaced by words, usually from the Quran.

Working in Kufic became an art form that was said to take years to master. Several styles developed, including a sloping Persian script used to weave elaborate inscriptions on silk textiles. These were valued possessions and the Crusaders took them to Europe. Another script style developed in Spain and northern Africa which became the Maghrabi script.

When paper was introduced from China in the eighth century, Islamic calligraphers kept using parchment for the Quran as it was hardier and more prestigious. But paper became the material used for many other books and soon Muslim libraries boasted thousands of volumes of beautifully written documents. Paper quality improved and it was used to copy the Quran by the 12th century, when the Nashki, Muhaqqaq and Raihani scripts replaced Kufic. Nashki, a flowing cursive script with round letters and thinner lines, is the script commonly used today in Arabic printed material and is the script taught at school.

Early calligraphers were dedicated professionals who often wrote sitting on the floor, with paper resting on a piece of cardboard across their knees. A skilled calligrapher would learn to write with his non-preferred hand if his other hand was injured in battle or from punishment. There are even cases of calligraphers practicing their art using their mouths or feet. Children were taken on in apprenticeship-type roles from a young age to become calligraphers.

Numerous masterpieces were produced and traded, and they became valuable collectors’ pieces. Calligraphy also appeared on the walls and ceilings of mosques and palaces as well as on pottery, glass, stone, wood, metalwork and textiles. Islamic calligraphy is regarded as having reached its highest quality in Ottoman Turkey. It has been said that “the Quran was revealed in Mecca, recited in Egypt, and written in Istanbul”. One of the scripts developed in Turkey was Diwani, a graceful and decorative script with slanting flourishes, though not as easy to read. It was used in government documents. The script spread to Arab countries where it is used today in formal documents.

Many other imaginative styles have been developed by Islamic calligraphers. One is the Tuhgra, used in Turkey and Arab countries as a royal insignia, and on coins and stamps. Another is Muthanna, which takes a script such as Naskhi and creates a mirror image. Then there is pictorial calligraphy, or calligrams, which uses text in the shape of a bird, lion, horse, fish or tree, and also things such as swords, ships and mosques. There are instances of Quranic verse written to look like a mosque complete with minarets. Spacing between words and lines tend to overflow, allowing a creative freedom and flexibility, and distinctive style for each calligrapher.

Calligraphy is important in Islam as it was God’s word that was initially conveyed to Muhammad orally and then written down by his companions. The Quran says that this document was written in “elegantly proportioned script” on “spotless sheets of paper” and is “beautiful” and “unsurpassed”. Due to its religious significance, Islamic calligraphy has continued as an important art form, whereas the significance of calligraphy using Roman and other alphabets has dwindled.

Today, Islamic calligraphy is used on coins, paper money, books, newspaper and magazine headlines, advertising signs, and posters. Calligraphers use a special pen called a qalam, which is made of dried reed. Calligraphy represents unity, power and beauty throughout the Islamic world.

Prophet Muhammad as a reformer

Here is the second of four articles on Islam I wrote some time ago and published to the Helium writing site (now gone). Islam is a religion of peace and it seems that the views and actions of the terrorists are the complete opposite of this. I’m an atheist, by the way …

Muhammad was a prophet, warrior, businessman, statesman, orator and reformer, among other things. This article is about Muhammad as a reformer. Pre-Islamic Arabia was dominated by tribal fighting, tribal laws, murder, cruelty, exploitation, theft, adultery, infanticide, false contracts, usury, and few rights for women and children. The Constitution of Medina, or Charter of Medina, written by Muhammad in 622 CE, was in the form of an agreement between himself and the Yathrib tribes to stop their fighting and allow a series of reforms, including various rights and responsibilities, to apply to Muslims, Jews and pagans.

The constitution involved sweeping reforms that reads more like something from nineteenth or early twentieth century western society than from the seventh century. Under the charter, divine law overrode customary law, women and children were given rights, a system of law and order was put in place, religious freedoms were granted, aristocratic privilege was denounced, judicial and taxation systems were introduced, and there were new business regulations.

Muhammad condemned the inferior status of women and children in society and introduced many reforms in this area, including to marriage, divorce, inheritance, education, female infanticide, social security for women and her children, family values, and so on. The lack of limitations on males to marry or divorce was changed to the concept of restricted polygamy. A dowry, which had previously been given to the bride’s father, was retained by the woman as her personal property. Marriage itself became a contract, with the usual rules of offer and acceptance, rather than just a status symbol for the man. A woman’s consent was needed before there was a marriage contract.

Inheritance had previously been restricted to males. Muhammad changed this and gave women inheritance rights. Women became the legal owners of assets they brought into the family and of those resulting from their work. They were maintained financially while married and for a certain period after divorce. Before Muhammad, women were part of a man’s property, could not own property themselves, and any inheritance went straight to the man’s sons.

Under his reforms, children were no longer the property of their father’s. Muhammad gave them the right to have food, clothing and shelter, to be loved, to receive an education, and to be provided for in an inheritance. Siblings were to be treated equally. Female infanticide was outlawed. Adoption was replaced with the concept that people had to regard children of unknown origin in the same way as family members. A man was forbidden to have sexual relations with his mother or sister, something that occurred in pre-Islamic times. As an orphan himself, Muhammad declared that orphans were to be treated well.

Another important reform related to slavery. Muhammad ensured that a person had the right to be free, except in a few circumstances. While slavery was still allowed, it was regulated. Slaves had legal status and were given certain rights. They had to be treated kindly, in much the same way as other disadvantaged members of society. Slaves could receive alms or earn money and be released from slavery, which was something recommended by Muhammad. War captives received food and clothing either from the government or from the person who held them.

Equality was emphasized. Important positions within society were open to all comers instead of being restricted to the aristocracy, and value was placed on all individuals. All members of society were expected to be committed to and participate in the reforms. Feuding tribes were brought together. Monotheism was introduced to replace the previous multitude of gods. Emphasis was placed on piety and humility. People were expected to follow God rather than ancestral traditions or trying to achieve fame.

Economic reforms revolved around the economics of poverty. Muhammad was keen to see the poor given a better deal. Instead of paupers having to borrow at high rates of interest and suffer even more, the well-off were to provide alms to the needy, regardless of whether the parties knew each other. Goods were to be circulated, and purified, via charity. This was done without taxes or fees, buildings or profit. It was also to be done on a voluntary basis. Today we have elaborate taxation and social security systems to achieve the same thing.

Public construction occurred on a wide scale. Muhammad built wells and canals for the general public. By limiting the use of land and practicing urban planning, he made sure that resources were not over-utilized, thereby preserving the environment. He is regarded as a pioneer in environmentalism.

On the political front, Muhammad observed the warring tribes and the persecution. A series of conquests made the new Islamic state the region’s dominant power, although little was destroyed in the process. Muhammad’s reforms had resulted in greater tolerance towards those of other faiths. Christians were tolerated and, while they could only practice in private, they weren’t subjected to persecution. In fact, Jews and Christians enjoyed greater religious freedom than before.

In summary, Muhammad took a brutal tribal system where most people had few rights and converted it into an egalitarian society where everyone was given an opportunity, from women and children to slaves, the poor, and even those of other faiths.