Here are some facts about an illness we thought left with the dinosaurs, but guess what? ITS BACK! Learn about MUMPS and what you can do to prevent getting your own case of this lumpy look....

What is mumps?

Mumps is a contagious viral illness that can have serious complications in young adults, but it may be prevented by vaccination.

What are the symptoms?

Fever, headache, muscle aches and pains, tiredness, loss of appetite; followed by parotitis -painful swelling of one or both salivary glands (located within your cheek, near your jaw line, below your ears).  Parotitis may be noticed on one side or both sides of the jaw and usually occurs within the first two days. It may appear as an earache or tenderness when touching along the angle of the jaw. Symptoms usually last ten days.

What are the possible complications?

Mumps can cause meningitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord with headache or a stiff neck), orchitis (swelling of one or both testicles), oophoritis (swelling of the ovaries), mastitis (swelling of the breasts), pancreatitis, and deafness (may be permanent). Spontaneous abortion can occur if infection happens in the first trimester of pregnancy.

How is mumps spread?

Mumps is highly contagious; after diagnosis, the individual should be isolated from others for nine days.  Mumps spreads through direct contact with saliva from an infected person. Droplets from coughs or sneezes can enter the nose or mouth.  Infection can also result from kissing, or by sharing food or beverages. The virus can also survive on surfaces. Touching a surface contaminated by the mumps virus and then touching your nose or mouth can cause infection.

How can mumps be prevented?

Mumps can be prevented with a vaccine called MMR (a 3-in-one vaccine that provides protection against measles, mumps, and rubella). To be fully protected from contracting mumps, two immunizations are required.


FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MUMPS AND HOW TO GET YOUR VACCINE.

Hey Everyone,

As you may know, we've been working with the Flick Off Express to help spread the word that the fight against climate change is one we should all participate in.

The last and final stop of the train tour was in Ottawa this past weekend and our own MySpace correspondent, Pia, was there!  Check out her blog (below) and photos.

Were you there, too? If so, leave a comment and tell us about your flick off express experience!

~MySpace Impact

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 A great vibe out in Confederation Park in Ottawa today!  Spiral Beach played as the crowd chilled out under the shining sun. The Flick Off crew gave out aluminum water bottles to deter people from drinking plastic bottled water.

Gill Deacon revved the crowd for up for Dr. Jose Etcheverry who spoke about the economic benefits of sustainable energy. His speech asked Canadians to wake up and take control of our energy policy to convert the Canadian economy to 100 per cent renewable energy. He touted Spain, Denmark, and Germany as examples.

The Constantines’ songs drifted through the beautiful fall day to relax the enthusiastic group. Dr. David Suzuki’s rousing speech received a standing ovation. He said the youth of today must take responsibility for changing the way we live, to make the world a safe place for our generation and generations of the future.

Ottawa was the last stop on Via Rail’s Flick Off train… Let’s hope we can get 100 000 people out on Parliament Hill to tell the Conservative government that Canadians are ready to come out and set a global example in the fight against Climate Change!

- Pia Webster.

Hello my Impact friends!

I just wanted to thank you for creating such a fabulous forum for discussion during the Federal election campaign.  It’s great to see so many of you voicing your opinions & debating what matters to you.

Well…I wanted to let you know that the fun has just begun!

Our page is re-launching with all new issues to chat about, though you can obviously keep talking politics.  We’re going to expand the page to include anything & everything that impacts you as a Canadian.  Is it the environment?  Breast cancer awareness?  Animal cruelty?  Cost of education?  If it matters to you, it matters to us!  MySpace Impact is the place to talk/blog/vlog about it!

I also wanted to let you know that we’ll be looking for people, blogs & videos to feature every week.  If you’re someone who is actively trying to make a difference through events, charity or just being a great person, shoot us a message!

Thanks again for making it so much fun to be a part of your election experience.  Can’t wait to see what you focus on next! J

~MySpace Impact

Hi Everyone,

As promised, we have been collecting your questions for the political party leaders and we now have some answers to share with you!

At this time, we only have answers from the Stephane Dion, on behalf of the Liberal Party.   These questions have also been sent to the Conservative Party and we have yet to receive their responses but will post them if and when we do.  We contacted the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party to ask them to participate but have yet to hear back.  Our goal is to provide a forum on MySpace for Canadians to dialogue with the leaders so we hope all of the parties will come on board!

Here’s today’s question

David (http://ca.myspace.com/davidsuzuki) from Vancouver asks:

Government currently permits the free dumping of greenhouse gases, toxics and other waste products into our environment, leaving our climate, our ecosystems and our communities paying the real costs of these actions.

Does your party believe in the principle of Polluter Pays, which dramatically reduces pollution by making it more expensive than opting for green alternatives? How do you intend to hold people responsible for the environmental, social, and health impacts of their waste?

Le gouvernement permet actuellement aux industries de libérer des gaz à effet de serre, des résidus toxiques et divers déchets dans l’environnement, et ce, sans qu’elles paient quoi que ce soit pour les émissions qu’elles produisent. Dans de telles circonstances, le climat, les écosystèmes et les communautés du pays font les frais des gestes des industries polluantes.

Votre parti croit-il en le principe du pollueur-payeur, qui a fait ses preuves dans la réduction de la pollution en rendant le fait de polluer moins économique que la recherche d’alternatives vertes ? Par quels moyens avez-vous l’intention de rendre les gens responsables des conséquences environnementales, sociales et sanitaires de leur production de déchets ?

By putting a price on carbon, industry would have a significant incentive to reduce their emissions. Only the Liberal and the Green party’s have proposed putting a price on carbon emissions.

Both environmentalists and economists agree that putting a price on carbon is the only way to compel industry and consumers to reduce their carbon output.

The Liberal Party has proposed the added benefit, of taking all the revenue acquired from the carbon taxes, and giving back to Canadians in the form of a massive tax cut. This approach is both simple and elegant, and supported by a broad spectrum of academics, environmentalists and business leaders.

Mettre un prix sur le carbone inciterait fortement les industries à réduire leurs émissions. Seuls les Libéraux et le Parti vert ont proposé de fixer un prix sur les émissions de carbone.

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What do YOU think?  Leave a comment and share your opinion.  And remember, if you have a question you want to ask, send us a message

~MySpace Impact

Hi Everyone,

As promised, we have been collecting your questions for the political party leaders and we now have some answers to share with you!

At this time, we only have answers from the Stephane Dion, on behalf of the Liberal Party.   These questions have also been sent to the Conservative Party and we have yet to receive their responses but will post them if and when we do.  We contacted the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party to ask them to participate but have yet to hear back.  Our goal is to provide a forum on MySpace for Canadians to dialogue with the leaders so we hope all of the parties will come on board!

Here’s today’s question.

Tim (http://ca.myspace.com/timdeegan) from Toronto asks:

Canada has the lowest population for its size...why is it we are not leading the fight on global warming...Canada is supposed to be the clean green beautiful and friendly country, yet is seems we can't even be friendly to our land. 

Why is there no incentive or rebate to convert the cars we drive into electric cars? Why are we spending billions of dollars on more nuclear power when we haven't tapped into all of our renewable resources like wind and water?

Le Canada est le pays ayant la plus faible densité de population. Pourquoi ne joue-t-il pas un rôle de leader dans la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique ? Le Canada n’est-il pas censé être un pays vert, magnifique et pacifique alors qu’en fait, nous semblons être incapables d’être respectueux à l’égard de notre territoire ? 

Pourquoi n’existe-t-il aucune mesure incitative pour que nous changions nos voitures pour des véhicules électriques ? Pourquoi dépensons-nous des milliards de dollars pour produire de l’énergie nucléaire alors que nous n’exploitons pas les sources d’énergie renouvelables tels le vent et l’eau ?

Stéphane Dion’s (http://ca.myspace.com/dionliberal) answer:

Excellent question. The Liberal Party’s approach to this issue is a mix between regulation, incentives and targeted taxation in order to compel the marketplace to come up with solutions that work for Canadians.

The centerpiece of this strategy, the Green Shift, seeks to remove taxes from things we want more of, like income, investment and innovation, and shift that tax burden to things we want less of, like pollution and waste.

By penalizing those who use the air we breathe as a garbage dump, and awarding those who engage in environmentally friendly practices, Canada’s economy will develop solutions and practices that are sustainable both for our environment, and our economy.

Excellente question. La façon de penser du Parti libéral quant à cet enjeu se traduit par une combinaison de règlements, de mesures incitatives et d’imposition ciblée pour obliger le marché à trouver des solutions qui conviennent aux Canadiens.

La pierre angulaire de cette stratégie, le Tournant vert, cherche à réduire l’impôt sur les choses que nous voulons le plus, comme le revenu, les investissements et l’innovation, et à transférer ce fardeau fiscal aux choses que nous voulons le moins, comme la pollution et le gaspillage.

En pénalisant ceux qui utilisent l’air que nous respirons comme poubelle, et en récompensant ceux qui se livrent à des pratiques écologiques, l’économie du Canada mettra en place des solutions et pratiques qui sont durables à la fois pour notre environnement et notre économie.

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What do YOU think?  Leave a comment and share your opinion.  And remember, if you have a question you want to ask, send us a message.

~MySpace Impact.

Hi Everyone,

As promised, we have been collecting your questions for the political party leaders and we now have some answers to share with you!

At this time, we only have answers from the Stephane Dion, on behalf of the Liberal Party.   These questions have also been sent to the Conservative Party and we have yet to receive their responses but will post them if and when we do.  We contacted the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party to ask them to participate but have yet to hear back.  Our goal is to provide a forum on MySpace for Canadians to dialogue with the leaders so we hope all of the parties will come on board!

Here’s today’s question:

Lisa (http://ca.myspace.com/canadiansmile) from Manitoba asks:

I'd like to know what plan each of the candidates has for aiding our provinces in HEATHCARE funding; ensuring we have more doctors and nurses in each province.  What are we supposed to do when we can't find a doctor to treat us when we're sick? Or help us with paperwork when we need to apply for federal/provincial benefits?

J’aimerais savoir ce que prévoient faire les candidats afin d’aider les provinces à financer leur système de santé de manière à ce que le nombre de médecins et d’infirmières dans chaque province soit augmenté.  Que devons-nous faire lorsque nous sommes malades et qu’il nous est impossible de trouver un médecin pour nous soigner ? Ou pour nous aider à remplir les formulaires de demandes de prestation fédérales et provinciales ?

Stéphane Dion’s (http://ca.myspace.com/dionliberal) answer:

Healthcare staffing shortages have reached a critical level, and the Liberal Party recognizes that now is the time for a substantial investment in healthcare

Our platform addresses this crisis by proposing to increase our capacity to train doctors, nurses and medical professionals, while funding significant growth in the number of residency positions in smaller hospitals.

Our plan rewards students who decide to undertake an underserved medical field, such as geriatric or rural medicine, by providing them with financial assistance in their educational endeavors.

Finally, we plan on providing financial assistance to foreign trained medical professionals in order to make possible, or at the very least expedite their acquisition of Canadian credentials.

These steps will ensure that all Canadians, regardless of their income or location, have access to the world class healthcare services that they are entitled to.

Le manque de personnel dans les soins de santé est à un niveau critique et le Parti libéral reconnaît qu’il est temps d’investir de façon importante dans ce domaine.

Notre plate-forme réagit à cette crise en proposant d’accroître notre capacité à former des médecins, des infirmières et des professionnels du domaine médical, tout en finançant une croissance importante du nombre de postes de résidents dans les hôpitaux plus petits.

Notre programme récompense les étudiants qui décident de se consacrer à un domaine médical mal desservi, telle la médecine gériatrique ou en région rurale, en leur offrant une aide financière durant leurs études.

En dernier lieu, nous prévoyons offrir une aide financière aux professionnels de la santé qui ont suivi leurs études à l’étranger pour rendre possible, ou à tout le moins accélérer, leur obtention de titres de compétences canadiens.

Ces étapes permettront d’assurer que tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes, peu importe leur revenu ou l’endroit où ils habitent, ont accès aux soins de santé de rang mondial auxquels ils ont droit.

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Cyclone Nargis slammed into southern Myanmar on Saturday. According to reports from the field, Myanmar's military government says nearly 22,500 people have died and about 41,000 are still missing. UN officials have said one million people may be affected and several thousand homeless as a result of the emergency.*

This week, Impact is highlighting a couple of ways you can get involved to help out during this crisis. With thousands dead, many missing and countless homeless and in need of immediate assistance, now is the time to show your support.

Here's what you can do:

VISIT UNICEF CANADA - UNICEF Canada has launched an emergency appeal for victims of the Myanmar Cyclone. With 5,000 square km underwater and an estimated 1 million people homeless and in need of assistance, your help is urgently needed. Visit their MySpace page for more info.

SHOW SUPPORT ON YOUR MYSPACE - Add one of the Cyclone Nargis Applications to your page to help raise awareness and funds for various organizations who are providing medical aid, clean water, food and shelter to those in need. You can add one here.

GET INFORMED – Check out our page for some informative videos from UNICEF about what's happening in Myanmar and what is needed.

UNICEF: Life or Death conditions in Myanmar
..

Together we can make a positive Impact during this crisis.

 ~Impact Canada

*Source - UNICEF Canada

It's important to be environmentally aware every day of the year but it's especially important to take some time on Earth Day to think about what you can do to make a positive impact on our planet.  There are lots of easy, day-to-day things you can do that WILL make a difference. 

In fact, there are over 6 million Canadians who will celebrate Earth Day this year – imagine if each one of them did one simple thing to help reduce their carbon footprint?!   And imagine if every single one of those 6 million Canadians told their friends and family to do to the same thing?!  The results would be tremendous and I bet we'd all learn how easy it is to be environmentally friendly in our day-to-day lives.

Sounds easy?  It is!  So let's do it!

What simple thing are you going to do to help save our environment?

Leave a comment below with your tip and you'll be entered into a contest to win a copy of MySpace/Our Planet - Change is Possible! -  the new book made by MySpacers on how to save the planet!

Post as many tips as you have and remember there are no wrong answers when you think green.  Be creative, be clever and be environmentally aware!

This is the only planet we have.  Let's make every day Earth Day.

~Impact Canada

PS: Visit Harper Collins Canada for more info about the new book, MySpace/Our Planet – Change is Possible - myspace.com/harpercollinscanada

What Will You Do for Earth Day (and every day after that)?

By Cheryl Gudz, EcoAction Teams program coordinator, Earth Day Canada

Did you know that April 22 is the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide? More than 6 million Canadians join 500 million people in over 180 countries in staging events and projects to address local environmental issues. Nearly every school child in Canada takes part in an Earth Day activity.

I work for Earth Day Canada [earthday.ca], the organization that is best known for coordinating events in communities on one glorious day in April, and while we support, trumpet and celebrate this achievement, we also know that Canadians are ready to take sustained environmental action all year-long.

Years ago, Earth Day Canada recognized this need and developed a suite of programs that inspire and promote action at all age levels. Our EcoAction Teams program [www.ecoactionteams.ca], in particular, is likely the most comprehensive conservation support system in Canada to help people make simple changes in their daily lives.

The changes occur in everyday action at home and on the go, such as reducing fuel and energy consumption, saving water, generating less waste and shopping more sustainably. The impact of your actions can be tracked through a free online calculator that shows you in real figures just how many litres of water, kilograms of waste, and greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by your household behaviour change. 

I like to think that EcoAction Teams program helps participants make every day Earth Day.

So back to the big day itself, we are so excited about just how many events are taking place in towns and cities across Canada this April. People of all ages are getting together to green their communities or learn more about environmental issues and action. And while many events have already been held, there are hundreds more yet to happen.

To find an event near you, go to our events listing page.

One more thing, if you can't find an event in your hometown, than you've got one year to make it happen.

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day Canada