June 2012 Archives

By: Elizabeth Thompson Sixty years ago, women giving birth in hospitals were put to sleep to deliver. This is surprising, after all how can you push when you are asleep? Needing to push is a common misconception about child birth. Women were put to sleep and their bodies would contract and deliver the baby on its own. Today in hospitals pushing is expected. The consequences of pushing can include vaginal tears and the necessity of being cut. These procedures and outcomes are part of a quick no-mess-no-fuss attitude. Doctors do not spend the entire process with the expecting mother. In fact they are rarely there to assuage concerns or answer questions until the time comes for the grand finale. In a birthing center the mid-wife will stay with the women from start to finish. The entire birthing experience is structured according to the, needs and feelings at the time. There is no time pressure and there are a multitude of birthing options available such as water birth, birthing stool, bed and chair. All of these options can be tried and switched as many times as necessary, compared to a hospital where a birth plan is required prior to delivery or decided quickly upon arrival with little room for manoeuvring or change of mind.

The term "midwife" is considered "old-fashioned", but in fact, midwives are still common and being used today. Compared to a hospital having a baby in a birthing center with a midwife has multiple advantages. The environment of a birthing center makes what can be a very intimidating and sometimes frightening experience rather comfortable; both the atmosphere and labor progress can be affected. Birthing centers with midwives offer a more relaxed and easier labor.

Image source: Flickr

By: Amber-isms

During Prohibition in the United States, many Americans secretly distilled gin in their bathtubs; during this time, Montréal was known as North America's sin city. Quebec's laxer regulation and high tolerance of sex and booze opened up a seductive market for folks ready to be strung-out silly for sin beyond their bath water.

Currently, these formerly forbidden pleasures are fully incorporated into Montreal's pop culture with a privately owned and manufactured capitalistic  mandate for fun. We have entered an era of conspicuous consumption, whereby, people and markets are edgier than ever before. Alcohol might help lubricate the situation, but fear of rejection is today's best-seller. Americans are no longer alone reveling in the infatuation stage of a discombobulated relationship with vice; society is quite literally head-over-heels in love and in over its head with consumption. The explicit nature of the free market invites us all to walk the runway wearing nothing but our hearts on our sleeves, encouraging us to strip down and take to the streets with our bottles of angst for all to pop and enjoy.

Montreal, nightlife capital that she is, has an unnatural selection of shady economies she shouldn't be so proud of. Her museums are bold, beautiful and filled with fine art, but her streets, old and restless, are littered with cheap commercial entertainment. Among these is an infamous strip called Crescent that thrusts out of the west-central section of downtown Montreal. Once belonging to the richest district in the whole of Canada and still referred to as the city's 'Golden Square Mile', it is now part of a sleazy tourist attraction with a social hub of boisterous debauchery that speaks volumes about the profiteering nightlife industry. Crescent has become the most densely-packed meat market in town, butchering peoples' integrity and making spectacles out of them for profit.

SneakerStock, a Sneakerhead event, will be held in Montreal on August 18th at the Mcgill Fieldhouse located next to the Molson Stadium. This event is a gathering for all walks of life who share a passion for sneakers.  Montrealers will be there to buy, trade and sell sneakers.

If there are any artists, local shops/vendors,independant brands out there interested in participating in our event please contact: [email protected]

Twitter: sneakerheadsmtl
Facebook: sneakerheadsmtl


Image source: Flickr