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6- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 26, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary NEIL OLIVER Publisher DAVE HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager Metroland Media Group Ltd. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Caledon Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA ANCHOR Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver is a division of Guest Columnist Leading by example Marion Schaffer, Green Party of Ontario Oakville candidate 2007 provincial election am very grateful to be a citizen of Oakville, a town led by local advocates and politicians who really care about sustainability and the future of this area at a time when Canada is no longer a world leader when it Marion Schaffer comes to peacekeeping and environmental stewardship. We are blessed with wise leaders here. It was the wonderful example of these folk and others, like Elizabeth May and Frank de Jong, which inspired me to become the Green Party candidate for Oakville in last October's provincial election. I am very grateful to those of you who supported me through your correspondence, with your vote, and with your financial aid; I could not have done this without you. Until last year I was never a member of any political party. I never dreamt that I would ever be a politician. But, like you, I want to do everything I can to ensure quality of life for future generations of my family; my grandkids are my inspiration. I believe that the international Green movement is the political organization that is best equipped to meet challenges like global warming. The Green Party is international in scope, inclusive and progressive in every way. It is the only party that is already mobilizing global action and international cooperation in order to foster sustainable modes of living. It is not a `one issue' party; it is the one party that recognizes that environmental health means working toward non-violence, social justice, gender equality, participatory democracy, and respect for diversity. It's evident we all have to acknowledge that this world is all we have to pass on to the next generation. We must look beyond these streets, and beyond our borders, and begin to function as global citizens, of this, our one -and-only- planet. We could benefit from hearing the success stories coming out of places like Iceland, or Japan as they shift to hydrogen and other means of reducing fossil fuel consumption. We can learn techniques from places like Scandinavia or The Netherlands as they impose a carbon tax on carbon-dioxide emissions and explore geothermal possibilities. We can study what countries such as China and New Zealand are doing as they spend vast sums in order to clean up their pollution. I have no magic formula, but I do have great faith in the ability of inspired Canadians to open their minds to necessary change for the sake of this planet and all who share this space. Every day I see evidence of right living that we never should have abandoned, and bright spots all over the globe where people are initiating positive change. Change is scary. Most of us try to avoid change. I've met people who do not want to believe Al Gore; they feel completely overwhelmed. Too many have been listening to voices that promote fear rather than constructive action. We are racing against time. That's a fact. But we can learn to share our resources wisely and build world-wide coalitions so that we become partners with life in all its variety, everywhere. Slowing down to the speed of life does not mean dropping out, or doing without; it means deliberately creating a rich life through the power of choice. Then we can truly call ourselves contributing Citizens of Planet Earth. For more information go to: gpo.ca. Contact Marion Schaffer at marionschaffer@yahoo.com. IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Media Group Ltd. Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora EraBanner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian I RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION Turning dull, grumpy employees into shiny, happy people S harks are circling the ailing economy. Business ain't booming. As times get tough and belts get cinched, it's unlikely employee bonuses are in the offing. So, how do you make employees happy, motivated and more productive? According to Richard McGregor, a music professor at the University of Cumbria, it is simple: crank up the tunes. "There's clear evidence a happy work force is a productive one," the professor says. "The easiest way of raising the spirits in the office is to put on the radio or a CD." Ah, but here's the rub ­ and, doggone it, isn't there always a rub? -- McGregor notes in order for workplace music to successfully transform dull, grumpy employees into shiny, happy people, it must be the "right music" played at the "right level." If an employer can find that magic music ­ the right tunes and the right level ­ the work day will fly by, employee spirits will soar, potentially stressful situations will be reduced, and the company's bottom line will be shapely. Alas, McGregor warns, choosing the wrong music, or playing it at inappropriate levels, could lead to office friction and create problems, instead of solving them. In other words, revolting music may lead to office revolts. In recent years, music has become a means to many ends. Need your nerves tranquilized? Listen to Yanni. Want to dispatch the kids congregating in front of your convenience store? Play Mozart at full volume. But in the workplace? To increase productivity? McGregor believes it's a must for anyone working nine-to-five. Personally, I don't think so. But, then, I've had some sour experiences with music in the workplace. Andy Juniper I once worked with a woman who had a jukebox playing in her head. I don't know what her actual job was, but she spent most of her day meandering hallways singing, loudly, passionately, and wildly off-key, to whatever song was rotating in her otherwise empty skull. Her incessant singing drove everyone to distraction: while she fully believed her warbling sounded like a songbird, to discerning ears she sounded more like a wounded duck. To exacerbate matters, when she sang she tended to close her eyes (in touch with the pure emotion of her renderings, I suppose). Important business was often interrupted by her blindly bouncing off walls or lurching into open doors. Aside from the karaoke divas and the annoying air-guitarists who would invariably come out of the woodwork if workplaces were wired for sound, I can see divisively dissimilar taste ­ or generous lack thereof ­ being a huge problem. Imagine the clash between the metal head in shipping who demands "Zeppelin 247, man," and the accountant who wants to abacus to the oldies; or between the administrative assistant who yearns for Eurotecho-trash sounds and bland Betty who lives for Lite Music; or between the account coordinator who loves the tush-and-toilet humor of Howard Stern and the misguided musicologist who likes to pontificate on how The Monkees heavily influenced The Beatles. Seriously, unless the office has only one employee, I see the radio inducing revolts not relaxation. McGregor does note that with the burgeoning popularity of small personal music players, everyone could bring their own tunes and tastes to work and not bother other employees. True, but I'm not sure that I want my scribblings being perused by an editor all hopped up on Mott the Hoople, or all down on John Denver for that matter. Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajuniper@strangledeggs.com.