Bloc Québécois members quit over new leader Mario Beaulieu

New Bloc Québécois Leader Mario Beaulieu is already on the defensive just a day into his leadership, standing by contentious comments made during his acceptance speech as two party members threaten to resign over his election.

Former Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe took issue with some comments made by Mario Beaulieu during his acceptance speech on June 14, 2014. (CBC)

Beaulieu was voted in as leader of the separatist party on Saturday with 53 per cent of the vote.

Beaulieu took the time during his acceptance speech to denigrate the efforts of former Bloc leaders over the past 20 years. He also invoked a phrase, “Nous vaincrons,” closely associated with the FLQ, the group responsible for Quebec’s October Crisis in 1970.

Now he is defending his choice of words.

“'We will conquer, we will win,' there were all kinds of slogans being yelled. I did not make the link between ‘nous vaincrons’ and the FLQ,” Beaulieu said in an interview with Radio-Canada, adding that he does not consider himself to be a radical.

Gilles Duceppe, who was the Bloc leader for 15 years starting in 1990, was incensed by Beaulieu’s comments at Saturday’s party convention.

“I can’t associate myself with people who yell, ‘Nous vaincrons.’ We know what that means. It’s completely irresponsible, unconscionable,” Duceppe said. “It’s not by chanting slogans that we achieve sovereignty; it’s in being determined.”

Party members leave over Beaulieu’s win

None of the sitting MPs supported Beaulieu’s run for leader, instead putting their weight behind the only other contender, Richmond-Arthabaska MP André Bellavance.

Bruno Grenier quit his role within the Bloc Québécois after Mario Beaulieu's election, calling him a "clown" who relies on invoking anti-English sentiment to appeal to the Bloc's membership base. (CBC)

There are currently four Bloc MPs in Parliament.

Within the first 24 hours of Beaulieu’s leadership, two members of the Bloc voiced their displeasure with his election and vowed to resign.

Jerry Beaudoin, the president of the Hochelaga Bloc association, announced he would quit the party, saying he could not defend Beaulieu’s positions on a number of issues.

He was closely followed by Bruno Grenier, who said he would quit as a Bloc executive committee member and councillor in the federal riding of Laurier-Ste-Marie.

'Quebec independence, that has to be fought for in Quebec, not in Ottawa.'

Grenier posted a comment on Facebook Sunday announcing his imminent resignation on Monday, saying that he could not fight his own party on following Beaulieu, who he called a "clown."

“Independence will happen through openness or not at all,” Grenier’s comment read. “We have to protect this concept of openness and the inclusion of everyone in our French Quebec.”

He told CBC News on Sunday afternoon that he has been a separatist since he was 15 years old, but was so disappointed with Beaulieu's election he felt he had to leave the party.

He said he disagreed with Beaulieu's statement that the Bloc had accomplished very little over the past two decades.

Bruno Grenier's comment on Facebook. (Facebook)

"I’m not ready to say the Bloc Québécois did nothing over the past 20 years, that it didn’t do its job. The Bloc defended Quebec’s interests. Quebec independence, that has to be fought for in Quebec, not in Ottawa," Grenier said. 

Another Bloc member, Marc-André Roche,took to Facebook before the June 14 election, encouraging his fellow members to support Bellavance over Beaulieu.

He said Beaulieu is known to rely on issues around insecurity and language, as well as promote anti-English and anti-Canada sentiment, instead of approaching Quebec sovereignty with a spirit of openness.

Political scientist Bruce Hicks said it's exactly why Beaulieu was elected.

“The drama I think took everybody by surprise. This victory, though, less so, in that the only people who are left in that party are the die hard nationalists, the true ardent separatists," Hicks said.

Beaulieu backpedals

On Saturday, Duceppe said he was offended by Beaulieu’s comments about Bloc leaders from the past 20 years not doing much in the way of pursuing sovereignty.

"[It’s insulting] to me, to Lucien Bouchard, to Michel Gauthier, to Daniel Paillé. [Beaulieu said] all the predecessors lost their time, didn’t do their job,” Duceppe said.

Beaulieu responded to Duceppe’s comments on Sunday, saying that he was not disparaging the work done by former Bloc leaders.

“All I’m saying is, it’s now that we have to bring sovereignty to the forefront, in all of our actions,” Beaulieu said, adding, “Mr. Duceppe was a great leader who accomplished a lot.”

The Bloc lost 45 seats in Parliament in the 2011 federal election.

Best Wrinkle Cream

Best Wrinkle Cream

One of the most common concerns for those who shop for beauty products is how to find the best wrinkle cream that will effectively battle the signs of aging. With so many anti wrinkle creams on the market making a number of different claims, it can be difficult to know which wrinkle cream or serum is the most effective. While many people are on the lookout for a face lift in a jar, the truth is that the best wrinkle cream is the one with the most revolutionary ingredients at the highest concentrations. Moreover, it comes down to the ingredients that will benefit your specific skin type and individual skin concerns.  In this article, we discuss what causes wrinkles, how wrinkle creams work and highlight the best wrinkle cream in 2014.

What is the Best Wrinkle Cream TodayOur favorite wrinkle cream is Advanced Dermatology because of the high concentration of wrinkle fighting pep tides. But before you shop, you need to understand what causes the wrinkles you have and which ingredients will give you the results you’re looking for. There are thousands of products that  claim to be the best wrinkle cream, and turn back the clock without surgery. Unfortunately, most of these wrinkle creams contain poor formulas that were developed over a decade ago, and do little more than hydrate the skin. We know that ingredients like pep tides, stem cells, growth factors and antioxidants can smooth out wrinkles, and turn back the clock. Whilst there are a handful of products that combine these cutting edge ingredients, they most fail to incorporate a high enough concentration due to the high cost of these ingredients. However, there is one range that features the most cutting edge ingredients at highly active concentrations. Click Here to find out more about our favorite anti wrinkle range.

Far more than a wrinkle cream, this revolutionary range regenerates the skin at the deepest layers to target all the visible signs of aging. Have you tried anti wrinkle creams that don’t work? Did you know that most wrinkle creams contain a mere 2-5% active ingredients? This revolutionary range contains 80%+ active ingredients to target even the most tenacious wrinkles.  You can try there products risk free with their 30 day money back guarantee.  They offer free shipping in the US and Canada.

The Causes of WrinklesPeople who are on the lookout for the best wrinkle cream on the market often end up buying product after product because they purchase creams and serums that are not made for the wrinkles they are trying to get rid of. In order to prevent this, you should understand what’s causing wrinkles so that you can target them more effectively. For example, fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes are usually caused by laughing, frowning, and other facial expressions that stretch the skin and cause it to fold and wrinkle over time. Forehead wrinkles are often created in this manner.

Wrinkles are also caused by the natural aging process, when skin begins to thin out and lose collagen. Elastin, a natural protein in the skin, also begins to disintegrate, causing sagging skin and wrinkles on the hands and neck. The best wrinkle creams contain a high concentration of active ingredients that target the skin at the deepest layers to regenerate the skin at a cellular level.

How Wrinkle Creams WorkWhen you’re considering the best wrinkle cream for your skin type, you should also understand how the ingredients work. Avoid products that claim to “boost elastin growth,” as the human body is believed to stop elastin production just before puberty. Instead, look for products that combat dryness, which is major contributor to wrinkles.

The best wrinkle cream for fighting fine lines and wrinkles will use a number of ingredients, such as vitamin C, to help the skin boost collagen production so that the body fills them in on their own, without costly or painful injections. Keep in mind that the best wrinkle cream will be one that gives you steady results over a long period of time, not one that works just overnight.

The highest rated wrinkle cream in 2014 contains up to 80% active ingredients and is proven to smooth out even the most tenacious wrinkle .

Wrinkle Cream IngredientsOne of the most effective ways to comparison shop and find the best wrinkle cream is to read the ingredients list on the label. Less expensive wrinkle creams will usually have a smaller percentage of anti aging ingredients, older formulas hydrate skin but are unable to boosts collagen production. Stem cells also encourages new cell production, which helps skin look younger.

Another way to ensure that you’re purchasing the best wrinkle cream is to buy one that contains peptides. These chains of amino acids replace lost collagen by sending chemical signals to the body that increases the protein production. Keep in mind that wrinkle creams that contain these ingredients are likely to cost you more.

Wrinkle Cream Side EffectsDon’t forget that even the best wrinkle cream may have some side effects, so it’s best to consult your dermatologist and discuss your medical history before you start to use a treatment. Some side effects that are common with these creams are stinging, temporary redness, peeling at the application site, and itching. Shopping for the best wrinkle cream may seem daunting at first, but when you understand how wrinkles form and which ingredients will best combat them, you’ll be able to treat  them more effectively.

More About Wrinkle CreamsWrinkles are progressive. The longer you wait, the worse things get. And the more difficult it becomes to reverse facial wrinkles. Can wrinkle creams really help smooth out and repair wrinkles? The short answer is yes. Wrinkle creams and other anti aging products, such as serums. have come very far in the last few years. There are many products that are proven to work. But while wrinkle creams offer some in reversing visible signs of aging,  experts caution that there’s no miracle wrinkle cream out there to automatically turn back the clock.

We often hear: “I suffer form deep wrinkles on the face and neck but more specifically around the cheeks, forehead, eyes, mouth and lips.  What what is the best wrinkle cream for my face? What is the top anti wrinkle product in 2013? Which anti aging creams target all signs of aging? Which ingredients in anti wrinkle creams should we avoid? What if I have sensitive skin? What are the highest rated treatments? What are peptides? How do I know which ingredients are effective? More on that later”. First, let’s look at the common causes of facial wrinkles. Wrinkles are caused by a combination of factors – the sun, genetics, diet and facial movements- however, the main culprit is the breakdown of collagen or elastin. A combination of these factors cause wrinkles to appear on the face. You’re probably here because you want to find the top wrinkle cream and use a cream that is proven to achieve good results. A visit to those shelves at your local Macy’s or Sephora or drug store, and you’re guaranteed to feel overwhelmed by the number of wrinkle creams.

We also hear questions like: Which anti aging products really work and which don’t?  Which products are safe? Which products are dangerous? What are the consumer reports and reviews saying? What is a good outcome from an effective anti aging product? How do over the counter wrinkle creams from the drug store compare with prescription anti aging products? What are the top anti aging products dermatologists recommend? Are you looking for instant results or do you want something that repairs the skin for more long term results?

Neutrogena promises “Fade the look of stubborn deep wrinkles, including crow’s feet, forehead & cheek wrinkles” so that “in 4 weeks wrinkles are reduced.” L’oreal claims to “address 3 dimensions that visibly age skin: 1. Fight Wrinkles 2. Re-Firm Contours 3. Replenish Facial Volume” Olay claims to “Reverses the look of up to 10 years of wrinkles”. Roc “combines 3 powerful anti-wrinkle technologies to boost cell regeneration* and to reduce the appearance of even deep wrinkles”. Clinique claims to “Help rebuild elasticity and firmness, helps visibly smooth out “laugh lines”.

Today, dermatologist and skin care experts do not recommend many products marketed as wrinkle creams because of a lack of scientific evidence. In fact, most of these professionals recommend prescription products and very few dermatologists recommend over the counter products. However, there are many proven wrinkle creams available today, and in the last few years there has been significant development in products that can stop breakdown of and replenish collagen or elastin.

Are you looking for a wrinkle cream that has been scientifically tested and really works? Are you looking for a list of the highest rated anti wrinkle creams for both men and women? Do you suffer from deep wrinkles on the forehead, eyes, cheeks and neck and want to know what the best wrinkle cream is? If you have tried various face creams for wrinkles then you probably know most of these facial products are more hype then science. We’re happy to guide you through your search for the best anti wrinkle creams and top anti aging skin care products. With thousands of anti wrinkle products available online and at your local store it really can be daunting task identifying the best wrinkle creams and top anti aging products for the face and neck.

So what is the best wrinkle cream in 2014?

Wrinkle creams: Your guide to younger looking skin

Many wrinkle creams and lotions sold in department stores, in drugstores and on the Internet promise to reduce wrinkles and prevent or reverse damage caused by the sun.

Do they work? That often depends on the specific ingredients and how long you use them. Because these over-the-counter (nonprescription) wrinkle creams aren't classified as drugs, they're not required to undergo scientific research to prove their effectiveness.

If you're looking for a face-lift in a bottle, you probably won't find it in over-the-counter wrinkle creams. The benefits of these products are usually only modest at best.

Common ingredients in anti-wrinkle creams

The effectiveness of anti-wrinkle creams depends in part on the active ingredient or ingredients. Here are some common ingredients that may result in slight to modest improvement in the appearance of wrinkles.

• Retinol. Retinol is a vitamin A compound, the first antioxidant to be widely used in nonprescription wrinkle creams. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals — unstable oxygen molecules that break down skin cells and cause wrinkles.
• Vitamin C. Another potent antioxidant, vitamin C may help protect skin from sun damage. Before and between uses, wrinkle creams containing vitamin C must be stored in a way that protects them from air and sunlight.
• Hydroxy acids. Alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids and poly hydroxy acids are exfoliants — substances that remove the upper layer of old, dead skin and stimulate the growth of smooth, evenly pigmented new skin.
• Coenzyme Q10. This ingredient may help reduce fine wrinkles around the eyes and protect the skin from sun damage.
• Tea extracts. Green, black and oolong tea contain compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea extracts are the ones most commonly found in wrinkle creams.
• Grape seed extract. In addition to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, grape seed extract also promotes wound healing.
• Niacinamide. A potent antioxidant, this substance is related to Vitamin B-3 (niacin). It helps reduce water loss in the skin and may improve skin elasticity.

Nokia XL Review: The Experiment Continues

Nokia XL Review: The Experiment Continues

In our review of the pioneering Nokia X nearly a month ago, we said we were uncertain of the Android-based platform's future. Considering the fact that Microsoft was, at the time, just about to gain complete control over the Finnish phonemaker, it seemed odd that the software giant would embrace something fundamentally dependent on its biggest competitor's work.

Since then, the Microsoft-Nokia acquisition has been finalised, and not only has the Nokia XL been launched, but rumours of an improved second-generation Nokia X line are growing stronger. On the other hand, the Nokia X has received a hefty price cut and is already selling for around 25 percent less than its initial launch price.

Despite its obvious shortcomings, there's definitely a place in the market for the Nokia X, even with strong new competition in the form of the Motorola Moto E. Things aren't quite as clear when it comes to the Nokia XL, a larger and more expensive variation of the X. In terms of features and specifications, the two are almost identical, which means the XL is at a disadvantage in a market already crowded with relatively modern Android and even Windows Phone devices.

The Nokia X line was meant to sit below the Lumias and attract entry-level customers to the Nokia brand, in the hope that they would someday graduate to a more expensive device. However, the XL is more expensive than the Lumia 525 and is just about the same price as the brand new Lumia 630 Dual SIM. Interestingly, while the 630 is a bit more powerful, it doesn't have a front camera, flash, or some of the other niceties that the XL does. We'll examine this curious state of affairs along with our evaluation of the XL on its own merits.

Look and feel
The Nokia XL is a magnified version of the Nokia X in every way. It has exactly the same proportions, lines and angles, and is even available in the same retina-scalding palette of primary colours. The main differences are the addition of a flash on the rear panel and a camera on the front. The only other changes are inconsequentially minor: the 3.5mm headset socket is in the centre of the top edge rather than to one side, and the speaker grille has evolved from a small patch to a long slit.

There's still only a single capacitive button on the front face, and it's still not backlit. The front-facing camera sits next to the Nokia logo, leaving the rest of the front pretty bare. There are no status or charging indicators, but Nokia has included its Glance screen tech which lets you see the time and notification alerts even when the phone is in standby.

The power and volume buttons are on the right side, and the left edge is blank as is the case with most Nokias now. The brightly coloured shell extends around the sides of the phone itself, giving the front face a distinct border, but also adding bulk. Beneath the shell, you'll see the removable battery and slots for two Micro-SIM cards and a microSD card.

The XL is pretty hefty and unwieldy. The hard corners are even more of a problem than they were on the X because you'll need to stretch to reach the corners of the larger screen with your thumbs. At 190g, this phone is noticeably heavier than nearly everything else of its size on the market today.

Construction quality is absolutely top-notch. The Nokia XL's finish is just as good as that of any of the more expensive Lumias. You won't see rough edges or cheap materials anywhere. The white and black variants actually feel pretty premium.

Specifications and features
If you were hoping that Nokia would redefine value at this price point, you'll be disappointed. The Nokia XL is built around a rather arthritic Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play processor; a two year old dual-core model that runs at 1GHz. There's 768MB of RAM; a paltry 256MB improvement over the Nokia X. There's 4GB of internal storage space, of which less than 2GB is available to users. You'll have to buy a microSD card, and at least the XL supports capacities up to 32GB.

The screen measures 5 inches across diagonally, compared to its smaller sibling's 4-inch screen. It doesn't sound like a huge difference, but it is. Sadly, the screen's resolution wasn't scaled up with its size, so it's still the same 800x480 grid, except that it looks a whole lot worse. This works out to 186.6 pixels per inch, which is the lowest density we've seen in a very long time - most phones around this price range and especially this screen size are at least 960x540, if not 1280x720.

Connectivity is adequate - the XL supports 3G data only on the primary SIM, but there's also Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. There are a few sensors - an accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor - but nothing fancy.

The software is identical to that on the Nokia X, which you can read about in great detail here. Android fans will find a lot of familiar sights below the surface and it's all still fairly easy to use, but the Nokia XL is ultimately limited by the underpowered hardware. The single back/home button is also still annoying, as is the somewhat unpredictability of whether you'll end up on the home screen or Nokia's Fastlane screen of notifications and recently used apps. There are also no shortcuts and no dock for frequently used apps such as the phone dialler. Of course you're free to customise the experience and experiment with grafting on the missing parts of the Android experience.

Nokia's excellent Mix Radio and Here maps are complemented by a large number of preloaded apps and games: Bookmyshow, Facebook, Twitter, PicsArt, Plants vs Zombies, Danger Dash, Bejeweled 2, Astro File Manager, Opera, Vine, BBM, WeChat, NewsHunt and Sony Liv, amongst others.

A Cleanup app shows you a list of recently used applications that you can close with a single tap, as well as a display of the amount of RAM currently used. It's nice to have since there's no other way to switch between running apps or close them.

Performance
The Nokia XL performed very slightly better in our tests than its smaller sibling did, which is probably down to the marginal increase in the amount of RAM available. Since all other hardware is the same, there's nothing else we can attribute this result to. That's still not saying much, as both sets of scores are amongst the lowest we have on record.

The interface is quite laggy, but we didn't see quite as many "Please wait" screens as we did on the Nokia X. There still isn't much hope for video playback, though. Even 720p videos were laggy to the point of being unwatchable. Audio was loud enough, but not clear.

We had no problem with call quality, though there was at least one place in which 3G reception dropped out and we were forced to fall back on EDGE even when other phones on the same network were fine. Battery life was extremely disappointing - the Nokia XL lasted just 4 hours, 35 minutes when looping a video, which makes us uncertain whether it can even survive a full day of moderate usage without needing a recharge.

Camera
For all its other shortcomings, the Nokia XL has a fantastic camera. It's almost unbelievable how good our test photos were. In daylight, images were crisp and accurate without any clue that they had been taken with a low-end phone. The camera had a bit of trouble judging exposure levels in tricky scenes with light and dark elements, but other than that the results were fantastic. Low-light shots came out quite well, but the flash was a bit disappointing, and gave photos a somewhat artificial quality.

You can set the contrast, sharpness, saturation, ISO and white balance, and there's also automatic face detection, touch-to-focus, and a few simple colour filters. We were impressed to see options for exposure metering and manual focus control, though these are buried in the settings menu. The front camera is also pretty good, but you have far less control over it.

(Click to see full size)

Photos are taken at 1600x1200 by default, but the resolution can go up to 2592x1944, and there's also a wide aspect ratio 1920x1080 option. Picture quality is set to "superfine" by default, which explains the sharpness and low levels of noise. You can also choose between H.264, H.263 and MPEG4 encoding for videos, for some reason, but videos are recorded at the pointlessly low resolution of 352x288 unless you change this manually.

Verdict
Performance that was just about acceptable from a phone costing Rs. 8,500 is more than disappointing from a phone that costs Rs. 11,500. Not only has Nokia acknowledged that the original X was overpriced, but fresh competition in the form of the Moto E has made it even tougher to recommend. That means the Nokia XL is even worse value right now.

Sure, you get a big screen, but it's comically low-resolution and there's no advantage to it whatsoever unless you really love the Nokia X platform and have poor eyesight or extremely large fingers. The flash and front camera are also nice to have, but definitely not worth the premium.

Despite all its charms, we cannot recommend the Nokia XL, simply because there are far better phones at its price in the market today - one of which is Nokia's own Lumia 630. In a battle between the two, the XL would have the better cameras and potential compatibility with Android apps, but the Lumia 630 would tie or win on pretty much every other count, including performance, battery life, screen quality, construction quality, ease of use, practicality, and weight.

On the Android side of the fence, the Moto E is cheaper and the Moto G is only slightly more expensive. There's also the Lenovo S660, Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2, Sony Xperia E1 and HTC Desire 210, plus a whole raft of choices from Indian brands.

The Nokia XL's only saving grace is that some people value large screens above everything else. We expect a hefty price cut down the line, so even if you're tempted now, we'd suggest holding off.