Health Canada To Add Anti-Cancer Drugs To Junk Food

Health Canada To Add Anti-Cancer Drugs To Junk Food

National Post

December 21, 2009

Health Canada is proposing an unorthodox way of combatting a food ingredient suspected in some cancers: It wants to let manufacturers put small amounts of a cancer-fighting drug into potato chips and similar foods to curb production of the harmful chemical.

Ever since acrylamide was discovered seven years ago in such foods as french fries and chips cooked at high temperatures, scientists have struggled for a way to get it out. The chemical is not added deliberately; it is an unintentional byproduct of cooking.

Though the evidence is far from definitive, acrylamide has been connected to cancer in animals and possibly people.

As a partial answer, Health Canada is suggesting removing the requirement for a prescription to administer the enzyme asparaginase, except when it is injected into leukemia patients as a treatment.

That way, food companies could include small amounts of the drug in their products, the department says in a “notice of intent” document published on Saturday. Evidence suggests that asparaginase lessens the production of acrylamide by as much as 90%.

The enzyme is destroyed in cooking so would have no impact on people consuming the food, said Varoujan Yaylayan, associate professor with McGill University’s food-science department.

“It has been used quite effectively on an experimental basis,” he said. “It appears to work.”

The acrylamide issue has preoccupied food manufacturers as they brace for the possibility of regulations that could limit levels of the chemical or ban it outright. California actually sued french fry and chip makers over the question, with several agreeing last year to reduce the volume of acrylamide in their goods.

“It’s been a big, big problem,” Prof. Yaylayan said. “Not so much in the public eye, but behind doors, the companies keep having meetings, having scientific symposia and seminars. I have attended many of them, here, in the U.S., in Europe.”

Manufacturers “fully support” the move suggested by Health Canada, Derek Nighbor of Food and Consumer Products of Canada said in a statement provided by the industry group yesterday.

Health Canada is accepting feedback on the idea for 75 days, and could implement it in six to eight months, the government document said.

Swedish scientists discovered in 2002 that acrylamide, used in making various industrial and consumer products, also occurred in foods ranging from breakfast cereals to bread cooked at over 120-degrees celsius. A by-product of heating certain sugars, levels are particularly elevated in carbohydrate-heavy food heated to high temperatures like chips and fries.

Tests have found that consuming the chemical increases the risk of some cancer in rodents. Evidence of its effect on humans who eat it in food is less clear, though, with some research linking it to cancer but most studies finding that the levels people eat would have no carcinogenic effect, said Lorelei Mucci, a Harvard medical school assistant professor who studies the issue.

In fact, Dr. Mucci questions devoting much energy or money to the substance.

Volumes of the chemical can be reduced by cooking at lower temperatures or soaking the product in water first to extract some sugar, but such techniques can affect the pleasant odour, crispiness or colour of some food.

Asparaginase is injected in leukemia patients, where it breaks down asparagine, an amino acid, killing the cancer cells. When it is applied to potatoes or other food before cooking, it similarly reduces the amount of asparagine, the key ingredient in the inadvertent production of acrylamide.

The “downstream effects” of using asparaginase to counter the chemical in food should be studied carefully, advised Dr. Mucci.

 

[Via http://noworldsystem.com]

Toronto Airport With "Worst" Delays

In the immediate aftermath of the failed terrorist bombing of Flight 253 in the United States, heavy security has plagued air travel wait times all over the world. And according to the Globe and Mail, Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International is among the absolute worst in the world, say many airline industry analysts.

Of course one needs to take into account several factors here. Toronto is a major international hub for travel, particularly as stopovers en route to the United States. Canada also has the most scheduled flights to the U.S. than any other country in the world, unsurprisingly, but it’s still caused enough chaos that police forces have had to be called in to deal with the volume.

But while some other Canadian airports have managed to deal with the problems, Toronto is struggling.

“There are some Canadian airports operating very well. Vancouver is doing well. Calgary seems to have turned around … most of the pressure right now is definitely focused on Toronto,” said Ken Dunlap, director of security in North America for the IATA. “We’re satisfied that every stone has been turned over to remedy the situation at Canadian airports.”

Although it isn’t mentioned in any articles that I can think of, do you think that this little get-together might have anything at all to do with the extra delays?

Close to 17,000 Muslims came to Metro Toronto’s Convention Centre on Friday – Christmas Day – to learn about their religion and being a Muslim in a modern world.

They heard from Islamic scholars, prayed, visited with family and friends and shopped in a bazaar that offered up a variety of wares, including hand-embroidered shawls, books, T-shirts, hijabs for both women and children, jewellery and hijab pins.

It was all part of a three-day convention “Reviving the Islamic Spirit,” an annual conference with its roots in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack. It is designed, organizers say, as a way to help young Muslims understand their faith in a North American context.

A three-day convention, which means that if you do the math, most would be trying to leave Toronto yesterday and today. Or is that merely an inconvenient coincidence?

[Via http://unambig.wordpress.com]

Five, four, three, two, one...two, three, four, five

For many years, I’ve poo-pooed the act of New Year’s resolution-making. I could care less about New Year’s, which means I generally avoid New Year’s-y nonsense, including the year-end traditions, the-year-in-review newspaper articles and those infernal top-ten-lists, and, of course, New Year’s Eve parties, especially ones involving hollered countdowns, midnight kisses (tongue or no tongue, slobber or no slobber) and off-key renditions of Auld Lang Syne. Which means all of them.

Call me a killjoy if you must. In my books, New Year’s is a big disappointment — always has been, always will be. I’m an optimistic, I swear, but New Year’s never fails to let me down. The clock strikes twelve, and what have you got? The same neuroses. The same regrets. The same flab in the same conspicuous places. The same crippling fear of failure that, instead of motivating you to succeed, sucks you into that self-loathing, procrastinating vortex of definitely-soon-but-not-until-I’ve-cleaned-the-toilet-napped-and-watched-Glee. Same same same. BLAH.

Ain’t no pyrotechnics display, Self-Improvement-Vow or wet smooch with Uncle Frank gonna change a thang. At least, no more than ANY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR.

New Year’s resolutions are, as a rule, a risky business. The chances of success are (unlike me) extremely slim. Old habits die hard. You stand at the edge of a cliff as the clock ticks and tocks its way towards twelve. You resolve to fly in 2010. Reason tells you that, as soon as you jump, you’ll go KERSPLAT at the bottom of the ravine. But you’re full of boozified optimism. The Schnappsy stars are twinkling in your eyes. So when the clock strikes, you jump, because hey, maybe this year will be different. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll sprout wings.

And then you go KERSPLAT at the b0ttom of the ravine.

Why do we torture ourselves this way, year after year after year? Humans are screwy. This constantly amazes me.

Here’s the funny thing. I’m not anti-resolution because I’ve failed. I’m anti-resolution because I’ve succeeded. It’s true! I know, I’ve just said the chances of success are (unlike me) extremely slim. But I managed to pull it off. ONCE. When I was a foolish, maudlin twentysomething, I smoked. Cigarettes. Gobs and gobs and gobs of them. AND I LOVED IT. But I gave it up cold turkey on Dec. 31, 1999, at the age of 21. And I haven’t once looked back.

*pats herself on the back*

The fact I’ve actually kept one resolution is the perfect excuse never to make one again. One, because I don’t want to spoil my perfect record. Two, because given the fact the chances of success are (unlike me) extremely slim, I am more than 100% sure to fail in future. I’ve used up all my luck.

Where am I going with this, you ask. Good question.

Well. If I were to make a New Year’s resolution for 2010, which I am not going to do, for reasons explained above, it would be this: to stay in each yoga posture for five breaths. This is the ashtanga tradition, and although it sounds easy, I personally find it damn near impossible. Deceptively simple. I’m a rusher, you see. A hurrier. I know I should spend five full breaths in each pose. But theory and practice rarely get along. I tend to cheat a little, when I count. I take short breaths. And/or I move on the fifth breath, which means I’m really only in the pose for four breaths. Which means I’m really only giving it 80%.

Am I impatient? Yes. Am I results-driven? Yes. Am I lazy? Yes yes yes.

According to one of my yoga teachers, ashtangis are famous for their ability to do anything BUT hold a posture.

In the words of my wannabe-ghetto Boulder hairstylist, “true that.”

To sum. I’m not going to make a resolution for 2010. I’m not going to promise to fix my hurry-hurry-ashtangi problem the second the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve. All I can do is try to try. And accept that, despite my best efforts at slowing down, at staying present, at counting to five over and over and over, I’ll likely to go KERSPLAT at the bottom of the yoga ravine – especially in home practice, when no one is counting breaths except me.

[Via http://poseprose.wordpress.com]

Demand grows for Khadr's return

As people across Canada rallied in support for Omar Khadr, the Supreme Court of Canada began proceedings to decide whether the Harper government must seek the Canadian citizen’s return.

Toronto-born Khadr was arrested when he was just 15 by the U.S. army in Afghanistan in 2002, after allegedly throwing a grenade that killed an American soldier. Since then, he’s been held in Guantanamo Bay without trial.

The Canadian government under Harper has so far refused to seek repatriation for the now 23-year-old Khadr, despite a 2008 Federal Court ruling calling for exactly that, and instead went to the top at the Supreme Court. That court could uphold the decision of the Court of Appeals though, forcing the government to comply with its ruling.

Edmonton-based Dennis Edney, Khadr’s lawyer, said he hopes the Supreme Court will rule in Khadr’s favour. Such a decision would effectively force the government ask the Americans for Khadr’s safe return.

“They’d have to abide by the constitution, or we’d have an illegal government,” said Edney  when asked if he thought Harper would contravene such a ruling. “It’s just a simple matter of a ruling from our court.”

“Our government knows, as the rest of the world knows, that Guantanamo Bay has been universally criticized for its treatment of detainees,” he added.

U.S. authorities announced Nov. 13 that Khadr would be facing a military commission for his alleged crimes, the same day Supreme Court hearings on the case began in Ottawa.

“The military commission process has been condemned as a kangaroo court. It’s not a proper process,” Edney said about the development.

Closer to home, about 250 people rallied on Nov. 15 at Edmonton’s Churchill Square, calling for Khadr’s immediate return and criticizing what they see as the government’s abandonment of one of its own citizens.

“Canada is supposed to be the place where we defend and protect human rights, and we have a reputation world wide for that,” said Tonia Huculak, one of the organizers of the rally. “We want him to come back to Canada.”

Amnesty International, one of the sponsors of the Edmonton rally, has documented Khadr’s torture while being held by U.S. military in the notorious prison camp.

The fact that Khadr is a Canadian citizen is an important part of this case for Rodrigo Loyola, 35, who attended the rally with his five-year-old son, Daniel.

“For me, it was very important to attend the rally, because Omar Khadr’s situation could be any Canadian citizen,” Loyola said.

Protesters also criticized the government’s apparent willingness to allow Khadr to be tried in a military court in the U.S., arguing he won’t be given a fair trial.

“I’m very concerned about a Canadian citizen having to go through a military tribunal in the United States,” Loyola said. “It sets precedent.”

“Even if you don’t want to defend Omar, you have to defend your vision of what Canada is,” Huculak said. “If you can’t protect human rights in Canada, where can you protect them?”

Many of  Khadr’s supporters argue that since he was a child when he was detained, he should be treated as a child soldier and reintegrated back into Canadian society.

“Omar has always been treated as an adult, despite the convention on the rights of the child,” Edney said.

Others have called for Khadr to be returned to Canada and tried in a civilian court. But that’s not likely to happen if Khadr returns, according to Edney.

“The truth of the matter is Canada would never try him, because we’d have him out of our court system in two minutes,”  he said, in reference to Khadr’s age at the time of his arrest. “Canada knows that.”

A Jan. 2009 Ipsos-Reid poll indicated that two-thirds of Canadians want Khadr returned home to Canada. Edney said Khadr is aware of the Canadians rallying in his support.

“He says to me that if he ever got out of Guantanamo, he looks forward to thanking all those people who helped him,” Edney said. “Think about that. He’s thinking about others instead of himself.”

This article was originally published in the winter 2009 issue of The MacEwan Journalist.

[Via http://mariamibrahim.wordpress.com]

See Santa's Travels With NORAD!

If you wanted to track the location of Father Christmas tonight, you have only to look on NORAD’s site, accessible in 7 languages.

The tradition started in 1955 when NORAD was called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) and a Sears advertisement printed Santa’s hotline into CONAD’s instead of Santa!

Colonel Harry Shoup, a commander, decided to have his staff find out where Santa was to so they could pass along the information to the kids.

Nowadays, volunteers help the center by taking phone calls and e-mails from kids. But if you really want to know what’s going on with Santa, all you need is a computer. Thanks to the Internet now, you can track him yourself online through NORAD’s site.

NORAD is made possible by Google Earth so have fun tracking and Merry Christmas!

[Via http://yvesonvictoria.wordpress.com]

Newsline: Canada starts issuing visas for Czechs in Prague

Canada has started issuing tourist visas at its embassy in Prague, as a result of which the Czechs travelling to Canada will no longer have to apply for visas via Vienna. The visa department is being opened in Prague almost half a year after the reintroduction of visas for Czechs by Canada in mid-July. Canada reimposed visa requirements on Czechs on July 14 because a high number of Czech citizens, mainly Romanies, applied for asylum after arriving in Canada. In Prague, Ottawa’s decision caused displeasure. The Czech Republic will continue calling on other EU countries to help it press on Canada that reintroduced visas for Czechs even after Canada opens a visa office in Prague. Canada has not stated so far when the visa would be lifted. The EU has threatened to introduce visas for Canadian diplomats unless Canada facilitates the issuing of visas for Czech citizens and sets clear conditions for the renewal of visa-free relations. Brussels set the end of 2009 as a deadline for Ottawa in this respect.

http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/canada-starts-issuing-visas-for-czechs-in-prague/413095

[Via http://diplomaticbriefing.wordpress.com]

Laugh Rebel... @ Cosmic Dave's

Had a shoot with Jen Plummer & Jen Courchesne of Laugh Rebel.  They arranged a location shoot at Cosmic Dave’s guitar shop & studio in Sudbury, Ontario.  And what a location it was!  A converted diner, with much of the original decor still intact…Worth a visit if you ever are in Sudbury.

Here are a few of my favourites:

[Via http://shawnmoreton.wordpress.com]

focus on: aritzia.

inn 1984 brian hill opened the first aritzia boutique inside the reputable hill’s of kerrisdale department store on the west side of vancouver.

the store’s have an indie vibe; however, the stores are modelled after the cities they reside in drawing a parallel between the stores and the customers who shop in them.

no two boutiques are alike.

a strain of creativity runs through the heart of every aritzia store, ”they are sponsor to FUSE at the vancouver art gallery, and play indie and electronica tracks. artists such as amy winehouse, patti smith, stars, bat for lashes, simian mobile disco, peter, bjorn and john, lily allen, justice, daft punk, mgmt, bloc party, vampire weekend, santogold, crystal castles, team canada and m.i.a.. can often be heard in their stores.” (wikipedia)

unfortunately, because they change their stores to match the culture in their residin cities, much of the initial vancouver heritage is lost. when aritzia opened up in toronto, the stores, and it’s concept, became very mainstream.

it was no longer an indie company from vancouver, it was now a mainstream conglomerate for the mass consumption.

in my first year of university i noticed girls wearing TNA and talula – none of which were girls who would ever be into the stores out in vancouver – or the indie culture that goes along with the companies mantra.

how is it that the branding and mantra behind aritzia has become lost?

regardless, aritzia has made a name for itself, as celebrities all over the world are now wearing the brands, which have become synonymous with this canadian company.

initially i hated this company and everything it stood for; however, after doing some research into the companies history and it’s branding i’ve now become more aware of the company and what it stands for.

aritzia is a green company, “[it] claims it has a commitment to sustainability. their stores use low energy lighting, earth-friendly paint and wood-free shopping bags.” (wikipedia)

check out aritzia’s website here.

as of lately aritzia has even been features on MTV’s peak season – as characters elle and amanda rock their TNA hoodie’s.

although its hard to see an indie company go mainstream – it’s also really nice to finally see a canadian company prosper.

[Via http://thenightlyspoon.wordpress.com]

Siddiqui: Harper acting like an elected dictator

When Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Jean Chrétien were in power, conservative commentators used to complain that both tended to be dictatorial, courtesy of our parliamentary system that made the prime minister too powerful, more so in some respects than the president of the United States.

Where are those pundits when we really need them? Stephen Harper is centralizing power in the PMO on an unprecedented scale; defying Parliament (by refusing to comply with a Commons vote demanding the files on Afghan prisoner abuse); derailing public inquiries (by a parliamentary committee and the Military Police Complaints Commission); muzzling/firing civil servants; demonizing critics; and dragging the military into the line of partisan political fire.

“When you add up all that this government has done, it’s truly scary,” says Gar Pardy, former head of the foreign ministry’s consular services. He’s the one who organized the petition that defended diplomat Richard Colvin from Tory mudslinging, and which has been signed by 133 retired ambassadors.

The extent of Harper’s misuse of power becomes clearer when you realize that the Conservatives are replicating some of the worst practices of the Republicans under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney:

Consolidating executive power; eviscerating the legislative branch; operating under extreme secrecy (by keeping an iron grip on information, through endless court challenges and censoring/redacting documents); riding the coattails of the military and questioning the patriotism of political opponents; and forcing out public servants who refused to fall in line.

Count the heads that have rolled in Ottawa:

Peter Tinsley, chair of the military police commission, who initiated the Afghan prison abuse probe – refused a second term.

Paul Kennedy, chair of the Complaints Commission for the RCMP, who criticized the use of Tasers – refused a second term.

Linda Keen, nuclear watchdog, who insisted on safety at Chalk River – fired.

Kevin Page, parliamentary budget watchdog, who rattled the Tories with several revelations – rendered ineffective with a cut of $1 million from his $2.8 million budget.

Marc Mayrand, chief electoral officer, who probed Tory election spending – publicly attacked.

Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who dared criticize both the U.S. and Israel – refused support for a second term and publicly rebuked.

Jean-Guy Fleury, chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board, who opposed the Tory politicization of appointments to the tribunal – frustrated into quitting.

Similarly, groups that won’t toe the Tory line are being penalized.

The Canadian Arab Federation lost funding after its chair attacked Ottawa’s pro-Israeli policies. Now the same fate has befallen KAIROS, a Christian aid group, for “taking a leadership role in the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign” against Israel, boasts Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, the designated Tory bulldog in charge of attacking real or perceived enemies.

Ottawa is rife with rumour of another scandal in the making: Harper asking Governor General Michaëlle Jean to prorogue Parliament, yet again, this time during the Winter Olympics (ending Feb. 28) and perhaps also the Paralympics (ending March 21).

She should flat-out refuse and not repeat her mistake from a year ago, when she got rolled by him. At that fateful meeting, she should not have let Kevin Lynch, clerk of the Privy Council, into the room. Get-togethers between the governor general and the prime minister are privileged.

She also should not have shuttled between Harper and a team of constitutional advisers she had assembled. Instead, she should have taken his request under advisement and sent him off, and summoned Stéphane Dion and perhaps also Jack Layton to brief her on their coalition agreement.

That way, she would’ve had more choices:

Advise the Prime Minister to seek a vote of confidence. Or, if he felt he didn’t have it, to ask if someone else on his front benches might. Failing both, turn to the opposition to demonstrate that they could muster the confidence of the House, as claimed.

Jean failed in her duties by deciding the fate of the government behind closed doors, rather than in an open democratic process by the elected representatives of the people.

A governor general is not obliged to take the prime minister’s advice, only that which she deems appropriate to our parliamentary system. What Jean saw as appropriate last year wasn’t. Each passing day proves it.

Haroon Siddiqui writes Thursdays and Sundays. hsiddiqui@thestar.ca

[Via http://rogerhollander.wordpress.com]

Ten tallest towers in the world

In Malay Language : Sepuluh menara tertinggi di dunia

Top ten tallest towers of the world

1. CN Towers Canada, 553m – 1976
2. Ostankino TV Tower Russia, 540m 1967
3. Oriental Pearl Tower China, 467m 1994
4. Borg-E-Milad Iran, 435m 2003
5. Menara KL Malaysia, 421m 1995
6. Tianjin Radio TV Tower China, 415m 1991
7. Central Radio TV Tower China,386.5m 1992
8. Kiev TV Tower Ukraine,385m 1973
9. Taschkent tower Uzbekistan,374.9m 1985
10. Liberation Tower Kuwait,372m 1996

Kuala Lumpur Tower / Menara Kuala Lumpur / The KL Tower

In all of the we have visited Menara KL Malaysia in 2005. It was an amazing experience. My uncle came from India to see my son. We went there with few of my friends.

Other name for this building are

• The Kuala Lumpur Tower
• The Menara Kuala Lumpur
• The KL Tower

An antenna  placed at the top of the building for communication purposes. This KL tower is the fifth tallest freestanding tower in the world. The roof of the pod is at 335 m .

The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant (bit costly – but once we have to try this restaurant), providing diners a beautiful view of the city.

Architect: Kumpulan Senireka Sdn. Bhd.

[Via http://webalfee.wordpress.com]

Selling fridge to an Eskimo is becoming a reality

It used to be a truism that to be the best salesman in the world, one has to be able to sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo living at the Arctic.

It sounded more like a joke than a challenge to a salesman worth his salt for in reality, how could a fridge sale be consummated at the Arctic region, especially to the Inuits, the indigenous people of Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia, when it is, perhaps, the last thing that they need.

With permafrost practically all over the area, all the Inuits have to do is dig a hole to store their food and cover it back with ice so their provisions do not go bad prematurely.

But, with the issue of global warming hotly contested now, indeed, it may be highly probable these days that a salesman can close a deal with an Inuit by being able to persuade him to buy a unit of a cooling or a freezing appliance such as a refrigerator.

Climate change in the Arctic is considerably affecting communities and, thus, the lifestyle of the Inuits. Their hunting culture has been altered and so are the ways to store the meat of the Arctic species they hunt for food, like seals, polar bears, whales and the caribous.

In fact the Inuit communities are said to be appealing for funds to build communal deep freezers as an alternative to the fast melting ice cap.

The ice is no longer thick and safe as before that the Inuits have to find other ways to store their meat. Some of their villages are literally falling into the seas because of erosion as a result of global warming.

There is greater apprehension especially that the ice cap is melting much faster now. It has raised ocean levels and  thinned the winter ice and in the process is threatening the Inuit’s existence.

Unless the U.N. talks in the Danish capital of Copenhagen on a new global climate deal is being agreed upon  by the 190 governments attending it, could we be seeing pretty soon a proliferation of refrigerators being sold at the Arctic?

[Via http://quierosaber.wordpress.com]

O Canada

On my short NW wish list: seeing a Wild game in Vancouver. Time it took to get around to it: less than 2 weeks!

A old friend from school – like junior high old skool – invited me to go. My friend Karlie lives in Bellingham (about 1.5 hours north of Seattle) and invited me to go. We:

• did the border-crossing thing – knew I renewed that passport for some reason
• stayed at the Vancouver Marriott – which was gorgeous and I was seriously thinking about stealing the bed
• almost got run over by some crazy motorcade
• did some sweet shopping – if you ever need some Canadian-themed clothing, check this out
• saw some crazy Olympic preparations

The Wild lost, but it wasn’t a blow-out. As much as I feel like a sissy, I dressed in team-neural clothing. Glad I did, as those crazy Canadians are a tad more aggressive than Minnesotans…which I was surprised to discover…thought they were a gentle folk.

In the good words of Forrest Gump, “that’s all I have to say about that.” Here are the pics:

View from the Vancouver Marriott

Hmmm...wonder who they were transporting....

GM Arena

Game

Me n Karlie

Up next: job

[Via http://rubbishbot.wordpress.com]

Canada 2009

Bog Flora, Jasper National Park, Alberta

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Dry Pond, Jasper National Park, Alberta

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Moonrise, Banff National Park, Alberta

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Lake Waterton, Alberta

[Via http://delislephotos.wordpress.com]

Edmonton breaks weather record for coldest December 13

Edmonton breaks weather record for coldest December 13

National Post

Posted: December 13, 2009, 3:38 PM

By Scott Maniquet

Sunday marked the coldest Dec. 13 in Edmonton’s history.

Environment Canada recorded a frigid -46.1 C, or -58.4 with wind chill, at the Edmonton International Airport at 5 a.m., Environment Canada meteorologist Pierre Lessard said.

The old record of -36.1 C was set last year, he said.

“To break a temperature by 10 degrees is very exceptional,” said Lessard.

A ridge of frigid Arctic air has hit all the prairie provinces this weekend, causing record-low temperatures in many parts of northern Alberta, Lessard said.

“Temperatures are very cold over Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There are some places more windy than the others, especially northern Saskatchewan and the north half of Manitoba are very cold,” he said.

But Arctic winds are normal in the winter and should pass through by the middle of this week, Lessard said.

Some flights scheduled to land at the Edmonton International Airport late Saturday night and early Sunday morning were diverted to Calgary because of the severe temperatures, said Edmonton International Airport spokeswoman Traci Bednard.

There were some delays and a couple of cancellations for flights departing Edmonton as well on Sunday morning because of the cold, she said.

“Different airlines and aircrafts have different operating limits,” Bednard said.

Canwest News Service

photo: Pedestrians brave the frigid weather as trees are coated with ice fog on Dec. 13, 2009. (Ed Kaiser/Canwest News Service)

Source

[Via http://globalfreeze.wordpress.com]

Green products will be showcased at Landscape Ontario's Congress 2010

The landscaping industry has experienced tremendous growth for many years, providing several economic benefits to society, especially with regards to employment.  However, the industry provides many other social benefits beyond the economic measurement such as environmental, community pride, lifestyle, tourism and recreation.

The landscaping industry is currently positioned for continued future growth because of the many social trends that are occurring such as aging baby boomers interested in garden and garden-related activities during retirement, the return of staycations and the rising concern for the environment. Therefore, moving forward, the landscape industry is fostering strategic alliances with other business professionals to act on these social trends and work towards professional development.

At Congress 2010, a three-day horticultural, lawn and garden tradeshow taking place Jan. 12-14 at the Toronto Congress Centre, Landscape Ontario is partnering with the Ontario Parks Association, Communities in Bloom – Ontario and the Canadian Fence Industry Association as well as the aquatic leisure industry as a means of creating a one-stop buying and networking experience for business professionals.

Landscape Ontario’s Congress 2010 attracts more than 500 exhibitors, many of whom will be showcasing new and green products. Congress 2010 is Canada’s largest horticultural, lawn and garden tradeshow and conference.

The Ontario Parks Association will be running their annual Explorations 2010 trade show in conjunction with Congress 2010.  The 17th annual parks, grounds and recreation facilities trade show is dedicated to showcasing products and services related to parks and green spaces sectors.

Written by Exhibit City News Wednesday December 09, 2009  Read More

[Via http://shopforexhibits.wordpress.com]

Canada Beats Around the Bush at Delegation Meeting

Every morning there are meetings where Canadians are able to meet with Michael Martin, Canada’s Lead Negotiator at COP15. Today Tyler, Sylvie and Emily from UWSP attended this meeting in order to get some more insight as to what is going on with Canada and why we aren’t saying anything. Our goal was to hear first hand why the government of Canada is not speaking up and what their plans are in terms of meeting commitments.

The meeting today was similar to most meetings that occur with our government – UNANSWERED AND OPEN-ENDED. Many questions were asked from a variety of youth and press. The youth put pressure on the government, but in all cases they were ignored with the annoying use of jargon coming from Mr. Martin. A key question that was asked was: Are Canada’s Current Targets Good Enough? [In regards to the melting of the ice caps and 2050]. Michael Martin answered – or didn’t answer – with a vague statement by saying, “I am not a scientist.” He went on to say that there are a group of scientists that provide recommendations to the delegation and give them the “scientific facts”, but would not answer the question whether or not Canada’s targets will have a negative effect on the earth by 2050. Caroline, a CYD delegate then attempted a different strategy by asking what the scientists have to say about our emission targets. He avoided the question by using governmental jargon. Mike Martin continued to say that it isn’t OUR problem, it is the global community’s problem. He repeatedly stated that Canada will step up only if other countries [AKA the United States] also start making decisions. It is obvious that Canada is not a leader and we as the youth at this COP are embarrassed by Canada’s lack of positive actions.

There are podcasts available so that you can hear what Michael Martin has to say. These will be posted shortly on the Canadian Youth Delegation website, http://cydcopenhagen.org/?cat=5 There are previous podcasts from the week which are also available on this website.

[Via http://uwsp.wordpress.com]

Just a little intro :)

Hey guys!

My name’s Britney and I’m a Canadian Gal currently attending University. I loveee creating things and have a slight addiction to the internet so I thought hey! Making a blog sounds perfect for me!

I have soo many different interests so I decided instead of focusing on just one subject I’d love to do a variety of different subjects all the way from self-help articles to crafts to celeb updates! I also  love meeting new people so if you drop by and like what you see, feel free to send me a comment or message, I’d be happy to say hi!

I also have two different Youtube channels (making videos is another one of my passions lol). The first one is “thelittlestmonkey77″ which is were I post all my fun/ creative videos and “beautifulpaperflower” where I post my vlogs and some videos on depression and anxiety help! Feel free to check em out!

Thanks so much for dropping by! If you have any suggestions on some topics you’d like to see me post, go for it!

Have an amazing day guys! Love ya! *kisses*

[Via http://beautifulpaperflower.wordpress.com]

First Snowfall

The first snow is always exciting.  This is our first snow in Sutton, Ontario.  This is our front lawn, and I hope to do another version of the back.  The Briars is next door and there are a lot of opportunity to capture snowscapes near lake Simcoe.  It’s not even winter yet, but there will be plenty of opportunities to capture the snow in Ontario.

[Via http://donarsketch.wordpress.com]

Found: Digital Camera at Christie Pits

In the spirit of the season and also becauseI am an honest person, I am posting to find out how effective the internet is.

I found a camera on the ground at Christie Pits.  It was a cold day full of walking around in the cold, hungry and then there was this black holster that I thought would be empty.  Now, I have lost a camera before in Berlin.  I am pretty analog regarding, camera-wise, and my camera had a whole roll of my brief stay in Hamburg and Berlin until the time of said camera loss.

If you know anyone who is in town, on an American-Canadian tour, of Asian descent (as seen in the photos in camera’s memory), please let me know.

If you recognize the dog above and name a couple of cities that you visited and recorded digitally, please let me know.

[Via http://urbanpeanut.wordpress.com]

A serious warning for Quebec's Premier Jean Charest too.

 

It is not just what you do that next can haunt you, but also what you had wrongfully failed to do as well. Things can change rapidly for the worse as well now.. Many, many people falsely still do think that bad things happen only to the others and will not happen to them next as well. The federal Liberals had in the past failed to adequately deal with the issues of adequate law and order and paid a big, big price for it, and who is next now?

The pot calling the Kettle Black. The new federal consumer government being concerned about Consumer protection, only when it suits them undeniably certainly has not done anything about the  undeniable false misleading advertisements by Rogers, TELUS and Bell  or the bad RCMP for that matter or the two tier health care system with have in Canada.. Nor have the Liberals   Health Minister pushing for consumer protection  Toronto Sun -  OTTAWA – Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is turning up the heat in her battle to reform Canada’s consumer protection law, accusing senators of siding with industry over consumers.

[Via http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com]

Harbour Centre

This last week the good folks at Harbour Center in Vancouver, BC gave me roof level access to shoot some panoramic photography. Now… let me start off by saying I AM SCARED TO DEATH OF HEIGHTS… but this isn’t the first time I have attempted to conquer my fear and go some place ridiculous to get a good shot.

This shot was taken from the roof of the building. I used a 400 mm lens, so the full height of the tower isn’f fully appreciated in this shot, but the view and unobstructed access over the tops of many other buildings is what makes this shot work.

Harbour Centre - Man what a view !

Vancouver really is a beautiful city. The people are great, the country is fantastic and there is some absolutely beautiful scenery to take in while there. As always, comments on my work are SINCERELY appreciated.

[Via http://facesplacesandthings.info]

Father Jacques Marquette

By Bill Federer

Father Jacques Marquette arrived in Quebec from France to be a missionary among the Indians. Governor Frontenac commissioned him to explore the unknown Mississippi River. In 1673, he traveled with explorer Louis Joliette by canoe from Lake Michigan, across Green Bay, up Fox River to the Wisconsin River and down to the Mississippi, where they floated as far as the Arkansas River, deciding not to go further for fear of Spaniards. On their return trip up the Illinois River, Father Marquette founded a mission among the Illinois Indians. Caught by the winter weather on DECEMBER 4, 1674, Father Marquette and two companions erected a rough log cabin near the shore of Lake Michigan. The settlement would afterwards grow into the city of Chicago. In an account written by Father Dablon of the Society of Jesus, 1678, Marquette met with over 500 chiefs and “explained to them the principal mysteries of our religion, and the end for which he had come to their country; and especially he preached to them Christ crucified, for it was the very eve of the great day on which he died on the cross for them.” In 1895, the State of Wisconsin placed a statue of Father Jacques Marquette in the U.S. Capitol Statuary Hall.

www.AmericanMinute.com

[Via http://papundits.wordpress.com]

My Stance on Exotic Animals

Okay, you might have noticed that in my bloglist, I’ve posted some links to some sites that are all about exotic animals.  About a year ago, I accidentally came across an article that was against exotic ownership.  After reading it, I was intrigued by the issue and decided that if I was going to properly understand it and come to my own conclusion as to what my opinion on it would be, I needed to find some pro-exotics articles.  After a fair amount of searching and reading through of negative articles, I managed to find some positive information, which then led me to more positive information.  Although all of those articles contributed to my decision to work towards eventually owning one or more exotics, a youtube video is what really tipped the scales for me.  It is called ‘Exotic Animal Owners Under Attack’ and it is a slideshow of images of exotic animals and their people interacting, put together by REXANO, the organisation of REsponsible EXotic ANimal Owners.  Here it is;

How can you not be convinced that exotic animals can make great pets after that?  Notice that I used the word ‘can’ because exotic animals are not for everybody, just like domestic cats, dogs, and horses, respectively, aren’t forerybody. 

I could go on and on stating my opinions on this subject and explaining why what a lot of animal activists say is wrong but I’ll try to not make this too long.  First of all, I want to confront the whole “they should be in the wild, they’ll be happier there” thing. 

1) There is very little wild left because of humans.  Oh sure, there are humongous nature reserves, but as those are surrounded by a fence, any animals that reside there are technically in captivitty.

2) In the ‘wild’ the typical life of an animal consists of; not always knowing if it’ll have enough food, living in constant fear of predators/rivals, and eventually dying a very painful death due to starvation, disease, or being ripped to pieces by predators or rival carnivores.  Compare that to living in something that protects from the elements (whether that be a house or a constructed den in an enclosure), being guaranteed food regularly, getting vaccinated and therefore protected from the majority of diseases they would encounter in the ‘wild’, having a large enclosure to run and play in, and last but not least, being loved on and spoiled by their human family.

Now, you might be shaking your head at the computer screen going ‘no, that’s not how it is, exotic animals are alway kept in horrible conditions and spend their life angry.’  Unfortunately, the only times you’ve probably heard about exotic animals being kept is when they’re being abused, neglected, or have attacked somebody.  That is for two reasons; because animal rights activists want you to see only the bad stuff, and/or the media only shows you things that are considered ‘news’.

When I first got into researching exotics, I was most interested in tigers.  Now through being at exoticcatz.com, I know that I will be getting a serval first and possibly own a slightly larger cat like a lynx or cougar before finally getting a lion or tiger.  I’m also starting to like the idea of a lion a bit more partly due to hearing about others’ experiences with them and partly because of the work of Kevin Richardson (whom I will probably post about in the future).  Other exotics that I would like to eventually own at one point or another are;

a wolf or wolfdog

a kangaroo

an arctic fox

a jackal

a hyena

a bear

a peacock

a deer

a wallaby

and probably quite a few others I will decide that I would like.

Although there are other things I would like to discuss on this topic, I’ll leave them for another post.

And here is yet another quote from “How to be a Canadian”  They are actually two different sentences; one on being a newfoundlander, and one on being a quebecker, that are linked.

“Nefoundlanders rank-far and away- as having the most sex of any Canadians…Newfoundlanders are also the friendliest people in Canada.  Of course they’re friendly.  They want to have sex with you….The Quebecois are among the friendliest people in Canada outside of Newfoundland.  And yes, their motives are probably the same.”

[Via http://dainesmusings.wordpress.com]

Bail reform bill C-464

From CBC,

“Kate and David Bagby, who live in California, joined Avalon MP Scott Andrews in his riding just outside St. John’s Friday to bring attention to proposed Criminal Code changes.

The Bagby’s 13-month old grandson, Zachary Turner, was drowned by his mother in Conception Bay in 2003, shortly before she killed herself in a murder-suicide.“

I have the privilege to interview Kate and David when they visited Calgary in 2008, have a look of my video interview with them. You can also listen to an interview I had with Kurt who made a documentary about the case and was Andrew’s friend.

[Via http://kempton.wordpress.com]

Sand Bay Bass Hole Georgian Bay Lower Pickerel River Area

This big largemouth bass hole is way back in Sand Bay & can be full of largemouth & smallmouth bass at times that readily take surface lures. We have taken a lot of really big largemouth in this area so fish it throughly & especially way bay at the end where the creek runs into it as big largemouth sometimes hold in this warm shallow water. Also know that a nine pound smallmouth was caught in Sand Bay on a live crayfish fished 35 foot deep by the Windmill Cottage. It was taken two days before bass season opened & had to be released.

[Via http://georgianbaybasshole176.wordpress.com]

Bumblefoot Speaks

There aren’t many times where you get to talk to a real genuine person who cares not only his work but the people who he works with and is involved with on a daily basis. Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is definitely one of those people. I met Ron back in July when he was touring withLita and at that time we talked bout doing an interview. Not only did Ron stick to his word, he couldn’t be more accommodating to do it. We talked about how he got involved with Axland GN’R to his involvement with raising awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. Didn’t Axl sing “We got your disease?” Well, we have your disease right here live in the flesh, an interview with “Bumblefoot!”

Gus: One of the big CD’s that came out late last year was ‘Chinese Democracy.’ It was a huge buzz surrounding the release of the CD. Why did it take the band so long to tour in support of the record?

Ron: There were other possible or potential tours or itineraries in the works that just didn’t happen for whatever reason. This one did though. Why? (laughs) I don’t try to know anything. My philosophy as time goes on is swinging more towards ‘ignorance is bliss.’ The less I know the happier I am. I don’t want to know a damn thing except tell me when to get on stage and play.

Gus: Guns N’ Roses are scheduled to perform in Japan in December. I’m sure your looking forward to it. What can the fans expect when you guys do perform live?

Ron: I can’t give anything away as we are trying to keep it a surprise until we do it. We will be playing a lot of old stuff, newer stuff, a lot of bombs n’ pyro (laughs.) I’m dodging the question – you know, the stuff you see at a big rock show.

Gus: You just wrapped up doing rehearsals and you have a new guitar partner in DJ Ashba. How did your rehearsals go with DJ?

Ron: It went great! He is a damn good guy to be in a band with. He gives a lot of himself and adds a lot of himself to every aspect of it. He gets involved artistically. He’s a damn good guy. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him and playing with him. And working through the insanity of getting the stuff down with him. Now, I’m just really looking forward to getting on stage with him.

Gus: So he is fitting in quite well and fitting in nicely with everybody?

Ron: He’s good to go!

Gus: That’s good to hear. How did you originally get involved with one of the biggest marquee name bands in the world?

Ron: It was about 5 years ago. I got an email from Joe Satriani to tell me he recommended me for the gig (Guns N’ Roses) so if someone did reach out that I knew it wasn’t a joke or something. Very soon after, one of the guys from the band emailed me and we started talking. I started talking to guys working on the album about recording and then spoke to management. Eventually we hit the road and started touring and in between legs of the tour started recording tracks for the album, putting my 2 cents into it. That was it, and here we are.

Gus: Looking back since the release of Chinese Democracy, are you happy with the finished product or would there be something you would change?

Ron: On my behalf, I’m as happy as I possibly can be. Which goes like, I’m happy for a week, and then I start hearing all the things I would like to change. That’s the way I am with all my own albums too. Anything I’m involved with I’m like that. The honeymoon period lasts for about a week, then the little things start to haunt ya (laughs.) It’s always like that but I’ve gotten better at rolling with it and now it doesn’t drive me as crazy. You’ve got to treat it like a moment and that moment was captured, and then move on to the next moment.

Read entire interview here.

Source: BACKSTAGEAXXESS.com

[Via http://rockmosis.wordpress.com]

LADY GAGA HAS TEETH IN MONTREAL

She’s doing it. Lady Gaga kicked off her Monster Ball tour in Montreal Canada, Saturday. As a relatively new artist, Lady Gaga had a little tumble on stage, but after that she was all good.

Here’s Stefani Germanotta doing Teeth. Fun!

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.29.09~

[Via http://horiwood.com]

MasterCard Canada Brings PayPass to BlackBerry Smartphones

In partnership with BMO Bank of Montreal and Research In Motion, MasterCard Canada has announced that it is bringing mobile payments to BlackBerry smartphones through its MasterCard PayPass ‘tap and go’ contactless payment technology. MasterCard is beginning a four-month trial in which participants will use PayPass Mobile Tag-equipped BlackBerry smartphones to make purchases at any of the 8,500 merchant locations in Canada that accept MasterCard PayPass. As announced, the trial is contactless sticker-based and doesn’t appear to include any application integration with the Blackberry handsets.

For the first time, the mobile payment will integrate with the device, with a confirmation email of each transaction sent to the BlackBerry smartphone, including purchase details such as the amount, retailer and date of transaction.

“With this trial, MasterCard continues to lead the industry in bringing secure contactless payment to mobile devices in Canada,” said Scott Lapstra, Vice President, Market Development, MasterCard Canada. “Consumers have embraced mobile applications and we expect this new trial to have a significant impact on the way goods and services are paid for at the point of sale in the future.”

“BMO Bank of Montreal is excited to partner with MasterCard to continue the work of bringing mobile payments to Canadians,” said David Heatherly, Vice President, Payment Products, BMO Bank of Montreal. “This pilot will allow us to evaluate many aspects of the mobile payment experience and is an important step towards mainstream use and acceptance.”

“Interest in mobile commerce continues to grow and the BlackBerry platform is uniquely positioned to provide a secure, robust and reliable foundation for innovative solutions such as the PayPass Mobile Tag,” said Tyler Lessard, Vice President, Global Alliances and Developer Relations at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry products and services have simplified and enhanced a broad range of everyday tasks with a unique mobile experience and we look forward to working with MasterCard and BMO to extend that mobile experience to commerce.”

How it Works

The mobile payments in this trial are made possible through a PayPass Mobile Tag, a self-adhesive device that may be attached to a BlackBerry smartphone to add MasterCard PayPass contactless payment capability. The Mobile Tag contains the same chip and antenna found in a regular PayPass card, with the addition of special material to reduce interference between the Mobile Tag and the phone to which it is attached.

Whether consumers are using a PayPass enabled mobile phone or credit card, they enjoy the same protections from fraud with PayPass as they would with conventional MasterCard payments. PayPass is supported by robust, multi-level security protections including the encryption of PayPass radio frequency transaction transmissions and the multiple security protections of the MasterCard payment system.

[Via http://pinoypay.wordpress.com]

You're Listening to WireTap...

” [Jonathan Goldstein] has been conjuring up a bone-dry, deadpan repertoire of eclectically bizarre, engagingly self-loathing radio. His show, Wiretap, on CBC Radio One, is a weekly half-hour of conversation, storytelling and introspection, culled from equal parts real-world experience and the warp of Goldstein’s imagination.”

-Murray Whyte

I’ve inadvertantly been listening to Wiretap from the very first year it’s been on the air (I listen to NPR in the car a lot). It’s a lovely mix of surreal conversation and excellent thought-provoking storytelling. I highly recommend it. Its dry humor is quite addictive and is incredibly entertaining while in the car or just to listen to whilst lounging about at home. The irreverent themes of the show and some of the funnier moments tend to stay imbedded in the mind, and for that I must thank Mr. Goldstein for all the enjoyment I’ve gotten from his radio show over the years.

For more information on Wiretap, definitely visit his page at CBC Radio online where you can find feeds of the most recent episodes. For more from the previous five seasons, visit the unofficial archive. You won’t regret it.

[Via http://writtenimages.wordpress.com]

Canada full of greenhouse gas going into Copenhagen

Canada is ‘committed’ to reducing its green house gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020.

This is seen as the weakest commitment among developed nations. But, given the steady ravaging of the Tar Sand is even this modest target even remotely achievable? Canada’s green house gas emissions per capita are nearly the worst in the west.

From the Conference Board of Canada:

[Via http://carsonspost.wordpress.com]

Rum Ball, You Know?

I was talking to a guy friend whose  life is dependent on dessert, about my favourite Rum Ball, & he has no clue what a rum ball is! So I went around asking & to my amazement, there are people in my circle of friends who have never heard of rum ball. Isn’t the two words quite straight forward? Rum. Ball. If you know what’s a chocolate ball, you must know rum ball too,  no?

Rum balls are little gem-like confection, very much like truffles but flavoured with rum. They obviously taste like rum & are sweet. Imagine you’re a chef & how upsetting & wasteful it is to throw away deformed (here meaning not perfect) cakes & brownies. So, these bits & crumbs are mixed into the cookie dough & flavoured with rum. Can also sprinkle some chopped or ground nuts like walnuts, almonds or marzipan (my favourite) before rolling into bite-sized pleasure. Wiki says they are roughly the size of a golf ball but I rarely see this size in Singapore.

The best rum ball I’ve eaten is from this small bakery run by old people. Nice ones. They don’t want to share their secret recipe though I believe I contribute a substantial part of their revenue . But they did tell me it takes them 3 days to make, so here’s a picture of the legend (featured last week on some food show on Channel U). Best rum ball in town $1

Katong Shopping Centre L1

Got kick. I eat this when I’m happy, sad, hungry, need that extra boost for the day or have the extra dollar. Actually, almost everyday, any reason (: It’s a popular Christmas treat in New Zealand, Austria, Australia, Canada & Hungary but my craving for it never stops. It’s moist, smooooth, richly layered & voluptuously decadent. I’m considering making Rummies for Christmas this year (: Friends, you’re in luck. 

[Via http://hazelhearts.wordpress.com]

#musicmonday Artist Feature - HEDLEY

Name: Hedley

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

Label: Universal Music

Download this: Hands Up

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There seems to be an undeniable “X Factor” associated with Hedley that just pushes their originality, uniqueness, and enthusiasm over the edge into quite the stellar package. Time has flown by as it was only over four years ago that Hedley truly came to fruition, and when it comes to the journey they have been on since that time, the boys haven’t looked back and are continuing to make their mark within the music industry. Hedley is back and ready to rock with their newly released album The Show Must Go, which hit the shelves November 17th and has already rocketed up the charts and can be heard all over the radio with hit singles, “Cha-Ching,” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers.”

Named after a small town in British Columbia, Canada, Hedley became the band we know and love today after Jacob Hoggard gained recognition as a solid performer during his rise in TV show Canadian Idol. Hoggard was even picked by many to win the competition but wanted to pursue singing on his terms, true to who he was and what he believed in, unofficially suggesting that fans not vote for him to continue on in the show. Once Jacob was united with Chris Crippin, Tom MacDonald, and Dave Rosin, everything seemed to fall into place for the band to commence establishing themselves as one of Canada’s most popular bands.

To put it lightly, it seems the boys of Hedley are quite eccentric and adventurous, who seem to be the type of guys that anyone would want to befriend, while also having the ability to have an intense and unwavering stage presence to deliver a unique experience for each show. Their songs can be “hard-hitting” in both senses of the word; some of their songs have incredible instrumentals that are hit hard and fast with an upbeat and intense sound, while others are “hard-hitting” with the words and subsequent meanings behind them. There seems to be a lot of emotion put into many of Hedley’s songs, many of which are easily relatable, and no matter how fast-paced the beat is, Hedley has a distinct ability to make listeners feel and believe the truths of their lyrics and bring their songs to life to create new meanings for listeners. With The Show Must Go, Hedley has a fun array of songs with interesting titles including “Sweater Song,” “9 Shades of Red,” and “Cha-Ching,” but equally diverse types of music that provide an acoustic range to the album. From the upbeat and urban “Don’t Talk to Strangers” to the power ballad of “Perfect,” to the fun and bubbly “Hands Up,” The Show Must Go has quite the range within it, but remains true to the distinct sounds of Hedley that most of us know and love.

Hedley’s first two studio albums, self-titled debut Hedley, and follow-up album Famous Last Words, both went multi-platinum and there is no doubt that The Show Must Go will continue on in that tradition. You can grab your copy of The Show Must Go in stores and on iTunes now and be sure to keep a lookout for Hedley to be touring in early 2010 alongside The Stereos and Fefe Dobson and special selected appearances by Faber Drive and Boys Like Girls as well! For more information on Hedley, check out their website: http://www.hedleyonline.com/

[Via http://asapmusicblog.wordpress.com]

Rain featured in Canadian Newspaper

Rain has been getting a lot of attention lately for his upcoming movie, Ninja Assassin, in America. Now it looks like the news has come to Canada! More specifically Toronto, Ontario. In the Entertainment Section of  Toronto Star on November 22, 2009, Rain was featured in the newspaper.

Feature on the front page:

CHANCE OF RAIN

With heavyweights behind his new film Ninja Assassin, Korean superstar is making plans to conquer this hemisphere, too

Here are the pictures I took of the newspaper:

They basically talk about Rain, and his previous stuff he has done in Hollywood and the attention he’s been getting.

Will Ninja Assassin be Korean’s crossover key?

CREDIT SARANGKPOP IF TAKING OUT!

DO NOT HOT LINK

[Via http://sarangkpop.wordpress.com]

18th-19th october: the (eventful) flight

After having been set apart on the evening of the 17th, Elder Ramsbottom arrived nice and early at Heathrow for his flight to Atlanta, where he would change to his flight to Salt Lake City. All did not go to plan, however, as the flight was delayed by 5 hours! Eventually he left sunny old England and was on his way to the MTC.

But Elder Ramsbottom did not intend on waiting until he arrived in Provo to start the work…not that he had much of a choice. On the first flight he had the chance to speak to his neighbour about the gospel (they had no where to run, a rare oppurtunity!), and on the second flight he was asked to give a preisthood blessing to one of the other passengers on his row who was sick.

Finally he arrived in Salt Lake City, most likely exhausted. A very kind family offered to drive him to Provo, and he finally arrived at the Missionary Training Centre… TO BE CONTINUED!!

Canada set to lose out as gas rebounds - The Globe and Mail

Western Canadian natural gas output began to decline long before the recession hit; it peaked in early 2006, and since has dropped 21 per cent. Even before the miserably low prices of this summer forced many producers to shut down uneconomic wells, the industry wasn't bringing enough new gas on stream to replace what was drying up.

 

 

via Canada set to lose out as gas rebounds – The Globe and Mail.

Rachael Flatt : "Kim fantastik bir patenci..."

Amerikalı Rachael Flatt, 2009 Skate America serbest program yarışmasında, sezona fırtına gibi giren Yu-Na Kim’i yaklaşık beş puan farkla geçti. Üstelik son spini sayılmadığı için puan alamamasına rağmen. Yalnız burada Kim’in yardımını da unutmamak lâzım. Kim, önceki yarışmaların ve beklentilerin aksine serbest programda kötü bir performans sergiledi ve üçlü flip’te düştü, iki atlayışında da epey bocalayarak puan kaybetti.

2008 Dünya Gençler şampiyonu Flatt, Kim hakkında, “Dünyanın en iyi patencisine karşı yarışmaktan onur duydum. O maalesef iyi bir serbest program sunamadı, ben de iyi günümdeydim. Herkesin iyi ve kötü günleri vardır. Serbest programı böylesine iyi kaymak ve kazanmak çok hoş bir duygu” diyor.

Yu-Na Kim, katıldığı dokuz ISU Grand Prix yarışmasında sadece bir serbest programda geçilmiş ve Mao Asada, 2007-2008 ISU Grand Prix finalinde Kim’i yarım puandan daha az bir farkla geride bırakmıştı. Flatt, ISU Grand Prix’de Kim’i geçen ikinci patenci oldu.

“Kim’e büyük hayranlık duyuyorum. İnanılmaz bir patenci. Çok yenetekli ve bulunduğu yere gelmek için çok çalıştı” diyerek rakibine övgüler yağdırmaktan geri kalmıyor Flatt…

Flatt, Kim’le aynı yarışmaya çıktığında ondan ilham aldığını beliritiyor ve “O beni daha iyi bir patenci olmaya yöneltiyor. Onunla yaptığım ilk antrenmanda biraz korkmuştum ama herkes gibi benimde üzerime düşeni yapmam gerektiğini farkettim. Tesadüfen aynı grupta antrenman yapıyorduk. O, fantastik bir patenci. Ülkesinin  ve hayranlarının böylesine baskısı altındayken bu kadar iyi yarışması inanılmaz bir şey. Kendisini alkışlıyorum” diyor.

2009 ABD ikincisi Flatt, Skate America’da serbest programda kendisinin en iyi serbest puanını elde etti. Bu yarışma, ayrıca kendisine güvenini arttırdı. “Cup of China yarışmasına giderken kendime çok güveniyordum. Ama oradaki performansımdan sonra biraz güvenim azalmıştı. Ama Sakate America’da kendime güvenimi tazeledim” diyor.

Flatt, Skate America’da kısa programda, üçlü flip-üçlü toeloop kombinasyonunda düştü. “Bu aslında teknik açıdan atlayışın başlangıcında basit bir hata ama bazen havaya sıçradığımda gerekli düzeltmeyi yapamadığım oluyor” diyerek açıklıyor hatasını.

Amerikalı patenci, aynı üçlü kombinasyonunu Cup of China’da deneyecekti ama flip’in çıkışından sonra kombinasyonu üçlü flip-ikili toeloop’a çevirdi. “Çin’e gitmeden önce üçlü-üçlü kombinasyonu çalışmıştım, çok da iyi oluyordu ama orada hem antrenmanda hem de yarışmada sıkıntı çıktı. Gelecek yarışmaların hepsinde üçlü-üçlü kombinasyonu yapmayı düşünüyorum ” diyor.

Cup of China yarışmasında layback dönüşünün zorluk derecesi üç olarak değerlendirilen Flatt’in Skate America’da bu dönüşü iki üzerinden değerlendirildi. “Aslında üç olması için ben çaba göstermedim, diyor Flatt, ikili axel’ın iyi olması gerektiğini düşünüyordum. Bu nedenle, birkaç kesirli puandan vazgeçtim. Axel’a giderken derin bir nefes almam gerekiyordu. İyice geriye eğilirsem bu derin nefesi almakta zorlanacaktım…”

Flatt için ikili axel kolay bir atlayış ama spinden sonra dik konuma gelmesi, vücut konumuınu ayarlaması ve atlayışa girerken doğru pozisyona gelmesi için bir-iki saniyeye daha ihtiyacı vardı. “Bazen düzgün bir şey yapmak için fedâkarlık gerekiyor. Çok şükür ki bu durumda bu küçük bir fedâkarlıktı. Çin’deki yarışmada layback spini üç üzerinden değerlendirilecek şekilde yaptım ve öyle de oldu” diye konuşuyor 17 yaşındaki patenci.

Flatt, Cup of China yarışmasında serbest programda üçlü flip-ikili toleoop-ikili rittberger yapmaya niyetlendi ancak flip’ten öbür ayağının üzerine sıçrayarak çıkınca, onu yerine üçlü salchow-ikili toeloop-ikili rittberger yaptı.

Skate America’da Flatt’in serbest programındaki son spini, iki ayrı dönüş olarak kabul edildiği için değerlendirmeye alınmadı. “Spin kombinasyonunda yön değiştirme vardı. İki ayrı bölüm birbirinden meafe olarak uzak olunca böyle değerlendirildi. Bunu ABD Şampiyonası öncesinde düzelteceğiz” diyor genç patenci.

Flatt, son yarışma olan Skate Canada öncesinde sıralamada 22 puanla beşinci durumda bulunuyor. Finale gidip gidemeyecei Skate Canada sonrasında belli olacak.

Flatt, şimdi esasen Ocak ayındaki ABD Şampiyoansını hedfliyor ve Olimpiyatlar konusunds hayale kapılmıyor. “(Olimpiyatlara gidecek) ABD takımına girmek istiyorum ama tabii ki bu garanti değil” diyor… ABD, 2010 Vancouver Kış Olimpiyatlarında Bayanlarda iki patenciyle temsil edilecek.

ABD’nin Del Mar kentinde 21 Temmuz 1992’de doğan Flatt’i Tom Zakrajsek çalıştırıyor, programlarının koreografisini de Lori Nichol hazırlıyor.

Babası onu bir alışveriş merkezine dedesine hediye almak için götürmüş ama hediye almak yerine buz pateni derslerine kaydolarak dönmüşler eve. Flatt, o zamanlar dört yaşındaymış.

12 yaşında kadar ABD Şampiyonalarına Yıldızlar kategorisinde katılan ve bu yarışmalarda şampiyonluklar elde eden Flatt’in Büyükler kategorisinde yarışmaya  başlaması 2007’ye rastlıyor. 2007’de ABD Şampiyonasında beşinci olan Flatt, 2008’de ikinci olarak gümüş madalya kazandı.

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Flatt, Çiftlerde de yarışamalara girmiş bir patenci… Yıldızlarda yarıştığı dönemde Çiftlerde teste giren Flatt, daha sonra Andrew Speroff ile Çiftler yarışmalarına katıldı.

Flatt/Speroff ikilisi, Yıldız Çiftlerde 2003 yılında gümüş, 2004 yılında da altın madalya kazandı.

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Dear Santa

It’s been almost two years since I moved here and just six months since I’ve been in Toronto, but I still miss so many things about Canada. No, putting on snow tires is not one of them. I do miss my friends and family and so many familiar places, experiences and everyday products.

With the holiday season underway, I know I will miss them even more as the holidays draw nearer. People have been asking about what I want for Christmas this year. I’ve given this some thought. I don’t want anything big under the tree this year unless of course,  it’s a visitor! But, in the absence of that, it would mean so much to me to have some little things that I truly miss from my home country. Not because they’re “stuff” that I want to accumulate, but, because there’s a certain familiarity to them, a certain snippet of the Canadian experience that would help me get through the Christmas season being so far away from over forty years of familiar.

Dear Santa,

While I know I can’t go to Canada this Christmas and I know that I can’t bring my family and friends here, if it’s at all possible, I’d really appreciate one or two of the following little things that I miss so much that you just can’t seem to get here in Oz:

• Crystal light individual drink packets – all flavours
• Hersey SKOR bars
• Kraft Dinner
• Tim Horton’s coffee
• Greens plus capsules
• Real Maple Syrup
• Clamato Juice
• Montreal Steak Spice
• Thrills gum
• BBQ Fritos
• Playtex super non deodorant tampons with plastic applicators
• Kotex lightdays hourglass shaped non-deodorant pantyliners
• Kraft caramels
• Bits and Bites
• Body Shop brazil nut soap and body butter
• Smirnoff cosmopolitan mix
• Red licorice
• Green relish
• Lubriderm sensitive skin body lotion
• LCBO Food and Drink magazine
• Toronto Life magazine
• Any dollar store item with a Canadian maple leaf on it

Toronto-Niágara

06/08/09 (Día espléndido)

Supuestamente nos tienen que llamar a la habitación a las 6:30h, pero no lo hacen. Empezamos a pensar quién es la gafe de las dos… ¿quizá las dos? De todas formas, ya estamos despiertas y nos ponemos en marcha. Ana Mari ya se duchó ayer por la noche y yo lo hago ahora.

A las 7h. estamos desayunando y a las 8h. metidas en el autocar. Entre una cosa y la otra, aquí la menda, me he ido a pasear por los alrededores. Encuentro la casa de un individuo, justo al lado del hotel, que me atrae: es un periodista un tanto radical, por lo que he podido leer. Un poco más allá, un colegio al más puro estilo inglés. Me doy cuenta de que esta zona (Ontario) es absolutamente inglesa.

Hoy hemos conocido al resto de miembros del grupo… reducido para lo que es usual, según nos dice la guía: somos 19 en total y una guía, Miriam, de Honduras, de donde emigró hace 20 años por no poder soportar los continuos robos a su comercio y otras “lindeces” de su país.

Un autocar grande para 20 personas ¡Bien! Hacemos primero un recorrido por la ciudad y paramos en el nuevo Ayuntamiento. Comento a Ana Mari que un brasileño me parece un tanto… memo y no hace más que preguntas estúpidas y evidentes a la guía (me huelo que va a ser un problema, tengo un olfato para éstos…)

No me gusta la arquitectura de la ciudad: es extraña, no sigue un patrón claro y es poco coherente. Sigo pensando lo mismo que ayer; es decir, que es sucia en el sentido de poco cuidado por los edificios antiguos. Digamos que es el querer aparentar modernidad con edificios de cristal, altos…, pero descuidar la arquitectura antigua, que no es más que la raíz de una ciudad, los orígenes…

Recorremos el Ayuntamiento, con un exterior espectacular (por la arquitectura del edificio en sí, el parque que lo rodea y las estatuas diseminadas aquí y allá, entre las que destaca la de Sir Winston Churchill ), y un interior con demostraciones de estética muy turística: árbol con hojas relucientes con los nombres de todos los alcaldes; cuadro hecho con clavos de cómo fue evolucionando la ciudad desde el centro hacia afuera…

Me fijo en el exterior, donde destacan más edificios de cristal, altísimos, y una torre de una iglesia que… síiiiii me doy cuenta de que se refleja perfectamente en el edificio contiguo justo en el ángulo donde le da el sol, así que decido hacer una foto menos guiri y  más artística. Hago varias por si acaso, que me fio poco de mi nivel “artístico” en eso de la fotografía.

Vamos al Parlamento, absolutamente inglés: escultura de la reina Victoria… foto de la reina Isabel… Visita por el interior. Descubro unos libros de poemas de una tal Mazo de la Roche que atrae a mi hermana por ser el nombre de la empresa en la que trabaja y a mí porque me parece una poetisa absolutamente vanguardista por lo que puedo leer.

De ahí pasamos a la torre CN, que de hecho debíamos “ver” sólo de pasada, pero Miriam nos dice que tenemos tiempo de subir, si queremos (previo pago de 23 $ canadienses). Todos decimos que sí menos el brasileño antes mencionado,, que salta con que eso no estaba estipulado y que vamos a perder tiempo (¡ahora mismo le hubiera dado una hostia!). Miriam mira si no hay mucha cola y dice que nos da tiempo. Pedro (el brasileño que no se llama así sino que lo ha bautizado uno del grupo porque le recuerda a su cuñado que es “idiota” dice) se cabrea. Subimos todos menos el brasileño y otras dos brasileñas que parece que viajen solas.

¡Por dios! ¡Que padezco vértigo! ¡¡¿Qué hace una chica como yo en una torre tan alta y un ascensor de cristal?!! Pues ahí estoy… 553 metros de altura… subimos hasta los 490, creo, en 58 segundos. No miro… me pongo de espaldas al exterior hasta que se para. Llego… miro desde arriba: se ve Toronto completamente y también llega la vista a EEUU. Hay un cristalito por el que se ve “el fondo”… le digo a Ana Mari que haga ella la foto que a mí me encuentran amorrada al cristal del pánico.

Vamos ya camino de las cataratas del Niágara. Miriam nos hace una oferta de 5 comidas en hoteles o restaurantes por 80$ canadienses cada una… Aceptamo todos menos los brasileños (empiezo a pensar que son raritos los de esa nacionalidad, o que nos ha tocado cargar con tres raritos).

Llegamos a las cataratas: cola, pero van rápido. Voy a entrar en un barco (otro pánico personal) que, según dicen, se queda debajo de las cataratas. Antes de entrar en él nos ofrecen unos impermeables azules a cada uno. Que quede claro que entré “acojonadilla” pensando que me iba a entrar la angustia… Como Miriam se quedó fuera, Ana Mari y yo nos encargamos de mantener el grupo junto. En el barco se podía ir arriba o abajo. Decidimos quedarnos abajo… más recogidos, al menos.

Al zarpar el barco, se pasa primero por una catarata más pequeña: es la americana (curiosamente, allí, los impermeables los dan amarillos). Nos dirigimos a la “auténtica”, la canadiense, la de Niágara y… era cierto, el barco se queda un rato donde rompe. Es espectacular estar ahí abajo… impresiona; pero no sé porqué me las imaginaba mucho más espectaculares.

Al salir del barco, quedamos todos en el paseo con Miriam, donde está el autocar. De ahí nos íbamos a comer a una torre parecida a la CN, aunque sin tanta altura y cuyo restaurante da vueltas lentamente, casi de forma imperceptible. Se había reservado la comida a las 3, faltaban 15 minutos y “Pedrito” no aparecía. No había comentado nada a Miriam de si quería contratar la comida o no, aparte de que le iba a decir  dónde nos encontraríamos luego.

Salimos Miriam y yo en su búsqueda, cada una por un lado. Miriam, antes, nos comenta que al salir del ascensor del barco, ha visto a los 3. Él le ha comentado que iba al baño y ni siquiera le atiende a lo que le dice. Ellas le han comentado que comían por su cuenta. Por dos veces vamos a buscarlo. En la segunda, Miriam lo encuentra sentado en un bar con las otras. Sin decir nada a nadie decide no ir a comer con el resto. (Tengo un olfato para los memitos…).

Llegamos justo a la 15h., quizá unos minutos más; ya nos tienen las mesas preparadas. Es un self-service realmente bueno. Hago fotos desde ahí arriba de las cataratas, alrededores de Niágara y del estado  de NY, que se ve perfectamente.

Después de comer, bajamos al paseo: sigo haciendo fotos y me doy cuenta de un inmenso arco iris que abarca las cataratas. Preciosas fotos.

De ahí nos dirigimos a Niagara on the lake, pueblecito al lado de las cataratas. Todo el camino verde, con flores, perfectamente cuidado el paisaje (eso sí se les ha de reconocer…  a los de Ontario, al menos).

Volvemos a Toronto. Ana Mari vio ayer, en una tienda, Banana Republic, un jersey que le gustó y decidió no comprarse… hasta hoy que ha estado dando la paliza con que tenía que llegar a tiempo para comprárselo… ¡Halaaaaaaa, a correrrrrrr! He de indicar que esa tienda no existe en España. Bien, salimos corriendo a la avenida y no tienen su talla. Pide las direcciones de las tiendas en Ottawa y Montreal… ¡y todo eso por una chaqueta de punto!

Volvemos al hotel y nos apetece algo para cenar, tipo ligerito. Pedimos un croisán con atún y queso, y un café con leche; visto lo visto, teníamos que haber entrado otra vez al Starbuck que, empiezo a deducir que va a ser el único lugar donde se pueda tomar café en condiciones. Como inciso diré que cuando se sienta uno en una mesa, no tiene solamente un vaso, sino un mug que llenan de café “aguachirla” (agua manchada9, y al lado capsulitas de leche para paliar el mal trago, supongo; de hecho, es la única forma de poder beber ese café (absolutamente americano, vamos)

Esta vez me ducho por la noche porque me quiero lavar la cabeza y secármela; no me apetece hacerlo de buena mañana. Preparamos las maletas. Mañana salimos hacia Ottawa tempranito.

Cool Cruise - Part 5: Saint John, New Brunswick, Where the River Flows Both Ways

As our ship eased into Saint John Harbor, I thought, that quaint little scene is what I expected to see in coastal Canada in the fall. 

Saint John Harbor, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

There were actually some pretty autumn leaves.  I was looking forward to getting off the cold cruise ship – the 105, 509  ton Carnival Triumph has no heating system, which I learned after I got on the ship – and getting on a warm bus to tour Saint John.  The bus was warm, but we got out a few times and the high that day in October was around 42 degrees and it was drizzling.

The high tides there are the big tourist attraction.  The tides on the Bay of Fundy are among the highest in the world. The power of those tides is graphically demonstrated at the Reversing Rapid Falls.  The flow of the river reverses for a  few miles when the tides change.  It was really cold and wet when our bus stopped there, but shutter bugs like me hopped off to get a few shots. We didn’t  tarry, though.

Reversal Falls Rapids on the Saint John River which feeds the Bay of Fundy, home of some of the highest tides in the world. That's an Irving family paper mill in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, Saint John is pretty small, a little more than 120,000 people in the metropolitan area.  That’s the second largest in New Brunswick. The city, with a little more than 68,000, is the largest.   It is the 6th largest port in Canada.   And it is the home of the late industrialist K.C. Irving, whose company is the largest single landholder in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine.   His company uses a lot of timber for its paper mills. His  three sons now operate the business, valued at between $7 – 9 billion.

As we say farewell to Saint John, we get ready to say hello to Halifax, Nova Scotia, a very different place.

Apologies for light blogging - events, dear boy . . .

We had an amazing event on “Dealing with Debt” yesterday: speakers from Canada, Ireland, Sweden, Australia and even the UK giving their various views.  I could not possibly summarise it all here and now: maybe at some future juncture, maybe not at all.  See below for the speakers: as well as them, there was a strong informed crowd, including people from across the spectrum, journalists and civil servants.

A couple of spotty observations:

• In terms of winning the political debate, you have to treat everyone equally.  Every department, every region has to feel it is getting some pain.  David Herle, who for my money was the best speaker from a very strong crowd, made the point that they had to scrap subsidies for farmers across their vast country to win support.   In which case why are people promising to ring-fence the NHS? It will make it harder going after other areas
• Most of the countries discussed were smaller, economically, than the UK, and had less to gain from fiscal support.  In particular, the Irish examples tell us almost nothing about the wisdom of fiscal consolidation here.  Their stimulus leaks abroad, and merely hits their borrowing rates.  For the UK, it is not so sure
• Related to the first point, if one group seem to be favoured (bankers anyone?) then the chances of widespread consensus are very damaged.
• When I (twice) challenged on the subject of the economic implications of fiscal cuts (see Slash and Grow? – which Chris Cook very generously and probably inaccurately credited with bringing a volte face in Conservative economic policy), the right-of-centres so challenged (Andrew Tyrie, dry and excellent, Nick Bosanquet, similar though looking continuously mischievous) always answered that we are going to have trouble selling our debt.  This seems to me a very speculative argument: why the UK in particular?  But Andrew Tyrie made a very telling point about how easy QE had made debt-sales this year.   I look forward to learning more about what he thinks on that subject – Sally Keeble MP too.
• David Walker had an interesting and slightly dismaying point to make about centralism/localism and fiscal consolidation: you probably need central control to force through tough fiscal policies.  I notice that he has been consistent on this point (2002 article):  “Local communities, especially those where Labour used to draw its support, tend to lack resources. Some are reactionary and others are incompetent . . . Communities may be energetic and progressive; they may also be sluggish and mean . . . If you value inequality, localism is a fine doctrine to hold.”

I hate to give support to such a pessimistic vision, but yesterday the FT reported this on the success of a particular localist policy:

A £100m programme to screen young people for infection by chlamydia has not been good value for money, the National Audit Office said yesterday. In a blow to advocates of greater localism, the public spending watchdog found that the latitude given to individual primary care trusts involved in the programme, launched in 2002, had led to duplication and inefficiency.

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These were the speakers.

• Gemma Tetlow, Senior Research Economist, IFS
• Sally Keeble MP, member of Treasury Select Committee (tbc)
• Andrew Tyrie MP, former special advisor to Chancellors Lawson and Major, member of Treasury Select Committee
• Lord Newby of Rothwell, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman
• David Herle, political advisor to finance minister and prime minister Paul Martin, on the politics of the Canadian cuts of the 1990s.
• Warwick Lightfoot, economist, former special advisor to Norman Lamont (tbc)
• Julian McCrae, Research Fellow, Institute for Government, and former member of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit (tbc)
• Professor Colm McCarthy, economist and commentator, on how Ireland is dealing with the collapse in its tax base.
• Christopher Cook, economics leader writer, Financial Times
• Chris Sanger, Head of Tax Policy, Ernst and Young
• Pär Nuder, Swedish finance minister from 2004 to 2006, on how Sweden cut public spending by 17 per cent of GDP since 1993.
• Dr Chris Aulich, academic and commentator on Australia’s public sector, on John Howard’s privatisations and public services reforms which reduced the size of the state to 33 per cent of GDP.
• Professor Nick Bosanquet, Professor of Health Policy, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College and Consultant Director, Reform
• David Walker, communications director, Audit Commission, formerly the Guardian

Today, we have Sharon Bowles MEP, fearsomely bright and now influential in chairing the EU’s Economi and Monetary Affairs committee.  Her background in patent law gives her a relentlessly forensic and legally-aware mind, ideal for the work of that committee.  I’m chairing the event at Bloomberg, asking how the EU will fit in with the G20 agenda.  So that’s why the blogging is light.  Anyway, who’s reading?  mostly people from the Sceptical Doctor blog, anyway, I suspect.

Vancouver

Vancouver is the perfect place to write about seeing as how the 2010 Olympics are just around the corner! Approximately seven million tickets are sold to spectators coming from all around the world to watch the games.. and this year they’ll all be traveling to Canada starting February 12th.

Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Olympics from February 12th to the 28th. In order to find information regarding traveling to Canada click here. Of course the town will be bustling with excitement over the course of the time and because of the Olympics there are olympic-related events events which can be found here.

Although, Vancouver was always a great spot to travel to, even when they aren’t hosting one of the greatest events world-wide. One of the more popular activities for the adventurous traveler is the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It’s a bridge 250 feet about the Capilano River that brings you into the heart of the forest for spectacular views.

For a list of more of Vancouver’s must-see attractions, you can check it out here

 

 

(pictures found at infohostels.com and destination360.com)

Online Gambling Laws in Canada

Today, almost every form of gambling is legal throughout Canada. Online gambling, however, is a trickier situation. The Canadian government does not give out licenses for companies to operate internet casinos, so all “Canadian” gambling sites are actually hosted elsewhere. There are no specific laws that prohibit Canadians from playing at online gambling sites hosted in other countries, so strictly speaking, it’s not illegal. But however the current laws are interpreted, many Canadians gamble online, and there are plenty of internet gambling sites that accept Canadian players and even the Canadian Dollar. Read more…

Saeman Bros. SUP'n Across America: Canada Farmlands to Annapolis MD: Blog #5

Hey Guys,

We left Montana in search of more rapids and lakes to SUP and we ended up meeting up and staying with our friends from Govan, Saskatchewan. It took us about 14 hours to drive from the buffalo ranch to the beautiful farmlands of Canada with only a few paddles in the shallow rivers to keep us amused. While we we were up there, most people were very surprised about what we were doing on our road trip and thought we were crazy…(which isn’t all wrong). Most of the people we were with had never seen SUPing before, so T.J. and I hopped in our board shorts in 30 degree weather with snow on the ground and put our boards in the agricultural dugout and paddled around. Most everyone was speechless but pretty amazed at how easily we glided through the water. We said our goodbyes to all of our friends (Bob, Noreen, Jim, Jared, Rocket, Danita, and Ryan) and started our journey to the east coast. After 2 days of driving, we stopped off in Annapolis, Maryland to say hi to Gene and John from Backyard Boats. They were kind enough to show us there store and all their products and ended up taking us on a very fun and historic paddle through the river and around the famed “Ego Alley.” Everyone was walking around the harbor asking us lots of questions and stopping to take pictures with us. It was good to see this part of the country with the leaves changing colors and seeing the different water sports in the harbor but we were ready to get to the outer banks and have a chance at some waves. So, we hopped in the car for another 5 hours and ended up on the outer banks that night…….

Saskatchewan Farmhouse

Welcome to Alberta, Canada

Then welcome to Saskatchewan, Canada

TJ and Bob Walker in front of the dugout

Showing the Canadians how-to-SUP

Looks like the Snow Geese have good numbers this year

Canadian Dugout

Rocket, Bob, and Jared: Looking at us like we are crazy!

Bryce: 3 Monsters deep

Hobie SUP'n in Madison, Wisconsin

The drive through a long, rainy country

SUP'n in Old America

Bryce and John (Backyard Boats) in the harbor

Bryce heading into "Ego Alley"

Board Cam on the East Coast

Thanks Backyard Boats!

The Tragically Hip announce European Tour

It’s been over seven years since this Canadian group has played in Europe.  And this announcement of gigs has four stops on the British Isles.

11/23/09 Effenaar: Eindhoven, NL
11/25/09 Oosterpoort: Groningen, Holland
11/26/09 Tivoli: Utrecht, Holland
11/27/09 Paradiso: Amsterdam, Holland
11/29/09 Ancienne Belgique: Brussels, Belgium
11/30/09 Forum: London, GB
12/02/09 Academy 3: Manchester, GB
12/03/09 The Garage: Glasgow, GB
12/04/09 The Village: Dublin, IE

The Tragically Hip on stage in Hamilton, Ontario

I had the pleasure of seeing The Hip live at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada back in 2000. 

They are an amazing band on stage with some killer roots-rock tunes and unique lyrics.  They also actively encourage bootlegging.

The Tragically Hip, is Gordie Downie (vocals), Bobby Baker (guitar), Paul Langlois (guitar), Gord Sinclair (bass) and Johnny Fay (drums).

The band released its debut, self-titled album in the late 80s but it wasn’t until their second release Up to Here that they started receiving critical acclaim. The album included staple Hip tunes like “New Orleans is Sinking” and “Blow at High Dough”.

The band was embraced by their fellow Canucks for its steady rock riffs and ballads that predominantly featured Canadian themed lyrics – “Bobcaygeon”, “38 Years Old” and “Forty Mission Cap” to name a few.

Its 1993 release, Fully Completely, awarded them some US crossover attention, mainly in bordering states like Michigan and New York. The band started touring across the Midwest of America and secured a spotlight on popular comedy sketch programme, Saturday Night Live, in 1995.

Its sixth album, Phantom Power, produced hits in the form of “Fireworks” and “Poets” and the Hip were booked for Woodstock 1999. The band also performed at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic games in 2002.

Over the course of their nearly two decade long recording career, The Tragically Hip has built up an impressive array of accomplishments despite not having blatant, mainstream success. On the other hand, it’s reported that the band has never really sought that international attention.

While the band sells out arenas in their native Canada, other tours in America or Europe consist of smaller, intimate venues. Some of the accolades awarded to The Hip by the Canadian market include a star of the Canadian Walk of Fame, numerous Juno awards and an induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Cold Day, Warm Hearts

It was a chilly Saturday Morning but not too bad considering it is November after all. I was worried about the effects of cold weather… red and runny noses, off color skin tones… as I walked through O’Dell Park looking for the requested fall colors that are hard to come by this time of year. All worries melted away after meeting Lauren and Matt! I was instantly warmed by their genuine love for each other and I absolutely loved the way the laughed together. And I mean LAUGHED! The kind of laugh that brings a smile to anyone who is near enough to listen.

It was a pleasure to spend a little time with them in a “mini” engagement session. The time may have been short but the photos are beautiful! As are the people in them.

Philharmonic Society, Montreal, 1847

Montreal Weekly Pilot

24 December 1847

Philharmonic Society-  There is certainly no want of musical talent in Montreal, and to cultivate and render attractive that talent requires only the determined action and personal influence of a few of our leading amateurs.  We had the pleasure, during the last winter, to be present at one or two private musical soirees given by one of our accomplished military officers, who is well known for his attachment and devotion to the divine art, and particularly for his successful efforts in the department of choral music.  We were highly gratified at the exhibition we then witnessed, both in the vocal and instrumental efforts, and with the execution and taste of the various performers.

Can it be possible, we would ask, in a city like Montreal, blessed with the advantages of wealth, rich in refinement, and distinguished for its love of the fine arts, that there does not exist at the present a single musical association, fostered by public patronage, and in which professional merit can be adequately compensated for its labours and acquirements?  There is scarcely a town or city in England, or even in the United States, without its Philharmonic Society, its musical Fund Hall, and its Gentleman’s Glee club.

It would really seem that the selfish representatives of ancient Adam desire to banish all recollections of that celestial refinement which in the divine harmony of paradise, once charmed the ear of their great prototype, and have found higher gratifications in the rude sports of the chase, the field games of athletic exercise, and that skilful dexterity which figures on the indurated bosom of a frozen river.  Thistle clubs, curling clubs, cricket clubs, trotting clubs, Masonic lodges, and IOOF’s, and other associations, furnish abundant matter for the enjoyments of the Lords of the land.  What resources of rational entertainment, however, have they provided for the gentler sex, who are necessarily excluded from such assemblies, and whose susceptible are more readily opened to the refined cultivation of taste and feeling?  The body it is true may occasionally be made to throw off its natural tendency to supineness and immobility in a ball room; but the mind in its wonderful predominance over matter, seeks for purer sources of happiness in those pleasurable emotions inspired by the sublime and the beautiful.

It can hardly be doubted that if a few influential gentlemen of Montreal were to propose a meeting for the purpose of establishing a Philharmonic Society, it could be easily accomplished.  Our enterprising fellow citizen MJ Hays, Esq., could doubtless be induced to make arrangements in his splendid establishment, now being completed, for a spacious and appropriate Music Hall: the price of membership could readily be fixed; officers chosen, and our accomplished amateurs could soon be embodied in a “Corps Musicale;” and we should have more agreeable “overtures” than those offered by our good friends Compain and Dolly- at least in the early part of the evenings.

If the accomplished officer of whom we have already spoken will proposed the matter to a few of his friends, we shall soon have a meeting, and at least be able to “sound” the public feeling, and endeavour to raise it to “concert pitch.”