Copyright © 2008 jmb. Visit the original article at http://www.wetcoastwomen.com/2008/587/. Often with the Thursday Walking group, I do the walk along the southern foreshore of the harbour starting at Spanish Banks. The view towards the North Shore Mountains is spectacular so it is a splendid walk on a fine day. There was a heavy wind during the [...]

Yay! We have hit seven months of the Green Year, and only five months left to go. For today, we have decided to do something very simple, and everyone else can do it too. All it involves is removing your shoes when you come into the house. Many people would not realize that this is something you can do to go green, and most think of it as something people in Japan do as a sign of respect.

Well, if you want to help the environment, it is one of the easiest things you can do. As for why it is good for the environment, here are just a few reasons:

The first reason is that when you wear your shoes from the outside, indoors, you are tracking in dirt. The more dirt you track in, the more you will have to clean your floors. The more you clean your floors, the more floor cleaner you will use. While we use vinegar, baking soda and water to clean our floors, we don't want to waste too much of it. This is especially true when we can prevent the floors from getting dirty from our shoes.

The second reason is more serious and can present worse problems than dirt in your home. The Environmental Protection Agency has found that people often bring lawn pesticides into their homes with their own shoes. This does not need to be from your own home, but simply through walking in your neighborhood. In fact, pesticides on shoes are considered to be a major source of pesticide exposure for adults and young children.

Another good way to deal with this, beyond removing your shoes when you come into the house, is to put a doormat just inside your door to store your shoes and to wipe them off on.

Going green is not always complicated, and sometimes it can be as simple as taking off your shoes and putting your feet in some nice big fuzzy slippers.

Briefly boxed, en route to new digs When frosts threaten our area of the world, the water supply we use for the summer - graciously shared by the Botanical Garden nursery - has to be shut off. This means that both the Bovans and Lohmanns, who were living on the east side of the farm, needed [...]

Via Archie.

You Are Boggle

You are an incredibly creative and resourceful person. You're able to dig deep and think outside the box to get things done. You are a non linear thinker. You don't like following directions You draw your inspiration from the strangest places sometimes. You're constantly inspired.

One of the things that's been stressing me lately is that I was offered a job that I wasn't too excited about. I felt a certain amount of pressure to take the job nonetheless, not only from myself (you should be working, you can do this job, you could use the money, it's a good job, etc.) but from a particular family member who, while only wanting the best for me, doesn't quite understand the specific barriers I have at this point in my life.

It's a long story. Yesterday, I went and saw S, my case manager and counselor at the local mental health office. Together, we associated my slip back into depression with this job thing, and eventually S summed everything up with this statement: "you don't have to be sick to say no."

Was my mind triggering something in me in order for me to justify saying no?

As for the family member, I had a good discussion with him today and I think he gets it now, which is a huge relief.

All that being said, no I'm not feeling any better. And I'm still sweating. I'm wondering if it's not hormonal, but rather something else. And I am avoiding Dr. S like the plague because he pissed me off too many times over the summer...

Someone in Dayton, Ohio Googled "english kennings for money" and found my blog.

Mmmmmmmhmmmmmm...

The Liberals are not going to win by trying to emulate the Democrats 50 strategy. It is one thing to try to build on a beach head that is anywhere from 30 to 45% of the vote and quite another to build something when you take 5 to 15% of the vote. Furthermore, there are also 3 major parties in Canada and not two. If support for the Conservatives goes down in rural Canada, the NDP gains. The reverse is also true.

Another misconception is that Obama won red states. It is more accurate to say that the changing face of Virginia, for example, has transformed the state from a Red state into a swing state. Obama won because the Republicans were crushed in ever major city outside of the South and youth showed up and voted for him by a margin of 2 to 1.

Liberals need to stop fooling themselves. A Liberal minority runs through suburban Vancouver, the 905, and Quebec. The Liberals, I am looking at you Mr. Ignatieff, will not win by appealing to gun owners in Wild Rose. The Liberals made inroads in Vancouver in 2006 because social issues mattered in that election and the Conservatives lost Quebec in 2008 because they were on the wrong side of Quebec when it came to social policy. The Liberals need to become more socially liberal; they do not need to pander to the pro bazooka crowd.

Behold the awesomeness of the North American Wild Life series by Kelowna BC-based ceramic artist Paige Russell. Consisting of four archetypal North American vehicles, the vessels are handmade of matte white glazed stoneware. Perfect with your 60s rec-room inspired decor or ironic mustache. Buy them here.

Leaving Istanbul was a trial. We got way too close to a knife fight down by the docks, then froze in a train car which wasn’t the one we’d expected. To get to the Haydarpasa train station for the trip to Cappadocia we had to take a ferry near sundown. Great timing, because the evening light [...]

Even though the inside postal workers are on strike, rest assured your bills will come. As did my bills yesterday, two of them: Terasen Gas and BC Hydro. One would think that one would get charged strictly for the amount of fuel or electricity used, but oh no. As most of you know, the bills contain [...]

Today's Advance has a number of election articles, including a look at Mayor-Elect Rick Green's plans, Township Council race coverage, City Mayor Peter Fassbender's victory, comments from several candidates, and a call to put people ahead of ideology.

Tomorrow, we celebrate BC's 150th birthday with a series of Douglas Day events around town:

11:15 a.m.--the opening of the Fort Langley Spirit Square, with the Premier. The Square is located next to the Fort Langley Community Hall.

After that, the provincial cabinet will meet in old Fort Langley.

At 4 p.m., the annual Douglas Day banquet will be held in the Langley Events Centre (80th and 200th). This is only open to community pioneers.

Finally, from 4:30 to 8 p.m., the Fort Langley National Historic Site will be open to the public and feature music, entertainment and re-enactments.

For more on the birth of BC, check out this Globe and Mail piece.

Angus Reid's first-ever two polls on BC provincial politics show the NDP ahead. I can tell you those numbers do not match the BC Liberals' internal polling. Now I see Ipsos Reid (who, along with the Mustel Group, have been polling BC for many, many years) have the BC Liberals on top, 44-35.

Anyway, columnist Vaughn Palmer is trying to get to the bottom of the issue, while Sacha Peter analyzes things on his blog.

The Nanaimo Art Gallery, Vancouver Island University campus location, 900 Fifth Street, Building 330, is presenting the exhibitions Aboriginal Immersion and Structural Connections from November 21 to December 24, 2008. In the Aboriginal Immersion exhibition, Robert Burke's brilliant coloured iconographic works come from his unique cultural background. His work is shaped by his struggle to find

We are very pleased to announce that The Tyee Online has now picked up a feed from our efforts. They now list our website on their list of BC Blogs. Follow the link below to find more quality BC Blogs:

http://thetyee.ca/BCBlogs/

And while visiting the Tyee online, we did happen to briefly see an article about the new German built BC ferries...the headline posed the question; are the new ferries lemons? and went on to discuss the new German built ferries fuel guzzling tendencies, excessive noise, vibration and more. Maybe Washington Marine Group would like to lease the Fast Cats ...

This is my first "That's My World" post so I would like to introduce where my husband Wayne and I live, Powell River, British Columbia, Canada.

Where is that, you ask? Just go up the coast about 145 kilometers (90 miles) from Vancouver to the "Sunshine Coast" and you'll discover the city of Powell River. Part of the charm (and sometimes frustration) is that it takes two ferry rides to get there. While technically Powell River is not on an island, it feels like island living because of the ferries.

Powell River is a small town, with about 13,000 people living within the city boundaries and a total of 22,000 if you count the surrounding region. The people are welcoming, friendly and helpful. Even if you are a new arrival, it feels like coming home.

The Powell River and nearby Powell Lake were named in honour of Israel Wood Powell, the superintendent of Indian Affairs for BC in the 1880s. The town of Powell River was started in 1910 as a papermill company town. Originally the mill was built and owned by the Powell River Company. It has gone through many hands and is now owned by Catalyst Paper. Once the largest paper mill in the world, it has downsized considerably in recent years.

Powell River is no longer a company town. Homes are now privately owned and the Historic Townsite was designated a National Historic District by Parks and Monuments Canada in 1995. The Townsite is now one of four distinct communities (Cranberry, Westview, Townsite and Wildwood) that unified into the Corporation and District of Powell River in 1955. In 2005, the municipality became the City of Powell River.

Wayne and I have fallen in love with the people and places in and around Powell River. Want to know more? Check the menu of topics in the side bar. Also, come back each week to discover a little bit more about Powell River.


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If you want to see more exciting places from around the world, go to the "That's My World" website. -- Margy

Of late, we had quite a lot of recommendations for places to try. Maria suggested that we check out Howie's in Burnaby. I checked Howie's website and decided that this is exactly what I wanted. Since Suanne was around Kingsway on errands, we made plans for a nice dinner and drinks ... just the two of us. Howie's Bistro and Bar is located on Lougheed Hwy and Bainsbridge Ave. We were there just after five and we found that we were the only customer there. We love the setting. It was really well maintained with everything arranged so carefully. They even have a stage and a dance floor. It was after seven that the crowds began to turn up. Apparently, they have nightly events and tonight was a dance night. Suanne and I are not into the dancing scene and we were quite surprised to see how many people actually come by for a dance. They even have karaoke on Thursday nights.

A DOOMED FILM RUNNING IN CIRCLES DISASTER

I've been wanting to make some bagels for a while, and finally felt energetic enough to do so on Friday afternoon. Previously, I used Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe from The Bread Bible, and that recipe produced some seriously nice bagels. It does, however, take quite a while as there is a sponge process that takes up to 24 hours. For all my training and experience, I'm an instant gratification kind of gal, and I wanted to find a decent recipe for bagels that I could make in an afternoon. I found one in my trusty copy of Le Cordon Blue Complete Cook, a book I highly recommend if you want to learn the basics of French cuisine and baking.

Bagels (adapted by moi)

2 tbsp dried yeast
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups water
1 egg, beaten, to glaze

1. OK, basically, follow these instructions. You want a nice dough with some stick to it, nothing too dry or dense. After the dough has come together, allow it to rest for a few minutes, then stick it in a well-oiled bowl, coat dough with oil, cover, and allow to rise until doubled.

2. Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 balls - or lumps, more like. Make sure you keep them covered while you shape them! To shape, roll the balls into tight balls that are as round as possible. Poke your finger into the centre and expand the hole by spinning the dough. When the hole is big enough, use two fingers and spin the ball a few times to get a decent-sized hole. Place the shaped bagels on lined baking sheets and cover with a towel. Allow to proof for a further 15 - 20 minutes.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Preheat oven to 400F. Cook the bagels in the water for 1 - 2 minutes on each side, then remove them to racks to allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Brush them with the beaten egg. At this point, you can sprinkle on sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or other stuff if you so choose. I am partial to sesame seeds myself.

4. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown.


Enjoy!

What the hell was that all about?
Maybe Alain Vigneault's idea of putting the Sedins with Demitra was an ideal concept because they clicked for the Canucks' only goal, but why mess with what was successful against the Leafs? I anticipated Demitra playing with Wellwood and Pylon. So in the end, Dan Sedin played 22:16, Hank Sedin played 23:08 and Demitra played 21:08. Ass. Wellwood played 13:25, Mason Raymond played 10:18, Taylor Pyatt played 13:33 and the ice cold Steve Bernier received 16:17 of ice time. There is an imbalance there that I don't like.
The Canucks' inability to cash in on their power plays didn't help matters either. Nor did the futile attempts in the shootout. Thing is, it never should have gotten to the shootout.
The 1 point is nice, but you have to get the 2 points out of the lousy Islanders. And it only gets more difficult from here. Rangers next on Wednesday followed by the Wild the night after.
For all highlights and stats click here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/opinion/16goodman.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Have+You+Driven+a+Bus+or+a+Train+Lately%3F&st=nyt

The NY Times is full of articles about the US automobile industry meltdown. Some of the headlines read:

Clout Has Plunged for Automakers and Union, Too

What Should Congress Do With G.M.?

Lesson on Auto Bailouts

How Many Jobs Depend on the Big Three?

It really does look like the big three could become the big two, or one, or zero even if US politicians borrow billions more from China to bail them out. My inclination would be to let the corporate climate criminals die and dance on their graves, and it sounds like Main Street USA is starting to agree.

However, Robert Goodman proposes that financial assistance should be contingent on converting from making automobiles to transit vehicles. This is a good point, but the factories could be converted post-bankruptcy too. After all, I can't see the management of GM being really enthusiastic about re-building the rapid transit systems GM conspired to destroy.

General Motors Wrecked Many US Transit Systems

NY Times November 16, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Have You Driven a Bus or a Train Lately?
By ROBERT GOODMAN

Amherst, Mass.

THE federal government is giving General Motors, Ford and Chrysler $25 billion in low-interest loans, and the companies are asking for up to $25 billion more. These same companies have spent millions of dollars lobbying against federal fuel-economy standards and are suing to overturn the emissions standards imposed by California and other states. In exchange for the loans, Congress should first insist that the automakers stop fighting these standards. But it should also make sure that better outcomes will result from these billions than just fuel-efficient cars.

The Obama administration should ask the companies, as a condition of financial assistance, to begin shifting from being just automakers to becoming innovative “transportmakers.” As Barack Obama’s new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, recently said: “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste. It’s an opportunity to do important things you would otherwise avoid.”

As transportmakers, the companies could produce vehicles for high-speed train and bus systems that would improve our travel options, reduce global warming, conserve energy, minimize accidents and generally improve the way we live.

This better way forward has been kicking around Washington for more than 35 years. In a prescient 1972 article in The Atlantic, Stewart Udall, an interior secretary under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, warned of America’s excessive dependence on cars and called for this approach.

At a time when almost no politicians and industry leaders were paying attention to this problem, Mr. Udall made a bleak but accurate prediction. He wrote that “the oil needs of the other industrialized countries are growing faster than ours” and that this “surge of demand will soon begin to send shock waves through the American economy and transportation system.”

“Unless we exercise foresight and devise growth-limits policies for the auto industry, events will thrust us into a crisis that will lead to a substantial erosion of our domestic oil supply as well as the independence it provides us with,” Mr. Udall wrote. He predicted that the cost of petroleum imports would “give the Middle Eastern suppliers a dangerous leverage over our transportation system as well.”

But Mr. Udall recognized that the country could not afford the economic consequences of losing all of the automobile industry’s jobs and profits. He proposed that the auto companies branch out into “exciting new variants of ground transportation” to produce minibuses, “people movers,” urban mass transit and high-speed intercity trains. Instead of expanding the Interstate highway system, he suggested that the road construction industry take on “huge new programs to construct mass transit systems.” And he called for building “more compact, sensitively planned communities” rather than continuing urban sprawl.

As we now know, warnings like these went unheeded, and Americans became ever more car-dependent. And now, the auto industry is asking for government money that promises, even with more fuel-efficient cars, to give us more of the same. Instead of supporting companies that want to put as many cars on the road as possible, we need a transformational strategy.

As part of its loan package, the government should insist on the development of “transportmaker business plans” from the car companies, with specific timelines for developing more fuel-efficient cars. The companies should also provide detailed plans to transform some of their factories into research and manufacturing centers for the development of light-rail cars and high-speed trains and buses. (In some cases, these could run on existing tracks and on the median strips of Interstate highways; in others, entirely new lanes and tracks would be built.)

Even before Mr. Udall, there was ample precedent for these ideas. In the early 1930s, G.M. joined with other companies to develop the Burlington Zephyr, a radically innovative train that broke world speed records and cut train travel times in half. During World War II, the auto companies converted their factories to build not only military trucks and jeeps, but also airplanes, weapons, tanks and other vehicles. Ford’s Willow Run plant built thousands of B-24 bombers, becoming the world’s biggest bomber plant.

The research and production capacity that the car companies built during the 20th century could be adapted for the needs of the 21st. But other companies should be able to bid for the same opportunities.

Stewart Udall rejected the view that American prosperity depended on Detroit producing ever more cars. The financial crisis gives us a second chance to make his vision happen.

Robert Goodman, a professor of environmental design at Hampshire College, is the author, most recently, of “The Luck Business.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/opinion/16goodman.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Have+You+Driven+a+Bus+or+a+Train+Lately%3F&st=nyt

From the Guardian: Colossus of Rhodes to be rebuilt as giant light sculpture. It may not straddle the port as its predecessor once did, but in terms of sheer luminosity and eye-catching height the new Colossus of Rhodes will not disappoint. Nor will it fall short of the symbolism that once imbued the ancient monument. Twenty-three centuries [...]

Your result for The Famous (and Not So Famous) Art Quiz… Art History Major 88% Artiste! Art History Major: You scored 88% Artiste! You’ve studied art for years, and therefore you recognized almost if not all the works represented here. Way to go! Correct Answers: Leonardo da Vinci Vincent Van Gogh Rembrandt Van Rijn Paul Gauguin Claude Monet Jan Vermeer Edvard Munch Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti [...]

The Liberal leadership race is just a few weeks old, and already Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae, and Dominic LeBlanc are openly feuding. Apparently Rae didn't like Iggy trying to keep the media out of a recent leadership forum, so he pulled out. This upset Iggy, which LeBlanc more than happily pointed out to the media. They fought for a couple of days, and eventually Ignatieff and LeBlanc debated without Rae.

This is going to be a long campaign.

Got a little more done on the x-chair pro-type. I cut the legs to 32″ and the seat slats to 16″ Made a makeshift Drill Jig (to make sure all the holes are drilled in the same spot.) Drilled the legs and seat with a 5/16th drill bit (roughly half the thickness of the legs doweled the legs and [...]

Just a couple of observations this evening. First, Gregor Robertson's star is seriously on the rise. Three years as Mayor of Vancouver...and the "Olympic Mayor" no less.That puts his first term through to the end of 2011 and a second term running until 2014. If he can accomplish half of what he has set out to do without any serious blunders along the way...look out provincial scene.

There will be a provincial election this coming May, 2009. If Carol James cannot rally the troops to a New Democrat victory in that election, her time may be limited. More than likely though, she ...

The Pender Islands Community Hall presents the 2008 Yuletide Gift Faire Wonderful Crafts,  Food and Gifts,  Concession and Lunch One day only, Saturday November 29th, from 10am to 5pm Free Admission  -  Donations to the Pender Islands Community Hall always appreciated We are also collecting donations for the food bank

Do you remember in Finding Nemo, the phrase "All drains lead to the ocean", well it is kind of true. The reason is that what goes down the drain, goes through the system, into the water treatment plant, then back out into the world or into our drinking supply. If it gets to rivers, then eventually it makes its way back to the ocean.

Every day, millions of people put cleaning products, personal hygiene products and medication down the drain. This is having a severe effect on our world. Millions of tonnes of soap is flushed down the drain every single year, causing untold damage to aquatic eco-systems. Studies have found the chemicals in soap fragrances have proven to cause birth defects and liver defects in animals. Some soaps contain Methylisothiazolinone, which can cause nerve cell death, while others contain Triclosan, which is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide.

Yep, that is what you are washing your body with....

Layla and I have decided to ban all but natural soap, and luckily we have found natural soap at our local organic store. This soap is apparently made from emu oil and it feels great on the skin, while adding nothing harmful to the environment around us.

If you click here and vote for Lucretia Pruitt to win the Nintendo Wii, I'll.... I'll... write a whole bunch of haiku. :) I just have a bee in my bonnet to see her get it. No idea why. :)

Just a quick note to my regular Blog readers to let you know I’m heading off on a bit of a holiday … so the Blog will be silent until mid December. Now, usually when I take time away, it’s for fun in the sun, a cruise, a travelling adventure.  But could this trip ever be different!!! I have been greatly [...]

Retribalization! Ocarina! blowing on the phone makes beautiful music.       

We weren't birding, this Saturday; we had other things to do. We voted in our local elections, then headed for a bi-annual pottery sale in Tsawwassen. Afterward, we would have lunch in Beach Grove, and then, weather permitting, go for a short walk. All very organized.

The voting went quickly. But the procedure was different than usual; they gave us pages to fill out by connecting arrows, using their pens, not ours. And those pages were fed into a machine that swallowed them and left the worker with the folder only. She said it had counted our votes already. I'm not so sure I trust these contraptions.

On to the pottery sale!

Except that we got side-tracked. On the far side of a plowed field, we saw a small flock of white birds. We turned off and parked on the farm road.




Too far away for good photos; why don't they come this way?


Oh. They've got a windfall: plowed-up carrots. Do swans eat carrots? It seems that they do.

They honked constantly. It sounded like a 5-year-old's birthday party, with all the kids at once blowing those silly plastic horns.

On to the pottery sale!

With a slow-down to check out an eagle's nest by the highway. No eagle there now. (There was when we were heading home.) Slow-down to look at a blue heron in the ditch, another for a flock of starlings that rose in a sudden cloud when we passed. Slowdown for Laurie to get these ducks in an artificial pond. (Two years ago, it was a bare puddle; then there were weeds, now grasses. Ducks are a new development.)



There were no birds at the pottery sale. Not even pottery birds.

It was late, and the weather was beautiful, so we stopped at Tim Horton's for soup, bought a couple of bags of bird seed at Bosley's for my feathery family at home, and went on to the beach at Beach Grove. The tide was in, the birds were out. Way out.


A pair of loons swam close to the shore at one point, teasing us by diving in unison, halving the chances we got at photographing them. (Laurie got a beautiful shot of two circles on the blue wavelets, circles where two loons* had been when he pressed the shutter.)


Caught them, just after they surfaced. Didn't wait to focus.

Later, in the distance, we heard them laughing.

On the chimney of one of the houses, a seagull posed. At least, until he saw a camera pointed in his direction. Then:





Back into Beach Grove for coffee and tea. On the way, this Downy teased us, hopping from the backside of one branch to the far side of the next.


Caught him, anyhow. Once, and blurred.

Time to head home. For us and these crows; they were part of a long stream (river, even) of crows going west, as usual at this time of the night. I've watched them many a time, tried to count occasionally; there must be several hundreds, maybe even thousands, wherever it is that they go home to in the evenings.


So much for not birding.

*I was wrong. They were mergansers, Seabrooke says. I should have looked more closely, rather than relying on the clue of the laughing loons.
.

... for not posting much earlier.

I picked up a Terry Pratchett book after supper last night. It was a thick one, "Monstrous Regiment".

Good thing I'm a fast reader, but now I'm 12 hours behinder. (That's a word, isn't it?)
.

here’s part 2 of this month’s buddhist carnival. thoughts … thank you! gigablonde offers making peace with meditation, something i can relate to very well. she opens up space for a whole new relationship with meditation through principles of jack kornfield’s buddhist meditation for beginners. meet whatever arises with kindness and balance and wisdom … and whatever [...]

More often than not, the best writing in The Province is found in the sports section, under the banner of Province sportswriter, Ed Willes. Personally, I think they should let this man loose with a column in the first section, and see where he can go with that. His style is straight forward and descriptive,and [...]

Well yet another British Columbia police officer has been arrested for Driving While Intoxicated. What little faith we have in our police departments is further eroded away. I know if I was a copy Id be far more concerned about what the public thinks of me. After all they are supposed to serve and protect [...]

Well Gregor Robertson became the mayor of Vancouver this weekend in one of the most ridiculous municipal elections I have endured. Really did any of Peter Ladner’s supporters really think that because he rides a bike that makes him a better character and mayoral candidate? The truth of it all is that people stopped listening [...]

I apologize to all those who have had themes and features changing before their eyes. You guessed it. I’m undertaking a major site reconstruction, so please bite the bullet and hang in there. I have installed the commentluv plugin and I need some people to try it out so I can be sure that it’s working.

I feel a bit like a groundhog, popping out of the ground, rubbing my eyes, and deciding, yes, it's springtime. Election campaigns are a lot of work, and it's always a relief when they're over.

Voter turnout in the Township of Langley was 22%, up from 18% in 2005.

The signs are pretty much all down. We think we have all of ours, but if you see a Bateman sign out there, please post a comment so I can go grab it.

At some point, I'll blog some analysis of the race, but in the meantime, check out the articles at:

- South Fraser OnTrax
- The Advance
- The Sun (looking at the School Board race)
- Thomasso's blog
- Abby Today

Fiona Walsh, CEO of FM Walsh and Associates, joins us for this Out-Smarts Podcast where we discuss the key attributes of successful entrepreneurs, how to grow your business in a recession and how entreprenuers can use social media to their benefit. Links mentioned: Sporty Jewels marketing profs Entreprenuer.com Inc Pink Magazine

Since 2002, 97 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan. Support our troops: Bring them home now.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=60c4d77d-87ae-4b33-88ff-fb1103d84159&p=1

It looks like Ottawa planners and politicians have realized that better transit, not freeways, is the place to invest public money. However, there is still disagreement over underground vs surface rapid transit:

More transit, fewer roads in city's new master plan
Road projects worth hundreds of millions could be shelved, cancelled to help pay for light rail, buses
Jake Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Ottawa road projects will be postponed for years or cancelled to help pay for the city's new mass-transit plan, if city council follows its staff's advice.

On the block are proposals to widen the Airport Parkway, Highway 174, Campeau Drive, Prince of Wales Drive and Eagleson Road.

The suggestions were included in the city's new master transportation plan, which was presented yesterday.

If council passes and follows the plan, it will bring the city into the 21st century with a focus on mass public transit over roads, city planners say. [snip]

The goal is a "compact, transit city," planners say.

The deputy city manager for planning and transit, Nancy Schepers, said both plans are focused on bringing real "smart growth" to the city. The goal is to limit sprawl and the costly new roads, sewers and other services that go with it, emphasizing development along transit lines.[snip]

Rideau-Vanier Councillor Georges BÈdard, who wants a mass-transit system in place quickly, said he doesn't think the city can afford staff's recommendations and doubts the plan will get off the ground any time soon.

He said the $1.7-billion price tag for the first phase, in 2007 dollars, shows the folly of cancelling the city's old $1-billion plan, which would have started with a rail line running at street level west across downtown before turning south and extending to Riverside South.[snip]

Full text at
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=60c4d77d-87ae-4b33-88ff-fb1103d84159&p=1

All orders are shipping out on time Milton the Fish made the Friday Finds Fish List! Very close friend leaves to build snow bridges for four to five months in Northern Manitoba on Wednesday morning so companies can get their precious oil out while the marshland ground is frozen and accessible Do you love me featured [...]

Ugh. Monday. One might not think so, but even working from home brings the occasional ”ugh, it’s Monday”. I think it is unavoidable. It has been a particularly exhausting couple of weeks here at home, following the arrival of a respiratory virus that made its way through every child in the house. As any parent knows, it never happens [...]

It's tough to say what can be expected from the Islanders tonight. The Islanders are a not-so-surprising 6-9-2 this season, with 2 of those wins coming in their last 2 games...back-to-back wins against the Senators. In the absence of Rick Dipietro, Joey MacDonald is doing all he can to make his mark. He has stopped 96 of 101 shots over his past 3 games, as Canucks.com mentioned.
I'm curious as to how well the Canucks will play 3 times zones away after handing the Leafs their asses on Saturday night.
Vancouver is 4-4-0 on the road this season, and needs to establish some kind of consistency there. We'll see how well a great home stand by the Canucks translates out east. It won't be easy. The 4 games are against the Isles, Rangers, Wild and Penguins, in that order.
So how lousy are the Islanders? They are currently 28th in the NHL. Their goals per game is 21st overall. Their goals against is 22nd. Their powerplay efficiency is 26th overall at a 14.6% rate. Their PK is 9th overall at an 84.3% kill rate. The Islanders have more shots per game than the Canucks do, but they allow more shots against per game than most teams.

Islanders scoring stats. Look at Doug Weight still putting up points. Isn't he a Canuck killer? It's about time Trent Hunter started scoring again. 7 goals and 13 points in 17 games is an improvement for him.

Looking forward to seeing how Wellwood and Demitra click again tonight. We're gonna need it. Wellwood has developed hero status here and recognition around the League. He's so popular, even Hillary Duff dropped Mike Comrie for Woody because he "scores more." Woody has 7 goals Comrie has a piddly 2.

I'll guess a 5-2 Canucks win tonight.

T Tags: Canucks Islanders game+preview November+2008 stats

In which we have arrived at mid-point of perhaps the longest letter I’ve ever written.  It’s OK, she’s a special friend, and the trip back was wonderful.  This section is a bit of a ramble.  Please bear with me, or read part one here, part two here, part three here, part four here or part [...]

Including e-readers, which I sooooo want. The CyBook Gen3 has been on my wish list for ages. Here's the slideshow of nifty things.

MacT pulled no punches with Dustin Penner today, saying

"He's not competitive enough or fit enough to help us, so why put him back in? He's never been fit enough to help us," Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish told the Sun. "We signed him to be a top-two line player and that's kind of where it ended. The difference was we thought the contract was a starting point, and he's viewed it as a finish line.

"It's been one thing after another. I can't watch it for - certainly not another two and-a-half years."

Wow. That was awesome! Penner did score over 20 goals as an Oiler last year but only has 3 goals and 1 assists in 16 games this season. His conditioning has always been a problem. In that case, the Canucks should sign him and put him on Wellwood diet. Problem solved.

---

I am growing very weary of the headshots issue in the NHL. You see the analysts over-analyzing a lot of shots that knock players out or hurt them. Some of these headshots are absolutely fine in my opinion. If a taller guy like Pronger decks a shorter guy like Richard Park and his elbow makes contact, well, that's not intentional. But the NHL released a memo to all teams today regarding intentional headshots.

"Recently, we have had two (2) supplemental discipline incidents involving direct elbow blows to the head. This is a play that we have been trying to remove from our game for a number of years. In one case there was no injury and in the other incident the elbowed Player received a concussion. Both Players delivering the elbows had never before been involved in supplemental discipline.

"We cannot and will not tolerate blows to the head that are deliberate, avoidable and illegal. Furthermore, both the history and status of the offender (first time versus repeat) and the nature of the injury caused (if any) will be taken into consideration as they have been in the past. The length of suspensions for illegal blows to the head will be increased if these incidents persist across the League. Taking steps to maintain the safest on-ice environment possible for the Players remains our most important priority."

Fair enough. Wait, explain the "avoidable" part. This is just going to create another decision for the refs and league officials to make when a head shot occurs. Some are more blatantly obvious than others (see Jarko Ruutu). Others can be circumstancial. I hope the NHL is fair in their assessments.
How would they judge Doug Weight's crunching head shot on Brian Sutter? I would hope that would be called legal and not "avoidable."
For more on this, including some whining by Simon "headcase" Gagne, check out TSN's article.

T Tags: NHL+headshots ruling memo Craig+MacTavish+calls+out+Dustin+Penner Oilers

For those who bought into the consumerist ideology over the past decade, this writer suggests there's a nasty shock coming. I've watched in amazement as young people bought houses twice the size of mine, went on fabulous vacations and purchased $65,000 vehicles. Their children wear designer clothes from birth and restaurant meals are weekly events. Meanwhile, my husband and I have both worked

We just came across a new kid in the block, so to speak. There is a new Vietnamese Pho place located on Granville Hwy between No 3 Rd and Garden City. It is actually just next to Value Village. I had always thought that there is a dearth of Pho places in Richmond but speaking to Suanne now apparently, there are lots of them. See if I can name all of them:

Thai Son • Pho Viet • Pho Lan • Pho 99 • Westlake • Green Lemongrass • Pho Hoa

We recall that this place used to be a Chinese Restaurant and we distinctly remembered that we did not go to that Chinese restaurant because it was once closed by the Health authorities for pest infestation. But from the outside now, this place had a new fresh cleaner look. This certainly looked like a Pho place unlike all others.

Click to see more fun Camera Critters. © island rambles Seals and Eagles for Camera Critters. A few more pictures on the Chain Islets to go with the previous two posts. Just a few shots of the eagles I see there and the seals. The Chain Islets are just off shore from where I live. There are also two little islands called Discovery and Chatham. Beyond that is where the Haro Strait meets

TWENTY TWO BROODING ACTION BOND WAS OK

The Bowen Island Affordable Housing Working Group (AHWG) is inviting islanders to the second Open House on November 22, 10 AM, at the Cates Hill Chapel.

I didn't even realize this was happening or I would have rallied the cause earlier. The Vancouver Sun will present this petition to the NHL HQ in New York tomorrow. It reads as follows:

Mr. Bettman,

More than 2,200 Vancouver Sun readers have spoken and implore you to alter National Hockey League rules to allow Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo to wear the 'C' as the team's captain. The Canucks have named him their leader, on and off the ice, and we join fans of the team, and the league, in requesting you address this matter with the utmost urgency so he can finish the season recognized by the league as the team's captain.

Enclosed in this package is a collection of names we received online. A reply would be appreciated as soon as possible so we can let fans know your response to this burning issue.

Only 2200-plus have signed this petition so far. More need to step up. Follow this link to sign the petition. Do it! He's our captain.

T Tags: Roberto+Luongo+petition wear+the+c Vancouver+Sun

I know this is going to sound strange, but one of my favourite vegetables is...wait for it...cabbage. I am not kidding. I put it in soup a lot since it freezes well, I put it in stirfrys, and I often slice it thinly and steam it as a side dish, served with a spot of butter and some salt & pepper. Yeah, it makes you emit gaseous clouds, but I don't care about that. Cabbage is also cheap, and the combination of the arrival of the November 2008 issue of Gourmet and a sale on cabbage at my local overpriced grocery store (33 cents/lb) inspired me to make this week's Magazine Monday contribution.

The recipe can be found here.

I was a little skeptical of this recipe at first, because it seemed to contain some odd pairings: red wine vinegar, cranberries, brown sugar. But, as I tasted the sauce, I was impressed at the bright, bold flavours. This was a great meal, very hearty and reminiscent of cabbage rolls, something I love (my mom's were the best). It's also a really economical meal, and now I have leftovers for most of this week. You can't go wrong with that.

I have been a huge fan of Lesnar since he was wrestling in the WWE. To see his evolution in the UFC is amazing. He is the new champion and he is a damned beast!
Here is Round 2 from their fight on Saturday night in low quality.



Love the mash-down and elbow rub to the face by Lesnar at the end.

T Tags: Brock+Lesnar+Randy+Couture UFC+91 video+footage round+2 Lesnar+wins+championship

On this day in 1885 Louis Riel was hanged for treason,by a then vengeful government,for daring to advocate and fight for the rights of the Metis peoples of Western Canada.Who at the time were being dispossessed of their lands and basic rights. Indeed the struggle of Canada’s Metis & indigenous peoples,continues to this day. With that in [...]

I sat down to write about how the Green/COPE/ Vision victory in Vancouver and Mayor Corrigan & co’s clean sweep in Burnaby is another important step towards shifting the Gateway $billions to transit. But Patrick Condon sent out a fascinating article on Boston’s ‘Big Dig’ P3 freeway expansion, which got me thinking about a recent Globe & Mail article on the popping of the China bubble due to useless 'investments'. . .

The $22 billion P3 freeway expansion is an update on the same old story – you can’t build your way out of congestion, but you can blow billions making it worse (and a bunch of corporations and corporate lawyers get rich, the roof falls in and squishes a hapless commuter, money is diverted from transit projects to cover cost overruns etc.):

Fatal Ceiling Collapse in Big Dig Freeway Tunnel

Big Dig pushes bottlenecks outward
Artery has cleared, but commutes longer on several major routes
By Sean P. Murphy
Boston Globe - November 16, 2008

Susan Scribner was pumping gas just off Interstate 93 and getting ready to rejoin the sea of red brake lights flowing north. She had already been inching along the highway for 30 minutes.

"Look at it - traffic is worse than ever," said Scribner, an accountant who, since 1994, has commuted between her home in North Reading and Cambridge. "It's worse since the Big Dig - totally worse."

She's right.

A Globe analysis of state highway data documents what many motorists have come to realize since the new Central Artery tunnels were completed: While the Big Dig achieved its goal of freeing up highway traffic downtown, the bottlenecks were only pushed outward, as more drivers jockey for the limited space on the major commuting routes.

Ultimately, many motorists going to and from the suburbs at peak rush hours are spending more time stuck in traffic, not less. The phenomenon is a result of a surge in drivers crowding onto highways - an ironic byproduct of the Big Dig's success in clearing away downtown traffic jams.

The worst increase has been along I-93 northbound during the evening commute. In 1994, before the tunnels were dug, it took, on average, 12 minutes at peak evening rush hour to go the 11 miles from the Zakim Bridge to the Route 128 interchange in Woburn.

Now it takes 25 minutes, double the time. [snip]

The Globe findings provide a fuller picture of the traffic situation than a state-commissioned study done two years ago, in which the Big Dig was credited with helping to save at least $167 million a year by increasing economic productivity and decreasing motor vehicle operating costs. That study did not look at highways outside the Big Dig construction area and did not take into account new congestion elsewhere. [snip]
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/16/big_dig_pushes_bottlenecks_outward/?page=1

Congestion is self limiting, that is it gets worse until it is bad enough so enough people stop driving some of the time, then it stabilizes. But if you add capacity to urban freeways, as in the Big Dig or the proposed Gateway freeways, more people quickly start driving and congestion increases on the connecting routes. In many cases people’s commutes are worse after a freeway expansion than without any transportation investment (the ‘no build’ option). In contrast, well planned transit investments can reduce congestion and make cities more pleasant places to live.

Note that it was left up to the Boston Globe to do a reasonable study of the project, the state agencies responsible have tried to cover up the truth by restricting the scope of their study to the expanded section of freeway. Basically, the $15 billion dollar project seems to be useless (perhaps worse than useless) even without considering peak oil and the global warming crisis.

Maybe even less useful than a luxury hotel in a town so small “dogs were chasing chickens down the street." You could at least convert the hotel into a big chicken coop:

Why gold is likely heading down: Blame it on the 'China Price'
AVNER MANDELMAN

Globe & Mail November 8, 2008

A few months ago, amidst