Sci-Tech

Technology Detects Eye Disease Years Ahead Of Current State Of The Art

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The technology is not limited to 'human only' use CP
The technology is not limited to ‘human only’ use CP

WATERFORD, Mich. – An Ann Arbor-based medical device manufacturer that developed a technology to detect eye disease years earlier than current methods is Medical Main Street’s “INNO-VATOR of the Year.” 

OcuSciences, Inc. is a medical diagnostic device company commercializing a rapid, non-invasive test for early detection of retinal disease. Physicians can use the device to screen patients for diabetes and early eye disease. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can use the device to diagnose and monitor disease progression and guide therapy. 

“I stand in awe of the work done by OcuSciences and its new imaging techniques to measure damage to retinal tissue from diabetes, macular degeneration and glaucoma,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. “This achievement in medical device manufacturing is indicative of the type of world-class research being conducted in the Medical Main Street region.” 

iVivo VET

The INNO-VATOR of the Year award honors the creators of a medical device which demonstrates the most dramatic change in the health care industry in Michigan. To be considered for the award, the device must have been developed in Michigan, achieved prototype development and validation, and incorporate a game-changing innovation.

The award will be presented Oct. 22 during Medical Main Street’s INNO-VENTION 2014 conference at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. In 2013, Ann Arbor-based HistoSonics won for its Vortx Rx® device that uses sound energy to treat tissue inside the body without the need for traditional surgery. In 2012, Sentio LLC of Southfield and Ablative Solutions of Kalamazoo were each named co-winners. Sentio created a device to alert doctors when nerves are at risk during surgery and Ablative Solutions’ technology treats hypertension.

Based on technology licensed from the University of Michigan, OcuSciences has developed a proprietary, ocular imaging technique, Retinal Metabolic AnalysisTM (RMA), as a non-invasive, rapid biomarker for measuring the damage to retinal tissue due to diabetes, macular degeneration and glaucoma. This new measure has been termed a new vital sign for patients – similar to blood pressure or body temperature.

The RMA technology provides a means to detect disease processes several years earlier than current clinical methods and before irreversible structural alterations due to cell death become visible in the retina.

OcuSciences has demonstrated that RMA is more predictive of diabetes than other tests, helping pharmaceutical companies develop ophthalmic drugs more rapidly and precisely.

With 57 million diabetics in the U.S. today, and eight percent of those as undiagnosed diabetics, diabetes is a rapidly growing epidemic, especially among children. The screening for diabetic retinopathy and early treatment can help prevent blindness in 24,000 patients annually and reduce the $174 billion costs associated with diabetes.

INNO-VENTION 2014 is set for Oct. 21-22 at the Suburban Collection Showplace.

Now in its third year, the conference will feature an expansion of the popular Demonstration Alley, with 21 companies exhibiting the latest medical technology innovations. There will also be expert panel discussions on intellectual property, accountable care organizations, health and wellness as an asset, and mobile health care.

The Medical Main Street board includes Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Beaumont Health System, Beckman Coulter Molecular Diagnostics, Crittenton Hospital, Detroit Medical Center, Ferndale Laboratories, Henry Ford Health Systems, Housey Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories, McLaren Health Care – Oakland, MichBio, State Rep. Gail Haines, R-Waterford, Oakland Community College, Oakland University, Oxus Inc., Priority Health, Rockwell Medical Technologies, St. John Providence Health System, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and Stryker Corp.

For more information on INNO-VENTION 2014, visit www.MedicalMainStreet.com.

Earth

Greens call for ban on logging in Algonquin Provincial Park- over 65% open to logging

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Queen's Park - Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is calling for a ban on logging in Algonquin Park. image courtesy of Bing
Queen’s Park – Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is calling for a ban on logging in Algonquin Park. image courtesy of Bing
“People are outraged when they learn that the Liberals are failing to protect one of the province’s Crown Jewels – Algonquin Park,” says Schreiner. “It’s time to phase out logging in Algonquin now.”
According to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario’s (ECO) Annual Report released recently at Queen’s Park, the ecological integrity of the park is threatened. Over 65% of Algonquin is open to logging. [The Report also mentions the use of bee-killing pesticides at Algonquin CP]
“The Liberals have a choice: stop the logging or be honest with people that Algonquin is not really a provincial park with basic environmental protections,” says Schreiner.
 Ontario Environmental Commissioner Report
The Green Party is calling for a ban now in order to provide forestry companies time to economically phase out logging in the park over the next decade. The ECO suggests there is adequate lumber supply in the region to keep companies in business while protecting the integrity of the park.
“Like many parents, one of the highlights of my summer was paddling in Algonquin with my daughter. I’m not going to let the status quo politics at Queen’s Park prevent my daughter from enjoying the park with my grandkids,” says Schreiner. “Algonquin is worth fighting to protect.”
The government recently reduced the area of the park open to logging, but almost two-thirds of Algonquin is still potentially open to timber harvesting.
The government recently reduced the area of the park open to logging, but almost two-thirds of Algonquin is still potentially open to timber harvesting.
Historical logging and planking of Algonquin timber in the "Age of Wood"- harvested log planks being shipped to distant ports
Historical logging and planking of Algonquin timber in the “Age of Wood”- harvested log planks being shipped to distant ports
Travel

Niagara Falls Canada Is Romantic And Beautiful Twelve Months Of The Year

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Niagara Falls Friendly to Same Sex Weddings

Every girl dreams of that perfect wedding, where she is pampered and spoiled, as she embarks on a new life. With one of the world’s most breathtaking natural wonders providing a unique backdrop, Niagara Falls is the place for a magical wedding that you and your guests won’t soon forget.

Marriott’s wedding specialists will ensure the most important day of your life is absolutely perfect, from preparation through the ceremony and reception and into the honeymoon, the bride and groom will be pampered, refreshed and relaxed on their wedding day.

Niagara Falls is a dynamic place all twelve months of the year. Imagine having your wedding or engagement photos with this winter time vista.
Niagara Falls is a dynamic place all twelve months of the year. Imagine having your wedding or engagement photos with this winter time vista.

Pampering the bride starts the morning of the wedding at Serenity Spa by the Falls where a memorable spa experience will have the bride and her maidens glowing when they step up to the altar. That altar is perched 23 storys above the crest of Niagara Falls in the Marriott’s elegant and intimate Chapel Overlooking the Falls, a majestic setting that is truly awe-inspiring. During the reception, experience elegance with every flawless detail tailored to fit your unforgettable story.

The fairy tale continues in a luxurious Honeymoon Suite overlooking the Falls, with breakfast in bed as befits the newly-wed couple. The happy couple can then spend their first day together with a romantic afternoon of indulgence with Serenity’s Couple’s Ritual Spa Treatment.

Beautiful all year round.
Beautiful all year round.

For the guests, Niagara Falls boasts a vibrant night life to keep them entertained once the happy couple steps away to begin their honeymoon. Clubs, bars and restaurants, not to mention two casinos and several theatre shows, will ensure a wedding in Niagara Falls is a wedding people will be talking about for years.

Earth

Australian Archaeologist In Ontario For Practices Exchange

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Lindsey Yulline & Phil discussing DGPS
Lindsey Yulline & Phil discussing DGPS

Phil Czerwinski of Perth, Australia and director of “Heritage Western Australia” an archaeological consultant company focusing on the survey of indigenous rock art, archaeological, and ethnographic sites in Western Australia came to learn about archaeology in southern Ontario. Phil arrived in Haldimand-Norfolk County July 4-11, 2014 to participate in an archaeological exchange with the Haldimand Norfolk Archaeological Regional Project (HNARP).

Phil was kind enough to take time from his schedule in Canada to answer a few questions about his experiences with archaeology in southern Ontario.

1. What kind of archaeology do you conduct in Western Australia?

I’m an archaeologist who does a lot of work in Western Australia. We have lots of cool archaeology such as artefact scatters, rock art, and caves with human occupation dating back 40,000 years ago. My main interest is in how hunter-gatherers use the landscape, and how these settlement patterns are shown in archaeological sites. Much of my work is for mining companies.

2. What interested you to come to Ontario and participate in this regional project?

I came to do fieldwork with the Haldimand Norfolk Archaeological Research Project (HNARP) in Ontario because Lorenz and I worked together in Australia a few years ago. He told me about his project and I thought it would be a great idea to see how things are done in Canada.

3. In Haldimand-Norfolk County much of the archaeology is conducted on private lands. When does your company deal with private land owners to access properties to conduct your archaeological work?

We do not do too much work on private lands as most of the work is on Crown Land, which is why I was interested in coming to see how HNARP relates to local landowners. What instantly impressed me during my time in the field with HNARP was the level of community engagement with the landowners and other stakeholders such as collectors. The way Lorenz Bruechert, Project Director spoke respectfully with them, listened to their concerns about accessing fields in crop, handling their precious artefact collections, and making sure the communication was a two way street was refreshing to experience. To have a beer and ‘talk turkey’ (in our case pigs) with landowners was wonderful. The fact that landowners and interested people get newsletter updates on HNARP is a great information sharing initiative.

4. HNARP attempts to develop long term relationships with land owners in an effort to develop community archaeology. When do consultant companies like Heritage Western Australia have an opportunity to develop community archaeology with their clients or within communities where development is planned?

Our archaeology is mostly mining based, so our relationships are with the companies and the Aboriginal groups on whose lands the mining companies want to mine. Often these turn into long term relationships, which have their ups and downs. We aim for sustainability in heritage; where we all get something out of the process.

5. How do corporations support community archaeology in Western Australia?

The main corporate interest in archaeology where I work is based on the approvals process, where heritage is often viewed as another box to check in the mining process. Some of the bigger mining companies do it differently, and sponsor larger regional studies in order to understand the Aboriginal heritage.

An Agate Basin paleo (ice age) projectile point- types studied by HNARP
An Agate Basin paleo (ice age) projectile point- types studied by HNARP

6. How do you see a regional archaeological study different or similar to how consultant archaeology is conducted in Australia?

There are long term goals in the type of regional study that HNARP is doing, whereas consultancy based archaeology often does not share this goal and is a get in and out quick approach to archaeology.

7. What benefits did you see in a regional study compared to consultant archaeology?

There are many benefits. By developing relationships with landowners HNARP can give something to the community that consultancy often does not – that being a sense of communal ownership and responsibility for regional heritage. It sheds light on large areas and hunter-gatherer settlement patterns across time and space.

8. The HNARP works collaboratively and in co-operation with land owners to engage them in public archaeology to protect archaeological sites and artifacts from destruction and permanent loss. What opportunities are there to conduct similar practices in for archaeological sites and artifacts in Australia?

Much of our work involves working with Aboriginal people and mining companies to manage archaeological sites for a win-win solutions. Mining takes up land, and archaeological sites are so prevalent in the Pilbara region of Western Australia where I work that this involves destroying sites. Here the aim is ensuring everyone is informed on what is going on, and when sites are to be destroyed they are done so in a culturally sensitive manner and in line with legislative requirements.

9. What finals comments would you like to share with Silo readers about your experiences with HNARP?

It is not easy to tell people about the ins and outs of archaeology in a way they can understand what you are trying to achieve, but being a local Lorenz understands the landowner’s issues and communicates in a down to earth manner. He works to develop long term relationships with landowners. This is rare in archaeology, be it in Australia or anywhere in the world. We have lots of stone artefact sites in Western Australia, although we do not have the nice artefacts such as arrowheads you folks have. To see these local treasures being studied in a project that is solely funded by the researcher is again uncommon.

Archaeology is archaeology anywhere in the world, but people are people. They have interests and issues that should never be over-ridden in the pursuit of academic studies. With the goal to put archaeology back into the community, HNARP is unique and deserves local support. After all, who best to understand the Haldimand-Norfolk area than an archaeologist who was raised and grew up a local farmer. Thanks for this opportunity to share my experiences about archaeology in southern Ontario. CP

 

Earth

Shephardess Innovates With Dynamic Agriculture System

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photo's: Carrie Wooley
photo’s: Carrie Wooley

Trying to find agricultural systems that are environmentally friendly and economically viable is a challenge facing the agriculture industry. So when a friend from New Zealand told us about how they graze sheep in fruit orchards we instantly liked the idea.  All of a sudden the apple and cherry orchards on the farm didn’t look just like orchards, they also looked like sheep pasture.  So we went for it and purchased our first group of ewes in January of 2013.  Our goal was to build a sheep production system that worked with the current farm set up and where we can produce quality lamb raised in an environmentally sustainable and welfare-friendly system.  

Our sheep graze permanent pastures in spring and early summer where they give birth to lambs, and are moved to orchards the rest of the year.

Utilizing the grass in the orchards allows us to reduce feed costs and grass cutting costs.  While the sheep convert grass and weeds into meat they also fertilize the orchards with their manure.  Having the sheep on pasture eliminates costs associated with keeping animals in barns such as bedding material and manure removal.  Lambs are born outside on pasture in May and June.  Raising lambs on pasture can bring challenges such as coyotes and internal parasites.  

To help protect our sheep from coyotes we utilize electric fences and livestock guardian dogs.  Livestock guardian dogs have been used for hundreds of years by shepherds to protect their sheep from people and predators. We use the Kuvasz and Maremma breeds of livestock guardian dogs, other guardian breeds include the Great Pyrenees, Akbash, and Anatolian Shepherds.  These amazing working dogs see the sheep as their family and guard them day and night. Raised with sheep from the time they are puppies, guardian dogs sleep with the flock at night and can even be found helping clean off newborn lambs.

Sheep Dogs in Norfolk County

The idea of a more dynamic and sustainable agricultural system is something we want to pursue.  We, as farmers and stewards of the land, recognize that we need to be inventive to keep soils and ultimately the environment healthy.  In agriculture there is always lots to learn and it provides me with an exciting and interesting line of work. 

Politics

New Ontario Gov’t Tax Credit to Benefit Farmers and Communities

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A new tax credit is helping put nutritious, fresh, locally grown food on the plates of those who need it most.

The Food Donation Tax Credit for Farmers — the only one of its kind in Canada — is giving farmers a tax credit valued at 25 per cent of the fair market value of the agricultural products they donate to community food programs, including food banks and student nutrition programs.

The tax credit is a part of the Ontario government’s local food strategy and Local Food Act, 2013 to promote the good things that are grown and harvested across the province.

Building a stronger agri-food industry is part of the government’s economic plan to support a dynamic and innovative business climate, invest in people and invest in infrastructure.

QUOTES

“This new tax credit will help farmers donate more fresh food to their local food banks, which will support our farmers, drive local economic growth, and benefit families in communities across the province.”

— Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance

“This new tax credit is an integral part of our government’s commitment to support farmers, increase access to nutritious, locally grown food and promote the good things that are grown right across the province.” Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
“This new tax credit is an integral part of our government’s commitment to support farmers, increase access to nutritious, locally grown food and promote the good things that are grown right across the province.”
Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

 

“Ontario’s farmers have a long tradition of donating their agricultural products to charitable causes, and we believe this credit will both honour that tradition and help motivate others to donate.”

Neil Currie, General Manager, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

“Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy local food, and we applaud the Ontario government for introducing a tax credit that will encourage more farmers to make that food available to families and individuals who need it most. Many food bank clients do not receive the recommended daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and protein, which causes additional strains on one’s health and well-being. A balanced diet with local, fresh, and nutritious foods will help improve the health of food bank clients as well as the health of communities across Ontario.”

— Bill Laidlaw, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Food Banks

“Hamilton Food Share has focused on increasing the amount of fresh product distributed to local emergency food programs as the thousands of people who visit a food bank do not have access to fresh food on an ongoing basis. We remain deeply committed to food security and we believe the new tax credit for farm donations will help us forge new partnerships within the agricultural sector in our community.”

— Joanne Santucci, Executive Director, Hamilton Food Share.

QUICK FACTS

One-third of the 375,000 Ontarians served by a food bank every month are children.
More than 600,000 children and youth participate in breakfast, snack and lunch programs in communities across Ontario.
Under the proclaimed legislation, farmers can claim the new tax credit for donations dating back to Jan. 1, 2014.
Ontario’s agri-food sector contributes about $34 billion to the province’s economy and supports more than 740,000 jobs across Ontario.

LEARN MORE

Find local food sources and organizations on the ministry’s Local Food webpage

Ontario Association of Food Banks

Ontario Student Nutrition Program Network

Student Breakfast Clubs

Seasonal recipes at Foodland Ontario

Culture

Small Talk Vineyards on how to Master the art of “Small Talk”

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Do you know this guy?
Do you know this guy?

Anyone who’s been caught at a wedding reception or a cocktail party discussing recent changes in the weather knows that these situations can quickly go from bad to worse and that making small talk isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Conversations with strangers can sometimes be stilted and uncomfortable, often resulting in a mad dash for the door as soon as is socially acceptable, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

“Small talk is an art,” says Small Talk Vineyards Owner, Hank Hunse. “It isn’t a skill that people are born with, but it can be mastered. Small talk is the starting point of all relationships and whether you are at a friend’s wine tasting party or a networking event it is an important starting point for everyone.”

Small Talk Vineyards, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, knows all about the art of good conversation and the winery’s staff have become experts at small talk.

“A big part of our business is engaging our visitors in conversation,” said Hunse. “With hundreds of people visiting the winery each season, we have had to learn how to keep our guests engaged in conversation while ensuring they feel comfortable.”

Smooth!
Smooth!

To help us conquer our jitters of awkward meetings and functions, Small Talk Vineyards has compiled a list of five tips to mastering the art of small talk:

Remember Names

Introductions tend pass in a blur. Names are forgotten just as quickly as the hors d’oeuvres disappear, but make an effort to slow down and stay present. Repeat the person’s name in your head a few times and if you forget a name, discreetly ask a third party for help. Remembering someone’s name goes a long way and they are more likely to approach you at future gatherings.

Establish Eye Contact

This may sound like a no-brainer, but in uncomfortable situations people tend to avoid eye contact. Casual eye contact and a warm, friendly smile demonstrate your interest and desire to communicate. Eye contact for five to ten seconds indicates curiosity and is generally considered friendly. Make an effort to keep your body language open and relaxed – you’ll send out confident and friendly signals that will draw people to you

Discuss the Setting

Finding a topic of discussion after introductions is the hardest part of small talk. By commenting on the location of the event — how long the line is for drinks or floral arrangements — you are creating common ground. For example, if we sense that someone is uncomfortable during a wine tasting, we often comment on the bright paint colours that decorate the winery to find common ground.

Have Fun!

It’s important to remember that you aren’t alone. There are others in the room feeling just as uncomfortable as you, so stop hiding behind your glass of wine and enjoy yourself! Allow yourself to be curious and ask questions, you never know who you might meet.

Make a Clean Escape

When your conversation starts to draw to a close, take the opportunity to make a natural exit. Using phrases such as “I need to grab another drink” or “I need to say hello to a friend who just arrived” allows you to make a clean exit. Make sure to end the conversation with something like: “I’ve enjoyed talking to you, and I hope to talk to you again.” This keeps the lines of communication open for another meeting.

To learn more about Small Talk Vineyards please visit www.smalltalkvineyards.com. Follow Small Talk on Twitter @SmallTalkWines and like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smalltalkwinery

The Apple Place Norfolk Fruit Growers Association

About Small Talk Vineyards:

Small Talk Vineyards is an innovative, boutique, small-production VQA winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The estate vineyard is family run and has been in operation since 1955. Small Talk’s  labels are about attending dinner parties and engaging in conversation, the front label in the “Speech Bubble” is what we say out loud during these gatherings and the back label, the “thought bubble” expresses what we’re thinking. Small Talk Vineyards features bold, fresh VQA wines that expose the dramatic gap between what you say … and what you really think!

 

Earth

Grand River Conservation effort targets phragmites- invasive reeds via Roundup

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Phragmites

Portions of the Snyder’s Flats Conservation Area will be closed to the public during the week of Sept. 29 while a herbicide is used to control an outbreak of phragmites, an invasive plant species.

Signs will be posted in the parking lot at the entrance to the property on Snyder’s Flats Road near Bloomingdale. The affected sections of the trail network within the conservation area will be marked as closed.

Staff of the Grand River Conservation Authority will be applying the herbicide glyphosate, which is better known by the trade name Roundup. The herbicide has been widely adopted by conservation organizations as a safe and effective way to remove invasive species.

What Is Roundup

The work is scheduled to be done on Monday, Sept. 29 and Tuesday, Sept. 30. The affected areas will be posted for a day after the herbicide is applied. There is a potential that the work could be delayed if there is heavy rain or high winds.

In most areas, the herbicide will be applied by hand to individual plants. Some larger outbreaks will be tackled with backpack-style sprayers.

Phragmites australis, also known as European common reed, is a species that came to North America from Eurasia. According to Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program, the plant spreads quickly and out-competes native species for water and nutrients. It releases toxins from its roots into the soil to hinder the growth and kill surrounding plants.

Phragmites: tough hombres!
Phragmites: tough hombres!

In taking over from native plants, it also reduces the habitat available to wetland wildlife species including birds, turtles and other amphibians and reptiles.

GRCA staff  hope that by reacting quickly to its presence they can keep it from spreading throughout Snyder’s Flats and to other properties.

The work at Snyder’s Flats is part of the GRCA’s long-term program to return the former gravel pit area to a natural state that is home to a wide variety of plant, bird and animal species.

Click to view on I-tunes
Click to view on I-tunes
Culture

1,969 Words on Having Experienced Domestic Abuse

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Dear Silo,

In light of the [RayNFL domestic abuse controversy, I decided to write to you about my experience of domestic abuse.

My abuser was my husband. We had children. We had good jobs. People told us how happy we looked.

I had to look happy. He demanded my loyalty. He demanded I speak publicly, often at church, about how much I loved him and was grateful to him for providing for me and the children.

I was raped constantly. Not by knife, though, and not by physical restraints. He ruled my brain and body, he told me. As his wife, it was demanded that I have sex with him whenever he wanted. If I said no, he would be angry for days, calling me names, telling me that no other man would ever want me, that if I didn’t give it to him, he would take the children and never give them back. He would email me at work to continue the fight during the day. He would text me at night if I wasn’t with him.

When I came home from work one day to find all of my belongings on the front yard, I believed he was telling me the truth. I felt like an ungrateful woman who treated her husband horribly. My church leaders even told me that a husband could not rape his wife. One did tell me to leave, but I wasn’t strong enough then.

He took the air out of my tires so I couldn’t go out with a girlfriend. One of our children witnessed it.

I finally turned to the police. They wrote our episodes up as domestic disputes, which didn’t break the Canada’s Criminal Code (I have the reports, highly redacted). My husband was too smart to do something for which he could be charged.

Neighbours called the Police on him. My family also called the Police, afraid he was going to kill me because of a status on Facebook they thought was directed at me. The OPP showed up, questioned him, but did nothing when he said he would never harm me.

He kept a knife under his pillow. Why? He told our children that he felt I was going to kill him in his sleep and he had to be protected from me.

I was accused of many affairs. I was unfaithful to him even if I talked with a girlfriend on the phone. I was told that when I was home, I was to only spend time with family, but he meant with him. I couldn’t watch tv with the kids because he demanded that I stay with him.

On nights when I chose to get away from him to watch tv with them, he would bombard me with texts, telling me how horrible I was, keeping my attention on him, not the kids. On really bad days, he would charge into the room where I was with the kids to yell at me there, making sure they knew I was horrible, too.

He told me for 6 years that he wanted a divorce, to keep me in fear of breaking up the family. He would tell me that no man would want to be with a mom of so many kids. He also said that if I ever found someone to be with me, he would make sure he told him about the kinky sex I liked (true or not). I was damaged goods. No one would want me.

For years, I thought that was all I was worth.

That changed. Five years ago, I started planning to get out. It took that long because I had to convince myself that, even if I stayed single, the children and I deserved to not live on egg shells anymore.\

I had to find the strength to be a single mom.

Five years of getting my ducks in a row. Five years of emotionally divorcing him in my head.

When I told him I wanted a divorce, he begged to stay. He told the oldest children without me in the room that I asked for the divorce, that I was kicking him out. My kids hated me.

Then, he played the cancer card. He told the oldest children that the doctors suspected he had cancer and I was still kicking him out of the house. The day he before he was to have his scope, I asked him why he wasn’t clearing out his colon, like I had to do when I had mine scoped. He yelled at me, told me I didn’t know what I was talking about and went to our room.

Well, by then, it was his room alone. I was kicked out.

He told the kids he was moving east on a Friday. With our youngest away for the weekend at a camp with me, she kept asking if her dad was going to be home when she got there. When was he leaving? She was in knots all weekend. He didn’t tell her that he chose to stay. We found out when we got home.

Two weeks later, he said he was moving again. He actually packed the car this time. He said his good-byes before they left for school. He got as far as Quebec when he begged to come back. I refused.

He lived in his car. He lived in a cheap hotel. He told the kids I put him on the street. He emailed or texted me constantly to 1) let him back in, promising he’d change or 2) he’d make sure the kids knew it was all my fault. He told them he’d do anything to let him back in but I refused to forgive him.

Forgiveness was never an issue for me. It was a refusal to live under fear and anger any longer.

The kids and I didn’t have stress in our house anymore after he moved out. It only took a few days of him being away before they told me the house felt so much better without him there, without him yelling anymore.

Then he did something which put the fear back into my heart, fear that he could really hurt us this time. Until then, he had never done anything physical.

When I called the OPP to report it, they put everything back on me. I was told to stop slinging mud at him. They said I was never afraid for my safety before, so this episode was nothing. I was just trying to get him in trouble.

What do you do when the people you most trust to protect you, don’t? The church and the OPP did nothing to help. He was (is) a charmer and manipulator, he had everyone believing he was innocent of everything. Remember, a wife can’t say no to her husband.

I was not perfect. No one is. I was diagnosed with PTSD not long after he moved out.

But people have to stop blaming the victims of abuse for the abuse. We don’t ask for it. He was mad at me by my daily living, why would I do something deliberately to piss him off? No one deserves name-calling, harassment, manipulated into actions they don’t want to do, to walk on egg shells to keep him happy.

I stayed because there was no way in hell I would let him have custody of the kids. I stayed because for years, I believed I was worthless and that no man would ever want me. I was damaged goods. It took me years to get that thinking out of my brain. I am well educated. I have a great career. Abuse doesn’t care.

Abuse doesn’t infect any social status of people more than any other. Abuse infects the minds of women and children who are raised to believe it is the only way to live. Abused people believe they are worthless. Abused people don’t think they deserve any better.

On average it takes women 7-10 attempts to get out of that situation to follow through. Why? It is because they keep getting pulled back in with apologies, gifts. Grand gestures are made in front of children to make the woman look bad.

Example: the first time I said I wanted a divorce (years beforehand), he proposed to me again (with ring) in front of the children, promising things would be different. He gave me diamond earrings, too (he used the mortgage money to pay for them). I didn’t have the strength then to say no. The kids were counting on me to keep the family together. The kids were counting on me to protect them from him.

I failed more times than I care to count.

He came to my workplace once, after using my GPS location at a lawyer’s office, asked me in front of co-workers for a moment to speak to me, put me in his car and screamed at me for wanting a divorce. How dare I try to ruin our family!! I was allowed to leave the car, went back to my desk and cried. My officemate patted my shoulder and asked if I wanted to talk. I couldn’t. How could I let her know I was so badly abused by him and was terrified to leave?

Oh, he also hacked into my digital journal. Private thoughts were no longer private. They became tools to be used against me.

I thought I was strong enough to get out then. He beat me back down verbally, psychologically, financially, emotionally, sexually – yet he never broke the law. He had asked me for years for a divorce. Suddenly, following through with his wishes, I was bad – bad because I was actually pursuing it.

Last week, he used the ‘cancer card’ again, this time on our youngest children. The only thing they know of cancer was watching it slowly kill his dad years ago. It killed his mom, too. He told the kids that doctors thought he had cancer and that he was getting tested. He told them alone in the car, without even his girlfriend to even hear. Manipulative, conniving control freak. He played the pity card to keep them close. He didn’t care about what the news did to them. He only wants control. He demands loyalty.

Laws in this country, and many other countries, need to change. Why does it take a punch to the head to get the police to act? What kind of proof is needed for harassment via texting? I printed out the texts he sent to me at all hours of the night and brought them to the OPP. Nothing was done. Because nothing was done, he continued until I blocked his number. Email is now the only safe way to communicate. I have kept every one for the past 10 years. Plus, screen captures of texts.

Will it make a difference? I don’t know.

Getting a divorce is complicated. And expensive. My ex said he’d pay all court costs. Really? He’ll pay court costs but not child support?

The process is worse when you are divorcing a control freak who refuses to cooperate. He dropped out of mediation. He dropped out of counselling. He only wants divorce on his terms. That is not going to happen. I am levelling off this power struggle.

I don’t know what the future holds with the divorce. What I do know is that when the children are with me, they live in a home without fear, a home where they are trusted, a home where they can tell me whatever they want, even if it hurts my feelings. They can’t do the same with him.

They are the other victims of spousal abuse.

To be continued….

Information has been changed or deleted for fear of retribution.

Art

Toronto Composer Nick Storring sends listener on a journey with “Gardens”

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Nick Storring — Gardens

  1. Open Your Eyes And Forget (16.21)
  2. (Come To My) Thicket (5.30)
  3. Unexpecting (3.52)
  4. Nothing Seems To Rhyme (7.25)
  5. Inside Every Man Lives the Seed of a Flower (13.21)
Maestro Nick Storring- not afraid to integrate electronics into classical instrumentation
Maestro Nick Storring- not afraid to integrate electronics into classical instrumentation

 Gardens was composed, performed, recorded and mixed spring 2011-autumn 2013. All instruments performed by Nick Storring. The work was designed as an informal tribute to arranger/ producer/ composer Charles Stepney. Its titles refer to the Come To My Garden by Minnie Riperton which Stepney co-wrote, produced and arranged. No musical materials were borrowed, however.

The creative processes which birthed this album was funded by the 2011 Toronto Emerging Composer Award, which is administered by the Canadian Music Centre and generously supported by Michael Koerner and Roger D. Moore. No effects processing was employed aside from simple dynamics, equalization, mixing, and spatialization. Other ‘processing’ is strictly through acoustic or electromechanical means.

Instrumentation: violin, cello, electric mandola, electric bass, guitalele, Strumstick, banjo, harpsicle, autoharp, esraj, kemence, rebab, ananda lahari, Hohner Pianet-T, Yamaha CP60M stage piano, glockenspiel, steel pan, thumb pianos, toy pianos, roto-toms, snare drum, djembe, khol, bells, thunder tubes, rainstick, woodblocks, cymbals, other found/ homemade percussion, jaw harps, melodicas, harmonicas (diatonic and chromatic), tuning reeds, harmonium, khêne, mey, hulosi, xaphoon, concert flute, bansuris, sulings, recorders (alto, soprano, sopranino), various other flutes, mijwiz, been, pan pipes, kazoo, found wind instruments, voice.

Nick Storring

Additional implements: bows, mallets, plectra, e-bow, handheld fan, electric toothbrush, vibrator, microphones,contact microphones, amps, speakers, earbuds, Headrush Shockrock vibration speaker, Danelectro Free Speech Talkbox, Sansui RA-700 spring reverb.

Many thanks to those who offered listening, feedback, instruments, support and exposure (through various channels) during the creation of this work. There are many of you, and I truly value your contributions.

© 2013 Nick Storring

all tracks SOCAN

www.nickstorring.ca

www.scissortailrecords.com

Nick Storring

Supplemental- Blouin Artinfo article about Nick’s recent practice the première of Terminal Burrowing at the AKOUSMA Festival, October 2013

 

Wendy Carlos Soundtrack Composer

Comics

TRDWTR “Treadwater” launches as new mature themed Superhero franchise

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TRDWTR TRDWTR, pronounced ‘treadwater’, is a mature take on the superhero genre, set in a plausible geopolitical future. The franchise will kick off with a graphic novel on September 30th, 2014. A live-action series based on the novel is set to follow suit in 2015. A preview of the graphic novel will be staged in America’s largest comic book store today, September 10th.  To commemorate the launch, a teaser trailer for the TRDWTR franchise has been  made available to the general public. And here it is!

Culture

Canada Migrant Worker Program Not Perfect But Seen As World Model

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Migrant WorkerTORONTO, CANADA – The world’s most successful program connecting seasonal workers with agricultural employers has kicked into high gear.

Administered by Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.), the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) links approximately 14,000 requests for seasonal workers with jobs at Ontario farms this growing season.

Not only does the 52-year-old program provide a long list of benefits to the workers and the farmers, but also it creates two Canadian jobs in the agrifood industry for every worker employed through SAWP at Ontario agricultural operations, says Ken Forth, president of F.A.R.M.S.

“Governments and agricultural organizations around the world are looking at this program as a model,” Forth says.  “For decades, this program has provided Ontario farmers a steady source of reliable labour as a supplement to local labour. At the same time it gives the seasonal workers well-paying employment, benefits and educational opportunities not available at home.”

Not without critics- the Seasonal Agri-worker program has been linked to the continued decline of the "family farm" and the continued trend of "farm industrialization"- See supplemental section link below CP
Not without critics- the Seasonal Agri-worker program has been linked to the continued decline of the “family farm” and the continued trend of “farm industrialization”- See supplemental section link below CP

Seasonal workers employed at Ontario farm operations through SAWP:

  • Sign contracts that guarantee them all the protections and benefits that Canadian workers receive, including WSIB, certain EI benefits and provincial health care coverage.
  • Receive an hourly wage rate set by Human Resources & Skills Development Canada.The hourly rate is not less than the provincial minimum wage rate or the local prevailing rate paid to Canadians doing the same job, whichever is greatest.
  • Earn up to five times more than they could in their own countries, which enables them to support their families, educate their children and buy and operate businesses and farms in their own countries.

Farmers have also realized great benefits from the program for more than 40 years, enabling them to hire staff that would otherwise be extremely challenging to find because of the ongoing shortage of suitable and available local Canadian workers.

Social justice groups point to concerns over health and safety
Social justice groups point to concerns over health and safety

“Ontario farmers pay the highest farm worker wages in North America and face intense competition from low-wage competitors,” Forth says. “Without this program, many Ontario farmers simply couldn’t continue to grow fruits and vegetables. They’d stop growing altogether or move into less labour-intensive crops.

About the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program:

More information about Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) can be found at www.farmsontario.ca

Supplemental- NSI study highlighting concerns related to the program’ http://www.nsi-ins.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2006-Migrant-Workers-in-Canada-A-review-of-the-Canadian-Seasonal-Agricultural-Workers-Program.pdf

Afraid to speak out? Some workers report that they are reluctant to address concerns out of fear of job loss
Afraid to speak out? Some workers report that they are reluctant to address concerns out of fear of job loss
Culture

CNNMoney- Millennials Saying No To Credit Cards

1 Comment

CNN Money No Credit Cards For Millenials

 

CNNMoney ‏@CNNMoney 13h

Millennials are saying no to credit cards: http://cnnmon.ie/1uFOSGl  via @blakeellis3 pic.twitter.com/T1U8i7OU2I

What some tweeters are saying:

CalBeach ‏@CalBeach 13h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 They’re smart to avoid debt.

YmeYnot ‏@YmeYnot2011 13h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 Only use charge card when you can pay entire debt completely before you are charged interest.

NETGAINS ‏@Netgains_ 13h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 Great info… Thanks for sharing..

Equality=Peace ‏@angrigarisangri 13h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 Yes to #bitcoin!

Glenn ‏@GlennMPR 13h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 Smarter than my generation then.

Pm3marston ‏@Pm3marston 13h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 We know not to be caught in the credit card trap. Only use it as a cash replacement card, not for debt.

Roger Bustos ‏@rogerbgom 13h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 like a smart wallet just pass the wallet and charge from your credit or debit just pick with your phone….

BrokenHearted ‏@patientfailure 12h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 Stupid. You’re spending decisions should never change based on your form of payment.

Patrick B ‏@sportbikeguy00 12h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 Credit & debts of any kind should be avoided,my motto is if you can’t pay cash for it,save up or forget it.

mizo ‏@bemelmesre 12h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 Never used a credit card in my life. Only used credit for commercial purposes.

victor ‏@victor_de64 11h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 I’m a baby boomer and cut all mine 19 years ago and never missed them

CynicalPolitico ‏@IndyinTX31 11h

“@CNNMoney: Millennials are saying no to credit cards: http://cnnmon.ie/1uFOSGl  via @blakeellis3 pic.twitter.com/sAw87n1GDt”()

FatNoMore™ Fitness ‏@FNM_Fitness 10h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 Either buy cast or use paypal. Credit cards are just a disaster waiting to happen #ParentWillAgree

Andrew Smith ‏@iSmitty12 10h

@DaveRamsey thoughts? “@CNNMoney: Millennials are saying no to credit cards: http://cnnmon.ie/1uFOSGl  via @blakeellis3 pic.twitter.com/kcL0lgMyzP”

Yvonne Moedt ‏@YvonneMoedt 9h

@CNNMoney That’s great!! You never know what’s left or how big your debt is and will never get out once you start. Real paper money #future

Declan Martens ‏@DeclanMartens 9h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 hey that’s us! @Malicious_Tea

Zbolts ‏@zbolts 9h

They use mom/dad?! “@CNNMoney: Millennials are saying no to credit cards: http://cnnmon.ie/1uFOSGl  via @blakeellis3 pic.twitter.com/f1jlE2zlAq”

HogsAteMySister ‏@hogsatemysister 9h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 Which is easy to do when you still live at home…

Websterwall ‏@Websterwall 8h

@CNNMoney @blakeellis3 It’s true. No card for me. Living within my means

The Epitomy Of An♈️ ‏@ErnieBlanco63 8h

@CNNMoney With the job market being so rocky it’s a smart move.

Stephen Cefalu ‏@Scef2308 7h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 they don’t know how to use a CC to maximize the rewards and cash back. Learn how to use credit.

Jay Brausch ‏@BigDogStar 7h

@CNNMoney @CNN @blakeellis3 One of the smartest things of the new millennium that they can do.

KC Simbeck ‏@kc_simbeck 6h

@CNNMoney I’d like to not have a credit card. But it’s pretty much required for building credit.

Liesel Rickert ‏@le_rickert3 6h

Ive been wanting 1, but can’t decided bc of 2 factors here RT “@CNNMoney: Millennials are saying no to credit cards: http://cnnmon.ie/1uFOSGl ”

 

Fashion

Garmatex Textiles Uses Jade Minerals

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For those of you unfamiliar with technical fabrics, you should know that the textile industry is currently experiencing a modern renaissance. With a long list of product innovations including: jade fibers that cool the skin, treatment methods that conserve water and fabrics that repel bugs, the textile industry is driving an evolution in performance materials while churning out a constant supply of new fabrics every day. Not surprisingly, competition in the industry is intense. The key to becoming truly successful in the field is to focus on improving and optimizing existing technologies to exceed current expectations of performance standards.

An early example of "technical fabric"- crucial to the beginning of high altitude, high speed, high G force flight. CP image: salimbeti.com
An early example of “technical fabric”- crucial to the beginning of high altitude, high speed, high G force flight. CP image: salimbeti.com

Garmatex Technologies, a progressive inventor of intelligent fabric solutions, is one of the companies driving this innovation. Located in Surrey, British Columbia, the team has developed over 40 unique technologies. Each developed with the intention of improving quality of life while anticipating how consumer needs change and evolve over time.

Garmatex’s focus on crafting better solutions has led them to invent a number of products. One of these solutions is their anti-microbial Bact-Out® technology. Not a new innovation, fabrics that inhibit the growth of germs have been a staple in the industry for some time. While usually produced through a topical treatment that sometimes includes silver, Garmatex’s Bact-Out® really stands out because the embedded technology does not involve a potentially harmful metal and lasts for 50 washes compared to the 20 washes that most competitors focus on achieving.

IceSkin shirt technology- the latest design from Garmatex utilize jade crystals!
IceSkin shirt technology- the latest design from Garmatex utilize jade crystals!

A more recent innovation to the market is found in materials that help regulate temperature, most often achieved through the use of a chemical cooling ingredient usually found in chewing gum. Garmatex has improved the science behind cooling comfort products by introducing IceSkin™ technology. Developed through a proprietary combination of knitting techniques, natural jade minerals and CoolSkin® quick dry filaments, IceSkin™ technology provides a longer lasting superior cooling alternative.

Science-fiction has paved the way for real-life products. One example are the stillsuits used by the Fremen on Arrakis  from the novel and movie Dune

In the area of protective garments, Garmatex has produced another new technology that encapsulates steel fibers inside of a CoolSkin® micro poly shell. This fabric, aptly named SteelSkin™, provides tremendous abrasion resistance and flexibility. Add to this the ability to be colored dyed to any shade, and this material fabric is certain to open many protective industrial and apparel applications.

In a highly competitive industry, Garmatex will continue to outperform its competitor’s because of its technical innovation and relentless optimization of its existing technologies.

 

Culture

5 tips to Make sure first year Students transition from high school to Biz school

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How to succeed in business school: Five tips for first year students

 

 

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The start of university can be intimidating enough for most first-year students. But business students face an extra set of challenges as they balance their coursework with gaining work and extra-curricular experience to help take them from campus to career. Freaked Out First Year University Student

From co-op work placements to mock interviews and networking breakfasts, the business school experience is designed to help students gain professional polish, acquire leadership skills and learn the foundations of management, accounting and entrepreneurship.

So how can new students and their parents make sure they are ready to take advantage of the available opportunities? These five tips will make sure first year students are ready for the transition from high school to business school:

  1. Be prepared (Textbook not required)

There’s is no need to read your textbooks cover-to-cover over the summer. Instead, spend some time getting comfortable with all that is available at your future school- both offline and online.

Spend a day on campus before the first day of class and figure out where your classes will be held. Don’t forget to attend your orientation. Most schools will offer a faculty specific orientation in the days leading up to the first day of classes.

And do your research online. Follow your business school on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Figure out the online registration system, how to access your student email and the online learning platforms. These online tools will be used throughout the academic year so access them early so you don’t miss any emails or messages.

  1. Going to University is your full-time job

While University doesn’t pay you a regular paycheck, it does pay you in grades. At the end of your degree, you will be able to use your straight A’s as currency to get a great job.

Everything you learned at your summer job about responsibility, punctuality and honesty can be used in business school.  So, impress your professor just like you would your boss. Show up to class. Stay on top of your assignments and hand them in on time.

  1. Get involved (and stay involved)

Want to stand out at a job interview? Join a business student club. These clubs focus on everything from accounting to marketing and every subject area in between.  Joining a club is a great way to make new friends and apply coursework to real life situations.

One key tip: it’s not enough to sign up and attend the occasional meetings. If you really want to have an experience that stands out on your resume, get involved on the executive team, attend a case competition or organize an event. You’ll have an experience you’ll never forget and something unique to mention during a job interview.

  1. Make friends (with everyone)

We guarantee that you’ll make friends in your classes and in residence. But don’t forget to build meaningful relationships with faculty, staff and upper year students. They can become important mentors who can help point you to on-campus resources and introduce you to new connections. Plus, if you know your career centre staff they’ll be sure to recommend you to employers who are hiring students.

Do you want to guarantee straight A’s on group projects? One successful strategy we’ve seen Goodman students use is to have a group of friends from different concentrations. When it comes time to write that paper, you’ll have every subject area covered, from HR to entrepreneurship.

  1. Ask for help

It’s a new school, a new environment and new friends. This is a big transition and it’s normal for there to be ups and downs during your first year. Fortunately, your university has resources available to help you succeed. From study skill workshops to mental health resources, there is a lot of support available to you on-campus.

If you need any type of help, talk to your academic advisor or a professor as early as possible. Don’t put your academic career at risk; there are people available to help you get through any type of problem you encounter. For the Silo, Don Cyr, dean of the Goodman School of Business at Brock University.

Don Cyr, dean of the Goodman School of Business at Brock University
Don Cyr, dean of the Goodman School of Business at Brock University

 

About the Goodman School of Business:

Based at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., the Goodman School of Business is one of only eight schools in Ontario that is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. The Goodman School of Business is home to more than 2,600 undergraduate students, 450 graduate students and has 7,000 alumni worldwide.

 

Culture

La Prochaine Soirée Du Restaurant Le Renoir

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Renoir Sauvage

RENOIR SAUVAGE- Vous êtes cordialement conviés à la prochaine destination de l’Apéro Sauvage en cavale qui vous fait découvrir à chaque dégustation, un chef et un resto, en plus des merveilles de notre terroir sauvage. La prochaine soirée aura lieu le 3 septembre prochain sur la magnifique terrasse du restaurant Le Renoir, sur la rue Sherbrooke, au centre-ville de Montréal.

L’Apéro Sauvage en cavale propose des 5@7 de réseautage épicurien, de plaisirs gourmands pour tous les sens et de découverte des produits sauvages du Québec, en 2 ou 3 bouchées copieuses, en accord avec des vins et cocktails d’exception.  Cette édition très spéciale mets en vedette les champignons sauvages en 3 accords exceptionnels, crées par le grand chef Olivier Perret et le maître-pâtissier Roland Del Monte – MOF, du restaurant Le Renoir, en collaboration avec Terroirs Québec, Bobby Grégoire et Natalie Richard. Venez célébrer les champignons sauvages et les découvrir comme vous ne les avez jamais goûté, grâce au savoir-faire et à la créativité de deux grands maîtres de l’art gastronomique.

Renoir Sauvage 2

Achetez vos billets en ligne ICI.

Mercredi soirs jusqu’au 17 septembre

Venez faire votre propre cueillette de champignons sauvages avec le chef Perret! Tous les mercredis à partir de 18h, dans le cadre de l’Apéro Sauvage, en collaboration Terroir Québec.

Poêlée de champignons sauvages au choix sur tartines de pain grillé de la boulangerie Hof Kelsten, servi avec accompagnements saisonniers

RESTAURANT LE RENOIR

1155 Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 2N3

www.restaurant-renoir.com | 514-788-3038 | h3646@sofitel.com

Art

Country Music Of Johnny Mac Slater

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Be sure to 'like' Johnny's Facebook "Jam Page" (link at the end of this article)- you can find live videos, recordings and other trivia and info about Johnny Mac Slater.
Be sure to ‘like’ Johnny’s Facebook “Jam Page” (link at the end of this article)- you can find live videos, recordings and other trivia and info about Johnny Mac Slater.

For those in the country music scene, talented Johnny Mac has a song for you. Known first to family and friends as John McIntosh, he added ‘Slater’ as a surname, hence his stage name is Johnny Mac Slater. It is a handle that fits his style well. He writes stories from the heart and magically transforms the words into beautiful songs which he sings and plays. Johnny Mac Slater spent some time in Nashville, writing songs and developing his craft. Now living in Hamilton, and happy to be close to his roots, he is working on a new project. Johnny says “I’ve recently been recording at Westmoreland Recording Studios in Hamilton for awhile now, and a CD release will happen soon.”   You can bet he will stick with his life’s stories and experiences. Typically his lyrics are centered around girls and love, both lost or found, and then performed with passion and  filled with emotion. He also appreciates a good party and quirky story.  All of which are found in his songs. It is easy to see, he feels that “nothing makes a better song than a good story.” Some of his early influences you’ll find varied, including Glen Campbell, Keith Urban, Eric Church, Micheal Martin Murphy, Elton John, Kris Kristofferson, and even Boston,  Pete Townsend and Motley Crue. The musicians he has teamed up with for his soon to be released CD have added some great sound. From a strong drum beat, clean bass lines and some very sweet guitar licks. There is no doubt it will be a hit CD. Watch his You Tube home page for a sneak preview of a song or two that will be on the new CD.

Supplemental – http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/Johnny-Mac-Slater –  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Johnny-Macs-Music-Kitchen/108086535919900?fref=ts                      

Earth

New ‘tipping point’ in climate- “Holy Sh*t” moment says NASA scientist

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Yeah this image is a little "Hollywood" but seriously, Europe DID have a Little Ice Age not that long ago......
Yeah this image is a little “Hollywood” but seriously, Europe DID have a Little Ice Age not that long ago……

 

The delicate balance of the planet’s biosphere is tipping — threatening all life on earth. Scientists are calling it our Holy Shit moment on climate change, and world leaders meet at the UN next month — we have until then for all of us, everywhere, to act, in the largest day of action on climate change in history, to call for action and fight for everything we love. Sign up to join in:

JOIN IN

The last ice age happened in 6 months. 6 months for the planet to unleash a giant wall of ice across central Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. This is what happens when we hit a climate ‘tipping point’, and right now we’re rushing towards 3 more of these catastrophic reactions.

[ Did you know? Europe had a Little Ice Age between the 12th and 15th Century- http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/lia/little_ice_age.html ]

It’s our “holy shit” climate moment according to a leading NASA scientist, and only a holy shit massive coordinated day of action response, right now, can change the future we’re facing.

One agreement with common sense steps to end dirty energy can save us. That’s why the UN has called an urgent climate meeting next month with all major world leaders — if we greet them on September 21st with the largest ever global climate mobilisation in history, we can break through the walls of mega coal, oil, and business that prevent even the best politicians from doing what is right.

There’s no way to get around how big a task this is. But together, each small action will add up into a millions-strong movement that literally drowns out the opposition and gives our leaders the best reason to break free and build a hopeful, clean and green future. Click below to join in:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/event/climate/?source=blast&cl=5698277643&v=44357

“Tipping points” are feedback loops, where climate change feeds back on itself and causes rapidly accelerating, catastrophic consequences. Right now, methane gas that is 25 times worse for global warming than CO2 is frozen into arctic ice. But as the ice melts, the gas escapes into the atmosphere, increasing global warming, melting more ice, and thus releasing more and more gas… everything starts to spin out of control. And that’s just one example. These tipping points are the reason why scientists are yelling from the rooftops that we have to act now.

The Great Irish Frost

We actually have the tools and the plan we need to make sure we don’t cross into a world where tipping points destroy us. And while it will take global cooperation on a bigger scale than ever before, our 38 million-strong movement already has real people power to help move leaders from every country to take the first steps. Recently, the United States and China announced serious new plans to curb their carbon pollution. Momentum is building ahead of next year’s critical Paris climate summit where a deal could be inked, and next month we can take it up a notch further.

Taking to the streets in a record setting show of power and coordination is one of the most effective ways to create change — from the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa to civil rights in the US, it’s sometimes been the only way. This is our chance to bring that power to the most important issue of our time: survival and a thriving future for our families, their families and the generations of people to come. Click below to be a part of it all:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/event/climate/?source=blast&cl=5698277643&v=44357

We know we can do this… and do it big. When our community was just 3 million people we held 3,000 actions on the same day to protect our planet. We’re now 38 million strong, twelve times that size! Imagine what we can achieve together now…

With so much hope for our future,

Ricken, Emma, Iain, Lisa, Alice, Emily, Uilleam and the rest of the Avaaz team

 

It’s time to put our climate mobilisation plan into action! Click to either host a local event in your community, or join one that’s already being organised – https://secure.avaaz.org/en/event/climate/?source=blast&cl=5698277643&v=44357 

MORE INFORMATION

Global warming: it’s a point of no return in West Antarctica. What happens next? (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/17/climate-change-antarctica-glaciers-melting-global-warming-nasa

A Call to Arms: An Invitation to Demand Action on Climate Change (Rolling Stone)
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/a-call-to-arms-an-invitation-to-demand-action-on-climate-change-20140521

Mini ice age took hold of Europe in months (New Scientist)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427344.800-mini-ice-age-took-hold-of-europe-in-months.html

Report: Prepare for climate tipping points (Politico)
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/national-research-council-report-climate-change-could-hit-tipping-points-environment-100615.html

Great Lakes Frozen Over 2014- the scene from Space http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140228160624.htm

 

 

Sci-Tech

BenQ adds new Home Theater Colorific Projectors to its high tech line- 4K Yes!

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The Benq 1075- a full 1080p HD image, with the promise of over 1 billion colors and options for 3D. We want! CP
The Benq 1075- a full 1080p HD image, with the promise of over 1 billion colors and options for 3D. We want! CP

 

COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions and the No. 1-selling DLP® projector brand in The Americas(1), today introduced its next-generation Colorific™ home entertainment projectors: the HT1075 and HT1085ST. Building on the incredible success of the company’s top-selling W1070 and the short-throw W1080ST, the new home theater devices have been designed to take content to an entirely new level — combining the magic of over 1 billion colors, 3D-readiness, and the realism of full HD 1080p picture quality. What’s more, the new projectors add streaming and mirroring capabilities for devices equipped with Mobile High-definition Link (MHL) to allow the transfer of small-screen content from any portable device. When such an astounding feature set meets such a small price tag, enthusiasts can now easily bring home a full-on cinematic experience.

“BenQ has taken two enormously successful projectors and made them even better,” said Bob Wudeck, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Business Development at BenQ America Corp. “Sustaining our value promise to our customers, the all-new HT1075 and HT1085ST provide enhanced benefits such as Colorific image quality, SmartEco technology, and flexible setup options that allow users to install and easily integrate the projectors with their MHL devices. Available at an amazingly low price, the duo delivers more vibrant colors and richer contrast levels for the ultimate in big screen entertainment.”

Featuring BenQ’s Colorific image quality, the HT1075 and HT1085ST provide more vivid and accurate color reproduction, higher brightness levels, crisper contrast, and longer-lasting picture quality. Both units offer full HD 1080p and 3D support, while the short-throw HT1085ST allows users to fill screens measuring up to 100 inches by simply setting up the device at only 6 feet away — making it an ideal choice for urban environments or media room settings where installation space is limited. Adding to the projectors’ razor-sharp imaging are 2,200 ANSI lumens of brightness and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, which turn colors from TV shows, movies, or sporting events into more natural-looking, film-like content. The projectors are also ISFccc-certified by the Imaging Science Foundation® (ISF®), enabling viewers to enjoy a professionally calibrated picture with two optimized modes — ISF Day and ISF Night.

To create a household media hub, users can easily connect Blu-ray players and gaming consoles to the projectors via HDMI® as well as view cloud content using any MHL-ready streaming device, including Roku®, Chromecast®, and Apple® TV. As a result, viewers can bring their favorite content from popular services such as Netflix® or Hulu™ onto the screen using their streaming player of choice or even directly from their smart device. Rounding off the unparalleled convenience are the units’ new 10W chamber speakers, which offer rich audio to create a complete solution whenever a dedicated sound system is not practical, or in outdoor situations such as movie nights under the stars.

Further reducing installation and setup time is a new vertical lens shift option for the HT1075, allowing users to perfectly align the projected image to the center of the screen, thus eliminating any tedious tinkering. To ensure even more placement flexibility, both models offer horizontal and vertical keystone correction, which delivers picture-perfect projection at the push of a button. Saving money by lowering total cost of ownership (TCO), the projectors are equipped with BenQ’s SmartEco™ lamp-saving technology to prolong lamp life up to an amazing 6,000 hours while lasting three times as long as projectors sold just a few years ago. Additional cost-saving features include a filter-free design built around a sealed DLP chip that eliminates the need to clean or change messy filters; a unique lamp door design that enables lamp replacement down the road without needing to take down the projector; and a special sleep mode that reduces power consumption to under half a watt when connected but not in use.

To further simplify installations, a new optional wireless connectivity kit will be sold separately and is planned for release in Q4 2014. The fully wireless system will allow users to send content to the projectors from up to 100 feet away, giving homeowners the freedom to move the projectors throughout the house or even take them outdoors without the need to run cable.

Available in September 2014, BenQ’s all-new HT1075 and HT1085ST projectors retail at $1,199 (USD)and $1,299 (USD) respectively.

More information on BenQ’s full line of products is available at www.BenQ.us.

About BenQ America Corp.  The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity, and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling DLP® projector brand in The Americas(1). BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific projectors, RevolutionEyes™ monitors, and flat-panel displays for any application and market — education, home, gaming, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V, and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability, and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive digital whiteboards for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, interactive flat-panel displays for digital signage, or LED backlight monitors for professional gaming, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers, and retailers.

Click to view on I-tunes
Click to view on I-tunes

 

Culture

29 Years Young And On A Quest To Learn To Play The Guitar

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The daisyrock debutante guitar, ready to break a few hearts

As a younger man, I was like a cat in a bag, probably not unlike most, scratching for meaning and adventure. So when I got the chance for a job teaching in the Bahamas, I decided to go for it. Before I went out to my post on the island of Andros, I stopped over in Nassau to meet with my cousin who lived there. She cooked me dinner, and afterward she showed me around her house. In the basement there was a sandy old guitar leaning against the wall. She didn’t play it anymore and suggested I take it out to the island. I told her I didn’t know how to play, didn’t know anything about music, and didn’t want to take it. But I took it anyway. That teaching job was a total washout, but that’s a story for another time. Six weeks later I was back in Canada, with no job for a year, living with my parents again as a 29 year-old. It was a difficult circumstance. For some reason, that old guitar made the trip back to Canada with me, and I remember it staring at me in my bedroom. I didn’t know E from G, but decided that for me to be in this situation, with this guitar, with the time to learn it, was some kind of important sign I needed to recognize. So I started taking lessons, once a week, at my local hometown music store.  Like any beginner it was a struggle, but struggle I did, learning those Neil Young songs that all the kids start with. It was very liberating. A couple of years later I met a real nice girl—Lisa, a chiropractor. Definitely marriage material.  I’d been seeing her for quite a while, and it was getting to that crux-time of commitment, where future plans need solidifying, lest a biological clock begin to ring too loudly.

I was keenly aware of my responsibilities and knew that I loved this girl, but I just wasn’t sure if I was ready or not. The soul-searching had been going on for weeks and the matter continued to be grey, and I’m certain she felt me creating a certain distance while I figured things through. It was at my house one day when decisiveness finally cleared a path through my tangled emotions. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you” came out of my mouth. Lisa wasn’t in the house when I said that. Nobody was. But my guitar was sitting snugly in its stand, and it heard those words, and that was it. I broke up with Lisa the next day.

Such an important part of that decision was knowing my guitar playing would essentially stop if I went to the next level with her, and I was just starting to make real leaps in my ability, and had so much further to go since I’d started so late in my life. I couldn’t leave it behind now. The chapter was still being written.  As much as I loved Lisa, I had to let her move on. Since then I’ve probably written 100 songs (definitely a couple about that situation), released a CD, cut my teeth in Nashville…too many things to mention. I’ve met so many great people and had so many great opportunities because of that guitar. The spirit and the energy surrounding it all is unparalleled. None of it would have been realized if I had different words for my guitar that day.  As tough as it was, I know I made the right decision.  Lisa is married and has a child now, and I feel really good about that.

For the Silo by John McIntosh (Speaking of Nashville, it really is true that you’ve got to “know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ‘em.” It’s a key to life. I’m reminded as well of a cameo in the Canadian road movie One Week. Tragically Hip frontman Gordon Downie is questioned by the protagonist: “How do you know if you’re really in love.” His answer is uncommonly succinct: “If you have to ask, you’re not.” Maybe the real question is: who, or what, do you love enough to live by? ed.)    

Culture

Canada Sent Untested Experimental Ebola Vaccine To WHO

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*translated from original Cuban-Spanish article from cubadebate.cu Ebola Quarantine

Vacunas-experimentales – ebola Mientras register more infections and deaths from ebola in several countries in Africa – the latest report is in Nigeria – death, Canada sent to the World Health Organization (who) an experimental vaccine being developed against the disease.

Gregory Taylor, Deputy Director of public health at the health agency of Canada, said that you between 800 and 1 000 doses of the vaccine, known as VSV-EBOV, doctors without borders were sent to a hospital in Geneva at the request of the who, and also to the organization.

The drug has not been used in humans, but Tuesday the ethics of the who panel said that the severity of the current epidemic in West Africa justifies the use of unapproved drugs.

The new fatality in Nigeria is a worker of the economic community of West African States (Ecowas) who died at age 36 in Lagos.

He informed the organization that had infected by having contact with the American Advisor to the Liberian Government, which flew in July to Lagos and there led disease. The man fainted at the airport and was treated without that were known at the beginning that it was ebola.

Since then, the employee of Ecowas was quarantined. His case raises three deaths by the virus in Nigeria, where there are more than 100 people in observation. Gambia, Ivory Coast and Zambia have suspended flights from that country for fear of contagion. Doctors without borders, which has hundreds of partners in West Africa, welcomed the decision of the who to use experimental drugs, but warned that they alone will not stop the problem and making it remains to increase massively the medical team.

As of August 9, 2014 there were about 1,800 confirmed and suspected cases of ebola in the region and more than 1,000 deaths, according to who figures.

Culture

Contraband Tobacco Of Southern Ontario

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Letters to the Silo

Dear Silo, There is a contraband tobacco economy that has sprouted over the past two decades that rivals the volumes that the “Big Tobacco” companies produce for the legitimate market.  That black market economy has spawned much criminal activity, false reporting and tax dodging to the point now where the majority of tobacco farmers are complicit in the black market and the marketing board that was set up to regulate the legitimate licensing of tobacco growers has shown itself to be nothing more than a cartel to keep tobacco money in the hands of a self-selected few.

The Federal Government has taken a pass on trying to deal with contraband tobacco except for offering truly stupid tobacco product tax increases that do nothing but drive smokers to the black market.  We will hold judgment on the announcement that $90 million will be spent on the contraband tobacco file through the RCMP.  To date, the RCMP have not been able to make an impact on the growth of the cigarette black market in Canada.  What is certain at this point, however, is that the extra $4 levy on a carton of smokes will drive many current smokers to buy cigarettes that are unburdened by provincial or federal taxes. That will also spur on the commitment of biker gangs and other mobsters to supply the product.  Why buy a pack of cigarettes at a gas station for $14 or $15 when you can get 10 packs for the same price under the table?

The TTP Program – A Transition to Chaos

The Canadian Government has much to answer for in the creation of the tobacco diversion schemes in the first place and recent budgetary moves just reinforce the culpability.  In 2008 the Federal Government decided that it should spearhead a plan that would enable farmers to leave the tobacco business and migrate their businesses to other, less controversial lines – the Tobacco Transition Program (TTP).  As it turns out, it was this TTP idea itself that created a bunch of cheaters out of a bunch of honest farmers.

On August 1, 2008 a press release issued by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced that, “The Government of Canada is providing more than $300 million to Ontario’s flue-cured tobacco producers, including $286 million for a Tobacco Transition Program to help them exit the tobacco industry, and $15 million for community development initiatives.”  An average of $272,000 was paid to each participating farmer.  By 2015, 133 recipients of over $30 million dollars in TTP money continued to be involved in tobacco growing.

The Ontario Government has been totally inept at dealing with the problem of contraband in the province.  In 2012, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) took over responsibility for licensing tobacco growers so as to control the production, distribution, sale and purchase of raw leaf tobacco to help ensure the supply of tobacco stays in the legal market and serves the interests of all tobacco farmers equally.  The idea at the time was to take the quota system and self-regulating elements out of the cartel environment and put tobacco sourcing regulation and control in the hands of the government to ensure fairness and transparency – and effective tax collection, one would assume.

We learned that just days after this transfer took effect the Ministry of Finance issued a news release announcing a temporary grace period that would permit growers the time to learn about their obligations and apply for the appropriate registration certificates for the upcoming growing season. That hiatus has now been extended until sometime in 2015 and some think it will be a couple of years after that before the MoF gets its act together.

While the MoF diddles, anarchy reigns.  Farmers are under-reporting their yields and selling the overages to the black market for a 400% mark-up from their contracts with the legitimate manufacturers.  They claim storm damage but actually siphon off vast amounts of tobacco to sell to the underworld.  Sometimes they call the missing tonnage, “stolen”.

Last year, Frontline Security magazine published a series of articles on the contraband tobacco industry.  Based on the reporting in that magazine about the involvement of Ontario farmers, FrontLine received a number of calls from farmers who were not involved in the skimming of tobacco yields to contraband but they expressed worry that if their neighbours were making big money selling tobacco at $8 to $10 per pound versus $2 to contracted legitimate manufacturers, why should they miss out?

With each passing season, the moral compass of the Canadian tobacco farmer gets tested and increasingly farmers are succumbing to the pressures of a big payout.    The trend is very disturbing.  In 2010, it was estimated by FrontLine that more than 60% of 241 farmers were diverting portions of their harvest to unlicensed buyers where the tobacco was heading for illicit markets.  Today, it is estimated that 90% of farmers are now involved in siphoning leaf to the black market producers and most of those are producing thousands of pounds for crime based enterprises.

The impact of this moral degeneracy has ripples that go far beyond the rolling hills of tobacco country in Ontario.  This past spring, we saw a massive bust in the Montreal area that netted 28 arrests and seizures of 40,000 kilograms of tobacco that were diverted from farms all over North America, including in the Tillsonburg area.  A key outcome of that bust was the knowledge that the Italian Mafia have become involved which brings the entire contraband tobacco controversy into a new light and brings the Ontario Tobacco farmers to a new low in conspiring with organized crime.

As alluded to earlier, the farmers aren’t the only ones who have lost their moral compass.  In an institutional way, so has the Ontario Ministry of Finance.  When the Ministry took over from the chaos in regulation created by the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers’ Marketing Board, expectations were that meaningful change was on its way.  However, as the Ministry continues to kick it’s responsibility for actual enforcement down the road, it has created a loophole that will inspire many more farmers to engage in producing tobacco that will be diverted to the black market.

Edward R. Myers– freelance journalist and Editor of FrontLine Security magazine.

Earth

Toxic Algae Blooms in Lake Erie Cause Water Emergencies

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Toxic algae. The Silo @thesiloteam · 1m
Lake Erie toxic algae bloom causes water emergency in Toledo, OH -citizens scramble for bottled water http://patch.com/michigan/novi/lake-erie-toxins-leave-southeast-michigan-ohio-residents-without-water#.U94t…q7fD_IU … #Silo #Earth
It doesn't take a lot of imagination of smarts to understand that toxins can travel in water. Ohio and Southwestern Michigan which have notified the public of the water crisis are dangerously close to other Lake Erie shoreline communities. Some communities such as Norfolk County already have beaches posted with bacteria warnings and notices that the water is NOT tested by local health officials.
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination of smarts to understand that toxins can travel in water. Ohio and Southwestern Michigan which have notified the public of the water crisis are dangerously close to other Lake Erie shoreline communities. Some communities such as Norfolk County already have beaches posted with bacteria warnings and notices that the water is NOT tested by local health officials.

The Silo @thesiloteam · now
What are implications for #Oxford #NorfolkCounty #Haldimand County communities water supply? Bacteria/ Algae signs already posted on beaches 

Culture

Recover From A Hyper Summer By Using Theanine

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While barbecues, sports leagues, family vacations, days at the beach and nights out with friends are fun, keeping up with summer recreation while maintaining a steady work schedule can be challenging, says Budge Collinson.

And before we know it, we’ll be back into the busy fall grind, getting kids up and off to school, participating in clubs and civic groups that have been on summer hiatus, and yes, before we know it, planning for holidays!

“We like to tell ourselves that there will be a period of rest before the next big thing, but usually there isn’t,” says Collinson, a food science expert with a passion for health and fitness. “The truth is, most of us like having full and often fast-paced lives, even if we tend to get worn out more quickly as we get older.”

Don’t resort to caffeine and other stimulants for a temporary energy boost, Collinson says.

“Replacing the nutrients that are depleted when you’re active is a much smarter way to maintain or increase your energy level, and many of those nutrients have long-term benefits as well,” says Collinson, who formulated an effervescent, natural multivitamin beverage called Youth Infusion, to make it easier to get all the essential nutrients and minerals in one 6-ounce drink.

He discusses the revitalizing powers of specific nutrients:

CoQ10 for that extra energy boost. Every cell in your body uses CoQ10 to produce energy, but your heart needs it the most. CoQ10 can help balance your blood pressure, and its mature aging.

Arginine to help with your endurance during workouts and your daily routine. Arginine helps the cardiovascular system by assisting in nitric oxide production, making the arteries more elastic. It also supports the functioning of your hormones and s waste and promotes wound healing.

Theanine helps support better moods. Theanine is a calming extract of green tea. Clinical research indicates that it helps focus a distracted mind. To a lesser extent, theanine has also been shown to reduce anxiety.

Resveratrol: a versatile antioxidant for term peace of mind. Resveratrol promotes healthy circulation, prevents cholesterol oxidation and protects your entire cardiovascular system from the effects of dangerous free radicals. Initial research shows resveratrol helps defend the body against a number of diseases, including Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Vitamin D – for when the sun isn’t as bright as Up to 90 percent of the vitamin D the body needs comes from sunlight, which is in much shorter supply after summer. Vitamin D is required for the regulation of the calcium and phosphorus in the body. It also plays an important role in maintaining proper bone structure and supporting immunity.

About Budge Collinson

Budge Collinson was the beneficiary of his mother’s natural health formula as a sick baby, which led to a deep interest in health and wellness at a young age. After years of research and seeing the growing demand for natural products with clinical support, he founded Infusion Sciences,
www.infusionsciences.com. Collinson earned a bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics from the University of Florida and certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Recently, he became a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and consistently attends the Natural Products Expo, where he learns the latest science and news about nutritious ingredients. Collinson is also a go-to source for media outlets across the country for healthy lifestyle and food source discussions.

Vintage

Mickey Mouse Animation Cel Brings Ninety Eight Thousand Dollars At Auction

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An incredibly rare piece of animation history, an all-original, unrestored production cel and master background from Walt Disney’s 1935 classic “Mickey’s Service Station,” featuring Mickey Mouse and Goofy, realized more than $98,000 USD http://click.ems.ha.com/?qs=a0b6f777c8e9164555c159500ceacad54ad319a092d48c8921bd30eb14370065a07914702d97f374  at Heritage Auctions in New York on July 1, as part of the company’s $1.28+ million Animation Art Signature® Auction, at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion (2 E. 79th Street, at 5th Ave.).

We may never know who the artist is that made the auctioned off cel. Walt employed young, pretty women to work in the inking and cell departments. image: still from an early 1940's Walt Disney film explaining how cartoons were being made (watch this below)- "hundreds of pretty girls working in a brightly lit, air-conditioned room" says the narrator. CP
We may never know who the artist was that made the auctioned cel. Walt Disney employed many young, pretty women to work in the inking and cell departments. Image: Still from an early 1940’s Walt Disney film explaining how cartoons were being made. CP

100sOfprettyGirlsInkingDepartmentSaysDisneyVintageFilm

“It’s an extraordinary price for an extra ordinary piece,” said Jim Lentz, Director of Animation Art at Heritage. “This is really a Holy Grail piece of animation and one of the best I’ve ever seen, from one of the best early Mickey cartoons and one of the very last black and white Mickey cartoons before Disney changed everything by going to color.” Besides the rarity of the cel and the background, it is also believed that this is the only known black and white production cel featuring Goofy in private hands. In the classic cartoon Mickey (voiced by Disney himself), along with Goofy and Donald, do their best to find a squeaking sound in Pete’s roadster. Naturally, they take the car apart looking for the source of the annoying sound, which turns out to be a cricket.

The Bullwinkle Show Storyboard

One of the great surprises of the auction came in the form of a set of 1961 storyboards from The Bullwinkle Show (Jay Ward Studios), three extremely rare trimmed storyboards by Roy Morita for the episode “Buried Treasure,” on Ward Inc. storyboard paper, which crushed its $750+ USD pre-auction estimate to finish, amidst very spirited bidding, at $44,460 USD. One panel features Rocky and Bullwinkle, one has a close up of Bullwinkle, and one is an amazing drawing of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, with the handwritten notation “B+R House” and an arrow pointing out the specific abode.

Culture

Electronic Jazz Collective Hits SOMA FM charts

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The inimitable Rik Ganju
The inimitable Rik Ganju

The music collective GANFUNKEL released the 5-song-EP Fighting Music with Music following the successful 2013 release of Machine Coincident Jazz.  The former album produced one song that reached #1 on jazz radio charts, 2 songs that reached #2, and one song that reached #3.

Ganfunkel listing on SOMA FM charts.
Ganfunkel listing on SOMA FM charts.

Ganfunkel is California-based and led by Simcoe native Rik Ganju.  Personnel on Fighting Music with Music have recorded and toured with Esperanza Spalding, the Kronos Quartet, John McLaughlin, Terry Riley, Bela Fleck, Wayne Shorter and Zakir Hussain.

Ganfunkel’s sound is influenced by rock, jazz, funk and Indian classical music.   Standing out on the new album is Stars Fell on Daniel featuring tabla maestro Salar Nader, and the legendary George Brooks on saxophone.

“The success of Machine Coincident Jazz validated our belief that multi-genre music has an audience that doesn’t want to be confined by traditional categories, “ says Ganju. “People are open to many styles of music depending on their mood.  And just as film music evolves from minute to minute, our sound changes texture as the mood of the tune allows.”

Ganfunkel albums are available today on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and most major music download sites, and music videos can be found by searching on Ganfunkel at Vimeo.com

Ganju’s experiments with multi-genre music stretch back to the mid-2000s when he collaborated with Jarrod Barker  on many avant-garde experiments.

Also hailing from Norfolk County- Jarrod Barker, friend of Rik. Both have collaborated in the past on new musical forms and sounds.
Jarrod Barker

The track listing for Fighting Music with Music:

  1. Chunky Town (featuring Kai Eckhardt and Dana Hawkins)
  2. Shot in a Gambling House
  3. Stars Fell on Daniel (featuring Salar Nader and George Brooks)
  4. That Feel on Flesh (featuring Kai Eckhardt and Dana Hawkins)
  5. Venezia

All songs are composed by Rik Ganju.

Video for Stars Fell on Daniel: http://vimeo.com/94441271

Culture

Why We March Globally Against Monsanto

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It takes strength to usher in change and there's strength in numbers.
It takes strength to usher in change and there’s strength in numbers.

For those who are not aware of Monsanto or its global influence, I would like to provide you with some background information before explaining just why it is important to stand against the corporation and its actions.

 Monsanto is an international agricultural corporation which is based out of the United States. It originated in 1901 and has functioned mainly as a pesticide corporation but as of recently it has been implementing genetically engineered seeds. These seeds, which are being sold and grow in many parts of the world, do not have the ability to reproduce, thereby forcing farmers to purchase a new set of seeds from the company each season. In many situations, the farmers have no choice but to continue paying into the corporation because no other seeds are available in their area. Monsanto is also the leader producer (and creator) of the herbicide “Glyphosate” (a herbicide which is used specifically to kill weeds around the GM crops but leave the crops un-harmed. This is made possible through the genetic tampering of the seeds which makes them resistant to the herbicide).

Monsanto has been adamantly rejecting many accusations that have been coming their way in more recent years. In fact, they go out of their way to address the international conversation that has been taking place about their “terminator” seeds and their inability to reproduce (provide seeds that can then be planted the following season). They claim in a statement on their website that “Monsanto has never commercialized a biotech trait that resulted in sterile – or “terminator” – seeds” (Monsanto Website). The website is littered with fabricated stories, pictures of smiling farmers and claims that Monsanto has their best interests at heart. The truth is many farmers are struggling to make the expensive purchases of Monsanto seeds and herbicide. Debt is rising in rural areas around the world (India taking one of the hardest hits, with thousands of farmer suicides being said to be associated with debt owed to Monsanto and their inability to support themselves) and a countless number of individuals are suffering because of the negative side effects. Monsanto has a huge stake in the worlds production of seeds and is already working on spreading their patents to broccoli and eggplant despite international disagreement.

This is why we march. The global March Against Monsanto is a worldwide call of action aimed at informing the public of the long term health, environmental, and financial effects of genetically modified foods. Last years globalized day of action took place with over 2 million people took to the streets to express their opinions and attempt to reclaim the food systems. We march for seed freedom (because seeds are a source of life, and corporations should not have the ability to patent life), for the labeling of GMO foods, to promote organic and sustainable alternatives, to demand the accountability of those responsible for corruption, and to further the scientific research around GMOs. *name withheld on request 

 

 

 

 

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