Tag Archives: Australia

Travel

Tourism is Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels, but Challenges Remain

May 21, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

Developing countries (in terms of their income economies) such as Africa are also seeing gains.

One year ago- The pandemic had all but decimated the tourism industry in South Africa

Culture

Quality Over Quantity: How Canada’s Immigration System Can Catch Up

February 26, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

Canada’s immigration point system is designed to select skilled immigrants who have the potential to contribute to the country’s economic growth and meet its evolving skills needs. However, Canada faces challenges in fully leveraging increased immigration levels to enhance the well-being of Canadians due to weaknesses in capital investment and a quantity/quality trade-off in selecting economic immigrants. Furthermore, recent reforms may work at cross purposes to this goal. They include category-based selection that targets low-paying occupations, which can discourage capital investment, and a recent surge in the number of temporary residents in low-wage jobs that also may have adverse effects on the quality of potential candidates for permanent residency.

This study compares skilled immigration selection policy in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, with the objective of identifying key areas for improvement in Canadian policy. The skilled immigration point systems in Canada and Australia share some similarities, with both prioritizing a two-step immigration process, placing an emphasis on English proficiency and workforce age, and requiring pre-migration credential and English proficiency assessments. However, the two countries differ mainly in their strictness of criteria and their emphasis on occupational and language skills. Furthermore, Australia has shown more agility and creativity in its skilled migration reforms. Reforms in the UK and New Zealand have also put them ahead in the competition for talent.

Based on this international comparison, the author makes recommendations for improvement. They include: 1) Setting a Minimum Points Threshold for Eligibility. As it is, Canada imposes no minimum points threshold for eligibility in its Express Entry points-based system. 2) Considering a Pre-admission Earnings Factor. Studies show the importance of pre-immigration earnings in predicting immigrants’ outcomes after arrival. The UK, New Zealand and Australia include this factor. 3) Boosting Standards under the Language Requirement. Official language skills are as important in predicting the initial earnings of principal applicants admitted under Canada’s Express Entry system as pre-immigration Canadian work experience, and even more important than educational level and age at the time of immigration. 4) Raising Business Immigration Numbers. Canada faces the challenge of weak business investment but is failing to select business immigrants with entrepreneurial skills, putting it at a disadvantage compared to competitors like Australia and the UK.

The author thanks Tingting Zhang, Charles DeLand, Rosalie Wyonch, Charles Beach, Jodi Kasten, Mikal Skuterud and anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier draft. The author retains responsibility for any errors and the views expressed.

Read the full report here.

For the Silo, Parisa Mahboubi/C.D. Howe Institute.

Parisa Mahboubi

Parisa Mahboubi is a Senior Policy Analyst and leads the C.D. Howe Institute’s human capital policy program. Her research interest focuses on social policy with a concentration on demographic, skills, education, and labour market concerns. In addition to authoring research studies, she regularly writes a column for the Globe and Mail’s business section.

Earth

Great Barrier Reef: Australia to put in place urgent safeguarding measures requested by UNESCO

June 8, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

Paris, June, 2023 – UNESCO welcomes Australia’s decision to implement urgent new protection measures to safeguard the Great Barrier Reef recommended by UNESCO. The measures include a ban on fishing with gillnets. The Australian government formalized its commitments in a letter addressed to Audrey Azoulay, the Director General of UNESCO this week.

“The Great Barrier Reef is a fragile jewel of world heritage. For many years, UNESCO has not ceased alerting the world to the risk of this site losing its universal value forever. We have proposed several concrete measures which provide a roadmap for tackling the problem. I am delighted that the dialogue between our experts and the Australian authorities has now resulted in a set of formal commitments,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General.

For many years, UNESCO has sounded the alarm on the Great Barrier Reef.
In 2021, with regard to very worrying data on the reef’s poor state of conservation, experts at the Organization went as far as to recommend the site was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. This warning had global resonance.

The fruits of a long process of discussion
In March 2022, a UNESCO-IUCN joint mission travelled to the Great Barrier Reef in order to examine the reef in even greater detail, and to dialogue with all the relevant actors: public sector decision-makers, scientists and non-government organizations (NGOs). In their report, the experts confirmed that due to the threats posed by pollution, over-fishing and the rise in sea temperatures, the outlook for the Great Barrier Reef was worrying. UNESCO and the IUCN also emphasized that the implementation of corrective measures could significantly improve the state of conservation of the reef, listing ten precisely-defined actions the Australian authorities should take. In July 2022, Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, met with the new Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and recalled the urgency of taking action. A discussion between UNESCO experts and the Australian authorities followed, with the aim of establishing an implementation plan for the ten priority measures including costs and timetable. This process has just been completed. In a letter addressed to Audrey Azoulay, the Minister of the Environment, Tanya Plibersek announced that the urgent new measures for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef UNESCO had requested, would be carried out.

Key Measures
In the letter the Australian government committed notably to: Create no-fishing zones in a third of the World Heritage site by the end of 2024, and to ban gill net fishing altogether by 2027; Reach water quality improvement targets by 2025, by significantly reducing pollutant discharges from farmers and industrialists, and restoring flora and fauna in drainage basins; Set successively more ambitious CO2 emissions reduction targets, in alignment with efforts to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C. This comes in addition to the measures already announced by the Australian authorities in recent months. UNESCO will closely monitor the effective implementation of these measures. The state of conservation of the Great Barrier Reef will be examined again by the World Heritage Committee at its 45th extended session (September 10-25, Saudi Arabia).

https://youtu.be/bb01n4uQZL0

Earth

Scientists Urge Caution On Underwater Mining

March 30, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

For years the ‘bad ones’ have poisoned rivers, devastated forests and displaced communities, and now massive companies are rushing to dig up the seabed for precious metals.

MIT: “The ocean’s deep-sea bed is scattered with ancient, potato-sized rocks called “polymetallic nodules” that contain nickel and cobalt — minerals that are in high demand for the manufacturing of batteries, such as for powering electric vehicles and storing renewable energy, and in response to factors such as increasing urbanization. The deep ocean contains vast quantities of mineral-laden nodules, but the impact of mining the ocean floor is both unknown and highly contested.”

Sledge From Sea Mining Operations — Sediment plumes following the wake of this deep sea mining ship.

And yet, only twenty-four people have the regulatory powers to stop this type of plunder in our planet’s most fragile places: The International Seabed Authority. You’ve likely never heard of them because this group attracts as little attention as an underwater mine miles offshore.

A few countries have agreed to full or partial bans, and leading scientists have appealed for a freeze on deep sea mining contracts.

Mining companies claim they can mine the seabed safely, but authorities in Namibia, Australia and New Zealand have blocked seabed mining projects. Scientists point out that many deep water species are being discovered quite regularly, and that the ocean floor can take decades to recover from disturbances such as the creation of sediment plumes from deep sea floor bed mining.

There are limits to how deep Surface ships can reach- but is that enough to protect the deep of our Oceans? — There are technological limits to how deep Surface ships can reach- but is that enough to protect the deep of our Oceans? New technologies and techniques always lead to deeper mining.

Seabed Mining: The 30 People Who Could Decide the Fate of the — Oceans Deeply — New technology allowing for deeper mining and intensified mining: A massive seafloor EV rover.

The International Seabed Authority has already issued licenses for exploratory mining across 1.2 million square kilometers of ocean floor. As mentioned earlier, this regulatory body is almost unknown, and its 24-person Legal and Technical Committee is solely responsible for the detailed scrutiny of proposals and environmental safeguards.

Supplemental:

Deep sea mining: the new resource frontier? (Al-Arabiya)
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/world/2014/11/12/Deep-sea-mining-the-new-resource-frontier-.html

Marine mining: Underwater gold rush sparks fears of ocean catastrophe (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/02/underwater-gold-rush-marine-mining-fears-ocean-th…

New Interest in Seafloor Mining Revives Calls for Conservation (National Geographic)
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/12/11/new-interest-in-seafloor-mining-revives-calls-for-co…

Deep sea mining hopes hit by New Zealand decision (Financial Times)
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6edaeea8-b894-11e4-a2fb-00144feab7de.html#axzz3VFC8Wm1y

Scientists call for temporary halt on new deep sea mining projects (Popular Science)
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6edaeea8-b894-11e4-a2fb-00144feab7de.html#axzz3VFC8Wm1y

Shedding some light on the International Seabed Authority (University of Southampton)
http://moocs.southampton.ac.uk/oceans/2014/03/09/shedding-some-light-on-the-international-seabed-authority/

Sci-Tech

Research: Adult Content, Streaming & Video Hosting Sites Have Most Security Threats

February 23, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

According to research by our friends at NordVPN, one of the leading cybersecurity companies, adult content, streaming, and video hosting sites have the most security and privacy threats, such as malware, intrusive ads, and trackers. Research shows that NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature, whose sole purpose is to protect people from such threats, blocked 344M trackers, 341M intrusive ads, and 506K malware infections in the month of December 2022 alone.

“The online world is challenging people in every single move they make. Want to read an article? Dozens of ads and pop-ups are ready to immediately cover your screen. Another privacy threat – malware – is lurking for you on websites and in files you are about to download. Websites you browse are also full of third-party trackers that analyze your browsing history to find out what you do online. It depends on you to stop it,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity advisor at NordVPN.

Adult content sites contain the biggest amount of malware

Malware is malicious software that seeks to damage or compromise a device or data. Malware’s scope varies from relatively harmless to extremely dangerous. Malicious software can track people’s data, steal sensitive information, or even delete it without your consent.

NordVPN research shows that adult content sites (21%), as well as cloud storage providers (14%) and entertainment sites (11%), contain the biggest amount of malware. In December, Threat Protection blocked 60.4K, 40.1K, and 30.9K domains of these categories respectively.

Among the most common types of malware are viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, adware, scareware, ransomware, and fireless malware.

Streaming media sites have the most intrusive ads

Intrusive advertising refers to pushing invasive and irrelevant ads in front of consumers. They irritate users by popping up unexpectedly, blocking the host page, opening new pages and windows, or playing video and audio at inopportune times.

As for intrusive ads, the majority of them were found on streaming (23%), adult content (16%), and online shopping (9%) sites. Threat Protection detected and blocked millions of them: 552M, 389M, and 226M respectively.

“Today, ad blockers are essential for both security because they block ads that can infect people’s devices and privacy because annoying ads rely on collecting data from web activity and violating people’s privacy. Also, if a website is loading slower than usual, you can blame intrusive ads. Free apps filled with unwanted ads could also drain your device’s battery faster,” explains Adrianus Warmenhoven.

Video hosting sites have the biggest number of trackers

While many trackers are a tool for advertising and improving user experience, they may also become handy for online spies. Internet service providers (ISPs), marketing agencies, social media companies, and governments can access your online actions and breach your privacy.

NordVPN’s Threat Protection showed that video hosting sites (22%), cloud storage providers (16.31%), web email (16.25%), and information technology sites (12%) have the most trackers. Video hosting sites alone had 239 billion trackers blocked by Threat Protection in December 2022.

It’s worth adding that earlier NordVPN research showed that the average number of trackers per website is highest in Hong Kong (45.4 trackers), Singapore (33.5), the United States (23.1), and Australia (18.6).

“You can become less trackable online by declining third party cookies, because the website can sell your browsing data to third parties; using a VPN, which will hide your real IP address and location; installing a tracker blocker, which will stop your browsers from collecting information about you; and using privacy browsers, which can obfuscate your browser fingerprint, or ditching Google, which tracks a lot of data about you,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven.

Threat Protection scans your files before you download them, identifies threats, and blocks them before they can harm your device. The feature is free with every NordVPN subscription – and it allows you to go online without leaving a trace, protecting your privacy and improving your digital security.

Methodology: The statistics mentioned above were acquired by analyzing aggregated data gathered by the NordVPN’s Threat Protection service in January 2023. No identifiable user information was collected, reviewed, or otherwise involved when the research and compiled results were conducted.

Earth

The Production And Distribution Of Organic Food

September 22, 2022 The Silo 2 Comments

If you want to create healthier habits for yourself and your loved ones, it might be a good time to switch to organic foods. The benefits of this diet are numerous, and with the global expansion of the market, organic food has become readily available to all.

Ask yourself — what kind of food do I actually eat, and how is this food produced? You may not like the answer, but there is one simple solution to this problem — organic food. This type of diet may not look as appealing as GMO, but trust us when we say, it tastes the same, and it is not bad for your health.

Who Are the Leading Manufacturers of Organic Food?

If we look at the bigger picture of organic food production, the leading place belongs to Australia where organic farms occupy an area of 35.9 million ha, followed by Europe with 14.8 million ha, South America with 8 million ha, Asia with 6.1 million ha, North America with 3.2 million ha, and finally Africa with 2.1 million ha.

However, India has the most considerable number of registered organic producers – a whopping 835,000. Sounds like a big number? The organic industry is expanding every year and is expected to generate over $60 billion usd by the end of this year (2022).

The reason for this rapid growth is that more and more people in different countries are opting for this type of food.

If we look at the 2016 American market, we can see that organic food has reached a staggering $38.9 billion in organic food retail sales. These numbers are showing that the production (and consumption) of organic products is on the rise, which is actually great news!

What About the Consumers?

Many people are living a fast-paced lifestyle, and this means that they spend much time planning their meals or doing workouts. This type of unhealthy eating regime can have a detrimental effect on our health.

According to stats, 57% of children are well on their way to being obese due to the consumption of unhealthy foods and foods that contain empty calories.

Fortunately, this trend is declining as 51% of parents opt for healthier foods, and they are even willing to pay 3-4% more for organic food to create healthier eating habits for their young ones.

An increasing number of people are becoming aware of the hazardous effects of food additives and supplements that may cause numerous health disorders. According to a survey conducted in France, about 70,000 people who consumed organic foods had 25% fewer cancer diagnosis than the ones who consumed conventional food.

Considering these facts, organic food consumption is expected to increase in the coming years.

Quality-Price Ratio

The production of organic food requires compliance with certain regulations that vary from country to country. Organic food refers to foods that are not genetically modified, not treated with pesticides and growth factors, and that are grown on land that doesn’t contain chemical substances such as artificial fertilizers.

You must have wondered how organic production manages to sustain itself. The secret is in prevention. Organic producers put a lot of time, resources, and effort to create the end product we find in the markets. That reflects a lot on the price. Organic food is 7.5% more expensive on average than non-organic.

The reason for this is that, despite the thorough preventative measures, organic food is more affected by various diseases and pollutants. That said, producers could lose their entire annual organic food production and end up losing substantial amounts of money.

That said, organic food is more expensive than conventional. However, if you decided to go organic, there are ways you can buy this type of food at a more affordable price. Here’s how:

buy directly from the manufacturer
compare prices
buy seasonal food
obtain membership in a community-supported agricultural farm or CSA.

Bottom Line

All of this considered, conventional food may not be a cheaper option than organic food. Why? Because good health is invaluable. So if it means that we must spend a couple of extra bucks to get rid of lousy eating habits, we’d say, go for it! For the Silo, Tarun Reddy.

Travel

Best Countries For Post Covid Study Abroad Programs

March 1, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

As more students are heading towards graduation each year, the struggle to get a graduate job is becoming more difficult, and students have to ensure strong CVs in order to stand out from the crowd. The Covid pandemic has put a halt to students having options in countries other than their own. However, with a bit of luck, the pandemic will continue to end and travel restrictions will be eased. When that happens, international students will finally be allowed to return to studying abroad, learning new skills and experiencing new cultures.

Although this may be seen as one long holiday to those not in the know, those that study abroad will, in fact, have a higher starting salary, earning an extra 5% more than those who don’t. On average, this could amount to an extra £75,000 ($126,709 CDN at time of this article) over a career.

Not only will they earn more, they are also almost ¼ less likely to be unemployed after graduation. So although all study abroad programs come with a cost, with readily available bursaries, this opportunity is accessible to any student who is hoping to boost their employ-ability and is an opportunity that should be taken.

• Business and Finance Students – China: As the second largest economy in the world, China offers endless business opportunities, whilst encouraging students to learn the most widely spoken language in the world, Mandarin.

• Medical Students – South Africa: Of the 234 million surgical procedures made every year, just 4% of these happen in the poorest third of the global population. When medical students choose to volunteer in South Africa, they will gain experience in a different medical setting, and all whilst giving back.

• Education Students – Australia: As an English-speaking country, Australia is the perfect study abroad opportunity for future teachers. With the average UK class size standing at 30 pupils, the Australian’s average size of 16 will be a lot easier to manage. Plus for those who decide to stay in Australia long-term, new teachers can expect to earn £40,000+ ($67,572 CDN) compared to the £22,000 ($37,164 CDN) starting salary in the UK.

• Conservation – Madagascar: Conservation is a growing industry as concern grows for animals and the environment. As the fourth largest island in the world, and as home to species not found anywhere else, Madagascar is the perfect opportunity for a once in a lifetime opportunity for conservation enthusiasts.

• Art & Design Students – Italy: From ancient and classic sculpture to modern day art, Italy is the perfect place to learn and gain an even greater passion for art history.

• Humanities Students – USA: With three of the top five humanities universities based in the USA, America offers a vast array of historical and literary studying options. This time abroad will open up options for students who are wanting to work in academia, journalism or teaching.

For the Silo, Bekki Ramsay/storageworld.

Vintage

Top 10 Most Expensive Records Sold On Discogs In May 2020

July 17, 2020 The Silo Leave a comment

PORTLAND, OR. July, 2020: Discogs, the world’s record store, recently released its latest Top 30 Most Expensive records list for items sold in the Discogs Marketplace during May. The complete list for May 2020 can be viewed on the Discogs Blog, while the following are the highest priced records sold with all prices in US dollars (multiply by 1.36 for current CAD dollar exchange rate) :

1

Jay Richford & Gary Stevan – Feelings

Sold for $5,660.00
Label: Carosello
Format: LP, Album
Country: Italy
Released: 1974
Genres: Jazz, Funk / Soul |Styles: Jazz-Funk, Easy Listening, Soul-Jazz, Psychedelic

2

Charlie Parker – Bird Blows The Blues

Sold for $4,999.00
Label: Dial Records
Format: LP, Album, Comp
Country: US
Released: 1949
Genres: Jazz | Styles: Bop

3

The Queers – Love Me

Sold for $4,000.00
Label: Doheny Records
Format: 7″
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genres: Rock | Styles: Punk

4

Willie Tee – Teasing You Again / Your Love, My Love Together

Sold for $3,813.00
Label: Gatur Records
Format: 7″
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genres: Funk / Soul | Styles: Soul

5

Michael Rabin With Leon Pommers – Mosaics

Sold for $3,527.00
Label: Capitol Records, Capitol Records
Format: LP, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1959
Genres: Classical | Styles: N/A

6

Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left

Sold for $3,409.00
Label: Island Records
Format: LP, Album, Gat
Country: UK
Released: 1969
Genres: Rock, Folk, World, & Country | Styles: Folk Rock

7

The “Group”* Featuring Cecil Washington – I Don’t Like To Lose

Sold for $3,236.00
Label: Prophonics Studios
Format: 7″
Country: US
Released: 1966
Genres: Funk / Soul | Styles: Soul

8

AC/DC – Can I Sit Next To You, Girl

Sold for $3,139.00
Label: Albert Productions
Format: 7″, Single, Promo, A-l
Country: Australia
Released: 1974
Genres: Rock | Styles: Hard Rock

9

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On

Sold for $3,000.00
Label: Tamla, Tamla
Format: LP, Album, Gat
Country: US
Released: 1971
Genres: Funk / Soul | Styles: Soul

10

Delaney & Bonnie – The Original Delaney And Bonnie

Sold for $2,752.00
Label: Apple Records
Format: Acetate, LP
Country: UK
Released: 1969
Genres: Rock | Styles: Southern Rock

Earth

Canadian Group: Australian Wildfire Facts Blocked by IFCN

January 21, 2020 The Silo Leave a comment

(Calgary, Alberta) Australian wildfire facts are being blocked from public distribution by the International Fact Check Network (IFCN), Poynter Institute and facebook. Friends of Science Society has issued a rebuttal to Climate Feedback’s Australian wildfire analysis, a member of IFCN, that claims human-caused ‘climate change’ is the culprit behind Australian wildfire stories, not arsonists or untenable fuel load. In turn, relying on Climate Feedback’s ‘authority’, facebook has been demoting page quality of those who post Australian wildfire stories that don’t fit the climate catastrophe narrative. Friends of Science wildfire expert says “fuel rules” in the case of wildfires, not temperature.

Facebook and Poynter Institute have partnered in a journalism ‘integrity’ project intended to prevent the spread of false news, but instead, they are promoting a singular climate dogma narrative. Most mainstream media outlets toe the line on the pronouncements of Poynter’s IFCN/Climate Feedback without question. Friends of Science Society argues that this is contrary to the principles of freedom of the press and is damaging to the safety of the public.

Decades of detailed wildfire research by the National Fire Protection Association, a global non-profit established in 1896, has shown that proper setbacks of shrubbery, removal of combustible material, and other house-proofing measures can significantly increase the likelihood that a house will survive a wildfire. Wildfire management techniques like clearing firebreaks and managing combustible fuel loads of dead or dry shrub vegetation and the cutting of firebreaks are well-known, successful wildfire risk reduction techniques.

In their rebuttal to Poynter’s “Climate Feedback”, Friends of Science Society points out that in Alberta, the 2011 statistics of human caused fires versus those caused by lightning reached 72% in the five-year average. Human-caused wildfire includes arson, accidental or negligent activity and fires started from human infrastructure issues – like power lines sparking on contact with tree branches. Some of the largest Canadian wildfires, like the 2011 Slave Lake catastrophe, have been identified as arson.

For those people demanding climate action to reduce carbon dioxide from human industry, the grand irony is that poor forestry and fuel load management lead to wildfires which in turn emit huge quantities of carbon dioxide, as reported by Esquire. Proper forestry management would reduce those emissions.

Many climate activists condemn Australia as being at fault for climate warming because it is a coal-producing nation. Based on those claims, Australia is facing economic trade wars by Greenpeace, BankTrack, and even Greta Thunberg. But as discussed in Friends of Science Society’s “Burning Questions” 2015 report, wildfires, especially those that create huge Pyrocumulonimbus clouds, are a significant driver of climate change. “The Untold Story of Pyrocumulonimbus” explains the complex findings of wildfire’s influence on climate and environment, with the research led by Mike Fromm of US Naval Research Lab.

Likewise, Friends of Science Society’s report “Unfriend ENGOs – Befriend Facts” deconstructs the green trade wars against essential prime power industries like coal, natural gas and oil, driven by environmental groups acting as proxies for ‘green billionaires’ who are deeply invested in pushing global cap and trade, carbon pricing and their vested interests in renewables.

Climate activists, Poynter and facebook are suppressing freedom of the press and freedom of speech, while falsely proclaiming a climate emergency, a concept developed by a clinical psychologist in the US, intended to scare people into compliance. The same “Climate Mobilization” organization advocates for World War II style rationing, managed economy, and massive restrictions on freedoms.

On April 6, 2020, Friends of Science Society’s 17^th Annual Event “Freedom of Speech! No Climate Emergency” will host investigative journalist Donna Laframboise to address these diminishing freedoms, and Dr. Roy Spencer, who will offer “10 Reasons Why There is No Climate Emergency.”

Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens who are celebrating its 17th year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).
Friends of Science Society
P.O. Box 23167, Mission P.O.
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2S 3B1
Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597
Web: friendsofscience.org
E-mail: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)org
Web: climatechange101.ca

Fashion

Pull On Blundstone Boots Style Every Season

September 13, 2018 The Silo 1 Comment

Blundstone wearers are devoted- its not that unusual for the artist types to even sketch their beloved, worked-in Blunds.... sketch: Richard McLean image: redbubble.com — Blundstone wearers are devoted- its not that unusual for the artist types to even sketch their beloved, worked-in Blunds…. sketch: Richard McLean image: redbubble.com

A pair of Blundstone boots has a way of replacing a big chunk of your everyday footwear. Not only because Blundstone boots are so functional, but also because these are boots you want to wear every day. The two-tone styles aim to appeal to those who like a bit more colour in their fashion choices. Blundstone’s two-tone styles give you the same fantastic quality in a more colourful package.

“In the past, we’ve played it safe with neutral colours like Classic Black, Steel Grey and Rustic Brown,” says Ian Heaps of Blundstone Footwear. “The two-tone boots are perfect for those who want the same great quality, durability and functionality of the classic Blundstone boot, but with a little extra edge and a pop of colour.”

Blundstones are widely recognized for their practicality and adaptability as footwear, but they are also an extremely versatile fashion accessory. All styles are unisex, and the sleek look of the boots make them compatible with anything from jeans or shorts, to slacks and even skirts. The two-tones styles are available in women’s 6 to men’s 14 sizes.

#1319 Rustic Brown with two tone sole from Blundstone Boots Fall line.

....and the devilishly stylish #1316 Red and Black with two tone sole. — ….and the devilishly stylish #1316 Red and Black with two tone sole.

About Blundstone

Blundstones have been available in Canada since 1993 at Australian Boot Company and other retailers, and now sold at over 600 locations across Canada. Tin Shack is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Blundstone, located in Collingwood, Ontario. Founded in Vancouver in 1998, Tin Shack distributes footwear made by Blundstone, Pty, of Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1870, Blundstone is Australia’s leading manufacturer of quality footwear and remains a family-owned company to this day. Blundstones have been toughing it out for no-nonsense, go-anywhere, do-anything types seeking comfort, durability and rugged style. Boasting pull-on comfort, Blundstones are all-weather, lightweight, durable and no-gimmick footwear. For more information, visit www.blundstone.ca.

Gaming

Halo Fireteam Raven Arcade Game Launched In Australia

July 26, 2018 The Silo Leave a comment

Thursday, 26 July, 2018 (Sydney, Macquarie Shopping Centre) – Timezone Australia was excited today to introduce the first arcade edition of the Xbox cult favourite videogame Halo to Australia. Halo: Fireteam Raven blew arcade gamer’s minds when Timezone Macquarie Centre became the first Australian venue to boast this state-of-the-art multiplayer gaming experience. Timezone stores in Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Perth will follow hot on Macquarie’s heels, with the game debuting there next month in August.

Timezone also offered fans the chance to participate in an online social media challenge Halo as part of this Australian first gaming launch. The winner, Trent John Webb (age 23) from NSW’s Central Coast, won a years worth of Timezone Power Play credit for his online entry.

“I am so happy about this incredible experience. I have been a big fan of Halo since i was young and to see if brought to the arcade has been really exciting. My girlfriend and I are ecstatic to come back to Timezone each week to play this game!” – Trent says.

The largest Australian Halo cosplay community 405th Australian Regiment joined in on the celebrations, showcasing unique and realistic costume designs spanning from different chapters in the Halo multiverse.

“Bringing the arcade game version of Halo to Timezone Macquarie Centre gives the game’s dedicated fan base a chance to play like never before. Timezone is thrilled to introduce this first-in-Australia experience to fans as part of Timezone’s 40th birthday celebrations,” says Kane Fong, General Manager of Timezone Australia.

Halo’s console-based playing experience is now brought to life in an immersive multiplayer platform, which enables four players to either play cooperatively, or compete against each other. It’s Halo, but more: this latest installment’s physical structure boasts a colossal 130-inch widescreen, 4K game play and 5.1 surround sound. It adds a tangible element to the much-loved franchise, allowing individuals the opportunity to play right alongside Master Chief in the battle to ward off the enemy forces of the Covenant and the Flood infestation. For the Silo, Adrian Falk.

Halo: Fireteam Raven was created and fine-tuned by 343 Industries over several years and is set in the timeframe of 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved game. Players will take on the roles of the Fireteam Raven – an elite group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.

You’ll not only able to battle it out with your friends, competing against them for the highest score – you can scan a QRC code with your phone to upload your stats and progress to your Halo Waypoint account. Exactly what you’d expect from a true 2018 arcade game experience!

Featured image- Halo Fireteam Raven 405th

Sci-Tech

Digital Bus Stops Replacing Paper Timetables In Australia

March 2, 2018 The Silo 1 Comment

Catching a bus in Sydney just got a whole lot smarter, thanks to the new digital bus stops from Mercury Innovation and Visionect. These intelligent signs run on solar power and have been developed on energy-saving electronic paper technology to ease the daily commute in the bustling Australian metropolis.

eStops New digital bus stops have been installed around Sydney’s Town Hall, replacing traditional bus stop paper timetables. Dubbed ‘eStops’ and developed on electronic paper, the displays have been developed with the commuter in mind, making access to travelling information and emergency notifications easier than ever before.

The digital stops provide real-time bus arrivals, as well as capacity information, service notifications and any other relevant commuter information right at the stop.

Best of all, each eStop is solar-powered, running on the plentiful Australian sunshine, a natural resource that Sydney has in abundance.

This makes the display not only simple to install, but also completely independent from the power grid, making it accessible to even the most remote of areas. Transport for NSW can now communicate critical notifications at exactly the right moment, keeping passengers up to date and ensuring accurate information is delivered at the point of action, no matter your location.

Nowhere is this more crucial than in Sydney—one of the busiest cities in the world, the metropolis is host to a variety of special events, such as the upcoming Mardi Gras Parade, with streets closed off and normal city flows disturbed.

The new eStop displays allow service disruption information about such events to be communicated to the public in real-time, before and during the event, allowing for efficient interaction with bus commuters, increasing the service experience for passengers and providing an effective management system for the city.

Not only this, in cases of emergency, the eStop can provide crucial emergency information to not only the bus ridership, but Sydneyites in general, displaying notifications even during blackouts, when other digital displays fail.

Based on electronic paper technology, they eStops have been designed and manufactured by Australian engineering company Mercury Innovation and the EU-based Visionect, the world leaders in outdoor e-paper products.

The eStop is another breakthrough product in the partnership between Visionect and Mercury. Together, Mercury and Visionect are making outdoor sustainable signage a reality, following the success of their 2016 installation of solar powered e-paper traffic signs in Sydney, a world first, running uninterrupted with an unprecedented zero failure rate more than 2 years later.

Travel

Explore The World This Summer Via 12 Trendy Family Homes From HomeExchange

May 10, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Traveling with kids can be challenging, especially when restricted by a tight budget. As families begin to reevaluate their own homes and hometowns, they are discovering that what they once took for granted can be a huge destination for someone else. Providing travelers with the additional comfort of bedrooms for each family member, a kitchen, garden, pool, toys, bikes and more, a family home away from home can be the perfect base camp to explore a region.

The list below includes 12 family-friendly homes available this summer for families looking to discover the world via HomeExchange:

USA – Colorado – Evergreen

Nestled in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies, this beautiful home is within driving distance of Denver, ski mountains, and Evergreen Lake which is best known for its all-season recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and birding. Bordered by mountain parks with miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, the home is equipped with bunk beds, toys, and video games for young children. A Jeep Wrangler and a Kia Sorento are also available for exchange.

Thailand – Phuket

The ultimate in discreet luxury and privacy, this villa comes outfitted with an ocean-facing spa and “concierge.” Overlooking Surin Beach, and only a few steps from two of Phuket’s top beaches, families can enjoy picturesque sunset views over the Andaman Sea in between horse and elephant rides.

Mexico – Manzanillo

Outfitted with a vast collection of Mexican folk art, this Mexican style three-bedroom home overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Miles of beaches with balmy ocean breezes and warm water year-round, Manzanillo is widely known as the sea fishing capital of the world. The house is about two miles from the great beach of Santiago Bay where house guests will be treated to a beach club membership.

France – Seignosse

This large Basque Landes-style house is located right on the beach. The five bedroom home boasts several terraces and is located less than two miles from the seaside town of Hossegor. The area is internationally renowned for its Atlantic surf spots and gastronomy, as well as golfing, surfing, and cycling.

USA – California – Santa Monica

Vibrant both inside and out, this ocean view four-bedroom house is full of light. Situated in a quiet neighborhood of Santa Monica, families will have easy access to shopping, restaurants, bike paths, and the beach. For families looking to venture further into the state of California, a Ford Expedition that can fit up to eight passengers is included in the exchange!

United Kingdom – London

Nestled on a quiet residential road in the middle of East London, this spacious Victorian family home has a lovely garden and plenty of toys for children. The vibrant neighborhood is only a bus ride or train away from Central London.

Australia – Kingscliff

Beachfront luxury on the magical Gold Coast, one hour from Brisbane City. With miles of beach, bicycle tracks, and local restaurants within a two-minute walk, this home is a perfect holiday for families.

Canada – West Vancouver

This waterfront seven bedroom villa with beach access, a private deck, spacious swimming pool, boats, and three cars are all located within a half hour drive from downtown Vancouver and mere minutes from parks, mountains, shopping, and restaurants.

Costa Rica – Puntarenas

This literal treehouse is situated in the canopy of the jungle that National Geographic called “the most bio-diverse place on earth.” This home is the perfect respite after a day of ziplining, swimming, waterfall hiking, and bird watching. Providing a true sense of adventure and an off-the-grid feel, this abode is free of televisions, hair dryers, and internet access.

Ireland – Stradbally

A kid-friendly home located one-hour away from Dublin, this modern home comes with a separate nanny studio in the garden, swings, slide, playroom, and lots of toys and bicycles. Nearby historic castles, beautiful woodlands, an equestrian center in Stradbally, a fishing lake and a championship golf course designed by golf legend Steve Ballesteros make this a must-stay neighborhood.

South Africa – Cape Town

This golf course estate boasting breathtaking views of Table Mountain and modern architect is only 15 minutes away from the city center. With direct beach access to Sunset Beach, the internationally-renowned windsurfing and kitesurfing hotspot of Africa, families will not have to venture far to create lifelong memories.

USA – New York – Montauk

Located directly across the street from the ocean, Montauk represents a classic and relaxed old American lifestyle. For those looking to juxtapose their stay with a trip to the bustling city of New York, several means of transport are available to get to Manhattan. Travelers can also opt for a seaplane for a quick forty-five-minute flight into the city.

For the Silo, Alexandra Origet du Cluzeau.
About HomeExchange Founded by Ed Kushins, a pioneer of the “collaborative consumption” movement, HomeExchange has facilitated over one million home swaps since 1992. “It was the inspiration for the still popular 2006 movie “The Holiday” starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet and Jude Law. In 2016, 67,000 HomeExchange members made 135,000 home swaps across 150 countries. HomeExchange makes it easy to plan and enjoy a home exchange vacation and offers travelers a memorable, authentic experience. Last year, it was awarded “Best Site for Booking Your Stay” by USA Today readers.

Earth

This May Be Last Chance To Save Ontario Greenbelt From Sprawl Developers

May 3, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Ontario’s Premier is facing intense pressure from real estate and development lobbies. These groups are peddling myths that are intended to weaken the Greenbelt and Growth Plans so that the development industry can build more sprawling cookie-cutter subdivisions, instead of building a greater range of family-friendly and affordable housing options. Send a message to the Premier to show your support for protected local food and water sources. Tell Ontario to stop sprawling developers from paving over the Greenbelt.

GOOD GREEN JOBS FOR ONTARIO

Ontario’s plan to retrofit buildings to increase their energy efficiency will create nearly 33,000 jobs over five years. Our new report, Building an Ontario Green Jobs Strategy shows how the province can ensure it creates good jobs and career opportunities for people who need them most. Find out more.

Tips & tricks
for non-toxic spring cleaning

While spring brings warmer weather, sunnier days, and beautiful flowers, it also brings the reminder that it’s time to air out, declutter our homes, and do some spring cleaning. With these tips, your home will be sparkling and toxic-free!

*Feature image- Perth, Australia’s unsustainable urban sprawl. photo: heraldsun.com.au

Click me to learn about Tree Planting incentives 🙂

Culture

What Was Wrong With Canada Membership In Trans-Pacific Partnership?

September 13, 2012 The Silo 2 Comments

TPPalienegg — “For the Canadian government, the TPP offers cover for major reforms to supply management, the combination of tariffs, quotas and price supports that increase costs for dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey and broiler hatching eggs. The system has been politically untouchable for decades, but using a backdoor approach of mandating change through trade agreement might provide the mechanism to garner the necessary popular support.” University of Ottawa researcher Michael Geist image:20thCenturyFox

Egg and dairy farmers take note…..If you haven’t heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (aka TPP) you’re not alone. This major, multinational trade agreement, conducted in private closed-door meetings had already voted on several key issues even before President Obama invited Canada to join this spring.

The TPP now includes the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chili, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore , Vietnam, Mexico and now Canada. Some economists have argued that since Canada already has free trade agreements with 4/10 of the TPP members we are not likely to see much ‘return on our buck’.

So the question then: Why has our Federal government shown so much interest? Is there a chance that by signing on to TPP, Canada could use the agreement conditions to make sweeping regulator changes in our country? And if the media reports circulating are to be believed (enter “Canada joins TPP” into your fave search engine) it seems inevitable that Stephen Harper’s government will soon announce Canada’s membership.

michaelgeistUofO — Law Professor Michael Geist image:cybera.ca

This from an online feature by University of Ottawa researcher Michael Geist :
“With Canada already surrendering negotiation leverage and few important markets at stake, our participation is less about other TPP countries and much more about us. Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauded Canada’s entry into the TPP, (http://www.uschamber.com/press/releases/2012/june/us-chamber-applauds-canada%E2%80%99s-entry-trans-pacific-partnership-negotiations) expressing the hope that it would force further changes to Canadian intellectual property laws less than 24 hours after Bill C-11 passed in the House of Commons.

[From 2011, NDP MP Andrew Cash points out concerns regarding Bill C-11 CP]

For the Canadian government, the TPP offers cover for major reforms to supply management, the combination of tariffs, quotas and price supports that increase costs for dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey and broiler hatching eggs. The system has been politically untouchable for decades, but using a backdoor approach of mandating change through trade agreement might provide the mechanism to garner the necessary popular support.

While backers maintain that the TPP will open up new markets to Canadian companies, the reality is that the agreement’s biggest impact is likely to come from major domestic legislative reforms that would otherwise face considerable opposition and serious political risk.”
(http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1216011–what-s-behind-canada-s-entry-to-the-trans-pacific-partnership-talks )

So, is this a move towards governmental controls and legislative reform? Time will tell but will John and Jane Q Public even notice when it does? CP

Supplemental– https://www.eff.org/issues/tpp http://www.michaelgeist.ca/

Developing countries (in terms of their income economies) such as Africa are also seeing gains.

One year ago- The pandemic had all but decimated the tourism industry in South Africa

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Quality-Price Ratio

Bottom Line

1

Jay Richford & Gary Stevan – Feelings

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Charlie Parker – Bird Blows The Blues

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The Queers – Love Me

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Willie Tee – Teasing You Again / Your Love, My Love Together

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Michael Rabin With Leon Pommers – Mosaics

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Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left

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The “Group”* Featuring Cecil Washington – I Don’t Like To Lose

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AC/DC – Can I Sit Next To You, Girl

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Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On

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Delaney & Bonnie – The Original Delaney And Bonnie

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