– A federal agency banned public employees from accessing news stories at Blacklock’s Reporter via government internet servers, documents confirm. Confidential records show Shared Services Canada imposed the government-wide blackout on website access by hundreds of thousands of staff. Files on the blacklisting were obtained through Access To Information. – Shared Services Canada offered no explanation. A 218-page file detailing the ban is heavily censored and conceals email messages in which Shared Services staff discuss the action in messages headed, “Block Domain: Blacklocks.ca”. – “This is outrageous conduct,” said Blacklock’s publisher Holly Doan, who noted the newsroom first learned of the blacklisting from individual subscribers in federal departments who were unable to access news content. Shared Services Canada manages telecom services for 43 departments. – No reason is given for the blacklisting. Blacklock’s is an accredited member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery covering bills, regulations, Access to Information and federal courts. – “It’s astonishing to see Canada join the short list of countries that forbid public employees from accessing internet news sites,” Doan said. “This is not only Orwellian, it appears to breach the government’s own guidelines on workplace internet use.” – Cabinet’s official Policy On Acceptable Network & Device Use adopted in 2013 permits federal employees to “search for information online” and “share links to professional activities and events or interesting and relevant articles”. The Policy also details “unacceptable use” of government computers including access to “hate propaganda”; “pornography”; “obscenity”; and “illegal gambling”. – Doan said, “Surely Shared Services Canada can tell the difference between Blacklock’s and a jihadist website or crime syndicate”; “No rational agency would blacklist an accredited news site in the name of security or crime prevention”. Doan noted the Blacklock’s ban appeared to be revoked September 9, the same day the publication filed a formal request for records from Shared Services Canada. – ‘Way Ahead There, Boss Man’ – Documents indicate the government’s central internet provider blocks numerous domain sites. Shared Services Canada would not explain how many sites it has blacklisted, what their names are, or how many others are accredited news sites. “We do not comment on the specifics of methods used to protect the Government of Canada’s IT infrastructure,” said Marie-Helene Rouillard, a Shared Services spokesperson. – Access To Information records show the department’s IT security division blocked the website blacklocks.ca from last August 22, sending an email alert to numerous agencies including the Department of Industry, Correctional Service of Canada, tax department and others. “The email went to all contacts we have on record,” Dave Tough, a Shared Services security analyst, writes in one August 25 email; “Way ahead of you there, boss-man.” – Tough rated the alert of “high importance”, and indicated several IT staff monitored the news site. Blacklock’s was also cited in an August 27 Cyber Brief distributed to telecom staff across all government agencies; “Cyber Briefs are publications released by the Government of Canada with the goal of preventing widespread incidents,” the memo reads. All references to Blacklock’s were lengthy and censored. – Tough did not reply to repeated requests for an interview. “At no time did our newsroom pose a security threat to the nation,” said Publisher Doan. – Under cabinet’s Policy on workplace computer use, more than 200,000 federal employees are permitted to “watch online broadcasts of work-related content” and “keep up-to-date with news and current events”, according to Examples Of Acceptable Use. Other permitted activities include “subscribe to web feeds”; “check the weather forecast”; “confirm bus schedule information”; “read or contribute to online forums”; and “visit social networking sites to connect with family and friends”. – Forbidden computer activities include using workplace computers to “make public comments about government policies”; “engage in political activity”; or “breach the duty of loyalty requirement for public servants”. –
Betcha Stephen Harper Won’t be Happy I Found This:
Sunday, 26 July, 2015 -( 77˚F / 25˚C & Partly Cloudy @ 8:00 pm in Ithaca &&& 61˚F / 16˚C w/ light rain in New Brunswick, Canada @ 9:00 pm ADT &&& 68˚F / 20˚C & Mostly Cloudy in North Pole, Alaska @ 4:00 pm Alaska Time )-
Jim W found this in a box that he and Cathi H hadn’t found & opened since they moved in September of 2013 – he scanned it and sent it to me, and Yeah- I’m gonna run with it-
From the Toronto Star – Saturday, June 5, 2004 – Front Page of B Section “National Report” : — The caption under the photo that day was, “A member of Canadians for Equal Marriage, right, gets hit by a stick during a rally for Conservative Leader Stephen Harper in Guelph this week. Harper supports the concept of traditional marriage.”
— Thanks, Jim W 🙂
— djo —
Email from Net Neutrality Activists:
Thursday, June 25th, 2015 –
— Below the five equal signs is a message that’s been copied and pasted from my email. Anything that might have been a link in that email is probably not in the document below.
— & This came in email today with a ‘reply-to:’ address { info@fightforthefuture.org } You’ll have to copy and paste that if you want to reply to them.
=====
We got an amazing response to this email we sent the other day, and it’s not too late to take action to support Net Neutrality.
Bad news: The House Appropriations Committee just voted for 3 provisions that gut Net Neutrality less than a week after the rules finally went into effect.
All of the provisions are poison for Net Neutrality, killing or delaying net neutrality for up to a decade. Big Cable is exploiting the courts and Congress to win one net-neutrality killer lawsuit or bill. To make it so there’s simply no more appetite whatsoever to keep attacking the open Internet, we need to intervene big time.
So we’ve filed to formally intervene in the DC Circuit’s US Telecom Association v. FCC, on the side of the FCC, and will fight Comcast tooth and nail until we win, alongside some of the smartest lawyers and groups out there.
Can you chip in $5 to support our intervention in favor of Net Neutrality?
Yes, I can chip in $5 to fight Team Cable in court.
Yes — and I’ll chip in $5 every month because I know this fight isn’t going to end soon.
Net Neutrality is already one of the top issues of our time, and the new rules have the strongest legal standing possible. But we need to do the work to make the courts and everyone understand them inside and out.
To make sure we show up in court with resounding support, we’re launching huge educational campaigns. We’ll reach people from both sides of the aisle in online/offline communities and critical ad campaigns at key moments, so that support for net neutrality gets stronger day by day.
Team Cable has an array of lawyers and lobbyists hungry to prove themselves and get bigger bonuses. But we’ve got the support of the same powerful grassroots that stopped SOPA, crushed CISPA, and submitted a record number of comments to the FCC in favor of these rules.
Smart interventions can take on and take down big, entrenched powers. But to get the defense of Net Neutrality off the ground requires a lot of support, including money for things like design, ads, and phone calls. That’s why your donation is critical — so we can go big to protect the open Internet.
We’re only days into net neutrality, and lawsuits are already mounting. Can you make a donation to help save the free and open Internet?
Yes, I’ll chip in $5 to save net neutrality.
As a movement, we won Net Neutrality. Millions of people weighed in and forced the FCC to produce the strongest open Internet protections in history.
That’s the kind of thing we can do when we all take action together — help us launch that kind of effort again now to protect Net Neutrality.
Yes, I’ll donate.
Thanks for joining the fight for the future.
~ Tiff, Holmes, Evan, Charlie, Jeff, and the whole Fight for the Future team
Want more awesome more often?
* Like us on Facebook
* Follow us on Twitter
* Keep us fighting, chip in what you can.
If you would like to unsubscribe and stop receiving these emails click here.
This message was sent by:
Fight for the Future
PO Box 55071 #95005
Boston, MA 02205
=====
——— djo ———
Monday, 23 February, 2015 – News?
Monday, 23 February, 2015 -( -44˚F / -20˚C & clear @ 10:00 pm near Ithaca )- -( -8˚F / -22°C & clear & windy @11:00 pm Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— } { Some things change, some articles remain. Do you know where your survival kit is? —djo— } { 7,002 new tweets since 10:00 pm last night – aaaaaaaaa! —djo— }
Don’t Block My Internet Demonstration in New York – Don’t know whether this is ‘the city’ or where it might be and I don’t have the time to check it out. —djo—
Ack! This is what happens when parallel worlds collide. Run for cover! Aaaaaaa—– { Wink } —djo—
Net Neutrality – the phrase doesn’t pack the right punch. It sounds ambiguous. Keep the Net Honest and Free. —djo—
Reject the KeystoneXL Pipeline. Put the Tarsands out of business. —djo—
My favourite ‘Significant Other’ gave me the news that Citizen Four won the Oscar for best Documentary and Neil Patrick Harris tried to put the gay rights movement back a few decades by calling Ed Snowden a Traitor. “He couldn’t be here for some treason-” She says she used to like N.P.H. but his jokes are coming out way too mean spirited. & He seems to have forgotten that if it wasn’t for people like Edward Snowden, people like him would be jailed, if not lynched for sodomy and other ‘perversions and unnatural sex acts’ —djo—
And a little encouragement is always a good thing. —djo—
And a bit of Nostalgia/History – & Yoko just had a birthday. —djo—
{ Today’s Birthdays : — You can find all this and more at http://www.historyorb.com/today/birthdays.php
February 23rd: 1633 – Samuel Pepys, navy expert/composer (Diary, Memoirs), born in London, England. 1646 – Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shogun (d. 1709). 1685 – George Frederic Handel, Halle Germany, baroque composer and (Messiah, Water Music). 1734 (or 1743?) – Mayer Amschel Rothschild, Frankfurt, founder (House of Rothschild). 1868 – William E B Du Bois, Great Barrington Massachusetts, civil rights activist and writer (Souls of Black Folk). 1889 – Victor Fleming, American film director (“Wizard of Oz”, “Gone with the Wind”), (d. 1949). 1904 – William L Shirer, historian (Rise & Fall of 3rd Reich). 1915 – Paul Tibbets, US Air Force retired Brigadier General and Pilot of B-29 “Enola Gay” over Hiroshima (d. 2007). 1929 – Elston Howard, Yankee catcher (1st African American NY Yankee/1963 AL MVP). 1938 – Sylvia Chase, St Paul Minn, newscaster (ABC Weekend News, 20/20). 1939 – Majel Barrett, Columbus Ohio, actress (Christine Chapel-Star Trek). 1940 – Peter Fonda, actor (Easy Rider, Lilith, Wild Angels, Trip). 1944 – Johnny Winter, [John Dawson], American blues guitarist (Silver Train), born in Leland Miss, (d. 2014). 1949 – Marc Garneau, Quebec City Quebec, Canadian astronaut (STS 13, 77). 1951 – Patricia Richardson, Bethesada Md, actress (Double Trouble, Home Improvement). 1963 – Bobby Bonilla, outfielder (NY Mets, Balt Orioles, Marlins), born in NYC, New York. 1964 – Dana Katherine Scully, fictional character (X-Files). 1994 – Dakota Fanning, American Actress. (& I won’t tell because I don’t know) – Binnie Klein, Poet, Performance Artist and WPKN programmer. }
==============
{ Canadian Headlines : From : http://www.cbc.ca/news <— Link }
If Harper wins another term as Prime Minister I will know this world has gone to hell and they didn’t even offer us a hand basket. What the bleep is a handbasket anyway? —djo—
I hope you can read this. “Born again Fascist Prime Minister guts Environmental and Consumer Protection Laws to fleece the economy of Canada.” —djo—
“The Secret Police Creation Act?” —djo— *** According to this – The Railroad company that tried to sell off its service between Ottawa and Petawawa, where the big army base is, couldn’t get anybody to offer them what they wanted for a price, so they ripped all their tracks out and carted them away to melt them down and sell the metal to the highest bidder — Under item (f) above that makes them terrorists, right? Wanna bet the government would not go after them with an arrest warrant or a snatch and grab them in the night and they wake up in Git-Mo? *** —jim w—
People are really getting angry with their PM in Canada. —djo—
Illegal pesticide killed Fort McMurray baby { }
Mystery tunnel found near Pan Am Games venue { }
Eating peanut products early in life can reduce allergy risk, study suggests { }
CN Railway, Unifor avoid lockout with tentative deal { }
Niagara Falls photo taken on February 17th. I don’t see the falls here, do you?
==============
Asking if torture works might be the wrong question, but the answer is, “No- it doesn’t work. It’s pure b.s. and makes for good fear tactics, and instant mind control- that’s all it’s good for. Mind Control.” —djo—
– Halifax, Nova Scotia – looks like the Chronicle Herald might have locked out its personnel. —djo—
A couple of my favorite prophecies lately include the one that says that those who believe that knowledge is power and feel they have a right to lie to us to keep that power to themselves will be unmasked and publicly humiliated, & stripped of all power. —djo—
Measles documented among the fully immunized.
==============
A Florida based artist has been told to stop selling miniature versions of the Super Bowl halftime ‘character’ sharks.
Offbeat News:
Canadian Sniper in the film parody we’ve all been waiting for { }
‘I just totally collapsed,’ says man after 168-hour Nickleback marathon for charity { }
Nonchalant dog shovels backyard hockey rink, wins winter { }
Moose on the loose gets police escort in Ontario { }
Blowtorches being used to melt sidewalk ice in Windsor { * I think I remember a really old issue of Mad Magazine suggesting various ways snow cleanup could be made much more effective and easier – one of them involved flame throwers, but the ‘after’ frame showed an entire city under about 20 feet of water. * —djo— }
Nestlé and Hershey pledge to make their candy bars healthier { * If G.M.O. ingredients are involved, don’t buy it. * —djo— }
==============
New words to describe extreme weather? = “Freeze-nado” ? Works for me. —djo—
“Telus is cutting off its own nose to spite its face?” Or “Telus commits consumer suicide?” —djo—
==============
The Big Chill – Version 2015 – Hits the Maritimes-
Local / New Brunswick / Maritime News:
Larry’s Gulch junket alternatives in Fredericton come with cheaper price tags { }
Flu-like illness forces closeures at two N.B. hospitals { }
Poverty group prefers income tax increase, not HST { }
Irving pipeline gets retroactive approval fro EUB { * New Brunswick’s Energy and Utilities Board has granted an Irving Oil company retroactive permission to build an oil pipeline that the company already built without permission last year. * —“Not Good,” —djo— }
Larry’s Gulch review findings will ‘absolutely’ be made public { * This is a New Brunswick ‘scandal’ that sounds way too much like a slight of hand distraction to take your attention away from something else. The Province owns a multi-million dollar fishing lodge where they entertained visiting politicians and invited newspaper reporters who were fired for conflict of interest violations. There also seems to be some confusion over when the lodge went from being ‘private’ to ‘publicly owned’ & where the line between private and public functions was drawn. The new Liberal government has decided that the lodge can only be used for functions designed to bring jobs to New Brunswick. *** “Any time I hear a politician utter words like ‘jobs’ or ‘Leadership’ I know my ears are about to be assaulted by pure and utter b.s.” — Douglas Jay Otterson *** * —djo— }
Energy East Pipeline construction training premature, David Coon says. { * The Energy East Pipeline is a project that is being bitterly contested in Quebec. Activists cite dangers to wildlife, and say the claims of loads of jobs for local people is highly over-estimated and point out that New Brunswick will lose money in this deal unless they re-write the agreement with the corporations that will own the pipeline. And instead of refining and distributing the gas/oil the pipeline is supposed to deliver, here, they claim the resources would be exported, benefiting foreign interests at our expense. Oh, and Irving Oil stands to save and reap loads of money if this goes through. * —djo— }
Mounting snow days leave schools scrambling { }
==============
“Sunrise In Venice” — I used to believe it wasn’t worth the hassle to visit Europe or anywhere else, Venice? I’d probably feel depressed that I had to leave and couldn’t spend several life times watching the sun rise from one of those balconies. Do any of them face the sun rise? —djo—
Canada and the U.S. aren’t the only countries in this world that are in trouble with their Karma. —djo—
End Homelessness Now. It’s much more cost effective to give homeless people a place to live than to leave them out in the cold. —djo—
{ “Perma-Link” to the above article, copied and pasted at “Child Of Light” >>—> http://www.aerendel.org/news/?p=396 <—<< }
India is building the world’s largest solar plant. 🙂 —djo—
Inserted after publication – I thought the plane was headed for India after it was hijacked. Kazakstan? Under water somewhere up near India/Pakistan? —djo—
It looks like more people every day realize that September 11, 2001 was perpetrated, if not entirely by- then with the help of – possibly rogue – US Government Insiders. —djo—
Teddy Roosevelt was a Republican who championed anti-trust laws. —djo—
Effective Cartoon, Surveillance State dark ops goons tear a hole in the Canadian Charter of Rights to further their godless power. —djo—
Conservative Lies cast Environmentalist as terrorists. Well, if the conservative’s jobs are threatened by people telling the truth, maybe they should be in terror. Ya think? —djo—
Government Terrorism = “Governments have killed more of their own citizens than all the wars in the past hundred years.” —djo—
“How to gut oversight .101 – make sure the watchdogs don’t get enough money to function.” = Stephen Harper will leave the PM’s office in Handcuffs. —djo—
“Canada Jettisons Rights and Land Claims in a bid to label environmentalists as terrorists.” —djo—
“Anti-Terror Legislation is aimed at labeling Environmental Activists as terrorists.”
The Harper government’s deregulations seen as the real cause of the Lac-Megantic tragedy.
From OccupyWallStreet-NYC & The Electronic Freedom Foundation, thanks to “—jda—“
-Um, another theory: The ‘War on Drugs’ is a manipulation to keep the ‘street prices’ of drugs high so the C.I.A. and other ‘black-ops’ groups who traffic in those drugs to keep their budgets secret can really cash in on their highly profitable business. They do want a Police State, but the ‘war on drugs’ is just one more strategy designed to bring that about. —djo—
Human Rights are under attack around the world, not just in the USA and Canada
Follow these links, even if you have to type them in manually, this guy is the real thing. —djo—
Strip Mining on the Moon?
Here’s a page for ya- Wow.
“Smart” Phones, “Smart” Meters, “Smart” appliances, “Smart TeeVees spying on You” — “Smart”-Anything is beginning to = “Bad News”. —djo—
God Bless Ed Snowden – And why do those guys on the right look like somebody has a gun pointed at their private parts? —djo—
Keep up the good work 🙂
I wish I said that- —djo—
It is refreshing to see any half-way main-stream news organization showing anything positive about any group that has been targeted for divisive/’divide-and-conquer’ propaganda. “Women and Children First” was just one of many positive philosophical ideas that came from Islam. —djo—
“Happiness can only be found within” —djo—
Liberate yourself from the politix of fear – ignore the main stream news. —djo—
— We should quit here and publish this fiasco before we look at the clock and realize it’s next week already and we haven’t gotten anything done in our ‘real lives’ —djo—
Thursday, 19 February, 2015 – News?
Thursday, 19 February, 2015 -( +7˚F / -14˚C w/’Blowing Snow’ @ 9:30 am near Ithaca )- -( +16˚F / -9°C w/Light Snow @ 10:30 am Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— } { Some things change, some articles remain. Do you know where your survival kit is? —djo— }
{ CBC is forecasting 2 – 5 cm/ less than 2 inches of snow for our area today. The Weather Network is forecasting 10 – 15 cm/4-6 inches over the next 24 hours. At a little after 10 am I let the boof out to romp in the snow and make some of it yellow. There were two or three flakes per cubic foot in the air. Ten minutes later I had a hungry dog with a wide stripe of wide across his back and it was probably snowing in the ‘moderate’ range. —jim w— }
{ & I thought I could get some novel writing done, but when I sat down there were notices of tweets and I made the mistake of checking them out and they are way too ‘interesting’ – I have to get busy here and tell y’all about them. —djo— }
Let’s start out with a bit of colour – Very pretty autumn leaves, don’t know where or when, except that parts of the west and northwestern U.S.A. never see red autumn leaves because their trees only turn yellow and brown. —djo—
And a little encouragement is always a good thing. —djo—
And a bit of Nostalgia/History – & Yoko just had a birthday. —djo—
{ Today’s Birthdays : — You can find all this and more at http://www.historyorb.com/today/birthdays.php
February 17th: 1781- René-Theophile-Hyacinthe Lannec, France, inventor (stethoscope). 1837- Sam[uel] van Houten, Dutch (lib) minister (child labor laws). 1844- A Montgomery Ward, found mail-order business (Montgomery Ward). 1874- Thomas J Watson, US, representative/founder (IBM). 1908 – Walter L “Red” Barber, Miss, sports announcer (Bkln Dodgers, NY Yanks). 1925 – Hal Holbrook, actor (All the President’s Men, Mark Twain), born in Cleveland, Ohio. 1929- Chaim Potok, novelist (Promise), born in NYC, New York. 1936- Jim Brown, St. Simons Georgia, NFL running back (Cleveland Browns). 1939 – Mary Ann Mobley, Biloxi Ms, Miss America-1959/actress (Diff’rent Strokes). 1941 – Gene Pitney, Hartford Ct, vocalist/songwriter (Town Without Pity). 1942- Huey Newton, Black Panther leader. 1957 – Loreena McKennitt, Canadian vocalist & musician. 1962- Lou Diamond Phillips, Philippines, actor (La Bamba, Stand & Deliver). 1963 – Michael Jordan, NBA guard/forward (Chicago Bulls) and sports superstar. 1974-Jerry O’Connell, actor (Scream 2, Andrew-My Secret Identity), born in NYC, New York.
February 18th: 1374- Saint Jadwiga of Poland, Queen of Poland (d. 1399). 1486- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bengali saint, bhakti yoga developer. 1516- Mary I Tudor, [Bloody Mary], Greenwich, queen of England (1553-58). 1745- Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist and inventor of the 1st [modern] battery, born in Como, Italy (d. 1827). 1836 – Swami Ramakrishna [Gadadhar Chatterji], Hooghly Bengal, Indian mystic/hindu leader (preached unity of religions). 1887 – Nikos Kasandsakis, Heraklion, Crete, Greek writer and philosopher (Zorba the Greek, The Last Temptation of Christ). 1906-Hans Asperger, Austrian pediatrician (d. 1980). 1920- Jack Palance, [Walter Palanuik], Lattimer Pa, actor (City Slickers). 1922 – Helen Gurley Brown, Portland Maine, US author/publisher and editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, (d. 2012). 1925 – George Kennedy, actor (Cool Hand Luke, Airport, Blue Knight), born in NYC, New York. 1927- Luis Arroyo, Puerto Rican baseball player. 1930 – Gahan Wilson, American cartoonist. 1932- Milos Forman, Czech/US director (Cuckoos Nest, Amadeus). 1933 –Yoko Ono Lennon, [Mrs John Lennon], Tokyo Japan, singer and artist. 1950- Cybill Shepherd, Memphis Tn, actress (Moonlighting, Last Picture Show). 1952- Juice Newton, [Judy Cohen], Virginia, vocalist (Angel of the Morning). 1953- Robin Bachman, Winnipeg, guitarist (BTO-You Aint Seen Nothing Yet). 1954- John Travolta, Englewood NJ, actor (Welcome Back Kotter, Pulp Fiction). 1957- Vanna White, [Rosich], N Myrtle Beach SC, TV host (Wheel of Fortune). 1964- Matt Dillon, New Rochelle NY, actor (Flamingo Kid, Tex, Kansas). 1968- Molly Ringwald, Roseville California, actress (16 Candles, Pretty in Pink).
February 19th: 1473- Nicolaus Copernicus, Toruń Royal Prussia, Polish mathematician and astronomer (d. 1543). 1881- Evert Gorter, founder of Dutch medical child care. 1912- Stan Kenton, [Newcomb], Wichita Ks, jazz musician (Music 55). 1916- Eddie Arcaro, jockey (1958 Racing Hall of Fame, 2 triple crowns). 1924 – Lee Marvin, actor (Paint Your Wagon, Cat Ballou), born in NYC, New York. 1930 – John Frankenheimer, director (Birdman of Alcatraz), born in NYC, New York. 1940- William “Smokey” Robinson, Det, American R&B and soul singer-songwriter (The Miracles-Tears of a Clown). 1943- “Mama” Cass Elliot, actress (Mamas & Papas-Monday Monday) & Lou Christie [Lugee Sacco], Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, American singer-songwriter (Lightning Striking Again) . 1951 – Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (Db), Pakistani Islamic Sufi Scholar. 1955 – Jeff Daniels, GA, actor (Something Wild, Dumb & Dumber, Speed, The News Room). 1960- Prince Andrew, Albert Christian Edward, of Britain/Duke of York. 1930 – Gahan Wilson, American cartoonist. 1932- Milos Forman, Czech/US director (Cuckoos Nest, Amadeus). & I’m not sure of the year, a friend and writer/poet in Vermont- Jeff Bender. }
==============
{ Canadian Headlines : From : http://www.cbc.ca/news <— Link }
Boy, 3, who left Toronto apartment at 4 a.m., dies after spending hours outside { 😦 }
‘This is not a bomb’: Why school strip searches for drugs are legally troubling {* “Police officers and corrections staff across Canada can do strip searches in limited circumstances, but legal experts see little or no justification for school staff strip searching students suspected of carrying drugs, as happened recently with a Quebec teen.” – There is a major controversy brewing over this one. The young woman is 15 years old, was suspended even though no drugs were found. Her parents are suing the school. & I added the linked article to this headline below this section. * —djo— }
Mother of 2 says complaining got her kicked off kidney transplant list { * The 45 year old mother believes she was kicked off the waiting list because she complained about her hemodialsis. Doctors say they decided she is mentally ill. * —djo— }
Niagara Falls a spectacular sight in sub-freezing temperatures { }
Niagara Falls photo taken on February 17th. I don’t see the falls here, do you?
==============
Strip-searched girl suspended by Quebec City school
De la Capitale School Board says it suspects 15-year-old of trafficking drugs
CBC News Posted: Feb 19, 2015 9:46 AM ET Last Updated: Feb 19, 2015 5:12 PM ET
“The family of the 15-year-old girl who was strip-searched is now threatening to sue.”
A Quebec City school board says that the 15-year-old girl who was strip-searched by her female high school principal and another female staff member has been suspended and transferred to another school.
Nadine Genest, the principal at Neufchâtel High School, said in a statement Thursday the school had reason to believe the student “was trafficking drugs in our school for several months.”
The De la Capitale School Board, which released the statement, did not explain the exact reason for her suspension.
- Why school strip searches for drugs are legally troubling
- Education minister backtracks on school strip search policy
- CBCNews.ca readers rail against Quebec education minister’s strip search defence
In the strip search, the girl was asked to remove all her clothing, including her underwear. No drugs were found.
The school board defended the practice, saying it followed strict guidelines drafted in 2010 by the province with the help of police.
Genest said there was no “visual or physical contact with the student” during the search, and it was only done so that they could search her clothes.
Girl’s family planning lawsuit
Meanwhile, the girl’s mother said the family has felt traumatized by the incident and has hired a lawyer.
The mother said she was particularly upset about not being called before — or after — her daughter was strip-searched.
She said her daughter’s requests to call home were twice denied.
The school board said that is not true.
“Contrary to what the mother said, we did offer the student the chance to call her mother, but she refused to make the call,” said Marie-Elaine Dion of the De la Capitale School Board.
The family’s lawyer said he will file a lawsuit alleging the province misinterpreted a 1998 Supreme Court decision involving the drug search of a student in Nova Scotia when it formulated its search policy.
Premier limits strip searches
In response to the controversy, Premier Philippe Couillard announced Thursday there would be no more strip searches in schools, except in extreme cases where police deem it necessary.
The word ‘pervert’ was spray-painted Wednesday outside Neufchâtel High School in Quebec City, where the female school principal and another teacher strip-searched the student. (Radio-Canada)
The decision comes after Quebec Education Minister Yves Bolduc initially defended the school and existing policy around strip searches, setting off a firestorm of criticism.
After taking heat from the public, however, Bolduc altered his stance and said he was concerned by the turn of events.
Bolduc said Wednesday the government has asked an independent person from outside the school board to look into what happened.
In the statement released Thursday, the De la Capitale School Board said it would co-operate fully with the investigation.
==============
A Florida based artist has been told to stop selling miniature versions of the Super Bowl halftime ‘character’ sharks.
Offbeat News:
Nestle and Hershey pledge to make their candy bars healthier { * I can see them now, Chocolate company executives waking up the candy bars at 4:30 in the morning, screaming at them like drill sergeants, and making them run around abandoned World War II boot camps with useless old too-heavy world war one rifles held over their heads, screaming out stupid songs that are supposed to make them feel patriotic instead of idiotic? * —djo— }
Snowpiercing train bowls over rail fains with the white stuff { }
Bison surprises Dryden, Ont. couple in their home, scares cats { }
Happy lunar new year, but is it the Year of the Sheep or the Goat? { }
==============
The Big Chill – Version 2015 – Hits the Maritimes-
Local / New Brunswick / Maritime News:
Larry’s Gulch review findings will ‘absolutely’ be made public { * This is a New Brunswick ‘scandal’ that sounds way too much like a slight of hand distraction to take your attention away from something else. The Province owns a multi-million dollar fishing lodge where they entertained visiting politicians and invited newspaper reporters who were fired for conflict of interest violations. There also seems to be some confusion over when the lodge went from being ‘private’ to ‘publicly owned’ & where the line between private and public functions was drawn. The new Liberal government has decided that the lodge can only be used for functions designed to bring jobs to New Brunswick. *** “Any time I hear a politician utter words like ‘jobs’ or ‘Leadership’ I know my ears are about to be assaulted by pure and utter b.s.” — Douglas Jay Otterson *** * —djo— }
Energy East Pipeline construction training premature, David Coon says. { * The Energy East Pipeline is a project that is being bitterly contested in Quebec. Activists cite dangers to wildlife, and say the claims of loads of jobs for local people is highly over-estimated and point out that New Brunswick will lose money in this deal unless they re-write the agreement with the corporations that will own the pipeline. And instead of refining and distributing the gas/oil the pipeline is supposed to deliver, here, they claim the resources would be exported, benefiting foreign interests at our expense. Oh, and Irving Oil stands to save and reap loads of money if this goes through. * —djo— }
Cause of death of Moncton man found outside still unclear { }
Dairy farm losses from snowstorm more than a little spilled milk { }
==============
End Homelessness Now. It’s much more cost effective to give homeless people a place to live than to leave them out in the cold. —djo—
Conservative Lies cast Environmentalist as terrorists. Well, if the conservative’s jobs are threatened by people telling the truth, maybe they should be in terror. Ya think? —djo—
“Canada Jettisons Rights and Land Claims in a bid to label environmentalists as terrorists.” —djo—
“Anti-Terror Legislation is aimed at labeling Environmental Activists as terrorists.”
The Harper government’s deregulations seen as the real cause of the Lac-Megantic tragedy.
-Um, another theory: The ‘War on Drugs’ is a manipulation to keep the ‘street prices’ of drugs high so the C.I.A. and other ‘black-ops’ groups who traffic in those drugs to keep their budgets secret can really cash in on their highly profitable business. They do want a Police State, but the ‘war on drugs’ is just one more strategy designed to bring that about. —djo—
Human Rights are under attack around the world, not just in the USA and Canada
“Happiness can only be found within” —djo—
— We should quit here and publish this fiasco before we look at the clock and realize it’s next week already and we haven’t gotten anything done in our ‘real lives’ —djo—
Monday, 16 February, 2015 – News?
Monday, 16 February, 2015 -( +4˚F / -16˚C & overcast @ 4:00 pm near Ithaca )- -( +12˚F / -11˚C & cloudy @ 5:00pm Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— } { Some things change, some articles remain. Do you know where your survival kit is? —djo— } { & Doug tells me he had some problems trying to get this done this evening. Let’s see how we do at this end? —jim w— }
Between 4 and 4:05 pm – WebCam shot overlooking Ithaca from one of the towers at Cornell U.
Looking north from Fredericton’s Downtown side of the Westmorland Street Bridge @ 5:40 pm today.
{ Weather News? Both New York State and New Brunswick have survived the latest major snow storm event. New Brunswick probably got hit harder than New York State did. }
{ Today’s Birthdays : — You can find all this and more at http://www.historyorb.com/today/birthdays.php
February 16th: 1866- Johann Strauss, Austria, composer (Waltz King). 1884- Robert Flaherty, Mich, father of documentary film (Nanook of North). 1903- Edgar Bergen, ventriloquist (Charlie McCarthy), born in Chicago, Illinois. 1909- Hugh Beaumont, Lawrence Ks, actor (Ward Cleaver-Leave it to Beaver) & Richard McDonald, American fast food pioneer (d. 1998). 1911 – Hal Porter, Australia, writer (Tilted Cross, Paper Chase). 1912 – Machito “Frank Grillo”, Florida, bandleader (created salsa music). 1925 or 1926- John Schlesinger, director (Midnight Cowboy, Darling), born in London, England. 1935- Sonny Bono, vocalist (Sonny & Cher)/(Rep-R-Ca, 1995-98), born in Detroit, Michigan. 1954 – Margaux Hemingway, Portland Or, actress (Lipstick, They Call Me Bruce). 1957 – LeVar Burton, Landstuhl Germany, (Roots, Star Trek Next Generation). 1958- Ice-T [Tracy Marrow], Newark, New Jersey, American rapper and actor (New Jack City, Tank Girl, Crazy Six) & Lisa Loring, actress (As the World Turns, Wednesday-Addams Family) (The original Wednesday Addams on the TeeVee show). 1959 – John McEnroe, Wiesbaden, Germany, American tennis great (US Open 1979-81, 84 Wimb 1981, 83, 84). 1964 – Christopher Eccleston, English actor (Dr Who, Heroes). 1998 – Mr Jefferson, Virginia, 1st cloned calf. }
==============
{ Canadian Headlines : From : http://www.cbc.ca/news <— Link }
Ottawa drops back-to-work legislation as CP Rail, Union end strike { * I capitalized “Union” cbc news didn’t. * —djo— }
Student says U of T failed to help her avoid attacker {* The University of Toronto is investigating the way it handled a report of sexual assault after a student says the school failed to help her avoid her attacker in classes she shared with him, CBC News has learned. * —djo— }
Lesley Gore, singer of ‘It’s My Party’ and ‘You Don’t Own Me’, dead at 68 { * I remember seeing her on a local -New Jersey/New York City area- Rock and Roll teevee program, after lip-syncing one of her hits – smile and give the host of the program a list of reasons why she would make the perfect girl friend for Paul McCartney. One of her reasons was that they were both left handed. * —djo— }
RCMP accused of helping mother abduct baby to Australia { * The father is suing the RCMP, alleging the force helped her commit a criminal offence. * —djo— }
==============
A Florida based artist has been told to stop selling miniature versions of the Super Bowl halftime ‘character’ sharks.
Offbeat News:
RCMP find stranded seal near Highway 9 in Newtown, N.S. { }
Cocaine found in pocket of jacket at Value Village { }
Mark Critch locks lips with Danny Williams for IceCaps’s kiss cam { }
Scorpion on a plane: Woman stung before flight takes off { }
==============
-The Big Chill – Version 2015 – Hits the Maritimes-
Local / New Brunswick / Maritime News:
2 Moncton Times & Transcript editors out after ethics probe { }
New Brunswick couple stranded in SUV in P.E.I. for 24 hours { }
Weekend storm blankets parts of Maritimes with 60 cm of snow { }
Moncton’s Claude Gauthier loses Mars One bid { * & Doug Otterson is singing “Mars Needs Ice-Holes, Lets Send Stephen Harper” * —jim w— }
==============
Some of the most accurate ‘prognosticators’/Futurists/’psychics’ believe there won’t be an election in 2016. Some say there will be a Fascist regime which will have declared Martial Law in the USA. Others believe the USA will be paralyzed from strife and infrastructure collapse and won’t be able to function. —djo—
I thought I should pop something that isn’t completely negative in here before things get out of hand… —djo—
Thunder snow Jim Cantore- the weather channel guy’s reaction in Boston, Mass.
Another non-negative thing, unless this is a galaxy some black ops group just blew up or something… wink —djo—
I believe I will need to copy and paste this story below this Re-Tweet. One Comment reads, “Huge North Dakota fail and sell out to Big Oil!!”
Leaky saltwater-disposal wells allowed to inject fluid underground anyway, review shows
DICKINSON, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas has allowed saltwater-disposal wells to continue injecting fluid underground even as mechanical integrity tests – meant to detect weaknesses in the well’s construction – have indicated leaks in parts of the wells’ multiple layers of casing.
A review of 449 well files and more than 2,090 mechanical integrity test reports show how state officials conditionally approve disposal wells even after they don’t meet widely accepted pressure testing standards.
Like oil and gas wells, disposal wells consist of multiple layers of steel and concrete tubing that stretch past layers of soil, rock and aquifers, thousands of feet underground. But instead of carrying oil and gas to the surface, injection wells pressurize saltwater – commonly referred to as produced water – shooting it back underground into porous geological formations.
GRAPHIC: Saltwater disposal wells
While the records don’t document any instances of groundwater contamination, they highlight how the agency has allowed wells with structural problems to operate, sometimes for years, even though guidance documents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommend wells with significant pressure losses be repaired within 270 days and that wells with less than two viable layers of casing be shut down during that time.
Officials with the Division of Oil and Gas said they have the authority to approve the wells for use because they were given primary enforcement responsibilities by the EPA, and that the conditional approval of wells are not considered test failures, suggesting the EPA guidance doesn’t apply to those cases.
Mark Bohrer, the agency’s underground injection control manager, said decisions to conditionally approve wells that lose pressure during testing were based on geology and petroleum engineering, and that if there was any threat to drinking water, the wells would be shut down.
“If we had any inkling that there would be contamination of (U.S. drinking water), the well would be shut in,” Bohrer said. “That is the last thing I want to do is contaminate somebody’s freshwater well.”
However, a review of state and federal documents, as well as interviews with geologists, engineers, environmental policy experts and lawyers who have litigated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, suggests the agency is loosely interpreting guidance and protocols that are meant to maintain the multiple layers of protection that separate aquifers from the toxic saltwater.
In parts of North Dakota, rural landowners rely on underground aquifers as a source of drinking water for themselves and their livestock.
“The reason well integrity is important is because if you develop some sort of leak then you could have fluid that moves, in the worst case, up to an aquifer,” said William Fleckenstein, a professor of petroleum engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. “Typically, that is what you are trying to avoid with the variety of integrity tests that are done.”
While saltwater spills on the surface can contaminate soil, leaving behind withered crops and barren patches of land, scientists have found that saltwater contamination of an aquifer can last for decades, with no economically feasible way to clean it up.
“It doesn’t just flush out and disappear,” said Joanna Thamke, a hydrologist with theU.S. Geological Survey, who has studied saltwater contamination of aquifers in Montana and North Dakota.
Saltwater is a mixture of hydraulic fracturing fluid – the water and proprietary chemicals that companies use to break apart shale deposits deep underground – and produced water – the briny solution trapped with oil and gas in those formations.
The toxic mix often contains significant levels of arsenic, lead, ammonium, benzene, bromide, radioactive material and high concentrations of chlorides. In North Dakota, saltwater has been shown to have ammonium levels at 300 times the EPA-recommended limit and chloride levels high enough that if any more salt was added, it wouldn’t be dissolved in the fluid.
While medical researchers have only begun to analyze how low levels of continued exposure to these oil and gas contaminants through the environment can affect people, medical science has already shown that high concentrations of these elements can cause cancer, neurological disorders and birth defects.
Bohrer said there are no reported cases of a saltwater disposal well contaminating an underground aquifer in North Dakota and at no point has the agency placed underground aquifers at risk to contamination.
But energy and public health experts said the long-term impact saltwater can have on an aquifer and the danger the fluid can pose to public health emphasizes the importance of constantly maintaining the mechanical integrity of disposal wells.
“There is a reason well bore integrity is tested,” said Seth Shonkoff, the executive director of Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy, a think tank that aims to bring scientific transparency to energy and policy issues.
State officials said the EPA guidance documents related to integrity testing don’t hold the same standing as the administrative rules, and that the agency has the authority to choose which EPA guidelines to follow.
“There is a big difference between guidance and having your own (underground injection control) program,” said Alison Ritter, the public information specialist for the Division of Oil and Gas.
But environmental lawyers who reviewed the guidance documents said the state’s actions were legally questionable and could open the agency up to citizen lawsuits or a review by the EPA if enough people petitioned federal officials.
Bohrer said EPA officials were fully aware of how the Division of Oil and Gas operates the injection control program in North Dakota, but federal reports and email responses from the EPA Region 8 office in Denver suggest the federal agency’s oversight of state injection programs is limited due to staffing and budget constraints.
The findings of a Forum News Service investigation come at a time when landowners and Democratic legislators have called for a performance review audit of the Division of Oil and Gas and as agency officials have resisted legislation that would separate their dual roles as the regulator and promoter of the state’s oil industry.
As large surface spills have flowed onto farmers’ fields and into streams, grabbing public attention and causing lawmakers to rethink regulations over oil and saltwater pipelines, the documents highlight another, largely unseen but vital, part of the agency’s regulatory responsibilities.
The integrity reports raise questions about the agency’s criteria for pressure testing and conditional approvals, as the number of operating disposal wells in the state increased from 293 to 486 in the past seven years and the amount of saltwater disposed of jumped from 94 million to 350 million barrels in 2014.
Officials with the Division of Oil and Gas disagreed with the points raised by Forum News Service and in an email response said that if anyone is to fully understand the agency’s underground injection control program they should have a strong background in petroleum engineering and geology.
“The UIC program is highly technical and complex, with regulatory development and implementation evolving over time,” Ritter wrote in an email.
Regulations covering underground injection control programs began in the early 1980s under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, after federal lawmakers recognized the threat that injection wells posed to underground aquifers.
As part of the law, states could apply to take over primary enforcement responsibilities for injection wells, including Class II wells that handle saltwater and other liquid waste produced during the oil and gas drilling process.
When a production well is hydraulically fractured, millions of gallons of saltwater surge back to the surface with the oil, and continue to flow throughout the lifespan of the well. This large influx of liquid waste requires companies to dispose of the toxic fluid as long as the well is in operation.
While injecting saltwater underground has been shown to be a better option than attempting to treat the fluid or storing it in pits, environmental policy experts point out that the strict guidance regarding injection wells is in place to eliminate any chance of the steel and concrete tubing becoming pathways through which saltwater leaks into or near an underground source of drinking water.
In order for the Division of Oil and Gas to take over the underground injection control program in 1983, the state had to adopt rules that met minimum standards for construction, permitting, monitoring, enforcement and plugging of the wells.
But while those rules require wells to pass mechanical integrity tests every five years without a “significant leak,” Bohrer said the agency doesn’t have guidance to define what a significant leak is.
The most common mechanical integrity test conducted is a standard annular pressure test (SAPT) where the annulus, the space between the casing and production tubing, is pressurized with liquid to see if it holds.
Since the 1980s, at least 13 states and the EPA have adopted administrative rules or guidance defining the standards for pressure testing, including some of the country’s largest oil producing states, like Montana, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
In all of those cases, the rules and guidelines state that tests are considered failures if a well loses more than 5 to 10 percent of the pressure placed on the annulus over 15 to 30 minutes.
Officials with the Division of Oil and Gas took issue with the comparison of rules and guidance in other parts of the country, because those states don’t have the same geology as North Dakota, which they said is well suited for underground injection.
During an interview, Bohrer said the accepted standard for a passing pressure test is less than a 10 percent drop over 15 minutes, but state records show the agency allows companies to continue injecting fluid underground even as wells lose 11, 30 or even 70 percent of the pressure during testing.
Bohrer said the decision to conditionally approve a well is made on a case-by-case basis and that the companies have to accept certain operating rules, like yearly testing and extra pressure monitoring to make sure the production tubing – the innermost layer of steel piping that saltwater is injected through – isn’t leaking. He said operators are ordered to immediately shut in the well if a leak in the production tubing is detected.
During an interview, the Division of Oil and Gas’ staff referenced an EPA guidance document from 1992 to show it had the authority to allow wells to continue operations after significant pressure losses, but when it was pointed out in follow-up emails that the guidance document calls for wells to be repaired or plugged within 270 days, the agency stated the document didn’t apply because conditional approvals were not failures.
That same document also states that if officials can’t handle the “administrative burden” of “additional inspections” and data monitoring, they shouldn’t allow wells to operate within those 270 days.
When state inspectors conditionally approve an injection well for use in North Dakota, it requires integrity tests to be performed annually instead of every five years, and mandates that annulus pressure readings be checked monthly, like the wells’ permitted surface injection pressure.
But officials with the Division of Oil and Gas said they fully accept the extra inspection and monitoring burden and that the agency doesn’t have any problems meeting its existing regulatory duties.
When asked whether the Division of Oil and Gas collects the additional pressure readings from conditionally approved wells for monitoring purposes, Bohrer said that the agency does not and that it is up to field staff to check the readings during monthly inspections. He said companies are expected to keep those readings for several years, but the agency does not collect them as part of the well history.
“These requirements are not considered burdensome to our regulatory program, as we already inspect all UIC wells at least monthly and witness all (mechanical integrity tests),” Ritter wrote in an email response.
According to a 2014 legislative audit, the Division of Oil and Gas agreed that agency-wide inspections were not being completed within the timeframes established, but said that around 75 percent of the injection wells in the state were being visited on a monthly basis, which it said was the best rate in the country.
Ritter said the Division of Oil and Gas has 32 field inspectors and three staff members in the Bismarck office to oversee the operations of the 486 active disposal wells. The field inspectors also have other regulatory responsibilities, like rig and production well inspections.
The Division has requested another 16 full time employees to handle the agency’s permitting, monitoring and enforcement efforts.
Officials with the Division of Oil and Gas said higher emphasis is placed on disposal wells that are conditionally approved and that the monthly inspection of pressure readings and the proper construction of the wells – usually with two outer layers of steel and cement running from the surface to below the aquifer – leaves little to no chance that saltwater can escape the well.
“If your well is properly constructed, there is really no avenue available for that fluid to migrate,” Bohrer said.
‘The absence of adequate data’
While the vast majority of the wells that were reviewed had a surface and production casing running past the aquifer, state records show the Division of Oil and Gas has conditionally approved wells that only have one external layer of casing next to underground sources of drinking water.
Bohrer said there is no rule requiring injection wells to have two or more layers of external casing to operate, but according to the EPA guidance documents, wells that fail an annular pressure test and only have one external layer of casing should be shut in unless officials can verify that the leak isn’t located near the underground source of drinking water.
- In May 2011, the Pan Am 501 disposal well in Burke County failed three consecutive pressure tests, but while the operator was initially ordered to stop injections until it could pass, inspectors allowed the well to operate for four days between the second and third test. It was only after the third test that inspectors noted the well only had one outer layer of casing next to the aquifer. When the well was tested for a fourth time in June 2011, it was conditionally approved after losing 10 percent of the testing pressure. It operated under that conditional approval for 16 months until it failed a test in December 2012. During that failure, the well could not be pressurized, suggesting the leak got significantly worse. After that fourth failure, the company installed a liner inside the production casing.
- The Klandl 26-31X disposal well in McKenzie County has either been conditionally approved or in violation of mechanical integrity rules for much of the time between 2003 and 2012. But while it was noted in July 2007 that the well only had one layer of casing located at the depth of the aquifer, inspectors have continued to allow the well to operate under conditional approvals, even as it has lost significant pressure during testing. Over much of that time, records suggest the operator has injected saltwater at pressures above its permitted limit until March 2014, when state officials finally recognized the violation and the well was shut down.
In an email, Ritter wrote that The Press’ interpretation of the guidance – which was substantiated by lawyers consulted for the story – was flawed because a well’s tubing, casing and cement are each considered a layer of protection.
But the 1987 EPA document states that “if the outer casing is breached, even if there is cement behind the casing,” the well should be considered a significant non-compliance and be shut in until it is repaired or plugged.
In the cases of the Pan Am 501 and Klandl 26-31X disposal wells in Burke and McKenzie counties, pressure testing indicated leaks in the casings, and since both wells only had one outer layer of casing near the aquifers and the location of leaks cannot be determined by pressure testing, it left them with only one verifiable layer of protection remaining – the inner production tubing.
Bohrer said the agency meets all of the minimum standards required by federal law and that EPA guidance documents were drafted for the entire country, not for North Dakota.
“We try to mirror those things that are applicable to our situations in North Dakota,” Bohrer said. “Those are national documents – one size fits all – and we take the parts that are applicable to our state.”
Lawyers consulted for the story said the EPA guidance documents may not have the same legal standing as a rule, but argued those guidance documents are put in place to fill in the administrative gaps that rules don’t address.
“It isn’t an issue of whether there are laws on the books – in this case whether we have laws that regulate underground injection,” said Andrew Reid, an environmental and natural resources law professor at the University of Denver. “The issue is whether the state is going to enforce it and live up to the responsibility of protecting the citizens and the natural resources of the state.”
If the issue was addressed in court, Parenteau said the administrative rules and guidance documents would be reviewed as a whole.
“You have to look at all of these documents together,” he said. “That is what a judge would do.”
Business realities
When an injection well fails a mechanical integrity test and is shut down, it can cost operators tens of thousands of dollars in lost profits and repairs.
The most common repair for a disposal well is a tubing replacement, where a workover rig pulls the internal production tubing out of the well, checking it for holes and weaknesses and replacing the sections of the steel or fiberglass pipe that are leaking.
“At the end of the day, if you have a hole in your production tubing, it’s a simple matter to change that out,” said Fleckenstein, who is currently working on a National Science Foundation project studying the effects of gas development on air and water resources.
But if a pressure test indicates a hole in the well’s casing, which records show is often the case for wells that are conditionally approved, the repairs can be more difficult.
There is no way to replace the casing, Fleckenstein said, but it can be fixed by forcing cement down the well’s annulus to seal off leaks or by installing a liner inside the production casing.
Installing a casing liner the entire length of an injection well, which stretches thousands of feet, can drive up the cost of repairs, Fleckenstein said, and is usually done when a cement squeeze doesn’t work.
“It can start to cost money,” he said.
But shutting in a disposal well can have far bigger ramifications than repair costs for a single operator.
When an injection well shuts down, it can create a ripple effect in the oil industry, Bohrer said, requiring all of the oil wells that pipe or truck saltwater to that disposal site to stop production or find another well in the area.
“Should that be done in certain instances? Certainly,” Bohrer said. “It’s just the price you have to pay.”
But numbers suggest it’s difficult for a disposal well in the state to shut in operations without affecting the production wells that rely on it.
Between 2007 and 2014, the amount of saltwater disposed of in North Dakota increased by 270 percent, while the number of disposal wells handling that fluid increased by only 65 percent.
Bohrer said those business and economic realities and the state’s effort to reach and exceed 1 million barrels of oil produced per day doesn’t play any part in the agency’s decisions to conditionally approve disposal wells for use.
“That is not a significant contributing factor,” Bohrer said.
Shut ins, landowners and coincidences
In Bottineau County, the Division of Oil and Gas has begun to shut down wells that lose significant pressure during testing, even when operators request conditional approvals.
At five saltwater disposal wells in the county, inspectors have issued failures for pressure losses of more than 10 percent and ordered companies to shut down operations until the wells can be repaired or plugged, as EPA guidance recommends.
Prior to those failures, two of the wells were given conditional approvals even as they lost between 26 and 50 percent of the testing pressure.
But over the past year and a half, as members of the Northwest Landowners Association have began monitoring those wells – inspecting publicly available files, requesting documents from the Division of Oil and Gas and testifying at legislative hearings – all five of the wells have been shut in after failures.
- The Jesperson 31-29 disposal well was shut down in November 2013, after losing 28 percent of the pressure during testing. Prior to that, the well had been conditionally approved since January 2007, even as it lost 28 to 50 percent of the pressure during testing.
- The Cramer 1 disposal well was shut down in September 2014, after losing 25 percent of the pressure applied during testing. After the test, the operator had requested a conditional approval from the Division of Oil and Gas but was denied.
- The Leo Hallof 1 disposal well was shut down in November 2014 after losing 30 percent of the testing pressure. The well had previously been conditionally approved after losing 26 percent of the testing pressure in February 2009.
- The Peterson 2 disposal well was shut down in November 2014 after losing nearly all of the testing pressure over several minutes.
- The Lillie Farms Partnership 1 disposal well was shut down in November 2014 after losing 50 percent of the testing pressure. It has since been repaired.
One of the wells, the Peterson 2, is also at the center of an ongoing lawsuit over the cleanup of multiple surface spills.
Officials with the Division of Oil and Gas said they were unaware that the landowners – who are some of the most vocal critics of the agency – were checking on those wells and that decisions to shut down those operations until they could pass integrity tests were based on the wells’ history, performance, geology and construction.
“If there is a lawsuit, that doesn’t tell me that they are monitoring it,” Bohrer said. “That has absolutely no influence on our decisions here in this office.”
Lynn Helms, the Department of Mineral Resources director, was deposed by lawyers representing Daryl Peterson, the landowner in the reclamation lawsuit, the same day that The Press met with Bohrer and the staff of the Division of Oil and Gas on Jan. 27.
Bohrer said the fact that all five disposal wells were shut in, after the landowners began looking into the wells, was a coincidence.
He said the agency’s focus is, and has always been, on protecting underground sources of drinking water.
“We take great pride in our program,” Bohrer said. “We inject well over 1 million barrels of saltwater per day, and I think our track record speaks for itself.” – }
==============
Radio Canada is the French Language Radio service of the CBC. If they hate Stephen Harper’s values, they have good reason to. He’s trying to unfund and shut them down. A lot of Canadians Hate Stephen Harper. He’s a Fascist dictator pretending to be a 21st century nice guy. & Nice guy He is NOT! —djo—
{ — Experiencing weird problems with this, I better publish now, reboot and try to finish up shortly. —djo— }
Hey, Jim & Cathi – Do you know where your orange cat is? —djo—
If I knew it was this easy to translate stuff I’d have been doing that all along. Even if I have absolutely no use for bing. —djo—
Dang! Too many good ‘fluff’ photos today. Well, maybe it’s more positive and would have a better effect on the collective psyche than sticking to ‘hard core news’. Ya think? & I’ve never been able to follow any of the links on these Buddhist tweets. —djo—
{ Okay, we’ve crashed twice, once when I first tried to include the photo of the orange cat between the horse and the dog, & again when I tried to add the photo of the balloons. && Between those two crashes WordPress told me I had to sign in again. Whattaya think? is there a conspiracy afoot here? 😉 }
==============
Oil Train derailment in West Virginia – one comment was ‘It should have been shipped via pipeline’ But are pipelines any safer? We need to switch from oil and gas to other, cheaper, more dependable renewable sources. —jim w—
Looks like things are getting nasty in an Australian dispute between coal mining interests and aboriginals and conservationists and others concerned with trying to save a rare Australian forest from destruction by the mining company. —jim w—
Jimmy Carter’s Presidency was cut short by the Iran Hostage Crisis – Which may have been orchestrated with the help of outgoing Republicans? Who knows? Anyway- with Habitat for Humanity and other projects he’s endorsed, Jimmy Carter might be the most popular ex-President alive in the US today. —jim w—
{ I better quit here, too, funny things are happening in the bloggish-sphere — —jim w— }
{ — Quitting while we’re ahead, I think Jim had some stuff to add, but he can do that later. ———djo——— }
Friday, 13 February, 2015 – News?
Friday, 13 February, 2015 -( +6˚F / -14˚C & clear, The Sun is still bright @ 5:00 pm near Ithaca )- -( +9˚F / -13˚C & becoming dusk @ 6:00pm Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— } { Some things change, some articles remain. Do you know where your survival kit is? —djo— }
The sun is still shining on Ithaca at 5 pm. —djo—
Thought for the day? “It’s bad luck to be superstitious-“
You can see the love on this dog’s face. Or maybe she’s hungry and the sick human’s spouse wouldn’t give her the good stuff? Anyway. It’s a nice touching story and love like that should start out our depressing news of the day reports, ya think? —djo—
For contrast – Yes, start your day off inspired by something positive and see if that does change the way your day unravels. —jim w—
This feels positive. Maybe things are looking up. —djo—
Weather News: Boston got as much as 37 inches of new snow on Monday, and already had two feet of snow on the ground. Public Transportation came to a grinding halt there. & It looked like Halifax and other parts of Nova Scotia were getting dumped on Tuesday. Newfoundland and Labrador are being clobbered on Thursday. With two possible Nor’Easters heading for Maritimes over the weekend. On Friday they’re telling us we’ll probably get off easy while a storm might hit Nova Scotia, But Sunday might be another ‘Major’ snow event.
I thought the church had the Knights Templars executed on Friday the 13th, like burned at the stake or worse? And we did hear that 13 was a lucky number before that. —djo—
This one hung up and acted like it would crash while I was loading it. —djo—
“Trust yourself!” —jim w—
Apple plans to go 100% Renewable Energy as soon as it can. Let’s hope this is more than an Public Relations ruse. —djo—
In our natural state, before we are poisoned by Genetically Modified Food and highly controlled media, we are really ‘nice’ beings. fear and hatred are conditioned into us by nasty people with a nasty agenda. —djo— A ‘Bodhisattva’ is an ‘Enlightened’ being who could enjoy the peace and serenity of the Heavenly Realms but comes back down here to help guide and liberate the rest of us from the negative b.s. that could lead us downward instead of up. —jim w—
Not exactly on topic, but I’ll quote John Lennon here, or post a retweet of a John Lennon quote – —jim w—
We’ve got friends who believe that climate change is a terrorist activity being engineered by nasty dark ops ice-holes with military background at the behest of corporate ice-holes who are desperate to gain or regain control over the hearts and minds of everybody on this planet, or kill us all if we resist. —djo—
This is a cool juxtaposition of messages this morning, don’t-cha think? —jim w—
As Canada moves into an election year that will start and stop a whole lot quicker than we’re used to down here in the ‘States’, Things should be heating up on both sides. My friends up there tend to gravitate toward this view- That Stephen Harper is a born again Fascist who really wants to get it right this time- —djo—
Tommy Douglas was voted something like the biggest Canadian Hero a couple years ago for conceiving and implementing the Canadian Health Care System, which greedy sonofaguns have been trying to talk down and dismantle ever since. —jim w—
The Harper government claims it was saving lots of money by cheating veterans out of their pensions and closing down offices that helped veterans get access to health care for PTSD and other conditions the government habitually denies coverage for. Meanwhile that same government has spent hundreds of times more money than it claims it saved — advertizing bogus ‘Economic Action Plan’ gains and phony apprenticeship programs with ‘interest free loans’ that suddenly are not interest free when the ‘apprentice’ graduates the programme and discovers that he or she can’t buy a decent job and owes much more than he or she can pay back while working part time flipping hamburgers or pushing donuts. —djo—
More of today’s point-counterpoint: Bernie Sanders weighs in- 🙂 & It isn’t just the U.S. and Canada that are under attack by ‘big money interests’ Look at Greece, where a lot of voters have vivid memories of what it is like to live under a Fascist regime. And look around Europe, where Portugal, Spain and too many other countries are waking up and wondering “WTF” is going on. & I’m happy to report that some of my farourite ‘Psychics’ as well as much more scientific trend watchers are seeing a messy time of it, after which the ‘Banksters’ will no longer be in power. “Half Past Human dot com” says the last Bankster will be strangled by the intestines of the last phony religious cleric after enraged ex-catholics burn down the Vatican in 2019, after learning what Organized Religion has actually been up to for the last century or more, and the Bank of the Vatican has been funding the bloody black ops mind control while Catholic Priests helped develop Nazi torture technology to sexually abuse children and turn them into ‘Manchurian Candidate’ type brain-washed victims that could be activated to pull off seemingly random breaks that are actually attacks on our freedoms and liberty. The Texas Tower sniper, the Unibomber, the guy who shot John Lennon, and most of the wild and crazy school shootings and Theater shootings are done by ‘targeted’ individuals who have been conditioned and activated to pull off inconceivable acts of terror, so the government can pass emergency legislation that takes your freedom away and gives them more and more control over everything you think do and say. —jim w—
Child Labour in 1911
Child Labour in 2015.
Here’s a ‘Then and Now’ Tweet that twitter wouldn’t let me retweet. Maybe it was deleted?—djo— & I remember 14 year olds being a lot smarter and aware than adults gave us credit for, even if we weren’t always capable of seeing ‘the whole picture’ or understanding clearly what we saw going on around us, when I was one of them. — Should I admit the Beatles hit the USA when I was a fourteen year old? —jim w—
{ Today’s Birthdays : — You can find all this and more at http://www.historyorb.com/today/birthdays.php
February 13th: 1849- Lord Randolph Churchill, Winston’s father was born in England. 1885- Elizabeth [Bess] Truman, Harry’s wife & First Lady. 1887- Alvin York (Sargent York) US Soldier Famous for killing 25 ‘enemy’ in WW I. 1888- Georgios Papandreou, Greek prefect of Lesbos/minister/premier. 1919 – Tennessee Ernie Ford, Bristol Tn, country vocalist/actor (pea picker). 1923 – Chuck Yeagar, US test pilot (1st man to break sound barrier). 1933- Kim Novak, [Marilyn], actress (Vertigo, Of Human Bondage), born in Chicago, Illinois. 1934- George Segal, actor/banjo player (Carbon Copy, Fun with Dick & Jane). 1942- Carol Lynley, actress (Night Stalker, Fantasy Island, Immortal), born in NYC, New York & Peter Tork, American musician and actor (The Monkees). 1944- Jerry Springer,talk show host (Jerry Springer Show), born in London, England & Stockard Channing, actress (Grease, Big Bus, Without a Trace), born in NYC, New York. 1950- Peter Gabriel, Surrey England, rock vocalist (Genesis, In Your Eyes). }
Yesterday’s News: Smart TVs that can recognize verbal commands can listen in to any conversation inside your home while that feature is on. NSA operatives etc, can also turn that on whenever they feel like it. Samsung admitted they have ‘a third party’ monitoring everything “to know when a command is given.”
==============
{ Canadian Headlines : From : http://www.cbc.ca/news <— Link }
Mass shooting spree suicide plot foiled by Halifax police { * Be suspicious of this kind of headline. It might be true, but look deeper. We keep hearing that too many of these loose cannons were normal people who were ‘targeted and conditioned, then activated’ to carry out their crimes. Texas Tower shooter, Unibomber, the guy who shot John Lennon, and almost anyone, especially ‘lone gunmen’ who ‘flip out’ and shoot up schools, movie theaters, etc. They may not all be MK-Ultra but if some of them are, we have to do something about this. * —djo— }
Why are so many of Peter MacKay’s appointed judges also his friends {* Looks like another scandal is about to rock the Harper ‘government’. Peter MacKay has been in the spotlight before for inappropriate behaviour. He comes off as a mean spirited- bad loser. * —djo— }
FBI agent arranced ‘chance’ meeting with Via Rail terror suspect { * Stephen Harper is a micro-managing ice-hole. If the Canadian people re-elect him prime minister, then (1) they deserve to go to hell in a handbasket and (2) I wouldn’t believe a ‘fair election’ or honest vote count happened anywhere on this planet, ever. * —djo— }
Stephen Harper’s chief spokesman leaving PMO ahead of election { * I should quote a woman friend who lives in Canada, “More rats are jumping ship before it goes down and brings them with it”. * —djo— }
==============
A Florida based artist has been told to stop selling miniature versions of the Super Bowl halftime ‘character’ sharks.
Offbeat News:
How ‘Left Shark’ sparked a 3D printing legal row with Katy Perry { }
Did you leave thousands of dollars in a bundle of drapes? { }
Watch a cat dig its way out after a snowstorm { * I had to check with Jim about this one, no, it wasn’t his cat. * —djo— }
Petri Island ice fishing village invites gamers with arcade { * I had to read this one a couple times before I understood what it meant. * —djo— }
==============
-The Big Chill – Version 2015 – Hits the Maritimes-
Local / New Brunswick / Maritime News:
New Brunswick braces for heavy snow and extreme cold weekend { * So, what else is new? * —jim w— }
Kennebecasis Valley High School teacher faces sex charges { }
New Brunswick faces a ‘serious deficit position’: Roger Melanson { }
Local producers praise David Coon’s food security bill { * – Some New Brunswick entrepreneurs say Green Party Leader David Coon’s proposed Local Food Security Act will help grow a larger market for locally grown food in the province. – The proposed bill would see the provincial government give preference to local food providers to supply food for nursing homes, schools and hospitals. – It would also include better labelling for local food and bringing healthy food education to schools. – Tim Cochran of Cochran’s Country Market said he has seen firsthand the state of New Brunswick agriculture industry. – “We have a lot of farmers that I’ve been dealing with for 20 years that they’re going to retire and there isn’t the farmers there to take their place, partly because I think it’s a hard industry to break into,” Cochrane said.
Levi Lawrence, the owner of Real Food Connections, said Coon’s bill would help create a better market for local food in New Brunswick. But he said change will not happen immediately. (CBC)
– Cochran said Coon’s proposal could help make it easier for people to make a living in the agriculture industry. – “I think it’s excellent,” he said. – “From what I understand, it’s really going to promote and drive the promotion of locally grown produce and products.” – Levi Lawrence, the owner of Real Food Connections, said the act would be a step forward by building the market for local food in the province. – But he said even if the bill passes, change won’t happen overnight. – “There is still a lot of work to be done in the province in supplying, distributing and processing what we grow in the province that the act doesn’t really help us do,” Lawrence said. – “It does create a market for entrepreneurs to work on that problem and better reason to get into that business, but that’s the biggest gap we have in the province today.” – Lawrence has been expanding his local food store in Fredericton and is now getting ready to open up a store in Saint John. He went through a major crowdfunding campaign last year. –Coon open to amendments – The bill is expected to have its second reading sometime in mid-March. If the bill passed, Coon said it would take about 12 months to get it up and running. – “It sets up an advisory committee to work with the various ministers who would be involved,” he said. – “And really that’s all it would take to get to the point where targets could be set for the province and for targets for our public institutions like schools and hospitals.” – Coon said he’s received a lot of positive feedback on the bill from agriculture organizations as well as individual MLAs. – He said he’s hopeful the bill will pass and said he is open to making amendments. – “I’m always open to amendments to make bills better so we get the best possible law in the books,” he said. – “But I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t pass. I think both parties would have to explain why they wouldn’t support it if it didn’t pass.” – A government spokesperson said Coon’s bill is being studied. – “The government has committed to developing a local food and beverages strategy to assist local growers and produces develop their products and get them to market,” the spokesperson said. – The National Farmers Union in New Brunswick said in a statement on Thursday that they would like to see Coon’s bill passed. – “Food is one thing that all New Brunswickers require on a daily basis and food security is an issue that affects and unites all people,” the group said in a statement. – }
==============
This was retweeted again, and it’s worth re -publishing. Who benefits from a bill Stephen Harper is trying to say is good for everybody? Only the rich- —djo—
==============
{ We’re taking it slow for now, after being ‘down for the count’ / ‘under the weather’ / being beaten up by flu bugs for the last several weeks. Who knows? We might wake up tomorrow full of vim and vinegar and want to dive right back into what we were doing up to near the end of last month. But right now, I don’t even want to think about a lot of the nonsense that is passing for ‘News’ lately. — Quote Paul Simon? “I get all the news I need from the weather report.” (?) But anyway, we could probably supply you with a barrage of retweeted stuff: Yay? Note to the world: “Hang in there-” —djo— }
Yay! I found something Positive! & I’ve wanted to hear anything good about Apple since it’s been looking like they’ve embraced the same sleazy-iced ‘Make sure they can’t use last years peripherals with this year’s ‘gotta-have-its’ greedy ice-hole marketing strategy. Grumble Grumble…
“How US Companies try to avoid paying taxes?” or how they get away with that?
“Smart TeeVees = Bad News” —djo—
Without a whole lot more details I have no idea what this is or whether or not it might be appropriate for children. Best Guess? : Cover Photo of National Geographic Kids Magazine.
Coming from Lockheed Martin – I wouldn’t trust this as far as I could throw one of those towers. ‘Smart Grids’ are buzz words for the greedy corporate ice-holes who are using your ‘smart appliances’ to spy on you. smart meters disturb sleep patterns and give utility companies the ability to monitor your use and shut you down at their slightest whim. Senior citizens were killed in Texas when a power company shut off their air conditioners during an incredible heat wave. 106 degrees F in a high rise = dead senior citizens + Zero Corporate responsibility. —djo—
Another weird juxtaposition coming our way from the ‘Tweet-Us-Sphere’ —jim w—
And, while we’re on the subject of the ‘Surveillance State’ – is this a legitimate view of what is going on? Or is this a stunt to try to recruit the kind of security cops who don’t mind getting their hands inside babies’ diapers and strip searching beautiful young women? Gack! —djo—
A person who works at ‘Corrections Canada’ told me I was an effing idiot if I believed the ‘b.s.’ that Texas would lock anyone up for life if they were caught with a single marijuana cigarette. The next time I saw the guy he looked stunned, like he had researched that in order to try to slap me in the face with the ‘truth’ – and found out I had told him the truth. But he never apologized. Arizona is almost as bad as Texas. —jim w—
& The previous ‘government’/regime – here in New Brunswick may have made some dirty deals, but those deals may not be chiselled in stone. —jim w—
My Map of Twitter Followers? —jim w—
Tweet Map – Not as pretty as Jim’s, but at least you can read it. —djo—
Dueling Twitter Maps? Nah- But These are my ‘newer followers’ & I’m not in this to see how many followers I can get. Neither is Doug. —jim w—
==============
8:40 pm – I got here late and have received a barrage of “#shutdowncanada” tweets. I want to look into this before we publish. — both of us broke for dinner a while back so we haven’t been killing ourselves here, but… — —jim w—
{ There were quite a few demonstrations in Montreal and maybe elsewhere, people disrupted traffic with signs I’ll translate to “you can stick your austerity measures where we hope it hurts you a lot.” And the feeling is ‘we’re not going to take this [ bull chips ] any more. But now it’s after 9 pm and we’ve been at this at least twice as long as we wanted to be- Time for somebody else to jump in and save their little corner of this world. okay? —jim w— }
==============
{ We should quit while we’re ahead? Good Night Amerika – Whatever you are. -wink- —djo— & friends — }
{ & Doug has added a catch all blog to our madness here, and we will probably be posting our daily stuff there too, at http://www.aerendel.org/CanadianNews/ It’s on one of our servers and he managed to put in a twitter feed and connected his sadly neglected effbook account so anyone friending the right Doug Otterson on facebook should get lots of interesting retweets etc. Busman’s Holidays are Us? —jim w— }
==============
Thursday, 12 February, 2015 – News?
Thursday, 12 February, 2015 -( +24˚F / -4˚C With Snow Flurries @ 10:30 am near Ithaca )- -( +3˚F / -16˚C & very light snow is falling, like 1 flake per cubic foot of air out there @ 11:30pm Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— } { Some things change, some articles remain. Do you know where your survival kit is? —djo— } { We had a near catastrophic computer freeze and when we recovered the captions beneath a lot of tweets were way out of proportion. And 1100 + new tweets came in while we’ve been doing this —djo— }
Grey & Dreery here in Ithaca, snowing so lightly it doesn’t show up on web cam shots.
For contrast – Yes, start your day off inspired by something positive and see if that does change the way your day unravels. —jim w—
Weather News: Boston got as much as 37 inches of new snow on Monday, and already had two feet of snow on the ground. Public Transportation came to a grinding halt there. & It looked like Halifax and other parts of Nova Scotia were getting dumped on Tuesday. Newfoundland and Labrador are being clobbered on Thursday. With two possible Nor’Easters heading for Maritimes over the weekend.
“Trust yourself!” —jim w—
Apple plans to go 100% Renewable Energy as soon as it can. Let’s hope this is more than an Public Relations ruse. —djo—
In our natural state, before we are poisoned by Genetically Modified Food and highly controlled media, we are really ‘nice’ beings. fear and hatred are conditioned into us by nasty people with a nasty agenda. —djo— A ‘Bodhisattva’ is an ‘Enlightened’ being who could enjoy the peace and serenity of the Heavenly Realms but comes back down here to help guide and liberate the rest of us from the negative b.s. that could lead us downward instead of up. —jim w—
Not exactly on topic, but I’ll quote John Lennon here, or post a retweet of a John Lennon quote – —jim w—
We’ve got friends who believe that climate change is a terrorist activity being engineered by nasty dark ops ice-holes with military background at the behest of corporate ice-holes who are desperate to gain or regain control over the hearts and minds of everybody on this planet, or kill us all if we resist. —djo—
This is a cool juxtaposition of messages this morning, don’t-cha think? —jim w—
As Canada moves into an election year that will start and stop a whole lot quicker than we’re used to down here in the ‘States’, Things should be heating up on both sides. My friends up there tend to gravitate toward this view- That Stephen Harper is a born again Fascist who really wants to get it right this time- —djo—
Tommy Douglas was voted something like the biggest Canadian Hero a couple years ago for conceiving and implementing the Canadian Health Care System, which greedy sonofaguns have been trying to talk down and dismantle ever since. —jim w—
The Harper government claims it was saving lots of money by cheating veterans out of their pensions and closing down offices that helped veterans get access to health care for PTSD and other conditions the government habitually denies coverage for. Meanwhile that same government has spent hundreds of times more money than it claims it saved — advertizing bogus ‘Economic Action Plan’ gains and phony apprenticeship programs with ‘interest free loans’ that suddently are not interest free when the ‘apprentice’ graduates the programme and discovers that he or she can’t buy a decent job and owes much more than he or she can pay back while working part time flipping hamburgers or pushing donuts. —djo—
More of today’s point-counterpoint: Bernie Sanders weighs in- 🙂 & It isn’t just the U.S. and Canada that are under attack by ‘big money interests’ Look at Greece, where a lot of voters have vivid memories of what it is like to live under a Fascist regime. And look around Europe, where Portugal, Spain and too many other countries are waking up and wondering “WTF” is going on. & I’m happy to report that some of my farourite ‘Psychics’ as well as much more scientific trend watchers are seeing a messy time of it, after which the ‘Banksters’ will no longer be in power. “Half Past Human dot com” says the last Bankster will be strangled by the intestines of the last phony religious cleric after enraged ex-catholics burn down the Vatican in 2019, after learning what Organized Religion has actually been up to for the last century or more, and the Bank of the Vatican has been funding the bloody black ops mind control while Catholic Priests helped develop Nazi torture technology to sexually abuse children and turn them into ‘Manchurian Candidate’ type brain-washed victims that could be activated to pull off seemingly random breaks that are actually attacks on our freedoms and liberty. The Texas Tower sniper, the Unibomber, the guy who shot John Lennon, and most of the wild and crazy school shootings and Theater shootings are done by ‘targeted’ individuals who have been conditioned and activated to pull off inconceivable acts of terror, so the government can pass emergency legislation that takes your freedom away and gives them more and more control over everything you think do and say. —jim w—
Child Labour in 1911
Child Labour in 2015.
Here’s a ‘Then and Now’ Tweet that twitter wouldn’t let me retweet. Maybe it was deleted?—djo— & I remember 14 year olds being a lot smarter and aware than adults gave us credit for, even if we weren’t always capable of seeing ‘the whole picture’ or understanding clearly what we saw going around around us, when I was one of them. — Should I admit the Beatles hit the USA when I was a fourteen year old? —jim w—
{ Today’s Birthdays :
February 11th: 1377- King Ladislas of Naples. 1847- Thomas Edison, inventer and reportedly greedy ice-hole was born in Milan, Ohio. 1919- Eva Gabor, Actress (Green Acres, Gigi). 1920- King Farouk I, Last king of Egypt was born in Cairo. 1926- Leslie Nielsen, Canadian Actor (“Forbidden Planet” & Naked Gun). 1934- Tina Louise, the actress who played ‘Ginger’ on Gilligan’s Island was born in New York City. 1936- Burt Reynolds – US Actor. 1953- Jeb Bush, politician and US National Election Fixer. 1956- Kathleen Beller, US Actress, was born in Queens, NY. 1962- Sheryl Crow, Singer-Songwriter, was born in Kennett, Misouri. 1964- Sarah Palin, Alaskan politician and running joke of a vice-presidential candidate. Also: Pamm, one of Jim W’s best friends and favorite all time people.
February 12th: 1663- Cotton Mather, the Puritan Minister who helped give us the Salem witch trials, was born in Boston, Massachusetts. 1809- Abraham Lincoln 16th US President was born in Kentucky, the same day that Charles Darwin, the famous Moron who gave us the theory of evolution was born of monkey parents in England. 1893- Omar Bradley, World War II US General. 1904- Ted Mack, Teevee Host of the Original Amateur Hour was born in Denver, Colorado. 1915- Lorne Greene, Actor (Bonanza & Battkestar Galactica) was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 1919- Forrest Tucker, Actor (F Troop) was born in Plainfield Indiana. 1950- Michael Ironside, Actor. 1955- Arsenio Hall, Comedian/talk show host. — You can find all this and more at http://www.historyorb.com/today/birthdays.php }
Yesterday’s News: Smart TVs that can recognize verbal commands can listen in to any conversation inside your home while that feature is on. NSA operatives etc, can also turn that on whenever they feel like it. Samsung admitted they have ‘a third party’ monitoring everything “to know when a command is given.”
==============
{ Canadian Headlines : From : http://www.cbc.ca/news <— Link }
‘Long live justice,’ fiancée says after Egyptian-born Canadian Mohamed Fahmy gets bail { * We can hope and pray she still believes in ‘justice after this second trial is over. * —djo— }
-Analysis- Why Walmart hit the bull’s-eye Target missed: Don Pittis {* I can’t believe Walmart, a corporation that closes stores that might unionize and makes sure that as many employees as possible cannot work full time or enough to qualify for mandatory benefits, should be held up as a good example of anything. BOYCOTT WALMART! —djo— }
-Analysis- Lost one minister, shuffle three. Harper’s new election face: Chris Hall { * Stephen Harper is a micro-managing ice-hole. If the Canadian people re-elect him prime minister, then (1) they deserve to go to hell in a handbasket and (2) I wouldn’t believe a ‘fair election’ or honest vote count happened anywhere on this planet, ever. * —djo— }
Can NBC News Anchor Brian Williams redeem himself? { * I can’t believe an article about an NBC News Anchor should be among the top 4 articles in any legitimate news service any more than I can believe that the Kardasians deserve to be millionaires or at all newsworthy. * —djo— }
==============
A Florida based artist has been told to stop selling miniature versions of the Super Bowl halftime ‘character’ sharks.
Offbeat News:
Surf’s up at wet Whistler in spoof by snowboarders, skiers { }
Harlem Globetrotters’ mascot Big G recovered after Vancouver theft { }
Teen’s profane tweet gets her fired before starting new job { }
Heavy metal wedding on the high seas for Saint John couple { * – has been listed in the top 4 offbeat news articles for at least three days now – * —djo— }
==============
-The Big Chill – Version 2015 – Hits the Maritimes-
Local / New Brunswick / Maritime News:
Moncton taxpayers deserve answers on AC/DC concert cash: reporter { }
Saint John police drop meals for detainees to cut costs { }
New Brunswick can expect fair weather on Thursday, Peter Coade says { *** Ya call grey skies, grey everywhere and flurries ‘Fair Weather’? I don’t. *** —jim w— }
Brunswick News walks back pay cut for some newspaper carriers { * The newspaper clawed back one cent for each paper delivered a while back, and now has given that penny a paper back to walking newspaper carriers, but not to drivers? * —djo— *** Yup- *** —jim w— }
==============
FHS dress code fight sees ‘complete shift,’ young feminists say { * – Three months after an angry protest by young feminist activists at Fredericton High School led to their suspensions, the female students say there’s been a “complete shift” in attitude among administrators. – They’re now working together to tackle sexual assault and other issues at the 1,900-student high school.
– This week David McTimoney, the superintendent of the Anglophone West School District, confirmed the students will have a role in drafting a district-wide policy on sexual assault — one of their key demands during November’s protest. – “It will be a collaborative effort that will see student and staff input as well as input from experts in the field,” McTimoney says. – “A good news story.” – The story didn’t look that good last November, when about 25 young women walked out of classes to protest the school’s dress code and to demand a harassment policy. –
‘There was a breakthrough.’– Emilia Deil, student
– It was bitterly cold outside and the protest turned angry when the students weren’t able to go back inside afterwards because of the security locks on the school doors. One student alleged she was shoved by the police officer normally posted at the school. – Students who got into the school and chanted around the office of principal Shane Thomas were later suspended for three days and lost their extracurricular activities for the remainder of the school year. – But after McTimoney brought in a district staffer, Judy Piers-Kavanagh, to attend meetings between the activists and school officials, things cooled down. – Thomas, who the students had seen as intransigent, was more open to hearing their concerns, they say. – “There was a breakthrough,” says Emilia Deil, Grade 12 student. – “Him just even listening to us and encouraging us and telling us that he wanted to work with us and work through this, and understand — you could tell he genuinely cared at that point and genuinely wanted to do something about the issue, rather than just dismiss it.” – Thomas says he hasn’t actually changed his approach, but he has learned from his meetings with the students, including one where they described their own experiences with sexual harassment. – “I will say some of the stories surprised me,” he says. – “By sharing some of those experiences, it certainly is a learning curve for those of us on the other side of the table. Because you don’t know what all of the students are going through.” –
A simmering debate about dress codes
– The protest began over the school dress code, which requires students to wear “modest” clothes — a phrase that McTimoney admits can be interpreted differently by different teachers. –
Shane Thomas, the Fredericton High School principal, originally suspended the dress code protesters for three days and removed their extracurricular activities for the rest of the school year. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
– The young activists felt the dress code was a symptom of what they call rape culture: a climate that blames women for the sexist behaviour of men such as leering, catcalls and harassment. – “It is basically the idea that we use language, or imagery, or we discuss rape or sexual assault in a way that makes it, `Meh, that’s the way things are. That’s just the way things are and people have to deal with it,’” says Jennifer Gorham of the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre. “And it’s permissive.” – The dress code issue had been simmering at FHS for a couple of years. – Sorcha Beirne, a Grade 12 student who helped organize last fall’s protest, says she was among several students taken to task for their clothing. – A vice-principal told her that a sheer shirt she was wearing was too revealing. – “And she had no interest in listening to me, so she sent to me the principal and he had no interest in listening to me,” she says. –
Different approaches
– Thomas says the dress code was drafted with the input of a feminist club based at FHS. That group has taken a more moderate approach, working with administrators. –
Julia Fournier, Grade 9 student, was a member of the more moderate school-approved feminist group. She also participated in the November protest. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
– The principal says he believes in giving students a voice — but the best way to do that is through the officially-approved, school-based group. – “If you really are concerned about an issue, you should be joining that particular group that has a voice directly with the office or through the teachers,” he says. – “If you’re not part of a group, I don’t know what your ideas are.” – Beirne and Deil felt going through official channels wasn’t effective and decided to take a more radical approach with their city-wide group, the Fredericton Young Feminists. – “I’m definitely more into radical activism. I like protests and I think being loud and aggressive in our tactics is the way we’re going to see change,” Beirne says. – The group was also buoyed by its protests for abortion rights at the New Brunswick legislature last year, which they felt succeeded in forcing the issue onto the political agenda. – “We had politicians behind us on these issues we were bringing forward,” Deil says. – “We could see people cared about feminist issues, so it made it easier going into bringing up another issue.” –
From protest to persuasion
– Last November, the group posted a video to a petition website that demanded the repeal of the dress code.
Judy Piers-Kavanagh, an Oromocto teacher, was asked to bring the two sides together in the dress code debate. She was called a “godsend” by one of the feminist activists. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
– “I was forced to miss class time because my bra straps were showing,” one student said in the video. – “A student at my school complained about sexual harassment,” Deil said, “and she was told she shouldn’t be wearing a low-cut shirt.” – They organized the walk-out for the following Friday. A few students from outside FHS joined the small group of protesters outside the school, where they chanted demands for ending the dress code. – Some members of the more moderate school-approved feminist group were there too, including Julia Fournier, Grade 9 student. – “A lot of people had never seen a protest before so they didn’t know what was going on,” Fournier says. – “They were shocked by that. But I didn’t see anything wrong happening. Like I don’t think we were out of line.” – Deil says she was nervous about joining the walk-out but decided she had to do it. – “I was told by teachers that I have a lot of respect for, that this was a bad decision and there were different ways of going about it,” she says. – But, Deil says, the students had tried talking without success. –
‘In the morning I saw young people who were confused and hurt and trying to understand why they were being punished. They were terribly hurt.’– Judy Piers-Kavanagh
– Thomas, the principal of FHS for five years and an administrator for 17, says it was his first student walk-out. – “In my years in my administrator that is not something that has occurred and it’s not something we train for,” he says. – The students learned of their suspensions the following week. Many of their parents contacted the school to complain that the ban on extracurricular activities for the rest of the school year went too far. – By then, superintendent McTimoney was already trying to calm the situation. – He asked Judy Piers-Kavanagh, an Oromocto teacher who was filling in at the district office for six months, to step in. – She held a five-hour meeting with the suspended students. – “In the morning I saw young people who were confused and hurt and trying to understand why they were being punished. They were terribly hurt,” she says. – “And by the afternoon I saw young people who were wanting to sit down with administration and have a conversation and they had all kinds of recommendations about what the school could do to improve some things as they saw it.” – Piers-Kavanagh has a background in gender studies and she earned the trust of both the activists and the administrators at a series of meetings. –
David McTimoney, the district superintendent, says the FHS dress code will remain. (CBC)
– “She’s an angel,” says Deil. – “A godsend.” – Beirne echoed her support for Piers-Kavanagh. – “The fact she was sitting there on the other side of the desk,” Beirne says, “understanding where we were coming from, kind of helped the other people sitting on that side of the desk at least listen.” – As the meetings continued and the climate improved, the school’s principal rescinded the ban on the activists’ extracurricular activities. – “The things that they were asking us to do, we knew we were going to be able to do,” Thomas says. – “And so if they’re coming to the table willing to participate and generate good ideas and work with us to make our school a better place, there’s absolutely no need to have those consequences in place.” –
The discussion continues
– The mood has improved at FHS, with the decision to work on a district-wide sexual assault policy the most concrete example of the new atmosphere. –
Sorcha Beirne, a Grade 12 student, says she’s the most skeptical among members of the Fredericton Young Feminists about whether all the talk will lead to real change at the school. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
– Thomas has worked with the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre to set up a sexual assault response team at the school and there are plans to establish a chapter of the White Ribbon campaign, which sees men raise awareness about assault and harassment against women. – “I’m pretty pleased with what’s going on,” says Emilia Deil. – “Just the fact that we had meetings with the administration was amazing to me. They definitely have had just like a complete shift in point of view.” – Thomas says the conversations with the students “is a powerful way to move forward as a school. And having that co-operation and collegiality with these young people is a wonderful opportunity for us and for them.” – Still, the two sides aren’t in complete agreement about everything. – McTimoney says the dress code will remain. – “There’s not an overwhelming cry to abolish the dress code,” he said. – “But we can see here the dress code was the catalyst for a larger conversation.” – There’s so much goodwill that no one wants to reopen the argument too much — but it’s clear there are very different views of whether the November protest was necessary. – “There’s a lot of good going on now as a result of what has happened, but I would say had the approach been different, the same good could have resulted,” McTimoney says. – “Had that taken a different route, we could have reached the same conclusions without those bumps along the way.” – The students disagree. – “The school district wasn’t going to listen our concerns until we did something big, until they had to listen,” Beirne says. –
‘As long as we’re working with the students and they’re working with us, I have confidence that our students will help us and we’ll be able to help them.’– Shane Thomas, FHS principal
– We wouldn’t have got meetings with the district if we hadn’t had a protest, if we hadn’t gone to the media.” – Julia Fournier, of the more moderate school-based feminist club, says “the walkout turned out to be more effective. But I still respect all the opinions of the members of the FHS feminist club and I see both points of view.” – And Beirne acknowledges she’s the most skeptical among members of the Fredericton Young Feminists about whether all the talk will lead to real change. – “I think it’s very easy to assume that everyone has your best interests at heart, and the school really wants to do what’s best for its students,” she says. – “I think from their past behaviour it’s obvious they like to sweep things under the rug or push things aside.” – Thomas acknowledges that “it takes a while for all this to occur” but says he believes FHS will be successful. – “As long as we’re working with the students and they’re working with us, I have confidence that our students will help us and we’ll be able to help them.” – * }
==============
{ We’re taking it slow for now, after being ‘down for the count’ / ‘under the weather’ / being beaten up by flu bugs for the last several weeks. Who knows? We might wake up tomorrow full of vim and vinegar and want to dive right back into what we were doing up to near the end of last month. But right now, I don’t even want to think about a lot of the nonsense that is passing for ‘News’ lately. — Quote Paul Simon? “I get all the news I need from the weather report.” (?) But anyway, we could probably supply you with a barrage of retweeted stuff: Yay? Note to the world: “Hang in there-” —djo— }
Yay! I found something Positive! & I’ve wanted to hear anything good about Apple since it’s been looking like they’ve embraced the same sleazy-iced ‘Make sure they can’t use last years periferals with this year’s ‘gotta-have-its’ greedy ice-hole marketing strategy. Grumble Grumble…
“How US Companies try to avoid paying taxes?” or how they get away with that?
“Smart TeeVees = Bad News” —djo—
Without a whole lot more details I have no idea what this is or whether or not it might be appropriate for children. Best Guess? : Cover Photo of National Geographic Kids Magazine.
Coming from Lockheed Martin – I wouldn’t trust this as far as I could throw one of those towers. ‘Smart Grids’ are buzz words for the greedy corporate ice-holes who are using your ‘smart appliances’ to spy on you. smart meters disturb sleep patterns and give utility companies the ability to monitor your use and shut you down at their slightest whim. Senior citizens were killed in Texas when a power company shut off their air conditioners during an incredible heat wave. 106 degrees F in a high rise = dead senior citizens + Zero Corporate responsibility. —djo—
Another weird juxtaposition coming our way from the ‘Tweet-Us-Sphere’ —jim w—
And, while we’re on the subject of the ‘Surveillance State’ – is this a legitimate view of what is going on? Or is this a stunt to try to recruit the kind of security cops who don’t mind getting their hands inside babies’ diapers and strip searching beautiful young women? Gack! —djo—
A person who works at ‘Corrections Canada’ told me I was an effing idiot if I believed the ‘b.s.’ that Texas would lock anyone up for life if they were caught with a single marijuana cigarette. The next time I saw the guy he looked stunned, like he had researched that in order to try to slap me in the face with the ‘truth’ – and found out I had told him the truth. But he never apologized. Arizona is almost as bad as Texas. —jim w—
“Real Food? That will be Extra $$ -” —djo—
& The previous ‘government’/regime – here in New Brunswick may have made some dirty deals, but those deals may not be chiselled in stone. —jim w—
My Map of Twitter Followers? —jim w—
Tweet Map – Not as pretty as Jim’s, but at least you can read it. —djo—
Dueling Twitter Maps? Nah- But These are my ‘newer followers’ & I’m not in this to see how many followers I can get. Neither is Doug. —jim w—
==============
{ We should quit while we’re ahead? Good Night Amerika – Whatever you are. -wink- —djo— & friends — }
==============
Sunday, 08 February, 2015 – Rethinking The News:
Sunday, 08 February, 2015 -( +24˚F / -24˚C & not dark yet @ 5:30 pm near Ithaca )- -( +7˚F / -14˚C & just turned dark & cloudy @ 6:30 pm Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— } { Some things change, some articles remain. Do you know where your survival kit is? —djo— }
“Equality for All” – Nobody should be “more equal” than anybody else in the eyes of the law.
{ Today’s Birthdays : Saint Proclus, the patriarch of Constantinople was born on this date in the year 412. Emporer Sakuramichi of Japan was born on this day in the year 1720 and died in the year 1750. U.S. General William Techumseh Sherman was born on this date in 1820, Our friends south of the Mason-Dixon line will not take it kindly if you celebrate this one. Maxime Du Camp, a French writer/traveler was born on this day in 1822 and Jules Verne gasped his first breaths in France on this date in 1828. They’ve got Dame Edith Evans listed as being born on this date in 1885 and 1888. Lana Turner was born on this day in 1920 and Jack Lemmon was born on this date in 1925. James Dean was born on February 8th, 1931. Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen on the orginal Superman television show was born on Frebruary 8th, 1933. Ted Koppel, ABC TV News Anchor was born in Lancashire England on this date in 1940. Nick Nolte, the actor made his human debut in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1941 the same day that Tom Rush was born in New Hampshire. Brooke Adams the actress will celebrate again today, and Mary Steenburgen will also celebrate her birthday today. John Grisham, the writer – and Gary Coleman, the actor – Were also born on a February 8th. You can find all this and more at http://www.historyorb.com/today/birthdays.php }
{ Canadian Headlines :
Rescue specialists ready to join search for RCAF member missing in Avalanche. { * Royal Canadian Air Force search and rescue technician, Mark Salesse, was swept away during an avalanche in Banff National Park on Thursday, His family is ‘preparing for the worst’ as the search continues with little hope left that he might be found alive. * }
Smalll B.C. village evacuated after record snowfall cuts power for 3 days {* It bothers me that I hear so much about Canadian citizens being ordered to evacuate their homes so often lately. It doesn’t feel right. It feels like ‘authorities’ are demanding that everybody adhere to a ‘herd mentality’ and do what they’re told without question, because, hey, the government knows best what is good for you, doesn’t it? *NOT!* —djo— }
At least 22 killed in Egyptian soccer riot { * We’ve heard that ‘Soccer Riots’ occur. Soccer fans have a reputation for being a volitile bunch. I’m getting to the point where I don’t know if I want to believe any official government news release, or any main stream media report about any kind of riot, anywhere. They could show us video of the latest riots in some exotic country and tell us the people are rioting over Howdy Doodie’s birthday, or show us some official government book burning and tell us there was a popular uprising because ‘those people’ hate our freedoms, so hey, we better limit those freedoms of yours because terrorists want to take them away! -What?- * —djo— }
CRA’s new mandate lets agency pass info to police without judicial warrants { * I hope this gets shot down by the Canadian Supreme Court. CRA = Canadian Revenue Agency. “Hey, aren’t we wonderful? We allow you peasants a whole list of rights and freedoms. Oh wait, we’ve just taken most of them away from you. We have to protect you from terrorists who want to take your freedoms away from you. So you can’t have any freedom from now on. You understand, right? -No!- * —djo— }
==============
A Florida based artist has been told to stop selling miniature versions of the Super Bowl halftime ‘character’ sharks.
Offbeat News:
14-lb baby delievered by woman who didn’t know she was pregnant { }
Valentine’s Day looms, so here’s on way to deal with rejection { * A couple of my best friends refer to February 14th as “V.D. Day” – Too many others were never asked to be anybody’s Valentine. Most of you will never know how brutal Valentines Day can be for too many people. Nobody should have to suffer that kind of humiliation. * }
Montreal Mermaid school offers fantasy and fitness { * I can’t wait for Weird Al to sing us a song called “Mermaid School Dropout” * }
Katy Perry’s lawyer jumps the shark-seller with cease-and-desist letter { }
==============
-The Big Chill – Version 2015 – Hits the Maritimes-
Local / New Brunswick / Maritime News:
The big chill: Cold Temperatures continue in Maritimes { }
Marketing prof urges CNIB to speak out about controversy { * – A Halifax marketing professor is urging the CNIB to speak out about the current controversy surrounding the organization. – The charity is taking four former Maritime lotto booth operators to court, trying to recover $100,000 of missing money. – The CNIB — an organization that helps visually impaired Canadians — operates lottery booths in stores across Atlantic Canada under a contract with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, selling ALC products. – Lottery booth operators are not considered employees. Instead, they’re independent contractors hired by the charity. – The former kiosk operators deny any wrongdoing and think the problem rests somewhere else within CNIB. – Under their contracts, they agree to “accept full responsibility and liability for any and all products and/or cash shortages” and to “repay to the CNIB in full any costs associated with or damages incurred relating to such product and/or cash shortage.” – “Your reputation is everything,” said marketing professor Ed McHugh, adding CNIB has one of the strongest charity brands in the country. – He says CNIB’s decision not to speak out about the controversy in detail could hurt its ability to generate donations. – “You know, there’s how many… places and great causes looking for money and now you’ve got one that has this going on. People will think twice before they send their money to this organization,” said McHugh. – * —djo— }
Final funding push being made for Saint John social enterprise hub { * – Saint John social enterprise hub aims to reduce poverty. The idea behind the new building is that it will house organizations and micr entrepreurs in the city which aim to reduce poverty. – The building will be located at 139 Prince Edward Street. – Working together would bring more results, says Saint John community loan fund manager Seth Asimakos. – “We all work together in the area of poverty reduction in an entrepreneurial way. Hopefully, more ideas will germinate faster and with greater quality when we’re all together in the same building,” he said. – The social enterprise hub will house the Community Loan Fund, the Saint John Human Development Council, the Saint John Learning Exchange and the Ponde Deshpande Centre. The building will also be home to several entrepreneurs. – Asimakos says they will be aggressively campaigning over the next 40 days to raise the rest of the money needed for the capital cost of the $2.25 million building. – * —djo— }
Waterloo Village residents upbeat about plans for former school site { * – An old high school in uptown Saint John is one step closer to becoming a 34-unit mixed-income apartment building in a neighbourhood where the city is keen to attract development. – St. Vincent’s High School first opened in 1919 as a boys school, then turned into a Catholic girls school in 1954. – Since closing in 2002, it’s been vacant. – Last week, Saint John City Council gave its approval to rezone the area for the development. – There is optimism the project will help revitalize the Waterloo Village area. – “As these projects have done in other areas in the city, they do act as catalysts and pump primers for nearby projects,” said Peter MacKenzie of Comeau MacKenzie Architecture. – MacKenzie hopes to have apartments ready to rent by the spring of 2017. – Linda Scott of the Waterloo Village Association says the project will help bring more people to the neighbourhood. – “Part of our problem is that there’s a lot of transient residents and we have several services and things like that in the area, but anything that’s going to attract more residents will be a good thing,” she said. – * —djo— }
==============
{ We’re taking it slow for now, after being ‘down for the count’ / ‘under the weather’ / being beaten up by flu bugs for the last several weeks. Who knows? We might wake up tomorrow full of vim and vinegar and want to dive right back into what we were doing up to near the end of last month. But right now, I don’t even want to think about a lot of the nonsense that is passing for ‘News’ lately. — Quote Paul Simon? “I get all the news I need from the weather report.” (?) But anyway, we could probably supply you with a barrage of retweeted stuff: Yay? Note to the world: “Hang in there-” —djo— }
“Um —– ” Brilliant! But is that why human men wear those silly things around their necks? Do you know any women who are shallow enough to fall in love with somebody because he’s wearing a bow tie? Or any other weird article of clothing? I never will understand why people wear any kind of ties, Period! —djo—
Hold all politicians accountable.
This might almost be funny if Sun TeeVee was trying to poke fun at the worst of Fox TV. The pitiful thing here is, they actually think the ‘viewing public’ will take this b.s. seriously. —djo—
Yay! I found something Positive! & I’ve wanted to hear anything good about Apple since it’s been looking like they’ve embraced the same sleazy-iced ‘Make sure they can’t use last years periferals with this year’s ‘gotta-have-its’ greedy ice-hole marketing strategy. Grumble Grumble…
==============
{ We should quit while we’re ahead? Good Night Amerika – Whatever you are. -wink- —djo— & friends — }
Thursday, 08 January, 2015 – News & Headlines:
Thursday, 08 January, 2015 -( +14˚F / -10˚C & cloudy @ 9:15 pm near Ithaca )- -( -9˚F / -23˚C & cloudy @ 10:15 pm Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— } { Some things change, some articles remain. Do you know where your survival kit is? —djo— }
We should all ‘Peace Out’ This tweet suggests getting back to nature with a camera might help 🙂 —djo—
Retweeted by fr0g5 : Originally from @Ou_Prg : “Nite nite twitterhearts, beautiful angel dreams xoxo hugs and kisses for all and of course much love from Prague” * Too tall to copy & paste the tweet * —djo—
Were tax dollars used to make video asking for money using the #ParisShooting on a Conservative website?
From @AboveTopSecret A Right Wing Domestic Terrorist Plot Against US Police that you did not hear about. Details Below: —djo—
Details on the Un-Reported ‘Right-Wing Domestic Terrorist Plot Against US Police” —djo—
Twitter Reacts to #JeSuisCharlie —djo—
Terrorists Scored 12 hits — Level-Headed- Compassionate Earthlings Scored Millions. Love and Sanity Wins. MK-Ultra Loses.The score just shifted in our favor. —djo—
Isn’t Peaceful Assembly guaranteed under the U.S. Bill of Rights? “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Hmmm- Philosophy? = Yum. —djo—
“Support the Wet’suwets’en First Nation in their struggle to stop Pipelines on their land.” —djo—
Saturday = Huffington Post Tweeted a photo of the Grand Canyon ‘buried in Snow’ – “Cool!” -Rachel —djo—
Will the failure of the tar-sands pipeline bid bring Harper down? —djo—
More flack over Fantino – Blame Harper? or pass the buck to those “only following orders”?
- In the middle of a very visible crisis with returning Canadian Veterans committing suicide, being denied pensions and facing incredible long waits for health care, the Harper government closed down 9 regional Veteran’s Administration offices and his hand picked, now fired, Minister of Veterans’ Affairs cheated their vets out of 1.1 Billion dollars and handed that money to Stephen Harper as a present? —djo—
{ New Stuff Every Day: We don’t change the images with the twitter stuff every day, but there will almost always be something new there, usually at the top of each section. The red headlines under ‘read this:’ & ‘Not this:’ Will be new. The top 4 headlines in blue “Offbeat” will usually be new. The top ten headlines in maroon/brown under “Most Viewed” are almost always all new, with CBC repeating or rewording something every now and then. Some of the green healines under “Other” are new, the ones at the top of the list are the most new. The top 4 purple headlines under “Local / New Brunswick” are New, except when some of those top 4 are repeated over the weekend or a holiday. And several of the top olive green headlines under “First Nations” are new on most days. — thanks, —djo— }
Nice Message —jim w—
{ +4,199 New tweets since 9 pm yesterday [Bad News From Paris France Day] – & It just might be National “Something or Other Day”, but nobody tells me these things – —djo— }
{ Headlines missing from below: —> Harper’s trying to look like a hero by claiming he is giving families a big tax break. Nope, he’s giving millionaires’ families a big tax break. ‘Normal people’ are carrying the richest ice-holes’ weight. Why do white cops shoot young black men? * Link * Interesting twist on New Brunswick’s moratorium on Fracking : At the top of the list of what would have to change before the new Premier of N.B. would allow fracking and pre-fracking ‘explorations’ would be “Social License” which, he explained, would mean that the citizens of New Brunswick would have to be in favor of that fracking. = “Hmmmm” – * UBER software raised prices during Australian Hostage Crisis to $140-$200 dollars per ride. Then apologized and offered repayments. — & Loads of people anonymously did nice things for people they never met & Media completely missed that. * —djo— }
=======================
This is from “Blacklock’s Reporter” * Link * :
Feds Run News Blacklist, Ban Employee Access To Website
{ We’ve tried to move all the New stuff up top here. There may be important and interesting stuff below: Bears, Belugas and Cats may be more important than the corporate ‘bull chips’ in the news to many of our readers, but we tried to give the current newsy stuff priority. }
Give Hope to the Homeless in the face of adversity. There’s always a little bit of Heaven in the middle of a disaster zone. Conentrate on the Heaven and alleviate the disaster. —djo—
Canada In Winter. A poem. This may be a little hard to read. —djo—
Understatement of the day?: Kids’ brains are important. & I didn’t copy and paste another tweet that says parents should remove tablets and smart phones from kids’ hands before they let them go to bed. Another tweet cites a teenaged suicide victim and says we should see kids rights as being more important than parents’ rights. —djo—
Monopoly – Version 2015.1 ? —djo—
Is this a case of, “If it makes me look bad, it must be someone else’s problem.” & Anybody caught looking bad while following Harper’s Orders can always be replaced by another Party line enforcer? Ya rthink? —djo—
-Pretend you’re a human being with an actual functioning heart – check. —djo—
* Link * <—<< LInk to an article on the global financial crisis Half Past Human sees coming. —djo—
===Read This:
Lead Articles: Today’s Theme?: “Tell me something Positive!”
“Snowy owl ‘epidemic’ sweeps across Ontario.
CBC used the word ‘Alleged’ in their lead article’s headline – maybe there is hope for some ‘Main Stream Media’ – But then again, I know people who believe that the CBC is a Communist organization. 😦 ;
Re: Bill Cosby. We will not add to his ‘Trial by Media’ here. He performed in Ontario. He has not been charged by police. Perhaps allogations like those leveled against him should not be made public. I am a firm believer in “Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged” and Everyone should be ‘Presumed Innocent’ until God tells me they’re guilty. And I don’t think God will break silence for something like that. ;
Should a computer programmed to play poker beating the odds be one of the top 4 ‘stories’ at a credible News service? ;
Um, should we think that CBC News doesn’t show controversial cartoon caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad out of sensitivity? I’d like to believe that. Anyone who wants to see what all the fuss is about can ‘google’ the caricatures and find them in a number of places. I know people who believe that there is a direct line running from the Prophet Abraham through most notable Jewish Prophets, through Jesus and directly up to the Prophet Muhammad. May God continually bless them all. ;
===Not This:
Lead Articles: Today’s Theme?: “—Nothing up my sleeve—“/ slight of hand?
What we know about the alleged Paris gunmen ;
Heckler calls Bill Cosby a rapist at 2nd Ontario show ;
Heads-up limit Texas hold ’em poker solved by computer algorithm ;
-Video- Why CBC News hasn’t shown Prophet Muhammad caricatures ;
==============
Blasts from the recent past:
Politicians paying somebody to wipe out evidence of overspending? They do more than that, GOTO: CAFR1.Com ;
& – Wouldn’t it be nice if people started living by “Love they Neighbor as thyself”- ‘Could you believe it- no more war—‘ –
There’s a link directly above this section in the caption of a copied and pasted re-tweet defining a global economic flying ‘shitstorm’ – The ‘bad guys’ are plotting to manipulate an economic collapse in order to tighten their grip on everyone and take away what remaining freedoms you believe you still have. One encouraging forecast I heard: There are a lot more of ‘US’ than there are of ‘Them’ – ‘Them = Banksters’ and people will not take this. We might have a rough go for a while, but we will shut those Banksters down and change the way we view economic matters. Let’s hope that forecast was right and lets pray for all the help we need to get through this with ‘ease and grace’ [ —djo— ] ;
The Keystone pipeline. Um, (1) Big oil companies have ‘buried’ patents for processes that could make competitive technologies viable. (2) Nicola Tesla knew about and was working on methods to distribute electricity free to everybody and the rich and powerful ruined him financially because he was a threat to their monopolies. (3) There’s a book that might be available somewhere, “The Energy Non-Crisis” by Lindsey Williams, a Baptist Pastor who was privileged to insider information and learned that oil keeps replentishing itself, Oil Companies have raised their prices based on lies and are still making record profits. Farmers in Texas discovered new oil on their property, thought they would be rich, signed deals with big oil companies had their wells dug and were told that the oil companies were not going to use their oil, no matter how good it was and they couldn’t tell the world about this because, according to the terms of their contracts, the big oil companies could sue them for everything they were worth if they did. Big Oil is dirty business. Oil-Sands / Tar-Sands is dirty business. Send them buggers to the poor house, or banish them to a parallel dimension where their kind of policies have ruined whole planets and let them starve and freeze with what they’ve done staring them in their faces. ;
On a day when the lead article should be the very unpopular Minister of Veterans Affairs being fired and replaced by a hand picked party line enforcer, The lead ‘story’ here was the Junior World Hockey championship? Jeeze! – ;
Housing costs everywhere in the world are controlled by greedy ice-holes. Until we fix that problem by removing those greedy ice-holes from the equation, be prepared to be hammered in the brain by silly propaganda designed to keep you off balance and in a state of anxiety about everything in your environment. Pray for Angelic Intervention. Bring Heaven to Earth. “Help! – Amen” ;
All kids need a place to play where they can act out their dreams and even mimic the grown up ice-holes they see every day. I’ll include University aged men and women in this. There should be someplace where almost-grown-up kids can be complete ice-holes for a laugh, as long as they don’t hurt anybody. Maybe universities need in-house computer bulletin boards where students can post all kinds of inflamatory b.s. and nobody outside their little group will ever see it. Faculty could probably use something like that, too. A Private Venting Board where you can call your dean a complete freakin’ waste of good dna and get away with it. We never would have heard about Lieutenant Dish if rabid political correctness was in force when M.A.S.H. first entered our collective, -clear throat- uh- ‘consciousness’ (?) – ;
The problem with big oil began with the fact that they’ve been lying to all of us all along. Oil is created by some natural process inside the earth and on distant planets and moons that never had dinosaurs. It is not ‘fossil fuel’. It constantly replentishes itself. There never was or will be an oil shortage. Prices you pay are inflated by lies. What we need here is cheap renewable energy, which the sun and planet provide for free. Put them lying cheating manipulating Oil Barons in the poor house. Or better yet, put them in Jail – ;
Trial by mass media does not make anyone guilty. There is due process. Celebrities should not be put on trial in the corporate media before they have been found guilty in a court of law. And think about this: How many people who have been convicted of really heinous crimes have been exonerated by dna evidence in the last few years. Our ‘Justice’ systems are imperfect and subject to corruption and mistakes made by honest people. You better hope you never have to bet your life on your country’s ‘Justice’ system. ;
Oilsands, Tarsands. The technology is out there to provide everybody on this planet with free energy. WE can and should make sure that everybody on this planet has a safe shelter and enough to eat. We can do that. We should have been doing that all along. There is no such thing as ‘Fossil Fuel’. But YES! Canada should leave its oilsands in the ground, where it belongs. ;
=============================
If you really want to see all of today’s CBC headlines go to their website, listed as a link below this line:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/
=============================
Updat
White Deer? We were accused of trying to pass a goat off as a deer in New Brunswick. *** Our deer friends are back and happy that we’ve got a nice big bag of oats to share with them for Yuletide celebrations. Not a single one of them was wearing a Santa Claus Hat or wearing jingle bells. That is probably a good thing. *** —jim w— *** UPDATE We thought we saw a news story that reported that the white deer in this photo had been killed by a bus up the street. Nope. Tonight she was one of several deer who showed up to thank us for the oats we give them.
“Offbeat”
Husky reunited with her human.
“Deer on Ice Rescued” – This seems more like “Human Decency” than ‘offbeat’.
“Dawn of the Ducks”?
LED lights on a kayak paddle produced this effect. Yum 🙂 —djo—
Three Alaskans Save Avalanche – Trapped Moose. —djo—
Mummified rat, 1890s newspaper uncovered during Fort Calgary restoration { }
William Shatner to cross U.S. on Rivet, a custom steampunk motorcycle { }
Woman plunging San Diego toilet pulls up snake { }
90’s kids rejoice as Internet Archive releases 2,300 MS-DOS games for free { }
===Recently: >>—>
‘It didn’t even fight us’: Snowmobilers erscue moose buried in avalanche { * Animals are a lot smarter than most humans realize. * —djo— }
6 wild animals in unexpected places … and one very short cat { * Link * }
Waterloo photographer captures movement in mesmerizing LED snaps { }
Goats, elk happy to munch on your used Christmas trees { }
Couple forced to relocate wedding for Obama’s golf game { }
Son pays off parents’ mortgage for Christmas { * & The money used to ‘bail out’ the ‘Too big to fail’ Banksters could have paid off everybody’s Mortgages several years ago. The human race survived on this planet for seven and a half million years without banks trying to control us. “Banking Establishments are more dangerous than standing armies!” -Thomas Jefferson. Burn down the banks. Tar and feather anybody who voted for that bail-out. * —djo— }
Labrador hoisted to safety after falling 46 metres off cliff { The dog got spooked but survived, with ‘minor injuries but walked out to the trailhead’ after a climber rappelled to a narrow ledge with a rescue harness and both dog and climber were hoisted to safety by an 8-person crew from the Oregon Humane Society. This shouldn’t be ‘Offbeat’- This should be the kind of good news we need a lot more of. 🙂 —djo— }
Husky missing for more than 6 months reunited with owner { 🙂 }
Pen pals from P.E.I. and Tennessee meet after 40 years { }
Deer on ice rescued by B.C. conservation officers { }
Polar bears’ stinky feet may help attract mates: study { }
‘He’s just barking in your face’: Would-be police dog fired for poor performance { }
Man’s toilet explodes while city crew cleans sewers { }
Students develop app that rewards you for ignoring your phone in social situations { }
Swedish town seeks to prevent torching of giant Christmas straw goat { * It’s a tradition in the town of Gävle, every Christmas they build a 13 meter tall straw goat and about 50% of the time vandals burn it down. * Link to WebCam * At least in my browser, there was a ‘click here to translate this page’ thing visible for a couple seconds. Jim W has some distant relatives somewhere in Sweden – —djo— }
=====
New Electric Vehicle at a charging station
“Most Viewed”
— { }
Mountie takes woman home from jail to ‘pursue a personal relationship’ { }
Jian Ghomeshi case: Ex-CBC employee among complainants in new ses assault charges { }
Prophet Muhammad cartoon in Quebec papers after Charlie Hebdo shooting { }
Suspects in Charlie Hebdo shooting were on U.S. no-fly list for years { }
Costa Rica tourist catamaran capsizing leaves 3 dead { }
Charlie Hebdo attacks: Why hasn’t CBC shown Prophet Muhammad caricatures? { }
Heads-up limit Texas hold ’em poker solved by University of Alberta scientists { }
Charlie Hebdo shooting: Police detain 9, focus search north of Paris { * One of the weirdest things I heard on this subject today was a reporter on a Fox News radio station saying that the world is in denial if they don’t believe that France brought this on themselves by their policies of open diversity and allowing Muslims into their country. Why hasn’t Fox News been declared a Terrorist Organization? * —djo— }
Mackenzie family of Abbotsford, B.C., fined for noisy kids { * I want to see an article somewhere reporting that politicians anywhere have been fined for broadcasting hot air and groundless propaganda. * —djo— }
-8 photo slide show- Cartoonists respond to Charlie Hebdo shooting { }
-Blog- 90’s kids rejoice as Internet Archive releases 2,300 MS-DOS games for free { }
=====
“I can’t breathe!”
Other:
AirAsia Flight QZ8501: Flight recorder pings detected, official says { }
Canadian among 3 dead after Costa Rica tourist catamaran capsizes { }
Tamir Rice didn’t receive medical attention from police, video reveals { }
The price of divorce? A whopping $975 M for U.S. oil magnate { * How much have ‘oil magnates’ fleeced from honest consumers by dishonesty, subtrafuge, bribing politicians, and other illegal, immoral, unethical, and dangerous practices? * —djo— }
-Updated- Couple with 2 young kids says ‘family noise fee’ may force move from townhouse { * A family friend with an Austism Spectrum Disorder kid had neighbors calling police when the kid was screaming in the middle of the night. They lived in fear that something like this might happen to them. This was a medical problem. They fought against Canadian red tape and biased professionals to get their kid diagnosed. After that, behavioral problems that could have gotten their kid suspended, expelled or even arrested while in grammar school were covered. There should be some kind of way that people with children with medical / behavioral challenges shuld be able to find an acceptable living situation where random outbursts of noise and other ‘strange’ behavior won’t force them to pay insane fines or even move into a possibly dangerous housing situation. * —djo— }
‘People are saying that should be shot’: Coyote hunt organizer threatened { * I can understand both sides of this controversy. Maybe we need multi-dimensionals to help us move the Coyotes to alternate dimensions where they can be happy while protecting pets and citizens of a dimension that doesn’t want Coyotes in its neighborhoods. }
Economist says Alberta should ‘start taxing carbon’, depend less on oilsands { }
-Photos- CES 2015: 10 new gadgets from Consumer Electronics Show { }
Should older actresses act their age? Meryl Streep defends Russell Crowe { * Should the Fashion Police be encouraged to dictate what anybody can wear in public? Should any group be empowered to dictate the behavior of everybody anywhere? Should we surrender Free Speech and Expression and become good little robots and confrom to standards that some idiot with an inflated ego believes are ‘proper’? }
RCMP officer goaded to see ‘how far he would go’ with female prisoner { }
Who is looking at your computer when you’re on hotel Wi-Fi? { }
Cartoonists, economist and police officers among 12 dead in Paris attack { }
-Go Public- Passenger refused flight over missing letter on airline ticket { * Her name was spelled wrong, Belarus native Valiantsina Murashka’s name was printed on her airline ticket missing one ‘n’. So the airline wouldn’t let her fly home. I remember loads of early computer read-outs that truncated my name. ‘Otterso-Dougla’ comes to mind. Good thing I don’t want to fly anywhere, ya think? * —djo— }
Canada to resettle 10,000 more Syrian refugees over 3 years { }
BlackBerry unveils Internet of Things platform at CES { }
Toronto illustrator tweets images of missing, murdered indigenous women to PM { }
First Air still the world’s only disappearance-proof airline { * – Technology that could have solved the mystery of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is currently used by only one airline in the world: First Air, which flies in the Canadian Arctic. – The system, made by Calgary tech company FLYHT Aerospace Solutions, has been around for about five years. – * —djo— }
Discovery of Earth-like planets ‘first step’ in search for extraterrestrial life { * What if you learned that extraterrestrial life is all around us, every day, on this planet? * —djo— }
‘Crazy Indians Brotherhood’ dole kindness to Winnipeg’s homeless { * But they clawed back $1.1 Billion that should have gone to Veterans’ Health Care while systematically denying that health care to veterans in real need? This stuff has to stop * —djo— }
Why it’s impossible to storm-proof the power grid { * uh, would that be because the over-charging power companies don’t want to spend any part of their ‘profits’ to upgrade or use technology that Nicola Tesla developped almost a hundred years ago that could make power distribution free to everyone on this planet? * —djo— }
Triathlon competitor saves couple from drowning in Cancun { }
Cannabinoid e-cigarettes to be available in more countries in 2015 { }
Pope Francis picks 15 new cardinals to reflect diversity { }
9 high-tech gadgets turning heads at CES International { }
-Analysis- Welcome to election year, date to be determined: Chris Hall { }
-Go Public- Ontario man fears fro credit rating after Hertz charges wrong car rental amount { * The man was over-charged $159.24, disputed the bill, after not hearing anything for quite a while he got a letter that said his dispute was not valid. I can’t tell from the article whether a major part of this issue stemmed from the merchant who overcharged him for an extra 3 days, after he had turned the car in on time, failed to respond to the head office of Hertz or what. * —djo— }
CES 2015: 4K TVs, connected home tech- and the last gasp for smartwatches? { * But- are these devices spying on you? * —djo— }
Bad luck plays the biggest role in getting most cancers, researchers suggest { * Find out who paid those researchers. Other studies have found hormone-based herbicides and pesticides cause a lot of cancers. * —djo— }
Canada’s richest 100 CEO salaries have increased by 25% since 2008 { * That’s a crime. * —djo— }
=== And: Daily Stuff ===
-Must Watch- The National – News Broadcast – for Today { }
-Must Watch- Massive French manjunt { }
-Must Watch- AirAsia Flight QZ8501 recovery mission { }
-Editor’s Pick- Neil Macdonald: Religion, satire and where we draw the line { }
-Editor’s Pick- CES 2015 – Canadian tech firms on the pros and cons of the big show { }
-Editor’s Pick- Charlie Hebdo Paris shooting may deepen ‘normalized Islamophobia’ { }
===== Older Stuff =====
-Photos- 10 unusual homes around the world { * Link * }
-Analysis- Neil Macdonald: Can America handle the truth about Saudi Arabia? { * Me: Can America handle the truth about itself? Can America handle the truth about September 11, 2001 or anything the C.I.A. has been involved in since its inception? How about the NSA? How about the ‘dark ops’ projects paid for by taxpayer dollars, how about the lies that taxes are the only income the U.S. Government has to work with? How about a dozen other examples of ‘the putrid underbelly of the american society’? * —djo— }
=====
“Local / New Brunswick”
“Fredericton Mother”
Mother and daughter in Fredericton
President of the Fredericton Youth Feminists
‘So many people’ could have stopped deadly bar fight, family says { }
Abortions may not be offered at all hospitals, Gallant says { }
Sea lice pesticides used in salmon industry may be hazardous { }
Kevin Vickers named ambassador to Ireland { }
===== Earlier : =====
New Brunswick hit with more power outages { }
FHS dress code protest penalties too harsh, parents say { * Too many things about public education are too harsh on the students and families, I say. —djo— }
New Brunswickers losing faith in electrical grid { }
=====
Shale gas poll finds New Brunswickers divided on issue { * How did they phrase the questions on that poll? “Would you sell your children’s and grandchildren’s future out so a couple ice-hole politicians can strike it rich?” <— That’s the real question. There is no such thing as ‘Safe Fracking’. They do not have the technology to ensure that their band-aid ‘fixes’ can keep poisons and flammable gasses from leaking into your drinking water when their patches rust, crack or otherwise fail in a couple years. This is not a joke, this is life and death. * —djo— }
=====
“First Nations”
Last June 26th, The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation of B.C. granting it title over 438,000 hectares of land, the long ignored tribe became a priority for the B.C. government, CBC says this was a major ‘Game-Changer’. —djo—
-Opinion- Idle No More: Where is the movement 2 years later? { }
“Red Winter, Ottawa, January 11, 2013” (Nadya Kwandibens/ Red Works/ARP Books)
From ‘The Winter We Danced’ (Nadya Kwandibens/RedWorks/ARP Books)
>>——> Most Recent Articles Below this line <——<<
Yukon First nations look at aboriginal sentencing reports { }
Rejoice or reproach: Winnipeggers react to Sir John A. Macdonals’s 200th birthday { }
Regina Cree dancer brings powerful dream to reality { }
Do police have a problem with aboriginal people? { }
N.W.T. caribou: Whati chief awaits meeting with government { }
Mountie takes woman home from jail to ‘pursue a personal relationship’ { }
Winnipeg Art Gallery seeks Nunavut input on Inuit Art Centre { }
-Opinion- Improving indigenous health starts with reconciliation: Anna Banerji { }
Leona Aglukkaq to run in upcoming election { }
Evan Munday tweets images of missing, murdered women to Stephen Harper { }
‘Crazy Indians Brotherhood’ dole kindness to Winnipeg;s homeless { }
Snowy owl a ‘peaceful’ messenger for First Nations woman { }
Elections Canada budgets $1M for aboriginal ID issue in federal vote { }
First Nation community mourns 3 deaths suspected to be caused by flu { }
First Air the only airline in the world with black box data streaming { }
Nutrition North: 5 of 6 advisory board members donated to federal Tories { }
B.C. implements new vulnerable witness policy years after Rober Picton inquiry { }
James Clifford Paul makes first, brief court appearance { }
Vancouver’s Skwachàys Lodge billed as first aborigninal arts hotel in Canada { }
-Video- Wynne, Harper discuss Ring of Fire, First Nations’ drinking water { }
Chilliwack gives OK to hazardous waste recycling facility { }
Keystone bill would be vetoed by Obama, White House says { }
Mistreatment claim leads to investigation of Regina polic { }
Family of accused in Paul Band attack forced to move away { }
Stranded family in northern Quebec rescued by Hydro workers { }
CKLB has received $463K in funding since August shutdown { * The First Nation’s radio station went off the air because their funding was late. * —djo— }
Peel watershed: Gwich’in Tribal Council unhappy with appeal { }
Aboriginal representation on 2015 jury rolls to be challenged { }
$3K residential school education credit deadline to be extended { }
Unreserved: From Thomas King to Thomson Highway { }
Harry Okpik, champion dog musher, races 600 km across tundra { }
20 cases delayed by Ontario’s jury roll problem { }
-Video- Aboriginal hotel opens in Vancouver { }
-Opinion- Why does the Canadian justice system treat aboriginal people as if they’re all the same? { }
CBC Aboriginal’s top 10 indigenous music picks for 2014 { }
CBC Aboriginal’s top 10 indigenous music picks for 2014 { }
Lydia-Molly Tayara, Inuk woman, says cancer went untreated { }
Caroline Marshall-Hobbs, Mi’kmaq rights-advocate remembered { }
Ontario gives green light to clearcutting at Grassy Narrows { * Remember this. * —djo— }
Deninu Kue First Nation gets rights to diamond benefits { }
Loretta Saunders murder trial set for New Year { }
Reporter notebook: CBC’s Jillian Taylor reflections on Tina Fontaine { }
Reporter’s Notebook: Waubgeshig Rice on the Omushkegowuk Walkers { }
Reporter’s Notebook: Angela Sterritt on the oilsands paradox { * “Reporting on a tiny community downstream from Alberta’s Athabasca oilsands was one of the hardest stories I have worked on in my life”. * —djo— }
– 6 photo slide show – Unreserved: A literary special { }
Map of California’s Native American Tribes. —djo—
=======================
Lots of Pollution, Lots of Oil Company Profits, The Promised “Lots of Jobs” is a pile of bull chips. —djo—
==============
{ “Fude 4 Thought” : }
“As long as the fish still swim – This Land will be – Indian!” I want to cry every time I hear Richie Havens sing that song. And I play it a lot. —djo—
The building behind the sculpture is almost as amazing as the sculpture itself. I wonder if anybody lives in that building. —djo—
I think I want to raise Benjamin Franklin’s ghost, give him a really nasty weapon and tell him where to find everybody who is trying to kill the postal service in Canada and anywhere else on this planet. —djo—
Dang- The tweets are good today. This one is from fr0g5. Retweeted from @LawAbidingHuman —djo—
The only thing I really know about this person is that she has some very interesting tweets. —djo—
The Spirit of Fox News in a [Wing-] Nutshell? —djo—
Sometimes I think the world never forgave Haiti for beginning the struggle that put an end to overt endorsement of slavery by most ‘civilized’ governments. —djo—
Caution: Stephen Harper has proved himself to be dangerous to the health of this planet, its waterways, its inhabitants, our veterans, and your freedom to be who God meant you to be. —djo—
Repeat after me, “Abundance is my Divine Birthright, I am Healthy, Wealthy, Happy, and Loved!” — Don’t stop until every fiber of your existance believes that completely. – Affirmation curtesy of Glynis McCants —djo—
“Would you like to swing on a star? Carry moonbeams home in a jar? And be better off than you are?” -Or would you rather go to school? —djo—
Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Kwanza- Happy Anything Else You Feel Like Celebrating.
Just when I thought we might be able to tidy this place up, somebody has to go and send me stuff like this – Stop Monsanto before they stop us. What they’re doing is beyond ‘Cruel and Unusual’ but I would say, stop short of butchering the families of everybody who works for those Ice-Holes. There has to be a Humane way to deal with them. —djo—
“Peru is giving Free Solar Power to its 2 million poorest citizens” Strengthen your nation- Empower your people. —djo—
” Danny Metatawabin, Brian Okimas and Paul Mettina walked 1,700 kilometers to Ottawa to raise awareness of treaty rights and encourage the federal government and their chiefs to work together to address and reconcile aboriginal issues.” —djo—
-
A quote from Battlesytar Gallactica? —djo—
&
- I don’t know how this caption survived, but it did. I guess maybe I should keep it here: * Wealth Is Delusion * If you believe that anyone can ‘own’ the Earth, its resources or ‘wealth’ You’ve bought their ‘bull chips’ and you’ve already lost. You can’t play by their rules. They cheat. —djo—
{ “Why the worlds’s big energy firms are running scared from renewables” >>—> * Link * }
Something Positive from GreanPeace. —djo—
Quoting Nelson Mandela = Positive Reinforcement of Your Self Esteem. —djo—
Sounds Good To Me – & Harper Has It Wrong —djo—
Another Quote from Thomas Jefferson. I need to reflect on this before I endorse it whole heartedly — —djo—
A ‘Sea of Flowers’ in a seaside park in Japan. —djo—
2015-jan-01 This is cute, I hope that cat is not freezing to death out there, desperate to find a spot out of the wind or something. – & This was retweeted by fr0g5 & was just too big for me to take a screen shot and copy and paste with the laptop- —djo—
If this guy was orange, I’d swear they found Moe’s Baby Picture. —jim w—
Dang- Another tweet I thought has to be here. Dear Editor is the Sky, “Please advise! —Amen” —djo—
That’s one spooky looking owl. Where’s Odell? New Brunswick? You’re going to make me fire up mapquest aren’t you? —djo—
Happy New Year – Save The Planet! —djo—
The BBC adds their voice to those concerned about evil ice-holes tightening their control over everything they ‘allow’ you to know about what they’re doing to you and everything you care about. —djo—
10 December, 2014 – Malala shows her Peace Prize. Dedicated to “those voiceless children who want change.” God Bless Her. —djo—
=========
>>—-> We Are All One Spirit <—-<<
Glynis McCants is a Numerologist and a really good person. Even if our numbers don’t make us best friends 😉 —djo—
=========
>>—-> We Are All One Spirit <—-<<
“Imagine Peace Tower” on the 34th anniversary of an MK-Ultra targeted individual sending John Lennon to the next world. —djo—
Another Nice Message
=====
— “Other Media” : —
“I’ve got an idea, lets arm the Pandas and Belugas and let them save the planet while we play our video games and turn our souls off?” —djo—
The St. Lawrence Belugas Scored a Victory over the Deep Pocket Corporate Shills in what did not turn out to be a Water Polo Match. —djo—
I hope those Pandas and Belugas are well armed, we really need them…. —djo— Monday, 15 DEcember, this article/photo was retweeted quite a few times today. —djo—
“Amnesty International + Malala Yousafzai = Hope” / “So this is Christmas-” John Lennon. —djo—
Clif at Half Past Human dot com is calling them: Mon-SATAN-no or something close to that. —djo—
==================================================
* Link * <—<< Link to John Trudell’s amazing speech from ‘Thanksgiving’ 2013 via First Voices Indigenous Radio
==================================================
{ This is from the ‘Tweet-Us-Sphere’ : }
“At a low point in the 1990’s I started writing a story in which the Earth/Dimension we know and love split in two with most of the trees, bees and plants that give us food and shelter and oxygen, as well as the domestic and farm animals walked into perenial springtime and brought positive people with them, the nasties, the power crazy, the negative people all fell into a separate dimension/parallel world that immediately became a nuclear winter.” —jim w—
Malcolm X was murdered because he believed that the races could get along co-exist and co-prosper. Bad guys did not like that idea. They want to Divide & Conquer. —djo—
{ “Stephen Lewis roars once more in takedown of the Harper government: Newspaper Article from the Toronto Star: * Link * }
This photo bothers me for a couple reasons: (1) a prostitute who looks this good would not have to stand on a street corner to drum up business. (2) I don’t like the implications that anyone who dresses like this might be a prostitute – I mean think about it: Almost every woman in Hollywood these days would be suspect. (3) Any politician who tries to convince you that prostitutes are a bigger threat to your welfare than those politicians [are] should be castrated in public. —djo—
New York Times Reporter James Risen is facing jail times if he refuses to testify in a trial against a CIA agent accused of leaking sensitive material. Freedom Of The Press is always an issue, More so lately. —djo—
& Don’t forget Hong Kong
Palestinians show support for Ferguson, Missouri.
================
-Julian Assange’s Whistleblower Foundation has new members- Whistleblowers in general are peole who subscribe to higher standards of ethics and morality than their bosses or supervisors or government authoritarian types and are usually shocked to find out that lots of people do not back them up when they seek help because they’ve reported an injustice, or worse- and been ‘rewarded by being fired or even charged with crimes against corporations that the ‘justice system’, instead of locking up the bad guys, turns out to be protecting from the good guys, Constables got their start as enforcers for corrupt officials, corrupt ‘Nobles’ and ‘Royals’. When ‘serve and protect becomes law enforcement- that’s bad news for everybody. —djo—
=====
I remember being in 5th or 6th grade, reading about Archaeologists exploring what they believed were the earliest ruins of a civilization that died out ‘thousands of years ago’ & thinking that was almost incomprehensible- Then somebody told me there has been intelligent life on this planet for 11 million years. now they’re finding 110 million year old fossils? wow- — djo—
* Walter Burien’s Web site explains how governments all over the ‘free world’ are stealing from their citizens and ‘cooking their books’ : * link to CAFR1.com *
Links >>—-> The definitive ranking of ridiculous and misleading Conservative names for bills put before Canadian Parliament:
Note: ‘Http.com’ Hijacked the original links we put here for these two links.
Let Us Know if any other links have been effed with, thank you
>>——> J.Z.N McCauley’s NaNo Novel <——<<
{ -jda-‘s NaBloPoMo entry disappeared from the list. & Jim’s NaNoWriMo Novel has gone over 90,000 words as of November 19th. }
{ Don’t know how many new tweets since late last night. We crashed. Medium but poignant Traffic? in the ‘Tweet-us-sphere’ —djo— }
Recent earthquakes in Alberta linked to fracking: study { }
{ * Attention OathKeepers: When “Serve and Protect” becomes strict “Law Enforcement” with the civilian population seen as the enemy, Police become Terrorists. * Link to article in the Toronto Star * —djo— }
===== Steppenwolf’s “Monster” with interesting video clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EVE8leTG8Y God Bless Oathkeepers =====
* Link * <—<< Link to John Trudell’s amazing speech from ‘Thanksgiving’ 2013 via First Voices Indigenous Radio
{ * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtzIKCqaZMQ * <——<< * Link * Moody Blues @ Home in 1995? from “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” I like many of the interesting details of Justin Hayward’s ‘Carriage House’ Home. —jim w— }
{ “America- Where are ya now? Don’t you care about your sons and daughters? Don’t ya know We need you now, We can’t fight alone against this monster-” -John Kay of Steppenwolf- & the Monster is the one who convinces the police that they need to arrest a harmless 90 year old man for feeding the homeless in Florida and scares honest police officers to the point where they’re killing unarmed/ harmless men and women. These Police Officers are Not the Enemy. Look Behind the Curtain. —djo— }
WikiLeaks is selling teeshirts, sweatshirts, hats, hoodies, Mouse Pads & Smart Phone cases to raise funds, * Link *
=======================
{ “Anyone who would give up a little liberty for a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” —Benjamin Franklin }
{ “Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies” —Thomas Jefferson }
“What can one do to reduce the fear of terrorism?” / “Click!”
==================================================
=========
{ From a tweet: Huffington Post: “A Tribe Called Red’s Thanksgiving Track is Tougher to Swallow Than Turkey And Stuffing (Video)” * Link * —djo— }
===== From the “International Business Times” — “Anonymous Hackers Threaten Canadian Police, Alleging ‘Swatting’ Suspect Was Framed” — * Link * { * Consider the source * —djo— } =====
{ From @democracynow “We can reduce the prison population by 50% in the next 6-7 years if we just demand greater justice” * Link * the link might be more interesting than the above quote. —djo— }
-Polaris, “Let’s Encrypt” Will mean more ubiquitous Web Encryption and Privacy- Article below:
Most recently, Mozilla and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) announced “Let’s Encrypt,” their collaboration with Cisco, Akamai, IdenTrust, and researchers at the University of Michigan in attempt to take the first big step towards a more universally secure Internet. One of the biggest weaknesses in the underlying architecture of the web as it exists currently is the highly bureaucratic and complex (not to mention costly) system required for websites to obtain and deploy the SSL/TSL certificates needed to protect your web surfing experience (these are the basic pieces of information that allow the little lock icon to work in your browser, signaling your session is private and secure). “Let’s Encrypt” will extend these digital certificates to all websites by starting an easy-to-use and free-of-charge certificate authority that issues them; this means that web encryption will not just be available to big players like banking services or email providers, but will set a much higher bar for Internet security across all websites, regardless of their ability to pay for a certificate or properly install it.
We are strong, adamant supporters of this initiative and are excitedly awaiting it’s unveiling in 2015 under a new nonprofit called the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG).
In addition to this, Mozilla announced it’s own strategic privacy initiative in collaboration the Tor Project and CDT. We’ll be consulting “on privacy technology, open standards, and future product collaborations” with the open-source browser to help it more effectively and appropriately bring privacy features into its products. “We want to accelerate pragmatic and user-focused advances in privacy technology for the Web, giving users more control, awareness and protection in their Web experiences,” the company explained via its privacy blog. – We believe in the possibilities that privacy innovations could make possible, and are excited and honored to be a part of the process. – What do these changes mean for the short- and long- term future of the security of the Internet? – There will soon be no excuses for not baking encryption into web services, and in turn, consumer privacy and protection into the tools we use to navigate the digital highway.
“Free software program Detekt can find spyware on your PC.”
- Servers in Canada linked to FinFisher spyware program
- NSA uses smartphone apps to track people, Snowden docs suggest
– “Our ultimate aim is for human rights defenders, journalists and civil society groups to be able to carry out their legitimate work without fear of surveillance, harassment, intimidation, arrest or torture,” Amnesty International said in an online posting introducing Detekt. – Whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed the extent of government surveillance on activists and citizens. Amnesty said it is concerned about a chill on human rights activists and journalists, especially those in repressive countries, because of such surveillance.
- ANALYSIS: Edward Snowden did us all a favour, it’s time to curb the snooping
- 15 tips for protecting your privacy online
=========
Microsoft fixes 19-year old Windows bug { * – Microsoft Corp issued patches on Tuesday to fix a bug in its Windows operating system that remained undiscovered for 19 years. – The bug, which is present in every version of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 onward, allows an attacker to remotely take over and control a computer.
– IBM Corp’s cybersecurity research team discovered the bug in May, describing it as a “significant vulnerability” in the operating system. – “The buggy code is at least 19 years old and has been remotely exploitable for the past 18 years,” IBM X-Force research team said in its blog on Tuesday. – *
*** The bugs were not “undiscovered”, Government Hackers spoke about this on Coast to Coast A.M. before the summer of 2002. Art Bell was the host. This program is not listed in the current Coast to Coast A.M. archives, at least I could not find it by searching ‘hackers’. 3 men who were quite ‘enthusiastic’ and talkative about their experience working for hackers for US Government agencies that ‘officially do not exist’ -one of them told us he has an ashtray with one of those officially non-existent agency’s official logo on it- told us that microsoft was fully aware of holes in their operating system but were not going to do anything about it because the government of the US liked it the way it was. They said it was simple for any hacker to get into your computer if you were ‘running windows’ -“Especially if you have printer sharing turned on.” && They also said they liked Apple Computers back then because it was possible to tell a Mac to do only one thing at a time, not like windows computers which could have all sorts of nonsense going on undetected in the background. – AND Another Coast to Coast A.M. guest, much more recently, related talking to a computer pioneer a long time ago, when dial ups were the latest thing, and when the computer guy finished showing him something, he would not leave the room without shutting off his computer, and disconnecting the phone line from his computer. When the C2C guest asked the computer guy what that was all about, the computer guy said that he, as in insider, knew that the US Government could already get into anyone’s computer that was connected to Delphi or GEnie or AOL, even if the computer had been turned off. — And, now that almost every computer in the world has WiFi capabilities- you can never fully disconnect yourself from the possibility that they can turn your computer on and gather any information you have, or were ever connected to- any time they want to do that- With the possible exception that you might be ‘safe’ if you live inside a Faraday cage, a hundred feet or more beneath the surface of this planet. Welcome to the future, it sucks. —jim w— }
===============
-Archived?:-
Quebec woman gets jail time after stopping for ducklings led to 2 deaths { * Morton Thiokol executives never even got their wrists slapped for ignoring warnings from engineers. This led to the spectacular explosion that killed everyone aboard a high profile NASA Shuttle launch. I say maybe they could justify locking up someone who tried to save any life after they’ve locked up everybody who willfully let many more people die in the name of corporate profits. * —djo— } Emma Czrnobaj gets 90 days in jail for [trying to save ducks on a highway and causing a fatal accident in the process] { }
Poor posture from technology use can lead to 4 damaging effects { * But the Canadian Chiropractic Society has a free app to inspire you to improve your posture and improve your health * Link * —djo— }
Immigration law that split young family frevents child trafficking, government says { * (1) do not believe anything your government tells you. (2) you gotta be out of your mind to believe that anything your government does is in your best interest. * —djo— }
Tory anti-pot ad mocked and condemned by YouTube viewers { * Link * }
Veterans face too many barriers to mental-health help, auditor general says { }
‘Consumers deserve the truth’: Water-heater firm fined $7M for unfair sales tactics { }
Conservative trap to ensnare Liberal candidate ends up embarassing Tories { }
– ‘What else are they doing wrong?’ artists wonder of Revenue Canada { * The short answer? believing the propagandist liars who tell them that the government needs tax money to offer any kind of services to the people it wants to keep down under their thumbs – They have income streams they reallllly don’t want you to know about. Demand the truth now! * Link to CAFR1 dot com * —djo— }
-Analysis- Question authority? Not if you are black in America: Neil Macdonald { }
Coke plans to start making fancy milk — for twice the price { * If it’s genetically modified, it’s poison. * —djo— }
Law can protect social media users who blindly consent to terms of service { * It CAN – but will it? * —djo— }
Adults, kids cross police line at Kinder Morgan protests { * One tweet today: “The RCMP just arrested two eleven year olds at Burnaby Mountain, I feel safer already.” * —djo— }
-Special Report- Would you know what to do if someone told you they were raped? { * Link * } }
-Analysis- Gobal corruption a bigger scourge than terrorism: Brian Stewart { * Link to the CBC article. * *** And The whole idea behind our ‘modern’ system of ‘banking’ is probably the most corrupt ‘system’ in this world. *** —djo— }
================
{ My friends in the U.S. tell me I’m lucky to be in Canada. They are usually correct. —jim w— }
{ 10:10 pm EST — We are Ready to Rock and Roll — & Thanks again for your help, Jim W, and “—jda—“ ———djo——— }
Friday, 28 November, 2014 – News & Headlines:
Friday, 28 November, 2014 -( 20˚F / -7˚C – & cloudy @ 9:30 pm near Ithaca )- -( 19˚F / -7˚C – cloudy & dark @ 10:30 pm Closer to Halifax —jim w—)- — { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington, with help from —jda— }
{ 1549 New tweets since 9 pm yesterday – & It just might be National something or other day, but nobody tells me these things – —djo— }
{ —jda—‘s blog disappeared from the list of NaBloPoMo blogs on the only official page he knows about — & Jim W went over 50,000 words at NaNOWriMo On Tuesday, November 11th — He was pronounced a winner early on the morning of the 22nd with over 100,000 words typed, and copied and pasted into their word count checking application. Monday he began mourning for a family pet and might have only typed a couple paragraphs since, but the word count now = 117,652 words and still growing. & We really are trying to trim away stuff that maybe has been here too long. Trouble is, we think toomuch of it may be important. Maybe we’ll copy and paste today’s stuff in several places on several newsy blogs and try to start with a fresh ‘blank page’ tomorrow of Monday? —djo— }
— “Other Media” : —
“Electric Car joins Burnaby Mountain Demonstrators” —djo—
Lots of Pollution, Lots of Oil Company Profits, The Promised “Lots of Jobs” is a pile of bull chips. —djo—
The CBC Info @RadioCanadaInfo 2h2 hours ago tar sands: the basins make the air more toxic, said a study http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/alberta/2014/11/27/005-sables-bitumineux-pollution-rejets-toxiques-etude.shtml —djo—
==================================================
* Link * <—<< Link to John Trudell’s amazing speech from ‘Thanksgiving’ 2013 via First Voices Indigenous Radio
==================================================
===== { Message copied and pasted from email on November 25th: ———jda—— }
Re: Radio: Tuesday, November 25th, 2014 -( +14°C / 57°F & There has been sunlight and interesting shadows @ 3:00 pm in Atlantic Canada )-
– After facebook contact with a good friend from WPKN radio, where I used to hang out, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, about 50 miles from NYC, I wiggled a few wires and got the speakers back at something like peak sound and listened to a couple things. – But I have to tell you, an airing of last year’s Thanksgiving (U.S. dates) program from First Voices Indigenous Radio knocked me out. It was that good. Tiokasin Ghosthorse played a recording of John Trudell of the Dakota Nation from Thanksgiving 1980. He talks about the difference between real power and brutality, and described the tactics that corporate amerika uses to convince good people that it’s hopeless to try to resist their ‘progress’ as they enslave and exploit us all. John Trudell also tells us that if we are true to the earth, the Earth will protect us.
This is an amazing talk and if this link works, I will encourage everybody to listen to it- * Link * you will have to open the page and click on “First Voices Indigenous Radio November 21, 2013 [dot] mp3. – It should be more than worth listening to.
~~~~~ ———Jim W———
=====
Judge in B.C. dismisses contempt charges aimed at Burnaby Mountain Protesters
{ From a tweet: Huffington Post: “A Tribe Called Red’s Thanksgiving Track is Tougher to Swallow Than Turkey And Stuffing (Video)” * Link * —djo— }
– Go get ’em Rick! – Jim W said the ‘Tories’ got in big trouble a couple years ago for showing up at photo ops, presenting oversized government checks for local gov’t projects with “Conservative Party of Canada” as the payer. —djo—
===== From ENENews -Energy News- ‘Special Alert’ Issued: A sinkhole has opened beneath a dam in Tennessee and sediment is seeping from the riverbed below the dam — Upstream from a Nuclear Power Plant. * Link * =====
Retweeted by fr0g5 from @EI_Ocean. Humans do not have to do this. We should know better. —djo—
===== From the “International Business Times” — “Anonymous Hackers Threaten Canadian Police, Alleging ‘Swatting’ Suspect Was Framed” — * Link * { * Consider the source * —djo— } =====
{ From @democracynow “We can reduce the prison population by 50% in the next 6-7 years if we just demand greater justice” * Link * the link might be more interesting than the above quote. —djo— }
{ This is from the ‘Tweet-Us-Sphere’ : }
Friday, November 28th, #Ferguson Protest in Los Angeles surrounded by LAPD. 1Replay said “Good! Arrest the all”
“At a low point in the 1990’s I started writing a story in which the Earth/Dimension we know and love split in two with most of the trees, bees and plants that give us food and shelter and oxygen, as well as the domestic and farm animals walked into perenial springtime and brought positive people with them, the nasties, the power crazy, the negative people all fell into a separate dimension/parallel world that immediately became a nuclear winter.” —jim w—
— Anybody play the guy’s interviews through a voice stress analyzer? — —djo—
Miami – With a Note against censorship on the web above.
Ferguson Demonstrations in Toronto and Ottawa – Canada
Montreal Candlelight Vigil in solidarity with Ferguson – Another tweet says there were over 1,000 at the Ferguson Solidarity #manifencours/#demonstration
Malcolm X was murdered because he believed that the races could get along co-exist and co-prosper. Bad guys did not like that idea. They want to Divide & Conquer. —djo—
{ “Stephen Lewis roars once more in takedown of the Harper government: Newspaper Article from the Toronto Star: * Link * }
& Don’t forget Hong Kong
Palestinians show support for Ferguson, Missouri.
2014-nov-26-3:15 pm: Doug’s sent one original message, and retweeted 2, commented on one- there may be hope for him yet. no, he ain’t no luddite, he works w/computers and anything more might be overkill —jda—
The Saint John, New Brunswick, city council debated the Energy East Pipeline, asked two protesters present to lower their anti-pipelin signs, later voted 9-0 in favor of declaring the pipeline “In the best interest of the citizens”.
{ My friends in the U.S. tell me I’m lucky to be in Canada. They are usually correct. —jim w— }
‘Conservative Math’ = “Just doesn’t add up” — But the Liberals don’t have a flawless track record either — —djo—
Another nice quote from the anti- #KinderMorgan protesters in British Columbia. —djo—
Nice quote from someone the corporate terrorists want you to believe is more dangerous than they are. —djo— The above quote was tweeted on Friday the 21st and retweeted by fr0g5 on Saturday, along with @MikeHudema’s “#KinderMorgan starts drilling as protests & arrests grow on #burnabymountain: ” —djo—
-Polaris, “Let’s Encrypt” Will mean more ubiquitous Web Encryption and Privacy- Article below:
{ – The state of Internet security and infrastructure has been rapidly changing of late in response to concerns about online privacy and security (i.e., surveillance revelations and extensive security breaches), and a series of announcements over the past several days have put a lot of momentum behind possible solutions.
Most recently, Mozilla and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) announced “Let’s Encrypt,” their collaboration with Cisco, Akamai, IdenTrust, and researchers at the University of Michigan in attempt to take the first big step towards a more universally secure Internet. One of the biggest weaknesses in the underlying architecture of the web as it exists currently is the highly bureaucratic and complex (not to mention costly) system required for websites to obtain and deploy the SSL/TSL certificates needed to protect your web surfing experience (these are the basic pieces of information that allow the little lock icon to work in your browser, signaling your session is private and secure). “Let’s Encrypt” will extend these digital certificates to all websites by starting an easy-to-use and free-of-charge certificate authority that issues them; this means that web encryption will not just be available to big players like banking services or email providers, but will set a much higher bar for Internet security across all websites, regardless of their ability to pay for a certificate or properly install it.
We are strong, adamant supporters of this initiative and are excitedly awaiting it’s unveiling in 2015 under a new nonprofit called the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG).
In addition to this, Mozilla announced it’s own strategic privacy initiative in collaboration the Tor Project and CDT. We’ll be consulting “on privacy technology, open standards, and future product collaborations” with the open-source browser to help it more effectively and appropriately bring privacy features into its products. “We want to accelerate pragmatic and user-focused advances in privacy technology for the Web, giving users more control, awareness and protection in their Web experiences,” the company explained via its privacy blog. – We believe in the possibilities that privacy innovations could make possible, and are excited and honored to be a part of the process. – What do these changes mean for the short- and long- term future of the security of the Internet? – There will soon be no excuses for not baking encryption into web services, and in turn, consumer privacy and protection into the tools we use to navigate the digital highway. – }
================
-Julian Assange’s Whistleblower Foundation has new members- Whistleblowers in general are peole who subscribe to higher standards of ethics and morality than their bosses or supervisors or government authoritarian types and are usually shocked to find out that lots of people do not back them up when they seek help because they’ve reported an injustice, or worse- and been ‘rewarded by being fired or even charged with crimes against corporations that the ‘justice system’, instead of locking up the bad guys, turns out to be protecting from the good guys, Constables got their start as enforcers for corrupt officials, corrupt ‘Nobles’ and ‘Royals’. When ‘serve and protect becomes law enforcement- that’s bad news for everybody. —djo—
Links >>—-> The definitive ranking of ridiculous and misleading Conservative names for bills put before Canadian Parliament:
Note: ‘Http.com’ Hijacked the original links we put here for these two links.
Let Us Know if any other links have been effed with, thank you >>——> J.Z.N McCauley’s NaNo Novel
{ -jda-‘s NaBloPoMo entry disappeared from the list. & Jim’s NaNoWriMo Novel hads gone over90,000 words as of November 19th. }
{ Don’t know how many new tweets since late last night. We crashed. Medium but poignant Traffic? in the ‘Tweet-us-sphere’ —djo— }
Recent earthquakes in Alberta linked to fracking: study { }
=============================
If you really want to see all of today’s CBC headlines go to their website, listed as a link below this line:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/
=============================
Lead Articles: Today’s Theme?: “Oooops-“
CBC Managers told of Jian Ghomeshi ‘assault’ allegations back in June ;
-Video- Ex-pastor accused of murder told police he tried to save drowned wife ;
Kinder Morgan dismantles Burnaby Mountain site ;
& -Photos- Grey Cup 1955 in Vancouver –
=====
>>—-> We Are All One Spirit <—-<<
“Imagine Peace Tower” Thank you, -John Lennon- —djo—
@yokoono * Link to a song on YouTube *
“Free software program Detekt can find spyware on your PC.”
{ – A free tool released Thursday allows users to scan their computers for surveillance malware that has been used to spy on journalists and activists. – The open source tool Detekt is being released in partnership with human rights group Amnesty International, German digital rights group Digitale Gesellschaft, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Privacy International.
- Servers in Canada linked to FinFisher spyware program
- NSA uses smartphone apps to track people, Snowden docs suggest
– “Our ultimate aim is for human rights defenders, journalists and civil society groups to be able to carry out their legitimate work without fear of surveillance, harassment, intimidation, arrest or torture,” Amnesty International said in an online posting introducing Detekt. – Whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed the extent of government surveillance on activists and citizens. Amnesty said it is concerned about a chill on human rights activists and journalists, especially those in repressive countries, because of such surveillance.
- ANALYSIS: Edward Snowden did us all a favour, it’s time to curb the snooping
- 15 tips for protecting your privacy online
– Detekt scans Windows-based computers for common surveillance tools used in spying on activists. Those who detect a threat on their computer can then take steps to remove it. – The software developers warn that there is no guarantee that Detekt will find every bit of spyware, as new technology is continually being developed. – “Beware that it is possible that Detekt may not successfully detect the most recent versions of those malware families,” the developers wrote on the site resistsurveillance.org, which introduces Detekt. – “Indeed, some of them will likely be updated in response to this release in order to remove or change the patterns that we identified. In addition, there may be existing versions of malware, from these families or from other providers, which are not detected by this tool. If Detekt does not find anything, this unfortunately cannot be considered a clean bill of health.” – Commercial entities have developed and sold surveillance tools that read emails and instant messaging conversations, listen in on Skype calls and remotely control a computer’s camera and microphone and sold them around the world. – There is no regulation against these technologies being used by repressive governments, Amnesty says, estimating the market for surveillance software at $5 billion US a year. – “European and American companies have been quietly selling surveillance equipment and software to countries across the world that persistently commit serious human rights violations,” it said. – Amnesty is urging governments to take action to stop the spread of spyware and calls on industry to consider the human rights records of countries where it sells such software. – Targeted surveillance is only legitimate when it is based on suspicion of criminal activity and backed up by a legal order, the group said. – —djo— }
=====
White Deer? We were accused of trying to pass a goat off as a deer in New Brunswick.
“Dawn of the Ducks”?
“Offbeat”
Dawn of the Ducks: Quacking invaders a menace to Burin residents { }
‘He’s just barking in your face’: Would-be police dog fired for poor performance { }
ISS astronauts enjoy Thanksgiving feast { }
Obama’s fowl jokes elecit eye-rolling from teen daughters { }
Man’s toilet explodes while city crew cleans sewers { }
Underwater robot measuring Antarctic sea ice a ‘huge step’ { }
Felines hit the catwalk at Supreme Cat Show { }
Students develop app that rewards you for ignoring your phone in social situations { }
===== Greatest recent ‘Offbeat’ hits ===== >>——>
Microsoft fixes 19-year old Windows bug { * – Microsoft Corp issued patches on Tuesday to fix a bug in its Windows operating system that remained undiscovered for 19 years. – The bug, which is present in every version of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 onward, allows an attacker to remotely take over and control a computer.
– IBM Corp’s cybersecurity research team discovered the bug in May, describing it as a “significant vulnerability” in the operating system. – “The buggy code is at least 19 years old and has been remotely exploitable for the past 18 years,” IBM X-Force research team said in its blog on Tuesday. – *
*** The bugs were not “undiscovered”, Government Hackers spoke about this on Coast to Coast A.M. before the summer of 2002. Art Bell was the host. This program is not listed in the current Coast to Coast A.M. archives, at least I could not find it by searching ‘hackers’. 3 men who were quite ‘enthusiastic’ and talkative about their experience working for hackers for US Government agencies that ‘officially do not exist’ -one of them told us he has an ashtray with one of those officially non-existent agency’s official logo on it- told us that microsoft was fully aware of holes in their operating system but were not going to do anything about it because the government of the US liked it the way it was. They said it was simple for any hacker to get into your computer if you were ‘running windows’ -“Especially if you have printer sharing turned on.” && They also said they liked Apple Computers back then because it was possible to tell a Mac to do only one thing at a time, not like windows computers which could have all sorts of nonsense going on undetected in the background. – AND Another Coast to Coast A.M. guest, much more recently, related talking to a computer pioneer a long time ago, when dial ups were the latest thing, and when the computer guy finished showing him something, he would not leave the room without shutting off his computer, and disconnecting the phone line from his computer. When the C2C guest asked the computer guy what that was all about, the computer guy said that he, as in insider, knew that the US Government could already get into anyone’s computer that was connected to Delphi or GEnie or AOL, even if the computer had been turned off. — And, now that almost every computer in the world has WiFi capabilities- you can never fully disconnect yourself from the possibility that they can turn your computer on and gather any information you have, or were ever connected to- any time they want to do that- With the possible exception that you might be ‘safe’ if you live inside a Faraday cage, a hundred feet or more beneath the surface of this planet. Welcome to the future, it sucks. —jim w— }
=====
New Electric Vehicle at a charging station
“Most Viewed”
CBC managers told of Jian Ghomeshi ‘assault’ allegations back in June { * One man interviewed on CBC News program said he’d been told by Jian Ghomeshi ahead of time that one unhappy ex-girlfriend had threatened to get even with him for something and might try fals allegations – The Manager said he was giving Ghomeshi the benefit of the doubt back then. * —jim w— }
Social assistance computer error sees millions paid out by mistake { }
HIghway 403 now open: Mudslide leads to day of gridlock and aggravation { }
Const. Taylor Robinson suspended for 6 days for shoving woman on Vancouver street { }
Black Friday 2014: Surprising fees Canadians pay for shopping online { }
Leighton Hay, wrongfully convicted of murder in 2002, walks free { }
Kinder Morgan pulls equipment from Burnaby Mountain { }
Vaccine alternatives offered by homeopaths ‘irresponsible’ { * ‘Irresponsible’? You mean they’re not bowing down and licking the boots of the corporate fascists who believe they have the right to dictate everything to everybody? * —djo— }
Revelstoke’s Bighorn ski chalet named best in the world { }
Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer out today { }
-13 photo slide show- Black Friday Frenzy { }
-Blog- Controversial 9-year old supermodel Kristina Pimenova is being sexualized, critics say { }
-Archived?:-
Obesity’s global cost hits $2 trillion a year, report suggests { * Monsanto’s GMO food is probably the leading cause of the ‘obesity epidemic’ Don’t make me repeat the idea that public evisceration would probably not be a cruel or unusual punishment for all Monsanto’s executives, considering what they have unleashed on the population of this planet. Monsanto execs on one side of a very long street and Oil company execs on the other, and Fracking advocates down the middle? * —djo— }
-Blog- ‘Terrifying new app Beam Messengers lets users see text messages as they’re being typed { }
Tory anti-pot ad mocked and condemned by YouTube viewers { * Link * }
=====
Arctic Ground Squirrel
Other:
‘Walk into freedom’: Murder charges withdrawn after Toronto man’s 12 years in prison { * The case had one witness who said one of the killers had dreadlocks, police found some hair in one suspect’s home, said that was evidence that he’d gone home and cut his hair after the crime. After fighting for too many years, the lawyer got access to the hair, which turned out to be beard hair, and still had to battle the ‘old boys club’ who tried to delay and deny every request made, finally, the truth did set the wrongfully convicted man free. * —djo— }
-New- Trudeau says ‘pro-lifre’ candidate agreed to vote pro-choice if elected in 2015 { }
-Exclusive- Ontario pays out millions in social assistance by mistake { }
-Opinion- ‘This sad. And this is wrong’: Father of #YouKnowHerName victim decries publication ban { }
-Updated- Veterans funding not as advertised, opposition MPs say { }
-Analysis- Oil price decline could lead to global shocks: Don Pittis { }
Nigeria mosque bombing kills 92 { }
Thalidimide victims invited to Ottawa Monday to talk compensation { }
=== Older Stuff: ===
Veterans face too many barriers to mental-health help, auditor general says { }
‘Consumers deserve the truth’: Water-heater firm fined $7M for unfair sales tactics { }
Conservative trap to ensnare Liberal candidate ends up embarassing Tories { }
-New- ‘What else are they doing wrong?’ artists wonder of Revenue Canada { * The short answer? believing the propagandist liars who tell them that the government needs tax money to offer any kind of services to the people it wants to keep down under their thumbs – They have income streams they reallllly don’t want you to know about. Demand the truth now! * Link to CAFR1 dot com * —djo— }
PTSD and danger among deterrents to visible minorities joining military { }
Another deep freeze ahead for most of Canada { }
L’Isle-Verte rescue effort was ‘free-for-all’, witness says { }
-Analysis- Question authority? Not if you are black in America: Neil Macdonald { }
Coke plans to start making fancy milk — for twice the price { * If it’s genetically modified, it’s poison. * —djo— }
Atlantic Canada expects strong winds as nor’easter threatens U.S. Thanksgiving { * And guess where 2/3 of our newsy blog staff are located? We’re all in the crosshairs, guys. Gobble Gobble – * —djo— }
House prices overvalued in Toronto, Montreal— but not Vancouver { }
Law can protect social media users who blindly consent to terms of service { }
-Photos- Police rules of engagement around the world { }
Cheaper smartphones gain popularity among consumers { }
NDP MP who accuses collegue of sex without consent ‘open’ to resolution { }
Thalidomide victim calls on Canadian government for compensation { }
A pill to drink less? Britain mulls offering drug that takes away the buzz { }
‘Panicked’ Toronto Eaton Centre shooter thought he was going to die { }
-Exclusive- Who are the most wanted extremists in Canada? { * Should we list those in the Prime Minister’s Office? * —djo— }
Military mental health research gets funding boost { * I think the $10 million for research pales in comparison to the $750 million the current Conservative Government spent over 9 years in partisan [ propaganda ] ads on television. * —djo— }
Adults, kids cross police line at Kinder Morgan protests { * One tweet today: “The RCMP just arrested two eleven year olds at Burnaby Mountain, I feel safer already.” * —djo— }
Feds to spend $200M on soldiers’ mental health { }
Ferguson on edge as grand jury expected to reconvene Monday { }
Bird poop, leaking roofs damaging ‘most important building’ in Manitoba { }
3 Ferguson protesters arrested ahead of grand jury decision { }
Strong earthquake collapses at least 10 homes in central Japan { }
14 injured after suspected gas leak explosion in London luxury hotel { }
WestJet can’t ‘pass the buck’ on lost baggage anymore { }
Winnie the Pooh spanked by Polish council for not wearing pants { }
After 40 years in prison, 2 men exonerated, set free in Cleveland killing { }
Gender gouging: Women often pay more than men { }
-Special Report- Would you know what to do if someone told you they were raped? { * Link * } }
-Analysis- Gobal corruption a bigger scourge than than terrorism: Brian Stewart { * Link to the CBC article. * *** And The whole idea behind our ‘modern’ system of ‘banking’ is probably the most corrupt ‘system’ in this world. *** —djo— }
-Updated- Supreme Court to hear landmark case for Métis and non-status Indians { }
=== And: Daily Stuff ===
-Must Watch- Reaction to the Ferguson, Mo., decision { }
-Must Watch- Wrongfully convicted of murder in 2002, Leighton Hay freed { }
-Must Watch- Black Friday in Ferguson, MO { }
-Editor’s Pick- Bell says positive employee-planted reviews will stop, but critics unsure { }
-Editor’s Pick- Baby monitor maker says non-parent expert can’t relate { }
-Editor’s Pick- Random act of kindness group overwhelms woman { }
===== Keep around for a while? : =====
-djo’s Editor’s Pick- Questionable cancer ‘cures’ { * From Friday – Doctors and researchers know and have known since 1925 that sugar feeds cancer cells. Starve the Cells – kill the cancer. Effective herbs and naturally occurring ingredients in some plants also shrink and eliminate most cancerous growths but this information is supressed by Big Pharmaceutical companies who do not care if theire stuff kills you, they want to make a profit on your suffering. The really questionable stuff comes from ‘Big Pharma’ and the the Doctors they pay to spread their lies. —djo— }
-Editor’s Pick- Pornography, kids and sex education: what to do? { * The article says, “Porn industry is the main sex educator of kids, says child advocate” * What do you think? Maybe somebody with the backing of Medical, Psychological, Ethical, Moral and Legal sensitivity and sensibilities should make a video that shows kids how it’s done, what to look out for and how to avoid problems? -and parents should leave it somewhere where they know the kids will find it and write, “Don’t you dare watch this!” on a sticky note? That might work. —djo— }
=====
Anti-Fracking sign in Amherst
“Local / New Brunswick”
FHS dress code protesters suspended for 3 to 5 days { * And banned from extracurricular activites for 1 year. * —djo— }
Bathurst hopes to attract Atlanticade motorcycle festival { }
Former News 88.9 employees suing Rogers, Newcap { }
President of the Fredericton Youth Feminists
Canada’s at risk species failing to improve, study finds { }
New Brunswickers losing faith in electrical grid { }
-Wednesday- Mild weather for New Brunswick ahead of nor’easter { * Ack! Environment Canada says to expect 15 to 25 cm of snow late Wednesday into Thursday. * —jim W— *** P.S. I measured about 12 inches / 30 cm in our driveway at about 8 am on Thursday, the 27th. *** —jim w— }
-Monday-Enjoy the warmth, as 15 cm of snow could land later this week { * 15 Centimeters is about equal to 6 inches. * —djo— }
=====
=====
=====
Assembly of First Nations candidates.
“First Nations”
Three candidates for AFN National Chief { * “Ghislain Picard, Perry Bellegarde and Leon Jourdaine are the three official candidates in the running to become the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, a position which Shawn Atleo resigned from in May amid some conflict.” * —djo— }
>>——> Most Recent Articles Below this line <——<<
Leona Aglukkaq considers legal action against Rankin Inlet deputy mayor { }
Manitoba First Nation to get apology from premier for Jenpeg dam harm { }
A Tribe Called Red releases provacative song for American Thanksgiving { }
Mi’kmaq Confederacy clarifies rold in online gaming plan { }
Sioux Lookout council encouraged to be more ‘culturally aware’ { }
-Opinion- Financial reporting for First Nations: transparency or witch hunt? { }
Study shows oilsands tailings ponds releasing toxic chemicals into air { }
Ottawa police release video in violent home invasion case { }
Dylan McManaman, 14, presumed drowned in Sturgeon Falls { }
Onion Lake Cree Nation takes Ottawa to court over transparency law { }
Selinger government wants to replace federal First Nations band constables { }
Family from Long Plain First Nation worried about missing son in Winnipeg { }
Human rights complaints settled with 3 members of Sheshatshiu Innu Nation { }
52 First Nations risk losing funding for not complying with transparency law { }
Crown to seek adult sentence if youth convicted in Rinelle Harper attack { }
-Review- Fabric of the Sky a powerful residential school survivor’s story { }
RCMP on lookout for suspect after aggravated assault on OCN { }
Indigenous video game designer takes stand against Custer’s Revenge { }
New Jersey Devil tackles racism in the NHL { }
Mint’s new $5 coin features work by Cree artist Tim Whiskeychan { }
Northerners react to AG’s Nutrition North findings { }
===== From Earlier This Week: =====
Suicide of aboriginal boy sparks call for ‘meaningful action’ { }
First Nations mistrust health system, Dalhousie researchers say { }
-Audio- Addressing challenges in Aboriginal health research { }
Racism in the National Hockey League: it’s Ok to talk about it, says Jordin Tootoo { }
Alex Van Bibber, Yukon legend, dies at 98 { }
Popular Winnipeg civic candidates eyefederal, provincial seats { }
First Nations to ‘resist’ complying with financial transparency act { }
Students forced to sit quiet after mental health services march { }
Chris Metallic’s family still searching for missing student { }
Kinder Morgan protest: Derek Corrigan urges protesters to stay calm { }
Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion opposed by island First Nation { }
-Audio- M’Chigeeng woman feels ‘punished; in Pet Save adoption { }
Nutrition North’s impact on northerners uncertain, auditor general says { }
Status of Women Canada approved few projects focused on aboriginal women { }
Aboriginal youth tackle jury under-representation at conference { }
Innu medical glossary, app to allow better access to health care { }
Yukon environment board extends Northern Cross comment deadline { }
-Review- The Evolution of Alice rooted in reserve life, but message universal { }
Kinder Morgn Protesters: What are their rights? { }
Mount Polley mine spill cleanup requires pressing action, says B.C. environment ministry { }
Harper earmarks $5.8B for infrastructure, including First Nations schools { }
‘Family preservation workers’ a new approach to child protection in Yellowknife { }
-Opinion- Conrad Black’s history of Canada: Arrogant, misinformed and disgraceful { }
-Unreserved- Starlight tours, diabetes and young indigenous thespians as part of out story { }
First Nations artist goes back to traditional diet to beat diabetes { }
Mohawk Girls TV series takes edgy look at dating { }
Northern Quebec Cree start 850 km trek to protest against uranium mining { }
Nisga’a Nation signs LNG pipeline benefits deal with B.C. { }
Kashechewan students get extra teachers at Kapuskasing facility { }
-Opinion- Bill S-6 is a fundamental violation of the modern day Uukon treaty relationship { }
-On The Coast- North Vancouver’s first aboriginal teacher wins national honours { }
Homeless man alleges Sudbury police took him on a ‘starlight tour’ { }
Edmonton-made aboriginal jewelry showcased on APTN’s Blackstone { }
Rinelle Harper thanks construction workers who found her { }
Chrisma Denny’s family says rumours shes been found are untrue { }
Manitoba aboriginal businesses to be featured at gala { }
Supreme Court to hear landmark case for off-reserve aboriginal people { }
-Opinion- ‘Am I Next?’ campaign hits home with Fredericton student { }
-Video- Wab Kinew replaces Jian Ghomeshi as Canada Reads host { }
Senate Liberals offer legal arguments for missing, murdered women inquiry { }
Homeless to business school: Manitoba student honoured { }
Highway of Tears documentary: Q & A with director Mattew Smiley { }
-7 Photos- Unreserved: November 15 { }
Man in custody after shot fired, lockdown in Attawapiskat { }
-Go Public- Housing subsidy’s end may leave family of 7 homeless { }
Child advocatges want fewer aboriginal children in child welfare { }
Siksika, Stoney reserves flood recovery to cost 3 times original estimate { }
First Nations Feathers of Hope forum focuses on justice, juries { }
$6K to $166K: N.W.T. chiefs salaries vary widely { }
-Photos- ‘Healing Journey’ continues for Lutselk’e 25 years later { }
Hockey season on ice as Elsipogtog arena awaits funding { }
Yukon NDP pushes for united front against Bill S-6 { }
Buffalo Gals member disturbed by church ban on smudging { }
Lawrence Martin’s municipal experience ‘will serve him well’ { }
Labrador residential school claimants in court today { }
-Opinion- In defence of Immanuel Pentecostal Church’s stance on smudging { }
First Nations students in Ontario and Alberta failing in literacy, math { }
-Opinion- ‘Oh, we are all racists’ { }
-Photos- Petition to put women on Canadian banknotes draws nearly 50K signatures { }
Métis educator Bryanna Scott seeks to build bridges { }
Rinelle Harper only one part of Winnipeg’s race divide { }
-Analysis- Mirror, mirror on Winnipeg’s wall { }
-Photos- 1st indigenous circumpolar women’s gathering wraps up { }
Lawrence Martin elected Mushkegowuk Grand Chief { }
No bodies found under barn where Glenna Mae Breckenridge says her dad buried boys { }
-Video- Chemotherapy ruling { }
‘Little affinity between native spirituality and Christianity’, says pastor { * Rumours from the spiritual community of Truth Seekers who look beyond dogma believe that ‘Saint Paul’ was a false prophet maneuvered into power by Romans who wanted to control the new ‘Christian’ church, and succeeded. Therefore ‘Little affinity exists between “Modern Christianity” and what Jesus taught us.’ * —djo— }
-8 Photos- Kinder Morgan pipeline: First Nations fight back with fish { }
>>>———> { —jda— has kindly ‘built us’ an archives page for “First Nations/Indigenous” headlines we thought were important to keep around, maybe too long. —djo— }<———<<<
{ We have moved a lot of headlines related to First Nations / Indigenous issues to a Page >>>———> http://www.aerendel.org/wp03/?page_id=340 <———<<< on —jda—‘s blog —djo— }
==============================================================
{ This is what still grabs me – from Twitter – We’re trying to trim this down, I wanted to delete these below and start fresh, but they seem a little too important to me right now. ———djo——— }
“11 steps to Fascism” I forgot where this came from. bad me. —djo—
=======================
{ “Anyone who would give up a little liberty for a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” —Benjamin Franklin }
{ “Any politician, police, military, or would be authoritarian of any stripe, who would capitalize on an event like yesterday’s in Ottawa: clearly does not deserve any respect at all, let alone the authority they demand.” — douglas j otterson }
{ Here’s a quote for you, not about yesterday and Ottawa but the philosophy applies: “The critical studies about #Ferguson in a decade will be fascinating. Because we are building this plane as we fly.” —deray mckesson }
{ “Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies” —Thomas Jefferson }
“What can one do to reduce the fear of terrorism?” / “Click!”
==================================================
Fracking linked to Alberta earthquakes, study indicates { * – Carmen Langer had just left his bed to grab a drink of water when he felt his house northeast of Peace River, Alta., begin to shake. – “At first I thought I wasn’t feeling very good that day… and it was just my blood sugar, but no, it shook pretty good,” Langer said about the Nov. 2 incident.
- Power restored after 4.3-magnitude earthquake hits western Alberta
- Earthquake hazard linked with deep well injection in Alberta
- Alberta researchers to listen for fracking quakes
– Moments after the shaking stopped, his neighbours were calling, asking if he had felt what they just felt. – “After a few minutes, I realized it was an earthquake,” Langer said. – There was a small earthquake on Nov. 2 in Peace River, just northeast of Peace River. The recently published study involving Alberta researcher Jeff Gu indicates fracking may trigger earthquakes in the province. – Natural Resources Canada (NRC) registered a small, 3.0-magnitude earthquake that was “lightly felt” from Three Creeks to St. Isidor in northern Alberta at 11:14 p.m. MT. NRC said on its website there were no reports of damage, and that “none would be expected.” – Jeff Gu, a seismologist at the University of Alberta, said the earthquake could have been caused by shifting rock formations in the region — but added there could be another possible explanation. – “Certainly that region is not immune to earthquake faulting, but I would say having actual earthquakes in that area is relatively recent, relatively new,” he said. – Gu is one of three authors of a recently published study in the Journal of Geophysical Research, a peer-reviewed publication that looked at four years of earthquake data around Rocky Mountain House. The study concludes that waste-water injection into the ground is highly correlated with spikes in earthquake activity in the area. – It is the first study of its kind conducted in Canada that links industrial activity to induced earthquakes. – “The conclusion was that the industrial activities could, in some cases, potentially trigger or facilitate earthquake occurrences,” Gu said. – Alberta earthquakes increasing – Since 1985, fewer than 15 earthquakes above a 3.0 magnitude have been recorded anywhere in Alberta, according to the Alberta Geological Survey’s website. There has been an increase in earthquake activity since the 1960s, the organization says. – The Peace River earthquake is not the only one that has shaken the province in the past few months:
- In October, a 2.7-magnitude quake was recorded about four kilometres southwest of Banff.
- In August, a 4.3-magnitude earthquake was registered near Rocky Mountain House, causing about 500 customers in the area to lose power for several hours.
– Gu said the research into whether waste-water induction and fracking are related to earthquakes is still “really a work in progress.” – “There has been more and more evidence, increasing evidence, in the last few years in particular — in Arkansas, in Texas and actually more recently here,” Gu said. – But he said there is nothing to fear right now. – “I’m not worried until we get a conclusive answer on whether these are caused by industry or not, whether they are naturally occurring,” Gu said. – Langer, however, is worried. – “With all the stuff that’s going on in my community, I’m feeling quite concerned about it,” he said. “We’re having all kinds of environmental problems in the community… Something has to give here.” – * —djo— }
Vancouver voters elect largest Green caucus in Canadian History { }
==================================================
{ 10:45 pm EST — We are Ready to Rock and Roll — Jim W is filling in for —jda— while the power is still out in parts of Atlantic Canada — & Thanks again for your help again, Jim W, and “—jda—“ ———djo——— }
Jim le Cartoon
boofaji1
djotterson
Doug Otterson
dreager14
dreamcatweaver
indigostarcrystalradio
talerockerjim
Independent Canadian News 