Canada is in the top 10 bestplaces to buy an EV – from the cost of a Tesla versus average income to EV purchase incentives.
According to research by our friends at Zutobi.com, the United States takes top spot and earnsa total EV score of 8.19/10. The US offers the world’s most popular EV, the Tesla Model 3, at the lowest price, just over $39,000usd/ $53,540cad. The US also has one of the most generous incentives for EV purchases, placing in the top five for the factor.
Germany and Luxembourg tied for second place, both scoring 7.67/10. The German government offers motorists over $9,000usd/ $11,552cad off the price of a new EV, and It also has one of the top 10 highest proportions of EVs. Luxembourg earns its place in the rating thanks to its great purchase incentives, as motorists in the country can get over $8,000usd/ $10,269cad off a brand-new EV.
Next up is Norway taking third place in the index with a score of 7.42/10. The Scandinavian country takes the top spot for both the highest proportion of EVs and the cost of an EV as a proportion of the average income.
The countries with the best tax incentives to buy an EV
Germany has the most generous incentive for buying an EV, offering a rebate of just over $9,000usd/ $11,552cad for EVs. On top of this, the country also has a reduced VAT rate when buying EVs, and EVs are exempt from some vehicle taxes.
Luxembourg ranks second, offering motorists more than $8,000usd/ $10,269cad for their EV purchases. The country also charges the minimum tax rate for vehicles with very low emissions, which is excellent news for EV motorists.
Offering over $7,500usd/ $9,267cad in subsidies for EV purchases is Slovenia, taking it to third place. The Slovenian government also only charges its minimum rate of 0.5% sales tax on vehicles that emit less than 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
What is driving the popularity of EV’s?
With the ever-present media message of climate change, more and more people are considering finding ways to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and shrink their carbon footprint. One of these ways is ditching traditional polluting gas and diesel cars in favor of electric vehicles (EVs). In fact, many people have already adopted electric cars and are using them to learn to drive.
Governments around the world are also encouraging people to make the switch, with the UK going so far as to ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars from 2030, and the US from 2035.
So which countries are the best for electric vehicles? We’ve delved into the data to find out, taking into account purchase incentives, the proportion of EVs in each country, and the cost of one of the world’s most popular cars, the Tesla Model 3, as a proportion of average income too.
Venice, ITALY – Known as “the most influential artist in Mexico,” Gilda Garza is an internationally recognized painter constantly pushing the boundaries between emotion and art. This award-winning Mexico native prepares to make history with a moving collaborative collection by sculptural artist Mario Furlan in a live exhibition at New Murano, Atelier Muranese.
“I have always put my entire heart and soul into my work,” shares Garza. “I’m extremely grateful to create real world impact through art – the thing I love most. It is a true honor to see my influence and efforts reflected in a once-in-a-lifetime glass rendition by the historic New Murano Gallery in Venice.”
Widely regarded as the master of Murano Sculptural Art, Mario Furlan will transform Garza’s epic pieces into three-dimensional glass structures before a live audience of exhibition attendees. The finished works will then display at the more than 1,500-year old Atelier Muranese studio. Through the presentation of glass masters, fine art, conceptual art, and collectible design, the Venetian gallery supports the creative vision of Murano/Venetian artisan culture. The “Glass Queen” exhibition serves their ongoing mission to expose the creative art process, from interpretation to object, using centuries-old skills of muranese high manufacturing.
In the US, Garza’s work can also be seen in an exclusive jewelry collection at Jason of Beverly Hills, Roberto Cavalli Haute Couture, and the House of Bijan on Rodeo Drive. Garza has been officially recognized for her cultural contributions by the Senate of the Republic constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union in Mexico City.
The Gilda Garza Pendant. 18kt Gold with 2.41 Carats of White Diamonds. $14,995 USD/ $20/566 CAD
She is also acclaimed for donating $80,000 USD/ $109,800 CAD from the sale of a Vice President Kamala Harris-inspired painting to the World Woman Foundation, committed to empowering one million woman by 2030. Gilda Garza is famously recognized as the first artist to have an art exhibition on Las Vegas strip. Since then, she has showcased various collections in the iconic Caesars Palace Hotel.
Gilda Garza poses with one of her paintings.
Featured image- Playboy magazine chose Gilda’s art for the cover for the first art special edition.
MOGADISHU – The United Nations World Food Programme is delivering life-saving food and nutrition assistance to record numbers of people in Somalia, with over 4 million people a month receiving urgent humanitarian support to prevent famine in the face of the region’s worst drought in over 40 years.
The scale-up has helped keep the worst outcomes of Somalia’s hunger crisis at bay so far.
But the situation on the ground remains dire, with lives and livelihoods being lost. WFP is racing against time to avert a projected famine and a death toll that could reach the tens or even hundreds of thousands.
Somalia, Baidoa, 12 October 2022 Nuuriya Ali Mohammed Nuur (30) and her baby Mohammed Nuur Mohammed (2 years old) travelled to Baidoa from a rural town in Southwest state. After four failed rainy seasons, all of Nuuriya’s livestock died due to the drought. She lost ten cows and one donkey which supported her livelihood. She has ten children and was only able to bring four children with her and the oldest stayed behind with their father. There were several stops on her journey to Baidoa, including walking on foot until she reached transportation to reach the camp. Her child was weak and malnourished when she arrived, but with WFP assistance he is starting to gain weight and become healthier. With no expectation to return and nothing left for her at home, she now lives in an IDP camp on the outskirts of Baidoa town, receiving both WFP relief assistance and nutrition services. She is receiving emergency relief cash assistance, each month receiving a mobile cash transfer to buy food. For nutrition, WFP is providing screening services for the baby, nutrition educational services for the mother on child nutrition, distribution of plumpy food for the baby, and referral to relief assistance receiving cash transfers. Photo: WFP/Geneva Costopulos
In September, WFP reached almost 4.1 million people with emergency food and cash relief and half a million malnourished children and mothers with malnutrition treatment services.
WFP is working to continue this expansion, including in hard-to-reach areas, and increase investment in longer-term programming such as malnutrition prevention, which will help to reduce the number of people who need treatment.
Somalia, Galkayo, Galmudug state, 6 August 2022 In the photo: struggling livestock goats and farmer in Qarqora, Galmudug. Photo: WFP/Geneva Costopulos
Nutrition prevention activities were almost entirely suspended from the second quarter of 2022 as WFP was forced to prioritize treatment services due to limited funds. The agency has resumed some prevention activities for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women and is working to do more.
WFP deployed a new helicopter in Somalia in September to deliver food assistance to hard-to-reach areas and get aid workers to the places they are needed most. The WFP-led Logistics Cluster is also using the helicopter to deliver humanitarian relief on behalf of other UN agencies and NGOs. The helicopter has so far conducted over 30 flights in September and October.
WFP is the largest humanitarian agency in Somalia, with 12 offices across the country providing coverage in every state.
WFP’s massive scale-up has largely been made possible thanks to timely support from key donors, particularly in recent months. It is essential that this is maintained. WFP has a funding gap of US$ 412 million / CAD$ 565.3 million across all activities for the next six months to March 2023, including a shortfall of US$ 315 million/ CAD$ 432.2 million for life-saving food relief and nutrition assistance.
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Featured image: Somalia, Baidoa, 12 October 2022 Nuuriya Ali Mohammed Nuur and her baby Mohammed Nuur Mohammed travelled to Baidoa from a rural town in Southwest state. After four failed rainy seasons, all of Nuuriya’s livestock died due to the drought. She lost ten cows and one donkey which supported her livelihood. She has ten children and was only able to bring four children with her and the oldest stayed behind with their father. There were several stops on her journey to Baidoa, including walking on foot until she reached transportation to reach the camp. Her child was weak and malnourished when she arrived, but with WFP assistance he is starting to gain weight and become healthier. With no expectation to return and nothing left for her at home, she now lives in an IDP camp on the outskirts of Baidoa town, receiving both WFP relief assistance and nutrition services. Photo: WFP/Geneva Costopulos
The set also includes a variety of rare related features and TV episodes, expanding the worlds of several of the included films—some of which haven’t been available in decades! From a 1932 cinematic incarnation of Annie to a nearly five-hour 1979 TV miniseries adaptation of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY—and much more!—these supplemental additions round out this must-own gift set, perfectly timed for holiday gift-giving.
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert team up for laughs as mismatched lovers in this 1934 screwball comedy classic. Spoiled Ellie Andrews (Colbert) escapes from her millionaire father (Walter Connolly), who wants to stop her from marrying a worthless playboy. En route to New York, Ellie gets involved with an out-of-work newsman, Peter Warne (Gable). When their bus breaks down, the bickering couple set off on a madcap hitchhiking expedition. Complications fly when the runaway heiress and brash reporter fall in love. Directed by Frank Capra, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT was the first movie to be honoured with all five major Oscars®: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
o Audio Commentary featuring Novelist E.R. Braithwaite and Author / Teacher Salome Thomas-El
o NEW: TO SIR, WITH LOVE II – the 1992 TV-movie sequel to the 1967 classic, starring Sidney Poitier and directed by Peter Bogdanovich, presented in HD!
o NEW: To Potter, With Love Featurette
o NEW: Beginnings of an Acting Career Featurette
o Those Schoolboy Days Featurette
o Look and Learn Featurette
o E.R. Braithwaite: In His Own Words Featurette
o Lulu and the B-Side Featurette
o Miniskirts, Blue Jeans and Pop Music! Featurette
o To Sidney, With Love Featurette
o Principal El: He Chose to Stay Featurette
o Theatrical Trailer
TO SIR, WITH LOVE has a run time of approximately 105 minutes and is rated PG.
Released in 1971 to critical acclaim and public controversy, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW garnered eight Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and was hailed as the most important work by a young American director since Citizen Kane. A surprisingly frank, bittersweet drama of social and sexual mores in small-town Texas, the film features a talent-laden cast led by Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd and Timothy Bottoms. Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson each won Oscars® for their work in supporting roles. Featuring both director Peter Bogdanovich’s preferred 1999 Definitive Director’s Cut and the 1971 Theatrical version on 4K Ultra HD.
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW Disc Breakdown
· Director’s Cut 4K Ultra HD Includes:
· Director’s Cut presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, restored from the original camera negative
· Original Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
· Theatrical Version 4K Ultra HD Includes:
· 1971 Theatrical version presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, restored from the original camera negative
· Original Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
· Feature Blu-ray Includes:
· Director’s Cut presented in high definition, sourced from the 4K master
· Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
Special Features:
o Audio Commentary featuring Director Peter Bogdanovich
o NEW: A Tribute to Peter Bogdanovich
o The Last Picture Show: A Look Back Documentary
o A Discussion with Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich
o Location Footage
o Promotional Featurette
o Theatrical Trailers
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW has a run time of approximately 118 minutes and is rated 18A. THE LAST PICTURE SHOW: DIRECTOR’S CUT has a run time of approximately 126 minutes and is rated 18A for sexuality, nudity and language.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, ANNIE is the story of everyone’s favourite plucky, red-haired orphan! One day Annie (Aileen Quinn) is chosen to stay for a week with the famous billionaire “Daddy” Warbucks (Albert Finney). One week turns into many, and the only person standing in the way of Annie’s fun is Miss Hannigan, the tyrannical ruler of the orphanage (played to hilarious perfection by Carol Burnett). Will Miss Hannigan’s zany attempts to kidnap the irrepressible Annie succeed? Sing along with the unforgettable songs and experience this beloved musical!
Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding, Jr., star in James L. Brooks’ hit comedy, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Nicholson gives a show-stopping Academy Award®-winning performance as Melvin Udall, an obsessive-compulsive novelist with Manhattan’s meanest mouth. But when his neighbor Simon is hospitalized, Melvin is forced to babysit Simon’s dog. And that unexpected act of kindness, along with waitress Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt, in an Academy Award®-winning performance), helps put Melvin back in the human race. Nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including Best Picture (1997).
AS GOOD AS IT GETS Disc Breakdown
· 4K Ultra HD Includes:
· Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, restored from the original camera negative
· Dolby Atmos English audio
· Original 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
· Feature Blu-ray Includes:
· Feature presented in high definition, sourced from the 4K master
· Original 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
· Special Features:
o Audio Commentary featuring Director James L. Brooks, Stars Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear, Editor Richard Marks, Producer Laurence Mark and Composer Hans Zimmer
o NEW: Deleted Scenes
Melvin Stalls Victor with Intro from James L. Brooks
“Kiss Her, Man!” Original Ending
o NEW: Behind the Scenes Footage
o NEW: The Making of As Good As It Gets Featurette
o NEW: Archival Theatrical EPK Soundbites
o Theatrical Trailer
AS GOOD AS IT GETS has a run time of approximately 139 minutes and is rated PG for strong language, thematic elements, nudity and a beating.
EXCLUSIVE BONUS DISC INCLUDES:
· FROM HERE TO ETERNITY – the nearly 5-hour 1979 TV miniseries starring Natalie Wood, William Devane and Peter Boyle, presented in high definition*
* Select instances of music have been removed for this presentation.
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Much like movies, gaming as an industry has grown to be a robust machine churning out titles, both big and small, at an obliterative pace. Suffice it to say that it is impossible to try and play all games that release every year. Moreover, considering that the price of games has been on the rise for the past few years, partly due to increased production cost and partly due to inflation, it is impossible to purchase and play all games.
So, in order to not get blown away in the confusing hype created by reviewers, here’s what you should keep in mind about gaming reviews.
1. The problem of big titles:
The issue with game reviewers is that they mostly expend time and effort praising AAA titles that release every year instead of lesser known artistic or Indie games. Not everyone likes major titles with repetitive gameplay. You would rarely see any famous gamers play with Online casino, Karamba, an indie mobile game, or let’s say the games that aren’t don’t get into enough limelight. We’re talking about the games that are niche and aren’t very popular in the industry of gaming reviewers.
2. Appeals vary widely:
The issue with gaming in general is that it is almost impossible to please everyone. In terms of narratives and themes, games tend to include only a limited number in their arsenal. However, with time, the expectation from games increases. It isn’t rare for reviewers to expect deeper political or social commentary from games, after the success of titles like Detroit Become Human.
However, it is impossible for games, like Assassin’s Creed that seek to be historically accurate to both portray the times while tending to demands of politically correctness. Two distinct possibilities arise here: Either the game sticks to its roots, and builds a good gaming but gets scathing reviews for not doing enough or for being problematic. Or, it can fit political pandering in its theme and make itself a terrible game, but get hearty praise from reviewers. An example for this is Assassins Creed: Odyssey, for which Ubisoft got rid of all its Assassins’ roots and made it a messy poor quality RPG, that looks like a poorly made copy of Witcher 3.
3. Mismatch between target audience and reviewers:
A big issue where the premise of reviews falls flat is that hardcore gamers usually do not fit the target audience of reviews. Gamers can be broadly classified into hardcore or serious gamers and causal gamers. And while most games are made with the former in mind, game reviews are made keeping the latter in mind. That’s because game reviews too, are a market that needs to pander to an audience to sell itself. While most reviewers are knowledgeable and competent enough to make detailed reviews, most of their audience wouldn’t consume such reviews.
Batman: Arkham Knight
As sad as it is, most casual gamers just want to play a first person shooter for fun. They do not care about social commentary, or beautifully written characters or aptly composed music scores. When reviews are written keeping them in mind, blissfully average games like Call of Duty keep getting very high reviews. And while playing CoD is definitely fun, it fails to hold its own against impressive games like Witcher 3 or Batman: Arkham Knight.
4. The issue with influence:
A second issue with gaming reviews being a business is that these sites depend on developers for content for their channels. Reviewers that bring out reviews earlier obviously stand to gain since there is a flux of readers to their channels about the exciting new title, which earns them a lot of money. This in turn means review sites depend on developers to send them early and free copies of games for them to try out, and review. For every bad review they give, they turn off the developer from dealing with them in future, which in turn makes competing review channels benefit.
This creates a dangerous nexus between gaming review channels and developers. This in fact harms smaller developers more since they effectively make lesser games than bigger developers. Thus, an Electronics Arts, can utilize this nexus for their benefit much better than a CD: Projekt Red, although the latter is arguably a much better developer. And this means, very average EA games will get much better reviews than a fantastic game developed by CD:PR.
In Conclusion
However, as we know, making video games are one of the most elevated forms of contemporary human art. And art, by virtue of interpretation, is extremely subjective.
Thus, in an effort to pick and choose games that are worth our time and money, we obviously tend to look at gaming reviews. Not only do they offer a valuable insight into what each title is about, but they also explain important details like the brilliance of narratives, character development, gameplay mechanics, multiplayer experience, presence of inhibitive micro transactions, and tend to give an overall suggestion on whether or not they recommend the game.
Therefore, it is foolhardy to expect reviews to do a perfect job in terms of recommending games that you may like. For the Silo, Ritik Pandey.
1986 film- Aliens radar motion tracker. Now this tech is ready for Queen’s Park.
Eight years ago at Queen’s Park, the Cross-Border Institute (CBI), part of the University of Windsor, hosted an event to demonstrate advances in security, surveillance and fingerprinting technology. That technology had immediate application for border crossing screening, supply chain security and cybersecurity.
The CBI hosted the event as part of its mandate to support ongoing, practical research aimed at addressing numerous cross-border issues with the United States. The CBI works in collaboration with a number of University of Windsor departments, private sector partners and organizations and all levels of government, looking at making land border crossings work better. The technologies demonstrated represented a number of research projects and initiatives currently being conducted at the University of Windsor as part of its strategic focus related to understanding borders. These projects and activities were also supported by the Department of Research and Innovation at the University of Windsor.
Queen’s Park staff and members had a first-hand opportunity to see the work of Dr. Roman Maev’s high-speed biometrics ultrasonic system for 3-D fingerprint imaging. This system allows reconstruction of fingerprint patterns from deeper layers of skin while embedding the internal parameters of these deeper layers as key features of the fingerprints. Also on display was Dr. Sazzadur Chowdhury’s 77GHz short range radar. At the time- the smallest and thinnest in the world and economical enough to be carried by an individual for mobile motion detection or used in multiples in such large surveillance application as airports. Cue the Aliens movie soundtrack. Both Drs. Maev and Chowdhury are members of the University of Windsor Faculty.
The University of Windsor has developed an area of expertise in technologies that can detect threats and violations, provide positive identification and secure the transfer of data. The projects all have practical security applications and are at or approaching the commercialization stage. All of these projects have received support from the Federal Development Corporation for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) Prosperity Initiative Project 802390, which is administered by the Cross-Border Institute at the University of Windsor.
Quick Facts: The Cross-Border Institute at the University of Windsor was founded in 2008 under the direction of Dr. Bill Anderson. The Centre approaches the study of border issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective that includes economic development, geography, engineering, management science and political science. The CBI has focused on initiatives, events and research that address ongoing challenges at land crossings between Canada and the United States. The CBI, as part of the University of Windsor, looks at the impact of trends in cross-border transportation and the impact of policy decisions by governments on both sides of the border. Currently, the CBI is working to launch Canada’s first university level certificate program in border management, Managing Borders and International Trade.
Technology Quick Facts: Short Range Radar for Surveillance Applications – UWindsor engineering professor Dr.Chowdhury has developed the world’s smallest and thinnest short-range radar unit. Because it is inexpensive to build and completely weatherproof it can be used effectively in a variety of applications for motion detection, ranging from individual units attached to a soldiers uniform to arrays of units for border and perimeter surveillance.
High Speed Biometrics Ultrasonic System for 3D Fingerprint Imaging – World-renowned UWindsor physicist Dr. Maev has taken a new approach to fingerprinting using acoustic microscopy technology. This device generates far more detailed information from fingerprint images below the skin level, making it more accurate than conventional technologies, yet it is fast and practical.
Real Time Location System for Security and Indoor Location – Based on the novel indoor positioning method developed by Dr. Majid Ahmadi and Dr. Rashid Rashidzadeh at the University of Windsor, this system will identify, locate and track people in indoor environments. Its positioning algorithm takes advantage of various sensors on smartphones to improve positioning accuracy.
Automated Vehicle Identification – Cameras that can read license plate information are increasingly common. University of Windsor computer scientists Dr. Imran Ahmad and Dr. Boubakeur Boufama have taken this technology several steps farther, allowing the shape and colour of a car to be extracted from video feeds and stored in a database. This technology will be tested in the University of Windsor’s new parking structure in the Spring of 2015.
Data Encryption Using Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) – Data encryption is an increasingly important function that normally requires the use of expensive add-on cards known as crypto-accelerators. UWindsor researcher, Dr. Roberto Muscedere has developed algorithms that make it possible to achieve the same kind of encryption using much cheaper GPU units typically found in laptop computers and game consoles.
Secure vehicle-to-vehicle (v2v) communications – Advanced vehicular communications technology has enabled such life-saving features as collision warning, collision avoidance and emergency vehicle signaling. However these systems may be vulnerable to cyber-attacks that threaten the privacy and safety of drivers and passengers. University of Windsor faculty researchers Dr. Mitra Mirhassani, Dr. Kemel Tepe and Dr. Wu and their students are working to fill security gaps in V2V systems.
Control, Monitoring and Surveillance in Wireless Systems – Large scale power and communications systems, manufacturing and process control plants, networked building energy systems and others are increasingly controlled by autonomous, sensor-rich, wireless systems. Given the consequence of failure in these systems and the danger of cyber-attacks upon them, UWindsor researchers Dr. Mehrdad Saif, Dr. Rashid Rashidzadeh, Dr. Alavi and Dr. Razavi-Far are developing methods to detect intruders and faults early.
Sensor fusion for concealed weapons detection – Conventional images are good for revealing a person’s identity, while infrared images can spot concealed weapons. But what if you want to both identify a person and know if they are concealing a weapon? A University of Windsor engineer, Dr. Jonathan Wu, has found a way to fuse information from different sensors to produce a clear image not only of a suspect’s appearance but also of any concealed weapon they are carrying. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker. Learn More: www.uwindsor.ca/crossborder
You’ve likely seen paper money from all over the planet. Maybe you have an aunt living in Australia that sends you dollars in the mail every year for your birthday or perhaps on your commute to work each day you pass by a currency exchange kiosk- you know the type: colorful bills from all over the world decorating the walls.
But how well do you know the faces of world currencies? Is it the King or Queen on the face of the Swedish Krona or neither? Which former US President is found on the five dollar bill?
Take this fun test and discover some pretty cool facts about paper money faces.
A sample of Syd’s arcade and home platform collection. Note the original Sega Genesis retail display ‘arcade machine’
Most of us have hobbies.
When I was growing up stamp collecting seemed like it was on the verge of dying out but I started a collection anyway. I had a lot of fun with it and although I no longer have that collection (I really wish I did) it provided many hours of entertainment and gave my brain a chance to think.
Today, I collect video games.
It’s a hobby that is becoming more and more popular as more and more generations are born with gaming as a normal part of everyday life. One of the best things about game collecting as a hobby is that you can diversify your collecting in various ways.
For example, you can be an “everything” collector like I am. You collect all video game systems and games from the mid-1970’s to today. This is the most challenging (and dare I say it, expensive) of the choices but it doesn’t have to be. You could concentrate on the oldies, starting out with a system like the Atari 2600 or you could try to focus on the “16-bit era” and focus on systems like the Super Nintendo which came out in 1991 and produced a great library of titles.
Another great aspect of game collecting is that it can fit any budget. Frugal gamers can find the best of deals at garage sales and far, out of the way retailers or you can loosen your wallet a bit and find easier pickings at the bigger retailers.
With collecting, it’s all about the hunt.
It doesn’t matter where you live. You can take the family for a drive on the weekend while you look for buried treasures. For Canadians, there is even a website dedicated to classic game collectors where you can connect with like-minded individuals. Just head over to Canada’s Classic Game Collectors Website.
I think it’s important to define the parameters of what you are collecting (for example, are you collecting boxed items or “loose”) and so on. It gives you guidance when going shopping. I know some collectors who only buy sealed games (very expensive) and others who only collect certain game series (for example all of the Zelda games or all of the Pokemon titles). The possibilities are quite endless. Regardless of what approach you take, collecting can be almost as much fun as playing. For the Silo, Syd Bolton. Featured image- Commodore Vic-20 computer and modem used by the author to conduct the world’s first tweet from a Vic-20.
Octave Records Debuts The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker, the Definitive Guide to Speaker Setup
– New book and companion SACD disc/download dive into exacting, step-by-step detail on how to get the most out of any loudspeaker –
Boulder, Colorado, October, 2022 – PS Audio’s Octave Records label announces its latest release, The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker, a book and companion SACD/download that tells listeners exactly how to get the most out of their loudspeaker setup. Written by PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan, the book and its accompanying disc (also available as a download) offer the practical knowledge he’s gained through more than 50 years of high-end audio design and in setting up hundreds of speaker systems.
“I’ve had to come to the rescue of someone’s system time and again because it just wasn’t sounding right. It was almost always a setup problem. Like everyone else, I used favorite music tracks for system tuning. But now, with Octave Records’ recording studio at our disposal, we were able to create tracks that are ideal for system setup, and then write a book that tells listeners how to implement these tracks to their best advantage.”
The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker is useful for both novices and experienced audiophiles who may benefit from bringing their setup to a higher level or musical realism.
The book begins by covering a variety of topics including the nature of sound, different speaker designs, the importance of choosing the right speaker for your particular needs and listening tastes, and one of the most critical aspects of speaker setup: the effect of the listening room on loudspeaker performance.
Next the book discusses where to place the speakers in the room, and how to deal with various types and shapes of rooms. The Guide notes that different placements may be appropriate for different speaker types – for example, stand-mounted “box” speakers versus dipole planar designs – and listening room configurations (such as whether to place speakers across the short or long wall of a room). Real-world aspects like accommodating living spaces that aren’t dedicated to loudspeakers, and taking into account the locations of furniture, are also considered.
The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker (SRP: $58usd/ $79 cad – $68usd/ $93cad depending on format) then walks the listener through using the accompanying reference disc (or download) to fine-tune the system to perfection. The disc starts with some basic tests for channel orientation and moves on to exacting, step-by-step procedures (time to get out the tape measure!) for getting the best bass response and tonal balance, achieving a solid center image, finding the best seating position, maximizing dynamics, producing a believable soundstage, capturing subtle musical details, and ultimately, getting the speakers to “disappear” and create the feeling that the musicians are in the room with the listener.
The tracks on the disc are tailored to help the listener zero in on various sonic aspects, from the pluck of Chris Brunhaver’s acoustic bass and how it energizes the room, to the focused center image of Gabriel Mervine’s trumpet, and the resonance and spatiality of Bill Kopper’s acoustic guitars and a number of tracks featuring vocalists with a full band.
The Recording
Recorded over three months of intense work, The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker was the first recording project at Octave Records’ new state-of-the-art studios. Recorded in pure DSD256 and mixed by Paul McGowan and Jay Elliott, the tracks on this work were laid down with every effort to maintain not only the purity of recording, but the accuracy of mic’ing, distance, and purpose. The mic’ing on solo voice, piano, trumpet, and guitar was primarily handled with a single-point stereo microphone to maintain a sense of realism. In particular, Octave Records’ hand-modified AKG C24 was used throughout the many tracks. On other tracks, like guitarist Bill Kopper’s seminal work focusing on the beauty of ringing harmonic overtones, we blended the detailed stereo condensers of the single-point Telefunken with the dynamic impacts of a single-point stereo ribbon microphone. Engineers Jay Elliott and Zach Balch went all out to get the best recordings from an amazing drum kit.
The Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum used on many hit records.
The kit (the same kit used in The Audiophile’s Guide: The Stereo) consists of a Ludwig 1970 Blue Sparkle 20” kick drum, 12” rack tom, 16×16” floor tom, 14 x 6.5” Ludwig Superphonic John Bonham LM 402 snare drum, Zildjian New Beats Hi-hat 70’s era 14”, Custom Dark Crash Kerope by Zildjian Crash 18”, and a Kerope by Zildjian 22” ride. To capture this kit, Jay and Zach employed their favorite setup for close mic’ing: a Shure Beta 52 for the kick-in and a cardioid patterned, phantom powered, large-diaphragm FET Soundelux U195 by David Bock for the kick-out. The top of the snare was handled by a Hypercardioid Beyerdynamic M201 with its phase flipped while the snare’s bottom was a Telefunken M80. The rack tom was captured by a Shure SM7B Cardioid dynamic microphone and the floor tom, an Audix D4 hypercardioid dynamic microphone.
The earlier Shure model SM7 was used to record Michael Jackson’s vocals for the Thriller album.
To capture the ambient room response, a pair of calibrated DPA omnis were used for the overheads, and the stereo AKG C24 in a Blumlein configuration was placed twelve feet into the room for space recording. All microphone preamplifiers were Manly vacuum tubes with a small smattering on the overheads using Forsell preamps. The tracks were all mixed in Octave Records’ custom mixroom on PS Audio’s aspen FR30 loudspeakers powered by an all-PS Audio system.
The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker SACD is playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player (an SACD player is required to play the high-resolution DSD files on the disc). In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download in formats up to 352.8 kHz/DSD256 from psaudio.com at this link.
It occurs naturally in our environment, coming to us from the sun, from the soil and foods that we eat, and in the air that we breathe. It is omnipresent across a diverse cross section of industries. We tend to associate radiation with the nuclear industry, but the reality is that we come across radiation sources in numerous other areas: construction, health care, oil and gas, research, manufacturing, food processing – to name just a few.
With radiation being everywhere in our lives, it is not surprising that it garners a lot of attention, curiosity and, often, worry.
With more than 15 years as a career radiation protection professional, I’ve had to respond to many occupational radiation safety questions — some have related to regulations and compliance, others to potential health effects of exposure and ways to minimize such exposure. In all cases, it is best to rely on well established radiation physics concepts and scientific data, where available.
While there is not much that we can do to escape natural background radiation exposure, we do want to avoid any unnecessary exposure to high levels of radiation, such as the potential hazard due to elevated radon (a radioactive gas) in our homes and workplaces.
Radon testing of homes is the simplest first step you can take to protect yourself and your family from radon gas, but all too often we do not make the time to educate ourselves and make this a priority. Workplaces are required to have a radiation protection program in place that is appropriate for the type of radiation and potential risk in their industry. But it takes time and investment to develop these programs, and it requires the commitment of both employers and workers to put these programs into practice.
Our challenge is that radiation and its associated risks are not always well understood.
On the one hand, we do not wish to alarm anyone unnecessarily, yet we want to make sure that the public, workers and employers are aware of the steps they need to take to stay safe. Remember, we are talking about an “invisible” hazard that very rarely causes ill health effects in the short-term. Additionally, the existing radiation protection models are built on what we call the linear no-threshold concept, which, in simple terms, is based on studies of the atomic bomb survivors from the Second World War in Japan and other high-exposure situations, and extrapolates the information to the potential health effects of low exposures.
An agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a study on the health effects of low-level exposure to radiation that provides data to support the validity of the linear no-threshold model. We encourage all who read the study (available at The Lancet Haematology) to not get alarmed and to keep the study conclusions in perspective.
It suggests that extended exposure to low level of radiation increases the risk of developing leukemia.
A frightening statement, but we have to keep in mind that the increased risk is small, in line with what we have estimated based on the modeling concepts. This boils down to two things: first, it is important that we continue to apply the ALARA principle — “As Low as Reasonably Achievable” — to all our of interactions with radiation; and second, that we continue to view the numbers associated with radiation and risk in the proper context. The study points to a “small increase” of risk of dying from cancer from low levels of radiation exposure.
Let’s put this into perspective.
If we extrapolate this study’s conclusions for nuclear workers to persons living near Canadian nuclear plants, people are 6,000 times more likely to die in a car accident, than to die from leukemia due to doses received from reactor plant emissions. Yet most of us think nothing of driving to work, driving our kids to school, or driving to visit friends and family. The radiation risk is there, but it is significantly smaller than the risks we accept every day, often without even thinking or worrying about them.
More research is required on the health risks from low-level radiation exposure, and there are efforts underway around the world to make it happen. At the Radiation Safety Institute, we will be looking forward to hearing about more study results. In the meantime we invite all people who are interested in the subject of radiation safety, who have a question or a concern, to reach out to our Free Information Service at 1-800-263-5803 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Let’s keep the conversation going. For the Silo, Laura Boksman Chief Scientist at the Radiation Institute of Canada.
Michael Kittredge started making candles as a teenager and selling them to friends and family. One of his first products was a Christmas candle he made for his mother on the family stove out of his melted crayons and a wick from a shoelace. Within a few years, he had opened his first Yankee Candle Shop in his hometown of South Hadley, Massachusetts. The business expanded to become the wildly successful Yankee Candle Company whos candles are sold all over America.
In a 1986 interview with New England Business, Mr. Kittredge recalled that a visiting machinery salesman from Germany had declared him crazy for not investing in automation at his plant in Deerfield. “Then,” Mr. Kittredge said, “I went out to my Porsche and got my tennis racket to go out and play on my tennis courts, and I said, ’Yeah, I’m crazy. What are you driving?’” The Wall Street Journal A long time guitarist, Michael Kittredge switched to the drums after having a stroke. He died in 2019 at the age of 67.
Kittredge cashed out in 1998, selling 90% of his company for $500 million USD/ $683 million CAD. He used the money to jet around the world, collect luxury sports cars, drink $20,000 USD/ $27,000 CAD bottles of wine, and construct a fantastic compound on over 60 acres of parkland in idyllic Western Massachusetts. With the entrepreneur’s passing in 2019, the estate his son described as “like having Disneyland in the backyard” has been listed for $23 million USD/ $31.4 million CAD .
Generous with friends, family, and employees, Kittredge designed his compound to entertain his guests in the utmost luxury. Sparing no expense, the eight Colonial-style structures on the property were constructed with the finest materials from all over the world. The main house includes five bedrooms, six full bathrooms and five half baths, and over 25,0000 square feet of living space.
The home features 11 fireplaces spread across multiple levels, a solarium, an oval office with glass walls, a pine-paneled living room with built-ins, and a stunning two-story great room with a balcony and an atrium-like ceiling. Two commercial-grade kitchens, one with five islands, and a wine grotto allow for large-scale entertaining.
The 9 hole golf course is just beyond….
Meandering paths on the property wander past ponds, fountains, waterfalls, and gardens to connect the main home with the estate’s many amenities. Several guest homes and staff quarters bring the bedroom total up to sixteen.
Three tennis courts, a T-shaped pool with expansive deck and fully equipped cabana, and a nine-hole golf course offer hours of athletic fun. For relaxation, the compound includes an epic 55,000-square-foot spa complex complete with multiple gyms and massage areas, saunas, a steam room, and an indoor tennis court with stadium seating.
The state-of-the-art, 4,000-square-foot outdoor stage has hosted such bands as Hall & Oates, The Doobie Brothers, KC and The Sunshine Band, and Eric Burdon & The Animals. A two-story arcade features pinball, slots, arcade games, and a three-lane bowling alley.
Two huge garages offer plenty of space for high-end toys while a full-sized auditorium offers another venue for concerts and shows. A truly spectacular indoor water park, modeled after the Bellagio in Las Vegas, with palm trees, water slides, and pools, completes the one-of-a-kind entertainment pavilion.
A sleepy town with less than 2,000 residents founded in 1750, Leverett, Massachusetts is best known for the Buddhist monument New England Peace Pagoda, historic churches, and a scenic chasm called Rattlesnake Gutter. It is close to the five-college area of Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, and the University of Massachusetts.
The listing is held by Johnny Hatem Jr. of The Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman. For the Silo by Terry Walsh /TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
Since 1793, when the Town of York, the second capital of Upper Canada, was founded, Toronto has been an important economic and political hub.
The first governor of the Town of York, John Graves Simcoe, believed that this town would become a powerful industrial metropolis, and when Toronto became one of the top financial centres in the world, his dreams came true. Toronto, as the fifth most populous city in North America, is evaluated by experts and economists from the Economist Intelligence Unit as one of the world’s most livable cities.
Iconic Prince Edward Viaduct by E. Burke
The provincial capital of Ontario is dominates many sectors, including business services, finance, telecommunications, media, arts, film, music, television, software production, tourism, medical research, and engineering. There’s no doubt that Toronto is one of the fastest developing and growing cities in North America. We should remember and appreciate the most significant people in our city’s history who contributed to this prosperity.
Toronto is a perfect example of how the life and spirit of every city in the world is defined and influenced by its architecture.
Each part of Toronto has its own unique atmosphere that reflects its cosmopolitanism. The architecture of Toronto preserves various styles from different eras and centuries. Nevertheless, there were several architects whose work and designs significantly shaped the look of Toronto as we know it today. Let’s take a closer look at the work of the most significant Torontonian architects.
Edmund Burke (1850-1919) Early Years Burke was born in Toronto on October 31st, 1850 as the eldest child of lumber merchant and builder William Burke and his wife, Sarah Langley. Edmund Burke finished his studies at Upper Canada College and started to work as an architectural apprentice under the guidance of his uncle, Henry Langley, who was very distinguished among the first generation of architects who were taught in Canada. Back then, Burke was a twenty-year-old man with considerable skill and an open mind who was eager to learn as much as possible from his uncle. A great deal of knowledge about traditional styles was passed from Langley on to his young nephew. Langley’s influence can be recognized in the conservative undertones of Burke’s works. In 1872, he entered a partnership with his uncle. This year marked the formal beginning of his rich and successful career. His own business was set up in 1892, and in first years on his own, he worked on two important architectural projects: the Jarvis Street Baptist Church and McMaster Hall (now the Royal Conservatory of Music) on Bloor Street.
Members of the Toronto Architectural Guild meeting at Edmund Burke’s summer home in 1888. Burke is circled in red. Photo: archives.gov.on.ca
This was the first time that he was truly independent and could express himself without any limitations, making this a period of crucial importance for understanding Burke’s work. Gilbert Scott, one of the most notable figures in British architecture, was his biggest influence in his early works. However, Burke was able to brilliantly combine his progressive and innovative sensibilities with traditional architectural styles. Angela Carr, Assistant Professor of Art History at Carleton University, wrote in her study, Toronto Architect Edmund Burke: Redefining Canadian Architecture, that “Burke’s work developed consistently through a variety of building types in all periods, accommodating technological advances almost as rapidly as these appeared and expressing the new aesthetic of a changing society.“
Burke, Horwood, and White Burke, after two years as a sole practitioner, established a partnership together with J.C.B. Horwood, and they were later joined by Murray White. All three of them were former students of Henry Langley. Their firm, which designed a vast number of churches across Canada, many luxurious mansions for wealthy citizens of Ontario, and many commercial buildings, was one of the most successful architectural companies in the country. The firm combined different historical styles with new techniques and new materials such as glazed terra cotta, early iron, reinforced concrete frames, and forms of fire protection.
Edmund Burke was eager to seek a new innovative solution that would encourage the modernization of technology. He shared his knowledge with his colleagues by giving lectures and issuing publications. His biographer noted that Burke “presided over the transformation of the architect from the craftsman to consulting professional.“ Burke is responsible for bringing to the practice of architecture in Canada the new vocabularies and technologies used in that era in the United States. He worked with American models, a type of plan than became standard across the country in the last two decades of the 19th century, when he was working on the Jarvis Baptist Church from 1874 to 1875. Moreover, he was responsible for introducing the “curtain-wall“ construction to Canada when designing the Robert Simpson store in 1894, which, in the following decades, inspired many architects of retail department stores across the country.
St. Luke’s United Church Toronto
It is worth noting that Burke was also active in urban planning activities for the City of Toronto and that he also was a part of several committees established by the Ontario Association of Architects and Toronto’s Guild of Civic Art. He is the author of the Prince Edward Viaduct, also known as the Bloor Viaduct, which he designed together with the city engineer’s office. Moreover, he participated and worked on projects improving the city’s traffic flow.
Burke’s Work in Professional Architectural Societies Edmund Burke was one of the leading figures responsible for the recognition of the architectural profession and for having a substantial influence on Torontonian architecture in the 19th century. Burke played a major role in codifying standards of practice and education in the field of architecture, which ensured basic rules and and proper working conditions for architects as well as protection from unqualified practitioners.
The ever-growing competition from the United States was the main reason for the establishment of innovative learning programs, the introducing of modern technologies, and the formation of professional architectural organizations. Burke was responsible for the establishment of the Ontario Association of Architects in 1889, which he later led as its president in 1984 and 1905 to 1907. Furthermore, he was one of the three founding members of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada. His support of quality education was an important aspect of his contribution to Canadian architecture. He noted that “if we train our students thoroughly and see that no one but first class men are permitted to enter the profession, I think the rest will take care of itself.“
Edmund Burke devoted his life to architecture and introduced a new way of combining the newest trends with traditional styles. The last years of his life were dedicated to public and professional service. The face of Toronto continued to be shaped by his works and ideas through the works of his colleagues and students for many years.
“Few men of the present generation of architects have so widely held the respect and esteem of their confrères, or been more closely identified with the building progress of the country. Practicing continuously for a period of over forty years, during the time when Canada was passing from its more backwards state to the present great strides of nationhood, his efforts stand out prominently in the modern character of Canadian architectural work.“ Obituary of E.Burke, Construction (January 1919)
Notable Buildings Designed by Edmund Burke Jarvis Street Baptist Church (1878) – Jarvis Street Prince Edward Viaduct, also known as the Bloor Viaduct (1881) Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church (1887–1889) – Bloor Street, west of Spadina Avenue Owens Art Gallery (1893) – Mount Allison University, New Brunswick St. Luke’s United Church (1874) – Sherbourne Street and Carlton Street Beverley Street Baptist Church (1886) – 72 Beverley Street Robert Simpson’s Department Store Building (1908) – 176 Yonge Street [*perhaps the building Burke is most famous for CP] St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (1878) – 383 Jarvis Street McMaster Hall, now The Royal Conservatory of Music (1881) – 273 Bloor Street West
Burke worked on several buildings and projects outside of Ontario including the design and construction of Owens Art Gallery in New Brunswick
As the cold weather and winter arrives back to North America and Covid is (hopefully) finally behind us, it’s time to start setting travel records again. For example, 2017 saw a record number of tourist arrivals in Jamaica, with 4.3 million vacationers. That was a huge 21.1% increase from the previous year and that trend continued for 2018 and 2019. It seems safe to expect the same pattern to start up again in 2022 and beyond and visitors won’t just be staying in hotel rooms but also opting to stay in luxury villa rentals.
So why the expected increased interest in Jamaica again as a travel destination?
Part of the reason is that the movies tend to portray Jamaicans as fun-loving people. But the real truth is that it’s always been a popular country, and also because the trend for “authentic experiences” in tourism has enticed more travelers to visit the country without going to a hotel.
Frankfort Ocho Rios Jamaica
If you’re still thinking about visiting the country, take note of the following reasons why you really should drop by for a visit:
Gorgeous beaches. Many of the most impressive beaches in the whole Caribbean are in Jamaica. The sands along the beach are spectacularly white and pristine, the waters are crystal blue, and the sunrises and sunsets are utterly dramatic. You can relax in the famed Seven Miles Beach, or perhaps indulge your need to explore by visiting the rocky coast of Cosmos Beach. Just about every city along the coast will provide you with a fantastic beach to relax in.
Water sports. When there are beaches, water sports are also part of the fun. It’s virtually axiomatic. Here in Jamaica, that kind of fun includes scuba diving and snorkeling, along with surfing as well. You can rent jet skis too.
Exotic wildlife.You really need to bring a good digital camera, as your smartphone may not be enough to capture the real beauty of the local plants and bird species. But you really must see them for yourself. You ought to try scuba diving as well, so that you can be mesmerized by the creatures and plants under the sea.
Tropical climate.Just how cold is it where you are right now? If it’s still winter, then it’s time to head on out to warm Jamaica where you can swim in a flimsy bathing suit even while it’s snowy back where you live.
In some places, it’s also not too warm at all, so you can feel pleasantly cool.
Golf. Are you a links fanatic? If so, you will definitely love the luxury golf courses on the island. You can drive and put amidst the fantastic landscapes and enjoy the beautiful gardens. It’s in Jamaica where you will find Half Moon, which is widely considered as the best golf course in the whole Caribbean region.
Friendly people.Haven’t you noticed how in the movies Jamaicans are stereotypically portrayed as fun-loving friendly folks? That’s because the people here are just that way. They tend to regard tourists as personal friends, so it’s like every day there’s a party here to celebrate meeting new people.
Local cuisine.The food items here are mostly locally grown, so you tend to enjoy fresh meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. You really need to try the jerk-seasoned dishes, this jerk and curry seasoning can expand your horizons when it comes to chicken and pork dishes. But that’s not the national dish. It’s ackee and saltfish, with just caught seafood along with the ackee fruit that’s been sautéed and served with salt cod, tomatoes, peppers, and onions.
Visit here even once, and you’ll certainly want to come back time and again. In fact, it’s always hard to leave. It’s always a fun time here, and that’s what makes for a great vacation.
[This article was first published by The Silo on April 22, 2014] On June 10, 2009, the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Marie Wilson and Chief Wilton Littlechild were appointed as Commissioners to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is unique from other commissions around the world in that its scope is primarily focused on the experiences of children and its research spans more than 150 years (one of the longest durations ever examined). It is also the first court-ordered truth commission to be established and most notable, the survivors themselves set aside 60 million dollars of the compensation they were awarded to help establish the TRC.
Over the course of its 5 year mandate, one of the main tasks of the Commission is to create an accurate and public historical record of the past regarding the policies and operations of the former residential schools, what happened to the children who attended them, and what former employees recall from their experiences.
It is difficult for Canadians to accept that the policy behind the government funded, church run schools attempted to “kill the Indian in the child”. The violent underpinnings of the policy challenge the way we think about Canada, and call into question our national character and values. We have been taught to believe that we are a peaceful nation, glorious and free.
The residential school legacy shines a light in our darkest corners, where we feel most vulnerable.
Over 130 Residential Schools were located across Canada, with the last one closing in 1996. More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children as young as five years old were forcibly removed from their families and placed in institutions that shamed their languages, customs, families, communities, traditions, cultures and history. In essence, they were not allowed be themselves and denied the love and belonging owed to all children.
While some former students had positive experiences at residential schools, many suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and others died while attending these schools. Other lessons in trauma included assimilating children to gender roles, non-skilled labour and religion to prepare them for future integration. For the parents left behind, the worst lessons in shame, grief, loss and disconnection. Whole societies were undone.
In addition to creating the public historical record of the past, the survivors also tasked the Commission to reveal to Canadians the full and complete story.
What were they thinking? Why should it matter to ordinary Canadians?
Here’s why: When we tell our stories we change the world. When we don’t tell our stories we miss the opportunity to experience empathy and to cultivate authenticity, joy and belonging. (Brené Brown, 44) Through story-telling, the survivors are compelling Canadians to listen and respond with deep compassion and to re-set relationships in a big way in this country. This is our greatest opportunity to recognize shared history and our shared humanity. These stories are a gift and will help us to shape our shared future.
Thomas Moore before and after his entrance into the Regina Indian Residential School in Sasketchewan in 1874. image: Library and Archives Canada/NL-022474
Through statement gathering at national or regional events and at TRC Community Hearings, former students, their descendants and anyone who has been affected by the Residential Schools legacy, had an opportunity to share their individual experiences in a safe and culturally supportive environment. The TRC concluded its last community hearing in March 2014 and has collected more than 6, 200 statements.
Almost all of them were video-and-audio-recorded and range from a few minutes to a few hours. The statements will be stored at the National Research Centre on Indian Residential Schools at the University of Manitoba. Students, researchers and members of the public will be able to access the statements to learn about residential schools and the legacy they leave behind.
As the TRC begins to reveal to Canadians the full and complete story of residential schools and inspire a process of reconciliation across this country, ordinary Canadians seem ill-equipped to make the journey from shame to empathy. “We know the voices singing, screaming, wanting to be heard- but we don’t hear them because fear and blame muffle the sounds” (Brené Brown, 42) We need to prepare ourselves to go to the dark corners of our history, so we can stand in the light together as equals.
In my next article, I will share with you more about empathy, how to practice empathy and why its essential to building meaningful and trustworthy relationships.) For the Silo, Leslie Cochran.
(Brené Brown, 42 and Brené Brown, 44) are taken from her first book “I thought it was just me.”
After job losses and the mortgage meltdown of 2008, Karin Esterhammer, her husband, and their 8-year-old (autistic) son fled Los Angeles to start over in an unlikely place: a nine-foot-wide back-alley in one of Ho Chi Minh City’s poorest districts, where neighbors unabashedly started into windows, generously shared their barbecued rat, kept cockroaches for luck, and ultimately helped Karin and her family find joy without their Western trappings.
Who hasn’t daydreamed about chucking it all and living simply in a hut with a hammock on a beach? Such a move can be a brilliant way to cut expenses and flip your life’s switch to adventure mode.
Around six of every 10 North Americans didn’t have an emergency savings account when the 2008 recession hit, with a new recession looming today we need to be aware of the risks.
Karin was one of them. “I don’t know why I thought selling nearly everything we owned and moving to Vietnam would be the easiest way to get back all I’d lost. Call it desperation. I was laid off from an industry becoming more obsolete by the day — newspapers. My husband’s home business was also tanking, and with debts that equaled what seemed like the GDP of a small country, we didn’t have the capacity for clear thinking and careful planning.”
So, in 2008, Karin and her family moved to Ho Chi Minh City to get jobs teaching English. In a country where a great meal was $1usd, a motorbike taxi ride was 50 cents, and cable TV plus telephone was $6usd a month, they had lofty expectations of saving bundles of money and returning home in a year. What they didn’t account for was high rent. The least-expensive place they could find was $400usd a month for a nine-foot-wide house on a crowded alley with no hot water, but plenty of roosters and rats. They took it.
In her reflective book- So Happiness to Meet You, Karin shares what her family learned while living in Vietnam and learning to appreciate having less and needing less.
In the great tradition of Bill Bryson and J. Maarten Troost, So Happiness to Meet Youis a captivating travel memoir that’s as rich in heart as it is in vivid, hilarious observations about Karin’s life in one of the world’s most fascinating places. For the Silo, Trina Kaye.
Karin Esterhammer’s work has been published in the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, and more. Her diary-style article in the LA Times about Vietnam earned more letters to the editor than almost any other travel story. After their years in Vietnam, Karin and her family are again living in LA.
Prospect Park Books 16$usd contact: [email protected] for ordering information.
Meet Jerry Dandrige. He’s sweet, sexy, and he likes to sleep in late. You might think he’s the perfect neighbour. But before inviting Jerry in for a nightcap, there’s just one thing you should know. Jerry prefers his drinks warm, red, and straight from the jugular! It’s FRIGHT NIGHT, a horrific howl starring Chris Sarandon as the seductive vampire and William Ragsdale as the frantic teenager struggling to keep Jerry’s deadly fangs out of his neck.
Only 17-year-old Charley Brewster (Ragsdale) knows Jerry’s bloodcurdling secret. When Charley can’t get anybody to believe him, he turns to TV horror host Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), who used to be the “Great Vampire Killer” of the movies. Can these mortals save Charley and his sweetheart Amy (Amanda Bearse) from the wrathful bloodsucker’s toothy embrace?
AVAILABLE AS A LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOKOCTOBER 4TH
If you love being scared, FRIGHT NIGHT will give you the nightmare of your life.
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS
4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
All-new Dolby Atmos audio + 5.1 + original Dolby Stereo
BLU-RAY™ FEATURE DISC
Feature presented in High Definition, sourced from the 4K master
5.1 + original Dolby Stereo
Special Features:
NEW: Deleted Scene Storyboards – Tom Holland guides us through the film’s only deleted scene, using his personal pre-production storyboards
NEW: Holland/Beyda Spec Trailer with an introduction by Tom Holland – the never-before-seen alternate trailer cut by Fright Night editor Kent Beyda with the guidance—and narration—of Tom Holland
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Tom Holland, Actors Chris Sarandon & Jonathan Stark, Moderated by Filmmaker Tim Sullivan
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Tom Holland, Actors William Ragsdale & Stephen Geoffreys, FX Artist Randall Cook, Moderated by Journalist Jeremy Smith and Filmmaker Tim Sullivan
You’re So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night
What is Fright Night
Tom Holland: Writing Horror
Theatrical Trailers
BLU-RAY™ SPECIAL FEATURES DISC
Special Features:
NEW: Fright Night 35th Anniversary Script Read – an anniversary cast reunion and script reading featuring writer/director Tom Holland and special guests including Rosario Dawson, Jason Patric, and many more!
NEW: The Queer Lens: Bryan Fuller in Conversation with Amanda Bearse – a candid discussion between Fright Night aficionado Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror) and Fright Night star Amanda Bearse about the Gothic’s queer roots, the film’s queer subtext, and its metaphorical power
NEW: A Novel Approach: The Splatterpunk Story of the Fright Night Novelization – Tom Holland, Fright Night novelization authors John Skipp and Craig Spector, and publisher Mark Alan Miller discuss how the progenitors of the splatterpunk genre came to work on the book, their writing process, and the novel’s enduring legacy
NEW: SFX Storyboard Comparisons – a selection of original storyboards from key effects sequences, compared with their final filmed versions
Roddy McDowall: From Apes to Bats
Tom Holland and Amanda Bearse Talk Fright Night
Round Table with Tom, Stephen and William
Shock Till You Drop Presents Choice Cuts with Tom Holland and Ryan Turek
First Ever Fright Night Reunion Panel – Fear Fest 2 (2008)
Weekend of Hell Panel with Amanda and Stephen
Vintage EPK with Behind-the-Scenes Raw Footage
CAST AND CREW
Written and Directed By: Tom Holland
Produced by: Herb Jaffe
Cast: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys and Roddy McDowall
SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 106 minutes
Rating: 18A
4K UHD Feature Picture: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 2.39:1
4K UHD Feature Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible) | English 5.1 DTS-HD MA | 2-Channel Surround DTS-HD MA
Natural gas is an important fuel used for heating and cooling in more than half of all North American homes. But methane, the key component in natural gas, is highly explosive and can become deadly when uncontrolled. Back in 2014, a natural gas explosion in two apartment buildings in New York killed eight people and injured 70 others.
Natural gas is composed primarily (95% or more) of methane, a colorless, odorless, non-toxic flammable gas. Methane is emitted from natural sources such as wetlands and also from industrial and agricultural processes.
Because methane is odorless, an additive known as mercaptan, or methanethiol, is added to natural gas to make the presence of methane detectable. Mercaptan additives contain sulfur, which is the reason natural gas smells like rotten eggs. Exposure to mercaptan can result in a variety of adverse health effects, including irritation of the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Natural gas can also contain small amounts of potentially harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as ethane, propane, butane and even toxic compounds such as benzene and toluene.
Methane cannot be filtered. Mercaptan and VOCs can. Unfortunately, methane is not just dangerous – it’s also unfilterable. Adsorption and chemisorption, the two processes by which gas and odor air filters remove chemicals from the air, are ineffective against methane, which has an extremely low molecular weight. As a result, the only effective strategies for reducing indoor methane levels are source control/reduction and increased ventilation.
Mercaptan and VOCs, however, can be efficiently filtered with a high-performance air filtration system with a combination of high quality activated carbon and potassium permanganate – such as the IQAir HealthPro Plus or GC MultiGas (at right) room air purifier. The activated carbon provides adsorption of VOCs, and the potassium permanganate provides excellent chemisorption of mercaptan and many other VOCs, such as formaldehyde. The combination of these two filtration media is ideal.
The IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier- made in Switzerland
Importance of monitoring methane levels.
Because methane is so highly explosive, high-performance air filtration to remove the odors associated with natural gas (mercaptan) is not recommended unless sufficient monitoring with a methane detector has determined that levels are safe. Methane detectors, also known as explosive gas detectors, can be purchased at hardware and home-supply stores.
This article is brought to you by The IQAir Group, friends of the Silo who develop innovative air quality solutions for indoor environments around the globe. IQAir is the exclusive educational partner of the American Lung Association for the air purifier industry.
Sometimes, not knowing the truth about something of immediate importance can create some of the most intense stress, says former chronic pain sufferer Janet Komanchuk.
“The families of victims who’ve been missing for years or decades – identifying the body of their loved one, for example, can bring closure. For me, being diagnosed with fibromyalgia was also a relief – it meant that I had a name for my chronic pain,” says Komanchuk, whose pain was so intense over a period of several years that she had to retire as a schoolteacher.
Studies of Monkey’s may help solve causes of stress in humans- http://wabe.org/post/study-monkeys-may-help-solve-stress-humans
“My diagnosis meant I wasn’t crazy, that the pain wasn’t ‘all in my head,’ as some had suggested. It meant that my flu-like symptoms,
accompanied by intense waves of pain, finally had form and dimension. I understood I was just one of many suffering with chronic pain that at last had a name.”
Fibromyalgia syndrome is a complex, chronic condition of widespread muscular pain and fatigue. It often includes sleep disturbances, impaired memory and concentration, depression and other debilitating symptoms. The syndrome is one of the most common chronic pain disorders, affecting nearly one in every 60 North Americans.
When medical leave, morphine patches, codeine and myriad pharmaceuticals brought no relief, I tried a different approach in combination
says Komanchuk, (www.jkomanchuk.com), who has since enjoyed more than 13 years of pain-free and prescription-free living after finding an alternative healing therapy that works for her. She now works as an educational writer and public relations assistant with Joy of Healing, the alternative healing modality that she says brought about her remission.
Is Yoga a ‘healing therapy’? Forbes thinks it is and more- see Supplemental below CP
“Through the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about dealing with the psychological trauma of illness.” Komanchuk shares tips to keep in mind for those suffering from an indeterminate condition.
• Trust in yourself. “At times, the pain was so intense that I was certain my flesh was tearing away from my bones,” says Komanchuk, who was just like the more than 100 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain, which costs nearly $600 billion annually in medical treatments and lost productivity, according to the Institute of Medicine. Despite her unmistakable pain, the critical doubt from others as to what she was experiencing was disheartening, at times causing her to doubt herself.
“Trust in yourself, for you know what you’re feeling,” she says. “Don’t fall victim to the judgment and criticism of others who doubt your illness and the limitations it places on you or your activities.”
• Don’t quit! Despite the immense scope of chronic pain, very little is spent on research to find better ways to manage pain. Komanchuk was faced with the prospect of spending the rest of her life in a nursing home.
“Yes, the pain was excruciating, debilitating and fatiguing, yet I still felt as though my life had the potential for vitality,” she says. “The idea of going to a nursing home – reasonable for some – felt like a kind of death to me.”
Convinced that there was hope for her in overcoming fibromyalgia, she persisted in her search for wellness answers.
• Seriously consider alternatives. She was able to achieve what she thought was impossible – not just temporary relief, but permanent, lasting mind-body-spirit wellness. She had been to orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, rheumatologists, psychologists, underwent MRIs and took all manner of medications for her unbearable pain. In a narrow sense, it would seem as though she exhausted her options – until she looked beyond traditional Western medicine. Alternative treatment guided her to recognize the layers of stress throughout her life that she believes were a primary driver of her chronic pain.
“Every day, I am filled with gratitude for the fact that I am free of the torment from fibromyalgia that had plagued me throughout my
life,” she says. “I just wish I could give others a piece of the relief that I’ve found. All I can say is keep your eyes open, keep the hope alive and don’t give up!” For the Silo, Ginny Grimsley
If you want to create healthier habits for yourself and your loved ones, it might be a good time to switch to organic foods. The benefits of this diet are numerous, and with the global expansion of the market, organic food has become readily available to all.
Ask yourself — what kind of food do I actually eat, and how is this food produced? You may not like the answer, but there is one simple solution to this problem — organic food. This type of diet may not look as appealing as GMO, but trust us when we say, it tastes the same, and it is not bad for your health.
Who Are the Leading Manufacturers of Organic Food?
If we look at the bigger picture of organic food production, the leading place belongs to Australia where organic farms occupy an area of 35.9 million ha, followed by Europe with 14.8 million ha, South America with 8 million ha, Asia with 6.1 million ha, North America with 3.2 million ha, and finally Africa with 2.1 million ha.
However, India has the most considerable number of registered organic producers – a whopping 835,000. Sounds like a big number? The organic industry is expanding every year and is expected to generate over $60 billion usd by the end of this year (2022).
The reason for this rapid growth is that more and more people in different countries are opting for this type of food.
If we look at the 2016 American market, we can see that organic food has reached a staggering $38.9 billion in organic food retail sales. These numbers are showing that the production (and consumption) of organic products is on the rise, which is actually great news!
What About the Consumers?
Many people are living a fast-paced lifestyle, and this means that they spend much time planning their meals or doing workouts. This type of unhealthy eating regime can have a detrimental effect on our health.
According to stats, 57% of children are well on their way to being obese due to the consumption of unhealthy foods and foods that contain empty calories.
Fortunately, this trend is declining as 51% of parents opt for healthier foods, and they are even willing to pay 3-4% more for organic food to create healthier eating habits for their young ones.
An increasing number of people are becoming aware of the hazardous effects of food additives and supplements that may cause numerous health disorders. According to a survey conducted in France, about 70,000 people who consumed organic foods had 25% fewer cancer diagnosis than the ones who consumed conventional food.
Considering these facts, organic food consumption is expected to increase in the coming years.
Quality-Price Ratio
The production of organic food requires compliance with certain regulations that vary from country to country. Organic food refers to foods that are not genetically modified, not treated with pesticides and growth factors, and that are grown on land that doesn’t contain chemical substances such as artificial fertilizers.
You must have wondered how organic production manages to sustain itself. The secret is in prevention. Organic producers put a lot of time, resources, and effort to create the end product we find in the markets. That reflects a lot on the price. Organic food is 7.5% more expensive on average than non-organic.
The reason for this is that, despite the thorough preventative measures, organic food is more affected by various diseases and pollutants. That said, producers could lose their entire annual organic food production and end up losing substantial amounts of money.
That said, organic food is more expensive than conventional. However, if you decided to go organic, there are ways you can buy this type of food at a more affordable price. Here’s how:
buy directly from the manufacturer
compare prices
buy seasonal food
obtain membership in a community-supported agricultural farm or CSA.
Bottom Line
All of this considered, conventional food may not be a cheaper option than organic food. Why? Because good health is invaluable. So if it means that we must spend a couple of extra bucks to get rid of lousy eating habits, we’d say, go for it! For the Silo, Tarun Reddy.
New Amsterdam Records releases are special and Surface Image, the album-length composition for solo piano with 40-channel 1-bit electronics, composed by Tristan Perich and performed by pianist Vicky Chow is no exception.
“Surface Image is a stunning marriage of Perich’s inspired electronic aesthetic and Chow’s nuanced yet fiercely virtuosic playing. The line between electric and organic is artistically blurred, as the simple hand-wired electronics fuse with the individual notes of the piano on the same, expansive plane. Recorded at EMPAC’s sound studio by producer Argeo Ascani and mix engineer Jeffrey Svatek.”
A look at the performance set-up in “Surface” by Tristan Perich for a piano performance by Vicky Chow
Curated by Alexis Lowry Murray, “Audible Spaces” presents three sound installations that encourage participants to explore the subtleties of listening. Tristan Perich, Zarouhie Abdalian, and [The User] have each created immersive environments using seemingly uniform sounds that dissolve into tonal, tactile, and temporal variations as participants engage with them. Perich’s Microtonal Wall (2011), on view in the Cohen Gallery at the Granoff Center, demonstrates the extraordinary complexity that can be generated using only the most basic electronic tools. Drone-like from a distance, this 25 ft long sound field of 1-bit noise dissolves into 1500 unique frequencies.
In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world’s fastest train.
The end of the line is just the beginning in this non-stop thrill-ride through modern-day Japan from David Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2. Available on Digital 09/27 and on 4k Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, and DVD 10/18.
The “heart-pounding wild ride” comes home
– Kristy Puchko, MASHABLE
4K ULTRA HD™, BLU-RAY™ AND DIGITAL
Outtakes & Bloopers
Catch What You Missed: Easter Eggs
All Aboard the Pain Train: Stunts
Mission Accomplished: Making of Bullet Train
Trained Professionals: The Cast
Select Stunt Previs
Audio Commentary with David Leitch, Kelly McCormick & Zak Olkewicz
DVD
Mission Accomplished: Making of Bullet Train
Trained Professionals: The Cast
CAST AND CREW
Directed By: David Leitch
Produced By: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Antoine Fuqua
Executive Producers: Brent O’Connor, Ryosuke Saegusa, Yuma Terada, Kat Samick
Cast: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock
Based on the Book By: Kotaro Isaka
Screenplay By: Zak Olkewicz
SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 126 Mins.
Rating: R: Strong and bloody violence, pervasive language, and brief sexuality
4K UHD: 2160p Ultra High Definition / 2.39:1 • Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Color
Blu-ray™: 1080p High Definition / 2.39:1 • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec) 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Mastered in High Definition • Color
DVD: 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English – Audio Description Track Dolby Surround • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Color
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God-like powers? The United States Federal Reserve essentially drives the entire world economy.
Money runs the world’s economy. It determines who rules nations, and it rules lives.
These are the three most significant properties attributed to the power of money, in addition to its basic function as a medium of exchange. But we can attribute several less significant properties, although similarly important, to the power of money. They include:
1. Money separates people of the same nation into classes, divisions and groups.
2. The pursuit of money and wealth can turn man against man, son against father, family against family and nation against nation.
3. Money’s devaluation of natural values makes Nature the object of buying and selling.
4. The ability of man to perform labor by placing a price on his head allows one man, or group of men, to enslave another individual or group of individuals.
5. The ability of money to corrupt tends to change man’s personality from social being to self-oriented individual.
6. The power of money drives people to produce services in order to pursue everyday life. This inflicts stress upon people, leading to a spiritual breakdown manifested in acts of crime and mental illnesses.
Bitcoin- electronic currency invented in the 21st century- poised to revolutionize what money is and can be? It’s value in US dollars in 2013 tripled in one year. CP
Amazingly enough, not many people in modern society are aware of the source of the power or money, including businessmen such as bankers, money market brokers and financiers, who consider themselves money experts.
Perhaps one of the reasons the origin of money’s power is one of the least discussed subjects among academics is the non-existence of prehistoric written records. The second reason is historians’ failure to unveil when and how currency converted from an ordinary medium of exchange into the dominant value of society by expanding its usage to include rendered labor compensation. Also, when and what societal changes elevated the abstract value of currency into an absolute ruling power over humans, including all natural values and treasuries of the Earth.
The blank page left by the theory of early civilization about the invention and rise of money invited independent thinkers to develop their own theories.
The records indicate that this enigma is hidden in the formation of the first state and government. Reforms enacted almost 4,000 years ago led to the breakup of the original communion society, creating conditions that enabled different classes of people to pursue independent ways of life.
From above… 2. The pursuit of money and wealth can turn man against man, son against father, family against family and nation against nation.
Regulating all natural values and treasuries, including human labor, through money, one individual was able to declare himself the king, and establish absolute ruling power over society by entrapping people within guarded wall.
This historic event advanced the abstract value of money from the ordinary medium of exchange to an absolute ruling power unparalleled in the real world. Some ancient spiritual leaders expressed a serious concern about the prudence of the proposed reforms. They warned that the enactment of these reforms would void the God-given dominant role of natural values within society at the expense of the abstract value of money. This would subsequently interrupt the relationship between man and nature, and change the original role of man upon the Earth from the guardian of nature to the biggest annihilator of nature.
But the followers of the philosophical doctrine of man’s uniqueness compared to other species dismissed such warnings. Promoting man’s spiritual virtue of freedom to make his own norms and laws instead of following the law of nature, they were delighted by the proposed reforms.
Ever since, the corruption, exploitation of one man over another and class warfare became the norms of the New World Order leadership.
The comparatively recent freedom movements that led to the French and Bolshevik revolutions failed to liberate people from the chains of money’s absolute power. Despite that, the idea of freedom lives on in people’s minds, inspiring liberators to wonder why the formation of a communist state failed to succeed.
The liberators failed to realize that the institution of state and government is the foundation that, by providing the conditions for money currency to function, imposes absolute ruling power over society. This means that the institution of state and government is not a suitable foundation for the establishment of a free, classless society.
Is the only way to liberate society from the absolute power of money a return to the system of farming communities and declaring abolition of money currency, which would ultimately lead to dismantling the institutions of state and government?
However, taking into account that man is biologically a mortal relative entity incapable of resisting temptation offered by the absolute power of money, the prospect for the abolition of money is not practically realistic. For the Silo, Michael Vladimirovich Trisho.
Featured image: imagesci.com
Michael Vladimirovich Trisho is the author of “How Did Humanity Become Enslaved to Money?” Born in Panchevo, currently part of Serbia, Trisho’s tendency to inquire about the mysteries of the world using reason and logic were evident at an early age. All his life, he wondered how humankind became entrapped by money and why people believe a money-based society is best. After immigrating to the United States, he continued to examine early history in search of answers about the monetary system and its relation to the institution of state. Examining archeological fossils and excavations focused only on a narrow part of early human experience and did not reveal important events that played a critical role in society’s development. Michael created his own reconstruction of events, the product of which is his debut novel.
Meal planning is such a time saver. Not only do those who care about their nutrition get to save time while planning meals, but they continue eating healthy, even on the busiest days. Are you already on a plant-based diet or just thinking about it? Whether you are just trying to implement vegan or vegetarian meal prep into your lifestyle, or you are looking for some new tips – this article will provide what you need. Here is how to get your plant-based diet on track via meal planning.
Think About Pro Guidance
Making changes to your diet isn’t easy, but it is always worth it because there is always a goal behind it. Do you want to build muscles? Lose weight? Have a more balanced diet? Experience a vegan pregnancy diet plan? Or just explore more intuitive eating?
Even if your reason is not listed here, you should know that the best way to get the result that you want is a plant-based nutritionist ; a person of this sort of expertise can help enhance toddler/child/adolescent nutrition, help you achieve your sports goals, and help you deal with many digestive problems. Not only that, but plant-based nutrition can help you organize your meal in such a way that you will have enough time to cook, eat peacefully, and easily achieve all of your other plans.
Sketch Out A Week Of Meals
This step may sound confusing and like a lot to chew on. But in reality, it’s very easy. All you have to do is choose a dinner for every day of the week. If possible, think about leftovers and use them for an extra meal. Once you plan your meals, you are ready for the next step – grocery planning. Make a specific grocery list of things that you will need. Not sure what you might need for a feel of a plant-based diet? Check the next step.
Chop Vegetables
One of the best things about a plant-based diet is that you get to eat a lot of vegetables. This is not only healthy but easy to prepare. Chopping vegetables is easy, plus vegetables are super easy to store and use whenever you want. Chop your vegetables in advance: fill your cups with onion, sliced mushrooms, and sliced cabbage… This will make everything much easier and faster to prepare.
Fast Tips On Meal Prep
● Stock your kitchen counter with beans, lentils, and whole grains ● Have olive oil ● Use oatmeal for breakfast ● Cook for two days ● Keep track of your recipes ● Drink water ● Start small ● Get organized ● Invest in high-quality containers ● Keep a variety of spices ● Always use your meal prep recipes to make a grocery list ● Use glass containers ● Freeze your food
Make new lifestyles more fun and delicious with new recipes. Start small, take it slow, and go step by step. Stay hydrated, hire a professional to help you navigate your new changes, and be persistent. Remember that it takes three weeks for something to become a habit, and three months for something to become a lifestyle. For the Silo, Bill Gordon.
September 15, 2022 – Taxpayers and citizens need greater fiscal transparency from Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments, says the latest report from the C.D. Howe Institute.
In “The Right to Know: Grading the Fiscal Transparency of Canada’s Senior Governments, 2022,” William B.P. Robson and Nicholas Dahir graded these governments’ budgets, estimates and financial statements on how well they let legislators and voters understand their fiscal plans and hold them to account for fulfilling them. The grades range from A to D. While some of the governments present helpful and timely budgets and financial statements, others fall badly short.
The authors underline that budgets, estimates and financial statements must let interested but non-expert users find and understand and act on key information.
“Taxpayers’ and citizens’ ability to monitor, influence and react to how legislators and officials manage public funds is fundamental to representative government,” say Robson and Dahir. “We need to check that legislators and government officials are acting in the interest of the people they represent, and we need to respond if we conclude that they are acting negligently or in their own interest. Financial reports are key tools for monitoring governments’ performance of their fiduciary duties.”
image: Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau website. Link to Transparency PDF: https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/backgrounders/2015/11/27/open-and-accountable-government
While much of the financial information presented to legislators and the public by Canada’s governments has improved over time, the assigned grades reveal significant shortfalls. This year’s report card covers year-end financial statements for fiscal year 2020/21 and budgets and estimates for 2021/22. The results were as follows:
Manitoba, British Colombia and the Northwest Territories trailed the the class with grades of D;
The federal government got a D+ – which was actually an improvement from an F last year, when it failed to produce a budget;
Newfoundland and Labrador also got a D+;
Nova Scotia scored a C and Prince Edward Island scored a C+;
Quebec scored a B- and Ontario scored a B;
Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick each scored B+;
Alberta and Yukon topped the class with grades of A and A- respectively.
These governments tax, spend and borrow hundreds of billions of dollars, and the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will make their financial position all the more important in the future. The authors conclude: “This annual report card hopes to encourage further progress and limit backsliding. Canadians can get more transparent financial reporting and better fiscal accountability from their governments, if they demand it.” For the Silo, Lauren Malyk.
For more than 60 years, the C.D. Howe Institute has researched and published on policy challenges and potential solutions aimed at improving the performance of Canada’s economy and raising Canadians’ living standards.
The summer may be winding down, but there are still a few weeks left to keep that air conditioner pumping fresh, cool air throughout your home and before you receive a professional furnace check-up for the winter months ahead.
Just like a furnace, with regular upkeep and maintenance, your air conditioner will enjoy a long and healthy lifespan. Your HVAC system is an integral component to your home because it not only provides comfort, but it also supplies high-quality and clean air for you and your family to enjoy.
It takes a lot to keep an entire high rise cool during a heatwave. Your home a/c unit requires regular attention too.
Without proper care, the system can become dirty and clogged which prevents clean air from flowing through your house, and even worse, a neglected system can become dangerous because of old wiring and electrical circuits.
Your digital thermostat has gone blank or it has lost power
Water is leaking from your indoor unit (please note: attic units can leak and cause water stains on the ceiling)
Always work with a trusted and professional heating and cooling service provider who offers 24-hour emergency repair. Commercial or residence, it’s important to work with experienced technicians who can advise you with integrity and sincerity on the right solutions for your needs.
There are also a few things you can double-check before you jump to any serious conclusions.
Check the Temperature
Does it feel abnormally hot or humid in your house? Always be sure to set the thermostat to Air Conditioning Mode. If you notice that it is set to that, and it’s still muggy and hot in the house, it might be time to give your maintenance technician a call.
Often air conditioners can have trouble maintaining service if it’s hotter than 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit). However, most units should be able to maintain your home’s cool air within a couple of degrees of your setting. If it’s not working when it’s above 33 degrees, there might be a problem.
Check with your maintenance and installation provider if you think the temperature is hotter than it should be just in case something is broken so that you can go back to feeling comfortable and content.
Change the Filters
Dirty air filters can cause great damage to your AC unit. You’d be surprised at how much dust and debris air filters catch, and when they’re not cleaned or changed, the collected debris can clog things up and cause wear and tear on the system’s parts.
This prevents clean, cool air from flowing through. It also means that the AC unit will not live a long, healthy life because the extreme wear and tear of the dirty parts will cause it to breakdown faster than it should.
Take a look at your filters and investigate how clean they look. If you’re unsure how to locate the filters or how to do this, consult your trusted heating and cooling service provider to know exactly what to do. The best companies offer DIY tips so that you’ll be able to tackle any small problems yourself in the future.
Keep in mind to always switch off the unit’s power entirely before you attempt any maintenance or repair work.
Feel the Air in Your Home
If you’ve already checked the temperature and taken a look at your filters, check the air coming out of the supply vents.
If you have an outdoor unit, make sure it’s running and that the thermostat is in Air Conditioner Mode. You should feel cold air.
If you find that there is considerably less air than usual coming out of the vents, or if you find the air to be warm, it’s possible that there is an issue. If there is no air coming out of the outdoor unit’s vents at all, this could also be a problem.
In these cases, your evaporator coils may be iced over. Be sure to cut off the unit so that it can thaw before a technician arrives.
Pay Attention to any Noises
If you notice any squeaks, grinding, or grating sounds coming from your AC unit, chances are there are problems to be attended to.
These types of noises usually occur when a belt has slipped out of place, parts need lubrication, or the motor bearings have broken.
It’s critical that this is maintained right away because prolonged avoidance can result in additional and costly damage. It’s possible that you need a replacement unit or simply have repairs made.
Air conditioner repair is important because it keeps the quality of air in your home clean and safe.
Always remember to work with a trusted maintenance and installation company who offers round-the-clock emergency support, and one who you can trust! For the Silo, Mila Urosevic.
“Libraries are our friends” said famed writer Neil Gaiman. Katharine Hepburn once asked “what in the world would we do without our libraries?” When last polled about a decade ago in 2011, Toronto was home to ninety-eight public libraries and two book mobiles; with approximately thirty thousand programs hours and more than 19 million in person visits.
Ghostbusters (1984) Dr. Egon Spengler: “print is dead”
Despite the seeming popularity of the time honored library, there have been very legitimate concerns about the decline of the library in our digitized world. The cynical pronouncement from the Annoyed Librarian blogger is that no one will even notice as libraries vanish because people will be “too busy renting ebooks from Amazon”.
What no Dewey!?? Something is being lost…cardboard catalogue placards…pile carpeting…the esoteric ‘quest’ of locating a physical book…the sensation of walking between the rows and aisles of paper books….
Is there a future for Libraries?
Books are being replaced with ebooks and the other popular resource, DVDs, are also rapidly being replaced by online movie providers. Publishing companies are not easily persuaded to turn over ebooks (as Libraries offer their use for free, and it’s easier to control the distribution of e-resources than print media which can be obtained anywhere), so although Libraries attempt to acquire as many ebooks as possible, this isn’t always easy.
A pile (!) of books. Heavy but hard to ignore. Physical media have a permanence and that permanence affords respect and care. Digital media not so much.
Other sources argue that if people believe the internet is making libraries obsolete, it’s because they haven’t been in a library recently.
The reality is that libraries, like so many public institutions, have adapted to new digitized world.
Book circulation may have declined, but the Library now offers a wider diversity of services. Libraries offer free wi-fi, public computers for personal use, an assortment of programs for all age groups, Library accounts accessible online, and even offer services such as income tax filing assistance and computer classes for seniors. For the Silo, Charity Blaine.
With new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) still being reported every day across the globe, we are starkly reminded that handling or coming into close contact with wildlife, their body parts, and excreta poses a risk of spillover of the pathogens [viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi] they host and maintain in nature, and to which we humans might be susceptible.
The illnesses animals spread to humans are known as zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses.
It is estimated that, globally, about one billion cases of human illness and millions of deaths occur every year from zoonoses. Some 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases that are reported globally are zoonoses and of the more than 30 new human pathogens detected in the last three decades, 75 percent have originated in animals.
A wide variety of vertebrates are carriers of zoonotic agents. Rodents, the most abundant mammal, also represent an abundant source of zoonotic diseases, carrying at least 180 unique zoonotic pathogens[1]. Because of their size, the ability to fly and their unique immune system, bats represent an important virus reservoir, though presently they are known to carry only about a third of the zoonotic pathogens that rodents do.
While there are fewer species of primates when compared to rodents and bats, a great proportion are zoonotic hosts. The risk that pathogens can infect humans increases with species more closely related to us. For example, the spillover of HIV to humans occurred from chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys, most likely through butchering and consumption of their meat. To date, HIV-AIDS has infected 75 million people and caused 32 million deaths[2].
Graphic design: Sarah Markes/WCS.
The persistent lethal capacity of zoonotic pathogens can also reside in its evolutionary strategies. Plague is a bacterial, vector-born disease transmitted by fleas from rodents –its natural reservoir– to humans and subsequently also from humans to humans that has impacted the history of mankind through multiple pandemics causing tens of millions of deaths worldwide. The responsible bacterial agent has evolved virulence factors that have allowed it to repeatedly and successfully evade the immune system of the mammalian host[3].
“Coming into close contact with wildlife — including their body parts and excreta — poses a risk of spillover of the pathogens they host, to which we humans might be susceptible.”
Zoonoses may exist in various forms: The most common, endemic zoonoses, are widespread in developing countries affect many people and animals and are by comparison mostly neglected by the international community, epidemic zoonoses vary widely in their duration and distribution and emerging and re-emerging zoonoses may or may not have occurred previously in a given population, but are generally observed to expand in new species, populations or areas.
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and particularly zoonotic ones are a significant and growing threat to global health, global economy and global security. Analyses of their trends suggest that their frequency and economic impact are on the rise.
The conditions of so-called “wet markets” are ideal for incubating new diseases and bolster their transmission. Photo credit: Elizabeth L. Bennett/WCS
Recent examples of such emerging or re-emerging zoonoses include Rift Valley fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), pandemic influenza, Yellow fever, Avian Influenza, West Nile virus, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), and most recently COVID-19.
However, our current knowledge of zoonotic diseases and spillover mechanisms is still at its infancy. It is estimated that less than 0.1% of all viruses that may pose a threat to global health are now known to have been transmitted from animals to humans[4].
More than 300,000 viruses are estimated to await discovery in mammals, many of them bearing zoonotic potential. In the U.S.-funded PREDICT program, researchers estimate that there are more than 1.6 million unknown viral species in mammals and birds, 700,000 of which could pose a disease risk to humans, based on years of information gathering.
“In wet markets across the globe, live and dead animals — including many wildlife species — are sold for human consumption.”
Facing such a vast, unknown and unpredictable universe of zoonotic agents, we firmly believe that limiting the chances of contact between human and wild animals is the most effective way to reduce the risk of emergence of new zoonotic diseases.
In “wet markets” across the globe, live and dead animals — including many wildlife species — are sold for human consumption. In close quarters, a mix of saliva, blood, urine and other bodily fluids brush up against vendors and consumers alike. The conditions of these markets are ideal for incubating new diseases and bolster their transmission. They form one of the most detrimental bridges created by man over the natural barriers that previously separated humans and wild animals.
Destruction of nature is increasingly putting humans in contact with pathogens for which they have no natural immunity. Photo credit: Nick Hawkins
For example, in 2016, two officials from the Department of Livestock and Fisheries in Lao PDR, Drs. Bounlom Douangngeun and Watthana Theppangna along with One Health experts authored a paper which documented that wild mammals from 12 taxonomic families and capable of hosting 36 different known zoonotic pathogens were traded in only seven markets[5]. It is a similar situation that has enabled the emergence of the previously unknown SARS in central Guangdong Province in November 2002 and now COVID-19 coronavirus in Wuhan, China.
“Ignoring the danger posed by wildlife markets is a massive global public health liability for a healthy world.”
The interface within these wet markets has been largely ignored as a public health topic, but COVID-19 coronavirus has brought this interface back to the forefront and reminded us that ignoring the danger posed by wildlife markets is a massive global public health liability for a healthy world.
As Dr. Christian Walzer emphasized recently this is a “global health priority that cannot be ignored.” It is important to continue calling for three solutions to prevent this complex global challenge: close live animal markets that sell wildlife; strengthen efforts to combat trafficking of wild animals within countries and across borders; and work to change dangerous wildlife consumption behaviors, especially in cities.
For the Silo, Stephen Sautner- Executive Director of Communications, Wildlife Conservation Society- Bronx Zoo
NOTES
[1] Cleaveland et al. 2001. Diseases of humans and their domestic mammals: pathogen characteristics, host rage and the risk of emergence. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 356, 991–999
[2] Huet T, Cheynier R, Meyerhans A. et al. « Genetic organization of a chimpanzee lentivirus related to HIV-1 » Nature 1990, 345;356–9.
As the world mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we undoubtedly acknowledge the scope of her public service for over 70 years. She is one of the most recognized and famous people on the face of the earth.
My parents travelled to England when I was young and could (hope to) catch glimpses of the Royal Family, including the Queen, outside Buckingham Palace. My family, one could say, became Royal Watchers. Years later, I’d be hired by former MPP Toby Barrett UE who I quickly learned harbored profound respect for Queen Elizabeth II.
Shortly after officially becoming our longest reigning Monarch, Toby penned a newspaper column that began with: “Queen Elizabeth II is the only British Monarch in history properly trained to change a spark plug!” As Toby said at the time, the statement exemplified the character of our Queen.
Elizabeth learned to change a spark plug at 18 (during the Second World War) after joining the British Army Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. She served as an army truck mechanic and as an ambulance and army truck driver.
Elizabeth carried an incredible responsibility throughout her life, beginning at a young age. Upon taking the throne in 1952, she witnessed enormous social change. At 25, Elizabeth became Queen, and was officially crowned at her coronation two years later.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth visited Canada more than any other country – 22 times. She must have had a special place in her heart for our country and its people, as she was known to refer to Canada as home. From the outpouring of sentiments, the feeling was indeed mutual.
On September 8th, the Queen’s children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after physicians placed her under medical supervision. Later in the day Thursday, news spread that the Queen had passed away peacefully in the afternoon. A sad, solemn day.
Queen Elizabeth II officially made Liz Truss Britain’s prime minister two days before her passing. Truss would become the 15th prime minister to meet with the Queen. The meeting was at Balmoral Castle, in the Scottish countryside, where Boris Johnson first arrived to begin the power transfer. The first prime minister the Queen met with during her reign was Winston Churchill – a leader I often quote.
Last Thursday, Prime Minister Truss described Queen Elizabeth II as the rock on which modern Britain was built and continued by saying that she had “provided us with the stability and strength that we needed.” In times of adversity, the Queen has steadied nations with her strength and stoicism – the embodiment of a true leader.
Succession plans have long been in place, and the Queen’s son, Charles III, will become King. As an aside, I met Prince Charles and Camilla a few years back at a function in Toronto. It was a cheeky meeting and one I will never forget.
While we all come to grips with the passing of a lady who impacted our lives in ways, we did not realize, Britain is preparing to usher in a new era in the nation’s fascinating history. Britain, Canada and the Commonwealth will undoubtedly embrace the King and offer him loyalty and devotion, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished.
For the Silo, by Bobbi Ann Brady MPP Haldimand-Norfolk
Graphic design: Sarah Markes/WCS.
The conditions of so-called “wet markets” are ideal for incubating new diseases and bolster their transmission. Photo credit: Elizabeth L. Bennett/WCS
