A day in the life ~ Vancouver

Canadian wins moguls!

2010-02-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Slow to come, but last week my wife and I were fortunate enough to get tickets to the Olympic moguls competition at Cypress Mountain, just outside of Vancouver. It was a day long extravaganza, and I am happy to announce a Canadian upset the field and won Canada's first gold medal of these Olympics, and the first Canadian gold won on home soil ever. We were present, and the gold was fully deserved.

Our day started around 9 AM, a walk to the station, half hour Skytrain ride to downtown Vancouver, the Seabus over to Lonsdale Quay, then a 30 minute bus ride to Cypress Mountain. Once there, we had to walk about 2 kms to the actual competition site, and find out seats.

How about that for a trip; train to the ocean followed by a bus to the snowcapped mountains ... only in Vancouver.

Out seats were metal, a little wet, and they were cold. Although we did dress warmly, it was not warm enough for the next 8 hours outside, with no place to warm up. Through training, qualification, break, more training, and then the finals, we soaked in the atmosphere. The skiers, going down a steep heavily mogulled slope complete with 2 large jumps, pushed the limit on every run, seemingly on the verge of disaster with every turn. Most of them successfully reached the bottom in one piece, and most of them wowed us with their skill.

The Canadian, Alexandre Bilodeau was the best, and the cheer upon his victory made the day special and a lifelong memory.

Vancouver's Olympians

2010-02-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

Vancouver loves its Canucks, its NHL franchise. The team has never won the Stanley Cup, has made it to the final twice in about 40 years, has fielded a few strong teams, but generally has been underwhelming. We still love our Canucks.

This current year's version of the Canucks is actually a very strong team, and we fans dream of a Stanley Cup. We are certainly underdogs, but I believe most will give the Canucks a chance anyway. The team boasts 7 Olympians, from 6 countries. How is that for international flavour? Sami Salo will play defense for Finland, as will Christian Errhoff for the Germans. The Sedin twins will bring their magic to the Swedish national team, and Demitra will try to do the same for Slovakia. Kesler will grit it out for the American team, and Luongo is hoping to backstop the Canadian team. Got to love it! The Olympics start in Vancouver in 1 week; bring the games on.

Full-body scanners come to Vancouver

2010-02-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

Full-body scanners are now in-use at YVR (Vancouver International Airport). Two of the controversial machines, interestingly highlighted in the US budget announced today, are being used at security screening points for passengers headed to the United States.

Not everyone will actually pass through the scanners. Passengers are selected for secondary screening, either randomly or for a cause. The passenger then has the choice between a physical search or the full-body scanner. The scanners are used in closed-off rooms so other passengers can't see the scanner's screen.

I will soon be passing through the airport; got to work on the abs a bit but will certainly have no difficulty going through a scanner. One thought that comes to mind; "cause" meaning what? I might consider an attractive lady suitable "cause" to send her through a scanner. I wonder how those determining cause will do; the story will break in due time I am sure!

Inappropriate behaviour

2010-01-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

Another day, another black eye for the RCMP.

A day after allegations of innappropriate relationship between an investigator and a potential witness in the Surrey Six murder case came to light we are learning another officer on the file is facing criminal charges.

One officer has been charged with fraud and attempted fraud for overtime claims submitted last summer.With two cases coming to light in one week, the RCMP are reeling.Yesterday, it was revealed an investigator with the RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been put on desk duty pending a review of allegations of unprofessional behavior with a witness connected to the Surrey 6 case, the ex-girlfriend of convicted killer Dennis Karbovanec.

For their part, Crown Counsel says they are aware of the investigation launched by the Mounties, "However, at this point, no evidence provided by the witness in question has been forwarded to Crown Counsel. And it hasn't played any part in any charge assessment or any other Crown decisions in any ongoing case."

Freestanding staircase

2010-01-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Ever think of installing a freestanding stair. These stairs, with self supporting stringers, require no additional support beneath. I spent the better part of yesterday installing a couple of them in the Kerrisdale area of Vancouver, BC. Take a look at some of the pics and imagine how difficult it can be to load a truck, bring said truck within reachable distance of the house, carry 19 rise stair into the house (with the help of several other men), prop the stair into place, and securely fasten it with screws and PL400 glue. It is beautiful, not inexpensive, but worth the money. sterday I installed plywood stairs but have done them in a variety of exotic woods, including maple, walnut, fir, oak, mahogany, cherry, etc.

Shanghai Building Collapses, Nearly Intact

2010-01-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

From a recent Sky Canaves article I stumbled upon, embarrassing information for Chinese construction and government. This lays doubt to almost any structure in China, where it would appear from the outside that lax building codes and inspections are rampant in the country. The catastrophic earthquake a year or so ago, where much of the casualties were the cause of poor construction, to a new building simply falling over.

A nearly finished, newly constructed building in Shanghai toppled over, killing one worker. As can be seen in the photos below, the 13-story apartment building collapsed with just enough room to escape what would have been a far more destructive domino effect involving other structures in the 11-building complex.

The development, known as “Lotus Riverside,” has a total of 629 units, 489 of which have already been sold. Now buyers are clamoring to get their money back, and authorities are making efforts to reassure them. The assets of the project’s developer, Shanghai Meidu Property Development Co., have been frozen and the city officials said the developer’s ability to repay homebuyers was secure, according to a statement on the municipal government’s Web site.

Meanwhile, the cause of the accident is under investigation and nine unidentified people from the developer, contractor and management company have been detained. A representative of Shanghai Meidu could not be reached for comment.

The disaster could reveal some uncomfortable facts about lax construction practices in China, where buildings are put up in a hurry by largely unskilled migrant workers, and developers may be tempted to take shortcuts.
According to the Shanghai Daily, initial investigations attribute the accident to the excavations for the construction of a garage under the collapsed building. Large quantities of earth were removed and dumped in a landfill next to a nearby creek; the weight of the earth caused the river bank to collapse, which, in turn, allowed water to seep into the ground, creating a muddy foundation for the building that toppled.
The South China Morning Post noted that the pilings used in the Lotus Riverside development, made of prestressed, precast concrete piles, are outlawed in Hong Kong because they aren’t strong enough to support the kind of ultra-high buildings that are common in Hong Kong. But in mainland China, they are often used because buildings there are typically much shorter.

Quality problems have long plagued construction in China, though they seem to be more apparent in rural areas and smaller cities, not in major metropolises such as Shanghai and Beijing. When school buildings were flattened by last year’s massive Sichuan earthquake, a number of parents faulted shoddy construction for creating “tofu buildings” that fell while other nearby structures were able to withstand the impact of the quake. More recently, state media reported that several new dams along the Yellow River are in danger of collapse, a situation attributed to shoddy construction practices, embezzlement and unqualified workers.

Supporters of Vancouver's safe injection site are celebrating victory today at BC's highest court

2010-01-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

"The B-C Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal from the federal government which is trying to shutdown Insite. When the decision was announced, the packed courtroom erupted in applause. Supporters are holding a news conference this hour on the steps of the courthouse. They say today's decision actually strengthens their position. The ruling means the site can stay open without permission from Health Canada."

http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/

Vancouver has adopted a Four Pillars Drug Strategy to reduce drug related harm in the Downtown Eastside. Harm reduction is featured as one of these four pillars, with the other three including prevention, treatment, and enforcement.

Despite having several positive benefits arguments have been made against Insite. In particular, the RCMP have released a report (in late 2006) voicing their stance against Insite and the harm reduction model: “[T]here is considerable evidence to show that when the perceived risks associated to drug use decreases, there is a corresponding increase in the number of people using drugs.” The report also claims that harm reduction efforts “”by themselves lead to a never-ending cycle of drug use.”

This is a complicated issue but I feel one has to use common sense; why are we allowing people to legally allow themselves to inject themselves with illegal drugs. I know the arguments of safety, health, and that it allows for an opportunity to educate, and perhaps wean them off of drugs. I don't buy it; we should make it difficult to purchase, punish the dealers more severely, and do everything possible to discourage the use of illegal drugs. Here, with these safe injection sites, I believe we do just the opposite.

The Burrows-Auger saga is going to get messy

2010-01-12T11:47:00.000-08:00

Excitement in the world of hockey. A Vancouver player, Alex Burrows, infamous for his 'diving' on the ice, showed up an NHL ref a month or so ago by apparently faking an injury to draw a penalty. It worked, and the referee, Stephane Auger, justifiably needed to even things out. It got out of hand last night. All is well, except prior to the game it appears as if Stephane Auger told Burrows he would even things out tonight, and get him back. He then went out and did just that. The integrity of the game is now at stake.

On two separate occasions the ref made questionable calls on Alex Burrows. We won't even look at the first call as in my opinion, though unwarranted, Burrows was looking for a call on a perceived dive. Number two call raises questions. In the waning minutes of a 2-2 game, Auger called Burrows for interference. Video evidence clearly shows no call should have been made. Nashville capitalized on the power play and won the game.

The ref clearly affected the result of the game and should be suspended indefinitely. It is not for personal profit, but the result is the same and the integrity of the game is being brought to the forefront.

Players take note - refs carry grudges.

2010 Olympics - love / hate

2010-01-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

So, the Olympics are coming to Vancouver next month. It has been a long process, and it has flown by. In browsing the net this morning I found a posting on Craigslist (Vancouver), 25 reasons to hate the Olympics. I am personally looking forward to the games, but still find validity in some of the complaints. I will go through just a few:

1. Female Ski Jumpers not permitted to jump. (Sexual Bias) - bogus

5. UBC students not permitted to post anti-Olympic posters or hold protests. (Freedom of Expression suppressed) - maybe something here

7. Free Speech “zones”. (Freedom of Expression suppression) - same as number 5, but an arguable point

10. Inukshuks being made in China. (Ignorance of indigenous people) - business is business

12. Hotels who are raising their rates. (Price Gouging) - once again, this is an opportunity for businesses / people to make some money. God knows we will have to pay it back for the next 25 years.

13. Landlords who kick out their tenants for the Olympics. (Rent gouging) - rare

19. VANOC’s double dipping on the resale of tickets. (GREED) - I do hate double dipping, basically scalping their own tickets

25. Patriotic Canadian red mitts and hat sold by the Hudson’s Bay Company, made 100% in CHINA. - so what

The Olympics are coming. There is no stopping it so let's get behind it, have a great time, put on a good show, and build some lasting memories.

Dog attacks cougar to save 11-year-old boy

2010-01-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

This brings tears to one's eyes. I am a dog owner, and though I very much doubt my dog would act as valiantly, a retriever by the name of Angel leapt and fought a cougar in Boston Bar, BC (about 2 hours out of Vancouver) to defend his 11-year-old 'master'.

http://www.vancouversun.com/attacks+cougar+save+year/2403441/story.html

Collecting wood outside his home, the dog was staying particularly close to the boy and when the cougar attacked went to the boy's defense. The cougar would have killed the dog had it not been for a 911 call to a nearby policeman, who rushed to the scene and shot the cougar whilst it had begun to kill the dog.

All appears well with dog -- got to get myself a retriever!

I have a sheltie, an incredibly obedient & well behaved animal, but a tad on the wimpy side.

Canada goes for gold!

2010-01-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

Since the early 80's, a new Canadian holiday tradition has developed; the world junior hockey championships (U20). I remember catching the 1982 game vs USSR that year, a 6-0 pounding by our boys, that natually caught my attention. We went on to win gold that year, and since then have won countless other golds in the same tournament.

This year will pit Canada against the USA in the gold medal final, a rematch of an exciting round robin game in which Canada came back late in the game to tie 4-4 and then won in a shoot out.

Canada should win, but the Americans are a good team and Canada has the tendency to get cocky at times. That round robin game may have been the wake up call Canada needed though. Should Canada win, this will be there 6th consecutive gold medal, a record for the tournament.

Let's show them how it is done boys!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

First of all, happy new year to all. It has been 2-3 years since I tried blogging; time for another go. My wife is an avid blogger, and I am trying to update my website to include a couple of blogs.

The website is not updating nicely; not sure why & it is driving me crazy.

Been so long since I blogged not sure what to do. How about a resolution; I actually started last March & have continued 9 months now, but let's make it formal. Regular exercise, better diet. I do exercise a lot now, probably 5 times on top of my cycling to work. As for diet, I have managed to stay away from the sweets for the most part right through the holidays. I do drink a bit, beer, wine, and will try to cut back on that a bit. What can I say, I like the buzz. I know ... regular blogging!

I attach 2 pics that update much; my oldest boy (14) & I last summer on a river in northern Ontario, and my 11-year-old daughter, a few days later, proudly (?) displaying her catch.

I'm baffled

2007-10-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

I'm baffled ... my son has done very well in his hockey since his first year, always being one of the strongest skaters, good skills, wants the puck, etc. but he is simply not doing it this year. The competition is higher, but not so high as to make it impossible for him to score, to succeed. I hope he is going through a phase, and will soon come out of it with a new ability to battle through difficult situations. In the meantime, I watch and wait. I critique as well, perhaps to much.

Not sure if I wrote this before, but I manage the New West peewee A team this season, and this is proving time consuming, far more than I thought. In November we are heading to Oliver, BC for a tournament, and I had to arrange hotels, tournament info, and now will have to look into a bus, etc. On top of this, I have to handle game to game affairs, liaison between coaches and parents. Why did I do this?

Free haircut!

2007-09-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

One cannot speak highly enough about Craig's List (http://www.craigslist.com/). I recently decided to look into this site, and have become next to addicted to it. In the past number of weeks, I have sold an old jogging stroller we had for $65, and in all likelihood the stroller would have been tossed at some point. I purchased a desk for $30, an office chair for $25, make a contract with a fellow to park his vintage vehicle in my empty garage for $75 a month, a year contract paid in advance, and received 3 free next to new toilets, which I will indeed use in time as I have 2 failing toilets. And .... we had a stylist, shall we say an aspiring stylist at Suki's, a high end hair salon in Vancouver, cut my daughter Mia's hair as part of his studies. Mia's hair has been the needle in my toe for the past several months, as it is long, tangled and she does not take care of it. Now ... she sports a bob, and is already breaking hearts.

U8 Soccer

2007-09-15T14:33:00.001-07:00

My soccer player Kai ... all of 6 years old. He will turn 7 soon and is playing U8 this season. It is interesting noting the differences between my children. Rick (12) has always 'wanted the ball', or in his case, the puck. He strives for it, wants it on his stick, wants to score. As I was watching Kai this morning, I was thinking he might be the prototypical midfielder in soccer (in all honesty I do not know soccer that well); he doesn't seem to have any desire to score, to go to the ball, carry it up, and score. He is happy in midfield, waiting for the ball, and upon receiving it does a move or two and passes it up. A ringer he is not, but he actually does seem to have some skill.

I sit on the sidelines urging him on, and soon find out he does not appreciate. He wants me to watch, but to be quiet at the same time.

Hyack

2007-09-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Why do I like this picture? Well, not many have the 勇気 (courage) to kiss a fish like this, and then share it with the world. I can pretend to be 'green', practicing catch & release fishing, but then one could argue I choose to torture fish. Anyway, that is me! Next, why "Hyack"? Well, I could choose something like Salmonbelly, the name the local lacrosse teams use, which is equally interesting here in town. In 1995 I moved to New Westminster, BC. I have a habit of adopting everything around me as my own, and immediately embrace my house, neighbourhood, city, region, province, country, etc. as my own. Well, one of the knicknames here in New West is Hyack, which I am told means 'faster' in one of the local native languages. I like it.

New West try-outs underway

2007-09-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

My son is trying out for the peewee rep hockey team in our town, the New Westminster Royals. All sports seem to bring out the worst in some parents, myself not excepted. The tension around the try-outs is thick. I have 3 kids, a 12 year-old boy, 9 year-old girl & 6 year-old boy. I am not overly concerned with the manner in which the 2 younger children perform, but for some reason get irritated when I see my 12 year-old not performing to expectations. Being the oldest has advantages, but also higher expectations I believe.

New Westminster try-outs began a week or so ago, paring down the players to 22. From here, another 8 kids or so will be cut. My son is considered one of the stronger players so I am not overly stressed this year. The first cuts included a huge boy with good skill, but a terrible attitude, another small boy with great positioning but a weaker skill set, and many in the middle. This season I step away from coaching, especially at the rep level. Rep parents have high expectations and can cause a lot of stress to coaches, something I don't need.