Thursday, March 31, 2011
NATO’s now threatening to bomb Libya’s rebels
"This is just way too confusing. .." "Aren’t the rebels mostly, scratch that, all civilians by definition? " read here
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Canadian-U.S. Second World War commando unit gets official tartan
A new tartan design will be officially filed with the Scottish national tartan registry for the First Special Service Force, a Canadian-American unit created in 1942 and disbanded after barely a year of intense warfare.
The creation of the tartan is being spearheaded by the Helena, Mont.based Shining Thistle Pipe Band and the First Special Service Force Association, which represents the remaining members of the unit and their descendants. The force trained at Fort William Henry Harrison in Helena before heading into combat.
"We want to not only recognize and honour them, but to hear their stories before they are lost," said Bill Woon, the executive director of the association and the son of a Canadian member of the commando unit..."continue reading
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Begging ban needs study: solicitor Panhandling task force would cost $50,000
Instead, Saskatoon's city administration is recommending a $50,000 study that will include interviews with panhandlers and business owners this summer and a look at how other cities are tackling begging, with an action plan ready by the end of fall.
"A ban must be the last possible option," said city solicitor Theresa Dust, a member of the city's panhandling task force, who brought forward the recommendations.
"It's very hard to create a solution if you don't know what the problem is."
Saskatoon already has bylaws in place governing aggressive panhandling, but some councillors asked if passive panhandling could be outlawed in Saskatoon's downtown and surrounding areas.
"In our opinion, in order to have a chance at justifying a total ban (under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms) . . . council needs significantly more evidence on what the problem is, what the alternatives to banning are and what has been done to test the potential successes of those alternatives," the city solicitor says in a report to council.
The study will identify areas where panhandling is occurring and will interview store owners, homeless people and panhandlers to see "if there are things which can be done which would have them leave the street." The study will also review busking laws and look at people's perceptions of street safety, the report says.
Coun. Myles Heidt, who suggested the widespread ban, supported the evidence-based research approach, but said much of the problems facing panhandlers and homeless people are self-evident.
"If we don't know now, I'm not sure what a task force will do," he said.
Heidt said the answer may lie in an approach similar to Calgary's, where an enforcement officer can hand out tickets but can also put the person in touch with a street outreach program.
Saskatoon is dealing with many of the same issues boom-era Calgary did with an incoming population seeking opportunity, officials say.
Marjaleena Repo, a social justice advocate, told the city's administration and finance committee Monday that panhandling is a "manufactured problem" with no evidence to suggest it merits more regulation.
"This whole thing is confrontational to a population that is helpless," she said.
A proposed ban on panhandling within eight metres of liquor stores was supported by the committee Monday.
Randy Pshebylo, executive director of the Riversdale Business Improvement District, said many people want the liquor store on 20th Street closed because of the lingering problem of aggressive panhandling.
"The knee-jerk reaction would be to close the liquor store," he said. "We have to tackle the complete problem."
The recommendations require council approval April 4..."read here
Busker in article. Is busking the same as panhandling? Should you see Shea busking in downtown Saskatoon throw your spare change his way.
"If Tomorrow Never Comes"- Shea Greyeyes
Deadly Antibiotic-Resistant Superbug Spreads in Southern California
bug pic
L.A. County Care Facilities Reported 350 Cases in Six Months, Health Officials Say
March 25, 2011 An antibiotic-resistant superbug once thought to be rare is spreading through health-care facilities in Southern California, health officials say. read here
Peach the Chihuahua: Japan's newest police dog
In what is a first for Japan and perhaps the world, a long-haired Chihuahua named "Momo" -- "Peach" -- passed exams to become a police dog in the western Japanese prefecture of Nara.The brown-and-white, perky Momo was one of 32 successful candidates out of 70 dogs, passing a search and rescue test by finding a person in five minutes after merely sniffing their cap.
"Any breed of dog can be entered to become a police dog in the search and rescue division," said a Nara police spokesman.
But he admitted that news a Chihuahua had been entered may still come as a surprise to many.
"It's quite unusual," he said.
Television footage showed the 7-year-old Momo bounding across grass or sitting proudly, long hair blowing in the breeze.
Momo will be used for rescue operations in case of disasters such as earthquakes, in the hope that she may be able to squeeze her tiny frame into places too narrow for more usual rescue dogs, which tend to be German Shepherds.
The public response to the news of Momo's selection took police by surprise, the spokesman said, adding: "The phone's been ringing all afternoon."
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; editing by Paul Casciato)http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/19/us-japan-chihuahua-idUSTRE6AI1EE20101119
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By Bill Sanderson Saudi Arabia's King Salman (right) and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef walk to greet President Obama in Riy...
