Drought Spreads Worldwide

Stories of drought are mostly localized to the affected country. However, this is a global problem...take a look at these news headlines gathered from around the world...all within the last couple of months.

Decade of Drought: A Global Tour of Seven Recent Water Crises

Drought Persists in 13 Provinces:  Bangkok Post

Vancouver Island Fishing Banned as Drought Hits Level 4 : CBC

North Korea Hit Hard by Drought: Korea Times

Dried Up California Lake Shuts as Summer Kicks in: NBC Photos

Puerto Rico, Grappling With Potentially Historic Drought: IBT

Dramatic Photos Show Brazil's Crippling Drought

Canada at War Cartoons

The Murder and the Money Trail

Hard to find journalism this good anymore....

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2013-2014/the-murder-and-the-money-trail

The Beer Fridge

I know exactly how this guy feels...I watched the last Canadian Olympic Gold Medal game on my laptop in Mexico....All I remember is seeing Crosby going for the net and all of the sudden the Internet stopped...One minute later it came back on and the whole stadium was cheering...talk about a bitter-sweet  moment...nonetheless, I was ecstatic!

The Beer Fridge Project Indonesia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iXYTwuuLxs

Interview with Morgan...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8d_0ZmzAu4

The Beer Fridge-Scan Your Passport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gper3YkzMg

Best Cities and Countries for Travelers and Expats 2014

Cuzco, Peru.

Best Cities to Visit 2014
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/lonely-planets-best-in-travel-2014-top-10-cities

Best Countries to Visit 2014
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/lonely-planets-best-in-travel-2014-top-10-countries

Best Countries to Visit on a Budget 2014
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/lonely-planets-best-value-travel-destinations-for-2014

And this is really Cool...

Best Countries for Expats...According to HSBC...
http://www.expatexplorer.hsbc.com/#/countries

Three Videos to Warm the Soul IX

Happy Birthday Canada...here's three incredible videos of Canada, if you have more...post them! Cheers and Enjoy!

Northern Lights Legends
https://vimeo.com/22894171

Heart of Van City
https://vimeo.com/62177211

Mountains in Motion: The Canadian Rockies
https://vimeo.com/45941676

See more cool vids here...
http://ajarnmike.blogspot.ca/2013/03/simplicity-is-not-always-bad.html

The Growing Importance of the Arctic Council

 

See full Size Image Here.

According to the United States' National Snow and Ice Data Center, the amount of Arctic ice (usually at a minimum during September) was 3.61 million square kilometers (1.39 million square miles) in September 2012 -- close to 49 percent lower than the average amount of ice seen between 1979 and 2000. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle.

Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes. In 2012, 46 ships transporting a total of 1.3 million tons reportedly used the Northern Sea Route, which runs along the northern coast of Russia; this represents a considerable increase from 2011, when 34 ships transported approximately 820,000 tons.

Read more: The Growing Importance of the Arctic Council | Stratfor

http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/growing-importance-arctic-council

French Oil Company Warns Against Drilling in the Arctic...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/09/26/total-arctic-drilling.html

Canadian Government tries to Censor the CBC

Harper's attempt to control CBC troubling

Stephen Harper's recent Budget Implementation Bill, in its provision towards commandeering Canada's public broadcaster, is yet another serious step in the prime minister's office dictating and controlling public information. 
READ MORE HERE...
http://www.canada.com/Harper+attempt+control+troubling/8353338/story.html

The petition has over 70,000 signatures so far but they need a lot more...sign here...
https://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=33&ea.campaign.id=20400&ea.tracking.id=8f9f9832

Wringing Out Water in Space

Science never ceases to amaze...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFPvdNbftOY

Babies: Born to be good?

Psychologists have made breakthroughs in our understanding of what babies might be thinking, and what they could possibly know about justice, helping, honesty, fairness. Even before they learn to talk!

See full documentary here...
http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/Shows/The+Nature+of+Things/ID/2296544019/

Best Countries to be Born in--- 2013

Here's a list of the most desirable countries to be born in...very interesting.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1309424--canada-ranks-in-top-10-of-best-places-to-be-born-in-2013

The Story of Amanda Todd

 

A heartbreaking, yet amazing story of a Vancouver teen who is driven to suicide after experiencing years of bullying both on and offline.  Definitely, worth sharing...

The mother of a teenager who died Wednesday of suspected suicide wants her daughter’s anti-cyber-bullying video to be used to help other young people.

Fifteen-year-old Amanda Todd was found dead in a Port Coquitlam home at 6 p.m. Wednesday, five weeks after she posted a heartbreaking video on YouTube detailing how she was harassed online and bullied.
“I think the video should be shared and used as an anti-bullying tool. That is what my daughter would have wanted,” Carol Todd, Amanda’s mother, told The Vancouver Sun in a message on Twitter.

See full video and story here...
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Port+Coquitlam+teen+driven+death+cyberbullying+with+video/7375941/story.html

Or here... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7afkypUsc&feature=g-logo-xit 

Update...

The internet vigilantes: Anonymous hackers' group outs man, 32, 'who drove girl, 15, to suicide by spreading topless photos her...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2218532/Amanda-Todd-Anonymous-names-man-drove-teen-kill-spreading-nude-pictures.html?ICO=most_read_module

 

Three Videos to Warm the Soul V

Incredible films...

Inspirational Moments in film...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoCZFoXCbWk&feature=related

This is my winter...

https://vimeo.com/31572650

Green Day...American Idiot ...Wicked vid with a cool ending...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yi-LvnM_5M&feature=relmfu

 Also check out...

Three Videos to Warm the Soul IV

Vancouver Now the Most Expensive City in North America

Vancouverites who complain about the city’s notoriously high cost of living aren’t imagining things: the city is now the most expensive place to live in North America.

Canada’s Pacific metropolis nudged out glamourous New York and pricey Los Angeles to claim the top spot on continent, according to the Economist Magazine Worldwide Cost of Living Survey released yesterday.

Ironically, Vancouverites can consider moving to the Big Apple to save money.

READ MORE HERE...

http://www.globaltvbc.com/vancouver+now+the+most+expensive+city+in+north+america/6442580994/story.html

New York Times OP-ED Slams Canada....

Our Not-So-Friendly Northern Neighbor

 

 Canada used to seem a progressive and just neighbor, but the picture today looks less rosy. One of its provinces has gone rogue, trampling basic democratic rights in an effort to end student protests against the Quebec provincial government’s plan to raise tuition fees by 75 percent.

On May 18, Quebec’s legislative assembly, under the authority of the provincial premier, Jean Charest, passed a draconian law in a move to break the 15-week-long student strike. Bill 78, adopted last week, is an attack on Quebecers’ freedom of speech, association and assembly. Mr. Charest has refused to use the traditional means of mediation in a representative democracy, leading to even more polarization. His administration, one of the most right-wing governments Quebec has had in 40 years, now wants to shut down opposition. 

The bill threatens to impose steep fines of 25,000 to 125,000 Canadian dollars against student associations and unions — which derive their financing from tuition fees — in a direct move to break the movement. For example, student associations will be found guilty if they do not stop their members from protesting within university and college grounds. 

READ MORE HERE...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/opinion/our-not-so-friendly-northern-neighbor.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

518 arrested as Montreal police kettle demonstrators

A peaceful evening march that began with people festively banging pots and pans in support of protesting students ended in the early morning hours with police using the controversial “kettling” tactic on a crowd of demonstrators and arresting 518 people.

Montreal wasn’t the only city to have roundups Wednesday night. There were also mass arrests at student protests in Quebec City and Sherbrooke.

Kettling is a tactic widely used in Europe where riot cops surround demonstrators and limit or cut off their exits. It has been widely criticized because it often results in the scooping up of innocent bystanders as well as rowdies. A recent report by Ontario’s police watchdog blasted Toronto police for their use of kettling during the G20 summit two years ago, saying they violated civil rights, detained people illegally and used excessive force.

READ MORE HERE...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/518-arrested-as-montreal-police-kettle-demonstrators/article2442043/

ALSO WORTH CHECKING OUT...

Canada's Online Spying...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZILMivNgI

Was it Worth it? Canadians reflect on the War in Afghanistan

Reflections on what we were fighting for in Afghanistan from a handful of Canadians who actually waged the war or led the battles over issues of principle and peace...


WAS THE WAR WORTH THE COST? – "The mission was worth the cost because it toppled a repressive regime, removed a major terrorist threat, helped Afghans begin rebuilding their lives and institutions after decades of war. Canada played a leadership role in education, rural development, as well as in a major, UN-mandated NATO mission. Canada and the world are safer for it."

Chris Alexander – former Canadian ambassador to Kabul, then the UN’s deputy special representative to Afghanistan until 2009 and now a Conservative MP.

WAS THE WAR WORTH THE COST? - "Certainly not to the people of Afghanistan or Canada. After 20 years war and five years of the Taliban, Afghans got another decade of violence and corruption. Canadians got skyrocketing military budgets and underfunded social programs. The winners were defence contractors and the power elite willing to trade the leftovers of Canadian independence for more business in the United States."

Raymond Legault – prominent anti-war activist, community college teacher in Montreal and spokesman for Échec à la guerre

WAS THE WAR WORTH THE COST? – "Despite the heroic efforts of Canadian Forces men and women, and the great respect they deservedly won for our nation, our mission in Kandahar was definitely not worth the cost of over 150 Canadian lives lost and countless others destroyed by the fallout of war, let alone the tens of thousands of Afghan people and other coalition forces who have also been killed." 

Pat Stogran – retired colonel, who led the first Canadian combat contingent in Afghanistan in 2002 and later served as Canada's first Veterans Ombudsman where he was a tireless champion of better treatment for wounded soldiers

READ MORE HERE...


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/was-it-worth-it-canadians-reflect-on-the-war-in-afghanistan/article2326272/

The Next Hundred Years

A great antidote to today's mainstream plastic pop world.  Vancouver-based hard rockers, The Next Hundred Years' new album is raw and heavy with some cool songs like F.I.T, Pyramid and 1987.  Play it loud!

Listen to full album here...
http://thenexthundredyears.bandcamp.com/

100-year-old Vancouver Island driver stopped for speeding for first time

 Stories of the Enduring human spirit are awesome...

VICTORIA— It took 100 years for one B.C. man to tarnish his perfect driving record.
The centenarian was stopped for speeding in a school zone Tuesday, a shock to a traffic officer in the Victoria suburb of Saanich when she saw the 1911 birthdate on a driver’s licence, which was good for another five years.
The traffic officer pulled over the 100-year-old driver in a Buick Century when he was spotted going 50 kilometres an hour in a school zone, where the limit is 30 kilometres an hour.
The man had a flawless driving record, so the traffic officer gave him a warning ticket.
“I was shocked, not only at the 100 years of age, but the brand new five-year renewal driver licence,” said Const. Janice Carmena.

READ MORE HERE...
http://www.vancouversun.com/year+Vancouver+Island+driver+stopped+speeding+first+time/6273384/story.html

Vancouver-Voted World's Best City 2011

Vancouver has been rated as the ‘most liveable city’ in the world.
The Canadian west coast city was ranked top for the fifth year in a row in a survey in which London made it only to number 53.

Read more here...

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359139/Vancouver-voted-best-city-world-live-London-trailing-53rd-place.html

World Stats

Education

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), evaluates the quality, equity and efficiency of school systems in some 70 countries that, together, make up 90% of the world economy. By testing between 4 500 and 10 000 15-year-old students in each country, OECD PISA provides an internationally standardised assessment and has become a powerful tool for countries wanting to improve their education systems.
Get Stats here:

http://blog.oecdfactblog.org/?p=339

More Stats...

2010 World Corruption Index

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results

and a cool...

World Sunlight Map

http://www.die.net/earth/peters.html

UPDATE:

The OECD has another very cool interactive graph that allows you to choose what is most important for you in life and then tells you which country matches your criteria.  Pretty Amazing...
http://ajarnmike.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-best-country-for-you.html