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Published monthly and distributed thru out the communities of northern Manitoba *(plus) Issue # 30
April 2014
Circulation 12,000
Planning a Trip to USA? You better read this!
Maybe your parents have stories about the way the border of Canada and US used to be – guards eating donuts and waving or maybe even sleeping at their posts. Things have changed. Now it’s all interrogation and snarling drug dogs and fear of shoe bombers when you’re crossing from Canada to US. Don’t get too smug, Canadians: crossing the border from the US to Canada isn’t exactly a matter of high-fiving a Mountie while smoking a joint. Here are a few tips to help you minimize the seemingly inevitable hassle.
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Manitoba & RCMP News
Gillam RCMP complete multiple drug seizures Gillam, Manitoba , March 11, 2014 - On February 9, 2014, Gillam RCMP, with the assistance of officers from Gillam office of Conservation and Water Stewardship executed a CDSA (Con-
Trafficking and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime. Champagne has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in Gillam Provincial Court on April 23, 2014. This was the second CDSA search warrant completed by members of Gillam RCMP in the span of a few months.
Cross Lake RCMP Investigate Homicide at Pimicikamak Cree Nation On March 1, 2014, shortly after 3:00 am, Cross Lake RCMP along with local emergency services responded to a report of an stabbing. A 26-year-old male victim of Pimicikamak Cree Nation was transported to the nursing station
the RCMP Forensic Identification Section continue to investigate.
Beware online scams that lock computers for ransom, say RCMP RCMP are warning the public about an online scam that targets computer users and holds their computers for a ransom in exchange for money. The malicious software, known as ransomware, pops up on users' computers and tries to trick them into paying money to have the software removed. "This type of pop-up goes far beyond being a nuisance and can actually harm your computer," said Cpl. Christian Hochhold of the RCMP technological crime unit. "If you cannot access anything on the computer beyond the pop-up screen your computer
Once installed, the malicious software prompts a message to appear indicating the files are locked and the data will be lost unless you pay the scammer a sum of money. RCMP say this type of ransomware is very difficult for malware-scanning software to get rid of — however RCMP say people should not cave to the scammers' demands. "Do not pay the scammers' ransom request. Be sure to frequently backup your important data in case your computer is infected and if it is, have it cleaned to remove any malware," advises Hochhold. To prevent ransomware attacks, police advise people to: Have a proper firewall installed on your computer. Ensure software such as anti-malware, web browser and operating system are up to date. Be cautious of the websites you visit. Don't open email attachments unless your trust the source. Regularly scan your computer for malware. It may be possible to remove the ransomware yourself following instructions in an online search but it might be necessary to have a professional look at your computer.
Lynn Lake RCMP investigate arson trolled Drugs and Substances Act) search warrant at a residence on Michener Avenue in Gillam, Manitoba. During the investigation, police seized a quantity of marihuana, several hundred dollars in Canadian currency and drug paraphernalia. Axel Champagne, 26, of Gillam, Manitoba was arrested and has been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of
where he was pronounced deceased. A 30-year-old male subject of Pimicikamak Cree Nation was arrested at the scene and has been charged with Manslaughter. The victim and the accused are known to each other. The name of the victim and the accused will not be released. RCMP Officers from the Cross Lake Detachment assisted by the RCMP Serious Crime Unit,
is infected." The malicious software freezes access to the computer system it infects and then demands a ransom be paid to the creator of the malware in order for the restriction to be removed. RCMP say in some cases, the ransomware installs itself on the computer and encrypts files on the hard drive, preventing users from accessing their own files.
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On March 7, 2014, just after 7am, Lynn Lake RCMP responded to a house fire at a residence in Lynn Lake, Manitoba. The local fire department attended and extinguished the fire. RCMP report no injuries in this incident and that the cause of the fire was suspicious. Shortly after 1 pm, RCMP officers from the Lynn Lake Detachment and the Leaf Rapids De-
Northern Echo Printed at Winnipeg Sun 1700 Church Avenue Winnipeg, MB R2X 3A2 Telephone: 1.204.694.2022
page 3 tachment arrested Deryle Richard Johnson, 39, of Brochet, Manitoba. Johnson was charged him with arson to property, uttering threats, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer with a weapon and failing to comply with a probation order. Police say that Deryle Johnson was also wanted on previous warrants. In total, Johnson is facing 27 charges related to three separate incidents.
Kijiji user stabbed while trying to sell cellphone A man is in hospital in critical condition after he was stabbed trying to sell his used cellphone to a buyer he found on Kijiji, Calgary police say.
some point the 21-year-old was stabbed in the chest, said Det. Torrey Killam. The victim’s girlfriend drove him to the South Health Campus emergency room. EMS crews then took the victim to the Foothills hospital in life-threatening condition, Killam said. The man’s condition has since been upgraded to serious but critical.
ASIRT called in after Medicine Hat police kill man The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to investigate after police shot and killed a man near Medicine Hat on Saturday.
Medicine Hat police force had located a vehicle. Upon arrival, police said, they were confronted by an armed man and immediately called in RCMP to help secure the area. When the suspect tried to leave the area, police shot and killed him. Medicine Hat police said it's not clear what connection the vehicle on the property may have had to the missing person report being investigated by their investigators at the time of the incident. Police say they believe criminal activity occurred on the property before they arrived but the nature of that alleged activity has not been clarified. The Calgary RCMP Major Crimes Division will take over the investigation of the scene because it is outside Medicine Hat city limits. ASIRT is called in to investigate incidents or complaints involving serious injury or death of any person, and matters of a serious or sensitive nature, that may have resulted from the actions of a police officer.
Sixties scoop: Aboriginals adopted into white families want formal apology
At around 10:30 p.m. MT on Sunday the victim and his girlfriend went to the RBC parking lot in Shawnessey to meet the person who had placed an ad in search of a used cellphone. The victim got in the person’s vehicle and at
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In a news release issued Sunday, Medicine Hat police said they received a report of a missing person on Friday. The next day, the investigation into that missing person brought investigators to a property just outside city limits where a member of the
WINNIPEG - Some aboriginal people who were adopted into white families during the socalled Sixties Scoop say it's their turn for reconciliation and are calling for a formal apology from the federal government. Dozens of adoptees gathered in Winnipeg on Monday to tell their stories — many for the first
time — and figure out how to get justice. Coleen Rajotte was taken from her Cree community in Saskatchewan when she was three months old and raised by a Manitoba family. Adoptees were robbed of their real families and feel someone has to be held accountable, she said. "If someone came into your home today, took your children and shipped them to the United States and around the world, we would want answers," she said. "That's what we as adoptees are asking for. Someone has to take responsibility for this." From the 1960s to the 1980s, thousands of aboriginal children were taken from their homes by child welfare services and placed with nonaboriginal families. Many consider the adoptions as an extension of the residential school system, which aimed to "take the Indian out of the child." Rajotte said she was lucky enough to be placed into a loving home, but she lost her language, her culture and her connection to her ancestral home. When she recently went to the home she would have grown up in had she not been adopted, Rajotte said it was overwhelming. "I was physically ill for days just trying to process all of that," she said. But while residential school survivors have had a formal apology and are the subjects of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, adoptees haven't been formally recognized. "Personally, I would like to see some kind of formal apology to all adoptees that were taken
continued on page 8
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across CANADA Coyote attack in Edmonton prompts police rescue Police used a helicopter to help rescue a woman and her three dogs Thursday night in Edmonton after a pack of seven to nine coyotes attacked one of the dogs while on a walk in the southwest area of the city. The woman called 911 at 8:20 p.m. after falling down a sixmetre embankment in the Riverbend/Terwillegar area while trying to save her dog.
Police used Air 1 to light the area, while tactical officers rappelled down the embankment to rescue the woman, who was unhurt. Const. Steve Minarchi from the Edmonton police tactical section said the woman was frightened because she believed the coyotes were stalking her. “It was very obviously very late at night. It was dark," he said. "She was in some pretty thick bush and was obviously pretty scared.” Meanwhile, the injured dog ran out onto the frozen North Saskatchewan River. “What it looks like is that the dog actually ran onto the ice to get away from the coyotes and they were probably smart enough not to follow it," Minarchi said. The dog was rescued by Edmonton Fire Rescue and taken to an emergency veterinary clinic just before 11 p.m. “The dog was obviously pretty badly injured, but it was alive
at the time that we were able to retrieve it," Minarchi said. The woman's other two dogs were unhurt. Minarchi didn't see the coyotes himself, but said officers in the police helicopter saw about 10 of them on the ground. Fish and Wildlife officer Francesco Marchet thinks the coyotes were trying to defend their territory. "It is coming to the end of their breeding season, so you're going to have a few coyotes in the area," he said.
Major new credit card scam uncovered in B.C. A man and woman from Surrey are facing multiple charges after Vancouver police say they uncovered a huge new credit card scam that goes after customers' Royal Bank of Canada reward points. Daniel Adam Suchecki, 34, and Christa Dawn Hucal, 25, who police believe are the ringleaders, have been charged with numerous offences related to identity theft, including impersonation, possession of stolen mail and forgery. Police say this case has uncovered a new method of stealing identities and property by using information from a victim's RBC Visa statements — sometimes obtained by mail theft — to redeem points and purchase gift cards. Det. Phil Ens said the scam is likely to go unnoticed until the victim tries to redeem their points. "Always be aware, number one. When you get your credit card statements, especially if you're with RBC, be aware of what your redeem points are...and if all of a sudden they're disappearing, you might make a call," he said. The fraud was uncovered as part of Project Lancer, a joint investigation between the Auto Crime Enforcement Unit, the Identity Theft Unit and the Canada Border Services Agency. The investigation began in January after officers spotted two men in the parking lot of the Starlight Casino in New Westminster. When police checked the cars, one was a stolen pickup truck and the other was a rental car that had been rented with a fraudulent credit card.
Police said they also recognized the suspect in the car as someone who had a long history of fraud, theft and identity theft in the Lower Mainland.
When investigators searched the suspect's Surrey apartment, they say they found about 200 credit cards and IDs in other names, together with stolen mail, a credit card reader and writer and credit card data. They also found memory sticks containing templates for driver’s licences, SIN cards and birth certificates along with finance credit applications, another 100 different personal IDs and $20,000 in e-gift and hard-copy gift cards. In addition, the probe recovered three stolen vehicles. There are believed to be more than 100 victims of the scam, including some from Alberta and the United States whose credit card details were stolen from computers in B.C., in what police are calling "unbelievable access." Police believe Suchecki and Hucal had others working for them, since the stolen mail was seized from nearly every jurisdiction in the Lower Mainland. Ens says police have been working with RBC since they first learned of the scam and continue to advise them about making adjustments to their security systems. The scam was made possible in part because flags were not raised when the billing address of these gift cards was different from the credit card owner's address.
Air Canada passenger sues after seat-bumping dispute A Halifax man has taken Air Canada to small claims court after he says the country’s largest passenger airline refused to compensate him when he was bumped from a flight last month.
Dan Lachance sometimes flies to other cities to teach computer classes to corporate clients. In early February, he was bumped from a flight in Vancouver while on the way from Halifax to Whitehorse. He and another passenger had tickets for the same seat. Lachance was told he had to wait for the next Air Canada flight to Whitehorse, which wasn’t for another eight hours. He arrived in Whitehorse just before midnight — a total travel time of 24 hours from Halifax. "Exhausted, tired," Lachance said. "I had hoped to make con-
page 5 tact with who I was doing work with in Whitehorse that afternoon, but that had to wait to early the next morning instead." According to Air Canada’s tariff, it must pay a passenger $800 if they are bumped for more than six hours. The airline, however, refused to pay. Lachance decided to take Air Canada to small claims court and served them with papers on Tuesday. The next day, he said he got a call from the airline, which offered to pay him. "It's not about the money," Lachance said. "It's just really to make the point of having felt deceived where Air Canada in my view didn't do the right thing." Gabor Lukacs is a passenger rights activist who says the initial refusal to pay is part of a pattern. "I believe that there is a very strong financial incentive for airlines to find various excuses to disobey the rules," he said.
Drunk women force Canadian North to alter flight plan A Canadian North plane was forced to alter its flight plan because of two women who were reportedly drunk and unruly. The incident occurred during a March 13 flight from Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay. Scott Weatherall is with Canadian North.
He says a male flight attendant was accosted and bruised on the flight. He hasn’t returned to work since. When the flight arrived in Kugluktuk, RCMP were waiting at the gate. They took both women into custody. One was released and the other may be facing charges. The flight then headed back to Yellowknife to pick up an extra crew member and continue on to Cambridge Bay. The crew believes the women snuck bottles of alcohol aboard and were drinking in the washrooms. Weatherall said it costs about $20,000 to send the plane back to Yellowknife, and it delayed passengers by about four hours.
Why a cat bite could land you in the hospital: Surprising results from new study Cat bites can post a serious risk of infection, according to a new study. Cat lovers might want to take extra caution the next time they tempt the wrath of their favorite pet feline. A new study produced by the Monarch Clinic has found that cat bites are potentially more serious than most individuals, and medical experts, previously thought. In fact, about 30 percent of people seeking medical treatment for a cat bite need hospitalization to treat the wound. Dr. Brian Carlson, who led the study, said: “Among hand surgeons, this is not really as surprising,” The three-year study confirms what hand surgeons like Carlson have long suspected — that most people who suffer from serious cat bites simply assume the wounds will heal on their own. “Cat bite injuries to the hand can progress to serious infection,” reads an excerpt from the study. “The treatment of such infections often requires hospitalization, intravenous antibiotic therapy, and operative treatment … these findings should increase concern for a severe infection and warrant hospitalization and urgent consultation with a hand surgeon.” In most cases, a cat bite isn’t serious. Cats have smaller teeth than larger pets like dogs and rarely are able to tear the skin. However, a cat bite poses a threat almost like a needle injection. On the surface, the bite might not appear to pose a health risk, but the deep puncture wound may have left dangerous bacteria inside a person’s body. In January, Marie Joyce wrote an op-ed for the Toronto Journal how a bite from her pet cat left her in the hospital for four days. And earlier last month, an Ontario man caught a case of bubonic plague after being bitten by a cat. “With cats, they can insert the bacteria quite deeply,” Carlson said. And if the bite is located on one of the hand’s joints, the body’s immune system is less likely to be able to flush out or attack the source of infection. “On the hand, there are so many joints,” Carlson said. “They don’t have any circulation, they are just petri dishes. The immune system doesn’t have access to them.” Bottom line: Carlson says if you’ve been bitten by a cat and don’t see improvement in the wound in the first 24 hours, you should probably seek treatment. Beyond that, he says, caregivers also have a responsibility to do more than hand out a course of antibiotics. For example, in the Monarch Clinic study, 21 patients did not respond to antibiotic treatment. If a deep joint wound isn’t properly treated, it may end up needing costly surgery. “I was surprised to see how bad so many of them are,” Carlson said. “We see many cases requiring multiple surgeries. “
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boats and light aircraft in recent years as the fences along the 2,000mile frontier become higher, stronger and more extensive. "These cartels have spent years and tens of millions of dollars trying to create a secret underworld of passages so they can move large quantities of drugs," Laura Duffy, the United States attorney for the San Diego region told reporters.
US shuts Mexican drug smugglers 'cross-border 'super tunnel' Tijuana-San Diego tunnel sporting lights and electric railway among most sophisticated unearthed by US authorities.
US authorities have shut a sophisticated drug smuggling tunnel recently dug under the US-Mexican border. The tunnel – said to be 2.4 miles long – linked a warehouse in Tijuana to another in San Diego, California. Derek Benner, head of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, said it was equipped with lights, ventilation and an electric rail system. Benner said the zigzag route suggested the builders had gone off course. The tunnel runs about 10.7m (35 feet) below the surface and is about 1.2m high and 90cm wide. Three people were arrested and more than eight tonnes of marijuana and 147kg of cocaine seized in connection with the "super tunnel", which they said had been closed before it was used for smuggling. The tunnel was discovered by the San Diego Tunnel Task Force. The unit, set up about five years ago, had reportedly put the warehouse on the US side under surveillance after learning about the purchase of drills and other construction equipment in August and September 2013. Mexican cartels have become more dependent on tunnels, small
This particular tunnel was reportedly associated with the Sinaloa drug cartel headed by Mexico's most infamous and elusive kingpin, Joaquín 'El Chapo' Archivaldo Guzmán Loera. A similar tunnel connecting Tijuana and San Diego discovered two years ago, connected with the seizure of 32 tonnes of marijuana, was also associated with the Sinaloa cartel. US autorities say they have discovered more than 75 tunnels crossing the border since 2008, concentrated in California and Arizona. The San Diego/Tijuana area is a popular place for tunnels because of the ease of digging through the clay-like soil of the area, as well as the existence of areas on both sides of the border filled with nondescript warehouses that help hide both construction and loading and unloading activities. In other parts of the border, cartels have adapted underground drainage tunnels.
Senators to investigate NSA role in GCHQ 'Optic Nerve' webcam spying Three senators condemn UK spy agency’s ‘breathtaking lack of respect’ over interception of Yahoo users’ webcam images
US navy admiral Cecil Haney, left, and NSA director Keith Alexander testify before the Senate on Thursday. Photograph: Gary Cameron/Reuters Three US senators are planning to investigate any role the National Security Agency played in its British partner’s mass collection of Yahoo webcam images.
Reacting to the Guardian’s revelation on Thursday that UK surveillance agency GCHQ swept up millions of Yahoo users’ webcam chats, senators Ron Wyden, Mark Udall and Martin Heinrich said in a joint statement that “any involvement of US agencies in the alleged activities reported today will need to be closely scrutinized”. The senators described the interception as a “breathtaking lack of respect for privacy and civil liberties”. On Friday, the Internet Association – a trade body representing internet giants including Google, Amazon, eBay, Netflix, AOL and Twitter – joined the chorus of condemnation, issuing a statement expressing alarm at the latest GCHQ revelations, and calling for reform. According to documents provided to the Guardian by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, the GCHQ program codenamed Optic Nerve fed screengrabs of webcam chats and associated metadata into NSA tools such as Xkeyscore.
NSA research, the documents indicate, also contributed to the creation of Optic Nerve, which attempted to use facial recognition technology to identify intelligence targets, particularly those using multiple anonymous internet IDs. Neither NSA nor GCHQ addressed the Guardian’s questions about US access to the images themselves. Outgoing NSA director Keith Alexander walked away from a reporter on Thursday who asked the army four-star general about the NSA’s role in Optic Nerve. Wyden, Udall and Heinrich are all members of the Senate intelligence committee. They said they were “extremely troubled” by Optic Nerve and planned to investigate it during the commit-
page 7 tee’s announced omnibus inquiry into the scope of US surveillance activities revealed over the nine months since the Guardian and other news outlets began reporting the Snowden disclosures. “We are extremely troubled by today’s press report that a very large number of individuals – including law-abiding Americans – may have had private videos of themselves and their families intercepted and stored without any suspicion of wrongdoing. If this report is accurate it would show a breathtaking lack of respect for the privacy and civil liberties of law-abiding citizens,” they said. GCHQ’s program, which uses data collected by cable taps as it transits the internet, does not filter out information from British or American webcams. Under UK law, there is no requirement for UK or US material to be removed from the agency’s databases. Additional legal safeguards apply when analysts come to search the database for material on individuals located in the British Isles, though there are no UK laws banning searches for US citizens’ data without a warrant. The documents seen by the Guardian make clear the lengths to which GCHQ has gone to prevent sexually explicit material appearing in the analysts’ searches. According to one document, it made up between 3% and 11% of the material stored under Optic Nerve. The agency used face recognition software in an attempt to prevent explicit images clogging up search results but the documents make it clear that those tools were not always successful. Analysts were advised that if they were “uncomfortable about such material” they should not open the images. The guidance adds: “Retrieval and or reference to such material should be avoided.” GCHQ declined to comment on Optic Nerve but said all its programs operated in full accordance with UK law. The three US senators said the revelation prompted new thinking about how the interconnectedness of global communications had “dramatically increased the likelihood of innocent Americans being swept up in intelligence collection nominally aimed at foreigners. “It is becoming clearer and clearer that more needs to be done to ensure that ‘foreign’ intelligence collection does not intrude unnecessarily on the rights of law-abiding people or needlessly undermine the competitiveness of America’s leading industries.” President Barack Obama said in a 17 January speech that foreigners ought to enjoy some degree of privacy from US surveillance, but has left the specifics undefined. In a statement, the Internet Association’s CEO Michael Beckerman said: Today’s revelations, about British intelligence practices, are alarming and reaffirm the need for greater transparency and reform of government surveillance. Governments must immediately act to reform the practices and laws regulating surveillance and collection of Internet users’ information. The most pressing Internet user privacy issue continues to concern governments’ access to and use of electronic data. The Internet Association supports the Reform Government continued on page 8
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Surveillance principles and encourages legislation to limit governments’ authority to collect users’ information and increase transparency about government demands.
Leaked emails show amount of money Microsoft gets from government info requests Earlier this year, the hacker group known as the Syrian Electronic Army hacked into a number of Microsoft's websites and social networking accounts, via an email phishing scheme. Now that same group has revealed some of the documents it stole from Microsoft's emails, which show a portion of the money the company gets by charging government agencies for information requests.
The Daily Dot reports that they received the documents from the SEA, which include emails and invoices from Microsoft to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specifically the agency's Digital Intercept Technology Unit (DITU.) For example, the documents show that Microsoft charged the DITU $352,200 in August 2013, at $200 per information request.
Neither Microsoft nor the DITU would confirm the authenticity of the emails and invoices. However, a few weeks after the SEA hacker attacks, Microsoft did admit "that documents associated with law enforcement inquiries were stolen."
After Southwest jet lands at wrong airport, air traffic controller says, 'Are you kidding?' DALLAS, TX - A newly released air traffic control recording captures the confusion when a Southwest plane landed at the wrong Missouri airport in January. Southwest Airlines Co. said Monday that the captain and copilot remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the Jan. 12 incident. Both men have at least 12 years of experience at the airline. In a recording released by the Federal Aviation Administration, an air traffic controller at the main Branson, Mo., airport can be heard clearing Southwest Flight 4013 to land. After the plane stopped, one of the pilots radioed, "I assume I'm not at your airport." "Southwest 4013," the controller answered, "uhm, have you landed?" "Yes." The Branson tower called a regional air traffic centre in Springfield, Mo., to check on the plane. Then he relayed news that the pilot said he had landed at the wrong airport. The plane had touched down at another and smaller Branson-area airport. "Are you kidding?" an official in Springfield responded. "No, I'm not," the Branson tower answered. The Southwest pilots landed at night by sight instead of using instruments to guide their approach. They had to brake hard to stop
Microsoft has been publishing the number of inquires it gets from governments and law enforcement agencies worldwide for the past year or so. Just a few days ago, the company revealed it had received a total of 72,279 requests for customer information in 2013. The story says that the site consulted with lawyers to examine the documents stolen by the SEA and they felt that not only were they genuine but that Microsoft was perfectly correct to charge the government for those types of requests. Indeed, they seem to believe the government should be more transparent in revealing just how much money it is paying Microsoft and other companies to obtain customer information.
the Boeing 737 with 124 passengers before the end of the smaller airport's runway. The runway there is only about half as long as the one at the main Branson airport. There were no injuries. Aviation experts have questioned why neither pilot realized the mistake before landing.
continued from page 3
from their homes," Rajotte said. "That's a lot of children — 20,000 children across Canada." A spokeswoman for federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said there would be no comment. "As this case is currently before the courts it would be inappropriate to comment further," she said in an email. A class-action lawsuit launched by some survivors in Ontario in 2009 is slowly making its way through the courts. The lawsuit was certified, but Canada recently won leave to appeal that decision.
Manitoba Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson said it's time adoptees were given the same opportunity for reconciliation as residential school survivors. Some adoptees were put with families where they were treated as farm hands or subjected to horrific abuse, he said.
"It's not an easy thing to talk about the hurts that many of them endured as children, not knowing who they were, being a brown face in an all-white school as an example," said Robinson, a residential school survivor who organized the two-day gathering. "Those things are very difficult to talk about in this current day but they have to be addressed." Those adoptees at the gathering hope to emerge with a strategy for recognition and a sense of what supports they need to heal, he said. "Compensation no doubt will come up," Robinson said. "There's got to be a certain degree of accountability by governments."
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Just don't drop it. Man finds egg worth $33.3 million The Faberge Egg made for Russian royalty that was bought by a scrap metal dealer.
NEWS 2 Canadians arrested for taking naked photos at Machu Picchu
Tourists look at the Inca citadel of Macchu Picchu in Peru. Two Canadians were arrested for taking nude photos of each other at the archaeological monument. Just days after Peru's Ministry of Culture called the practice "disrespectful," two Canadian tourists have been arrested for taking nude photos at the historic Machu Picchu site. Peruvian media reports say the 20-year-old Canadians were arrested on Wednesday for taking photos of each other at the archaeological monument. The reports identify the Canadians as Marc Antoine Daudelin and Patrice Mathieu and say they were taken away by police and their cellphone photographs erased. The arrest of the Canadians came a few hours after a pair of Australian tourists were arrested — also for taking nude photos at Machu Picchu. Nude photos or videos taken at Machu Picchu have recently become common on social media and Peruvian officials have called the practice obscene or profane to the sacred site. Earlier in the week, Peruvian authorities announced they were stepping up security at Machu Picchu to prevent tourists "from committing this type of behaviour."
You hear about these sorts of things happening. Just never to you. A person sees a painting at a garage sale, decides to buy it for $5 only to later discover it was painted by someone incredibly famous and worth more than they could have possibly imagined. Same thing here — only with an egg. A scrap metal dealer in the Midwest stumbled upon an incredibly rare Faberge egg at a sale, the Daily Telegraph reports. The unidentified man, sensing the golden egg was worth considerably more than the $13,000 being asked, plunked down the cash. It isn't often wise to pay $13,000 for an egg, but in this case, the man's risk was well rewarded. Turns out the piece of art is worth a whopping $33.3 million, according to the Daily Telegraph. Why? The egg was once owned by Russia's Tsar Alexander III and was seized during the Russian Revolution. It is one of only a few original Faberge eggs still known to exist. Kieran McCarthy, the Faberge expert who verified the man's discovery, compared the find to "Indiana Jones finding the Lost Ark," according to the Daily Mail. After the man bought the treasure, he did some online research and found a 2011 article seeking the whereabouts of the exact egg in his possession. He sought out an expert opinion and — voila — instant retirement fund, and then some. The last time the egg had been seen in public was in March 1902.
Russian daredevil photographer takes the ultimate selfies His name is Kirill Oreshkin and he is the ultimate selfie master. There has been a lot of buzz lately of these daredevil photographers who will risk their lives for the perfect shot. This young Russian photographer is no different. Okay, he might be a little crazier than most, as he prefers to take shots of the city of Moscow atop the highest point he can find. His photographs, show himself posing at very extreme heights in order to capture the astounding views of the city. The shocking part is that he is only equipped with his camera.
That’s right! The photos of himself literally hanging off the sides of buildings by his fingertips are taken without safety measures in mind. No ropes, no harness, no problem. "When I feel confident about my grip, I have no fear."
Don't look down. "In the beginning, I was afraid of heights. I was even afraid to approach the edge of the building let alone hang off of it. But now, that fear is gone. It came with experience," said Oreshkin. The tallest building that Oreshkin has climbed is the Mercury City Tower. Standing at 1,112 feet, it is the tallest building in Europe. "What's going through my head when I'm there? Nothing special. I just try to think about hanging tight and staying alive."
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Why internet upload speed in Canada lags world average In a busy week, Jeremy Phan might do 10 photo shoots for various business clients, each typically taking about five or six hours and resulting in two to five gigabytes worth of images. But that’s only half the job. After processing the photos at home, he spends a seemingly interminable period watching a status bar on his computer inch forward as he uploads his work to clients, many of whom are looking to add virtual tours of their offices to their web sites and Google Street View. Phan has a fast internet connection for downloading in his Toronto condo, but he’s stuck in the slow lane when it comes to the other direction. His $80-a-month internet plan gives him a four-megabit-persecond upload speed – just a 10th of the download speed – and anything higher would cost significantly more. He has considered switching to the other provider available in his building, but that wouldn’t save him much time or money. Such is life in Canada, where upload connections are among the worst in the developed world. “Upload speeds are so frustratingly slow that oftentimes, it's quicker for me to copy the files onto a USB stick and drive it over to clients,” he says. For the most part, consumers choose their internet plans based on download speed, price and data allowance, paying little attention to upload capabilities. But with sharing, the social web and entrepreneurialism exploding, getting things up onto the internet is becoming just as important as downloading email, music and movies. Applications such as video conferencing, home security monitoring, online gaming and cloud-based file storage — all of which depend on fast and reliable upstream connections — are rapidly moving from early adopters to the mainstream. But with an average upload speed of 5.67 Mbps, Canada ranks 53rd in the world and below the global average of 7.6 Mbps, according to the Net Index from Montana-based speed-testing firm Ookla. That’s in stark contrast to world leaders Hong Kong and South Korea, where internet users see average speeds closer to 61 and 45 Mbps, respectively. Canada also rates below the G8 average of 8.8 Mbps and is being outperformed by several developing nations, with upload speeds in Manitoba and British Columbia comparable to those in
Facing Your Fears – Guy Tattoos Spider on His Face to Combat Arachnophobia Honduras and Iraq, respectively. The poor showing is partly due to the fact that fast upload speeds are not available in some parts of the country. In Winnipeg, for example, many customers of Manitoba Telecom Services are stuck with a maximum of 5 Mbps. The same goes for northern Canada, where Northwestel is the main provider. Where faster uploads are available, they usually cost a lot. For anything over 10 Mbps, major internet providers such as Rogers in Ontario, Shaw in western Canada and Eastlink in the Maritimes are charging anywhere between $120 and $253. So, while many consumers do have access to better speeds, relatively few choose to pay extra for them. Experts say the situation is reflective of the larger competitive dynamic in telecommunications service in Canada. Most markets are being serviced by one big phone company and one big cable provider. Smaller independent ISPs such as Teksavvy and Telnet operate as alternatives in many places, but the speeds they offer are often limited by the big network owners they connect to. The big companies therefore have little incentive to ratchet up speeds. “They’ve used the drip-drop approach where they steadily offer more, often at pricing that’s difficult to compare with some of the competition,” says Michael Geist, the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. “They’ve been reluctant to open up the tap fully and offer up to consumers what the technology is capable of.” Part of the problem lies in how telecommunications services have historically been sold in Canada. Many new innovations – think BlackBerry – have generally been aimed at businesses first, with mainstream consumers eventually following along. Better and faster internet connections have followed the pattern, with businesses paying more for them initially. Business are “in the minority and they need it and are willing to pay, so it sets the market price,” says Bill Sandiford, president of Telnet and the Canadian Network Operators Consortium, which represents a group of independent ISPs. The service providers say they have simply been matching supply with demand. Rogers, for one, says upstream usage accounts for only 13 per cent of total traffic on its network. The company ex-
pects overall internet usage will continue to increase significantly by 40 per cent year over year, so better upload speeds will inevitably follow. “In the past couple of years, we have tripled or quadrupled the upload speeds for our most popular tiers,” says Rob Goodman, senior director of internet product management at Rogers. Phone companies have also been upgrading their networks with faster fibre, meaning they’re increasingly able to offer better uploading. Bell, for example, is offering 10 Mbps uploads in Ontario starting at $56. In Manitoba, MTS has rolled out its FiON network to 14 communities so far, providing access to upload speeds of up to 30 Mbps, although that service is priced at $280 a month. "MTS offers a variety of high-speed internet plans, tailored to suit individual customer needs,” says spokesman Craig Lawrence. Things are slightly better on the wireless side. With an average upload speed of 5 Mbps on Ookla’s Net Index, which tracks millions of wired and wireless speed tests around the globe, Canada ranks 14th in the world. However, with usage limits typically capped at just a few gigabytes per month, wireless connections aren’t suitable for many of the heftier upload-intensive applications. Critics don’t believe that following along with existing demand is good enough in an increasingly digital society. By constraining upload speeds, providers may in fact be discouraging certain types of online activities. Jamie Granek offers network and security services such as internet-connected home cameras, alarms and intercoms to both businesses and individuals through his Toronto-based company Freebird Solutions. A potential customer in Vancouver recently considered setting up a cloudbased system that would allow employees to work from home, but ultimately decided against it because of the high cost of the necessary upload connections. “Having the ability to access your own information and resources on your own network is a key function of the network today,” Granek says. “You can’t really separate the download from the upload anymore.”
Now here’s a guy who literally ‘faced’ his fears. To deal with his morbid fear of spiders, Eric Ortiz got a black widow spider tattooed on his face. You’ve got to be either really gutsy or really stupid to put something so huge and permanent on your face. We are not sure which one Ortiz is. The 24-year-old from Deltona, Florida, said: “Everybody fears spiders. That’s why I got it. Just to, like, make me know, that that’s what I fear, but not to fear it. You know what I’m saying?” Not too sure we know what he’s saying. How can putting a spider tattoo on your face make you less scared of spiders? Well, it’s his face and if it works for him, who are we to judge? But a lot of people are judging Ortiz for his rash decision. “Everybody looks at it like, ‘Damn spider’.
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No Need to Be Jealous of Others By Mike Mahler
“If you are discontented but unwilling to give up what is holding you back, you will have to admit that it is you who has chosen to reject success and to abandon the dream of being all of the best you can be. If this is so, you can stop getting jealous whenever you see other people around you succeeding in the life you thought you wanted for yourself.” – Chin-Ning Chu, from her book Do Less, Achieve More
Over the years, I've realized you can't want success for others more than they want it for themselves. You can give someone the tools they need for success but if they don't use those tools and follow through, success will always evade them. You can send them opportunity after opportunity and introduce them to all the right people, yet success will always evade them. Why are some people not prepared to lay the groundwork for success? Who knows? As motivational speaker Jim Rohn says, “It's one of the mysteries of the universe.” The main reasons people fail to succeed? Lack of self-responsibility and self-awareness. You have to take charge of your life and take responsibility for your success. It's not anyone else’s job but your own to be successful--as long as you rely on other people and relinquish responsibility, you won't experience success. No matter what others do for you, if you don't take responsibility for yourself, it's all in vain.
fit their lifestyle. That's the service I provide--not coddling people and treating them like children.
The online client who didn't follow through on his end chose to blame me for his lack of success, even though he chose to neither follow the program designed for him nor to send his journal for feedback. While he was motivated enough to pay for a training program, he wasn't motivated enough to take the real-world action and responsibility necessary for his success. Many people feel that if they're paying someone for a service, that person is now responsible for their success. Well, it doesn't work that way: no one else can do this work for you. You can't drop the “success burden” upon others and expect positive results--such a mentality is for losers! The best others can do for you is act as guides and consultants, supporting your getting on track and staying there. At the end of the day, you have to put in the work.
yourself--and of what are you capable? What is it about yourself that holds you back? Plenty, probably, if you take an honest appraisal. Yes, you have to take a ruthless look at yourself and address your weak points. Of course, this means actually accepting that you have weak points and then, more importantly, doing something about them. The former is often harder than the latter as it's easy to wear blinders and blame circumstances or the world for your own lack of success--people do it every day.
jealousy of others' successes. The unsuccessful can't stand to see people do what they themselves didn't have the stones for. Whenever someone acquires success, the jealous people get angry. What they fail to realize is this: successful people are prepared to pay the price of success, thus any jealousy of that success is both petty and counterproductive. Jealousy is a wasted emotion which misplaces your focus. Again, the focus needs to be not on others, but inward-on what you are prepared to do. Your own lack of success isn't anyone else’s fault, and your wasted jealous energy won't change this.
I'm not the type of trainer who'll come to your house and wake you up in the morning or call everyday to motivate you--that's not what “Aggressive Strength” is all about. I want to work with people who are ready to make a change and are self-motivated. These people require guidance, direction, and a personalized program to
The following is a chart I compiled of some characteristics, traits and behaviors seen in successful people vs. unsuccessful people:
Drawing others in with your positive attitude, is one of the reasons “happiness magnets” get the best jobs. 10 Reasons Happy People Get More Job Opportunities 1. People seem to feel comfortable confiding in you. 2. People follow your recommendations. 3. You’re a source of material comfort or security for someone else. 4. People whom you’ve introduced often go on to have a continuing relationship.
Rather than feeling jealousy around successful people, a betLets get back to the client: the client didn't follow the program ter use of vital energy is feeling inspiration--realizing that what designed for him and never sent me his training journal. I require all my clients to keep a training journal and to send me that journal every Friday for review. This keeps the client and I both engaged and committed; however, I clarify up front that if you neglect to email your journal I won't be emailing you.
The Success Indicator
Next, lets talk about self-awareness: what do you know about
One common trait holding back unsuccessful people is their I once had an online client who signed up for a three-month program. I put a program together for him and never heard back...until six months later when he emailed me complaining I'd let him fall off-course and that it was my fault he didn't succeed. In his world, it was my fault. After all, he'd done his part in paying for the program, right? Wrong: you can't buy success; success is earned though action. Yes, you can buy knowledge, which is critical to success--but certainly not everything, there are plenty of knowledgeable people out there in all manner of fields who aren't successful, due to lack of right action.
same year over and over again as a decade's passed you by. But you always have this choice: if you're content where you are, stay there and continue with your daily routine--or, choose a new direction for yourself and finish what you once started. Live Life Aggressively!
others can do, so can you. It boils down to that word no one wants to hear: sacrifice. What are you prepared to sacrifice for success? You can't watch four hours of TV everyday, then waste four more hours surfing the Internet, then complain that you don't have time for creating success. When you take time to assess your situation and your daily habits, what becomes clear is what you're not doing and thus, what needs to be done. The only question left is--what are you prepared to do now?
One thing is certain: days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Before you know it, you've repeated the
5. People seem to drift toward you, join a conversation that you’re having, and sit down next to you at a meeting. 6. You’ve recently been involved in the improvement or growth of an organization, group, or process that involves many other people. 7. You are providing opportunities for other people – job leads, blind dates, contacts in a new city, and so on. 8. People whom you hardly remember go out of their way to greet you warmly (i.e. the friend of your old roommate, or a former coworker). 9. People seem to want to connect with you — by making plans or by e-mailing, calling, or texting. 10. People seem energized by you (i.e. they smile and laugh in your presence).
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7 Things You Should NEVER Say to a Dog Parent
Some things are better left unsaid. No matter how 1,000 words. To each their own, and if talking to my dog bothers good something might sound to you—before you utter you then don’t eavesdrop. it aloud—there are some basic “no no’s” when it comes to talking with a dog mom or dog dad. Here are 5. “That Dog Should Be Put Down; 7 definite comments you should never tell a dog parent. He’s Costing You Too Much Money” See how many of these have been hurled your way. 1. “You Have Dogs Because You Don’t Have Kids, Right?”
Not only is this rude, but there are millions of people who enjoy both varieties of kids: both the human and the canine types. If you are someone who chooses to have children and then look down upon me or any other millions of childless by choice folks with a sneer, think twice before you speak. We are not lesser people for not having human children. In fact, many of us feel much richer by being graced by the presence of a dog.
2. “Oh, Your Dog Died? Well, Get Another One!” Though I said “never again” to allowing a dog to enter my life and thus my heart, exactly 30 days after losing my dog in 2008, I did bring another dog into my life. I know I could never not love this way again. For millions of us, hearing “just get another one” when a dog dies is insensitive and can be interpreted as downright cruel, no matter how well-intentioned your words might seem. We do not replace people when they pass, and dog parents feel the same way: A life is irreplaceable no matter the form it takes.
3. “Dogs Should Not Be Allowed on Furniture/Bed” To everyone whose name graces my birth certificate other than myself, I say “shhhh.” According to a survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association, almost half of dogs sleep with their owners in their owner’s beds. Until you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, where their dog is allowed to reside is totally their own business. Besides, some of us sleep better, feel calm, and are generally more positive people with a dog by our side, present company included.
4. “That Dog Doesn’t Understand What You’re Saying” I talk to my dog. Raise a paw if you are one of the millions of people who talks to their canine family member(s). I do this whether I am doing laundry, shopping in a pet-welcoming store, or driving in the car. Maybe he doesn’t understand “Mommy needs a new pair of pumps” but he knows the intonation of my voice and responds with a tail wag and a tilted head; or sometimes no reaction at all. Dogs are living, breathing beings, and it is a fact that much of what we say is understood. Just ask Chaser, the dog who knows well over
Perhaps one of the most unsavory and disturbing trends involves folks who feel they are the mortality police. The decision to euthanize a beloved pet is a very personal and heartbreaking one. I know because I’ve been down that road. Telling me to put a dog down in the name of cost savings is grounds for dismissal from my life, and I know I am not alone in feeling this way.
World’s Biggest Aircraft Is Funded by Iron Maiden’s Frontman The world’s largest aircraft is RC-controlled and funded by the lead singer of Iron Maiden. Image: HAV It looks like a sketch from Howard Hughes’ notebooks, but this massive air ship is real, and currently the biggest aircraft ever produced. It can also be remote-controlled and land on water. And the lead singer of Iron Maiden is an investor.
6. “You Shouldn’t Let that Dog Kiss You” My mouth, my face, my dog, my life: These four factors alone are all reasons why dog kisses are allowed. Yes, there is a whole scientific school of thought, and some fact, about germs and bacteria and cross contamination and zoonotic diseases. If you don’t want a smooch from my pooch if I am getting a dog kiss, look away and say nothing.
7. “You Are Welcome, But the Dog Is Not” As someone who has traveled the country with dogs for over 20 years, my mantra is “love me, love my dog.” I do not expect dogs to be allowed everywhere and anywhere, but I do expect the welcome mat to be rolled out if I want to bring my well-behaved dog with me to certain things. Granted, I know my dog can’t come to your wedding or to someone’s funeral, though I’ve seen pooches at both. If you simply do not want my dog at your house because you just aren’t all that into dogs, then sorry: I’m just not all that into you.
The HAV 304 “Airlander” is just over 300 feet long. That’s nearly 60 feet longer than a Boeing 747, 80 feet longer than the Spruce Goose, and 30 feet longer than the Antonov An225, the previous title-holder for the world’s largest aircraft. The flying leviathan was produced by British aeronautics firm Hybrid Air Vehicles, and it’s being considered for commercial and rescue applications–at around $100 million each. The Airlander’s design is more complex and functional than its Hindenberg aesthetics would indicate. The hull’s shape produces the same aerodynamic lift as an airplane wing, and a series of enormous bladders are filled with inert helium to get it airborne. Four turbocharged, V8 diesel engines produce 350 horsepower a piece and power the propellers. The rear and forward props push it forward, but the Airlander’s design allows for “zero-energy” lift during long-distance flight and it can hover for 21 days straight, albeit while burning about 818 gallons of fuel per day. Top speed? A modest 100 mph, but that’s still impressive for something tipping the scales at 38 tons and designed to haul many more tons of cargo. On the bottom, the “skids landing system” is made of pneumatic tubes that inflate to allow the Airlander to land on sand, water, or dry land, all without the need for an airstrip. Because it’s heavier than air, it doesn’t need anyone on the ground to pull it to the earth, unlike last century’s helium ships. All these features make it perfectly suited for disaster relief, or–more likely–transporting heavy equipment for oil or mining companies. The U.S. Army oversaw development of the original model, then called the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV). HAV conducted test flights of the original Airlander over New Jersey, but the U.S. military never pursued the project because budget cuts prohibited its development. HAV ended up buying back the Airlander for a paltry $301,000, a fraction of what the feds invested in its development, and managed to ship it across the Atlantic in four massive boxes before the U.K. government gave HAV $4.2 million to continue development.
page 15 Booming sales of cannabis have pot merchants scrambling to find enough vacant warehouses suitable for growing their product.
Denver - Capitol of Weed
Not every municipality in Colorado allows marijuana cultivation, and in Denver, where it is OK, very little space is available. Denver's industrial vacancy rate of 3.1 percent is abnormally low — the lowest in decades, according to brokerage firm Colliers International. Commercial real estate tracker Xceligent Inc. estimates that marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facilities in the city occupy about 4.5 million square feet — the equivalent of 78 football fields.
5 Pot-growing warehouses in short supply as demand for legal weed surges
"This industry has come on so fast that initially I was uneasy — it seemed like a fad," said
Brad Calbert, president of the Colliers International brokerage in Denver. "But what's making it sustainable is supply, demand and capital. Supply is deficient, demand is excessive, and capital is abundant." Rabid demand for warehouses is pitting pot dispensary against pot dispensary, while landlords capitalize by charging premium lease rates. Industrial brokers report instances of warehouse space leasing for as much as four times the prices paid before marijuana sales began to boom.
The newest wave of impact in the industrial market is occurring as recreational pot sales, which began Jan. 1, are robust. State budget officials are projecting sales of $613 million over the next year — more than 50 percent higher than previous projections. That's on top of an estimated $345 million in medical dispensary sales. January sales tax figures released Monday suggest that the market may be smaller than those projections. Some recreational stores have been forced to curtail sales because strong demand from customers has outpaced supply. "Nobody is growing enough marijuana," said Jason Thomas of Avalon Realty Advisors, a firm that specializes in finding warehouse space for cannabis cultivation. "Activity is off the charts, but we're still not meeting demand." Thomas said that almost all owners of dispensaries and recreational stores are looking for more grow space, either to serve their own customers or to sell wholesale to other undersupplied merchants. At a nondescript, unsigned warehouse near
Master grower Evan Schick steps lightly as he waters the 750 marijuana plants jammed into his facility, which supplies Walking Raven dispensary. Legal pot has sent the lease rate for Denver warehouse space as high as $17 a square foot.
Interstate 70 in northeast Denver, master grower Evan Schick has to tiptoe gingerly among a green expanse of 750 marijuana plants. Growing space is so valuable that it's a waste to create aisles between the rows of cannabis that supply Walking Raven dispensary in Denver.
With each plant producing an average of 2 ounces of smokeable buds, the retail value warehouse's inventory at any given time is worth about $500,000. And that's in a 3,000-square-foot building — small by comparison with other cultivation facilities. Larger warehouses can accommodate plants worth millions of dollars. Numbers of that magnitude explain why potshop owners are generally reluctant to talk about the location and size of their growing operations. Yet the facilities are pervasive throughout Denver. Hot spots include the I-70 and I-25 corridors, South Santa Fe Drive, Brighton Boulevard and the Platte Valley west of downtown. Capital in the industry often comes in the form of cash. Marijuana's illegal status under federal law limits the ability of dispensary owners and grow-house landlords to hold bank accounts and use conventional commercial loans. Calbert related an anecdote told to him recently by the owner of a Denver warehouse. The owner was negotiating a lease with a cannabis cultivation operator and sought assurance that the grower was a good credit risk. The grower walked out to the parking lot, opened his car's trunk, and showed the landlord a suitcase filled with over $1 million in cash.
Brokers say the competition for warehouses by cash-rich growers and dispensary owners is problematic for traditional warehouse tenants, such as supply and distribution companies. They're faced with a choice of paying sharply higher rents or finding facilities in less convenient suburban locations. Industrial space in the city of Denver leases at an average rate of $4.74 per square foot, an increase of 21 percent over the past two years, according to Colliers International. But examples are plentiful of marijuana businesses willingly agreeing to far higher rates — $17 per square foot or more — in order to secure space. "The cost to play here is really tough if you don't have adequate capital," said Elliott Klug, co-founder and CEO of the Pink House Blooms chain of marijuana shops. "I thought $17 was the going rate for class C office space. It looks like they're charging me the same rate (for warehouses) that some oil and gas companies are paying for offices." Walking Raven dispensary co-owner Luke Ramirez is searching for additional grow space. The rates he's being quoted make him feel fortunate to be paying just $18 per square foot for one of his two current warehouses. But unwavering consumer demand for recreational marijuana make him and other owners willing to pay what the industrial market demands. "We cannot grow as much as we could sell right now," Ramirez said. "Nobody can."
He has found a building he's interested in leasing, but won't disclose its location. "I can't say where," he said. "There are a lot of other people out there looking, ready to come in and make a higher offer."
Job Seekers Swarm Marijuana Job Fair As Colorado’s Green Rush Continues DENVER, Colorado – If there was any doubt that the “green rush” is on in Colorado, the scene outside a marijuana industry career fair in Denver on Thursday looked like a throwback to the Great Recession. Thousands of people waited for hours with resumes in hand in a line that stretched several blocks. The O.penVAPE Cannabis Job Fair featured 15 different businesses associated with recreational marijuana sales, and it had turn people away by the day’s end. St. Louis resident Shannon Irvin has been jobless for several months. He drove to Colorado for the fair with hopes of breaking into the state’s budding industry and wound up waiting in line for 2 hours. “With this type of industry and the way the continued on page 36
Letter to Editor
page 16
LICENCE TO DESTROY:
Government fails in oversight of massive Churchill River project By Steve Ducharme President, South Indian Lake Commercial Fishermen's Association
In the '70s, the provincial government allowed Manitoba Hydro to divert the second largest river in the province and flood the fourth largest lake, displacing a vibrant community in the process. The project, known as Churchill River Diversion, was contentious. A provincial election was lost over it. Eventually though, a scaled back version of CRD went ahead, having been sold to the citizens of Manitoba on the basis that, 1) it would contribute to a brighter future; and 2) it would be operated according to water flows and levels as set out in a 1973 interim Water Power Act licence. This was the moral contract that allowed for our community of South Indian Lake to be forcibly moved and our environment turned upside down. This is what we believed to be the deal. Sadly, that contract has been largely ignored. Instead of requiring Hydro to finalize the interim licence—as was supposed to happen shortly after construction—government has allowed the utility to continually and flagrantly stretch the terms of the licence. As for the promised brighter future, we're still waiting. The water on our lake first went up in 1976. Southern Indian Lake is essentially a widening of the Churchill River, which flows eastward across the province, emptying into Hudson Bay at the town of Churchill. The Missi Falls Control Structure blocks the eastern outflow of the lake, causing it to rise. The swollen lake overflows southward through a man-made channel into a 300-plus kilometre diversion route down the Rat-Burntwood River system. That system then empties into the Nelson River where Manitoba Hydro's primary dams are located. The diversion increases the power producing potential of the Nelson River dams by up to 40 percent. It also turns our lake into a reservoir in which Hydro can store water for when it is needed. But Hydro's benefits come at our expense. The effects of CRD are drastic. Over 800 square kilometres of land are permanently flooded. Thousands of kilometres of critical shoreline habitat are affected. We see severe shoreline destabilization and erosion. Natural fluctuations of water throughout the seasons—which are essential for the health of shoreline ecosystems—are a thing of the past. The dams to the east and south of us prevent natural fish migration.
Then our fur industry and prized fishery—the economic base of our community—started to decline. Prior to CRD, the whitefish fishery on Southern Indian Lake was the second largest of its kind in North America, producing a million pounds of Grade A’ Whitefish annually. In the years after the water went up, the numbers dropped to 600,000 pounds. The decline has continued. Last season we got less than 100,000 pounds of all types of fish combined. The fishery was the cornerstone of our community for generations. Its collapse means a dismal future for the many households that relied on fishing. It also reduces options for our youth.
Our lake is sick and dying—the result of “clean” hydro. The diversion has also created a legacy of social, economic and cultural harm. First was the indignity of the Manitoba government imposing the project on us without our consent. Second, the community of South Indian Lake was forced to move because of the flooding. This move created lasting trauma for many of our people.
South Indian Lake was originally established because of the great abundance of fish and fur for both domestic and commercial purposes. For generations we were prosperous, culturally vibrant and economically independent. We know that our lake will never return to its original glory,
but we feel that if Hydro were required to live up to the seemingly long-forgotten original licence terms we would at least have a fighting chance to rebuild our fishery and our future. The 1973 interim licence required Hydro to maintain the lake level between 844 and 847 feet above sea level. Most importantly in our view, it allowed Hydro a maximum draw down of the lake within any 12 month period of two feet. Those were the terms on which the project was sold to our people. That is how we believed it was going to be operated. But in 1978 Hydro asked to test CRD operations over an increased range of water level fluctuations. This “testing”—violation of licence terms—persisted over the years, with government's knowledge. In 1986 government gave written permission for what it called the Augmented Flow Program, which essentially replaced the terms of the CRD licence. It allowed Hydro to flood the lake by another half foot, and instead of a maximum 2-foot drawdown continued on page 31
page 17
How To Dance In The Rain?
It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are? 'He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life. 'True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be . The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. 'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.'
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TOP DOS WHEN CROSSING THE BORDER OF US AND CANADA 1. YOU WILL BE PROFILED AT THE BORDER. DO LOOK IN THE MIRROR. The stories are true. Racial profiling happens at the border of US and Canada and in Canadian cities, according to these reports from the Toronto Star. It might not be right, but it keeps happening, so prepare for it. Try to tailor your appearance a little to appease border guards trained to use your ethnicity to gauge how much of a security risk you might pose. Avoid traditional dress (unless your tradition happens to be WASP office worker). Even if your ethnic background doesn’t make you seem likely to fit a “terrorist” profile, think about the impression you’re making. Maybe you don’t have to pull out the formalwear, but would it hurt to leave the anti-American t-shirt or the tie-dyed headband in the luggage until you get through the checkpoint? Border guards need to choose who to search based on some visual cues, and your scraggly beard and that unknown decoration hanging from the rear-view mirror which is sending the wrong message. The right message is “I am law-abiding and I recognize your authority,” and even if that isn’t the whole truth, it’s what you want these guys to think. The border is one of the least fruitful places on earth to rebel. Button up and play the part.
Don’t act surprised if you get hassled on the way into America wearing this, Osama. Try to use the “tell them only what you want them to know and make it sound like what they want to hear” rule. Are you an exporter, an airport baggage handler, or a sex worker? Try calling yourself a warehouse manager, a porter, or a massage therapist, instead. Make yourself seem as dull and risk-free as possible.
2. POT SMOKER? DO CLEAN UP YOUR CAR BEFORE CROSSING. You will appear much less likely to be hiding something if there isn’t a layer of garbage on your floor. Make a quick stop long
before lining up (before the last exit prior to the crossing) on either side of the Canadian and US border to throw out the trash, prepare your identification, and make sure that the border agent is going to sense order and neighbourliness (or neighborliness). If you smoke marijuana regularly, get rid of any remnants or paraphernalia. Vacuum up the stems and ashes and fish the roaches out of the ashtray(if you have one). Double check any of your usual hiding places. Search your hazy memory. The dogs might find something that you’ve forgotten. Get rid of everything and plan to replenish your supply on the other side.
Or, if you’re loyal to your dealer’s brand, a University of Western Ontario news article suggests that some border crossings into Canada merely confiscate “personal use” amounts of marijuana under 28 grams, choosing not to waste time on arrests and charges. Do a little research to figure out what “port policy” is around pot possession at the crossing of your choosing, and decide how much you’re willing to risk. This won’t work in the other direction, though: American drug laws are WAY less liberal than Canadian drugs laws (unless you are in Denver, Colorado). According to Steve Graham, defence attorney, if you’re caught with even the smallest amount of marijuana (even one-tenth of a gram!) when entering the US you could face prosecution and an entry ban decades long. Don’t risk it.
3. “YOU’RE A TERRORIST? YOU’RE A TOURIST? WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” DO TURN OFF THE RADIO. You’re going to be talking with a border agent, and you’re going to need to hear what they’re asking you so that you can answer as plainly and blandly as possible. Would you leave the music blasting at the drive-through window? No. Don’t do it at the border of Canada and US, either. The wrong topping here could be a few extra hours of search and interrogation. That’s way worse than unwanted mustard. Loud rap or metal tells the guard that you don’t
like authority. Remember: you want to fit the profile of pleasant and boring, not armed and wasted.
4. DON’T LOOK LIKE A KIDNAPPER. DO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTS IF YOU’RE TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN. You’re going to need to prove that you haven’t stolen those children in the back seat, even if they have your eyes. If you’re traveling without your significant other or if you are traveling with someone else’s children, you’ll need written permission from all of the absent parents or legal guardians of any children younger than 15. Don’t forget to include contact information. The guard might want to call for verification. The kids themselves will need proof of identity, too. If you’re crossing by land or water, children aged 15 years or younger are fine with an original or photocopied birth certificate or citizenship card. If you’re traveling by air, you’ll need to get that baby a passport. Also be prepared to let children speak for themselves: border guards might ask them some direct questions if they’re old enough to talk in complete sentences. The same rules apply if you are crossing the Canadian border in the other direction. To get your offspring into the US, you need a birth certificate or passport for children 15 and under, and you need express written permission from all absent parents and guardians.
5. NO WEAK LINKS ALLOWED. DO GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT, AND DO PUT THE CHARMING ONE BEHIND THE WHEEL. Know the citizenship and residency status of everyone in your vehicle. Make sure everybody knows which visas or permits they need, that they’ve been approved, and that they’ve brought the proper documentation. You really want to avoid lying unknowingly to the border guard, so make sure everyone knows what’s up. If you’re hoping to get across the border without fully disclosing
page 19 going to act like belligerent teenagers. It is important to do your best to stay polite. You don’t get to regress to adolescence. Don’t roll your eyes or complain. Do you want to get pepper sprayed?
8. AAAAAAAAAAARGH, THIS LINE ISN’T MOVING. DO CHOOSE YOUR BORDER CROSSING WISELY. everything there is to know about the goods you’re bringing with you or the specific plans you have, make sure everyone knows what’s up in that case, too. Guards are trained to ask questions in rapid sequence to uncover any inconsistencies, so smooth those out as much as you can. Do you hate guys in uniforms or have a short temper? Maybe let someone else drive and do most of the talking at the border. Put the calmest person with the least to hide in the place where they’ll do the most talking: behind the wheel. If that takes the owner of the car out of the driver’s seat, just say that he’s resting.
7. WANT TO AVOID THE PEPPER SPRAY? DO KNOW YOUR BORDER GUARD PSYCHOLOGY. The era of lax, genial crossings between the US and Canada is over for now, and border guards on each side are developing a reputation for discourtesy. Stephen Porter of UBC confirms that intimidation and aggression are not the most effective ways to question travellers at the border, but we have to remain prepared to deal with
Sometimes you don’t have a choice about where to cross the border, but it’s a good idea to check the Border Services Wait Times website if you’re crossing in Southern Ontario, Quebec or British Columbia, especially if it’s a holiday. Peace Bridge from Fort Erie to Buffalo crowded? Try the bridge at Queenston-Lewiston. Meandering around Eastern Ontario? Try the tiny ferry from Wolfe Island to Cape St. Vincent, New York, where the line will never be longer than the five cars they can squeeze onto the boat. Border crossings have a variety of individual policies and search thresholds, so experiment a little to find the speed and service that matches your needs. Are the officers at the small rural crossing bored and looking for an excuse to give you trouble, or are they sleepy and happy to wave you through? Ask around and try a few to find out. Visit our Border Crossing Database to find out more about the most convenient border crossing for your purposes or to share a border tip or complaint.
9. WAIT, YOU MEAN I NEED A PASSPORT NOW?
of your passports and documents open and ready to hand to the border agent. If you find yourself crossing the US and Canadian border frequently, try applying for trusted traveller status with a NEXUS card from Canada or from the US. If you’re a commercial driver, enrol in the FAST (Free and Secure Trade) program. Under both of these programs you can use dedicated lanes at most crossings, and the additional fee is relatively modest. You can also use the NEXUS at some airports. Click here to apply for a NEXUS or FAST card with us, and read this article to find out more about the futuristic technology these cards use. If you’re making the crossing from the US to Canada frequently by air or boat, consider applying for the appropriate CANPASS program. Like NEXUS, CANPASS Air involves an iris scan, while CANPASS Private Boat involves a telephone check-in system. Unlike NEXUS and FAST, which are jointly operated by the Canadian and US border agencies, CANPASS is limited to Canadians returning from the US.
TOP 10 DON’TS WHEN CROSSING THE US AND CANADA BORDER 1. SHUT UP! PART 1. DON’T TRY TO BE FUNNY. Border guards are not your friends, and it’s highly unlikely that they moonlight as talent scouts for comedy clubs. This is the wrong moment to make a buddy or tell jokes. Stay respectful and succinct and save the complaints for the drive away from the checkpoint.
DO REMEMBER THE BASICS, GENIUS. This is a no-brainer, right? You’d be surprised. Let’s make it as simple as possible: since 2008, Canadian and American citizens and permanent residents need a passport or PR card to cross the United States and Canada border. Check with US Customs and Border Protection or the Canadian Border Services to ensure that you have the proper documentation. Make sure that you have applied for and obtained the appropriate visas and waivers. Have all
2. SHUT UP! PART 2. DON’T DISCLOSE MORE THAN YOU’RE ASKED.
border agent attitude. If you complain too loudly about bad guard manners, you could end up with a face full of pepper spray, like one traveller did in B.C. a few years ago. Border guards are trained to ask pointed, probing questions: they are not customer service agents, and their demeanour is usually fairly stern. The guards are
Answer all of the guard’s questions, but avoid getting chatty about your plans if you don’t have to. Thinking of catching up on some work on your laptop a little during your vacation, for example? Don’t mention that. There is no such thing as an American working holiday visa, although there are plenty of options for continued on page 25
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page 25 continued from page 19 working holidays in Canada, or for Canadians travelling to other parts of the world. If you’re going to the U.S, however, best to say that your laptop is just for fantasy sports and YouTube. Planning a trip to propose to your girlfriend? Congratulations. But...
“about,” or “around” if you’re just above the personal exemption limits. Remove the tags, and ditch the shopping bags and receipts. If you are searched and the agents find something that you haven’t declared, it’s most likely that you’ll be delayed and that you’ll have to pay the duty. Hey, people forget the things they buy all the time, right? Mistakes can happen. If you push it too far, however, and you get caught making a false declaration crossing to Canada, you might also have your goods seized or you might have to pay a penalty that’s an extra 25-80% of the goods’ value. The worst case scenario is that you’ll lose the goods permanently and have your
3. EVEN YOUR SEX LIFE MATTERS. DON’T MENTION THAT YOU’RE PLANNING TO MARRY A CITIZEN OR RESIDENT OF ANOTHER COUNTRY WHEN YOU’RE ENTERING IT. Even if you’re in the middle of the appropriate application process, talking about your romantic attachments will not warm the hearts of the border guards and it will get you flagged as a potential risk for illegal immigration. This goes for crossing the US and Canadian border in either direction. Say that you’re visiting “a friend” and save the flaunting of your ring for the day when you’re married or your citizenship and residency information is fully settled.
vehicle impounded. You’ll also almost certainly find yourself subject to more intense scrutiny at future crossings. Getting caught with small amounts over the limit shouldn’t have lasting repercussions, unless you’re busted repeatedly. Now you know the risks. Govern yourself accordingly. Bonus tip: Never try to conceal anything you just bought at the duty-free shop. They take your name and license plate number and their database is coordinated with the border guards on each side, so lying in this case makes for a guaranteed delay. Don’t do it.
5. A CRIMINAL MIND, IT’S ALL I’VE EVER KNOWN. DON’T LIE ABOUT YOUR CRIMINAL PAST.
regulations on this, and most countries reserve the right to deny anyone the right to entry for any reason. If you are denied entry crossing from Canada to US, consider applying for a US Entry Waiver. If you are worried you can’t enter Canada from the US, consider getting a temporary resident permit. The process rules and process for both the US Entry Waiver and the TRP can be complicated and difficult, so you can always seek help.
4. HEY, IT’S ME AGAIN. DON’T LIE ABOUT ANY HISTORY OF BEING DENIED ENTRY. This is probably the most foolish lie to attempt. Border agents will definitely know that you have been denied entry, so it is extremely unwise to attempt to cover this up. Lying about this is the equivalent of fruitlessly holding your hand over part of the agent’s computer screen. Don’t bother! Follow the rules about the length of time you must wait before attempting another visit and tell the truth. And what about that computer screen? What’s do border guards know about you? Guards can access your criminal history, some of your health records, the names of your relatives, your tax status, any outstanding debts, your current employment status and location, and, of course, a complete history of where and when you have crossed borders.
5. SERIOUSLY, YOU AGAIN? DENIED ENTRY FOR 5 YEARS. DON’T TRY TO CROSS AT A DIFFERENT POINT ON THE SAME DAY IF YOU’RE DENIED ENTRY. The border guards on both sides will know that you’ve tried and failed to cross the border and they’ll know why. Deciding to change your story and try crossing somewhere else once you’ve realized too late that you needed a work visa for your trip will not
If you have run into legal trouble, check to see if it’s serious enough to prevent you from travelling. Each country has its own
4. DEVELOP A “CREATIVE VOCABULARY.” DON’T BE IN A RUSH TO EXPLAIN EVERY DETAIL ABOUT THE GOODS YOU’RE BRINGING WITH YOU, BUT KNOW THE RISKS OF INCOMPLETE DISCLOSURE It can be mighty tempting to try to bring a few extra items back from your trip without declaring them. You can push the limits of the personal exemption (see above for the exact amounts), or you can declare the extras and pay the duties. If you’re pushing it, try to describe dollar values using words like “approximately,”
fly. In fact, it will very likely lead to an entry ban of unpredictable continued on page 26
page 26
continued from page 25 length. This is an unnecessary risk.
6. DON’T SWEAT IT. DON’T ACT SUSPICIOUSLY Don’t drive too quickly or slowly up to the checkpoint. Don’t decide you need to change your clothes or stretch your legs or dump your trash once you’re in line. Don’t rustle through your belongings while the guard is questioning you. Save the M&Ms for later. Think ahead and take care of everything that you need to well before you arrive at the border.
8. ILLEGAL ORANGES. DON’T BRING PROHIBITED FRUITS OR PLANTS Check which fruits, vegetables, plants and other organic material you aren’t allowed to bring across the border and get rid of them. Now is the perfect time to gorge on those lamb chops. Pull over and fire up the camp stove. Right now there are relatively few restrictions on most plants grown natively in Canada or the US (with clear labels stating as much), but there are still plenty of restrictions on bringing food imported from the rest of the world across the border in either direction. Unless there’s an enormous diseased animal carcass hidden in your luggage, the worst that could happen here is confiscation. That said, it’s probably better not to stock up on groceries right before you cross the border of US and Canada. Check current US and Canadian regulations at the CBP and CBSA websites if you’re wondering about that pear or slab of bacon.
Baked goods and candies 20KG per person provided they don't contain meat Normally allowed.
Fish and Seafood 20KG per person Putterfish and Chinese Mitten Crab are not allowed. Personal amounts are allowed.
Fruit and Vegetables Dried: Up to 15 packages per person, but not exceeding 250KG Fruit: 15 packages or cans per person, but not exceeding 250KG Vegetables: 20KG per person Potatoes: 4KG of US#1 only Up top 15 packages per person, but not exceeding 250KG (excluding potatoes). All produce must be free of soil, pests, leaves, branches, or plant debris. Please note that there are restrictions on some fruit grown in California, Idaho, Oregon or Washington If you are traveling into BC, further restrictions may apply. Check with CBSA.
Grains and Grain Products
7. YOU AREN’T RAY CHARLES. DON’T WEAR SUNGLASSES Oh wait, are you in the Velvet Underground? Is this 1969? Didn’t think so, cool guy. Take your shades off and make eye contact with the border agent. You aren’t allowed to wear dark glasses in an ID photo, so don’t bother wearing them when you’re being
and for personal use only. Can be liquid or dried. Normally allowed, provided it is commercially labelled and is intended for personal use.
No posted rules. Contact CBSA. All grains must be de-hulled. Flour is allowed.
Spices, tea, coffee, condiments
Here are the permissible items as of March 2014. Please note that rules are subject to change and that they only concern products manufactured in Canada or the United States. If you are unsure, contact CBP or CBSA. And always check with CBP or CBSA before traveling across border with food.
No restrictions. Condiments: allowed provided they do not contain meat. Coffee is allowed if there is no pulp attached. Spices: Must be dried. Citrus leaves and seeds are not allowed. Lemongrass is not allowed. Many vegetable seeds and leaves are not allowed. Contact CBP for further details. Tea must be commercially packaged. Teas containing barberry and citrus leaves will be confiscated.
Re-entering Canada from USA Meat and Poultry 20KG per person Game animal carcasses: only with a hunter's permit or license. Provincial restrictions may apply. Processed Meat: 20KG per person, packaging must be provided and proof of origin may be requested Fresh, frozen or chilled meat: 20KG or one turkey per person, packaging must be provided and proof of origin may be requested. Meat products are not normally allowed. If you need to bring meat products with you, contact US CBP for any possible exceptions. matched with the photo in your ID. You’ll seem shifty and rude if you leave your sunglasses on. Roll down your vehicle’s windows, too. Think of it as taking off your car’s sunglasses.
Baby formula 20KG per person. Must be commercially packaged, sealed
9. DON’T BRING LARGE QUANTITIES OF GUNS ACROSS AN INTERNATIONAL BORDER. We are guessing that if you’re a sophisticated criminal working as part of a large smuggling operation, you’re probably not reading this. If you’re into personal use or hunting, figure out how to find what you want on the other side of the border or fill out the paperwork required when transporting firearms and avoid the hassle.
10. RELAX, IT’S NOT PERSONAL. DON’T LOSE YOUR COOL. Now you do get to be the cool guy. Relax. It’s going to take a while to get across the border. You are likely going to be asked an-
continued on page 36
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Is China Buying Gold to Eliminate US Dollar as World Reserve Currency? China may be buying gold to diversify its foreign reserve holdings away from its heavy exposure to the U.S. dollar, which accounts for the vast majority of its foreign reserves. China holds U.S. treasury bonds worth $1.3 trillion, Bloomberg reported in March, a new record.
The U.S. national debt is the sum of all outstanding debt owed by the Federal Government. It surged past $17 trillion ($17,075,590,107,963.57 to be exact) on October 17, 2013. The U.S. debt is the largest in the world for a single country. China’s secretive central bank may have stocked up heavily on gold in the past few years, and might own about 8,950 tons as of the end of 2013. “If you think it’s all about money, if you think it’s all about gold — you’re right. But in the world that we live in today, it’s all about China,” Canadian financier Ned Goodman told a room full of investors during Monday’s keynote speech at the 2014 PDAC conference. China, as Goodman highlights, has been aggressively buying physical gold in recent years. And while some market watchers speculate that the Asian country’s end goal is to make the yuan a reserve currency, Goodman sees it differently. China’s end goal, according to Goodman, is to ”eliminate the United States dollar as the reserve currency.” To support his claim, Goodman points to China’s ties with Russia, and more specifically, Russian President Vladmir Putin. “Mr. Putin is not a best friend of the United States,” Goodman said. “He would be in favor of eliminating [the US dollar] as that reserve currency.” Over the course of the last year, demand for gold bars and jewelry has climbed a record 32 percent, with China surpassing India as the top consumer of gold. Goodman speculates that should China be successful in eliminating the US dollar as a world reserve currency, the impact would be tremendous.
pects that much of the holdings of the Caribbean centers, as well as Luxembourg (holding $148 billion) and Belgium ($134 billion) are fronts for the oil-exporting countries or hedge funds that do not wish to be identified. The next largest holders -- Taiwan, Switzerland, Russia, United Kingdom, and Hong Kong -- own between $135-$191 billion each. (Source: Foreign Holding of U.S. Treasury Securities, November 20, 2013) “It just means that the United States is possibly in bankruptcy,” said the chairman of Dundee. Even so, on the whole, Goodman sees China’s increasing activity in the gold market as a possible boon for the resource sector. While he admits to being generally bearish on the stock market, Goodman is a well-known gold bug and it is no surprise that he remains bullish on the metal. “I’m very bullish on gold and anything that has an inflationary impact,” he said. “What we need to get around the problems that we have with raising money is a buoyant stock market. Which I think we are going to get in the resource sector,” Goodman explained. “And we need the ability to get to market easier, which has been made very difficult by regulatory bodies and the Venture exchange.” “The fact is, if we can return to a classical gold standard and get rid of the Federal Reserve being where we are, we will have a good time in the commodity markets.”
Foreign Ownership of U.S. Debt: As of September 2013 (most recent data), foreigners held $5.455 trillion, or roughly one third of total U.S. debt. China holds $1.155 trillion and Japan owns $1.131 trillion. The oil exporting countries are the third largest holders, at $267 billion, with Brazil next at $251 billion. The Caribbean Banking Centers are fifth, holding $240 billion. The Bureau of International Settlements sus-
U.S. Dollar Collapse: Where is Germany’s Gold? Last January, Germany started asking if they could just come into the Federal Reserve and look at their stash of gold. This is the gold that the Feds supposedly hold, and the Fed said NO. Germany was like I’m sorry, what? Huh? Well, not surprisingly, Germany announced soon after that they wanted their gold back. Because they weren’t even allowed to see their gold, that got them a little nervous. They said we want to repatriate our gold from the Fed. The financial world was shocked back in 2013, by a demand from Germany’s Bundesbank to repatriate a large portion of its gold reserves held abroad. By 2020, Germany wants 50% of its total gold reserves back in Frankfurt – including 300 tons from the United States Federal Reserve. The Bundesbank’s announcement comes just three months after the Fed refused to submit to an audit of its holdings on Germany’s behalf. One cannot help but wonder if the refusal triggered the demand. Either way, Germany appears to be waking up to a reality for
which central banks around the world have been preparing: the dollar is no longer the world’s safehaven asset and the US government is no longer a trustworthy banker for foreign nations. It looks like their fears are well-grounded, given the Fed’s seeming inability to return what is legally Germany’s gold in a timely manner. Germany is a developed and powerful nation with the second largest gold reserves in the world. If they can’t rely on Washington to keep its promises, who can?
The impact of Germany’s repatriation on the dollar revolves around an unanswered question: why will it take seven years to complete the transfer? The popular explanation is that the Fed has already rehypothecated all of its gold holdings in the name of other countries. That is, the same mound of bullion is earmarked as collateral for a host of different lenders. Since the Fed depends on a fractional-reserve banking system for its very existence, it would not come as a surprise that it has become a fractional-reserve bank itself. If so, then perhaps Germany politely asked for a seven-year timeline in order to allow the Fed to save face, and to prevent other depositors from clamoring for their own gold back – a ‘run’ on the Fed. Now, the Fed can always print more dollars and buy gold on the open market to make up for any shortfall, but such a move could substantially increase the price of gold. The last thing the Fed needs is another gold price spike reminding the world of the dollar’s decline.
Germany's gold repatriation process Germany Has Recovered A Paltry 5 Tons Of Gold From The NY Fed After One Year. A year after the Bundesbank announced its stunning decision, driven by Zero Hedge revelations, to repatriate 1500 tons of gold from the New York Fed and the French Central Bank, it had managed to transfer a paltry 37 tons. This amount represents just little over 4% of the stated target, and was well below the 94 tons that the Bundesbank would need to transport each year to collect the 750 tons (50%) ratably over the 8 year interval between 2013 and 2020. The release of these numbers promptly angered Germans, and led to the rise of numerous allegations that the reason why the transfer is taking so long is that the gold simply is not in the possession of the offshore custodians, having been leased, or worse, sold without any formal or informal an-
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of the lake in any 12 month period, the new maximum was 4.5 feet. Never did Hydro or government come to our community to consult us about this. This fundamentally changed what we believed to be our moral contract with the government, but we did not consent to it. Nor has government ever required a comprehensive environmental review of this project that drastically alters the second largest river and fourth largest lake in the province as well as the 300-km diversion route. Government continues to approve the Augmented Flow Program annually. Now, Hydro has finally applied to have the 40-year-old interim licence finalized. But the version they want finalized is the AFP water regime not the original one. Hydro's application includes no changes to what has become business as usual for them. We find this shocking. Change is what we have desperately needed for decades. Business as usual is the destruction of our people and lands. The Commercial Fishermen's Association of South Indian Lake calls on the Manitoba Government to require Manitoba Hydro to operate CRD according to the terms under which it was originally licensed. We also call on government to hold public hearings as part of the CRD final licensing process. They have done this with respect to Lake Winnipeg Regulation, which is also subject to a greatly belated final licensing process. If southern cottagers deserve a pub-
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greatly from CRD. As much as 40 percent of water flowing through them would come from our flooded lake. That is not acknowledged. We were promised that CRD would not only operate according to the original licence but that it would contribute to a bright future. We ask the government to honour its word. Government leaders speak about a new era of hydro development. We are waiting for that era to arrive in South Indian Lake. Steve Ducharme
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nouncement. However, what will certainly not help mute "conspiracy theorists" is update from recent edition of Die Welt, in which we learn that only a tiny 5 tons of gold were sent from the NY Fed. The rest came from Paris. As “Welt” (one of the leading German newspapers) states, "Konnten die Amerikaner nicht mehr liefern, weil sie die bei der Federal Reserve of New York eingelagerten gut 1500 Tonnen längst verscherbelt haben?" Or, in English, "The Americans can no longer deliver, because they have intercalated at the Federal Reserve of New York Germany's 1500 tons of gold and sold it off long ago?" Maybe Germans are right.
Is America Bankrupt? by Mike Patton
The yield on the U.S. ten-year treasury dipped below 1.40%, the lowest in recorded history. Why does money continue to flow into this perceived “safe haven?” Is America really financially stronger than the rest of the world or are we bankrupt? To illustrate, allow me to introduce, “The Satirical World of Bob.” Bob was an articulate, charismatic guy with a decent paying job. He did, however, possess a penchant for the good life and was motivated enough to do whatever it took to achieve it. When his first credit card application arrived in the mail – along with the normal circulars and other advertisements – he quickly grabbed a pen, filled it out and sent it in. Within two weeks, Bob had received his first plastic money machine. Machine I say, because in Bob’s mind,
a credit card was like creating money out of thin air. Shortly thereafter, he had acquired 3 additional cards. After an extended shopping spree, Bob was the proud owner of a new state-of-the-art boat complete with all the requisite fishing gear, a few HD-TV’s, computers, various kitchen appliances, and whatever else he desired. Without much effort at all, his cards were soon maxed out. What did Bob do? Why, he got more credit cards, that’s what. In fact, in a few months, Bob had 24 credit cards, each at their limit, putting him exactly $1,200,000 in the red. With an annual income of only $75,000, his debt-to-income ratio was a staggering…..well let’s just say he was having trouble paying the minimum payment. What did Bob do? More credit cards? No! Bob figured he needed
President Vladimir Putin told his central bank not to "shy away" from the metal, adding, "After all, they're called gold and currency reserves for a reason."
And Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, says: "The current international currency system is the product of the past." more income so he went job hunting. Bob had always been an avid news buff and enjoyed a good political debate from time to time. In fact, this congenial chap always fancied himself as the consummate soft-hearted, social minded sort. To him, the government seemed like a perfect fit for his spending proclivities. After all, he felt the massive federal debt was as necessary as mother’s milk is to a newborn babe. He also fancied the way the government could print new money without anything to back it up anytime it so desired. To him, deficits were just a normal part of life. Before I return to my story, let’s exit our “Satirical World of
page 33 would say? Would they give you the loan? Now let’s return to Bob.
Bob” and focus on a most pressing matter. FACT: The U.S. government is bankrupt! Yes, bankrupt. Skeptical? Ok, I’ll provide some facts and you decide.
Bob ultimately found employment in Congress where he became one of the biggest spenders on the hill. He was re-elected several times by his constituents as they especially liked how Bob could “bring home the bacon.” In fact, Bob became rather wealthy in the process. From his vantage, there was no problem. Besides, as long as the boat remained afloat, everything was fine. However, when the children and grandchildren of his constituents became adults, their tax rate exceeded 75% and lost the desire to work hard since they could only keep about 25 cents of every dollar they earned. Is US bankrupt? You decide.
The government has an “official” debt of $17.9 trillion and mounting. But wait, there’s more. This doesn’t include the liability from Social Security and Medicare. When you factor these in, the amount according to some, exceeds $126 trillion. With U.S. Federal tax revenue of just over $2.3 trillion, that puts USA debt-to-income ratio somewhere around 5,082%. Now let me ask you. If you, as an individual, entered your local bank and asked for a loan with a similar debt-to-income ratio, what do you think the loan officer
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Why bitcoinisn't dead yet Digital cryptocurrency has been hit by scandal, but people still spend real money on them
Bitcoin prices have fluctuated wildly in the past year, but true believers say their real worth is as a way of making online transactions easier. The digital cryptocurrency — which may or may not have been founded in 2009 by a 64-year-old Japanese recluse — was hit by the biggest challenge it's faced so far when Mt. Gox, the world's largest bitcoin exchange, suddenly announced that hundreds of millions of dollars worth of bitcoins were stolen last month. Unable to handle the loss of that much money, the site has begun formal bankruptcy proceedings. Mt. Gox files for U.S. bankruptcy protection Then last month, a much smaller site based in Alberta known as FlexCoin had something similar happen. The site closed up shop overnight after thieves managed to steal $600,000 worth of bitcoin from their servers. The list of woes took an even bleaker turn two weeks ago with the death of a 28-year-old woman in Singapore. Autumn Radtke was the CEO of another upstart bitcoin exchange called First Meta until she was found dead. She's believed to have jumped from her high-rise apartment. Bitcoins are units of digital currency that true believers use to complete online transactions securely. Bitcoin backers say they're the future of commerce because the value of a bitcoin isn't tied to any central bank or government policy. But detractors say bitcoin's existence in the shadow of regulation makes it rife for fraud and abuse, and an excellent way for criminals to launder their money. The losses at Mt. Gox, Flexcoin and elsewhere didn't rattle prices as much as one might expect (after crashing through the $1,000 US level last year, they've steadied in a range between $500 and $700 since then) but bitcoin critics say the whole system is just a speculative bubble destined to pop. Others aren't so sure. "The reality is that in any system, bad people are going to do bad things," says Rodolfo Novak, the CEO of Coinkite. "But nobody jumps to saying how the dollar is dead any time a drug dealer is caught using them." Novak says considering abuses in the conventional banking system that people seem to shrug off every week, bitcoin comes off looking comparatively clean. The market for them is certainly growing. Market monitor Blockchain.info shows the total value of all bitcoins on earth is currently above $10 billion, stashed in various bitcoin wallets (a unique series of letters and numbers that function like an email address or bank account). That's a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions of dollars moving in foreign exchange markets. But it's not small enough to dismiss entirely.
And it's not just digital nerds and speculators on both ends of those transactions. Real businesses with real products report positive experiences. Entrepreneur Will Coates is the CEO of Digital Tunes, a website that sells digital music to customers around the world over the internet. The site began accepting bitcoins last year, and Coates says the early returns are positive. "Bitcoiners aren’t just a bunch of nerds wanting to buy drugs online," Coates said recently. "Out there is a vibrant international community of consumers who have realized the advantages of this new kind of money, and it’s growing day by day." Coates lauds the currency for its ability to keep costs low. Other services such as PayPal charge a 35-cent fee per transaction — an exorbitant sum for an online seller who might be selling a single song for about $1. By theoretically allowing fees to be zero, Coates says that helps keeps his costs low and his prices down. Bitcoins also helped him because the transactions are irreversible; there's no meddling around with halted payments from credit cards. "Once you get paid, you get paid," he said. "This is baked into the code at the heart of the digital currency [and] this is wonderful, as it means the responsibility for combating fraud is not shouldered by the merchant, but instead lies with the bitcoin wallets – the ‘banks’, if you will, of digital currencies." Businesses in the real world are signing up. In addition to letting users trade bitcoins, one of Coinkite's businesses is manufacturing, selling and installing bitcoin debit machines, that will let users make purchases in a way that's familiar to them. "It's so people like my mother can use and understand it," Novak quips.
Coinkite outsources the manufacturing of the machines to a factory in China, and when it came time to pay for the job, both parties were more than happy to deal in bitcoin. Novak says his company keeps most of its operating capital in bitcoin.
Wild price swings With prices being so volatile, however, one of the problems bitcoin is facing is consumers reluctance to part with them in real transactions. If the value of the dollar went from enough to buy a cup of coffee to enough to buy a computer within a year, you might be reluctant to part with them for fear of getting burned. Most of the focus on the price of bitcoin is centred on the notion that it's an asset class to invest in — not a currency that makes commerce happen. But most people involved in the space say the focus on bitcoin's "price" takes away from its real potential to make selling easier. "We watch the price closely because we're big advocates of bitcoin," says Stephanie Wargo, the vice-president of Florida-based BitPay, a payment processing firm. "But from a business standpoint, not much has changed." The tipping point for bitcoin will be when consumers stop thinking of it as a thing they can buy, and more as a currency that can be used to buy things. That will only come when it's quick, easy and liquid, Wargo says. "It's my dad being able to obtain bitcoins easily," she says. "The biggest problem is still liquidity." Novak says right now, bitcoin is acting like a currency and a
page 35 commodity at the same time. Long term, he's confident it will fall into the first category. But speculators looking to profit from the rise in the latter are certainly having an impact on prices. Liquidity is definitely an issue. The best guess is that there are at most a few million people who own bitcoins around the world, and the vast majority of those holdings are very concentrated. Recent data suggest that fewer than 50 people currently own almost a third of the bitcoins on earth, and even if you extend the cutoff to half the world's bitcoins, you're still talking about about fewer than 1,000 people. It's written into bitcoin's basic infrastructure that there can never be more than 21 million bitcoins, a limit that conventional banking systems can't claim. "In the fiat system, they have no problem printing a little extra money if they need it," Novak says. "The bank system is an IOU system, but we are a full reserve — we can't play with your money." A niche fad controlled by very few people will have a hard time growing to mainstream adoption, and the underlying numbers are supporting that so far. The 80,000 transactions processed in bitcoins every day sound like a lot, until you realize they are a drop in the bucket compared to other payment methods — Visa handles about 2,000 transactions every second, and PayPal does 4 million a day, for example. Speculators buy bitcoins the same reason they buy any fad — because the price has gone up. It's what happens after that stops that's likely to set the real value of bitcoins over the long term. That's the moment they'll become a currency, not a commodity. And there's enough evidence to think that might be happening now. Ultimately, "bitcoiniacs" aren't fazed by the recent headlines and are confident their cryptocurrency is here to stay. "Like anything else you need to be careful where you're storing your money, but to me it's the equivalent to having gold bars in your basement," Novak says.
Amazing formation flying skills of migrating birds unraveled: 'V'shape and timing of flaps ensures flock is aerodynamic as possible
Birds precisely time flapping of wings and adjust their position to make the best of the subtle effects of air turbulence. In this way, each bird takes advantage of 'upwash' thrown up by the wings of the flyer in front while avoiding lift-sapping 'downwash' Migrating birds flying in formation display aviation skills that dwarf those of human pilots, a study has found. The birds precisely time the flapping of their wings and adjust their position to make the best of the subtle effects of air turbulence, researchers discovered. In this way, each bird takes advantage of 'upwash' thrown up by the wings of the flyer in front while avoiding lift-sapping 'downwash'. How birds monitor and react to such complex flight dynamics without the aid of a computer remains a mystery. Scientists learned the aviation secrets of migrating birds after attaching tiny logging devices to a flock of 14 northern bald ibises that not only tracked their position and speed by satellite but measured every flap of their wings. The birds were studied as they flew alongside a microlight on their migration route from Austria to their winter home in Tuscany, Italy. Lead researcher Dr Steve Portugal, from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, said: 'The distinctive V-formation of bird flocks has long intrigued researchers and continues to attract both scientific and popular attention, however a definitive account of the aerodynamic implications of these formations has remained elusive until now. 'The intricate mechanisms involved in V-formation flight indicate remarkable awareness and ability of birds to respond to the wingpath of nearby flock-mates. Birds in V-formation seem to have developed complex phasing strategies to cope with the dynamic wakes produced by flapping wings.' The V formation commonly adopted by migrating birds has long been thought to help them fly more efficiently, staying aloft while expending as little energy as possible. Allied bomber pilots in the Second World War are rumoured to have noticed their fuel economy increase when they flew in a V formation. This apocryphal story has never been verified, but the energy-saving benefits of formation flying are well known to both civil and military pilots. By maintaining one wing tip in the wake of a forward aircraft, a fighter jet can reduce its energy consumption by up to 18 per cent, according to an article cited in the journal Nature, where the new research is published. Taking advantage of formation flight is much more difficult for birds with flapping wings. When flying in a V formation, the birds’ wing flaps were approximately 'in-phase', meaning all the wing tips followed roughly the same path, the scientists found. This helped each bird capture extra lift from the upwash of its
neighbour in front. Occasional shifts of position within the formation meant that at times birds flew directly one behind the other. When this happened, the birds altered their wing beats to an out-of-phase pattern to avoid being caught by downwash. The 14 birds used in the study were hand-reared at Vienna Zoo in Austria by the Waldrappteam, an Austrian conservation group that is re-introducing northern bald ibeses to Europe. The birds were trained to follow a microlight to teach them their historic migration routes to wintering grounds in Italy. They will be left to find their own way back to their breeding grounds in Salzburg later this year without the help of the microlight. Professor David Delpy, chief executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council which funded the study, said: 'This is a fascinating piece of research, providing a scientific answer to a question that I suspect most people have asked themselves - why do birds fly in formation? The results will prove useful in a variety of fields, for example aerodynamics and manufacturing.'
MIGRATION EXPLAINED: THE TINY COMPASS INSIDE BIRDS' EARS Last year scientists also claimed to have discovered how birds find their way across thousands of miles of land guided by the Earth's magnetic field. It seems beneath the feathers they are equipped with an internal navigation system similar to the gadgets used by comic superhero Iron Man. Sensory neurons called hair cells are found inside the ears and are responsible for detecting sound and gravity. To the surprise of Austrian and Australian scientists, each cell has a single iron ball, which is up to 2,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, in the same place as every cell. The researchers believe that the iron responds much like a compass to help birds know whether they are flying north or south, the position of the sun and visual maps to help them find their way.
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noying and invasive questions. Even if you are prepared and lawabiding you could still get searched, detained, or interrogated. Your chances of avoiding discomfort and delay are greatly increased by remaining calm, polite, cooperative and reserved.
Remember The decision to travel was yours and it is your responsibility. You are also responsible for your personal safety abroad.
Everyone wants their border crossing to go smoothly. The best way to make sure this happens is to know what to expect and be prepared. cally disadvantaged neighbourhoods, particularly from dusk to dawn. Verify official neighbourhood crime statistics before planning an outing. Robbery and assault can also occur in wealthy residential or commercial districts. Exercise caution, particularly at night. Violent crimes, particularly assault, are often connected to alcohol and drug consumption. Remain alert and discreet while in entertainment areas. Canadians have been the victims of crime such as break-ins, assaults and pickpocketing in the Miami area, sometimes during daylight hours. Theft occurs in the North Miami Beach area, at South Beach and at airports, particularly from trunks of parked cars. Be alert, as criminals use a variety of techniques to steal personal belongings. Passport theft is on the rise. Ensure that your travel documents are secure at all times.
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continued from page 15
money’s coming in, this is the place to be right now,” he said. Luke Ramirez is the co-owner of Walking Raven Wellness Center, a medical marijuana dispensary that now also sells recreational pot. He said they set up a booth at the fair because they’ve had no choice but to expand their business since pot sales became legal at the start of the year. “Our sales increased about 300 percent. Our traffic through the stores increased by the same number,” Ramirez said. “So, that’s why we’re here today. We actually need to hire more folks to help with that traffic and that added revenue.” According to newly released statistics from the state, $14 million was spent on marijuana purchases in January. There is still some question about how successful the pot industry will be, but analysts say it is sustainable and still not near its peak. “It has been a very harsh economic environment for over a decade, and this industry has a lot of very exciting opportunities for young people,” said Michael Elliott, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group. Event organizer Todd Mitchum said the job fair was just the first of its kind, but that there will be more. “We’re going to keep nurturing this industry and keep nurturing the environment so the job seeker has a place to go. Because
Only people who were 21 and over were being admitted to the fair, and the huge line that wound around Delaware Street and down 10th Street was filled with all sorts of people. The first job seeker in showed up at 6 a.m. and waited for 5 hours. people want to be a part of something. Dustin Dove “I’m just looking for something in the industry,” said Dustin Dove, who was just smoking nicotine with his vapor pen while he was waiting in line. “It’s kind of been a dream of mine ever since the medical movement got started and really got big … opportunity knocks.”
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Bon Voyage!
Job openings at the fair ranged from things like graphic design and web developers to accountants and IT directors, but Ramirez said because he runs a dispensary he’s also looking for talented “budtenders” and “leaf trimmers.” “The trimmers work behind the scenes at the warehouse and they handle the plants and clip off the excess leaves to get it ready for sale,” he said. A total of $3.5 million of tax revenue for the state was generated in January. Elliot said marijuana has also opened new economic doors and floated parts of the state’s economy that otherwise would be sinking. “The marijuana industry has taken up about 3 million square feet of commercial real estate. Imagine for a moment that was all vacant property and what that would do to our economy and to property values. It would be awful,” Elliott said. Marijuana has created such a boom that the state is still trying to catch up to the sale of the drug’s potential, and the towns and counties that have put moratoriums in place to block such sales are feeling the effects. Legislators are now considering a task force to study the impact on areas where recreational pot sales aren’t allowed. Elliott says leaders of such municipalities have chosen the dark ages instead of a new day. “Those communities that are opting out are kind of doing a head-in-the-sand approach, because drug dealing is still going to happen in their communities, they’re just choosing not to control it,” he said.
page 37 Time for the wedding A police officer stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street. "But officer," the man began, "I can explain." "Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back." "But, officer, I just wanted to say," "And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!" A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief's at his daughter's wedding... He'll be in a good mood when he gets back." "Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."
Husband Looks Bad The doctor came out of the operating room to talk with the man's wife. "I don't like the looks of your husband," he said. "Neither do I," said the wife, "but he's not home much, and he's great with the kids." Testing a new recruit Police Chief: As a recruit, you'll be faced with some difficult issues. What would you do if you had to arrest your mother? New Recruit: Call for backup!
Prescription This woman walks into a pharmacy and asks the pharmacist for some arsenic. He asks "What for?" She says "I want to kill my husband". He says "Sorry, I can't do that." She then reaches inter her handbag a pulls out a photo of her husband in bed with the pharmacist's wife and hands it to him. He says, "You didn't tell me you had a prescription..."
Flies A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter. "What are you doing?" She asked. "Hunting Flies" He responded. "Oh. Killing any?" She asked. "Yep, 3 males, 2 Females," he replied. Intrigued, she asked. "How can you tell?" He responded, "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone."
Mr. Schneider stood up in court... "As God is my judge, I do not owe my ex-wife any money." Glaring down at him, the judge replied, "He's not. I am. You do."
Don't Pee In the Pool The lifeguard told the mother to make her young son stop uri-
nating in the pool. "Everyone knows," the mother lectured him, "that from time to time, young children will urinate in a pool!" "Oh really?" said the lifeguard, "from the diving board?!"
Making Ends Meet "We have a terrible time making ends meet on Bob's income." his wife told her best friend. "How do you two manage? And you even have kids!" "We get along okay," her friend said. "You see, we work on our budget every evening. That saves us lots of money." "Really? How can that be?" "Well, by the time we get it all balanced, it's too damn late to go anywhere and do anything!"
Purchasing the brain A client of a hospital where they made brain transplantation's asked about the prices. The doctor said, "Well, this Ph.D. brain costs $10,000. This brain belonged to a NASA top scientist and costs $15,000. Here we have a policeman's brain as well. It costs $50,000." The client asked, "What? How's that possible?" The doctor replied, "You see, it's totally unused."
came to rest it was on the green -- 6 inches from the cup. The pro was astonished. "That's incredible!" he exclaimed. "How did you train him to hit the ball like that!" "There's no need for me to tee off. I couldn't beat him with a stick. Here's your money." As the pro walked off the green, still shaking his head, he turned back to the trainer and said, "Oh, by the way, how does he putt?" The trainer responded, "Just like he drives: 500 yards. Right down the middle. Every time."
Noisy stu Radar: "Flight 1234, for noise abatement turn right 45 degrees." Pilot: "Roger, but we are at 35,000 feet, how much noise can we make up here?" Radar: "Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 727 makes when it hits a 747?"
The good advice When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.
Judge has some fun A judge grew tired of seeing the same town drunk in front of his bench. One day the judge glared down at the man, who was still intoxicated, and thundered "It is the sentence of this court that you be taken from here to a place of execution and there hanged by the neck until DEAD." The drunk promptly fainted. The court bailiff commenced to reviving the man, and looked up at the judge, at which time the judge shrugged and responded "I've always wanted to do that."
Gorilla Golf A guy walked into a pro-shop with a gorilla. "Is anyone interested in a little wager?" he said, flashing some large bills around. "I've got $500.00 here that says my gorilla can hit the ball longer and straighter than anybody here at this club. In fact, he hits it 500 yards right down the middle . . . every time!" Everyone in the pro-shop started laughing. After a moment, the newest pro at the club and the longest hitter in the area spoke up, "I gotta see this!" he said. "You know, what? I'll take you up on that wager! Meet you on the first tee." When they reached the 585-yard par-5 first tee the trainer led the gorilla to the tee box, put a driver in his hands, set a tee in the ground. The gorilla did the rest. Sure enough, he smashed his drive right down the middle and clear out of sight. When the ball finally
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Horoscope Aries
(March 21 - April 19) April is your favourable time to push forward with all the strength you can muster. Get your teeth into new projects and banish lethargy, especially in the professional world. You’ll get the chance to come to terms with people you haven’t seen eye to eye with in the past. Use your energy to cope with all the different things going on around you. Taking a positive stance at work will allow you to sway the decisions of other over to your way of thinking. Seek peace with enemies if possible.
Leo
(July 23 - August 22)
There’s an assertive argumentative phase brewing under the surface this month, but you’ll need to make sure you don’t stick your neck out too far, as you’ll be out of your comfort zone and others could get the better of you. Stick to what you know. Stay calm. It’s best not to push issues, but to settle for compromise in many situations. As usual it’s the rules and regulations that have got on your nerves. Try to create a calmer environment for everyone. There’s no better time than now to get something new started.
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) Get ready for professional confrontations this month, not that you cant handle them! It feels as if there’s a change of carer looming on the horizon, but try to ensure changes are on your terms and that you’re not being forced to compromise. You’ve got what it takes to see through to the heart of any matter and you won't easily be duped or easily distracted. Be aware of what’s going on and arrange your life accordingly. Some people around you are acting oddly, but you need to let them live their own lives. Don’t get left behind.
Taurus
(April 20 - May 20) Teamwork and co-operative ventures are highlighted now, and good fortune helps you how to choose which sort of group you’d be more comfortable in. Persuade others to see your point of view and convince them your opinions deserve their positive response. Keep an open mind over how others are behaving but be prepared to have a heart to heart conversation if necessary. Be prepared to put lots of energy into getting what you want. A breakthrough of some sort is now within your grasp.
Virgo
(August 23 - Sep. 22)
April Gemini
(May 21 - June 21) April. You should now be taking advantage of all the luck that’s on your side, and exploiting it for all you’re worth. Display your more sporting side and this in turn will get you noticed by others. Keeping an open mind is the key to your success. Make the most of situations even if they take you by surprise. You’ve got what it takes to move forward with almost anything on your agenda. Speaking your mind makes all the difference. Finding time for fun is important.
Libra
(Sep. 23 - Oct. 23)
April can be challenging so be ready for it. What’s up for grabs is a renewal in your personal life, and this could have a bearing on some attachments. Take full advantage of the strongly creative period you’re now entering into. Whatever you’re doing in regards to work, or over making changes at home lets others know that you know exactly how you want things to be. Give others the benefit of your experience. Watch out for some circumstances beyond your control?
You should now be entering a more stable period in your life where money is concerned. There’s gains to be made in unexpected directions, and you may be able to increase your general earning power. Capitalise on compliments you’re given this month. Also, your mind is in overdrive and working much faster than it normally would. Slower friends and family will find it hard to keep up with you so applying patience would be no bad thing. Try. Favourable time for consolidating existing plans and to make new ones.
Capricorn
Aquarius
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) Be on the lookout for strangers or newcomers in your social arena as someone who starts off as an interesting acquaintance has the potential to be a trusted friend. You’re now in the position to make yourself the main attraction socially. The spotlight will be on your optimism and your willingness to out in that extra bit of effort, which in turn makes all the difference. You’re confident and assertive and will show people you’re the right one for the job. Try to leave specific issues until later and chose to take things easy.
(Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) Apply variety and warmth in equal measures to make April special. Don’t get too involved with matters that have nothing to do with you, and kerb your curiosity if you don’t want to get bogged down in someone else’s mire. Stay focused on what lies ahead. Your mind is sharp and your ideas are flowing, so stay alert. Just remember there are special people you’d like to spend time with, so make sure you don’t forget about them. Active and enterprising, you’ve got what it takes to make money now.
Cancer
(June 22 - July 22) Career objectives are highlighted in April, so it makes good sense to devote a lot of time and energy to this sphere of your life. Quick-thinking and snap decisions are your main allies this month. So when others are dithering about a situation, you’ll swoop in there, claim your territory and gather all the plaudits. You’re showing everyone you’ve got hat it takes. You’re well on the way to achieving the success you’re looking for. It could come quickly. Keep it up!
Scorpio
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 21) The source of your energy seems to come from entertaining others, and you’re doing a lot for the world at large. Your good deeds are not going unnoticed in fact you’re being closely watched. Put your powers of intuition to good use and don’t let anyone pull the wool over your eyes. Ensure personal relationships are good and happy, while at the same time be ready to offer help to friends in need. Clear the decks and plan ahead. Try not to take snide comments from others to heart
Pisces
(Feb. 19 - March 20) Around the 21st of April get the most out of what’s being offered by close partnerships. A first impression suggests that there are romantic attachments looming, but new business partnerships look equally as alluring. You’re now entering a time of satisfaction and success. Be sure, you don’t let your mouth, or your temper, run away with you as you may say something you’ll regret. Also, don’t let nostalgia suffocate you as there’s no future in the past. The more you do that the better things will be.
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