Drought-stricken Californians turfing their turf for cash - will it be better or worse?

"Francisco Sevillano and his four-man crew grab their hoes, machetes and pickaxes and start hacking. Soon, instead of water-guzzling grass, her front and back yards will sprout drought-tolerant plants. And she's hardly the first on her block. In some areas it looks like a bizarre election: Everywhere there are lawn signs bearing slogans like "I'm conserving water. Won't you join me?" In many neighbourhoods like Meloni's, brown is the new green."

"Some lawn replacements may actually create 'heat island'"

Read more and watch the video!

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True news item - or believe it or not!

Casually watching the early morning news I had to make a double take!Then I had to take a photo so I would know I did not dream it up. It seems we have a new speed record of an ice flow at about 25,000 km/hour (About 20 times faster than the speed of sound). Thought everyone might want to know about it.

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Amalgamation/Unification - CBC.ca | Daybreak South

CBC.ca | Daybreak Southviews

CBC Radio produced some interviews this morning regarding Amalgamation/Unification of Greater Vernon. You may listen to the program at the above link.

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Obama dishes it out to Trump -- CBC News

The Associated Press
Posted: May 1, 2011 12:38 AM ET

U.S. President Barack Obama exacted his revenge Saturday after weeks of attacks from his would-be Republican challenger Donald Trump, joking that the billionaire businessman could bring change to the White House, transforming it from a stately mansion into a tacky casino with a whirlpool in the garden.

With Trump in attendance, Obama used the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner to mock the reality TV star's presidential ambitions. The president said Trump has shown the acumen of a future president, from firing Gary Busey on a recent episode of Celebrity Apprentice to focusing so much time on conspiracy theories about Obama's birthplace.

After a week when Obama released his long-form Hawaii birth certificate, he said Trump could now focus on the serious issues, from whether the moon landing actually happened to "where are Biggie and Tupac?"

"No one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than 'the Donald,'" Obama said, referring to Trump's claims the same day that he was responsible for solving the issue.

For Trump's decision to fire actor Busey instead of rock singer Meat Loaf from his TV show earlier this month, Obama quipped: "These are the types of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir."

Finally, Obama showed a screen with his vision of how Trump could bring change to the White House. "Trump" was prominently displayed in glittery letters and waitresses could be seen with cocktails on a Jacuzzi-augmented front lawn.

Obama and Trump found themselves in the same room after an intense week of attacks from Trump, who has piggybacked on the birther conspiracies and even Obama's refusal to release his university grades to raise the profile of his possible presidential bid.

And the birth certificate was clearly the key punchline for the evening, which typically offers the president a chance to show off his humorous side and a town consumed by politics and partisanship to enjoy a light-hearted affair.

Obama's presentation started after the playing of wrestler Hulk Hogan's patriotic anthem, Real American. Images of Americana from Mount Rushmore to Uncle Sam were shown on the screen, alongside the president's birth certificate. And then he offered to show his live birth video, which turned out to be a clip from the Disney film The Lion King.

On the serious side, Obama took time to thank the troops for their service overseas and noted that the people of the South, especially Alabama, have suffered heart-wrenching losses.

"The devastation is unbelievable and it is heartbreaking," the president said. He encouraged the journalists in the room to help tell the stories of those who have been hurt by the storms and saluted those who lost their lives while covering the news.

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Another half billion well spent!

New BC Place roof can't close in rain!

Monday, November 1, 2010 | 4:11 PM PT

CBC News

Construction continues on the $450-million renovation of BC Place, including the new retractable roof. Construction continues on the $450-million renovation of BC Place, including the new retractable roof. (BC Place)

The half-a-billion dollar retractable roof on BC Place Stadium will not be able to close in the rain when it is completed next September, CBC News has learned.

Howard Crosley, the general manager of BC Place, said the operators will have to make a decision to open or close the roof based on the weather reports, but they won't necessarily be able to close it if they make the wrong call.

"The way the roof actually works, it's a gathering material that comes into the centre and because of that, if it's raining or high winds, we won't be able to open or close it," he said.

When it is finished, the roof will be the largest cable-supported retractable roof in the world and will take about 20 minutes to open and close, according to officials. But fans will stay dry no matter what because the 55,000 seats in the stadium are covered by a fixed section of the fabric roof, Crosley said.

BC Place Stadium is run by the B.C. Pavilion Corporation, which is owned by the provincial government, and overseen by the Minister of Tourism.

The $565 million renovation to the stadium will be completed in the fall of 2011, well before the Grey Cup, which Vancouver is scheduled to stage Nov. 27, officials announced Monday.

The stadium will be the home field of the CFL's BC Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer. Both teams will start their season at other locations but expect to end them at BC Place.

Both North American football and soccer are traditionally played in all weather conditions.

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Intrawest's troubles threaten Olympics: report – CBC News

A fight between Wall Street financiers could push the company that owns the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort into insolvency and threaten the Vancouver Olympics, a U.S. newspaper report suggests.

A New York Post report suggests the resort's owners could soon be insolvent, which may threaten the Vancouver Olympics.Back-country skiers descend Blackcomb Mountain. A New York Post report suggests the resort's owners could soon be insolvent, which may threaten the Vancouver Olympics. (Randy Lincks/Associated Press)

According to a story in Wednesday's New York Post, creditors who have loaned $1.4-billion US to the ski resort's owners, Intrawest ULC, are threatening to foreclose on the company and effectively seize control of the resort.

Among numerous ski resorts in Canada and the U.S., Intrawest owns the Whistler Blackcomb resort, which is set to host major ski events at the Winter Olympic Games next month.

In 2006, Wall Street hedge fund Fortress Investments LLC bought Intrawest in a $2.8-billion US deal. Fortress recently missed a $524-million debt payment connected to that purchase.

The primary lender on the Intrawest deal in 2006 was defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers. According to the Post report, the creditors have rejected Fortress's repayment proposal and may be moving to foreclose on the company within 10 days.

New York firm Alvarez and Marsal are handling Lehman's restructuring.

Typically, lenders are willing to work with borrowers to avoid foreclosure. But since Lehman itself is dogged by as much as $1 trillion in creditor claims against it, Alvarez and Marsal have an incentive to push Intrawest into bankruptcy and sell assets to raise funds, the Post story says.

The Post report says Vancouver Olympic organizers are considering pulling their financial backing of Intrawest as a result of the kerfuffle.

Fortress CEO Wes Edens believes he has a legal right to keep the Games from taking place at Whistler if that happens, the Post story says.

On Tuesday, a notice of a public auction to be held Feb. 19, 2010, was published in multiple newspapers in Canada and the United States that solicited bids for a membership interest in Intrawest Holdings. Among the assets in the notice were "partnership interests in two resort properties located in Canada (Whistler and Blackcomb)."
Three-month stock chart of Fortress Investments on the NYSE.Three-month stock chart of Fortress Investments on the NYSE. (CBC)

“We understandably cannot comment on Intrawest's finances beyond our continued support for their efforts to settle outstanding financial matters," VANOC president Dan Doyle said. "What we can confirm is that Whistler Blackcomb is an important partner in the staging of the 2010 Games and we continue working in very close partnership with them to finalize overall preparations and readiness for the skiing and sliding sport events."

"We look forward, with them, to welcoming the world in 23 days," Doyle said.

For its part, Intrawest poured cold water on the report. "We have a 2002 agreement with VANOC to host the Winter Olympics and have every confidence that VANOC will honour its financial commitments," Intrawest CEO Bill Jensen said. "Intrawest is looking forward to a successful Olympic Games.

Jensen said Intrawest is in discussions with lenders regarding refinancing.

"Our company is generating strong cash flow from its resorts. It’s business as usual," Jensen said

Calls to Fortress Investment Group LLC were not returned. A spokesman for Lehman Brothers had no official comment.
Behind-the-scenes efforts expected

Bill Singer, a securities lawyer with RRBD Law in New York, predicted efforts will be made behind the scenes to avoid foreclosure, at least until the Olympics are over, given the amount of money invested in the Games and their high international profile for Canada.

"I can't imagine that it will ultimately mean much," he told CBC News, "because I would assume between [Canadian] government interest and the Olympic Committee there would be something that would be accomplished just to forestall any kind of foreclosure.

"More importantly, assuming that there was some effort to put the properties into foreclosure or bankruptcy, again, I would assume that given the size of the transaction that vested interests would try to find a way to extend and drag out the process," he said.

Singer said the bigger issue is what motivation the lender would have to foreclose.

"What do you do with a ski resort in this economic market? Who would be envisioned as likely becoming a buyer for these distressed properties when the reports all over the United States as well as in Europe and other areas where there's skiing is that … traffic to both golf and ski resorts is down?"

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6.5 quake shakes N. California

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on Saturday afternoon, shaking buildings south of the Oregon border and knocking out power in several coastal communities.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at about 4:27 p.m. local time about 43 kilometres from Eureka, a city of about 26,000. No injuries have been reported.

Pacific Gas&Electric Co. spokesman J.D. Guidi said power outages were widespread across most of Humboldt County, affecting about 25,000 customers.

Several traffic lights have fallen and numerous residents have reported water, gas and sewer leaks, Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services spokeswoman Jo Wattle said.

"People have chimneys down, and we're hearing about minor property damage and lots of glassware broken," Wattle said. "People are really shaken up. It was shaking pretty good, then it had a big jolt to it at the end."

Police in Ferndale, the community closest to the quake's epicentre, said the jolt caused stucco to fall off City Hall and broke shop windows, strewing the historic downtown streets with glass shards.

Televisions tumbled and objects were knocked off walls in Arcata, a small town that's home to Humboldt State University.

Arcata and Eureka are located about 435 kilometres north of San Francisco in a coastal area known for periodic earthquakes.

The quake was felt as far south as Capitola in central California, and as far north as central Oregon, USGS geophysicist Richard Buckmaster said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there was no threat of the quake generating a tsunami.

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Scene-stealing squirrel crashes Banff tourist photo

The original Crasher Squirrel photo was taken by Melissa and Jackson Brandts in Banff in late May. The image of the squirrel has gone viral since it appeared on the National Geographic's website on Aug. 7.The original Crasher Squirrel photo was taken by Melissa and Jackson Brandts in Banff in late May. The image of the squirrel has gone viral since it appeared on the National Geographic's website on Aug. 7. (Melissa Brandts)

A cheeky squirrel in Alberta's Banff National Park has gone viral after stealing the spotlight in a tourist's photo.

Melissa Brandts, who was visiting from Minnesota, had set up her camera on a tripod to capture her and her husband, Jackson, in front of picturesque Lake Minnewanka in May.

"We had our camera set up on some rocks and were getting ready to take the picture when this curious little ground squirrel appeared, became intrigued with the sound of the focusing camera and popped right into our shot!" she wrote.

The ground squirrel became the focus of the picture as the couple faded into the background.

Jackson Brandts took a few more shots using a remote-control shutter.

"A once in a lifetime moment! We were laughing about this little guy for days!" wrote his wife.

The couple submitted the photo to a National Geographic contest. The magazine posted it to an online gallery on Aug. 7.

In less than a week, the Crasher Squirrel, as it's become known, has stormed the internet.

Photoshop enthusiasts have added the furry scene-stealer to family portraits, famous paintings, and even to the top of the Queen's hat with a pile of nuts.

The Crasher Squirrel upstages former U.S. president Bill Clinton and North Korean President Kim Jong Il with other government officials. The Crasher Squirrel upstages former U.S. president Bill Clinton and North Korean President Kim Jong Il with other government officials. (David Morgan/CBC)

Back at Lake Minnewanka on Thursday, the squirrels continued to charm and confound visitors.

Check out adaptations of the Brandts photo, or share your own version of the Crasher Squirrel via BuzzFeed.

"They are a nice colouring and they come right up to you. They are pretty friendly," said Dean Hartey, visiting from Edmonton.

But Australian tourist Ron Sinclair said all he has are blurry pictures of the ground because the Columbian ground squirrels won't stay still.

"We got lots of photos of rocks," he said.

Tourism officials are delighted with the buzz created by the Crasher Squirrel at a time when the number of international visitors to Banff has slumped.

"The Canadian tourism industry as a whole has certainly been facing unprecedented challenges so the welcome addition of the Columbian ground squirrel as Banff ambassador is good news," said Julie Canning, president and CEO of Banff Lake Louise Tourism.

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Fire information update -- Some residents will be allowed to return.

While the Terrace Mountain fire is still out of control some 363 residents will be allowed to return to their homes tomorrow morning in the Traders Cove and the Bear Creek North areas, according to CHBC News. For further information please visit:

http://chbcnews.ca/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=18116

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Is FOX News friend or enemy?

With friends like FOX News, who needs enemies?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJn5XlbSFk

Fox host apologizes for mocking of Canadian Forces.

The host of an over-the-top, late-night Fox network show has apologized for any disrespect he may have caused to the Canadian military with a recent segment on his intentionally inflammatory program.

"The March 17th episode of Red Eye included a segment discussing Canada's plan for a 'synchronized break,' which was in no way an attempt to make light of troop efforts," host Greg Gutfeld said in a statement issued Monday.

"However, I realize that my words may have been misunderstood. It was not my intent to disrespect the brave men, women and families of the Canadian military, and for that I apologize.

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Misunderstood? There was nothing there to misunderstand. It was loud and clear. Of course, some people just don't get it! There is a difference between slander and humour. This was no humour, it was slander of the worst kind! Shame on FOX!

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B.C. will run deficit in 2009: finance minister

British Columbia will run a deficit for the next two fiscal years, Finance Minister Colin Hansen said Monday afternoon in Vancouver.

"We are continuing to see deterioration in world economies and this has eroded earlier projections for the province in 2009," said Hansen.

Hansen blamed falling prices and shrinking markets for lumber and natural gas, two of the largest exports for the province, for the decline in provincial revenues.

He also pointed to declining consumer spending and housing sales, and rising unemployment, for lowering revenue forecasts.

Just last November, Hansen had predicted that B.C. would duck the looming global recession without running a deficit, maintaining economic growth of about 0.6 per cent.

Hansen said the revised forecasts now predict no economic growth for the province in the coming year, with improvements coming in 2010 due to the economic stimulus of the Winter Olympic Games.

"The longer term outlook for 2010 continues to show strength and British Columbia is well positioned to rebound as the Canadian and world economy recovers."

Premier Gordon Campbell said the severity of the global financial crisis made it impossible to run a balanced budget without slashing important health-care and education funding.

"I've been pretty clear," Campbell said. "I hate deficits. I think they take away from future generations, but the changes we've seen have come too fast. They've been too big."

Senior executive staff to be reduced

To mitigate the deficit, Campbell said, there will be budget cuts, primarily through slashing the senior executive ranks of the civil service, which will be reduced by 20 per cent.

The president of the BC Government and Service Employees Union, however, believes the general public will feel the impact of those jobs cuts.

"So services are going to be cut," Darryl Walker said. "Still, we need more clarification. And we really need the premier and the minister of finance to come clean."

Walker said he fears social workers and those who provide services for women and children will bear the brunt of job losses.

Campbell said his government would recall the legislature early next week to table a bill that would suspend current legislation that requires the Liberal government to present a balanced budget on Feb. 17.

Maureen Bader of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the Liberals should have done more.

"We have a balanced budget law so that when the going gets tough, the governments — these politicians — can actually stand up and say, 'No, we need to make the tough decision to keep this budget balanced,' " Bader said. "But instead of making the tough decisions, we've got a premier and finance minister who are just rolling over."

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Vancouver councillor wants city to stop selling bottled water

CBC News

A Vancouver councillor wants the city to stop selling and distributing bottled water, including at city hall, public libraries and concession stands in city parks.

"We end up with seven million plastic water bottles in landfill every year," said Tim Stevenson, chair of the Metro Vancouver water committee. "They're not biodegradable. They just clog up the landfill."

He put forward a motion on Tuesday asking staff to produce a report on ways the city can stop selling and distributing a product "that is many times more expensive than gas," and which "you can get free from the tap."

Stevenson said a $650 million water filtration plant, expected to be operational by the end of the year, will ensure pure drinking water is delivered through the tap.

Vancouver Coun. Tim Stevenson says a new state-of the-art filtration system will ensure tap water is free of silt and other impurities. (CBC)

The Seymour-Capilano water filtration plant will treat water drawn from both Seymour and Capilano reservoirs, which supply 70 per cent of Metro Vancouver's drinking water.

"There will be never any silt in the water — just pure water. We need to educate people about water," Stevenson said, adding a massive ad campaign will be launched this fall in Metro Vancouver so residents will get the message.

Stevenson said abandoning bottled water will contribute to better health because the plastic in bottled water will leech into the human system.

He said the city will need to build more water fountains throughout the city so that people can obtain tap water conveniently.

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Finally someone with intelligence! All the complaints about the price of gasoline and we shell out far more for water. At the same time we spend hundreds of millions of dollars on building sophisticated water treatment plants. The bottled water industry has done a masterful job on our society!

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Homeowners fight city hall and win .

CBC NEWS: June 27

A group of residents in Coquitlam declared victory Friday in their fight against city hall. The residents threatened the city with a class action lawsuit over building permit fees they had to pay in the 1990s. Susan Antoniali's fight began in 1999, when she was getting ready to do some home renovations. A building permit from the city that should have cost $5,200 ended up costing her more than $19,000 because of extra fees, called "deposits" by city hall. The city collected thousands of dollars in "deposits" from homeowners like Antoniali to pay for new sidewalks, curbs and streetlamps, as a condition of issuing the permits. However, the money was never returned, meaning in some cases, people paid three times what they should have in order to get a building permit. "In my mind, it was simple. You collect it as a deposit and if I don't harm you and you don't harm me, I get my deposit back," Antoniali said. She first took the city to small claims court, but lt. Then, she learned of others in Coquitlam who had also paid the deposits and didn't get their money back. They joined forces, and 272 homeowners signed onto a class action suit to get their deposits back. "They really shouldn't have tried to impose, let's call it a tax, on people when it's not justified by legislation," said John Dives, a lawyer representing the homeowners.

The threat of the suit was enough to get Coquitlam City Hall to offer a settlement that cost the city $1.8 million. On Friday, residents began receiving their settlement cheques, some for as much as $6,000. On average the residents who took part in the class action suit got back at least 90 per cent of what they had paid out. "I think the message for municipalities is get your ducks in order in advance and only collect fees you're entitled to collect, otherwise these kinds of processes are available for the little guy to get his money back," Dives said. Antoniali called the settlement a huge victory. "When it doesn't make sense, you've got to do something about it," she said. "You can fight city hall, basically."

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There is hope that sewer customers could get some satisfaction!

Posted by Don Quixote at 6/27/2008 0 comments

Obama claims historic nomination

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama addresses a crowd of cheering supporters in Minnesota Tuesday after U.S. media projected he had won enough delegates to secure the party's nomination. (Chris Carlson/Associated Press)

Barack Obama won enough delegates on Tuesday to secure the Democratic presidential nomination, according to several U.S. media projections, while his rival Hillary Clinton said she would not make an immediate decision on what course her campaign would take.

"Our primary season has finally come to an end," Obama told a charged crowd of supporters in Minnesota on Tuesday evening. "Because of you, tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States."

The Illinois senator, who was also the projected winner of Tuesday's state primary in Montana, appears set to become the first African-American to be named a major party's presidential nominee when the Democrats formally select their candidate at the national convention in Denver in August.

Obama also offered praise for Clinton, saying she has "an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be."

"Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight," he said.

Speaking to supporters in New York earlier in the evening, Clinton stopped short of withdrawing from her bid to become the country's first female president. But the New York senator said she's committed to uniting the Democratic Party to retake the White House in November.

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