Paul Cipywnyk's Blog

Ah, Kodak, You Changed Society & Influenced Generations

I think this is the oldest Kodak camera I have. A Brownie Target Six-20 "Made in Canada by Canadian Kodak Co. Ltd." I gather it's circa mid-1930s to 1941. I'm not even sure whose it was. My late Dad's? My late Mom's? One of my grandparents on either side?

Kodak was an iconic company.

Photography was/is (think of more recent incarnations such as YouTube, Flickr) a socially revolutionary technology, and Kodak got it into the hands of the masses. Not to mention Kodachrome and other Kodak films being the basis for Life, Time, National Geographic, and on and on...

Later, following up on FB: These were/are memory machines. Families could afford to "freeze" snaps of their collective selves, and their worlds for nearly the first generation in history. Aside from aristocrats of the previous hundreds, perhaps thousands of years of recorded history who could afford artists, sculptors, etc.

Rick Mercer Tackles ‘Radicals’ & Northern Gateway Pipeline Issue

Hilarity, free speech, and democracy, ensue.

Hey, aren't at least the last two supposedly among conservative values?

http://youtu.be/iZf5fC9v2qE

Total Environment Canada ‘Enforcement’ Over 2o Years Less Than Toronto Library Fines in 1 Year

Is this for real?

I ran across this article with some astounding figures regarding [lack of] Environment Canada enforcement of the the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

In a single year, the Toronto Public Library levied more fines for overdue books ($2,685,067 in 2009) than the total amount of fines obtained by Environment Canada in more than two decades (1988-2011) of enforcing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, ostensibly this country's most important pollution law ($2,466,352).

It's a powerful read.

http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/12/20/its-time-to-start-cracking-down-on-environmental-crime/

PM Harper Worries About $ From Democratic Ally, Ignores $ from Dictatorship-Controlled Corp.

This Vancouver Sun story focussed on the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) of US NGOs providing some funding for Canadian NGOs to oppose the Northern Gateway pipeline.

The story began thus:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday he is worried foreign cash is being used to stall the hearing process for the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.

and after several hundred words, ended with the following paragraph:

Enbridge has said it has 10 industry supporters for the pipeline project, each of which is putting up $10 million to back it through the regulatory process. Identified supporters include China's second-largest oil producer, Sinopec.

Isn't that what we called "burying the lead" back in journalism school?

Industry, including a company controlled by the anti-democratic Chinese dictatorship, is putting up a total of $100 million to back the proposal. And this raises no concerns for our nation's leader?

Yet he's concerned about donations by citizens of a fellow democracy that is our greatest ally.

Does Harper really fear Canadian citizens, and citizens of the US, more than a totalitarian-controlled corporation committing $10 million to influence Canadian policy?

Let Us Not Forget Derek’s Last Post

As the year ends, I've been reviewing events of 2011 that moved me, and one was the death of Derek K. Miller, and his "Last Post."

I don't want to say much, because there are plenty of folks in EAC, and in particular EAC-BC, who knew Derek way better than I had the chance to. I heard him speak several times, and I followed his powerful blog, but we didn't have a personal relationship.

Derek's Last Post bears reading again, for it stares death, and life, in the face.

http://www.penmachine.com/2011/05/the-last-post

It's also a reality check. Are we spending the precious moments of our lives following our passions, and contributing as best we can to positive change in our world?

UPDATE: Dawn, another EAC member and editor, remembers this post as particularly moving:

For me, the post I most remember is Endgame
(http://www.penmachine.com/2010/11/endgame).
I never met Derek in person, just in emails and on his blog.
But his writing and his story really affected me.

Does Ambivalence Increase with Age?

On the topic of increasing ambivalence as we grow older:

While to some degree I have followed the stereotypical trajectory of becoming more "conservative" with age, in some ways I've become more "radical." I don't think that's necessarily a contradiction.

I've come to see shades of grey and ambivalence as a good thing. Something that makes you think and question, instead of simply accepting, and relying upon, some dogma. Something that allows for creativity, for experimentation, for changing one's mind. Something that enables you to work with people that you thought you had nothing in common with, for the betterment of society.

That's why in my 50s I can be an "environmentalist" and "activist", and also contribute to my local board of trade. I don't think I would have been capable of that at age 20. Mind you, back in my twenties, boards of trade didn't have environmental sustainability committees...

Some may say shades of grey can become a moral quagmire. But over the course of history, I think black and white has done more damage to peoples and societies. It's the extreme manifestations of societies, be they left- or right-wing, that have killed the most.

I think age helps one to define the idiotic extremes that one can write off, while at the same time teaching one to be more tolerant. Hmm. Getting ambivalent again... : -)

So while in some ways as I get older I am more apt to call a spade a spade and f**k the consequences (perhaps because time is more precious as I age), in other ways I'm more willing to listen and to compromise (because time is often the only way to share and teach and reach consensus).

Ambivalent, eh?

WordPerfect Supports Orme Than 60 File Formats

I was cruising the web tonight, and a sudden eddy of nostalgia made me search WordPerfect. You, know, WP! You don't know? Why, WordPerfect used to rule the word-processing roost on both PCs and Macs for years before MS Word gradually achieved a near-totalitarian dominance of the market. I cut my word-processing teeth on WP, and XyWrite. . . but that's another story. . .

To my pleasant surprize, WP Office commands 4/5-star reviews from major computer magazines and is way cheaper than MS Office. With holiday pricing in effect, and upgrade pricing allowed from MS products, I was tempted for a moment. But I have enough office suites on my machines, since I also install Open Office on all of them.

Anyway, as I perused the WordPerfect website, I noticed the following. Sure hope it's not indicative of WP's spell check. . .

Language Lanterns goes FB, Twitter

I've been working with Language Lanterns in various capacities for at least 15 years, but it's taken a long time for it to sink in that I have become one of the principals, following the passing of my Mom, Sonia Morris, a few years ago. Big, very big shoes to fill, and my Mom's sister--Roma Franko-- and I, still struggle at times without her. . .

So, Mom, we're going Facebook and Twitter!

I've been FBing and Tweeting for years, personally, but have never used either medium for promoting Language Lanterns or my own business. So this is uncharted territory for me.

Here we go, both works in their infancy, and in progress:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Language-Lanterns-Publications-Inc/167526306676070

and

@LangLan_Books

‘Free Radicals’–Leaders of the 21st Century

Interesting post.
Less Paperwork, Less Waiting, More Action. 
Information sharing, transparency, leveraging of social media...
Collaboration, shared resources...

This is not only for business. I know some "Free Radicals" in the NGO sector. We ought to cultivate them at all levels of government, too.

Thanks to @mamatweeta who RT'd @shaunacausey.

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

I don't know if a major corporation has ever turned its Web landing page into a tribute to a founder before:

I won' t link to apple.com or apple.ca because this web page will be ephemeral, as Steve Jobs knew well.

I am far from a slavish Apple devotee. My Apple hardware as of this post consists of a still functional, but long archaic, monochrome PowerBook 145B dating back to the early 1990s, and an iPod Touch, but I do admire his drive and sense of purpose:

"For the past 33 years, I've looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself 'if today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?'"

They say he was "difficult" but most geniuses are, and I agree he was one.

Here's to you, Steve. Thank you for having the strength to remind us that we all face death, and that we have a limited time to love others, and pursue our (work) loves. You said in the famous speech quoted above that death is one of life's greatest inventions because it clears out the deadwood.

I agree, but, death took you too soon.

Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Assist in Edmonds Clean Sweep

Byrne Creek Streamkeepers participated in the biannual Edmonds Clean Sweep yet again. This event is sponsored by the Edmonds Business & Community Association in SE Burnaby the first Saturday in October, and the first Saturday in May every year. There was a bit of confusion this year as to organizational matters, but it all came together in a great event.

Thanks to Joyce Rostron, past prez of the Edmonds group, and Jim and Lindy McQueen of Gordon Presbyterian Church for pulling it together. The church did a great job of hosting the community with hot dogs, buns and condiments donated by Save-On Foods, and drinks provided by MLA Raj Chouhan.

At "our" end of the event, streamkeepers pulled in 37 volunteers! Thanks to all the Scouts Canada groups that participated.

And of course thanks to the City of Burnaby and its crews who provide this community cleanup with dumpsters and other support. Not to mention Burnaby RCMP and Community Policing volunteers who are always out in force for these events! And Translink security staff who help us out with our volunteer vehicles in the parking lot.

Signs pointing to our booth at the Edmonds Skytrain station

Filling the City of Burnaby provided dumpster to overflowing

Thanks to all the Scouts Canada volunteers!

Volunteers shoulder heavy loads to clean up the hood!

Streamkeepers and RCMP at the post-event social. No, the two
groups are not shunning each other, we get along great! Just didn't
grab a better photo. . .  The police know streamkeepers are eyes on
less-travelled parts of our wonderful parks, ravines, and creeks.
Burnaby has a great community policing program.

Edmonds Association past prez Joyce Rostron thanks sponsors and volunteers

Gordon Presbyterian Church volunteers feed the crowd

Moi center, with streameepers stalwarts Dave and Frieda

BC ‘Salmon-Safe’ Launch–PSF Invitation

I received the following from the Pacific Salmon Foundation today by email, and am reposting it here. The text and image are from PSF:

You're invited to the official launch of Salmon-Safe in British Columbia

Working with farmers to keep B.C.'s streams healthy for Pacific salmon to thrive

Wednesday | October 5 | 2011 | 3:00 - 4:30pm

At the Main Street Station Vancouver Farmers Market 1100 Block Station Street (along Thornton Park across from the VIA Rail Station and near the Main St Skytrain Station)

Complementary tasty creations generously prepared by Two Chefs and a Table, featuring seasonal produce from Salmon-Safe farms!

Salmon-Safe is a third-party certification program that recognizes farmers who adopt conservation practices that help restore Pacific salmon habitat in rivers and streams. The Pacific Salmon Foundation and Fraser Basin Council are the delivery partners for Salmon-Safe in B.C. The Salmon Safe initiative is funded in part by: Royal Bank of Canada Blue Water Project and the Living Rivers Trust Fund

Public Hearing on Condo Development & Byrne Creek Daylighting

I attended the Zoning Bylaw Amendments Public Hearing tonight at Burnaby City Hall regarding several rezoning & development proposals, including the consolidation of several single-family lots into a four-story condo development in the upper Byrne Creek watershed, including a proposal to daylight another 150 meters of the creek.

"Daylighting" means bringing a creek back to the surface from pipes it was buried in during urban development.

The plan looks good. I talked to a VP at Ledingham McAllister, the proponent, and he pointed out some creek-friendly features. A key one is that rather than having the usual concrete stormwater detention tank for a building of this size, they are proposing a wetland/rain garden between the building and the daylighted creek to slow and filter runoff. Cool!

I spoke to Mayor and Council that as streamkeepers we were pleased that the proponent and the City had come up with a progressive design that included higher density with daylighting and innovative stormwater management.

All in all it was great to come to such a hearing with praise. I think often environmental NGOs and various levels of government are viewed as being in conflict. Yes, sometimes that's true, and I will not shirk from some healthy criticism now and then, but I think it's also important to acknowledge when government and business get things right.

And I'm happy to say that this development/daylighting proposal looks right! This is all in the early stages, yet a lot of work has already been done, and kudos to all who thought about what was best for Byrne Creek during the process!

A Slew of Salmon-Related Articles

East coast fishermen protest #Salmon farms, want to protect sensitive lobster habitat from pollution.: http://bit.ly/n5lW2Y

DFO not getting enough $ to properly study Fraser River salmon returns - Vancouver Sun: http://bit.ly/qtRcnW

Too many seals, sea lions shot at BC fish farms, say critics - Vancouver Sun: http://bit.ly/oRo69o

Fish caught in BC show no Fukushima contamination - Vancouver Sun: http://bit.ly/nQiplz

Salmon supported as BC Official Emblem - Vancouver Sun:http://bit.ly/o2ev0o

Article on coho salmon spawner mortality in urban streams. Similar issues on Byrne Creek in #Burnaby: http://bit.ly/o7nar3

Sockeye Feel the Heat - how rising temps affect salmon - Tyee: http://bit.ly/p9hHVl

As Feds slash Enviro Canada budget, international scientists worry about impact on climate research - CBC: http://bit.ly/pD2iLT

How does climate-change research relate to salmon? Heat. Salmon become prone to disease and exhaustion when water temperatures exceed around 20C.

And a good news story! Fish return to once-toxic dead zone near Britannia in  Howe Sound: http://tinyurl.com/5v4x3lr

Development Proposal in SE Burnaby Could Extend Byrne Creek 150 Meters

I came across some potentially exciting news for the Byrne Creek watershed in SE Burnaby, BC. A development proposal in the upper watershed in the Edmonds area could see as much as 150 meters of the creek brought back to life (in a process called "daylighting") from a section where it was buried and piped nearly 50 years ago. Thanks to ZoAnn Morten of the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation, who noticed the rezoning process mentioned in the Burnaby Newsleader, and who brought it to my attention. I got a copy of the report from City Hall today. It mentions ongoing efforts to restore and protect the creek by the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers. Here are a few highlights:

• Requirement for a detailed Sediment Control System during construction
• On-site stormwater management system for the new building
• Environmental review re daylighting the creek
• The report states that the creek was "enclosed in a storm sewer" in that area in 1962
• The creek would be daylighted for about an additional 150 meters from where it now exits the pipe. (That's more than I expected, but they are planning to close chunks of 17th St. and 16th Ave. and turn them into greenways, so I guess that adds more length.)
• The zoning is being changed from RM2 to RM3 to give the developer more height in exchange for the daylighting of the creek
• There will be "necessary riparian planting adjacent the daylighted Byrne Creek"
• Unfortunately, to allow for the daylighting, the underground parking and the larger building, all mature trees on the site will have to be removed

There will be a public hearing on Sept. 20, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. at Burnaby City Hall. If this is as good as it sounds, it would be a wonderful enhancement to our neighbourhood! I hope all goes well, and kudos to the City of Burnaby and proponent Ledingham McAllister Communities Ltd.

And if this daylighting could be extended further. . . : -). There's the huge Safeway property nearby up for development, and the ongoing enhancement of Ernie Winch Park, where the creek used to go. . . Yowza!

Metro Vancouver Ecological Health Action Plan–Open to Comment

Received the following interesting info from Metro Vancouver today (I've shortened it a bit):

Over the past decade Metro Vancouver has been working towards expanding and aligning regional efforts to improve our quality of life while supporting the integrity of our natural environment. The wide range of services Metro Vancouver provides the region and its related investment in public infrastructure and lands creates a unique opportunity for us to promote and support actions that improve our ecological health.

Join us to discuss our draft Ecological Health Action Plan.

The draft Ecological Health Action Plan is a pragmatic next step based on short-term actions clearly within Metro Vancouver's mandate. The document describes how Metro Vancouver has incorporated ecological health into our regional plans and strategies, four areas of opportunity for improving ecological health and 15 initial projects.

Learn more about the Draft Ecological Health Action Plan

Open House: (no registration required)
Date: August 9th, 2011
Time: 6 pm - 8:00 pm (presentation at 6:30)
Location: Metro Vancouver Head Office, Information Centre
               4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

We welcome your feedback. Please provide comments by August 15th, 2011

• On-line www.metrovancouver.org
• Email ecologicalhealth@metrovancouver.org
• Fax: 604-436-6970
• By mail Ecological Health, 10th Floor
  4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 4G8

Computer Makers Need to Include HD Backup, Standard

Another friend just lost a bunch of data when a hard disk died. Yep, she had no backup. Me, I'm a backup fanatic because I've dealt with at least three dead HDs in my house/home office, and have helped clients with that many more, though I'm an editor, not a computer tech. I've had a multi-disk setup going for years now.

Whenever I buy a computer, I either order it with dual HDs to begin with, or add one myself as soon as it arrives. With 1TB HDs retailing for C$45-55 these days (so what does that price them at when ordered wholesale by the thousands? Ten or fifteen bucks each?) I wonder why the heck computer makers don't include dual HDs standard, with auto-imaging set up by default. Would save a lot of heartbreak.

Not to mention oodles of tech support time. HDs fail. That's a given. Customers are clueless and angry. That's a given. Why not, for $30-40, include imaging to a 2nd HD? Why don't Intel and Microsoft make this obligatory to receive certification?

Maybe I'm missing something. I guess a lot of computer techs make a lot of money off this. . .

Choices Supports Streamkeeepers Again

Choices in the Park will be having a by donation BBQ this Sunday, July 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with proceeds going to the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers. Thanks to manager Greg Goossens and all the Choices staff.

Streamkeepers will have our booth set up, with great maps of the watershed, and lots of info on how you can make a difference to water health in your neighbourhood. Come on out, have a chat, and something good to eat! It's just steps from Edmonds Station on the Skytrain, and also just steps from the creek!

Photo from Choices/Byrne Creek Earth Day event earlier this year.

Burnaby Business Excellence Awards 2011–Nominations Deadline June 24

Make sure you get your nominations in for the 12th Annual Burnaby Business Excellence Awards. Deadline is June 24. I sat on the nominations committee for a couple of years and on the selection committee one year (or was it two?), and this is one heck of an annual event, complete with the Hall of Fame and Nominees' Luncheon on Oct. 6, and the amazing Gala Awards banquet on Nov. 2, 2011.

Note that these awards are heavily community oriented, with categories including Burnaby Community Spirit, Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year, and the relatively new Environmental Sustainability category.

My Tweets from EAC National Conference

Here are my Tweets from the Editors' Association of Canada national conference Editing in the Age of E-Everything that was held in Vancouver from May 27-29.  Note that they appear in last-to-first order, as they appeared on my feed.

Grayson the story still exists, the book still exists, tho its form may be changing 

Grayson the core is storytelling - look at your career as a story - build a story around who you are and what you do

Grayson there is a dearth of critical thinking in socmedia, digital publishing

Grayson add value to the social media conversation - I don't care if you're having a cup of coffee

Grayson what makes me feel that I belong? that I'm part of the in group?

Grayson what's in it for the consumer? what do they want?

Grayson how do you become a great conversationalist? communicator?

Grayson global "niche" markets are huge

Grayson the beauty of the digital world is that there are no norms

Grayson perhaps editors should be called producers

Closing address with Rochelle Grayson

Harbeck copy editor is the ideal person to enforce styles, unless the doc is totally screwed up

Harbeck colour changes are easy in InDesign if you set up swatches

Harbeck wildcard symbols are bit different in Word than in standards-compliant apps

Harbeck http://bit.ly/kqreLc wildcard reference for Word

Harbeck Using spaces in Word for layout purposes is true evil

Harbeck scan for two spaces between sentences, scan for hidden characters as part of import cleanup

Harbeck you can apply unique markers in a screwed-up Word file to note elements, and then apply consistent styles in InDesign

Harbeck you can make tables in Word - they will import fine into InDesign

Harbeck the things you need to do in Word are completely different from what you do in InDesign

Harbeck never try to lay things out or use text boxes in Word - leave that for the InDesign stage

Harbeck the best way to manage styles is to have same names in InDesign and Word

Harbeck you want a dtp style for any element that may be handled differently

Harbeck most important dtp workflow decisions are what styles to use and how they are related

Hilarious presentation by Harbeck what an entertaining approach to dtp!

Harbeck Use styles, styles are your best friend for dtp

Harbeck if you get your docs set up properly ahead of time, final DTP is nearly done

Next session Harbeck Well Begun is Nearly Done: DTP at Warp Speed

Little kids' language, tech use changes so fast, that we need new focus groups for each campaign

Little  Hard to explain to execs that you can't just "make something go viral"

Little  As a corp we stay away from FB status updates - too hard to maintain a relevant, consistent flow

Little  Twitter can be dangerous for regulated govt provider - so need consistency in use

Little  A wiki-based style guide is a living document, created/maintained by users, track changes

Little  WCB using corporate style guide Wiki

Little  corp/org editors need to work on templates, workflow

Little  for corp editors, days of sitting and working with text are over - need multimedia

Little  editors working with video games, online content to engage youth

Little  only place we could reach young people aside from school was online

Little  Taking real-life narrative & presenting on web to engage young workers

Little  Difficulty of adapting corp/govt policy to engage wide audience

Little  Corporate policy can lead to dry web content

Little New Tools and Emerging Roles for Online Editors

Nice to see my fellow @RoyalRoads MAPC cohortnik Terence Little presenting

Sloboda make sure youre website is visitor-centric, not your company centric

Sloboda In metadata, titles & descriptions still count, keywords not much anymore

Sloboda Freshness important, so mix of website, blog, Twitter feed is a good idea

Sloboda Search engines are starting to take copy quality into account

Sloboda Be careful about keyword density - overdo it and search engines will penalize you

Sloboda Keyword make huge difference - few searches for "reduced fares" tens of thousands daily for "cheap flights"

Sloboda Take a look at webceo.com

Sloboda Writing web copy for 2 masters: search engines, people

Sloboda Segment website copy according to audience - language, interests

Sloboda Your website may be catering to multiple audiences

Sloboda Why have a website? What's your objective? Purpose?

Sloboda If you cater only to search engines, you won't convert readers

Next session "Writing for the Web - Nourish the Spider, Engage the Human" Sloboda

publishers need to interact with their audiences directly on the web @jmaxsfu

Maxwell Check out LeanPub

Maxwell MagFlow - magazine submissions & editorial workflow in Wordpress

Maxwell Pressbooks - Wordpress as an editorial environment

Maxwell The website is the real thing, and the book is a souvenir

Maxwell The book of MPub - a book built in WordPress

Maxwell Ickmull - bridge from web to print - reverse of prevailing systems

Maxwell The container is no longer the book - is it the iPad?

Maxwell Publisher still doing print first, then trying to repurpose for digital

Maxwell How do we re-imagine publishing as if the web matters? Digital cannot be an afterthought

Maxwell When content is cheap, that changes how we write, how we read, and the editorial process

Maxwell Content is cheap - supply skyrocketing

Maxwell We live a Wiki world of multiple sources

Maxwell Authority is no longer singular - The Book, The Author - long gone concept

Maxwell We now live in a world of way too much content about everything

Maxwell We've gone from an info-poor world to an info-glut world

Maxwell Too many publishers have heads in sand - hope the revolution is not really coming

Maxwell Periodical publishers are being crushed by free content

Maxwell Self-publishers are having interesting effects on the market

Maxwell Market of non-traditionally published books is exploding

Maxwell Publishers have never seen the likes of Amazon, Apple and Google - these guys are out for all the marbles

Maxwell Publishers increasingly at mercy of monopoly players

Maxwell Publishers need to figure out how electronic markets work

Maxwell Publishing in upheaval after a century of stability

Maxwell Many publishers operate as if the web didn't exist

Maxwell Web is dominant publishing platform of our time and future

Re-imaging publishing as if the Web mattered Maxwell

Newman any change is always frightening ro some parties in copyright issues

Newman copyright law is always playing catchup - sometimes decades behind

Newman authors, publishers need to figure out how Google Books works best for them

Newman be aware of final Google Books settlement - you can wait until things shake out

Newman Google Books does the heavy digitization lifting for publishers

Newman becoming Google Books partner may = exposure, more sales channels, higher revenues, revenues from older books

Newman publishers can set minimum price in Google eBooks

Newman Google eBooks not limited to any particular platform - not available in Canada yet - soon

Newman partners can access array of analytics through Google Books

Newman at this point Google Books is for discovery and limited display

Newman next phase of Google books settlement coming soon

Newman useful to revist Google books settlement & its influence on publishing

Everyone looks bright eyed & bushy tailed at Newman

Google Books - what is it, where is it going next? Newman

AGM Derek was a great supporter of EAC & contributed in many ways #weloveyouderek

AGM Derek lived E-everything

AGM tribute to Derek K Miller

AGM My tweeting of EAC AGM will be sporadic as I've been asked to photograph awards, certificates etc

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen Twitter is the modern, personalized wire service - can be tailored to your needs

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen we no longer follow the wires - I monitor Twitter

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen digital audience is accepting of minimal-quality video - they're used to YouTube

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen if you're not already living online, you'd better be if you want to work in digital media

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen if you want to get into media, have a blog, Tweet, digital media want to know you can do these things

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen if you can get someone to actually click a link or 2 on your website, you're doing very well

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen if you can keep someone on your website for a few minutes, you're doing well

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen onlinei people are generally looking for specific info & want it fast

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen jump in & get comfortable with video etc.

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen if you're an editor, you're likely good at finding what's good in text, video or audio - skills translate

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen spend a lot of time looking for open source/free/cheap photos

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen the web is a beast you constantly have to feed - always need something new

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen photo of digital editing sessionhttp://yfrog.com/h6o30mnj

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen not as much time for editing when working online

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen 2 of 3 presenters using Drupal

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen Province, BC Living, Vancouver Magazine represented

Manfield / Philps / Rolfsen Editing in the Digital Media World - next session

Finkelstein / Morris considering XML-first workflow, but not quite there yet

Finkelstein / Morris most large conversion companies are offshore - they're affordable

Finkelstein / Morris have done electronic books enhanced with video depending on channels

Finkelstein / Morris we do publish in colour on screen, rate of adoption of colour devices increasing

Finkelstein / Morris still issues with making indexes useful with eBooks

Finkelstein / Morris if using images in ebooks, they need to be resizable for different screens

Finkelstein / Morris trying to make content easily flowable across platforms

Finkelstein / Morris we really try to understand how ePub tech is evolving & how folks may use it in future

Finkelstein / Morris of course you're trying to reach as many ePub forjats/readers

Photo of audience at Finkelstein / Morris http://yfrog.com/h8dinazj

Photo of panel at Finkelstein / Morris http://yfrog.com/h8fpxazj

Finkelstein / Morris still a lot of work in file conversion

Finkelstein / Morris books still developed editorially in same way, but trying to innovate

Finkelstein / Morris Epublishing is changing quickly, in constant flux

Next session I'm attending at EAC Conf in Vancouver is on E-Publishing Finkelstein / Morris

Graves photo of seminar by Graves on collateral, content strategy http://yfrog.com/h4d5nihij

Graves always, alwaysa measure - downloads, click-throughs, page views etc., and revise, revise

Graves need a strategy for bringing your collateral into the 21st C - SEO, SocMedia etc

Graves break up text with subheds, if you can cover it with the palm of your hand & it's all text, it's too much

Graves tone & style hard to enforce. How would your company speak if it were a person?

Graves firm branding guidelines help avoid arguments

Graves youe collateral should be consistent, have personality, be brief

Graves collateral cannot be everything to everyone - write to a particular customer's needs

Graves have regular updating of collateral in your content strategy

Graves regularly retire out-of-date content

Graves content strategy requires narrowly defining your audience

Graves you need a plan to create useful, usable content, and everyone needs a different plan

Graves collateral represents brand, supports sales, keep company, jobs going

Graves works at Open Text on content strategy

Graves Winning Collateral: Writing & Editing to Fit a Content Strategy

Fralic clear communication is more important than it's ever been

Fralic the role of the editor as become more necessary, more compelling

Fralic web highlights gap between dreck and well-edited writing

Fralic customers want info they know they can trust

Fralic Vancouver Sun website gets 10s millions of hits because we have century of credibility

Fralic yet users of Web are getting smarter, better at wading through the tripe

Fralic glut of dreck on the web

Fralic we all know that everyone needs an editor

Fralic nobody is fact-checking blogs

Fralic most blogs do not get edited - makes my blood run cold

Fralic I may not like blogs, but they are effective in getting eyes on our website

Fralic our online readers are young - they like photos, sick dogs, cleavage and gangsters

Fralic blogs just fill up the e-hole

Fralic I hate blogs - stream of consciousness thing - I like my words to simmer

Fralic we're told to write for the web first

Fralic issue of digital rights, use restrictions on ebooks

Fralic books are still a big deal, libraries being used more, but conundrum ot ebooks

Fralic editors are not becoming obsolete, they are switching gears - need tech savvy these days

Fralic numbers of online editors is growing

Fralic new job description - online editor

Fralic press workpace has changed dramatically

Fralic interesting to see if paywalls are going work, because we're not making $ on Internet

Fralic trad media struggling to adapt, doing better job

Fralic young readers go online, shun trad press

Fralic increasingly difficult challenges for writers, editors in trad media

Fralic editors have saved my bacon many times

Fralic interviewed Dalai Lama 30 years ago, before he was Bono's BFF

Fralic having been an editor made me a much better writer

Fralic fear that once-venerated craft of editing is disappearing

Fralic audience of editors, so there are no hard copies of this speech anywhere

Fralic who is from Toronto? Love those #Canucks, eh?

Fralic happy to see so many women in audience

Fralic keynote speaker next

Auditorium packed for Shelley Fralic keynote

Why are Humans Rarely Included Among ‘Predators?’

Interesting article in the Burnaby Newsleader on predators being considered as impacting sockeye salmon populations at the Cohen Commission.

Salmon have coexisted with all the mentioned predators for thousands of years. I find it odd that there was no mention of the apex predator that's increased in numbers on the BC and US west coast from the tens of thousands to the tens of millions over the last century or two -- us.

Why are humans almost never considered to be predators?

Yes, of course human impacts are being presented to the commission, but I still think it's odd that we disassociate ourselves from other predators. We're fishers and farmers and managers, eh? We don't like to see ourselves as killers and eaters of other animals.

Burnaby Celebrates Environment Week

The City of Burnaby is celebrating Environment Week from June 5 - 11 with a series of events and activities on the theme "Waste Reduction - making a difference."

Schedule of Events here.

2011 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Picked this press release up somewhere, and found it very interesting:

Announcing the 2011 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Set for October 25-27 at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, this not-to-be-missed event is the largest, most comprehensive research and policy conference in the region. The 2011 conference, co-hosted by Environment Canada and the Puget Sound Partnership, presents the latest scientific research on the Puget Sound Georgia Basin ecosystem.

This year's theme, "Many Voices, One Sea," provides a collaborative forum for discussing the latest environmental research and practices to protect this critical ecosystem. The conference brings together leading scientists, resource managers, government officials, business leaders, non-profit organizations, academia and other stakeholders. More than 1200 participants attended the last biennial conference in 2009. In 2011, we expect to include at least 800 participants, but hope for more.

The conference website www.salishseaconference.org, includes information on registration, sessions, the Call for Abstracts, sponsorship and exhibits. Abstracts will be considered for a range of topics, including water quality, air quality, climate change, species health, land use and restoration activities in the Salish Sea ecosystem. Abstracts are due May 27 and can be submitted online.

Sponsors will have ample opportunity to be recognized and demonstrate their commitment to a clean and healthy environment for our shared Salish Sea ecosystem.

Join us in furthering our collective understanding of Puget Sound and Georgia Basin. The program is packed with peer-to-peer interactions, field trips, cultural celebrations, knowledge transfer, and practical collaborations. Register now to secure your supersaver rate!

The SeaDoc Society will award its 2011 Salish Sea Science Prize at the conference (www.seadocsociety.org/ssp). Nominations for this award are due June 15. The $2,000 prize is given to highlight the importance of science in providing a foundation for designing a healthy Salish Sea.

We appreciate whatever you can do to help us spread the word about this important regional conference. If you have questions, feel free to contact Verney Conference Management, info@salishseaconference.org or Jennie Wang, Environment Canada, at secretariat@salishseaconference.org.

Metro Vancouver 2011 Sustainability Congress

2011 Sustainability Congress
Future of the Region: Building a Shared Roadmap

Saturday, June 25, 2011
9 AM - 2:30 PM
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
900 Canada Place Way, Vancouver

Did I FB/Tweet Something Truly Original?!

I was talking with some friends on Facebook about ephemeral digital data, and individual "truth" vs "the mob," and I threw the following out:

"Is that a social-media tumbrel carrying my bits to the guillotine?"

And it struck me that after a beer or two, I may have uttered/written an original sound bite, er, socmedia byte.

I rather like it and Google apparently has nothing that matches....

An easily satisfied Paul, going to bed now before someone disappoints him.

Sunny Earth Day BBQ with Byrne Creek Streamkeepers at Choices in the Park

Choices in the Park held another annual Earth Day by-donation BBQ, with some of the proceeds going to the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers among other community environmental groups. Thanks, Choices! It was a lovely, sunny afternoon, and we enjoyed being out with our display. We chatted with people who dropped by, and while walk-by traffic was a tad sparse, likely due to the four-day holiday weekend, a good time was had by all.

It was great to chat with Choices CEO Mark Vickars, Park location manager Greg Goossens, and all the helpful staff.

Several folks who dropped by asked about the upcoming community Clean Sweep on May 7, and said they were looking forward to participating.

I’ve Missed Commercializing Easter, Can I Catch Mother’s Day?

Mother's Day is coming & another commercial onslaught begins. My email inbox is filling with "specials."

I'm an editor. A wordsmith. A writer. How can I take advantage of this?

Hmmmm.

Hey! Hire an editor to help you express your true feelings!! If you can't find any true feelings, we can make them up -- we edit fiction, too, eh?!

Mom will cherish the moment she opens your card, with well-crafted words from a professional editor!!!

Estranged? Disinherited? No problem!!!!

Mother-daughter spat going? Husband doesn't understand? (yeah, yeah, all HE has to do is scarf his mom's food, grin, and open himself up to huggies, eh?)

A professional editor -- like me -- can massage your message to get you back into the toughest Mom's good books.

Give me a call at 1-800....

Card was spat upon? Tossed in the fire? Sorry, but subsection 33 (A) [iv] of the client agreement disallows any refund or compensation.

Edmonds Clean Sweep May 7, 2011

Come one, come all to the Edmonds Clean Sweep on May 7, 2011, in SE Burnaby. Sponsored by the Edmonds Business & Community Association, this event brings people in the community together to clean up their neighbourhood.

Meet in the parking lot of the Gordon Presbyterian Church at 7457 Edmonds St.

Registration: 9:45
Clean up: 10:00 - noon
BBQ (free for volunteers): Noon

Alternative registration site with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers in the parking lot of the Edmonds Skytrain station - times the same.

See you there!

Choices Supporting Enviro Groups with Earth Day BBQs

Choices Markets has been holding by-donation BBQs for several years now, with partial proceeds going to local environment groups. I see in the April Choices Newsletter that Byrne Creek Streamkeepers are again being supported by Choices in the Park. Thanks!

Earth Day
Saturday, April 23,12:00pm-4:00pm at all locations
Looking for products that are made by companies with earth-friendly practices?
Saturday, April 23, in recognition of Earth Day, Choices Markets will be showcasing
samples of environmentally safe household items and delicious local and/or organic
foods. We'll also be hosting donation barbecues and donating the net proceeds to
five organizations that are all lending a hand to help the planet:

Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society
SOLEfood Farm
The World in a Garden
Byrne Creek Streamkeepers
Green City Acres.

Ways to Comment on Burnaby Draft Social Sustainability Strategy

Helping to spread the word!

To ensure that Burnaby will continue to be a great place to live, work, learn, play and visit, the City of Burnaby is developing a Social Sustainability Strategy.

A draft Social Sustainability Strategy has been developed by a 25-member Steering Committee, composed of Burnaby community members, and approved, in principle, by Burnaby City Council for public review.

Help Shape Burnaby's Future!

There are two primary ways to participate in the public consultation process:

1) By completing our survey

2) By attending one of our Public Open Houses

Read the draft Strategy: www.burnaby.ca/sss_draftstrategy. (If you require a hard copy of the draft Strategy, please call the Planning and Building Department at 604-294-7421. Limited copies are available.)

Take the Survey: www.burnaby.ca/sss_survey

Attend an Open House:

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
Confederation Centre
7:00pm - 9:00pm
* Open for display viewing at 6:00pm

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
Cameron Recreation Centre
7:00pm - 9:00pm
*Open for display viewing at 6:00pm

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
Edmonds Community School
11:00am - 1:00pm
* Open for display viewing at 10:30am

Monday, April 11th, 2011
Bonsor Recreation Centre
7:00pm - 9:00pm
*Open for display viewing at 6:00pm

All venues are wheelchair accessible.

Child-minding will be provided at the Open Houses.

If you wish to attend an Open House session and require interpretation/language translation, please arrange to have someone call us and we will try to provide that support.  Call 604-294-7421 and let us know which Open House you wish to attend and which language you speak.

Burnaby Empty Bowls–Nosh For a Cause

Burnaby Empty Bowls - A Food First Initiative
Nosh for a Cause, Help Fight Hunger Across Burnaby

Wednesday, April 20 5:30 - 9:30pm
Hilton Vancouver Metrotown

Sample World-Class Food by Burnaby's Top Chefs, Silent Auction
Receive a hand-thrown ceramic bowl

$60 includes your bowl

604-664-8708 or 604-664-8225

burnabyemptybowls.blogspot.com

Event Poster:

Environment Canada Joke is Becoming a Tragedy

I really, truly would like to to be able to support Environment Canada. But in my experience, this Canadian federal department that's been a joke for some time, is rapidly becoming a tragedy. It appears to have no staff, no budget, no guts, no balls, no fiercely protective mother-love for the environment that it is mandated to maintain, regulate and enforce for present and future generations.

And with the present government's planned 20% slash-and-burn cut to EC's budget, what have we got to hope for?

I don't get it. What is more basic to human health and prosperity than the environment? Our water? Our air? Our land? Food, water, air are all elemental to human survival. And the survival of the entire food chain that we depend upon.

It's well past time that Environment Canada was a key ministry, with real powers and real teeth, and a concomitant budget and dedicated, passionate staff.

Shame on my federal government. Yes, shame!

And if EC Minister Peter Kent could still show a smidgen of the integrity that he was known for as a respected and honoured journalist, he would resign on principle at having the department that he is supposed to champion shafted like this. Equal cuts across the board are one thing, but EC is being targeted for dramatically deeper cuts than other departments. Why?

Could Earth be ‘Unrecognizable’ in 40 Years?

Some sobering research has been making the media rounds today. Here's Salon's take on it:

Scientists warn that Earth could be "unrecognizable" by 2050

Combined effect of surging population and depleting resources could cause an ecological catastrophe within 40 years. . .

The scariest line from the article is:

According to the World Wildlife Fund's Jason Clay: [To feed everyone] we will need to produce as much food in the next 40 years as we have in the last 8,000.

Environmental Innovation Forum–March 2–Burnaby Board of Trade

The Burnaby Board of Trade is holding an Environmental Innovation Forum on March 2 from 5:30p at the Electronic Arts campus in Burnaby. This looks like an excellent event, and I'm not saying that just because I sit on the BBOT's Environmental Sustainability Committee : - ). Here's the lineup:

The panel includes:
Chris Corps, BSc MRICS, Asset Strategics Ltd.
Allen Langdon, VP, Sustainability for Retail Council of Canada
T.J. Galda, Chair, Electronic Arts Green Team
Member, Globe Foundation
Plus additional Panel Members TBA

Facilitator: Coro Strandberg, Principal of Strandberg Consulting and author of the Small and Medium-Sized Business Environmental Roadmap for Industry Canada.

The last BBOT environmental forum held at EA was a huge success, so don't miss this one!

Let’s Hear it for Plain English!

Singing for plain English

Found this via the Editors' Association of Canada mail list, which pointed to an
excellent post on the Writing Matters blog.

The Future of Publishing

This is a lovely little video - - be sure to watch all the way to the end, or else it doesn't work.

Stupid Mode = 1

Stupid Mode = 1. (1 meaning ON, 0 meaning OFF). Apparently that's a real Linux command option for an operating-system configuration file that controls communications with overly complicated modem negotiations.  Note that I am not a Linux guru, and I haven't independently verified this, but it sure sounds like the irreverent Linux approach to technology and freedom : - ).

I like it. I see endless applications in politics & life :-). New, needlessly complicated tax rules? I shall simply set Stupid Mode = 1.

Federal and provincial environment authorities fail to enforce pollution laws? Stupid Mode = 1, triggering an automatic barrage of letters to ministers, letters to MLAs, letters to MPs, letters to the editor. . . : - ).

I could go on. And on. And on. But I think I need give no additional examples of the beauty of

Stupid Mode = 1

Salmon Hazard Sign at Walmart in Bellingham, WA

On a cross-border jaunt to Bellingham, WA, I was surprised, and heartened to see this sign in a Walmart:

I know some folks have issues with Walmart, and while I have my qualms about big boxes and rampant consumerism, I have to say that Walmart is progressive on many green & sustainability issues.

I don't know if this particular signage is a Walmart policy, or a State of Washington policy for any retailers of pesticides. Anyone know? You can reach me at paul@cipywnyk.com.

Oh, if you're having trouble reading it, it says:

Use in urban areas of pesticides containing the active ingredients 2, 4-D, carbaryl, diazinon, diuron, malathion, triclopyr BEE, or trifluralin may harm salmon or steelhead.

Help keep our water resources clean. Apply pesticides only to your lawn and sweep any product which lands in the driveway, sidewalk or street back onto your lawn. Rinse applicator over lawn or garden area only.

Adding Japanese Support to Ubuntu on IBM Notebook

The other day I installed Linux Ubuntu 10.10 alongside Windows XP on an older IBM T42 notebook computer. The Ubuntu install was flawless, and I can now dual-boot into either OS. Everything just worked, including wireless, and sleep and resume.

We've put that laptop on station on the main floor for easy Web access while watching TV, cooking, etc. My wife and I have our own offices, hers on the top floor and mine in the basement, each with our own tower computers, but for years I'd been lugging notebooks around the house. . .  Now there's one dedicated to the main floor .

Anyway, she asked today if she could use Japanese on the Ubuntu notebook. Oops, I had forgotten to install additional languages. It took all of 5 minutes to install Japanese capability, and, OK, a reboot and bit of poking around to figure out the input method, but it worked.

She can now write in OpenOffice, email in GMail, and surf on Firefox, all in Japanese. Yay!

Oh, yeah, if you haven't heard, Linux, OpenOffice, Firefox etc., are all free.

Yep, free.

I salute the years of dedication by countless Open Source volunteers who made, and continue to, make it so.

P.S. Ubuntu appears to be smarter than both Windows XP and Windows 7 in one respect: I have a D-Link DNS-323 NAS (network attached storage) unit on my LAN (local area network). To get the NAS to show up on a Windows machine, the easiest way is to run a utility on the accompanying D-Link CD.  Ubuntu? It found the NAS all by itself. . .

Local BC MLA Raj Chouhan Hosts Holiday Season Open House

I've had plenty of opportunities to meet with Raj over the years through my volunteer activities, and he and his staff have always been helpful, and very interested in what's going on the the community. So come on out and meet your Burnaby-Edmonds MLA.

Sustainability Makes Sense–Edmonds Association Biz Seminar

Business & Networking Seminar
$ustainability Makes $ense - Go Green and Save $$$
Nov. 16, 2010, 6:30 p.m. Tommy Douglas Library, Kingsway & Edmonds, Burnaby
Please pre-register at 604-522-3971
or email info@edmondsassociation.org
before noon Friday, November 12th, 2010.

Metropolis Express Fundraising for Stream of Dreams

All aboard to save salmon!

The Stream of Dreams Murals Society is taking part in a charity event at Metropolis at Metrotown in which donations to ride the Metropolis Express train go to several charities. Today was the Stream of Dreams "challenge day" - - one day to try to raise as much $$ as possible to potentially receive a bonus donation from Metropolis.

Stream of Dreams founders Louise and Joan were out, along with a fantastic crew from the Byrne Creek Secondary Leos. Kids got to colour small foil fish that were attached to the train to create a "salmon run."

In addition, local elementary schools were encouraged to join another Stream of Dreams-sponsored competition to win blank Dreamfish to do an environmental education and community art project at their school.

Thank you Metropolis at Metrotown, and Byrne Creek Leos!

Condon Applies 7 Rules for Sustainable Communities to BC’s Lower Mainland

The Tyee today published the last article in a series by Patrick Condon, based on his book Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities: Design Strategies for the Post Carbon World. If you're too cheap to buy the book : - ), or don't have the time to read it, you should at least peruse the Tyee series. This is stimulating, solid material that's a must read for anyone interested in a liveable Lower Mainland. Highly recommended for politicians at all government levels, transit officials, city planners, engineers, environmentalists and concerned citizens - which ought to encompass all of us.

Condon is a professor at the University of British Columbia and holds the James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments. I had the pleasure to be a citizen representative on a planning charrette for the Kingsway corridor through Burnaby, BC, organized by the Sustainability by Design folks at UBC a few years back. It was a thought-provoking exercise that engaged City planners, engineers, academics, students and citizens in a sharing, respectful process.

The Burnaby Kingsway corridor plan was part of a larger study that also looked at a "node" in Langley, BC, and an "edge" in east Ladner, BC., and resulted in the publication Sustainability by Design: A Vision for a Region of 4 Million. I have always found Condon to be well-spoken and lucid with quiet, persuasive, rational arguments.

Too bad too many such studies appear to end up filed away in municipality, regional, and provincial filing cabinets, never, or rarely, to be referred to again.

If you care about your community, please read and share!

Congrats to Finalists in BBOT Business Excellence Awards

The Burnaby Board of Trade hosted a wonderful Hall of Fame luncheon today in which the finalists in the association's 11th Annual Business Excellence Awards were announced, and Global TV BC was named to the BBOT Hall of Fame.

As past president of the Edmonds Business & Community Association, I was happy to see several Edmonds-area finalists:

In the category for Burnaby Community Spirit:

• CIBC Highgate - Acorn and Kingsway
• The Mulberry Retirement Residence

In the category for Small Business of the Year

• Fairhall, Zhang and Associates

Congratulations!

Burnaby Board of Trade Proclaims Support for Rivers Day

The Burnaby Board of Trade is the first chamber in Canada to proclaim its support for World Rivers Day. Chair Dick Kouwenhoven read out the proclamation at the Rivers Day event in Burnaby, BC, today, shaking hands with Rivers Day founder Mark Angelo.

This is way cool! The BBOT is one of the most progressive boards in Canada, and I am proud to sit on its Environmental Sustainability Committee.

Rivers Day founder Mark Angelo, left, and Dick Kouwenhoven, BBOT chair.

LinkedIn Goes For the Bottom Feeders?

I was shocked to see this advert on LinkedIn today:

I cropped the screen capture so as not to identify the advertiser.

Um, that's not a living wage anywhere in the developed world. Not that I have anything against the developing world, but I thought LinkedIn was a website for professionals, charging professional, developed-nation rates.

Trilogy of Translations Nearly Ready for Printer

Language Lanterns Publications Inc. is almost ready to announce the publication of three more volumes of Ukrainian literature translated into English. The proofs are sitting on my desk, and as soon as I complete entering some corrections into the InDesign files, the three 416-page books will be ready to print!

This trilogy will bring the total of Language Lanterns books published to 20. That's quite the accomplishment for a tiny company that really ought to be a non-profit! It's been a labour of love for Roma Franko, the translator, and the late Sonia Morris, the editor. I've been copy editor, proofreader, and since the passing of my mother Sonia in 2007, the associate editor. It's been quite the experience!

Mom and Roma both took early retirement from careers as professors at the University of Saskatchewan, and poured their energies (and their pensions!) into Language Lanterns. They've donated thousands of books to libraries in Canada and Ukraine, with the aim of spreading the accessibility of 19th- and 20th-century Ukrainian literature.

Last year, they were awarded the inaugural George S. N. Luckyj Ukrainian Literature Translation Prize by the Canadian Foundation of Ukrainian Studies. The citation cites Franko and Morris

for their dedication to and tremendous efforts and achievements in translating Ukrainian literature into English and making it accessible to a wide reading audience. . . After taking early retirement from their respective academic careers at the University of Saskatchewan in 1996, the sisters embarked on new careers, Roma Franko as translator and Sonia Morris as editor. Together they founded Language Lanterns Publications dedicated to publishing works of Ukrainian literature in English translation. . . To date, 17 volumes have appeared translated by Roma Franko and edited by Sonia Morris. . . The names of the recipients will be inscribed on a plaque that will be permanently displayed in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto.

While I have to wait to tell you more about the trilogy that will appear soon, I can say that there are many powerful and moving short stories in it. Stories that brought me to tears, even upon a third or fourth reading while editing and proofreading.

And you see that photo up above? That desk is my Mom's desk that I got after she died following many years of fighting cancer. I'm proud to have been able to assist in fulfilling her and Roma's goal of translating, editing, and publishing 20 volumes - -  on her desk.

P.S. I want to thank Don at Hignell Book Printing for his unwavering support, DTP advice, and assistance over many years. Don has been a rock, and his calm dealing with any and all "crises," and his (perhaps I shouldn't share this) tolerance for, um, extended deadlines, has been a lifesaver. Thanks too to Cori at Hignell for her great work on tweaking the covers of the forthcoming trilogy.

‘Retail Therapy’ Should be Struck From the Lexicon, Our Behavior

I hate the bandied-about term "retail therapy." I know we all do it. Gals do it with clothing, jewellery, perfume, shoes. . . Guys do it with sports gear, tools, gadgets. . .

Yet it speaks horribly of a total disconnect from ourselves and our planet.

How many of us living in "first-world" nations really need more stuff? More crap? We're already consuming wayyyy more than our share of the planet's resources. So how the hell can we really feel better by consuming even more?

It's morally ridiculous. You might get a little boost for a short while, but you're just adding to your psychological burden way down deep inside.

I've spent much of the last three days going through the garage and my home office trying to de-gunk my life. Purge! Even just a little!

And yet I'm still as gadget-lustful as the next guy. Just bought a new smartphone, would love a better canoe, perhaps a kayak for some solo excursions. And the darn car is just too small, wouldn't it be nice to get a mid-sized truck for camping and canoeing excursions?

It never ends.

But perhaps we could at least stop talking about it as something uplifting, eh?

P.S. I admire my wife, Yumi. She still gets her shopping hit regularly, but she does it at the Salvation Army, the Hospice Society Thrift Store, etc. She spends hours having fun (not my cup of tea, but I respect our differences), while spending tens of dollars instead of hundreds, comes home excited and happy, and feels great and looks great. That kind of "retail therapy" I can support :-).

Canada Day in Surrey

We decided to check out Canada Day in Surrey as part of our ongoing exploration of events on Canada's birthday. Last year we went to Canada Day in New Westminster and thoroughly enjoyed the cosy atmosphere in Queen's Park, the live music, etc. As Burnaby residents and community volunteers, we've been to many Canada Day events in Burnaby.

Our impression of the Surrey event was that it was much more corporate-sponsorship oriented than Burnaby events are. I'm not judging that as being either good or bad, but it was interesting to hear Surrey politicians lauding the corporate sponsors for enabling a "free public event." Hmm. Burnaby Canada Day events are free to the public, too, without all the banner ads, displays of cars and trucks, etc. . . Perhaps the Burnaby events are not on quite the same scale, but bigger is not necessarily better, eh?

I was impressed, however, with the strong environmental-sustainability presence at the Surrey event. Lots of displays on sustainable living, and booths on streamkeeping and preserving urban forests. Surrey actually hires university students over the summer to lead teams of hired high-school students to work on restoring urban streams, removing invasive plant species, etc. I have to admit that's way ahead of Burnaby initiatives. . .

Commercial Properties Still Using Pesticides in South Burnaby

I happened to cycle past the Ballard building on North Fraser Way down in the Glenlyon Development near Fraser Foreshore Park in south Burnaby over lunch today.

There was a guy applying something to the lawns on both sides of the street, so I asked him what it was: Weed 'n Feed. I asked him if he was aware that he was applying it right next to Sussex Creek (neither fertilizer nor pesticides are good for aquatic habitat), and he brushed me off saying it was an approved chemical.

I called the City of Burnaby, and staff confirmed that they couldn't do anything about it because it was commercial property and the City's Pesticide Bylaw does not apply to commercial properties. I also checked the Environment Canada website, and discovered that weed 'n feed (combined fertilizer/pesticide) products have been banned on a national level, effective 2012. So it seems a shame that landscapers are still applying the stuff.

It would be great if developers, property managers, and landscapers got ahead of the curve!

I've talked to people who say they've heard that landscapers are intent on using up stocks of products that face potential bans, or that have already been banned but the deadline hasn't been reached yet, and that seems morally reprehensible to me.

Perhaps chemicals manufacturers could be encouraged to take back such products with partial refunds, and governments could be encouraged to support such programs through rebates? Perhaps such programs are in place, but people don't know about them? There's a lot that could be done here!

D-Link DNS-323 NAS Initial Impressions

I am a firm believer in multiple backups of my computer data for several reasons:

1) As an editor, my livelihood/business relies on computers

2) As an avid photographer, ever since I went completely digital many years ago, I've accumulated over 350GB of digital photo files

For years I've had dual HDs in my main computers, and some time ago added an external hot-swappable USB2 HD cradle which works great.

But I've been hearing a lot about NAS (network attached storage) and about a week ago I picked up a D-Link DNS-323 NAS device from NCIX, along with a couple of Seagate 1.5TB hard drives. Total damage? C$299 before tax, so cheap for the additional backup peace of mind. I set it up as RAID 1, which means that the two 1.5TB drives in the D-Link mirror each other.

The salesperson at NCIX warned me that the DNS-323 would run only as fast as my network, but I didn't think much of it. I should have!

Backing up those 350GB of photo files took more than 30 hours over my 100Mbit LAN (local area network)! Mind you now that the initial backup has been done, updates will go much more quickly. Still, I now do have my sights set on a gigabit router/switch :-).

The other great thing about a NAS device is that any of the computers on my LAN can back up files to it.

The unit itself is compact, about the size of two fat paperback novels, but it does require an external power brick. I haven't set up or tested some other cool functions such as remote FTP access, or serving up music files across the network.

South Burnaby Safety Forum June 23, 2010

The 3rd Annual South Burnaby Safety Forum will be held on Wednesday, June 23, 2010, from 6:00 - 9:00pm at Eastburn Community Centre, 7435 Edmonds St.

I started out attending one of these forums, progressed into helping to organize a few more, and while I am no longer actively involved in the organizational side, I can assure everyone that they are useful events. So if you have any public safety or crime-related issues, I urge you to come out and participate. Community succeeds when people in the community make their voices heard!

RBC Blue Water Day Hosts Byrne Creek, Stream of Dreams

I was happy to represent the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers and the Stream of Dreams Murals Society at the Kingsway/Walker RBC branch in southeast Burnaby for a couple of hours today for the bank's Blue Water Day. Several RBC branches invited streamkeepers and Stream of Dreams to participate, and we did our best to accommodate as many of them as we could, though it's tough to find volunteers during working hours.

Thanks to Veloy and the staff at the branch!

My Byrne Creek/Stream of Dreams display

All Drains Lead to Fish Habitat!

Serving clients cake!

Veloy and I - thanks!

Info on the RBC Blue Water Project here.

And thanks to the Pacific Salmon Foundation for matching our groups up with RBC!

Sometimes I feel a bit strange displaying front-page spreads of myself from the local papers, but I've discovered it's a great way to start conversations. People trundle by, glance at me, glance at the display, stop as recognition dawns, look at me again and blurt out: "Hey, that's you!" Yup, and now I've got you hooked for at least a minute :-).

Are Email Disclaimers Enforceable?

I noticed the following at the bottom of an email message:

This email may be privileged and confidential. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient(s) is not authorized. The sender accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors and omissions, loss or damage from use (including damage from viruses), or breach of any confidentiality related to the contents of this message which arises as a result of email transmission.

This strikes me as being so strange.

What does it mean, "may be privileged and confidential"? How do I tell?

How do I know who is the intended recipient? Sometimes that is not evident. How do I know for sure that I may not be an intended recipient? Isn't the onus on the sender to ensure the message is being sent to the correct address?

And what's this "damage from viruses" bafflegab? It's your responsibility to keep your computer secure, not mine.

As for the claptrap about confidentiality of information, email by nature is a wide-open medium. Messages pass through dozens of servers on their way across the Internet. If you want/need to ensure confidentiality, well, encrypt the message.

USGS: Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems

An excellent series of videos on how urbanization affects local streams. Thanks to the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation mailing list for this lead. These videos are great resources for explaining the function of urban watersheds to the public.

Burnaby Environment Awards Lunch 2010

The City of Burnaby's 2010 Environment Awards were presented at a lovely luncheon today.

Councillor Dan Johnston, chair of the Burnaby Environment Committee

The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC received the Environment Award
for Communication

Jennifer Atchison of the Stoney Creek Environment Committee
received an Environment Award for Community Stewardship

Brentwood Park Elementary School received an Environment Award
for Youth

Coro Strandberg and Phillip Legg received an Environmental Star
for Planning and Development

And Candace LeRoy of Simon Fraser University received an
Environmental Star for Business Stewardship

Group shot of the awardees

The reception is always a fun event. I've attended four or five times over the past years, first as an award recipient with my wife Yumi for our volunteer work on Byrne Creek, and now as a citizen representative on Burnaby's Environment Committee. It's always a great crowd with opportunities to catch up with old friends and make new ones. City of Burnaby staff do an excellent job on coordinating the event.

Vancouver Sun: Remote Alaskan sockeye salmon offer clues to long-term survival

An interesting read, though I find the overall conclusion to be a "Duh" moment:

The study shows the key to the health of the Bristol Bay fishery is a 'diversified portfolio' of hundreds of discrete populations of sockeye. Some of the populations like it when the surface climate is hot and dry, while others like it cold and wet. Some spend just one year in fresh water before heading to sea, others spend two years.

Researchers for the study, which appears in today's edition of the journal Nature, liken it to a diverse stock portfolio that spreads the risk around.

While this is a great explanation for the layperson, uh, haven't we long known the importance of genetic diversity?

Anyway, a key statement was: "The hope for the Fraser is that the fish can adapt to these warmer conditions and to the diseases that they've seen," says Hilborn. "We just basically have to give them time. And that basically means not harvesting them very much until they can solve the problem."

How about not harvesting Fraser sockeye at all? For several generations? Lower-Fraser First Nations have agreed to a complete sockeye moratorium and are doing only selective fishing, what about everyone else?

UPDATE: Another take on the same issue by Mark Hume in The Gl0be and Mail can be found here.

‘BC Waters Clean Up Challenge’ from Pacific Western Brewing

This is a good initiative by a key member of BC's corporate sector - Pacific Western Brewing.

"Proceeds from Pacific Pilsner and PWB will be used to support the clean-up of streams, rivers or lakes in beautiful British Columbia. We will be selecting one or more community water clean-up projects with funding and other tools this summer."

Community groups can apply here.

While I laud this initiative, I must also chide PWB for its tag line "Save Water Drink Pilsner."

While it's cute, and I do like my beer, brewing and bottling is a hugely water-intensive process in which far more water is used than in simply quenching your thirst from your tap, eh?

Ernie Crey Gives 2010 Fraser Assembly Keynote

Ernie Crey, Senior Policy Advisor for the Sto:lo Tribal Council gave a moving keynote address to the Fraser Salmon & Watersheds Program 2010 Fraser Assembly this morning.  These are my rough notes, so while the gist may be correct, they cannot be attributed to Ernie Crey as direct quotations . . .

We are undergoing profound, ongoing changes. Changes in the aboriginal community signal profound changes in the entire community, institutions, and policies.

Change is the constant that we all face and we can't hide from it.

Trying to hold back change doesn't work. Change is overwhelming and inevitable.

The best we can do and hope for is to flow with the change and see if we can direct it around the values that we have. That's all that we can do.

Get engaged, run for and hold public office.

People in Ottawa make policy for all aspects of our lives: the environment, taxation, health, etc. All those decisions are made there by a small cadre of males from the dominant community. Woman are largely absent. Aboriginals are absent. Policy is mostly made by white males.

It's best that we be the shapers of public policy in Canada. I've never been a believer in sitting it out.

We've entered a difficult place in the history of this province, particularly when it comes to fisheries.

120 years ago there were 100 million and more sockeye salmon coming back to spawn up the Fraser. We now consider a good year to be 10 million fish. Fish have been going missing from the Fraser for decade upon decade.

The DFO is not the saviour of salmon or its champion. This needs to change.

If we don't drastically change our ways, the chinook will all be gone. Will we allow that to happen? Will we sit it out?

What is the right thing to do? What is the ethical thing to do? For our children and their children, and the children of the white man.

Can't we respond to change?

The aboriginals have adjusted and have begun to fish selectively.

The Cohen judicial inquiry into missing sockeye salmon. I predict the hearing will transfix British Columbians. A good part of the world knows about the disappearance of the sockeye. Some say they are AWOL at sea. Nobody knows why. People blame different sources. Some say it's a scientific question. That may be the case.

Here's my take. It may be a question of science, to improve science, in-season management. But you know it's really a question for British Columbians like you and me. Post your opinions on the inquiry website.

I think communities should hold their own hearings. All of you together. In Merritt, in Kamloops, in Vancouver. Get the ordinary citizens to come forward with their observations and opinions as if they counted.

It's important not to be exclusive as scientists, politicians, and council members. We need to be inclusive.

Working together is what it takes.

We have a shot at not only preserving but enhancing salmon runs.

"Gramps and grandma restored the environment and the rivers." That's the vision that we can, and should, embrace.

Check out Environment Week in Burnaby

(Image courtesy of the City of Burnaby website - I figure they won't mind because I'm a taxpayer and I'm providing free publicity : -)

I love the bee on the graphic. Bees are essential to our food supply of vegetables and fruits because they are pollinators. Too bad so many people seem to be afraid of them.

Burnaby has a lot of great events lined up for Environment Week 2010.

Northern Voice 2010 Social Media Conference a Blast

I was happy to get registered for Northern Voice this year - last year by the time I heard registration was open all the tickets were sold out!

Northern Voice is a social media conference that has featured great speakers and stimulating discussion from its inception. This year was no exception.

Today I took in:

How (Should) Journalists Use Social Media?
with the CBC's Lisa Johnson and Vancouver Sun managing editor Kirk LaPointe 

More Drawing On Walls - The Power of Making Things Visible
with Nancy White

Flog Your Blog: How to Turn Your Blog Into a Book
with Angela Crocker, Kim Plumley and Peggy Richardson

Art and Social Media
with Rebecca Coleman, Rachel Chator, Deb Pickman and Sara Genn

If Machiavelli and Montaigne Grew Mushrooms
with Dave Cormier and Jon Beasley-Murray

I didn't want to lug my laptop with me as I've been having some back trouble the last several weeks, so I took only a few handwritten notes. I will try to flesh out this post, but right now, I'm tired!

Summit Logistics Hosts Streamkeeper Display

I had the pleasure of hanging out with staff at Summit Logistics in southeast Burnaby during a staff BBQ today, with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers display. Thanks to Rick LeBlanc for inviting us to the company's Health and Safety Week event. I chatted with people about how all storm drains lead to local creeks, and about the watershed. Summit has extensive spill-prevention and containment measures in place.

DFO Must Act Now to Save Pacific Salmon

". . .anglers who care about their sport and the stocks that sustain it are already putting their rods away. Only the greedy and the stupid squabble over who gets to kill the last fish for fun."

Good article from Stephen Hume on how several first nations are moving to stop fishing completely, while DFO still dithers on recreational and commercial fisheries.

CBC: Burtynsky's Oil images win photo book prize

"In 1997, I had what I refer to as my oil epiphany," Burtynsky said in a statement accompanying the book and exhibits.

"It occurred to me that the vast, human-altered landscapes that I pursued and photographed for over 20 years were only made possible by the discovery of oil and the mechanical advantage of the internal combustion engine. It was then that I began the oil project.

"Over the next 10 years I researched and photographed the largest oil fields I could find. I went on to make images of refineries, freeway interchanges, automobile plants and the scrap industry that results from the recycling of cars. Then I began to look at the culture of oil, the motor culture, where masses of people congregate around vehicles, with vehicle events as the main attraction."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2010/04/30/burtynsky-oil-photo-award.html#ixzz0mpghwHoJ

Photographer vs Volunteer

I was asked to photographically document a community cleanup the other day - an event that I was also involved in coordinating and actually getting out and working on.

Now that I am reviewing the photos, I have quickly realized that by splitting my attention among so many roles, the photography suffered. I was rushing here, rushing there, trying to cover all the bases, both event coordination and photography. It simply can't be done!

While I'm not a professional photographer, I am pretty good, but the photos I got of the event were not that great. I also did not get the accompanying information that is required for publication: names, permissions, etc.

Why? I was distracted. As I said, I was also an event coordinator, a volunteer organizer, and supposedly a garbage collector. Part of the time I was pitching in on the ground, part of the time I was coordinating various groups, part of the time . . .  I was taking photos, as requested.

You simply can't do it all. To take good photos you have to be in the zone. The viewfinder has to be your only focus.

Edmonds Clean Sweep May 1, 2010 – Come make a difference!

The Edmonds Business & Community Association will hold its regular spring neighbourhood Clean Sweep from 9:45 to noon on Saturday, May 1.

Everyone is welcome to join in -- families, individuals and community groups! Help make our neighbourhood cleaner, safer, and more attractive.

Equipment provided, along with refreshments.

Meet at the Eastburn Community Centre, 7435 Edmonds Street, Burnaby.

Byrne Creek Streamkeepers will be participating with an alternate signup site at Edmonds Sktytrain Station, and will lead a cleanup of the southwest Edmonds area, including removal of invasive plant species from Byrne Creek Ravine Park.

Spinning Garbage into Gold – Burnaby Board of Trade

An Innovative New Business Model for Managing Waste

Date: POSTPONED

Description:

The Burnaby Board of Trade is hosting a unique event which will showcase a fundamentally different approach to waste that can actually generate a dividend, if this model is adopted. Integrated Resource Management (IRM) is based on existing and well-proven technologies that require no lifestyle changes in order to achieve local energy generation, increased jobs and significant contributions to meeting greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Chris Corps of Asset Strategies has pioneered the IRM approach and is now advocating amendments to Provincial policy, so change can occur. Chris' recommendations are based on an IRM pilot study his team is now completing on behalf of Metro Vancouver for the Lower Mainland. Chris will talk about the implications of IRM, as well as how businesses and Governments can benefit from both the adoption of the model and related changes to fiscal accountability.

Pricing & Registration:

Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to hear from a thought-leader in environmental innovation. Tickets are $35 (plus GST) for Members and $45 (plus GST) for non-Members.  Cash bar and light appetizers will be provided.

To purchase tickets call 604.412.0100. For more information email admin@bbot.ca

Environment Canada ‘Responds’ to Streamkeepers

Here's what an Environment Canada spokesperson had to say to the Burnaby Now after yet another chemical dump into Byrne Creek that killed everything in the open watershed from top to bottom:

Raisinghani responded to recent criticism from streamkeepers that suggested Environment Canada was lax on enforcement of anti-pollution laws and failing in its job to protect fish and their habitat.

"Environment Canada takes its enforcement responsibilities very seriously," Raisinghani wrote. "If the source of contamination is found, an investigation may be launched."

WOW, Right!?

I'm sure polluters are shaking in their chemical-covered boots upon hearing that proclamation. IF. MAY.

How about WHEN. SHALL..?

Isn't action by default something that we should expect from those mandated to protect our health and our environment?

I feel for Raisinghani. He, she, is muzzled, handcuffed, and just spouting the "line" from someone higher up who doesn't have the balls to speak to the public.

What we need is swift prosecution, not purported tough talk. Hell, that ain't even tough talk. Them's bureaucratic-PR weasel words. IF. MAY.

I would like to point out that the IFs and MAYs have been spouted repeatedly in the past - and have never been addressed. That does not reassure anyone about Environment Canada's track record, eh?

There was a toxic spill on a tributary that feeds into Byrne Creek as recently as 2007  in which the "source of contamination" WAS found, and Environment Canada went into its usual "an investigation MAY be launched" mode, but ended up doing NOTHING.

So what gives us citizens, who pay Environment Canada salaries, and who trust you to protect us and our environment, any reason to believe this time will be any different?

This issue has been brought up again, and again, and again, and we don't need any more IFs and MAYs. We need ACTION.

The real sad thing about all this is that as volunteer streamkeepers we work with all levels of government: municipal, regional, provincial, and federal. We don't want to diss anyone, but . . .   We are giving up hundreds and thousand of hours of our time to volunteer. We are taking time away from our work. . . while we're paying through our taxes, for, apparently, nothing to be done by "our" government.

That's harsh..

Media Interest in Byrne Creek Kill Has Legs

The strength and duration of media interest in the recent fish kill in southeast Burnaby's Byrne Creek after someone illegally disposed of a chemical, likely down a drain on a street, is intriguing. The kill happened late Thursday afternoon, yet I was still receiving multiple calls for interviews and tours on Monday. Usually three- to four-day old local news is as appetizing to mainstream media as, er, rotting fish, but somehow this story had legs.

And we didn't send out a single press release or email, we didn't make a single phone call - we simply tried to keep up with the requests that poured in. We have no staff, streamkeepers are 100% volunteer. If anyone still doubts the power of Twitter, well, that's how this story started. . .

Perhaps it had something to do with public outrage. This story struck a chord. The creek is in an urban area, it is surrounded by public parks, and I think people are really getting the message that it's not only fish,  it's about the entire ecosystem and our health, too.

I've been monitoring the online versions of stories, and people have been responding with anger and disbelief that such a tragedy could happen - yet again - in a beloved creek. People have also been scathingly skeptical that anything will really be done by the federal agencies that supposedly are tasked with protecting our environment and our health.

The outrage is palpable, and I think that's what has kept this story alive.

Streamkeepers are making lemonade from the lemons handed to us by the thoughtless polluter - we've been getting calls from concerned citizens reporting suspicious substances on streets and in ditches, we may have a few new faces at our monthly meeting tomorrow (Thursday, March 11, at 7:30pm - coordinates here), we've been getting requests from businesses to come speak to employees about the watershed and how we all connect to it.

I hope interest remains high, but I understand that we have to get on with our busy lives and attention will quickly fade. Unfortunately, I've seen this cycle several times on battered Byrne Creek, and I hope that my sense that this time the response is noticeably stronger isn't just wishful thinking.

Thank you to all the media who covered the kill! And thank you to the public for expressing your feelings. If you really want change to happen, if you want to see enforcement, I urge you to write your local MLAs and MPs, and the federal and provincial environment ministers - without strong policy direction agency staff's hands are tied.

Burnaby Food Forum March 31, 2010

Join Burnaby Food First for a community forum on the future of food in Burnaby. Local community groups will showcase their successful projects, participants will discuss food issues in Burnaby, and plan for a resilient local food system. A healthy lunch will be provided.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010
8:30 - 1:30 Shadbolt Centre
6450 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby

Everyone is welcome. Please register by March 26 via email:

burnabyfoodforum@gmail.com

Money Collecting Machine

So where can I get one of these? :-)

Burnaby Board Environmental Sustainability Forum for Business

The Burnaby Board of Trade's inaugural Environmental Sustainability Forum for Business last night was a big success, with a stimulating panel of speakers who provided inspiration and examples to help companies get on the road toward reducing their environmental footprints while boosting their bottom lines.

Held at the magnificent Electronic Arts campus in Burnaby, the panel featured Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation; TJ Galda, chair of the Electronic Arts Green Team; David Moran, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Coca-Cola Canada; and Maureen Cureton, Green Business Manager, Vancity. The speakers and ensuing Q & A were ably coordinated by facilitator Coro Strandberg, principal of Strandberg Consulting and author of the Small and Medium-Sized Business Environmental Roadmap for Industry Canada.

The event appeared to be sold out. The auditorium was packed, and the speakers were well received by a responsive and appreciative audience. The panel was a good mix in terms of age and experience, and represented senior corporate management, staff, and NGOs. The overall message was that the green-blue wave is well underway, and companies of all sizes must understand environmental sustainability, and implement it, to hire and retain excellent staff, and develop and maintain optimal relations with their supply chains and customers.

Advice? While you have to have commitment and support from upper management, imbuing an organization with the values of environmental sustainability requires that everyone gets on board. Simply setting up a sustainability team or section will not change behaviour - it will alleviate personal responsibility as staff think "I don't have to do anything, that other group will take care of things."

An interesting resource that was mentioned was the David Suzuki Ambassadors program that provides workshops for businesses "interested in greening their practices." That was another theme that was repeated by several speakers - there are plenty of NGOs out there that businesses can partner with to work together on environmental goals.

BC Artist James Koll Posts New Works to Website

I received an email from BC artist James Koll today about new pieces posted to his website. Coincidentally, the topic of art came up on the Editors' Association of Canada email list recently, with people sharing info about artists whose works they'd bought. I mentioned Koll and his website, and here are a few comments:

"Koll's work is beautiful and, from the photos, exceptionally well crafted. The next time I'm back in B.C. I'll make it a point to see some of his work; I'm in love with it, even via the Internet. A new slant on Internet dating?"

"Thanks so much for sharing this link."

"I like his Burrard Street at Night--lovely."

"Ooo--another great site."

Upcoming Burnaby Board of Trade Environmental Sustainability Forum

As a member of the Burnaby Board of Trade Environmental Sustainability Committee, I have been asked to forward this invitation to people in my business network.

-----------------

January 21, 2010

On behalf of the Burnaby Board of Trade, I would like to personally invite you to attend the BBOT's inaugural Environmental Sustainability Forum for Business on Wednesday, February 3, 2010. This event will showcase a distinguished panel of speakers who will discuss strategies for reducing your environmental footprint and the economic benefits of sustainability.

The objective of this forum is to create an open dialogue within the local business community to explore the business case of going green. The panel includes:

• Peter Robinson, CEO, David Suzuki Foundation
• TJ Galda, Chair, Electronic Arts Green Team
• David Moran, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Canada
• Maureen Cureton, Green Business Manager, Vancity

Facilitator: Coro Strandberg, Principal of Strandberg Consulting and author of the Small and Medium-Sized Business Environmental Roadmap for Industry Canada

Event Details
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
5:30 pm Registration
6:30 pm Panel Presentation
Electronic Arts Canada, Ltd.
4334 Sanderson Way, Burnaby BC
$30.00 + GST
To register, please RSVP to 604.412.0100 or email admin@bbot.ca by Friday, January 29, 2010.

Word Press Founder Mullenweg on Work

Ran across this great article on Inc. about Matt Mullenweg, founder of Word Press, on how he works and runs a virtual company.

I really like this quotation in the article:

People write a lot of comments on my blog, and I actually read and manually approve every comment before it gets posted. I think the broken-windows theory -- that a broken window or graffiti in a neighborhood begets more of the same -- applies online. One bad comment engenders 10 more. I'll happily approve a comment from someone who completely disagrees with everything I believe in, but if I get a positive comment with a curse word in it, I'll edit it out. My blog is like my living room. If someone was acting out in my house, I'd ask that person to leave.

I think that's a great approach, and I wish some major media outlets would get their monitors (do they even have monitors?) to follow it. When comments deteriorate into slanging matches, I'm gone.

Clearing the Decks for the Olympics?

All the newspaper and flyer boxes have disappeared from Edmonds Skytrain Station. Is it part of security measures for the Olympics? Beautification? A move to curb litter? I don't miss them, just curious. The mailbox is still there. . .

Getting Into Hot Water

In response to a series of negative posts regarding on-demand water heaters on a mailing list:

While we have a gas-fired tank hot-water heater in our townhouse, I'm a bit surprised at the number of negative anecdotes regarding on-demand heaters.

As mentioned, they have been in widespread use for decades in Asia and Europe. I had several apartments in Japan with on-demand heaters and never experienced running short of hot water, or being subjected to spurts of cold water. And no matter what the outside temperature, it never seemed to take more than 10-20 seconds to get a steady flow of piping hot water -- certainly not any longer than it takes now for us to get hot water in the upstairs shower from the tank heater in the basement.

My wife's parents' place is in northern Japan, and it gets bloody cold up there for 4+ months each year, yet the suitcase-sized on-demand water heater in their house has never exhibited any such negative behaviour in 20 or more years of use.

If I may be so bold, I'd also venture that Japanese are among the greatest lovers of hot water in the world, and most have a tolerance, nay, an affinity, for soaking in water so hot that simply dipping a foot in it makes me want to scream :-).

Many Japanese shower/baths have faucets with a colour-gradated blue-red dial, accompanied by degree C markings. The top end of the red zone abuts a safety interlock button, which one can depress to be able to turn the faucet even further.

I wonder if some of this can be chalked up to a lack of experience in NA? I admit that when our hot-water heater died several years ago, we replaced it with another tank heater, but that was mostly due to the limited availability and greater initial expense of on-demand heaters here, combined with seemingly little knowledge or experience with them in local stores and among local plumbers.

Water Act Forum Stimulates, Educates

Thanks to Watershed Watch for putting on a forum yesterday "to discuss how NGOs can work together to move the Living Water Smart (LWS) agenda forward, and how groups can help to modernize the BC Water Act." I enjoyed the presentations, learned a lot, and was impressed with the knowledge represented by the people in the room.

The organizers are asking for input so here goes: I'm not sure if "getting groundwater in" came up much in discussion, and that's crucial, particularly in urban watersheds like the creek that I volunteer on as a streamkeeper. The focus seemed to be on sucking groundwater out, which of course is very important, but we shouldn't neglect the "letting it soak in naturally" part of the cycle.

I'm not sure if a water act can include things like impermeable vs permeable surfaces, swales, rain gardens, infiltration ponds, biofiltration, street-edge alternatives, etc., but rainwater infiltration > groundwater infiltration is crucial in urban watersheds. Otherwise too much water is dumped into creeks through rain drains (trying to reshape the debate by getting away from "storm drains") during moderate-to-heavy rains, and not enough gets into the ground to maintain base flows in long, hot, dry spells.

I know we don't want to get too detailed or prescriptive, so perhaps as part of the preamble, or guiding principles, there could be something about the permeability-groundwater issue in regard to promoting watershed-friendly development and redevelopment guidelines?

Salmon Return to Japanese River

From the The Yomiuri Shimbun

This article is about salmon returning to the Chikumagawa river as flows improved after East Japan Railway Co. was directed to stop taking illegal amounts of water from the river to power trains in Tokyo.

Wow, amazing how one's life can change. When I rode the Yamanote Line in Tokyo on a daily or weekly basis for well over ten years from 1985 - 1999 I had no idea that some of the power was coming from a dam that was impacting salmon. Mind you I knew next to nothing about salmon, and nothing about streamkeeping back then.

Welcome New Edmonds Association Exec!

As outgoing president, I would like to warmly welcome the new executive of the Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association. It's very exciting to have several fresh new faces, and to see the energy and ideas flowing around the table at the first meeting of the new board today.

Please welcome your new executive. I trust we'll all pitch in and help continue to move our organization onward and upward!

• President - Joyce Rostron
• Vice President - Darcy Schlechtleitner
• Vice President -  Natalie de la Cruz
• Treasurer - Allan Zhang
• Secretary - Dave Fairhall
• Warren Walker - member at large
• Paul Cipywnyk - past president and member at large

Thank you to everyone who helped me learn the ropes over the last few years, and to all the volunteers who make our association the great group that it is. A big pat on the back to all of you!

Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Management Plan

I attended a Metro Vancouver luncheon on solid waste management on behalf of the Burnaby Board of Trade Environmental Sustainability Committee.

Here's my distillation of the presentation materials and the ensuing discussion:

Top priority is to reduce, reuse, recycle.

Now diverting 55% of waste.

Goal is to divert 70% of waste by 2015 (Metro Toronto has set this goal for year 2010 and is nowhere near achieving it).

MetroVan population projected to grow from ~2 million to ~3 million, so increasing diversion from 55% to 70% has little effect on remaining solid waste.

Even with a 70% diversion rate there will still be over 1 million tonnes of solid waste to dispose of every year.

Three scenarios:
1) waste-to-energy (incinerate)
2) landfill mechanically/biologically treated waste
3) landfill

Key point: When it comes to overall emissions, solid waste management contributes 1% or less in the Fraser Valley, under any scenario.

MetroVan says studies show no discernible health impacts from WTE (waste-to-energy) plants. Many EU nations have WTE plants located in major cities. EU no longer allows landfills.

Key point: What about the "fourth R" in addition to reduce, reuse, recycle? REVENUE (or cost).

WTE, because of heat and electricity generation, has a 35-year NET REVENUE of $20 million in the MetroVan scenarios. The other two options COST between $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion over 35 years.

MetroVan is strongly promoting WTE as the solution.

What about 100% diversion? It becomes uneconomical at a certain point - diminishing returns.

MetroVan feels it's not winning the PR/media war on WTE. Needs to present clear, understandable message to the public. In greater Vancouver, 60% in favor of WTE, but in Fraser Valley only 37%.

I used to question WTE, but I've come around for several reasons. I don't see 100% diversion as being achievable, I think the emissions/health impact from running diesel trucks up the valley to a landfill would be far more detrimental than a new WTE facility, and finally WTE is the only alternative (at least according to MetroVan's consultants) that makes economic sense. In fact it makes $ from producing electricity and heat, whereas the other options cost billions of dollars.

My other observation is that few people even seem to be aware of the WTE facility that has been operating in my home town of Burnaby for years. I'd say 80% of the people that I talk to don't even know it's there.

Apple Store Won’t Let Me Order

I'm trying to send an Apple iTunes gift card to someone in the US and I'm in Canada. I tried Apple's US website, but it would not accept my Canadian province and postal code in the purchasing address. I tried Apple's Canadian website, but it would not accept the US address as the shipping address.

Perhaps I'm just missing some option, but you'd think they'd make carrying out a transaction as KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid, er, Silly) as possible. Dunno if it's Apple being silly or I'm being stupid, but after a couple of failed attempts I guess I'm off to Amazon - at least I know Amazon's gift certificates work cross border, and that I'm able to place orders with both the US and Canadian Amazon websites.

Enjoying Book Camp Vancouver

Have had a great morning at Book Camp Vancouver, and am settling in for the afternoon sessions. This morning sat in on Open Source business models and publishing, and a session on newspapers, magazines and books in the digital age. Next up is Getting to Zero: Who Gets Paid When Books are Free?

Lots of people are covering the conference in real time on Twitter at #bcvan09.

‘Please RT’ Flags Messages to Ignore

I don't understand why people include "please RT" (re-Tweet) in Twitter messages. To me that's waving a red flag that the Tweet is likely spam, or blatantly commercial or self-promoting. It's gotten to the point that as I scan TweetDeck, I skip over messages with "please RT" in them.

If a Tweet is compelling, and stands on its own merits, it's a given that I'll RT it, eh? So why waste the nine characters just to irritate me?

I find this particularly ludicrous when I see so-called "social media experts" littering their Tweets with "please RT." Oh, please. Stop.

Update: @WritersKitchen tweeted a link to this study printed on Fast Company that shows that retweet pleas do seem to work. Thanks, but they still rub me the wrong way!

Turning Cities into Sponges

I never thought I'd be quoting a publication called the Daily Commercial News and Construction Record, but I'm willing to learn from anyone. An article entitled Philly's bold stormwater management plan leads the way caught my eye - it's an initiative that I'd like to see in more cities, and promoted by ones like my own Burnaby.

I love the following quotation from the article:

The plan reimagines the city as an oasis of rain gardens, green roofs, permeable pavements, thousands of additional trees, and more. The idea is to turn the city into a giant sponge to absorb as much rainwater as possible and delay the rest in its journey to the nearby Delaware and Schuykill rivers.

Now that's vision! Or simply going back to what used to be . . . Most cities were once giant sponges, because that's what most land used to be before we built on it. So it makes sense to return to what worked for Mother Nature for millennia, eh?

How about this?

The new plan announced last month would "peel back" a lot of the city's concrete and asphalt and replace them with plants - rain gardens, green roofs, landscaped swales in parking lots, heavily planted boulevards, and small wetlands.

Yes! Streamkeepers and other concerned citizens have dreamed of this for years. The main issues dogging urban creeks are massive flows during rains because of all the water that goes shooting off of roads, roofs and parking lots straight into street drains, and pollution from oil, antifreeze, brake-lining dust, rubber, soap, other chemicals, etc., washing off our streets. Rain gardens, ponds, swales - they would all help with both problems, slowing peak flows and filtering out pollutants.

I believe all municipalities in British Columbia are required to produce ISMPs (integrated stormwater management plans) for all of their watersheds, and Burnaby is no exception. The City has been working on a Byrne Creek ISMP for some time now, and I have sat in on stakeholder sessions as a representative from the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers.

Unfortunately, I haven't witnessed much imagination in the process so far. I get the sense that there's more talk about more pipes, than there is about rain gardens, swales, street-edge alternatives, trees and plants. More pipes? That's so 19th and early-to-mid 20th century, eh? Let's be forward-looking!

What’s Wrong With This FP Picture?

The joys of middle age: I can easily spot mistakes like this one in today's Financial Post:

That ain't no Monte Carlo!

Burnaby Now Interview on Edmonds Association

The Burnaby Now interviewed me about the Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association a few weeks ago. Today I received permission from the paper to post the feature to my blog and to the association's website. Thanks!

Page 1 (3 MB PDF file)

Page 2 (2.3 MB PDF file)

Images and PDF files reprinted courtesy of Burnaby Now, which reserves all rights.

No More Address Labels, Xmas Cards, Notepads – Please!

Groan, I just got another pack of sample Xmas Cards in the mail today from an "environmental" group. Thank you for using up all that paper, coating it, printing it, spewing diesel fumes to truck it from place to place, just so that it could go into my recycle bin to be trucked, processed. . .

Enough with the address labels, the preprinted "From the Desk of Paul Cipywnyk" notepads, the Xmas Cards. I have an overflowing drawer full of them. I have enough address labels to keep me going for several lifetimes.

How many letters do I send these days anyway? How many do you send? All my bills are on scheduled auto-withdrawal/auto-charge programs, and I email, IM, Facebook, Tweet, or Skype family and friends.

I refuse to donate to groups that use this sort of marketing, and if you got my name and address from a previous donation, you will lose me as a supporter if you follow up with any of the above products.

Autumn 2009 Edmonds Clean Sweep

We couldn't have asked for a better morning for the 2009 Autumn Edmonds Clean Sweep. It was sunny and cool, with crisp autumn air invigorating the volunteers. Organized by the Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association, Clean Sweeps take place the first Saturday in May and the first Saturday in October in the Edmonds area of southeast Burnaby.

I'm in my second year as prez of the organization, so it was my pleasure to welcome and thank participants. We had a great turnout, and I'll attempt to list participants here, in no particular order:

• South Burnaby Neighborhood House
• Eastburn Community Centre staff
• District 3 RCMP and community policing volunteers
• Byrne Creek Streamkeepers
• Burnaby Firefighters
• MP Peter Julian
• MLA Raj Chouhan
• Councillor Paul McDonell
• Councillor Nick Volkow
• RCMP Superintendant Rick Taylor
• Burnaby Anti-Graffiti Coordinator Kathy Wipf
• Dozens of citizens from the community
• Rosewood Printers for beautiful poster design

Here are some photos I took of the fun event.

 
Eastburn Community Centre on Edmonds St.

 
Volunteers pulling trash pails apart

 
Gearing up in safety vests, gloves

 
Pickers 'n pails

 
Sharps boxes and anti-graffiti supplies

 
RCMP and community policing volunteers

 
The boys hit the street

 
The gals patrol the pavement

 
Targeting graffiti

 
RCMP taking out the trash

 
Firefighters charity volunteers fire up the grill

 
Councillor Paul McDonell

 
Councillor Nick Volkow leads a street gang

 
MLA Raj Chouhan hangs with some kids

 
MP Peter Julian with Eastburn staffer Leanna Rostron

 
MP Peter Julian put his back into it

 
Association Secretary Joyce Rostron (l) and buddy

 
Self-portrait in community centre window

 
And the cutest shoes in town!

Time to Put the Fax Machine Out to Pasture?

I stayed out of the last "do I still need a fax" discussion on the Editors' Association of Canada mailing list, but recent events are prompting me to comment.

We've used fax machines extensively in our work for around two decades. The amount of work that arrives by fax has tapered off over the last year or two, but the machine is still connected, still on.

When a fax arrives, there's a "distinctive ring," and since the machine was in my wife's office, if she wasn't home, I'd jump like Pavlov's proverbial pup every time I heard that signal. It occurred to me just now that when I hear that signal these days, I usually ignore it. Why? My initial reaction to this self-question was because we're getting way more spam faxes.

Upon further thought, I realize that, no, not really. We're not getting more spam faxes, we're just getting a tenth of the business-related faxes that we used to receive, but we're still getting about the same number of spam faxes.

Yet the result is the same: the signal-to-noise ratio of this particular communication medium has fallen to the point that I've lost the signal in the noise a few times in the last couple of days. I've ignored the distinctive ring until I happen to be passing by the machine on some other perambulation, only to find that -- Yikes -- there's actually a fax from a client and confirmation about something is needed ASAP.

The fax machine is crying wolf much too often. Perhaps it needs to be put down - or only turned on when a client specifically needs to fax me something. Or, perhaps, go completely digital with an online fax service.

P.S. Dear clients, if perchance, you somehow interpreted that last metaphor to mean that I consider you to be sheep, please be assured that was not my intent!

UPDATE: As I was writing this post, what did I hear but the distinctive ring. Not once, but twice. I have retrieved those faxes, and the first asked if I wanted to book a dinner cruise, and the second told me that "We can market your business at LESS THAN 1 cent per fax. Fax 100,000 businesses in the Lower Mainland for only $799." I kid you not.

The Big Notebook Computer Debate

There's been a debate on the Editors' Association of Canada mail list recently about what notebook computers people recommend.

As you can imagine, the thread has run wild. I love A. I hate A. I had a great B. What?! No end of trouble with B.

Do I dare get into the PC vs Mac minefield?

Some thoughts:

I suspect you deal with outliers when you ask people for recommendations. I think people tend to remember, and gravitate toward, their best and worst experiences, and the best and worst things that their peers have told them.

I lean toward doing some initial research with PC Magazine, and other trusted industry publications, because the reviews/results tend to jibe with what my friends and associates talk about. PC Mag rates some Dells great, some lousy. It rates some HPs great, some lousy. It rates some IBM/Lenovos wonderful, some weird. And though it's a Wintel-centric publication, it rates some Macs fantastic, some lacking.

And there are personal-preference intangibles such as keyboard feel -- I happen to love IBM/Lenovo notebook keyboards because to me they best replicate the full-size, full key-travel, clicky IBM keyboards of yore. I dislike "chiclet" keyboards, and soft keyboards, but some love them.

So be it.

And appearance -- I think the plastic white Mac notebooks are ugly, and like my matte black, businesslike IBM. But that's my personal perception. I think Macbook Pros look cool, though I've never had one.

So I think that people should check Consumer Reports, PC Mag reviews and surveys, and on that basis dump the worst-performing/reviewed 20% of all the available notebooks out there, and then go out and try a dozen or more machines in real life. Use them. For more than a minute or two.

And then decide what you want to interact with every day, what feels right, what moves YOU. You're going to be spending hundreds of hours with this hardware.

If you love it, and it lasts 18 months, you'll still remember loving it. You'll excuse its early failing -- because you loved that hunk of circuits and plastic.

If you're uncomfortable with it, and it lasts five years, you'll still give it at best grudging respect.

Happy Hunting, Paul.

PowerPoint Peeves

People should be licensed to use PowerPoint, and each copy should be registered as a dangerous weapon.

There should be a three-strike rule: if you hit the wrong button three times (going back when you meant to go forward, or minimizing the display, or whatever user-caused technical glitch), sorry, but your presentation is over.

If you ever say, "You can't really see this but. . ." your presentation is over. If we can't see it, why is it in the slide show?

If you ever read an entire slide word for word, your presentation is over. Well, OK, maybe it's an important quotation - but dang it, if you read three slides in a row verbatim. . .

If you have green text on a purple background, or vice versa, your presentation isn't even starting!

I could go on, but the boil is gone and I'm down to a simmer.

Wee Bit of Communication Goes a Long Way

It's not knowing that bugs me. In this case, not knowing why the plumber is not here when it's nearly 10:30 and he said he'd be here at 8:30. What makes this even worse today is that he was here - I saw him pull up at 8:20 so I ran downstairs to open the utility room and turn on the lights - and then he disappeared without ringing the doorbell. Huh?

He's been here twice before to work on the same problem - sand in the lines that keeps clogging up our pressure control valve - so I know he's a nice guy and does good work. The recurring problem is not his fault, and this time around he's adding a filter to our line to try to prevent it from happening again. We do have water, albeit at very low pressure, so perhaps he was called away on an emergency and figured we could wait.

I am willing to wait, but a 30-second phone call to let me know what's going on would be nice, and would instantly dispel my growing irritation. I hate to call him because I feel like I'm nagging.

I work from home, but I have errands to run, meetings to go to, a much-needed workout I'd like to squeeze in to my day -- and I'm stuck here. Not knowing.

So please, tradespeople, take those 30 seconds to let your customers know if your schedule changes. We can understand emergencies, we can understand traffic, we can understand a delay in sourcing a part. It's not knowing that weighs on the relationship.

Any business that takes the time to communicate, to keep its customers informed, will keep them happy.

Ah, a knock on the door. At last.

A Plague of Plagiarism?

There's been some discussion on the Editors' Association of Canada mailing list recently about plagiarism and how to detect it. Here are my perceptions of overall trends:

I believe there is an ongoing technological and cultural shift that is blurring the issue of plagiarism in people's minds. We have become a copycat, copying world, and the digitization of content has made it effortless to make exact copies of text, graphics/photos, audio and video. This is not by any means a new idea or concern, and I'm sure there is research on this trend, but here are a few words off the top of my head.

In my youth we learned relatively simple analog copying from LP to cassette, from TV to VCR; however, such copying took as much time to accomplish as the length of the original recording. Now everything is digital files that can be copied and transferred from medium to medium in seconds or minutes at the click of a mouse. Kids have grown up with digital audio players (iPods et al), personal video recorders (PVRs) that amass hundreds of hours of one's favourite TV programs, and computers and the 'Net.

This digitization also makes it easy to non-destructively break down files and use snippets of original works. Kids are now encouraged to do "mashups" using text, graphics, audio and video, and web designers "suck" and "scrape" data from all over the 'Net for inclusion in re-purposed or re-branded websites. It's par for the course for bloggers and Twitterers to copy and use ideas/data, though most abide by precepts of acknowledgment, including citation, mutual linking, blog rolls and the RT (reTweet) function.

When I did my MA a couple of years ago after a 20-year hiatus from the halls of higher learning, I was pleased, amazed, and finally shocked at how easy it was to "do research" by logging into the university library from the comfort of one's home computer, and copy and paste relevant bits from peer-reviewed papers in respected journals downloaded in their entirety from databases. I kept such notes and quotations in a different font to make sure they stood out on the screen as I wrote papers. A far cry from physically entering the library, combing through the card catalogs and stacks, and taking notes by hand on 3 X 5 cards!

I have encountered situations in which people have copied copyrighted and trademarked material wholesale and passed it off in their "own works" -- entire swaths of writing, not just a sentence here or there -- only to have them deny that they'd done anything wrong. Pressing the issue resulted only in anger, incredibly (to my mind) broad definitions of "fair use," or a blanket dismissal that I wasn't with it.

Now I believe there are upsides to this technological/cultural revolution. I'm a fan of open-source movements that originated in software development and are gradually encompassing photography, audio/video production, and publishing. I appreciate the benefits of "open-source learning," which entails a lot of collaborative group work in educational settings. The key here is that people who honestly contribute original work are recognized by their peers in a self-policing atmosphere of mutual respect, acknowledgment, and encouragement.

Whether or not the positive influences of such open-source concepts overcome the temptations of cut-and-paste plagiarism remains to be seen. The bottom line is not technology, despite my focus on technological developments. Technology doesn't set ethical standards, though I wonder if it can undermine them. It's the people using the technology that need to know better.

Perhaps the cookie jar of original research and artistic production has become too easy to access and copy. A strange statement coming from me, since I despise DRM (digital rights management) and censorship. But I realize that I am human, and when there are cookies easily accessible, I know I'll be tempted to gobble them up, though if I had to bake them from scratch I'd think twice about the effort. At least I know that I wouldn't pass off store-bought cookies, or the neighbour's muffins, as my own!

I see that my argument is getting mired down, and my mind is not keeping up with my fingers on the keyboard, so I'd better quit now before I get stuck. Time to get back to work. Perhaps I'll write another mini-essay extending this topic another day.

Quick Musings on Japan Election Results

Someone asked me for my take on the results of the recent national election in Japan in which the opposition DPJ was victorious over the long-standing rule of the LDP. I haven't lived in Japan for some ten years and had not been following the election very closely, but here goes:

While in a sense the results are dramatic, I wonder how much change there will really be.

Many of the head honchos of the victorious DPJ are former LDP members who jumped ship over the years, hoping to get a shot at leadership. Many of the elite in both parties come from long political and even former aristocratic lineages.

Plus with the Japanese penchant for consensus and compromise, it's really hard to implement radical change. You also have the entrenched bureaucracy run by another fiercely traditional oligarchy from a very small coterie of elite universities and old boy's networks, and they're not going to be easy to move either.

Perhaps the DPJ victory is psychologically dramatic, but whether or not the party will be able to accomplish much is questionable. From what little I've read of their platform, it sounds like they plan to continue the long tradition of economic stimulus that hasn't worked much for the last couple of decades. While the LDP is viewed as being toward the right, and the DPJ moderately toward the left, I think in essence they're both of the "let's spend our way out of trouble" bent, and at this point that's like pushing on a string.

Some of the issues the J govt faces are intractable -- the rapidly aging population, massive underfunding of the government pension system, etc. I don't think there's much wiggle room for any party.

I think one of the main things that's kept Japan afloat is the massive cumulative personal savings squirreled away, for most part, in low-interest Japan Post accounts. Cheap money for the govt!

On our last trip to Japan about two years ago I was blown away by all the massive commercial/office tower developments recently completed or underway all over Tokyo. You'd never think the economy had been in a terrible slowdown for decades, or that the population had actually begun to shrink! I wonder who the heck is going to occupy all that space. Is it all really economically justifiable, or is much of it stimulus and cheap money gone mad? I suppose much of this Class 1 office space is being taken by firms upgrading from older buildings, but still.... I have this uneasy vision of huge, empty towers dominating a Tokyo with a shrinking population like some dystopic manga movie.... The lights are burning, but is anyone home?

But then again perhaps those towers have all been filled in the two years since our last visit and are happily humming away with life. I haven't read any Tokyo real-estate articles in ages.

Buy, Eat Local, Support Canadian Farmers

Well-done :-) video on buying, eating local. Do you know where your food comes from? Sobering statistics on how much food we import, and how far it travels.

Hellmann's - It's Time for Real from CRUSH on Vimeo.

Streamkeepers at Choices Earth Day, Saturday, April 18

Byrne Creek Streamkeepers will have our booth set up from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Choices in the Park for their Earth Day BBQ. We will also offer tours of Byrne Creek, so come and sign up! This is in southeast Burnaby, near Edmonds Skytrain Station. Last year's event was great fun, and kudos to Choices for sponsoring and collecting donations for streamkeepers' efforts to preserve and enhance this lovely, but struggling, urban creek.

Edmonds Community Clean Sweep May 2

One month to go to the Edmonds Community Clean Sweep on Saturday, May 2, 2009, sponsored by the Edmonds Business & Community Association.

Mark your calendars, Burnabarians!

Meet at the Eastburn Community Centre to register at 9:45 am, or alternate registration available with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers at the Edmonds Skytrain station parking lot.

Thanks to Rosewood Printers for the great poster!

200km of Light Rail or 1 Bridge?

UBC sustainability experts say that for the $3.1 billion cost of a new Port Mann bridge "the government could finance a 200-kilometre light rail network that would place a modern, European-style tram within a 10-minute walk for 80 per cent of all residents in Surrey, White Rock, Langley and the Scott Road district of Delta, while providing a rail connection from Surrey to the new Evergreen line and connecting Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge into the regional rail system."

Read the full article.

Seems like a no-brainer, eh?

Punctuation, Mechanics Rock -- Really!

Who says punctuation and mechanics are boring? Frances Peck led a great session today on the topic at an Editors' Association of Canada BC chapter workshop. Frances works with West Coast Editorial Associates, and also teaches at Simon Fraser University and Douglas College. If you think editors don't need punctuation workshops, you'd be wrong -- a refresher never hurts as today's session proved.

Burnaby Board of Trade 2010 Biz Breakfast

Attended my second Burnaby Board of Trade event this week: 2010 Winter Games Opportunities Session - Presented by RBC. The presenters pointed out that there are still opportunities to sign up with the 2010 Commerce Centre and bid on Games-related product and service contracts. I also enjoyed the enthusiastic talk by Olympic hopeful Sylvia Kerfoot.

When I got back to the office I checked out the 2010 Commerce site and signed up for two free events: Demystify the RFP Bid Process Workshop at 2010 Commerce Centre on March 25, and 2010 Business Opportunities Workshop at BCIT in downtown Vancouver on April 2. Check out their events calendar.

The approach of the Winter Games reminds me of the Monty Python movie scene in which a couple of guards at a castle gate see a knight charging at them from far off in the distance, and charging, and charging, and then suddenly he is upon them and strikes them down. That's how I feel -- I've attended several 2010 Commerce events over the last couple of years, and now the Games are less than a year away!

Hong Kong Trade Breakfast with Burnaby Board of Trade

The Burnaby Board of Trade is pouring it on with events! I think they have four or five lined up for this week alone. This morning I attended a breakfast sponsored by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Mr. Stephen Wong, HKTDC Regional Director for the Americas, presented an informative session on Hong Kong – Canada’s Business Link with China. I was invited on the basis of my interest in Asia-Pacific business and my background in journalism in Japan.

Mr. Wong made an impressive case for why Canadian businesses would do well to partner with Hong Kong companies when looking at the Chinese market, ranging from a familiar legal system based on British common law, to an ideal geographical location with excellent transportation links. He spoke of Hong Kong's "four freedoms": free flow of money, free flow of products, free flow of people, and free flow of information. He said the HKTDC is the largest organizer of trade fairs in the world, located in the city with the world's busiest air cargo terminal.

Edmonds Association Biz Networking

Had a great networking/presentation session this morning with the Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association. Thanks to the organizers! We heard from Debbie Zurowksi, manager of the local Scotiabank, on banking services. She also chaired the seminar. Cory Ostertag from the Burnaby Newsleader spoke about advertising, and S/Sgt. John Buis of the RCMP spoke about safety issues. We hope to hold these early morning sessions more regularly, and thanks to the Southeast Community Police Office for hosting!

We are also in the process of revising our brochure, and I have to get cracking on our website.

Setting Up a Business

Recently a student in the Print Futures program at Douglas Collage interviewed me about the freelance writing and editing life, and how I felt about future prospects in the sector. Today she followed up with a question about registering a sole proprietorship in BC (you go girl! :-), so I provided her with the following list of resources.

When I was setting up our company, I found the BC One-Stop Business Registry to be invaluable.

They have tons of great info, plus name search/registration, GST signup, etc. It might look a bit daunting at first, but it's actually not that difficult once you get into it.

Small Business BC is another great business resource. And it offers several guides, some downloadable as PDFs.

Another good resource is books from Self-Counsel Press that can walk you through the setting-up-a-business process.

They have several good titles including:

Start & Run a Consulting Business
Start & Run a Copywriting Business
Start & Run a Creative Services Business
Start & Run a Desktop Publishing Business
Canadian Legal Guide for Small Business

Many banks often have free brochures on setting up and running small businesses as well.

Adopt a Legislator

One of the interesting ideas that came out of the State of the Salmon 2009 conference was "Adopt a Legislator". Unfortunately, I don't recall which speaker said it, so I can't give it proper attribution.

Anyway, delegates from several countries agreed that the only way to get change going, and action happening, was to educate politicians.

So here you go, some protocol and forms of address when writing to politicians in Canada, at various levels of govt., from the CivicNet BC website (thanks to editor Shaun Oakey for pointing this out):

http://tinyurl.com/as8o68

or

http://www.civicnet.bc.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=250

Summary of State of Salmon 2009

The State of the Salmon 2009 conference over the last three-and-a-half days has left me stunned -- long days and lots of information to process. I documented it as best I could in a running collection of Tweets on my Twitter account, and I've posted that entire flow of jottings to my blog here.

First let me say that the conference organizers did a tremendous job. I don't know if there was ever any panic behind the curtains, but there was nary a glitch to be seen by the audience. And thanks to the simultaneous interpreters who mediated the flow in English, Russian and Japanese.

This was the second State of the Salmon conference, and my first. It's mostly aimed at scientists and bureaucrats, but we had a pretty good volunteer presence from lower-mainland streamkeepers and First Nations from the west coast and north. I think such broad representation greatly added to the conference, but of course I'm biased :-).

One of the threads that flowed throughout was the need for more research on how to protect and conserve wild salmon, and there was excitement about the new approach to science under the new Obama administration. The research dollars may start flowing again!

It was interesting to see the rifts occasionally bubble to the surface between the geneticists, the hatchery promoters and hatchery critics, the "stronghold, or protect the best" advocates and those who feel all habitat deserves protection. As a streamkeeper working on the ground, I was part of perhaps a minority that felt that any available $$ need to go toward action and habitat protection. We know what the problems are, yet we continue to study the patient while he's dying. Any knowledge we gain in the end is still, as one participant put it, "looking at a construction site through a hole in a fence -- and we're standing ten feet back from the hole."

There was also an underlying sense that perhaps with climate change leading to ocean warming and acidification, there is no way to prevent the loss of southern salmon spawning areas. Which to my mind made the groaning buffet tables laden day after day with salmon, halibut, shrimp, pork, bison, chicken etc. seem an indictment of the principles of having such a conference in the first place. Of course I ate everything, so I'm as guilty as anyone, but it never ceases to amaze me at how difficult it is for us humans to make our actions even approximate our pious thoughts. When it comes to human gatherings, feasting is so ingrained in all cultures that I doubt we'll ever get away from such behaviour.

At one point I was dreaming about future historians studying the progression of conferences and seeing that at the first one participants ate crab and lobster, at the second salmon and shrimp, at the third tofu and beans... and finally they were chewing on switchgrass because that was all that was left :-). Oh, rats, I've trapped myself in an illogical story -- by that point there would be, er, no point, in holding another salmon conference. I digress...

Something that was strangely absent from any discussion was pollution. I think it came up once in passing in a comment from the audience, and perhaps was glossed over by one of the speakers. Yet pollution is one of the biggest issues when it comes to habitat preservation, and is a direct and deadly killer of urban streams. And what's it doing to ocean survivability? We humans have been flushing all sorts of chemicals down our rivers and into the ocean for centuries -- surely that must have some impact on the "mystery" of declining biodiversity. Yet it was never addressed.

It was refreshing to hear from First Nations representatives who spoke from the heart, and who gave a breath of life to the proceedings. You can throw up all the PowerPoint slides full of as many charts and plots, and dense statistical calculations, as you like, but to hear the simple words "We have no fish anymore," provides much greater clarity and grounding.

Well, I have to get back to work, and perhaps I'll find time for more analysis and synthesis later.

I'm glad I attended.

Now, how about some ACTION!

Twitter - Getting Up to Speed

I'm taking a second crack at Twitter, and am finding the experience much better than the first time 'round. I thank Gillian Shaw for her article in the Vancouver Sun that got me going again. The article lists several ways to find interesting people to "follow."

A few observations:

Don't be shy. People like to help and are generally friendly. As a fledgling Twitterer emulate what others are doing and how they are doing it (but be sure to give credit and cite sources.) Hint: read the little bits at the end of Tweets to see how people are accessing Twitter using various helpful applications.

Don't feel intimidated. I'm following several tech gurus, communications gurus, corporate leaders, authors of famous books... and they're all human. At least half of them were commenting on the Super Bowl yesterday :-), not discussing issues of earth-shaking importance. But they do share gems of info, too....

Don't feel overwhelmed. When you add people to follow you'll initially get a bunch of their tweets, and it can seem like a mass of info, but it will quickly settle down.

Don't feel compelled to Tweet. You don't have to post every hour. Once or twice a day is plenty, and people don't care if you post once a week if what you say is interesting. As with so much in life, it's not quantity but quality that counts.

When someone starts following you, check 'em out and follow them back even if you've never heard of them. Twitter is a massive conversation. If someone does end up boring you, or turns out to have texting diarrhea on inane topics, don't be shy about dropping those feeds, just like you'd politely disentangle yourself from someone at a party.

BTW, I'm paulcip on Twitter :-), and aim to stick around this time.

Speechwriting Course

I've signed up for a speechwriting course with Colin Moorhouse -- check it out here. I heard Colin speak some years ago and was impressed. If you're a freelance writer or editor, you should subscribe to his newsletter.

I expect the course will stimulate my brain, and perhaps add to my services.

Appointed to City of Burnaby Environment Committee

I've been appointed to the City of Burnaby's Environment Committee as a citizen representative. Went to my first meeting last night, and was pleased to see several familiar faces among senior staff that I've worked with through my streamkeeping volunteering with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers and the Edmonds Business and Community Association. I look forward to learning the ropes and contributing toward making Burnaby a great place to live, work and play.

Steaming Mad at Dell

On November 21 I wrote about how I'd ordered a new notebook computer from Dell, and how the delivery was delayed for weeks. I was never informed about any delay, and my order status page was never updated to reflect any delay.

After complaining by email, I finally received a response from customer service on Nov. 4 that my order would arrive on Nov. 21 instead of the original projected date of Oct. 13.

Well, here it is Dec. 8 and no computer. When I checked my Order Status page for the umpteenth time today, there was a strange error message. I phoned customer service and wasted the usual time on hold, only to be told that due to some internal issue, my order had been canceled.

So why wasn't I informed?!

They have my email, they have my phone number!

The rep said he would transfer me to sales to refresh the order, but I said no thanks. Let it stay canceled. I'll take my money somewhere else...

SE Burnaby Community Policing Open House

Yumi and I dropped by the open house at Burnaby's Southeast Community Police Station today. We know several of the officers stationed there and a few of the volunteers, plus we ran into lots of other folks we know in the community. The RCMP has been doing a great job in the Edmonds area of the city, and is working hard to gain the community's acceptance and assistance. Southeast Burnaby is home to thousands of new immigrants from dozens of nations and ethnic groups, and some of them have no concept of Canadian policing. It's important for such newcomers to feel comfortable in going to the police with any problems or issues they may have concerning safety and crime.

Burnaby Board of Trade Xmas Party

The Burnaby Board of Trade put on a great luncheon at the Diamond Alumni Centre on the beautiful mountain-top campus of Simon Fraser University today. I'd never been to the centre before and enjoyed its spectacular view to the north over Indian Arm and the north shore mountains. Participants were asked to bring an unwrapped gift for Burnaby's Christmas Bureau, and an auction raised additional funds for the worthy cause.

Kingsway Imperial Neighbourhood Ass'n Party

KINA put on a great year-end party tonight, with at least half of Burnaby City Council in attendance along with what seemed to be all of the top brass of the RCMP in town :-). The Kingsway Imperial Neighbourhood Association is doing a great job of getting businesses and concerned citizens working together to improve the somewhat neglected area in south Burnaby between Metrotown and the Edmonds Town Centre. Kudos to Diane Gillis and her crew for a job well done!

Waiting for Dell... and waiting... and waiting

Do I stay or do I go? A new laptop should arrive from Dell today, seven weeks after I ordered it, and nearly five weeks after the supposed original delivery date. So I'm hanging around the office, hoping... though I do have errands to run...

Dell's customer service appears to have collapsed. If you Google "Dell" in the news, the company is in trouble, and from my recent experience, rightly so.

Over the past ten years I've ordered several computers from Dell, and have never experienced the delays and breakdown in communication that have dogged this last order.

I specifically wanted the new laptop ahead of a two-week vacation, and when the order form informed me that the estimated delivery date was Oct. 13, and I was departing on the 16th, I went ahead, assuming I had a cushion of a couple of days for any delay. Right.

Despite Dell's avowed policy of updating customers regarding any delays, I did not receive any notification, and left on my vacation without a new machine.

When I returned, over two weeks past the original estimated delivery date, there was still no computer. So I fired off an email to customer service and a day later received a reply apologizing for the delay, proposing a new estimated delivery date of Nov. 21 (today), but no mention about why they didn't proactively inform me about what was (not) happening.

So I sit here, and I check my order page online, and it still has a projected delivery date of Oct. 13, not Nov. 21... And the progress bar indicates that the notebook is still "In Production." Yet what do I believe, the apparently never-updated order status page, or the email from the customer service rep?

Argh!

How can you run a business like this? How can a company tumble so far?

Edmonds Association AGM Results

Here's my report following tonight's AGM for the Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association...

Hello ETCBCA members and friends:

1) Here is your board of directors for the 2008-09 year:

Paul Cipywnyk (second year of two-year term)
Allan Zhang (second year of two-year term)
Rob Lamoureaux (second year of two-year term)
Dave Fairhall (acclaimed for another two-year term)
Joyce Rostron (acclaimed for a new two-year term)

Thank you very much to Joyce for stepping up, and to Dave for renewing. The board looks forward to working with everyone over the next year.

2) The motion to increase the annual dues to $40 from $20 passed. The new rate is effective from Nov. 19, 2008.

3) When I was preparing my president's report for the AGM, I was impressed with how much the association had accomplished over the last year, so I am enclosing the report here.

President’s Report
Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association
AGM, Tuesday, November 18, 2008

It’s been a busy year for our association. I will run through a partial list of some of the events that we have participated in since the last AGM. While I’m sure I’ve missed a few, it’s an impressive list!

November 24, 2007: Santa Parade

November 28, 2007: Executive Meeting

December 11, 2007: Year-End Party at Myles of Beans

February 2008: Survey/Strategic Planning meetings/mailed surveys & posted online

March 2008: Two Strategic Planning sessions facilitated by Deb Thomas

March 27, 2008: Joint KINA/ETCBCA Graffiti/Community Policing open house

April 23, 2008: BC Achievement Awards Victoria - Paul McDonell, recipient

May 3, 2008: Spring Clean Sweep

May 19, 2008: Taiwan Culture Show fundraising concert

May 30, 2008: Liberty Place open house

June 2, 2008: Executive Meeting

June 11, 2008: Urban Trail bridge and trail opening near Edmonds Skytrain station

June 14, 2008: Ground breaking ceremony for the new Edmonds public library

July 1, 2008: Canada Day

July 27, 2008: Spirit of Edmonds - Monica Mueller and Doug Harder

August 11, 2008: Spirit of Edmonds Volunteer Appreciation

September 14, 2008: City Fair in Richmond Park

October 4, 2008: Autumn Clean Sweep

November 13, 2008: ETCBA morning business networking seminar

I would like to thank Past President Dave Fairhall, Treasurer Allan Zhang, Secretary Jim McQueen and directors Kim Mostat and Rob Lamoureux for their contributions over the past year. I would also like to thank Monica Mueller for her invaluable work leading the Spirit of Edmonds committee for three years, and co-chair Doug Harder. Monica and Doug conducted numerous planning meetings and volunteer events in addition to the show itself, which was bigger and better than ever. Thanks also to Paul McDonell for his tireless work on the ongoing community murals project. Our group would be much the weaker without the constant presence of the RCMP, in particular Staff Sergeant John Buis, Ray Allen, and Jennifer Allegretto of the Southeast Community Police Office, along with their contingent of volunteers, and of course the Burnaby Firefighters who appear at nearly every community event with their BBQ equipment and ladder truck. I thank the numerous others who volunteered their time and effort, and beg their forgiveness for not being able to mention everyone by name in this report.

I would also like to recognize our ongoing relationship with the Kingsway Imperial Neighbourhood Association, or KINA. KINA Chair Diane Gillis was instrumental in organizing the joint KINA/ETCBCA March 2008 graffiti/community policing open house, and took the lead on a joint KINA/ETCBCA grant proposal to the City for additional community cleanup equipment and supplies.

As president, I have also had the honour of representing the association at other events and meetings including: the BC Achievement Awards at which Paul McDonell was a recipient, several City of Burnaby Byrne Creek Integrated Stormwater Management Plan sessions, several TransLink BC Parkway Upgrade stakeholder consultations, a number of Morely Elementary School Project Hope meetings, etc.

Early in the year we conducted a mailed and online survey of ETCBCA members, and held several strategic planning sessions facilitated by Deb Thomas of the Edmonds Public Library. We heard that members were willing to pay higher dues to assist the association in carrying out its mandate, that businesses wanted additional business-oriented events and benefits, and that our goal of attaining Business Improvement Area status was likely still a few years off in the future. There was also demand for an association website, and I have secured a domain name at edmondsassociation.org and have set up a rudimentary site that will gradually be developed to include association and community event schedules, member information, community resources, perhaps an online community forum, etc.

Here’s to continuing our good works in the coming year!

Paul Cipywnyk

Edmonds City Fair a Blast!

I was a "celebrity contestant" and a talent contest judge at the 2008 Edmonds City Fair in southeast Burnaby today. It was great fun! Somehow I managed to win the celebrity contest, which involved racing in a sack, carrying an egg in a spoon, putting on a dress and hat, and sprinting to the finish line. I didn't think I'd prevailed over MP Peter Julian, MLA Raj Chouhan, Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, and RCMP Superintendant Rick Taylor, but that's what the judges ruled :-).

How was I included in this cast, you may ask? One of my hats is president of the Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association.

I was blown away by the contestants in the music contest, most of them young female singers ranging in age from seven to seventeen or so. Most were too shy to say boo to the MC, but once the music started they soared. Amazing. (And I've got some cred to be a judge as I sang in a youth choir for ten years, and won an award or two for singing a loooong time ago :-).

My welcoming speech.

Ronald McD grilling the celebrity lineup.

The contestants at the end of the race.

Me, Bonnie in the blue T-shirt, and Archie Rose, last year's talent winner, were this year's judges.

Thanks to the committee chaired by Burnaby Parks Chair Paul McDonell for organizing the event, and to all of the business sponsors whose contributions made it free to the public!

Photos by my wife, Yumi, and the judges photo by Edmonds Scotiabank manager and event organizer Debbie Zurowski.

Recognizing Spirit of Edmonds Volunteers

As president of the Edmonds Town Centre Business and Community Association I would like to thank Monica Mueller and Doug Harder for taking the lead on producing the third Spirit of Edmonds Car Show and Street Festival this summer. Last night was the volunteer appreciation event that wrapped up this year's cycle, and it was great to recognize all of the people who contributed.

I want to thank all of the businesses that supported the event in so many ways -- through lead and secondary sponsorships, with prizes, with products for the gift bags, with volunteer time, etc. You stepped up to the plate to make this third Spirit of Edmonds bigger and better.

I would also like to thank the dozens of volunteers who gave freely of their time. Without such volunteer effort, events like this would never get off the ground. You truly deserve this recognition.

Thanks to MLA Raj Chouhan, who represented the provincial legislature at the volunteer evening tonight, and who passed on regrets from MP Peter Julian who was unable to attend. Peter did sign several dozen recognition certificates that were awarded tonight -- thanks! Raj and Peter also spent several hours at the event on July 27.

The City of Burnaby provided generous in-kind assistance for the Spirit of Edmonds, and Mayor Derek Corrigan attended the festival to help promote the neighbourhood and to personally choose the Mayor's Award winner. Thanks! Kudos also to the hardworking Parks, Recreation and Culture staff at Eastburn Community Centre who provided so much assistance, not to mention the use of their facility and its assets. And did you get a load of that dragster eco-sculpture? Wow!

Thanks too, to the RCMP and auxiliary members who help so much to make everything go smoothly.

I also greatly enjoyed meeting this year's Spirit ambassadors, the Digneys -- a family with an amazing history in Burnaby. I loved watching Joyce and Ernie after they had cut the cake celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Digney Speedway, as people walked up to them, and they would light up and glow to see folks they may not have been in touch with for decades. It was heartwarming....

So now the challenge is preparing for the fourth Spirit of Edmonds. Monica is stepping down as festival chair after an overachieving three-year run, and she certainly deserves to take a break. I admire her drive and stamina! How will our association fill her shoes?

We will need a larger, stronger Spirit committee with more people taking on smaller pieces of the organizing pie to share the load. Ideas and suggestions are welcome!

Lotto Show Home Eco-Challenge

In this age of burgeoning fuel prices, water shortages, and rampant over-consumption, how about offering environmentally state-of-the-art show homes as prizes in hospital and other charity lotteries?

I'd much prefer a technological masterpiece, a well-crafted jewel, instead of the bloated, rambling, poorly finished, overdecorated monster houses that are par for the course for charity lotteries in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

I challenge these charities to take up the sustainability challenge!

Compete on the following features:

- Enviro-certified lumber and wood products
- Low/No-emission paint and carpets
- Low-flow water fixtures
- Dual-flush, low-flow toilets
- On-demand water heaters
- Passive solar water heating assist
- Supplemental active solar electricity generation
- The best in wall insulation and thermal windows
- Rain barrels
- Moisture-sensing drip irrigation
- Landscaping with no lawns
- Landscaping with native plants
- Vegetable gardens
- And on and on, the possibilities are endless

Any takers?

Lexmark Z816 Inkjet for $19

I picked up a Lexmark Z816 colour inkjet printer today at a second-hand shop for $19 -- the box had never been opened. I didn't know much about the printer, but I figured I couldn't go wrong for $19.

When I got home and checked the Web, I discovered the Z816 had originally been priced at $79, had already been discontinued, and had received middling reviews, but I tried a few test pages of colour text and photos, and was pleased with the results.

Heck, for $19, when the ink that came with the printer runs out, I could toss the whole thing in the trash anyway. Not that my anti-consumerism conscience would allow me to do so, but it's rather frightening to think of how easy it would be to do just that. What with the price of inkjet cartridges, it makes more personal economic sense to buy another $19 printer!

There's something wrong with this picture... What a wasteful society we live in. One that does not calculate the true economic costs of producing and trashing stuff like Lexmark Z816s...

Adera Donates $10,000 to Streamkeepers

Today Adera Development Corp. handed a $7,500 cheque over to the Pacific Salmon Foundation that is designated for projects by the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers. Adera has already printed colour brochures for the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers, so the total donation is $10,000.

Thanks!

Photo by Cindy Sommerfield

Adera has built several developments in the Byrne Creek watershed, and wanted to give back to the community by supporting the efforts of the streamkeepers. Byrne Creek Streamkeepers plan to use the funds on stormwater management facilities such as rain gardens and biofiltration ponds that would naturally filter and slow flows into the creek, in conjunction with the City of Burnaby.

Canadian Govt Reclassifies Pristine Lakes as Toxic Waste Ponds

According to this CBC article, lakes across Canada are being classified as mining-tailings waste sites, using an obscure mining regulation to apparently trump the Fisheries Act that prohibits the dumping of toxins into any fish-bearing waters.

This is insane.

Both the government and the businesses involved must be confronted on this issue. The government for failing to protect the environment, wildlife, and everyone's health, and businesses for proposing this idiocy. I run my own business, belong to my local board of trade, my neighbourhood business association, and this sort of cavalier destruction sickens me. These companies are getting a free ride with no real accounting of the associated environmental and health costs. Where does the death of a watershed touch the profit-loss statement or balance sheet?

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn should resign for failing his department's mandate to protect our watersheds and fish.

[Counterpoint, June 17] OK, I was riled and while I stand by my post, I should acknowledge that without the mining industry, I wouldn't even be able to have a blog :-). Think of all the metals in my computer... the coax cable that connects me to the Internet... the server farm that hosts my site... The electricity plants that make it all run. Not to mention the pervasive use of metals in all sorts of items I use daily. Would I give up my watch? My cameras? My shower?

Yet I do believe there is a huge disconnect between what we pay for products and what their true cost is. Some inputs into the raw-materials production and manufacturing processes are not accounted for, and neither are most unacknowledged outputs such as garbage and toxins.

New Edmonds Library Groundbreaking

The City of Burnaby held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new public library that is being built in the Edmonds area. The new library is part of the impressive revitalization of the Edmonds area that has been underway for several years now, and that will continue with many more projects including a new community centre and public swimming pool.

The Edmonds area was home to Burnaby's first City Hall, but has gone through a few challenging decades. The City, developers, businesses, the RCMP, and community groups have been doing a great job at turning things around.

L-R: Councillor Dan Johnston, Mayor Derek Corrigan, Library Board Chair Ruth Hardy.

Sorry, I didn't catch the name of the RCMP constable...

The Library Board in no particular order: Ruth Hardy (Chair), Gary Wong (Vice Chair), Andy Chiang, Iqbal Dhanani, Linda Eaves, Ernest Maitland, Karen Purdy, Mondee Redman.

L-R: MLA Harry Bloy, Councillors Garth Evans, Nick Volkow, Dan Johnston, Gary Begin.

L-R: MP Peter Julian, RCMP S/Sgt. John Buis, MLA Raj Chouhan.

I invite businesses and citizens to join the Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association to help in the revitalization of the Edmonds area. The ETCBCA will have a website up soon. We are breaking for the summer, and our next meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008, at 6:00 p.m., at the Eastburn Community Centre on Edmonds St.

Edmonds Clean Sweep

Community members participated in the Clean Sweep sponsored by the Edmonds Town Center Business & Community Association this morning. The main meeting site was the Eastburn Community Centre, whose staff were very helpful in coordinating the event. It was a rainy day, so we had fewer volunteers than usual. The City brought one of its salmon eco-sculptures and participants were invited to help plant it.

Mayor Derek Corrigan and Councilors Pietro Calendino and Dan Johnston helped out.

Byrne Creek Streamkeepers also participated in the event, setting up a sign-up booth in the parking lot of Edmonds Skytrain station. Thanks to the Horizontes Scouts for assisting!

photo by Joan Carne

Thanks to Burnaby Firefighters for supplying a hot dog BBQ and hot chocolate!

All in all, volunteers reported that the amount of garbage had diminished from previous events, which is a good sign. I did manage to fill a 5-gallon pail just patrolling around the community centre!

Burnaby Mayor Speaks to Board of Trade

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan delivered an update on the state of the City at a Burnaby Board of Trade luncheon today at Eagle Creek Restaurant at the beautiful Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. The event was sold out and the mayor delivered another of his uplifting speeches on economic, social, and environmental sustainability in the city. I enjoyed speaking with City staff and councilors. The mayor's address is available here.

Crest Ad Tastes Bad

The Crest advert that's been running on TV for some time makes me laugh. The tag line is "It makes me feel like I just left the dentist's office."

Huh? I dunno about you, but when I leave the dentist's office, my mouth feels stretched and my lips are dry, I have the yucky aftertaste of a fluoride gargle that I'm not supposed to disturb for at least half an hour, and I've got bits of polishing grit on my teeth, chin and cheeks.

You won't catch me seeking that experience!

Public Safety Forum March 27, 2008

SOUTH BURNABY COMMUNITY POLICING

You are invited to attend an open community meeting on: Public Safety

Thursday, March 27, 2008
7:00-9:00 pm
Bonsor Community Centre
6550 Bonsor Avenue, Burnaby

For more information call:
District 4 Office at 604-656-3232 or District 3 Office at 604-656-3275

An update and discussion on Public Safety in Our Community

Speakers will include:

Mayor Derek Corrigan

Superintendent Rick Taylor Burnaby RCMP

District 3 and 4 Community Policing Representatives

Burnaby RCMP members and representatives from City of Burnaby departments and Burnaby School Board will also be in attendance.

Attendees are invited to bring their general concerns for the various departments. There will be a brief question and answer period.

A number of agencies and community groups will have displays of interest to all who attend.

Edmonds Association Sets Strategic Planning Dates

The Edmonds Town Centre Business & Community Association in southeast Burnaby has confirmed dates, times, and locations for two planning sessions on the future of the organization.

Both sessions will cover the same ground, so choose the date that works best for you.

1) The first (evening) session will follow our regular 6:00 p.m. monthly meeting and will start at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. This meeting will be held at the Eastburn Community Centre at 7435 Edmonds St. Our goal is to wrap up by 8:15 p.m.

2) The second (morning) session will start at 7:45 a.m. on Friday, March 14, and will be held at Myles of Beans coffee shop at 7010 Kingsway.

Please think of ways in which we can increase our membership, particularly from the business community in the neighbourhood. How can we improve what we offer to the community? What sorts of activities and events would you like to see? And please consider one of the purposes of our group as stated in the Constitution -- to work toward becoming a full-fledged Business Improvement Area.

Community Group Surprises Me With President's Role

I was elected to the board of directors of the Edmonds Town Centre Business and Community Association at the AGM last month. I've been a member of the group for several years now, and it was my first time to sit on the board. Then to my surprise, today at the first board meeting following the AGM somehow I was chosen to be president!

I had hoped to get some board experience before taking on an executive position, but now that the gavel has been passed, I will do my best to fulfill the responsibilities. Past President Dave Fairhall, who has done a great job for many years, assures me the board works by consensus and other directors are more than willing to assist me as I get the lay of the land.

The group does a lot of good work in southeast Burnaby, and we aim to expand our membership and our activities.

C$ Rip-Offs: Apple Computers

I haven't bought an Apple computer in 15 years, but admit to technolust that drives me to visit the Apple website every month or two. Now that the Canadian dollar has been stronger than the US dollar for some time, I thought I'd compare prices on the Apple Canada and Apple US websites. I was not surprised to see that the Canadian prices were higher, because Canadian consumers have been ripped off by most companies for many years.

Base prices on the Canadian site.

Base prices on the US site.

Update on Dec. 4, 2007: OK, the Canuck buck slipped back below the US greenback by a smidgen today...

Subprime Crisis Explained :-)

A hilarious explanation of the subprime crisis on You Tube.

Off to Japan

I'm off to Japan today, and am not bothering to take a notebook computer with me, so this blog will be in hibernation for a couple of weeks. When I get back I'll start filling it in with photos and commentary starting from the beginning of the trip.

It's been nearly four years since Yumi and I were last in Japan. Since we moved to Canada some eight years ago, we've returned to visit family, friends and clients every one to two years; however, a series of events including my two-year MA in Professional Communication program at Royal Roads University conspired to make for a long gap.

I'm really looking forward to the trip. In addition to visiting Yumi's folks in Aomori Prefecture, we've got meetings set up with several clients in Tokyo (these short meetings and lunches are important in maintaining contacts and keeping the work flowing), and lunches and dinners scheduled with several friends.

We're also taking a week to ourselves to take a swing down all the way to Nagasaki on the island of Kyushu with several stops at key tourist points along the way. Neither of us has visited Kyushu and we're looking forward to it.

I'll start posting entries and plenty of photos starting around Oct. 29. See you later!

Garbage Blights Burnaby's Foreshore Park, Glenlyon Development

An early afternoon stroll along Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby provided lots to see along the river and in ponds; however, the beauty was blighted by plenty of garbage dumped on the outskirts of Glenlyon Business Park in the vicinity of the lower reaches of Byrne Creek near where it empties into the Fraser.

First the good...

A view of the north arm of the Fraser from the park.

A small tugboat passing behind a log boom.

It's hard to believe summer is ending.

There were dozens of small frogs in the pond near Byrne Creek.

A bright red dragonfly.

An acrobatic chickadee.

And the bad, and the ugly...

I do not understand how some people can be so senseless and uncaring. I also do not understand how the tenants of the business park can drive by this crap every day and not ask the developer or the city to clean it up. At least two of these sites have smashed TVs, one of them several, and CRTs and accompanying electronics contain metals that are harmful to humans, other animals, and the environment.

I know that several of the tenants in the business park have security guards, and I've also seen mobile units patrolling the roads. As good corporate citizens, they might consider having their guards keep an eye out for dumpers and send license plates in to police.

Burnaby Business Excellence Awards 2007

I am sitting on the nominations committee for the Burnaby Board of Trade Business Excellence Awards 2007. We are coming up with a list of businesses and non-profit organizations that deserve to be in the running for an award this year, and encourage people to nominate them. I am the president of the board of the Stream of Dreams Murals Society that won the Community Service award in 2004.

The Burnaby Spirit and Community Service awards have been combined into the category of Burnaby Community Spirit. This category is not open to non-profits. To accommodate non-profits and not have them run directly against businesses, there is now a new category of Non-Profit Organization of the Year.

The other categories remain the same and are open to both businesses and non-profits: Business Innovation, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Newsmaker of the Year, Business Person of the Year, Small Business of the Year (fewer than 50 employees and annual revenues of up to $5 million), and Business of the Year.

Please contact the board of trade at the link above if you have any ideas about Burnaby based companies and groups that you feel would be deserving of an award.

CNIB, Howie's Bistro Host Board of Trade Event

The CNIB and Howie's Bistro and Bar hosted a networking reception for the Burnaby Board of Trade tonight. The food at Howie's was good, and the CNIB presentation was informative, including information about hiring people with vision issues. The BBOT has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last year or two, and it was great to see lots of people out for the event. Unfortunately I had to leave early to get another meeting.

Salmon-Safe Certification -- Why Not in BC?

I first learned about the Salmon-Safe certification program at the 2006 State of the Fraser Basin Conference a few days ago. It's an intriguing program that certifies farms, vineyards, industrial sites and even parks as being salmon safe. I think this is a great idea, and one that would be excellent to transplant to British Columbia.

"Welcome to Salmon-Safe. Almost a decade after we first started certifying fish friendly farms in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Salmon-Safe has become one of the nation's leading regional eco labels with more than 50,000 acres of farm and urban lands certified. The Salmon-Safe retail campaign has been featured in 200 supermarkets and natural food stores."

Burnaby Business Excellence Awards

The 7th annual Burnaby Business Excellence Awards Gala tonight was a blast. Sponsored by the City of Burnaby and the Burnaby Board of Trade, the "Blues Brothers" themed event was packed.

I was on the nominations committee for the awards this year, and it was a great learning experience. I want to congratulate the two businesses that I nominated, Mr. Ho Wonton House and Mussio Ventures (Backroads Mapbooks) for being finalists in the awards.

I also want to congratulate the Safeway #148 employees who were finalists nominated by the Stream of Dreams Murals Society. They have raised over $23,000 for the society over the last two years, and as president of the society's board of directors, I cannot thank them enough.

Writing, Editing and the 2010 Olympics

The BC branch of the Editors' Association of Canada featured a presentation on writing, editing and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at the April meeting tonight.

Sam Corea, Manager of Editorial Services for VANOC, the Vancouver Organizing Committee, talked about communications, media relations, and editorial services required by the Winter Games.

The amount of paperwork in terms of manuals, guides, maps, brochures, media kits, reports, schedules, etc., that needs to be produced is staggering, though Corea hastened to add that with sustainability being a major goal of the Games, VANOC was exploring alternatives to printing as much as possible, and would ensure that all materials were printed using recycled paper.

VANOC is already contracting external writers, editors, translators and photographers, and will be handing out work to more in the future, so Corea encouraged attendees to keep an eye on the VANOC website.

Other ways to get in on the action include the 2010 Commerce Centre and BC Bid

Mayor Addresses Burnaby Board of Trade

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan gave his annual State of the City address at a luncheon meeting of the Burnaby Board of Trade today at the beautiful Burnaby Mountain Golf Course.

Corrigan focused on the draft Burnaby Economic Development Strategy 2020, which can be found and commented upon here.

The city's population has increased by 43,000 since the 1990 EDS was released, and booming development is resulting in decreasing land supply and higher costs. Corrigan said that means there will need to be redevelopment of low-intensity land uses, and also spoke about the problem of roadway congestion decreasing usability.

Corrigan invited comments and criticism of the draft plan, saying Burnaby needs to be smart, prosperous and sustainable. We need to become more efficient without sacrificing standards.

One interesting point he mentioned was that he felt the city lacked urban, or neighborhood, character. We need to develop more character while striving for a greener community, Corrigan said.

While praising Burnaby's development and job growth, the mayor emphasized that quality of life was important, pointing to the increasingly influential and holistic concept of social, economic and environmental sustainability.

In conclusion, Corrigan said we must leave our children and grandchildren something better than what we have now.

Vision 20/20 Opportunities Forum

Burnaby Board of Trade
Vision 20/20 Opportunities Forum

2009 World Police and Fire Games
2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Chad Turpin
Deputy City Manager, City of Burnaby
Overview of the World Police and Fire Games

Burnaby is the main host of the 2009 World Police and Fire Games. The mission is to attract the most athletes ever. Games were founded in 1985 and are held every two years. Over 60 events. The next games in 2011 will be in New York, so the symbolism will be very strong on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. This will result in a lot more media coverage for the 2009 event in Burnaby.

There will be a symbiotic relationship between the 2009 Police & Fire Games and the 2010 Olympics. The two will work together in training 4,000 - 6,000 volunteers.

2009 P & F Games expect 14,000 athletes from 70 countries, three times the number for the 2010 Olympics. There will be 67 events in a total of 16 cities around the lower mainland, with 17 in Burnaby and 12 in Vancouver.

2009 P & F opening ceremonies will be at BC Place with 10,000 spectators expected. Some of the athletes are Olympics hopefuls. Games open to all age groups. Tickets to all events are free, and the event is heavily based on community spirit and volunteerism.

25,000 family members are expected to travel to the lower mainland along with the athletes. So nearly 40,000 visitors, with many expected to stay on after the event for holidays.

Economic impact estimated at $100 million.

Sports tourism is the fastest growing tourism segment in BC.

Stephanie Herdman
Communications Coordinator VANOC 2010
The 2010 Winter Games –– An Update Post Turin

We were at Turin to tell people about the Vancouver Games.

VANOC is a non-profit but is also a big business. Huge logistical issues in putting on the Games.

OGKM –– Olympic Games Knowledge Management. New system to collate and share information on running Games among host cities. Pass knowledge on to future hosts.

VANOC now has 200 full-time staff, many of them multilingual. This will increase to 1,200 full-time and 3,000 part-time staff, and 25,000 volunteers by the time the Games are on.

Numbers:
Athletes and officials 5,000
Countries 80+
Paralympic athletes 1,700
Countries 40+
TV Viewers 3 billion
Media personnel 10,000
Event volunteers 25,000
Event Tickets 1.8 million

Revenue:
Broadcast rights
International sponsorships
Domestic sponsorships
Ticket sales
Suppliers (in kind)
Licensing, Merchandising
Donations, disposal of assets

Capital construction budget $550 million
Endowment (legacy) $110 million

Want to have all new facilities built 2 years before Games start so kinks can be ironed out.

“Olympic Winter Games University" to gain knowledge. 40 observer tours of Torino to gain knowledge in 80 areas.

Start-to-finish spectator services ties into Integrated Transportation Planning.

2007 Cultural Olympiad kicks off
2008 Test events held
2008 observe Summer Games
2009 Torch Relay over North Pole and covering three coasts.

The 2010 Games will be a 60-day event: Jan. 15 – March 24
Jan. 15 Press Center opens
Feb. 12 – 28 Olympic Games
March 10 – 21 Paralympic Games
March 24 Paralympic Village closes

Brian Krieger
Director 2010 Commerce Centre
The 2010 Commerce Center – Your One-Stop Business Information Portal

Leverage Games for long-term benefits
Connect BC businesses to 2010

In addition to 10,000 accredited (official) media, there will be 5,000 - 10,000 unaccredited media coming to the Games. They will all be looking for stories.

People spend unbelievable amounts of money when they visit Olympic Games.

BC Canada Place in Torino was a $6 million project and was the most popular attraction in Torino. 80,000 to 100,000 people visited it. Incredible media exposure. “The power to get Italian women to buy Canadian fashion" i.e. Canadian scarves and toques :-).

IOC was very impressed with BC Place. More than 80 BC businesses participated. Power to create a new world image. “After 1988 even Americans knew where Calgary is" :-).

$580 million in venues
$1.35 billion in operations
$2 billion in sponsors, media, teams, tourists
$3+ billion in other opportunities

Be a supplier
Be a subcontractor
Requirements:
Think big
Have desire
Put in the effort
Be persistent
Provide quality and consistency
Deliver on time (“the dates don’t move on Olympics")

In Sydney, 80% of business went to local firms, and U.S. businesses are already looking at the 2010 Games.

Check out the 2010 Commerce Centre for tools and resources.
BC Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Secretariat
Ministry of Economic Development
http://www.2010commercecentre.com/

Trevor Kier
Manager of Procurement and Business Opportunities at the BC Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Secretariat
Are You Thinking Outside the Box? Games Opportunities and You!

Offers 2010 Procurement Workshops
How to bid, etc.
Burnaby Board of Trade will sponsor such workshops in the future

Don’t let geography or size get in your way. (Presented several small business success stories related to Olympic Games.)

Huge media and PR opportunities

2010 Games emphasize sustainability as a core component, and this will factor into evaluation of bids.
Environmental sustainability
Social sustainability
Economic sustainability

Corporate social responsibility

In bidding, the best solution can be more important than the price.
Watch the 2010 Commerce Website and learn as others bid.
If you’re a small company, you can approach other bidders.

2010 Olympics Burnaby Luncheon

Brian Krieger is the general manager of the 2010 Commerce Centre, and he spoke at a Burnaby Board of Trade luncheon today.

The 2010 Winter Games are already bringing a lot of business to BC, and that will only increase over the next five years.

Krieger urged businesspeople in the audience to sign up for the site's newsletter, and once the functionality is added, enter their companies in an online database.

Review - Marketing Your Service

Review - Marketing Your Service

by Jean Withers and Carol Vipperman

This is another book in the Self-Counsel Press series of do-it-yourself business books. I've used several of the books in our business, and for the most part they have been clear and helpful.

This book is an introduction to marketing targeted at service businesses. It covers the basics of defining your business and its goals, and then writing a marketing plan to achieve your goals.

About half of the book is made up of excercises designed to get you to think about your business and get your plan down on paper. At first I thought this was a waste of space -- it would be more efficient to simply point readers to a website where they could download the material -- however on second thought perhaps it is useful to be immediately confronted with those blank pages!

Speaking from personal experience, I know how easy it is to simply "wing it" when it comes to running a small business, and while that may lead to short-term success, it rarely leads to growth and expansion.

I've zipped through the book, pehaps it's time to fill in some of the blanks...

Busy Summer Sees Blog Wither

Yikes, this blog has gone from near-daily posts to only nine so far in the month of August, and several of those have been rather short.

If I do have any "fans" out there, don't worry because in a way this is a good sign, for we've been very busy with work this summer. July and August both entered the list of top-ten earning months for our little company since we started it in February 2000.

It's nice to feel wanted, however we're back in the old home business dilema -- when you have plenty of free time you have little free cash flow, and when you're making money, you have no free time.

We have prevailed upon our major clients for a one-week camping vacation this autumn, and while we need the break, I also feel guilty as a few smaller clients are quite dependent upon our specialty of on-demand, fast-turnaround translation and editing.

I need a clone, or another translator-editor team I can trust to work to same-day in/out deadlines on occasion, using a variety of different style guides.

That's the other home business dilema -- at what point are you regularly earning enough to subcontract work out? Some months the hours pile up like crazy, however other months we've got plenty of time for streamkeeping activities and other volunteer work.

Well, the queue still has several items stacked up, so enough ruminating. Back to work.

Edmonds Reborn

Stream of Dreams co-founder Louise Towell wrote an eloquent letter about the rebirth of the Edmonds area of Burnaby that appeared in the Burnaby Now newspaper on Saturday.

It's a vision of hope, with the community, business and the natural environment co-existing and improving. It's a definite read for anyone who cares about our community.

Way to go, Louise!

Too Much Burnaby Development?

Several Byrne Creek Streamkeepers showed up for a rezoning meeting at Burnaby City Hall this evening.

There are huge development plans slated for the Marine Way/Byrne Road area, which is already congested.

Many citizens expressed concerns about storm water management, increased traffic flows in an area that already has traffic problems, and the drawing of shoppers away from established town centres.

They questioned the need for yet more malls and big-box stores, accessible mainly by cars, in an area that has few local residents. Why create more traffic flow, more pollution, and more impervious surfaces in an area that used to be a natural bog?

The city has been on a big kick to "revitalize" the Edmonds area, which is a 5-minute drive up the hill from these new developments. Developments which could starve Edmonds Town Centre and a lot of businesses on Kingsway.

I own my own business, we're members of the Board of Trade, I'd place myself slighty to the right of centre in the political world, but I think Burnaby is getting too much "building permit" growth on its brain.

The whole affair tonight had the feel of an act in a play, and I'm sure the development is a done deal. Sad.

Review - Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization

Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization
Joan M. Hummel
2nd Edition

A good introduction to exactly what the title states.

This well-written, concise guide covers a lot of the bases, with emphasis on setting goals and measuring results.

Whether dealing with setting up an effective board of directors, raising funds, running the office and coordinating volunteers, or compiling and monitoring budgets, this book offers sage advice.

While aimed at a U.S. audience, I found plenty of information to put to good use in Canada.

2010 Olympics: How Can My Business Get Involved?

The Burnaby Board of Trade luncheon today featured Ian Tate, former director of Community Relations for the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation, and he was full of enthusiasm and ideas for how local businesses could captilize on the 2010 Olympic Games.

One of his major themes was turning 17 days (the actual length of the games) into 17 years of opportunity. That means businesses should already be doing their homework, finding and capitalizing on opportunities, and figuring out ways to make all that hard work continue to benefit them locally, and even globally.

Tate pointed out that we will be having incredible media exposure that has already begun, and that will extend through the games and beyond.

People want to come and see what Vancouver and BC have to offer.

He also talked about how the Olympics can be a catalyst for change, and mentioned social, arts and environmental aspects.

In summation, he told the crowd, "You're only constrained by your imagination."

Laggardly Income-Tax Receipts

Why in this day and computerized age do we have to wait until the end of March or even early April to get investment-related tax receipts from financial institutions?

We have to file personal tax returns by April 30, but for those of us expecting refunds, it would be extremely beneficial to be able to file much earlier.

I bought my tax year 2003 copy of QuickTax well over a month ago and began entering data to supplement what it automagically sucked in from the 2002 version on my hard drive regarding last year's return.

And then I had to wait. And wait, as the statements and forms trickled in. We received another one today -- do I have to wait for more?

This is ludicrous. I understand that stock sales/purchases need a few days to be settled, but why does it take months to send out a form?

I encourage anyone in the banking/brokerage sectors to elucidate me on this issue. Are we talking regulatory crap here, or simple laziness?

Burnaby Mayor Gives Glowing Report

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan gave a glowing State of the City Address to a Burnaby Board of Trade luncheon today.

We have a lot to look forward to with Burnaby hosting the World Police & Fire Games in 2009, and being part of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Residential and commercial construction is booming, and the city is in the black with $260 million in reserves. A new Burnaby Tourism Bureau will open this year, and there is continuing focus on the Edmonds area where we live. The boarded up Burnaby Hotel has been declared a nuisance and is to be torn down within 31 days, and there is talk of a new public swimming pool in the neighbourhood.

The 117,000 sq. ft. of commercial space in the new Highgate (former Middlegate :-) mall that is under construction up the hill from our place is 85% leased. Condos in the first two residential towers in the complex are nearly sold out, so the developer is moving ahead planned construction of additional towers.

There are going to be a lot of changes in our 'hood.

Review - Start and Run a Copywriting Business

Start and Run a Copywriting Business
by Steve Slaunwhite

Another how-to book in the Self-Counsel Press small business series.

Our business is mostly translating and editing, however I found this book a valuable read. Much of it applies to any freelance creative business.

Lots of good tips on setting rates, getting organized, marketing and promotion, and dealing with clients.

Reading Comprehension, Common Sense

People don't seem to read what they read anymore. Yes, I said, "read what they read." OK, comprehend. A fair chunk of the discussion I've seen lately on various email lists and newsgroups is of this nature. "You said...." "No, that's not what I said...."

People have also apparently become incapable of using common sense.

I hate to be a sourpuss, but over the last few weeks I've run into several examples, of which I will share two.

1) Our translation, editing and writing company recently received several unsolicited resumes by fax. The applicants were looking for jobs in the hospitality industry, food preparation in particular. Duh. I suspect they found us through our local board of trade listing.

Did I say "hospitality industry" and "food preparation"?

Cooks.

Is there any hope in hell that our company would hire them? Or if they were thinking that perhaps we'd pass their fax-spam on to our favorite restaurants, they are sadly mistaken.

2) I posted some problems we've been having with Norton software on a couple of email and news lists, along with this blog. I also posted how I'd resolved those problems, and thanked people who'd helped me.

A few days later, I received a long email message from someone I'd never heard of, who did not identify which list he'd found me on, regurgitating in his own words the steps I'd already taken and written about to solve the problem.

Double Duh!

All this wasted time.... Which I've just added to with my rant :-).

The Business of Writing & Editing

I gave my wife the best Valentine's Day present she's had in years -- the whole day to herself, while I attended an Editors' Association of Canada workshop :-).

John Vigna presented "Thinking Like an Entrepreneur: Growing Your Writing & Editing Business." As I recall, John has been running a writing and editing business for about three years now, and appears to have picked up a lot more business sense in that period than some of us who have been toiling away on keyboards for much longer.

Business plans? Managing cash flow? Marketing? Networking? All topics I suspect most creative types don't like to think about, yet that are crucial to success.

John told us about how he'd had a stellar rookie year, with gross sales that far surpassed his expectations, and then how in his second year he'd slacked off on his marketing and soon found himself pinching pennies.

By focusing on marketing basics, he pulled himself back up, and during the workshop he ran us through those basics, plus a number of excercises to see how we were doing, and where we needed to improve our business skills.

I can relate to John, as we too started out strong, had a stellar second year, and then became complacent, only to see sales slide for two consecutive years.

So it's back to the basics. We have to write a new business plan, and update it regularly. We have to devote more time to marketing instead of waiting for work to find us.

What a great way to spend Valentine's Day! My wife, who is also my business partner, got the day to herself, and I came home charged up with new plans for making money. How romantic :-).

The Discipline of Working at Home

There was a business tip from local publisher and internationally known speaker Peter Legge in the Vancouver Sun the other day.

He pointed out that if you get up an hour earlier every day, that gives you 365 more hours a year, or 15 extra days per year, to accomplish your goals. Well, duh. But the simple math got me thinking -- and feeling guilty.

My wife and I run a home-based translating and editing business, and if there are no pressing deadlines, it's seductively easy to roll over for another hour when the alarm goes off. With no commute, and no fixed starting time, it's also easy to watch some 1 1/2-star movie on the TV past midnight.

We talked about this, remembering with amazement the days when we had full-time jobs in Tokyo and got up at 6:00, made and ate breakfast, packed lunches, and trotted out the door at 7:15 to catch the train downtown.

What's happened to us? Wouldn't we like to have 15 extra days a year? Hell, with our present level of discipline, we could shoot for 30 extra days a year!

I used to scoff at all the tricks people who work from home say they use to maintain discipline and to remain focused on work. I now realize we've been in a long, slow, nearly imperceptible slide that has accumulated over the years.

So it's back to business.

When the alarm goes off, I will get up.

Thanks, Peter.

"Pending" Issues with Banks "On Hold"

I find it curious as to why when we transfer funds from one Canadian bank to another, it can take several days for the funds to appear in the destination account, and even then there might be a note with a "pending" or a "$XXXX on hold" qualifier attached. Initiate the transaction on a Friday just before the weekend, and it can add up to four, five or more days.

Of course banks will talk about "business" days, but once you initiate the transaction, I highly doubt if you're getting any interest on the transfer amount.

We regularly transfer business income from a Japanese bank to a Canadian bank, and that money usually arrives in our Canadian account, ready to access, in less than 24 hours.

What gives? I know banks make money on the transfer float, or whatever one calls it, but three or four days to shift a few digits from one computer to another from one financial institution to another in the same country? Computers don't sleep....

Burnaby Booming?

I went to a Burnaby Board of Trade lunch today that featured presentations by Jock Finlayson, vice president, Business Council of BC; Jack Belhouse, director of planning, City of Burnaby; and Mary Cue, vice president, Anthem Properties Group.

It appears Burnaby is booming. All of the presenters were very positive about the business outlook for 2004 and possibly 2005, mentioning an ongoing low-interest environment, lower taxes, and booming real estate development. The main point of concern was the rising Canadian dollar.

While all this development is going on, including areas near Byrne Creek where I volunteer as a streamkeeper, Belhouse proudly pointed out that 25% of Burnaby is park space. While I'm all for business, and am happy that the economic outlook appears to be improving, I hope we keep our parks too. They are a huge factor in our quality of life.

Creative Rates vs Trade Rates

A plumber paid us a two-hour visit today, and the labor charge came to C$162.50. That's C$65.00 for the first half-hour, and then C$65.00/hour for the balance.

I don't begrudge paying a professional tradesperson to do something that would likely take me two or three times as long to accomplish, and perhaps with questionable results. What gets my goat is that while the average person swallows paying a plumber or car mechanic such rates, quotes for translation or editing that are anywhere near that hourly figure draw gasps of surprise.

I know a plumber has years of training and thousands of dollars worth of tools. So does an editor. I have a total of seven years of university, and thousands of dollars worth of computers, software, and reference books.

Dealing with companies or other people in the trade is fine, and in the end I gross at least as much per hour as the plumber does, and on many jobs even more. It's the calls from Jane Public who needs help with a resume that irk me. Why would she think she could pay me less than, say, an electrician?

Part of the problem is the hundreds of less-than-professional editors and translators out there who are willing to work for a pittance. By selling out for 8 cents a word for translation, or $15.00/hour for editing, they demean our craft.