Tuesday, April 30, 2013

北國情懷 / Go North Young Man




K just helped S move his mattress and stuff out of the apartment.

His adventure up north will start tomorrow May 1, 2013.

Be safe, have fun, & keep in touch.

We shall miss you :)

Here are some songs from singer Sissel Kyrkjebø's album Northern Lights



Reference: Wikipedia / Sissel Kyrkjebo

Sissel Kyrkjebø (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈsɪsəl ˈçʏʁçəˌbʷøː], /ˈsisel ˈçyrçeˌbø/; born 24 June 1969 in Bergen), also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano. The first name 'Sissel' is a Norwegian variant of 'Cecilia'. This is a popular first name from Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of church music.

Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Sissel's musical style runs the gamut from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and operatic arias.

She possesses a "crystalline" voice and wide vocal range, sweeping down from mezzo-soprano notes, in arias such as Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix from Saint-Saëns's opera Samson et Dalila, to the F natural above soprano C.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Meech Lake




Did a lot of open-water mile long swim there !!!

Photo Credit: Triathlon Ottawa's FB page on Monday

NHL's Old Man Winter: Don Cherry

Re: Don Cherry objecting to female reporters in men's dressing room.

Look'it Don, I don't think there's nothing there that an experienced female reporter hasn't seen before.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

加拿大的反恐政策: 治標不治本? / Is finding ‘root causes’ of terrorism the core of Canadian policy?


加拿大自由黨新領袖杜魯多認為: 明白恐怖份子的動机根源,是反恐政策之基本第一步。但執政的保守黨哈珀總理卻揶揄杜魯多的幼稚無知,反駁國家當前需要的不是學術研討,而是强硬的軍法行動,用以打擊恐怖份子。

不過,多倫多世界郵報評論指出,硬打硬殺,以毒攻毒是会大快人心,但那只是治標不治本的短視藥方,明白動机根源才是良好政策之基礎。

From The Globe and Mail:

Finding ‘root causes’ of terrorism is the core of Canadian policy
The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Apr. 23 2013, 9:57 AM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Apr. 23 2013, 12:13 PM EDT

Justin Trudeau’s comments on the “root causes” of terrorism have sparked considerable debate in the media. The discussion has focused on narrow political point-scoring at the expense of deeper understanding of the issues at stake.

Mr. Trudeau’s observations were badly timed, spoken when Canadians, like their American neighbours, felt raw, exposed, and vulnerable. Still there is a valuable role for political leaders who provide that stabilizing viewpoint; seizing control of the narrative, rather than surrendering to it.

In contrast, Prime Minister Harper’s comments, with his calls for harsh punishment without any hope of more general understanding are unhelpful. They tap into and assuage that feeling of helpless rage, but offer nothing beyond vengeance as a solution.

Those who dismiss the “root causes” argument misunderstand both the scope of Canadian policy and the underlying causes of terrorism. Dealing with root causes is the stated policy of the government of Canada, as expressed in the words of former foreign minister Lawrence Cannon, and in Public Safety Canada’s (PSC) approach to counter violent extremism.

In fact, the Harper government has been spending billions of dollars on a task force in Afghanistan, working with G8 countries on African governance and poverty and pushing legislation at home to strengthen Public Safety’s efforts to engage Canadians through its Kanishka program. All are initiatives intended to tackle terrorism’s root causes.

Indeed, the so called “Global War on Terror” was partly focused on fixing failed states whose ungoverned spaces provided the right conditions for terrorism to flourish. John Baird’s efforts to restore democracy to Mali are a more recent example. Former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton was a strong proponent of a “root causes” strategy recognizing that military force was insufficient in fixing the complex problems fundamental to states that served as safe havens for terrorist activity.

James Wolfensohn, formerly of the World Bank, echoed Ms. Clinton, when he spoke of the need for a global strategy designed to address “the root causes of terrorism: those of economic exclusion, poverty and under-development.” Global players such as the World Bank and USAID, are using their immense resources to foster development and governance in the Western Sahara, the Arab Peninsula, North East Africa and throughout Central and Southwestern Asia for exactly the same reasons.

The events of September 11, 2001, fundamentally altered Western states’ approach to terrorism by reinforcing the point that securing failed states would lead to improved security for all. After the Boston attacks, disengagement from this agenda is not an option because the motivations for these bombings link back to Chechnya and even Kyrgyzstan, places ravaged by war and underdevelopment.

The fact that the roots of terrorist activity may be found internationally makes it even more important that our policy makers understand what it takes to counteract them. We live in a globalized world, and for a government to assume that we need not prepare for challenges arising beyond our shores is quite simply ill advised.

Studies on those Canadians involved in international terrorism show that a sense of exclusion, marginalization and political grievance are often key facets of “home grown” terrorist behaviour. Typically, the integration of Canadians socially, economically and politically increases their capacity to participate positively in society. But that is not always the case, as one recently released study from CSIS shows a more complex set of issues are at play. Even well-integrated Canadian citizens, mostly young males, are susceptible to extremism.

In brief, the Canadian government must tread carefully and not turn its back on the need to understand root causes, especially when those involved are our own citizens and the consequences of neglect are severe. With more research we can understand why some people resort to terrorism, and we can work to diminish its consequences through comprehensive and well-grounded security policies. An important first step in preventing terrorism is to understand its causes, both here and abroad. Unfortunately that is a step that critics of Justin Trudeau seem uninterested in taking.

David Carment is editor of Canadian Foreign Policy Journal at Carleton University and a CDFAI fellow. Stewart Prest is a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia. They are the authors along with Teddy Samy of Security, Development and the Fragile State: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Policy (2009).

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References:

* Wikipedia: 賈斯汀·皮耶·占士·杜魯多(Justin Pierre James Trudeau,1971年12月25日-),加拿大政治人物,現任加拿大自由黨黨魁及加拿大國會下議院帕皮諾選區議員,並曾任該黨的青年、專上教育及業餘體育事務評議員。他是已故前加拿大總理皮埃尔·特鲁多的長子。

* The Globe and Mail: Finding 'root causes' of terrorism is the core of Canadian policy

Sunday, April 21, 2013

小心駛得萬年船 / Cautionary Advisories to Travelers

收買路錢打腳骨,唔畀錢唔行得
記得以前廟街時常有扯皮條嘅龜婆龜公招問過路男人: 『 妖精打架,好x精采㗎, 喂兄弟,有冇興趣?快d嚟睇啦!』有d好色嘅麻甩佬以為有筍嘢,盲撞撞咁就跟人上樓、上車、入巷仔,點知就俾人劏死牛,做咗水魚一頸血,夠運嘅就執番條命仔同底衭,無俾人捅一刀,攪鑊白刀子進紅刀子出嘅傑嘢!

而最近聽講話大陸亦愈嚟愈多d咁嘅打劫罪案。上個禮拜有位啱啱喺鄉下返嚟嘅華僑話俾我知,佢上去祖屋後邊墳場拜山都驚驚,要俾錢公安地保派人同佢去,個保鏢露械俾佢睇吓有乜乜傢伙,嘩!又刀仔,又水喉鉄,唔喺講笑!

其實我有一次返大陸都几乎領咗嘢,個日我一個人行到武漢大橋橋頭,有條友喺都到要同我睇掌,仲一手揸住我帶錶個隻手,要扣我虎口穴門,好在我及時用擒拿鷹爪功反手脫出,一路媽佢一路走人,如果唔喺連個隻疍都無埋。

旅遊外地行走江湖都喺有多少風險,唔理你喺乜嘢來頭,話哂都喺猛虎及地頭蟲,凡喺做乜都要睇定形勢,總之小心駛得萬年船嘛!

Photo Credit:

* Top: Unknown - it looks like a race in the Mongolia desert
* Bottom: Wikipedia / 中華人民共和国湖北省武漢市漢陽区武漢大橋

                           黄鹤楼眺望武汉长江大桥
Related link:  

* Fresh Designer's 2013年4月18日 blog article:
那一年,我們遇上了女人!

BlackBerry Q10 with REAL Keyboard




I am still struggling w my Sony's virtual screen & am looking at the new BlackBerry Q10 that comes with a REAL keyboard !! If anyone has any experience with the Q10, please leave your comments.

Photo Credit: (Previously RIM Research In Motion) BlackBerry website http://ca.BlackBerry.com/Smart Phones/BlackBerry Q10

Saturday, April 20, 2013

忘年夜泊虛幻船 擇日扶居安老院



上篇:   忘年夜泊虛幻船

高齡人仕骨頭脆弱,一跌受傷要入医院施手術,那就是麻煩事的開始。我母親兩年前下巴士時站穩,摔斷了左腿骨(left femur),在医院和療養院(rehab) 住了4個月左右,她傷口復原回了家之後,,身心健康都打了個大折扣,腦智也從此走下坡。

看見她漸入困境旳情況,我做兒子的也實在很憂心。上星期幫助她的社區服務姑娘對我說,渥太華區的老人院供應求,我們要預早計劃,替她報名排隊,切不可等到發生事故才臨急臨忙找地方搬。

老媽子現在住的單位離唐人亍不遠,交通購物都非常方面,她和我過了身的父親在那住處相依為命多年,小小單位旳每個角落都是充滿了愛痕和回憶。無夸,母親已漸漸進入忘年境界,記憶很多時是模糊不清,和現實脫節,我就昰擔心她的日常起居飲食、人身安全,她遲早都是要放棄那單位。

無法了,人生旅程到了某一個地步,就像楓橋夜泊,夜半鐘聲是真是假,有沒有虛幻客船到埗,都還是未知之數。

第二篇:   擇日扶居安老院

世事無常,閣筆不久,母親又在家摔了一交受傷,之後社區姑娘替我打911,叫十字車送她入医院。我和K在emergency room ER/observation病房陪伴她11小時多,医院又和她驗血,做CT-scan及X-ray等。

翌日,她被移往acute monitoring吊鹽水,整天睡在床上。

晚飯時刻,在暮日与初夜青黃不接那一剎那間,她腦海潮退,時光倒流,回到做女時代,以為自己在酒店吃餐,嚷着要回娘家。『我要快d返屋企,阿細媽要埋舖鎖門,我d細佬等緊我㗎!!』我解釋無效,終於医生給了她一方鎮靜劑,讓她進入朦朧睡鄉,和已過世的細媽、弟弟等親戚重聚。

護士今天說: "I have to be honest with you. Many seniors who had bad falls often go downhill quickly. We can only hope your Mom will bounce back." 她不是黑心,只是打開天窗說亮話,希望我有一個心理準備,趕快計劃替老媽找24/7服務,擇日扶助她進入安老院。

攝影圖片:   暮冬的大風雪

波士頓馬拉松爆炸 - 受傷嫌疑犯被逮捕_米蘭達權利的例外情況 / Boston Marathon Bombings - Wounded Suspect Arrested_Public Safety Exception to Miranda Rights


Now that the Boston Marathon Bombings suspect has been found and arrested, the issue surrounding the Miranda Rights is again discussed. Media reports indicate that most likely the Public Safety Exception will be invoked. So, what is Miranda Rights?

According to Wikipedia:

米蘭達警告,(Miranda Warning),又譯米蘭達忠告、米蘭達告誡,或米蘭達宣言,是指美國警察(包括檢察官)根據美國聯邦最高法院在1966年米蘭達訴亞利桑那州案(384 U.S. 436 (1966))一案的判例中,最終確立的米蘭達規則。在訊問刑事案件嫌疑人之前,必須對其明白無誤的告知其有權援引憲法第五修正案,即刑事案件嫌疑犯有「不被強迫自証其罪的特權」,而行使沉默權和要求得到律師協助的權利。有關警告雖然源自美國,但由於証供的可信性在普通法系的法庭非常重要,這項警告對司法過程的重要影響,因為這項聲明確保了被還押疑犯所提供的證供的可信性,即使疑犯在偵訊時提供假口供,亦會因為提供假口供或發假誓而受到懲處。而另一方面,這項聲明亦在某情度上保障了疑犯避免被屈打成招。因此,現時世界上採用普通法系的地區都吸納了這項警告的精神,以保被扣押人士的權利及司法的公正。歐洲人權法院自1996年John Murray v. the United Kingdom 案後,已數度表示緘默權及不自證己罪權利乃是國際普遍認可的準則,也是歐洲人權公約第6條所闡述的公正審判理念之核心內容,因此時至今日,歐洲也逐漸採用,要求執法人員必須對嫌犯宣讀這段警告。.....

Miranda rights

The Miranda warning, also referred to as Miranda rights, is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody (or in a custodial interrogation) before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings.

The Miranda warning is part of a preventive criminal procedure rule that law enforcement is required to administer to protect an individual who is in custody and subject to direct questioning or its functional equivalent from a violation of his or her Fifth Amendment right against compelled self-incrimination. In Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court held that the admission of an elicited incriminating statement by a suspect not informed of these rights violates the Fifth and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

Thus, if law enforcement officials decline to offer a Miranda warning to an individual in their custody, they may interrogate that person and act upon the knowledge gained, but may not use that person's statements to incriminate him or her in a criminal trial.

In Berghuis v. Thompkins, the Court held that unless a suspect actually states that he is relying on this right, his subsequent voluntary statements can be used in court, and police can continue to interact with (or question) him. ......

Public safety exception

The Miranda rule is not, however, absolute. An exception exists in cases of "public safety". This limited and case-specific exception allows certain unadvised statements (given without Miranda warnings) to be admissible into evidence at trial when they were elicited in circumstances where there was great danger to public safety.

The public safety exception derives from New York v. Quarles, a case in which the Supreme Court considered the admissibility of a statement elicited by a police officer who apprehended a rape suspect who was thought to be carrying a firearm. The arrest took place in a crowded grocery store. When the officer arrested the suspect, he found an empty shoulder holster, handcuffed the suspect, and asked him where the gun was. The suspect nodded in the direction of the gun (which was near some empty cartons) and said, "The gun is over there". The Supreme Court found that such an unadvised statement was admissible in evidence because "[i]n a kaleidoscopic situation such as the one confronting these officers, where spontaneity rather than adherence to a police manual is necessarily the order of the day, the application of the exception we recognize today should not be made to depend on post hoc findings at a suppression hearing concerning the subjective motivation of the police officer".

Thus, the jurisprudential rule of Miranda must yield in "a situation where concern for public safety must be paramount to adherence to the literal language of the prophylactic rules enunciated in Miranda". The rule of Miranda is not, therefore, absolute and can be a bit more elastic in cases of public safety. Under this exception, to be admissible in the government's direct case at a trial, the questioning must not be "actually compelled by police conduct which overcame his will to resist," and must be focused and limited, involving a situation "in which police officers ask questions reasonably prompted by a concern for the public safety."......

Exceptions

Assuming that the six factors are present, the Miranda rule would apply unless the prosecution can establish that the statement falls within an exception to the Miranda rule. The three exceptions are:
(1) the routine booking question exception,
(2) the jail house informant exception, and
(3) the public safety exception.

Arguably only the last is a true exception–the first two can better be viewed as consistent with the Miranda factors. For example, questions that are routinely asked as part of the administrative process of arrest and custodial commitment are not considered "interrogation" under Miranda because they are not intended or likely to produce incriminating responses. Nonetheless, all three circumstances are treated as exceptions to the rule. The jail house informant exception applies to situations where the suspect does not know that he is speaking to a state-agent; either a police officer posing as a fellow inmate, a cellmate working as an agent for the state or a family member or friend who has agreed to cooperate with the state in obtaining incriminating information. The window of opportunity for the exception is small. Once the suspect is formally charged, the Sixth Amendment right to counsel would attach and surreptitious interrogation would be prohibited. The public safety exception applies where circumstances present a clear and present danger to the public's safety and the officers have reason to believe that the suspect has information that can end the emergency........

Canada

In Canada, equivalent rights exist pursuant to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Under the Charter, an arrested person has the right:
To be informed promptly of the reasons therefor.
To retain and instruct counsel without delay and be informed of that right.
To have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.....

Hong Kong

The right to silence is protected according to common law. The "Rules and Directions for the Questioning of Suspects and the Taking of Statements" (Rules and Directions), promulgated by the then Attorney General in 1992, stipulate that the caution to be used to remind a suspect of his right to remain silent when he is questioned. The statement are in English, Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese:

English:You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but what you say may be put into writing and given in evidence.
Cantonese:唔係是必要你講嘅,除非你自己想講喇,但係你所講嘅嘢,可能用筆寫低及用嚟做證供嘅 。
Mandarin Chinese:你不一定要說話,除非你有話要說。但是,你說的話可能會寫下來並用作證據。

Source of info: Wikipedia

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_warning

* http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%B1%B3%E5%85%B0%E8%BE%BE%E8%AD%A6%E5%91%8A

Boston Marathon Bombings: Believing too much in social networks & media (Part 2 of 2)


PART 2:   Here is the second article on the subject matter, this one is from CBC News (see my last post for the article from the Globe and Mail)

cartoon-1[2].jpg

cartoon-2[1].jpg

What do you think of the media coverage of Boston?

Peter Mansbridge April 19, 2013 2:10 PM

This has been an amazing few days of "live" television coverage on all networks concerning a number of different stories, but nothing as intense as the various elements of the "Boston Marathon Bombings."

So now here's your chance to weigh in, hopefully in a constructive way, about how all of us do our jobs. Give us two examples of what you've seen, heard or read on the Boston story.

We want to know what you consider to be the best piece of journalism you've noticed and why, as well as the worst and why.

Remember the idea here is to add value, not to take cheap shots, so there's no need to make it personal.

Go for it in the comments section and we'll feature the best responses next week.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/petermansbridge/2013/04/media-coverage-of-boston-bombing.html


As a sample of the reaction to the coverage online, here (shown above) are a couple of comics that caught our eye!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Boston Marathon Bombings: Believing too much in social networks & media (Part 1 of 2)

PART 1:

Below is a good article from the on-line Globe and Mail re why we should not believe blindly news reports from Tweeter, FaceBook, other social networks, and even mainstream media such as CNN !! Please also read my next post Part 2 re the article from CBC News.

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The Boston bombing and the media mess

STEPHEN SAIDEMAN THE GLOBE AND MAIL Last updated Friday, Apr. 19 2013, 2:45 PM EDT

Crowds of media and members of the public gathered outside the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston on April 17, 2013, after news was reported that authorities had a suspect in custody related to the recent Boston Marathon bombing, which in the end proved incorrect. (Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail)

The events of this past week should provide a cautionary tale about 21st century media/Internet reporting and punditry. Throughout Thursday night and Friday morning, various outlets, including Twitter, were repeating the first things people were hearing or thinking.

The suspects were at first two individuals who are not Chechens and not brothers. This occurred even after CNN was widely embarrassed the previous day for reporting that a suspect was in custody when there was no such thing.
THE LATEST Boston in lockdown as manhunt for suspect intensifies THE SUSPECT 'He was just a quiet, happy guy,' recalls former classmate FULL COVERAGE The Boston marathon bombing

As I write this, we now know a bit more definitively that two brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, are suspected of being the ones who placed bombs at the Boston Marathon, that they fit the descriptions of Suspect 1 and Suspect 2 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed Thursday night at a press conference, and that they were apparently involved in a robbery of a Seven-Eleven store, a car-jacking, a chase, and then a gun battle with police. The older brother, Tamerlan, died of his wounds produced by the battle. Dzhokhar is still on the run, although the Boston Police Department seem to know the general area where he is likely to be.

Other than that, we really do not know anything. They may or may not have ties beyond the United States, as their family emigrated from Russia. They are of Chechen descent apparently. Chechnya was the scene of one of the bloodiest secessionist conflicts in the 1990s and beyond, but has largely been underreported. But the reality that these two moved to the U.S. when they were quite young means we must be cautious speculating about how events in and near Chechnya might relate to the events of the past week.

The feeding frenzy among the various news outlets has meant that under-sourced reports have gone out quickly, that they and those on Twitter have relied on repeating what they hear on the police scanners. According to journalism students on Twitter, this is a mistake taught in Journalism 101 – police scanners do not emanate truth, so reporters need to do some investigation before repeating what they hear.

One of the challenges modern media face is that there are other outlets outside their control, especially Twitter. I followed Twitter throughout the night, and it has both downsides and upsides. The most obvious downside is that anyone can say anything, and it can be echoed via retweets to larger and larger audiences. The most obvious upside is that corrections quickly emanate, too, so that once we got any kind of statement from authorities, the word went out quickly.

While there is much we can learn from this experience, I have two specific suggestions for media consumption. There will be many folks who approach the media and vice-versa who are portrayed as experts on Chechnya or on terrorism. While there are many people who are experts on the latter, the number of scholars and analysts who study Chechnya, Dagestan, and related regions are few – very few. So, take what these folks say with a huge grain of salt, as the amount of information we do have is dwarfed by the amount of things we need to know before making accurate and enduring assessments.

The second thing is that one’s twitter feed is only as good as the people one follows. The tendency for those on Twitter, just as it is for choosing newspapers, television states and other media, is to follow those that one agrees with. This exacerbates the echo chamber type tendencies. If one is just starting out on Twitter or is seeking to broaden one’s network of people to follow, this is not a bad time, as the tremendous amount of traffic on these events are quickly revealing who is judicious and who is wildly speculative. The same is true, again, for the print and televised media as well. While every outlet is making mistakes this week, some are making far more of them and correcting them far more slowly.

The plethora of media outlets and internet sites mean that there is plenty of competition to try to address the burning questions we have. It is natural that we are impatient and curious, but we must be conscious that false steps may do much damage to innocents along the way. Since most of us cannot really do anything but watch, we can afford to be patient and wait for the fog to clear. It can be very hard, but more information is not always better information.

Stephen Saideman is the Paterson chair in international affairs at Carleton University

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

A Man Who Speaks His Mind (Survival of the Not-so-fittest ?)


I received the following post from a FaceBook friend (who is a woman and finds it interesting) .....

MAN RULES

WE ALWAYS HEAR 'THE RULES' FROM THE FEMALE SIDE
NOW HERE ARE THE RULES FROM THE MALE SIDE

THESE ARE OUR RULES!

PLEASE NOTE. THESE ARE ALL NUMBERED #1 ON PURPOSE!

1. MEN ARE NOT MIND READERS.

1. LEARN TO WORK THE TOILET SEAT. YOU'RE A BIG GIRL. IF IT'S UP, PUT IT DOWN. WE NEED IT UP, YOU NEED IT DOWN. YOU DON'T HEAR US COMPLAINING ABOUT YOU LEAVING IT DOWN.

1. CRYING IS BLACKMAIL.

1. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT. LET US BE CLEAR ON THIS ONE:

SUBTLE HINTS DO NOT WORK!
STRONG HINTS DO NOT WORK!
OBVIOUS HINTS DO NOT WORK!
JUST SAY IT!

1. YES AND NO ARE PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS TO ALMOST EVERY QUESTION.

1.. COME TO US WITH A PROBLEM ONLY IF YOU WANT HELP SOLVING IT. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. SYMPATHY IS WHAT YOUR GIRLFRIENDS ARE FOR.

1. ANYTHING WE SAID 6 MONTHS AGO IS INADMISSIBLE IN AN ARGUMENT. IN FACT, ALL COMMENTS BECOME NULL AND VOID AFTER 7 DAYS.

1. IF YOU THINK YOU'RE FAT, YOU PROBABLY ARE. DON'T ASK US.

1. IF SOMETHING WE SAID CAN BE INTERPRETED TWO WAYS AND ONE OF THE WAYS MAKES YOU SAD OR ANGRY, WE MEANT THE OTHER ONE.

1. YOU CAN EITHER ASK US TO DO SOMETHING OR TELL US HOW YOU WANT IT DONE. NOT BOTH.
IF YOU ALREADY KNOW BEST HOW TO DO IT, JUST DO IT YOURSELF.

1. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, PLEASE SAY WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO SAY DURING COMMERCIALS.

1. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS DID NOT NEED DIRECTIONS AND NEITHER DO WE...

1. ALL MEN SEE IN ONLY 16 COLORS, LIKE WINDOWS DEFAULT SETTINGS..
PEACH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A FRUIT, NOT A COLOR. PUMPKIN IS ALSO A FRUIT. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MAUVE IS.

1. IF WE ASK WHAT IS WRONG AND YOU SAY 'NOTHING,' WE WILL ACT LIKE NOTHING'S WRONG. WE KNOW YOU ARE LYING, BUT IT IS JUST NOT WORTH THE HASSLE.

1. IF YOU ASK A QUESTION YOU DON'T WANT AN ANSWER TO, EXPECT AN ANSWER YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR..

1. WHEN WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE, ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WEAR IS FINE...REALLY.

1.. DON'T ASK US WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO DISCUSS SUCH TOPICS AS FOOTBALL OR MOTOR SPORTS.

1. YOU HAVE ENOUGH CLOTHES.

1 .. YOU HAVE TOO MANY SHOES.

1. I AM IN SHAPE. ROUND IS A SHAPE!

1.. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS. YES, I KNOW, I HAVE TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH TONIGHT.. BUT DID YOU KNOW MEN REALLY DON'T MIND THAT? IT'S LIKE CAMPING...

PASS THIS TO AS MANY MEN AS YOU CAN - TO GIVE THEM A LAUGH...

PASS THIS TO AS MANY WOMEN AS YOU CAN - TO GIVE THEM A BIGGER LAUGH, BECAUSE ITS TRUE!

Photo: MAN RULES

AT LAST A GUY HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO WRITE THIS ALL DOWN
FINALLY, the guys' side of the story. ( I MUST ADMIT, IT'S PRETTY GOOD.)

WE ALWAYS HEAR 'THE RULES' FROM THE FEMALE SIDE
NOW HERE ARE THE RULES FROM THE MALE SIDE

THESE ARE OUR RULES!

PLEASE NOTE. THESE ARE ALL NUMBERED #1 ON PURPOSE!

1. MEN ARE NOT MIND READERS.

1. LEARN TO WORK THE TOILET SEAT. YOU'RE A BIG GIRL. IF IT'S UP, PUT IT DOWN. WE NEED IT UP, YOU NEED IT DOWN. YOU DON'T HEAR US COMPLAINING ABOUT YOU LEAVING IT DOWN.

1. CRYING IS BLACKMAIL.

1. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT. LET US BE CLEAR ON THIS ONE:

SUBTLE HINTS DO NOT WORK!
STRONG HINTS DO NOT WORK!
OBVIOUS HINTS DO NOT WORK!
JUST SAY IT!

1. YES AND NO ARE PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS TO ALMOST EVERY QUESTION.

1.. COME TO US WITH A PROBLEM ONLY IF YOU WANT HELP SOLVING IT. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. SYMPATHY IS WHAT YOUR GIRLFRIENDS ARE FOR.

1. ANYTHING WE SAID 6 MONTHS AGO IS INADMISSIBLE IN AN ARGUMENT. IN FACT, ALL COMMENTS BECOME NULL AND VOID AFTER 7 DAYS.

1. IF YOU THINK YOU'RE FAT, YOU PROBABLY ARE. DON'T ASK US.

1. IF SOMETHING WE SAID CAN BE INTERPRETED TWO WAYS AND ONE OF THE WAYS MAKES YOU SAD OR ANGRY, WE MEANT THE OTHER ONE.

1. YOU CAN EITHER ASK US TO DO SOMETHING OR TELL US HOW YOU WANT IT DONE. NOT BOTH.
IF YOU ALREADY KNOW BEST HOW TO DO IT, JUST DO IT YOURSELF.

1. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, PLEASE SAY WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO SAY DURING COMMERCIALS.

1. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS DID NOT NEED DIRECTIONS AND NEITHER DO WE...

1. ALL MEN SEE IN ONLY 16 COLORS, LIKE WINDOWS DEFAULT SETTINGS..
PEACH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A FRUIT, NOT A COLOR. PUMPKIN IS ALSO A FRUIT. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MAUVE IS.

1. IF WE ASK WHAT IS WRONG AND YOU SAY 'NOTHING,' WE WILL ACT LIKE NOTHING'S WRONG. WE KNOW YOU ARE LYING, BUT IT IS JUST NOT WORTH THE HASSLE.

1. IF YOU ASK A QUESTION YOU DON'T WANT AN ANSWER TO, EXPECT AN ANSWER YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR..

1. WHEN WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE, ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WEAR IS FINE...REALLY.

1.. DON'T ASK US WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO DISCUSS SUCH TOPICS AS FOOTBALL OR MOTOR SPORTS.

1. YOU HAVE ENOUGH CLOTHES.

1 .. YOU HAVE TOO MANY SHOES.

1. I AM IN SHAPE. ROUND IS A SHAPE!

1.. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS. YES, I KNOW, I HAVE TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH TONIGHT.. BUT DID YOU KNOW MEN REALLY DON'T MIND THAT? IT'S LIKE CAMPING...

PASS THIS TO AS MANY MEN AS YOU CAN - TO GIVE THEM A LAUGH...

PASS THIS TO AS MANY WOMEN AS YOU CAN - TO GIVE THEM A BIGGER LAUGH, BECAUSE ITS TRUE!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Boston Marathon Explosions - Showing Respect and Support to the Running Community






It is my understanding that this Wednesday at 6 pm local time, many runners across Canada will observe a minute of silence before going for a run to show support to the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon runners, spectators, organizers, and first responders !!

To this end, I am wearing my Ottawa Marathon t-shirt today and a different race-shirt everyday till the weekend.

And, let's not forget the top women and men finishers whose achievements were out-shadowed by the Boston Marathon explosions.

Source:  Boston Athletic Association  http://www.baa.org/

Women's Checkpoint History:
  10k  
  20k  
13.1m  
25k  
30k  
35k  


Top Women Finishers
Place
Name
Ctry
Time
1.
KEN
2:26:25
2.
ETH
2:26:58
3.
KEN
2:27:01
4.
USA
2:27:08
5.
ETH
2:28:09
6.
USA
2:28:11
7.
MEX
2:28:59
8.
BDI
2:29:54
9.
POR
2:30:05
10.
GER
2:30:09


Men's Checkpoint History:
   10k
   15k
   20k   
   25k   
   35k
   40k

Top Men Finishers
Place
Name
Ctry
Time
1.
Lelisa Desisa
ETH
2:10:22
2.
KEN
2:10:27
3.
ETH
2:10:28
4.
USA
2:12:12
5.
KEN
2:12:30
6.
ETH
2:12:44
7.
KEN
2:14:08
8.
AUS
2:14:28
9.
Daniel Tapia
USA
2:14:30
10.
Craig Leon
USA
2:14:38

Monday, April 15, 2013

Boston Marathon Explosions - My friends are safe & sound !!

Here is from CBC/Q ....
jian ghomeshi (@jianghomeshi) tweeted at 6:14 PM on Mon, Apr 15, 2013: "We don't know who did this or why. People shouldn't jump to conclusions before we get the facts." - Obama
#bostonmarathon (https://twitter.com/jianghomeshi/status/323922213793325057)

Boston Marathon Explosions





CBC Top Stories (@CBCNews) tweeted at 4:35 PM on Mon, Apr 15, 2013: According to the Boston Marathon website, 2,078 Canadians were listed as entrants in the race, which had almost 27,000 listed as entrants. (https://twitter.com/CBCNews/status/323897339712516096) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Boston Marathon Explosion - My friends are down there






Alan Neal (@alannealottawa) tweeted at 4:08 PM on Mon, Apr 15, 2013: Finding out more from the Boston explosion now. Later in our program will have more from Ottawa marathoners who are there. (https://twitter.com/alannealottawa/status/323890524983549952)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

2013 旅遊魁北克省加斯佩半島思索山區: 串連山屋式越野滑雪 / Travel to Chic Choc Mountains, Gaspé Peninsula, Québec 2013: Hut-to-hut Cross-country Skiing


I took this photo of my cousin skiing/hiking the 18 km from le Carouge cabin back to St-Octave-de-L'Avenir in the Chic Choc Mountains. Behind him was the steep hill that led up to where I was standing with my camera in hand. Behind me was a shelter that would be used by hunters during the hunting season.

Photo credit: I took these photos on 20130402, our last day skiing in the Chic Choc Mountains.

More trip reports and photos to come, stay tuned !!!!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

春天姍姍來遲 / Sprinter Weather (Spring + Winter)




前兩天的大風雪和冰雨,帶給我這個愛好滑雪者無限的喜悅。

但對大多數人來說,春天姍姍來遲是一件惱人的事,由其是那些急不及待換了夏季輪胎 summer tires 的司机,在溜冰場一樣滑的街道上團團轉,險象環生,報載下雪一天之內就發生了50多宗意外!

冬天老翁 Old Man Winter 被下逐客令也不走,春天小姐受屢次邀請還是姍姍來遲,在這青黃不接的季節,忍耐是美德。


Photo credit:
Top: FaceBook picture posted by Majic 100.3 FM with the caption "Installing Canadian Spring 2013 ... Installation failed: Spring is not available in your country." LOL !!!
Bottom: Intersection of Merivale Road and Carling Avenue, Ottawa by lotusandcedar

Friday, April 12, 2013

我的(面)臉書經驗 / My Experience with Facebook


我在互聯網上多是用e-mail電郵和Blogger網誌与親朋戚友通訊。但在上年十二月中,我應友人邀請,參加了一個運動員團体主辦,連續100天的挑/戰競賽,我每日都要做起碼30分鐘的跑步、游泳、騎自行車等体能訓練活動。在這期間,我天天上Facebook臉書記錄所做的事項和所積分數,從而漸漸認識FB的各種功能和特點。

無可否認, 在社交聯絡、登貼照方、分享留言、發表短評方面,臉書真是快捷妥當,首屈一指。但是我發覺,在辯論分析、繪圖劃表,參研資料方面,FB卻是不及Blogger來得詳細方便。

當然,我這個愛好詳篇大論的bIogger萬斷不能用白鴿眼看低臉書用者,說他/她們頭腦簡單、言談淺簿。反之,我認為FB雖然是和我寫網誌的主旨畧有不同,但在這科技世界, 仍不失為一個很好的社交工具 social networking tool 。

來日如有机会,我会談談我的 Tweeter 經驗。



Sent by Sony

折磨十指痛歸心 守得雲開見月明 / My finger was almost bitten off by an ill-temper eel: The recovery journey


以下是節錄我在2013年1月中旬寫的手記:

我最近數星期因尾指發痛,夜閒不能熟睡,早上極感疲倦,所以沒有勤寫網誌,也沒有準時回覆各位的留言,請諒!

左手尾指自從約三個月前在法屬波利尼西亞French Polynesia被鰻魚几近咬斷之後,雖經大溪地医生施緊急手術接駁筋肌,回到渥太華後又做每星期2至3次的物理治療,但無夸十指痛歸心,夜欄人靜之時,注意力就被如潮湧的陣痛綁架,很多時要吃止痛丸才可入睡。

有網友曾提到我是充滿活力,冷靜和樂觀之人,但長期性的折磨卻終於顯現出了我自己的限度。

不過話得說回來,我尾指的小小痛楚,和在戰役斷肢受傷軍人所受的身心挫折來比較,實在是小巫見大巫, 他/她們的艱苦復原過程,是非我這個常人所能明白的。

既然我的痛楚是遠遠不及戰傷軍人,我想我最好還是咬緊牙根做人 一 suck it up and shut up!!

4月中旬後記: 
雖然尾指仍需要一星期一次的物理治療,但我已經不用吃止痛丸入睡。守得雲開見月明!!

Related article:
Please read the story abt my #10/little finger almost being bitten off by an ill-temper eel in the French Polynesia on Oct 14, 2012:  http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.ca/2012/10/travel-to-tahiti-other-polynesie_30.html

Thursday, April 11, 2013

刑事罪行 網絡欺凌? / Possible Criminal Offence or Cyber Bullying?


"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Rehtaeh Parsons

"Everyone turned their backs on her." - Rehtaeh Parsons's mother

 (Source: Globe and Mail 20130410)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
UPDATED 20130412

The following is from Facebook (source: The New HOT 89.9 FM )

This is heart breaking.
Rehtaeh Parsons father has issued a statement about his daughter.
The 17-year old Nova Scotia teen took her own life this past weekend after allegedly being gang raped by 4 boys when she was just 15. The photos of the rape were circulated on the internet.
Her father wrote:

"My daughter was three years old when we went to watch Babe: Pig in the City. There’s a part in the movie when Babe knocks over a goldfish bowl and the fish falls onto the floor and starts flopping around. When this happened Rae suddenly stood up on her chair in the movie theatre and started screaming for someone to help the fish. She cried for it as I tried to reassure her Babe would help (thank God he did) and that the fish would be alright.
That was the nature of my daughter Rehtaeh. She was like that her whole life. I couldn’t go for a walk in Halifax with her without her asking me for change to give to someone in need. She was always looking out for people or animals that needed help. She called Animal Control Services on our neighbours because they left their dog outside too long. Her room and her life was always full of little creatures.
Sometimes her heart was too big, sometimes it scared me.
They say parents need to teach their children. Instead, it was Rehtaeh who was my teacher. My precious gift. She was the absolute best part of my life.
There’s a wooden box in my house that holds all the memories I have of my beautiful little girl. The outfit she wore home from the hospital, a hand print in clay, art, school cards and drawings, mementoes of her life. Even a newspaper dated December 9th, 1995, the day she came into this world.
I tried to keep it all for her, to have someday when she grew up and had her own family. That day will never come.
Rehtaeh died April 7th at 11:15 PM. She was 17 years old.
She died struggling to live, much as she spent the last 18 months. She hung on right to the very end, when the nurses were telling us if she couldn't be declared brain dead soon they couldn't use her as an organ donor. We couldn't wait any longer. She couldn't live any longer. And right at the last moment there was a change in her blood pressure as the last part of her brain gave away. She knew she had to leave. It was time to let go and find peace.
It was so like her to hang on right up until the very last second. To give us all a chance to hold her hand, wipe her tears away, and kiss her beautiful face for the last time.
I tried my best to save my daughter’s life. I believe that in my heart.
I asked her repeatedly what I could do, was I doing enough, what did she want from me? She said she just wanted me to be her dad. To make her laugh. To do everything possible to keep a part of her life normal. She said it helped more than I could ever know.
I prayed for the best while I prepared her for the worst. We went to counseling together. Sometimes I was the drive, sometimes the father, sometimes the counselor.
The worst nightmare of my life has just begun. I loved my beautiful baby with all my heart. She meant everything to me. I felt her heart beating in my soul from the moment she was born until the moment she died. We were a team. We were best pals. We often sat on my couch and laughed until we could hardly speak. When we weren’t together she would call me or text me every single day, just to say hi, to say she loved me. The life I had with my daughter was a rare thing. It was wonderful, it consumed me. I was defined by it. It made my life rich and beautiful.
She was amazing.
Yesterday I looked at another wooden box. It will hold her ashes. I hate it.
I had to write something about this. I don’t want her life to defined by a Google search about suicide or death or rape. I want it to be about the giving heart she had. Her smile. Her love of life and the beautiful way in which she lived it.
I found out this afternoon my daughter saved the life of a young woman with her heart. How fitting.
She also gave someone a new liver, a kidney, a new breath, and a new chance to love. She saved the lives of four people with her final gift of life. She was that wonderful.
Someone out there is going to look at the world with my daughter’s eyes. The most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.
To the Justice Minister of Nova Scotia
Rehtaeh Parsons thought the worst outcome for her case would be no charges against the men who raped her but we all know better. The worst thing that could happen would be charges. That they would be found guilty, and that Rehtaeh would sit on a court bench and listen in utter disbelief as they were given parole, or a suspended sentence, or community service. All for completely destroying her life while they laughed.
Why is it they didn’t just think they would get away with it; they knew they would get away with it. They took photos of it. They posted it on their Facebook walls. They emailed it to God knows who. They shared it with the world as if it was a funny animation.
How is it possible for someone to leave a digital trail like that yet the RCMP don’t have evidence of a crime? What were they looking for if photos and bragging weren’t enough?
Why was this treated like a minor incident of bullying rather than a rape? Isn’t the production and distribution of child porn a crime in this country? Numerous people were emailed that photo. The police have that information (or at least they told us they did). When someone claims they were raped is it normal to wait months before talking to the accused?
You have the opportunity here to do something good and lets face it; the court system in Nova Scotia was just going to rape her all over again with indifference to her suffering and the damage this did to her.
My daughter wasn’t bullied to death, she was disappointed to death. Disappointed in people she thought she could trust, her school, and the police.
She was my daughter, but she was your daughter too.
For the love of God do something.
***I’ve been contacted from media outlets from all over the world and as a past member of the media I understand why you all want to speak with me. You have all been very courteous, professional, and respectful. Please know, however, this is the only statement I am able to make. I’m too devastated.***
I feel like I’m dead inside.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Below is my original blog post dated 20130411:

After the police had decided not to lay charges against the alleged rapists, Rahtaeh Parsons attempted suicide. Her parents took her off life-support last Sunday.

Canadians are outraged by the apparently lack of actions and slowness of the federal and provincial police/justice system to address the accountability and other issues surrounding the death of Rahtaeh Parsons of Nova Scotia.

Now that the news has attracted national and international attention, some provincial politicians are trying to do damage-control by promising that the case will be reviewed again.

Meanwhile, some of Rahtaeh's former classmates are speaking out.

And Prime Minister Harper also spoke out publicly, indicating criminal offence should not be confused with cyber bullying.

I agree !!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Latest from the media on the case of Rehtaeh Parsons who had been a victim of cyber bullying and died of an attempted suicide last week in Nova Scotia.

Here is a report from the CBC:

Rehtaeh Parsons vigil draws hundreds - Family pleads for people not to respond with vigilante justice


Posted: Apr 11, 2013 10:33 PM AT 


Last Updated: Apr 11, 2013 10:29 PM Atlantic Time



Hundreds gathered in downtown Halifax Thursday evening in memory of Rehtaeh Parsons, a teen girl who was taken off life support Sunday following a suicide attempt after she was allegedly bullied for months.

Hundreds of people gathered in Halifax's Victoria Park.Hundreds of people gathered in Halifax's Victoria Park. (Jean Laroche/CBC)
The gathering began as a march that started on the Halifax waterfront at 6 p.m. and wound its way to Victoria Park at the corner of Spring Garden and South Park Street where a vigil was held.
Rehtaeh’s cousin, Angela Parsons, spoke to the crowd on behalf of the Parsons’ family. She made an emotional plea saying, “Bullying needs to stop.”
“There is a culture of violence against women, nationally and internationally,” she said.
“My family asks that everyone, that they not respond in violence or aggression to this terrible tragedy. Our family values the values that I was brought up with and the values that Rehtaeh lived by that all of us try our very best to live by and include love, respect and compassion,” pleaded Parsons.
The vigil was held to honour Rehtaeh and bring awareness to the issue of bullying.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Other links:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/10/anonymous-threatens-to-out-boys-involved-in-alleged-gang-rape-of-n-s-teen-who-committed-suicide-unless-rcmp-charges-them/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/04/10/ns-rehtaeh-suicide-reaction-todd.html
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