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• Vancouver Island’s Marmot Recovery Foundation is ironically facing extinction after the BC’s Ministry of Environment has yet to fork over annual funding. The group is about $60,000 short for the fiscal year. [Comox Valley Record]
• A woman from Ucluelet has kept a black-tailed deer as a pet for the last five years. Conservation officers want the woman to release the deer but some animal rights activists say the deer would die, being that it lacks the skills to survive in the wild. What do you think? [Westerly News]

Photo: Miss604 on Flickr – Read the blog post.

• Sometimes John Mayer is awkward.
• Last month the Vancouver sun published an interesting article regarding the Vancouver Humane Society and a person’s right to support animals. All life is inter-connected and it’s a good reminder not to compartmentalize compassion. [Vancouver Sun]
• Do you like shoes? I like shoes. Enter here to win a gorgeous pair of designer heels from olsenHaus.
• There’s less than a month to go until the Province-wide Paws For A Cause to support the BC-SPCA. If you’d like to sponsor me and Jordy as we crusade for our furry and feathered friends, please click here to do so. We’ve already achieve 47% of our goal!
• Fall is just around the corner which means that the snow will be falling once again before we know it! You have until September 15, 2009 to purchase your season pass from Mount Washington and be entered to win some fantastic prizes (including an escape to Middle Beach Lodge in Tofino)! Early bird passes are available until the end of September.

Photo: DBLTHNK on Flickr

• A court date has been set for three men accused of assault in a potentially racially-motivated incident that took place earlier this summer behind the Courtenay McDonald’s restaurant. The story has grabbed international headlines, and the trio will learn what they’re being formally charged with at an arraignment on September 10, 2009 now that the RCMP’s investigation has wrapped up. [Comox Valley Record]
• If you’re looking for other great local reading, Comox Valley Blogs has recently launched and features a growing list of area blogs.

Today is what’s known as “Black Friday” across the United States, where sales and great deals are as abundant as turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving. Fervent bargain hunters at a Wal-Mart store on Long Island, New York trampled a 34-year-old worker to his death this morning at 5:00 a.m.

The Associated Press reports:

Witnesses told the Daily News that before the store was closed, eager shoppers streamed past emergency crews as they worked furiously to save the worker’s life.

“They were working on him, but you could see he was dead,” said Halcyon Alexander, 29. “People were still coming through.” [source]

I have to wonder what happens to decency and respect, but I suppose that notion becomes abundantly clear when you’ve got 50-inch Plasma TVs for less than $800. Priorities, right?

It would seem I’ve been missing-in-action from the online world over the last two days. No blogging, no Twitter. Sometimes a break is nice, but it’s even nicer to get back to it. Here’s what you, me and we missed out on…

Breathe. It’s what I need to do right now. For no reason in particluar, I spent much of yesterday feeling as though I was suffocating. Blame it on PMS, blame it on the moon, the tides or whatever you will, but something just wasn’t right. As my day drew to a close, I slipped into a hot bath of epsom salts and French lavender oil and prepared myself for a full-body sob fest.

It never happened.

I slid further into the warm water until my entire head was submerged and them came up again. I couldn’t have cried if my life depended on it, and this struck me as odd, being that I fought tears all day.

Some of what I touched down on in yesterday’s post is only a slice of what’s swimming through my head. I don’t know why I feel like I’ve had these epiphanies; all I feel is as though the weight of the world is down upon me. I feel such an overwhelming sense of revelation and understanding into what directly impacts my own life that I wouldn’t know where to start unraveling it all. My brain won’t stop thinking, processing, understanding, pondering, realizing or cohering.

To some, this would seem like one’s going “crazy.” But for me, I feel the exact opposite. I don’t think I have ever felt more sane or rational and that is what is most frightening about it all. Suddenly it seems that I have been given a huge responsibility, one that I cannot take or treat lightly.

So what now? Who knows? Does anyone else experience this sometimes?

When the Persian Gulf War erupted in the summer of 1990, I was nine-years-old and verging on my 10th birthday. Over those warm months out of school, I spent most of my days wandering my Oma and Opa’s farm barefoot under the sun instead of with friends. I’d spend hours in the garden and bird aviary with my Opa when I wasn’t indoors with my Oma. She suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and therefore was generally confined to sitting on the sundeck or watching TV.

Though I was far too young to appreciate soap operas (and I still don’t), my Oma loved them and I was more than happy to keep her company on those afternoons. On August 2, 1990, Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait and before long, my Oma’s beloved soap operas were endlessly pre-empted for Persian Gulf War news coverage. Every image that my nine-year-old eyes laid sight on was of sand and tanks and military figures and Saddam, Saddam, Saddam. I was frustrated and childishly upset that we couldn’t watch our shows together all due to a “stupid war.”

The Persian Gulf War ended some months later, and some years after that I entered junior high en route to high school. There I took classes in social studies, history and comparative civilizations. Were I to enroll in these courses today, I would no doubt find them interesting while also understanding the relevance behind the events. In seventh grade, however, all my classmates and I could do was roll our eyes and question why we had to learn about something that seemed to hold no significance to a group of young teenagers.

Flash forward to November, 2008: I am now only weeks away from my 28th birthday and my world view is also that much older. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima, Japan decades before I was born. The Vietnam War broke out when my mom was just a teenager. I was only eight when the Berlin Wall crumbled and just 20 the day the towers collapsed in Manhattan. I am 27 and last night witnessed a country stand up for change and overwhelmingly elect Barack Obama as their next President.

The significant events in history are equally important to the events that happen in this world every single day. They are directly impactful on the life I live today. I live in a country where I can walk down the sidewalk and wear the clothes that I choose, believe in the faith that I choose, vote for the policiticians that I choose and make the choices that I want. That kind of freedom does not come without considerable cost.

Yesterday morning, as I went for my daily Americano as I normally do, there was a man on the corner of Hornby and Robson streets dressed in military fatigue, handing out poppies for Remembrance Day. He was quite old and I would venture to guess that he fought with Canada during World War II. He smiled warmly at me as I placed money in his collection box before allowing him to pin a poppy to my lapel. I looked down at his frail hands as they proudly placed the deep red flower over my heart. As his eyes then met my own, I considered all the things he has probably seen in his lifetime. It was all that I could do to blink back the tears that so desperately wanted to fall in gratitude.

History is not the stuff that text books are made of, nor is it comprised of a number of events that happened long before our time as individuals. History is happening on each corner of this planet, every single day. Last night, hot tears streamed down my face as the future President of the United States stressed the importance of United States, no matter a person’s income, sexual orientation, skin colour or belief. He spoke of hope and of peace while offering realistic optimism. As President-Elect Barack Obama so eloquently stated, “this victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change.” [Source]

Like countless others across my country, across the United States and all over the globe, I woke this morning with a renewed sense of hope. I am a part of what will soon be known as history that has helped shape this world – my world – and the world that my children will some day live within. I can’t help but feel as though we as united people are about to experience the current of our river flow in a new direction as we all venture forward with both vigilance and great anticipation.

It’s only Tuesday and yet it’s been a long week already. Thankfully, a long weekend beckons me and I made it even longer by taking Thursday off. Tomorrow I’m grabbing my gear, the dogs and heading for the ferry to spend a few days on the Island. Truth be told, what I’m looking forward to most is seeing Charley play with Benji and Casey for the first time. I have no doubt it’ll be an explosion of adorability. Enough from me…here’s my link love for the day.

You know what? It’s a slow day…that’s all I’ve got for you right now.

It’s Sunday morning and the weekend has quietly come to a near-end. I’ve been awake with Charley and my mom for an hour or so; Rebecca and my aunt are both still fast asleep. Before I pack up my backpack, here’s my weekend wrap-up and a few note-worthy things worth mentioning.

After a full and head-first day of snowboarding on Friday, Becky and I were both incredibly and unbelievably sore on Saturday. After finally peeling ourselves out of bed, we headed into town excited to visit the Atlas Cafe for lunch. Much to our disappointment, the joint was closed for renovations so we opted for pancakes, eggs and bacon at the Early Bird Cafe instead. It was just the energy motivation we needed to get in a full day of shopping. I am very happy to say that we both made major scores on some very cute clothes.

And so, after a lazy evening of home-baked pizza, popcorn, pie and ‘Failure to Launch,’ we both geeked out for a bit before heading to bed slightly after 10 p.m. Our evening was about as eventful as that of the boys who were taking part in NerdCamp, hosted by Vancouver’s top blogger, Duane Storey.

In August, I made mention of a fast-growing oil slick in the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. The protected waterway, which is banned even to kayakers and other recreational activities, was home to a toxic spill that spanned more than 14 kilometres after an overturned barge dumped a gross amount of diesel fuel.

The damage caused by the spill was, undoubtedly, devastating, but just as tragic was the lack of action taken by the Provincial Government to have the spill immediately cleaned up.

Photo courtesy of makeupanid on Flickr

Only now, nearly four months after the spill, is a submersible being lowered into the waters of Robson Bight to evaluate the scope of the destruction. Victoria-based A-Channel news reported on current activities in the Bight:

A manned submersible aboard the Aurora Explorer freight vessel is lowered into the water above five targets that have been identified as possible wreckage. Pilot Jeff Heaton will descend 370 metres and document what’s left of the logging equipment with a high-definition camera…and hopefully provide answers.

Jim Borrowman, a volunteer Warden of the reserve believes the best possible scenario is the fuel truck at the bottom of the ocean is empty now, with no diesel left in it to do any more damage. On the other hand, points out Dorthea Hangaard of the Living Oceans Society, if there is still a substantial amount of fuel involved, it could also be sucked out without lifting the equipment to the surface.

Hopefully this will initiate a more thorough and formal investigation into what actually happened in the killer whale sanctuary. I will keep you updated if and when more information becomes available.

A-Channel News Story

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Looking for a way to get into the Christmas spirit and do something charitable?

Play Santa for the animals!

Photo courtesy of ChromaticRat on Flickr

“Shelter animals are prone to depression from loneliness and boredom. Toys very much help stimulate the mind and provide moments of joy and comfort,” said Rhonda Sherwood, volunteer co-ordinator for the Vancouver shelter.

Sherwood acknowledges that while toys may seem like a luxury for shelter animals, they offer necessary enrichment, without which behavioural problems could develop.”

The wish list is a full one, with a need for balls, squeaky toys, Frisbees, blankets, towels, food, treats and whatever else may encourage healthy growth in needy animals.

If you’d like to help out and donate, please visit the Vancouver shelter this Sunday, December 16, 2007 between noon and 4:00 p.m. The shelter is located at 1205 East 7th Avenue. [Map]

Please be reminded that shelters around British Columbia house and care for injured, neglected, lost or abandoned animals 365 days a year, so feel free to help out whenever you can.

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And on a light end-note, my hunt for a new and fantastic mascara has come to an end. I’ve long been a user of Maybelline’s Full N’ Soft mascara, but it has of late been M.I.A. from the shelves at my local Shopper’s Drug Mart.

Last night I bit the bullet and shelled out for a pricier mascara, and after using it for the first time this morning, I’ve got to say that Smashbox’s Focal Point mascara is well worth the dough. Formulated with a special blend of waxes and polymers, it coats each lash individually, not as clumps. Yay!

For those of us in Canada, November 11 is Remembrance Day. In the U.S., the act of remembering those that died for their country is known as Veterans’ Day. Perhaps the most visual symbol of Remembrance Day in Canada is through adorning jackets and sweaters with a poppy. According to the Royal Canadian Legion website…

“Each November, Poppies blossom on the lapels and collars of over half of Canada’s entire population. Since 1921, the Poppy has stood as a symbol of Remembrance, our visual pledge to never forget all those Canadians who have fallen in war and military operations. The Poppy also stands internationally as a “symbol of collective reminiscence”, as other countries have also adopted its image to honour those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Today, when people from all parts of Canada and from all walks of life join together in their pledge to never forget, they choose to display this collective reminiscence by wearing a Poppy. They stand united as Canadians sharing a common history of sacrifice and commitment.”

I am most certainly a woman who is not only proud to call herself Canadian, but also one who is forever indebted to the men and women who gave up their lives for the sake of our nation. I have to admit, however, that I struggle with the idea of wearing the poppy. My issue is not with showing others the respect I have for those that sacrificed for our freedom; my issue is with how a poppy on my lapel could be interpreted by others.

To the surprise of no one (yes, folks…”no one” is two words, not one word), BC Ferries Corporation is once again digging their hands into our pockets and fishing for more cha-ching. As of November 1, 2007, fares will increase an average of 2.8 percent on major routes connecting the Lower Mainland with Vancouver Island, and a whopping 4.4 percent on all other routes.

Perhaps this won’t dissuade tourists, but it’s certainly discouraging to people such as myself who travel between the Island and Mainland at least twice a month. This news must be even more painful for people using the ferry system as a means of daily transport, such as those living on gulf islands. At a total disadvantage to the residents of B.C.’s coast, BC Ferries holds a complete monopoly on oceanic travel, so a sufficient and less expensive alternative isn’t available.

Since the company was privatized years ago, the overall level of service has plummeted. Since I don’t see wait times at terminals being reduced anytime soon, this only leads me to question: “why the subsequent fare hikes?”

I can only conclude that the price of marijuana within the Province must be on the rise.