Saturday, 18 October, 2014  -( 54˚F / 12˚C –  & cloudy  @ 12:15 pm near Ithaca )-  { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above.  ———djo——— }

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 Other Sources:

Thursday, October 9, 2014 –  would have been John Lennon’s 74th birthday.

{ “-Snowden’s Film Tests Hollywood Obama Supporters: – LOS ANGELES — Early in Laura Poitras’s documentary “Citizenfour,”Edward J. Snowden, who exposed vast electronic surveillance by the United States government, tells what pushed him to go public. – “As I saw the promise of the Obama administration betrayed, and walked away from,” says Mr. Snowden, referring to drone strikes and invasive monitoring by the National Security Agency, “it really hardened me to action.”  – But do some of President Obama’s staunch Hollywood supporters share his sentiment? – Her provocative, and deeply admiring, look at Mr. Snowden — which had its premiere at the New York Film Festival on Oct. 10 — arrived here this week amid high hopes, intense curiosity and more than a few raised eyebrows over its sharp critique of Mr. Obama, a president who has enjoyed strong support in the movie world. – The intrigue is especially pitched because several of the companies behind “Citizenfour” — which takes issue with Mr. Obama’s expansion of Bush-era surveillance, and his administration’s attempt to prosecute Mr. Snowden for espionage — are led by some of the president’s close political allies. – They include Harvey Weinstein, the Weinstein Company’s co-chairman, as well as Jeff Skoll, the founder of Participant Media, and Richard Plepler, the chief executive of HBO, who all have been major contributors to Mr. Obama’s political campaigns. – “Citizenfour” has already landed high on the handicappers’ lists of prospects for a documentary features Oscar. The film also promises to jolt the award season with a dose of real-world politics, as happened in 2012, when Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” and Ben Affleck’s “Argo,” the year’s best picture, converged on Washington, with screenings, receptions and a Congressional uproar over the portrayal of torture by Americans in Ms. Bigelow’s film, which was about the hunting down of Osama bin Laden. – The role that Mr. Weinstein, whose Radius-TWC unit is backing the film (and distributed last year’s Oscar-winning documentary “Twenty Feet From Stardom”), will play in promoting “Citizenfour” remains unclear. In the past, he has not shied from using his association with Mr. Obama to promote issues-oriented movies. These include the biopic “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” which had a much-publicized White House screening last year, and the documentary “Bully,” which was screened for Mr. Obama in 2012, just minutes after he announced his support for a pair of anti-bullying bills. – Also in 2012, Mr. Weinstein arranged a high-profile Washington showing of his “SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden,” raising complaints that its flattering portrayal of Mr. Obama — who was edited into the film before its election-week premiere — amounted to a campaign stunt. – On Tuesday, it was the Radius-TWC co-presidents, Jason Janego and Tom Quinn, and not Mr. Weinstein, who played host as Ms. Poitras introduced “Citizenfour” to film buffs and some potential Oscar voters at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. – “The film is certainly about the danger of N.S.A. surveillance, but it’s also really about courage,” Ms. Poitras said. (The movie’s title comes from Mr. Snowden’s self-designated code name when he began communicating with Ms. Poitras.) – In a later phone interview, Mr. Quinn and Mr. Janego said they had exercised considerable autonomy in acquiring rights to “Citizenfour” after Mr. Quinn visited Ms. Poitras to discuss the unfinished film at her home in Berlin. Both stressed that Mr. Weinstein and his brother, Bob, co-chairmen of the parent company, were not a driving force in the decision to distribute the film, which is to open on Friday in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington. – “We did not see the actual film until very late in the process,” Mr. Quinn added. –  Promotional screenings and talks are likely among the tech crowd in San Francisco and among political types in Washington, but scheduling has been hampered by that late delivery, he said. – The potential power in “Citizenfour” lies less in its revelations — though its ending points to the existence of another, as yet unidentified, government-surveillance whistle-blower — than in its intimacy and attempt to make narrative sense of the disclosures by Mr. Snowden, a former N.S.A. contractor. – At the film’s core are startlingly close encounters with Mr. Snowden, shot during eight days in a Hong Kong hotel room in 2013, as he began revealing secrets of the N.S.A. to the journalists Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill, and wrestled with the implications of his leaks. At one point, in nearly silent pantomime, he reshapes his beard and restyles his hair, preparing to slip from the hotel and eventually seek refuge in Russia. – The footage of Mr. Snowden is framed against shots of Mr. Obama and members of his administration, first denying the existence of domestic surveillance, then promising a review of programs, and finally insisting on Mr. Snowden’s prosecution. – In the Oscar race for best documentary, “Citizenfour” is likely to find itself up against some less volatile documentaries. Among those are “Red Army,”about Soviet hockey stars; “Life Itself,” about the film critic Roger Ebert; and “Tales of the Grim Sleeper,” about the predations of a serial killer in South Los Angeles. – But “Citizenfour” recalls a different political dynamic, in 2004, when Mr. Weinstein introduced Michael Moore’s anti-Bush “Fahrenheit 9/11” at the Beverly Hills headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with a personal tribute to Mr. Moore. The two received a roaring ovation from like-minded Academy members. – But “Fahrenheit 9/11” won no Oscars. It was ruled out of the race when Mr. Moore chose to air it on pay-per-view television shortly before the presidential election. – This time around, though, some key voices are quieter. –  Mr. Plepler, whose top documentary executive, Sheila Nevins, is an executive producer of “Citizenfour,” has not yet seen the movie, an HBO spokesman said. Mr. Skoll, through a Participant Media spokeswoman, declined to comment when asked whether he had concerns about the film’s view of Mr. Obama. In an email, referring to Mr. Quinn and Mr. Janego, of Radius-TWC, Mr. Weinstein said: “This is Tom and Jason’s show. They have autonomy, and it’s all their call.” – Mr. Janego, on Wednesday, asserted that Ms. Poitras’s cinéma vérité approach leaves a comfort zone for both those who support Mr. Snowden and those who find his actions offensive. “You’re left to make up your own mind,” he said. -”  ———djo——— }

 

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Lead Articles:

Fuel-laden Russian cargo ship under tow off B.C. coast  { * A disabled Russian cargo ship carrying lots of fuel, became dead in the water yesterday in a series of events that saw the ship’s captain knocked unconscious during a storm with intense 6 meter-high waves. Today this ship, which could not be safely approaced yesterday, is being towed to be sure it does not crash and spill tonnes of its cargo and fuel off the shore of B.C.’s Haida Gwaii. *   —djo—  }

Pro-democracy demonstrators reclaim city streets in Hong Kong    {  }

Coast Guard vessel tows disabled Russian ship off BC coast   {  }

Massive power outage as Gonzalo pummels through Bermuda   {  }

Remnants of Gonzalo to hit off Grand Banks, N.L.     {  }

Obama says Ebola travel ban could make things worse   {  }

Canada’s Dumbest Charge: The 5 most frustrating fees  { * CBC’s Marketplace asked viewers to rant about add-on charges, and more than 700 complaints about fees came from across the country. Marketplace narrowed the submissions down to five fees and viewers can vote on the one that annoys them most. The choices for most frustrating fee include:  Bank machine fees / Airline seat selection fees / Bell telephone touch-tone fees / Paper bill and statement fees / Ticketmaster fees-    —djo— }

-Video- Machine guns and a rooftop watch: Front-line Kurdish forcer in tough fight against ISIS   {  }

Chrétien defends Trudeau’s Iraq position, calls CF-18 mission ‘marginal’ response   { * Former prime minister Jean Chrétien says he supports Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s decision to oppose Canada’s air combat mission in Iraq. *  —jim w— }

-Updated- N.L braces for high winds, waves, intense rain in wake of Hurricane Gonzalo  {  }

 

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“Offbeat”

 

Paris ‘sex toy’ sculpture deflated by angry locals   {  }

Canadian Pacific accentaly bulldozes Montreal park   {   }

Identity theft? Barack Obama’s under-used credit card declined in New York restaurant   {  }

Saskatoon family wants to keep raccoon as pet   {  }

 

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“Most Viewed”

Canada’s Dumbest Charge: The 5 most frustrating fees  { * & I can think of a couple more Like income tax and utility bills and local municipal taxes. If what Walter Burien says is true at CFR1 dot com then they’re extorting from all of us and don’t need a penny of it, the lying ice-holes *  —djo— }

Simushir, fuel-laden Russian cargo ship, under tow off  Haida Graii   {  }

Loonie oil prices could fall much further: Don Pittis  {    }

Halifax scientist hopes 1.2-m trout bodes well for Arctic conservation  { * }

Justin Trudeau: My father said ‘I should never feel compelled to run for office’  {  }

Tanger outlets Ottawa opening causes Highway 417 traffic issues   {  }

Ottawa dentist Khaled Hashem banned after botched procedures   {  }

Mars one plan has potentially deadly flaws, scientists say  {  }

‘We’re prepared’ for Ebola patients: Hamilton Health Sciences  {  }

-17 photo slide show- Syria-Turkey border town under siege by ISIS fighters   {  }

-Blog- Ebola-themed TV series one of many attempts to capitalize on deadly virus  {  }

 

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Other:

-New- Catholic Church poised to approve ‘open’ approach to gays  {  }

‘We can’t give in to hysteria’: Obama pushes back against calls for West Africa travel ban   {  }

Ocean Lady migrants from Sri Lanka still struggling 5 years later   {  }

Federal government still mum onhow to spend surplus    {  }

-Analysis- Could ISIS fears mute criticism of expanded anti-terror laws?   {  }

Death toll rises to 39 after avalanches, blizzard hit Nepal   {  }

Rachel McAdams, Hayley Wickenheiser get stars on Canada’s walk of fame   {  }

Power out for thousands in Bemuda as hurricane moves away  {  }

Fentanyl abuse an increasing threat for drug addicts  {  }

Air Canada [ pilot ] refuses to transport blood sample for Ebola test, delaying diagnosis   { * The pilot inspected the protective packaging that was supposed to insure that nothing could go wrong with the shipment, thought he found irregularities and refused to let it aboard the aircraft he was responsible for.  —jim— }

Fusion reactors still 10 years out as Lockheed Martin announces breakthrough   {  }

-Must Watch- Burying blue whale bones    { * Crews from the ROM [Royal Ottawa Museum] were burying blue whale bones this week, reports Havard Gould —djo— }

-Must Watch- Iraqi ghost town   { * CBC reporter Margaret Evans finds an eerie silence in this desolate Iraqui town  }

-Editor’s Pick- 8 ways to protect yourself from market madness   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- Will Canada avoid the mistakes of Dallas   {  }

-World- Boko Haram militants could release Nigerian schoolgirls next week  {  }

-Business- TSX, Dow sharply higher Friday   {  }

-Business- Average cable, internet & phone bill was $191 a month last year: CRTC   {  }

-Politics- Canada’s combat mission inIraq could last beyond 6 months  { * How can you tell when a politician is lying? His mouth moves.*  —djo— }

-Arts & Entertainment- Misty Upham, actress, confirmed dead   { * Of apparent suicide. * —djo— }

-Arts & Entertainment- Bono says trademark sunglasses are because of glaucoma, not attitude   {  }

-Technology & Science- Project to save wild Atlantic salmon in Bay of Fundy begins   {   }

-Technology & Science- What’s new in OS X Yosemite   { * Sorry- I’m not going to jump into this one. I don’t care if every freaking browser I have squawks and balks and tells me it will no longer be supported. Unless Apple gets a whole lot less greedy they can go perform unnatural acts with themselves. * We expected better from Apple.  —jim w—  }

-Community- Parents could be liable for what their kids post on Facebook, Georgia court rules   {  }

-Community- The internet has had enough of GamerGate   { * “- For months now, members of the the embattled gaming community have been at war with each other over everything from accusations of biased video game journalism to reports of widespread online harassment against women within the industry. – The web has come to know this ongoing saga as — a term that is as difficult to define as it is to keep track of. – First used by actor Adam Baldwin on Twitter in August of 2014, the#GamerGate hashtag was initially used to organize a heated online conversation about ethics in gaming journalism. – That conversation was sparked by one man’s claims that his ex-girlfriend, a noted game designer named Zoe Quinn, had cheated on him with several men in the gaming industry — one of them a writer for the Gawker media-owned blog Kotaku. – Quinn’s ex-boyfriend appeared to imply within his post that her relationship with a Kotaku writer earned her game, Depression Quest, favourable coverage on the popular video game-themed blog — an implication that many online ran with. – “Quinn turned into the victim of an aggressive attack on her personal life, which included threats of rape, hacking attempts, at least one death threat and doxxing, or the Internet-based practice of publishing private information about an individual,” explained Abigail Elise of the IBTimes. “Those who attempted to defend Quinn from the attacks were given the label ‘social justice warriors,’ quickly escalating into a virulent attack against Quinn and the ethics of video game journalism. Journalists who refused to cover what seemed to be a very public examination of a woman’s private life were labeled gaming journalism conspirators, and a black list was even circulated by gamergate supporters.“-”  —djo—}

-Community- Kissing protesters flood British grocery store to protest treatment of lesbian couple   {  }

 

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“Local / New Bruswick”

Moncton the hub of a fibreoptic superhighway  { Let’s hope that corporations don’t decide they can arbitrarily slow down fibreoptic connections just because they can.  —djo— }

Gassing and dashing sends Moncton man to jail    { He skipped out without paying after filling his tank 3 times. They have cameras, they caught him.  }

Saint John East byelection set for November  { * That’s as soon as they schedule one for.  *  —djo— }

Saint John man missing$6K in cheque scam    { * He says, check your bank statements guys, somebody has been cashing cheques he wrote once- multiple times over.  —djo—   }

Rexton shale gas protests remembered one year later   {  * I talked to a First Nations man who believes that elemental beings set fire to police cars. Hey, if leprechauns and ‘others’ from that world are on our side, we should encourage them. Thank them and honour them for fighting for us. *  —jim w—   }

Residential electricity customers underpaying, NB power says  {* All power companies are way over charging- Jim W says. *  —jim w—  }

 

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“First Nations”

-Analysis- Indigenous perspectives from Winnipeg to Sydney    {  }

-Opinion- Indigenous care options and solutions for indigenous people   {  }

MIsty Upham to be remembered at Winnipeg aboriginal film fest   {  }

Manitoba Hydro evicted from northern dam station   {  }

University of Regina said the number of First Nations students is up by 50 per cent over the past 5 years  {  }

-Video- N.W.T. child services to work to support families   {  }

Watchdog says B.C. government ignoring recommendations to help children   {  }

 

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{ 2:30 pm —Ready to Rock and Roll— Filling in for myself today —   ———djo——— }

Friday, 17 October, 2014  -( 66˚F / 19˚C –  & raining  @ 10:30 am one time zone East of Ithaca )-  { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above.  ———djo——— }

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Thursday, October 9, 2014 –  would have been John Lennon’s 74th birthday.

{ Both Jim W and I have had really weird stuff happening with our computers yesterday and today. Unwanted pop ups, unwanted new browser pages telling us we have an outdated version of firfox with serious security issues  and need to download the fix without telling us what that fix is or should be- And we both coincidentally downloaded and updated those browsers to version 33 yesterday. Whattaya think? are we under attack here? Tune in later folks, maybe we’ll know in a couple hours.  ———djo——— // Next  Morning: A ‘Java update’ tried to load an ‘Ask Toolbar’ with two updaters in the folder. I told it I did not want that on my computer and told it to cancel the update. It installed it anyway, and deactivated my Security stuff- I could not delete the ask updater, but I did reactivate the security stuff. And now, 12 hours later, it looks like the b.s. has stopped >>—-> —————Jim W }

{  This from Variety: “No amount of familiarity with whistleblower Edward Snowden and his shocking revelations of the U.S. government’s wholesale spying on its own citizens can prepare one for the impact of Laura Poitras’ extraordinary documentary “Citizenfour.” Far from reconstructing or analyzing a fait accompli, the film tersely records the deed in real time, as Poitras and fellow journalist Glenn Greenwald meet Snowden over an eight-day period in a Hong Kong hotel room to plot how and when they will unleash the bombshell that shook the world. Adapting the cold language of data encryption to recount a dramatic saga of abuse of power and justified paranoia, Poitras brilliantly demonstrates that information is a weapon that cuts both ways. (Read the full review)” —djo— }

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Lead Articles:

-Analysis- Markets go you down? Here are 8 ways to weather the storm: Don Pittis   { * I remember several years ago, a ‘sensitive’/ ‘psychic’ friend in Ontario was going through some unpleasant changes, said she couldn’t wait for whatever is to happen to done and over with. Then she grew a big wide smile and added, “I can’t wait until the promised ‘The money grubbers go out of style big time’ event happens- oh there will be some suffering, but in the end we will be much better off with a whole new economic system that will be a whole lot more ‘human friendly’ *   —jim w—  }

Rob Ford medical record wrongly accessed by hospital staff    {  }

Canada’s inflation rate dips to 2% in September: StatsCan   {  }

MIlitary watchdog criticizes frozen housing allowance   {  }

B.C. nurse identified among 4 Canadians killed in Nepal     {  }

UN says it urgently needs more money to fight Ebola   {  }

-Updated- Ebola worker quarantined on Caribbean cruise ship  { * & Clif at “Half Past Human dot dom” posted on October 15th that a cruise ship would be contaminated in the next few days, and that the ship and tourists would be incarcerated/quarantined at a South American port for eight or nine months?  —jim w— }

First Nations actress Misty Upham presumed dead   { * Police in the Seattle suburb of Auburn said Thursday that they believe they have found the body of missing actress Misty Upham, known for her roles in August: Osage County, Frozen River and Django Unchained. *  —jim w— }

Chrétien defends Trudeau’s Iraq position, calls CF-18 mission ‘marginal’ response   { * Former prime minister Jean Chrétien says he supports Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s decision to oppose Canada’s air combat mission in Iraq. *  —jim w— }

 

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“Offbeat”

 

Habs’ Carey Price stars in creepy commercial   {  }

‘It was right here:’ Yukon cabin vanishes without a trace   {   }

Clown association slams American Horror Story for perpetuating ‘scary clown’ stereotype   {  }

-Yesterday- Puck the Bunny predicts Habs win over Bruins at home opener   { * And I saw a bit of a news flash about that coming true while I was watching the thriller in San Francisco last night- The Giants beat St Louis with a three run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. *  —jim w— }

 

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“Most Viewed”

‘It was right here:’ Yukon cabin vanishes without a trace  { * Josie-Anne Pilotte says she was building a cabin on a friend’s mining claim near Fish Lake Road just outside of Whitehorse. – The cabin was on pallets and ready to move, but when Pilotte arrived last month, she found someone else had already beat her to it. – “We found a pair of gloves, a crowbar, and they left the windows behind,” she says. – Pilotte says whoever took the cabin took everything she had inside and left it outside. – She doesn’t know what happened. Snowfall covered any tracks. – “I went berserk,” Pilotte says. “I lost it. I left, and yes I went to the police and I reported it.”  – It’s been two weeks since the theft and there are still few clues. – Pilotte says the cabin was supposed to be a hideaway. – “Just a place to sleep, to hide in, to get away,” she says. “A place to be, my little home.” – Police in Whitehorse are investigating the unusual crime. *  —jim w—   —djo— }

Ebola worker on Caribbean cruise ship quarantined as Obama mulls naming czar   {  }

Loonie oil prices could fall much further: Don Pittis  {    }

Canada Post court challenge launched to save home mail delivery  { *”The union representing Canada’s postal workers is hoping the courts will reverse Canada Post’s decision to stop delivering mail door-to-door in urban centres. – With termination notices rolling out across the country, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, along with groups representing seniors and the disabled, are launching a Federal Court challenge. – “The reaction was immediate from every part of this country,” said Denis Lemelin, the union’s national president, at a press conference in Ottawa Thursday. – ​”Today we want to thank the people of this country, because people care about the postal service,” he said. – “Postal service is here to stay,” he said, vowing to maintain a “public post office” as well as home delivery. – Lemelin said the December 2013 decision, which was supported by the Harper government, was announced without prior consultation with the public or postal workers. – Court injunction possible – The challenge has been finalized and could be filed in Federal Court “within the week,” constitutional lawyer Paul Cavalluzzo told the press conference.  Other applicants are still deciding whether to join the case. – After the challenge has been filed, an injunction could stop service reductions until the court rules. >>—->

The case will argue:

• The elimination of mail delivery violates Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees equality rights for groups like disabled citizens.
• The decision violates the federal Human Rights Act because of its effects on employees and vulnerable citizens without prior consultation.
• Canada Post did not have the authority to declare it will no longer perform a public service that’s defined as part of the statutory monopoly it enjoys. Only the Parliament of Canada can take this decision.
• Canada has contravened its international law obligations, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which requires all states to provide accessible public services, and the Universal Postal Union obligations, which require all states to provide affordable and accessible service.

>>—-> “I don’t think taking away home delivery has anything to do with universality or accessibility,” Cavalluzzo said. – “If you look at their accommodation program [for vulnerable groups], it’s really a program that Canada Post is making on the fly,” he said. “It’s totally inadequate and doesn’t make any of the requisites of our human rights law.” –  The lawyer also noted that a massive review of Canada Post operations done for the Harper government in 2008 made no mention of ending delivery. – “Did you have any studies of the impact of the decision on seniors and disabled before you took the decision?” he said he wants to ask Canada Post. “Our view is that this came out of the blue.” >>—->

Businesses still served

>>—-> Cavalluzzo pointed out that businesses will continue to receive mail delivery, making them entitled to a fundamental service that individual Canadians no longer have. – “At the present time the government is hiding behind the decision of Canada Post Corporation.  They shouldn’t be let off so easily,” he said. -Seniors groups and organizations for people with disabilities are joining the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in a legal challenge to preserve home mail delivery. – The National Pensioners Federation, which says it represents 350 seniors groups and over a million Canadians, has joined the challenge because it wants to reverse what it says is a trend of erosion of services. Mail delivery, it says, is important to help seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible. – Carmela Hutchison from the Disabled Women’s Network of Canada told the press conference that community mail boxes can put personal safety at risk when vulnerable women get their mail in public, while increasing the risk of theft if they ask someone else to get their mail on their behalf. – Mail carriers can sometimes spot people in distress, she said. She’s skeptical about Canada Post’s pledges to accommodate the women she represents. – “Do we put a big handicapped sign on the door? Who approves it? The Canadian Medical Association wisely indicated it would not,” she said, adding that paying for doctor’s letters to prove special services are required can be an economic barrier. – If things proceed, Canada will be the only G8 country without home mail delivery, the union says. – The union also says 110 municipalities oppose ending home mail delivery and do not want the burden of maintaining community mailboxes along streets and sidewalks. – The labour movement and the NDP have been canvassing door-to-door with petitions to maintain the service. – Canada Post ‘confident’ – In a statement, Canada Post said it is “confident” that its plan “will withstand any and all legal scrutiny.” – “Digital alternatives are rapidly replacing traditional mail and that trend will accelerate,” the statement said. Two-thirds of Canadian households already do not receive mail delivery at their door, and the decision to discontinue the remainder was “difficult.”  – Canada Post’s accommodations program is “robust” and it spent “months” talking to human rights experts and organizations, the Crown corporation said. – “The changes being made are necessary to secure the future of postal service in Canada and avoid becoming a burden on the taxpayers.” <—-<< *** My Response to the management of Canada Post? “BULL SHIT!” *** Go read the definition of Fascism again. *** —djo— } { Go Read>>—->  CAFR1.Com }

Revenue Canada targets birdwatchers for political activity  {  }

Stephen Harper’s gone fishing for votes in very particular ponds   {  }

Hurricane Gonzalo: 50/50 chance it will hit Newfoundland  {  }

Ebola outbreak: Will Canada avoid the mistakes of Dallas  {  }

Paper bill and statement fees continue to frustrate Canadians  {  }

-12 photo slide show- Hong Kong pro-democracy protests   {  }

-Blog- Clown association slams American Horror Story for perpetuating ‘scary clown’ stereotype  {  }

 

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Other:

-New- Nepal avalanche: Survivors say storm caught them off guard  {  }

1/3 of soldiers fear seeking help for mental health would hurt career   {  }

-Coming Up Live- Gonzalo update from Canadian Hurricane Centre   {  }

Watching birdwatchers? Tax auditors warn naturalist club over political web posts    {  }

-Losing It- Lucic taunts Habs crowd as Bruins lose in Montreal   {  }

Michael Sona could find out today whether he’ll go to jail for robocalls   {  }

-New- Iraqis flee homes in fear of ISIS   {  }

Canada’s new anti-terror measures to boost spy agency powers  {  }

Pistorius should serve at least 10 years for killing girlfriend, prosecutor says  { * Well that’s what a prosecutor does, he tries to make the people he prosecutes look as evil as he can paint them, because if he wins, it’s a feather in his career-minded cap. Tough sentences make him look good *  —jim w— }

Toronto Mayoral candidates spar over money, civility at CBC debate   {  }

Hunter Biden, US VP’s son, left Navy after positive drug test   {  }

-Must Watch- Ebola: NUrses union wants stricter protocols    {  }

-Must Watch- Wingsuit World Flying Contest   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- 5 outrageous fees consumers are being charged   { * Scroll down if you missed this in yesterday’s coverage and really want to read it.*  —jim w— }

-Editor’s Pick- The two faces of justice in modern-day America   { * How the law ‘follows’ the wealth gap  —jim w— }

-Editor’s Pick- Ebola Outbreak: Why it may be time to ‘take the brakes off’ producing a vaccine   {   }

-World- Minnesota man convicted of encouraging suicides gets short jail stint  {  }

-Canada- ‘No one wants to die if living is better’ Supreme Court told   {  }

-Business- TSX, Dow continue slide on weak economic news   { * & The guys at half past human dot com forecast this to the day it began happening. *  —djo— }

-Business- Average cable, internet & phone bill was $191 a month last year: CRTC   {  }

-Business- Canada’s inflation rate drops to 2% in September  { * But- can we believe anything the government tells us about jobless rates and inflation rates?  Don’t count on it. *  —jim w—   }

-Business- U.S. jobless claims drop to 14-year low   { * But the actual jobless rate is still way above the b.s. numbers they report. Last estimate puts it well above 24% }

-Politics- Canada Post court challenge launched to save home mail delivery  {  }

-Arts & Entertainment- Women filmmakers call for gender equity in male-dominated industry   {  }

-Technology & Science- New Poodle security bug found in web encryption technology   {   }

-Technology & Science- What’s new in OS X Yosemite   { * Sorry- I’m not going to jump into this one. I don’t care if every freaking browser I have squawks and balks and tells me it will no longer be supported. Unless Apple gets a whole lot less greedy they can go perform unnatural acts with themselves. * We expected better from Apple.  —jim w—  }

-Community- Parents could be liable for what their kids post on Facebook, Georgia court rules   {  }

-Community- The internet has had enough of GamerGate   { * “- For months now, members of the the embattled gaming community have been at war with each other over everything from accusations of biased video game journalism to reports of widespread online harassment against women within the industry. – The web has come to know this ongoing saga as — a term that is as difficult to define as it is to keep track of. – First used by actor Adam Baldwin on Twitter in August of 2014, the#GamerGate hashtag was initially used to organize a heated online conversation about ethics in gaming journalism. – That conversation was sparked by one man’s claims that his ex-girlfriend, a noted game designer named Zoe Quinn, had cheated on him with several men in the gaming industry — one of them a writer for the Gawker media-owned blog Kotaku. – Quinn’s ex-boyfriend appeared to imply within his post that her relationship with a Kotaku writer earned her game, Depression Quest, favourable coverage on the popular video game-themed blog — an implication that many online ran with. – “Quinn turned into the victim of an aggressive attack on her personal life, which included threats of rape, hacking attempts, at least one death threat and doxxing, or the Internet-based practice of publishing private information about an individual,” explained Abigail Elise of the IBTimes. “Those who attempted to defend Quinn from the attacks were given the label ‘social justice warriors,’ quickly escalating into a virulent attack against Quinn and the ethics of video game journalism. Journalists who refused to cover what seemed to be a very public examination of a woman’s private life were labeled gaming journalism conspirators, and a black list was even circulated by gamergate supporters.“-”  —djo—}

-Community- Kissing protesters flood British grocery store to protest treatment of lesbian couple   {  }

 

=====

“Local / New Bruswick”

Moncton the hub of a fibreoptic superhighway  { Let’s hope that corporations don’t decide they can arbitrarily slow down fibreoptic connections just because they can.  —djo— }

New Brunswick gas prices hit 20-month low    {  }

Pension perk for deputy ministers should be cut, ex-MLA says  { * Talk to me about government spending cuts after they allow Walter Burien and a crew of loudmouth squawkers examine all their books, especially the ones they believe we don’t know about, and dig into all their income streams and report their findings live on every media outlet, commercial and otherwise *  —djo— }

Fredericton veteran thinks he has a piece of Franklin Expedition ship    {  }

Brian Gallant plans Alberta tour to back Energy East project   { * What would a whole new system of government look and feel like where thieving, lying, power abuseing politicians and authority abusing law enforcement officials and personnel wake up on an island, at the mercy of mother nature, with no weapons, very little food, very little shelter, no wood to build a raft, no bottles to fill with messages and cast into the currents, all surrounded by starving sharks and polar bears?  —djo—   }

 

=====

“First Nations”

-Updated- First Nations family’ss refusal of chemo a precedent-setting case, expert says    {  }

Winnipeg mayoral hopefuls square off at chamber of commerce debate   {  }

First Nations Bank opens branch in Yellowknife   {  }

Family says body found in North Saskatchewan river was Beatrice Adam, 36   {  }

Three big ‘whoppers’ told about the Ring of Fire   { *This ‘Ring of Fire’ is a mining operation in northern Ontario. A mining expert says the promise of its mineral development area has been overstated.  —jim w— }

University of Regina said the number of First Nations students is up by 50 per cent over the past 5 years  {  }

Hunt quotas cut for southern population of polar bears   {  }

Watchdog says B.C. government ignoring recommendations to help children   {  }

 

=======================

{ 1:15 pm —Ready to Rock and Roll— Filling in for Doug today —   ———jim w——— }   { Doug Copying & Pasting back here in Ithaca,  Thank You Jim!-  ———djo——— }

Thursday, 16 October, 2014  -( 70˚F / 21˚C –  & cloudy  @ 12:00 pm near Ithaca )-  { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson & jim wellington }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above.  ———djo——— }

=======================

 

Thursday, October 9, 2014 –  would have been John Lennon’s 74th birthday.

Both Jim W and I have had really weird stuff happening with our computers yesterday and today. Unwanted pop ups, unwanted new browser pages telling us we have an outdated version of firfox with serious security issues  and need to download the fix without telling us what that fix is or should be- And we both coincidentally downloaded and updated those browsers to version 33 yesterday. Whattaya think? are we under attack here? Tune in later folks, maybe we’ll know in a couple hours.  ———djo———

{  This from Variety: “No amount of familiarity with whistleblower Edward Snowden and his shocking revelations of the U.S. government’s wholesale spying on its own citizens can prepare one for the impact of Laura Poitras’ extraordinary documentary “Citizenfour.” Far from reconstructing or analyzing a fait accompli, the film tersely records the deed in real time, as Poitras and fellow journalist Glenn Greenwald meet Snowden over an eight-day period in a Hong Kong hotel room to plot how and when they will unleash the bombshell that shook the world. Adapting the cold language of data encryption to recount a dramatic saga of abuse of power and justified paranoia, Poitras brilliantly demonstrates that information is a weapon that cuts both ways. (Read the full review)” —djo— }

=====

Lead Articles:

-Live- CDC head grilled by U.S. Congress on Dallas Ebola response   { * One of my favorited watchdogs told us last week that the federal government knew they would have someone with Ebola coming to the US and directly to Dallas. They basically knew the whole story from beginning to end six months before it happened and did nothing. I have no contacts on the ‘inside’ there to check on this, but, after listening to Remote Viewers and other scientific future checker out-ers like ‘half past human dot com’ — and others— I don’t need to take stuff like this on blind faith. If it isn’t true that somebody in government or close to government is ‘psychic’ enough to hone in on future events, then maybe somebody in a dark ops office is sitting there planning how and when to release ‘information’ or ‘disinformation’ with believable photos and ‘eyewitnesses’ ahead of time and have everything in place and ready to fly up and bite us when they believe the time is right? Remember the quote from the movie ‘The President’s Analyst’ – “I’m not paranoid! Somebody is really trying to get me!” —djo—  }

CSIS bill allows tracking suspected Canadian terrorists abroad    {  }

3 Canadians rescued, 4 among 27 dead in Nepal avalanche   {  }

25 people tested for Ebola in Canada so far; all negative   {  }

Canada to contribute $30 million more to Ebola fight: CBC     {  }

Nurse with Ebola was cleared to fly before diagnosis: CDC   {  }

-Analysis- Alberta’s hurting, but industrial Canada could benefit from oil shock  {  }

-Updated- Canada’s new anti-terror measures to boost spy agency powers   {  }

-Analysis- How the law follows the wealth gap in modern-day America: Neil Macdonald   {  }

 

=====

“Offbeat”

 

Puck the Bunny predicts Habs win over Bruins at home opener   {  }

Fan interrupts Florida gubernatorial debate — and electric fan {   }

Lulelemon’s Buffalo sports tribure a sheer misfire   {  }

‘Turnip for what?’: Michele Obama dances with a vegetable on Vine   {  }

-Yesterday- Squid swarm attacks research sub in Greenpeace video  { * “These squid are used to being able to eat pretty much anything they see.” * —djo—  }

 

=====

“Most Viewed”

5 Outrageous fees consumers are being charged  { * – Watch Marketplace’s season premiere, Canada’s Dumbest Charge, Friday Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador). Join the discussion on Twitter by using the hashtag #dumbcharge – From paying to receive a paper bill to getting charged for checking airline luggage, if there’s one thing that bothers many of us, it’s beingnickel-and-dimed with add-on fees and dumb charges. – CBC Marketplace is on the hunt for the country’s dumbest fee. Canadians submitted more than 700 complaints about fees from across the country, expressing outrage at a huge variety of charges big and small. – Marketplace narrowed the submissions down to five fees that affect most Canadians. The five finalists will be announced on the season premiere, Canada’s Dumbest Charge, and viewers can vote for which fee takes the (dubious) top honour. (The special one-hour premiere airs on Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. / 8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador. Join the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #dumbcharge.) – While Marketplace was poring through the submissions, it came across some shocking fees that seemed especially outrageous. While these didn’t make the final five, here are some of the most ridiculous fees that Canadians are paying: – The fee you didn’t expect: Charged for takeout – Want those leftovers? One submission pointed to a local restaurant’s doggy-bag fee, charging people who want to get their uneaten food wrapped up to go. – “It’s only $2, but [the restaurant] charges that much to take leftover food (not very good food) home,” the submission from Vancouver read. – The fee for doing (almost) nothing: Salad set-up fee – A woman  from Edmonton called out a catering company that charged a “salad set-up fee” of $7.50. – “When I accompanied the catering staff to the room where we were setting up for a meeting, I watched the young man with the salad – he took the plastic wrap off the bowl, and walked away. I asked him if there was anything left to do for the salad “set-up” and he said “Nope.” That was it. $7.50 to take the plastic wrap off a bowl of salad… hmmm…” – The fee that feels cruel: Permission fee to watch dog euthanization – Many people were especially upset when they were charged fees that seemed inappropriate or insulting. One man complained that when he took his dog to the vet to be euthanized, he was charged a fee because he wanted to be in the room for his pet’s last moments. That fee? $50. – The fee for absolutely every small cost: Staple and paperclip fee – One of the most ridiculous submissions takes nickel-and-diming to a new level. One man complained of being charged precise amounts for every office supply his lawyer used. – “[I was] charged separately for staples ($0.07 each) and paperclips ($0.12 each) on my legal bill for doing up a will.” – The simply unfair fee: Wheelchair taxi fee – One submission called out a cab company for charging extra to take his mobility equipment in the car. – “Taxis that charge $5.00 extra per trip because I use a wheelchair.” – (The special one-hour premiere of Marketplace, featuring Canada’s Dumbest Charge, airs on Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. / 8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador. Join the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #dumbcharge.) –   —djo— }

Ebola symptoms: What are they?   {  }

Loonie oil prices could fall much further: Don Pittis  {    }

Canada Post court challenge launched to save home mail delivery  { *”The union representing Canada’s postal workers is hoping the courts will reverse Canada Post’s decision to stop delivering mail door-to-door in urban centres. – With termination notices rolling out across the country, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, along with groups representing seniors and the disabled, are launching a Federal Court challenge. – “The reaction was immediate from every part of this country,” said Denis Lemelin, the union’s national president, at a press conference in Ottawa Thursday. – ​”Today we want to thank the people of this country, because people care about the postal service,” he said. – “Postal service is here to stay,” he said, vowing to maintain a “public post office” as well as home delivery. – Lemelin said the December 2013 decision, which was supported by the Harper government, was announced without prior consultation with the public or postal workers. – Court injunction possible – The challenge has been finalized and could be filed in Federal Court “within the week,” constitutional lawyer Paul Cavalluzzo told the press conference.  Other applicants are still deciding whether to join the case. – After the challenge has been filed, an injunction could stop service reductions until the court rules. >>—->

The case will argue:

• The elimination of mail delivery violates Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees equality rights for groups like disabled citizens.
• The decision violates the federal Human Rights Act because of its effects on employees and vulnerable citizens without prior consultation.
• Canada Post did not have the authority to declare it will no longer perform a public service that’s defined as part of the statutory monopoly it enjoys. Only the Parliament of Canada can take this decision.
• Canada has contravened its international law obligations, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which requires all states to provide accessible public services, and the Universal Postal Union obligations, which require all states to provide affordable and accessible service.

>>—-> “I don’t think taking away home delivery has anything to do with universality or accessibility,” Cavalluzzo said. – “If you look at their accommodation program [for vulnerable groups], it’s really a program that Canada Post is making on the fly,” he said. “It’s totally inadequate and doesn’t make any of the requisites of our human rights law.” –  The lawyer also noted that a massive review of Canada Post operations done for the Harper government in 2008 made no mention of ending delivery. – “Did you have any studies of the impact of the decision on seniors and disabled before you took the decision?” he said he wants to ask Canada Post. “Our view is that this came out of the blue.” >>—->

Businesses still served

>>—-> Cavalluzzo pointed out that businesses will continue to receive mail delivery, making them entitled to a fundamental service that individual Canadians no longer have. – “At the present time the government is hiding behind the decision of Canada Post Corporation.  They shouldn’t be let off so easily,” he said. -Seniors groups and organizations for people with disabilities are joining the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in a legal challenge to preserve home mail delivery. – The National Pensioners Federation, which says it represents 350 seniors groups and over a million Canadians, has joined the challenge because it wants to reverse what it says is a trend of erosion of services. Mail delivery, it says, is important to help seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible. – Carmela Hutchison from the Disabled Women’s Network of Canada told the press conference that community mail boxes can put personal safety at risk when vulnerable women get their mail in public, while increasing the risk of theft if they ask someone else to get their mail on their behalf. – Mail carriers can sometimes spot people in distress, she said. She’s skeptical about Canada Post’s pledges to accommodate the women she represents. – “Do we put a big handicapped sign on the door? Who approves it? The Canadian Medical Association wisely indicated it would not,” she said, adding that paying for doctor’s letters to prove special services are required can be an economic barrier. – If things proceed, Canada will be the only G8 country without home mail delivery, the union says. – The union also says 110 municipalities oppose ending home mail delivery and do not want the burden of maintaining community mailboxes along streets and sidewalks. – The labour movement and the NDP have been canvassing door-to-door with petitions to maintain the service. – Canada Post ‘confident’ – In a statement, Canada Post said it is “confident” that its plan “will withstand any and all legal scrutiny.” – “Digital alternatives are rapidly replacing traditional mail and that trend will accelerate,” the statement said. Two-thirds of Canadian households already do not receive mail delivery at their door, and the decision to discontinue the remainder was “difficult.”  – Canada Post’s accommodations program is “robust” and it spent “months” talking to human rights experts and organizations, the Crown corporation said. – “The changes being made are necessary to secure the future of postal service in Canada and avoid becoming a burden on the taxpayers.” <—-<< *** My Response to the management of Canada Post? “BULL SHIT!” *** Go read the definition of Fascism again. *** —djo— } { Go Read>>—->  CAFR1.Com }

Ebola outbreak: Priority is stopping it at the source, CDC says  {  }

Apple iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 pics leaked ahead of event   {  }

Nepal avalanche: Quebec woman says she was lucky to escape deadly slide  {  }

Mata Hari and Edith Clavell: Women, intrigue and WWI propaganda  {  }

McDonald’s coffee cup contained dead mouse, Fredericton man says  {  }

-12 photo slide show- Hong Kong pro-democracy protests   {  }

-Blog- Kissing protesters flood British grocery store to protest treatment of lesbian couple  {  }

 

=====

Other:

-New- 5 reasons Neil Patrick Harris will shine at the Oscars  {  }

-New- Dropbox passwords posted online   { * “Anyone who would give up a little liberty in favour of a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” Benjamin Franklin —djo— }

-Updated- Assisted suicide ‘a last resort’ for some, Supreme Court told   {  }

Why it m ay be time to ‘take the brakes off’ producing an Ebola vaccine    {  }

Brawl causing drone from Serbia-Albania soccer match found by police   {  }

Switching to natural gas won’t slow climate change   {  }

Panic, bloodshed in Eaton Centre shooting video shown in court   {  }

Falling oil prices could delay tax cuts, economists say  {  }

Oscar Pistorius’s apology to family called insincere by cousin  {  }

Secret murder in Saskatchewan: RCMP say woman’s homicide is a private matter   {  }

-Updated- Telus misleads by picking and choosing wireless speed data, critics say   {  }

-Must Watch- Wingsuit World Fying Contest    {  }

-Must Watch- Avalanche victims and survivors   {  }

-Must Watch- Canadian soldiers depart   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- Mata Hari and Edith Cavell: Women and WWI propaganda   { * Elsewhere described as “The sexpot and the saint: Women and WWI propaganda” “Iconic women of era were used in campaigns to bolster war effort” “- Scholars commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War are turning their attention to female icons of the era — two of whom were used in propaganda campaigns after their deaths to bolster the war effort, albeit in very different ways. – One was notorious exotic dancer and courtesan Mata Hari. – The other was revered British nurse Edith Cavell. – Both of these iconic women were convicted of treason. – Both were executed by firing squads. – And both were mythologized after their deaths in ways that neither one of them would have sanctioned. – The ‘Bad Girl’ – There is a photo of Mata Hari wearing one of her famed diaphanous outfits in Paris, 1906. – At the crack of dawn on Oct. 15, 1917, 41-year-old Mata Hari (nee Margaret Zelle) was brought to a military firing range after being convicted of espionage for the Germans. – “Mata Hari was a woman of courage,” says biographer Julie Wheelwright, author of The Fatal Lover: Mata Hari and the Myth of Women in Espionage. – The notorious femme fatale Mata Hari was elegantly dressed and refused to be tied to the stake. She also refused to be blindfolded, staring down the 12 soldiers assigned to the firing squad. – The soldiers were given the signal to fire. – “And then Mata Hari fell into what one witness described as nothing more than a heap of petticoats,” says Wheelwright. “And I find that description really poignant because it brings back to earth the fact that she really was harmless and it was really an unnecessary death.” – Julie Wheelwright, author of The Fatal Lover: Mata Hari and the Myth of Women In Espionage, says the propaganda machinery at work during WWI perpetuated fears of women who were autonomous sexual beings breaking social conventions. – Convicted on flimsy and fabricated evidence, she went from being the most sought-after exotic dancer and courtesan in Europe to the most vilified spy. – “Mata Hari was quite open about the fact that she had all these lovers. She was quite open about the fact that she enjoyed sex, and that she moved around and took her clothes off on stage. All of those things make her all wrong.” – Wheelwright argues that the execution sent a clear message at the time – especially to women. – “It was a message of ‘stay in your place,’” says Wheelwright, who points out that the propaganda machinery at work during World War One perpetuated fears of women who were autonomous sexual beings breaking social conventions. – “And certainly in France during the war, the images of women are images of caretakers, not of voluptuous women out to be artisans or courtesans.” – The ‘Good Girl’ – British nurse Edith Cavell was executed by a German firing squad as a spy on Oct. 12, 1915. – Just a couple of years prior to Mata Hari’s execution, another woman was executed by firing squad – this time in German-occupied Belgium. British nurse Edith Cavell was 49 years old when she was convicted of treason for helping Allied soldiers escape the country. – Her death on Oct. 12, 1915, was quickly turned into a rallying point to recruit British soldiers to avenge her. In the 10 weeks following her execution, recruitment to the British military doubled from 5,000 a week to 10,000. – And the war propaganda around her death took liberties with her story to suit the needs of the state at the time. – “She’s often shown to be quite young and vulnerable-looking,” says historian Tammy Proctor, author of Female Intelligence: Women, Espionage and Propaganda in the First World War. “A lot of the tributes to her emphasize her purity because she was unmarried. She embodies this notion of what women should be – nurturer and nurse who suffered for her country. That’s why her image becomes so important.” – Edith Cavell’s image was used to draw volunteers to fight shortly after her execution in 1915. – But there is a profound misinterpretation of what motivated Edith Cavell during her lifetime, argues biographer Diana Souhami. “She didn’t want any young men to die in the trenches.” – Cavell was a devout Christian who eschewed war, and as part of her nursing creed she believed it was her duty to help anyone who was sick or suffering, regardless of nationality. – “She was not motivated by patriotism. It wasn’t a flag-waving thing,” Souhami says. – The night before Cavell’s execution an English pastor met with her in her cell and said she would be remembered as a martyr. According to the pastor’s account, Cavell responded: “Don’t think of me like that. Think of me as a nurse who tried to do her duty.” – Yet there are more monuments to Edith Cavell than any other female figure from the first world war – including a 10-foot white marble statue just off Trafalgar Square in London. When her body was repatriated to England after the war her coffin was paraded through the streets of London on a gun carriage escorted by 100 soldiers. It was draped in the Union Jack for the state funeral at Westminster Abbey. – “People want symbols,” says Souhami. “To say that here was the spirit of good as opposed to the spirit of evil.” -”  —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- Parents could be liable for what their kids post on Facebook, Georgia court rules   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- What’s happened to the 200 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls?   { * ‘Hope is now fading fast,’ leader of parents group says. *  —djo—  }

-World- Fighter jets roar over Kobani, Syria, as ISIS battle ramps up  {  }

-World- EU will be hard pressed to deal with turmoil in Greek stock, bond markets  {  }

-Canada- ‘No one wants to die if living is better’ Supreme Court told   {  }

-Canada- Canada’s new anti-terror measures to boost spy agency powers  {  }

-Canada- Polar bears push Halloween activities indoors in Arviat, Nunavut   {  }

-Business- TSX, Dow continue slide on weak economic news   { * & The guys at half past human dot com forecast this to the day it began happening. *  —djo— }

-Business- Ottawa complains to WTO about Chinese duties on Canadian wood pulp   {  }

-Business- AbbVie board backs away from Shire deal over new tax rules   {  }

-Business- U.S. jobless claims drop to 14-year low   { * But the actual jobless rate is still way above the b.s. numbers they report. Last estimate puts it well above 24% }

-Politics- Canada Post court challenge launched to save home mail delivery  {  }

-Arts & Entertainment- Women filmmakers call for gender equity in male-dominated industry   {  }

-Technology & Science- New Poodle security bug found in web encryption technology   {   }

-Technology & Science- Facebook creates ‘Safety Check’ tool for disasters   {   }

-Technology & Science- First-ever spacecraft to land on a comet next month   { * And what happens if they find a million year old space craft sitting there waiting for them? *  —djo— }

-Technology & Science- Google unveils new Nexus tablet, smartphone, streaming device   {   }

-Technology & Science- Parents could be liable for what their kids post on Facebook, Georgia court rules   {  }

-Community- The internet has had enough of GamerGate   { * “- For months now, members of the the embattled gaming community have been at war with each other over everything from accusations of biased video game journalism to reports of widespread online harassment against women within the industry. – The web has come to know this ongoing saga as — a term that is as difficult to define as it is to keep track of. – First used by actor Adam Baldwin on Twitter in August of 2014, the#GamerGate hashtag was initially used to organize a heated online conversation about ethics in gaming journalism. – That conversation was sparked by one man’s claims that his ex-girlfriend, a noted game designer named Zoe Quinn, had cheated on him with several men in the gaming industry — one of them a writer for the Gawker media-owned blog Kotaku. – Quinn’s ex-boyfriend appeared to imply within his post that her relationship with a Kotaku writer earned her game, Depression Quest, favourable coverage on the popular video game-themed blog — an implication that many online ran with. – “Quinn turned into the victim of an aggressive attack on her personal life, which included threats of rape, hacking attempts, at least one death threat and doxxing, or the Internet-based practice of publishing private information about an individual,” explained Abigail Elise of the IBTimes. “Those who attempted to defend Quinn from the attacks were given the label ‘social justice warriors,’ quickly escalating into a virulent attack against Quinn and the ethics of video game journalism. Journalists who refused to cover what seemed to be a very public examination of a woman’s private life were labeled gaming journalism conspirators, and a black list was even circulated by gamergate supporters.“-”  —djo—}

-Community- Vatican sparks controversy by saying gay couples have ‘gifts and qualities’   {  }

-Community- Kissing protesters flood British grocery store to protest treatment of lesbian couple   {  }

 

=====

“Local / New Bruswick”

Moncton the hub of a fibreoptic superhighway  { Let’s hope that corporations don’t decide they can arbitrarily slow down fibreoptic connections just because they can.  —djo— }

Horizon Health is refusing to fill housekeeping jobs, CUPE says    {  }

RCMP watchdog reviews police handling of shale gas protests  { *Now, this one could become quite interesting.*  —djo— }

Mentor program hopes to help intellectually disabled teens find work   {  }

McDonald’s coffee cup contained dead mouse, Fredericton man says   {   }

Community group gives natural resource lessons for N.B from Tanzania   {   }

 

=====

“First Nations”

Tina Fontaine’s family weeps as men who killed father apologize    {  }

Mary Johnny inquest: ‘Something weird and unusual happened,’ Dr. says {  }

First Nations Bank opens branch in Yellowknife   {  }

Federal court to review Jackpine Mine expansion today   {  }

Three big ‘whoppers’ told about the Ring of Fire   { *This ‘Ring of Fire’ is a mining operation in northern Ontario. A mining expert says the promise of its mineral development area has been overstated.  —jim w— }

[First Nations] voters gear up to cast ballots in Winnipeg’s civic election  {  }

Discrimination not a factor in Mary Johnny’s death: son   {  }

HUnt quotas cut for southern population of polar bears   {  }

Watchdog says B.C. government ignoring recommendations to help children   {  }

 

=======================

{ 4:15 pm —Ready to Rock and Roll— Had help again from Jim W one more time — Thanks, Jim   ———djo——— }

Tuesday, 14 October, 2014  -( 67˚F / 19˚C – & cloudy & hazy here @ 9:00 am near Ithaca )-  { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above.  ———djo——— }

=======================

 

Thursday, October 9, 2014 –  would have been John Lennon’s 74th birthday.

{  This from Variety: “No amount of familiarity with whistleblower Edward Snowdenand his shocking revelations of the U.S. government’s wholesale spying on its own citizens can prepare one for the impact ofLaura Poitras’ extraordinary documentary “Citizenfour.” Far from reconstructing or analyzing a fait accompli, the film tersely records the deed in real time, as Poitras and fellow journalist Glenn Greenwald meet Snowden over an eight-day period in a Hong Kong hotel room to plot how and when they will unleash the bombshell that shook the world. Adapting the cold language of data encryption to recount a dramatic saga of abuse of power and justified paranoia, Poitras brilliantly demonstrates that information is a weapon that cuts both ways. (Read the full review)” —djo— }

=====

Lead Articles:

-New- Life in the shadow of ISIS: ‘We are afraid to speak’   {  }

Suspect in Slocan, B.C. manhunt is dead: RCMP      {  }

WHO: Could see 10,000 new cases of Ebola per week     {  }

Patrick Brazeau faces charge of impaired care of vehicle   {  }

Catholic Church’s stance on gays hailed as ‘seismic shift’    {  }

UN medical team member infected with Ebola dies in Germany   {  }

Sleepwalker acquitted of attempted murder attacks again — while awake   { “Phyllis John ended an abusive relationship with George Campbell, an Ontario man once acquitted of an attempted murder he committed while sleepwalking. When she told him to move out, Campbell tried to slit her throat.”  —djo— }

NDP hopes child-care funding plan will get Canadians looking at policy   {  }

 

=====

“Offbeat”

New Norwegian banknotes dazzle with pixel art backgrounds   { “-Above [ or left ]: New designs for Norway’s krone, by The Metric System and Snøhetta Design. (Norges Bank) – Norway’s new banknotes have earned praise and adulation online for the unusual artistic design behind them. – Earlier this year, Norges Bank, the Norwegian central bank, made a callout to artists to design the country’s new currency, with the theme of “The Sea.” After narrowing down the selection to eight artists, two series of illustrations will be used – one for each side of the bills. – One side, Norwegian Living Space by The Metric System (the team of Christian Schnitler and Are Kleivan), feature drawings of boats, lighthouses and fish in a style Norges Bank describes as “open, light and typically Nordic.” – The other side, however, is composed entirely out of pixel art: large rectangles, without any shading or gradients, reminiscent of old computer graphics and often associated with 8-bit video games. – The images by Snøhetta Design, called Beauty of Boundaries, vaguely recall coastal scenery but aren’t intentionally “de-rezzed” versions of real locations. In a press release, Snøhetta Design said, “Our goal is to bring people into creating their own interpretations and associations.” – The bank also posted all of the designs by the eight finalists online. All of these designs will be displayed this fall in an exhibition called Norway’s New Banknote Series: The Sea in Oslo.-”   —djo—  }

Creepy clowns haunt California city by night   { *Just in time for Halloween – and your nightmares. – Reports of creepy clowns carrying knives and other weapons have been scaring people in the California city of Bakersfield for the past week, police said on Sunday. – In the latest incident, a person telephoned the Bakersfield Police Department on Saturday night, reporting a clown armed with a firearm, said watch commander Lt. Jason Matson. – “We’ve been having sightings all over the city,” Matson said. “They range from anywhere from a guy carrying a gun to a guy carrying a knife running up to houses.” – The Bakersfield Californian newspaper reported earlier in the week that at least some of the reports were hoaxes. Matson said he did not know whether the incidents were pranks. – At least one of the reports was not a hoax – police arrested a teen on Friday who had dressed up as a clown and was chasing children on the west side of town, Matson said. The juvenile, whose name was not released, said he was doing it to perpetrate a hoax he had seen online. – He was arrested on suspicion of annoying a minor and booked into the Kern County Juvenile Hall, Bakersfield police said in a news release. A child who had been chased “was clearly scared,” the release said.*  —djo— }

-Repeat- Wife carrying championship: An unusual Nordic tradition returns { * In one photo a wife is sitting on one guy’s shoulders as he looks like he’s walking somewhere in a hurry. * —jim w—  }

-Repeat- New York Comic Con 2014: costumes and crowds   {  }

-From Saturday- Record setting bluefin tuna hauled in by Nova Scotia girl  { * & All of the above Offbeat headlines are repeats from yesterday* —djo—  }

 

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“Most Viewed”

-Go Public- Violent police home invasion leads to $66K bill for victims  { * Halifax officer keeps his job and isn’t charged after illegal entry and assault on resident.  –  “”It was just like Cops. Or like a movie. The house was dark. The house was quiet … then bang-bang-bang! on my upstairs door,” said Tyson Bishop, 36, recalling the 2008 encounter. – “It was a home invasion. They invaded my home.” – Within seconds, it escalated to one of the officers shooting Bishop with a Taser stun gun when he tried to stop police from hitting his sister in the face. -Tyson and Cirbie Bishop said they can’t understand how they’ve paid a higher price than the police officer who entered Tyson’s home illegally and assaulted him with a Taser. – “I was fearful for her life,” said Bishop, a GM salesman. “I was watching them pick her up and drop her face on the floor. She was crying.” – “Absolutely unreal,” said Cirbie Bishop, 31. “Under no circumstances would anyone ever believe that two police officers could just enter your home illegally and do that to you.” – Officer broke the law –  One of the officers, Const. Jordan Gilbert, was later sanctioned for illegal entry and assault, after a decision by a police complaint review board. But he was never criminally charged and he kept his job. – The Bishops, who had never been in trouble with the law before, said they are left with $66,000 in legal costs, which the municipality refuses to cover. – “They came into the house without a warrant. They came into the house with absolutely no right to. And we are left to pay for that,” said Cirbie Bishop, an insurance claims representative. – Submit your story ideas: – Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories and hold the powers that be accountable. -We want to hear from people across the country with stories they want to make public. -Submit your story ideas to Kathy Tomlinson at Go Public – Follow @CBCGoPublic onTwitter – On that night six years ago, the siblings had a Halloween party at Tyson Bishop’s townhouse. They said it was a normal party, with costumes, decorations, drinks and music. Police were called twice over noise complaints by a neighbour. – By the time Const. Gilbert and Const. Mathew Poole arrived to answer the second call at 3 a.m., however, the party was over and the townhouse was dark. Six people, including the Bishop siblings, were sitting around quietly in an upstairs bedroom. – When the officers got no answer at the front door, they entered anyway, then went upstairs and pounded on the bedroom door, ordering anyone who didn’t live there to leave. – “They were just screaming and yelling and swearing and forcing people out of the house,” Cirbie Bishop said, as everyone scrambled. “We had no idea we were there doing anything wrong. We just had a private party.” – She banged into Gilbert while going through the bedroom doorway. He considered that assault, so he and Poole grabbed and detained her. Gilbert later admitted he hit her in the face while pinning her on the bathroom floor. – Cirbie Bishop suffered injuries after being hit in the face while Const. Jordan Gilbert was trying to arrest her. – “They picked me up and they threw me on my face,” she said. – When Tyson Bishop tried to step in and protect his sister, Gilbert Tasered him — in the face — at close range. “You just collapse. You fall so fast and so hard. It’s such a jolt to your head,” Bishop recalled. – Gilbert also admitted hitting him twice.”

-Submit your story ideas: – Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories and hold the powers that be accountable. -We want to hear from people across the country with stories they want to make public. -Submit your story ideas to Kathy Tomlinson at Go Public – Follow @CBCGoPublic onTwitter –  —djo— }

Italian nurse Daniela Poggiali suspected in deaths of 38 patients   {  }

Peter Degroot, suspect in shootout in Slocan, B.C., dead  {    }

Ebola virus ruled out in Ottawa patient, while man in Belleville still in isolation  {  }

Catholic Church makes ‘stunning’ overture toward gays  {  }

Conservatives’ copyright law changes could backfire   { * Well jeeze, I hope so.*  —djo— }

-Thursday’s Blog- Fracking company launches pink drill bits for breast cancer awareness  { *This bit of manipulation is pretty freakin low, even for these corporate ice-holes. Trying to link a program that is destroying people’s health, property values and quality of life, as well as putting their lives in actual danger- to a campaign to raise awareness of women’s health issues is worse than unethical, cynical, bold face lying: on a par with telling Africans with AIDs that raping a virgin would cure their disease.*  >>—-> Link to Huffington Post article on Gasland 2 * Fracking may be more hazardous to our health and quality of life than we have previously warned about. Find a copy of Gasland 2 and watch it. — To be fair,  Forbes has been trying to label the movie as ‘Luddite Slander of Fracking’ *** but too many people without a horse in this race have ‘scientifically remote viewed without prejudice’ a future in which the USA has been reduced to less than a third world nation caused in a large part by fracking.   —djo— }

 

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Other:

B.C. manhunt ends with suspected gunman’s death  { * If they run this one more time on this page I will say, “Oh- how convenient”* —djo— }

-New- Dropbox passwords posted online   { * “Anyone who would sacrifice a little liberty in favour of a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” Benjamin Franklin —djo— }

Assisted suicide appeal puts all eyes on Supreme Court   {  }

-New- When is someone dead? Debate rages on in science and medicine.   { * I supposed something like, “I will be dead when I say I’m dead!” wouldn’t work very well, would it?*  —djo— }

Should Google share the blame for hacked photos?   { But, would a better question be: Who should share the blame for Google?  —djo— }

Illegal dumping: CBC readers share their photos and stories   { * I’ve got a couple for you- in the 1990’s when the city of Ithaca imposed a $1.00 per garbage bag price tag to pick up garbage they had been picking up- not free- but already figured into local taxes- you wouldn’t believe the amount of garbage bags that suddenly appeared all over back roads in Cayuga and Schuyler Counties.  Yeah, maybe you would believe that.  —djo— }

Hong Kong police remove some barricades, clear tents   {  }

Oscar Pistorius being portrayed as ‘victim’ prosecutor says  {  }

Military’s mental health system ‘abandoned’ CFB Shilo soldier   {  }

Kurds call for more airstrikes in Syria as they struggle to hold Kobani   {  }

Sudden oil price drop a crude awakening for Canada’s economy   { *** “If it sends the current Conservative government packing, we’ll take it-” ***  —djo— }

St.Louis police arrest 17 at protest over shooting deaths of black men   {  }

-Must Watch- Buffalo fights in India   { *No thanks*  —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- Assisted suicide: Where do Canada and other countries stand?   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- Violent police ‘home invasion’ leads to $66K bill for victims   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- Misunderstood and misdiagnosed, the mystery of vertigo   {   }

-World- Sunni civilians killed by Shia militias, Amnesty reports  {  }

-Canada-Blame circulates as Elliot Lake fatal mall collapse report comes due   {  }

-Business- Brent crude oil slides to lowest price since 2010   {  }

-Business- Fears that shoddy Toronto condos could become future slums   {  }

-Business- Owe money to a friend? In France you can pay them back via tweet   {  }

-Politics- Disabled community divided over Conservative MP’s doctor assisted suicide bill.  {  }

-Arts & Entertainment- Penelope Cruz named ‘sexiest woman alive’ by Esquire   {  }

-Technology & Science- Hackers steal Snapchat users’ photos from image saving service   {   }

-Technology & Science- Nuclear plants must give anti-radiation pills to nearby residents: regulator   {  }

-Technology & Science- Privacy concerns remain as cyberbullying bill inches closer to law   {  }

-Community- Katy Perry’s Super bowl halftime show sparks excitement, cynicism from readers   {  }

-Community- ‘No means yes?’ Singapore drops sex ed program after student complaint   {  }

 

=====

“Local / New Bruswick”

Anti-poverty group pushes for higher minimum wage    {  }

Civil service suffers from ‘sycophantic culture’ expert says  { * The ‘expert’ is saying that, beginning in the 1990’s, civil servants who owed their jobs to the sitting political parties became less altruistic than what he expected of them.* —djo—  }

Political problems plague New Brunswick’s public service  { Redundant R us, I say, redundant R Us.  —djo— }

Horizon Health takes steps to reduce missed appointments   {  }

RCMP watchdog reviews police handling of shale gas protests  { *Now, this one could become quite interesting.*  —djo— }

-N.B.Page- Medicinal chaga mushroom may be over-harvested in N.B. forests   {  }

Today’s weather: Peter Coade’s synopsis   {  }

-Repeat- Birth control pill threatens fish populations   { * Hormones in birth control pills, once they’ve gone through the user’s system and been flushed down the toilet, have nearly wiped out a few species of small fish and disrupted the whole food chain. Treatment plants and stations need to ramp up their processing or we’re in trouble on one more front, global climate change or not. —djo—  }

 

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“First Nations”

Human trafficking prevention needs more funding, says social worker    {  }

Winnipeg women say being sexually harrased downtown the norm  {  }

More talks could break Peel land use planning stalemate   { “Yukon First Nations and their environmental allies say the court battle over the Peel watershed land use plan could be settled through ‘proper consultation.”  —djo— }

Polaris winner describes being followed, called ‘sexy little Indian’ on street   {  }

Marlene Bird says she had run-in with one of her attackers   { “The woman who lost both her legs in a vicious attack in Prince Albert, Sask., over the summer says she recently came across one of the people who attacked her on the street”  —djo— }

-Opinion- A First Nations take on Thanksgiving: ‘Your Welcome Weekend’  {  }

Mi’kmaq say Sydney Harbour talks back on track   {  }

Union slams ‘rushed’ facility for at-risk girls in Winnipeg   {  }

Watchdog says B.C. government ignoring recommendations to help children   {  }

One new article appeared at the top of the First Nations ‘aboriginal’ page & One older one reappeared near the top.

 

=======================

{11:15 am —Ready to Rock and Roll— Had help again from Jim W one more time — Thanks, Jim ———djo——— }

{ Thanksgiving Day In Canada – Scarf’s Birthday }

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Monday, 13 October, 2014  -( 62˚F / 17˚C – & cloudy here @ 2:00 pm near Ithaca )-  { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above.  ———djo——— }

=======================

 

Thursday, October 9, 2014 –  would have been John Lennon’s 74th birthday.

{ Thought of the Day: I just watched ‘GasLand II” the HBO documentary-movie, most of the way through, for about the tenth time. Why are governmental ‘mouthpieces’ still tring to say that Shale Gas is: (1) a good thing, and, (2) the best way to go?  The best scientific evidence reported on in that movie showed that there is more than enough wind power available to generate 5 times our needed electricity- virtually free- forever- & it is renewable, does not pollute, does not poison your water supply. -And if the wind slows down, solar photovoltaics can fill in the gaps. And then there’s always hydro-electric and maybe even tidal generation possible.  The only thing ‘wrong’ with these renewable technologies is the fact that no greedy corporation has found a way to control them enough with lies and propaganda to raise the price high enough to keep billions of people in low-wage-slavery for the foreseeable future.   —djo— }

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Lead Articles:

2 people with Ebola-like symptoms in Ottawa, Belleville hospitals   {  }

Hong Kong protesters rebuild destroyed barricades    {  }

French economist Jean Tirole wins Nobel economocs prize    {  }

1st human trials of Canadian Ebola vaccine start in U.S.  {  }

Lights out till Thursday after downtown Calgary electrical fire    {  }

More Ebola cases possible among health workers who cared for Dallas patient  {  }

India cyclone kills 24   {  }

 

=====

“Offbeat”

New York Comic Con 2014: costumes and crowds   { See photo-  —djo—  }

Hello Kitty exhibit opens in Los Angeles   { * ‘Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty’ museum celebrates Japanese icon’s 40th anniversary.*  —djo— }

Wife carrying championship: An unusual Nordic tradition returns { * In one photo a wife is sitting on one guy’s shoulders as he looks like he’s walking somewhere in a hurry. * —jim w—  }

-Repeat- How’s this for fun? Pretending to be a boring office drone on Facebook   {  }

-From Saturday- Record setting bluefin tuna hauled in by Nova Scotia girl  { * & All of the above Offbeat headlines are repeats from yesterday* —djo—  }

 

=====

“Most Viewed”

Violent police home invasion leads to $66K bill for victims  { * Halifax officer keeps his job and isn’t charged after illegal entry and assault on resident.  –  “”It was just like Cops. Or like a movie. The house was dark. The house was quiet … then bang-bang-bang! on my upstairs door,” said Tyson Bishop, 36, recalling the 2008 encounter. – “It was a home invasion. They invaded my home.” – Within seconds, it escalated to one of the officers shooting Bishop with a Taser stun gun when he tried to stop police from hitting his sister in the face. -Tyson and Cirbie Bishop said they can’t understand how they’ve paid a higher price than the police officer who entered Tyson’s home illegally and assaulted him with a Taser. – “I was fearful for her life,” said Bishop, a GM salesman. “I was watching them pick her up and drop her face on the floor. She was crying.” – “Absolutely unreal,” said Cirbie Bishop, 31. “Under no circumstances would anyone ever believe that two police officers could just enter your home illegally and do that to you.” – Officer broke the law –  One of the officers, Const. Jordan Gilbert, was later sanctioned for illegal entry and assault, after a decision by a police complaint review board. But he was never criminally charged and he kept his job. – The Bishops, who had never been in trouble with the law before, said they are left with $66,000 in legal costs, which the municipality refuses to cover. – “They came into the house without a warrant. They came into the house with absolutely no right to. And we are left to pay for that,” said Cirbie Bishop, an insurance claims representative. – Submit your story ideas: – Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories and hold the powers that be accountable. -We want to hear from people across the country with stories they want to make public. -Submit your story ideas to Kathy Tomlinson at Go Public – Follow @CBCGoPublic onTwitter – On that night six years ago, the siblings had a Halloween party at Tyson Bishop’s townhouse. They said it was a normal party, with costumes, decorations, drinks and music. Police were called twice over noise complaints by a neighbour. – By the time Const. Gilbert and Const. Mathew Poole arrived to answer the second call at 3 a.m., however, the party was over and the townhouse was dark. Six people, including the Bishop siblings, were sitting around quietly in an upstairs bedroom. – When the officers got no answer at the front door, they entered anyway, then went upstairs and pounded on the bedroom door, ordering anyone who didn’t live there to leave. – “They were just screaming and yelling and swearing and forcing people out of the house,” Cirbie Bishop said, as everyone scrambled. “We had no idea we were there doing anything wrong. We just had a private party.” – She banged into Gilbert while going through the bedroom doorway. He considered that assault, so he and Poole grabbed and detained her. Gilbert later admitted he hit her in the face while pinning her on the bathroom floor. – Cirbie Bishop suffered injuries after being hit in the face while Const. Jordan Gilbert was trying to arrest her. – “They picked me up and they threw me on my face,” she said. – When Tyson Bishop tried to step in and protect his sister, Gilbert Tasered him — in the face — at close range. “You just collapse. You fall so fast and so hard. It’s such a jolt to your head,” Bishop recalled. – Gilbert also admitted hitting him twice.”

-Submit your story ideas: – Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories and hold the powers that be accountable. -We want to hear from people across the country with stories they want to make public. -Submit your story ideas to Kathy Tomlinson at Go Public – Follow @CBCGoPublic onTwitter –  —djo— }

Misunderstood and often midiagnosed, the mystery of vertigo   {  }

Birth control pill threatens fish populations  { “-The lead researcher of a new study is calling for improvements to some of Canada’s waste water treatment facilities after finding that introducing the birth control pill in waterways created a chain reaction in a lake ecosystem that nearly wiped out a freshwater fish. – ‘It’s a problem that we can certainly resolve with better wastewater treatment.’– Karen Kidd, University of New Brunswick  –  The study, which is being published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B on Monday, found that introducing small amounts of estrogen into a lake led to the near extinction of the fathead minnow because it interfered with the fish’s ability to reproduce.

• Summary of the article

“- Lead researcher Karen Kidd of the University of New Brunswick said the study has been ongoing since the late 1990s, when researchers in the United Kingdom discovered that male fish began to develop eggs when estrogen was introduced in their habitat. – Kidd said their study set out to build on that research to determine whether the estrogen would affect the fathead minnow’s ability to reproduce and whether there were larger effects on the lake’s ecosystem.introduced in their habitat. – Drinking water contaminated with excreted drugs a growing concern – Reseachers started introducing small amounts of estrogen into an Ontario freshwater lake research facility in 2001, Kidd said. -Estrogen in the birth control pill ends up in municipal sewage and eventually in waterways. – “Right away, the male fish started to respond to the estrogen exposure by producing egg yolk proteins and shortly after that they started to develop eggs,” she said in an interview from Saint John, N.B. “They were being feminized.” – Kidd said shortly after introducing the estrogen, the number of fathead minnow crashed, reducing numbers to just one per cent of the population. – “It was really unexpected that they would react so quickly and so dramatically,” she said. “The crash in the population was very evident and very dramatic and very rapid and related directly to the estrogen addition.” – Domino effect – Kidd said that created a domino effect, causing the population of lake trout, the fathead minnow’s main predator, to decline. She said the number of insects, the fathead minnow’s main source of food, also started to increase. – There are several areas in Canada that have feminized male fish because of municipal water sewage being released into waterways, Kidd said, including in Wascana Creek in Saskatchewan, the Grand River in southwest Ontario and the South Saskatchewan River in southern Alberta.

• Fish feminizing in Alberta rivers

“- “It’s a problem that we can certainly resolve with better wastewater treatment,” she said. -”  —djo—  }

B.C. teachers in court Tuesday as province appeals decisions in their favour  {  }

-Blog- Creepy clowns in the night haunt California county   { “Reports of creepy clowns carrying knives and other weapons have been scaring people in the California city of Bakersfield for the past week, police said on Sunday.”  —djo— }

-Thursday’s Blog- Fracking company launches pink drill bits for breast cancer awareness  { *This bit of manipulation is pretty freakin low, even for these corporate ice-holes. Trying to link a program that is destroying people’s health, property values and quality of life, as well as putting their lives in actual danger- to a campaign to raise awareness of women’s health issues is worse than unethical, cynical, bold face lying: on a par with telling Africans with AIDs that raping a virgin would cure their disease.*  >>—-> Link to Huffington Post article on Gasland 2 * Fracking may be more hazardous to our health and quality of life than we have previously warned about. Find a copy of Gasland 2 and watch it. — To be fair,  Forbes has been trying to label the movie as ‘Luddite Slander of Fracking’ *** but too many people without a horse in this race have ‘scientifically remote viewed without prejudice’ a future in which the USA has been reduced to less than a third world nation caused in a large part by fracking.   —djo— }

 

=====

Other:

Canadian detained in Indonesian child sex assault probe faces 30 more days in jail   {  }

-Go Public- Violent police ‘home invasion’ leads to $66K bill for victims   { * There’s more of this article in the ‘Most Viewed’ section above. —djo— }

Turkey denies deal reached with U.S. on air base use in ISIS fight   {  }

Control of education policy at stake as B.C. appeals teachers’ court victories   {  }

-Analysis- As markets fail, IMF urges more economic risk-taking: Don Pittis   {  }

Assisted suicide: Where do Canada and other countries stand?   {  }

Hong Kong protesters boost barricades   {  }

Sentencing phase begins for Oscar Pistorius’s culpable homicide conviction  {  }

Tony Abbot, Australia PM, plans to ‘shirtfront’ Vladimir Putin at G20   {  }

Kurds call for more airstrikes in Syria as they struggle to hold Kobani   {  }

Sudden oil price drop a crude awakening for Canada’s economy   { *** “If it sends the current Conservative government packing, we’ll take it-” ***  —djo— }

St.Louis police arrest 17 at protest over shooting deaths of black men   {  }

-Must Watch- Typhoon Vongfong hits China coast   {  }

-Must Watch- The fight for Kobani   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- What to know about this year’s flu virus   {  }

-Editor’s Pick- Oilsands ‘victory’ in Europe – but how will they get it there?   { “Selling oilsands to Europe still a challenge, despite EC decision [ not to label it as ‘dirty oil’ ]”   —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- Thanksgiving dinner: how to eat as much as possible   { * “Eating competetition champion, all-you-can-eat buffet owner weigh in on strategy.”  —djo—  }

-World- Powerful storms batter Japan and India  {  }

-Business- S&P 500 touches lowest level in 5 months   {  }

-Business- Nobel prize for economics won by Jean Tirole of France   {  }

-Business- Fears that shoddy Toronto condos could become future slums   {  }

-Business- Fiat Chrysler begins trading on New York Stock Exchange   {  }

-Politics- Just don’t call it ‘sociology’: Tories seek bids for terrorism research.  { * Do they want to learn how to better use terrorism against their electorate? They’re doing quite well – controlling the news- invoking an atmosphere of constant anxiety and fear in a calculated effort to better control the hearts and minds of citizens kept in a state of constant fear-  —djo— }

-Arts & Entertainment- Misty Upham, actress from August: Osage County, missing   {  }

-Technology & Science- X-37B robotic space plane set to return from 22-month orbital mission   {   }

-Technology & Science- Nuclear plants must give anti-radiation pills to nearby residents: regulator   {  }

-Technology & Science- Privacy concerns remain as cyberbullying bill inches closer to law   {  }

-Community- Katy Perry’s Super bowl halftime show sparks excitement, cynicism from readers   {  }

-Community- ‘No means yes?’ Singapore drops sex ed program after student complaint   {  }

 

=====

“Local / New Bruswick”

Anti-poverty group pushes for higher minimum wage    {  }

N.B. vineyards face mediocre harvest due to storm Arthur   {  }

Hockey program’s goal: get kids on the ice minus big expense  {  }

Alma sending off lobster fleet with all-night party  {  }

Cancer patient calls for equal funding for take-home drugs   {  }

-N.B.Page- -New- Medicinal chaga mushroom may be over-harvested in N.B. forests   {  }

Today’s weather: Peter Coade’s synopsis   {  }

P.E.I. justice minister calls on N.S. to join securities regulator   {  }

 

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“First Nations”

Aboriginal community featured in Winnipeg photo exhibit   {  }

Winnipeg women say being sexually harrased downtown the norm  {  }

More talks could break Peel land use planning stalemate   { “Yukon First Nations and their environmental allies say the court battle over the Peel watershed land use plan could be settled through ‘proper consultation.”  —djo— }

Polaris winner describes being followed, called ‘sexy little Indian’ on street   {  }

Marlene Bird says she had run-in with one of her attackers   { “The woman who lost both her legs in a vicious attack in Prince Albert, Sask., over the summer says she recently came across one of the people who attacked her on the street”  —djo— }

-Opinion- A First Nations take on Thanksgiving: ‘Your Welcome Weekend’  {  }

Mi’kmaq say Sydney Harbour talks back on track   {  }

Union slams ‘rushed’ facility for at-risk girls in Winnipeg   {  }

Watchdog says B.C. government ignoring recommendations to help children   {  }

First Nations articles haven’t changed on the ‘aboriginal’ page

 

=======================

{4:00 pm —Ready to Rock and Roll— Had help again from Jim W — Thanks, Jim ———djo——— }

Tuesday, 30 September, 2014  -( 70˚F / 21˚C – & Clear right now  @ 9:30 am in Ithaca )- { Headlines compiled by douglas j otterson }

{ We’ve been doing this because we believe the CBC may be more honest and more respectable than Media in the U.S.A., & not a lot of people in the U.S. may know that or have access to anyone who might point them toward the CBC & their web site. }

{ & again, these are not links. If you want to read these stories, listen to sound clips, or see any video -if there is any video- go to CBC dot CA/news.— & You can also find a link to the web cast of the most recent broadcast of “The National” the CBC’s ‘flagship nightly newscast’ under the “Must Watch” heading on their main page. — Thanks. — & Jim W convinced me to take credit for this, above.  ———djo——— }

=======================

{ Is today international anything day? —> Doug, who appreciated yesterday as international coffee day . }

=======================

Lead Articles:

-New- Ebola outbreak in Liberia brings perils for body recovery teams   { & The bad guys keep scaring you off-center with frightening news in order to control you. Find peace within.  —djo— }

Japan volcano rumbles,  recovery of victims suspended   {  }

Afghans sign deal with U.S. allowing troops to stay   {  }

Forensic technician to testify at Luka Magnotta trial   {  }

Hong Kong protesters set Wednesday deadline for gov’t response   {  }

Vital supplies dwindle as Ebola cases rise in Liberia   {  }

-Analysis-ISIS may not even be the worst beheaders: Neil Macdonald   {  }

-Updated- Checked-bag fees may heighten carry-on chaos   {  }

Hong Kong’s ‘umbrella revolution’: What you need to know   {  }

 

=====

“Offbeat”

The quotable George Clooney   {  }

Scratch-and-sniff cards help N. Ireland police nose in on grow-ops   {  }

-Repeat- Free house up for grabs in Ottawa’s Manor Park — but there’s a catch   { * You’d have to move to house and that would cost ‘tens of thousands of dollars’.  If nobody takes it- the owners will bulldoze it down and cart it away to landfills & build themselves a new house on sight. They think it’s cheaper to get rid of this house and build a new one in its place than pay for the upgrades they want for their house as it is.   —djo— }

-Repeat- Man who raised $55K for potato salad throws party   { * As a joke, an Ohio, USA, man went to “Quick-start” to raise $10.00 to buy ingredients for potato salad. He raised $55,000 and threw a party for charity with loads of potato salad on the menu. —djo— }

 

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“Most Viewed”

CRTC to Netflix: Since you won’t co-operate, we’ll ignore you   {  }

Look around, ISIS’s acolytes are just apprentices at atrocity   {  }

Michael Wekerle’s Porsche 918 Spyder burns at caledon gas station   { Elsewhere: “Dragon Den judge’s Porsche goes up in flames.”  —djo—  }

Justin Trudeau gets apology from Sun Media   { Elsewhere it says “Sun Media apologizes for Ezra Levant’s on-air rant”. & Last week we noted that 3 top staffers at Sun Media’s new or proposed news channel get their orders directly from the current Prime Minister’s Office.  —djo— }

6-year-old left in car with rifle, shoots through door   { 3 children left in a car while parents went into a house. The 6-year-old was the oldest, fired the rifle that shot through the driver’s side door. Nobody got hurt. The father was slapped with a slew of charges.  —djo—  }

Apartment hunters targeted by Gander rental scam   { A central Newfoundland couple are being accused of pocketing money, renting space they don’t own and was already occupied.  —djo— }

Luka Magnotta case: The challenges of a ‘not criminally responsible’ defence   {  }

Tracy Morgan partly to blame for crash injuries: Walmart court filing   { Actor Tracy Morgan and other people riding in a limosine that was struck from behind in New Jersey by a Walmart comany vehicle weren’t all wearing seatbelts, so Walmart thinks they’re to blame for their own injuries?  Corporations = Not Good. Walmart = Not Good. Here in the States, it is very hard to defend against an accident being the fault of anyone hit from behind. At least it was. If Walmart gets away with this we may need to re-write a law or two, and if that doesn’t work, we may need a little bit of Heavenly Help here, in real earth time? Okay Guys? -Amen  —djo— }

-22 photo slide show- Hong Kong police, protesters clash in historic standoff   {  }

 

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Other:

Hong Kong leader says Beijing won’t back down in face of protests   { Well, then Beijing will lose face. Question: will that bother Beijing? —djo— }

-Analysis- 3 ways to help Speaker crack the whip in question period   { Question: Is Speaker cracking whip a good thing? Are there checks and balances in place to keep things fair and honorable?  —djo— }

Universities under pressure to combat sexual misconduct on campus   { There should be obvious deterrents everybody can use. Why is nobody seeing that?   —djo— }

Men’s rugby club suspended at Dalhousie after hazing complaint   { We’re supposedly moving into a better space in the galaxy, a better atmosphere all around for all humanity. Let’s hope the hazing and misconduct rising to our consciousness is symptomatic of the bad old ways coming into the light and being banished from what everybody sees as ‘boys being boys’ and moved into the “Absolutely Unacceptable Behaviour” column.  —djo— }

Visa issues for Russians, Chinese hamper major space conference in Toronto   { * Okay, what we need is a completely neutral venue. A huge, safe, conference center on a floating platform at sea, beyond all national borders, where everybody has a stake in maintaining peace and prosperity and nobody wants to blow everybody else up over any stupid issue that nobody can remember from thousands or millions of years ago. I can dream, can’t I?  —djo— }

Are smartphones ruining wedding ceremonies?   { * Why not? They’re ruining your health, spying on you, sending information to unethical people about everywhere you go and everything you do and everyone you meet. Too many people can’t leave their jobs and go home at the end of their shifts without needing to be ready to answer job related b.s. on their phones all evening and night. Can we do anything to make smartphones our friend? Or should we just smash them all under steamrollers somwhere?  —djo— }

‘Great end to what could have been a tragic story’ 7 saved after fishing boat flips   {  }

-Updated- ‘Something we didn’t see coming’, police say of officer’s suicide   {  }

-Must Watch- Monrovia, 1st city to cope with Ebola  { “City’s cramped taxis mean Ebola gets driven all over town. Liberia’s famous greeting hugs are gone, you get an elbow tap now.”  —djo— }

-Must Watch- Fox on loose in building   { “A cunning fox gives Chilean firefighters the slip in Valparaiso, Chile, outrunning and outsmarting pursuers before escaping by jumping off a balcony.”  —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- Ebola outbreak: Tough choices   { Health workers choose between helping others and staying safe.  —djo— }

-Editor’s Pick- Wikileaks founder Julian Assange tackles Google, dispels health rumours   { — In an exclusive Canadian broadcast interview with CBC Radio’s Q with Jian Ghomeshi, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accuses Google of being “in bed” with the U.S. government for allegedly spying on him and because of the way it collects personal data. – He also talks about how it feels to be vilified, his health and the personal toll of being holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the past two years fearing extradition and, possibly, prison. – “I’m pretty hard to kill. And I come from a very long-lived family line,” said Assange, who had been rumoured to be in deteriorating health. – The Australian internet publisher, who released a trove of U.S. diplomatic and military documents in 2010, fled to the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was to face questioning over allegations of sexual assault and rape, allegations that he denies.

• Q exclusive: Defiant Julian Assange says he’s ‘pretty hard to kill’
• Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder, says he’ll leave embassy in London
• Profile: Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks
• Julian Assange detention order upheld by Swedish court

– “He fears, he has said, that if he were to be extradited to Sweden he would then be handed over to the U.S. where he would be tried for one of the largest leaks of government information in U.S. history, leaks that some critics have said put national security and people’s lives at risk. – “In some ways, the conflict that has come about as a result is not altogether unwelcome, but it’s not something that my children, for example, signed up for,”Assange said. “So that’s really the greatest irritation.” – Assange, speaking from the embassy via phone, said the attacks on his character are just part of the nature of things of being a publisher and “infuriating big powers.” – “We’ve had many of those over eight years. I’m used to them to a degree. The size of the counterattacks that started in late 2010, they pushed the organization right to the very edge but we have lived through it.” — —djo— }

-Business- Solar and wind energy getting more cost competitive, study finds   { * What I don’t like, is the idea that Wind and Solar power will only become available to the vast majority of us when some major corporation finds a way to overcharge everybody and keep us all in virtual slavery to the corporations as long as possible.  corporations = not good.  —djo— }

-Technology & Science- Beluga whale population in St. Lawrence on ‘catastrophic’ path   { * Edgar Cayce told us that the dinosaurs had to go when they became a threat to all other life on this planet. Are we becoming the next threat to all other life on this planet?  —djo— }

 

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“Local / New Brunswick”

Sue Stultz’s election sign with Moncton firefighters sparks concern    { “Moncton is reviewing policies to ensure city departments remain neutral in future election campaigns. – A controversial election sign featuring Moncton firefighters put up by Progressive Conservative candidate Sue Stultz in the final days of the campaign is still raising questions about the neutrality of city departments during campaigns.”  —djo— }

Soldier Neil Dodsworth launches class action over home sale losses   {  }

13 abandoned homes in Moncton already demolished this year   {  }

Election losers should demand recounts, ex-councillor says   {  }

Donnie Snook appeal of 18-year sentence on sex charges before court   {  }

-Must Watch- Pension lawsuit  { Retired civil servants take case against pension reform to court.  —djo— }

&& It looks like You can watch local news and weather from the CBC in 30 minute videos available under “Must Watch” on all or most local pages.

 

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“Aboriginal”

Rare Treaty Four medal returns to Sask. First Nations   {  }

Greenland [ orca ] butchering in photo posted on Facebook   { “Inuit in eastern Greenland have been hunting more killer whales as climate change leaves the area free of ice longer, says a Dane who recently posted a photo on Facebook of a hunter butchering a whale.  —djo— }

Morris Home Hardware owner sorry for not honouring tax exemption  { “The owner of a Home Hardware store in Ottawa has apologized to a First Nations woman for refusing to accept her Indian status card for a provincial sales tax exemption earlier this month.”  —djo— }

Some Stoney Nakoda residents still in temporary housing 15 months after flood   {  }

Mi’kmaq groups protest $100M Alton gas storage project   {  }

Manitoba First Nations woman shares story of life under CFS care   { “Tamara Murdock understands how young women under the care of Child and Family Services can fall into trouble.  – Around six years ago, Murdock, then 15, was living in a foster home with another girl a couple years older than her. – One night they left their foster home to go out drinking. The girl disappeared, leaving her alone with a man in a house.  – “When she came back, she came back with money and ecstasy pills,” said Murdock, who is now 21. “She eventually got drunk and told me that she was a prostitute. That’s how I found out she was working the streets.” – Last year, about 10,000 children ended up in the care of CFS. A significant number of these kids are young girls who may find themselves, like Murdock did that night, in difficult situations. – Murdock, from Fisher River Cree Nation, is sharing her story now following the death of Tina Fontaine. The 15-year-old girl was under the care of CFS when her body was discovered wrapped in a bag in the Red River on Aug. 17. — ‘You’re looking for love or guidance, but it’s not something you can find on the street. You know it’s something inside you that you are looking for that you lost.’– Tamara Murdock   —djo— }

 

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{  11:33 am – checking for typos and getting out the crayons —   Ready to apply tags and hit the “Publish” button at 12:00 noon   ———djo——— }